Earthly Garden

CLEVELAND, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ — As nightly temperatures begin to drop, days become shorter, and leaves turn shades of orange and gold, nature is giving us the signal to put away the lawn mower and string trimmer and take out the rake. Prime gardening season may be over, but fall cleanup chores and key preparation for spring have just begun.

“After spending many mornings cultivating and caring for your landscaping, it's easy to forget how vital 'shutting down' your yard and tools for the winter is,” said Heidi Ketvertis, brand manager of Troy-Bilt(R), a leading manufacturer of outdoor power equipment. “But it's a critical step for the next gardening and landscaping season.”

Creating a checklist is a simple way to organize your fall chores into manageable tasks. If you feel overwhelmed, grab friends and family and encourage them to get outside and help with the fall cleanup; in exchange, you can return the favor on their yards. Troy-Bilt offers a few must-do items to ensure your yard and tools reap the benefits next spring.

— Walk around your landscaping - Remove any flowers or shrubs that didn't
grow well and tidy up the area for new bulbs; perennial planting is
best in early fall. Make a note of what plants didn't work and try
something new next year. Weed beds now to prevent pesky weeds from
growing next spring. Remove decorative stones or collectibles from
gardens and bring them inside.

— Fertilize the lawn - Fall is a great time to fertilize, reseed and
touch up bare spots before temperatures plunge. Try fertilizing and
reseeding once in early fall and once in late October. This process
pumps nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium into the
roots, giving them a boost to grow in the spring.

— Add leaves to the soil - Instead of raking leaves out of the flower
beds, spend a few extra minutes tilling them into the soil to enrich it
for next season. Chop up extra leaves with a quick pass of the lawn
mower and add to a compost pile, or take them to the nearest recycling
center.

— Plant new bulbs - Spring flowers like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths
should be planted in the fall to develop healthy root systems before
the soil cools.

— Clean up the vegetable garden - Start preparing your garden for next
spring by cleaning out dead plants and adding in organic matter from
your compost pile. Be sure to till the soil well to help to refresh the
soil's nutrient levels by breaking down old vegetable organic matter.

— Trim trees - Remove all dead or dying tree limbs before the snow starts
to fall. Snow or ice can build up on weak branches, causing damage to
property and bystanders. Trim healthy trees after leaves turn to
encourage healthy growth next spring. For easy cleanup, place an old
sheet or tarp underneath the tree to catch the trimmings.

— Prep your hand tools - Grab a wire brush and scrape off the caked-on
dirt from tools such as hoes and shovels, then clean with soapy water.
Wipe metal surfaces with an oiled rag. Lubricate all pivot points and
springs and wipe down wooden handles with boiled linseed oil to prevent
drying and cracking. Sharpen bladed tools like pruners, and spray bare
metal with a penetrating oil to prevent rusting.

— Prep your lawn equipment - Empty the gas tank and oil crankcase of lawn
mowers, string trimmers and edgers. Wipe the entire unit down with a
clean rag to protect its surfaces and grease all lubrication points.
Store your lawn equipment in a clean, dry place. If equipment is light
enough, hang on the wall in the garage.

— Check sprinklers and hoses - Make sure to drain all hoses to avoid
freezing and breaking. If you have a sprinkler system, shut it off to
prevent pipes from freezing, and store extra hoses in the garage, shed
or basement.

— Wash down lawn furniture - Give the lawn furniture a good cleaning
before you store it away. Wash all fabric cushions and store those
inside, out of damp weather conditions. Move ceramic fireplaces into
the basement; extreme cold weather can cause the pots to crack or break
completely.

Check out this article for more fall gardening info.

gardening, getting you garden ready for fall, fall gardening, garden tools

*apologies for the lack of posts the last couple of days-I had to have some dental work and it laid me low. Now back to gardening!

Last time we talked about how to start an indoor herb garden. Today I’m going to share with you some herbs that do great indoors!

Dill- This fragrant herb has attractive, feathery foliage and does well in a sunny window. Look for the compact “Fernleaf” variety. Dill is delicious when used in egg, fish or chicken dishes, dips, and of course, pickles. Both the leaves and the seeds can be used.

Oregano-This is another fragrant and popular herb. Choose the Greek variety, which forms an 8 to 12 inch mound. Oregano is fantastic in a wide variety of Italian and Mexican dishes.

Lavender-This herb is treasured for its beautiful and relaxing scent. The leaves can be dried and used in sachets and potpourri. Look for compact varieties such as Spanish Lavender.

Chives- This herb’s grass like foliage adds a mild onion flavor to many dishes. It’s especially good with potatoes, baked or mashed.

