Hot in Jersey

Pittgrove feeling high and dry

While sipping coffee on the patio this AM, listening to the persistent rapping of a red bellied woodpecker on our maple, I read in the Star Ledger that we have just experienced the hottest summer on record in New Jersey. This is after we dragged ourselves through the hottest spring in Jersey in 116 years. Besides the heat, statewide our rainfall was down 65%.

Last year folks complained about how wet a year we were having and at times it seemed as though we should have switched from growing iris, peonies and daylilies to the cultivation of rice and cranberries. This spring areas of our property that never dried out in 2009 as they normally would, became dry as a bone and remain that way.Blue Mist Caryopteris

Since we depend on well water, John and I have been very judicious on how much watering we do. All our potted iris, peonies, daylilies and various perennials are watered regularly, along with our vegetable garden. But with the amount of plantings we have, all we can do is cross our fingers that most will survive. Some like our cypress have already bit the dust and we will have numerous gaps to fill come spring. Other plants like the Blue Mist Caryopteris look absolutely heavenly and you would never realize they had been so moisture deprived. Our pond which was overflowing its banks last year is down a good 3' in water level and the poor fish must be in stiff competition for oxygen. Pittsgrove in wetter days
After 40 years here, we have seen our share of drought and bone soaking rain. We have learned to adapt ourselves to whatever Mother Nature presents us, knowing it will always be a challenge but one certainly worth it in the end.
Happy Gardening!
Cheryl

2009 At Pittsgrove Farms

New garden beds in 2009

As the new year begins, I'd like to look back on the year that has just passed, remember what changes we made, and what experiences we have to reflect upon.

Weather-wise we sometimes felt as though growing rice or cranberries would be a better occupation than growing iris, peonies and daylilies. Our rainfall totals here in central Jersey (no native ever says New Jersey) reached record amounts. We spent so much time slogging around in the mud, it felt as though we were working at our neighbors' pig farm instead of a perennial farm. The cooler temperatures that went along with much of the rain affected blooming times, with many plants coming into flower 2-3 weeks later than normal.

Things weren't too terrific in the vegetable garden either, and although the lettuce crop was good, production was down for our Jersey tomatoes and we certainly didn't put up as many jars of sauce this year.

Despite the weather, we accomplished a great deal in 2009 with the help of our family. We raised up and developed new iris beds, added a cold frame, put up a small greenhouse, and planted an additional display bed. We continued our work with the fantastic folks at Presby Memorial Iris Gardens and forged a new relationship with Friends of the Hunterdon County Library, another great organization. And just think, John and I did all this while we are supposedly retired. Can you imagine what we would be doing if we actually considered ourselves working folk?


Our thanks to all of you who have visited us online and here at the farm. We greatly appreciate having you in our lives and look forward to seeing and hearing from old and new garden lovers again in 2010.

Happy anticipation! Cheryl

Dig It-Garden Treasure-Intersectional Peony

Everyone who comes to Pittsgrove wants to know what that big yellow bushy thing is in the garden. What they are referring to is Garden Treasure which is an Intersectional (Itoh) peony, a cross between an herbaceous and tree peony. Intersectionals have the flower of a tree peony, but bloom later and much longer, with buds that continue to open up to four weeks. If given the room, Garden Treasure will grow up to 5' across and 2 1/2-3' high with dozens of yellow, lemon scented flowers and make a nice cut flower if you dare to cut them.


Don Hollingsworth of Hollingsworth Nurseries introduced it and it has earned many medals and awards, including the Certificate of Merit from the American Peony Society in 1984 and three time Grand Champion at the American Peony Society Annual Exhibit.

Dig It-Sarah M. Napier

Sarah M. Napier (Vories, 1930) is one of multi-faceted gal. (Forgive me. I'm one of those people who attribute human qualities to non-humans-be it plant or animal!) This voluptuous looking peony as a fragrance which one visitor to Pittsgrove described as reminiscent of the multiflora roses which once grew in her grandmother's garden. I sniffed it and was taken back to my Nana's porch in Taylor Center, Michigan where I spent entire childhood summers. Multiflora roses covered the trellis next to Nana's front porch, providing shade from the hot sun.

My very English grandmother would have loved Sarah M. Napier as Nana was an avid gardener who introduced me to the love of "playing in the dirt". As prim and proper as she was, she was in her glory down on her knees (as arthritic as they were) working the soil. She was composting long before it was the accepted practice of today and her gardens were nurtured with care.

The double bloom Sarah M. Napier would have made a fine addition to one of Nana's garden beds which emerges With its burgundy color leaves which turn a rich green as spring advances, to its silvery bright pink blossoms which have a distinctive marbled appearance, the double Sarah M. Napier would have made a fine addition to one of Nana's garden beds.

