Marde’s Blog
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Watsonia is a Tall, Cutting Flower from the Gladiolus Family
Watsonia thrives with just sun, water, and amended soil. These plants multiply easily and produce tall 4-6 foot blooms. They make excellent back-of-the-border plants and require no special care. Outdoor Beds First, choose a location with well-draining soil. Then,...
Saffron Crocus
Saffron Crocus or Crocus Sativus The excitement is heating up as the bulbs are finishing their growth for the year. It is being harvest time in many countries around the world. The Middle East is a prime location for big fields of bulbs. India, France and the...
Further Adventures with Merle Reuser, The Daffodil Man
Margaret Homestead 2013 One rainy morning, Merle, Cedric, and I drove to Cloverdale to visit the 300-acre homestead Merle knew as a boy. The property once belonged to Margaret Adams, who passed away in 2000 after a 60-year friendship with him. As an eight-year-old,...
Adventures with Merle, The Daffodil Man
Merle Reuser With His High School Wheels - Now Used to Deliver Daffodil Bouquets! Merle Reuser is a daffodil "freak" as he describes himself. He has become well known in Cloverdale and Santa Rosa for his work of giving away bouquets of daffodils. Margaret Adams, who...
Brodaea Queen Fabiola
I had a couple of pleasant surprises during our glider ride at an airfield. The ride over Hidden Valley in Sonoma was a delight. Before entering the office, I spotted a large patch of Brodiaea. After picking some and researching, I realized they resembled Queen...
Please Download My Free eBook Saffron Crocus
Click Below to Download My Free eBook Saffron Crocus eBook Discover the fascinating world of Saffron Crocus with our free eBook! Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting, this guide will help you grow, harvest, and use saffron in your kitchen. Saffron is...
The First Peonies are Blooming!
Here are the photos of the first peonies to bloom this spring. The first ones are always the Coral Charm, Coral Supreme, Coral Sunset and the second and overlapping peony is Red Charm.They were blooming in profusion (California's version of profusion!) starting in mid...
Lily of the Valley
I was peering under the spreading branches of a Viburnum Tomentosum which is a wonderful shrub providing shade below and saw a magnificent sight! My first Lily of the Valley were blooming and I counted nine stems. As they are planted a few inches apart, they will not...
Ironstone Vineyards, Motherlode Daffodil Show
Ironstone Vineyards, Motherlode Daffodil Show in Murphy is a fabulous display of color. It is usually held over St. Patrick's Day weekend as it was this year. I was babysitting while my children were skiing in Utah, so, Merle Reuser and I visited the winery with its...
Daffodil Hill in Volcano, CA
On Wednesday, March 27th, Merle Reuser and drove to Volcano, CA to see the Daffodil Hill that I heard of for many years. We packed Cedric into my SUV and drove about four hours up I80 to 50 to Folsom Road to 49 to Volcano if I have this straight. Volcano is a tiny...
Merle Reuser, The Daffodil Man
I received a phone call from the Daffodil Man Merle Reuser saying that he wanted to meet me, the Daffodil Lady! He lives in Santa Rosa and has been replanting the oldest daffodils in California brought in by settlers in the 1820's. On a three hundred acre ranch in...
Santa Rosa Garden Club
The Santa Rosa Garden Club visited us on one of their perennial tours. We had a large turnout, with about seventeen members joining the walk. Another group stayed on the deck to relax while the rest began exploring the garden. Julie Sooley took amazing photos and...