Waiting

While waiting for the amaryllis to bloom…

I decided to repot the fern -

A knife around the inside edge to loosen the plant; a little root pruning; a slightly larger pot; fresh potting soil; done.

Still waiting

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Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea (with annual Aster)

According to Doug Green’s Perennial Garden Tips: “The name Echinacea comes from the Greek, echinos or hedgehog.” I can almost see a little hedgehog in the spiny seed head. You can read the rest of Doug’s article here.

As I worked on my spring to do-list this week, I added another low-maintenance perennial that needs some maintenance.

Purple Coneflowers should be divided every 3 to 5 years. I tend to ignore them well past the 5-year limit. I procrastinate until they look raggedy, bloom less or turn black from mildew because they are too crowded. All that happened last summer.

I have 2 large clumps of these tall, back of the garden perennials and a small clump that somehow grew under a dogwood tree. I’ll dig up the large clumps, separate and put some plants back in the same spot. I’ll pot up the rest to give away. I’ll move the small clump to a corner of the front garden that can use some color. Then, I’ll be good for another 5 years.

Even low maintenance plants require some maintenance.
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The no-maintenance garden is spelled C-O-N-C-R-E-T-E.


More information: “Dividing Perennials” from Clemson University Cooperative Extension
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Dianthus

Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Bath’s Pink’

Here’s another perennial I that’s an easy keeper in my garden – just two little bits of maintenance during the year. It’s been in my garden for ten years.

The slowly spreading ground cover grows 6 to 8 inches tall. The flowers hover above the foliage.  It blooms well in full sun, After bloom it is easy to deadhead with a hand grass edger or to grab a bunch of stems and snip them off with a hand pruner. I have never had it re-bloom.

The new growth lays on top of the ground and can be trimmed with a scissor to keep it the right size - just lift and cut. . .

It always seems to me to have a brief bloom time. The pictures from May 5 (in bloom) to May 29 (after trimming) prove it’s not much different from a lot of other perennials.

(May 5, 2010)



(May 29, 2010)

Dianthus is also called pinks. I remember my grandmother talking about the pinks in her garden. I thought the name came from the color of the flower.

It turns out that pinks are named for the flower’s saw-toothed edge. A piece of cloth is pinked to keep the fabric from unraveling. Sewers may be familiar with the zig-zag edge of a pinking shears.

 For me, it’s about as care free as a perennial gets. Neglect doesn’t seem to bother it.

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Liriope

Liriope muscari

This low maintenance plant is also known as lilyturf or monkeygrass. It is an evergreen, slow-growing, clump-forming, plant.

My original plant was a division from a neighbor. I have 3 clumps now. There are only a few things to do to keep them tidy.

Each spring, before new growth starts, the old, tough-as-leather leaves need to be cut back. I missed this step a few times and it didn’t seem to make much difference. Some experts say to set your lawn mower to the highest setting and run over it. I think the easiest way to trim it is with a weed whacker. Trying to trim the tough leaves with a hand pruner or scissor is frustrating to say the least.

If you don’t have a weed whacker offer your neighbor a beer to come whack them down. Each plant takes about 45 seconds. It’s worth a beer (or a case of beer if you have a lot of Liriope).

If the clump starts to get too wide, dig it up and divide it immediately. An 18” wide root ball can weigh a ton and will need to be divided with an axe or a large saw. I’m talking from experience here. (Judging from the size of the lirope pictured above, I haven't learned this lesson.)
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Liriope muscari 'variegata' is a more striking plant. The picture is from my daughter’s garden. I like the variegated leaves. Someday I may replace the solid green with the variegated variety. Or, if I wait long enough, I may get a division from her garden.
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Liriope muscari seems to grow anywhere. Mine are planted in part shade. It blooms in late summer and produces black berries for the birds in fall. And it really can be ignored – somewhat.

More information from Fine Gardening here.

