My daughter is off to her summer
employment in Halifax, Son #2 will be on his way home from Ontario, and
son #1 will be following shortly behind. Looks like I'd better get a
new BBQ tank all ready! Summer is a delightful time here in the
Maritimes. The weather is usually pretty good and there is always a
backyard BBQ with family, friends and neighbours getting together.
Last year I was ribbed mercilessly about all the plants I had taking up
space on the deck, so this year I'm going to be moderate. I'm not going
to make it so "pretty" on the inside of the deck and hopefully that
will please all the critics. No one said anything about the outside of
the deck though, so I think my sisters... I mean "the critics" will be
in for a surprise. It will be fun watching their faces when they
encounter my new outside décor.
Speaking of outside décor, I've been visiting the garden centers this
past week and it looks like a whole new ballgame this year.
Ornamentation is definitely "IN". Last year I splurged on a funky water
fountain for fathers day for my sweetie, but I can definitely top that
this year... it will be a matter of what to choose, rather than where
to find it. They're all getting into the act, thank goodness. One
thing you've got to have if you have a spectacular garden ornament, is
a spectacular plant to go along with that ornament. Last summer during
the garden tour, I came across an interesting plant in Brenda Grahams
shade garden. At the time she didn't know the name of the plant, and I
searched in vain to try to find the correct species... it took awhile
but I finally came across it with help from our friends at Veseys Seeds!
The Plant in question is a Foxtail Lily, otherwise known as Desert
Candle. It flowers from late May to June. It needs well drained soil in
a sunny location in zones 5 - 8. It's native habitat is Western and
Central Asia and usually grows up to 4-5 feet tall, is drought tolerant
and deer resistant. The roots of the foxtail lily are very fragile and
should be handled and planted with care. Plant the root crowns in a
shallow hole, 2 or 3 inches deep in sandy soil. The crowns will rot
easily if the location is too wet, so don't mulch around these plants
too much. You may have to stake the plants if they are in a windy
location.
The foxtail lily makes an exceptionally striking display in groups of 5
or more so you can be sure it would be a fabulous accent to any garden
ornaments you choose. Now that the daughter is gone, I can concentrate
on the garden... sooo where can I fit in a few of those foxtails?
~Callie
Visit Callie at www.CalliesFlowers.com
and www.CalliesGardens.com
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Tuesday, May 19
Desert Candles, aka Foxtail Lilies
by
Callie
on Tue 19 May 2009 10:51 AM ADT
Tuesday, May 5
Dividing Perennials
by
Callie
on Tue 05 May 2009 08:06 AM ADT
My daughter is home from college. My
daughter and her posse is more like it... No wonder things seemed so
quiet this winter! I have to admit, it didn't take me long to get used
to the peace and quiet last September with the last of the little
birdies out of the nest, but it's nice to have at least one back for a
little while, even with all the chirping going on. Speaking of chirping
a flock of something has taken up residence in the tree out front and
without fail they start into full voice at about 5am every morning.
Sleeping isn't one of my strong suits, but when I can do it, I find all
the racket really annoying... any other time but at 5 in the morning
please birdies!! They don't listen very well. I'm not really
complaining, It's spring at long last and they only do that in the
spring and it sounds wonderful when you're out working in the garden.
The kind of work in the garden that is Perfect for right now is dividing those perennials. The soil is now dry enough to dig and the perennials are up enough for you to gage the size of the root ball. The soil is also still cool enough to promote new root development and the move now will cause much less stress on the plants by hot sun and will allow sufficient time for them to recover from the trauma before bloom time. Lots of spring rainfall cuts down on the amount of watering you have to do for the newly transplanted divisions as well. Dividing by division is a simple matter of digging plants, separating them into smaller plants (with a few attached roots) and replanting them as quickly as possible. Fall and spring are the best times to divide perennials of course, but I prefer spring... it's actually the best time for dividing plants in northern climates. It's best to divide your perennials on a calm, cloudy day so the wind and sun won't dry out the roots as you work. It's a good idea to have your holes already prepared before you start dividing, but if you haven't done that, then keep the divided plants from drying out by wetting them with a hose and cover them with wet newspaper until you plant them. If you cannot locate them in their permanent home for a few days, then plant them in pots to keep them healthy until you can place them in your garden. Perennials bloom best from young active growth from the plants outside edges so when you divide a large perennial, discard old woody centers that produce little or no blooms. The tools you will need for dividing plants are a digging fork, water hose, garden gloves, small pointed hand trowel, sharp non-serated knife and a pruning saw or axe for larger clumps. The first step is to push the digging fork into the soil in a circle around the outside of the old clump, pulling back on the fork to work the clump loose. After the clump is loose, lift the mass of roots out of the ground. If you can't see the crown, buds or roots of the plant, then was the soil away a bit so you can see where to divide. Pull apart the mass of roots by hand if possible and if you need to cut apart the roots, use a clean, sharp knife. Before you make any cuts, look at the crown to see if there are any natural division areas. Prying the roots apart at these points makes for much easier dividing. Leave 3 to 5 buds of growing shoots per division along with a good clump of roots. Replant the healthiest divisions and compost the rest. Spread the roots out in the planting hole and place at the same depth they were growing at before. Water well (if no natural rainfall) to keep the plants moist until they get established. So there you have it... How to divide and conquer your perennials so those birdies have lots of seeds to eat this fall. Then they'll be sure to survive next winter and wake you bright and early next spring again! ~Callie Visit Callie at: www.CalliesFlowers.com and www.CalliesGardens.com Monday, April 13
Starting Seeds Indoors
by
Callie
on Mon 13 Apr 2009 07:31 AM ADT
I remember one sunny May morning in grade 5 when our science teacher
came into the room with clear plastic glasses, a roll of paper towels
and a bag of beans. Each student got a glass, a sheet of paper towel
and 2 beans. She instructed us to fold the paper towel and wrap it
around the Inside of the glass and then had us insert the 3 beans
between the glass and the paper towel. We all lined up at the sink and
put water in the bottom of our glasses until it wicked up into the
paper towel. Then we all placed our "bean garden" on the window sill to
await the outcome of our little experiment. We were instructed to keep
the paper towel moist and to turn the cup each day so each bean got
light. Within the week, we were delighted to see sprouts from our
beans. It turned into a contest of course to see whose bean would grow
the biggest. Sadly, some students beans didn't do so well. The
over-watered ones rotted, and the under-watered ones dried out. For
those of us who got to transplant our rooted seeds into soil cups, it
was a wondrous experience. By the end of the month about half of the
class took their bean plants home to plant in the garden. I vaguely
remember eating beans from my plant that summer... but I'm not sure how
the rest of my classmates fared. Nonetheless, I was hooked on starting
seeds indoors and have done it in one form or another every year since.
