13wmaz.com | Macon, GA | Zone 8a

Things to do in the garden in July...

2009-07-20T08:37:00.004-04:00

I thought I'd just compile a list of tips and tricks for the person trying to maintain a garden in the heat and breeze that is July in Middle GA! If I missed something important, please don't hesitate to post something in the comments section!

1. Right now, lots of plants are leggy and long with the abundance of sunshine and rain we had in May & June. It's getting windy and some of those plants are falling prey to that wind. Stake 'em. Kindly...we're not talking about vampires here! :)

2. It's hot! Been a while since you paid much attention to your mulch? You might need to add a bit more, or fluff that which you already have so you get the best benefits. Mulch can help keep your plants moist in the heat and it also helps cut down on the weeds that get raring and ready in the heat we have.

3. Don't forget to deadhead. Sure some of your annuals and perennials are ending their bloom season, but extend that season as long as possible by removing the dead blooms that keep those last few new blooms from popping with color.

4. Don't forget those semi-established trees and shrubs. According to the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, "Trees and shrubs planted in the last 3 years still need extra water during dry periods."

5. The University of Vermont Extension Department of Plant and Soil Science warns not to prune "woody plants after early July, as this will just stimulate new growth that may not harden properly before winter. Spring is the best time to prune most fruit trees and woody ornamental trees and shrubs. Likewise, avoid fertilizing these plants after early July."

Enjoy your garden this July and August!

Superb Sunflowers!

2009-06-30T08:32:00.007-04:00

Sunflowers are erupting in fields across Georgia. Many of the pics posted to our photo galleries pay homage to these gorgeous specimens. I had the pleasure of watching my sunflowers sprout from tiny seeds, to spindly stalks, to beastly beauties taller than me.

Tip 1: The garden beasties, from squirrels to birds, love snacking on the seeds, so it's nigh impossible to plant them straight in the ground, or even in pots outside (poor Suzanne had a seriously rough time with that this year). So start your beauties indoors and allow them a little time to establish before you put them outdoors to do battle with the fuzzy and feathered.

Tip 2: Young sunflowers are water hogs. And those of us who live in Central Georgia know, the full grown flowers can show a tremendous thirst as well. I watered my seedlings daily, because I didn't heed the advice above and started my babies outdoors in peat pots. During this heat wave, I've been watering even the biggest of my beauties daily, as they start to droop and sway when they succumb to drought.

Tip 3: Stake 'em. I actually haven't had to stake any of mine. I probably planted them extra deep when I transplanted them out of the peat pots, and apparently my soil keeps 'em steady. If you do need to stake yours, I found some obvious, but helpful, tips on the Old Fashioned Living site:

Got a fence? Plant the sunflowers in front of it, then when they reach a decent height, tie them to the fence slats, using soft cloth or plastic that won't dig into the stem.
Tie firmly, but at the same time, give the plant some room to grow. You know how gigantic these beauties get and you don't want to stunt their growth.
Staking an established plant that is starting to lean? Try a bamboo stake, making sure to enter the soil far enough away from the plant's roots to avoid damage. Then tie in the same way you would to a fence.

Did you know? Sunflowers in full bloom will always end up facing east. Even if they started out their early bloom cycle facing the sun in a different direction, they will rotate. It's fascinating!

Great Online Gardening Resources

2009-06-18T07:01:00.003-04:00

If you're a fan of a gardening blog, it stands to reason that you're probably also a fan of other online gardening resources. So, it seemed only right and fair to share some of my favorites with you.

My favorite gardening forum is the Helpful Gardener forum. It has a wide variety of topics, members from all over the United States and beyond, and the people who post are truly HELPFUL! Check it out if you have time, I think you'll enjoy it.

Interested in green gardening and composting? I like Composting 101. There are plenty of composting sites on the Net. But I like the simple, straightforward way this one presents the various parts of the composting process. The site is simple, it's easy to navigate, and it's informative.