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I’ve been shoveling but it’s not dirt

It’s winter. Snow shoveling comes with the territory in zone 6, I guess.  So far we’ve been lucky with no major snowfalls just a bunch of minor ones. It’s not as much fun as planting a new perennial or starting a new garden bed.
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But, I’m told the snow is good for the garden. It conserves moisture in the soil. It insulates and protects perennials. It keeps the soil temperature more even and prevents heaving from alternate feeze/thaw cycles. And, it paints a pretty winter garden picture.

I wish it would only snow on the garden and not on the sidewalks and streets.
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The Perennial Care Manual

“The Perennial Care Manual – A Plant by Plant Guide. What To Do and When To Do It”, by Nancy J. Ondra. You can get a taste for her writing at her classy and informative blog “Hayefield”. 

This large book (8 ½” X 11” with 355 pages), replete with Bob Cardillo’s gorgeous photos, is divided into two parts - “Perennial Care Basics” and “Plant by Plant Perennial Guide”. It is one of the most readable books I’ve ever read.

The “Perennial Care Basics” section contains a lot of information to absorb. From starting a new garden to revamping the old garden, there are so many tips and tricks simply make you say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

For instance, I want to mulch the roses after ground freezes but, after the ground freezes, the mulch is also frozen. Nan’s advice: Cover the mulch with a tarp to keep it from freezing. I did that this year. I made my mulch pile on the patio next to the roses and covered it with a tarp. The mulch stayed warm and I mulched the roses in December. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Not in a lifetime could I get so much information in one book. Each one of the 125 perennials in the “Plant by Plant” section includes growing tips, seasonal care and troubleshooting. Inserts for most of the plants contain tips and facts not found in your average plant description.

An insert for Crocosmia:  “Definitely Deadhead – Where crocosmias thrive they may actually grow too enthusiastically to the point of being aggressive…invasive in some regions…”  I haven't had that problem yet but I will definitely keep an eye on them. Deadheading is a simple task. A few snips and the job is done.

I guess you can tell I’m a big fan of this book. I’ll be happily dreaming through it all winter and beyond!



A reminder for local gardeners:


SPRING GARDEN SERIES
Get out of the house for an evening and start thinking SPRING! The first session starts 6 PM January 17 at Bethlehem Township Community Center. Call 610-391-9840 to reserve a spot or print the brochure in the link above and send it in.
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Christmas Cactus

Last January I pruned the roots and trimmed my old Christmas cactus. (See post “Root Pruning” from January 27, 2010.)    I don’t prune the roots often because Christmas cactus doesn’t mind being root bound.

This plant could be Schlumbergera russelliana - that's my best guess. It is the granddaughter or great-granddaughter of the original plant I got 50 years ago. The flowers are brilliant red and it is usually blooms at Christmas. I have never seen one exactly like it at the garden centers.

After trimming last year, I took four cuttings and put them in a small vase of water. I planted them in potting soil about a month later. All four cuttings ended up in a single 4” plastic pot (because I was too lazy to plant four separate pots). Maybe you can see the tiny buds on the baby plants in the picture below.

I’ll transplant each one to individual clay pots one of these days. These plants seem to do better in a clay pot. (Plastic pots may keep the plant too wet.) Also Christmas Cacti tend to get top heavy. The weight of the clay pot keeps them from toppling over.

I will give three away.  I'm looking for takers.

I’ll keep one to start a new generation.
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Spring Garden Series

Back to reality and time to plan for spring!

2011 Master Gardener Spring Garden Series

Evening Classes (6 PM) begin Monday, January 17 at the Bethlehem Township Community Center, 2900 Farmersville Road, Bethlehem, PA 18020. Phone: 610-746-1970. The first classes will be “Cottage Gardening” and “Pollinators”.

Saturday Classes (9 AM) start February 12 at the Lehigh County Agricultural Center, 4184 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, PA 18104. Phone 610-391-9840. “Heirloom Tomatoes”, “Composting” and “Pollinators” will be the subjects to start the series.

