Daylily (Hemerocallis)

ANSWER:  It usually takes 2 years for a daylily to bloom when started from seed.  Plant the seeds late in the fall so that they will go through a cold winter.  You will get better germination if they are chilled.  You should have a few blooms the year after next.

Coach Anne

Tall spires of phlox have been punctuating gardens since great-grandmother days.  Their only drawback has been their inclination to gain a fine silver haze of powdery mildew in the humidity of summer.

Then along came a couple of phlox with mildew resistance.  Mount Fuji (Phlox paniculata ‘Mount Fuji’) was the first to become popular in American gardens.  I ordered Mt. Fuji from Wayside Gardens years ago and planted it in a garden past.  I loved the tall white spires that cooled the summer landscape.  Its drawback wasn’t mildew.  It needed staking to hold up its snowy peaked flower heads.  I must say I would grow Mount Fuji again, even if she were a bit floppy.

It’s interesting that Mount Fuji is still beloved in Britain, more so than in the U.S.  The Royal Horticulture Society gave their Award of Garden Merit to Mount Fuji in 1993.

We have our own awarded tall garden phlox.  David (Phlox paniculata ‘David’) has arrived on the U.S. gardening scene.  He is the popular choice for white flowers with a nice fragrance in summertime.

David sends up very large white steeples on strong stems.  He is the 2002 Perennial Plant of the Year chosen by the Perennial Plant Association.  He is listed as mildew resistant and has been so in my hot and humid garden.

Now, if white isn’t your thing and you want strong color, there is a new phlox with giant flower heads, David’s Lavender (Phlox paniculata David's Lavender PP).  It has the same mildew resistance as David and the same giant flower heads.

Most growers advise deadheading  tall garden phlox (cutting off the spent flower heads) and I guess if you want to limit the plant size and create more flower stalks, this is a good practice.  If you do deadhead, though, you push back the bloom time.  I have found that if I leave phlox alone, new flower buds form right under the spent dried blossoms.

Some of you might prefer a tidier look and deadheading will give it to you.  I don’t mind trading fewer flower heads for less work.  There are no garden police.  Do what pleases you.

Phlox 'David's Lavender' enjoys conditions that all tall garden phlox thrive on.  Amend the soil so that it will hold moisture but drain freely.  Check the pH.  Phlox like a neutral to slightly alkaline mix.  David’s Lavender is USDA hardy in Zones 4-9.  Give it full sun.  It will appreciate some shade mid-day in the south.

---Posted by Coach Anne, July 30 2008---

Bluebird

Be sure to give them plenty of fresh water in the birdbath.  Think about locating a bath on the ground.  These are extremely popular with the larger birds like robins and thrashers and even doves.  The small birds, like chickadees and wrens, will bathe in a gentle rain or a gentle sprinkler set to hit above some of the tree limbs.  The birds slip-slide in and out of the mini-showers dripping from the leaves.  Even hummingbirds relish flying through a man/woman-made shower.

Be sure to keep the hummingbird feeders full of fresh food.  Change it every 3 days in hot weather.  These little birds migrate thousands of miles so need to bulk up on plenty of good food.

Suet is a real boon to the insect eating birds trying to keep open-mouthed babes full.  There are several suet cakes available commercially now that will not melt in the heat of summer.

We have a little wren mother in one of our birdhouses who is on her third set of babies this year.  She is a hunter but also makes use of suet and the mealworms I put out occasionally.  Her last set of young is especially demanding, screaming for bugs every minute of the day.  This little mother might opt for just two sets of little ones next year.  I’m sure she is ready for these screechers to leave the nest.  She never seems to rest.

---Posted by Coach Anne, July 23 2008---

Seed Harvest

ANSWER:  There are many ways to root cuttings and save and start seeds.  It all depends on what you are going to do.  I can recommend an excellent book that tells how to propagate just about anything.  It's "Making More Plants" by Ken Druse.

A quick way to root, say a fruit tree, is to take a piece of a branch about 6-8 inches long.  Make sure it is a stiff piece, not a green limp one.  Cut off any limp tip, dip the bottom end into rooting hormone, and then plant it into a pot filled with vermiculite or soil-less potting mix.  Be sure you know which way is up-it won't root from the tip end.

Water it well; cover it with a plastic bag.  Use some sticks to prop up the plastic so that the plastic does not touch the cutting.  Put it all in deep shade where no sun will shine on the plastic.  In a couple of months, give it a gentle tug.  If it slips, it has not rooted.  If you feel resistance, then it should have roots.

This fall, before a freeze, move it into a pot with good potting soil.  Mulch it heavily and leave it in a protected area for the winter.  Be sure to keep the cutting and then the new plant moist, but not wet.  Many trees and shrubs can be started this way and even some perennials.

To start seeds, just collect them when they are ripe.  If they are annuals, save them in an envelope in the refrigerator until next spring.  If they are perennials, plant them right away just as you would any seeds you buy.

Coach Anne