OK...most of you probably frequent local nurseries or box stores for most of your plant needs. But if you do buy any plants online, I recommend American Meadows. I ordered some bare root astilbe from American Meadows this spring, and they are going like gangbusters. They are gorgeous plants. They get a lot of orders, so shipments aren't immediate. But the plants are packed with extreme care and within one day of planting the bare root, I saw growth and leaf formation. Color me impressed.

Time For Tomatoes!

2009-06-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

By now you're probably enjoying one of the best summertime pleasures we have in the Southeast - the home grown tomato!

We planted our crop a bit late so every morning I run out and nibble on the few husky cherrys we have dribbling in, it makes for a great breakfast.

But anyway, onto today's topic. I noticed that with the smaller tomatoes, you really have to keep up with them to pluck them off the greenery before the birds get to them or the hot temperatures in the area burst the skin of the fruit.

Don't be afraid to pick your maters a bit early. When they start to get a nice pink you can take them off the vine. I wanted to make sure I'm not steering you wrong so I did a quick Google search. I found at www.garden.org that scientists say the red color won't form as quickly when the thermometer goes above 86 degrees. Well it gets that hot around 10 A.M. in these parts. I'm not a scientist, but I do figure your tomatoes will turn red. I think the point here is that its perfectly fine to let them finish off their process in the comfort and care of say your kitchen. And in my world that completely protects them from bird beaks! On the other hand I do have to keep them away from Salty our dog, but that's a whole other blog, my friends.

Happy Gardening.

LOOK...In Your Garden

2009-05-21T15:51:00.003-04:00

"Don't just work in your garden, look in your garden" - can't tell you how many times I've uttered those words to beginning rosarians. Just last night I was cutting roses to take into the office the next day, when I spied a young adult grasshopper happily chewing away on one of our rose leaves. Normally, I would get a small plastic baggie, come back to the bush, grab him off the bush with the baggie and quickly dispatch him with my garden clog. This time there was only time to yell to George, also in the garden, to "Quick, get me a paper towel!". I snatched him off the bush and hastily ended his leaf enjoyment.

This is only an example of being a detective in your garden. Chances are that if you spy an eaten leaf or bud, you can locate the culprit and dispose of him or them quickly. I use fingers to rub out aphids on my leaves - of course, if you do this or any garden task without gloves, washing hands after is mandatory.

Aphids

The best time to kill beetles is at night. If you are fortunate enough to have motion activated spotlights, you can do this task alone. If, on the other hand, nothing will light your way, enlist the aid of a family member or neighbor (one who has been on the receiving end of your roses) to hold a flashlight for you. If you are a bit squeamish, put on rubber gloves (beetles will not bite or sting) and carefully inspect the petals of your blooms - in beetle season you undoubtedly will find one or two hiding and chewing. Pick them out and either drop them in a baggie, or if a hard surface is nearby, smash them with your shoe!

And never lose hope, your garden will survive and thrive if you "look in your garden" and don't just work in your garden.

Tempering Tomato Tempation...

2009-05-12T11:14:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine told me the craziest thing and I just have to share.

Judy lives down in Jacksonville and she said that if you dangle red Christmas tree ornaments on top of your tomato cages at this time of year it will keep our feathered friends from pecking away at the real fruit when it comes in. Now, can you imagine birds nipping at the ornaments? I think their beaks may take a beating. But hey, I'm willing to try it.

Defenders of the Tomato! Which is your top pick?

As a rule I chunk out copious amounts of sunflower seeds for the birds during the fall and winter months because I don't want them to be tempted to take a run at my tomatoes in the summer. It seems to work out pretty well. And now that I think about it, I would probably put out seed in the spring if it weren't for wild hogs running through our yard. Nope, we don't really have pigs but we do have furry tailed squirrels that think our bird feeders are a personal feeding ground. I mean how do those birds even get a few nuggets when you have those hungry varmints hunkered down at the post like it's a buffet.

But, I do sort of have an answer for that, too. Our dog Salty is squirrel trained. Whenever I see sixteen squirrels in the yard I open up the door and say "Salty go get those SQUIRRELS!!!!" Salty is an Australian Shepherd and believe me he's never caught one of the four legged little guys, but believe me both species get a run for their money... ha ha.

