Snowdrops was Bulb Augers
- To: perennials@mallorn.com
- Subject: Snowdrops was Bulb Augers
- From: L* a* A* F*
- Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 08:46:27 -0600
Oh goody, a chance to boast. : )
Here in Waterloo, IL, slightly south of St. Louis, I have 3 Galanthus
elwesii in bloom, with many more buds showing color! G. nivalis is above
ground but no where near so far along. G. elwesii is farther from the
house-definitely not in a heat trap, so I am hoping that this early bloom
will be a standard feature of this species. This is the 1st spring since I
planted them and even aside from the early bloom they are wonderful. Each
is diferently marked, real individuals, worth getting on the rorund to look
into.
It has been in the 40's here for the last week and no rain or snow.
Yesterday hit 70! I happily went out to weed and trim and generally putter
and found a honeybee on the Galanthus. Everyone should plant snowdrops.
Take them however you can get them, as many as you can-they make winter
bearable!
Susan and David, what sort of snowdrops do you grow? When does your aconite
bloom? I also put some of those in last fall, and can see no signs of life.
> I read on the alpine list that the snowdrops has started blooming
>already (record breaker) in the UK. I wonder what this means for the US
>1999 gardening spring???
> I can hardly wait for my own snowdrops, winter aconite, anemone
>blanda, iris reticulata, the species tulips, the daffs, the grape hyacinths,
>the big tulips, etc., etc. , etc.
>
>Susan and David in Urbana, Illinois, zone 5b
>
My favorite planting tool for individual bulbs in tight places, or multiples
in rocky ground, is a Japanese weeding knife. It is about 9" long and 1
1/2' wide with one smooth edge and one serrated edge. No rock can bend it,
no root is too tough. It is slightly concave, and can be used as a
transplanting tool, and the tip is great for getting those annoy weeds that
seed where fingers dont fit. They are not cheap, but very sturdy. I know
of one rock gardener who has had the same one for 20+ years.
Just to add my two cents: I think bulb augurs are wonderful,
particularly for squeezing in daffodils or tulips in between already heavily
filled (to the bursting) beds of perennials. We did discover, however, that
it is very helpful to have a heavier-duty drill so it doesn't heat up so
much and to use one that has REVERSE so you can back yourself out when it
gets stuck with tree roots, heavy soil, etc. This is also a good way to
knock the extra dirt off that gets stuck on the augur.
Lisa Flaum
So. Illinios, USA
Min -10F Max 105F Summer dry punctuated by floods,
high humidity, unreliable snow cover, clay soil
Lisa Flaum
So. Illinios, USA
Min -10F Max 105F Summer dry punctuated by floods,
high humidity, unreliable snow cover, clay soil
Lisa Flaum
So. Illinios, USA
Min -10F Max 105F Summer dry punctuated by floods,
high humidity, unreliable snow cover, clay soil
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
