In My Garden

April 15, 2012 · 2:44 am

COLUMBINE

One of the things I love about my garden

is shade.

I haven’t always had shade.

But this garden has several areas.

It’s not the deep woodland shade

but rather “partial or dappled shade”.

This means that sometime during the day

a litttle sushine comes through.

The best is morning sun.

The problem with shade is color.

It’s hard to come by on a consistent basis.

Most perennials that bloom in the shade

bloom in the early spring.

Leaving many months in need of a color boost.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Columbine loves dappled shade.

It’s happiest in cool mountain air.

Making it a natural for the state flower of Colorado.

But it also likes living on the Great Plains.

As long as you give it some shade for part of the day.

I’ve grown it both from seed and plants.

Originally I got it started from plants in 3″ pots.

Like most perennials it takes a few year for them to get established.

I didn’t pick any blooms the first few years

That let them go to seed

and make babies.

Then I read that the more you cut the blooms

The more the plant blooms.

So I began to cut these dancing blossoms.

Then near the end of season

I let them go to seed.

After the seed pods dry on the plant

I pick them and crush them

in areas that I would like to have more Columbine.

So far it seems to be working.

Ah Spring!

Gail

EASTER EGGS

There is a long legacy of eggs in my family.

When I was growing up we raised chickens.

And as a result – eggs.

It was a family effort.

Daddy raised the chickens

Mother, Pat, Ann & I gatherer, cleaned, candeled and sold eggs.

Ann, me, Pat and Mother gathering eggs late 1950's

I still have one of the wire egg baskets from those days

As well as that chicken nest in my garden house.

Perhaps that’s why my mother loved to die Easter eggs.

Every mother does things for their children at holidays.

Creating memories and all.

But I’m pretty sure that Easter egg dying

Was actually for mother.

I just don’t remember any other college students

who came home to die Easter eggs.

I think she did it even if we weren’t there!

So it’s with that heritage in mind that I volunteered

to have the Easter Egg Hunt for the children at my church.

Now granted no child in 2012 would be happy with a hard-boiled egg.

Even if it was died turquoise with their name etched with a wax pencil.

But it’s an Easter Egg Hunt just the same.

And I couldn’t have a bunch of kids in my garden

Without giving them a little gardening lesson.

So we added a lady bug release to the activities.

Aphids attacked my roses right on cue.

So the lady bugs had plenty to eat.

We divided the 20 plus children into 3 groups.

Three adults were strategically placed around the garden.

Each had a watering can full of water.

On cue they and the children watered an area of the garden path.

Then along we came with the bag of lady bugs.

They had been chilling in my refrigerator since the Fed Ex man delivered them on Wednesday.

Thank goodness we didn’t put the eggs on top of them!

Now, I’ve been doing lady bug releases in my garden for years.

Ever since my friend and neighbor Patti discovered Buglogical.com.

She and I would share an order each spring.

Lately, the neighbor children have come to share the fun.

But….

I’ve never done this with quite so many children.

So, I was a little concerned.

You never know how a child will react.

Or adults for that matter.

When lady bugs feel the warmth of your hands

They awake from their sleep and begin crawling.

Usually up your arm.

All of these children loved it.

They were – shall we say – naturals!

Children, parents, grand parents even great grandparents had a splendid time.

A time for friends old and new, children, bugs and all that is ours in nature.

Easter – telling and sharing the good news.

Experiencing life in a garden.

It was a good day.

Happy Easter.

Gail

7 Comments

Filed under Bugs, Easter Egg Hunt, Gardening Friends, Lady Bugs, spring, Uncategorized

April 1, 2012 · 2:53 am

YUMMY SPRING

I love the progression of Spring.

Each week brings some new spectacular blooms

The colors are so bright – so clear.

The weather allows me to spend hours in the garden

Soaking it all in.

Nothing renews me like the slow progression

of my garden emerging from the earth

or the cracks in the patio bricks.

Slow progression.

Not this year.

It’s as if John Phillip Sousa has come back to town

and is conducting a fast march through the season.

I was planning on writing about a single plant this week

Wisteria

Early in the week I was drooling over my wisteria.

Driving around town taking pictures of wisteria all over town.

Gay discovered this one in our neighborhood.

It’s at least 30 feet high and has attached itself to a tree row between 2 houses.

Then Debra’s gift of OSU tulips began to open as a nice buttery yellow

and ended the week a great orange.

Next the Parrot Tulip Blumex began to open

and open.

I can’t stop taking pictures of them.

It’s all happening way to fast.

After all it’s only the 31st of March.

Roses are budding

actually the first bloomed TODAY!

