Crocus and Snow Drops

The crocuses are blooming and the snow drops are fading. Spring is coming alive in the plump pussy willow catkins and fattening leaves and flower buds on the shrubs. Daffodils, tulips, mini iris and hyacinths have pushed through the ground. And so it begins again.

My first job will be to clean up the mess winter left behind or that I didn't get to in the fall. Autumn Joy sedum, Autumn Sun rudbeckia and hybiscus spent flower stalks will be cut back as I rake leaves out of all the nooks and crannies in the garden.

I don't think I'll trim/prune the crepe myrtle this year. The shape & size seem fine. The crepe myrtle is the Rip Van Winkle in my garden and never really comes to life until later in the spring. So, I'll have time to change my mind and make a few adjustments if necessary.

The ornamental grasses will need to be cut back as I begin to see green shoots and before they blow leaves and seed heads all over the neighborhood. I don't believe they will need to be divided this year since we divided them (with a shovel and ax)the last two years.

I'll be spreading mulch as the clean-up progresses. I'll also need to divide daylilly Stella 'd Oro & Liriope. I need to dig up some snow drops for a neighbor.

And the list goes on and on. To me, it's better than Christmas.

Helleborus - Lenten Rose

Royal Heritage. Spring has had a bit of a set back with a late winter storm last Friday. So what is a gardener to do after direct-sow seeds are ordered, the plan for this year's garden is finalized, and the cuttings are growing?



It would be nice to be outside staring at the purple flowers of the hellebore but they are covered with snow. So, I'm doing the next best thing - staring at a picture of last year's bloom.



I bought this plant in 2002. It is one of the most carefree plants in my garden. I don't cut it back in fall. The leaves are green all winter - any green is a treat amid the brown of winter. In late February/early March as flowers start to appear, I do a snip here and a snip there of the old leaves. And reveal a lovely bunch of purple flowers and new leaves.



It is planted along a path in the garden that is shaded from the afternoon sun. It is in a well-drained area that was once mostly clay. The soil, over the years, has been ammended with mulch and not much else.


If the weather forcast holds true, I'll be staring at the real thing by the end of the week.

Philadelphia Flower Show

Legends of Ireland. Talk about chicken soup for the gardener's soul - What started out as a lovely (almost) spring day got even better when we entered the convention center.

It's hard to describe the glitz and glamour and over-the-top displays. I believe there's something there for everyone - from the well-done, well-documented display of herbs by WB Saul School of Agriculture to the EP Henry presentation of pavers and walls in backyard garden design.





Many of the displays captured the spirit of Ireland in the hardscape as well as the plants. Irish plants and poetry were interspersed with garden faeries and leprechans. The Celtic Garden Imports of Dexter, MI epitomized the simple beauty of Ireland and won Best In Show and the PNC People's Choice award. The pictures (here ) with roses and simple plants, embody the unplanned look of an old Irish garden.

The Penn State booth, manned by Master Gardeners, was informative and humorous with slide shows and posters and quite a few experts who are eager, friendly and willing to help with any gardening question.



Miniatures, garden rooms, flower arrangements, pictures made from dried flowers, water color paintings, amazing plants and shrubs entered for judging, and vendors all add to the experience that is the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Spring Garden Show

Lehigh Valley Flower and Garden Show opened March 2 to March 4. This small show had some nice displays by local nurseries and educational institutions.

The displays illustrated the theme "Nature Comes Alive". Spring flowering shrubs, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips lined newly built garden paths, ponds and fountains. Lehigh Valley Technical Institute had an wonderful display for their first effort at this show complete with a water feature. Native plants were the interesting focus at Edge of the Woods Nursery.

The Penn State Master Gardener display featured growing tomatoes. As usual, the sections were informative and creative. The area pictured here answered some common tomato problem questions. There also was a artistic display of home canned tomatoes. It made me hungry for a bite of a ripe, jucy, home-grown tomato and anxious to get out in the garden.

The only disappointment at this show each year is the lack of plants for sale. But, I managed to come away with two Golden Lemon Thyme plants for my garden path.

Amaryllis. The amaryllis rebirth is always amazing to me. The potted plants spent last summer in a shady but bright place in the garden. I watered & fed them with fish emulsion about once a month.

I brought them in late August and let them dry in a cool dark place under the plant tables. I started giving them a little water before Christmas and added a little potting soil to the top. I kept them in the same place and gave them a little water about once a week.

