Crop 321 December 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 I over write pictures every few days throughout the month. Click on the picture and it may open a larger version with more detail that you can save as wallpaper. 19:44

By December we have finished arranging our plants pot in pot for the winter and are now working in the barn sorting out equipment that has been thrown in there at a time when we had no time except for plants. I will continue to take pictures as long as I have access to the plants (barring deep snow).

Mulching roses in 15 gallon pots ($50) and 25 gallon pots ($100). We dont sell many of these but continuously use them for propagation of new plants. Notice the path along the right side of these pictures. In fall we rake leaves into the path. the following spring we cover the leaves with bark mulch to hold them down and make iit easy to walk. Anytime I need worms or compost to the path I will go. And it isn't as difficult as a compost heap.

The leaves are mostly off the lilacs now and you can get an idea of how far along they are and how many stems they have. The year the crop was started is noted on the sign with a sharpie marker.

I don't sell Lilacs until they flower which usually takes 3 to 5 years depending on the variety and how often I fertilize. If you can see white labels hanging from branches in the picture, they label plants that flowered last May that we will move to the plant sale next March.

Click on the picture for a larger version that you can get up close to the sign and read about each variety. Marked on a green dot with a sharpie marker are the number of plants available for sale as of the date on the pink label. No green dot? None for sale yet. If there is a number in the upper right hand corner without a green dot, its the number of plants of this variety I saw in bloom last may. They will be taken to the plant sale in March, repotted and a green dot added to the sign.

Propagation boxes are used to root cuttings in the field. They can be carried near to where the cuttings will be taken and the lower half surrounded with mulch. The lower half inside is filled with sawdust. Pots of rooted cuttings are nestled into the sawdust and covered with plastic domes to maintain humidity. Hardware cloth under the box keeps burrowing mice out and a plexiglass lid keeps larger things from disturbing the contents.

About the ALL-PICTURE-NEWSLETTER by andyvancleve

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

Potential Customers subscribe. Each month I send them the latest email link to the newsletter, information as to what is blooming and sometimes an update telling them when I am open.

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

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.