Of winter's lifeless world each tree
Now seems a perfect part;
Yet each one holds summer's secret
Deep down within its heart.
~Charles G. Stater

While standing in a forest area yesterday, I was in Awww of the Pine Tree. Weather was drizzly and tree bark on the east side was dark from rain. Tiny branches protruding up along the tree were of varying length. The thick, scaly bark was off in places leaving a smoother surface. This years pine straw, a light cooper color, lay lightly on the ground below the towering trees. The trees were standing close to one another, with some having rotted, leaning. And at the very top, tufts of green pine needles growing so ever strong.

A beautiful sight, those pine trees.

Let's look at more quotes/posters. Thanks to everyone for sending them in. Hope you have a good day and until next time, Happy Gardening.

Bare branches of each tree on this chilly January morn look so cold so forlorn.
Gray skies dip ever so low, left from yesterday's dusting of snow.
Yet in the heart of each tree, waiting for each who wait to see new life as warm sun and breeze will blow, like magic, unlock springs sap to flow, buds, new leaves, then blooms will grow.
- Nelda Hartmann

I can feel the spring thaw ....

We have not had snow this winter. Temps have been mild and precipitation has been low. Plants have even been fooled by the warmer temps. Our Flowering Quince is even blooming. Oh my!

Want to differ from daylilies this weekend. Today will share a few more posters that I received this week thru email. Please keep sending the posters!

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

O, wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
~Percy Bysshe Shelley



It has been windy here this week. And now, rains are headed our way. Possibly for the next four days. Oh Wow!!!

Received email yesterday, someone asking about the Foliage habits of daylilies. There are three ....


Evergreen


Semi-evergreen


Dormant

Morning is the best of all times in the garden. The sun is not yet hot. Sweet vapors rise from the earth. Night dew clings to the soil and makes plants glisten. Birds call to one another. Bees are already at work. ~William Longgood

Can't you just hear and see and smell that morning?

Today, would like to showcase a few of our Orange daylilies. Hope you enjoy.

Frans Hals

This is a bright rust and orange bicolor daylily. It has orange midrib on petals. Frans Hals is a mid to late season bloomer. It is very showy in the blazing summer sun.


Bright Sunset

This daylily is a burnt orange with a deeper halo and a green yellow throat. It is an early season bloomer. Standing three feet tall and having a bloom over six inches in width.



Tuscawilla Tigress

This bright orange daylily has a dark eyezone and chartreuse throat. Standing about two feet tall and displaying a large bloom ie, over seven inches. A great rebloomer that begins blooming in early mid season.


Sound and Fury

The daylily is a brilliant orange red and has a green gold throat. Standing about two feet tall and displaying a bloom of over five inches, it is a mid season bloomer. Looks very good paired with a yellow daylily.

Daylilies just no introduction .... just reminders that they are a great perennial to have in your yard. They smell good, look nice and attract the sound of buzzing bees. Hope you will try in a few. And until next time, Happy Gardening.

The earth laughs in flowers. ~ R.W. Emerson

You know, that statement is so true. I can look out upon a field of flowers and it certainly brings a smile to my face, how 'bout you?

For after all, the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. Henry Wadsworth

Today, oh yes, today, we are supposed to have rain. And we need rain. The plants, the trees, the shrubs, the grass ... all need rain. A winter rain can be welcome. And today, it is forecast. Plus, a cold front is blowing in, with steady winds and possible 30+ wind gusts. Guess we better hold on to our hats!!!!

Want to showcase a few RED daylilies from Oakville Farm. And as with other cultivar "colors", red includes, burgundy, cerise, crimson, deep red, bright red. Red in the garden is such, such a beautiful sight. It seems to compliment other colors so well.

Miracle Maid

This daylily presents bright red with a green throat. It stands about three feet tall with a six inch bloom. Blooming in mid season, it is a real stand out under the hot summer sun.


Royal Heiress

This daylily presents evergreen foliage with burgundybloom with creamy eyezone and green throat. Standing about two feet tall and displaying a six inch bloom, it is a nice treat to see blooming in early mid season. It is a rebloomer, showing many times over its beauty.

Bama Bound

This daylily presents about two feet tall with a five inch bright red bloom. It is a mid season bloomer.


