Take Root and Write

Gardening is Beautiful: A Review of P. Allen Smith's Website

 

I never had any other desire so strong, and so like to covetousness,
as that one which I have had always,
that I might be master at last of a small house and a large Garden.
~Abraham Cowley, The Garden, 1666

There is a desire in most of us to create beauty. Those of us who garden find beauty in God's creation and try to capture it in our own small space. My friend, Lylah, has created a place of such beauty. I've never gotten to visit it in person, but she takes me on journeys through it's lovely paths every time she posts to her website, La Maison Et Le Jardin.

Lylah's blog is a diary of her love for family and the beauty she makes for them and herself to enjoy. I feel blessed that she shares that with me. My goal with my own garden is to create the same sense of joy here that I feel when I visit her through the virtual world.

Making such a place from the ground up takes a lot of effort, but that effort is worth every minute. When the garden brings us peace, we have an escape from frustrations-a place to meet with God in quiet communion. If we plan well enough, we can also bring that peace into our homes. A mason jar of home-grown daisies on the dining table is, to me, more beautiful than a vase of store-bought roses.

Pass the Peas (Seed), Please

Everything on earth has its own time and its own season (Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEV).

The snow was flying again at the end of last week. For our area, it was just a passing storm that only left cold night time temperatures to remember those flurries. My grandson coined it "swinter," combining spring with a touch of winter.

The warmer days might give the urge to go ahead and put some seeds in the ground. Before you do that, take a look at your average last frost dates. There are several good sites with this information.

1) Victory Seeds has the frost dates listed by state and city. They are also a good source for open-pollinated and heirloom seeds.

2) The Old Farmers Almanac has frost dates and a plethora of gardening help. Sign up for their free newsletter delivered right into your email.

3) USA Gardener also list frost dates by state and city. They have nice free gardening e-books available on their site.

Small Space Gardening: Easier Than Ever

Fresh-picked beans, sun-warmed tomatoes, gourmet cucumbers...these are the beginnings of bringing the scrumptious taste of summer to the dining table. While our budgets are getting tighter, the desire to provide nutritious and delicious meals for our families is still strong. It is possible to satisfy both the budget and the tummy by growing some or all of our own fresh vegetables ourselves, no matter where we live.

My husband and I were married more than 20 years before we were in a location in which we could put permanent garden beds. My desire to grow our own food and provide healthy choices for our children grew long before then. About 18 years ago I came across a book written by Mel Bartholomew called Square Foot Gardening (© 1981, Cool Springs Press).

Since the USAF moved us every 2-1/2 to 3 years, putting in permanent growing beds was not possible. Sometimes our yards were tiny with little space and/or rules about just what we good do with it gardening-wise. At one point, while I was allowed to grow flowers in a small bed, I wasn't allowed to till up a large enough space to plant a traditional garden.

Spring is Peeking

O Love-star of the unbeloved March, When cold and shrill,
Forth flows beneath a low, dim-lighted arch
The wind that beats sharp crag and barren hill,
And keeps unfilmed the lately torpid rill!
~Sir Aubrey de Vere, Ode to the Daffodil~

The daffodils are coming! I saw their bright green leaves poking up through the snow in front of my grandson's preschool -- evidence that this winter will not last much longer.

I wish I had remembered to plant a few early blooming plants last fall. Although my husband and I like to drivie through the hills on picture taking expeditions as a  type of "what-flowers-are-blooming?" scavenger hunt, I would love to see some of those early harbingers of spring out of my own sunroom windows.

"Snowdrop!" rejoiced some children who came into the garden.
"There stands one, so sweet, so beautiful-the first, the only one!"
~Hans Christian Anderson, The Snowdrop~

Get a Jump in the Garden; Start Indoors!

The first gatherings of the garden in May of salads, radishes and herbs made me feel like
a mother about her baby - how could anything so beautiful be mine.
And this emotion of wonder filled me for each vegetable as it was gathered every year.
There is nothing that is comparable to it, as satisfactory or as thrilling,
as gathering the vegetables one has grown. ~Alice B. Toklas

Snow is still flying...the air is still cold...but I can wait no longer to smell the earthy richness of moist soil nurturing small miracles into blessings for our dining table. I have started a few pots of herbs. I cannot explain the thrill that goes through me as I brush my fingers gently over the basil, both sweet and lemon varieties, and inhale the fragrance of Spring.

  The spearmint is up, its tangy fresh aroma tempting me to linger over a cup of tea. The chives are peeping tiny round leaves out of the soil, and ready to grow into neon green spears to season my baked potatoes. I have a couple of hanging baskets to start: one of cherry tomatoes and one of strawberries. My family is as excited as I am watching the green life sprouting on the counter while the ground outside is covered in a blanket of white.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

"She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family, and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden" (Proverbs 31:15-16 MSG.

A recent snowstorm provided an opportune time to observe the gardening world from inside a warm house. I planned to make a hearty breakfast of french toast using my homemade artisan bread and scrambled eggs using home-grown eggs grown on Morning Glory Farm. The simple pleasures of homesteading, even on a small scale, helped me jump out of my cozy bed while my dear husband and grandson still slept.

Glad of the roaring fire keeping me warm, I hurried toward the kitchen to get the coffee started. I glanced out the front windows and was stopped in my tracks by all the movement in my Weigela (Weigela florida) shrub. It was filled with several varieties of birds, all having their breakfast at a small feeder hanging from a shepherd's crook.

 They seemed to be taking turns getting seed. I spied male and female Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), Tufted Titmice (Baeolophus bicolor), and a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens). I also saw Chickadees...but I'm still debating whether they are the Black-capped (Poecile atricapillus) or Carolina (Poecile carolinensis) varieties...they are so similar and so small it's hard to tell without good binoculars and clear weather.

Thyme to Divide and Conquer (or Share!)

That pretty little pot of lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina) in two years has spread to surround the yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and the Knockout rose bush. I love their soft leaves and even the obscure tiny yellow blossoms. But I did not intend to have a lamb's ear bed. It is supposed to be a perennial bed with a cottage garden look.

What can I do to reclaim my garden? I want to keep some of the lamb's ears while making room for new perennials and annuals I discover for next spring's planning season.

Infiltrate

The first step is to dig up the lamb's ear clumps (or other perennials you want to divide). Make sure the target plant has been well-watered a few days before you dig them up. Try to dig on a cool, cloudy day.

Examine the clump carefully. Are there any signs of disease? If so, it is probably best to discard this plant and choose another.

Is the middle of the clump growing poorly? If so, then only the outer portions should be kept for replanting or sharing.

Divide

Dividing the plants can be as simple as just pulling apart the clump with your hands into two or more new plants. Use caution with dividing the clumps: pulling it into too many small pieces will make for a small show in the spring.

If the clump is too tight for hand-pulling, a small sharp knife or a sharp-edged spade may be used.

Conquer

Before replanting, the original hole needs to be filled with a mixture of topsoil, organic matter and a handful of fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen.

A section of the clump can be placed in the newly prepared hole and watered well. The remaining pieces of the clump can be placed in new spots or shared with friends.

Timing the Attack

All these tasks must be done before the ground freezes--for the majority of the country, by mid-November.

Plants that bloom in the spring or summer should be divided in the fall. However, in areas where the winter temperatures drop to -20^oF or colder, it is best to divide the plants in the spring. For very early spring-blooming perennials, wait until they finish flowering then divide. Fall blooming plants also need to be divided in the spring.

