Dayton "Dirt" - May 19, 2017

With the onset of warm days and more importantly warm nights, the planting of vegetable and flowers seems to be in full swing.  Even tropical plants that like plenty of sun and hot days will be planted outdoors in the ground and in pots for outdoors.  This weekend will finish up the late blooming lilac call Miss Kim while just the beginning is near for the Mountain Laurels that will “repair” the loss bloom from the lilacs and the already out-of-bloom evergreen azaleas.

In the perennial department, scads of late spring perennials are ready to bloom as well as hundreds of the Tiny lilies bred in Holland.  The bulbs were planted three to a pot in late February and early March and now are coming into a May bloom although the true bloom time would be mid-June to early July.

The growing houses in the rear of the property are finally clearing out as more and more of the product becomes ready to sell.  As always, the Calliope geranium hanging baskets have been a big hit as they do well in part shade or full sun.  The breeding of the plants is called interspecific since they are a cross between the vining geranium and what is known as the zonal geranium.

Wolf Creek Garden to the north is a riot of bloom with rhododendrons in varieties such as ‘Boule de Neige’, ‘Boursault’, English Roseum’, Yaku ‘Prince’, ‘catawbiense Alba’, ‘Scintillation’, ‘Nova Zembla’ and then some.  Next will come the bloom of the Maximum types along with delicate blossoms of Mountain laurel and Kousa Dogwoods.

It would be nice to get some weeding done but for now, it will have to wait.

Tom