About 6 weeks later, I saw a tiny bit of green poking up from the bulb. Then I moved them to a sunny location and watered well. And, like magic, a beautiful bloom. As with every year, not all of them will bloom. I'm happy with one out of five - in time to combat the "February Funk" and get me in the mood for the Philadelphia Flower Show. My space and time allow only 5 plants.

I have 2 varieties - both were gifts so I don't have names. The plant pictured here is called "the one Pam gave me." I also have a deep red I call "Rosey's Daughter" because my uncle called the original "Rosey". How's that for a scientific explanation?

Some of the bulbs will need to be divided this spring. If I can find someone to give them to, I'll repot the "babies" and give them away. If I can't find someone to give them to, I'll plant them in the garden & enjoy the foliage for the summer. Please leave an comment and email address if you're looking for a free amaryllis - no guarantees :-).

Hibiscus. What can be better than blooming hibiscus in February? Or a sunny day on the beach in the winter? Or a visit to Mayan ruins so hot that it made you spend the entire afternoon in the pool? We returned from the Riviera Maya, Mexico back to reality.

Cuttings. The cuttings are growing nicely and present a pretty winter windowsill in February. I have about 20 to 30 plants in various windows in the house. I'll start taking cuttings from the cuttings soon and should have a good crop to set out in May. I put them in a sheltered spot on the deck around the beginning of May to harden off. Then they should be ready for garden or pot by the time the danger of frost is over - about May 15 in zone 6.

The impatiens cuttings have not fared so well. I have one left - and it doesn't look happy. Ah, well, that will mean a trip to Hickory Grove for new plants (definitely not a hardship!) Hickory Grove, in Catasaqua, PA, has great plants and I usually come away with more than I planned.

I will also need some Dusty Miller. As annuals, these pretty gray plants usually survive the winter in my garden. But, I know I will need to replace a few that don't. And, a I'll need a few petunias and marigolds and maybe a new rose. See - that's how it goes.

Cow Pots. I just followed this link from the National Gardening Association Regional Newsletter. http://www.freundsfarmmarket.com/cowpots/index.html.htm

Looks like a great idea. The peat pots I've used in the past never seem to let the roots grow through. Even though I put a bunch of holes in the pot with my thumb nail at plant time, the pots end the summer intact. I noticed that the pots don't degrade when I re-potted annuals from the garden to bring inside to take cuttings for the next summer.

I may give them a try this year.

Compost Tea. I am determined to make compost tea this season. A simple (?) method appears on Doug Green's Simple Gifts website http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/compost-tea.html . Other websites also offer "how to" articles for making compost tea including HGTV http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_soil_water_mulch/article/0,,HGTV_3634_1369956,00.html and PA Dept. of Environmental Protection https://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/Tea/tea1.htm .

I'll try to keep this blog up to date with my success or failure (never say failure. Change that to progress or delay.)

Any hints or tricks to making this happen would be most welcomed!

Poinsettia. The poinsettia from Christmas 2005 has colored. I didn't do much to it in 2006 - I put it out side in a shady spot, watered & fed it a bit and mostly ignored it. I usually do a little trim, but I couldn't make a decision whether to trim when I put it out in spring or when I brought it in last fall. Soooooo, I did nothing. Sometimes, the lazy gardener takes over.

The new poinsettia from this past Christmas has expired - frostbitten in it's travels I'm sure. I still have it in the house. I guess I'm hoping for some kind of resurrection. The perennials & shrubs out in the garden usually have to be dead about a year before I remove them - hope springs eternal.

January Gardener. I spent the last few weeks of unseasonably warm weather doing a little more clean up in the garden while trying to keep my big feet out of the soft dirt. I did a lot of work reaching out from garden paths. It's delightful to be outside in January.

The mild weather has delayed cabin fever and put me in a much better mood than most January's. But, it's a cruel trick on plants and shrubs. I'm not looking forward to the plant damage that may happen if it doesn't get cold soon.

During the long, dark evenings I found some new (to me) garden blogs.

Garden Rant, http://www.gardenrant.com , is written by 4 women - expert gardeners and excellent writers. Susan Harris, Elizabeth Licata, Michele Owens and Amy Stewart aproach gardening with a sense of humor. Each one of the Ranters also has her own blog apart from Garden Rant - Gardening While Intoxicated and Dirt are two of them. Gives you an idea what I mean by sense of humor. The October 18 blog by Amy "Gardening Hurts" and the comments that follow is a gleeful compilation of garden mishaps (hottest posts award).

