Earthly Garden

We’ve been covering seed starting this week. Today, let’s talk about the final step-getting your babies into the garden! The first thing you’ll need to do is get them acclimated to the outdoors. This is called “hardening off”. If you simply take your plants from the windowsill to the garden, they’ll almost certainly fail. They need time to get used to the sun and wind or they’ll scorch and die. To do this, at least two weeks before your planned planting date, start by taking them outside and putting them in a shady spot, then gradually move them to a sunnier location. Do this slowly-allow a few days between location changes. If the temps in your area stay above 50 at night they can be left out, otherwise bring them in when the sun goes down. Once you’ve got them used to the direct sun and wind, you’re ready to plant.

When planting, make sure to leave plenty of room between each plant. Water before removing them from their pots and let drain throughly. Add a bit of fertilizer to each planting hole(read the directions on the box or bottle) and water throughly when done. It’s crucial to be sure the last frost date in your area has passed as the young plants won’t survive a frost. For tomatoes, you may want to put a collar made out of cardboard around the base of each seedling to discourage slugs and cutworms.

Speaking of tomatoes, tomorrow’s post will provide growing tips and tricks for a bountiful harvest!

gardens, gardening, seed starting, seedlings, garden planning, transplanting seedlings

Welcome to Part 3 of our series on seed starting! When your seeds sprout, they’ll have one set of leaves. These leaves won’t look anything like the leaves on a full grown plant. They are there to provide nourishment to the new seedling, much like the yolk of an egg provides nourishment to the embryo it holds. Once the seedling begins developing mature leaves, these “baby” leaves will shrivel away. When your seedlings have at least one set of mature leaves, it’s time to transplant. You can buy small pots for this, or use paper or plastic drinking cups. I like to use styrofoam coffee cups. They are lightweight, provide plenty of space for the seeding’s root system to grow, and fit nicely on windowsills and ledges. Use a good quality potting soil and don’t forget to poke a few holes into the bottom for drainage. A pencil does this nicely. Give your transplants lots of light and air circulation and make sure they don’t dry out. Once they’ve got their second set of leaves, it’s time for the final stage of seed starting-hardening off and planting outdoors! We’ll cover that tomorrow and then start a series on specific vegetables and their needs.

gardens, gardening, seed starting, seedlings, transplanting seedlings

Yesterday we talked about getting seeds started. Today let’s talk about what to do once your seeds have germinated!

As soon as you see they’ve sprouted, remove any cover. Air circulation is critical for young seedlings. Without it they are very vulnerable to
a disease called “damping off”. It’s a fungal issue that causes the base of the seedling to rot, causing it to fall over. This can be prevented by good air circulation and careful watering. One of the biggest causes of seedling failure is overwatering!

You’ll also want to move your seedlings to a sunny window. Seedings need lots of light or they will get leggy. The term refers to the appearance of light starved seedlings-their stems grow much too long in an attempt to reach more light. With some plants, such as tomatoes, you can simply plant them horizontally when it’s time to transplant them outside-roots will form along the stem. But for most plants, leggy seedings won’t thrive.

Another thing seedlings need is strength. To promote strong, sturdy stems (crucial for any plant destined to be laden with fruits, like vegetable plants)
set a fan on low and allow it to blow across the seedlings. Be sure to do this in a warm place and only on low. You’re looking for a gentle breeze, not a stiff wind.

Once your seedlings have at least one set of adult leaves, it’s time to transplant to individual pots. More on that tomorrow!

gardening, gardens, seed starting, gardening planning, seedlings, transplanting seedings

Hi everyone-
Yesterday we talked about garden planning a bit, and today we’ll get a bit more into detail, starting with seed starting. Depending on the time of last frost in your area, you’ll want to start seeds between the beginning of February to the end of April. To be successful, you’ll have to have plenty of space and light. You can purchase seed trays and cups at most garden centers and box stores. Avoid the ones made from peat moss, as they dry out quickly and can be very hard to remoisten once they do. Make sure to use a soil mix specially formulated for seed starting, and moisten it before your fill your trays.

Read the information on the seed packets carefully. Some seeds need to be buried in the soil while others just need to be pressed lightly into the top.
Some seeds need to be soaked or lightly scored before planting. Once you’ve got your seeds planted. make sure to cover with the plastic dome that came with the tray. (If you notice too much condensation forming you can prop one corner open slightly). If you don’t have a cover you can use a sheet of plastic wrap or a clear plastic bag. Place in a warm spot and be sure to keep the soil moist.

