As the end of August nears, can autumn be far behind?

12 years ago

So....August 20th = 20 days in a row of temperatures over 100 degrees F. I know Arif has it worse, but this is miserable!! (BTW- Arif...I have 2 adorable baby budgies in the nest...one blue and grey and the other yellow and grey!)

So...I made my weekly visit to the Hippi plantation on the sideyard (small by comparison to what some of the list members have) and found that everything is GREAT! In spite of the heat, they are growing extremely well under the reflective shade cloth (the do get 7 minutes of water every morning at 4 AM). Some of the tips of the leave are nearly shoulder level (I'm 68" tall), there are no signs of virus, no bulbs lost to rot, and many MANY large offsets growing well. To top it off, many of the year old seedlings are pushing out the sides of their 4" pots and are ready to be transplanted in 6" pots. That task will have to wait until Labor Day!! Maybe it will be cooler by then!!

I swept out the greenhouse today and readied the shelves for the arrivals in a couple of months. Yes...this is Season #3 for the amazing Pop-Up greenhouse!!

On the other side of the house, the virused bulbs are growing well in their special screen "house" - really more of an enclosed pup tent. They aren't as vigorous, but then, they are mostly neglected, not watered very often and only a little shaded. I did manage to get some blooms out of these bulbs this year...and I admired them from afar. They are pretty much "hands off". Yes...they are virused and I imagine they wouldn't do as well as they must be stressed, but they are, as I said, also neglected. I didn't think it was worth my time to see how they would thrive with care...they will stay where they are.

So...with no natural rain in the past 160 days and none in the near future (I remember posting about June days of the past where we got 6-7 inches of rain in a day...ahhhh...memories), I guess these bulbs will dry back when it cools off and I start watering. Maybe this year I won't have all the long strappy leaves to deal with in the greenhouse!! AND maybe, just maybe, I'll get blooms from my 2-year old homemade hybrids next year.

Orders are placed for a few give away bulbs and a couple replacements...but I'm not ordering too much. I'm giving a seminar in Jacksonville, FL on Oct 20 and each attendee will get a bulb (it's a small group). That should be fun!

Hope everyone is getting ready for the next season. Bulbs start shipping in about a month!! ARE YOU READY!?!

;-)

Kristi

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

joshy46013
12 years ago
I've got my list of what I want to buy :) I'm really excited for a new bulb or two this season!!!

My hybrids I put in full sun and they didn't fair too well, all the leaves are burnt and are dying out now so it will be shade from now on.

I keep all my species in lightly shaded areas because the leaves burn incredibly easily. I know a lot of you grow in full sun so I thought I'd try it.. IDK why mine burnt so badly, once I moved them into a shaded area they started doing much better!

Kristi, which bulbs do you have that are so large? My 'Flamenco Queen' is INSANE, it's huge as well as 'Limona' and 'Apple Blossom'. The latter two are planted in the ground and the size are absolutely crazy, three times as large as their counterparts in pots!

Josh
kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author
12 years ago
My President Johnson is by far the largest (tallest) followed by Apple Blossom, a Red Pearl, Red Nymph and Bonfire.

I discovered last night that the bulb sellers are quickly selling out. I went back to order some additional bulbs, and many are sold out. Oh well...I'll get what I want. This year I'm focusing on my own crosses and I hope some will bloom. Next year (2013) I am hoping that the crosses I made with Jewel will bloom. Those should be interesting!! I have Limona x Jewel, Red Lion x Jewel, and Lady Diana x Jewel, amongst others. I also was able to make many crosses with Alfreso this year...so don't expect those to bloom until 2014...I'm patiently awaiting some fragranced blooms from these!

I have several Gordie selfs that I can't wait to see how they bloom out and many crossed with Gordie. I'm hoping some of the veining is passed on to the offspring. Although, first year blooms are never as magnificant as blooms from a mature bulb.

I have NO IDEA how I am going to get everything in the greenhouse! Many of the more precious bulbs may go on the enclosed patio.

