From Frost To 84

The past several days have featured overnight frosts.  NOAA provides our weather forecasts and most of the time we cover frost sensitive plants.  Last evening their overnight low temperature was 37 degrees.  With our self imposed cushion of 4 degrees, I felt that frost was unlikely.  Wrong again.  When I wake up I can see some of our lawn from the bed.  The grass between the apple trees was bright green and frost free.  However, frost drains downhill from the bedrock ridge following low ground to the final drop to the river flat.  Once out of bed, it was apparent that frost had once again poured across our gardens.  A trip to get water was made.  My footprints across frozen grass will turn black once the sunlight hits them.

This Golden stargazer clump is about all that remains of our period of major efforts to grow Oriental lilies in climate zone 4.  These plants are close to the south facing wall of the house but did have frost on them when I gave them a cold shower.  Our belief is that the change of state from frost to liquid gives off heat that burns the surface of plant leaves.  This cold shower simply washed the frost away.  Yes these lilies need to be both weeded and divided.  Here I will play the getting old card and hope for a little understanding.

Today's heat sent us on an afternoon drive across the valley to a dirt road that cuts across a forested slope.  This natural group of a moss covered tree trunk with two Trilliums and Miterwort growing between its roots is close to the road.  No trespassing was needed to snap this picture.  This is the look we are trying to create in our shade garden but rather young Sumac trees growing on river bottom flat land will never look this great. 

It seems that Toothwort is a mild mannered companion plant.  Its clusters of three toothed leaves are both attractive to the eye and open for neighboring plants.  If one can still approach ground level, the scent of these white flowers is delicious.  We have managed to keep some of this plant alive in our gardens but huge sweeps are the look we are trying for.  We have neither the slope nor the stones to create a copy of this scene.

 

Here three Trillium plants, two in flower, are surrounded by many Toothwort plants.  All seem to be thriving together.  Our weather this year has been harsh and dry.  These two flowers will likely set seed but the plants are only about half of their normal height.  The missing third flower could be a weather causality. 

These speckled Violets are a rather recent purchase at the Fernery.  Their beauty is subtle and they need to be growing under a wire cage.  Our deer herd frequently visit here and they find Violet leaves tasty.  Both the leaves and the flowers are safe for humans to place in natural salads.  Harvesting would be easier if the growth was not this close to the ground.  Plans are forming to place several of our special Violets under a cage.

An Interloper

We have been establishing a list of our various Daylilies in the order of their bloom and trying to clear up any mislabeling.  Some years ago the Asiatic and Oriental lilies really captured our imagination.  Despite their catalog climate zone listings, we saw them killed by frost year after year.  Efforts to protect them from late frost were only marginally successful and now we have basically given them up.  This stunning Golden Stargazer is growing near the house and that location has allowed this incredible plant to survive on its own.  Its flowers last for several days with this one's scent filling a large area.  One does not have to place the nose into the blossom to savor this treat.  Walking by at some distance is the best way to enjoy this fragrance.

Wineberry Candy is another delight likely coming from the same breeder as our other candies.  All of them are medium sized in both plant height and flower size.  The sharp change in color from white to purple is a real eye catcher.  Their scent is subdued as is appropriate for a classy beauty.

Becky Lynne was likely chosen for its first name.  The Becky that lives here shares many traits evident in this plant.  Understated light color gives this flower a softly stunning appearance.  Despite its light appearance this is one hardy plant that strongly holds its own space.

Here we have an improperly labeled plant.  Its stone says Royal Palace Prince but that is incorrect.  When our daytime temperatures moderate, I will search around the base of this plant to see if a correct name can be found.  When we were actively buying new plants, a clear bright yellow coloration was what we were searching for.  This blossom meets that requirement better than any of the other yellows that grow here.  Now we just need to find its correct name.

A small amount of time spent reading this blog revealed that this plant is not mislabeled.  It was sold to us as Royal Palace Prince but it clearly is not that variety.  We will never know the proper name of this variety but does that really matter?

Big Bird is aptly named.  Too big to be graceful, it simply flops over everything close by.  Its scent is pleasant and the yellow is close to what we were searching for.  Hardy and large, this variety has been successfully divided several times.

Excessive Beauty

Our history with Oriental lilies spans several years.  Catalog listings described these plants as hardy to zone 4.  That is the number assigned to our location so we bought and planted bulbs.  Soon after new growth appeared a late frost turned it to sad mush.  We tried again with the same lack of success.  Finally we stumbled onto the need to provide these plants with covers when frost was likely.   Covering newly emerged plants was easy but when the lily was taller than a huge garbage can we were in trouble.  Any part of the plant that touched an edge of the plastic cans was frost burned.