Happy Gardening!!! Cheryl

Dig It - Early Scout Peony

No guesswork here- Early Scout peony (Auten 1952) is so named because it is one of the earliest peony plants to pop out of the ground after a long winter's nap and also one of the first to come into bloom. This dwarf peony variety with its fern like foliage is compact by nature and the peony grows to a height of 18-24" making it ideal next to a walkway or as an addition to a rock garden.


Some of our New Jersey Peony lovers are surprised when told this hardy little plant with the small red flowers and brilliant yellow centers is even in the peony family. When these cheerful little blossoms have faded, snipping them off will leave a plant that resembles a Japanese maple. Folks often ask us what variety maples we are growing when they see these peonies out of bloom. Having perennials that look good even without their flowers is always a plus for any gardener.
Happy Gardening!
John

Oh No--Powdery Mildew!!!

Some of you, like us, may be alarmed at the sight of our beautiful peony plants suddenly looking like someone went berserk in the garden with a jumbo size container of baby powder. The culprit here is Powdery Mildew, a white, dusty talcum-like substance on the leaves. Powdery Mildew is a fungus that sends tubes from spores on the leaves into the plant which then take nutrients out of the plant, often causing the leaves to yellow, die and fall off. It is a condition that is less prevalent in semi-arid regions and makes its appearance more likely in mid to late summer when warm, humid days are followed by cool evenings.

Peonies should be provided with good air circulation with proper spacing, planting in full sun, and avoidance of overhead watering especially late in the day. Remove and destroy infected leaves and flowers--do not compost! Sanitation in the garden should be practiced, such as always raking up and disposing of fallen leaves and garden debris every autumn, and being careful to wash your hands after handling infected plants before touching those that have not been affected. However, despite all these preventative measures being taken, some peony varieties are simply less resistant. Here at Pittsgrove Farms, we have peonies that are planted with all the above recommendations taken into consideration. They are strong, healthy plants that have bloomed marvelously for years, but that darn Powdery Mildew rears its ugly head without fail.

We approach the problem by cutting the plants back and disposing of all stems and leaves.
John and I rarely use chemicals, but certain fungicides, chemical or organic, can be used to manage Powdery Mildew when first detected. We recommend checking with your local Extension Service for their recommendations and then closely following directions on the label.

Take a deep breath since the end of the world isn't here. Your peonies should be back in the spring greeting you with their breathtaking beauty. You just have a little extra work to keep you busy in the garden. So what else is new?!?

Hurray for the Red,White and Blue! Iris, Peony and Daylily Edition

Today, June 14, in honor of Flag Day I'm featuring red, white, and blue flowers that can found here at Pittsgrove Farms.

Red at Night

Gull's Wings

Speeding Again

Earlier in the season red could be viewed in the bearded iris beds in the form of Red at Night and Classic Bordeaux, followed by Siberian Iris Eric the Red, and peonies, Big Ben, Karl Rosenfield, and the most red peony, Many Happy Returns. As their blooms have faded, Red Rum and Pardon Me are making themselves known in the day lily beds.

Red Rum


Shirley Temple

White Immortality not only bloomed in the spring, but as a tall-bearded re-bloomer will greet us again in late summer or early fall. Gull's Wings, Bridal Jig and Snow Queen Siberians stand tall in the garden showing off their snowy brilliance. Not to be outdone, Shirley Temple, Bowl of Cream, My Love, and the old standby Festiva Maxima peonies showed off their various shades of white.

Lastly, dark blue Davey Jones and light blue Fathom prove to be prolific, reliable Intermediate Bearded, while Last Hurrah and Speeding Again stand tall in spring to return again in the fall. Siberians are well represented by Steve (who thinks of these names?) and later bloomers are Louisiana Gulf Shores and Center of Interest Japanese irises.

While honoring our flag today, I would like to call attention to a site, eMailOurMilitary.com I was made aware of my dear friend Liz who blogs at This Full House, and all the details can be found on her site.

Thousands of servicemen and women serve our country proudly displaying the flag on their uniforms. eMailOurMilitary.com is an attempt by a military wife to connect Americans with them, especially folks who may not be receiving much support from family back home. No matter what your political views, please go to this site and show our men and women that we appreciate the sacrifices they make daily throughout the world. While your at it, pass the site along to others in your address books or fellow bloggers. And, by the way remember to display Old Glory!

Intermediate Iris in Bloom

Intermediate Iris Bed

It's almost Memorial Day in New Jersey and we are still wearing sweat shirts at Pittsgrove Farms. The cool weather means all of our plants are flowering a little bit later than normal, the good news being that we can enjoy them longer into the spring and early summer.

Honey Glazed

Star Woman

Our intermediates are now in full bloom and budded up and started flowering just as many of our dwarf were beginning to fade.

Devil May Care

We were delighted to see many of those that were new to us this year, for as you know, seeing the real thing is so much better than just looking at a picture. Here are pictures of some of our favorite intermediates.

Now that the sun has finally graced us with some warmth, our tall bearded and our peony plants are also showing color and soon we expect an explosion of color. We can't wait!

Dr. Alexander Fleming

Wine Angel