If you are planning a new flower bed, look at the ones you already have and see what needs to be divided. This will help with continuity throughout your yard for a more flowing look, plus it is a very economical way to beautify your landscape.

Enlist More Troops

To turn this important garden task in to play, invite some of your friends to a plant swapping party. It's a fun and inexpensive way to expand and refresh your garden while gathering with friends and neighbors. So, don't be afraid to divide and conquer (or share)!

 

Mum's The Word For Autumn

Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird
I would fly about the earth the successive autumns. George Eliot

Autumn is officially upon us. September 22 was this year’s Autumnal Equinox, the second of two times that our days and nights are of equal length. Today’s daylight hours were shorter than yesterday’s and tomorrow’s will be shorter than today. Crisp air, pep rallies, marching bands, football games, and mum corsages: these are the sights and sound of Fall.

The garden can continue to put on a show right up to the frosts of October. Potted chrysanthemums (Dendranthema spp) are available at garden centers, department and grocery stores. The varieties are nearly endless and even if they are not hardy to the winters in your area, you can design vignettes with pumpkins, gourds, and hay bales to highlight pots of these beauties from the daisy family.

Plant Them Now

Chrysanthemums like full sun and moist but well-drained soil rich in humus. They transplant easily even while in full-bloom so buying and planting some even at this point will produce a lovely show. No need to pinch off the blooms of your new plants since they will go dormant after the frosts start and this is their peak time. Keep the plants deadheaded to focus their energy on blooming and not on making seeds.

Focus On Fall Garden Fun

It's time to play in the dirt! As temperatures begin to cool from the intensity of August, we can start spending more time working and enjoying our gardens. September can be as full of garden fun as the first warm days of spring.

It's time to start cleaning up the flower beds. If you are leaving seed pods on your flowering plants for winter interest, go ahead and clean up fallen leaves and trim off bent stems. Insects and disease can over-winter in garden debris.

If you are saving seeds to use for next year's gardens, start clipping flower heads as they dry. Spread the seed heads on paper towels and separate the seeds from the dried petals. Discard the empty flower heads, dried petals, and stems. Make sure your seeds are completely dry. If they need a few more days, place them in a dry, dark spot and check on them frequently. Once they are dry, put them in zipper-top bags labeled in permanent marker with as much information as you know about the plant, i.e., botanical name, common name, color, and the date you bag them. Store the sealed seed bags in a cool, dark, and dry spot.

Now is the best time to plant perennials for next year. There is still plenty of time for the roots to become established before freezing temperatures move in. Spring Hill Nursery has a great sale going on right now with some plant prices up to 50% off. I've had my eye on their Liriope (Liriope spicata) to line my front porch flower bed along the walkway. Transplant or divide peonies, daylilies, poppies, iris, phlox, and other summer-blooming perennials.

Order your spring-flowering bulbs now. Begin planting them at the end of the month. Give yourself about six weeks for the roots to develop before the ground freezes. It is important to check your area's frost dates. Planting spring-flowering bulbs too early may cause the top to sprout before winter, damaging your plants.

Chores Can Be Fun Too!

I subscribe to many free online gardening newsletters. From Preen.com I received this September gardening checklist:

• Dig and repot herbs growing outdoors, or take cuttings to pot up and grow indoors.
• Bring houseplants that spent the summer outdoors back indoors before night temperatures fall below 55^o F. Gradually decrease light to acclimate plants and help reduce leaf drop. Check for insects and disease before putting them with other plants.
• Begin stocking up on gardening supplies before they are removed from retailers' shelves. Pots, potting mixes, fertilizers, and other products may be hard to find later in the season.
• Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped nursery stock. Mulch and keep well-watered until the ground freezes.
• Continue watering gardens, shrubs, and trees if rainfall doesn't reach an inch every week or 10 days. It's important for plants to go into cold weather with adequate moisture.
• Dig tender bulbs, such as cannas, caladiums, tuberous begonias, and gladioli before frost. Air dry and store in dry peat moss or vermiculite.

Grab A Cuppa And Enjoy Fall!

The changes in foliage color are the best part of fall. Enjoy your garden and the cooler temperatures. Plan cookouts and picnics so you can drink up every minute of great weather. Decorate your outdoor parties in festive fall colors and use locally grown, fresh produce to make this month the best September you can remember.

And, as always, grab a cup of tea or coffee, a fresh-baked muffin, and your Bible and meet the Lord in your garden for special refreshing times just for you! This recipe is the hands-down favorite at our house. The muffins taste just like pecan pie.

Pecan Pie Muffins, from the Paula Deen Celebrates! cookbook

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350^oF. Grease and flour 8 muffin tin cups or use paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix well. add the flour and stir until just combined. Stir in the pecans.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full.

4. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm with more butter!

Makes 8 muffins.

I make three changes when I bake these delights: I toast my pecans before chopping to bring out the amazing flavor of my favorite nuts. I add 1/4 cup mini-chocolate chips with the pecans. I bake the muffins in miniature muffin tins for wonderful little muffin bites. Ya'll come by and I'll make you some!

Getting Busy When The Corn Is Ripe

“Shucked and boiled in water, sweet corn is edible and nutritious; roasted in the husk in the hottest possible oven for forty minutes, shucked at the table, and buttered and salted, nothing else, it is ambrosia. No chef's ingenuity and imagination have ever created a finer dish.”

Nero Wolfe in 'Murder is Corny' by Rex Stout

A wedge of cornbread, slices of fresh cucumber and tomato, and a hot buttered ear of corn: to quote one of my favorite West Virginians, "Them's good eatin!" Corn is the ultimate flavor of summer. To capture that taste and bring it into autumn and winter meals, and hopefully a few spring dishes while waiting for the next harvest, is just heavenly.

My preferred way to preserve corn is to freeze it. Although I have my grandmother's pressure canner, I have never learned to use it. Corn is a low acid food and requires being canned in a pressure canner to assure it stays edible after "putting it up." I don't take chances...besides, I've found that freezing best captures that fresh off the stalk taste, no matter the way it is served.

 Prepping the Corn

Preserving does nothing to improve the quality of corn so it is imperative to choose quality produce. Select only tender, freshly gathered corn in the milk stage (when you press your nail into a kernel, it oozes a milky yumminess), with kernels from base to tip with no rows of missing kernels. Remove the husks (you can set them aside for making into corn-husk dolls and other fall decor) and trim the ears. Remove the silks and wash the ears. Except for precooked corn, each recipe requires blanching. Blanch a vegetable requires dipping it in boiling water for a specified length of time to slow the action of enzymes that will cause color and flavor changes during storage. To stop the cooking process, plunge the blanched corn into ice water and proceed with the directions. Corn can be stored in the freezer for about 10 months.

You Say Tomato, I Say Gazpacho

By now, home gardens everywhere are seeing an abundance of tomatoes. There nothing more satisfying than plucking a ripe, organically-grown, sun-warmed tomato right off the vine and biting into it. Cherry and grape tomatoes are truly the perfect fruit for munching as you harvest.

Whether you grow your own tomatoes or buy all yours fresh from the farmers' market or a road-side stand, this hot time is the time to start planning your cold-weather meals. How you like to use tomatoes will determine how you capture the fresh taste of summer to savor during the long winter months.

Traditional canning methods are simple to use with tomatoes as they are a high acid fruit and require only a boiling water bath and a good seal to preserve a full larder of tomatoes from now till next summer's first rosy specimens. The Ball Blue Book of Preserving is an inexpensive and invaluable investment for those who want to "can" their tomatoes, as is their web site: Freshpreserving.com.