Parsley-This herb is the world’s most popular garnish and is also good for freshening breath after a spicy meal. Try varieties, the common “Curly Leaf” and the Italian version, known as “Flat Leaf” or Cilantro. Cilantro is a key ingredient in salsas and other Mexican dishes.

Chamomile-This herb makes a wonderful tea and is also good for sachets and potpourri. It’s known for its soothing, relaxing fragrance. It looks like grass until the small daisy like flowers appear.

Mints- Peppermint and Spearmint both make great windowsill plants. In fact, if grown in the ground they will quickly take over the garden! They make great teas and are a popular flavoring for all kinds of beverages, baked goods, and even meats like lamb.

Basil- This herb is a staple in Italian cooking. Look for the “Spicy Globe” variety as it stays nice and compact.

gardening, indoor herb garden, houseplants, windowsill garden

Here is a great article about setting up an indoor herb garden for the winter. Tommorow I’ll share with you the best herbs for indoor growing and how to succeed with each one!

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ — Just because the days are growing cooler and the leaves are starting to turn, doesn’t mean the end of fresh herbs and the garden’s bounty. Container herb gardening is a great way to spice up your winter cooking with fresh, tasty herbs all winter long.

Gardeners at all levels can enjoy fresh herbs this winter with these five simple tips from Dr. Calvin Finch, horticultural educator and one of the country’s leading master gardener program directors.

Contain It. Selecting the right container is key. Choices range from standard flower pots and planter boxes to wooden barrels, hanging baskets and larger pots. Be sure to choose a durable container that has adequate drainage. For most herbs, mid-size containers are large enough to ensure the root area stays moist and is unrestricted. Line the base of the container with newspaper to prevent soil loss.

Move It In. It’s relatively simple to cut a portion of an outdoor plant — such as chives, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme and plant it indoors. Get as many roots as possible when you remove the clump. You can also take a stem cutting by snipping a six-inch section of stem and removing the lower leaves before planting. Some plants, though, including basil and dill, will work best from seeding.

Choose Your Medium. Commercially prepared “soil-less” mixtures work well because they drain quickly and are free from soil-borne diseases and weed seeds. You can also purchase a good quality soil potting mixture, which generally consists of one part loam or topsoil, one part peat moss, leafmold or compost, and one part vermiculite or perlite. Regardless of the medium, make sure it is nutrient-rich to help plants reach their peak. Local soil alone won’t include the right balance of nutrients.

Let the Sunshine In,Your garden will require at least five hours of direct sunlight daily. Place plants in a south- or west-facing window. If good window light isn’t an option, fluorescent lighting can work as well.

Feed the Beast. Container plants can run out of “food” quickly since their roots can’t expand to find nutrients. At the time of planting, mix controlled-release fertilizer granules into the soil mix. Then, to maintain the nutrient supply, use a soluble liquid fertilizer with every other watering. Be sure to learn about the nutrient needs of your herbs, because requirements can vary substantially between plants. And be careful not to over-water. Check with your finger about one-third of the way into the pot to see if the soil is dry and needs watering.

Most Common Container Gardening Mistakes

Appropriate amount of light. Many plants that work well in containers indoors do not require full sun but many perform best with some light. Gardeners who are most successful research the light needs of their plants and seek locations that provide adequate light.

Over watering.Container plants require adequate water but the soil should not be soggy. Let the surface dry out between watering. It is usually best to water enough to have it run through into the saucer and then to empty the saucer. It’s much easier to kill herbs by overwatering than underwatering.

Sufficient nutrients.Fertilizers are critical in container gardening, but shouldn’t be used as a cure-all. Provide a controlled release fertilizer at planting and a soluble fertilizer every second watering for most plants, but don’t add extra fertilizer every time a leaf yellows. If you’re fertilizing properly, then consider water and light if your plants aren’t at peak health.

SOURCE Nutrients For Life Foundation

indoor gardening, herbs, growing herbs indoors, windowsill gardening, herb gardens

I know this blog usually discusses gardening, plants, and flowers, but today Earthly Garden is joining up with other 451 blogs to bring attention to Domestic Violence Prevention Month. I am a survivor of DV myself so the cause is unfortunately quite near and dear to me. If you know someone who’s being abused, reach out to them. If you are being abused yourself, know that there is help and hope. I posted a list of online resources for DV victims on my other 451 blog, HomeComputerTalk. Check them out and pass them along!

I’d like to share a story that I read long ago when I was still being abused. It helped me find the strength to get out of my situation before I got flowers too…

I Got Flowers Today
by Paulette Kelly

I got flowers today. Today was a very special day. It was the day of my funeral! Last night, he finally killed me. He beat me to death. If only I had gathered enough courage to leave him, I would not have gotten flowers today….

