Good evening from zone 5a, Omaha, Nebraska where today I applied a second application of triclopyr on the trandescantia and the second of this year's three lawn treatments. I still need to apply the second Preen treatment for summer-germinating weeds in the paths and flower beds as well as the second SedgeHammer treatment for nutsedge. I'm starting to think nutsedge is easier to control than trandescantia (if someone had suggested that even a few weeks ago, I would have thought that unbelievable).
Congratulations to Karen Schock for winning the AHS 2010 Region One Service Award, to Karol Emmerich for winning four HMs, and to Kyle Billadeau for winning three AHS newsletter awards. All of these awards are well-deserved!
AHS Region One members, please don't forget to send me your ballots for the RP election. The postmark deadline is June 25.
Enjoy a wonderful weekend!
Mary Baker
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Valdosta Again National Convention
Back from the south with new plants and ideas. Georgia was interesting to visit with beautiful gardens to tour. As part of the business meeting we found Region One standing up with the rest of the winners. I am so proud to be part of Region One along with our convention winners. All the award winners names begin with "K" Karol, Karen and Kyle. Congratulations to our Region One winners. We met many of our "old" daylily friends and made new friends. Our National President is a wonderful lady from Boston. I loved hearing of her background and many of the new challenges she faces with this office. She conducted her first national convention with ease and grace. We now look forward to our Region One meeting in North Dakota and then on to next year's national. The gardens were lovely with many daylilies and of course companion plants. The weather actually cooperated and was fairly decent with less humidity than I expected. I now have the babies I bought planted in their new northern home. We will see how they perform here in South Dakota.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
More news from Valdosta
Back again with some more news out of Valdosta. On Friday night the AHS business meeting was held and run by our new AHS president Mary Collier Fisher. After having the privilege of spending some time with her and getting to know her, she is a very lovely lady and a very approachable lady. She will listen to any concerns or answer any questions that one my have concerning AHS. She did a wonderful job of conducting the business meeting and I am sure that all will agree that she will be a great president for AHS. I am so glad to have gotten to know her a little better.
Also on Friday night North Dakota member Karen Schock won the Region One Sevice Award. Our most sincere congratulations go out to Karen. It was even more special as she had no idea it was coming. It's good when a plan like this comes together and the winner is really surprised.
Vicky
Also on Friday night North Dakota member Karen Schock won the Region One Sevice Award. Our most sincere congratulations go out to Karen. It was even more special as she had no idea it was coming. It's good when a plan like this comes together and the winner is really surprised.
Vicky
Monday, May 31, 2010
Valdosta
Where do I begin. This last weekend in Valdosta was truely memorable, the weather was absolutely beautiful, very little humidity most of the time, the food was very good and the gardens were gorgeous. The gardeners really went above and beyond getting their gardens in pristine shape for the tours. Although they were a little behind for peak bloom it was still a wonderful sight to see the daylilies blooming as we were daylily starved when we got down there. This was a wonderful chance to see some of the daylilies we have only read about or seen in pictures. It was amazing to see of the blooms that I grow in a Southern setting, the flowers are so much bigger down there, makes me think I better add a little more fertilizer or something. But, all in all, there wasn't one garden that wasn't beautiful.
The Southern hospitality really came through also. Every one was so kind and so polite, we commented that we have never been called "ma'am so many times. All the people we met were very friendly and helpful. It really is a lovely place to visit.
Now for the big news that came out of the Convention. Karol Emmerich won 4 HM's for "Born to Reign", Fear Not', Forty Days and Forty Nights', and Soul on Fire'. Congratulations to you Karol, we are so very proud of the plants you produce for the north. And we all claim you as our own!
The real surprise of the Award night came when our own Editor of the Pioneer, Kyle Billadeau won 3 newsletter awards. We could not of been happier or more proud of the work she has done on our wonderful Pioneer!! Her award were for Best Article About a Daylily Presonallity "Remembering Fred", Best Use of Pictures and Graphis, and Best Article Demonstrating Aspect of Gardening "Texture in the Garden". We are so tremendously proud of you, Kyle.
I just wanted to get the important stuff out there so you all would know of the Region One winners that came out of the convention. There will be more posted on the others that won awards later.
Vicky
The Southern hospitality really came through also. Every one was so kind and so polite, we commented that we have never been called "ma'am so many times. All the people we met were very friendly and helpful. It really is a lovely place to visit.
Now for the big news that came out of the Convention. Karol Emmerich won 4 HM's for "Born to Reign", Fear Not', Forty Days and Forty Nights', and Soul on Fire'. Congratulations to you Karol, we are so very proud of the plants you produce for the north. And we all claim you as our own!
The real surprise of the Award night came when our own Editor of the Pioneer, Kyle Billadeau won 3 newsletter awards. We could not of been happier or more proud of the work she has done on our wonderful Pioneer!! Her award were for Best Article About a Daylily Presonallity "Remembering Fred", Best Use of Pictures and Graphis, and Best Article Demonstrating Aspect of Gardening "Texture in the Garden". We are so tremendously proud of you, Kyle.
I just wanted to get the important stuff out there so you all would know of the Region One winners that came out of the convention. There will be more posted on the others that won awards later.