The charge for each class is $7. Click here to access the brochure “Grow Healthy Gardens and Healthy Landscapes” for all the details. If you are interested, sign up soon. Class size is limited and classes have been filled to capacity in other years.

Spring will be here before we know it.    ----   I am so over last year!

Other topics in the Spring Garden Series:

• Community Gardens in an Urban Setting

• Green Roofs

• Backyard Fruit Production from Apples to Zinfandels

• Flowering Trees: The Good the Bad and the Scabby

• Pruning Landscape Trees and Shrubs

'tis the season

As I wind down the gardening year, I am very thankful for the opportunity to share my garden with everyone. I am grateful for other garden bloggers, teachers and friends from whom I have learned so much.

To me gardening means hope in the future with the anticipation of creating something beautiful or colorful. It means a rest from the stress of daily life. It means working in the sunshine and getting my socks dirty. It is a joy and a frustration. It is more than its parts.

I wish you all a joyous holiday season. May the New Year hold many happy gardens for you.


“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
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Coco Cay

I’m really off my schedule lately and I can’t see it getting any better any time soon. Outdoor gardening is done for the year. I have house plants and cuttings to take care of indoors. I watered the Amaryllis for a March bloom. I’m reading a great gardening book.

I’ll get back to all that after the holidays.

So, here’s the final installment of my vacation. Oh. how I long for warm weather and swaying palms.

When you get off the tender on Coco Cay, you are greeted with a straw market and bright multi-colored buildings. The colored buildings pay homage to the natives brightly colored buildings. Historically, members of the same family painted their homes the same color. It was a sign of family pride. The rest rooms (above) are a whimsical example.

Rocky limestone paths crisscross the center of the islet. Some of the paths are steep with a thick rope strung from tree to tree for a handrail.

About 60 permanent residents maintain the island including a cook, a nurse and an engineer. The tidy compound is behind this sign.

The remains of an old building purportedly built by slaves in the 1700’s lies next to Blackbeard’s grave.

Edward Teach, also known as the villainous Blackbeard, is said to be buried on Coco Cay. There are Blackbeard stories everywhere from Florida to the Carolinas.

–A rather gruesome tale states that Blackbeard was killed in Beaufort Inlet in North Carolina. He was beheaded and his body was thrown in the water. His head was taken to Portsmouth and hung from the top of a large pole as a warning to others. Rumor is that his skull became a ceremonial goblet for a college of William and Mary fraternity.

Any animals on the island were imported.

I only saw two - a 4’ long iguana
and a chicken.
Royal Caribbean’s signature drink, Coco Loco, is served on the beach. It is delicious – a mixture of coconut, pineapple, papaya and banana flavors in an icy slush. “Coco Loco – makes you feel good.”

With temperatures in the teens here, I wish I was sitting on a warm beach with a Coco Loco right now.

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Confession of a Plant Geek

Which would you choose? Lounging on soft a sand beach or a guided hike to look at plants? I chose the hike. I guess that makes me a plant geek.

Coco Cay in the Berry Islands lies 150 miles east of Miami and 35 miles northwest of New Providence (Nassau). Also known as Little Stirrup Cay, this little chunk of paradise oozes with the rich folklore of the Bahamas.

Bush medicine is a large part of the Bahamian culture. African slaves in the 1700’s used indigenous plants to cure everything from menstrual trouble to measles. Our guide’s grandmother set up shop every Sunday after church to treat the villagers. Grandma wasn’t above pinching children’s noses until they swallowed the unpleasant potion.

Walking and writing was difficult over the uneven limestone paths. Reading my notes is even more difficult. Most of the information below was gleaned from the internet.