Kristi
Related Discussions
Journal - End of August - Somebody stop the weeds!
Q
Comments (15)
I have already begun my fall chores of cleaning out some flower beds and the garden. They looked so bad, I just started cutting and pulling things. Christie, that is the Ozarks for you; we are so rocky that the rain just goes down very quickly. We are severely dry here again too and I watered some trees yesterday and also the newly set roses. The mole runs are so bad, the water doesn't run far, just disappears down a mole hole! Don't know if I am getting much good from the water or not. The yard has certainly gone into the fall mode. Mowing and trimming are much less now. I am not sorry about that. EP, glad to see you back. I just finished painting the trim in the dining room. It took about two days. Sure glad to get that done. We have lots of outside trim on some of the outbuildings to do, but will wait for cooler weather to complete that. We are still feeding the birds, both the good, bad and the ugly! The grackles thought the waterer I was using around one of the trees was their private spa......they were really enjoying it. I finally found a few Monarch butterfly larvae on one of the milkweed plants. We still haven't had the number of butterflies that we normally do. Also, I noticed a tremendous amount of seed pods on the asclepias tuberosa. The entire top is just full of pods. I wonder if they ever self-seed? Checked out Lowes this week, but they had very few sales on anything in the garden department. I need a few evergreens for around the foundation at the back door. Glad to hear you are ok Yolanda. We keep watching the news and are just astounded by everything. I just want to see someone get some food and water to those folks on the highway by the SuperDome! Where are the FEMA people? They need someone to monitor the news to find some of these pockets of desperation. The women with tiny babies just really break my heart. Let's hope millions is raised by all the upcoming concerts and drives. gld
...See More
End of August and into September
Q
Comments (12)
Thank you Jim and Becky. The kitty is my boy Bligh. He is 13 years old and about 20lbs. We live in the town of Quincy but I actually found him in an alley in Spokane, WA. His situation has improved slightly since those days you might say:) OGD: Glad you enjoyed the pictures. It has been a fun year for the roses. I will have to go out and look at PJP regarding the buds. You know I planted it in spring of 2008 and it did almost nothing last year. I was kind of frustrated really. This year it started out slow but has really began to thrive beginning mid summer. Right now it is just covered with new purple growth. We have enjoyed Heart of Good also. so far a really nice bloomer. Of course Gruss is a classic and I love the way it will have several buds forming around an almost completely spent bloom. Just so pretty. Thanks! Kate
...See More
False drawer fronts at end of peninsula near end seating?
Q
Comments (18)
If you have kids of an age to kick one another, this is always a possibility, but generally they grow out of that behavior and it shouldn't be too important a factor for planning, any more than kicking is a factor at any other rectangular table. More important is choice of stools if this is an eating area; don't get swivel ones if there's a kicking problem. A different problem is that there is only so much knee space. How deep will your overhang be? Did you discuss going leg-less with the designer? That is, using supports underneath the countertop instead of legs? I agree that the openness is a virtue. At the very least, I dislike the faux drawers idea you began the thread with. Visually it would be weird to see that panel with the implication of a 3-D back and there be none there--like a flat Hollywood set. Is that a t.v. behind the peninsula? In that case, I even more strongly suggest that the storage unit go up against the wall and the sitters move down. That inner spot will be the last one taken whenever people sit. I think you're envisioning someone sitting adjacent to wall and trying to talk to the cook at the range. How often will that actually be the case? More often the cook will be at the peninsula washing & chopping or messing with plates. The splash goes either side of the little sink plus behind it and the seats by it will seem just a bit too close. The end seat(s) will be the premium seating: possible T.V. viewing plus conversation in three directions--toward family room and toward colleagues and cook. And it's the first seating when entering through that door. One more thing to consider--how likely are you to pull a stool around to the inside of the peninsula? If you're like us, one stool will "live" in there much of the time. So if that happens, where will it go and who will it be facing? [Your layout is very similar to mine except that your door is my refrig and your wall adjacent to end of peninsula is my hall from another room, but there is no seating until what is your second seat because the peninsula angles out there. I sit to right of the prep sink at the pullout chopping board at the corner and DH sits opposite me when we are there conversing or such. Our little undercab t.v. is over your blind corner.]
...See More
Nearing End of Build Only a Few Days: What to expect?
Q
Comments (9)
I neglected to add that this builder warranties our home for 3 years. The home is beautiful and well built. But he has always asked for price points on the home before they were completed and he has continued working. We were over at the house yesterday. House has been cleaned up and all landscaping is completed. The painters have finished some major work but the house will still need some minor touchups through out from what we could see. An electrician was there finishing up his work and a glass guy was there finishing up the shower door and mirrors over sinks. Our builder stopped in while we were there and gave us his version of what we owed him for the build. He wanted it by the end of yesterday. Of course he wanted a lot more back from the residual than we had asked for. He didn't budge on even giving us credit for the granite. (nor do we know exactly how much he paid, but we know he made extra back on it for what it must have cost him). My husband caved and said he would pay it. He said they would be having a full crew back tomorrow to finish up cabinets and will install our towel and toilet hardware. I got an email this am that they were all over there now. When were over at the shop yesterday to pay the residual and saw all the cabinet shelves and doors that were to be installed and also the shoe mouldings ready to go. Other than having some paint touch ups and a couple of outlests that need to be complete we will be finished. My husband had contacted a lawyer several weeks ago and he got back and said they could send the builder a letter. But that if the builder walked out on the job there was nothing they could do! So we settled up last night in spite of having our work all completed and have to rely on the builder that he will do as he promised. It sucks that they have the upper hand. We paid too much money into the build and my husband said he just wants to pay and get it over with now. Builder's wife said that they will do a walkthru with us the end of next week 17th. We could start moving some things in to the garage and storage areas before that, however. The builder likes to do his own walk-thru without us first He will most likely do his on Monday or Tuesday. She surmised that everything will be done by next Friday... except to have another cleaning person in there that day. After we move in and are there living a couple of weeks and we find anything amiss then they schedule the plumber or electrician or whoever to come back and fix anything not working properly. I guess we just have to trust him.
...See More
haweha
12 years ago
What is a Gordie?
It seems that I have missed something!
kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author
12 years ago
Oh now...Hans-Warner...Gordie is MY rescued heirloom. REMEMBER?!?! I'm sad...you thought he died?! Nope...I have several. Do a search on the forum...for GORDIE. You'll remember him. LARGE red and white with amazing veining.
:-)
K
haweha
12 years ago
Thank you! I remember this extraordinary Heirloom Hybrid very well - but not its name.
Do you have specimens of it that are non infected from Mosaic Virus? If not, then you should absolutely try to reproduce it from seeds after self pollination.
kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author
12 years ago
I have dozens of self bulbs that should(fingers crossed) bloom this next year. I have 2 mature bulbs that are not showing signs of mosaic, and 3 that are (1 original and 2 offsets).

Can you tell me...are seedlings from a MV infected bulb's bloom similarly infected? I hadn't even wanted to touch them...they are "hands off" in quarantine under screen.

I should have the apparently "clear" bulbs tested. I would love to have them propigated to share with my list friends.

Thanks,
Kristi

As the end of August nears, can autumn be far behind?

Comments (6)

joshy46013

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author

Related Discussions

haweha

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author

haweha

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

As the end of August nears, can autumn be far behind?

Comments (6)

joshy46013

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)Original Author

Related Discussions

haweha

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)Original Author

haweha

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author

kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
Original Author