i plant happiness
  • home
  • blog
  • gallery
  • about

blogGAGE

techny spider

10/28/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
When 'Techny Spider' is in bloom, it lives in a constant state of perfectness. The soft pastel pink and yellow blend of these delicately ruffled, seven inch blooms is ethereal. The blooms are thick and waxy, which keeps them impervious to weather of any kind. Hybridized by Reckamp/Klehm and introduced in 1987, this classic cultivar is a midseason-late bloomer that grows about 27" tall in my garden. In 2018, it bloomed from July 13 through August 19. And yes, it's an award-winner! Techny Spider received the Award of Merit in 2014 and an Honorable Mention in 2010 from the American Daylily Society. These awards indicate that this plant performs well over a wide geographic area.

I must note that this daylily is very slow to increase. I choose to look at that as a positive because, really,  who enjoys dividing a daylily every year or so? Techny Spider can have as much time as it wants to increase because, in my opinion, it's so worth waiting for!
Picture
2 Comments

plant labeling upgrade

10/21/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
In 2016 I started using different plant labels and plant markers in my garden. It all started when I got a recycled Brother P-touch labeling system. I immediately made few labels and put them outdoors to test them over the winter before I made any major changes. The labels looked great in the spring so I went ahead and changed my labels. I tested the labels for another year, just to make sure they stood up to the elements, and they most certainly do. So now, in 2018, I feel comfortable saying 'thumbs up' to these labels.

The P-touch can use different colored and different sized labels, but I typically use the one-half inch size (.47" to be exact). I always order the white, laminated, indoor/outdoor labels. (The indoor/outdoor part is important if you plant to use these for your garden.) You can get some competitive pricing on eBay. P-touch has different type sizes so in case you have a plant with a really long name, you can still fit it on the label. My labeling system is older, but I'm sure there are many more features available on the newer models.

I also switched to Kincaid plant markers, which I had seen and liked in a garden that I visited. The Kincaid name plates are stainless steel and the posts are made of heavy-duty #10 gauge steel. The posts come in all sizes and shapes depending on your individual needs and likes. I purchased the eight-inch posts, which is just a personal preference. I like that that the markers aren't super obvious in my flower bed, but if I need to know a plant's name, I can easily find it. Every fall I put a tomato cage around each one of my daylilies to protect them over the winter from deer trampling. The cages provide a dual purpose in that the plant markers are protected as well. If any markers are out in the open, without protection, I usually push them down into the dirt for the winter.

So far, this labeling system has withstood the extreme fluctuation of temperature in Wisconsin and the weather has not had any effect on either the labels or markers. Both my labels and plant markers still look brand new, and not one has been crushed. In addition to me, three of my friends have also switched over to this plant marker and labeling system and we are all very happy.

Note: The labels are also great for household and garage use. They are an organizer's dream!

Brother P-touch label machines:  https://www.brother-usa.com/home/label-printers/series/p-touch
Kincaid Plant Markers: https://www.kincaidplantmarkers.com/
Picture
0 Comments

integrated logistics

10/14/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
You can always count on "Integrated Logistics" to be showy and bold. This is one of the seven daylilies I grow hybridized by Curt Hanson in Ohio. I also grow Bela Lugosi, Black Falcon Ritual, Jerry Hyatt, Lounge Lizard, Primal Scream, and Virginia B. Hanson. They are all hardy and prolific plants in my Wisconsin garden.

Integrated Logistics, introduced in 2005,  is a semi-evergreen tetraploid that grows 37" tall and has 6" plus blooms. The flowers have a beautiful rose watermark and are pleated, which is a form of sculpting in which the petals fold upon itself creating a raised platform on the bloom. You can see how the petals narrow in the close-up photo.

Integrated Logistics is a very reliable and consistent plant. In summer 2018, bloom season was from July 10 through August 28 (including re-bloom). You can't ask for more than that!
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

fall clean-up

10/7/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
It's hard to believe it's October and time to put my garden to sleep for the winter. Fall clean-up has been a bit challenging this year. We've had many days of rain, and my days off from work have not always coincided with the nice weather. I finally had some great gardening days last week, despite the fact that I had to wear my winter coat.

Here are a few of my routine fall garden tasks:
  • Remove any annuals that I don't want to re-seed. As you can see from the first photo, I removed dozens of marigolds. Not to worry, I still have dozens more blooming that keep my yard looking very autumn-ish. And yes, it's hard for me to pull these pretty annuals out of the ground, but it has to be done. There's only so much re-seeding I want to deal with next year.
  • Transplanting - As all of you gardeners know, gardening is a trial and error experience, and I excel at trial and error. Consequently, there's always an ongoing transplant list waiting for me.
  • Replace/re-do any rock borders that have cracked or fallen apart in our landscape, or re-situate the rocks where the moles have made them heave. Dang moles!
  • Complete a thorough weeding of all my flower beds. I am always thankful I did this when spring arrives.
  • Trim all the plants around the perimeter of our home to make sure no mice or rabbits decide to take up residence over the winter.
  • Place a tomato cage over each one of my daylilies to protect them from getting trampled by the herds of deer that frequent our yard. The deer can do a lot of damage and the tomato cages really do help, especially with the new transplants.
  • And finally, cleanup all of my garden tools and storage cabinet.
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

    if it's about

    my backyard and garden, I LOVE to talk about it!

    archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    categories

    All
    Critters
    Daylily Profiles
    Events
    Fall
    Flowers
    Garden Tools
    Garden Vogue
    Just 'Wow'
    Organization
    Places To Visit
    Products I Like
    Projects
    Shade Plants
    Spring
    Succulents
    Thoughts To Ponder
    Trees
    Unrelated To Anything
    Whimsy
    Winter

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2022 iplanthappiness      
iplanthappiness@yahoo.com
  • home
  • blog
  • gallery
  • about