Quick Trip to the Farm April 12, 2014

First poppy of the season - I never get tired of them.
Gretchen and Beckett in from New York for a quick visit.  So I ran up to the farm on Friday and went to my mom's on Saturday.  Lake on Sunday.  Went up to the farm mainly to water the hops vines that I planted last weekend, but on Wednesday my Colocasias arrived int the mail, so I had to plant them as well.

• Purchased 5 Blue Hawaiian Colocasias (elephant ears), 5 Mojito Colocasias, and 1 Borneo Giant Alocasia.  The leaves of alocasias point up, and the leaves of colocasias point downward.  Alocasias seem to be able to take more sun too.  I planted all 5 Blue Hawaiians right at the top of the Boardwalk.  I planted 3 of the Mojitos in the Shade Garden in the bed with the Burgundy Stem Colocasias.  The Burgundy Stems have mostly faded after going strong for about four years.  And I planted the other 3 Mojtos on either side of the Borneo Giant at the bottom of the Boardwalk.  Borneo Giants are massive (if given enough water and attention), the leaves can be 6 feet across and twelve feet long, a curiosity plant.  I thought I would give it a try for fun.
• I used my trombone sprayer and foliar fertilized the azaleas and camellias and the La Marne roses.
• The La Marnes are infected with powdery mildew again this year.  Very aggravating.  Saturday morning before I left, I sprayed all my roses with fungicide.  I haven't been bothered with Black Spot this year.  I saw a very little when it was still cool during the days, but the roses seemed to beat it on their own.  But powdery mildew threatens roses as much as black spot.  It really deforms the leaves and flowers.  Last year it was on all my roses.  Hopefully I have stopped it from spreading.
• I watered many of the shrubs, my new little hops vines, all my new perennials that I have planted over the last month or two, and my newest fruit trees.
• Cut back an overgrown salvia greggii Hot Lips near the house.
• Noticed that my Hartlage Wine and Venus Sweet Shrubs are in bud  They are still tiny - only about two feet tall and not really any branching of note, but they have flower buds nevertheless.  I can't wait to see if they have a good smell.  Sweet Shrubs, contrary to their name, do not always have a good smell.  If they have a scent it is wonderful, but some of them have no scent.  I have waited two years to get a bloom so that I can find out if I'm one of the lucky ones.
• Noticed that one of the mystery bulbs I dug up from the deserted house has finally bloomed.  As I suspected, it is a rain lily.  White.  I was hoping for something more interesting, but at least it is an impressive rain lily.  Large, pointed, waxy, overlapping petals on a strong, upright stem.  The few gray-green leaves of each bulb do not go dormant.