Ironstone Gardens

2012-02-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

YeeHa!!! The first Daffodil bloom'n on the road!

2012-02-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Thank Goodness we are getting some more rain. It's amazing how a little sun and rain has made the daffodils grow. You can almost see them growing. There are lots of buds. Some have already tipped, which means they are going to open soon. I will keep you posted.

Thanks for now,

The Garden Guy

2012 is Here!

2012-02-03T15:25:00.001-08:00

2012 is here.

It's going to be a great flower year. We are off to a good start with all 500+ barrels planted with bulbs.

The road side daffodils are starting to pop up everywhere a little early. But, that's OK.

We are working very hard at getting winter

pruning done with only a month and a half left before the Flower Show March 17

Follow my blog to see how things are progressing and what we are doing. If you get up this way, say HI! The Garden Guy

Roses Are Blooming

2010-06-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well, lots of things have been going on at Ironstone gardens. We changed from bulbs to azaelas and now we have changed to summer color. So many flowers blooming, the roses have never looked better. All the road roses have bloomed at the same time, that has never happened before. All my miniature roses are also blooming. I've included some pictures of them. The girls have gotten all our summer flowers planted and everything fertilized...that's a huge job! I really have the greatest crew of people working with me, smart and hard working.
Between all of the normal yard work we are doing, we have 5 weedeaters working 6 hours a day to help fireproof around the winery. Sara, the dog is helping to keep the roads watered in our water truck.
We had our first concert last Sunday, it went really well, everyone worked extra hard to get everything ready. It shows when things go well and everyone works together. Just some small damage to the gardens, mostly from the stage set up crew. It can't be helped with lots of cords to run and they move very fast. But since the gardens should look beautiful all the time, we put them back in order and move on to the next event. We modified a spot in the garden to give concert tents more room, nobody will even notice. After concert season it will make a nice seating area. Well that's all for now, thanks for checking in...the garden guy.

Azaleas In Full Bloom

2010-05-14T20:16:00.001-07:00

Hi, spring is in full force, the azaleas are almost in full bloom, color is everywhere. Dogwoods are blooming, Dutch Iris, Bearded Iris and much,much more. Have been busy getting ready for the concert series that starts in June. Larry M. and the guys are working hard enlarging our food court areas. The girls are busy planting summer color even though winter color is still looking great. Just fertilized the lawns, boy did they turn green fast!
Still pruning the maples. We had our first baby geese born, they sure are cute little puff balls, too bad they grow up to be big geese that poop everywhere. Mick is getting ready to harvest the hay, be nice to get it harvested. Good to fill the barn with new hay (the horses like it too).
Come see the azaleas and say hi. Thanks for checking in, bye for now, the garden guy.

The Azaleas are Blooming

2010-04-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Hi, things have been really busy, still pruning maple trees, takes lots of time when you have hundreds of them. I love those trees, each one has its own character. Azaleas are at 25%, should be more, but weather has been cold except last weekend. Now it's raining AGAIN! Dogwoods are 85% in bloom, tulips, daffodils and dutch iris are still looking good. On cold days Boots is always looking for the warmest car to take a nap on. Some of our bushes we have in half barrels needed to be replanted. We don't want them to become root-bound, so we pull them, trim the roots a little and replant them. They always seem happier afterwards
We are all getting ready for the concert season, everyone is working very hard, but thats part of the fun working at Ironstone. Come up and see everything in bloom and say hi. Thanks for checking in, bye for now, the garden guy.

Snow....Again!!

2010-04-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

Hi, well it happened again, Monday we put everything under cover because of the rain, good thing, because Tuesday morning it not only rained but it snowed! Can't take a chance on things freezing, especially the summer flowers...never be fooled by early warm days, if you plant too early you may be replacing what you planted.
It rained so much that I lowered our lake 4 inches, best not to take a chance. I had to bring a load of wine back to Lodi, so we left early and spent the rest of the day working at John Kautz's yard and gardens. Still lots of flowers to see so come up and see us. Bye for now, the garden guy.

