Lilac Row Pictures
As I edit the statistics report from my server I update web pages with particular activity adding new pictures and comments from the picture-newsletter. Most recent pictures at the top. Scrolling doown will give you a year of growing lilacs in the field. If the picture doesn't open click here
December 5, 2009
Lilacs in the upper field (01205lilacrow120509.jpg). Crop 321
November 15, 2009
The row of 'Krasavitsa moskvy' Lilacs on November 15 (01115rowoflilackm111509.jpg). The ones labeled with a yellow label will be pulled in march and repotted into 7 gallon for sale after May 15. crop 266
October 29, 2009
This picture shows the end of one of our lilac beds where we grow 'Krasavitsa moskvy' Lilacs in 3 gallon pots under 4 paralel drip lines (01129fieldkmlilac112909.jpg). When the lilacs start to flower I label each one with a yellow inventory label that has been individually numbered. I take a picture of the flower and another right after of the numbered label. The picture will be saved using the number followed by the variety name like 11186ludwigspaeth.jpg or similar. The following March we take the labeled lilacs from the field and repot them, making them available for sale at the plant sale for $30 each. The picture will appear in this newsletter. crop 266
October 27, 2009
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'. crop 231
October 27, 2009
'Krasavitsa moskvy' on left (01027lilacstoprow102709.jpg). crop 231
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. crop 231
October 1, 2009
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. crop 231
October 1, 2009
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. crop 231
October 1, 2009
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. crop 231
September 16, 2009
Here you see just such a lilac bed on the left and another on the right (00009upperfield091609.jpg). Yellow labels mark lilacs that will be pulled from the field and repotted next March. You can see 'Queen Anns Lace' in the bed on the right. The right bed is resting and will be filled next spring with 'Paul Thirion' and 'Rochester'. aaaseptember
September 2009
Above is a picture of the Lilac beds on September 1. The vacant bed to the left (filled with wildflowers and weeds) is where we withdrew a hundred 'Ludwig Spaeth' this past March. Next spring we'll be replacing them with 50 'Rochester' and 50 'Paul Thirion'. We'll probably weed-wack the bed next week and spread compost. aaaseptember
September 2009
The end of each bed has an arrangement of posts. Each bed has 4 paralel drip lines with emmitters every 18 inches. The cross piece of these posts anchors the drip lines. There's room for several hundred lilacs in each bed. aaaseptember
August 27, 2009
Lilacs in field showing a lilac that was tagged this previous May to be transplanted next March (082709). If you click this picture you can read the number on the inventory label (11_337). You can look the number up at www.floweringshrubfarm.com/label06.htm and you'll see a picture of the flower taken last May. Its an 'Edward J Gardner' French Lilac with pink flowers. After removing a tagged plant from the field in March we cut it back to promote better branching but maintain a picture of its flower on the web site to prove the variety.
August 27, 2009
Monge Lilacs in the field not ready yet (082709). Some may flower in spring of 2010 and we'll tag the plants with inventory labels while taking a picture of the flower and saving the picture using the inventory number, on the web site.
August 27, 2009
Krasavitsa moskvy Lilacs in the field showing a couple that were tagged last May for transplanting next March 2010 (082709). AA August
August 8, 2009
00000lilacsinfield080809small.jpg This will be added to the growing page at www.floweringshrubfarm.com/growing.htm In May as lilacs bloom I label each flowering plant with an individually numbered tag and take a closeup picture of the flower and number so it can be saved in my web site under that individual number. Then, plants with fewer that three stems are cut back. The following March we move them to the plant sale location and repot into a 7 gallon pot to be available for sale at $30 each. You can verify the variety by looking at the number tag and checking the picture, saved as that number in my web site. If you click this picture you can see Lilacs, no longer in bloom, but a yellow number tag peaking fro foliage on the left of the mowing strip.AA August
May 10, 2009
On the left is 'Monge' and on the right is 'Aucubaefolia' (00510rowofaucubaefolia051009.jpg). I try to show each crop of lilacs in its row each month in the newsletter. Crop 307
May 10, 2009
We are labeling those in flower with inventory labels and taking closeup pictures of the flower, then saving the picture using the inventory number (00510rowofejgardner051009.jpg). This row is of 'Edward J Gandner' French Lilac. Crop 307
May 10, 2009
In March of 2009 we emptied the row on the left that was formerly occupied with a hundred 'Ludwig Spaeth' Lilacs (00510rowsoflilacsempty051009.jpg). Crop 307
Below is Growth on 'Aucubaefolia lilac as of April 18, 2008 (041808growthonaucubaefolialilac1.jpg) Crop 320
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. After a week or two I link the page to the month shown on my home page.
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 the most recent pictures until part way through each month but can still enjoy last year at this time.
IN WINTER I AT LEAST TRY TO SHOW LILACS IN THE FIELD, ROSES IN STORAGE, PLANTS IN 45 GALLON POTS OUTDOORS AND THE INSIDE OF THE COLD FRAME WHERE I OVERWINTER BABY OWN ROOT PLANTS AND NEW ROOTED CUTTINGS.
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.