Home Show

.

Although there’s a cold wind howling outside, we must be close to spring. Home shows are popping up faster than dandelions in April. It’s a good time to get out of the wind and check out local home products and services.

Master Gardeners will be available at the Eastern PA Spring Home Show in Ag Hall at the Allentown Fair Grounds February 27 through March 1. (Click on the link for more information and directions.)

Gardening for all ages, gardening in small spaces, gardening with children and gardening without breaking your back will be part of the display. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions. Informational fact sheets may help with problems you had last year or point you in a new direction this year.

If you’re interested in growing a pot of tomatoes, a garden full of produce or improving your landscape with some new plants, stop by and talk to a Master Gardener.

Spring is only 27 days away.

.

Rain Garden - Part 2

(Picture Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, New Zealand)
,

Is it worth the effort to put in a rain garden?

According to Rutgers Research & Extension Fact Sheet, one rain garden in New Jersey receiving run off from 1,000 square feet could treat about 25,000 gallons of water per year. I think that alone makes rain gardens worth considering. If you multiply by any number of rain gardens, it adds up fast.

How difficult is it?

After checking for underground utilities (“PA One Call” dial 811) and figuring the size garden, the rest is manual labor. Detailed instructions are available from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources/University of Wisconsin Extension.

.

If you can convince a few friends to lend a hand, your only costs may be for mulch and plants (and perhaps a few cases of beer). Maintenance includes watering the first year, weeding and adding mulch when necessary. As the garden fills in, the need for weeding should be reduced. Pruning and trimming will take a little time in spring and fall. If all goes well, maintenance should take less time than mowing the area.

All proponents recommend using native plants. Most native plants grow well in the wet/dry conditions of the rain garden. Also an attractive mix of native plants is more likely to be pest and disease resistant. Natives can also provide habitats for beneficial insects, food for birds and butterflies and add biodiversity in the landscape. You can contact your local extension service for a list of natives for your area suited to rain gardens.

Recent rapid growth in the Lehigh Valley has caused basements and roads to flood. I can’t imagine how it is affecting our streams.

.

Rain gardens are being installed as a solution around the world. Google "rain gardens parking lots” for an extensive list.

Whether or not you think a rain garden is for you, encourage municipalities to promote rain gardens in new construction to lessen the impact of urban development.

.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - February 2009

.

The pink hyacinth is the only plant in bloom in my Bethlehem indoor/outdoor garden. See January 31 post for details of my method and madness.

The snowdrops are almost there. I imagine it will be a few days before masses of little white flowers carpet the front garden.

I saw buds on the Lenten Rose on my stroll on the garden paths this week. The Heath and Japonica are beginning to show some color.

The anticipation is euphoric!

.

Rain Garden

(Illustration USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)

.

Several weeks ago I attended a Master Gardener presentation on rain gardens. Rain Gardens seem like a good way to help control stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff carries with it fertilizers, pesticides, bacteria from pet waste, eroded soil, road salt, grass clippings and litter. The runoff ends up in streams and lakes. A rain garden can be as simple or as complex as you have the energy and resources to invest.

If you want to read a scary story about pollution of the Chesapeake Bay read the US Geological Survey about pollution and what is being done about it.

One of the top three causes for pollution of the bay is water runoff from urban areas.

Rain Garden Network lists the benefits of a rain garden.

“Basically, rain gardens are an inexpensive, simple to implement and environmentally sound solution to urban stormwater runoff. A Rain Garden will:

Filter runoff pollution
Recharge local groundwater
Conserve water
Improve water quality
Protect rivers and streams
Remove standing water in your yard
Reduce mosquito breeding
Increase beneficial insects that eliminate pest insects
Reduce potential of home flooding
Create habitat for birds & butterflies
Survive drought seasons
Reduce garden maintenance
Enhance sidewalk appeal
Increase garden enjoyment”

I’ll continue with more information on rain gardens in my next post.

.

Scented Garden

.

You may have noticed that the three plants in the last “NEED” post are scented plants.

I have been working on a scented garden for six or seven years. The garden is about 10 feet wide by 35 feet long. The Daphne and Casablanca Lily will add their aroma to that garden. (The tuberose will perfume our deck.)

(Picture May 2006)

.

I’ve noticed that a lot of flowers in this garden are white. I like the white theme. It’s very restful. I don’t know if this is botanically correct but it seems to me that there are more fragrant white flowers than any other color. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

White blooms:

Sweet woodruff with the tiny white flowers serves as groundcover

White Lilacs bloom in May

Garden Phlox David tall white beauty adds to the summer aroma.

On a summer evening, Nicotiana Fragrant Cloud sends a slight perfume to only the most discerning noses.

The twinkling flowers of Sweet Autumn Clematis lightly scent the air in fall.

Sweet alyssum gives off a heavenly fragrance all summer long.