More Flowers Blooming

2010-04-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Hi, the tulips and daffodils are still holding on. This last week there has been so many people up looking at the flowers. The joy they bring to people makes the work worth it. I'm so lucky to be working for a family willing to fund such a beautiful garden.
I was pruning trees last week, I got a kick out of how much brush my guys can put in a gator and trailer, so I took this picture. The flowering cherries are blooming now, beautiful small multi-ruffled pink flowers. I added a couple pictures of tulips, these colors are spectacular!! Still pruning maples, the azaeleas will probably be in full bloom if the weather stays warm, but they are expecting rain this Tuesday and Wednesday, this may change their schedule. Dogwood are getting ready to bloom, we have pinks and whites..this is a very popular tree when blooming.
Well, that's all for now, thanks for checking in, the garden guy.

The Sunshine is Back!

2010-04-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hi, flowers are back out until the next storm, still looking beautiful, lots of Dutch Iris, Tulips and Daffodils. As you can see by my picture, the Azaelas are starting to open. If the weather stays warm, it won't be long until they are in full bloom. Looks like they will look good for Mothers Day, so don't forget to come up for Mothers Day Brunch!
Boots the cat walked up to me this morning after a hard night of hunting...ha ha, and told me to take some pictures of him in front of the flowers, I said ok just to prove we still have lots of flowers. John Kautz went to visit a grower friend of his and came back with a whole bunch of beautiful orchids. We put them in the tasting room, I think we are going to sell some of them while they last.
Got sidetracked while pruning maples after that last wind storm, had to fix and prune the Italian Cypress. They don't do well in wind and have a tendency to spread and separate. Make sure you check out Ironstone's website to see everything that is going on, the concerts are all listed now.
Thanks for checking in on me, bye for now, the garden guy.

Rainy Day Sunday

2010-04-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hi, Friday and Saturday, another great day at Ironstone gardens. Today, Sunday, rain, high winds, glad I put the flowers under cover AGAIN, wind and rain don't do well with tulips. Maybe this will be the last time this year. The crew started planting seeds and baby plants from plug flats to 4" pots to get them started, that way we can put them under cover if it snows or freezes. Sarah, the dog, is watching the progress, she would rather be planting than watching, she is smart enough.
We're giving our ivy geraniums in baskets a much needed sunning, they have been inside all winter. The geranium plants are about 10 or 12 years old now and still looking good. Our baby roses are all leafed out now, hope there isn't any more freezes, no room to put them inside. Next week going to start pruning Japanese Maples, lots of them to prune..several hundred. Well, bye for now, the garden guy.

Spring has sprung

2010-04-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's been a few days since my last posting, sorry Lisa. With the good weather I've been getting home late. We got snow on Sunday night and then a little on Monday. I'm glad we took the time to put flowers under cover. Azaleas and Rhododendrons are really pushing new buds like crazy, hoping that tulips and azaleas will be blooming all at once, it makes for lots of color. Lots of people coming every day to take pictures and admire the flowers, this makes my job really great! Finally finished pruning out the dead wood in the large oaks, most people don't notice that it's been done, but it makes me feel good. They look healthier and much happier...sounds crazy..it's a gardener thing..ha ha.
The Photinia is really pushing new red leaves, the red leaves are new growth. If you don't prune the leaves turn green. Enough for tonight, come see us, bye for now, the garden guy.

HAPPY EASTER

2010-04-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday, the day before Easter we had all the flowers under cover. Friday I was afraid we might get hail, so we moved the flowers under cover AGAIN! My poor guys have had to move them in and out so much this year, far more than the past years. Moved barrels out Saturday, lots of people taking pictures, but the weather changed,a storm moving in on Sunday, so Saturday afternoon we moved them back under cover. By doing this we may have another month of tulips and Iris.
Boots spent all day moving from one car to another so he had a warm place to sleep.
Mick, our ranch foreman was getting prepared for the possibility of frost on the grapes so he was checking sprinklers in the field. I'm still pruning dead wood out of oak trees. The new leaves are really coming out now and everything is starting to flower. That's it for now, thanks for checking in, hope everyone has a wonderful Easter day! The garden guy.