Daylilies perform well in six - eight hours of sunlight per day. With the darker red, near black colors, daylilies can be planted under a light canopy, still receiving direct sun, just fewer hours. The diffused light prevents the darker blooms from fading. Here at Oakville Farm, being in Zone 7 climate zone, we have the daylilies planted in direct sun and they do well.

Well, hope you enjoy your day and until next time, Happy Gardening.

Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart. ~ Victor Hugo

Brrrrrr ... cold here at Oakville Farm. 18 degrees. A heavy frost out there, I do see!!! And quite cold for this time of year, average is a tolerable 31 degrees. You can check out our weather at any time by visiting our personal weather station on the web, OFW.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. And today maybe an extended "weekend" for some. Have a safe and relaxing MLK Day to those who have a holiday.

Today, would like to return to the showcasing of daylilies that we have to offer. Today will share a few Purple daylilies, including several variants of purple.

Quin Buck

This lavender daylily has a green throat. It is dormant, ie, foliage dying back in the winter. It blooms in mid season. Stands about two feet tall and presents a bloom width about seven inches. A nice lower growing specimen that would look good in the foreground of a flowerbed.

Sebastian

A vivid purple daylily with a lime throat. Standing about twenty inches tall and "spreading its wings" about five inches. Foliage is evergreen. It is a rebloomer which begins blooming in early mid season. It is very showy and has been a good seller.

Siloam Tee Tiny

This daylily presents orchid with a purple eyezone and green throat. It stands about twenty inches tall and has a small bloom, less than three inches in width. Foliage is dormant. And you can find it blooming in the mid season.

Moonlight Orchid

The blue lavender and white, brushed lavender bicolor daylily is a real "beaut". It is a rebloomer which begins blooming in early mid season. It stands about thirty inches tall and bloom width is over six inches. A very pretty daylily.


Hope you enjoyed just a peek of our purple daylilies. Be thinking of how they could be incorporated into your flowerbed. Daylilies are an easy perennial to have.

Have a good day and until next time, Happy Gardening.

Nature always tends to act in the simplest way.
~Bernoulli


Thanks..everyone. Thanks for all the great quotes and sayings. We will be seeing and reading those here on Oakville Farm blog. Please feel free to keep sending 'em!

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

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

And patience we do have in the winter months.

We are going off the "nature, gardening" theme. Today I would like to share several sayings/posters that were sent to me thru email. A hodge podge of thoughts, if you will. (Winnie the Pooh is one of my favs!!!)

Hope you have a great day. Spend a moment outdoors, taking in the sights and sounds of Mother Nature. And until next time, Happy Gardening.

A gardener loves the rain; also, for the resting time it brings. ~Author Unknown

And winter rains are so welcome. The daylilies absorb all the delightful rains. Snow can also be a pleasant water source for the daylilies. Did you hear? A place in Alaska has received 18 feet of snow. Eighteen feet of snow and could receive 1-2 more feet of snow in the next few days! Now, that is alot of snow. However .... no resting time for those gardeners!

Today, would like to showcase a few white daylily cultivars.

Joan Senior

This near white daylily has a green throat. It is an early mid season rebloomer. Stands about two feet tall and has a bloom width of about six inches.

Ice Carnival

Also a nice near white reblooming dayily. It is a mid season bloomer that is fragrant. Our customers have stated that this daylily is very fragrant. The weather conditions and time of day influence the light fragrance. We find that more and stronger sun and an adequate amount of rain enhances the smell.



Mosel

Mosel presents a small bloom, about three inches in width. It is near white with green throat. A rebloomer that begins blooming early in the season. It stands a mere eighteen inches tall. Nice daylily to be used as a foreground plant.

White in a garden is so pretty. It enhances other colors, is bold, striking, yet brings a certain bit of calmness. So think about white when it comes to your outdoor area.

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

"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour."
- John Boswell

Yes, hope you enjoy many moments today!

Today we will showcase a few pink daylily cultivars.

Pink Super Spider

This daylily is termed as having an "unusual form". Meaning that the sepals or petals have a varied form, ie a "V" formation or shape, between the segments. It is a rose and pink blend daylily. It is a midseason bloomer which reblooms. It rises about three feet above the ground and its bloom size is near ten inches across. The green eyezone and throat present a good contrast.


