May 31

Give me the splendid, silent sun, with all his beams full dazzling. ~Walt Whitman

The sun, oh the sun ... forecast to be shining and baking us for the next 7 days, or longer! That High pressure system is upon us, a bit early, however it is here.

And daylilies, well, they can tolerant most weather types. Daylilies do prefer about an inch of water per week to show their ultimate beauty. If less than that, the blooms are a bit smaller. The plant will not die, daylilies are very strong!

Yesterday I blogged about Red, White & Blue and daylilies which come in red. We showcased the daylily, Wally. Today I would like to showcase a white daylily, Joan Senior. Joan Senior is not blooming at the present, however it does bloom early mid season. The bloom diameter on the Joan Senior is about 6". It stands 2' tall. It is a rebloomer. We sell the daylily for $6.00 per double fan. It has been a good seller early this season. Check us out at www.oakvillefarm.com

It is time to get outdoors before heat from the blazing sun becomes too much. Hope you have a good day and until next time, Happy Gardening.

May 30, 2011

A beautiful garden is a work of heart ~ Author Unknown

Happy Memorial Day, to those who served and those who serve. Thank you. Here is a good website for info about Memorial Day usmemorialday.org
As we learned, Memorial Day is May 30 and is observed the last Monday of May. This year, 2011, both occur on the same day.

I do love the colors Red, White & Blue. And the three together, oh that is just so majestic, so America pride filled, yes, so American!

In the daylily color arena, it is said that there is no "true blue" color. There are purples that lean more toward the bluish, but no true blue to this point.

We do not have white daylilies blooming at this time, however we do have several red cultivars currently blooming: ie Wally, Jeune Tom, Flower Fiesta.

Hemerocallis Wally is an early blooming red daylily. It is a double and grows about 5.5" in diameter. It is a very vibrant early bloomer which would look good near a white blooming rose bush, or near yellow oriental lilies. Or say, the three would make a nice grouping. :)
We sell Wally for $7.00 a double fan.

Hope you have a good day. In our area, its supposed to get unseasonably HOT today. If you are in the heat ... drink plenty of fluids (water), rest often in the shade or inside and wear light colored clothing. Be safe and until next time, Happy Gardening.

May 29, 2011

"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to it's liberty and interests by the most lasting bands." ~Thomas Jefferson


Have been out this AM doing farm chores! Overcast skies, light fog very early this morning. That made for a great time to pull a few weeds (anyone have weeds in their yard/garden? oh my!), walk thru the pasture to check on goats (another proud doe with a kid!), and then move a little pine straw to the azaleas.

When perusing the daylilies this morning, one of my faithful companions was resting outside the daylily bed. See her there? Well, this is Gracie, "guard dog extraordinaire". An Australian Cattle Dog who is always watching ... acutely aware of sights and sounds. Resting now, she had just herded two doelings back into the pasture. "You go girl...."

Hope you have a good day. Enjoy a little time outdoors with family and friends and until next time, Happy Gardening.

May 28, 2011

We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them. ~Francis A. Walker



Happy Memorial Day weekend. The last weekend in May, the last Monday in May, a time to remember the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for us. We salute you, honor you, thank you ...

Have a safe weekend.

Memorial Day Weekend....

"Friends are like flowers in the garden of life" ~Author Unknown

Daylilies, yes daylilies do become "friend like". Daylilies bring a smile to your face, joy in your heart, satisfaction when shared ... much like friends. Hope that daylilies and friends are a part of this Memorial Day weekend for each and every one of you.

May 26, 2011

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,
From the seas and the streams;
I bear light shade for the leaves when laid
In their noonday dreams.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Cloud"

Daylilies, oh the daylilies that are blooming today. Found three more bloomers this morning. What ones are blooming in your area? Please let us know. ;)

Thanks, Onda for the daylily purchase. Those cultivars will add great color to your already colorful yard.