So whether you go with the holiday ornaments...or the dog chasing squirrel strategy, happy growing season!!

Weeds - Part 1: What's A Weed?

2009-05-06T09:05:00.009-04:00

What one calls a weed, another might call a thing of beauty! Well, that might be pushing it just a little bit too far. But, really, some invasive, taking over your whole yard plants are often called weeds, when they might not meet the expert definition of the term. I did a search of some "weed expertise" on the web and came up with the following:

According to the Penn State's Integrated Pest Management Program a weed is:

a plant out of place and not intentionally sown
a plant growing where it is not wanted
a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. (R.W.Emerson)
plants that are competitive, persistent, pernicious, and interfere negatively with human activity

So, wildflowers, which can grow in overabundance when folks throw seeds out of their windows along highways and seeds from rambunctiously self-seeding plants that flutter along with the breeze and fall into neighborhood yards both fall into the first description. Kudzu, ivy, mexican petunia and even yarrow (one of my faves) can fall into the last category. If you can think of other examples, share them here in a comment.

Look at all those seeds ready to spread this weed far & wide!

Possibly the best description of weeds I found came from iVillage: "A weed is a plant that is growing where it is not wanted, it can have strong and healthy growth, and is able to overgrow valued plants by overcrowding, thus depleting soil nutrients and moisture that would otherwise be available to preferred plants."

Even though these things are currently bidding to take over my lawn,
they're just so sunny and friendly in this photo.

So, basically a weed is an unwanted or even an unknown plant life that might be keeping your other plants from growing to the best of their ability. Seems simple enough, until you get into the specifics about how best to remove those unwanted and unknown plants from your garden. That will be blogged about in the next installment. I leave you with a couple great "weed" quotes...

Crabgrass can grow on bowling balls in airless rooms, and there is no known way to kill it that does not involve nuclear weapons. ~Dave Barry

Weeds are nature's graffiti. ~Janice Maeditere

Free Weeds. U Pick 'Em! ~Author Unknown

Macon Moonlight Mansions & Garden Tour

2009-05-02T08:35:00.002-04:00

This weekend is the Macon Moonlight Mansions and Garden Tour.

It's a really neat opportunity to shop for plants (and who doesn't love that) and to go and visit other folks' back yards for landscaping ideas. Plus people with a green thumb usually don't mind telling you all of their secrets.

Most years I just hop on over to the Hay House and buy some plants. A couple years ago though, I went on the tour and it was so much fun. It really sparks up your creativity to walk around and see what other gardeners are doing with their stuff. One house did a good job of tipping over their pots allowing the plants to just flow out of the top like they just grew that way.

This years event features eight gardens that you can walk through Saturday or Sunday.
For tickets just head to the Hay House on College Street in Macon.

Have fun!!!

May Day & Flowers

2009-05-01T12:43:00.011-04:00

This is a gardening blog, but that doesn't mean we always have to discuss the scientific side of gardening. Today is the 1st of May, also known and celebrated around the world as May Day. Flowers play a part in many May Day celebrations, so I figured it wouldn't be TOO far off topic to discuss May Day and the celebrations that make it popular worldwide - via a quick look at some May Day "factoids".

One of the most popularly known May Day traditions is to hang a basket full of spring flowers and/or other small gifts on a neighbor's doorknob. The trick is you don't want the neighbor to see you! If you get caught, you are supposed to get a kiss. I guess how "secretive" you are depends on how attractive you find your neighbor!!!

In London, May Day is celebrated with the children going from house to house. They bring flowers and get pennies in return. The pennies are then thrown into a wishing well. The pennies are then donated to charity.

In France, cows play an important role in May Day. The cows are led in parades with many flowers attached to their tails. The people watching the parade try to touch the cows; it is believed to be good luck.

So, let's celebrate this May Day, this gorgeous first day of May, full of sunshine and warmth, by making a small bouquet out of the flowers you've tended all through early spring and giving them to a friend or neighbor. Make May Day a great day for someone you care about!