Another blog http://www.robsplants.com is written by a Lehigh Valley Gardener. This blog is full of plant information, how-to articles, links and local information. Click on "garden" to find an interactive map of his home garden. It's enough to make a garden blogger green with envy.

Of course, I still tune in to http://douggreensgarden.com . Doug is lives in Canada but includes information for gardeners everywhere. His blog, as well as his web site, http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com , is full of garden articles and e-books. Doug is a prolific writer (and gardener). Both sites are searchable. He answers questions in his free newsletter. Sign up for lots and lots of garden information. Doug also runs garden photo contests.

PSU Master Gardners http://blogs.mcall.com/master_gardeners/ in The Morning Call http://www.mcall.com is a great blog. Recent blogs include Thank Heaven for Hellebores, Don't Trash Your Christmas Tree, Pine Cones and "Bugs" On Your Real Christmas Tree. This blog includes links to educational sites.

All of these bloggers write with a sense of humor. I've found that garden work is easier with a sense of humor (and a can of beer?).

• The philosopher who said that work well done never needs doing over never weeded a garden.- Ray D. Everson
  

Garden Success and Failure. I'm sure every gardener has her/his share of success and failure in the garden. We learn from our mistakes, right? mmmmm

I'm posting a few of my successes and a few of my failures. Any comments would be welcomed. Misery and joy love company!


Failure:

Tuberose -Double Flowering Tuberose Polianthea Tuberosa. I bought a few bulbs early in 2004. I potted them and put them outside in May. They never flowered. I brought them in in fall and put them out again in May. No flowers. Last fall, I brought them in and let them dry back - treating them like the amaryllis. I re-potted them and put them out in spring. 2006 again no flowers. This year I put them in the garage to dry and overwinter. In spring, I'll plant a few in the ground and some in a pot. 2007 may be my last year for the Tuberose!

Sweet Pea - Ferry & Morse seeds. This may be partially a success story. I don't have a lot of full sun garden areas. I planted seeds in May in a spot next to our fence where they would get the most sun. But, I let them climb on the cleome for support which gave them more shade . I had only a few flowers. Next year I'll try some sort of trellis or plant them in the middle of the yard.

Seedbalz - Cosmos & Bachelor Button. There were no Bachelor Buttons. I think the few Cosmos that came up were seeded from last year's plants.

Impatiens cuttings. Each year I lose a few cuttings. This year I lost all of them. They start out fine, bloom & look great. Then they get tiny white spots and eventually the leaves curl up and the plant dies.

There were a few more failures - but let's not dwell on that. On to better things -


Success:

Coleus Cuttings. I had 8 flats to plant out in May (including some impatiens & begonias). Coleus have become my favorite annual. I used them in pots, in dry/part shade and to accent perennial color or form.

Canna (pictures posted October 16) - The original tubers were a gift. They grow easily and have a tropical impact on a long blank garage wall - and they multiply like rabbits!

Euonymus - Variegated Emerald Surprise (I think) - upright shrub. I conquered the dreaded scale. A few years ago the bushes were sparce and one of them bit the dust. I've been spraying regularly with water/baking soda soap solution and this summer they were full and healthy.

General Garden Design - I really like the way the garden looked this summer. But - the best garden is always next year's.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! AND HAPPY GARDENING!

Christmas Holly. We call this Ali's Holly. I have a plant named for each one of the grandchildren. Ali was a wonderful Christmas present in 1997. And that year we transplanted a holly in her name. Every year around Thanksgiving Ali, and whoever else is around, decorate it for Christmas with red bows and gold garland.

It's become a family tradition. Sometimes - no, make that most times- the decorating is accompanied by complaining & grumbling. It's cold, it's windy, it thorny, you know what I mean. But, it's always satisfying when finished. -- especially after the first snow fall.

Happy Hollidays!

Pointsettia. I bought a pointsettia from a co-worker's daughter's fund raiser. It's large & very nice. The bright red bracts are perfectly beautiful BUT I think it might have gotten a "chill" in either delivery or on the ride home. The bracts are beginning to look limp. I cut the bottom out of the green decorative foil for drainage. The soil feels neither too wet nor too dry. I tried to be very careful on the trip home because I know how little tolerance pointsettias have for cold. The next few days will tell.

