It's time!

The danger of a sneaky frost should be over by now so it's full steam ahead for planting anything in your garden. Even the White House has a garden well under way!

A garden poem for morning!

Mid springtime skies of blue delight,

With wispy clouds of cotton light.

Sweet silky air against my cheek,

On garden walk…I take first peek.

I meet the fragrance of the day,

With smiles that come and dare to stay.

Amusing birds and butterfly,

Caressing flowers, then, flutter by.

Watching morning’s diamond dew,

The bees that gather quickly flew,

From stem to bloom and back again,

Gathering nectar in nature’s plan.

So with peaceful loving grace,

I walk among the Queen Anne’s lace

Knowing angels guided me.

To garden paths with giggling glee.

This journey is the best so far,

When guided by bright morning star.

Perhaps I’ll run through sprinklers cool.

Eat ice cream that would make you drool.

Soon summer’s choir will sing and play.

Before the ice and snow can stay.

Enjoy the day and join me now,

While gardens takes a joyous bow.

Come with me to pull the weeds,

Please leave the plants that shed their seeds.

You who walk amongst my garden,

Share leisure’s sudden loving pardon…

Feel free to come and go and take

Bouquets to share, a squash to bake.

For in my garden’s splendid reaping,

Is love to give and love for keeping.

Growing peonies!

Of all the favorite spring blooms, nothing is so wonderful as peonies bursting into color from the beautiful perfectly round buds amidst the lacy leaves. Last spring while dog sitting for the Idaho kids, their driveway was lined with peonies and they showed off for me, laden with blossoms that sent their fragrance all the way up to the house. I could not resist bringing a bouquet into the house and then getting out my paints. One thing always leads to another!

Peonies are perennial favorites in the flower garden. Few herbaceous plants can rival them for floral display and foliage. Their exquisite, large blossoms, often fragrant, make excellent cut flowers and the foliage provides a background for annuals or other perennials. Two types of peonies are generally grown in the home landscape, Paeonia spp. hybrids (garden peony) and Paeonia suffruticosa (tree peony).

Peonies grow from two to four feet in height. Support is often required for tall, double hybrids. Peonies thrive in sunny locations and well-drained soils, tolerating a wide range of soil types. Best growth is in soil with a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5, deep and rich in organic matter. They are hardy from zone 8 to zone 2, with some exceptions.

Planting, transplanting and dividing peonies are best done in early fall but may be done in spring as soon as soils are workable. Each plant requires an area about three feet in diameter. Dig a generous hole, large enough to accommodate the roots and incorporate aged organic matter in the bottom. Place the peony in the prepared hole so that the eyes (small, red-colored buds) are one to two inches below the soil's surface. Backfill and water well.

Peonies may be left undisturbed for many years. A decline in flower production usually indicates overcrowding and the need for division. Carefully lift the clump and wash away the soil to expose the eyes. Using a clean, sharp tool, divide the clump into sections, each with three to five eyes and good roots. Replant immediately.

SPRING CARE: Start cultivation early. Feed Fertilizer soon after growth starts, using 1 rounded tablespoonful around each plant and cultivating it into the soil. The feeding is important since the peony plant makes a very rapid early growth and needs this complete feeding to produce foliage and blooms. For larger blooms, disbud the smaller buds on the plant, allowing only the terminal bud to develop. For quantity of flowers and a longer flowering season, leave some of the lateral buds. From white, creamy pink, raspberry to deep maroon, peonies come in many colors.

Transplanting seedlings from flats to peat pots.

One of the most common mistakes made is leaving the seedlings in the seed flat too long. The ideal time to transplant young seedlings to individual pots is when they are small and there is little danger from setback. This is usually about the time the first true leaves appear above or between the cotyledon leaves (the cotyledons or seed leaves are the first leaves the seedling produces). Don’t let plants get hard and stunted or tall and leggy. To transplant, carefully dig up the small plants with a knife or wooden plant label. Let the group of seedlings fall apart and pick out individual plants. Gently ease them apart in small groups which will make it easier to separate individual plants. Avoid tearing roots in the process. Handle small seedlings by their leaves, not their delicate stems. Punch a hole in the medium into which the seedling will be planted. Make it deep enough so the seedling can be put at the same depth it was growing in the seed flat. Small plants or slow growers should be placed 1 inch apart and rapid-growing, large seedlings about 2 inches apart. After planting, firm the soil and water gently. Keep newly transplanted seedlings in the shade for a few days, or place them under fluorescent lights. Keep them away from direct heat sources. Continue watering and fertilizing as in the seed flats. Most plants transplant well and can be started indoors, but a few plants are difficult to transplant. These are generally directly seeded outdoors or sown directly into individual containers indoors. Examples include zinnias and cucurbits, such as melons and squash.

There are many types of containers available commercially. Those made out of pressed peat can be purchased in varying sizes. Individual pots or strips of connected pots fit closely together, are inexpensive, and can be planted directly in the garden. When setting out plants grown in peat pots, be sure to cover the pot completely. If the top edge of the peat pot extends above the soil level, it may act as a wick, and draw water away from the soil in the pot. To avoid this, tear off the top lip of the pot and then plant flush with the soil level.

Hardening Plants
Hardening is the process of altering the quality of plant growth to withstand the change in environmental conditions which occurs when plants are transferred from a greenhouse or home to the garden. A severe check in growth may occur if plants produced in the home are planted outdoors without a transition period. Hardening is most critical with early crops, when adverse climatic conditions can be expected. Hardening can be accomplished by gradually lowering temperatures and relative humidity and reducing water. This procedure results in an accumulation of carbohydrates and a thickening of cell walls. A change from a soft, succulent type of growth to a firmer, harder type is desired.