Want to showcase the daylily, Jeune Tom. This daylily presents red with a green throat. It grows about 18" tall, and has a small 3.5" bloom. Jeune Tom blooms early in the season and is a rebloomer. A nice daylily for $7.00 per double fan.

If you are in our area, stop by and see our daylilies ... Or if sitting by your computer now or later, check us out at www.oakvillefarm.com for good deals on daylilies. Always glad to have you drop by in person or on the internet. :)

Until next time, Happy Gardening and have a good day.

Daylilies ....

The garden is a metaphor for life, and gardening is a symbol of the spiritual path. ~Larry Dossey

Yes, you are visiting the Oakville Farm daylily blog, where we talk about daylilies and about happenings on our Farm. Have you ever lived on a farm? Visited a farm as a child? Ever worked on a arm? It is hard work and yet enjoyable, so much as is life.

Had another two tenths of an inch of rain last night. Have heard from several folks not far from Oakville Farm, who had lots of lightning/thunder and rain, all night. Ours was a quick burst. And everything looks so very very bright green today. Did wear my boots to walk the rows between the daylilies. :)

Want to showcase the daylily, Royal Occasion. Royal Occasion presents black violet with a darker eyezone and bright throat. Very striking daylily, the darker outer against the bright throat .... yes, very striking. It is a rebloomer. Royal Occasion grows about three and a half feet tall and is approximately 4 inches in diameter, again making this a nice specimen. We sell this daylily, Royal Occasion, for $7.00 per double fan. Why not order one today? Check us out at www.oakvillefarm.com.

Hope you have a good day. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Hello ...

Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock. ~Henry Ward Beecher, Star Papers: A Discourse of Flowers

Hello All. Well, what happened to yesterday? Was out most of the day. Oakville Farm is closed on Monday and Tuesday unless special arrangements are made. Those days are used for daylily shipments, advertising, delivering and odd & end tasks away from the farm.

Today, Tuesday on the other hand ... has been busy here. Weather is very HOT for this time of year. I believe that it reached 90 degrees before skies darkened, winds blew, .10" of rain fell and sun returned. All happening in about 30 minutes. WOW! Now time to return outside, under much better conditions and walk among the daylilies.

Oakville Farm ... we are open for business! Come check us out. Have about a half dozen daylilies that are blooming. The second week of June is our peak bloom time. Until then, check us out on the internet: www.oakvillefarm.com, there you can see the cultivars that we have, look at the bloom color/size, then stop by the farm for your purchase. Would love to meet you and discuss daylilies :)

Current blooming daylilies:


Happy Returns







Butterscotch Ruffles












Happy Returns daylily is short and the scape/bloom stay just above the lush green foliage. Butterscotch Ruffles has a small bloom and the scape/bloom stand above the green foliage. Two nice distinct characteristics, each providing their own beauty.

Hope you have a good day. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

May 22, 2011

If you've never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden. ~Robert Brault

Want to say Thanks to Cindi, Mitch, Lu Lu and Jo for a tour of a wonderful garden. Everything I blogged about yesterday morning, I saw yesterday afternoon ... color, texture and smells ... all in a beautiful yard.

Here take a peak ....


color ... contrast






texture ... ole rocker, terracing, fencing





















smells ... honeysuckle








What a great time we had. Do you have a favorite color, sight or smell that comes from your garden/yard? Would love to know about it.

Hope you have a great day. Check us out at www.oakvillefarm.com for daylilies when wanting a nice display of blooms in your yard.

Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Saturday

Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas. ~Elizabeth Murray

What a great way to think of a garden/yard. A palette.

The colors ... What is your favorite color? And what color combinations please your eye?
The textures ... How do textures affect you? Visual or tactile texture?
The smells ... What is your favorite smell? What smells are in your yard?

Colors ... I like so many colors. And combinations of colors are endless. I like contrasting color in the garden/yard, ie a dark fence post against a yellow blossom, shades of green against other shades of green, Nandina berries among their leaves/branches. Endless, just endless color combinations. Some combos that we make, some that Mother Nature provides!

