An almost PERFECT iris

An Iris Primer

Gardening, Landscaping, PlantsLeave a comment

Irises, those tall and elegant garden standards are among the easiest to grow of all our flowers in the garden beds. One of the benefits of growing bearded iris (Iris spp.) is the ability to share them with friends or add them to other garden areas when you dig and divide them every few years. This keeps the iris performing and blooming at its peak. If left undivided, flowering decreases and the rhizome is subject to pests and damage from soft rot and borers. Large, showy flowers appear from early spring into summer, depending on the cultivar, in all colors and color combinations, giving iris the name of rainbow flower. Bearded iris grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10.

almost PERFECT Landscaping spring bulbs in haworth

Patience is a Virtue

Gardening, LandscapingLeave a comment

I’ve always been taught that “patience is a virtue” and this spectacular display of spring color is an example of such. These beds were originally planted back in mid-October (see Haworth NJ Landscaping) with masses of daffodil bulbs. We chose daffodils because of the large deer population; because deer, as a rule, tend to stay away from daffodils. Only members of the Amaryllis family, which includes daffodils, snowflakes and snowdrops, are truly deer and rodent proof.

an almost PERFECT Mothers Day

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

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The earliest history of Mothers Day dates back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology. Ancient Romans, too, celebrated a spring festival, called Hilaria dedicated to Cybele, a mother goddess. It may be noted that ceremonies in honour of Cybele began some 250 years before Christ was born. The celebration made on the Ides of March by making offerings in the temple of Cybele lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades. The celebrations were notorious enough that followers of Cybele were banished from Rome.

st patty frankie

Aye a shamrock for ye

Gardening, Plants, Shade GardeningLeave a comment

“top o the day to you Lassie” – did ye receive a shamrock plants as a bit o a wee gift now me lady. Aye, know the plant well do we now. Oxalis acetosella, or wood sorrel is a plant called shamrock. Oxalis is a perennial plant that grows about 5 inches high. Oh yes its much more common to grow Oxalis outside amongst your Summer Bedding, the annuals, perennials or shrubs. It’s a gardeners plant in many respects.

an almost PERFECT lunch in the garden

An early thanksgiving feast

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Gourmet in the Garden is what this squirrel found at our home. When the peanut butter jar gets down less than 1/4 full it’s time to open up a new jar and share the open jar. Sometimes I lay the jar on its side somewhere under cover from predators within one of our beds with the top off of course. I try to place the peanut butter so i can watch from somewhere inside the house. It doesn’t take them long to find it and after a few jars they sorta come to expect it.

This one was nailed to a tree elevated so we could watch the comedy unfold. It gets really good when more than one moves in to eat. Also squirrels really go “NUTZ” over almond butter, which is better for them anyway.

almost-PERFECT-autumn-leaves

Leaves

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“Walked for half an hour in the garden beds yesterday morning. A fine rain was falling, and the landscape was that of autumn. The sky was hung with various shades of gray, and mists hovered about the distant mountains – a melancholy nature. The leaves were falling on all sides like the last illusions of youth under the tears of irremediable grief. A brood of chattering birds were chasing each other through the shrubberies, and playing games among the branches, like a knot of hiding schoolboys.

Porter James Lagala

Welcome Porter

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Almost PERFECT Landscaping would like to welcome our newest member of the team. Porter James Lagala. Porter brings to APLNJ a wealth of information regarding organic composting and organic waste removal. He has a lot to teach Frank D. Porter about recycling and organic materials and/or product themselves.

Porter James will be on call in the office, but due to the nature of his strenuous activities, he does tend to take numerous feeding and napping breaks. However his input, or shall we say “OUTPUT” is very organic in nature and thereby noteworthy of immediate attention.