This process should be started at least 2 weeks before planting in the garden. If possible, plants should be moved to a 45o to 50oF temperature indoors or outdoors in a shady location. A cold frame is excellent for this purpose. When put outdoors, plants should be shaded, then gradually moved into sunlight. Each day, gradually increase the length of exposure. Don’t put tender seedlings outdoors on windy days or when temperatures are below 45oF. Reduce the frequency of watering to slow growth, but don’t allow plants to wilt. Even cold-hardy plants will be hurt if exposed to freezing temperatures before they are hardened. After proper hardening, however, they can be planted outdoors and light frosts will not damage them. The hardening process is intended to slow plant growth. If carried to the extreme of actually stopping plant growth, significant damage can be done to certain crops. For example, cauliflower will make thumb size heads and fail to develop further if hardened too severely. Cucumbers and melons will stop growth if hardened.

Early Spring bloomers!

By now your gardening efforts are blooming.....baskets of gold, pansies, tulips, daffodils, candytuft, anemonies, forsythia....and soon iris, lilacs and spirea. Spring has sprung! Enjoy!

Time to plant peas!

Among the cool weather things to plant early, peas are on the list.

1. Choose your type(s). There are three: English or garden peas (only the seeds are eaten), Chinese or snow peas (picked when the pods have reached full size but the seeds are still small and eaten pod and all), and snap peas (picked when both pod and seeds are mature; both are edible).

2. Sow peas directly in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked, usually about five weeks before the last expected frost. Because the seeds germinate so readily, and because you'll want to make successive plantings, there's no real advantage to buying started plants.

3. Plant the seeds an inch deep, 3 to 4 inches apart, in rows about 3 feet apart. Install supports for peas - even dwarf varieties - when you plant them, and start guiding the vines upward as soon as they're long enough to climb.

4. Plant a different, heat-resistant variety a few weeks after the first sowing. Then 8 to 10 weeks before the first frost date, plant a crop in another bed for an early autumn harvest.

5. Make sure young plants get about 1/2 inch of water a week (1 inch in very sandy soil). When plants begin to flower, they need an inch per week regardless of soil.

6. Help ensure heavy yields by feeding liquid seaweed or compost tea twice during the growing season.
   

7. Expect peas to be ready for picking about three weeks after the plants begin to flower.

Small spaces can yield garden produce!

Just because you don't have a huge garden space or live in a city, it doesn't mean you cannot grow healthy produce for your use. A creative gardener can use a roof top, large containers including garbage cans, or an old rain gutter to plant in.

Vegetable container gardening can bring joy and bounty. The simple pleasure of biting into a tomato still warm from the sun, picked and eaten on the spot, is almost unbeatable. You can grow just about any vegetable in a container garden and you can also save serious bucks by growing your own vegetable container gardens.

However, vegetable container gardening can be a frustrating and expensive endeavor if your plants don't thrive and produce. The following list of basic tips apply to most vegetables, and will help you and your plants get off to a good start.

Sun - Most vegetables need full sun – that means at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. It is easy to overestimate how much sun an area really gets, so either take out your watch and time how long the sun hits the spot where you want to put your vegetable container garden.

Water – Growing vegetables need water - lots of it. However, you don't want to drown your plants. The goal is to keep your soil moist but not wet. To figure out if your plants need water, stick your finger down into the soil, about an inch, or up to your first knuckle. If the soil feels dry, add water, and if you're not sure, wait and check later in the day. At the height of summer, you probably will have to water at least once, sometimes twice, a day. Proper watering may be the single most important and hardest part of vegetable container gardening. A water gauge that goes down to the roots is a good $6 investment.

Heat – If you live in a really hot zone you may have to shade your plants in the middle of the day in order not to fry them. Also, it's best not to use metal containers or dark colored plastics or ceramics, because they can heat up and cook your plant's roots. On the flip side, many vegetables don’t like cold soil, so make sure not to put your vegetable container gardens outside full-time, until you know the temperatures are warm enough. For many plants the soil needs to be at least 60°F. Using a meat thermometer is a good way to find out the temperature of your soil. Always make sure to harden off your plants before you put them outside. That means introduce them gradually to the elements.

Soil - Quality potting soil is really important for vegetables. Don't use soil from your garden, because it will compact in your container and won't drain water properly. Also, one of the reasons to garden in containers is so you won't have to deal with weeds. Chances are pretty good that if you use garden soil, you will be importing weeds into your container. I use organic potting soil because studies have shown that there are many benefits to growing organically, including better taste and a higher percentage of antioxidents and phytochemicals.

Fertilizer - Plants need food to thrive, and their food is fertilizer. If your soil doesn’t have fertilizer already mixed in, you’ll want to add fertilizer. I use an organic granular fertilizer and mix it into my containers from top to bottom. Every couple of weeks I will add diluted liquid fish emulsion or liquid seaweed to give them the nutrition they need. Another great way to add fertilizer during the growing season is to make or buy compost tea.

Drainage - Drainage is key to keep plants from drowning. You want your pot or container to let excess water out of the bottom, so your plants won't sit in water or soggy soil. Make sure your container has one large hole or several smaller ones. You can usually drill holes if the drainage is insufficient. To protect a deck under the pot...put a saucer under the pot to catch the drainage.

Containers – Choosing a container can be daunting. You can use almost anything for a garden planter as long as it is big enough and has good drainage. Keep in mind though, that the larger your container, the easier it will be to maintain. The more soil a container can hold the more moisture it will retain. I don’t bother with containers that are smaller than 12” and I am much happier if they are at least 18”. Bigger, really is better here.

