I am sooo jealous! I've got muck with rain/snow on the way and colder temps
in the middle of the week. Heck, we haven't really even begun winter yet!
We're waiting for Debbie's daughter to return to Iowa.
Jackie
Deborah Green wrote:
Well, my first daffodil is opening here in VA, so I'm gonna count it as
spring...
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
KAREN BARKER
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2000 2:53 PM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: OT -The New Year
Same here. I'm going out to cut down some asters and rudbeckia I never
got around to doing. Why can't winter be over and this be the start of
spring? I'm ready for it.
NO, no no....you are supposed to have it while she's HERE...it is probably
getting screwed up by the fact that I am thinking of coming for a quick trip
to see the opening of an exhibit she helped organize...
Debbie
Wellborn
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2000 3:43 PM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
I am sooo jealous! I've got muck with rain/snow on the way and colder temps
in the middle of the week. Heck, we haven't really even begun winter yet!
We're waiting for Debbie's daughter to return to Iowa.
Jackie
Deborah Green wrote:
Amazing! How can you have daffodils already?
Karen
On Sat, 1 Jan 2000 15:05:29 -0500 Deborah Green
writes:
Karen, NW of Pittsburgh, PA
Zone 6/5b
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy
enough people to make it worth the effort.
Debbie, what kind of winters do ya'll have there? And what zone are you?
Linda ----- still envious!
Date: Saturday, January 01, 2000 9:05 PM
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
plant
This one is touted as the earliest for our area and I planted them in a
protected southwest facing spot to maximize early bloom...last year was the
first year I planted them and the first one opened around January 20th so
I'm not sure if this year they are so much earlier because of our warm fall
or of this is more when they will usually begin for me. I also planted a
variety that was supposed to be very late blooming and had the last one
bloom around April 20th so I have daffodils (at least a couple!!) for a
three-month period. They are my absolute favorite flower and I try to plant
more every year. Have about 1500 now, I think, but it still doesn't seem
like all that many to me!
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
KAREN BARKER
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2000 9:20 PM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Amazing! How can you have daffodils already?
Karen
Debbie,
I don't know about when they are supposed to be opening, but my paperwhites
(outside) opened about three weeks ago. Whoever lived here before planted
daffs out the yahoo it seems.
Jon in Va Zone 7b
Well, I don't have any paperwhites as they are not reliably hardy here...I
should have said earliest trumpet type!
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Debbie,
I don't know about when they are supposed to be opening, but my paperwhites
(outside) opened about three weeks ago. Whoever lived here before planted
daffs out the yahoo it seems.
Jon in Va Zone 7b
That's cool. I have daffs up allover the place, but haven't seen any of them
open, and I am not even sure if I got the right name (paperwhites ) for the
ones that did open. They are minature daffs, all white, and look exactly like
the regular daffs but just a much smaller version.
Jon
Sounds like they are...assuming you mean the flowers are much smaller and
that the stems and leaves are pretty long/tall.
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
That's cool. I have daffs up allover the place, but haven't seen any of them
open, and I am not even sure if I got the right name (paperwhites ) for the
ones that did open. They are minature daffs, all white, and look exactly
like
the regular daffs but just a much smaller version.
Jon
Debbie,
Yes, flowers are much smaller, like the size of my thumb nail, and the stems
and leaves look like those of normal daffs.
Jon
So now you have an opening for a daffodil. I haven't seen the job
description, but I'd guess "hardy to below 15 degrees" would be part of it.
"Swamp tolerant" too? Happppy New Year, Debbie. Margaret L
I am USDA Zone 7-pushing 8 (I still have to restore my sig line and look up
the Sunset Zone think I am bordering 31/32). We usually have at least some
temps around 15 F each winter-very rarely below 0, but usually things stay
in the 20s or above. Last frost is around April 15th. We always have some
warm days on and off each winter. Hopefully we will not have the late cold
weather that we've had a couple of springs-I watched literally 500 daffodil
stems collapse when the almost ready to open flowers were hit by 15 degree
temps!
