tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35151212592345560932024-03-20T12:09:45.101-03:00WILLOW GARDEN MUSINGSThis will likely be a rather disorganized series of "musings",
which may get better as we move along.
The mundane "goings on" sometimes need to be addressed.Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-31238809199105982752017-12-05T15:11:00.002-04:002024-01-02T20:52:34.777-04:00Late Fall Treat 2017The best thing I can say about November-December, 2017 was receiving two nice loads of composted horse manure.
We do have most of the fall chores done before the onset of winter.
Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-12244975564503067282016-04-06T19:10:00.000-03:002016-04-06T22:22:35.162-03:00ARHS Seed Exchange Glimpses
To celebrate the many years we have been administering the Atlantic Rhododendron and Horticultural Society Seed Exchange, a little pictorial essay was produced.
This effort was sitting around as a draft here in "Blogville". I guess it is still relevant even after three years.
Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-56123721408466291872016-04-06T16:40:00.001-03:002016-04-08T15:18:50.356-03:00A Year Gone ByIt seems that blogging was not on the list of things to do in the last year. The most recent item was about a year ago in 2015. This spring seems to be trying to progress a bit better than last year, but this first week of April has been pretty wintry.
At least we were quite snow-free before the latest little blast.
Last week we were able see some real signs of spring.
The Witch Hazel has Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-11519156492787439172015-04-11T18:18:00.001-03:002024-01-02T21:05:18.540-04:00A bit of Spring OptimismSpring has had a hard time reaching us here in Nova Scotia. In spite of having serious winter not start until almost February, we have been deluged with storm after storm with little respite or mild intervals.
Everyone in the province is very tired of shovelling and ice chipping.
The great accumulation of snow and cool temperatures has seriously delayed even the Maple Syrup production in most Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-74758334501817734302015-01-02T08:46:00.000-04:002015-01-02T08:46:17.767-04:00Our 2014 year has come to an end without a very regular assortment of blog posts.
Last year was somewhat exceptional with a few health issues between Bill and I. These do seem resolved. Our hopes for 2015 is that we proceed in a "normal" manner.
My thoughts ran to the variety of changes that occur over a year....both inside and out. Thus the following pictorial.
Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-23843097349638514052014-11-03T10:08:00.001-04:002014-11-03T10:08:18.483-04:00Mostly Leaves 2014
Nearing the end of another gardening season with a severe lack of blog posts.
Our summer and fall has had a number of off putting events. Hopefully winter will be blissfully dull and ordinary.Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-45649411747109885212014-04-24T14:02:00.000-03:002014-04-24T14:02:35.981-03:00Dismembering Dorothy and Other PursuitsLest anyone think our title a bit macabre, we are referring to the radical pruning of our rambler rose 'Dorothy Perkins', She is a very vigorous rose which blooms profusely towards the end of July.
Some years there will be substantial winter damage resulting in the need for severe cutback. This task is not the most inspiring of garden jobs, but gets done with quite a lot of prickles and Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-46195926735889798882014-04-20T08:58:00.001-03:002014-04-20T08:58:56.980-03:00Spring seems to be hereSpring was very tardy this year. Ignoring the calendar seemed the best approach. This last week we were blessed with a Nova Scotia version of a Chinook. Three days of strong, warm, southerly winds coupled with some rain succeeded in removing most of our miserable remnants of snow. Both daytime and nighttime temperatures were well above the norm.
As in usual springs, the minute the snow recedes Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-6260491180522930912014-03-29T15:17:00.001-03:002024-03-20T10:49:24.545-03:00We've Been PublishedIn June we agreed to have a photographer come from to take photos for an article to be written by Nova Scotia author Niki Jabbour. Those photos were taken ~ June 15th, so our rhododendron and azalea season was in full swing. The article was published, but since that time the magazine has ceased to exist.
Niki contacted us about details for the article and after a couple of Skype sessionsSharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-59226368042095726602014-03-29T12:28:00.000-03:002014-03-29T13:06:37.312-03:00March 2014 Has Very Little Resemblance to SpringWinter here in Nova Scotia has seemed a bit interminable, but I suspect it really isn't much different than many years. We are always impatient for winter to end.
We did have a few tiny snowdrops poking through, but they have been buried in new snow.
We were blessed with one of the most potent storms of the year this past week, but subsequent to that the nearly foot of new snow has melted awaySharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-8829969217432320782014-01-13T11:51:00.000-04:002014-02-11T13:44:02.792-04:00Gearing up for the 2014 ARHS Seed ExchangeIt has been awhile since we have had a new Blog entry, so perhaps we can start 2014 with some information related to the upcoming ARHS Seed Exchange.
Preparing the Exchange information takes a part of winter's boredom away.
Some months ago I prepared a little over view into the activities associated with the Seed Exchange. The PDF version is available, called "Glimpses Into Your Seed Exchange".
Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-32865546597046673642013-08-12T20:35:00.000-03:002013-08-12T20:35:42.187-03:00Garlic Harvest, a week laterAfter one week the harvested garlic was ready for a trim. I cut the tops off to about 8 inches on all except the European porcelain.
These were not quite as ripe and the tops were still quite green compared to the others.
I kept a few of the bulbil tops just in case.
These are the teeny tiny ones from the Porcelain type.
Since there were a few head that were a bit loose and when that Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-36338519665868698802013-08-07T13:20:00.000-03:002013-08-07T13:20:32.862-03:00Garlic Harvest 2013The first week of August seems to be the time garlic gets harvested. The date doesn't vary much from one year to the other. Monday of this week was the day. The garlic seemed to do a bit better than some years. Trying to figure out what made the difference may be difficult. My opinion is the application of eel-grass as a mulch in the fall. It was the first time we had access to that marvelous Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-378580592689581482013-08-01T17:06:00.000-03:002013-08-01T17:06:00.391-03:00Summer is zooming byAugust 1st has arrived and that means we are getting dangerously close to summer's end.