I particularly love wooden containers for growing vegetables. I like the way they look and you can get really good-sized containers that aren’t too expensive, or you can make your own. Cedar will last just about as long as your garden does. Plastic or glazed ceramic containers are fine too. You can even use terracotta, but it is harder to keep your plants moist, because the clay tends to suck the water out of the soil. To help solve this problem, put a dish under your ceramic pot and fill it with water.

Seeds or Seedlings – You can start your veggies from seed or buy seedlings. There are some significant advantages and disadvantages to each. Starting your own seeds is much less expensive than buying seedlings, after some start up costs. If you start your own seeds can grow hard to find varieties and can also grow your seedlings organically. However, starting seeds isn't for everyone. You absolutely cannot let them dry out or they're toast. Conversely, if you give them too much water, they keel over dead. Check out the blog on starting seeds.

Building a raised bed garden!

Building the garden

If you're a beginner to the raise bed gardening world, laying out the garden in a rectangular pattern is the way to go. Rectangular gardens are easier to maintain and to work on. No matter which design you decide on, make sure to level the area first to make a flat base for starting the project. Other things to keep in mind when you're building a raised bed garden include:

Width and length. If your raised garden bed is accessible from both sides you can make it four feet wide. If the bed is accessible only from one side, limit the width to 3 feet. Most gardeners find it uncomfortable to reach farther than 3 feet to tend the bed. The garden can really be any length suitable to your landscape, but a good workable size is about 12 feet long.

Depth. Most plants need at least 6 to 12 inches of rooting zone, so the soil in the raised garden bed should be about 12 inches deep. Beds built higher may need retaining walls with foundations to keep the soil intact. The higher the raised garden, the less bending over for you.

Drainage. Place a few inches of small gravel in the bottom of each bed for good drainage.

Orientation. A north-south orientation is best for growing low growing crops, allowing direct sunlight to both sides of the beds. Beds that contain taller crops might do better on an east-west axis. When in doubt, just make sure the raised garden bed gets a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight a day and plants don't shade each other.

Soil composition. Fill the raised garden beds with a top soil or a good soil mix. Add compost and mix it in. Some sand can be added if desired for drainage purposes. After you plant your seeds, add about three to four inches of mulch. The mulch will break down over time and add nutrients to the soil and keep it loose. Mulch will also help conserve water and cool roots of the plants. You won't have to worry about weed problems if you mulch well.

Using a frame

Although most raised bed gardens are framed, they really don't have to be. Some gardeners simply mound up soil, to make planting flowers or vegetables within area landscaping easier. However, using a frame will help keep the soil in place during heavy rains and keep the raised bed garden looking neat. You can use a variety of materials, so long as whatever you choose is sturdy and long lasting. Here are some framing ideas:

• Wood. Avoid using pre-treated lumber for bed frames of vegetable gardens. Chemicals can leach out and injure plants. Use pressure-treated lumber, or rot-resistant cedar or redwood.
• Composite landscape timbers. Some landscape timbers are made to look like weathered wood. They are made from recycled plastic, weather well, are easy to install, and are long lasting.
• Concrete block or stone. A little pricier than wood, but very long lasting, blocks or stones make excellent raised bed garden frames.

Easy access pathways

If you're building more than one raised garden bed, leave walkways in between each bed. When deciding on the width of the walkway, keep in mind that plants at the border of your garden will hang over the edge and that you may want to bring a wheel barrow or garden cart in. For foot traffic only, 1-foot wide paths are usually big enough. Also, put something down on the walkway to keep it from getting muddy. You'll need easy access to those beautiful vegetables and flowers you'll be growing!

Amanda and Josh's New House Complete With Raised Beds!

Follow along this summer as Amanda and Josh learn how to garden in these wonderful raised beds already complete with drip irrigation system. Now all they need is Grandpa Steve's handiwork in the form of a potting bench and a load of manure!

Raised Bed Gardening!

A popular vegetable garden layout which many home gardeners choose is the raised garden bed. Raised beds are versatile, easy to use, and have many advantages over traditional gardening. For example, a raised bed allows you to easily control your soil mixtures so that you always have the proper soil for your plants. As you can customize the soil mixtures in your raised beds, you can greatly improve soil drainage for your plants. Many gardeners build raised beds just for this reason. Raising your garden bed even eight inches above the existing ground level can greatly improve drainage. I would suggest 12 inches however.

While one of the most obvious benefits to gardening with raised beds is their adjustable height, raised beds also have numerous other benefits. For example, because raised beds are designed so that you don’t have to actually step into your raised beds for maintenance, you can produce larger quantities of fruits in vegetables in the same amount space that you’d use in a traditional garden plot.

Garden maintenance is also easy with raised beds. You can quickly and easily remove weeds and control pests in your raised beds. If you use black plastic mulch for weed control, you will use significantly less plastic for your raised beds that in a traditional garden. Moreover, rodents and other pests that like to eat your veggies in a regular garden bed will have difficulty reaching plants in raised beds. Crop rotation is also relatively painless in raised beds, which can help prevent problems with diseases that can form in the soil over time.

Watering is also easy and more efficient, as you irrigate only where plants are growing and not the walking spaces between your garden rows. Additionally, you can grow your plants closer together, which helps to shade the soil and reduces evaporation. A drip irrigation system is ideal and efficient.

You can also quickly change soil and plants in your raised beds. For example, using a raised bed makes it very easy to plant annuals in the summer and replace them with bulbs later in the growing season. If you grow vegetables or fruits, raised beds can greatly increase the growing season. Soil actually heats up quicker in raised beds and the addition of a removable plastic frame transforms your raised bed into an instant cold frame.

Raised beds can also make gardening more creative, as you can use many different kinds of materials to build you beds including beautiful hardwoods, bricks, stones, and recycled materials such as railroad ties.

