Report From PIA – October 12
This morning we drove home to Poison Ivy Acres. Noah and Wan Yi’s wedding was delightful, and it was nice to stay at the lovely home of Alice & Burt Swersey. Burt gave me several plants from his nursery, causing my husband to claim that Burt was “aiding and abetting”… more about these plants in another post.
It’s always good to get home after being away, and the first thing I did was to get out to the garden. The late-fall bloomers are doing their thing, of course, but what caught my attention today were the plants that are still in bloom, many of them since early summer.
The word bloom is defined as a flower, a mass of flowers, flowering, a rosy color taken as a sign of good health, and the period of greatest prosperity or productivity. In my garden, I see many flowers that have been with me for a very long time… see the photos below. In my life there are things and people that help me to prosper and be productive as well.
Flowering is especially on my mind because it’s my mother’s birthday. She is 83 today. Mom is in my thoughts not only because of her birthday, but because she is a plant lover, a gardener, and a lover of blossoms. If the ability to grow plants is genetic, I get it from her.
Despite struggles with her health, the loss of her husband in the late ‘60’s, my youngest brother in 2007, and a move into assisted living, she has remained dedicated to growth and optimism. It isn’t easy to bloom when you have less than ideal growing conditions, but nevertheless, my mother tries her best to cultivate good things.
Today I am thankful for long-bloomers. In my garden, and in my life.
It is October 12th and I still have daylilies in bloom! This is 'Final Touch' - one of my favorites - and it's been flowering since mid-August.
Why don't I hear more about Daphne 'Summer Ice'? This shrub has been flowering all summer, still blossoming in October, and, it's fragrant!!
Geranium 'Rozanne' knocks herself out from May through October. If this plant starts to look a bit "sprawlish" by late July, simply cut off those long stems and she'll be compact and flower-filled until hard frost.