Not known to give up easily, we searched for a new method.  Blocks of sod were cut and piled in the shape of a wide U.  Plastic pipes were driven into the ground and a single tarp covered everything under it.  Placing three dozen plants under cover meant that they had to be pulled from the ground and placed in three gallon pots at the end of their growing season.  That system worked well until the time came to plant them out.  By June  many exceeded three feet in height.  Imagine removing an inverted plant from its pot without damaging the flower buds then righting it and placing it in a hole.  Three gallons of soil is heavy and the move from standing to kneeling next to the planting hole became impossible.  Looking back, I guess we should have left the plants in their pots.

We have flowers this year because no frost found us after the lilies began their above ground growth.  Much of April and all of May were frost free.  We cannot remember a past year like that and will likely never see it again.  So for what may be the last time, we are surrounded by incredible beautiful flowers and wrapped in their unbelievable fragrance.

The first picture shows the single remaining Golden Stargazer.  It is just over six feet in height and the flower count is large.  Our 36 gallon garbage cans could not cover all three of the plants and space did not allow more than one can.  Slow to learn, I plan to buy three new bulbs and plant them closer together so that one can will protect them.  Their height is a problem since six foot tall garbage cans do not exist.

Table Dancer checks in at less than four feet tall.  Adjacent plants make placing covering cans difficult so the obvious solution is to enjoy the display while it is here and miss it greatly when it is gone.                         

Late Morning bulbs are placed on either side of Table Dancer.  This combination of colors is hard to find in plants that have even a slight chance of surviving here.  So we live in the moment and frequently walk away with pollen stuck to our noses.  Their scent simply must be deeply inhaled.  

The more than two inches of rain that fell on the day following the rest of this post prompting Muscadet to finally open its flowers.  They are more than worth the wait.  Typical of Oriental Lilies these blossoms are huge, brilliantly colored and carry a heavenly scent.  They combine a late appearance with a rather short stature so it would be possible to cover them with a huge plastic trash can if frost threatened.  All that needs to be done is to separate them from their neighbors so that the covering can does not flatten them.

Here are the last three lilies to open for us.  Casa Blanca has huge pure white blossoms that are loaded with a sweet scent.  Each year the stems are taller than they were the year before.  When these bulbs were planted a circle was carefully marked on the soil intending to guide planting so that one plastic can could cover the lot.  One bulb sent its initial growth sideways foiling that plan.  This year no protection was needed since late frost stayed away.

Scheherazade is a little flamboyant for our tastes.  Planted close to the house, it has not needed that much help to survive.  Its height exceeds that of the garbage cans used to provide protection from late frosts but one plant lives on in the garden.

Salmon Star has been a favorite here for many years.  Its short stature combined with a late appearance makes it easy to protect,  Its scent is delightful and the colors are rather subdued so it will likely be among the last to continue to grow here.

There is one final note.  We have experienced at least one deer that has developed a taste for lily buds.  We lost entire varieties just as the buds were set to open.  The number and height of protective wire cages made that route seem unpleasant.  Once before fresh urine was used to establish a line that the deer seemed reluctant to cross.  Now the garden is much larger so defensive applications were limited to the areas around the lilies.  We have to date lost no lilies to the deer.  Their hoof prints were close to the Golden Stargazer but no buds were eaten.  They did excessively trim a Rudbeckia triloba that was outside of the protective line.  It is amazing the actions that some will take to protect their treasured flowers.

Love Those Lilies

As one ages perhaps a little good judgement is lost.  The daylily being sniffed did not even warrant a varietal name.  Included as a free gift in an order delivered many years ago, we find it special.  Its near white petals have a ruffled edge, the eye spot is bright green and the fragrance delicious.  Why else would a seventy year old man perch with his knees against hard stone just to get another whiff.     Fortunately, Becky was kind enough to snap the photo from the side.

Oriental lilies are presently putting on quite a show.  These Salmon Stars are planted downhill by the road.  That small difference in location has these in flower while the ones planted up near the house show only small tight buds.  We plan to try to cover these in place when late Spring frost threatens.  Ample space surrounds these plants so a plastic garbage can can cover them without smashing neighbors.  By not subjecting these bulbs to the stress of potting up, we hope that they will increase in number.  I almost failed to mention the sweet scent drifting from these flowers.  These are a treat for both the eyes and the nose.

These Golden Stargazers overwintered in a pot.  That places the three original bulbs in close proximity to each other.  Here again, they are now planted so that they can be covered in place next year.  A sight to see and a delight to smell, we hope that they also increase in number.

Scheherazade is the name given these lilies.  At first, the maroon color was under appreciated here.  A bright green throat edged in yellow is a powerful contrast to the dark petals.  Planted near the Golden Stargazers, we cannot be certain which is the source of the scent but tend to believe that Scheherazade is scented.  These endured attack in the sod house this Spring.  Two of three have flowers while the third has enough stem and leaf growth to build next season's bulb.  They were all gorgeous today!