For the Birds

Yellow Finch Fever

Something John and I discovered when we ran the garden center and continued to realize with the new folks we met here at the farm is many gardeners are also avid birders who, like us, look for ways to attract as many birds as possible to their landscapes. We have done so with many of our plantings and are delighted to discover that something we put in the ground is likely to attract another song bird.

Rather than the jewelry or candy some of you may receive on your anniversary, this year much to my delight, John gave me three new birdhouses. Don't scoff--to me that was quite romantic and I have dear friends who recently admitted to the romantic side of washing dishes together! We will now have several birdhouses scattered throughout the property along with a number of bird feeders.

Baby Birds

Each year we watch our regulars-chickadees, cardinals, downy woodpeckers, etc., as they flit about the property. And each year we seem to have some new bird discover us, sometimes just passing through like the Harris hawk yesterday, or looking for a new home like the blue birds a couple of years ago, or escapees like the pheasants from a nearby gun club.

Over my morning coffee I read in today's Star Ledger that all of you can join me and fellow birders February 15-18 for The Great Backyard Bird Count sponsored by Cornell University. Go to http://www.birdcount.org/ or http://www.birdsource.org/ for details, but basically you are reporting on birds in your immediate area. You can be as ambitious or lazy as you please. You can don those hiking boots with binoculars, bird guide and pen and paper in hand, or lazily sip your coffee, tea or glass of Pinot as you take note of your feathered friends passing by your window then send your findings to the web site. Who knows, you may even be lucky enough to win one of the prizes they are offering. In any case you will have something to pass the time until spring arrives and we are all back again "playing in the dirt"!

Iris Education

It's too cold to work in the garden for long, the ground is frozen and the plants are dormant. The end of January is when we start to get a little stir crazy we've had a nice break, are recharged and ready to get back outside. We were spoiled with a mild December and able to work outside, but winter has reasserted itself this January.

We use this time to continue our education about plants and would like to learn more about the different types of Iris.

Down On Our Knees

The new year brought us literally to our knees, not necessarily praying, but certainly giving thanks for the great weather enabling us to be outdoors. The pleasant weather thrilled us both, especially John who, unlike me, does not like winter at all. He is ready to head south with the migratory birds in the fall!

The unseasonably mild weather allowed us time to do additional garden cleanup we were unable to complete in the fall when the weather turned against us. John and I gave closest attention to the iris beds which is what brought us to our knees. We cut off dead foliage and removed any garden debris to help prevent plant disease from developing, especially since our area has been quite wet this past year. We also looked for heaving of the plants caused by extreme temperature fluctuations, which we certainly experienced with a low of 10 degrees one week followed by a high of 61 degrees the next! In heaving, the plants are forced above ground exposing their roots. We simply trimmed off the dead foliage and replanted those that required it. Fortunately the majority had strong root systems making them less susceptible to the phenomenon.

So take advantage of any nice weather that comes your way, get some fresh air and sunshine, and check on your iris. You'll be ahead of the game come spring and will be blessed with healthier plants, not to mention a healthier body for yourself.

John and I will be outdoors everyday the weather cooperates, that is until the next snow flake falls. When that happens John will be joining his bird friends for sure!

And to all a good night!!!

While visions of sugar plums may not be dancing in your head, for who among us really know what the heck sugar plums are, hopefully you are ready for the holidays and looking forward to being with family and friends as we are.

This past year John and I relied on our years of experience to launch our new venture. However, we have also drawn from the knowledge of others in the nursery business we are fortunate to know. These folks helped lead us in the right direction, avoiding pitfalls that may have slowed our progress.

One such person was Eric of Blue Mountain Nursery, a wholesale perennial grower John has known for over 20 years. John and I were going to build a make shift cold frame for our potted peony plants until Eric told John about an insulation blanket he has used successfully for years. Eric stated if he had known about it sooner he never would have built greenhouses for winter cover.

The 12'x300' roll of fabric arrived and believe me we made an amusing sight as the two of us rolled it out on our driveway in order to cut off a 90' length. Then came the task of moving this huge piece of cloth to the field. Drawing on the memory of wallpapering with my daughter-in-law, I suggested her method of folding (thanks, Mel!) and it worked like a charm. Just in time too, as you can see winter has arrived and snow is lightly falling as I write.

Our plants are nestled all snug in their beds and we wish you and yours happy gardening in 2008!

Wreath Time

After spending a wonderful Thanksgiving with our West Coast family, it is again time for us to turn our attention toward Christmas.

