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| Cannas multiply through rhizomes (below), storing energy, growing and spreading. |
Cannas to the right of them,
Cannas to the left of them,
Cannas in front of them
Volleyed and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell,
Rode the six hundred.We never got the big thunderstorm predicted but the cold has moved in for today, Monday, and Tuesday. Then we will have sunny, warm days again.
Nothing motivates the bulb digger more than a prediction of cold. I ran into this in New Ulm, Minnesota, when cold meant "too frozen to dig." I had to find warm spots around the parsonage to bury the treasure.
Sassy supervised me Saturday, when I dug up and planted in the area under the green fence, now a line of tall plants and several elderberry bushes. I also dragged the shovel down a line in one backyard garden. That was the second large bag of daffodils, with grape hyacinths alternating in spots. Both will multiply on their own, a better way to invest than the fickle stock market.
Team Hagar has fulfilled my agricultural ambitions, removing vast amounts of unwanted vegetation and helping in planting. Sassy and I sat together while the maple tree was dug in for grape hyacinths. Nothing escapes Sassy's attention. If children are playing outdoors, she watches and grins like the block's grandmother (same age in doggy years). She never took her eyes off the grape hyacinth dig. Sassy kept looking at me, as if to say, "Do you approve of this?" I had to say, more than once - "It's OK, Sassy. That will be a ring of flowers around the maple."
Cannas Are Next Year
I was wary of growing cannas, because they needed to be dug up in Midland, Michigan and definitely in Minnesota. I noticed the morning coffee couple's house - on the way to Pat and John's - festooned with a fence of cannas. I had one big question - "Can cannas last the winter in the ground?" They said "Yes!" and offered me some.
Cannas are rhizomes so they spread easily. They come in many sizes and two colors, orange and yellow.
Glads Galore
I also found that the neglected gladiolas grew all summer, some left over from the previous year. They are probably hardier in the soil than cannas, and yet they are very inexpensive.