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Goff
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2000 10:55 PM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Debbie, what kind of winters do ya'll have there? And what zone are you?
Linda ----- still envious!
Sounds right for paperwhites...
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Debbie,
Yes, flowers are much smaller, like the size of my thumb nail, and the stems
and leaves look like those of normal daffs.
Jon
I'm in Zone 7B which is listed as colder than 8, but you've described our
winters nearly exactly except our last frost is usually around March 15.
November 15 is listed as our earliest frost date. We also have a few days
in the high teens and in the 20's, but for the most part our temps stay
close to the freezing - a degree or two above or below during the nights, up
into the 40's during the day - this is usually during January & February.
The rest of the months are usually milder than that. We also usually
experience one or two ices that last one or two days each year and maybe a
little snow that is usually gone by noon.
We've had a really dry Fall - summers are always dry - so I'm very thankful
for automatic sprinkler systems. I could never keep up with all the
watering without it.
Linda
Date: Sunday, January 02, 2000 8:21 AM
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
So you should try these daffs....Rijnveld's Early Sensation....
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Goff
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2000 2:51 PM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
I'm in Zone 7B which is listed as colder than 8, but you've described our
winters nearly exactly except our last frost is usually around March 15.
HA!! All my daffs are probably hardy to 15, Margaret-any variety will keel
over like that when the buds are about to open and the temps have dropped
that low. It is a horrible thing and it almost always gets a few of mine
every year...I was worrying about these that are opening now, but we had a
cold snap and things are supposed to be moderate for awhile.
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
lauterbach
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2000 10:14 AM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
So now you have an opening for a daffodil. I haven't seen the job
description, but I'd guess "hardy to below 15 degrees" would be part of it.
"Swamp tolerant" too? Happppy New Year, Debbie. Margaret L
This year I planted some irises that were given to me by a good friend - am
anxious to see them in bloom. I LOVE irises. Daffodils would be new for
me, but can't think of a good reason not to try them! Flowers are addictive
to me - didn't realize I had so much company out there!! :)
Linda
Date: Sunday, January 02, 2000 2:01 PM
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Right! I planted them in and among my perennial moss verbena, scabiosa,
poppies, etc. My grandmother always told me not to cut the iris foliage
back until they turned brown but that you can gather all the leaves(?)
together, fold them into a roll and put a loose rubberband around them.
That will keep them low to the ground and hidden but still allow the bulb to
get the nutrients it needs for the next year.
Linda
Date: Sunday, January 02, 2000 6:34 PM
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
addictive
Just plan for something to distract from the foliage after they
flower-that's the only downside to them...daylilies and other perennials
make good companions.
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Goff
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2000 6:54 PM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
This year I planted some irises that were given to me by a good friend - am
anxious to see them in bloom. I LOVE irises. Daffodils would be new for
me, but can't think of a good reason not to try them! Flowers are addictive
to me - didn't realize I had so much company out there!! :)
Linda
Ooops...I was talking about the daffodils!!
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Goff
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2000 7:49 PM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Right! I planted them in and among my perennial moss verbena, scabiosa,
poppies, etc. My grandmother always told me not to cut the iris foliage
back until they turned brown but that you can gather all the leaves(?)
together, fold them into a roll and put a loose rubberband around them.
That will keep them low to the ground and hidden but still allow the bulb to
get the nutrients it needs for the next year.
Deborah Green wrote:
I plant mine in with the ferns - they are coming up as the daff greens are
browning up. I just dug around a section, peeled it back, dug out enough to get
the right depth, plant the bulbs, fill in around them, and lay the flap back
down - it has never bothered to ferns a bit, and I never see the browned daff
leaves planted like that - just the ones in a weird bed out in the lawn that is
about a foot wide and 4 feet long, right smack out in the middle, not even
centered. The only reason I can imagine is that they were planted so someone
house-bound could see them, because they do nothing in a landscaping sense, but
a flower anywhere is wonderful, so I haven't taken the time to move them yet.