Iris are also on the fast track with lots of buds popping up.

But the most breathtaking gift of the day is my

Japanese Tree Peony

You may remember it from last year.

Bought it at least 10 years ago.

Tiny, expensive root it was.

Transplanted to two different gardens.

Accidentally sliced it in half at one point.

Waited patiently – most of the time.

This year it has 14 giant buds.

They open at night

So on a spring morning I am surprised .

This morning I was as my mother would say “flabbergasted”

SIX blooms the size of my hand

Absolutely yummy.

Since it’s so very warm I’ve put my green market umbrella over it

To give it shade.

Because the blooms don’t last long.

So…if you want to bask in its glory.

Better come tomorrow!

Gail

A Re-generating Tree

When we bought this house almost 8 years ago

The backyard had been the domain of one very large labrador retriever

He wasn’t much of a gardener.

More like a plant eater.

As a result there was very little here.

A few straggly bushes of unknown lineage.

Giant arbavidae hedges on the east edge

and dissecting the backyard.

All of these are now history.

But there was one mature Eastern Redbud.

It’s probably 50 – maybe 60 years old.

It’s tall and stately.

Providing shade near the garden house.

It is sadly nearing the end of it’s natural life.

Each spring for the past 3 or so years fewer and fewer branches leaf out.

Big chunks seem to die each winter.

It litters the ground with branches each time the wind blows.

Now, you need to know that we love Redbud trees.

John has planted 6 since we moved into this house.

Knowing that we will not likely see them reach maturity.

Much like whoever planted the original one.

But every spring when they bloom

John seems to find another spot just perfect for a Redbud.

There’s some history for this love in my family.

I remember my parent giving Redbud saplings

As an official gift since it is the official state tree.

They are native here and grow wild along creek and river beds.

Look as you travel the interstates and backroads over the next few weeks.

They are blooming wildly now.

So… back to my dying backyard Redbud.

Just as the big chunks began to die

We noticed a sucker coming from the base of the tree.

The next spring…a few more.

Now, they are almost as tall as I am

Recently I’ve noticed blossoms along the main branches

New life.

Imagine giving birth at 60!

We are coddling this new growth

In hopes that the intersection of death and new life

Will fill the void.

As is often the case this cycle repeats itself in nature

And in life.

Endings mark new beginnings.

And so it will be with our Redbud tree.

We hope.

Gail

1 Comment

Filed under Garden House, Redbud Trees, spring, Uncategorized

March 17, 2012 · 8:27 pm

Lenten Compost

Probably the most asked gardening question this time of year

is how soon can I start.

We all get spring fever.

Wanting to dig up something

or plant something.

I have followed the same schedule for years

decades really.

“If by the middle of March the 15 day forecast looks good

Let the fun begin.”

And it’s worked.

I’ve saved myself from doing lots of damage over the years

Until this year.

After this remarkably warm winter

Everything is ahead

way ahead.

I have tulips blooming on St. Patty’s day ahead!

St. Patty's Day Tulips

Which I guess means I’m behind.

But I’m not going to think like that.

I’m going to pace myself

So today I broke out my friendly leaf sucker and began.

John had placed the blanket of chopped leaves and grass

on my garden last fall.

Now it must come off

and head to the compost pile.

But first I dug up the end of last year’s leaves fully composted and

spread them around my little “hill”.

This rich remnant of leaves has been home to worms the size of small snakes.

Three wheel barrows full are now enriching the heretofore ignored east end of my garden.

The hole this created has been filled with the contents of one side of my composter

and an endless pile of chopped leaves.

The beginning of the next batch.

A friend sent me a Lenten devotional about composting.

It says that the metaphor of compost is fitting for Lent.

From death comes life.

It’s true .

In gardening.

In life.

Gail

P.S. The Redbuds are lighting up this part of the world.

Winter Garden

February 2011

There’s a stillness about the winter garden.

A slower pace.

Quiet.

I love that

I need that

So on a recent sunny January day I spent some time strolling

It’s a hopeful journey.

Daffodils sticking their noses up.

Larkspur running amuck

Greening up everywhere.

My mystery perennial fern bigger and greener

than it ever was last summer.

But the brightest sign of hope…

The first bud on Helleborus

An amazing plant that is always the first to show new life in my garden.

It’s still time for the garden to rest.

For this gardener to rest.

To stroll quietly through the garden

To putter in the garden house

To contemplate the season to come

Time to study OK drool over the catalogs clogging my mailbox

For now…

Quiet time

Hopeful time of things to come.