Vegetables are normally planted closer together than in the row vegetable garden layout making this is an ideal choice if you only have space for a small vegetable garden. These beds need to be narrow enough so that you do not need to tread on your beds to plant, weed or harvest your veggies. A good width would be 3 to 4 feet, (.9 - 1.2 metres) if you can get at the bed from both sides. You can build raised beds out of recycled wood, bricks, concrete blocks, stones or just pile up the soil on top of the ground. A good depth would be about 8-12 inches (20-30 cm).

A raised bed will enable the soil to warm quicker so you can plant earlier in the season. It will also improve drainage. Even if you have very poor soil or even a concrete slab (make sure you have a soil depth of 12 inches or 30cm for this situation), a raised bed will allow you transform a barren patch into a bountiful harvest. A raised bed also alleviates the problem of tree roots competing with your veggies for nutrients and water but make sure that any tree will not cast too much shade on the garden beds.

More potatoes!

Potato Varieties

There are many different choices for the potato gardener, limited only by personal preference. Listed below are the most common varieties.

Reds — This kind of potato has reddish skin, white flesh and a lower starch content. They are especially good for roasting. Red varieties are more susceptible to scab, as their skin is generally thinner and they have shallower eyes than brown-skinned potatoes. However, the issue is not serious enough to be a deterrent to planting red potatoes.

Whites — The most common type of potatoes found on grocery store shelves, white potatoes have pale skin and white flesh. They are good all-purpose potatoes, suitable for just about any dish.

Yellow — Varieties of yellow potato include Yukon Gold. Yellow potatoes have yellow flesh and are notably good for baking and frying.

Russet — The classic baking potato, russets have a high starch content (which also makes it great for mashing) and a skin that is a bit thicker and darker than other white potato varieties.

Many varieties, like fingerling potatoes aren't found in the grocery store but are plentiful in season at Farmer's markets.

Variety	Maturing	Comments
Yukon Gold	Early to Mid season	Large, yellow-fleshed variety. They are excellent baked, boiled, or mashed. These potatos store well.
Superior	Mid season	Good baked, boiled, or mashed. Resistant to potato scab.
Red Pontiac	Late maturing	High yields, large round potatoes, easy to grow, stores well.
Kennebec	Late maturing	Excellent producer, large potatoes, great for baking or frying, stores well.
Russet Norkotah	Late maturing	Excellent baking potato, excellent producer, large potatoes.
White Rose	Early to Mid season	Good producer, good for cooking, doesn't store well.
Russet	Mid season	Excellent producer, excellent baking potato, large potatoes, excellent for storage.
Norland	Early maturing	Red skin, white flesh, excellent when boiled, fried, or mashed, stores well.

Planting potatoes: Choose a sunny spot with well draining, loose soil, so that the roots and tubers can develop. . Trench Method: A traditional potato planting method involves digging a shallow trench, about 6" deep and placing the seed potatoes in the trench, eyes facing up. You then cover the potatoes with a couple of inches of soil. As the potato plant grows, soil is continually hilled up along the sides of the plants. This keeps the soil around the developing tubers loose and keeps the surface tubers from being exposed to sunlight, which will turn them green and somewhat toxic. Hill soil whenever the plants reach about 4-6" in height. You can stop hilling when the plants begin to flower.

Maintenance: Potatoes don’t like a particularly rich soil. If you have some organic matter and the pH is good, the potatoes should be happy. What they do rely on is a steady water supply. Water them at least and inch a week.

HARVESTING - New young potatoes are harvested when peas are ripe or as the potato plants begin to flower. For storage of full sized potatoes harvest them when the vines turn yellow or have died-back.

STORAGE - Keep them in the dark, in a spot where temperatures are about 40 degrees.

Growing potatoes!

Mom and Dad were master gardeners and Good Friday was always the time to plant potatoes in the garden. The peas were planted about the same time so one of the first dishes made from the harvest from the garden was creamed potatoes and peas.

Growing Potatoes
Potatoes require full sun to grow. Because they are aggressively rooting plants, they will produce the best crop when planted in a light, loose, well-drained but moisture retentive loam. Potatoes prefer a slightly acid soil with a ph of 5.8 - 6.5 Fortunately, however, Potatoes are very adaptable and will usually produce a respectable crop, even when the soil conditions are less than perfect. Potatoes should be rotated on a 3-year program. This means, you need 3-suitable sites if you want to grow Potatoes every year.

Potatoes may be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the early spring, but you must use good judgment. Potato plants will not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 45 degrees F. The soil should be evenly moist, but not wet or soggy. If the soil is water logged when you dig, not only will you risk "caking" the soil, your seed Potatoes will probably rot before they even get started. Potatoes can tolerate a light frost, but you should provide some frost-protection for the plants when they are young. This can be a loose covering of straw, or a temporary plastic tent. (Be sure to remove or ventilate the plastic on sunny days!) If you plan to store Potatoes through the winter, you can plant a second crop as late as June 15. Be sure to only use only certified seed Potatoes! Potatoes are susceptible to several serious diseases. Even though the Potatoes you saved from the previous year, or the Potatos you see in the supermarket may appear healthy, they should not be used for your seed. Certified seed Potatoes are disease free, and have been selected to give you the best results with the highest yields. Certified seed Potatoes are available at most quality nurseries and garden centers. There are several different varieties of Potatoes to choose from, each with it's own characteristics and qualities.

A week or two before your planned potato planting date, set your seed Potatoes somewhere where they will be exposed to some warmth (between 60 and 70 degrees F.) and lots of light. This will induce them to begin sprouting. A day or two before planting, use a sharp, clean knife to slice the larger seed Potatoes into "seeds". Each seed should be approximately 1 1/2-2inches square, and must contain at least 1 or 2 "eyes" or buds. Smaller Potatos may be planted whole. In the next day or so, your 'seed' will form a thick callous over the cuts, which will help to prevent it from rotting once planted. More tomorrow on planting in rows and hills!