Once the shoots emerge the real fun begins! More on that tomorrow.

gardening, gardens, seed starting, seedlings, garden planning

Hi everyone,
Hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a very happy and healthy 2008. With the holidays behind us it’s time to look ahead to spring! Now’s the time to start planning this year’s garden. Start going through that stack of plant and seed catalogs(if you haven’t already!) and make your orders! This is especially important if you’re ordering live plants because most nurseries take orders well in advance and ship at the optimum planting time for your region. This means popular varieties often sell out long before planting season arrives.
To start planning, use a notebook to draw a rough sketch of the area you want to plant in and let your imagination run wild until you settle on a design that pleases you. Make sure to take note of the amount of sunshine the area you’re planning to plant in gets-and don’t forget the trees! Once spring arrives they’ll be full and leafy again, so that spot that seems perfect because it gets direct sun all day may only get it for a few hours once the trees around it are in full leaf!
Tomorrow we’ll start talking about seed starting and what to do to make sure your plants get the best start possible!

gardens, gardening, planning a garden, seed catalogs, ordering plants, seed starting

If you’re lucky enough to receive a bouquet of fresh cut flowers or a live centerpiece, here are some tips to keep them alive and looking beautiful for as long as possible.

For cut flowers, use a pair of very sharp scissors or shears to cut the stems at an angle under running water. You’ll want to make sure you cut them to fit in your vase. Fill the vase with cool water and add the packet of plant food that came with the bouquet. If it didn’t come with one, don’t bother with any home remedies such as adding an asprin tablet or a penny. They don’t work. Before adding your flowers, strip off any leaves below the water line. If you leave them they will just rot, causing the flowers to die more quickly, make the water cloudy, and add a very unpleasant odor. Once you’ve arranged your flowers, make sure to change the water regularly and keep them away from high heat and drafts. Here’s a tip…if you have roses and they open fully within a day or so, it’s too hot!

For centerpieces, mist daily and make sure the foam block they are arranged in is kept moist. If your centerpiece includes candles, be very careful not to let them burn too low. At best, it could scorch your flowers, at worst, it could start a fire.
You’ll also want to be sure to keep any arrangement with colorful berries in it out of reach of curious tots and pets! Follow these tips and you can expect to enjoy your flowers for at least a week!

cut flowers, fresh flowers, flower arrangements, centerpieces, cut flower care, holiday flowers

Sorry guys, due to circumstances beyond my control (technical difficulties and a kidney infection) I’ve again fallen behind and I am sorry. Seems like every time I get back on track something comes along to knock me off again. Don’t you hate it when you get into a cycle like that? I’m happy to say that I’m just about over the infection and the technical difficulties have been fixed, so let’s try this again, shall we? They say 3rd time’s a charm!

Christmas is almost here and I’m quite excited. This will be my first Christmas as a married woman and the first Christmas in a long time where I’ve been blessed enough to be able to splurge on the people I love. I don’t care what I get this Christmas-in fact I don’t have a thing on my list. There really isn’t anything I want or need-I have it all. I realize I am very fortunate. Many aren’t this holiday season and while you’re counting your blessings why not bring a little holiday magic to those who may not have many to count? Pick up an extra Poinsettia or wreath and bring it to your local nursing home, veteran’s center or homeless shelter. Got some CDs or DVDs you don’t use much anymore? Freecycle them or donate them to a local nursing home or shelter. When you do your holiday grocery shopping, pick up a few extra canned goods and non-perishables and bring them to your local food pantry. These are all small and easy to do things that will mean a lot. This is the season of giving, and the more love and care you give away, the more you’ll get!

christmas, blessings, helping those less fortunate, holidays

Just when I was getting back into the groove, an ice storm moved through. We had 50+ mile an hour winds and it knocked my DSL out for a bit. As I write this it is snowing! I love snow-it’s just not winter (or Christmas) without it! The garden looks so different with a blanket of snow over it. Before this blast of winter moved it the weather was so unseasonably warm that my petunias were still blooming. Alas, the snow did them in. It was a rather pretty and striking site to see the blooms sparkling with a dusting of snow though. Too bad I didn’t have my camera with me!

Now that the snowflakes are flying it’s time to settle into a comfortable chair and start reading all those pretty seed catalogs and gardening books. If you’re like me you’ve got quite a stack! For the next few posts the Garden will be reviewing some of the books and catalogs in my pile! If you have a favorite gardening book or catalog, drop me an email or leave a comment and let me know-if I can get my hands on it I’ll review it here.

snow, gardening, winter, gardens, evergreens, trees

Sad news folks. House and Garden magazine will cease publication after this month’s issue. The magazine’s website will also be shut down. The magazine started back in 1901-that’s 106 years ago-shut down in 1991 and was brought back to life in 1996.
It joins Jane magazine in the dustbin.