And textures ... texture is an aspect of Mother Nature. I like yard art, ie a metal windmill paired with soft purple climbing clematis, or an old cedar fence post covered with Carolina Jasmine. Yard art does not have to be a "purchase", it can be found in Nature, dead tree, piece of old farm equipment. Just look around ... reuse, recycle, reinvent. Fun, interesting and creative ...

Smells ... there are certainly smells emitted from the yard/garden. I like the smell of blooming Gardenias, freshly cut herbs for a meal and freshly cut/baled grass hay from the field. Sometimes there is the smell of freshly sprayed fertilizer/herbicide, hog parlor down the road ... necessary, not always good and only temporary! Take it all in :)

The weather is absolutely gorgeous here this Saturday morning. Crisp clean color, slight breeze, strong shadows, a calmness that is so soothing to everything. You can check out our weather here at Oakville Farm anytime by going to: http://www.weatherlink.com/user/oakvillefarm/

Check out our daylilies at www.oakvillefarm.com. Find the one that will make your yard ...colorful and provide texture.

Hope you have a good day. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Friday ....

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson

Yes, it is still spring. I heard over the news this AM, that the hurricane predictions are out for the upcoming season, which begins June 1. We watch the Atlantic season outlook:

• 12 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which:
  
  
• 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including:
  
  
• 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher)

Information found at http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov Our hope is that no one suffers several damage this upcoming season.

Walking among the daylilies this morning, I found several more plants have opened their blooms for this 2011 daylily season ... Happy Returns, Butterscotch Ruffles. Dainty, small, cute blooms. It is just oh sooooo fun finding newly opened daylilies.

Hemerocallis Butterscotch Ruffles is a peach blend colored daylily. About 2 1/2 feet tall with a small bloom, ie ~3". It is a rebloomer, has a small scape, smaller foliage and a good sturdy daylily. We offer the daylily for $5.00 per double fan. Check it out at: www.oakvillefarm.com for this and many other great finds.

What other daylilies are blooming out there? Please send us a note or photo letting us know what beauties are open in your area. :)

Hope you have a good day. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Thursday ...

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves. Mohandas K. Gandhi

Will today bring time for you to get outside and enjoy? If just to look out the window, open the door, sit on the porch, hope you can make time to take it all in.

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day here at Oakville Farm. Low humidity, slight breeze, light cloud cover, just a perfect day. Meteorolgists are saying that by Monday of next week, "Summer" will appear. Yes, it is supposed to reach 90 + degrees for four days. OH MY .... Check us out at www.weatherlink.com/user/oakvillefarm/ for up to the minute weather here at the Farm.

What daylilies are your favorites(s)? Today, right now, well I do not have a favorite. So hard to choose. Yellow? Pink? Red? Low growing? Thick foliage? Just so much beauty when it comes to daylilies.

What about the daylily Happy Returns? This short light yellow daylily is an extra early bloomer, blooming currently. It grows about 2' tall, with a bloom of 3". It is currently on "Special" for $4.00 per double fan. Pick one up today, why don't you?

Our Farm officially Opens on May 27. Our address is 1122 Wise Five Forks Rd, Macon, NC, and website is www. oakvillefarm.com. Come on by for a personal visit ... walk among the daylilies, check out the goats, say Hello. Would love to meet with you and talk about daylilies. Or visit us on the web to view our daylilies.

Hope everyone has a good day. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Mid week....

Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else? ~Betsy Cañas Garmon

Ever walk among the flowers in the morning with a cup in hand? Maybe it is full of orange juice, tea or coffee? Hope it is a pleasant time, whichever favorite you choose. :)



Daylilies here at Oakville Farm are certainly a sight to behold this year. The spring has brought much rain, at the appropriate time, and plants are displaying their effects. The Stella de Oro is blooming. The plants are very full of scapes. The golden yellow color from these will be gorgeous for weeks to come. Also noticed many other scapes shooting up. Blooms are not far behind. Wooo-Hooo!