Starting seeds indoors can be a daunting task even for the seasoned gardener, however if you're armed with a little knowledge and some common household items, you can get a head-start on your garden. You don't need to go out and buy seed starting kits. If you've got a few egg cartons, a boot tray to catch excess water, potting soil, a window with southern exposure, and of course some seeds, that's all you need to get started. Soil, light and water are the most important considerations when starting seeds indoors but you also have to moderate the temperature as well. Most seeds will germinate well at room temperature and if you turn the thermostat down at night, don't worry as this mimics the outside environment and won't do any harm to your new seedlings. The most important thing to keep in mind is to ensure the soil you use is sterile and free of the damping off fungus. The spores of this fungi are always present in soil so it's important to buy your soil already sterilized, or if you're not sure, bake your soil in a hot oven to kill off any suspected fungi. Vermiculite and peat moss mixtures are often the starting soils of choice as the damping off fungus is usually not present in these soil-less and sterilized mediums. After it has been thoroughly moistened, the medium can be placed in flats, peat pots, dixie cups, egg cartons, etc. The size of the container will depend on what type of plant you're growing, and often experience is the best gauge. When seedlings don't receive enough light, they become tall and spindly. Seedlings need a LOT of light so even if you have your seedlings in a south facing window, you may need to provide additional artificial light. If so, use bulbs or fluorescent tubes made specifically for growing plants and place them about a foot above the seedlings. Ideally 14 hours of light a day is whats required. If using artificial light you may find your seedlings dry out more quickly so be diligent with watering chores. Keep the soil moist, not wet. It won't hurt them if the soil slightly drys out between daily waterings, just don't let it dry out too much. A spray bottle of water works great for misting the seedlings if your home air is extremely dry. You will want to transplant your seedlings into the garden within 4 to 6 weeks from sowing, so don't start your seedlings too early inside. The idea is to get them started and hardy enough to transplant after all danger of frost is past. You can add an additional week onto the sowing time to "harden" off your seedlings before planting in the garden. Hardening off your seedlings just means moving them outside to a sheltered location to get them used to being in their new home environment outside. You can bring them in at night or cover them over for this week of transition period, but they should be ready to plant after a week of hardening off. So, over the next week decide what you'd like to start inside and make sure to have them started by end of Easter weekend. Me, I think I'm going to go with beans. ~Callie Visit Callie at: www.CalliesFlowers.com and www.CalliesGardens.com Tuesday, March 31
Planning a Garden Room
by
Callie
on Tue 31 Mar 2009 01:35 AM ADT
Spring is hard work, but I am looking
forward to it. I have never had such a lack of physical exercise
before in my entire life… so go
away snow and ice… come on spring, hurry up! I've got work to do.
Canadians in general, spend a great deal of time, money and energy in
their gardens once the season hits, and it's no wonder. We have such a
condensed amount of time to enjoy the warm weather so we try to make
the most of it. One trend we're seeing more and more of, is outdoor
garden rooms. These usually flow as an extension of a deck or porch and
take shape out of the individual gardeners ripe imagination, but in
most all cases, the outdoor garden rooms serve as the overflow for warm
summer evening and lazy Saturday afternoon entertaining... It's our
ultimate home-away-from home hot spot. Here are a couple of ideas to get those
outdoor garden room plans down on paper and into reality. First, choose
your style. Do you like English Cottage Gardens, Formal
French/Itallian statuary? How about simple country charm or the more
traditional Victorian look? Choosing a style you love is the first step
to designing you garden room. You can always start out simply but the
style will determine the trees, shrubbery and flowers you frame your
room with. For example, If you want a traditional Victorian garden
room, you will definitely need shade trees, shrubs to accentuate
pathways, roses, particularly climbing roses trained up a trellis, and
of course structures such as fences (which Victorians loved to cover
with vines) and seating (benches, swings) with of course, cast iron
table and chairs for afternoon tea. If you are more inclined to a country
cottage style, then you will look for Adirondack chairs painted
colourfully, old potting benches adorned with clay pots of pansies and
flea market finds. Situate raised flower beds in the 4 corners of
your "room" and make them large enough to plant a shade tree in the
center. True cottage style gardens are very informal and consist of
flowers, vegetables, herbs and ornamentals. You could plan each corner
bed for the different varietys of plants. Plant densely to keep weeds
down and use highly scented brightly colourful flowers such as lillies,
pansies, cornflower, dahlias, roses, foxglove, hostas, lupines, sage,
peonies, Delphinium, and of course, don't forget the lavender. Fill these beds with spring bulbs (tulips,
daffodills, hyacinth, etc for a beautiful spring show). Cottage style
garden rooms will feature picket fences, arbours, birdbaths,
birdfeeders, and water fountains. The staple of a cottage garden room
will also be an outdoor fire pit... if building a new one, make sure it
adheres to local fire and safety codes. Sooo, get your graph paper out, sharpen
your pencils and buy a new eraser, cause I know I've inspired you to at
least START planning your lil own outdoor garden room. Once the snow is
all gone and the lawn isn't so squishy, then get the garden hose out
and roughly lay out the outer dimensions of your room, then get to work
digging or building or whatever you need to do to get the basic layout
in place. It will take a few years to perfect, but there's no time
like the present to start. Toodles till next week ~Callie visit Callie at www.CalliesFlowers.com and www.CalliesGardens.comThursday, March 26
Communities In Bloom Website
by
Callie
on Thu 26 Mar 2009 01:50 PM ADT
For all you folks who have looked for, and not found the Communities In Bloom (CIB) Sussex Chapter website, I took it down. Currently I'm just using an older blog I started to put the CIB information on. It's still in development... just trying to get the sign up form to work with the WordPress Blog... waiting to see if those guys will do it for me without me having to shell out more $$$.