I enjoyed looking through the magazine’s glossy photo layouts and gardening section, but it leaned toward portraying home décor and gardening ideas for the ridiculously rich. Few of us in the working class or middle class could ever hope to afford anything shown in the magazines pages.

Editor Dominique Browning wrote two very interesting and entertaining gardening books, “Around the House and In The Garden: A Memoir of Heartbreak, Healing and Home Improvement” and “Paths of Desire: The Passions of a Suburban Gardener”. If you haven’t read them, I highly recommend you do!

gardening, gardening books, gardening magazines, home and garden magazine

Yesterday I mentioned getting my first poinsettia of the season. Today I want to talk about other living decorations for the holidays. Last year I found small live Christmas wreaths (about 6 to 10 inches across) and used them as centerpieces. I put a nice red candle in the center and decorated the greenery with small ribbons and tiny red glass balls. It looked pretty good if I do say so myself and cost a lot less than the large premade evergreen centerpieces you can buy. Another great decoration from Mother Nature is the pine cone. Place a handful in a pretty glass bowl with some glass balls and a few sprigs of greenery and you have a pretty centerpiece. You can also use a pretty vase with the same effect. Twigs and berries can also be used. Another idea is to tuck twigs and sprigs of greenery on a mantle and accent with pine cones. Ivy can also be used for wreaths and assorted decorations, and red and white roses and baby’s breath make gorgeous accompaniments. For a little fragrance, take an orange and cover it with cloves, then add a ribbon and hang. Fresh herbs and shiny red apples also add beauty and fragrance.

Don’t forget your houseplants! Large floor specimens can be decorated with small ornaments and even a string or two of tiny white or colored lights. I prefer white. Smaller plants can be grouped together and wrapped with a bow in the color of your choice. With a little creativity and help from the garden, you can have beautiful and natural Christmas decorations for your home!

natural christmas decorations, evergreens, herbs, pine cones, holiday decor, christmas

Got my first Poinsettia of the season yesterday. It’s gorgeous! Bright red and busy and it looks great sitting next to my tree (yes my Christmas tree is up already! It’s not real unfortunately, as there is a law against having a live Christmas tree in an apartment) but its lovely! While most people think of Poinsettia when look for plants to give or decorate for the holidays, there are several other plants that were just made for the holidays as well!

Christmas Cactus- Prized for their blooms, which come in shades of red, pink, and purple, they get their name from the time of year they bloom. To insure the best blooms, don’t move them once they are brought home. Like the ficus, they hate being moved and will complain by shedding their buds and flowers. From spring to fall, keep moist, but in winter, allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Potted Christmas Trees- These usually come in two types-the small tabletop trees that come predecorated, and the large floor specimens. The larger ones are almost always Norfolk Island Pines. These plants make lovely holiday decorations and can be kept as houseplants afterwards, providing they get plenty of light (a south or west window is best) and regular misting to increase humidity. Keep the soil moist at all times. They will grow to a height of 5 to 6 feet, so be sure it has plenty of room!

The smaller tabletop varieties of potted trees are actually young specimens of a variety of pines. They will not do well as houseplants but if planted outdoors after the holidays will eventually grow into a lovely pine tree.

Amaryllis- This plant is prized for its showy blossoms. They grow from bulbs that have been forced and are usually bought in the sprouting stage. They prefer bright light and moist soil during their growing period. Once the flowers fade the plant will slowly head into dormancy. Let the pots slowly dry out, remove the old leaves, and let the bulbs rest in a cool place for 10 weeks or so. Repot 6-8 weeks before blossoming is desired.

Christmas trees, amaryllis, norfolk island pine, poinsettia, christmas cactus

Tis the season to decorate for the holidays! If you are one of the thousands who prefer a live Christmas tree, or just love the smell of fresh pine boughs, garlands, centerpieces, or other greenery, here are some tips to keep them looking and smelling their best.

For maximum fragrance, look for Balsam firs. They are the ones most associated with the “Christmas Tree scent”. When purchasing a tree, look for one that is full and deep green. Run your hand along the needles. They should be pliable and firm. If they are brittle or brown, avoid. You also want to avoid trees that shower you in needs when the trunk end is tapped gently on the ground. Make sure the place you purchase your tree at cuts a slice off the trunk. This will allow the tree to take up water more efficiently.

