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We have had two, count them, two, hard frosts. Much of the garden is done, save a few stragglers such as a handful of cosmos and chrysanthemums, and bits and bobs. Still enough for a bouquet for mom and me, but the pickings are getting slim, but one learns to be artful.

Clean up is slowly starting. Slowly. Steve has gotten down the fencing for me which was a big help, and has started to chop the now brown flowers into bits so I can get them onto the compost pile and then I can get the netting put away. After that the the irrigation, the weed mat, then more compost and tilling getting the beds prepped for spring. It will all happen, in time. There is so much other things to do. Like planting bulbs!

This past week I have been busy planting bulbs. All the bulbs areas have been rototilled again. And, more rocks have been pulled out. So far, this week I have planted all the daffodills, about 300 of them. Then the long awaited peonies finally arrived and they were planted on Thursday or was it Friday before the rain came down down down. Heavens. I have extra space, so I have ordered more. Not much left to order. I was amazed about how many of the bulb selections were sold out. I did score four more peonies, 50 Dutch iris, and either six or twelve Eremurus. Then I am done ordering for spring. Promise.

Today, I spent this morning planting the 900 some, lets just call it 1000 tulips. They are safely planted in the vegetable garden and all I need to do left is spread compost on the top of the beds and hopefully they will be safely tucked in till spring.

So that is it for this past week. Next week is full, still have to clean out the little greenhouse so I can find last year’s ranunculus and anemones. They were totally sold out so if I want to have some for you in the spring I better get last year’s dug, cleaned and ready for planting in February. I am going to try it a little bit later this year and see what happens.

So until next week, let the rains continue because we still need about 9 inches to make up for the summer’s deficit, I will continue on in the gardens cleaning up and prepping for spring. Soon the catalogs will be rocking in and I will be drooling over this next springs offerings.

Allie

It has finally happened. We have had our killing frost. Bam. The end of the season. Clean up is now beginning.

But in the meantime, I have been very busy. The perennial and biannual beds have been roto-tilled, thank you to the tiller and Steve. Otherwise I would still be out there trying to dig one hole for something. Oh, we still had plenty of rocks to dig out believe you me, but the beds have gone from this

To this.

Looking good I think. The two unplanted beds are for the peonies that we are still waiting but ready for. The very back rows have been tilled a number of times, each pass excavating more rocks. Some needed the spud bar and the tractor to get them out and rolled down the hill. I certainly hope I don’t need to expand, which I won’t. I promise Courtney, because I have been dumping ALL the rocks beyond the big rock you see and that would just be an outrageous nightmare.

So this past week, besides digging up more rocks and oh, breaking the tiller tines because of rocks, then flooding the engine block with oil because silly us, we turned the tiller on it’s side to access the tines and filled the block with oil, soooo to make a long story short, we pulled the spark plug, shot oil all over the place and now we are running. So we can dig out more rocks. There is a reason why we are called Lottarock farm.

So what have I done this week you might ask. I have moved rocks, planted 25 allium, 150 fritillaria, 50 Ornithogalm, 100 Leucojum and 300 assorted narcissus. I still have to get 1000, choke, 1000 tulips planted but they are going into the vegetable garden in trenches so that should only take a day?

But wait! I have two rows of extra space! How did that happen? And nothing to put in them. Ohhh, what am I going to do? Wisely cover them with cardboard and wood chips and wait till next year? See what is on sale and fill the space? OHHHH this is not good. Allie with open garden space. Not good at all. I had wanted to get some Iris reticulata for spring….

Soon I will be perusing the seed catalogs. Oh dear.

Until next time. Allie

I know it has only been a week, and so much has happened. So you know that the peonies that I thought had arrived? Nope. We prepped the space, and then I opened the box. No peonies, silly me, read the paperwork, but they were bulbs. The good news is that we are ready for the peonies. The bad news, or the other news is that tomorrow I have 66 pounds of bulbs being delivered. Am I ready? NOPE. But through the generosity of gardening clients, I will be. Hopefully. I mean, 66 pounds of bulbs. Each bulb weighing approx .25 of a pound. No problem. We /Steve just has to till the said space and pixie and I will get planting. (Before the snow flies I hope).

But the garden waits for no one. Perennial beds have been tilled, composted and I have started to move all the plants that I have been holding in the vegetable garden into their real space, to make room for all the tulips that are starting to be delivered tomorrow. I believe it is called the gardening do-se-do.

Plants that are no longer doing much are being cut down and mulched, irrigation is being disconnected, I am spinning in circles…I can’t seem to get may fall clean up in focus. Goats can though.

So. Needless to say, there is a lot going on here. My goodness there is a lot going on here. The push and rush to get everything done is scary. Which brings me to the sad news….