The Power of Perennials

2009-04-27T16:12:00.004-04:00

When it comes to gardening in Georgia...I have to tell you, we've got it pretty good when it comes to working with perennials. Perennials come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors and can be used stand alone in the garden or combined with other plants, perennial and annual. They are hardy plants, designed to bloom for more than one season, so you get hardier plants, longer bloom cycles and plants that are less prone to disease and pests.

One more benefit to perennials is the ability to keep your garden interesting throughout the year. You can select perennials that bloom in the winter, spring, summer and fall to ensure you have blossoms and flowers in each season. You also get the added benefit of the different styles of foliage, with varying greens, oranges, purples and more, shiny vs. matte, airy fern-like fronds to dinner plate sized leaves. Leaf surfaces range from fuzzy to smooth, silky to rough.

There are several things to think about when choosing your plants, both their foliage and flowers. Cool colors like blue, purple and green tend to be soothing or calming, and can help make a small space feel airier. Warm tones in red, orange and yellow help to stimulate the senses and will help fill larger spaces.

Making Your Garden "Green" - Part 2

2009-04-21T08:32:00.004-04:00

Go Native!: Already adapted to local conditions, native plants are easy to grow and maintain, generally requiring less fertilizer and water and require less effort to keep away the pests and critters.

So, how do you find out what's considered native to our area? Did you think we'd leave you hanging. We're going to list several popular native trees, shrubs and flowering perennials. Then we're going to provide you a link to a full list courtesy of Plantnative.org.

Trees Native to Georgia:

Red Maple
Eastern Redbud
Pagoda Dogwood
Swamp Dogwood
Tulip Tree
Southern Magnolia
Sweet Bay Magnolia
Live Oak
Cherry Laurel
Cedar Elm

Shrubs Native to Georgia:

Flowering Dogwood
Dwarf Huckleberry
Star Anise
Mountain Laurel
Leucothoe
Honeysuckle Azalea
Yellow Native Azalea
Summer Azalea
Dwarf Palmetto
Elliott's Blueberry

Flowering Perennials Native to Georgia:

Columbine
Butterfly Weed
Wild Hyacinth
Green n' Gold
Pink Lady Slipper
Blazing Star
Crested Iris
Coral Honeysuckle
Black-eyed Susan
Jacob's Ladder

Here's the link to the full list: Click Here

Making Your Garden "Green" - Part 1

2009-04-19T19:21:00.006-04:00

Did you know that gardeners are responsible for producing an estimated 320 million pounds of plastic waste every year? How is this possible? Every time you buy an established plant in a plastic pot, every time you purchase soil packaged in a plastic bag, you've got plastic waste. How can you help reduce the waste?

Be aware of packaging. Many nurseries and garden departments now sell flowers, vegetables and herbs in plantable biodegradable flower pots. Not to be found at your favorite gardening store? Reuse those plastic pots over and over again, for each year's seedlings or to store small gardening materials like stakes. Some garden supply outlets will also let you bring your plastic pots back in so they can reuse them.

To-MAY-to, To-MAH-to...whatever, don't fret about your maters!

2009-04-17T15:55:00.004-04:00

I've heard a lot of gardeners complain that they're already behind the eight ball when it comes to getting their tomatoes into the ground.

STOP WORRYING!!!

According to the Farmer's Almanac, Good Friday is your starting point to put your stuff in the dirt. And think about it, tomato plants always have a good run into the late summer and early fall. If you sink your plants into the earth a couple of weeks from now - no problem you'll just have the joy of enjoying the fruits of your labor a little later in the season.

With that being said I wanted to let you know about a gardening recipe. It's a selection of plants that get along great together and help ward off pests. Think of tomatoes, peppers, basil and marigolds as best friends. Now I can't tell you the technical ways these guys work together but I can tell you its always worked for me. Plus don't worry about overcrowding...even if you're planting your plot in a pot just shove them all in to mature at once. Teddie Berry, a local Master Gardener, says there isn't any research that supports any of this except that the scent of the marigolds may keep pests away. But she did add that a lot of folks believe in this combination.

