Ideas Into Reality

24 June, 2011 Reply

Many homeowners have dreams about how they want their yard to look. However, sometimes our dreams don’t quite live up to what we envisioned. Some people are great at visualizing. Whatever they envision becomes reality. For some it is hit or miss, sometimes it looks great, others it’s lacking. For some, what they see never matches they get.

There are a several ways to overcome this. First, you can practice with small projects until you can visualize what you want and have it come out like envisioned.

Second, you can find pictures of what you visualized and then copy them. This can be drawn from books, web sites, places you’ve visited, etc.

Third, you can enlist the help of software. These can be especially helpful when you are doing remodeling or landscaping.  Many programs these days show you what the yard will look like when it’s first planted and then progresses it over the years to show the mature yard. This can really help in placement of larger trees and shrubs. Often trees and shrubs are planted too close together, to give a more mature feel. When they mature the plants suffer because they don’t have room for proper growth.

Last, you can enlist the help of a professional landscape designer or architect. You tell them what you want and they then envision it and make it a reality for you.

I would always recommend that you work on the first option, even if you use one of the others in the interim. There is nothing as satisfying as seeing your vision materialize right before your eyes. That is the ultimate in creativity.

I did that when remodeling the interior of our home and now I’m using it on the exterior. It’s working out very well. Sometimes things even come out better than I expected!

 

Drowning In Weeds

16 June, 2011 Reply

We all have the best of intentions. We see our yard beautifully landscaped, not a blade of grass out of place. The flowers are blooming happily, raising their faces to the sun. Funny, we never envision our garden choked with weeds, or the grape trellis breaking and our grapes now lying on the ground. We don’t see the reworking of the deck taking weeks, instead of hours.

Gardeners are optimists. If we weren’t we’d never plant a seed, because planting a seed is an act of faith. You believe that the seed will grow. You trust that not only will it sprout, but that it will grow up to be a beautiful healthy plant that will either flower or produce food abundantly.

We never imagine the innocent little plant that we put in the garden, could be invasive in our climate (or maybe even just our yard). We don’t ever envision our garden being eaten by deer, or insects or plundered by fungal diseases.

Even when things like this happen we continue on. Hardships are taken in stride. They are a part of being a gardener. It’s almost like childbirth, we don’t remember how bad it was even a few days after the event. We’ve turned our attention to another new project, or plant.

I just spent approximately 12 hours weeding the berries and grapes. I got up this morning and my fingers are swollen from all the intense pulling, digging, etc. But do I stop the plans I have to increase the berry and grape patch. NO! I’ve got bigger and better plans that will keep them free from weeds and growing beautifully on trellises that are strong.

I still have other gardens to rescue from being choked alive with weeds. I’ll dutifully clean them out, over and over, until I get ahead of the onslaught. I love gardening, even when there are pitfalls. When the first bachelor button opened its beautiful purple blossom I’m still just as enchanted as I was when I was 5.

 

Quality Makes A Difference

13 June, 2011 Reply

After nearly 20 years still shiny & work great!

For years I bought my garden equipment at Walmart or the Dollar Store. I didn’t have a lot of money and thought it was thrifty to buy inexpensive tools.

Finally, I needed to replace my old worn out shovel. I looked around and began drooling over a stainless steel garden spade and fork set. I really, really wanted it, but didn’t think we could afford it. I put a shovel and fork on my Christmas list, little expecting my husband would buy the set I coveted.

On Christmas morning I went to open up the obvious garden tools, and to my delight there lay the bright shiny stainless steel set. It was so shiny. I almost couldn’t put it in the dirt. Finally, I took the plunge and the shovel slid into our hard clay dirt so easily! I was shocked. The fork did the same thing.

The write-up said dirt wouldn’t stick to them, that they would stay sharper longer and they were guaranteed for life. As I began spring cleaning I was flying through tasks that took me much longer with cheaper, poorly made tools.

Today, nearly 20 years later, I’m still using the same set. I’ve only had to sharpen the shovel twice. The fork broke right after I got it and they replaced it immediately, no questions asked. The second fork is still going strong. The dirt doesn’t stick to them, unless I’m trying to work soil that is too wet. They clean up like a breeze, they’ve never rusted at all and they are still shiny!

It taught me a lesson, quality is important in some things. Tools is one of those. It’s not like a cheap pair of flip-flops that are worn one season. A fine tool will last you a lifetime and will make any chore simpler and easier to accomplish than a cheap tool would.