Daily Work

2010-03-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hi, it was a great weekend, the barn dance went well, Easter is coming up, remember Sunday Ironstone will have an Easter Brunch. So I am getting ready for the weekend. Mick, our ranch foreman was working with the cows last weekend, which added to the atmosphere for the barn dance.
The Flowering Cherry trees are starting to bloom, the azaelas are starting to pop their heads out, adding to the massive color all ready here from the other flowers. The rain today made us put all the barrels under cover to protect them. That's ok, it makes two huge spots of color. Still pruning pines and start to prune dead wood out of oak trees. The days are screaming by, before you know it will be summer!!
Got some flower plugs from a supplier, I'll tell you what we got later.
Thanks for checking in, bye for now, the garden guy.

Still Pruning...

2010-03-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hi,another couple days at Ironstone gardens..we pruned the Ironstone letters yesterday, what a job! The letters are 16 feet tall. They don't look that large until your standing next to them. Between pruning and clean up, it takes 4 guys just about all day. We do that 4 times a year. Glad that job is over for awhile.
Still working on the Black Pines Bruce! I have a before and after picture this time. The Pot Marigolds are going through a bloom again, just adds to all the other flowers blooming. The colors are spectacular right now...come on up.
Getting ready for the big barn dance Saturday night. Also starting to get the irrigation system ready, checking pumps and going through sprinklers.
Thats all for now, thanks for tuning in...The Garden Guy.

Spring cleaning

2010-03-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hi, Sierra Green Days went well, very busy Irish Days in Murphys, it was crazy, lots and lots of people. Spent most of our day cleaning up from the weekend. Spent the last part of the day working on one of my large Japanese Black Pines, forgot to take a picture before and after, you'll have to take my word it came out well..or come see it.
50 percent of the road daffodils are dying back, three to four weeks is as long as they bloom. Tulips and daffodils in the barrels are going strong...looks fantastic, lots of color. All the bushes and trees are starting to push buds, very cool time, I like it when the new leaves come out.
As you can see, Boots is working hard!

Sierra Green Days This Weekend

2010-03-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, crazy, busy this week getting ready for Sierra Green Days, there should be lots of neat things to see, and also should be a nice warm weekend. Daffodils are in full bloom along the road. With this 70 degree weather, probably will last only about another week. Don't worry, I still have 300 barrels of tulips, Dutch Iris and winter flowers.
The Flowering Plums are in full bloom, Forsythia and Camellia are also in bloom.
We are also working on painting buildings...lots and lots of work. I put the boards back in the dam, so the lake should be full by end of the week or so. Oh, watch for mildew on roses. Also mowed all 5 acres of lawns. Well, that is all for today, thanks for tuning in, bye for now...the garden guy (Since my blog has started, everyone that comes up to the winery, asks for the garden guy, so I guess that's my new name! ha ha.

A Great Daffodil Weekend!

2010-03-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a crazy, fast weekend we had. A great turnout for the National Daffodil Show. I shared ideas for three days straight, learned things I was doing wrong and found that I was also doing alot of things right. Learned about bulbs, flowers and what to look for in the soil for diseases.
Had a great visit with Brent of Brent & Becky's Bulbs, great guy (very smart and helpful). Everyone from the convention that I met was just awesome and extremely knowledgable about not only daffodils, but also all aspects of gardners and gardening. Sad to see everyone go home today. Bob Spotts of the NCDA is fun to work with. Met the Duncans, from Ireland who sold me the 100 Irish Daffodils that were out front. They are a wonderful couple!
Thanks girls for your very clever daffodil hats! We also had a cute doggie couple!!
The Calaveras Co. Garden Club has some excellent displays of their artistic flower designs in the breezeway by the caves, hope everyone got a chance to go see them.
Thanks to everyone that came to the show, both visitors and convention people. The shows over but the flowers are still going strong. Daffodils are at 95%, tulips are on the way. So keep checking with me. Boots the cat got lots of attention these last 3 days, so he needs some alone time..ha ha. Bye for now.