Vicky
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Keeping up (but not with the Joneses) :-)
Greetings from Region One, zone 5a, Omaha, Nebraska where yesterday morning (before the winds picked up) I treated nutsedge in the garden paths brought in with hardwood bark mulch a few years ago with Sedgehammer. The nutsedge had spread into bordering flower beds, as well as in and around daylilies. I sprayed fearlessly, though, as I need to eradicate the nutsedge. The label recommends a second treatment and I didn't have enough for that (so I bought more), as it took two batches to treat it this first time. I also learned how to use the pressurized spray tank I purchased for this purpose - a little scary, but the safety glasses I used as a precaution (and I) did just fine.
Today I spread Preen (late this year, but during most years would have been on time) throughout the paths and garden areas. I finished just in time ... as my father was taken to the hospital with what sounds like another ministroke (he's been having them over the past several days). I spread Preen today because it's getting almost too late for the first treatment (this year) and rain is forecasted for tonight.
My late grandmother's blue-lavender iris is FFO today. She didn't keep track of the name, but bought all her iris from the Sass brothers who lived in the Louisville area many years ago. I'll take a photo of it (time permitting). It almost died out - but became vigorous near the location I moved it to three years ago, next to the backyard fence where it gets full southern-exposure sun and sharp drainage. This iris, the only bearded iris I still grow, has multiplied exponentially from the three tiny struggling single fans I replanted. Small black ants moved in soon after I moved it there, have elevated the iris via their underground mounds/ant hills. Perhaps this is an example of a symbiotic relationship, as iris and ants both thrive. This iris has never shown signs of iris borer (never had that here on any iris cultivars, even the "modern" ones I formerly grew).
Mary Baker
Today I spread Preen (late this year, but during most years would have been on time) throughout the paths and garden areas. I finished just in time ... as my father was taken to the hospital with what sounds like another ministroke (he's been having them over the past several days). I spread Preen today because it's getting almost too late for the first treatment (this year) and rain is forecasted for tonight.
My late grandmother's blue-lavender iris is FFO today. She didn't keep track of the name, but bought all her iris from the Sass brothers who lived in the Louisville area many years ago. I'll take a photo of it (time permitting). It almost died out - but became vigorous near the location I moved it to three years ago, next to the backyard fence where it gets full southern-exposure sun and sharp drainage. This iris, the only bearded iris I still grow, has multiplied exponentially from the three tiny struggling single fans I replanted. Small black ants moved in soon after I moved it there, have elevated the iris via their underground mounds/ant hills. Perhaps this is an example of a symbiotic relationship, as iris and ants both thrive. This iris has never shown signs of iris borer (never had that here on any iris cultivars, even the "modern" ones I formerly grew).
Mary Baker
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Strange days in April
April was a strange but beautiful month. The temperatures were way above normal, the winds dried up up the oceans of water left behind from the gigantic snow and the ground warmed up really fast. All the beds are cleaned and 'Preened', I've already mowed 3 times and the daylilies are over a foot tall. Usually at this time they are just barely out of the ground, so you can imagine my surprise when I was looking at my plants and there was 'Mal' throwing a scape already. Now Mal has given me problems in the past, I have had it for several years and it just kindof pouted and never did much, so 2 years ago I moved it, it came up last year as one spindly litttle fan. I threatend him last summer and told him if he didn't do better next year he was out of here. He must of heard me because this year he came up with 3 nice fans and a scape already...I guess he can stay.
I planted my tomatoes the third week in April...I know that is way to early but the ground temp was 55 degrees so I decided to get them in the ground. If they freeze I will just replant but if they don' t then I am a month ahead. I use concrete reenforcing wire for my cages and then use 1mil plastic bags over the whole cage so it is like it's own little greenhouse in there. The tomatoes love it. They are protected for the wind and it is nice and humid in there so they grow fast.
Most of you know I live in the country, last year there was corn planted all around us. A couple weeks ago they come in and fluffed the ground getting ready to plant. All that did was chop up the corn trash that was left from last year and get the ground loose. Well, last week we had horrible winds from the SE and I think every corn husk from the field to our south was in my yard. I'm not talking about a few husks, I'm talking drifts, in the beds, behind the trees along the fences and everywhere. Some of the drifts were over a foot deep with these stupid husks. I didn't know how in the world I would ever mow through that stuff, so Friday Igot on my mower and raised the deck as high as I could get it and shredded it all. It was a mess but now it is a little easier to pick up next time I mow. It's events like this that make me wish I had a corner lot in the city!
I planted my tomatoes the third week in April...I know that is way to early but the ground temp was 55 degrees so I decided to get them in the ground. If they freeze I will just replant but if they don' t then I am a month ahead. I use concrete reenforcing wire for my cages and then use 1mil plastic bags over the whole cage so it is like it's own little greenhouse in there. The tomatoes love it. They are protected for the wind and it is nice and humid in there so they grow fast.
Most of you know I live in the country, last year there was corn planted all around us. A couple weeks ago they come in and fluffed the ground getting ready to plant. All that did was chop up the corn trash that was left from last year and get the ground loose. Well, last week we had horrible winds from the SE and I think every corn husk from the field to our south was in my yard. I'm not talking about a few husks, I'm talking drifts, in the beds, behind the trees along the fences and everywhere. Some of the drifts were over a foot deep with these stupid husks. I didn't know how in the world I would ever mow through that stuff, so Friday Igot on my mower and raised the deck as high as I could get it and shredded it all. It was a mess but now it is a little easier to pick up next time I mow. It's events like this that make me wish I had a corner lot in the city!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