This flower season for Flowers at Lottarock is over. Sad, but not. Sad not to see all my flower people, but glad that I can take a deep breath in anther month. I still have lots to do to get ready for next spring. If you still have credit, don’t sweat it, it is still good because spring and all of its beautiful narcissus, ranunculas and tulips will be ready for you. And don’t worry, you will still hear from me every Sunday to let you know what is happening at Flowers At Lottarock.

So this is the final 2020 bucket of flowers saying farewell, and until next year.

2021 I big plans for so tell your friends and bring your friends. We are a happy, merry, flower loving group. Until next week. Allie

After last weeks bout with several frosts that wiped out numerous gardens in town I still have color in the gardens. The flowers may not be as plentiful as earlier and a lot of that is probably due to that I have just cut out the water. We are now in a critical drought and since the season is really nearly over, I am taking a gamble and have stoped watering. Flowers or well water through the winter. Which wins? Well water through the winter. Rumor has it that we are going to get rain this week. I will believe it when I see it.

I was going to stop flowers this week, but after some pleas from my flower people I will continue until I really do have a freeze. I am glad I was talked into staying open. I have had so much fun talking to you all during the growing season. So. Until you hear otherwise, we are still here with flowers and hope to see many of you.

I got a notice from UPS Friday that my first box of many is going to be delivered on Monday. 21 Peony roots. I have space for them, I have been planning for them. Once they get planted all of the perennials that I have been buying and stashing in will be able to be planted into their permanent beds. That will be a big yay. Six yards of compost have been ordered and delivered. Much of that will go into the vegetable garden boxes for the arrival of the tulips, then the annual bed extensions, then top dressing of all the flower beds. Today I bought an interesting selection of fall asters to be planted in the perennial section, Even though my body has said, whoah, my enthusiasm and excitement is still strong. It is all mind over body anyway. Once the snow flies it will be all over rover until seeds are started again in January.

By the way, I have been neglectful of writing a newsletter many Monday and Thursdays evenings just because of time, and not enough of it, so just assume I will have flowers until I let you know I don’t. Thank you and until next week, Allie

The last few nights have been nail biters! The temps have been cold, too close for comfort for this flower farmer. This morning temperatures registered 31.8f but I seem to have sneaked under the radar. Tonight is going to be another cold one, and if I get through tonight with the predicted low temps I should be good for flowers for another few weeks. Keep your fingers crossed. Please stayed tuned to the newsletter. If I get hit by a killing frost I will let you know.

What did get hit by the cold were the gourds and the pumpkins. Most have been harvested, but the rest are under the ghost blanket, which is an assembly to keep the frost off the pumpkins. It looks like a ghost when you drive in the yard, but whatever it takes. What pumpkin vines that were killed by the frost were fed to some very happy goats, compost was spread on next years beds, and the sweet pea trellises were dissembled and stored untll next spring. The last two Thursdays were very busy on the farm, trying to play catch up and be on top of things next spring. Not always easy.

In the mean time, plant material has been moved. The lilacs and other flowering shrubs have been moved back a few feet, into the stones that I had raked aside. Yup, moving rocks, stones and plants yet again. Hopefully I have gained enough space for the 500 narcissus that will be arriving in October. Garden beds have been redefined, or refined and like spring it is all slowly coming together. Hope so anyway, only another spring will tell.

So. Unless I say otherwise, the flower shed/shack/critter shed will be open for a few more weeks, but if I get slammed tonight by cold temps tonight, I will let you know. Keep your fingers crossed flower people. Stay posted. Allie

Have you noticed that the amount of daylight available for gardening is rapidly decreasing? I still have plenty of time to grow flowers for everyone but the seasons are certainly shifting. The asters are still going strong, as are the zinnias. The crested celosia, the weirdest flower out there for sure, is still looking weird. I love using them in bouquets though because they are just, well weird.

I would love to say that the dahlias are finally kicking ass, but alas no, but they are blooming, slowly, and when you get blooms like this, well, it just leaves me speechless.

Now that the temperatures and light are changing the flowering cabbages are starting to show color, and a few were used in last week’s bouquets. They are interesting to work with that is for sure, and next year I need to start them much later in the season. They ones that are too far gone are being fed to the chickens and they don’t seem to mind.

So I finally had time to sit down and place the official bulb order. The one that I have been asking you all about. Well the deed is done. Too late, no going back now. 500 daffodils, and 900? tulips. All will be stunning and will get us soooo excited about spring. A mere eight or nine months away.

So until next week’s post. And for my local flower people, hope to see you soon. Allie

So here we are. September. The days are getting noticeably shorter, but the amount of flowers available isn’t. Which is good for all of us. The dahlias are eh, but from what I hear in the gardening hood, I am not alone in that and that makes me happy. Not that my dahlias are doing poorly, but that I am not the only one suffering with poor dahlias this year. To make up for it the asters are still going gang busters, as are the zinnias, and the amaranth is just totally out of control! I have started to top them because they are so top heavy they are falling all over the place and I can get down the rows to harvest flowers. The peacock orchids are slow, but they are just a lovely extra at this point. The sunflowers are as happy as can be at the moment. How can you not smile at those happy faces. And the flowers are small so they work in the floral bouquets.