Here's another tip and this was given to me by the Bacon family in Irwinton. Ray Bacon grows a gazillion tomatoes. One year he shared his secret for huge ripe fruit, just put a handful of powdered lime in the hole when you plant your tomato. Don't hold back...make it a nice big handful of the chalky stuff. This will help (not prevent) but help with blossom end rot.

Hope these tips help and remember don't stress out over one of the season's greatest joys.

Roses: Battling Blackspot

2009-04-15T08:54:00.003-04:00

Blackspot is not your friend - but roses seem to attract this fungus, especially in hot and humid weather.

A weekly spraying program with a few ingredients does the trick to scare this pest away.

When George and I first started growing roses in 1987 (that's a whole other story!), we were given a simple blackspot preventative spray formula by rosarians at the local rose society that we joined to learn about growing good roses. It worked for us then and it will work for you now.

This what we hand out to beginning rose growers and those folks who want to have a clean, blackspot-free garden:

For Blackspot Control on Roses

1 TBL/GAL DITHANE M45
1 TBL/GAL ROSEPRIDE (formerly Funginex)
4 TSP/GAL FURICIDE (Worm Control)
1 TBL/GAL White Vinegar
Few drops of soft soap (Ivory)

Always spray before temperature reaches 80 degrees so you will not have leaf burn.
Always wear protective clothing (long shirt and pants), goggles and facemask. Remove clothing immediately after spraying and wash.
You can purchase DITHANE M45 at a good nursery, or they can order it for you. Rosepride is an Ortho product. Thuricide is a very safe control, farmers use it on their crops before harvesting. The white vinegar and soft soap act as surfactants to hold the spray solution on the leaves.

Judy and George Lawler, Consulting Rosarians, will guest blog regularly about roses and other gardening topics. They're Suzanne's folks, so we hope you'll give them a huge welcome!

Flowers A-Z: Alyssum & Astilbe

2009-04-09T07:50:00.004-04:00

Sweet Alyssum: I fell in love with alyssum when I wandered my mom's garden beds in California, way back when I was just a little thing. In fact, alyssum might be the flower that finally got me gardening many years later in Georgia.

Alyssum plants are tender, a delicate annual, though they are very easy to grow. They are often used as a border plant and also make for gorgeous, sweet smelling goodness in a rock garden. I like them in containers too, as they will drape a bit over the edge and they're just so sweetly pretty. I rarely see the plants at local nurseries, but they are very easy to grow from seed and they are part of my annual gardening plan each year.

They are small plants, growing between six to nine inches tall. Carpet of Snow, the white variety, is the most common, but I've got purple and pink varieties this year that I hope will provide pretty color bordering my perennials this summer.

Alyssum - A Purple Variety

Alyssum like full or partial sun and they tolerate dry soil, though you shouldn't let them get too dry, as I've noticed mine get leggy if I let them get too thirsty. They're fairly bug and disease hardy, though they cannot handle frost. They'll bloom through the frost, then it's time to remove them.

Feathery, Fluffy Astilbe: Gorgeous feathery fronds of pink, red, white and purple top leaves that bring ferns to mind. The pink variety makes me think of the sweetness and fluff of cotton candy. These sweet blooms don't mind full shade, but you'll get better flowering if they get some sun. I use them to border the back of a semi-shady bed at my home and they always make me smile.

You want to start out with established plants. That's right, the seedling queen says not to try these guys from seed. I've had no success. Though the flowers themselves appear narrow, the foliage is too pretty to crowd, so give them a little room, say 18-36 inches.

Feathery Fronds of Astilbe

These tall, sweeping beauties like to be near water, but they don't want to stand in it. They're great around a bog or pond, but be careful the roots don't end up in the water. And keep 'em covered! As they grow the root crown likes to rise, so you'll need to apply soil to keep 'em grounded, not just mulch.