One you get it home, get it set up in a stand as soon as possible. If you need to wait a day or so, place it in a cool dry place like a garage. Once your tree is up it’s important to give it fresh water everyday. There are Christmas tree preservatives available that you can add to the water, but the most important thing you can do for your tree is keep it watered. Trees dry out quickly in a heated home and this not only leads to messy needle drop but is a serious fire hazard. The majority of fires during the holiday season are Christmas tree related. To prevent, keep your tree watered, keep it away from heating vents, devices, and candles. Make sure the lights you use are UL approved and check them each year before use. Toss any that are frayed or showing signs of short circuiting-and never leave your tree lit while you are asleep or not home!

If you love to use fresh greenery around your home, the same rules apply. Mist it daily (unless it has lights on it, for obvious reasons!). Be careful when using greenery with candles, and keep away from curious pets and children. If you use live mistletoe, this is extremely important as mistletoe is poisonous if eaten!

Enjoy the fragrance and beauty that nature has to offer this holiday season!

christmas trees, holiday greenery, mistletoe, holly, holiday plants, holiday decor

Hi everyone,
I am embarrassed that it’s been so long since my last post. Just as I got the migraines under control a nasty cold showed up. I was sick right !
through Thanksgiving. Yuck! I promise you all this time I’m back for good. I’m finally feeling like myself again and raring to go, so please forgive my recent absences-you have my word that the regular daily posts will now resume!

If you’re like me, you’re thrilled to see the stores filling up with pots of Poinsettias, Norfolk Island Pines, Christmas Cactus, fresh wreaths, garlands and centerpieces made of Balsam and fir, and more. There is just something about fresh holiday greenery. It just smells like Christmas!! I have a real problem with some of the Poinsettias I’ve been seeing though. Who had the bright idea of spraying the poor things with glitter? My husband and I saw some truly garish looking ones at the grocery store the other day and were horrified to discover they were real! Poinsettias are beautiful on their own. They come in rainbow of colors from the softest pink to the brightest red and deepest burgundy. They even come in beautiful winter white-which some misguided nurseries dye in all sorts of colors-I’ve seen blue, purple, orange and even yellow ones. Yuck! They don’t need to be covered in glitter or dye! I’m sure the glitter covered ones won’t last til Christmas because it seems to me all that junk would be very damaging to the plant-plants, like people, need to breathe, and they do so through their leaves. Lets send a message to the industry that these plants are beautiful all on their own and maybe they’ll leave them the way nature intended!

By the way, if you plan on buying some poinsettias for your home, give them lots of bright light, don’t let them dry out, and keep away from cold drafts and they will remain beautiful right into the new year! Do them a favor and remove the decorative wrappings from the pot. This will allow the soil to drain properly and avoid root rot.

poinsettias, christmas cactus, christmas plants, living christmas trees, garlands, wreaths

If you want to make a dramatic statement in your landscape, try using climbing roses and ramblers. If you provide the correct support for their growth, they will greatly increase the visual impact and beauty of your yard.

One thing to realize before you get started is that climbing and rambling roses are not true vines and won’t grow up a trellis or any other support without being encouraged to do so.

The support you choose should be sturdy enough to hold the full weight of a mature plant. Climbers reach heights of up to 18 feet while ramblers can grow as high as 40! The actual height depends on the variety. Ramblers are great for covering ugly walls while climbers do best in smaller spaces. Both would do fine on a fence.

Supports need to be able to stand up to all kinds of weather, so choose something sturdy and rot resistant.. This can be treated wood, metal, plastic, wire, or even pvc pipes like those used in plumbing. Make sure you put your plants and support exactly where you want them because they do not like being moved and most likely won’t survive.

The most commonly used supports for climbers and ramblers is a simple fence. They can easily be trained to drape over the top. This turns even the ugliest fence into a showstopper. If the fence you use happens to be a chain link type, you get the added bonus of increased air circulation, which all roses need and love.

Pillars, like those found on the porches of old homes, are also a great support for roses and again, extremely decorative. Smaller climbers can be trained to grow on small structures such as deck supports and mailboxes.

Various structures can also be found in nurseries and home centers. There are trellises, arches, pergolas, and more. You can also buy simple polls and make your own! Use thorn free varieties of roses in areas where people pass by or children/pets play.

If you want to cover a wall, attach a trellis or large piece of chicken wire cut to size to it first, making sure to leave enough space for proper air circulation, then carefully tie the canes to it.

Climbing and rambling rose supports can add structure and focal points to your garden, hide ugly areas and create beautiful hideaways. If you plan carefully and train properly, you will enjoy your climbers and ramblers for many years to come.

roses, trellis, gardens, gardening, beautifying your yard, landscaping