A local old-timer in our community says he just rinses and dries his whole tomatoes, then seals them in zipper-top freezer bags and stores them in the freezer till he needs them. When he is ready to use some, he thaws the needed amount and makes whatever recipe he wants. He claims his sauces taste garden-fresh.

I like to make sauce preparations in serving size portions and then freeze them in zipper-top bags or freezer containers. I use two different methods to prepare my tomatoes: Referring to the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, I cook the tomatoes to the point they are ready to can, then pull out my 1959 edition of the Farm Journal's Country Cookbook. I substitute my fresh cooked tomatoes for the commercially canned products suggested in the recipes, then freeze to use in my fall and winter meals.

Let's Start with Tomato Paste

I have a wonderfully easy and tasty recipe for tomato paste that I got from Recipezaar.com.

8 quarts roma tomatoes, about 4 dozen (or other meaty tomatoes)
1-1/2 cups sweet red peppers, chopped (about 3)
1 cup chopped onion (optional)
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons oregano (optional)
1-2 teaspoons honey, (optional-if you want it a little sweeter)
1 tablespoon salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped

1. Wash and trim tomatoes. Blanch and remove skin if desired, or press through sieve when done cooking.

2. Combine tomatoes, red peppers, onions, bay leaves, basil, oregano, honey (if using), and salt in a large stockpot and cook slowly for about 1 hour.

3. Press through a fine sieve. Add garlic, and continue cooking slowly until thick enough to keep its shape on a spoon. about 2-1/2 hours. Stir frequently to keep from sticking. (This could be done in a crockpot - just stir and keep an eye on it.)

4. Pour through sieve (if you left the skins on), then pour into hot 1/2 pint canning jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.

5. Process 1/2 pints for 45 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Or - skip the canning jars: Put the tomato paste in ice cube trays and freeze. When frozen, place in zipper-top freezer bags or freezer containers. Each ice cube space holds 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.

Next Tomato Sauce

Step 1: Use 45 pounds tomatoes.

Wash tomatoes, drain. Remove core and blossom ends. Cut into quarters; simmer 20 minutes in a large sauce pot, stirring occasionally. Puree tomatoes in a food processor or food mill. (I only have a blender for this step so I puree it in very small batches.) Strain puree to remove seeds and peels. Cook pulp in a large, uncovered sauce pot over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook until sauce reduces volume by one-half.

Step 2: Use sauce from Step 1. In an 10-quart kettle, combine with

48 frozen tomato paste cubes (or 8 - 6 oz. cans tomato paste)
1 quart water
4-6 bay leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic
5 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring to boil. Simmer uncovered over very low heat about 6-1/2 hours, or until tomato pulp cooks down and flavors blend, stirring occasionally. Add more water, if necessary, to give sauce consistency of thick white sauce. Remove bay leaves. Divide into 1-quart portions; cool.

Freeze in glass loaf pans. When frozen, remove sauce from pans; place separately in zipper-top freezer bags; store in freezer. Makes 8 (1 quart) blocks. For recipe amounts, cut blocks with frozen food saw or heavy knife. OR freeze in smaller portions. Remember 1 quart equals 4 cups.

And Last:

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
2-1/2 cups tomatoes
6 frozen tomato paste cubes (or 1 - 6 oz. can)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf

1. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil. Add meat and cook until browned.

2. Add remaining ingredients; simmer slowly about 1 hour.

3. Cool quickly; freeze in refrigerator trays (with dividers). Transfer cubes to freezer container.

4. To serve, heat as many cubes as needed over low heat. Spoon sauce over freshly cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Makes 6 servings. (Recipe may be doubled or tripled.)

Next week we will look at preserving fresh corn for spectacular holiday side dishes.

Good Medicine From The Garden

When my daughter called me last week with her little boy screaming in the background due to pain from two yellow jacket stings, my first instinct was to tell her to use “the salve.” But, I second guessed myself and suggested she make a paste of baking soda and apply that to the wounds. When it didn’t soothe his pain I told her to go ahead and use the salve.

She told me afterward that he had immediate relief and stopped crying as she applied the salve. He even gave it a real name, “Nana’s Magical Salve.” I originally made the salve from a kit I bought from LearningHerbs.com to help my son get some relief from a terrible case of poison ivy. It helped prevent scarring and caused the outbreak to heal up much faster than normal. We didn’t even have to take him to the doctor for a prescription or shots as we normally do.

My younger daughter used the salve in July after spending too much time out in the sun and getting sunburned. The next day although her skin was still red, she had no pain and didn’t peel as her skin healed. I urged my dad to use the salve after he got a horrible bruise and swelling around his eye from hitting the corner of the driver’s door on his new Jeep. The swelling went down quickly and the bruise was nearly gone in half a week.

Summer Fruit Abundance: Plants from Pits and Seeds

God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, and fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Three. (Genesis 1:11-13 MSG)

Nearly every fruit is in season and available at most grocery stores this time of the year. It is the perfect time to experiment with exotic fruit tastes. It is also the perfect time to develop new plants from your fruit pits and seeds. Make tasting new fruits into a botany project for your children or grandchildren by watching creation in action.

"Any seed that comes into the kitchen and has not been cooked, pickled, or irradiated is fair game for growing." Peter Strauss, Beautiful Gardens Made Easy

Local peaches are at our farmers' market right now. They are juicy and sweet. I'm saving some of the choicest pits to plant. It may take many years before the plants are big enough to fruit, but getting there is half the fun. One thing to remember about planting seeds from supermarket produce: hybrid plants are rampant in our food supply. It is unlikely the fruit that results from your kitchen gardening will be in any way identical to the fruit you purchased, other than the obvious (peach pits produce peaches). Your best chance of getting identical fruit is to buy heirloom fruit.

The basics of gardening apply when starting plants from pits and seeds. Provide adequate sunlight, warmth, and consistent moisture. This time of the year you can start your new plants in the kitchen window. When the weather cools, move the potted plants to an area free of drafts and place under a grow light during the day. Plants grown from local produce should be able to withstand your area's climate conditions and can be planted outside come next spring.

Second Harvest: Planting Your Fall Garden

We've hit the middle of summer and the gardens are looking full and lush with the heat to spur them on toward harvest. Take advantage of your cool mornings to get some simple gardening chores out of the way. Keep weeds trimmed back so they can't go to seed. In the vegetable garden, pull out any cool weather plants that have finished producing. Add compost and turn it into the soil to prepare those spaces for your fall garden.

Now is the time to seed collards and kale for fall. These are plants that can with stand light frost and even benefit from the cold to become sweeter tasting. Carrots will over winter with a protective mulch covering so start a second crop right now. You can also plant cauliflower, broccoli and Swiss chard.

 In all but the most northern gardens, you can put in grape tomato and pepper plants, seed beans, cabbage, cucumbers, peas, spinach, and summer squash for a late fall harvest. Short season corn seed can also be planted if you can get it in the ground right now. Radish seed, which is quick to grow, can be planted mid-August and spinach seeds every two weeks through the end of August. Be sure to rotate your garden spaces by reseeding or planting with plants from different families.

In the flower garden, be on the look out for Japanese beetles. They can be hand-picked and disposed of in an empty gallon milk container with a bit of soapy water. If your are nervous about touching bugs, you can place specially made traps around the garden to capture them.

