Yesterday, September 22nd, was the Fall Equinox—the first day of astronomical fall. For meteorologists, the first day of fall is the first of September. On this day, the days and nights are equal in length, like they are on the Spring Equinox in March. From here on out, the nights will be longer than the … Read more
QUICK ANSWER – NOT!! Here we are in the middle of October. The air has cooled down. Leaves are changing color and falling. It’s a beautiful sight! I love fall. When it comes to pruning, we need to control our eagerness with our pruners and loppers. There is something about fall that gets people to … Read more
FALL IS IN THE AIR WITH SHORTER DAYLIGHT HOURS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES Thank goodness for Tropical Storm Ian bringing us some much-needed rainfall. Up until Ian, September was very dry for us. As a matter of fact, as of September 28th, we have only had less than an inch of rain for the entire month … Read more
Daffodils, Jonquils, in England “Lent Lilies”—whatever you call them, they’re still the quintessential flower of spring to many people. Daffodils are members of the Amaryllidaceae—the amaryllis family. Relatives include agapanthus (Lily-of-the-Nile), hymenocallis (Peruvian daffodils), sternbergia (Lily-of-the-Field), alliums (onion family, including onions, garlic, chives, and ornamental onions), lycoris (Naked Ladies, Spider Lilies, Surprise Lilies), and hippeastrum … Read more
This coming Thursday, September 22nd, is the Autumnal Equinox. The Autumnal Equinox occurs when the sun is directly aligned with the equator. On this day, days and nights are of equal length. From now until the Winter Solstice on December 21st, the dark hours will be longer than hours of daylight. Right now, our day … Read more
Do you have a hot, dry, very sunny spot in your landscape that you can’t seem to find any plant to live in? If you do, then I think you should consider planting some sedums—especially AUTUMN FIRE. Basically, all sedums could be looked at as being succulent. They need lots of sunlight and excellent draining … Read more
I’ve already gotten my first bulb shipment in the store. Customers have been digging through them and asking when they can get them in the ground. So here is a very general guide on the correct time to plant most of the bulbs you’ll find offered in autumn. Bearded iris rhizomes and fall-blooming bulbs will … Read more
It’s hard to believe the Fall Equinox is a little more than two weeks away on Thursday, September 22nd. Where has summer gone? Notice it’s getting dark earlier every night? On July 5th, just two months ago, sunrise was at 5:54 a.m., and sunset was at 8:35 p.m. Now sunrise is at 6:43 a.m. and … Read more
THE PLANT INDUSTRY LOOKS AT THE ENTIRE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER AS THE BEGINNING OF FALL We like to look at the fall planting season starting on the first of September and going through the end of November. Like the astronomical definition, our fall planting season begins with the autumnal equinox. Equinoxes are the result of … Read more
Lycoris for Perennial Fall Color Lycoris are strong perennials that send up lush foliage in the spring, which then dies down, and they bloom in late summer without foliage—hence the nicknames Surprise Lilies, Magic Lilies, or Naked Ladies. Because they bloom late summer/early fall at the beginning of hurricane season, they are sometimes called Hurricane … Read more
