I am happy to report the Plant Exchange was a smashing success. And it did not rain. I guess the third time really is the charm. I would estimate about 100 people came through in the course of the day.
There were about 40 people at any one time but many came for a little while and left. Soo many plants!! And a lovely assortment of food to share. Some desserts but a lot of other things as well. I served hot dogs cut in half, had a large bowl of clementine oranges and watermelon wedges.
Also iced tea, water and lemonade. Unfortunately, no lemon bites. So sad. Been searching for them for months with no luck. I did get a call on the radio on Sunday that they have been spotted at Costco. Will have to get someone to take me there!!
The music was great. Tommy played guitar with our dear friend, Grand Union Mike.
Mike was also on guitar and has a lovely voice. Many thanks to all the people who helped. Could not have pulled it off alone. I got some great plants myself. A blue Baptisia was a find along with some lovely shade plants for the woods. All in all, a great day for gardeners, music lovers and friends.
Don't Do This At Home
I have to share this with you because I just can't believe what some people do to their plants. This poor Arbor-vitae must have been blocking the view in a parking lot. This was the solution the powers that be came up with to solve the problem. I would consider this plant abuse. The lushness of the lower branches indicates this plant was doing well in spite of living in the harsh conditions of a parking lot. Better to remove it altogether than leave this poor tortured conifer. It is actually disturbing to look at.
Things in Bloom
As I mentioned above, I was lucky enough to pick up a blue Baptisia at the plant exchange. It will join the others. The yellow is actually finishing up already but the burgundy and pink are in full swing.
The Catalpa Pat from Edison gave me is covered in buds, but they haven't quite opened yet. However the big tree in Ocean Grove next to my neighbor's house is in full bloom. OG is not the greatest spot for one of these since the flowers get slimy when they land on the sidewalk. Mine is in the middle of the backyard so that won't be an issue. Even so, the flowers are spectacular. The pods which follow is how they spread but even they are interesting. They hang on a long time so can provide a bit of winter interest. I have seen them bloom as late as 4th of July so there must be different varieties or perhaps they just vary when they come up from seed. Gardeners either love them or hate them. I think they are spectacular.
Deutzia are showing up in garden centers after being conspicuously absent for years. They seem to be new, smaller varieties which is a shift from the enthusiasm of the classics. The ones at Tiny Farm are remnants from the previous owner. Mrs. Lang was an avid gardener who puttered in her yard into her nineties. But the place was vacant for 8 years and had a tenant for 8 more. The estate was purchased from her children who were 85 and 87 at the time. Everything was so overgrown you couldn't see the house from the road and the discovery of the barn was a big surprise since it was completely hidden from view. We since found several Deutzias popping up in the yard. I kept 2 and they are gorgeous, but no one would accuse them of being petite. The flowers themselves are small but number in the thousands so make a big noise from many tiny voices.
Also just starting to bloom is my Eremurus. I had planted several bulbs before the construction at which time the bed got badly trampled. So only one survived but it seems to be returning reliably each year. As the flower spike elongates it continues to bloom so each one lasts several weeks as a result. By the end they can be quite tall. Sometimes over 5 feet.
One of my favorite annuals is Catharanthus. Commonly called annual Vinca, it is not actually a Vinca at all. But it blooms all summer and usually drops its dead blooms. It comes in lots of colors and has shiny dark green foliage. I potted these up today.
I really want to yank the pansies to plant some annual vines that will grow up the trellis, but they still look so good I haven't had the heart.
In the greenhouse these two beauties are making me smile. This little orchid blooms several times a year and the stalks last for months. It makes me very happy. And I am glad this amazing Queen of the Night lives in the greenhouse. I would be afraid it might eat me if it was in the house. It is undeniably fabulous but just a little creepy.
On a slightly sad note, unless we get an 11th hour miracle, this Sunday will be my last show on WOLD. The advertisers we had were wonderful. And I was happy to say I really felt good about being able to promote quality enterprises, but we just didn't have enough to sustain us. So tune in this Sunday 10-noon for our last Garden Show. That's 95.1 FM or stream at WOLDRadio.com. Shawn, Andy and Jordan were a great team and I believe I can speak for all of us when I say we had a really good time doing it. Thank you to everyone that supported our efforts.
While this chapter is coming to an end, we are trying to put together a You Tube show. Tommy, my personal computer genius, is figuring out how we can do a live video call-in show on You Tube. There is definitely a way. Then the shows can be recorded and placed on other venues as well as here on the web page. We are planning for the first show to be June 25. We are getting a special phone number which I will inform my listeners as soon as it is locked down. We will probably start with just one hour until we get our sea legs. So welcome Tiny Farm Studios. LOL!
Thanks again for all your support.
Looking forward to what comes next.