Here's the link... hopefully I'll have it a little more complete tomorrow. Communities In Bloom, Sussex, NB, Chapter Tuesday, March 24
For the Absolutely Hopeless Beginner
by
Callie
on Tue 24 Mar 2009 12:10 PM ADT
I came across these rules a couple of years ago and think it's the
perfect time to inject some lightheartedness to start out our Northeastern spring.
Unwritten rules of gardening ... by David Hobson * The best way to garden is to put on a wide brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig. * Compost is best aged a little like a fine wine. I mean, would you prefer to drink a nice 97, or something that was made last Thursday. * When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. * A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows. * Spring does not arrive until the ice is out of the compost heap. * Winter does not arrive until the ice is IN the compost. Until then, all bets are off. * Any self respecting rock will break at least one shovel before accepting its new home. * A good compost pile should get hot enough to poach an egg, but not so hot it would cook a lobster. * Gardening requires a lot of water most of it in the form of perspiration. So, now that the weather is warming up a bit and gorgeous spring days are just around the corner, you won’t want to waste time indoors doing boring clean up tasks. Do them now, instead. Clean out bird feeders and bird baths in the garage or basement sink. Wear rubber gloves to protect yourself and use vinegar for cleaning instead of soap or chlorine to protect the birds, Once you’re done, clean the area thoroughly. Build those homemade birdhouse now so they're ready for nesting. Check your garden tools and equipment and get them fixed and cleaned
up now. Have the oil changed, blades sharpened and
spark plugs checked on your lawnmower. Check out the condition of
racks, trowels, shovels and wheelbarrows and do any necessary
maintenance required. Do a garden tool inventory
and head to the garden centre to purchase any items you may be wanting
or missing.
Before you know it, spring will be here and you can garden to your
heart’s content until fall! ~Callie Tuesday, March 10
Get Ready... Set... PRUNE!
by
Callie
on Tue 10 Mar 2009 11:54 AM ADT
Life can throw ya some curve balls that you've never had before, and
you have to learn how to connect bat with ball when you swing or it's
game over. One of the best ways to figure out how to connect is to get
out in the fresh air, get some activity into the winter worn limbs, and
think. Now I do my best thinking in the garden, but since everything
is covered with snow, I decided, well, were are the pruners? The crust
on the snow is hard enough to hold my weight, so a lopping I went. I
can't tell you how therapeutic it was to chop the limbs off useless
branches that were just getting in the way of good growth. The lopping
was figurative and literal, and it felt great.
This is the best time of the year to prune away dead branches that will choke out the sunlight from your treasured trees and shrubs. But you have to be careful and choose carefully which branches stay and which go. Pruning is a vital part of plant and tree care and can be confusing so here is a guide to help you prune properly. Three basic tools will do the trick for most pruning jobs: shears, loppers, and a pruning saw. Keep them sharp for clean cuts and disinfect after pruning diseased material. If pruning trees, you may want to consider purchasing a pole saw
* Prune roses in winter or early spring when plants are still dormant. Most plants are pruned to maintain symmetrical shape and to encourage strong new growth. Cut back the previous years growth by as much as one-third of the canes length. Remove weak, under developed and dead branches and also those that cross through the center. This will also encourage strong new growth and ensure air flow throughout the new growing season. * Prune Hollies in winter or early spring mostly to shape plants. Cut back wayward branches and prune out weak unproductive dead stems as needed. * Butterfly bushes bloom in summer on new spring growth. They can be pruned in late winter or early spring. By pruning old blooms you will encourage new flowers. Also prune out old dead and unproductive branches. * Hydrangeas fall into two groups. Some you prune in early spring and others after the flowers fade. a. Early
Spring Pruning - Hydrangeas that bloom on new growth. These include
Climbing Hydrangea, Annabelle, Grandiflora, and PeeGees. * Fruit
Trees - apple, peach, pear and cherry. If applying
dormant oil to prevent pest infestations, do so in late winter or early
spring before the tree breaks dormancy. *Flowering trees should be pruned after they have finished blooming, however, prune as little as possible. Dead branches, branches that cross in the center, and branches that are unproductive should be pruned out. * Junipers need very little pruning but should be done during the juniper's growing stages in mid-summer. They should be pruned to correct their shape, to accent their form, or to limit their size. So get out there, enjoy these last days of winter and get that pruning done before your trees break dormancy. ~Callie Visit www.CalliesFlowers.com and www.CalliesGardens.com Tuesday, January 13
The Baubles are stashed and the New Year is rung
by
Callie
on Tue 13 Jan 2009 09:06 PM AST
Thank goodness the tree is down, the
bingles and baubles are all put away, and the kids are gone back to
their respective colleges... Whew.
Was that ever one busy holiday. It's a good thing I had some vacation
time or Christmas may not have come at my house. I have a new cell
phone and a new digital camera to figure out... that should keep my
little mind busy for a couple of months. I also have about 10,000
updates to do to my websites, blog and the new Sussex Communities in
Bloom (CIB) website.
