GardenSpotlight

What to find at Running Creek Farm's market tent today: Mediterranean Squash Zucchini Yellow Summer Squash Kirby Cucumbers - just a few this week...more next week Zucchini Flowers Cannas (Plants) Bedding Plants Container Gardens

Easter is almost here.   The traditional plant this time of year is the Lily.   There are many types of lilies, but at Easter, the standard is Lilium longiflorum , the Latin name for the Easter Lily.   The Easter Lily is native to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan.   Each holiday is marked by cherished traditions that bring joy, comfort, and warmth, and provide continuity from one generation to the next.   For many, the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers of the Easter Lily symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life - the spiritual essence of Easter. Easter Lily bulbs are harvested in the fall, packed and shipped to commercial greenhouses where they are planted in pots and forced under controlled conditions to bloom for the Easter holiday.   To keep your Easter Lily as long as possible, follow these guidelines.   First, look for lilies that are neither too tall or too short. Ideally, a plant’s height should be about twice the height...

I thought it would be a good idea to go over some basic plant maintenance for this issue, being that many of you have your plants already planted and are in the process of maintaining them.   Fear not, if you haven’t planted yet, you still can.   It’s not too late and many growers still have great plants to choose from.   It’s sale time too….we don’t want to maintain spring plants in the greenhouses any longer than we have to and many growers are looking to get rid of them as quickly as possible. I cannot stress enough….and my husband tells me to mention it in every article….plants need to be fed on a regular basis for best performance in your gardens and pots.   There are many people that still do not realize that very important but simple concept.   Plants need their nutrients just like people do, especially if they are expending all that energy flowering or producing a quality crop to harvest.   I have mentioned before, during the heat of the summer,...

It's no doubt all this warmer weather has got us gardeners itching to get out and play in the dirt!  At the farm, we start in January sowing seeds for spring crops in the greenhouse, but the color starts around Easter time with the bulb crops.  Easter brings visions of Spring...a new beginning for us all.  Lilies are bursting with blooms in the stores and Tulips spring to life even though it is still a bit chilly outside.  Bulb crops are cold tolerant for the most part, but if you are thinking of planting those Lilies or other Easter plants outside in hopes of them growing back next year, think again as most of the varieties sold at Easter are not hardy in our area.  Bulb crops are very short lived as far as flowering is concerned as they quickly go into a phase known as senescense, where the leaves and stems yellow, or biologically age.  The longer they are kept at cooler temperatures, the longer they will last.  It i...