Happy, happy Easter Lilly!

Lillies in your garden are colorful, fragrant and easy to care for. You can plant your Easter lilly after it is finished blooming and the foilage turns yellow. Lilies provide an easy to grow, colorful addition to your garden and landscape. By choosing a combination of early, mid-season, and late-blooming cultivars, you can have lilies in flower from mid June through mid September. These hardy bulbs require only minimal care. Each has the capacity to grow, eventually, into an large cluster of flowering stems.

Enchantment, Asiatic Lilly

Here are some hardy lillies that do well even in a Northern climate.

Cultivars	Type	Color	Height in Feet	Time of Bloom
Enchantment	Asiatic	orange	2 - 3	June
Connecticut King	Asiatic	yellow	3 - 4	June
Corsica	Asiatic	pink	3	June/July
Crete	Asiatic	deep pink	3 - 4	June/July
Dawn Star	Asiatic	cream	2 - 3	July
Black Beauty	Oriental	dark red	5 - 6	July/August
Journey's End	Oriental	deep pink	4 - 5	August
Stargazer	Oriental	crimson-red	2 - 3	August
Yellow Ribbons	Oriental	white/yellow	3 - 5	August
Casa Blanca	Oriental	pure white	4 - 5	August/September

Lily bulbs may be planted in spring or in the fall, usually from mid-September through mid-October. If you find hardy lilies growing in containers, you may add them to your garden throughout the growing season. When buying locally, select firm, plump bulbs with roots attached. Plant them as soon as possible. Bulbs never go completely dormant so they must not dry out before planting. Plant mail order bulbs as soon as possible, also. For best effect, plant lilies in groups of three or five identical bulbs. Space them eight to twelve inches apart, keeping groups three to five feet apart, depending on the vigor and size of the lilies. Plant small lily bulbs two to four inches deep and large bulbs four to six inches deep, measuring from the top of the bulb. Divide and replant large clusters of bulbs every three years or so – or when it seems they are not blooming as well as originally.

Never plant lilies where standing water collects after heavy rainfall. Well-drained soil is an absolute must or the bulbs will rot. Add lots of organic matter to clay soil to create a raised area with improved drainage. Incorporate organic matter into light, sandy soil also, to help hold onto nutrients and prevent it from drying too rapidly. Before winter, mulch over newly planted bulbs with four to six inches of loose, weed-free compost, leaves, or wood chips. This delays soil freezing and allows roots to continue growing longer. Mulch also insulates the soil against fluctuating temperatures, delaying the emergence of frost-tender shoots in spring. After lillies are established they won't need much protection....just enjoy.

Garden Easter Baskets!

Window ledge basket!

Sedum metal basket hanging on the gate!

Herb wagon on the deck!

From Southern Living....Plant an Easter Basket! I don't often use material that is borrowed, but this was too wonderful to resists. Thank you Southern Living and Charlie Thigpen.

Hop into gardening by nestling small, plant-filled containers in strategic locations throughout the landscape. To create a fun seasonal look, we gave this display an Easter theme, mixing foliage, flowers, eggs, and a small rabbit statuary.

Classic Wicker
We lined our traditional Easter baskets with burlap and filled them with soil. Then we placed plants inside. To make the wicker last longer, you can leave plants in their plastic pots and arrange them in the basket. Fill in the voids between containers with moss or burlap. Take the pots out when watering, so the baskets won't stay wet.

Durable Metal
A metal basket makes an excellent, long-lasting planter. This one needed drainage holes, so we drilled a few in the bottom before planting golden club moss and hostas. Golden club moss grows flat and covers the soil like a shimmering chartreuse blanket underneath the leafy hostas. This shade-loving mix provides a medley of foliage from spring till summer.

New Life for an Old Basket
A rusted, wire-framed hanging basket makes a great planter. We removed the chains and let it rest on the ground. Then we added a coco-fiber liner and filled it with potting soil. When choosing plants, be creative and try a shrub. We put a small boxwood in the center and tucked petunias around it. Once the boxwood outgrows the space, plant it in the yard. We used variegated ivy along the outside edge of the container.

Tasty Treats
Two of the baskets contain edible greenery. One is filled with creeping thyme and topped with a large ornamental egg. The thyme's fine texture makes a nice green nest for the oversize egg. The larger basket contains chartreuse leaf lettuce mixed with chives, which have spiky, hollow foliage. Chives produce beautiful pink spring blooms. For a decorative touch, eggshells can act as pots. Crack open real eggs, wash the shells, and fill them with small sprigs of thyme.

This season, let baskets decorate your landscape. It's a great time of year to garden, and plants are plentiful. So what are you waiting for? Plant one for yourself, and give one to a friend for a memorable spring treat.

Rita Babcock...gardener of the week!

Bloom Where You're Planted!

Since this is my Mom's favorite saying, I was happy to see this sign hanging in our friends garden! Her garden is full of raised beds, potting benches and tools in a big mailbox. And, she takes the time to explain how little chickens grow up to be big white chickens to little interested girls. Thanks Rita Babcock for your gardening inspiration!

Best organic fertilizers....and info about poop!

At some point in your gardening experience, you may want to use a fertilizer to give your plants an extra boost. Unfortunately, many gardeners rely on chemical fertilizers to grow their trees, grass, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. However, there is an increasing awareness that many of the chemicals we use in our yards can over the long run negatively affect the environment and the health of our loved ones, neighbors, and pets.

Thankfully, there are a number of healthy natural and organic fertilizers available that will help you grow a lush, green garden and lawn without the use of potentially harmful chemical fertilizers.