My recommendation to anyone interested in gardening is buy the best tools you can afford. It will make gardening a delight and you’ll be much more likely to continue gardening, than if you have cheap, built in obsolescence tools.

 

Birth Of A Daylily

10 June, 2011 Reply

A year or so ago I noticed a new little daylily plant coming up. I hadn’t planted it there and it was obvious it had come up from a seed, as it was tiny. I decided to just leave it and see which plant it was from. I expected to look like one of the two daylilies nearby, either yellow or peach.

This morning I opened the door and it was blooming. A big glorious bloom that doesn’t look much like either of the two daylilies I have. I was pleasantly surprised, as I was expecting it to be a copy of one of the two. It does have some yellow in it, but it has the deep rusty red of the native daylilies in it. So, it must be a cross between the two of them.

The markings on it are unique and unlike either of the parents. After looking at about a dozen daylily sites I couldn’t find one that was very close to this one. I was shocked. I may have a truly unique flower going here! That would be exciting and fun.

Daylilies are easily bred, but I had no idea they could do such spectacular things all on their own. Hopefully I’ll be putting in my daylily bed this year and then this little gal will have a new place to show off from. I’m going to call it Blissfully Victorious, that’s what my name means. All this from a little patience, allowing a stray plant to grow to maturity.

 

Focus Plant: Zinnias

7 June, 2011 Reply

This is the year of the zinnia! Zinnias (Zinnia elegans), are super easy to grow annuals, that will provide a plethora of blooms perfect for cutting the entire summer season. There are dozens of varieties of zinnias. They range from tiny to gigantic, and just about every color in the rainbow can be found.

If you just want a flush of color there are the “Profusion” series that are low growing, small flowered, but masses of them. Or you can make a statement with zinnias that get upward of 3-5 feet with blossoms 5-6” across. There is a zinnia for everyone.

Not only do they come in different sizes, but different shapes, too. There’s cactus petaled, with their pointed, twisted petals. Maybe you’d like the dahlia style. Maybe beehive shaped blossoms interest you. Or a simple pointed petal look. You can get single, double, and even pompom looks.

Colors range from white, to green, with pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, purple, bi-colored, spotted, or even changing color over time.

Only the most common zinnias can be found at garden centers and they are usually expensive, sold in 4” or larger pots. You can easily start zinnias indoors in early spring or outside once the soil has warmed. This gives you access to a diverse collection of beautiful, tough, long lasting flowers.

Zinnias attract both butterflies and hummingbirds and few pests really bother them much, maybe slugs on the low growing varieties. I always save lots of room for zinnias in my gardens. Mine have already started flowering.

Understanding Annuals

2 June, 2011 Reply

This is the big show for annuals. Summer months are when they get to show off. Since annuals only live one season, they bloom profusely in an attempt to set seed. Their goal is to see the next generation born.

From early spring until hard frosts in fall there are annuals that you can grow in your area. You just need to be aware of a few tips when purchasing annuals. There are some annuals that do best with cool, mild days. In some areas of the US they will bloom throughout the summer, due to the mild climate, however, the same annual planted in a hotter environment will either languish or die in the heat of the summer.

Other annuals love the heat and sun. These will not flourish in the milder climates, but will put on an amazing show in the hotter climates. You also need to look at humidity, because even some heat lovers, don’t care as much for humidity. In this case planting them in an area of the yard where they’ll get relief from the hot afternoon sun can keep them blooming throughout the summer.

It is a good idea to read up on annuals that do well in your area, before purchasing. Home improvement and department stores don’t necessarily send plants that are designed for your area of the country. So, to avoid disappointment, doing a little homework is worth it. You can also talk to employees at garden centers, as they know much more about the proper growing conditions for the plants they offer that non-specialty businesses.

Last, in order to keep those annuals blooming like crazy, don’t let them set seed. Since their sole purpose for blooming to perpetuate the species, if you don’t let them do it, they just keep trying. So, deadhead on a regular basis if you want continuous blooming out of your annuals. It is worth the little bit of effort it takes to clean the spent flowers.

Edible Landscaping

30 May, 2011 Reply

Flowering Cabbage & Kale plus Pansies line my entry walk, all are edible

As more and more of us are interested in having good fresh produce in our house, many are turning to growing their own foods. However, if you have a small lot or live in a condominium you may not have room to put in a vegetable garden, berry patch and small orchard. Edible landscaping to the rescue.

