Its ice everywhere.....but at least its February so its almost over. I will say its a pretty site but I still prefer the green color over the white! I look outside and imagine pictures like this...
The plants continue to grow nicely in the greenhouses and while standing in there you almost can forget what's going on outside. Call it an escape from reality. The marsh marigolds are starting to bloom alot and I must say they are really nice plants this year.
The snow storm isn't over yet so we are all in a holding pattern....waiting on the next blast to come through. Whether it will be ice or snow remains yet to be determined. So I will continue to think of all the plants growing and start to update our store to share the plants with you that we will be offering this year.
Well the holidays are over, the tree is down and all the holiday christmas decorations are put away. I could probably leave my christmas tree up for months as I always miss it once its put away. Its hard to imagine the room is exactly like it was a month ago because it looks so bare now. With that behind I start thinking that in just a few months it will be spring again. My how time flies. The plants are all beginning to grow nicely in the greenhouses and within a couple months will be ready to plant.
No sooner said then the snow began...let's hope February is a quick month and we can all get started on our spring projects and planning our gardens. Actually January is a good month to start ordering some plants for your gardens, at least I'm getting alot of plant magazines in the mail. So its getting me in the mood.
I'm not certain of the identity of this butterfly. I thought perhaps it was a male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. I'm really not certain, although it sure liked my dwarf crab-apple tree. It came back day after day.....I'm thinking it was the same one.
I know we don't want to think about it but it won't be long and fall will be here and we all know what comes next.....its time for us to be thinking about taking the extra care with our pond plants to make them comfortable for the winter cold. I've noticed the butterflies aren't as plentiful as they had been but occassionally I'm able to catch one.
HARDY BOG/MARGINAL PLANTS
Once your hardy marginal plants begin to brown, usually after the first hard frost, prune back excess foliage and discard any decaying material, so it does not compromise the water quality over the winter months. Potted bog plants such as Pickeral, Thalia Dealbata, and Japanese Variegated Iris should be placed at a sufficient depth to avoid freezing the crown of the plant. Most of the other hardy bog plants can be left as they are and will return the following spring.
Tropical Bog Plants
Many of the tropical bog plants will winter well indoors in a sunny window or with a grow light. They do not need to be submerged in water. Keep the soil constantly moist by placing the potted plants in a tray of water.
Here we go again. I call it the Spring Tease. Just when plants are beginning to sprout and the warm weather hits....big time....it teases us with a mention of snow! The cold front here in Ohio and across the north has moved in for a few days. If you have already put plants out in your ponds, be sure and bring them in or protect them.
I was going to clean my pond last week, but with taking care of our customers and being busy taking your orders and sending orders I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I did see that I had some marsh marigolds blooming and bog bean. It gets me anxious, wanting to put more plants out. Good thing I held back. I'll just leave them be in the nursery where they are nice and warm. Besides, I really need to clean my pond at home since I neglected to do that last year. It's pretty bad. I think I need the Microbe-Lift Sludge Away. I have alot of build up of sludge on the bottom of my pond. Maybe then I'll only need to change out half the water this year. I did start putting the Microbe-Lift Spring and Summer in a couple weeks back and the water is crystal clear, but now you can really see the goop at the bottom. For those that haven't tried the Microbe-Lift Sludge Away it works great at speeding up the removal of sludge & muck naturally.
It is especially helpful for ponds that have a rock or gravel bottom, where vacuuming is impractical. Microbe-Lift SA/Sludge Away is formulated specifically for the removal of organic bottom solids that are slow to degrade but works faster at warm water temperatures, however, Microbe-Lift SA/Sludge Away may be used effectively at any temperature year-round.
I've been wanting to write something on this subject for some time now. Finally, I have a bit of time to address the subject of water depth for bog plants and marginal plants. Simply put, bog plants like their "feet" wet. Translation....roots and soil moist at all times. When the plants are first planted, this is especially important. Many of the bog plants will take deeper water as they mature and spread. But, when you first receive your bog plants, you will have better success if you place them where there is no more than a half inch or less of water above the soil line. Think of the marshes and swampy areas, you have passed while traveling down the road. These natural reservoirs, fill during the rainy season and will dry out during dry spells. The plants adjust to the varying water depth and grow and spread rapidly. If you have a question on a particular plant, just ask and we will be happy to help you plant and grow beautiful marginal and bog plants.
Marsh marigolds are one of the first bog plants that will appear in your pond in the spring. Little yellow flowers with dark green leaves. Here is a picture of how you can plant them around your pond right in the rocks around your pond, bog area, along edges of your waterfall or in a moist to wet boggy area. When you first receive the plant it will come in a 2" net pot. Take it carefully out of the net pot and plant directly into a rock area in your pond pushing the roots gently in the rocks to stablize. The marsh marigold only needs to have its roots moist but can tolerate water up to 2" above its pot.
If potted in a pot plant as you would a tropical lily directly in the center of the pot and not covering the crown of the plant.
Even though the marsh marigold will only flower in the early spring, it may bloom again in areas with cool summers. If in a warmer climate, the leaves will remain green throughout the season, except where summers are exceptionally hot, the leaves sometimes die back and will return in the fall when temperatures cool off. In cooler climates they tend to grow from spring through fall. Hardy to zone 4.
Spring is here and one of the first flowers to awaken in your pond is the Marsh Marigolds. With dark glossy green leaves, bright and cheerful deep yellow flowers, we get excited by the upcoming flourish of flowers in our ponds. Marsh marigolds only bloom in the spring but in some cooler climates they may have a re-bloom. If your summers get extremely hot the leaves may brown and die back but will come back again the following spring. Mine sometimes re-bloom in the fall but not always. It all depends how hot of a summer we get. Hardy in Zones 3 - 7. Its spread is about 10-18 inches and height around 12 inches. Plant in your pond no deeper than 6 inches. It grows well in moist to wet, boggy conditions along the edges of ponds and streams. Great plant for a bog area or along your waterfall.
If you want to divide this plant it is best done before the flowers appear in the spring or when the plant has gone dormant in the late summer. Divide the root clumps simply by pulling apart and replanting. If you propagate by its seeds you need to do this early summer and they may not bloom until the second year.
Buy Marsh Marigolds,hardy bog plant here.