Want to showcase the daylily Parade of Peacocks. This daylily presents about 3 feet tall with a large bloom. It is a spider. Spider meaning that the petal length is approximately 4 times the width, ie 4:1 ratio. Parade of Peacocks is a rose peach with a darker eyezone and cream throat. It blooms in midlate season, around the second/third week of July here in Zone 7. This daylily is currently on special for $5.00 per double fan. A must have for uniqueness in your garden.


Hope everyone has a good day. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Hello

If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever. - Lord Alfred Tennyson

Monday, yes, Monday already. This day brings thoughts of your work week and maybe you can sneak in the thought of your yard/garden. I do believe that taking time to look at the greenery of one's yard, or caring for plants in your house/on your patio, those things are the extra little enjoyment we have. Have you ever planted a tomato plant in a barrel/large pot on your patio or porch? That is just ideal. A fresh picked tomato for a snack, for lunch ... oh my!

Daylilies make a great perennial for yards. The drought tolerance, vigorous growth, ease of care, make them a great plant.

We want to showcase the daylily Fairy Tale Pink. The daylily scape with the bloom atop stands about 2 feet tall. And bloom size is large, about 5 1/2 inches. It is a rebloomer. Fairy Tale Pink is pink in color with a green throat. We offer this great daylily for $2.00 per double fan. Check us out at www.oakvillefarm.com. There are more than 20 daylilies that have been discounted.

Hope you have a good day and until next time, Happy Gardening.

Sunday

One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides. ~W.E. Johns

The garden is wonderful place for "AAAAAAHHHHHHH...". Just yesterday, late yesterday afternoon, the wind shifted, became gusty, skies darkened, and the rains fell. We had almost a half an inch of rain in a short time. And this morning I noticed, that there are no puddles out there. It soaked in. What at wonderful sight. We had just begun to water the grapevines/newly planted fig bushes. Things were drying out! Skies are overcast this morning. I believe the forecast is for more showers today.

Now the goats on the other hand were not so happy. Two of the young bucklings had gotten caught out in the rain. They were soaking wet and muddy. My thought is that they were hiding in the rock piles and maybe, did not hide so well! Mother doe had them in her sights after the rain, hopefully to take them to higher ground!

Here is one of the rock piles that the goats like to play in, on and around. There are four piles of rocks like these. The kids like to jump off one pile, run toward another, run in and out of another. Well, hope you get the picture.






And here is one of the bucklings. There are currently three sets of twin bucklings.




While on the web, check us out at www.oakvillefarm.com for a good daylily selection.

Hope you have a good day. Take time to spend a bit of it outside. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Hello

Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

And I like to believe that the saying says ... love, beauty, trust, pleasure, surprise ... all that and more are fostered in the garden. I also know that it means ... grass, horse nettle, weeds, death ... appear there. That is what makes life. The ups and downs, the good and bad, the unwanted and planned. Life is good. Make it a good day (as my brother says!)

Daylilies, now there ya go. Ever have any daylilies that died in your yard or garden? Without your assisting them to die? We have not. Here at Oakville Farm, www.oakvillefarm.com, daylilies, well it seems like you can see them and hear them growing on a daily basis. Daylilies like 6-8 hours of sunshine. They like 1" of rain/water per week. Daylilies will grow in most any soil type. They are just a great perennial. And the blooms come in such vibrant beautiful colors.

We want to showcase the daylily, Mosel. Mosel daylily is low growing, about 18" tall and presents a 3" bloom. It is a rebloomer. Mosel is near white in color with green throat. Would accent any other color daylily or flower in your yard. Give it a try at $6.00 per double fan.

All for this time. Hope you get to spend time outside or if not, look out the window and enjoy Nautre. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Hello

I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau

Yes, Nature has a hold on us. The fierceness or the beauty of Nature is all around.