The pumpkins and gourds that got planted way back in June are just about taking over, It is very hard to get to the end of the rows without treading on the vines. Can’t do much about that like I can with the amaranth, I just have to move my big feet more carefully. Some of the pumpkins are huge and to make it fun(?) I have no idea what varieties they are. I was just using up old seed so we will all be surprised when harvest time come. Stay posted for that one.

So until next time, let’s have flowers.

We are so desperate for rain, and most of the big storms have passed by us. Good because we didn’t need the damage, bad because the rain would have been good to top off the rain barrels. But that is flower farming for you. One is dependent on the weather and at the mercy of the bugs and diseases, and luckily for me, because it is my first year growing in this spot, I have gotten by OK. Not perfect, but OK. I do need to do a soil test this fall without fail. I think my dahlias are doing so poorly because they are missing out on some crucial micronutrients. I should have done that first, as we are told to do but the excitement was too much. Shame on me. I know better. Really I do.

The flowers are still producing like crazy which is good. The amaranth is now way taller than me, I am learning through trial and error on conditioning the eucalyptus, the dahlias as you know are struggling, and the asters are coming in big time!

So here is a big question for you. Should I order 18 varieties of tulips with 900 bulbs? A lot I know, or, should I order 27 varieties of 540 bulbs? I sorta know what you would say, I mean common sense should prevail. I mean, why would I need over a thousand bulbs, because I have already ordered a bunch of tulips, when I can just have a mere 750 tulips? Ordering bulbs is like going into a candy shop for some, or a plant nursery for me. By the way, I am only talking tulips here. I am not even going to mention the daffodil or other bulbs I am ordering. I am holding you in suspense. The other bulbs are far more perennial so they will last for years verses the tulips that are one hit wonders. They are beautiful aren”t they?

The pumpkins and gourds are growing underneath all that foliage and hopefully I will have a decent crop to share with you when the time comes.

So, until next week, stay tuned to the newsletter, bring a friend, and let’s enjoy September.

Well I can’t complain about the weather too much. We have had a string of beautiful days, lower humidity with cooler temperatures but we really need some rain. The flowers are doing OK. They would be doing better if I wasn’t quite so parsimonious with the water, but oh well. My well has to continue on, so water gets divided between the flowers, the vegetable garden and the house, because yes, we do need to take showers and do dishes occasionally. But have no fear, the flowers still rock on.

On this week’s agenda, back to bucket watering the trees and shrubs that were planted in the spring. They are looking a bit parched right now. I can hear them gasping. The Bt treatment for the caterpillars seems to have worked so that also has to get done before the week is out. In the flower department the asters are really looking good, the lisianthus is almost over which is a shame because they were so stunning. I have to work on the timing of them so I have more flowers and to get them to grow better. Once I get them started they are good, but man are they a bugger to get started. The dahlias are frustratingly slow, but there are cosmos and sunflowers. If I only had water.

The first of the spring bulb orders has been placed. Many more orders to go yet. That is on my to do list. Order the rest of the tulip bulbs for spring. All 750 more of them. You don’t want to know the total number. I don’t even want to know the total number.

So until next time, let’s have some rain please. Allie

I would like to have said Mid August doldrums, but my web sever doesn’t like me to say things like that. Oh well. Let’s just say mid August whatever. I don’t know who is looking more tired, my gardens or me. I need to get the gardens fed, they need a boost to wake them up. The heat and the lack of rain is hindering them. Yes, I have been watering but with a limited well and a vegetable garden to water I to have been very careful about where my water is going. Don’t fret though, I still have plenty of flowers to go around for everyone’s enjoyment. And don’t worry, I am still having a blast growing flowers and seeing all of my flower people.

Enough of me. I know you want to know what is new on the flower front at Lottarock. The asters are starting to show color. A few stems have been picked and put into bouquets, but now they are starting to come into their own.

The peacock orchid lilies are starting to throw out a flower stem here and there. It will be a lucky flower person that will score a stem of those. And a stem is all one needs. The stems might be a little contorted but placed in an empty wine bottle as a vase it would be stunning, and the fragrance will knock your socks off. The amaranth is still growing our of control. I have no idea what is up with it, but it is certainly taller than me. Next year not so many, or grow them in lean soil. The extra big ones I am going to leave for the birds at this point. It would have to be an enormous bouquet to support the size of those flowers.

I have started to put in my tulip orders. Oh silly me. I think I am up to almost a thousand bulbs now. I hope you all love tulips. The flowers ordered are going to be crazy! They are flowers. In the spring. Need I say more?

Until next week. Allie