First Day of Daffodil Show

2010-03-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

Well, the National Daffodil Show has started. All went really well and very smooth with setup. Bob Spotts and his crew really know how to put on a flower show, they are all the nicest people to work with.
Today the flower arrangement group has started putting their part of the show together, fun being around creative people.
They said more snow tonight, so we put all the barrels and pots under cover, better to be safe than sorry. Hope it blows by. Can't wait till tomorrow, I get to spend the day meeting people, talking about their garden ideas...how fun is that! Hope my boss doesn't read this, he doesn't like me standing around...just kidding!
Hope to see you at Ironstone this weekend, bye for now.

Snow Again!

2010-03-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

Hi, well it snowed again, the daffodils are safe, thank goodness. This weekend is the National Daffodil Show, there will be lots of unbelievable flowers on display. My road daffodils are at about 75% and look good. Lots of flowers blooming in barrels, the tulips are starting to bloom which will add some extra color. If you miss the flowers this weekend, no problem, there will be a month of great flowers at Ironstone.
Most of our time has been spent getting ready for the flower show, but still lots of pruning going on, the black pines are next.
The Calaveras Garden Club is having their flower arrangement competition this weekend also, which will be held in the breezeway by the caves..just beautiful arrangements!
If you come by this weekend, say hi to me or ask questions. Thanks for your time and bye for now.

Beautiful Day at the Art Show

2010-03-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

The morning started out a little cloudy and cold, but the afternoon brought us that glorious sun. Had a great turnout for the Spring Symphony Art Show, many, many very talented artists. Met lots of great people today, so happy that so many people are enjoying all the flowers,art and of course sipping some great wine!
Here are a few pictures from today. Of course, Boots the cat was the hit of the day!
One of the artists was enjoying painting outside while the sun was out.
Tomorrow should be another good day, hope the sun is out all day. Come on out and visit us. I'm at the front entrance by the tasting room and museum, so please come by and say hi, if you have any questions about gardening I will be happy to try and help you.

Time to Trim the Wisteria

2010-03-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hi, I decided we needed to trim our 400ft. wisteria arbor. We haven't really trimmed it back for quite a few years. I may have messed up the bloom for this year, but in the long run it will be much healthier for the arbor. It was getting so thick, the blooms were not as visible as they should be. The other reason is on the last snow we had, it piled up and I was afraid it might collapse the arbor. And guess what...it snowed today, but it did not stick to the ground, but tonight, it will. When I left the winery tonight the temperature was 34 degrees. Thank goodness we moved everything under cover. The road flowers should be ok, they have shorter stems.
We started decorating for the art show this weekend and for the daffodil show on the 13th, hoping for some decent weather. Thanks for checking in and bye for now.

Getting Ready for Bad Weather

2010-02-27T19:20:00.000-08:00

Hi, well another day at Ironstone, because of the heavy rain predicted for the weekend, I had to protect the flowers in the 1/2 barrels and pots. It's a little extra trouble, but if the weather turns bad, it is worth the extra work.
We worked on painting and repairing latice archways and latice fencing that is used in our banquet department. We can always find work that needs to be done rain or shine.
March is going to be a busy, fun month, my Irish daffodils are starting to bloom...very cool. We are at about 25% of bloom, unless it gets really cold, this can change daily.
Well, that's it for today, thank you for looking in on our garden blog.
Bye for now.

Ironstone Friends

2010-02-24T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hi, today we had rain all day, glad it was in the high 40's. We sure don't need cold rain or snow, the worst would be hail. Easy snow never hurts the daffodils, but hail shoots holes right through them.
We are at about 15% bloom now. If the weather holds good, we should have a great showing for the Daffodil Show the weekend of the 13th.
I took some pictures of our Ironstone animal friends; Sara, Duke, Cassadora and our most popular cat; Boots! (he's the one sleeping on the red sofa). I included a picture of a sign I found humorous..Our Cats are working cats...not doing much work today! Thanks for reading and bye for now.

Press Release from the Daffodil Society

2010-02-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

Press Release:

GREET SPRING IN MURPHYS AT THE NATIONAL DAFFODIL SHOW

Daffodils - the harbingers of Spring - will be celebrated in Murphys, California on March 12-14, when Ironstone Vineyards hosts the National Daffodil Show. As a Show prelude, visitors will be treated to a dazzling countryside spectacle of thousands of naturalized daffodils.