Gail

2 Comments

Filed under Daffodils, Ferns, Hellebores, Larkspur, patience, Uncategorized, Winter Garden

December 2, 2011 · 2:11 am

Good Night Garden

We’ve come to the end of the season.

True, I’ll likely find a way to spend some hours puttering away over the next few months.

But for the most part gardening season is over.

There are a few end of the year tasks that create the ritual I call

“Putting the garden to bed.”

In the perfect garden universe

I would have time to do a complete weeding sweep through the garden.

Ha!

Next would come a car load of manure

15 or 20 bags.

I’d cover the crown of each and every rose bush.

Providing winter warmth and slow release fertilizer.

The reward is new spring growth from the roots.

Hydrangea, Hosta and Hardy Hibiscus all get a good dose as well.

Next comes a “blanket” of leaves.

Remember the leaf rule.

Never…never…never put them on the curb.

Instead of raking them up

Mow them up.

This chops them into a perfect winter mulch for

Everything!

John did this for me this fall as he mowed his fescue.

Makes sense

Fescue is a shade grass so the leaves fall …on the fescue.

What a gift this was.

Thank you John.

Cassidy & William helped too!

It’s also a good time for review.

I often make notes of what did and didn’t work.

What I’ve learned

How I’ll do it differently next time.

But this year the review feels more like

“What I learned during my 1st season of blogging.”

Technically, I’ve learned a lot – though I’ve got miles to go.

I think most of what I’ve learned is about myself.

For instance over Memorial Day I wrote of garden mentors.

About the “gumption” my mother gave me for gardening and for life.

What an incredible gift.

Courage to try everything.

She never read the instructions to anything.

I’m guilty of the same.

Just jump in and see where it takes you.

I’ve also learned that I have a low threshold for “weather whining”.

I know

This is an historically bad weather year in about 9 different categories.

But really, folks.

Get over it.

I couldn’t end this first season without thanking many people.

So many of you have been encouraging with your compliments.

I love life in a small town.

It suits me.

Running into you around town

Sharing stories of our gardens

And our lives.

It warms my soul.

You may recall that I began blogging at the suggestion of a friend.

Amy grew up next door.

I’ve known her almost her entire life.

Recently, she came to lunch.

No longer the child I’ve watched grow.

She is a woman…wife…mother.

We have much in common as women.

We had lunch in the garden house.

Sharing stories of our current lives

And memories of her mother, Patti.

Thanks Amy, for the idea

And the encouragement.

And the friendship.

So…this will wrap up the first season of “In My Garden…tales from deep in my soil.”

I’ll be back in late winter.

Till then know that I’ve all ready seen the hope of spring.

Larkspur is sprouting everywhere!

Take care,

Gail

5 Comments

Filed under Compost, Garden House, Garden Planning, Gardening, Gardening Mentors, Hardy Hibiscus, Hosta, Hydrangea, Larkspur, roses, spring, Uncategorized

November 26, 2011 · 3:28 pm

A DIFFERENT KIND OF “BLACK FRIDAY”

Thanksgiving Weekend.

I love the slow pace of this 4 day weekend.

At least the way it used to be.

Before Black Friday came along.

For me, I simply can’t get into the retail version of the day.

So yesterday I had a different kind of “Black Friday”.

I spent the day in the garden.

Digging in God’s great black earth.

Things are winding down in my garden.

Almost to a crawl.

But there is always something to do.

Megan and I are still trying to get our scheduled afternoon of bulb planting.

Because it’s getting a little late in the season

I went ahead and planted everything except the tulips leading to the garden house.

Lilies were the first on my list.

You may remember I’d gone a bit lily crazy on my order this year.

I have 25 mixed Oriental Lilies

They are going on the east side of the garden.

In front of a bank of Yews

Behind the Digitalis bed.

Or should I say the hoped for Digitalis bed.

I plan to try again with them in the spring.

This area lends itself to a trench as opposed to big oval holes.

It’s the same principal though.

Don’t dig a hole for each bulb.

And, because these come out of the ground a bit later.

Be sure and mark them so you won’t dig them up.

The saddest sound in the garden is a shovel slicing a lily bulb

Or a daffodil….or tulip…or dahlia.

I know I’ve sliced them all.

Then off to plant Trumpet Lilies.

These are golds, yellows and whites to fill in what I all ready have.

Next came the tulips that Debra gave me.

She selected black (Queen of the Night), white ( Maureen) and orange (Daydream)

For her dad’s garden.

So she gave me a few in memory of my dad.

Both of them taught at OSU during their “second careers”

So it is fitting.

Then, I never can resist Parrot tulips.

This year I’m doing Rai a purple and green with a touch of white.

