Gardeners, was Japanese trowel/knife of some sort

Mike Rummerfield mikerumm@gmail.com
Thu, 19 Nov 2015 23:16:27 PST
RE:  Jane's Galanthus reginae-olgae just putting up buds

The very first of my Galanthus has sent up a flower bud through the duff.
I don't know the species as it came in an order of Galanthus bulbs from
England that no longer ships to the US.  (On my last order with them, they
informed me in September of that year that they were not honoring the order
I had placed with them that Spring as they decided to no longer ship to the
US.  Needless to say, I was miffed.  The impertinence!)  But I digress.

Back to the Galanthus.  I had not ordered a fall blooming Galanthus.  The
bulb(s) apparently came mistakenly mixed in with the other Galanthus I
ordered.  So maybe it is G. reginae-olgae, but I don't know as I haven't
keyed it out.  It takes a very keen eye to key out Galanthus, which I
lack.  However, I'm very glad for the mistake; it is a pleasure to see it
this time of year - with more to come soon - Oh boy!

This brings me to my current conundrum regarding Oxalis.  I have trouble
getting them to bloom for me.  In all the years I've had them, Oxalis
polyphylla has *never* bloomed, O. hirta has only bloomed once, and O.
glabra has bloomed, but has been persistently shy in showing her charms.  I
do fertilize them Fall and Spring.  They put on plenty of vegetative
growth, the polyphylla being particularly picturesque.  They get no water
at all during the summer when dormant.  This is where you, the esteemed
members of this forum come in.  What am I doing wrong and/or what do I need
to do to get these lovelies to be a little more forthcoming with their
blooms?  HELP!

Thanks for any advice.
Best regards,
Mike Rummerfield
Washington State
USA

On Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 11:43 AM, Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net>
wrote:

> Wishing someone could help weed one's garden is a common dream, especially
> as our knees age. The USA (also, judging by Rodger's note, Canada) is sadly
> lacking in such people. There are plenty who bill themselves as "garden
> designers" despite apparently having learned their trade by reading books
> written in entirely different parts of the continent; acquaintances of mine
> have fallen victim to these plausible poseurs. As for actual gardeners,
> there is little opportunity for young people to learn the trade. College
> horticulture programs focus on commercial "landscape" services and
> agriculture, not on private gardens. I know several brilliant working
> gardeners, but for a viable occupation they have had to work in public
> agencies, commercial nurseries, or gardens of the wealthy. When one of them
> retired recently, I wndered if he and his wife (both trained at Wisley)
> might teach their skills; don't know if they will.
>
> The only really good gardener who has worked for me now has a fulltime job
> in an environmental field and his own nursery too. Now I restrict my
> outsourcing to jobs requiring power equipment and brute force. As for me,
> back on two good legs for the present, this weekend is for cutting down the
> peonies and tomatoes, and doing something about the leaves before they
> smother the snowdrops (Galanthus reginae-olgae just putting up buds).
>
> Jane McGary
> Portland, Oregon, USA
>
>
>
>
>
> On 11/19/2015 8:45 AM, Rodger Whitlock wrote:
>
>> On 17 Nov 2015, at 21:24, Leo Martin wrote:
>>
>> What I want is to hire somebody to use tools like this in my garden, but I
>>> want people who know what they're doing.
>>>
>> Then be prepared to pay a considerably higher wage than you would to some
>> itinerant guy-with-a-lawnmower.
>>
>> If this seems unreasonable, then just think: how many years has it taken
>> you to
>> learn the skills you now have? (If you simply can't afford the money,
>> perhaps
>> robbing a bank might be the ticket?)
>>
>>
>>
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