30 Good Things to Practice Daily

Not exactly garden tips but if you do these things, your garden will probably flourish! 

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day un-rushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself.  Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns.  If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety.  If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13.. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut).  This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Every day, find time to be alone.
17. Having problems?  Talk to God on the spot.  Try to nip small problems in the bud.  Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
18. Make friends with Godly people.

19. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
20. Laugh.
21. Laugh some more!
229. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
23. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

25. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
26. Sit on your ego.
27. Talk less; listen more.
28. Slow down.
29. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
30. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.  GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

'If God is for us, who can be against us?'
(Romans  8:31)

We Love this Re-purposed Flower Container

Tad has outgrown his "turtle sandbox" and I couldn't bare to toss it out. Since it was located at the edge of my garden behind the fence. It's the one I like to call my secret garden even though everyone who comes to a plant sale sees it. Anyway, It was the perfect place for a little rock garden. All I had to do was mix some potting soil mix into the existing sand and it was the perfect mix for sedum. I planted several kinds among the stones I had gathered the last time I went to mom's creek. The center seemed a good place for a strawberry crock full of Hens and Chicks.

We all loved it - even Tad, Well, after seeing it all fixed up different, he did want to run his trucks around in it one more time... no no!

Sundrops, Chickens, and Sedums

It's been over a year since I had time to update this. 

 The lilacs have come and gone;


the Irises are even finished already,

and my garden is glowing in yellow sundrops and sedum now.

As you can see, my chickens are hard at work keeping my garden almost bug free,also scratching out some of the newly planted annuals, and they tried to get my early peas, which I finally protected with some green dollar store netting.

 but Oh, well, I love those chickens anyway, and their eggs are so delicious.

I won't let them have my cherries though.  I just planted this tree this year, and I want a taste, so I draped a net over and that seems to work.

The chickens and I share a love for the garden and so far we are making it work.  I think this is the way God intended for a garden to function.

What's that shiny bug on my plants?

One day everything in the garden looks good then, seemingly overnight, the damage starts to show up, especially on vegetables. Leaves will appear riddled with holes, often lacey looking. These symptoms are the result of flea beetle activity. Flea beetles are common pests of many vegetable crops, but they will also damage flowers and shrubs. The adult flea beetle is small and often shiny. If disturbed, they will jump hence the name “flea beetle”. Flea beetles will attack most vegetables. They particularly like plants in the cabbage family, potatoes and spinach, but they will also feed on flowers, shrubs and weeds, depending on the availability of food.

Flea beetles winter over in the garden under debris or leaf litter and emerge as temperatures warm up in the spring.

 Flea beetle can be controlled with dusts such as Captain Jacks DeadBug (Spinosad), or liquids such as Bonide Eight or Neem oil. 

 

Diatomaceous earth can also be very effective when applied directly to the plant and surrounding soil.

 

 

 

 

Floating row cover is made from a woven cloth that allows light and moisture in, but keeps bugs out. The key to row covers is to keep the edges sealed so the bugs cannot get in. Do not install row covers if beetles or other insects are already present. Treat the crops first to remove any insects then install the row cover to prevent further damage.

Festival de Jardins, Chaumont sur Loire: The New Chelsea

It always faintly amuses me when the RHS promote Chelsea Flower Show as the pinnacle of the Garden design world.

I’ve been teaching now for more than 20 years and Chelsea is anything but the bastion of good design.  The clue is in the title; Chelsea Flower Show not Chelsea Design Show. In fact all the examples I use for teaching purposes of bad design, come from Chelsea.

Chelsea is over crowded, political, wasteful, and regurgitating the same old design formats seen year after year (see Roger Platts garden at this year show, straight out of the 1980’s)

Why do these designers bother? or do they constantly need their ego’s massaging by the old boy network!

Chaumont is everything Chelsea is not, Innovative, creative, tranquil, inspirational, politically unbiased, and environmentally sensitive.  My students are encouraged to go to both shows, but always feel inspired and reinvigorated having visited Chaumont.

