Species Tulip

The species tulips, Clusiana Lady Jane, picture above were purchased from John Scheepers, Inc. in October 2004.

Why species tulip? Here's a quote from "Iowa State Horticulture and Home Pest News".

"Are you tired of replacing your hybrid tulips every few years? Would you like a tulip that naturalizes well? The answer lies in the selection of species tulips."

Nuff said?

The same year I also purchased Tulip Majorletti, Clusiana Chry Tubergens Gem (left) red and Tangerine Beauty yellow/orange. I chose the tallest I could find and they come back beautifully every year.

Spring

Spring really started in earnest this weekend. Mild temperatures allowed me to continue garden clean up. There are still leaves and other winter debris in all corners. I'm trying to work one section at a time - and not go into a total frenzy. I finished about 1/4 of the garden cleanup and about 1/2 of the mulching so far. I haven't even begun to divide or move plants.

Volunteers are ready to rock & roll in the community gardens. Blumenplatz is Bethlehem's Musikfest garden located behind the public library. (The Star of Bethlehem represented in dusty miller is pictured here after initial planting in 2005.) Work on the garden began this week with fence scraping and primer paint. The new color will be hunter green.

Bethlehm's sister city is Tondabayashi, Japan. Bethlehem Garden Club is responsible for maintenance of the "Garden of Serenity" (located next to the library). Mr. and Mrs. Fenninger and Yoshinaga Sakon, one of Japan's outstanding landscape architects, created a tea house and garden in 1971. Spring maintenance begins this week.

Bethlehem Garden Club is also responsible for The Miller's House Garden located in the Industrial Quarter of Historic Bethlehem. This Colonial to Victorian age garden includes old time roses and kitchen garden herbs and vegetables as well as other period flowering plants and shrubs.

Happy Spring! Get out the liniment.

Bougainvillea

A bright spot in the otherwise gloomy, cold, wet weather we've had this week - the Bougainvillea is blooming in my living room!

Semi-formal Garden

The wide, angled steps off our deck lead to an offset rectangular concrete pad with cement sidewalks heading off to the left and right. Each year I try to minimize the square of it and enhance the illusion of a circle. I’m not a big fan of formal gardens. I tried create the arc with different shades and textures – does this make it a semi-formal garden? (photos from 7/2/06)

When we built the deck 7 years ago, I measured a straight line about 15' from the center of the steps. Then, keeping one end at the center of the steps, I moved the other end in small increments to complete a half-circle. I laid a hose following the line and marked inside with a line of Round-up. Several days later, we removed the sod and dug and amended the soil with compost, peat moss and sand (because that’s what we had). I laid bricks flat along the edge for a border and mowing surface.

I planted the outside edge with fescue (Elijah's blue). I will need to divide & move some of the fescue to fill in spaces this year.

The second layer is dusty miller (which is semi winter hardy in this location). The price is right for these annuals and I love the gray foliage (see February 4, 2007 post). I usually add a row of pinwheels in spring to try to keep the birds from ripping out the dusty miller for their nests.

The next layer is euonymus shrubs (emerald surprise and fortuei moonshadow).

I try to keep the line of the curve in these layers. Last year I added a row of sweet alyssum to the inside mostly because I love the flower’s smell in the summer sun – again the price is right - they come up everywhere in my garden and are easy to transplant.

I’ve tried to create a focal point in the center using a large rock and a hanging solar light. This is also where I put the fallen pot in the summer.

We planted a juniper (Tolleson’s blue) off center. This tree was a poor choice for this location. It has a very hard time out in the open over the winter and will not stand up without being staked. We’ll replace it someday.

Each year I have another bright idea on how to make a circular-shaped compliment to the steps. So far, my ideas have not been entirely satisfactory – I guess that’s obvious since I ammend the plan every year.

This year I trimmed the euonymous on a thinner line. I lost some to scale so this line is not filling in as quickly as I'd like. (see December 29, 2006 post) I adjusted the rock and the solar light to be more directly on center and will move some rocks to follow the arc. I’ll still use alyssum in a row at the inside of the arc, try to keep them trimmed and have the fallen pot in the center.

And so it goes - another illustration of the best garden is always next year's.

Winter Damage

It seems as if I spoke too soon in my last post.

I checked the shrubs yesterday and there is some damage from the freezing temperatures we’ve had lately.

A lot of the buds on the old, large rhododendron on the west side of the house are brown and shriveled. The row of azaleas on the same side look a little burned too.

Many of the new leaf buds on the hydrangeas are also caput! And some of the flower buds on the dogwoods were hit.

Ah yes, it’s bound to get warmer soon – isn’t it?

Daffodils

I think you can never have too many daffodils. I have quite a few throughout my garden. I love the yellow drifts in spring. They are tall enough to be seen from the street and the deer don't like them.

I have some I want to move because I think they don't get enough sun to make them bloom. I also have some hyacinths with the same problem and I want to move them too.

I plan to try to disturb the roots, bulb and leaves as little as possible during the transplant. I will dig the transplant hole first & then try to get the biggest dirt clump with the bulb that I can. Hopefully, the less they are disturbed the more energy they will be able to store for a bloom next spring. It may take a few years to get a bloom but they aren't doing much where they are so, what the heck, I'll give it a try.

A little warmer weather would be helpful. We've had temperatures with wind chills in the 20's and 30's the last few days. The rest of the garden seems OK. So far, I haven't seen any damage to the plants and shrubs that are beginning to leaf out. Oh well, mother nature is one of the variables to deal with when gardening. She doesn't always co-operate.

I bought 4 large pots at Ollie's ("Good Stuff Cheap") for my container garden. The price and size were right. I try to stop a Ollie's periodically. Sometimes I find things I need and sometimes I come away empty handed.

Container Gardening

Pole Beans and Cucumbers. I've decided to try container vegetables on our deck this year(about the only full sun place left in my garden).

I ordered Bush Champion cucumber and Kentucky Wonder pole beans from Burpee. Master Gardener Karen Bernhard sent me a link for container gardening help. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.html

I have a few ideas for containers, but I'll have to do some shopping to find something suitable. I plan to use bamboo stakes to support the pole beans. I need to do some more research before shopping for supplies.

I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions from gardeners who have tried container vegetables.

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!