Keeping the July Garden a Show-Stopper

“He gave them drink in abundance like the depths.” (Psalm 78:15b)

Water is the most crucial element of your mid-summer garden. In July, as rainfall levels drop off, supplemental watering is the only way to keep your garden at peak performance. We’ve already discussed mulching and composting to keep your garden growing. A thick layer of well-rotted compost or other mulches is the secret to a healthy garden and keeping your flowers putting on their show.

Newly planted trees and shrubs will need special care through July and August to survive the hot, sunny days. A layer of straw will keep the soil under them shaded and therefore moist. Stick your hand through the mulch at mid-day to feel the difference in temperature between mulched and unmulched ground.

 If you planted your flower (or vegetable) garden using a modification of the French intensive method, you will see that your perennials and annuals have grown together enough to help shade the soil around each other. This helps slow the daily evaporation of water from the soil. This time of year your plants are working at top speed to do what they were created to do: “yield seed according to its kind” (Genesis 1:12 NKJV).

From The Calendar of Organic Gardening © 1973: “Your plants…are sucking up water from the soil to fill the needs of every cell, while evaporation and transpiration are at peak on the dry, clear and breezy days…make sure you have plenty of mulch.”

Control Your Harvest: Eat Flowers!

You already have six loaves of zucchini bread in the freezer, you can’t think of any more stir-fry combinations, and your neighbors are ducking you… your zucchini and yellow squash plants are doing beautifully. How are you going to manage your excess harvest? Try nipping it in the bud – eat the flowers before they make too many fruits!

Not Just a Pretty Face

From the orchard to the flower beds, the choices for edible flowers are extensive. Here some options with a description of the flowers’ taste and how to use them courtesy of The Heirloom Gardener, Summer 2009 issue.

Apple Blossoms (Malus species): Slightly sweet and floral in taste. Add to green and fruit salads, sprinkle over sorbets and French toast. Caution: Do not use blossoms from sprayed trees.

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma): A bit minty and spicy. Garnish summer drinks, fruit and green salads. Use the petals and leaves in herb tea.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis): Tangy and a little bitter. Use petals from fully open flowers. Add to salads for color and as a saffron replacement in cooking (the taste will be different from saffron).

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum): Similar to mild sweet onions. Pick right after petals open and use the florets with any recipe calling for onions.

Cilantro (Coriandrum savtivum): Earthy, pungent, and slightly sweet. Add with cilantro to salsas and quesadillas. Great as a garnish for rice and beans.

Gardener’s Gold: Making Your Own Compost

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward…Then the Lord God took the man
and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. (Genesis 2:8, 15 NKJV)

Tending the Garden of Eden must have been a lovely weedless occupation with friendly animals roaming free fertilizing as they went. No matter all the scientific effort put into developing fertilizers and soil enhancers, nothing can replace God’s design for gardening. The life cycle of a garden is best enhanced with natural, organic practices that include using compost.

Part of our responsibilities as Christian stewards of the earth is good land management. Way too much household waste is put into landfills every day. One major solution is to learn to reuse much of the biodegradable scraps we produce in our every day living. Vegetable and fruit scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds and filters, and tea bags all make fantastic additions to a home compost pile along with yard debris such as grass clippings and fallen leaves.

Indoor Composting

My dad saves his coffee grounds for me in gallon ice cream containers and brings them to me every month or so. The coffee grounds can go right into the compost pile outside, filters and all.  I reuse the ice cream containers to save my kitchen scraps and then I dump the container on the pile. Garden Supply Company has a variety of composting pails for use in the kitchen. The green one is pretty and has a replaceable carbon filter to prevent odors from escaping.

Avoid composting meats, fatty food wastes, milk products, and bones as these will attract pests. I rinse egg shells and crush them before adding them to my compost pail to aid in their break-down. I also like to chop banana peels and melon rinds.

Another fun choice for indoor composting is vermicomposting – composting with worms. This is a great method to use in an earth science curriculum for homeschoolers. Hands-on teaching is a great way for kids to learn. I will be incorporating vermicomposting as part of our four-year-old grandson’s education starting in August. He already has a simple worm habitat we purchased. We will be expanding that with our own homemade worm composting bin made from a plastic storage bin. You can see where we are starting at the Santa Cruz County website. This site has complete directions no matter how involved you want to get.

A Return to a Little Bit of Eden: Mulching Your Garden

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
(Genesis 2:15 NKJV)

Can you imagine the joy of being a gardener in God's special garden? Besides the blessing of walking with God in the cool of the day--everyday, the garden of Eden was absolutely perfect. Everything in the garden was to give blessing, pleasure, and nourishment to both man and creatures.

Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so...And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:11, 12a NKJV)

And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. (Genesis 1:29-31a NKJV)

 Do you realize that when God created the earth there was not one plant that was noxious or even just annoying? In other words, no weeds! But Adam's and Eve's disobedience didn't just cause a curse upon themselves. They were cast out of the garden and away from total intimacy with God and

"Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you , and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground." (Genesis 3:17b-19a NKJV)

Each year that I garden, I have to fight for my vegetables and flowers against unwanted invaders. I yank and pull and get as much as I can out of the beds, then a few days later I'm doing it again. Weed control does not have to be such back-breaking work if the wise gardener uses some type of mulch. I did not mulch right after I planted my zucchini this year. You can see how small weeds are in the brick bordered bed and where I am expanding the garden, weeds that were just a few inches tall before the past couple of weeks of rain are now trying to overtake my plants.

Gardening for Free with Plant Propagation

Buying nursery plants for your garden can be an expensive endeavor. With just a little effort, you can make landscaping your yard free and easy using a few simple techniques. Over the years I have gotten fairly good at saving and preserving seeds from my favorite plants, but there are a few favorite woody plants in my yard of which I would like more.

Last summer I tried starting a couple plants from cuttings but didn't use the right methods, so I got no new plants. This spring I have customized a couple techniques and am having much better success. I have several lovely flowering shrubs in my yard including a flowering quince, an ornamental plum tree, a wiegela, several azaleas, and a snowball bush.

Preparing the Growing Environment

Start with inexpensive terra cotta pots in two sizes. In the first, a 4-inch pot, glue a rock over the bottom hole with waterproof glue and allow the glue to dry for 24 hours. In the second, a 10-inch pot, fill with perlite to within 2 inches of the top. 

Place the 4-inch pot in the center of the perlite and wiggle until the top of the small pot is even with the top of the larger pot. Fill the small pot with water. The small pot will slowly release the water into the perlite filled larger pot. Moisten the perlite in the larger pot as well. I also added a small terra cotta saucer under the larger pot to prevent water from running out onto my planting table.

Preparing the Plant Cuttings

The best candidates for becoming new plants are cuttings made from the new growth at the terminal end of a branch. This growth can have a woody stem, a partially woody stem, or a soft stem. Early morning is the best time to take cuttings. The cuttings need to be kept moist until they are placed into the growing medium.

Vacation Thyme

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NIV)

I am writing this week's Thyme for the Garden column from our campsite in Levi Jackson State Park near London, Kentucky. My husband and I are celebrating my birthday with a quiet get-a-way in God's wild garden. We do little mini-vacations throughout the year to rest and rejuvenate from the busyness of daily life. I thought it would be fun to give both Steve's and my perspectives of this trip.

