First, I apologize for the long gap since my last post. We were spending a lot of time trying to construct the technology for You Tube while my computer was dying a slow painful death. So I now type on my brand new small but mighty computer. It arrived in time to broadcast the first You Tube Garden Show this past Sunday. I only invited a few listeners to tune in so we could work out the quirks with people who I knew would work with us. And there were issues that needed tweaking. But overall, it went well. We decided to set it up with me at a table with headphones. The magic of technology allows Tommy to create a dramatic background which we can change as the spirit moves us.
We attempted to make videos but they just seemed awkward and not compact enough to fit into the show in a way that felt tidy. I have learned how to take still images from within the videos to make short slide shows I can talk over while broadcasting. So, for now, I will have a collection of short slide shows available to me that I can air when there are no callers.
For you, my loyal fans, here are some tips to make participating easier. This is a link you can use to access both the live shows and the archived episodes. https://www.youtube.com/@GardenWithPegi/streams Please share this with anyone that might be interested. Now this might be fun: if you have questions you can send me pictures a few days in advance of the show and I will be able to put them in a little slide show on my computer. When you call I can just click on your folder and we can broadcast your pics while we are chatting about your question. The number to call is
888-399-PEGI (7344). When you call you have to either completely turn down the volume on the device you are watching or move into another room while on the phone. You will continue to be able to hear through the phone. The time delay causes chaos if we can hear both. Also, I intend to start each show with the review of a tool. I often have spoken about tools I love, but now I can show you. Maybe this will trigger some sponsors that can help cover expenses. One can hope.
The show will be Sundays, 10 AM. It will only be an hour to get started. Once we get our land legs we may return to the two hour format that worked for the last three decades. One of the nice things about this is that we can wrap up when we finish with the last caller. There is no "hard stop" so no rushing to finish up or trying to squeeze in a quick answer before the clock strikes 12.
In the future we hope to be able to have guests, add videos, and stream on other platforms like facebook, instagram and whatever else is out there, but starting with baby steps. It is an intense process to put all this together. Tommy is my own computer expert and he uses some overlapping technology with his music, but even so, it is a world unto itself and Tommy has put it all together inch by inch.
This is the start of a new chapter. It is exciting, terrifying and really fun. So glad my gardening friends are along for the ride!
Lilies and Daylilies
These are both lovely and provide dramatic seasonal color. But they are not the same and often confused. To start, daylilies are edible, except for cats. In truth I have never tried them but the flowers can be eaten like squash blossoms, the tubers like potatoes, and the emerging foliage like spinach. True lilies are poisonous. To everyone, but especially, cats. So you don't want to get them mixed up if you plan to bring them indoors. If you have cats you may not want to bring in either of them.
True lilies, and there are lots of species and varieties, have a central stalk with short narrow leaves radiating out. Daylilies have long strap-like leaves coming up from the soil. And there are thousands of named varieties. But the blooms themselves are very similar. Some people have a love/hate relationship with the wild daylily. They grow along the road, in neglected areas, can be found in many gardens and have naturalized throughout much of the northeast and mid-atlantic regions. A very rude name is "Ditch Lily". They originate in Asia and central Europe and are considered invasive in our area. I have a certain amount of respect for them since they came over with settlers and have spread entirely through their roots as the flowers are sterile. I'm sure they had a helping hand from gardeners who enjoyed them for their beauty. I read that deer don't eat them, but I know the deer in my neighborhood cross from the cemetery to eat the ones in my front yard. I pulled them out for that reason. I had them growing among the blueberry bushes and I didn't want the deer to develop a taste for blueberries or even the bushes themselves. Tiny Farm came with these growing in several places. I have tried to keep some of the things uncovered from the previous owner. The family owned the place for 75 years and Mrs. Lang gardened into her 90's. I did move some of these lilies into the woods as they are tough enough to handle some shade. Interestingly I have both double and single blooms. I am not sure if that is the result of a mutation or if Mrs. Lang planned that.
In the world of cultivated daylilies, there are early, mid and late season varieties as well as reblooming (often in early fall) and continuous blooming varieties. Stella D'oro is the most common and will bloom all summer if you keep it deadheaded. Breck's offers Purple de Oro and Little Business (raspberry red) and claims both will bloom all summer. Search around and you can find more.
If you want to plant your garden and enjoy the look for the entire season these continual blooming daylilies are good for you. On the other hand, mixing together early mid and late season bloomers will keep your garden constantly changing. Or mix them together for a few that you can count on and spice it up with different varieties popping up here and there. Whatever makes you happy.
True lilies are all one time bloomers. And they grow from bulbs, not tubers. But once again, they come in early, mid, and late season varieties. Also the height can vary tremendously. The Asiatics bloom in June.
They are smaller and can often be found in pots making a spectacular display. The Aurelian hybrids are July and the Oriental bloom late July and into August. But there are so many variations on a theme here, you want to read up carefully on any variety that tickles your fancy. Getting as much information on height and time of bloom will help you place the plants to get the best effect.
What may come as a surprise is that the Easter Lily can be grown outside. It will not bloom at Easter without the magical manipulations of an expert grower, but will grace you with a lovely display in July.
So if you know of a church that is disposing of senescing Easter lilies, grab them. And another surprise are the late season tiger lilies. I love the recurved petals with the dark speckles.
But the unique quality of the tiger lilies are the tiny bulbils. These are pea sized baby bulbs that grow in the cavity created where the leaves connect to the stem.
Bulbils need to fully mature before they can be harvested so wait until late August or September. They should pop off easily if they are ready. Plant them like seeds, just under a layer of soil. You can try them in a flat but individual pots will mean less trauma when then need more room. Be patient as they will take a few years before they are ready to bloom, but they are worth it.
This is the second year I have grown Tree Lilies. They doubled in size from last year and may reach 8 feet next year. The scent was heavenly.
I have stopped at several spots this year to photograph lilies that just demanded the attention. Here are a few examples.
You may be familiar with the plant PeeGee Hydrangea. It is an old-fashioned plant that was very popular in Victorian times. It blooms at this time of year on new growth which means it can be pruned hard in the spring and will still bloom in the later part of summer. It is almost tree-like. It is very hard to argue with a plant that explodes in August as many things are winding down. But it became less popular over time. Until recently, sort of. The term PeeGee comes from paniculata "Grandiflora". There are now many new H. paniculata varieties. They are not quite tree-like so more adaptable to smaller gardens. Their claim to fame is that many mature into shades of pink. I have one in Ocean Grove called Vanilla Strawberry. The huge panicles open white and mature to pink. The flowers can be cut and left in a vase to dry. They will then last for years. But in the spirit of "Honey, pull the car over right now!", I had to take a picture of this Hydrangea growing in a parking lot. I can't tell you the variety, and it is similar to my Vanilla Strawberry, but the colors seem to manifest a little differently. However, worth stopping the car.
So to wrap up today, I want to thank a few people. First to Tony Marano, of WCTC, who gave me my start in radio almost 35 years ago. He was a leader in the industry and a kind person. To Andy from South River, who made an enormous effort to keep me on the air and whose enthusiasm kept me moving forward. To Shawn who gave us an opportunity on WOLD to prove there is life after having the rug pulled out. To my loyal listeners without whom there would just not be a show. So many have become dear friends. And to my husband Tommy. We met the same month I started my show in 1988. So he has been along for the whole ride. The effort and support he has given me, and the show, have always been wonderful, but his recent efforts have been way above the call of duty. Aren't I a lucky girl?? Much appreciation to all.