What is edible landscaping? It is incorporating edible plants right in among your ornamentals, so they blend in or stand out, depending on your desire. It means that you plant a fruit tree in your front yard, instead of a shade tree. You plant flowering cabbage or kale along your walkway instead of dwarf holly. There are probably edible plants to replace every ornamental, but that’s not really necessary, even incorporating a few can really be a delight.

It is a little bit of an art to know what plants will look good in certain places, but there is a lot written about it these days. Not only that there are many varieties of vegetables that are being grown so that they are more compact and fit beautifully in any garden. Just visiting Rosalind Creasy’s home page, she’s one of the pioneers of edible landscaping, will be enough to inspire you to try at least a few plants tucked in around your ornamentals.  The upside is that you’ll have not only a beautiful garden, but one that is nutritious, too.

And The Winner Is

27 May, 2011 Reply

‘Old Mexico’ zinnia by 2 days.  The ‘Thumbelina’ zinnia is now open as well. Both are yellow. Last year all the ‘Thumbelinas’ were pink, so I’m really glad to see that I have something other than pink this year.

This is one of the most exciting times of the year. Everything is popping into bloom or sprouting from the ground. Because the soil is nice and warm seeds are sprouting in just a few days. I planted corn, beans, squash, and watermelons less than a week ago and all of them are coming up.

The flower seeds I sprinkled in the front last week are up and going strong. The bachelor buttons are putting on buds, the strawflowers have doubled in size and the sunflowers are growing rapidly.

The summer perennials are in bloom. I went a little crazy last year and bought a bunch of plants before I had a garden so had to squeeze them in all together before our trip to India. This has made for a spectacular display of flowers already. It is fun to watch as the plants that were just tiny sprigs last year are putting on flowers for the first time. Seeing them in the catalog and seeing them in person can be quite different and I’ve found a favorite already in the Achusa azurea I bought on a whim last year. It has been blooming since sometime in April and doesn’t seem to want to slow down. It is clear blue, one of my favorite flower colors and about 4’ tall. I’ll be adding more of those for sure, once I get the cutting bed put in.

I think one of the things gardeners enjoy the most is watching the plants produce, whether it is flower or fruit. To see a seedling or tiny plant persevere and mature is so fulfilling. It is almost like having children.

Protecting Your Outbuildings

24 May, 2011 Reply

You’re lazily having your morning cup of java, enjoying the early spring air and all the beautiful flowers in your yard, when you switch on the TV and find that yet another burglary has happened in your neighborhood. Glancing out your window at your recently finished workshop, you realize that you might just want to look into a home security system. You’ve got a lot of expensive woodworking tools out there and would hate to come home and find them gone.

A search on your laptop reveals that home security lincolnton is located right in your area. You take a look at their web site and decide to give them a call.

You sit down to check out your morning email and visit your favorite news sites before you start your workday. You notice a link for http://www.localtv-satellite.com. Out of curiosity you click on it to see what the latest offers are. You decide to get a quote on having it installed, and consider having it run out to the workshop so you can catch the games while you work on your latest project.

Anticipation

19 May, 2011 Reply

Spring is well underway and the vegetable garden is starting to produce masses of peas, greens, lettuce, and strawberries. The spring bulbs and perennials have flowered and the early summer ones are starting to blossom. The most anticipated time is when the first flowers grown from seed blossom.

This is a truly fun time as you wait to see what colors the flowers will be. If you’re growing a new variety, waiting to see how big the flower is, what markings is has, how it compares to your favorites, is like waiting to see who won best actor or actress at the Oscars.

I’ve got two flowers competing to see who is actually going to open up first. Will it be the ‘Thumbelina’ zinnia or the ‘Old Mexico’ zinnia. Every day I go out and check to see how far along they are. Today the ‘Old Mexico’ was starting to show color, so I think it’s going to win.

Last year was the first year I grew that particular variety of zinnia and I absolutely loved it. I only had one plant, but it bloomed non-stop from early summer until the first hard frost. The flowers start out one color and end another, so it looks like you have two plants mixed up together. It is very hardy, withstanding being over and under-watered while we were in India.

This year I have bachelor buttons and strawflowers in abundance. It will be great fun to see what colors they end up being, as I’ve only had a few of them make it to maturity before. This year I have scads of them and I have them tucked here and there all over the yard.

I’ll let you know who wins the race and if there are any new flowers that grab the coveted “Best New Flower” spot away from ‘Old Mexico’ zinnia.

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