May 19, 2008
· Filed under Musings · Tagged Musings
Finding something unexpected and bringing simple pleasure. When I step out of my house in the morning, at the foot of the steps, a single plant, Myosotis, has chosen to grow there, a Forget-Me-Not. I didn’t plant it. It is growing in the stone driveway by the foot scraper-poor soil probably-but it is a cheerful sight to see in the morning and when I go in at night, there it is bright and cheery. I probably have over a hundred species growing in my yard, and I enjoy them all. But somehow the plant that comes up on its own, with no help from me, is the one that catches my imagination. A lot of my plants, Flowering Tobacco, Verbena, Bonariensis, and wild flowers, choose to pick their own spot, and it is always the right one. Hyssop and Corydalis always come back where they pick. How many times have you tried to grow something? Pick a spot, compost it and fertilize it, give it the best of care – wait – wait- and wait – nothing!
The out of the blue, or should I say the good earth? There is, a lone flower that has picked it’s own best spot. And it grows just for me. Serendipity!
May 19, 2008
· Filed under Containers · Tagged Containers, planting, troughs
Making and planting troughs gardens are fun. It is landscaping on a very small scale although you can make them as large as you want or as small as you want. Remember, you have to move them so keep that in mind. It depends on what you can use as a mold to form them. I am going to describe one that I have made. It was for a bog garden 24″ x 18″. There was no sand in the mix so it was fairly light weight. Styrofoam is great to make forms. Cut out the size you want and put it together with duct tape. Anything that will hold the mix will do but Styrofoam is light and easy to cut. It is strong enough for at least one use. The mix is 3 peat, 3 perlite or vermiculite, 2 Portland cement, and plastic fibers for maximum strength. It must be made very dry.
After you have made the form, line it with a plastic trash bag. This will give it texture but most important, it will not stick to cement. If you want a bog garden only, put in one drainage hole. If you want cactus or other kinds, put in three holes. Remember, these troughs stay out year-round so they must have good drainage. A bog garden needs to drain very slowly. I use Horsetail (Juncus) both dwarf and full-size with Creeping Jenny over the edge and sides.
Okay, now to form the mixture. Whatever mold you decide to use, the mixture must be very dry so you can form it in the mold. Put an inch or two on the bottom then push as hard as you can onto the sides. If it is too moist, it will not stick to the sides. After forming it, cover for twenty-four hours and let it cure. Gently remove the form after twenty-four hours. You can leave it smooth or roughen the sides with a wire brush. Be gentle. It is not strong at this point. Drive a dowel into the bottom to make a drain hole. Remove the dowel. Cover the form again and wait at least a week. The longer it cures the stronger it will be especially if you keep it damp by spritzing it now and then. Don’t hurry it. Let it set for a month before planting it. The plastic fibers act like reinforcing rods. They make it extremely hard. You can buy these fibers at Home Depot. They really are necessary.
May 19, 2008
· Filed under Spring · Tagged Add new tag, fertilizer, planting, Spring
Second day of spring and a walk through the garden. The pussy willows are in full bloom. Snowdrops (galanthus) are also in bloom. In some places they are pushing up through the snow. This is a good time to look for your micro-climates. Where it melts first are your warm areas. Snow is a very good insulator. Daffodils are all up and still pale from the snow cover. A few warm days and they will be on their way. Hellebores are lying close to the ground but they are all in flower. Now is the time to cut off old foliage so they can show to the best advantage. Cut the foliage on the epimediums and ferns. The ornamental grass, because it was surrounded by snow, I burn (otherwise it should be cut back to the ground). Shrub roses can be cut back now, also. Hydrangeas, as much as I read about them I’m never sure how to prune. I take one or two shoots out from the base and it seems to work. All plants should be tagged. In that way, you will know whether they bloom on old or new wood.
Part of my problem is the trees have matured, along with me, and I have more shade than I need or want. I have winter aconite (eranthis hyemalls) in flower also; but strangely enough not where I planted them. Maybe the ants carried their seeds away. If conditions are right, they will grow. I know that is how hardy cyclamens move around.
The grass looks ratty, as it does every year at this time. A few warm days and it will be in good condition. I fertilize every year in October or November. An organic fertilizer (Milorganite) works well for me. Cut the grass high and leave the clippings on.