And Blumex – kind of pink and orange.

Now, I know, most of you finished your bulbs weeks ago

And you are likely pulling your Christmas decorations out of the attic today.

But…there is still a bit more to do.

The pumpkin tower I’ve had in the front pot

Is well…over.

So I buried a few daffodils in a plastic pot.

Actually I did the lasagna method but with all daffodils.

Then I buried the pot within the pot.

This is important because my front pot sits right out in the open.

Lots of cold air swirling around it all winter long.

The double layer of pots will provide a little insulation.

I covered it with pansies.

We’ll see what kind of winter we have.

And how they survive.

I likely have another day or two in the garden this season

The afore-mentioned garden house tulips

and I’m still hoping to move that rose bush.

Though it is likely too late.

Normally by this time of the year I’m ready to be done.

But not this year.

I’m enjoying these days of digging.

Winter is closing in.

But for now

Fall is still with us.

Who could ask for anything more.

Here are the last of the season’s flowers.

Still blooming happily.

Take care,

Gail

2 Comments

Filed under Daffodils, Dahlias, Digitalis, Fall, Garden House, Gardening, Oriental Lilies, Trumpet Lily, tulips

Tagged as Trumpet Lily

November 18, 2011 · 5:34 pm

AMARYLLIS

My first memory of Amaryllis is from early marriage.

I walked into my mother-in-laws kitchen on Christmas

There atop her refrigerator

Sat the biggest flower I had ever seen.

It was tall

Really tall

Almost touching the ceiling.

And the blooms were ENORMOUS

Five or six inches across.

Now…John’s mother was a great gardener.

But really….this was ridiculously impressive.

Which of course, meant I had to have one.

Her’s had come as a boxed kit.

Pot – soil and bulb in a simple cardboard box.

You will see them everywhere this time of year.

There are many varieties

Single, doubles and my favorite Hybrid Dutch Amaryllis

Once again, my source is k.van Bourgondien

For years I only ordered a soft pink called Apple Blossom.

The last few Christmases my choice has been Black Pearl

It’s a velvety deep red.

This year I’m on to Moonlight.

We’ll see.

But really they are all glorious.

Pinks, reds, white, salmon and lime green.

Endless choices.

The cardinal bulb rule applies here, too.

The bigger the bulb the bigger the bloom.

Hybrid Dutch Amaryllis are big.

As big as my hand.

They are simple to plant.

Choose a pot that is just slightly bigger than the bulb.

I use 6″ clay pots.

This plant is top-heavy so the clay helps to stabilize it.

Hydrate everything before planting.

Soak the pots

And just the roots of the bulb

For a bit

Put a couple of inches of soil in the bottom of the pot.

Then the bulb.

The stem and the tip 1/3 of the bulb should be above soil level

So….I usually have to play with it a bit to get the right amount of soil in the bottom.

Pack the soil around the edge of the bulb.

If possible water from the bottom by using a saucer or tray.

These bulbs have several “layers”

You want to make sure that you don’t get water inside those layers.

Or your bulb will rot!

Place in a location where it will get some sun.

But not all day.

Over the course of the next several weeks it will begin to grow.

And grow.

When Elliott was little we always put a yard stick in the pot.

Each day we would check to see how much it had grown.

Most days it was an inch or so.

You should get between 1 and 3 stems spread over a month or more.

Each stem will have 4 or 5 blooms.

Once they start to bloom move them away from the sun

The blooms will last longer that way.

Some will bloom as late as Valentine’s Day

Depending upon when they are planted.

Though Amaryllis are thought of as a Christmas plant.

I really like them to start blooming after the holidays.

That way when all the decorations are gone

And the house feels a bit naked.

Flowers appear.

One more thing

This is a splendid plant to share

They bring JOY!

Take care,

Gail

1 Comment

Filed under Amaryllis, Uncategorized

November 11, 2011 · 2:08 am

BLOG BREAK

It’s been a busy week.

Nice rain

But no time to garden.

So…..I’m taking a blogging break this week.

I’ll return next week

We’ll begin wrapping up the season.

Meanwhile, here’s a picture of my friend Tary’s volunteer pumpkin.

She used last year’s pumpkins to prop up her Nativity set during Advent

And…this fall she got 5 of these great pumpkins!

Take care,

Gail

1 Comment

Filed under Pumpkin

Tagged as Pumpkin

In My Garden

COLUMBINE

EASTER EGGS

YUMMY SPRING

A Re-generating Tree

Lenten Compost

Winter Garden

Good Night Garden

A DIFFERENT KIND OF “BLACK FRIDAY”

AMARYLLIS

BLOG BREAK

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