THE BASICS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS:

Like traditional fertilizers, organic fertilizers show their content with three bold numbers. These numbers represent three different compounds: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potash, which we can also describe with the letters N-P-K. The three numbers listed on fertilizer labels correspond to the percentage of these materials found in the fertilizer.

In addition to other properties, Nitrogen helps plant foliage to grow strong. Phosphorous helps roots and flowers grow and develop. Potassium (Potash) is important for overall plant health.

What Are Organic Fertilizers?

Some gardeners don't believe the claims of fertilizers to be really organic.

Yet chemical fertilizers are made in factories by turning nitrogen gas into ammonia and treating rock phosphate with acid. The problems with chemical fertilizers have been:

rapid release of nutrients and possible unbalanced growth,

a salty environment which damages plants and soil,

gross waste and pollution.

BEFORE YOU APPLY ORGANIC FERTILIZERS:

One of the best ways to improve the health of your plants is by adding organic compost to your soil. Compost can help reduce the amount of fertilizer treatments your plants need. If you’re not composting organic garden waste and kitchen scraps now, you should start as soon as you can. The addition of compost to your garden soil will add nutrients, improve drainage, and help your plants’ immune systems.


MANUREManures and composted plant materials add organic matter, which helps soil retain moisture and structure which prevents compaction, and helps prevent nutrients from leaching away. They also balance extremes in soil pH.

Good poop, bad poop

What is good for the goose, is not always good for the gander. There are a few manures that should not be used, primarily those of meat eaters. According to Cornell University "Homeowners should not use any manure from dogs, cats, or other meat-eating animals, since there is risk of parasites or disease organisms that can be transmitted to humans."

The most common sources of manure are horses, cattle, goats, sheep, rabbits and poultry. Below is a guide showing how manures measure up, nutrient-wise. While all animal manures are good sources of organic matter and nutrients, it's impossible to make a precise analysis, mostly because bedding materials vary so much. For example, manure with straw or sawdust will have a different nitrogen composition than pure manure. But it's useful to know whether the manure you're using is rich or poor in a particular nutrient such as nitrogen.

Just like we need to eat to maintain our health, soil needs continual replenishment of its organic matter to decompose into humus. Humus helps create a rich, moisture-retaining soil and makes nutrients available to plants.

How common manures measure up

Manure	Chicken	Diary cow	Horse	Steer	Rabbit	Sheep
N-P-K	1.1 .80 .50	.25 .15 .25	.70 .30 .60	.70 .30 .40	2.4 1.4 .60	.70.30 .90

Sources: Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, An Illustrated Guide to
Organic Gardening, by Sunset Publishing, and the Rodale Guide to Composting.

Chicken manure
Poultry manure (chicken in particular) is the richest animal manure in N-P-K. Chicken manure is considered "hot" and must be composted before adding it to the garden. Otherwise, it will burn any plants it comes in contact with.

Dairy (cow) manure
Dairy Manure may be the single most useful soil-builder around," says Ann Lovejoy, lifetime organic gardener and writer in Seattle, Washington. "Washed dairy manure from healthy cows is just about perfect for garden use; it can be used as a topdressing and for soil improvement," she adds. Dairy manure is preferable to steer manure, which has a higher salt and weed seed content. Though cow manure has low nutrient numbers, that's what makes it safe to use in unlimited quantities.

Horse manure
Horse manure is about half as rich as chicken manure, but richer in nitrogen than cow manure. And, like chicken droppings, it's considered "hot". Horse manure often contains a lot of weed seeds, which means it's a good idea to compost it using a hot composting method.

Steer manure
Steer manure is one of the old standbys, but it's not the most beloved because it often contains unwanted salts and weed seeds.

Rabbit manure
Rabbit manure is even higher in nitrogen than some poultry manures and it also contains a large amount of phosphorus--important for flower and fruit formation.

Sheep manure
Sheep manure is another "hot" manure. It is somewhat dry and very rich. Manure from sheep fed hay and grain will be more potent than manure from animals that live on pasture.

How to use manure

No matter what kind of manure you use, use it as a soil amendment, not a mulch. In other words, don't put raw manure directly on garden soils. Raw manure generally releases nitrogen compounds and ammonia which can burn plant roots, young plants and interfere with seed germination. In fact, it's recommended that all animal manure should be aged for at least 6 months. Many gardeners spread fresh manure in the fall and turn it in to the top 6 inches of soil a month before spring planting.

A better treatment is to hot-compost manure before applying it to the garden. Hot composting, where the pile reaches at least 150 degrees F) helps to reduce the probability of passing dangerous pathogens on to people who handle the manure or eat food grown with manure compost.

While the chance of contamination is slim, severe sickness and even death may occur if contaminated produce is eaten. To be safe, either compost your manure or apply it in the fall after harvest. Wash up after handling manure and don't forget to rinse the vegetables and fruit well before you eat them--always a good idea whether your use manure or not.

Spring is here with new little chicks!

More early sping plantings for your garden!

Rhubarb begins to peek up out of the ground very early on and grows quickly in the cool spring weather. My Mom used to make a killer rhubarb cake every spring. Rhubarb sauce with a little cinnamon and cream on top is delicious. And, there is nothing better than rhubarb strawberry pie.

• Planting: Usually grown from purchased crowns (rhizomes and buds). You can divide existing rhubarb plants (root balls) or even start them from seed, although they might not grow true to color. When growing from seed, it can take 2 years before the plants are large enough to harvest. Any well drained, rich soil. Prefers a slightly alkaline soil - pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Since you’re growing it for the foliage and it has a sort season, you want a soil high in organic matter, to support quick spring growth. Care should be taken when preparing the rhubarb bed, since the plants will be there for quite awhile after.