I bought one from the same source last year. It was perfect and cheery for weeks. I put it outside in the shade this summer and fed it several times with fish emulsion solution. I brought it in in fall and put it in a room with natural light but not much artifical light. I forgot to trim it this summer so it's fairly large. The bracts are now turning red. If the new one doesn't survive the old one will take it's place

There is an excellent blog in the Allentown PA newspaper, The Morning Call - http://blogs.mcall.com/master_gardeners . An article on pointsettia has lots of information and tips. The blog is written by Penn State Master Gardeners at the Lehigh and Northampton County Cooperative Extension. There are always tips, information and links for gardeners.

Grass

Grass. I use tall grass to anchor the garden and provide winter interest. I only have two - one is a zebra grass, the other is something else :-) . Both were gifts from a neighbor.

Two is enough for me. I love the look of them, especially in winter. But, the spring job of cutting them back before the fronds blow into the neighbors' yards and dividing them with a shovel and an axe make two the limit to the spring workload. Thank goodness I have a big strong partner who is good at digging and axing.

Christmas Cactus

Leaves of fall. We had absolutely beautiful weather on Saturday - 60+ degrees and sunshine. We spent the entire day outside - raking leaves and cleaning up the gardens. With this glorious weather outside it's hard to get in the groove of taking care of house plants (and cuttings). I seem to be doing OK - haven't killed anything yet.

The white Christmas cactus is blooming. It's in dire need of a trim. I have to remember to do that when it's finished blooming. It also needs to be repotted - I haven't done that for a number of years. I think I'll do a root pruning and put it in the same size pot with fresh potting soil. I really don't have space for a larger pot.

I never bought a Christnas cactus. I have two red ones that bloom later. They all came from cuttings from my aunt Betty's plants. She gave me the first one when I was 16. One red blooming cactus is getting woody so I'll try to remember to take a cutting after it blooms and start a new one.

Garden Volunteers

Each year I am amazed by plants that pop up in unexpected places thanks to the birds, squirrels or wind. A holly, some evergreens and a dogwood all appeared through nature's magic. This year I was surprised by some pretty pink snapdragons & a yellow mum. I don't have any pink snapdragons or yellow mums in my garden so these two were very welcome additions.

Cutting Disaster

Garden Help! Cutting Disaster. The impatiens cuttings are beginning to die off. If you can see it on the picture (click to enlarge) there are tiny white dots on the good-looking plant on the left. Eventually, I assume, it will get to look like the plant on the right. I plan to spray again today with the baking soda solution (see Oct. 16 post). The coleus cuttings don't seem to be affected. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

On a brighter note - the Halloween topiary arrangement was made at the monthly flower arranging class at Patti's Petals on Third Street in Bethlehem. The class is great fun and, despite my lack of talent, produces a really nice take-home arrangement.

End of Season Color. Mum's are great this time of year. I've had trouble from time to time with their longevity. Here's another one that seems almost indistructible - Chrysanthemum koreamun 'single Apricot' Garden Mum. It grows in my garden under a dogwood tree. I pinch it back until about the end of May and prop it up with 20" vynl fencing but it still flops a bit and spreads more every year. I know I'll have some to give away next year. The daisy-like flowers are a great show.

My cousin, Dave, dropped by yesterday and agreed to take some of the canna rhizomes. There are plenty more for the asking. He's going to share some of his "perennial sunflowers". He said they get about 8' tall & are covered from bottom to top with yellow flowers in fall. I can't wait to see what they do in my garden.

Organic gardening and patience. Long ago I developed an iterest in gardening at my grandmother's side. Grammy was a widow with seven children. She never used chemicals because, even if she could find them back then, she wouldn't have had the money to buy them. Her garden was always beautiful. When she amended the soil with compost or coffee grounds, or tea leaves, she knew it would take a while to see a difference. No matter - that was just gardening.

With this wonderful memory I've tried to eliminate chemicals from the garden. I use a LOT of compost & mulch (which is free from the city of Bethlehem!) I still use some chemicals but I catch slugs with beer, put coffee grounds around some shrubs, spray bugs off with water, try to eliminate scale and fungus with a baking soda/soap solution (1 gal. water, 2 tbs. baking soda, little dish soap - insecticidal soap would be better but I never seem to get around to buying any).

In this day of instant gratification, it's hard to have the patience to wait for results. But it is well worth the effort. It took three years to eliminate the scale from the euonymous - I'm still working on the clay soil from the garage construction.

Doug Green has a wonderful web site to help eliminate chemicals as well as offer helpful gardening tips. http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/ Check it out and sign up for his newsletter.