Now, lets move on to Flowers. I've been
doing some research via the
internet for new
rose/flower varieties for the spring and using the new info to update
my website. It's turning out to be a lot of fun and gives me the
opportunity to totally ignore the white stuff on the other side of my
windows. The exciting thing about this is the fabulous discovery of new
and/or improved varieties. For example, the new Portulaca - Pazazz
variety has wonderful pink colored flowers in a semi-upright growth
habit and is highly floriferous (lots of blooms). The Pazazz varieties
can be grown in full sun or in partial shade, allowing the flowers to
stay open longer before closing to rest in the evening. The variety is
ideally suited for pots or gardens and hanging baskets. It is a
fabulous addition to a dull patch in your garden that needs a bit of
"Pizazz"! The Pink Glow, Rose Glow and Salmon Glow colours are all
very vibrant and you'll want to plant them in swaths along your
borders. It's been a while since we've seen any new developments in the
Portulaca species, however this year seems to be the breakthrough year
for them. That's good for portulaca as it's an underused plant in most
gardens. With that in mind, I've got to get my
underused vacuum cleaner out and get rid of the rest of the Christmas
debris that's been hiding in the cracks and crevices. How do
those little spruce needles get everywhere they shouldn't be? ~Callie Visit www.CalliesFlowers.com and www.CalliesGardens.comTuesday, December 23
My Soapbox and Boxwood
by
Callie
on Tue 23 Dec 2008 09:04 PM AST
In case you haven't noticed, I'm an
activist. I cannot sit idle by while the world goes to Hades in a
handbasket. I'm one of those people who stand up, speak out and work to
make things better. But sometimes I procrastinate terribly. Sometimes I
put things off with Great intentions to do it "tomorrow". Sound
familiar? Politicaly that can be a disaster. Financially that can be a
disaster and in Family life that can also be a disaster, but
procrastinating is my middle name, so I do it with gusto from time to
time.
Thankfully, plants are forgiving. They just sit there in the ground waiting. They've got all the time in the world to wait and they make productive use of their time too… by growing bigger. Even in the winter some plants will contine to grow if their roots are down far enough. The boxwood that I had every intention of moving over across the yard, is still patiently waiting for me to come get it. I haven't forgotten about it, I just put off fetching it till the spring. I was actually going to pot it up and bring it inside so it would continue growing, but it's too late now… BUT, I still have my clippers. So I think I'll do a bit of holiday clipping and snipping of that boxwood to garnish some things around here. Pam and Art are bound to have some mistletoe/holly down at the flower shop, so It's time to dig out the ribbons, the floral wire and knarly tree branches to make something festive and annoying. I say annoying because you always end up moving those festive things around, out of the way, from the table to somewhere else and then back to the table again. Tis the season! The boxwood in question looks like it could stand some clipping, but it sure is growing slowly. Visit www.CalliesFlowers.com and www.CalliesGardens.com Tuesday, December 16
Oh Tannenbaum, Oh Tannenbaum…
by
Callie
on Tue 16 Dec 2008 09:02 PM AST
It's time for a traipse through the woods in search of the perfect Christmas tree. I think I better do that before we get that huge dump of snow that's predicted. I LOVE Christmas. I love everything about it. The colours, the music, the food, the presents, the snow.. Well not the snow so much anymore, but even I have to admit it looks mighty purty. What I love the most though is what it represents. A new start. Forgiveness. A Do Over. Thank Goodness! I'm one of those people who still remember what Christmas was Originally all about… the birth of a Saviour to the World. Too bad not more people remember and celebrate that. I know, I know, I'm harping, but really, THAT is what the "Spirit" of Christmas is all about. I was doing a search on the Internet the other day for flowers that are the most popular during the Christmas season, and came across an interesting article. It stated that while retail sales are declining, online sales are remaining stable and even increasing in some sectors. If there were ever a time for our local merchants to get a website up and running, that people can purchase from, the time is now. You must be wondering what that information has to do with a gardening column? Well, lots actually. When it comes to gardening, people will jump online to research something BEFORE they go to the local merchants and purchase. Me personally, I'm a huge fan of buying things online, but our town has a lack of online merchants with websites. We really need to do something about that. Most of the time, our merchants here in Sussex do a great job of matching prices anywhere else, so the upside of that is that I usually do ALL of my Christmas Shopping here. I'd just like to do that shopping without having to go to a store! So my merchant of choice this year is… Me! How's that for shameless self-promotion? Actually, I can buy from my own website and Goold's will get the business, so two businesses in Sussex wins along with the person I'm giving the gift to. The Tannenbaum Basket is a perfect example of the great things you can give as a gift without even leaving your house. Now if I could only get that Christmas tree the same way it would be the perfect shopping experience! ~Callie Visit www.CalliesFlowers.com and www.CalliesGardens.com Monday, November 3
Almost to Bed
by
Callie
on Mon 03 Nov 2008 12:07 PM AST
I am dragging my behind trying to put
my garden to bed for the winter. I didn't plant any bulbs or throw any
mulch around, didn't clip, snip, weed anything yet. The general
clean-up of dead garden debris is crying out to be done. Well if it
doesn't snow this weekend, I guess I'll have no excuse not to. I've
noticed an increase in the indoor spider population lately and am
having visions of pouncing brown spiders again. I'm shuddering even
thinking about them. I hate to admit that spiders are very beneficial
to the garden... if only they'd Stay in the garden. I'm not going to
dwell on spiders or how beneficial they are, cause I hate them so much.
You're on your own to figure out the spider thing, but it's time to
review the fall clean up "to do" list again.