Check out the other 451 blogs participating in Domestic Violence Awareness Month:

http://watchingbsg.com
http://www.limitededitionfoods.com
http://www1PStart.com
http://www.astrologyexplored.com

domestic violence awareness month, domestic violence, help for battered women, Day of Unity

Hi folks!
Some parts of the country have been experiencing an Indian Summer-here in NYC it was 90 degrees! The unusually warm weather may be inspiring your plants to put out new blossoms. If so, and the plant already has fruit on it waiting to ripen, pinch off any blooms so that the plant will concentrate all it’s energy on ripening the fruit it’s already produced rather than on making more. There just isn’t enough time left in the season for both in most parts of the country.

Take advantage of these last warm days of the year to clean up your garden. Remove spent plants, clean out pots and store, and mulch anything you’re leaving in the ground. You’ll be rewarded in the spring with heathy plants, sturdy non weather weakened pots, and a neat and tidy plot ready for another growing season.

gardening, plants, cleaning up the garden, indian summer, mulch

Good afternoon!

I came across this interesting tidbit. It’s nice to see a big corporation doing something to help the environment!

OAKDALE, Minn. and NEBRASKA CITY, Neb., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ — Memorex, a portfolio brand of Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) and one of the most widely recognized names in the consumer electronics industry, has teamed with the Arbor Day Foundation to help replant our national forests through sales of the Memorex ReNew line of consumer electronics. Designed to minimize impact on the environment through responsible choices in product design, manufacturing and packaging, the new Memorex ReNew line blends patterns and textures inspired by nature with forms and features familiar to electronics. And each time one of its ReNew electronics products is purchased through Nov. 30, 2007, Memorex will make a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation, adding a minimum of 75,000 trees to our national forests, which have been damaged by wildfire, disease or insects. The Arbor Day Foundation will work closely with the U.S. Forest Service to determine which forests will receive the trees based on the areas that are in the greatest need of replanting.

“As a global company, Imation has long demonstrated sound environmental stewardship and a strong commitment to the communities in which we live and work. We are pleased to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation as we launch our new line of environmentally aware electronics. Our design decisions combined with the replanting of trees — each of which may remove more than one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in its lifetime — help offset the carbon footprint of the products,” said Sergio Castillo, director, Imation Electronics Products Division. “In designing the ReNew line, our team was driven to make decisions that were more environmentally aware, including using recycled plastics in the products themselves, and substantially reducing the amount of packaging waste.

The ReNew line takes a full lifecycle approach to the design, manufacturing, packaging and use of its products. Each product:

— Is manufactured with partially recycled plastics;
— Meets RoHS Standards that restrict the use of hazardous materials such
as mercury and lead, which are harmful to the environment and to
health;
— Is packaged in recycled cardboard;
— Features package inserts that include interior product “egg carton”
trays made from 100 percent recycled paper;
— Includes inserts and a website information for consumer education about
reuse and recycling.

When consumers purchase ReNew products through the end of November, Memorex will fund the planting of three new trees for each ReNew digital picture frame (preloaded with nature images); two trees for each ReNew Alarm

Clock (preloaded with nature sounds) and ReNew Digital Music Player (preloaded with music); and one tree for each ReNew Boombox and ReNew iPod(TM) Speaker.

“By planting trees in our National Forests, Memorex is showing a true commitment to creating a greener, healthier planet,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Memorex is also helping to reforest national treasures, many of which are in great need of trees because of wildfires and disease. Trees improve our quality of life by cleaning the air we breathe and drinking water for millions and the commitment by Memorex is making a difference.”

For more information on the Memorex ReNew product line and partnership with the Arbor Day foundation, visit: http://www.memorexelectronics.com/renew.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit environmental education organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at http://www.arborday.org.

Is it live or is it Memorex?(R)

Memorex, a portfolio brand of Imation Corp., is the U.S. market-share leader in optical media and media accessories at retail. Since the early 1970s, Memorex has been one of the most widely recognized and respected names in the consumer electronics industry. Today, it is an influential brand in CD and DVD media, optical drives and USB flash drives. For more information on Memorex products, please call 954-660-7000 or visit the Memorex Web site at http://www.memorex.com and http://www.memorexelectronics.com.

gardening, forests, environmental news, National Arbor Day Foundation

FREDERICK, Md., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Yard trimmings and food residuals together amount to 23% of the U.S. waste stream, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Jack Olive, Master Gardener and president of online retailer Mastergardening.com, recommends composting to ease the burden of yard and food wastes, promote green living and create a useful growing medium for lawns and gardens.

Olive explains, “In yard waste composting, bulking agents like wood chips are added to organic wastes to accelerate the breakdown of material. Then, the finished material is stabilized and matured through a curing process.”

He adds, “The preferred method for composting kitchen waste is worm composting, which uses red worms to create nutrient-rich organic material.”

