The Japanese Maple tree always seems to have a few little ones every year..Here are three in pots in the greenhouse

kay

The garden looks wonderful, Kay! I can’t wait to see your first photos. Both of my Japanese maples suffered, I HAD a bloodgood that was 20’ tall, got a small split in the trunk and 3/4 of the branches died, so disappointing. My second one is having a similar problem, it never got very big.

Sherry

Your daylilies look so healthy, Kay! Wish my plants looked so lush. And some do, but others seem to be slower to take off. I am noticing some looking better. I got Christmas in Oz last fall, a nice clump of it. It came up this spring with more fans, but rather thin and wispy leaves. I noticed today though it is looking better.

I have a couple of Japanese maples, but no seedlings. One is not very old though, and the other one I planted in full sun, it is not very happy with me.

Oh sherry, I am so sorry your Japanese Maple did that. I have three planted too close, but two of them are the type that form almost a bowl shape..with the lacy leaves. the other is the tall red one, and that is the one that makes so many babies. I had to remove English Ive from them...in fact, still have to remove it from one of them...Huge job.

Nancy, you are right, they seem to like some shade, not full sun. The lilies look good from all the rain...Of course I mulched them in the fall and am still grooming, a never ending job.

kay

Thanks, Kay, the Bloodgood was planted in the perfect spot according to what I’ve read, I may never get over that loss ; (

BTW the Little Light Of Mine you shared with me got through our nasty winter just fine, I’m hoping to see a few blooms this season!

Sherry

How exciting, Kay, to see so many scapes. I can't wait to see your pictures. It will be some time before we see any scapes.

Nancy

Nothing like the beauty of fresh spring growth. Soon you will be posting bloom shots. My Iris's are budded up but still no blooms. They always precede my daylilies. I'd think maybe a month away for daylilies scapes here...............

Actually, Maryl, I have just been in the garden and it appears that Fernstone will have a bloom opeing tomorrow since you can see the color and a partially open bloom. If so, that is two weeks earlier than last ear...Just means my season will be over sooner.

kay

Garden looks good, Kay. Mine still has a way to go. (And probably will not look that clean this year with all the rain we have gotten). Interesting about your red maple volunteers. I have not seen any with mine. It may be too young. Scapes are coming up but just tipping. Still a couple of weeks away from blooms.

That is odd Kate. Mine is ahead of last year...not so much a good thing but at least I don't have plans to reorganize the whole thing this year like the last two. Main change this time is to eliminate more iris. I still think Fernstone will open a bloom tomorrow but the first one is rarely good for some reason. I will say from one day to the next I keep finding others with spikes...these are the early ones, of course.

kay

I am going to try eliminating some iris too. I get way more complements on my iris than my daylilies, but they are so much work keeping them weeded. The only time I have ever lost an iris is a rare occasion when a new one just does not root. Generally they multiply so fast and I have to constantly divide them.

Judging by Dumortieri, daylily season may be normal this year, it was late last year. Still no blooms on Dumortieri, but the buds are showing color so should be soon.

Your plants do indeed look healthy. Growth here too has been good this spring, but never rule out Mother Nature throwing a curve ball. Like latest freeze on record one year, hottest May on record last year, a week of unbearable tropical weather at peak bloom here last year. I'm sure she has more tricks in her bag.

Mantis, it already looks as if this will be a very hot may...but it is Alabama...and heat is a part of it...I don't think there will be be more cold...we will be wiahing for it. the first nineties is due next week by the forecast. The hard freezes after mild weather for a week or ten days did a number on them, but they seem to have recovered....except for the one it killed.

Nancy, the weeding is the reason for my tremendous iris downsizing. The are beautifu, but the work is unending since you cannot mulch them.

kay

Kay, I planted my iris in mulch one year, with landscape fabric underneath. Lost a few plants because the mulch was harder for them to root in, but the majority survived, bloomed well and multiplied for several years. What weeds grew in the mulch were easy to pull. Worked great til the fabric started wearing down. Right now I have too many iris, can't afford all the mulch and fabric it would take, but if I can whittle them down enough I may try it again. Of course, back then I had iris you could not kill, even with weed killer, I tried!

I have had them rot in mulch.

kay

Wow, your garden is so lush. You are lucky to get the Japanese Maple seedlings to grow so well. Looking forward to your bloom pics.