Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2011

　　If, in the middle of winter, you had told me my last frost this spring was going to occur on May 6th, I would have said, “Har-de-har-har” in my most sarcastic voice. But that is what happened. Furthermore, that lone frost of 29F (-1.7C) occurred after a string of frost-free weather stretching all the way back to April 23rd–just about two weeks. I can still hardly believe that we went through an entire spring with virtually no frost.
Did I dream it? The plants say no.
Poster child for the frost-free spring is Cynanchum ascyrifolium, a plant I purchased from the late, great Seneca Hill Perennials. I visited this nursery several years ago, and saw this plant in bloom. It bowled me over with its floriferous habit, so I ordered one in 2005. Here’s how it looked on May 19, 2009:
Now keep in mind, this photo was taken 13 days after the date we had our last frost this year.

This is how that same plant looked on June 13, 2010:
Cynanchum ascyrifolium June 2010. Note the yellowing colchicum foliage.
Looks like it’s making a decent showing, yes? But now look at it a year later:
Cynanchum ascyrifolium June 2011. About twice the height of last year, overwhelming the colchicum foliage that was easily visible last year.
Now this plant looks like the one I saw in the nursery seven years ago!
Many other plants looked better than ever this year. After a two-year hiatus caused by untimely hard freezes, my bearded irises bloomed in force, some for the first time ever. The Oriental poppies were also spectacular. The daylily foliage has never looked so lush. And for the first time in several years, we have baby apples growing on our apple trees.
No frost means apples form from apple blossoms
It was the perfect spring for the plants. The humans found it rather gloomy. The reason we had so little frost was because we had so much cloud cover, trapping the earth’s heat at night. We had record amounts of rain, delaying spring planting of peas and spinach by several weeks.
Truly, there is no such thing as a perfect season. What are advantages to some plants become disadvantages to others. But this almost frostless spring showed me how much our typical weather sets so many plants back. Now I know that what I thought was their normal growth pattern is really only the best they can do under adverse circumstances.
Maybe I was better off not knowing.

Salvia verticillata ‘Alba’

Salvia verticillata ‘Alba’

Craig wrote:

• 　　Soft hairy leaves with pure white flowers. Floppy growth habit, This works in its favor because by the time its first flush of bloom is over the plants have opened up and exposed the center so a new round of growth is maturing and close to flowering. Untidy and unruly, my kind of plant.

I need to find a plant that this can weave through. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, this member of the sage family thrives in full sun–which it’s not getting–and is killed by wet soils, which may mean I will lose it next mud season. I have it growing near my purple smokebush, which is notorious for sucking the soil dry, but the smokebush is late to break dormancy. I may need to move this to the southern side of a lilac, which wakes up sooner in the spring, and thus starts pulling moisture out of the surrounding area that much sooner as well.

Happy Mother’s Day Flowers

　　Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8. Of course, my brother and I are sending our mom flowers. We always give her flowers for Mother’s Day, and we love how happy they make her. I can’t tell you what type of flowers we’re sending; wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for our mom. But I can tell you some floral industry insider tips so you, too, can wow your mom with Mother’s Day flowers.

Surprise mom. Usually moms don’t like surprises, but they do love being surprised by flowers. Catch mom off guard by giving her flowers before Mother’s Day — on Wednesday, May 4; Thursday, May 5; or Friday, May 6. To really surprise her, send the flowers to her at work. Not only will you be the hero to her, but to her co-workers as well. Your mom can enjoy her flowers in the office and then bring them home to enjoy over the weekend. If you can’t give the flowers to your mom in person, ask your florist to deliver them. She’ll be wowed.
Describe your mom’s personality. Flowers come in hundreds of sizes, shapes and colors making floral arrangements one of the easiest gifts to customize. So where do you start?
Consider your mom’s favorite flowers. Callas, freesia, gerberas, hydrangeas, irises, lilies, orchids, roses and tulips are among the most popular Mother’s Day flowers.
What are your mom’s favorite colors? Pink is the traditional favorite color for Mother’s Day flowers. Monochromatic designs of flowers all in the same color are trendy. Blush pink, antique ivory and cream tones together or hot pink and berry tones combined with shades of red are en vogue. An emerging trend this year for Mother’s Day flowers are bold, vibrant and exciting color combinations, such as hot pink and orange, citron and purple, shades of orange hues from tangerine to peach, purple accented with bright green.
Flowering plants make lovely Mother’s Day gifts, too. Azaleas, chrysanthemums, gerberas, hydrangeas, orchids and kalanchoes are Mother’s Day favorites or ask for a dishgarden, which is a collection of blooming and green plants.

Flowers for Algernon

　　Charlie Gordon has an IQ of under 70 and has started writing progress reports because he’s been given the chance to become smart. This is down to an earlier test subject, a mouse named Algernon, that has become really smart — and stayed that way.

And that’s the premise of Flowers for Algernon, a book I saw reviewed favourably some time ago. And I’m reviewing it favourably here.
Right from the word go, when we started with the first progress report / journal entry, I knew what was going to happen to Charlie Gordon, but knowing where the story was going to take me didn’t lessen its impact. That’s what’s most impressive about Flowers for Algernon — by the time I got to the end, I was definitely about to sniffle in sympathy.
Some spoilers follow.
I do think that Charlie, in the end, wouldn’t have been unhappy. He was impressively philosophical about the whole thing. But reading the last few reports was where I wondered if this is how Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers feel, when day to day tasks start to confound them and they forget things, but they are still completely aware of who they are.

You Are My Flower

　　I still can't quite grasp that I am playing the role of Maybelle Carter in the Mill's production of Keep on the Sunny Side. She and her guitar playing are legendary. Her style is the basis for the modern country music guitar sound. No pressure, right?!
For whatever odd reason, I have always had an affinity for Johnny Cash and June Carter (before it was cool). I knew of June's mother, "Mother Maybelle," but had no idea of the magnitude of the Carter family's influence on country music, and music in general. The more I learn about A.P., Sara and Maybelle, it becomes even more humbling to play the role of this amazing woman. I am grateful to Tom Width and Drew Perkins for having the confidence that I could do the part justice. The callouses on my fingers attest to my desire to convey an accurate portrayal, and while I have a long way to go to attain the virtuosity of Maybelle Carter, I have learned to play several songs in her style, which is another challenge unto itself.

Our very talented cast (Drew Perkins as A.P., Jackie Frost as Sara, Ali Thibodeau as Janette, and David Janeski and Lucas Hall in multiple roles) had a great opening weekend and I hope the success continues. Janette Carter's daughter Rita Forrester came from Hiltons, VA to see the performance on Saturday night. What a wonderfully kind and gracious woman. It was an honor to meet her. My parents, Wes and Janette (same spelling, no relation!), were also in the audience for all three performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. It was a treat to have them here.
I think "You Are My Flower" is my favorite song in the show. It's part of a 3-song medley, so we only perform a section of it. It was one of the most difficult guitar parts for me to learn musically, but that's probably why I like it so much now, and also why I find it so gratifying to play.
I love this video of Sara and Maybelle from the Johnny Cash Show. They are both very stately and stoic women (Sara sings "wear a happy smile" and "don't forget to smile" with a completely straight face); but toward the end, we catch a glimpse of the sparkle in Maybelle -- she is truly enjoying herself, but with her typical humility and humbleness. This is probably one of many reasons why she was -- and is -- so well-loved by so many, including me.