Click here to see more photos

Technorati Tags: Festival de Jardins,Chaumont sur Loire,Garden,Chealsea,show

Time to divide bearded iris

 

With their showy spring flowers, bearded iris is a mainstay in many gardens. They are generally low maintenance plants season after season, but over time they can become crowded and they stop producing as many blooms. That’s an indication they need to be divided. The time to divide iris is after they’ve bloomed, usually late June or early July. If your iris aren’t blooming like they used to or they’ve stopped blooming at all, it’s a sign they are over-crowded and it’s time to dig them up and divide them.

The best tool to use to dig iris roots – called rhizomes is to use a spading fork. Spading forks make it easy to get under and lift the rhizome without causing damage to the roots.

Once you’ve got the clump of iris out of the ground, you’ll be able to see the rhizomes clearly.

You’ll want to remove any old or diseased rhizomes. You can remove these and divide the clump with a knife or by breaking off each root with your hand.

Trim the leaves in a fan shape down to between 4" and 6". Mark the leaves with the name of the iris, so you’ll remember which one it is. When you’re planting your iris in their new location, remember that iris grow in the direction of the heel so place your rhizomes with the leaves planted in the direction you want the plant to grow. Iris will do okay in clay soils, but they thrive in soils that have been amended, so add a couple of inches of Sheep, Peat and Compost and dig in it.

Dig a shallow trench in your amended soil, add some Bone Meal and place the rhizome so that the roots are fanned out to the side, then add enough soil to just cover the rhizome and water thoroughly. Your iris will establish through the summer and fall and be ready to bloom next spring.

Changing taste in the Garden

I don't have much variety with my own peonies, and last year I was not happy with the color I do have, but this year they seem to fit in so much better.

  

 It's amazing how our taste changes.

Last year I was ready to tear out everything yellow or red, especially if they were growing together.  Now I am so delighted with my ladies mantle and my dark red sweet willium.

Summer is the time for Basil

There are several herbs I will not be without and Basil is one of them. The very best basil is fresh-cut straight from the garden. I grow it in containers near my backdoor so I can snip and use immediately. This year I planted Mammoth Basil and it may be my best yet. The leaves are huge! One leaf will cover a large tomato.

There is nothing quite like basil, tomatoes, fresh oregano and garlic, tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, Serve on a fresh picked leafy green lettuce for a beautiful and tasty salad. Add a little fresh dill and serve with grilled salmon.

Of course, we can't discuss basil without mentioning pesto. My favorite recipe for pesto is here on this older post.  You will find hints for drying and freezing basil there too.

I found a yummy recipe on Martha Stewart's site for Stuffed Tomatoes with Basil Garnish. Here is the link for that one.  

Basil is an annual so plant lots and dry or freeze it for winter. It loves the sun, well drained soil and not too much water. The more you pinch basil the fuller it will grow. Don't let it bloom or it will go to seed and get tough and leggy. Basil will sometimes re-seed and come back the second year - this is especially true if you plant it in a garden. Flower beds look nice with a patch of basil for color as well as texture. Purple Ruffles variety is very pretty for this use. I grow most of my basil in large containers of four or five plants each. I plant separate containers of several varieties. The one pictured is a mixed herb container with Ginger Basil and Mammoth planted together. You will see mint, creeping thyme and lemon thyme there too. This summer I am growing Mammoth, Ginger and Lemon basil in various places around my house.

Next post will be about another of my other "can't do without" herbs; Oregano!

Natural Insect Sprays for Garden and People

Well, the Japanese Beetle invasion is in full force! I think they should be called June Bugs and the beetles we played with as children called June Bugs should be July Flies because of the months during which they arrive. Anyhoo, I was heading for the roses with my can of Sevin when I decided to read all the fine print on the label. Shoot! This stuff kills bees and butterflies! As of today, June 21, I have not seen but one butterfly in my yard and the only bees I've seen were a few honey bees early (none now) and bumble bees. My yard is full of butterfly attracting plants too. This is really serious. Did you know that a lack of pollinators seriously effects our food chain?