Upon our return, we were greeted by our first snow of the season which put a few of our outdoor perennial chores on hold until some better weather returns(we hope!). So in the meantime, John has busied himself with something he has always enjoyed-making wreaths, swags, etc. for us and our family. Using a metal wreath ring, he wires a mix of greens, mostly from our own plants, makes a red velvet bow, slaps it on, then turns the wreath over to me to finish up.

John made one while we were in Washington for me to decorate with our granddaughter. Having learned his lesson from years ago when he made one for our sons to decorate, he only brought pine cones and glass balls as decorations. Our sons had access to all the Christmas decorations when we had the garden center and believe me EVERYTHING ended up on their wreaths including plastic poinsettias, Santas, candy canes, multi-colored glass balls of all sizes, etc. Such a hodge-podge and the boys loved it, but John not so much. Quite frankly he was embarrassed for anyone to find out that the wreath had been made at our garden center, for as their proud mother I insisted on hanging their handiwork on our front door. John prefers tasteful and understated as opposed to, well, gaudy.

In any case, our granddaughter has a very good eye for design and decorated a wreath that made her Pop proud, but there's no telling what she would have created if she had had the materials that had been made available to her dad and uncle!

The Little Red Wagon

While John was going through the mail, his eyes suddenly lit up like a child discovering the Sears Christmas toy catalog. “Look at this and it’s on sale too!”

Now tell me-who could resist. Every little boy and, let’s not be sexist, every little girl always want their own little red wagons and now John was again that little boy.

So off he went to purchase his “little red wagon”. He returned an hour or so later from Tractor Supply Company with not one but two assembly not included wagons, or to be precise Gorilla Heavy Duty Utility Cart with storage tray with 1,200 lb. load capacity, 13 in. pneumatic tires, 24 in. x 48 in. steel mesh deck, and folding steel mesh sides. It seems the item on sale was too small and at $40 more a piece John felt the larger carts were still a bargain compared to those he used to buy for the garden center.


He set to work putting the carts together until he got to the part that actually required tools. Anyone who knows us well realizes we are not tool friendly folk. Our good friend, John O. who meticulously cares for his tools would be horrified at the disarray in which we store ours. After about a half hour of searching the barn, basement and junk drawer, we came up with the proper tools and the carts were assembled. They have certainly eased the work of moving dozens of potted iris and peony plants for my 61 year old bones. Hey, I’m proud of my age! Every gray hair and wrinkle has been well-earned and worn with pride. I must say the wagons are great, maneuver easily, both on the driveway and in the field, and are quite sturdy. Might come in handy for some of you other country people who have to cart around gardening and animal supplies. I also look forward to giving future rides to our grandkids. They will love them.

So now John and I have matching red wagons which I don’t mind at all, unlike the matching yellow and blue rain jackets we were forced to buy in the Everglades a few years ago and I was mortified to wear, thinking couples who wear matching outfits look goofy (no offense to those of you who enjoy dressing that way!).

Reblooming and Remarrying

John and I arrived home from Cyprus, a lovely island in the Mediterranean, a few days ago where we attended the second wedding of our son, Jeremy and his wife, Christina. Her parents still live in Cyprus, which was the reason for a second ceremony, not a second wife!

Sightseeing in Cyprus certainly put in perspective the history of our humble Hunterdon home. We are no longer impressed by the fact that the original portion of our house is 175-200 years old after standing in the remains of houses dating to 5 AD! What an experience and one which we hope to repeat in the future.

Davey Jones
And speaking of repeating, it was a pleasant surprise for us to see a number of our bearded iris varieties reblooming when we came back home since we had divided them this summer. Davey Jones, an intermediate variety, has been going like gangbusters with multiple blooms in rich color.

Autumn Circus

Here and there among the tall bearded we have seen white Immortality blooms and now realize why Autumn Circus was so

named. When they flowered in the spring, the lavender and white blossoms weren't colors one associates with fall, but their lively blossoms in mid-October bring to mind big top fun. Perky little Baby Blessed, a dwarf variety, appeared in both the bed and in our driveway garden. We anxiously await the flowering of Harvest of Memories which are well-budded.

Baby Blessed

Next year should provide much more color in the fall as the display beds we planted come into bloom and add to the more common chrysanthemum, aster, and dahlia blossoms we have year after year. Feed back from any of you who purchased rebloomers from us in the spring would be greatly appreciated so we can continue to provide the most reliable possible.