Crop 231 October Issue of Flowering Shrub Farm Monthly All Picture Newsletters; January February March April May 1 to 15 May 16 to 31 June 1 to 7 June 8 to 14 June 15 to 21 June 22 to 30 July August September October November December

Pictures of OCTOBER flowers, fruit, propagation, planting, nursery maintenence, local color and more at the Flowering Shrub Farm in Voorheesville, NY. www.floweringshrubfarm.com

Every few days throughout each month, I add several more pictures, comments and links (with the most recent additions added at the top) before I start another similar page the following month (more about the newsletter at bottom). Click on the picture and it may open a larger version with more detail.

BELOW PICTURES TAKEN OCTOBER 27, 2009

The Azalea box is where we place Pinxterbloom, Flame and Swamp Azaleas in winter (01027azaleabox102709.jpg). In another week or so this box will be filled with 7 gallon sleaves mulched between. Later, 7 gallon potted native azaleas will be inserted in the sleaves. An egg crate top may be added to keep deer from chewing the tops.

The middle two rows of Lilacs in the upper field on October 27, click on this to open a larger image and then save as wallpaper if you want (01027lilacsbottomrow102709.jpg). In the foreground at the bottom is 'Candle Light' Spiraea. he seed pods on the left are from 'Queen Anns Lace'.

'Krasavitsa moskvy' on left (01027lilacstoprow102709.jpg).

BELOW PICTURES TAKEN OCTOBER 21, 2009

We removed the rooted cuttings of Lilacs 'Paul Thirion' & 'Rochester' from the table and placed them underneath in contact with the ground (01021lilacbabies102109.jpg)

As soon as foliage has fallen from roses in 7 gallon pots they will be inserted in these 7 gallon sleaves that are buried in mulch (01021rosestorage102109.jpg). The mulch keeps the roots from freezing without having to actually plant each one.

We redecked the trailer with treated 2x7 boards (01021trailer102109.jpg). We can pull plants on the trailer from one location to the other and then transfer to a tractor for the trip to and from the fields.

BELOW PICTURES TAKEN OCTOBER 19, 2009

Foliage on white oak tree (01019whiteoakfoliage102209.jpg). Click to enlarge and save as wallpaper.

In winter we store the plants potted in 7 gallon pots inserted into these sleaves that have been buried in mulch outdoors (01019potstorage102209.jpg). One of our Autumn chores every year is to add more mulch to these storage beds.

Here you see after adding more mulch with another pot inserted making it easier to remove loose mulch from each sleave that may have spilled in while we were adding it to the storage area (01019potstorageupgrade102209.jpg).

This is one of our propagation mothers in a 45 gallon pot the Hybrid rugosa rose 'Belle Poitevine' (10576bellepoitevine102209.jpg). Each spring we cut them back then from July through November they provide cuttings to root.

This is one of our propagation mothers in a 45 gallon pot the alba rose 'Felicite Parmentier' (10612feliciteparmentier102209.jpg).

This is one of our propagation mothers in a 45 gallon pot the Hybrid rugosa rose 'Scabrosa' (10651scabrosa102209.jpg).

This is one of our propagation mothers in a 45 gallon pot Rosa damascena trigintipetala 'Kazanlik' (11192kazanlik102209.jpg).

On October 15, 2009 we had the first frost that was hard enough to burn back foliage. I make this to be around 2 weeks later than the traditional date that I set at October 3.

BELOW PICTURES TAKEN OCTOBER 12, 2009

Took the sign in and had a few things updated (00010newsign101209).

Found this Alfred de Dalmas moss rose blooming in the nursery (11185alfreddedalmas101209).

Hybrid Rugosa Rose 'Linda Campbell' (00010lindacampbell101209).

BELOW PICTURES TAKEN OCTOBER 2, 2009

Picture above taken of Lilac #11-151 (pruned back to 12 inches on August 9, 2009) on October 2, 2009 (11151prunedto12inch100209.jpg). This picture will be added to a special issue on pruning lilacs linked from my lilac article at www.floweringshrubfarm.com/lilacs.htm

Next Spring I will be setting up a hundred apple tree espalier composed of half 'Stayman Winesap' and half 'Liberty'. This will be for training trees some of which will remain and others to be sold. The property owner will pay the up front wholesale cost for the entire hundred trees in exchange for a finished espalier after 5 years composed of around twenty trees. The other 80 trees will be sold to other customers for $30 each in a 7 gallon pot (or $20 in a 3 gallon pot). You can watch as we train the trees to espalier in this picture-newsletter starting sometime next year (as long as the deal goes through). In each year this espalier will provide training pictures along with seasonal pictures.