Steve's view: As usual, the week sped by and I didn't get the preparations finished that I had planned. Our departure was a few hours later that I wanted. We still had several stops to make and I was beginning to feel antsy. I took a deep breath and was determined not to stress over what was supposed to be a time to relax.

 Patty's view: I was excited during the drive when Steve said the State Park he had chosen for our mini-vacation was near Berea, Kentucky, as Berea is one of my favorite Kentucky destinations. I knew I would be able to convince Steve to stop at our favorite hip coffee shop on the way home.

Steve's view: The drive was great but as the sun started going down I was beginning to let things build again, like, why couldn't we find the GPS? Why didn't I bring a map? And, why can't I remember the name of the town the park is near? I needed another deep breath and to r-e-l-a-x.

Container Gardening ~ Part 2: Flowers

Container gardening with flowers is the perfect opportunity to experiment with your creative side: you are limited only by your own imagination. But then again, with all the expert help available even your imagination won't stop you. The basic requirements for growing flowers in containers are the same as growing vegetables: proper attention to container size and drainage, soil, water, and fertilizer. Here are a few refresher tips specific to growing flowers in containers:

Sunshine - Think about how much light your containers will get. On my porch the hanging baskets get strong morning light for about 4-5 hours.

• If your containers receive less than 4 hours of direct sun, choose shade-loving plants like begonias, ferns, ivies, coleus, and impatiens.
• If they get part sun (direct sun 4 to 6 hours a day or dappled sunlight most of the day), choose plants that thrive in partial shade like vinca, dusty miller, ageratum, nicotiana, and fuchsia.
• If the containers will be exposed to full sun (six or more hours of direct sun daily), choose plants that stand intense light like lantana, verbena, geranium, moss rose, sage, zinnia, and strawflower.

Water - Getting enough water is crucial to successful container gardening. Too little and the results will be disappointing.

• Watering your containers should be part of your daily routine. Soak the soil until the water runs out of the drainage holes. During hot, sunny, and/or windy weather, water twice a day. Grab a cup of coffee in one hand and the hose or watering can in the other and take the opportunity for an early morning stroll through your garden.
• Drooping plants are a sign of neglected plants. Inadequate watering will result in reduced flowering and stressed plants that fall victim to diseases and pests.
• If the potting soil dries out completely (for instance, your kids forget to water while you are away for a few days), soak the pot for a hour or two in a bucket or pan of water that reaches about one-third up the side of the pot.

Grooming - While you water, take the time to give your plants a bit of diva time.

• Use scissors or hand shears to cut out dead or damaged stems or foliage, and trim off spent blossoms to encourage more flowers-you don't want your plants to develop seeds until the end of the season so you can save them for next year!.
• In mid-summer, cut back gangly, leggy plants by about 2/3 to encourage branching near the plants base and fuller growth for the rest of the season.

Container Gardening ~ Part 1: Vegetables

Container gardening offers a great opportunity to experiment with gardening on a small scale. If you are a novice gardener who craves the sweet taste of tomatoes warm off the vine, this is the method for you. Cherry and grape tomatoes are ideal plants to try in containers. You can have a complete salad garden in containers just outside your kitchen door. Almost any plant that will grow in a traditional backyard garden will do well in containers with proper preparation.

Container gardening is convenient and can be a beautiful addition to your landscaping. Your choice of containers is limited only by your imagination and the specific varieties of vegetables you want to grow. Along with tomatoes, you can grow peppers, eggplant, green onions, beans, lettuce, squash, radishes, and herbs in containers.

 Containers for vegetable plants must (1) be big enough to support the plants when they are fully grown, (2) hold soil without spilling, (3) have adequate drainage, and (4) never have held products that would be toxic to plants or people. Your actual choice of containers can range from standard plastic pots, to sophisticated concrete urns, to an old leather boot. Larger plants may require heavy and strong pot materials to keep from blowing over or to keep the roots from breaking the pot. Some suggestions: barrels, flowerpots, cut-off milk and bleach jugs, recycled styrofoam coolers, window boxes, baskets lined with plastic (with holes punched in it for drainage), or even pieces of pipe or cinder blocks. Have fun with your containers!! Don't forget hanging planters...

Soil for containers must (1) be a fairly lightweight potting mix so the containers can be moved as needed, and (2) be porous in order to support plant, because roots require both air and water. For large containers, buying prepackaged soil might be expensive. Instead try making your own using one part peat moss, one part garden loam (soil), and one part clean coarse (builder's) sand.

Watering regularly is crucial to successful container gardening. Generally one watering per day is enough, except during extremely hot spells. Then you would need to water in the morning and check in late afternoon to see if the soil is dry. If so, water again thoroughly. The soil should never be soggy or have water standing on it. Mulching your plants can help with water retention in the heat of summer.

Strawberry Fields Forever...

"Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did."

Dr William Allen Butler, 17th century English physician & writer

The ancient Greeks called them komaros, which means "a mouthful"; the Romans called them fragaria because of their delicate fragrance. By any name, the strawberry is a most wonderful delight. After receiving two magazines with strawberry meals featured on the covers, I had to pause in our pruning discussions to talk about my favorite summer fruit.

Being delectable is not the most important characteristic of strawberries. They are also found on many lists of superfoods (foods high in phytonutrient content). Strawberries are rich in:

Vitamin C - reduces the severity of colds, important factor in collagen production-aiding in healing skin wounds and broken bones, helps prevent cataracts, is a first line of defense against cancer.

Vitamin A - important for vision, immune function, embryonic development and reproduction, skin health, reducing risk of heart disease, and antioxidant activity.

Iron - builds red blood cells, muscle proteins, and healthy bones, helps blood carry oxygen needed for energy.

Magnesium - needed in every cell in the body, used in over 300 enzymatic functions including regulation of blood sugar, and controls calcium utilization.

Potassium - vital for maintaining the correct water balance in the body, ensures good nerve and muscle function, helps balance the body's pH.

Sulfur - found in all body cells, accounts for 1 percent of your body weight,is an integral part of the biological cement that forms skin, hair, nails, and the cartilage that shapes your nose and pads your joints.

Calcium - builds and maintains strong bones and teeth, aids in muscle and nerve control, blood clotting and blood pressure.

Silicon - gives strength and stability to nails and connective tissues, important to bone formation, helps prevent arterial plaques (atherosclerosis).

So now that we know why we should eat them, let's talk about how to grow them.

Choosing Your Strawberries

Because strawberries are such a fragile and soft fruit, the best source is from a home-grown garden. One of the parent species of the garden strawberry, Alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca) are extremely easy to grow from seeds or divisions. They make good hanging pot or ornamental edging plants. They produce small, aromatic berries from early summer through frost.

There are three types of garden strawberry cultivars (Fragaria x ananassa): Junebearers, everbearers, and day-neutrals.

Junebearers are those which bear their fruit in June (as early as April in Florida and California). This type of strawberry produces a single large crop over 3-4 weeks. If you want to freeze a lot of fruit at once, these are the plant for you. There are early-, mid-, and late-season cultivars available. Junebearers spread by runners.

Everbearers produce a mild crop in June, a few scattered berries though the summer, and a small crop in  late August. These are especially productive in northern areas with long summer days. The total harvest for everbearers is much less than the total harvest for Junebearers. This is a great selection if you want fresh berries all summer long. They are easier to control than Junebearers because they produce fewer runners. This is not a type that does well in West Virginia.