Other colors: In early spring hyacinths bloom. In April Sweet Shrub’s heady aroma fills this garden and beyond. Summer scent of Lavender Grosso brushes against strollers on the path.

Daphne will add some bones to the garden and add to the spring fragrance. Casablanca Lily will enhance the late summer perfume.

I can’t wait to sit in this garden with a cup of coffee and inhale.

.

(Note: Bat white-nose syndrome has been found in Pennsylvania caves. See February 27, 2008 post.)

.

Plants I really NEED for 2009

.

Notice I didn’t say “want”.

I’ve been thinking about these plants for several years. I have more plants that I would like to have but these three have moved into the “really must have” category.

Tuberose

Casablanca lily

Daphne (Daphne burkwoodii)

.

I’m ready to shop!

.

Planning for Vegetables

.

Have you started planning for spring? I picked up a bunch of seed packs last weekend. Everything except sweet peppers will be planted directly in the garden or in containers.

I haven’t started plants from seeds indoors for years. When we moved into this house many years ago, I found growing from seed didn’t work as well as it did in the old house. I soon realized it was more efficient to buy plants. Well, I’m going to give it another try. I’ll start small with just sweet peppers and see how it goes. I’ll use grow lights. Hopefully, I’ve gained enough gardening knowledge and experience to be successful this year.

Here are the seeds I picked up.

Vegetable Seeds

Oregano (organic) Sweet Basil Ocimum basilicum
Basil - Mammoth
Carrot - Royal Chantenay
Parsley – Forest Green
Lettuce – Salad Bowl
Lettuce – Oakleaf
Lettuce – Prizehead
Lettuce – Black Seeded Simpson
Radish – Early Scarlet Globe
Pepper – Early Sunsation (yellow sweet pepper)

Flower Seeds

Zinnia – Cupidon
Zinnia – Giant Flowered Mix
Sunflower – Chianti Hybrid

I’m going to plant the herbs and some lettuce in the fish boxes I picked up last November. My next step is finding places for the other vegetables in the flower garden. Yes, that’s right. I plan to put vegetables amid the flowers. We’ll see how that works.

,

Forcing Bulbs

.

I potted some bulbs in November. Watered and stored them in a box in the garage. My biggest concern was about water. Too much might rot the bulbs. But nothing rotted so I guess I did OK. I brought them into the house and put them in a sunny window on January 13.

Narcissus Grand Soleil d’Or is labeled as “Indoor Narcissus.” The package suggests, “Spread some pebbles or marbles over the (potting) mix for a nice appearance and to prevent the Narcissus from falling over when in full bloom.” I haven’t done that (yet). The growth actually started within a few days.

The hyacinth was labeled “Pink”. I used the same method as the narcissus. You can just see the bloom in the center of the leaves in the picture.

It was a simple project and fills some of my need to garden in these cold, snowy months. I’ll post a picture when they bloom.

.

(More information on forcing bulbs from Penn State Cooperative Extension - Berks County.)

.

.

Onion Snow

.

Or wishful thinking.

The definition of onion snow from Answer’s dot com –

n. Chiefly Pennsylvania.
A light snow in late spring, after onions have been planted.

The onion snow is usually a non-event. A light, short-lived snow that disappears in a day or sometimes in an hour.

I call every snow the onion snow. I’m bound to be right sooner or later.

.

Croton

.

I reduced my houseplants by 50% last year.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have plenty of house plants. But, I had too many plants and was running out of space and time to care for them. I decided to simplify my gardening life – not as many plants to water, feed, repot, carry in and out. So, I gave half of them away.

What have I been doing lately? You guessed it. I’m lusting after new house plants.

One of the beauties is Croton (Codiaeum variegatum).

Croton’s bright pink, red, yellow and green leathery foliage would cheer up any room. They are tough tropical plants. They need warmth, humidity and high light. The leaves are poisonous if eaten. They may sometimes be bothered by mealy bugs, spider mites or scale. More information from Virginia Cooperative Extension.

I’m not sure they are right for my house. But, wouldn’t it be fun to try?

I’ve managed to control myself so far. I haven’t bought a plant. Hopefully, spring will be early this year and the busy time will take my mind off buying house plants. I hope I can hold out that long.

.

Vegetable Garden

.

Planning a vegetable garden this year?

Lehigh and Northampton County Extension Spring Garden Series - March 18, March 25, April 1 and April 8 - will cover many aspects of vegetable gardening – from planning through harvest.

If you would like some help with your vegetable garden contact Lehigh County 610-391-9840 or Northampton County 610-746-1970 extension Office.

You can also pick up a brochure at the Master Gardener booth at the Eastern Pennsylvania Spring Home Show at the fair grounds Ag Hall February 27-March 1.

.

Paradise

.
I’ve returned from Hawaii and I’m fighting desperately to catch up (specially with my favorite blogs). In the mean time, I thought I’d post some more pictures from the Road to Hana in Maui.