The Show will have over one-thousand displays of daffodils – as cut flowers or growing in containers – showing bright colors and intriguing forms. Daffodils aren't just that yellow flower anymore!

The Show will especially feature small flowers – Miniatures – that grow happily in pots or in small garden spaces. The historic daffodils of the past won't be ignored either – they'll have their own section. Seeing them just might bring back childhood memories almost forgotten. Will you recognize some as flowers you see still growing on that long-abandoned property?

Members of the Calaveras County Garden Club will show their wizardry in creating artistic designs using daffodils. Not to be missed will be the Photography competition - beautiful photos on daffodil themes: portraits of blooms, daffodils in the garden, daffodils in the wild, daffodils and children, daffodils and pets, and more.

All sections of the show will be juried competitions. Look for the awards made by the judges and see if you agree!

The National Daffodil Show will be open on Friday, March 12 from 1-5pm; Saturday, 9am-5pm; and Sunday 9am-3pm. There is no admission charge. Parking is free in the Ironstone Vineyards lot.

Exhibiting in the horticulture and photography sections of the Show is open to the public. For information, contact Bob Spotts, (925) 625-5526 or robert_spotts@comcast.net or visit www.daffodil.org.

A limited number of tickets are available for Saturday and Sunday evening dinners prepared by Ironstone chefs. Call (209) 728-1251 for dinner reservations.

Love My Job!

2010-02-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Boy, I have a great job! Our flowers are really starting to bloom..we are at about 10%. I will give updates often. Had our last daffodil show meeting with Bob Spot, who is head of the National Show this year. It's really going to be an exciting show. Am trying to get flag banners and display items ready. We are still pruning and now started mowing the lawns, and using the weedeaters in areas that the mowers can't go.
The flowering plums are budding out, the Forsythia is trying to bloom, even have some camellias blooming. The plant I will highlight with pictures is beautiful. The interesting thing about this plant is in order to protect the bloom, it grows downward. It's a beautiful flower but you can't see it unless you turn it up, and it's called a Helleborus..you should try one.
Thanks for reading and keep checking on our garden progress and don't forget to mark your calendars for the weekend of March 13th for the National Daffodil Show.

A ton of Daffodils?

2010-02-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

Hi, been really busy in the gardens this week. These warm winter days makes lots of work for gardners. The weeds and grass are really growing while we are still doing winter pruning. With 14 acres of gardens, our pruning never ends, which is a good thing for me and my crew. I talked earlier about tons of daffodils, the picture I'm posting is what a ton of bulbs looks like. The other picture is of some of the 1/2 barrels that are planted and waiting to grow. As they start to bloom, I move them down to the winery...lots of fun. Some bulbs are starting to bloom, I have 50 or 60 barrels out in front of the winery. I will continue to give updates of flowers and will include pictures. I am starting to prepare for the daffodil show on March 13 & 14th. Hope you can make it, it's going to be great! Bye for now.

The Geese are Pairing Up

2010-02-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

All the geese that don't have mates are looking for girlfriends, we have several hundred Canadian Geese that hang out all year. They will be nesting soon.

Winter Pruning

2010-02-15T19:21:00.000-08:00

Today I started pruning the dwarf blue spruces. My crew are pruning the flowering plums.

Welcome to my Ironstone Gardens blog

2010-02-14T13:24:00.000-08:00

My name is Larry, my crew and I started these gardens since the beginning of the winery in 1990. I wanted to start this blog to let people know that the gardens are available to the public and to encourage people to come visit and see what we have accomplished. The gardens constantly change with the seasons and the availability of flowers. If you visit this February and March we have a wonderful display of daffodils and tulips, we have planted over 38 tons of bulbs around the property. There are 16,500 bulbs per ton!! This gives you an idea of how many bulbs are planted.
Please come visit the month of March, especially the weekend of March 13 & 14 for the National Daffodil show. When you come up to the winery, please ask for me, Larry, and I will be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, and I invite any comments.