Day lily season is in progress and we have been enjoying our own selections plus those of a couple of other day lily aficionados.
Here is a link to some of our day lily varieties
Last Saturday we had a pleasant visit to Truro to visit Pheasant Gardens. Cecil and Lillian Dunlap have a Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-4518568160101070602013-04-26T00:54:00.000-03:002013-04-26T00:54:26.857-03:00Spring Evening April 25We had a lovely working day with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. A bit more spring clean-up was accomplished and even a few items potted up for our upcoming Plant Sale (May 18th and 19th). Grace and I had a little walk around the front yard to admire the Glory of the Snow and other things.
I subsequently stumbled upon the Movie Maker in Windows Live and had a little play with today's Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-64362280964039156982013-04-08T17:15:00.002-03:002023-06-22T09:30:46.971-03:00Begonia grandis AdventuresBegonia grandis is one of our favorite plants. It is , in some ways, similar to other tuberous begonias, but has some distinctions. the tubers are very dense and never get quite as large as regular begonias. They need to be planted significantly deeper than typical begonias and are also much hardier. In a zone 6b-7 climate, they could likely be left in the ground over the winter. Even here we Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com1Antigonish County,Nova Scotia, Canada45.614037411350928 -62.094726562542.753491911350928 -67.2583005625 48.474582911350929 -56.9311525625tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-44331544257306267952013-03-14T19:35:00.001-03:002013-03-14T19:35:30.507-03:00March has a hint of springWe go through each winter with the countdown to spring being a frequent musing.
The last few days saw lots of snow disappear and made the possibility of a reasonably easy walk possible.
This seemed to be the day for other spring pursuits, as I finally started some seeds. We were given some Blue Poppies and Delphiniums last week at the ARHS meeting, so felt compelled to start them. There Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-59246448067596164052012-11-16T11:09:00.000-04:002012-11-16T11:09:23.557-04:00November is ProceedingNovember is not renowned as the favorite month of the year, but this year we are having quite an enjoyable month so far.
It seems we have the usual annual chores that need to be done.
Bill embarked on a gutter clean out a few days ago. The biggest virtue being that it was a nice warm day (Bill will wear his toque regardless!).
The potato pit has had its insulating blanket of leaves added and Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-74302182384365952802012-11-13T16:27:00.000-04:002012-11-13T16:27:51.020-04:00Ditching the OrphansWe have been blessed with two days of wonderfully warm weather for mid November. This seemed like the best opportunity to stow all the miscellaneous potted plants in our dry storage ditch. It is one of the last fall jobs that needs to be done. It is not an especially photogenic story, but such is life! Our soil lends itself to creating such an area, since it is sandy and nowhere will get Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-6308078477830413542012-10-16T16:52:00.002-03:002012-10-18T17:00:10.943-03:00Halfway Through OctoberIt is now about mid-October and we have had very little cool weather to let us know winter is coming. Even the development of fall color seems a bit slow. The days are definitely getting shorter. Perhaps hibernation isn't far off.
Most of our veggies are harvested. We had quite a nice group of squash, both Buttercup and Butternut. They are currently the favoured vegetable. We prefer the ButtercupSharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-89296915138122301912012-07-23T16:06:00.001-03:002012-07-24T08:45:02.795-03:00Summer HiatusIt would seem that summer is half gone and we have neglected to do much blogging. Rhododendron season has pretty much come and gone, with only a few blooms left on the late blooming azaleas and R. maximum.
We went through a reasonably painless transition to a new computer last week. Some new things need a bit of practice or just need to find a slightly different approach to old things. One of theSharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-22127960972216581932012-06-10T08:44:00.000-03:002012-06-10T08:44:17.421-03:00Adventures with Cecropia
Friday morning(June8 th) presented us with a very interesting
surprise. Several weeks ago while digging plum trees Bill came across a
chrysalis on one branch. He cut it off and stuck it in a pot of soil on the end
of our outdoor potting table. En route to pick up tools in the shed, I noticed
a movement out of the corner of my eye. Lo and behold the chrysalis had a full
fledged moth Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-70147114815641354752012-05-25T16:39:00.004-03:002012-05-25T16:39:44.639-03:00Spring UpdateBlogging has been pretty much neglected as this spring has barrelled along very speedily.
We had our usual business getting some plants off to Halifax for the ARHS Member Sale plus the quite large task of hosting our sale here at home on May19-20th. That event went well. The entire weekend cooperated with lovely weather.
Here is the view of some set up....Magnolia sieboldii potted up.
Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-60311512129306019932012-03-24T13:40:00.001-03:002012-03-24T13:40:52.988-03:00Back to RealityWe really did enjoy those few days with temperatures in the mid-twenties, but now we are back to the real spring. Well below freezing last night and a cold wind blowing today. The sun seems like a moot point.
We did a few outdoor things in the last few days.
Bill started his annual rake up the sticks campaign. It is truly amazing how many branches from birch trees can be deposited here and there.Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515121259234556093.post-49871379835223714352012-03-21T16:32:00.001-03:002012-03-21T16:32:39.053-03:00Spring 2012, DAY2We are enjoying these few days of beautiful warm weather, even though the long range forecast is for below average temperatures for most of the next two weeks.
The first crocus made their appearance today. They are a little group of C. tricolor that are in the bed just beside the house.
This group of snowdrops have popped up in the middle of the lawn.
All this warmth stimulated me to do a Sharon Bryson / Bill Wilgenhofhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387676083874602085noreply@blogger.com0