Time to rake your lawn and watch for dormancy, after which point you can apply fertilizer, preferably organic. If you haven't had to mow your lawn in a couple of weeks, it's probably gone, or going, dormant. Mound mulch up around the base of your less hardy shrubs when the temperatures start to go below freezing at night. This will protect the roots and stem base of your shrubs from damage due to temperature fluctuations. Don't cover your perennials over with mulch until the ground freezes - they need to breath up to that point. Right about now you can prune your spirea and potentilla shrubs by cutting them down by half, and prune out dead and thin straggly branches. Any ripened sunflower seed heads should be brought inside for drying now. Put them individually in brown paper bags and poke a few small holes in the bag for air flow. Once thoroughly dry, you can use them in your bird feeder or save them for planting next year. I've been contemplating what I'm going to talk about in the winter when most of us here in the Northern Hemisphere can no longer garden outside and need to content ourselves with indoor "gardening". Now take me for instance. I have tons of gardening books and magazines and would be what you typically call an 'armchair gardener' in the winter months. Most of us don't have a heated greenhouse, nor a whole lot of room to turn our homes into a sea of greenery. That doesn't mean there aren't lots of fun things to try out though. Here's some things you can consider for the next few weeks... Forcing bulbs indoors (Narcissus, tulips, grape hyacinths, etc)... Cactus (especially Christmas cactus) which are ideally suited to the dry air conditions found in most homes in the winter. Orchids, which aren't as hard to care for as one might think and how about bonsai? As we get closer to the Christmas season, I'll give a few tips on how to use the elements from our 'bare ' gardens in Christmas wreaths and arrangements and how you can do this while pruning your dormant trees and shrubs. But make sure you check out any harvested bounty for big brown spiders who are just waiting to pounce! ~Callie Visit CalliesGardens.com and CalliesFlowers.com Tuesday, October 21
More to Planning a Greenhouse than meets the eye
by
Callie
on Tue 21 Oct 2008 01:59 PM ADT
I have to admit, I've been very distracted lately, there is so much to do I
can't decide where to start. I did get a lot of digging done and some plants
brought over, but there is still a lot more to do there and it's getting too
late in the season so I decided to finish that job next spring. It's time to
get some things in storage before the snow flies... sorry to mention the
"S" word... but someone has to say it. I've been planning a storage
shed for the last 3 or 4 months, but just couldn't decide what to do in that
area, because I wanted a greenhouse too. So I rented storage space to give
myself time to plan this shed/greenhouse thing out. I came across a really neat
picture on the internet of a combination building that might just fit the bill.
One building would be better than two in this case, so now I just have to fine
tune the dimensions and draw the plans to suit. The picture was from a company
in the
It's very exciting to start seriously planning something you've dreamed about... I've wanted my own greenhouse for over 20 years but never made the decision to go forward with it until now. And that's all it took... a decision. Obviously it will take some money too, but not as much as I'd always thought. The finished product could end up looking very different from the original idea, but it doesn't matter as long as it serves the need... and looks good. The idea for a greenhouse actually re-presented itself while looking at various shed ideas... and trying to preserve some beautiful flowers from the cold. I considered a cold frame, but I wanted something that I didn't have to bend over to tend. Having a place to start seedlings in the spring... well, that's the ultimate for the home gardener, but having a place to tuck those pretty blooms out of the frost in the fall, is almost as good. So it's long past time for a greenhouse. It was actually quite fascinating doing a search for different types of greenhouses... the ideas run the gamut from small functional cold frames to large garden rooms attached to houses, which would be fabulous, but require major construction. The #1 thing that every greenhouse supplier stressed was... Location. How to position the greenhouse on your lot for maximum exposure to the suns path. The #2 thing was Venting. Having worked in greenhouses, both large and small, I am familiar with the need for both. If you don't have both then you may as well forget about a greenhouse. Most greenhouse kits come with the venting and the buyer needs to supply the proper site. I have the site, I just need to make sure I get the venting right! The idea for having a little side business with a greenhouse is also appealing, nothing big or fancy mind you, but that might be a consideration down the road too. I came across a little planning guide about generating income from a home greenhouse, so I'll browse through that this winter to see if I can glean any good ideas out of it. The greenhouse/shed is not going up till next spring, so I have the next few cold months to think and plan. And that, after all, is almost as much fun as the doing! ~Callie Visit Tuesday, October 7
Biddens aurea and Gallardia are hardier than you'd think
by
Callie
on Tue 07 Oct 2008 01:39 PM ADT
I always leave summer kicking and screaming... Waaah, it can't be
over... Waaah, I'm not done yet, Wah, Wah, Waaah. I definitely have a
love/hate relationship with fall. I love, love, love the fall colours
and the smell of the woods, but I hate the fact that frost is happening
almost every night, killing whats left of the flower gardens. And with
a vengeance, I might add. I'm one of those gardeners that will cover
every hanging basket and potted plant until even that effort is
fruitless. I'll take all the outside containers and group them together
and cover them with a sheet, and then faithfully place them all back
where they belong the next day. Unfortunately, winter will come, and
anything worth saving has to finally come inside. Well, we're not there
yet, so all my flower containers enjoy getting up close and personal
with each other, huddled under an old sheet, every night for a little
while yet.
If you haven't guessed it yet, I'm one of those gardeners who like to see which flowers will last well to the bitter end. Every year, Pansies win hands down, but surprisingly the Diasia I bought this summer is hanging in there valiantly and still blooming...so is the Biddens. I have the yellow Biddens but I think next year I'll look for Bidens aurea... the white variety. It's such a pretty little flower and it has performed fabulously in the hanging baskets. The other annual that seems to be catching a second wind is the pot of Gallardia. Not only is Gallardia hardy, it is a profuse bloomer. I thought the one I had potted was almost done for, however with the warm temperatures that hurricane Kirk brought us, it really perked up. As of today it is covered with blossoms ready to burst forth. I Have to get a picture of that! Gallardia, also known as blanket flower, is true to its name. It has a very long season of bloom with each plant forming a low mound of light-green leaves with upright stems of large daisy like flowers. They are great for cutting as many varieties have nice long stems. An added bonus is that butterflies are partial to them. Gallardia is drought-tolerant once established and you should divided them every 2 to 3 years, in early spring. Dead-heading spent flowers will encourage constant blooming. Plants like full sun, lightly moist soil. They tolerate poor conditions well, and over-all are a very easy plant to grow. I'm going to baby the pot I have and bring it inside for the winter to see how it does. Something tells me it will take a lot to kill it. Which is a very good thing around her cause I often forget to water my inside plants! Contrary to popular belief, people who have a green thumb don't always use it. On that note... happy fall gardening! ~Callie Visit Callies Gardens" at http://www.calliesgardens.com Tuesday, September 30
Inside and Outside, it's all the same
by
Callie
on Tue 30 Sep 2008 09:39 AM ADT
Summer is gone. Actually, around these parts you could honestly ask,
"What Summer?". It's true we didn't really have much of a summer
weather wise, at least for people, but the gardens didn't complain too
much. None of the plants in our gardens complained about a lack of
water... it's the first summer in years that I didn't have to drag the
garden hose out more than once to give everything a good watering. It's
finally sunny out there and I don't know about you, but I'll be
squeezing every ounce of sunshine out of the days for fall clean up.