Every day from now on is a surprise. I use a lot of wild flowers. They are ephemerals, but after a long winter they are the first ones up and a promise of things to come. Uvalarias, Shooting Stars, and Oomphalodes are next, then Imperialis. In a short time, they all disappear along with Dog Tooth violets (erythroniums). But gosh they are worth it!! All this and it’s only mid-March.
Thomas Jefferson said, “I’m an old man but a young gardener.” Every Spring is a new birth and a promise of things still to come. A garden will keep you young.
Evergreens took a beating from the wet snow but they can be pulled back into shape with twine. Give the lawn a few more days and it will dry out and can be raked. Remember, don’t try to work we soil! Another season-another reason. Happy planting!!
May 19, 2008
· Filed under Flowers · Tagged lilies, lily growing, planting
” ‘Tis God’s gift to the gardener. Anybody might have found it, but His whisper came to me.”
A quote from E. H. “Chinese” Wilson. The plant explorer and keeper of the Arnold Arboretum upon finding this lilly in china. In his lifetime he brought back over a hundred thousand species. Sixty plants bear his name today.
The lilies you find in garden centers are a good buy. Just make sure they are firm. There may be what looks like mold on them but this is harmless. These are not day lilies (Hermerocallis). but a true lily. Their odor is wonderful especially near dusk. Put them near a deck or under a window so that you can enjoy their aroma. They do well in pots also: but should be unpotted and put outside in ground for the winder. They are very hardy. They have been pest free until lately. Now there is a beetle that has found them quite to their liking. Rather than spray, I pick them off and drop them in soapy water; same as you would with Japanese Beetles. They are truly royalty in the garden. They can be divided in the fall after they die down. The one lily that must not be planted too deep is L Candium. It should be not more than one inch below the soil.
Fist come Asiatics, then trumpets, and later Orientals. There is a new class called “Orientpets” : a cross between trumpets and Oriental lilies. Ferns go well with them. They help to shade the roots. Fertilize once in the spring with 5-10-10. They make nice cut flowers, but leave as many leaves on stems as yo can, so they can build up strength and vigor for next year. After they dry, cut them to the ground and discard or burn stems, don’t compost them. They go well with perennials. By using these three types you can have blooms from June to September. Another plant that goes well with Lilies is elephant ears (Colocassi) Black Magic makes a nice contras. Leaves can grow to three feet. The black one is particularly beautiful when the sun shines on it or through it. They also grow in shallow water. They multiply and can be dug up in the fall and placed in the cellar, the cooler the better, but not below forty degrees. Repot in the spring and they are ready for another season. Potting soil works best. In fact, all potted plants grow better in a soiless mix. Try some– you will enjoy them for many years to come. They multiply rapidly so the only cost is the original one. Lilies are a bargain and they don’t have to be staked.
E. H. Wilson, the man that found them, after many years and adventures in China, came home and was killed along with his wife in a car accident – ironic!!
May 19, 2008
· Filed under Lawn · Tagged fertilizer, Lawn, lawns, lime
Lime should probably be put down in the Fall. Usually a light snowing of lime in October is good for a couple of years. A soil test is best first. If you lime in the Fall, it will have all Winter to work in. Lime is slow acting. It penetrates about a quarter inch a year and there is no lateral action. Remember, in spite of what Maw West said, “More is not better.” Lime neutralizes the soil – changes the structure and aids in the liberation of nutrients that otherwise would not be available to the roots. It speeds decomposition of organic matter and supplies a small amount of calcium. On a new lawn, it should be raked in. Don’t plow or spade it deeply in the soil (that is always good news!). It is not good to lime and fertilize at the same time. This causes a rapid release of ammonia. Don’t use animal manure. Let it set a few weeks. That is why you lime in the Fall and fertilize in the Spring. If you use weed and feed products, read the instructions carefully. Pre-emergence means just that! Too much lime and as the soil approaches its neutral point it receives less and less iron. A soil test kit is very helpful. Most New England soils are on the acid side. 6.5-7 is fine on a soil test.
Just once a year, I use Miloganite which is an organic fertilizer. As it has nitrogen, it should not be used at the same time that you put down your lime. Cut grass high and leave the clippings on. Learn to live with a few weeds. They are green and you will find life a lot less stressful. Don’t kill it with kindnes. Enjoy it and have time for other things.