  Space rhubarb crowns every 3 - 4 feet in rows about 3 feet apart. If planted too closely, the plants will grow smaller and less productive. You can plant in a long trench, much like asparagus, or dig individual holes. Place the crown 2 inches below the surface of the soil. Firm the soil gently and water well.

  Rhubarb likes regular water, although mature plants are quite drought resistant.

  Remove flower stalks as soon as they appear. Flower stalks are rounder, thicker and taller than leaf stalks. If allowed to mature and flower, the leaf stalks will be thinner.

  Rhubarb does not like competition from weeds. A 2-3 inch layer of mulch will suppress weeds as well as help conserve water.

• Harvesting: As with most perennial crops, don’t harvest the first year. Allow the plant to hold onto its leaves and build its strength. A top dressing of manure will keep it going.

  You can take a small harvest the second year. Harvest stalks that are at least 1" thick and leave the rest. During the 3rd year, you can harvest for about 1 month. After the 3rd year, you can harvest whenever there are stalks ready for picking. Plants can remain productive for 8 to 15 years, unless affected by pests or diseases.

  To harvest, cut the stalks at the soil line or pull out individual stalks as needed. You can harvest the whole crop at the same time or harvest in succession over a 4-6 week period. Although the leaves are toxic, they can be used in the compost pile....the oxalic acid will dissipate in the composting process.
  

  As the temperature warms, growth slows and may even go dormant, but will resume in fall as temperatures fall.

• Dividing Rhubarb: To divide rhubarb, dig the root mass and divide the crown between buds or eyes, into pieces about 2" long, with roots attached. You can divide in spring or fall, but it’s easier in spring, when the plant is coming out of dormancy and growing new roots.
• Winter Protection: Rhubarb enjoys needs a period of cold to remain productive. A layer of mulch over the bed, once the ground freezes, will protect the roots from drying out. Otherwise, the plants should be fine on their own.
• Maintenance: Plants will need to be divided or trimmed every 4-5 years. You will notice the stalks getting thinner as the crown becomes overgrown and crowded. When this happens, either divide or Trim the crown to 4-5 buds.

Lettuce the perfect cool spring weather crop!

Lettuce may take a little protection to get it going in the early spring, but, oh, it never tastes better than when it’s grown in the crisp spring air. Cool, wet springs are perfect lettuce growing weather. It won’t bolt and you’ll probably have time for 2-3 succession plantings.

Starting Lettuce

• Lettuce is a cool season crop and consequently is best grown in either spring or fall.
• However, lettuce likes a temperature around 70o to germinate, so early plantings should be started as plugs.
• Lettuce seeds need light to germinate. Just barely cover the seed with soil.
• After a couple of weeks check to see if the roots have branched out to the sides of the plug. If so, they are hardy enough to go in the ground.
• Don’t let the seedlings get too large before placing them out.
  

Care & Feeding of Green Crops

• If you have fertile soil, you shouldn’t need to feed lettuce plants, unless you plant the “cut and come again” varieties all summer. This is one crop where extra nitrogen can’t hurt, since all you want from the plant is leaf.
• Well-rotted manure or compost is ideal.
• The plants will need regular watering, as lettuce tends to have a shallow root system.
• Don’t keep the area damp or use mulch or you will be inviting slugs.
• A lettuce crop is ideal for the intensive gardening method which is getting a lot of attention lately, because it matures rapidly, can be planted quite closely and can be planted in succession if you choose seasonal varieties.
• Lettuce can even be grown in containers or used as a decorative border.
• If your lettuce looks like it’s about to bolt, pull it out of the ground, roots and all, and replant. This shock to its system will slow its growth. Keep well watered.
  

Harvesting

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As soon as the heart has formed the lettuce plant is ready for cutting. Check for firmness by gently pressing down on the top of the heart area with the back of your hand. This is the safest way as squeezing may damage plant tissue and if the plant is not ready to pick some horrible diseases may enter, as discussed above.

If the plant is ready and left in the ground too long (5-7 days) the heart will start to grow upwards - a sure sign it is beginning to bolt. Cut them immediately for use or dig up and compost.

When cutting for use it is best to lift the whole plant, cut off the root and lower leaves, placing them on your compost heap - don`t leave on the bed to attract pests and diseases.

You should now be holding a delicious looking lettuce plant of some variety. This is the end game - after applying your knowledge of how to grow lettuce you can now go and enjoy with pride the very real fruits of your labor, there are not many thrills greater than this.

Asparagus...an early spring cool weather crop!

There aren't many perennial vegetable crops, vegetables you can plant once and harvest for many years to come. Looking forward to the first tender, pencil sized spears of asparagus poking through in the garden is a rite of spring. If you thought you didn’t like asparagus, you haven’t tried it freshly picked. Asparagus is one of the few perennial vegetable crops. The shoots are picked as young spears in the spring. Later in the season the foliage matures into an airy, fern-like cloud which changes to a golden color in the fall. Because asparagus takes up a permanent place in the garden, but can be an attractive plant, many people with space imitations use asparagus as a border or hedge plant.

You can grow asparagus either from seeds or from crowns. Asparagus crowns are really just the base and roots of a one-year old plants. Most people find it easier to grow from crowns, which are readily available in the spring. Unlike many plants, the roots on asparagus crowns can withstand some air exposure and you will usually find them for sale loose. They should still look firm and fresh, not withered or mushy.