Siloam Double Classic

The bright pink daylily with a green throat is a beautiful bloom. Stands about two feet tall and is near five inches in width. It blooms in mid season and is a double.

Siloam Art Moore

This peach pink dayily with a dark eyezone and green throat is quite showy. A small bloom, less than three inches wide, stands at the end of the eighteen inch scape. Makes for a nice foreground plant. It blooms mid season.



Bug's Hug

This hot pink dayily with dark eyezone and olive throat present a pretty specimen. It stands about two feet tall with a three inch bloom. This rebloomer begins its cycle in early mid season.



While at an office yesterday, was talking about daylilies and something came to mind. I was asked about the color of daylilies. So with over 65,000 cultivars, the variety of color hues is immense. "Pink" for example, there are light pink, peach, raspberry, hot pink, pale pink, rose, apricot, and on and on. All of the daylilies, in the wide range of colors, accent each other and other flowers/shrubs/trees/yard art in such a wonderful way. A magical way, if you will. So make that magic happen! Our website should up and running by month's end, www.oakvillefarm.com check back often.

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

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
~Albert Camus

And how can we prepare for that approaching summer? As someone said on Saturday, we must first enjoy each moment. Think of where you are, what you are doing, who you like to spend time with....savor the moment.

Then, look out the window and visualize your garden/yard in the months to come. Think of where a new daylily flower bed would flourish. I received an email last week, asking to provide more culitvars, specific by color. So I will oblige.

Today's daylily cultivars will showcase a few yellow daylilies that we have to offer.

Double Reward
This daylily is a pale yellow self. It is a double midseason bloomer. It stands about three feet tall. The scape and blooms rise well above the foliage. The foliage is deemed to be semi-evergreen, meaning the foliage is neither dormant or evergreen. Originally, semi-evergreen was used to describe foliage that never completely died and kept some green in the winter.

Cabbage Flower
This daylily presents pastel lemon yellow. It is also a rebloomer, one that begins blooming extra early in the season and will bloom several times. It is fragrant. It stands about seventeen inches tall and the bloom width is about five inches across.



El Desperado
This daylily is a mustard yellow with a wine purple eyezone. It has slightly ruffled edges marked with the purple. El Desperado is Late blooming daylily. It's foliage is dormant, dying back in the winter. It stands about two and half feet tall and the bloom width is near five inches.


Happy Returns
A beautiful light yellow self daylily. It blooms extra early in the season and foliage is dormant. It stands about eighteen inches tall and the bloom width is about three inches. A small, yet showy bloom. It is slightly fragrant.



Mary Todd
A yellow gold daylily. It is termed "buff", which is yellowish beige. We have found that it is a striking yellowish gold color. It is an early blooming daylily which stands about two and half feet tall and has a bloom width of over six inches. It is just bright pretty daylily bloom.

Well, hope you enjoyed just a small sampling of our yellow daylily cultivars. Will showcase another color tomorrow. Hope to see you then and until next time, Happy Gardening.

"There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter. One is the January thaw. The other is the seed catalogues."
- Hal Borland

Yes, Seed Catalogues, YEAH! And what are your favorite ones? Here are a just a few .....

Johnny's Seed Catalog

Pinetree Garden Seeds

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Seed Savers Exchange

They present heirloom seeds, large quantity of seeds, lesser quantity and better price of seeds and good information about seeds. Good catalogues to peruse during this cold winter month. You can order a print catalog or view the online version.

And if you want Daylilies, well, we will be the website for you. Our site is presently down for maintenance, however will be up and running in the near future. Get your daylily list ready and check in with us.

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

Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them. --Vincent A. Simeone

Nature in the winter really is a beautiful sight. The shadows from the winter sun on the bare trees... The fresh fallen snow on the ground... The starkness of tree branches... all beautiful. And as I say so many times, hope you spend time outdoors each day, if only for a moment. It will give you a sense of appreciation for all around!

Although we are into this year of 2012 and past January 1.... want to ask ya, Do you make New Years Resolutions? Well, I do make resolutions, however don't seem to follow thru! I was sent this list of

"Garden Resolutions for 2012" and wanted to share. Maybe you (and I) can make an exception and find one or more garden "ideas" to enhance our year. Give it a try....

