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Showing posts from July, 2014

Summer Care for your Container Garden

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It’s summer and the heat has set in.   You want nothing more than to find a cool spot and sip on some iced tea.   But what about your container garden?   Are your plants surviving?   Or are they looking a little weary of the heat too? The key is watering. Of course you all knew that.   Right?   But, the best time to water is NOT when the container is completely dried out and the flowers are wilting. The key is keeping a regular watering schedule.   Water the containers thoroughly.   As long as the pots have drainage holes, I’d say go ahead and over water.   This allows the soil time to soak up the extra water.   Often we sprinkle the pots and they look wet, but if you stick your finger into the soil you’ll find that less than an inch down can be dry as a bone.   This means the roots are not getting the moisture they need the water is running off or out of the pot. Fertilize regularly.   I usually use a time released variety in the spring.   I mix it into the soil prior to pu

Weeds - the real nasties!

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I’ve posted before on weeding—no one’s favorite subject.   In those posts, I talked about proactive and reactive ways to rid your garden of the undesirable plants. But there is one more thing.   In this the age of information, knowledge is power.   Knowing the weeds in your area will give you the ability to beat them before they get to you.   Here are a couple I have encountered over the years: Bindweeds   Bindweeds.   I made the mistake of confusing these with the morning glories I grew over our back fence.   Big mistake, big, big, big mistake. Although they are a valuable honey plant and come from the morning glory family lineage, they are an obnoxious weed. These plants have t-h-o-u-s-a-n-d-s of seeds that come from each flower.   It can reproduce from seed or from one tiny piece of root left in the ground when weeding.   Once they penetrate your garden, they are nearly impossible to get rid of.   Two suggestions for eradication:   **1  P ull the dirt away from t

Pinching Back Annuals

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  Are your annuals looking spindly? Out of control? The best thing you can do is pinch them back.   This encourages your annuals to create more shoots on the remaining part of the stem, which in turn gives you more flowers. All you have to do is pinch or cut off the last inch or so of the stem.   This does a couple of things.   First, like I noted above, it causes the plants to create clusters of stems to replace the one you pinched back.   The plant will end up being shorter and fuller.   Secondly, it will produce more blooms. By pinching off the stems you are redirecting the plant’s energy from producing seeds to creating more flowers. If your annual is out of control, then you may have to pinch a few of the stems back to the last or second to the last set of leaves.   Although it will product great results I don’t suggest doing this to all the branches as it will end up looking like a hedge trimmer ran amuck through your flowers.   A few critically placed pinches more of

Dividing Bearded Iris

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A neighbor called me the other day and wanted to know if I wanted some of his Bearded Iris.   As with any avid gardener like myself would do, I said, “Yes!”     Bearded Iris are tall, show-stopping plants that range in color from white to deep purple, some having two colors, or two tones of the same color.   They are an outstanding backdrop to smaller plants and make an excellent addition to bouquets.   Their foliage stays green long after flowering, which makes them a first-rate addition to any garden. They are, however, a high-maintenance plant.   The rhizomes, the roots of the Bearded Iris, are susceptible to soft rot and borer damage.   This can be eliminated by dividing the rhizomes every two to three years. The rhizomes of a Bearded Iris can be divided any time after they bloom through the month of August. Here are the steps to follow: ** Carefully lift the plants from the ground using a pitchfork starting about a foot away from the outermost edge of the plant. ** Sha

Mulch

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There are basically five reasons to mulch: 1.       To prevent weeds 2.       To keep the roots cool in hot weather 3.       To slow evaporation of moisture from the soil 4.       To protect your plants from the winter winds 5.       To add nutrients to the soil (when using organic mulches) However, there are some rules to mulching: 1.       Don’t put a thick layer around seedlings or mulch over seeds.   It will act like a blanket and discourage the seeds from sprouting, which is a good thing if the seed is of the weed variety, but not otherwise. 2.       Keep mulch pulled away (about 1 to 2 inches) from tender sprouts. Organic mulch will decompose.   And when it goes through the decomposition phase, heat is created.   If it gets too hot, the heat can kill young plants. 3.       Think brown.   Although adding grass to a compost heap is great, mulch created from fresh grass clippings can be deadly to your plants (young and old).   4.       Some mulch contains s

Cooking Disasters - How long do you cook your eggs?