When and How to Plant Aspargus

In warmer climates crowns can be planted in the fall. Early spring is the preferred time for cooler climates, about 4 weeks before the last expected frost date. Crowns can handle some frost because they are below ground. Asparagus is usually planted in rows, since you are going to dig trenches to plant them in. Start with a tench that is about a foot deep and 1 ½ feet wide. Working some compost into the bottom of the trench will get your plans off to a good start. Then make small mounds, about 6 inches high, along the bottom of the trench about every 18 inches. Spread the roots of each crown over the mounds and fill in the trench until the crowns are covered with 2-3 inches of soil. As the plants begin to grow, you can gradually fill in the remainder of the trench.

Caring for Tender Seedlings!

Seedling Care and Nurturing:

As your seedling emerges from the soil, most growers breath a big sigh of relief. Close your eyes and you can almost see the plant grow and flourish into it's full beauty, producing an enviable profusion of flowers or vegetables. As you open your eyes, you will immediately begin a new set of worries, over-nurturing the newborn indoors for a short time while the outdoor weather catches up with your dreams.

Thin Seedlings as needed- - Plants in your garden do not like to be crowded. Ditto with your seedlings, who need all the sun and nutrients that they can get.You may want to leave a few extras for a while as mortality rate of seedlings can be high.

Let there be light, and plenty of it- - As soon as the newborn seedling begins to emerge, it seeks light. Your newborn needs as much and as direct a light source as possible. Placing it by a window with a southern exposure is the first step. But this alone may not prove to be enough for the seedling to grow healthy and strong. First, the sun is not up as long in the spring as it is in the summer. Second, there are many rainy spring days with little or no direct sun. You should also acquire an artificial Grow Light and place the seedlings under it on cloudy days and at night.

Let There be Water, in just the right amount- - Provide water to your seedling every couple of days. Do not soak the soil each night. Overly wet soil encourages the development of damping off disease. Let the soil dry out a little on the top, then water thoroughly. Watering from the bottom is preferred. If you have a seed tray, add water to the bottom of the tray . The soil will absorb it through the bottom holes in your container...your container does have holes in the bottom, doesn't it!?!

Feed me, feed me- - The seedling does not need a lot of extra nutrients in it's first few days of life. Your soil starting mix usually comes with a balanced formula of nutrients that the seedlings need. After several days, adding a little liquid fertilizer to the water is helpful, but you do not need to give it full strength.

If the roots begin to come out the bottom of the pot, it is time to plant your seedling outdoors, weather permitting. If it is still too cool, keep the bottom of the tray moist, or put some extra soil in the bottom of the tray. Or, transplant seedlings to a larger pot. Most plants do not like to be root bound.

Guard against Leggy Plants- - Seedlings are leggy when their main stem or stalk grows tall and thin and can hardly support the leaf structure. It is caused by insufficient sunlight and a sheltered environment. Indoors, they do not experience the effect of wind, and do not need to develop structure to defend against it. Most seedlings do not even experience a slight breeze. When transplanted outdoors, "leggy" plants can be damaged or broken by the wind.

Tip: Take your hand,or a couple sheets of newspaper and fan the plants a few times a day. You can even lightly brush the tops of the plants, brushing back and forth in varying directions. You may notice the plants seem to slow down for a period. What they are really doing is building a stronger stem or stalk.

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Let there be no Damping Off Disease:

Those of us who have grown seedling indoors for any number of years know what "Damping Off" disease. This is a white mold that forms in the top of the soil. Damping Off disease flourishes in cold, wet damp weather along with little sunshine. It quickly spreads across the soil and wilts the seedling. Take it's habitat away, and the disease can not survive. Plants on the other hand, love just the opposite conditions. The more you make conditions ideal for your plants, the more likely you will avoid Damping Off Disease and other mold and fungal problems.

If you do experience problems, do not give up hope. Here are some things you can do to minimize or eliminate disease problems:

• First, get the plant in direct sunlight if at all possible.

• Stop watering until the surface is very dry.

• Water only from the bottom.

• Scrape as much of the mold off the soil as possible.

• Stir the top of the soil without disturbing the roots. It will also speed drying.

• Add some soil, although this may or may not produce results.

• Increase room air circulation. You can gently blow air on your plant trays with a small fan.

The total delight of gardening!

Even the wee ones love to be kissed by lady bugs! This is Gracie, my great niece in a photo taken by her Mom Mystie Blankenship who is about to move into a brand new home and build a brand new garden.

Fragrant Garden!

Flower fragrance is food for the soul
As much as aroma is food for the nose, it is also food for the soul. Nothing is as sure to bring a smile to any face as a whiff of the first bloom on a fragrant viburnum or daphne in spring. It is the confirmation of the promise of spring, a sure link to the goodness of the earth, and a vacation, if ever so fleeting, for the senses. There is a luxury in the perfumes of the garden, a luxury that remains enticingly in reach of almost everyone. You will thank yourself nearly 23,000 times a day.

Lavenders

Dianthus

Roses

Korean Spice Virbirnum

Lilacs In our everyday life, the average human draws 23,000 breaths a day. Included in every breath are the scents of our immediate surroundings, relaying a myriad of information. It is in this spirit that we plant our gardens with fragrant plants. The well planned fragrance garden provides a palette of scent....a "buffet" for the nose. In that same spirit, we should not lean solely on the flowers for the fragrance in our garden. The pungence of artemesia or the tang of lemon thyme can be perfect counterpoints for the spicy odor of flowers. Boxwood can not only define the border of the garden; it can be the canvas for a complex painting of aromas. Finally, the garden should not lack fragrance at any time of year. Even our garden chores can provide us with memory provoking scents. In the fall, the scent of burning leaves accompanies our annual clean up, and the smell of apples and pumpkins remind us of Thanksgivings past. In the winter, the smell of cut evergreens defines the Christmas holiday as surely as snow or Santa, and as the season progresses, forced paperwhites or hyacinths can herald the approach of spring.