Day-neutrals are unaffected by day length. They are extremely productive and bear fruit from June through frost in northern areas, or January through August in milder climates. They are fragile and sensitive to heat, drought and weed competition. If you are willing to give them the care they require, they will reward you with a generous supply of berries throughout the season from relatively few plants.

If you have room, you might plant all four types of strawberries to get maximum harvest.

Planting Your Strawberries

In my part of the country (West Virginia), April is the month to plant strawberries. We should not plant them any later than June 1st. Our average temperature range for April through May is highs of 67-75° F and lows of 44-53° F. You can judge when to plant your strawberries by the dates when your area temperatures fall into these ranges. I plant in raised beds and try to keep to the recommended spacing in those beds. If you plant in traditional rows, the following are planting recommendations.

In soil that is well-worked and without excess moisture plant:

• Junebearing strawberries 18 to 24 inches apart in rows at least 36 inches apart, with the soil line above the roots, but not covering the crowns. Allow the runners to grow in all direction so the daughter plants fill in between the mother plants to form a wide, solid row. Flower buds on the Junebearing strawberries should be manually removed in the first year to avoid flowering and fruiting stress on the young plants. Removal of flowers allows the plants to direct their energy into roost system establishment and the development of a healthy, and large leaf canopy to fuel next year's crop.
• Everbearing and day-neutral strawberries in a hill system. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows with 24-36 inches between rows. Remove all the runners so only the original mother plant remains. Removing the runners causes the mother plant to develop more crowns and flower stalks. Multiple rows are arranged in groups of two, three or four plants with a two foot walkway between each group of rows. Plants are set about one foot apart in multiple rows. Immediately mulch day-neutral strawberries as the plants are very sensitive to warm soil temperatures. Flower buds and runners should be removed only through early July the first year and may be allowed to fruit after this date.

Don't delay...you still have time to get some strawberries planted. You can be biting into your own juicy, sweet fruit as soon as early August. Believe me, you have never tasted a sweeter strawberry than the one you harvest from your own garden!

Please remember to use organic practices with this fragile, soft-skinned fruit. What ever you put on the strawberry plants, you will be eating. For more information on the importance of organic strawberries, read "Why Choose Organic Strawberries?" and "The Dirty Dozen: Top Foods to Choose Organic."

Visit our Thyme for the Garden resource page for strawberry recipes for health and beauty and good eating.

You Can Master Pruning ~ Part 1: Spring-blooming Shrubs

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away,
and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
(John 15:2 NKJV) 

To most gardeners, pruning is a daunting gardening tasks. But, knowing when to prune and how much to prune can be both a labor-saving and artistic outlet. Being diligent to prune at the correct time and with the correct methods will keep your garden tamed and your work pleasurable.

Prune with a Purpose: Good pruning is the selective removal of branches without changing the plant's natural appearance or habit.

Keeping Plants Healthy and Attractive

Developing a sound framework through proper thinning helps prevent disease and loss of vigor while it maintains good form.

*Remove dead, dying, or diseased wood.
*Cut out unwanted growth, like watersprouts and sucker shoots.
*Prune out crossing or rubbing stems.
*Thin out stems to open the plant to light and air.
*Remove any overly long or awkward-looking shoots.

Controlling Plant Size

Over time, trees and shrubs often grow to sizes that exceed the space allowed them. Careful planning of your landscape and spacing your plants properly will let your garden grow without needing too much of this kind of pruning. Before you grab your loping shears, look for these things:

*Plants that you need to keep to a certain size, like a hedge or a shrub in a foundation planting.
*Plants that are crowded into other plants.
*Stems that are leaning into paths, walkways, or doorways, making it difficult or dangerous to pass by.
*Plants that are too big for the space you have.

Gardening for Flutterbys...Butterflies

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.   Nathaniel Hawthorne

Last summer our family visited the New River Gorge Bridge near Summersville, West Virginia. Walking up to the visitor's center was as much of a treat as standing at the bridge overlook. The visitors' center is fronted by beautiful butterfly gardens. They were positively alive and moving with these winged flowers.

The thing I noticed particularly about the butterfly gardens was how the gardener planted groups of the same plants repetitively throughout the gardens. Using several favorites, the garden was as pleasing to observers as it was to the butterflies, and very easy to maintain.

I am interested in creating more than just a garden for the butterflies to visit. I would like to provide a complete habitat so I can watch the entire God-designed life cycle and share it with others.

Planning for Butterflies

Choosing Nectar-Rich Favorites

Butterflies, like bees and hummingbirds, enjoy flower nectar as part of their diet. They are particularly attracted to purple and yellow flowers with simple, open blossoms. Species flowers or old-fashioned varieties are preferable because they produce more nectar.

Butterflies are also attracted best to large patches of the same colored flowers where they can find a lot of nectar. Plant varieties are not as important as grouping colors.

Gardening is for the Birds ~ Part 2: Hummingbirds

My first up-close and personal encounter with God's tiny winged wonders occurred while I sat on my front stoop in San Antonio, Texas. As I sipped my tea and read my devotions I noticed a brilliant feathered jewel glittering just to the left of my peripheral vision.

When I tilted my head ever so slightly to get a better view, the male hummingbird zipped away from the feeder to hover inches from my eyes. We gazed at each other for a bit then he won the staring contest by chirping and coming closer. I blinked, then closed my eyes when I saw just how close his long, pointy beak was.

My new friend and I had many such encounters, although I was too intimidated to stare directly at him when he would zoom in closer. I settled for watching him through my eyelashes. I have been hooked on hummingbirds ever since.

Most birds are easy to entice into the yard with a simple feeder, but hummingbirds take a bit of coaxing. They won't settle for a feeder that is sporadically maintained. After a few disappointing visits, they will fly off to more nectar-filled places.

Hummingbirds enjoy nectar from a wide variety of flowers. Planting a small hummingbird garden takes minimal effort and the reward are spectacular. Even small space gardeners can lure hummers right up to the porch with well-planted hanging pots and a simple nectar feeder filled with a sugar-water solution.

Hummingbirds do not have a well-developed sense of smell. They depend on their eyes to guide them to nectar-rich flowers. They can spot red flowers from great distances, which is why most hummingbird feeders feature red on the feeding ports. When planting for hummers, be sure to include a variety of red flowers and ensure that you choose enough to guarantee blooms from spring through fall.

Gardening is For the Birds

I treated myself to a special gardening issue of Birds & Blooms magazine called Gardening for Birds & Butterflies. I didn't quite realize how much of a treat it was until I sat in my swing with my coffee on the first warm, sunny morning this spring.

While sipping, I noticed how much bird song I could hear between cars passing our house which sits on a busy rural highway. I began recalling some of the gardening possibilities I read about the night before that would attract more birds to our yard and help cover the sounds of the road.

 As the sun rose higher over the hill across the road, my trees just buzzed with several varieties of birds as excited as I was with the beautiful day. A spectacular tiny specimen landed on a branch just in front of my eyes, then quickly flew off to quarrel at some encroaching robins. I thought I could identify this thumb-sized beauty, but ran in to grab my new magazine which features a field guide to fifty birds and butterflies.

I flipped the guide open and found the picture and description for which I was looking. Graciously the little wing-wonder landed just a bit closer so I could get a better look. Sure enough, my flighty friend was a particularly fine example of a black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus).