Buttonwood tree (Conocarpus erectus) - bark tea used to externally treat prickly heat and inflamed eyes. Used internally for syphilis and diabetes. The gray shimmer makes this tree stand out. from Ardastra, Gardens and Zoo Conservation Center

Cactus Prickly Pear (Opuntia dillenii) - gel used for healing wounds. The ripe, red fruit can be eaten raw or baked, and can also be made into jellies and wine. All parts of this thorny plant are useful for food or medicines. from Bush Medicine booklet Raven's Voyage

Gum elemi (Turnera ulmifolia) also known as gumbo-limbo in the Bahamas - boiled bark used topically for skin sores, measles, sunburn, insect bites, and rashes or drunk as tea to treat backaches, urinary tract infections, colds, flu, and fevers. It is very important ingredient in the aphrodisiac Bush Tea called “21 Gun Salute”. from Bahamas Folk Medicines
Lignum Vitae (Guiacum officinale) is The National Tree of The Bahamas. It is called the Tree of Life, or as many old folk call it "Nigly Whitey". Extremely hard and heavy self-lubricating wood. Steeped bark is drunk as a tonic for creating energy or as an aphrodisiac. from Bahamas dot gov

Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera) is used for upset stomach. The roots have been used to treat diarrhea. from Ardastra, Gardens and Zoo Conservation Center

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) Medicinal uses of the tamarind are uncountable. Here are a few:

leaves and flowers - dried or boiled, poultices for swollen joints, sprains and boils. Lotions and extracts used to treat conjunctivitis, as antiseptics, as vermifuge, treatments for dysentery, jaundice, erysipelas and hemorrhoids and various other ailments
bark - astringent, tonic and febrifuge; fried with salt and pulverized to an ash, given as a remedy for indigestion and colic; decoction is used for gingivitis and asthma and eye inflammations; lotions and poultices applied on open sores and caterpillar rashes.
powdered seeds - made into a paste for drawing boils, with or without cumin seeds and palm sugar prescribed for chronic diarrhea and dysentery.
root infusion - curative value in chest complaints and is an ingredient in prescriptions for leprosy. from Purdue Horticulture Education

Bush medicine is woven tightly in the culture of the Bahamas. It is part of the heritage of the islands. Researchers have been studying the properties of these plants for years. Who knows, maybe we are already taking something that had its beginning in the Bahamas.

Even though I missed some beach time, I'm glad I took the hike.

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Key West

An island off Key West.

Donna (of Mama Mia Days) got it right.

The pictures are indeed from Key West. This bright and colorful town has many attractions. I enjoyed my short time there topped off with a House Margarita at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville with the other Parrot Heads.

I’ve listed the names of the places below the pictures in the last post. You can check Wikipedia for more about Key West.

Thank you Donna!

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Where Am I?

Can you guess where I am? For some of you, this may be too easy.

It’s a place with beautiful and lush small gardens. Its history is rich in the pirates and patricians, houses and hovels, palm trees and pubs. If you like to party, this is a good place for you. The following pictures should give you some hints.

Please leave a comment with your guess. I hope you enjoy the view. (See comments below the pictures for the answers. Added 12/8/10.)

Bougainvillea drapes over the fence of a private residence in Key West.

Key West Lighthouse (1847). Originally much closer to the shore but instead of the waterfront eroding away, landfill was brought in leaving the lighthouse further inland. Maintained by Key West Art and Historical Society.We passed many gardens like this in old town.

Part of the lush gardens at Hemmingway House.

Truman’s Little White House. Part of the US Naval Station Key West. President Truman spent 175 days there during 11 visits.

Hemmingway House. A wedding gift from his second wife Pauline’s uncle where he wrote “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Snows of Kilimanjaro” . The purportedly manic depressive Hemmingway and a few friends built a privacy wall around the house with bricks “borrowed” from the city’s paving of Duvall Street. The brick construction is a little untidy due to the consumption of large amounts of alcohol during construction. (So I’m told.)

Famous six toed cats were very friendly and everywhere at Hemmingway House.

A sign at the entrance to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Great burgers and the best (house) margarita ever!

Key West harbor. The red building in the center is Key West Museum of Art & History, formerly the Old Post Office and Customshouse

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