Other Years

Spiders and Spoons
2003
January 2:  I started 20 seeds in 9 cells.
7:  3 sprouts.
24:  7 plants are coming along.
March 6:  Only 1 plant remains.   The others were pale, and did not grow well.   I gave some acid fertilizer, then later some iron chelates.   The chelates seemed to help the last 2 plants.
26:  An accident resulted in its losing almost all its roots.
April 20:  Doing well, despite also losing its growing tip in another accident!
May 18:  I put it in the ledge box, along with the eustoma.
July 5:  It is not a large plant, but it is about to blossom.
11:  The first flower is opening, a magenta one.
29:  No change!   That first flower still looks good and is still opening.
October 19:  The plant is still going but there have not been any more flowers.
 
2002
June 25:  They did not come back.
 

Perennial Chrysanthemum, 2001

2001
January 3: Seeds arrived today from Thompson and Morgan, US$3.99. They are a greenhouse perennial.
May 5: I planted 9 seeds in peat moss and soil in a 9-pak, and left it in the basement. 7 seeds remain.
May 8: 2 sprouts are coming through.
May 11: 8 sprouts.
July 5: I planted 1 seedling in the new edged area along the west side of the house. I found spruce tree roots in the area, and realize now that the area will take more preparation.
July 20: I dug more and set out 1 more.
July 29: I set out the last (third) one.
November 23: Still green and possibly growing, but no buds or flowers.
 
Perennial Chrysanthemums
2002
May 11:  Spouts have appeared on one plant.
June 25:  There is no new growth now.   They have died.
 
2001
May 4: I found small shoots of Sophie growing. No sign of growth for Julie or Target, however, and I had to move them to re-edge a garden path.
May 12: I dug and replanted Sophie, to accommodate the rototiller.
July 25: I bought a Barbara and a Jean at Revy Lumber for 50 cents each..
July 29: I planted Barbara and Jean, and divided Sophie into 2 and plant those parts, all in the new bed along the west side of the house. Barbara, Jean, and Sophie all have pink flowers.
October 4: The plants are doing fine. Some are budding. There is one flower, on a Sophie.
November 23: There is no snow, and the Sophies are still in flower, but finishing, and Barbara is still coming into bloom!
 
2000
June 6: I set out a Julie perennial plant that I bought at Wal-Mart yesterday. It has one flower.
July 14: Julie has kept 1 to 3 flowers going.
16: I bought 2 more plants from Wal-Mart, a Sophie and a Target, 25 cents each, and set them out.
October 4: The perennial plants are coming into bloom.
 
Annual Chrysanthemums 2000
March 8: I started about 30 seeds in starter mix.
14: 2 sprouts.
May 1: 7 plants, small but coming along.
May 21: I set out 7 plants.
19: First flower. There are only 2 left. Yesterday the flower looked deformed, but today it is fully open and looks complete.
 
1997
April 2: I started one 6-pak.
20: 2 seedlings in the 6-pak, plus 3 later ones in starter mix moved today to the 6-pak.
May 30: 5 plants set out.
June 11: 5 alive, sturdy but small.
~August 7: In flower, many flowers deformed.
 
1995
June 15: I bought 9 today and planted them.
December 31: They flowered fairly well, but many of the blossoms were distorted and ugly.