In addition to promoting a greener lifestyle, composting provides mulch for landscaping and gardens, replaces costly fertilizers, provides erosion control, alleviates soil compaction, suppresses plant diseases and promotes higher yields of crops and plants.

When choosing a composting bin, Olive recommends considering the type and amount of waste you will be composting. “For table scraps, a worm composting bin is most efficient. Typically, you will need two square feet of surface area per person or one square foot of surface area per pound of food waste per week.”

If your goal is to compost yard waste, there are several options. According to Olive, “Large, open-air bins work best for long-term holding of yard wastes. If you're looking to hold leaves for several seasons, open-air bins are most practical. For active, hot composting of yard waste, choose a smaller, enclosed plastic bin.”

Olive adds, “Although composting is not a time-consuming project, it does require some regular maintenance. Aerating, adding bulking agents and maintaining proper storage conditions are essential.”

Mastergardening.com offers a complete line of composting bins and accessories. Visit the online Resource Center at http://www.mastergardening.com for additional information on composting, including lists of acceptable and unacceptable materials to compost.

SOURCE Mastergardening.com

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardening, fall composting, mulch, mastergardener.com, fall garden chores

As fall settles in and the days get a bit cooler, you may notice that your vegetables are suddenly full of blooms and fruit again. When the temps get over 90, blossom drop occurs, curtailing fruit production. Once the temps become more comfortable, the plant will put out new blossoms. Depending on the first frost date in your area, you may be able to get one last harvest. Peppers and beans are your best bet. Tomatoes probably won’t have enough time to fully ripen, but as discussed in a recent post, you can bring them inside to ripen or use them green. Fried green tomatoes anyone?

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardening, vegetables, blossom drop, peppers, beans

It the end of the road for most annuals and perennials, but you can still have color in your garden. Try pansies, mums and flowering kale for a touch of color all the way to winter!

annuals, perennials, pansies, mums, flowering kale, ornamental kale, fall gardening, gardening tips

Most of the time houseplants are pest free, but sometimes the worst happens and they end up with aphids, mealy bugs, white flies, and other insect pests. Fortunately there are a few natural ways to control them!

To prevent pests, try adding a clove of garlic to the pot. Bugs of all kinds hate the smell and will stay away. If it happens to sprout, move it to the vegetable garden.

If the bugs have already moved in, sometimes simply giving the plant a good rinse under the tap or shower is enough to send them packing. If not, you can whip up a homemade insect spray. Simply mix together a gallon of lukewarm water, a teaspoon of vegetable or mineral oil, and a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap(like Dawn). Another equally affective recipe subsitutes rubbing alcohol for the oil. (And here’s another quick hint-add a tablespoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol to a gallon of lukewarm water and you have a great homemade fungacide!) Mix well, and spray. Be sure to keep the plants out of direct sunlight until the leaves are dry.

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardening, houseplants, natural insect repellents, homemade fungacide, home made insecticide

Today is a somber and sad day here in New York City. 6 years ago life changed forever when the World Trade Center fell and thousands died. Please take a moment today, wherever you are and say a prayer for those who were killed and those left behind, and tonight give your loved ones a hug and count your blessings!

9/11, New York City, terrorist attacks, September 11, World Trade Center

Good afternoon!
Although fall is on its way, that doesn’t mean your gardening days are over. Now is the time to make sure your plants are properly muched and your last chance to plant cool weather crops such as broccoli, lettuce, and carrots. If you have roses, stop deadheading. This will signal them to slow down and head toward dormancy. For a bit of fall color, plant pansies! These beauties love cool weather and will boom profusely even after the first frost, and if your winters are mild enough they continue right through next spring.

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardening, fall gardening, mulch, cool weather vegetables, roses, pansies

Hello!
If the date of first frost in your area is approaching and you still have green tomatoes on the vine, pick them and bring them inside. Place them in well ventilated cardboard boxed and keep at room temperature. In about two weeks they’ll be red. Check every couple of days for any spoilage. This only works with mature, light green tomatoes. Smaller, dark green ones won’t ripen, but you can use them in pickles, relishes, and of course, for fried green tomatoes!

gardening, vegetables, ripening tomatoes, green tomatoes

Hello readers,
I apologize for the silence. I’ve been ill. I’m finally well enough to get back to my writing so stay tuned for all kinds of great gardening news and tips! Thank you for your patience!

gardening, news, tips, illness

I just came in from the garden. I have over a dozen tomatoes ripening on the vine! I’m hoping we’ll have a nice September so they’ll have time to get nice and big and red! I also have lots of peppers and beans. Before you know it we”ll be huddled indoors drooling over seed catalogs and dreaming of spring, so enjoy your gardens while you can!

tomatoes, peppers, beans, vegetable gardening, gardening, seed catalogs