The flowers and leaves dry well, on and off the plant. And for those of you gardeners with limited time on your hands, deadheading doesn't extend the blooming season. So if you like the look of the dried blooms, they aren't inhibiting growth.

Bugs do occasionally attack these feathery friends of the shade garden, but no more so than most hardy perennials. Battle the bugs as you normally do, no specific measures have to be taken to keep your astilbe safe.

Baby (little seedlings) It's Cold Outside

2009-04-07T13:05:00.004-04:00

Typical. After the snow in early March, I thought I was okay. I was anxious and impatient to take my 2009 garden to the next level. So I planted some of my seedlings. They're doing great and they made it through last night's low 30's temps just fine. I'm a little more worried about tonight, but I do know that I can keep them safe with a little work after I head home this evening.

With time and research, I have learned that you can get your plants through an unexpected cold snap. I'm not saying I've never lost a plant, because I have, but I've found that if I do one or more of the "safeguard" techniques I'm going to list below, I see most of my plants survive the cold unscathed.

I water the plants before the cold. What? Yep. Sure, water freezes, but water also creates a vapor barrier of sorts. So, in my case, I believe that the moisture around the plants actually keeps them from freezing. I did this last night and my plants were looking just dandy despite last night's cold temps.

The wind is your friend...I knew it was going to be windy, so I set my seedlings up in a way that they could benefit from the wind without being blown to kingdom come. The wind, like the vapor barrier, keeps the cold air from settling in around your plant making it freeze.

If you're going to cover your plants, do it before dusk. Why? Stored heat in the ground starts to dissipate as the light disappears. You want to make use of that stored heat, so tent or cover your plants before the sun's down for the night.

Small plants, recent transplants and the like, can be individually covered with a small glass jar or plastic cup (though the wind might not be helpful with something this light).

If you cover or tent your plants in any way, do make sure to uncover them in the morning once the frost worry is over. You don't want your prized plants to overheat after you've worked so hard to save them from freezing.

I wish you all luck in the cold tonight.

Flowers Amongst the Veggies?

2009-04-05T09:37:00.004-04:00

Why would you want to take up valuable vegetable growing space with some pretty, but merely decorative flowers? Well, some of those darling blooms have more going for them than their looks!

Many flowers and herbs have bug repelling powers that vegetable growers use to their advantage each season. Annual marigolds are easy to take care of, inexpensive and are known to deter Mexican bean beetles, squash bugs, thrips, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies. The roots of marigolds contain a substance that is toxic to certain types of soil pests (nematodes).

One of my favorite annual heirloom beauties, the nasturtium, keep away potato bugs, squash bugs, and whiteflies.

Delicious herbs that can be used for added culinary diversity can also help keep the creepy-crawlies at bay.

Peppermint repels ants, white cabbage moths, aphids, and flea beetles. Peppermint can take over any and all space you allow it to conquer, so if you put it out, I'd suggest doing so in a container.

Garlic discourages aphids, fleas, Japanese beetles, and spider mites, while also looking absolutely fabulous with lovely spiking blooms.

So, a little dash of color and a little spice can actually help your veggie plots. So, maybe you want to make a little room for some flowers?

Don't Hack Your Hydrangeas

2009-04-03T09:14:00.003-04:00

Hey Everybody! One of the greatest and simple joys of the garden at this time of year is walking around and seeing the new growth popping up out of the ground. For most plants its completely harmless and even encouraged for you to prune back the dead limbs to make room for the new shoots.

That does not ring true for two plants, hydrangeas and clematis. Many varieties of these only bloom on old wood. The second year I had hydrangeas in the yard I couldn't figure out why I didn't get the big poofy purple blooms. Well, I felt like an idiot when I learned that I cut them off at the neck and wouldn't see those gorgeous flowers for another twelve months.

I talked to Teddie Berry with the Houston County Extention service. She said they have a bit of a problem getting folks to understand not to cut off that dead wood.

But you know every year we get stronger and more diverse plants and that goes for hydrangeas and clematis too. Some of the newer varieties don't require such vigilance. The bottom line is that if you're in doubt...don't CUT!!!