Want to send a Thank you to Carolyn and Sheila for their visit to the Farm. Come again .....

And to our internet friends. Thank you, your orders were shipped yesterday.

May 9 ...

"The nature of This Flower is to bloom."
- Alice Walker

The fifth month of the year. Time does pass by so quickly! And flowers are continuing to bloom. What has been blooming in your yard? Forsythia, daffodils, crocus, iris, tulips, roses, carolina jasmine, flowering almond, peonies .... just to name a few! All showed their strength and beauty. The dotting of color throughout the yard seems so magical. Each morning, a glimpse out the window or a walk thru the yard/garden reveals another AWWWWW of nature. Hope you will find time to enjoy .....

Want to showcase the daylily, Karen Sue. The scape which has the bloom, stands about 2 feet tall and the bloom is large, over 5". It is a dormant plant and blooms mid season. It is a rose cream bicolor. Bicolor refers to the sepals (outer segments) being a lighter tint of the same color of the petals (inner segments) which are a darker tint of same color. It makes for an attractive bloom. Our Karen Sue daylily sells for $6.00 per double fan. Check us out at www.oakvillefarm.com for this and other daylilies. Daylilies make a great perennial growing with minimal care.

Hope you have a good day and until next time, Happy Gardening.

Happy Mother's Day

No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden. ~Hugh Johnson

And that says it ... gardening is a such a palette of newness, surprise, joy, freshness. It also presents confusion, disappointment. A surprise around every corner .... all the colors, smells, feels. Yes, gardening is
"a new gift, everyday".


Want to say "Happy Mother's Day" to all the Moms in the world. This special day is celebrated in the USA on the second Sunday in May to honor Mums, Mom, Ma, Momma, Mammy, Mama'. Hope everyone has a good day, shared with family and friends.

We have had about 2 tenths of an inch of rain since midnight. A light shower, cool temperature, no breeze. Good day for the daylilies. Good day for an umbrella for those of us, "nondaylilies".


Want to showcase the daylily, Siloam Art Moore. This daylily presents on a short scape
with a small bloom: 18" tall, 3" bloom diameter. Is dormant (dies back in the winter in our area), and blooms during midseason. Siloam Art Moore is a light peach pink with a burgandy eyezone. Very showy, with its short self. :) It is on sale for $4.00 per double fan here at Oakville Farm, www.oakvillefarm.com. Check out the "Specials" Section on the righthand side of the Online Store page of our website.

Ever wonder about the naming of daylilies? That was a curiosity to me. I have asked many folks and read online. Was told by another daylily grower, that "Siloam" daylilies were hybridized and registered by Pauline Henry. She began hybridizing in 1963 and had over 400 registered daylilies with the American Hemerocallis Society, each beginning with the title "Siloam". She has passed away and her legacy is living on, as many new cultivars are using Siloam daylilies as a parent partner.

Again, hope everyone has a good day. Until next time, Happy Gardening.

Thank you ...

The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind. ~Khalil Gibran

Teacher Appreciation Week .... Want to send a big Thank You to all teachers of the world. You inspired us to be better and to be the BEST that we can be. From pre-kindergarten thru post graduate studies, Thanks!
(PS ,any of us had spring fever?) Oh YEA!



I cultivate my garden, and my garden cultivates me. ~Robert Brault

What about the flower gardens out there? Hope "green" is showing in your area. I was looking up Climate Zones. Here is a map that we refer to: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

We live in Zone 7 and are past the last average date for frost for this growing season. Now is a good time to divide daylilies. Daylilies should be divided every three-five years. Division will promote better scape growth. It suggested that daylilies be divided in the fall, however, daylilies can also be divided in early spring. Check out this National Arboretum web page: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/DaylilyDivided.html

Hope you have a good day. Be sure to get outdoors, smell the roses, touch the soil, and see the blossoms. Until next time, Happy Gardening. :)