Take a Class: In the garden, learning never stops. Take a class on a garden subject that you have always wanted to learn. Your local Agricultural Extension Office, community college or senior center may be good places to look for a gardening class.

Go Organic: Learn to tolerate a few weeds and nibbled leaves. Be good to the environment and use organic means of controlling pests and problems. Start with natural lawn care. It can be the biggest water hog and chemical demanding part of the garden. Learn how and practice management of an environmentally friendly yard.

Take a Garden Tour: Visit gardens. Take opportunity when local gardeners open their private spaces. Take notes and pictures, it is one of the best learning opportunities to see what grows well in this area and enjoy the peak season of gardens.

Plant Vegetables: Imagine tomatoes fresh off the vine and leaf lettuces from the garden. This season, find a sunny spot and plant some vegetables to enjoy what the garden can give back to you. Hit the seed racks this spring for lots of variety.

Plant Natives: In garden designing, I see more and more homeowners looking to eliminate native areas…such a shame. Many natives are desirable plants that are beautiful in landscape design, either as a backdrop to more “cultured” plantings, mingled in mixed beds and borders or creating a “finished edge” to the beginning of natural woodlands. Take time to learn more about natives and plant them.

Keep a garden calendar or journal: It can be as simple as an ordinary calendar. Write down something every day about the garden, it can be regarding the weather, a new bird sighting, the day something bloomed and any tasks done. It will be a valuable tool for seasons to come.

Compost: Compost, Compost…every garden should have a compost bin!

Mulch more, Weed less: Put your garden on a good organic mulch diet, the reward will be healthy garden soil. Mulch at least 3 to 4 inches to control weeds too.

Teach a child the Wonders of Gardening: whether your own, a grandchild or volunteering at school, there is real joy in working with children in the garden. Seeing the simple act of planting through a child’s eyes will renew your viewpoint as well.

Visit the garden show: The perfect way to spend a day is at a local garden show. Or even, make it a weekend trip and travel across the state or visit a neighboring state and attend a garden show. Nurseries have tickets on sale now…steal ideas from the gardens, shop the amazing booths and make your garden beautiful.

Think Design: “The plain hard work that goes into an unplanned and non-descript garden might just as well go into a planned one.” (Summer 1953, George Avery Jr. the Brooklyn Botanic Garden)

Hope these thoughts/suggestions will "plant" an idea for you in this upcoming year. We will check back periodically and see how it is going....

Until next time, Happy Gardening.

The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination. ~Terri Guillemets

And we talked about daylily colors yesterday here at our Oakville Farm blog.

Color .... yes, color. What is your favorite color in the garden scheme? Can not say that I have a favorite color in the garden, in the yard or in Nature. I certainly tend toward the Fall colors ... orange, yellow, brown, red. Yet when it comes to colors of daylily blooms, each one has its place, each one has its own beauty.

Again, same daylily color, different cultivars ....


Red

Daylily Miracle Maid

Yellow

Daylily Roger Mercer

Orange

Daylily Tuscawilla Tigress

Pink

Daylily Martha Fawcett

White

Daylily Mosel

Hope you enjoyed seeing more daylily beauty.

Have a good day and until next time, Happy Gardening.

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

May 2012 bring you anew. A newness of yourself. A newness for Mother Nature. When thinking of outdoors, thinking of one's garden, and when thinking of plants, one should consider Daylilies....

Yes, daylilies are a great perennial for novice or amateur gardeners alike. Daylilies are the perfect plants for sharing with family and friends.

Daylilies come in a variety of colors ....

Red

Daylily Bama Bound

Yellow

Daylily Cabbage Flower

Orange

Daylily Frans Hal

Pink

Daylily Just for Fun

White

Daylily Joan Senior

Daylilies present in most any color, except pure white and pure blue. Color is such a pretty, important and integral part of one's garden. Let daylilies provide you with the correct color. Our website, Oakville Farm, is currently down for maintenance, however, we should be up and running in the near future. When back online you will find many daylily cultivars that will fit in your color scheme. So keep thinking about Color and we will see you shortly.

Until next time, Happy Gardening.