Don't forget the Master Gardener plant sale going on at the fairgrounds this weekend. It will cost you five bucks to get in the door.

Happy Gardening!!!

Rogue Gardening

2009-03-31T18:40:00.003-04:00

Rogue gardening? As if there were garden police ensuring all plant and planting laws are enforced? Well, of course not. But it might surprise my friends and fellow site visitors, who have an inkling of just how anal I can be, that I tend to break the rules a little bit when it comes to gardening.

How so?

Rogue Gardening Admission #1: I crowd my annuals. If I'm planting annuals, it's because I've grown them from seed or because I want some color bang for my gardening buck. When you plant from seed, if you succeed, you tend to get a lot of plants. I don't want to let one single plant go to waste. So I don't pay much attention to spacing "regulations". Sure, I realize some plants spread outward while others grow upward. And I pay attention to that. But I've been known to crowd my annuals a little bit so I get the most "pop" in my beds.

Rogue Gardening Admission #2: Full sun, whatever! When you live in Central GA, you know that it's going to be hotter than blazes from May-October, at least! I've got some partial shade/partial sun areas that I fill with full sun beauties. They do just fine. The spot gets more than 4 hours of sun a day and it's warm. The plants have never complained, turned colors, or failed to bloom, even from seed. They get plenty of the blazing Georgia sun, and I'm almost willing to bet these plants actually do better than some I plant in the "proper" sun spots, because they actually get a bit of a break from the blaze.

That's all I'm going to admit right now. I don't want anyone deciding I'm just too edgy quite this early in this blog's history!

Sweet Seedlings...

2009-03-27T12:51:00.006-04:00

This year I have big plans in several beds around my yard. But my budget isn't proportional to my plans, so I'm starting the majority of the goodies I'm intending to plant from seed.

I've grown from seed in the past, but never to this extent. There's something really exciting about the daily check of the tiny peat pots or the mini greenhouse set up, knowing that soon, hopefully soon, you'll see little green shoots. Then you continue to watch, to pamper, to cajole those little green shoots until they're ready to be placed in their more permanent locale.

My starter enterprise is located on my front porch. It gets just the right amount of sun, and allows for gentle rain while at the same time providing protection from any heavy rain that might dislodge the tender growth. Here are some sunflowers that are coming along nicely in their peat pots.

The warm spell we enjoyed a few weeks ago really jump-started my operation. I've already been able to transplant some nasturtiums and cosmos seedlings into their spots in my annual beds, and they've taken quite well to their new homes. Here's another batch of nasturtiums that are more than ready for transplanting.

I'm hoping for a short break from the much-needed rain over the weekend. That way I can plant some of the seedlings that have matured on my front steps. I've made a good start with some alyssum, morning glories and daisies, along with the nasturtiums and cosmos.

Happy planting, growing and enjoying everyone!

Happy Spring!!!

2009-03-27T08:10:00.002-04:00

First let me share with you that the Master Gardeners are having a plant sale next weekend at the Georgia National Fairgrounds (April 4th and 5th). You will find all kinds of cool stuff and pretty good prices. There is an entry fee but I don't think it's more than a couple of bucks.

Now for today's topic, these days everyone wants more bang for their buck and that includes gardening. Here are a couple of tips, beware of buying violas and pansies right now. They're a nice splash of color and the gardening centers are selling them but it's toward the end of their season. I love the violas especially (see picture below) but you'll be pulling them out of the ground in a couple of weeks or so because the heat will tear them up.

Secondly, you will get more mileage out of your wallet and your greenery if you buy perennials. These plants by definition come back every year as opposed to annuals which only last for one season and they're done. Some good perennials to plant in our dry area include coreopsis, black-eyed susans and gerbera daises. Speaking of daisies, a couple of local nurseries have gotten shipments of the stunning long stem gerberas. These plants are like the Cadillac of the daisy family. They run about ten to fourteen bucks per plant.

Well that's it for this go round. Hope you like the new blog area on the site.