We Hope This Episode Brightens Your Spring
We Hope This Episode Brightens Your Spring
Season 6, Episode 17, March 13, 2024
This week’s episode was about daffodils, new All-American Selections winning vegetables, a new book on gardening with bulbs, and more.
Carol went to the library and got some seeds from the seed library. Here’s a Family Handyman article she wrote about seed libraries in 2023, in case you don’t know what they are.
I sowed a bunch of seeds and repotted some flowers my friend, Jennifer Husmann, from Ladybug Flower Farm gave me. I’m trying some new things this year including bells of Ireland.
One of our quotes this week was from C.S. Lewis. It made me think of the book I’m reading during Lent, A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy, and Triumph by Sheldon Vanauken and C. S. Lewis (Includes 18 letters written by C. S. Lewis) (Amazon Link.) I read it before in my thirties, but I understand it better now.
My favorite thing this week is Ipheion uniflorum in my front border. These have returned year after year, and I appreciate their tenacity and strength. Carol was excited about her pansies and violas. Big surprise there!
Daffodils were our flower topic. So, after five years, you would think we’ve said everything there is to say about daffodils. Au contraire mes amis. Check out the episode for our personal favorites.
Where can you buy daffodils? Here are some of our favorite mail-order sources. When should you think about reserving certain favorites? Now.
Brent and Becky's Bulbs
Van Engelen Bulbs
Here is my blog post about planting bulbs.
As for vegetables, we highlighted the AAS Winners for 2024. We could call this section “two cold weather veggies and one that likes it hot.”
We talked about these three vegetables:
Broccoli 'Purple Magic F1'
Broccoli 'Skytree F1'
Pepper 'Red Impact F1'
On the bookshelf this week, we continued our bulb fascination with Growing Bulbs in the Natural Garden by Jacqueline van der Kloet (Amazon Link) (published February 6, 2024). She also wrote Colour in Your Garden (Amazon Link)
Our dirt was eclectic or should I say electric? 'Firefly' petunia glows in the dark. Find out why.
Our rabbit holes were fun. I found a waterproof Quick Reference guide to identify butterflies. I thought it was fun, and it sits right on my desk. Carol found Dorothy Childs Hogner, another Lost Lady of Garden Writing.
For our garden commissions, I will soon be on the Rose Chat Podcast with our friend, Teresa Byington. I’ve been using Mills Magic Rose Mix for years, but it has blood meal as an ingredient, and I am probably allergic to it due to Alpha-Gal Syndrome. I need to switch to something else. I bought Dee-Lish, Quietness, and Belinda’s Blush from Antique Rose Emporium and ‘Eustacia Vye’ from David Austin Roses. I’m planting all of them in pots. Look for an Instagram reel where I plant the bareroot one.
Carol’s commission is to buy and plant more violas and pansies. (Big surprise there!)
Whew! That’s a long one! Go listen for more.
Here’s the stuff at the end…
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Hi Dee and Carol! Still listening to your show and loving it. Just wondering if y’all have heard of Southern Bulb Company in Golden Texas. Going next Thursday to hear a presentation about bulbs and tour their gardens. It was founded by Chris Wiesinger who wrote The Bulb Hunter.
Thanks for the news about the bioluminescent petunias coming onto the market! I can't wait to add some to my garden!
On the subject of bulbs, have you tried the companies Colorblends or Qdaffs? Colorblends market themselves as "wholesale" but anyone can buy and their minimum order isn't really that much. Qdaffs is my new favorite - only rare and unique daffodil varieties, several sold by the bulb. I actually like the small quantity option, because I can still enjoy an expensive unique variety by buying just enough for a couple of clump plantings. Other varieties are by the bag of 25 and affordable.