Marde’s Blog
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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 usually held over St. Patrick's Day weekend as it was this year, but I was babysitting while my children were skiing in Utah. So, Merle Reuser and I visited the winery with its one million...
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 Merle Reuser saying that he wanted to meet the Daffodil Lady as he was the Daffodil Man! He lives in Santa Rosa and has been replanting the oldest daffodils in California brought in by settlers in the 1820's he thinks. On a three...
Santa Rosa Garden Club
The Santa Rosa Garden Club came to visit on one of their perennial tours and we had a large turnout! About seventeen members did the entire walk and another group stayed up on the deck and relaxed while the rest began the walk. Julie Sooley took some terrific...
Daffodil 2013 Mixed Daffodil and Ice Follies Hillsides
Daffodil 2013 Mixed Daffodil and Ice Follies Hillsides: Ice Follies and Scarlet O'Hara The mixed daffodils and the Ice Follies hillside began blooming well on about March 2nd, after the earlier yellow trumpets of February Gold and Dutch Master had hit their peaks in...
Tulips are in Bloom!
In Palo Alto, I used to be called "The Tulip Lady" and today in Glen Ellen where I have my farm with daffodil hillsides, I am called the "Daffodil Lady". Just as I was beginning to write this article on tulips, I got a call from a Daffodil Man who digs, divides and...
New Marde Ross Website
Finally, my new website is ready for viewing and is operational! All of the products are listed a little differently now. The peonies are listed under color and the daffodils are in one long list, but the tulips are listed by type such as Parrot or Single Late. By...
Time to Plant Daffodils!
The rains have begun in California, and it is very easy to dig the holes and to plant clumps of daffodils. I plant mine in groups of 5 as they are large double or triple bulbs and produce a nice effect. The old King Alfred variety has been replaced by "Dutch Master"...
Defeating Voles, Moles, and Gophers: Tulips, Daffodils, Peonies
Daffodils need not worry about rodents and deer, but other bulbs like Tulips and Gladioli are susceptible to some or to others. These are the villians in the garden: Vole The vole is a mouse type of rodent who can traverse through gopher holes as well as dig his own....