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This story, though not funny at the time, is funny now, so I thought I’d share it. When my oldest son took I nap, I usually did too.   At the time, I was halfway through my third pregnancy and was eager for any chance I had to catch some shut-eye.   This particular day, I didn’t feel very tired so I put several eggs on to boil and decided to put my son down for his afternoon nap.   He wanted me to lay down with him and I did, still truly believing I was not tired. Yep, you guessed it.   I fell sound asleep only to awaken to a horrible smell. I have to interject here that I laid him down in my bed which was upstairs at the front of the house.   Our kitchen was located downstairs at the back of the house.   The stench had to travel through the living room, up the steps, and to the opposite end of the house before reaching me. It took me only about one-half of one second to realize my mistake.   I dashed down the steps—dashed being a misnomer as I was carrying twins and was a

Weeding Tips

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Weeding—the dreaded job.  I hate it and I’ll do almost anything I can to make it as easy as possible.  In a previous blog post dated May 19 th , I explained how I do most of my weeding in the spring which is a proactive approach. Do it once—and you don’t have to do it again. (No, I’m not kidding.) But if time didn’t have time for that or you’ve just acquired a weed-infested perennial garden, then here are a few tips: Get them when they’re young.   The best time to yank a week out of the ground is when it is small and the roots have yet to be established.   The longer you let the offensive weed grow, the bigger the root system and the more nutrients it will pull from the soil, thus depriving your plants of needed water and vitamins. Weed when the ground is wet .  Like after a long summer rain or a thorough watering.  The key is to pull out the entire plant, roots and all.  But if the top 3 or 4 inches of the ground is hard and dry, the plant will break off leaving a portion

Plant of the Month - Daisies

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  Plant of the Month - Daisies Who doesn’t love daisies with their bright, sunny disposition and easy-to-grow attitude?   They are a staple of a perennial lover’s garden and often one of the first perennials people will grow.   But did you know there are 23,000 species of daises?   And that not all of them are white? Did you know a Dandelion is considered a Daisy? Some well-known varieties of varying colors are Chrysanthemums, Gerbera, Calendula, and another of my favorites Coreposis. Some daisies, such as Osteospermum are so tender they are classified as annuals. I’ve grown daisies that are not much more than a foot tall to ones that are three foot high and greater. With this flower the possibilities are endless!   Which is why I consider it one of my favorites. Light:   Partial Shade/Full Sun Zones:   3 – 9 (Depending on variety) Plant Type:   Perennial Plant Height:   24 - 36" (Depending on variety) Plant Width:   16 - 20" Flower Color:   Tradition

We are one nation under God

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It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible. - George Washington. We are, and should always be...One Nation Under God! Happy Fourth of July!

Tools for the Beginning Gardener

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Sometimes people ask me what tools they need to start a garden. The list isn’t extensive, but the items listed below will make your job easier.   Gardening catalogs can tempt even the most seasoned gardener into believing a certain tool will solve all their gardening problems.   But I’d stick with the basics to start.   Gloves :   I highly recommend a decent pair of gloves that will allow movement, but not too bulky.   They will save your hands and let you enjoy your new hobby without tearing up the skin on your hands. Hand trowel :   Don’t skimp on this hand-held shovel.   If you can, try to get one that is stainless steel so it won’t rust.   It comes in handy for planting small plants and digging in tight areas.   Shovel :   A shovel is the work horse of your garden.   I have two kinds:   a short handled and a long handled.   I recommend getting the best you can afford and it will last you forever. Rake :   It’s a great tool for cleaning up the debris that falls in your gard