While I sat on my porch, I realized I could see a lot of  bird activity at the edges of my yard, but there is not much to attract them to the middle where I can see them from the swing. Bird feeders placed strategically will help attract more birds, but I want a lasting solution (and more care-free says the lazy gardener). My magazine suggests flower varieties that will help. Most of them are flowers I like and have in small quantities in a border garden:

Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Coral Bells (Heuchera sanguinea), Lavender (Lavandula angustafolia), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpura), Salvia (Salvia pratensis), Sedum (Sedum species), and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Garden Planning 3: Multi-Use Gardens

Gardens were an important part of the culture of the peoples of Bible times. According to an article in The Woman's Study Bible (Thomas Nelson Publishers), enough drawings of ancient gardens in the Near East exist to confirm seven general features:

1. Planning for attractiveness and convenience of using water supplies.
   "And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere...like the garden of the Lord" (Genesis 13:10).


2. Beauty and fragrance of flowers and fruits.
   "And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food" (Genesis 2:9).


3. Shelter and shade.
   "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches" (Luke 13:19).

1. Pleasure such as a meeting place for friends...
   "He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with His disciples" (John 18:1-2).
   
   or site for social events...
   "The king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king's palace" (Esther 1:5).


2. Provision for food.
   "Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit" (Jeremiah 29:5).


3. Protection.
   "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse" (Song of Solomon 4:12).


4. Retreat for quiet meditation.
   "Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, 'Sit here while I go and pray over there" (Matthew 26:36).

Gardens take time and effort to prepare, but the rewards are more than worth the work involved.

Getting Inspired: Take in a Garden Show

March came in like a lion in the upper south. Winds roaring through the valleys and rain that turned to snow. And then suddenly, warm air! Just enough to make one grab a trowel and head out the door. Unfortunately in West Virginia, the ground is still too wet to work. Thanks to a timely email, I have been able to resist crushing my fragile soil by working it too soon. Now I'm cruising the 'net to see where the closet flower shows are.

The email was from Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm and Gardens in Renick, West Virginia, listing his upcoming speaking engagements. I was thrilled to see that he will be at the Vandalia Garden Festival in Charleston on April 18 and then in our town at a local nursery the following weekend. Barry specializes in raising hellebores. I have been looking forward to touring his farm for two years. I am hoping to work in a trip to Sunshine Farm in early April to see the hellebores at their peak. Whichever time I get to speak to Barry, I would like to interview him for this column. He has been at this for decades.

The Cincinnati Flower Show is April 18-26. A four-hour drive from my house; this one would be well worth the trip if I hadn't already committed to the the other two events that week. It is a large show and is the only North American flower and garden show endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain, producer of the Chelsea Flower Show, May 19-23.

I love to see how other gardeners do their thing! I'm planning a girls' weekend with my daughters in June to attend a lavender festival at the La Paix Herb Farm in Weston, West Virginia. It promises to be a great time with a gourmet lunch provided by Chef Dale Hawkins, executive chef of the Stonewall Resort.

Garden Planning 2: Edible Landscaping

Hurray, March is finally here! The first day of spring is just a couple weeks away. Since most of us still have some really cold and wet days (maybe even snow), we can't go full steam ahead into planting outside yet. I thought we would take a look at another garden planning option: incorporating edibles with our home landscaping.

Some of you may already be doing this without knowing it. Those pretty pots of pansies? Pluck a few flowers to decorate a spring cake! Dandelions popping up with the new lawn grass? Grab some of those tender new leaves to add to your spring salad mix and toss some of the petals on top for a boost of iron in this simple fare.

There are several other ways to deliberately grow a mixed-use or edible landscape.

In the flower beds:

Chives make a pretty and tasty edge to a border. This perennial herb self-sows and it is very easy to snip what you need for supper without changing the look of the garden.

Add a lacy filler to your zinnias by inter planting with carrots. This sister of the wildflower, Queen Anne's Lace, will make your zinnia bed look like a bouquet.  Choose a shorter variety of carrots if your sub-soil is very hard. Try Red Cored Chantenay (5-1/2" long) or the very fun golf-ball sized Thumbelina.

Underplant your rose bushes with lavender. The silvery foliage sets off any color of rose and the woody plant helps hide the ugly "legs" of the roses when the leaves start falling (as rose plants are prone to do). Both the lavender and the roses have edible uses as well as medicinal and cosmetic.

Over the arbor:

Wisteria is a traditional vine used to cover arbors. While is is beautiful, it is also extremely invasive. Once it is established it is nearly impossible to get rid of it.

A lovely and edible alternative is grape vines. You get a lush covering plus sweet grapes for eating raw, cooking into jellies or jams, or drying for raisins. If you like Greek food, the leaves are just waiting to be made into Dolmathakia (stuffed grape leaves). If you are crafty, grape vine prunings are wonderful beginnings for pretty wreaths and baskets.

If you are looking for a less permanent arbor covering, try pole beans. The flowers are beautiful and the beans are easy to harvest when they are ripe. Both grape vines and pole beans need little tying once they are established. Their curly tendrils hold onto their supports. Just be sure you use a sturdy arbor that will support their weight once they are in full production.

Out in the yard:

A shade tree is a welcome stopping spot in the middle of the hot, hazy days of summer. Instead of putting in an oak or evergreen, how about a fruit tree. Even semi-dwarf fruit trees will provide an oasis of shade in the yard. The choices are nearly limitless: multiple varieties of apple, cherry, peach, pear trees. And don't forget nut trees. Most of the country has climates that will support almond, hazelnut, pecan, and walnut trees. The more common hickory tree has a nut that tastes similar to a pecan.

Shrub options also include edibles: blueberries and bush cherries. The American hazelnut is a good edible choice for a privacy hedge as are raspberry and blackberry plants (either with or without thorns, depending on whether you are trying to keep complete privacy).

The options for incorporating edibles in the landscape are limitless. If you have a favorite edible you want to try, research the growth habits so you can site it properly. Then plant and tend to it as you do your other landscape specimens. Plus truly enjoy the fruits of your labors!

Next week: Get ready to get your hands dirty as we look at garden preparation.

Garden Planning: Let's Grow Flowers!

 

My favorite part of planning my flower gardens is looking through seed catalogs at the new varieties. The cover of this season's second Burpee Gardening Catalog features a colorful mix of Echinacea, commonly called Purple Cone Flower. The description of the new varieties is as exciting as the idea of a garden full of these beauties: "you get bursts of pink, purple, wine, yellow, cream, and orange. A range of delightful bloom forms, too, some with full upright petals and others displaying spooned or recurved petals. Makes a showy planting for  a carnival of color." What gardener can remain unmoved by the idea of favorite flowers in new and interesting colors and shapes?

Before I start filling out order forms, though, I need a good plan in place so that I can prepare the beds in which the new plants will live. I've found samples in nearly every home living magazine's March issues. My personal favorite place to find plans is at the Better Homes and Gardens web site. The plans are free, all that is required is to sign up to be a member of the site. Their plans range from cottage style to formal. The plans are detailed with garden layouts and plant lists.

This year I would like to yank out a bunch of over-grown azaleas, between the base of my front porch and the walkway, and replace them with a mixed cottage garden of annuals and perennials. I have two favorite azaleas I am going to keep and prune a bit to regain their pretty shapes. These azaleas bloom in a lovely shade of salmon. I want to highlight that color with early-spring blooming plants and coordinate the later-blooming plants so they are set off by the slightly rosy-tinted evergreen leaves of the azaleas.

Everyone can follow the basic steps to planting a flower bed and customize the rest of the steps to suit individual tastes and specific locations.