Joan
Oh, thought you meant the irises - but wouldn't the same concept apply to
both? I'm just guessing - as a novice gardener, that is.
Date: Sunday, January 02, 2000 6:52 PM
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
to
Hey, some of us aren't ready for spring yet!
My bulb pots sat in our den for a couple of weeks on their way to the
attic and something started coming up. I think it is the Pipit daffodils
which are early bloomers. Taking up Christmas decorations I noticed that
the foliage is now yellow so I guess those are a bust.
Couldn't heft all of those upstairs myself and so had to wait for help.
Deborah, what is the name of your late bloomer?
-- Asrd (Anna)
http://home.earthlink.net/~asrd1/
USDA Zone 7, Carolina
See Asrd's Books for gardening, computers, and Life
Nothing takes the past away like the future,
Nothing makes the darkness go like the light. - Madonna
Yes-Iris are a little trickier, though, as you want the rhizomes somewhat
exposed so they can "bake" in the summer's heat. I have most of mine a bit
further back in the borders so other perennials grow up in front of them
after their time has passed and so the unattractive foliage isn't so
obvious.
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Goff
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 12:48 AM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Oh, thought you meant the irises - but wouldn't the same concept apply to
both? I'm just guessing - as a novice gardener, that is.
Oh, I didn't know the rhizomes wanted to be exposed some. I've always
covered them with dirt - just below the surface. They've always bloomed for
me put perhaps would perform better if exposed? Also, what about during the
winter - does it hurt them to still be exposed? We don't do the mulching
thing here - the only mulch my beds get in the winter are the leaves that
fall and gather in the f.beds. We keep them raked off our grass and piled
nice and cozy down the hill from our back yard in hopes of adding to a
compost bin that my husband keeps promising to make for me. I allow the
leaves to stay in the flowerbeds until Spring just for a little protection.
But there is NO ONE in this area that does the straw-etc. mulching during
the winter months. It's sort of like snow chains for our tires - we get so
little ice, snow, we just don't use them.
Linda
Date: Monday, January 03, 2000 7:06 AM
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Iris resent mulching and can take their rhizomes being exposed even in
relatively cool climates-certainly in zone 7.
Goff
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 10:50 AM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Oh, I didn't know the rhizomes wanted to be exposed some. I've always
covered them with dirt - just below the surface. They've always bloomed for
me put perhaps would perform better if exposed? Also, what about during the
winter - does it hurt them to still be exposed? We don't do the mulching
thing here - the only mulch my beds get in the winter are the leaves that
fall and gather in the f.beds
Our iris rhizomes must be at least somewhat exposed or there will be no
blooms. The only mulch my iris get is from the snow. Speaking of snow,
Debbie, isn't it about time for your daughter makes her way back to Iowa?
We're getting 4 to 5 inches of snow tonight and will have blowing and gusting
winds overnight. This will be enough snow for me, so it's time for nicer
weather.
Jackie
zone 4b/5a
Deborah Green wrote:
Gee, Jackie, it was a record high here today 75F, I think....She's not due
back 'til the 22nd...Now I have 4 daffs open, BTW!!
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Wellborn
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 7:39 PM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Our iris rhizomes must be at least somewhat exposed or there will be no
blooms. The only mulch my iris get is from the snow. Speaking of snow,
Debbie, isn't it about time for your daughter makes her way back to Iowa?
We're getting 4 to 5 inches of snow tonight and will have blowing and
gusting
winds overnight. This will be enough snow for me, so it's time for nicer
weather.
Thanks for the info!
Date: Monday, January 03, 2000 2:50 PM
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
for
> me put perhaps would perform better if exposed? Also, what about during
the
Sundisc. It is an unusual miniature, though, rather than a traditional
daff-the latest I have that is a standard trumpet type is Camelot.
Debbie in Williamsburg, VA
Shuford
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 5:48 AM
To: GARDENS@lsv.uky.edu
Subject: Re: Daffodil opening in VA....
Deborah, what is the name of your late bloomer?