BELOW ARE PICTURES TAKEN OCTOBER 1, 2009

Above one of the top rows of lilacs (00010upperfieldkmrow100109). 'Krasavitsa moskvy' is in foreground on left. 'Black Night' is in background on right. I look for multifamily houses on acreage that I can grow my plants on. Renting the houses pays the overhead on each property. Many of these pictures were taken on one or another property, of plants growing there. Once they flower, I transport them to the sales area for the plant sale the next year. The flower picture is saved on my web site using a number that also appears on a yellow label attached to the plant.

This is 'Monge' (00010upperfieldmonge100109.jpg). Maybe it will flower in 2010 check it in May. When these plants are quite small I try to prune them so they'll be well branched once they mature. When I've been unsuccessful I'll cut them back but the flower picture of the plant (which might not flower again for a couple years) will remain on the web site.

This lower row has 'Glory' and 'Congo' in it (00010upperfieldrow01_100109). Wild flowers are promoted at all locations to provide nectar for beneficial insects and scent screening from damaging insects. Scent screening breaks up monoculture making it difficult for damaging insects to find their targets. Once plants flower though (and have had the flower picture recorded) damaged plant parts will be removed so that the shrub will regrow better branched than ever.

Spiraea bumalda 'Candle Light' (00010upperfieldspiraeacandlelight100109.jpg). Let me know if you wish to buy. I have at least twenty five big ones.

Top row in upper field has 'Krasavitsa moskvy' (00010upperfieldtoprow100109.jpg). Some of these will be cut back and remain in the field as they flower (after the flower picture is recorded). Some are already well branched. I try to grow plants that are hard to find and even hard to propagate. The harder it is to propagate the less likely that someone will compete with me over the growing (and selling) of it. I'm happy with a minimal return from cuttings whereas most nurseries because of the up front cost of running their operations have to have optimal return.

Bradford Pear Espalier (00010espalier100109.jpg). I have a friend who wants me to set up my espalier growing end of the business on her property. She'll pay for the plants that I train and grow there. I'll sell as many of the plants as I want and she'll end up with an extensive crop of espalier trained fruit trees of her own. This is a great opportunity that allows me to grow espalier fruit trees for sale at little or no cost to myself except labor that will be paid for through sales. It will also provide a great place for espalier pictures in my newsletter over the next several years.

About the ALL-PICTURE-NEWSLETTER by andyvancleve

At the beginning of each month I start an issue in one of several hundred past newsletter pages and send a link to my subscribers.

Every several days I'll add more pictures, comments and links to other pages.

At the end of the month I save the page as the crop page for that month.

So I might create the newsletter in Crop 315 but at the end of the month save it as the January Newsletter Crop 263.

So if you subscribe you get to see the pictures the day they were taken and if you dont you get to see them up to 30 days later.

Flowering Shrub Farm Monthly All Picture Newsletters; January February March April May 6 to 16 May 20 to 31 June 4 to 7 June 8 to 9 June 11 to 13 June 16 to 25 July August September October November December

Pictures of flowers are often of the inventory type with the date the picture was taken within the picture.

Each inventory picture is saved using a file name that starts with the inventory number of the actual plant either for sale or in the garden for propagation, ending with the date.

Simply by saving the picture without the date I can overwrite the picture in a crop page for that variety alone.

Most of the plants have more than one season of interest.

So I try to take pictures of the plants we grow when they are blooming but also in fall with decorative foliage or fruit and in winter when covered with ice and snow.

Potential Customers subscribe and I send a link to them from the latest picture-newsletter.

When they see something they like they come buy it in bloom.

I like to hear your comments so please email me and subscribe if you haven't already.

Those who dont subscribe will have to wait for this months pictures until the beginning of next month but can still enjoy last year at this time.

IN WINTER I AT LEAST TRY TO SHOW LILACS IN THE FIELD (lilacrow), the BELGIAN FENCE next door (belgianfence), ROSES IN STORAGE (storage), PLANTS IN 45 GALLON POTS OUTDOORS AND THE INSIDE OF THE COLD FRAME (coldframe) WHERE I OVERWINTER BABY OWN ROOT PLANTS AND NEW ROOTED CUTTINGS.

January and February are usually pictures of dormant plants and the affects of weather. March and April I start to add pictures of us planting and transplanting and new growth. May, June and July most plants will bloom showing subscribers what could be for sale during the plant sale, also shown are pictures of crops in the field, mail order and lots more. July through December I am taking cuttings to make new plants. August we have lots of pictures of fruit on roses etc. October fall foliage.

We grow plants to sell at our plant sale. Read my notes on the zone hardiness numbers I use. Do we do mail order? Check my picture-newsletter Want to purchase? email me.

When a customer says they want to subscribe I send the following in an email.

Each month I take pictures around the nursery adding a few pictures, links and comments every few days. Clicking on the picture will often open a larger picture and you can save it as wallpaper if you want or forward the link to someone you think is interested. Several schools with landscaping courses follow the newsletter because you get to see the flower, fruit, fall foliage and more at different times.

When you see something you like come buy it in bloom.