The 2017 Garden

2017 was a year that started very wet. It also stayed cold so nothing wanted to grow. As the summer went on, it became drier and warmer. Not many very hot days but the garden started to produce late and there was no frost. By the end of October we dug out the bulbs. Still no frost.

Here is the inventory of the cultivars. 

It is a Google Spread Sheet that lists the cultivar names, as well as the typical plant heights. It also gives a history of the cultivars that have been lost.

Remarkable Year for Hybrids

This year was most remarkable for the wonderful hybrids we had. The technique of planting simple varieties together in patches so the bees can cross pollinate them, done in 2016, worked very well.

Here are just three examples...

Remarkable Year for Japanese Beatles

I have never seen so many Japanese Beatles. I would collect hundreds in the early summer, and kept at it all summer. I found that the best way to deal with them is to use some soapy water (Palmolive dish soap)