Gearing Up: Planning Your Garden

"She who plants a seed, beneath the sod, and waits to see, believes in God."

Even the most free-blooming cottage garden starts with a plan. If you are planting only one variety of plant, a few basic things must be taken into consideration before you dig the first hole: location of the bed, availability of water, and how much time you have available to garden.

Personally, I'm a lazy gardener. I even own a book by that title. I want to get the hard stuff over with quickly, so I can get to the fun stuff. For me choosing plants is fun, planning is fun, digging the beds--not so much fun, enjoying the blooms and/or harvest is fun again.

I started this year's garden planning back in October, when I was putting last year's garden to bed. I took note of things that worked for me and things that did not go so well during the whole season. First of all, I encountered back problems in mid-spring. By that point I had already started over 130 plants (mostly tomato plants). I had big plans for canning lots of paste tomatoes. Once summer came along, the best I could do was water the pots of tomatoes. I couldn't bend over, so I couldn't plant them. I gave away over a third of my started tomato plants. After I finished with four weeks of physical therapy, I was again able to bend and work for short periods. I planted as many of the plants as I could and continued watering the rest. I finally had to give up on the last third of the tomato plants and ended up tossing them in the compost.

Mid-February Gardening: Starting Seeds Indoors

In my Zone 6 garden, the last frost date is around April 5^th. In order to gain a few weeks on my harvests, I like to start some seeds indoors. Even though I've been doing this for a few years, I rely on my Extension Service calendar to remind me which seeds to start when. You can find out about the USDA Extension Service programs in your state by visiting the Cooperative Extension System Offices web site.

Although I don't have my garden plans complete, I know I will want to grow as many of the vegetables my family consumes as possible. I was unable to harvest enough to put up (that's southern for can and/or freeze) last year due to some back problems. I'm working on plans to allow for plenty of fresh eating through the summer and fall and some tastes of summer next winter and early spring.

I pulled my calendar out on Monday and realized that I had missed a couple planting starts last week because I was caught up with the rest of our area in the snow storms and power outages. Last week's indoor gardening tasks included starting some herbs in the window sill and seeding some head lettuce. The only gardening I got done was on Saturday when I picked up a little Buzzy Herb Grow Kit ($6.99) and a Ferry Morse Soil Test Kit ($3.27) from Home Depot. Both of them were less expensive at Home Depot than anywhere I found them online. This week I need to seed cauliflower and celery. Next week I will seed broccoli and cabbage inside and peas outside. The final week of February I can start onions and greens in a cold frame outside.

Forcing a Bit of Color into Winter

February 2nd has passed and Paxatawney Phil has seen his shadow. Most of the U.S. will have six more weeks of winter (no surprise there!). I'm still in the mood for gardening regardless that some chubby rodent in Pennsylvania says I must wait. Forcing branches from spring-blooming shrubs and trees is just the thing to help bring color to the winter grays.

Depending on where one lives and what plants are available, forcing branches to bloom can begin as early as January. I have a rather large flowering quince (Chaenomeles spp.) that desperately needs pruning. I will be using it to fill the house with bright pink blossoms. Two winters ago it was mild enough that the quince started blooming in mid-January. Even with this year's harsh weather conditions, it is covered with plump magenta buds. I also have plenty of forsythia (Forsythia spp.) -- we fight all summer to keep them from taking over our daughters' yard. The bright yellow blossoms will compliment the pink quince perfectly.

Suggested Branches for Forcing and Weeks Needed to Force Blooming

January

• Witch Hazel (Hamamelis vernalus) - 1 week
• Cornelian Cherry (Cornus Mas) - 2 weeks
• Forsythia (Forsythia spp.) - 1 to 3 weeks: blooms last 7 days
• Pear (Pyrus spp.) - 2 to 5 weeks: blooms last 7 to 14 days

February

• Azalea (Rhododendron spp.) - 4 to 6 weeks
• Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles spp.) - 1 to 3 weeks
• Cherries, Flowering Almonds, Plums (Prunus spp.) - 2 to 4 weeks: blooms last 7 to 14 days
• Pussy Willow (Salix Discolor) - 1 to 2 weeks: blooms will last indefinitely if allowed to dry

A Breath of Spring: Indoor Plants

"And tis my faith, that every flower enjoys the air it breathes." William Wordsworth

One of my favorite ways of enjoying gardening even with snow falling outside is to have a collection of indoor plants. I have a couple of palm trees and banana trees I'm trying to keep going until warmer weather. I am storing them in our new addition which we affectionately call our "stay-cation" room. It has a beach theme and the palms were bought to help with the ambiance of the room. I also have several Boston ferns I'm nursing until spring. I judge my success with them by how many leaves I need to sweep up each week. I'm not very good at managing the care of needy plants like the palms, so I've been researching good indoor plant management.

Caring for Indoor Plants

My successes with indoor plants are limited to succulents and cacti, which need little interference from me to grow, and pothos, one of the best plants to grow in the low light/low humidity conditions in a winter home. Pothos/philodendron (Epipremnun aureum or Scindapsus aureus) is recommended for small closed environments because it is great at exchanging "bad air" for "good air." Actually, all plants do this to some extent, as all plants exchange the carbon dioxide we exhale for oxygen they exhale. The plants at left are in an arrangement I saw in a grocery store's floral shop. The pothos is the emerald green plant at the bottom; its partner is a Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema). These plants were used in a NASA study published in the early 1980s. The study showed that along with spider plant and chrysanthemums, pothos removes significant pollutants from the air.

January in the Garden

O dreary January, gray skies, bitter cold, snowy day...

I'm so glad you're here! Finally I have time to sit next to the fire with my cup of peppermint tea surrounded by my seed catalogs. Pencil, ruler, notebook, and graph paper are at the ready to capture dreams of new garden spaces.

This is a great time for this column to start. We can get to know each other and share ideas before the real chores of the garden begin. I have already received six seed catalogs. Just in time... My daughter announced her engagement a couple weeks ago. The outdoor wedding, planned for the end of May, will have a wildflower theme. Now I'm thinking of dedicating about 10 feet of my 20' x 30' vegetable bed to a wildflower garden cutting garden.

Even though January has more cold, dreary days than bright, sunny ones, there are tasks to be done.

Inside the house, it's time to increase humidity for houseplants. An inexpensive vaporizer or cool mist humidifier will help. Poinsettias should be placed in sunny windows. Peruse seed catalogs for new plants to try this spring.

In the deep south, it's time to order seed potatoes. Or if you save your own, they should be set out now for greening. They sprout best on a window ledge that is warm and bright, but not sunny.

In areas of the mid-south, where early narcissus bloom in late January, peas and hardy root crops may be planted. The soil from South Carolina to the Gulf should be prepared for planting late this month and next month.

Intro: Thyme for the Garden

Life began for humanity in the Garden of Eden. There is a deep-rooted connection to the soil in each of us. Some satisfy the draw to work the earth by growing a simple pot of violets in the kitchen window. Others may get our hands a little dirtier planting a row of marigolds along the walk. Some even indulge in the pleasure of growing an entire garden of fresh produce to provide nourishing fruits and vegetables for our families. Still, some of us may be those strange neighbor ladies out in the yard gathering "weeds" to put in the salad bowl. Join us as we seek to address the garden needs for all these and much more.

By, Patricia Warren

Column Posted Every Wednesday; Weeks will alternate from, 'Edible' gardens, to 'Decorative' gardens.

Join the Thyme for the Garden Group over at Christian Women Take Root!