The garden is now harvested enough to allow space for moving over some
perennials from my former residence. If you're moving late blooming
perennials such as sedum, aster, black-eyed susan, and you want to
maintain the flowers, just make sure you dig a very deep and wide root
ball. The less you disturb the roots, the better the plant will settle
in. Even if they do droop a bit or the tops die back, remember, they
are perennials, they'll come back up from the roots in the spring. The
important thing is to get them moved now so they have about 6 weeks to
re-establish their root system before the ground freezes.
Right now, I'm more concerned about my Carolina Breeze Hibiscus. It's leaves are all turning yellow and dropping off. Yellow leaves on hibiscus are a normal sign of warning... not impending death. Hibiscus leaves turn yellow and drop from the plant due to stress. The stress can be of any type, and figuring out what kind of stress is the challenge for the gardener. The following are the most common cause of yellow leaves. 1. Not Enough Water - In warm conditions hibiscus need a lot of water, even every day or more than once a day if it's really hot or windy. 2. Too Much Water -Yes, hibiscus can also be given too much water when the weather is cool or overcast. Hibiscus like to be moist but not sopping wet and if they don't need the water due to cold or dark conditions then too much will stress the root system. 3. Too Hot -This is related to water but please take note on super hot summer days that hibiscus will need lots of water to keep all the big lush leaves well supplied. If they don't get enough they react by dropping leaves (that turn yellow first) so that they don't need as much water. 4. Too Cold -Hibiscus are tropical plants that thrive in the same temperatures that people like, 18-29°C. Like us, they will survive, but they will not like temperatures down to freezing and up to 38°C. If they get too cold or are placed in a cold drafty window, they can react with yellow leaves. 5. Too Much Direct Sunlight -Hibiscus like sunlight but just as most people like moderate amounts of it so do hibiscus. Too much sun places stress on hibiscus that are not used to it and they can react with yellow leaves or big white spots on leaves. The white spots are similar to sunburn on us. They won't kill the plant but will cause it to shed leaves. 6. Too Little Sunlight -Light is the source of life for plants such as hibiscus. If they do not get enough to support all the big lush leaves they will drop some of their leaves (which turn yellow first) so that they don't need to support so many. However, that means that there is less green chlorophyll left to support the needs of the rest of the plant so it may continue to decline until there are only a few leaves left on the plant. I think my problem is directly related to the cold... It suffered one of those overnight frosts, so now that I've brought it inside, it should do much better. I'll keep you posted! Well, time to put the shovel and rake away until bright and early Saturday morning. Let's hope it doesn't rain! ~Callie Visit "Callies Gardens" at http://www.calliesgardens.com/ and "Callies Flowers" at http://www.calliesflowers.com Tuesday, August 19
Oriental Poppies Now?
by
Callie
on Tue 19 Aug 2008 09:11 AM ADT
This has been a fabulous summer... in spite of all the overcast and
rain but I am, however, ready for some hot dry sunshine. The earwigs
are starting to take over and even though they can be beneficial, they
are nonetheless, very gross bugs. I prefer Not to contend with
them, especially when I open up the folding chairs and a couple dozen
earwigs fall out. Yeeeuck. Those extra folding chairs are important
when the whole neighbourhood comes by for the evening bonfire! After 8
years, I finally have my garden fence back up and now our bonfire
buddies won't fall backwards into the garden anymore. There where a
couple of small mishaps of that sort at the "twins" birthday party...
remember that Chris? The 'twins' I'm referring to is my sweetheart and my brother-in-law... One's birthday is the 19th, the others is the 20th and they are two peas in a pod. Ah well, the garden is none the worse for wear,
and
neither is my dear brother Chris, but we'll have to kind of watch it cause
I'm planting poppies on this side of the fence. It will be beautiful
next year when they bloom again and the garden itself will be safe from marauders!
The reason I wanted to mention poppies is because now is the ideal time to get them settled into your flower beds if you happened to snag a couple at the year end clear out sales. They have spent their energy on producing flowers, so now they go dormant and rest for next years blooming spectacle. Thanks to the former home owner here, the soil in the "veggie" patch is a wonderful rich loam that is well drained and in full sun... perfect for some new poppies I just bought. That veggie patch was formerly a very large flower garden, however, the new tenant whose name I won't mention, Brent, didn't do much weeding and was going to till the flowers under until I came to the rescue. I squeezed those flowers into other existing beds and now there is a weedy little vegetable patch with the odd violet, mallow and alyssum looking in from the edges. Some new poppies will join the border of the veggie patch, along with the sunflowers that I intentionally planted to fool the raccoons away from the corn. I got to the Co-op clear out sale and purchased Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale) "Miss Piggy" and "Manhattan". Most oriental poppies display huge, satiny flowers in late spring and early summer. The plants habit is a low mound with coarse, hairy leaves and usually goes dormant and disappears completely by late summer. Miss Piggy has unique flowers that have bizarrely ruffled petals of soft lilac pink and a black center. Manhattan is a tall selection with good strong stems. It boasts single cherry-pink flowers and a contrasting black center eye. If you want to cut poppies for bouquets, pick flowers just as the buds begin to open. Clumps may be moved or divided in July or August once the leaves die down. Because the leaves die back in summer, plant something beside Oriental Poppies that will get bushy later in the season, such as rudbeckia, purple coneflower, russian sage, or gazania. Miss Piggy is a very new cultivar, so the pictures available for it were few and far between... hopefully next year my newly planted Miss Piggy will have lots of beautiful blooms to snap pictures of, right in front of the weedy veggie patch. ~Callie Visit "Callies Gardens" at http://www.calliesgardens.com/ Tuesday, July 29
Sussex Garden Tour & other spectacular things!
by
Callie
on Tue 29 Jul 2008 10:34 AM ADT
Now I know for certain why I Love gardening. It's not just the plants,
the spectacular flowers or the unending quest for new and exotic
species... it's the gardeners themselves that make it such and
enjoyable "sport". On July 26, the Co-op sponsored the 2008 Garden Tour
and this year I was asked to attend. I can't believe I've missed this
every year... what was I thinking? I'll never miss it again and next
year I'm dragging some people with me, but don't anyone tell Ruthie and
Lynn, OK? I want to keep it a secret for now. There weren't a whole lot
of entrants this year, but what the tour lacked in quantity, it made up
for in quality.
