Other Years

2010
June 17: One or 2 plants in their spot, overwhelmed just now by other plants or weeds.
 
2009
August 3: Coming along. I think it will benefit from the mulching I have begun.
18: A few flower stalks are opening their blossoms.
 
2008
June 24: About 6 healthy clumps in their bed.
 
2007
May 27: 9 healthy clumps in their spot.
 
2006
April 19:  No new growth in the garden yet. I bought 45 bulbs yesterday at Rona today for $6.99. Today I worked 2 buckets of peat moss into the liatris bed and planted 12 bulbs; I finished just as a shower was starting.
May 15:  There are rosettes of leaves above the ground now.
22:  I donated the rest of my bulbs to a club and put them in their planters.
August 1: The plants are alive but only a few have produced flowers. Some produced flower stalks that did not develop. I attribute this to the extremely dry weather. I hope the new irrigation system helps.
 
2005
May 28:  One is up.
June 24:  Still just one. I cleared the shasta daisies and dandelions from around it.
 
2004
May 16 :  One shoot is just visible.
July 27:  There are 3 plants.   One plant is flowering.
August 24:  Only 2 plants now, neither doing very well.
 
2003
May 3:  Many small shoots have poked through.
June 3:  I sprinkled a little iron around them.   They are flourishing in small clumps.   I could divide them in the fall.
July 11:  The flowers are starting to open.
September 1:  I deadheaded the flowers but no or very small ones followed.
28:  I divided my 2 plants, giving 10.
 
2002
April 21: I started many seeds from last year, in one pot, just covered with compost. The seeds did not look very viable to me. They were too thin and light.
May 28: The seeds did not sprout.   The two garden plants are coming along.   Their shoots are up about 3 cm.
September 7:  Both plants put on a very good display this year, and have now gone to seed.
 
2001
May 12: One plant is up, and looks like it's doing well.
May 18: The second plant is evident.
May 2: I started my last 14 seeds in a 9-pak.
June 14: No sprouts. The larger plant in the garden was pale green but now seems to be developing some deeper colour.
July 10: I gave them iron chelates. The larger plant is still pale, but has a flower stalk that is beginning to show purple.
July 19: Flowers today! After only 6 years! And the foliage is a regular green too.
July 28: I gave them acid fertilizer and iron chelates today.
October 3: I collected seeds, 2 spikes from one plant, and 1 spike from the other.
 
2000
April 17: I started 9 cells, using 3 seeds per cell.
May 7: No sprouts. I discarded the cells, and put about 15 seeds in starter mix to start. Two plants are up in the garden, in their new spot.
20: The leaves of the garden plants are rather yellowish.
~27: I gave them fertilizer.
June 2: Some of the leaf tips are a little green, but they are still mostly yellow. I sprinkled some iron chelates around them.
June 4: I sprinkled sulphur around them.
15: I planted 4 new bulbs, that I bought at Supervalue yesterday for $1.94.
July 8: The leaves are still yellowish. Glyophosate has killed the oriental poppies that were right beside them.
August 7: Little change. No sign of the new bulbs. I gave them iron chelates yesterday.
 
1999
May 24: None visible yet.
June 13: I noticed 2 plants, one larger than the other.
August 3: I cleared out the weeds about 2 weeks ago when I edged one of the new paths to reveal the 2 plants, both medium size and not flowering.
31: The same.
September 24: I moved both plants to a new spot in the perennial bed, which Kyle dug today and to which he added compost. It is on the south edge of a bed, and the plants should get better sunshine.
 
1998
June 2: There are 2 plants, one lush and 1 small and newer.
 
1997
June 1: Up about 3 inches.
August 7: 2 flower spikes. I planted more bulbs in June, but they are too shaded, and have done little.
 
1996
~April 6: Planted 6 seeds.
May 4: 1 seedling. Existing plants are not visible in the garden.
21: One appearing in the garden.
June 2: I set out the new, weak, seedling.
2: It is gone.
August 7: 2 flower spikes. I planted more bulbs in June, but they are too shaded, and have done little.
 
1995
May 17: Planted 12 seeds today, from Thompson and Morgan.
23: 1 sprout.
June 1: 4 sprouts.
July 7: 2 in the garden, doing well. Two new seedlings just alive.