I agree with Cinda. Usually what we do in these parts is mark the patches of them now and than dig the bulbs later right before Spring comes. I have found that if you try digging them up now and planting them that they will usually try to put up green foliage and than come spring they don't do anything because the bulb has used up all its energy.
We call them Surprise Lilies. It's a surprise every year you see them. You never really know where or when they will pop up. One day you have green foliage than it disappears for months and than when your not looking wham! there is a bloom you never saw coming.
Regional common name differences, I guess, but Lycoris radiata is usually called Spider Lily around here. Lycoris squamigera and Amaryllis belladona are both called Naked Ladies. I've never really looked to see which of those pink ones it is that I have but both bloom in summer, while radiata is a season ender for me, maybe because it is in a bit of shade. I would love to try Lycoris chinensis, which is yellow. Sorry it that's TMI. It's early.
Alana - I'm always looking for flowers that bloom right up to frost, so your news about Lycoris radiata being among the last to bloom really perked up my piggy ears. But at an estimated winter hardiness of zone 7a-9b, L. radiata looks iffy for me in zone 7.
We have very heavy deer pressure here, so you know any flowers blooming along the local trails are very deer tolerant, and the pink Lycoris squamigera grows wild where once the old mill towns flourished along our rivers.
So the yellow Lycoris chinensis is quite a surprise, since not only is it probably deer resistant and tolerant of partial shade, but on another website, a Pennsylvania gardener in zone 5 reports that it extends the bloom season by blooming a little after L. squamigera
Ella - thank you - the yellow Lycoris chinensis was not previously on my piggy radar
My religion is simple. My religion is kindness. Dalai Lama
I'm 7a, just barely, Karen, and my Lycoris radiata has come back for the last 10 years or so. I was truly surprised it made it through last horrible winter. I looked yesterday and it is gone now.
Joseph.... You always find the most interesting things to want to grow. Had to go check out what a Prairie Turnip was. See it also goes by the name of Prairie potato.
You probably have, but in case you haven't, have you seen this post yet:
Speaking of flowers that bloom until frost, I just have to brag about these zinnias again : Zinnia haageana--Old Mexico !
They really have been outstanding bloomers in my garden this year! I planted the seeds (From chelle) directly in a minimally improved part of my cottage garden; they sprouted and have been blooming ever since. They're still going strong! They're low maintenance too, I don't think I've watered them more than a couple of times all summer. Love them.
This photo doesn't really do them justice but here they are.
Ella call the pet supply stores like feeders supply maybe in your area to see what to do about the cat and kittens. Can u get close to them when you are feeding them? Kittens may be too young yet most worm meds. over the counter are pills over the counter worm meds have always scared me too many stories of harming the cats.
Name: Joseph Cache Valley Great Basin Landrace: locally-adapted diversity
When deciding what to try growing I ask myself a question that goes something like this... "Are there any crops, that could be used as staples, medicines, or as emergency food stores, that are in radically different families than what I am currently growing?"
I use the "radically different" criteria as a means of food security... If a bug, or disease, or weather pattern comes along and takes out all of the common beans, perhaps it might also take the runner beans, but it might not affect the peas, or the cow-peas, or the garbanzos, or the favas, or the soybeans... Ha... There's a crop I aughta add to my list. I didn't even plant soybeans this year, and only grew one variety last year... Ooops. I actually got a cow-pea harvest this year!!!! Four plants produced seed out of about 20 that were planted. 80% failure rate is fantastic odds for starting a landrace breeding project. They'll do better next year.
Yardlong beans grew as volunteers in my garden this year in a fallow area. I aughta check before I till the garden to see if there are any seeds to be collected.
Today I acquired persimmon and quince seeds at the grocery store. The quince is meh, because it is a member of the rose family, and I have plenty of relatives around. The persimmon is exciting to me because it is a totally different family. No telling if the plants will be winter hardy, but I won't know if I don't try. Paw-Paw is another fruit that aughta go on my wish list. It's in yet another family.
While I'm on the topic of new varieties... These pecan trees grew from seeds acquired in last year's swap. Thanks Star. This winter they get screened for cold-hardiness. I'm already growing walnuts which are from the same family. I prefer the taste of pecans over walnuts, so I'm pleased with them so far.
I also planted hazelnuts this spring. They likewise produced seedlings this year. Not a new family to me, but a new food crop from that family. Germination/survival rate was around 5%, but I planted lots, so I have enough to play with and had extras to share.
I acquired three pistachio trees at the farmer's market this summer. Not a new family for me, but a new food crop from that family.
The groundnuts that I planted got tilled up by a helper, and I haven't looked to see if any survived. I aughta do that before fall.
Well, there might be a lot of medicinal herbs that are in different plant families.
Here is a (not scientific) list, you might want to use as a guide.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plants_used_in_herbalism
Maybe someone else has a better link.
If you list the medicinal herbs you want to grow, I will have a look which ones I have.
Joseph... You should add those things to your Wish list. I know folks have them. I know of three types of Persimmon. The wild, makes small , very sweet fruits. The American and the Asian. I think it called the Asian. I know one, but can't remember right off hand if it is the American or the Asian that doesn't produce seed. I think the one year we opened up several hundred fruits and only found one seed and it didn't germinate. I am thinking it was the American, since that is a hybrid, but it makes a sweeter fruit.
Our professor had fun the one year. We were looking at a loaded persimmon tree and he cut off and cut up slices and gave all 60 of us students a slice to try. He laughed his head off at all the sour looks. What looked ripe, sure wasn't.
For something different, how about the Sium sisarum. The Skirret root that we was all to "skerreted" to try. Definitely a different type of root crop and very edible from what I have read.
Lebug.... Thanls for the info. I talked to a vet and she said we shouldn't do anything. With everybody and their brother stopping by and putting food out all the time, we don't know who might have already given any meds. I was told to watch and if we see any that look sick than try and cage it and bring it in for help.
Hopefully somebody will take the kittens home with them. I have about 8 feral cats here now. They will spend the winter and have all their babies up in the under part of my trailer. That plenty for me.
Ella's Garden isn't just about gardening. We're a diverse community of individuals, coming together to enrich the personal, business, hobbies, lifestyles, and horizons of all community members. You'll find forums for shopping & selling too!
.
You always find the most interesting things to want to grow. Had to go check out what a Prairie Turnip was. See it also goes by the name of Prairie potato. 