I first visited Sun Nurseries and had a look at their beautiful water features. As I stood watching the Koi fish swimming around, I suddenly got a very strong desire to have one of those waterfalls in my own backyard... guess that's next years' big project. Jason stopped what he was doing to have a chat with me, and I discovered that those waterfall/ponds aren't as expensive as I'd first thought. Accented with hundreds of stella d'oro lilies, it's an awesome sight. My next stop was across the street at Dave & Norma Bezzant's place. Surrounded by marigolds and a backdrop of a bonsai larch tree and cleome, bouncing Bob the stork greeted me at the front of their home and gave me an inkling of what was in store. The driveway was lined with lush hostas, cleome, poppies, astilbes and the most vibrant Franz Hall daylily I've seen to date... all planted in a retaining wall of tires! Across the driveway, an old crabapple tree sported many baskets of wave petunias and hidden amoung the side plantings is a clematis that now climbs around the remains of a tree struck by lightning. I definitely have to take another trip back to Dave & Norma's for some more photos... I've just gotta add his gardens to my website. Serenity Garden was next on my tour route. The waterfalls are lovely and although just beginning, you can envision tall maples and willowy birch shading the pathways to this beautiful dedication to love ones passed. Hydrangea, flowering crab, lilies, crocosmia, bee balm, roses and dahlia are just some of the pretty plantings already blooming in Serenity Garden. Given time, this will be one of the most beautiful gardens in Sussex. Next door to Serenity Garden is Carol & Gale Jeffrey's little touch of heaven. I would describe their gardens as simple and elegant. with a touch of the whimsical. A little pooch stands guard at the entrance to their tidy backyard which hosts astilbe, roses, crabapple, lilies, hostas, daisies, juniper and a magnificent pine. I followed the sound of gentle chimes up a sunlight dappled path and was greeted at the top by a couple of preening flamingos. Carol pointed out her lovely little Japanese garden tucked in beside her back deck, complete with a Japanese maple and buddha... I'd walked past and hadn't even noticed it before... such is the joy of gardeners. To tuck little discoveries back a bit for the unsuspecting to stumble upon. The last garden I visited on the tour was Brenda Graham & Jim Brown's. As I walked through the open garden gate, It was like stepping directly out of town and into the country. The sound of birds singing and the wind sighing high in the trees and the sparkling water of their backyard pool... well, Brenda doesn't know how close I was to moving right in! Snow-on-the-mountain, daylilies, snowball bush (hydrangea), campanula (bellflower), impatiens, astilbe, buttercup, rudbeckia, petunias and stocks are just a few of the flowers in Brendas gardens. The border to her shade garden featured a lush cotoneaster banked on each side by daylilies and hostas, while tucked in under the trees was a vibrant yellow spike plant that Brenda called a Ray flower. I went looking for the botanical name for it, but will have a bit more searching to do, as the common name did not fit any descriptions I came across. I believe I've found my next mystery to solve. (NOTE: as of this posting, the name of that mystery plant is Not Ligularia) Last but not least on the tour was Joyce MacQuarrie & Allen Davis's lovely hillside gardens. I regret to say I did not have the time to visit this year, however I visited Joyce & Allen's gardens last year. They have a beautiful back yard and a delightful little chair garden planted with petunias sits beside spitting frogs as you begin the adventure down their garden path. Or rather I should say, Up their garden path. Joyce and Allen took an overgrown hillside and turned it into a lovely woodland garden oasis. Paths meander up the hill and the sunlight slants through the trees on the hillside garden and dapples a bench which is placed beside some handmade birdhouses, mounted on old tree stumps. It's a lovely spot to take a load off tired feet while enjoying the ferns, hostas and columbine planted nearby. A proper little lady stood under a bouquet of columbine and pointed the way up Joyce's garden path. I know it's time to go back and get some of those pictures updated!
When it comes to
gardening, I can never get enough. I'm hoping next year there will be a
lot more entrants into the Garden Tour and that those of you who may
have considered it but declined this year, will say YES next year. As
for me, I'm featuring a full section on my website for the Sussex
Garden Tour. In time, that may well be the place gardeners go to gather
inspiration... I'm convinced the gardens of Sussex are as good or
better than anywhere else in this province, it's just a matter of
showing them off! ~Callie Visit "Callies Gardens" at http://www.calliesgardens.com/ Tuesday, June 24
All kinds of New Things!
by
Callie
on Tue 24 Jun 2008 11:46 AM ADT
I can hardly stand it. I'm torn but can do nothing about it right now.
My flower bed is being taken over by weeds & grass and I just don't
have time to take at it. Anyone driving by my house is going to think
I'm taking the lazy gardener thing way too far, but there's nothing I
can do. Everytime I do have a few minutes, it's raining. I changed
shifts at work and although I now have my mornings free, I'm in the
middle of construction... or destruction might be a better description
of what I'm doing. Two walls have been torn out along with much other
gyprock that wasn't supposed to be, and now comes the task of building
a bigger closet and getting the gyprock back on the walls. Oh yeah,
and a large storage room. All in the next week. Not asking for much am
I? Well, that explains the flower beds, so don't be too critical of me
when you drive by... OK Ruthie?
