Garden Joys and Garden Tasks can be one and the same

Marguerites and Delphinium are two perennials with a propensity to re-seed. The marguerites are especially prolific - I would almost consider them "invasive" though when they bloom their golden hearts out like this at the exact time the dark blue delphs are at their peak -- how can I not forgive them their spreadingness?

Other plants (like Marguerites) in the sunflower or Asteracea family, are prone to prolific re-seeding. Watch out if you choose to leave the spent flowers and seedheads on any of these plants! You will soon have a garden full of their offspring.






Daylilies open one bud each day -- and each bud lasts only one day. Each stalk of buds contains from 6 to 20 buds. Deadheading the spent lilies encourages the plants to set a few more buds.





Star-shaped pelargonium geranium in a pot near my tomatoes. Deadhead your potted geraniums to encourage more bloom.

Near our back gate, marguerites, delphiniums and a few volunteer sunflowers greet us as we come and go. The delphiniums keep blooming, though on shorter, weaker stalks, if you deadhead the main flower stalk as soon as the petals fall. Sunflowers will often set more buds if you cut off the main flower at the next node.