Posts by Jenks Farmer
The Earliest of Flower Gardens
There’s a patch of paper whites and snow drops in our pasture that’s older than I am. Just behind the little shed that’s been pony shed, goat shed and now donkey shed. Those are the kinds of bulbs I want in my gardens. From a practical stand point, because they come back, they thrive and…
Read MoreThings Still Made From Plants…
Not so long ago plants were our tool cabinet, medicine cabinet, pantry, clothing and art. Industry slowly changed that. And today ladies tell me about making dolls from holly hock flowers. And a few of my buddies remember using magnolia cones to play war — those cones are perfect grenades. You might make a cocktail…
Read MoreThe Orange River Lily…
Isn’t orange. The name comes from the Orange River, the longest river in South Africa. This species of Crinum grows along it’s banks. Like most wild things, each one is different. We grow big flowering strains as well as our own selection, ‘Aurora Glorialis’ which opens green, fades to lite pink and then to rich…
Read MoreA New Years Resoilution
In this year, when we walk let’s walk with big, amazing steps. Considering every every cell and bone and where each foot falls. Connect to the life below each step. Feel the the tiny creatures in their universe below ground. When we garden this year, let’s weed, kneel, dig, spray in ways that make them…
Read MoreCrinum List for AZH
C. x eboracii in graveyard C. x herbertii (Tulsa Collection) in field. Milk and Wine Lily Crinum ‘Bradley’ C. species in Madagascar swamp C. Bradley close up & in meadow C. procerum C. asiaticum C. ‘Queen Emma’ purple leaf with Tom, in container & wrapped for winter. PROPAGATION C. bulbispermum seed C. americanum seed floating…
Read MoreMoving Big Palms….graceful, adaptable plants often misunderstood
Most people have a really bad sense of design when it comes to placing palm trees. Or maybe a lot of people really like the putt putt course aesthetic. Palms can also seem stark and out of place. Like that 3-story tall sculpture of fire plug in downtown or that antler chandler from an antique…
Read MoreCelebrating Slowly Rotting Stumps
In suburban landscapes, landscapers come along and keep everything fresh, sweeping away, well of course they don’t sweep; don’t let me go astray on those horrible, polluting blowers, so sweeping away the detritus of plant life. Every fallen leaf, nut and flake of bark goes into a landfill. We pretend that nothing dies. It’s not…
Read MoreYou’re making me blanch…Etioliation
Etiolation: You know when you leave a bucket on the grass and all the grass under it goes sort of pale green and white? That is etioliation. It’s a plant response to trying to grow in low light. If the pale stems ever find sun, they’ll to turn green. (That is de-etiloation) We eat a…
Read MoreCrinum for the Fourth of July
In our fields and gardens, we have some crinum lily in flower from April first all through the summer all the way to mid November. A different lily for every month. In our book, Gardening With Crinum Lilies 3, there’s a nifty chart showing what flowers when. Always for the beginning of July, we have…
Read MoreMother’s Day on the Lily Farm
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