It's practically killing me to not walk out of a garden center with my arms loaded down, but the truth is, I just don't have any more room in my flower beds. So in July I'm tilling up a big new flower bed out front... Next door. Sorry Brent... but that's just the way it has to be. I need more room to explore all those amazing new varieties that are beckoning me. Case in point... Sally down at the co-op let me loose in her garden center with my trusty camera and my wild curiosity. What I came up with is the Exhaulted "Joey". When I spied it, it reminded me of some other flower, but I couldn't put my finger on it so off to the research lab I went. Turns out Joes is from "Down Under". From the Amaranthaceae family, there are about 100 species in the genus Ptilotus, all but one occurring only in Australia. They are perennials there (annuals here) with flowers in dense, continually producing, 3- to 4-inch, spikes of feathery flowers on top of thick, silver-green foliage. The flower spikes are silver with a darker neon-pink color near the tips. It reaches 12-15 inches tall and 12 inches wide and is hardy to zones 9-10. Joey prefers dry climates in open positions with plenty of sun. It is both heat and drought tolerant. Soil drainage needs to be excellent. Propagation is usually done with seed which does not require any pretreatment but which may be slow and unreliable in germination. Propagation from cuttings has been successful. In Autstrlia, Ptilotus Exaltatus is also known as Pink Mulla Mulla or "pussy tails' and that is what they reminded me of... those small droves of pussy tails we have growing along the roadsides everywhere around here. Hmmm... I'll have to do some research on our native pussy tails to see if these are of the same genus! So now that we know more about Joey, it's time for me to go do some more destruction on that closet... where's that crowbar? ~Callie Visit Callies Gardens" at http://www.calliesgardens.com/ Tuesday, June 10
Unusual Plants still to be Found
by
Callie
on Tue 10 Jun 2008 11:03 PM ADT
I love it when I stumble across a new and unusual flower in this area.
This week I visited Joan down at the Home Hardware garden center, and
while I sauntered around chatting with Joan and snapping pictures, I
kept a sharp eye out for that 'something different'. I got sidetracked
and fell in love with a georgous hanging basket and there was such a
profusion of colours and varieties that I missed "it" the first couple
of times around. I was ready to pack up my camera and buy a really cool
gift for a friend, but then thought I'd also pick up a couple of plants
to finish off my container gardens. When it comes to my own garden, I
could spend a whole day in a garden center, wandering around
considering different flower and foliage combinations and I'm always on
the look out for something funky. That's when I found it... tucked in
between the sunflowers and zinnias. The gem I discovered has the common
name Jewels of Opar.
Jewels of Opar - Limon, is hardy in zones 7 - 10 which means it's only an annual here and can be brought indoors for the winter. Limon is a new variety with succulent lime-green foliage and wands of dainty cherry-pink flowers rising on long stems which divide outwards from the center base. The flowers, which are followed by dark red jewel-like fruit (resembling candy apples), attracts first bees, then birds to your garden! Jewels of Opar is not a plant that catches the eye from a distance. It is a filler or background plant in the garden... used as a contrast to larger leaved showier plants. It looks fabulous against a dark background such as brick, wood, or dark green trees. It has lovely lime-green leaves which add cool, fresh tones to the hot garden or container. Limon actually improves its show in poor soil, thriving in hot, dry weather. Water lightly but regularily, fertilize once per month and plant in full sun. This is my ideal low maintenance plant for a container planting, especially since I forget to water every day. That hasn't been too much of a problem around here lately - no water, that is. I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever get a dry sunny day so I can tackle all the weeds out in the flower bed. I've been itching to tear out a few things to make room for some new plants, and now I know just the plant to replace those future empty spots with. Next week's garden center spotlight is still a mystery. I haven't called anyone yet to see if they'll let me wander around and take pictures of their beautiful flowers... hopefully someone will and maybe I'll find some other Jewels to report to you. Visit "Callies Gardens" at http://www.calliesgardens.com/ Wednesday, June 4
I Know I'm a Little Behind
by
Callie
on Wed 04 Jun 2008 11:52 AM ADT
Well, maybe a Big Behind... but ***Sigh***... I do mean well. This summer has been frantically busy, so although I've been writing my articles for the weekly paper I haven't been as diligent in posting them here on the blog so those of you who don't get the Kings County Record can keep up to date on this really, really, really Lazy Gardener! I know, you're shocked that I'm so true to my moniker!
 Not to worry, I've vowed to post them all and even to try to get the ones from last year that I lost when I had that Major computer crash. So stay tuned... I've got a few more on the way. ~Callie Tuesday, June 3
Garden Center Glory
by
Callie
on Tue 03 Jun 2008 11:00 AM ADT
I decided to take a tour around the garden centers in our lovely little
town over the last couple of weeks and have been pleasantly surprised.
There are some major changes in a couple of them, and minor changes in
the rest. So I thought it might be nice to make mention of each of this
towns garden centers over the next few weeks just to let you know what
kind of neat discoveries I've made. Being a true gardener, I can't
stand to keep new finds all to myself. First I want to mention
Belleisle Gardens up on Main Street. The first time I stepped in the
greenhouse this spring I went WOW!
Someone's been very busy. It was beautiful. They have the widest variety of hanging baskets I've seen in these parts in a Long while. Wonderful and unusual flower combinations with eye-popping colours. The first day I visited, there were hummingbirds flitting in and out amoung all the baskets and perching on the overhead pipes. I didn't want to leave and if there had been nature sounds or soft instrumental music playing, you would have had to drag me out of there. As it was, I barely escaped with my pocketbook intact. One plant I absolutely have to tell you about, that I have only seen around here on rare occassions, is the Lophospermum (pronounced Lof-o-sper-mum) otherwise known as Creeping Gloxinia. It is becoming more well known because of it's profusion of bright fuscia/scarlet blooms. Lophospermum is an annual vine/climber with origins in Mexico. It has a very fast growth rate, reaching 4 - 6 feet in length. Lophospermum enjoys full sun in well drained soil and does not like to dry out so keep it moderately moist. It boasts showy deep pink tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Pinch back long stems to encourage fuller growth and more flowers - keep in mind that you can propagate new plants from cuttings. Very easy care and pest free... hey... my kind of plant!!! I think the Lophospermum is on my list for hanging baskets next year, but this year I have my eye on the orange Osteospermum with pink verbena. Don't think pink and orange go together??? Think again. It's a spectacular colour combination. (Ruthie, I'm not French... honest!) ~Callie Visit "Callies Gardens" at http://www.calliesgardens.com/ |
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