And, I hope someone can identify the two plants at the end.

North Maui Coastline

Black Sand Beach

Hana Ranch.

Pools of 'Ohe'o

Spectacular Falls

Please let me know if you recognize these plants. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

.

Garden Blogers Bloom Day - January 2009

.

Nothing blooming in my house. My garden is mostly brown among the evergreens and snow.

Since nothing is blooming in my garden I thought I’d post some pictures of plants I saw on my vacation – sort of borrowed gardens. Anyway, here are some pretty colors.

I need help with plant identification. If you recognize any of these plants please let me know.

Can you guess where I was?

.

.

Another Garden Year

.
Spring, summer, fall, and winter –

.

.

.
2008 is almost at an end. It’s been a good year in the garden. I’ll be away until the end of January so I will take a break from blogging. I’ll miss fellow bloggers and friends. Hopefully, I’ll come back with renewed energy.

I look forward to next year’s garden. I hope we will all meet back here at the end of January. Talk to you then.

Have a loving holiday season and a new year filled with joy.

.

The Winter Gardener

.

The Fragrant Year by Helen Van Pelt Wilson and Leonie Bell

Some books give you that warm, fuzzy feeling. This is one of them.

Published in 1967 as collaboration between internationally known writer, lecturer and gardener Helen Van Pelt Wilson and expert plant illustrator Leonie Bell, The Fragrant Year is full of information for a scented garden.

The romantic style created a pause from holiday stress for me. Wilson writes with a love of plants evident in her poetic pen.

Chapter 15, “Autumn Aromas”, begins –

“Summer slips so gently into autumn, and the warm lush scents of plants in full leaf change so imperceptibly to the crisp dry smell of those soon to fall, that until the one low branch on the great sugar maple above the rock ledge turns significantly to gold we are hardly aware of the slow passing of another year.”

After reading through the somewhat long list of plant fragrance classifications, I suspect my unsophisticated nose would not be able to make the distinctions. I’ll have to take the authors’ word on the nuances of fragrance.

The information is precise. The authors lived and gardened in zone 6. Varieties of plants sorted by season and listed by botanical name fill the book.

The longest chapter “Just Roses” contains rose history as well as a discussion of varieties, their growth habits and scent.

In the section “The Bourbons":

.

“By the end of the nineteenth century, ’Mme. Isaac Pereire’ had become a favorite. Considered one of the most fragrant of all roses it provided pounds of petals for the potpourris then so popular. . . . Bushes grow to 6 feet and some canes reach higher; bending them down discourages bloom.”

(Photo: In my garden - Bourbon Rose, Madame Isaac Pereire, 1881)

The book provides transportation to an earlier time. Whether read from beginning to end, taken in small doses or browsed by areas of interest, it is a lovely guide to building a scented garden.
.

Christmas Cactus

.
The orange tinted cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) is actually a Thanksgiving cactus. A gift from a friend two years ago, this orange/red flowered plant is the second to bloom each year.

My 3-cactus collection spends the summer on our deck out of direct sun. I bring them in at the end of summer. They spend most of the year in a cool, unused (no artificial light) room in a sunny, south-facing window.
.

Since they are out of sight I sometimes forget to water, but they don’t seem to mind - as long as I get there before they totally expire. I fertilize every other week in the summer. They may get a weak fish emulsion fertilizer a few times in the winter. Did I mention that I sometimes forget about them?


The white cactus (Zygocactus) bloomed in early November.

.
The red Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) has set buds and will be in full bloom by Christmas.

I bring each plant into the dining room as they start to bloom. The three plants provide 2 or 3 months of flowers during the winter.

Of all the house plants, the Christmas Cactus must be the easiest flowering house plant to grow.

More information from Clemson University Extension.

.

Euonymus Shrubs

.

The leaves of Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Surprise’ (on the left in the picture) turn slightly pink in winter. The winter pink color was the one of the reasons I bought them.

I planted three bushes in spring 2000. Leaves with a green center and creamy white edges create a showy shrub but it’s not without problems.

Scale destroyed one of the shrubs and threatened the others. The tiny white, armored invaders can suck the life out of them in one season. University of Minnesota “IPM of Midwest Landscapes” has some excellently gross pictures and information.

I control the scale using a spray of 1 gallon water, 2 tablespoons baking soda and an little dish soap. I’ll spray several times in spring. I usually get the bush dripping wet. Then, I repeat the spraying during the summer.

I also prune back hard in spring. The growing season will produce about two feet of growth so I try to get them really short. Virginia Cooperative Extension pruning schedule includes times to prune shrubs in our area.

Euonymus fortunei ‘Moonshadow’ (to the right in picture) with its creamy white center and green edge doesn’t have the same problems in my garden. It is low growing, doesn’t need much pruning and has never been bothered by scale. It never turns pink in winter but it’s a lot more care free. It’s amazing what a difference a variety makes.

.