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Category: Garden | Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:05 pm

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I haven't been much of a blogger on the garden front lately, have I? Well, nothing much has happened, so I've had little to blog about, really. But now that the spring cleaning is almost done, I feel a lot perkier and ready to write about stuff again.

The first thing that happened was my mother's phone call. She had dug up a huge hosta, and would I please come get it. Well, thank you mom! I've no room for a huge hosta at the moment, so it's sitting outside in a big bag, wainting for me to dig a hole for it somewhere.

Then I went bananas on the cone pine. Well, it kept poking my back and face when I weeded around it, so I thought it could do with a little cut. My problem is I just don't know when to stop:




Ouch! Still ugly. ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )



The crocus are all done now, and their grass looks very untidy. I don't like to cut it, since I believe the bulbs will need the energy from the dying leaves. My grandmother also believed that, and she used a simple trick, the knot:




Granny-knots ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )


Foliage out of the way, leaving room for whatever's coming up around it, and when it's dead I just pick up the brown knot and chuck it in the compost. Easy-peasy.

It's blooming outside, and some critters take advantage of that. This particular critter is now dead:





Cheeky snail! ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )


I've spent the last few days crushing beetles. Horrible things. They can ruin lilies in no time at all. The grown-ups eat the leaves and lay their eggs, and the greedy, little larvae finish the lily off. So I've got lots of dead, red things out there:





The dreaded lily beetle ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )



Now, for the blooms. We've got a few of those, fortunately. The primroses are well on their way:




Red primulas ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Primula lilacina ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Primula marginata ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Double, sweet pink Primula ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Double white Primula ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Double dark red Primula ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )


Then there's my beloved Canadian:





Sanguinaria canadensis ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )


And our sweet, timid Japanese:





Hacquetia epipactis "Variegata" ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )


This is an American:



Trillium pusillum ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )


I don't know where this originated from, but it's cousin grows wild in our woods.



Anemone nemorosa monstrosa ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )



And now for a dire warning. When picking wild Lily-of-the-valley seven years ago, I accidentally pulled out a couple of roots. I took them home and planted them. Now they've invaded my husband's Crocosmia Lucifer and is spreading like wildfire:




Invasive Lily-of-the-valley ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )



I've got lots and lots of digging to do here, and I have to move them to somwhere where they can do as they please.

Well, that was my season well and truly started. Hooray!


This blog entry has been viewed 514 times

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glendann wrote on Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:49 pm:

Your blooms are just wonderful Droopy.I would have done the same to the cone pine tree if I could have been close and allergies didn't kick up.Good luck on finding a spot for the hosta.

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petunia wrote on Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:26 pm:

I love all your colors of primulas. Have you tried growing them from seed? I could use some advice. I started some yellow primulas but they didn't survive. Thanks for sharing your colors.

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gardengater wrote on Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:59 pm:

Your Primulas are a sight for sore eyes. I haven't much color in my border yet, but expect Azaleas any day now. Love those, Droopy.

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eileen wrote on Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:33 pm:

Oh Droopy I love those primulas. Mine are far more ordinary than yours so I'm going to look out for the ones you have.
It took me years to finally get rid of the lily of the valley from the front garden so good luck with trying to get all of yours up. They may look lovely but they really do take over and spread so quickly.

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Sjoerd wrote on Thu Apr 16, 2009 12:59 am:

Oh dear me, Droopy--those are some pictures alright!
You know, that pine tree doesn't look as ugly as I was lead to believe. chuckle.How come you left the branches though, instead of just cutting them up close to the trunk?
What yiu do with the crocuses I do with mt narcissus leaves. I am convinced that if the bulbs are to multiply and re fill themselves with the energy to produce blooms next year, then the leaves need to stay.
Your Primula collection is breathtaking to see. I especially liked the Primula lilacina, although a couple of other ones looked quite fetching as well.
Those snails and lily beetles really are the pests to deal with at this time of year. Good luck to you in combating them.
The Trillium and Anemone are looking good too.
Keep up the good work, Gardner Suprème.

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Netty wrote on Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:06 am:

I absolutely love your Primula Lilacina Droopy...gorgeous!
I've just chopped some branches from my Spruce trees too Droopy, they were getting a little out of control. You sure have some lovely blooms there.

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Droopy wrote on Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:55 am:

Thanks for liking our flowers. We've got just the right climate for primulas. It's cold and wet, and we (normally) have snow in winter. I'm amazed that they all survived with the bare frost we've had.

Petunia, I have tried to grow primulas from seed, but since I'm the worst sower I know nothing came of it. *lol*

Sjoerd, I am cutting the branches closer to the tree eventually, once I get round to it. It can't look like that. I just didn't have the tools at hand.

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Palm Tree wrote on Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:24 am:

A ha - re. cutting the branches. I got a little worried there for a while.
I love those Primulas. Lovely colours and now there is the rest of spring and summer still to come.

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