To say the least, I didn't use the Sevin. I dug out all my reference books on organic gardening in hopes of finding a natural insect spray. Bingo! Good ole Jerry Baker had just what I needed in one of his books. Recipes to follow. I also want to tell you about a wonderful natural bug repellent for people that I found from my fellow Twitterer, Michelle, of Funky Chunks Soap Company. It is made from natural oils and other good stuff and no DEET! It works for me, the other night I was sitting on my studio porch and watched a mosquito hover over my arm and fly away without biting me! Read this article about the dangers of DEET. So get a bottle of Quit Buggin" spray and save your brain!

Now here are the recipes that I used to run off the beetles and save my bees. I tweaked them a little from the original and they worked great for me. Just remember organic treatments are not as "instant" as poisonous chemicals. I found within 24 hours the population of beetles was significantly less and today - 3 days later they are almost gone.

Spray for Leaf Eaters
4-6 fresh garlic cloves
2 hot peppers (the hotter the better)
1 sm onion
1 qt water
3 drops of baby shampoo
Blend everything EXCEPT THE BABY SHAMPOO until liquefied.
Let this mixture set overnight, strain out the solids, add the baby shampoo, pour into a hand held sprayer and spray everything that the bugs like to eat. Be sure to wash this off any edible plants before eating unless you like EXTRA SPICY!

This one is for direct kill
1 cup rubbing alcohol
2 teas. vegetable oil
1 qt water
Mix all together and spray directly on insects.
It takes a few minutes but the bugs will soon drop off your plants.

This one for Mildew worked real well on my squash plants and the bee balm:
1 tables. hydrogen peroxide
1 Tables. baby shampoo
1 teas. instant tea granules
2 cups water
Mix all in a hand held sprayer and mist the leaves thoroughly.
Jerry says mid-afternoon on a cloudy day works best but I sprayed on a hot sunny day and got good results.

Monarch Butterfly Story

This is a quick link to a story we all need to read. I knew about the migration of the Monarch butterflies. What I didn't know is that the migration destination was in danger of disappearing. We all need more butterfly plants! I'm going to my moms and dig some orange butterfly weed (Asclepiadaceae ) it grows wild in the field there. Monarchs love it and lay their eggs there.

Read the story here.

Wood Ashes for Your Garden

One of our favorite evening things to do is build a fire in our Chiminea and listen to the tree frogs and crickets. Yesterday I cleaned out the ashes and was going to put them in the compost. I vaguely remembered something about the does and don'ts of wood ashes in the garden so I figured I'd Google it before I dumped that whole bucket of ash. I found this really good information from the Garden page of the Oregon State University Extension Service

Now I plan to put some of the ashes in the compost and some around my roses.

Wood ash can be useful in yard if used with caution

What can you do with all the ash from burning wood in your fireplace or wood stove? Wood ash can be useful in home gardens, in your compost pile or as a pest repellent, explained Dan Sullivan, soil scientist with the Oregon State University Extension Service.

Wood ash has long been recognized as a valuable substance, Sullivan said. Many centuries ago, ancient Roman scientists and scholars documented the value of returning ash to the land.

In the 18th century, the benefits of ash-derived potash, or potassium carbonate, became widely recognized. North American trees were felled, burned and the ash was exported to Great Britain as "potash fever" hit. In 1790, the newly-independent United States of America's first patented process was a method for making fertilizer from wood ash (U.S. patent number 1: "An improved method of making pot and pearl ash)."

Cheaper sources of lime and potassium eventually killed the commercial market for wood ash, said Sullivan.

For the home gardener, however, wood ash can be a valuable source of lime, potassium and trace elements.

"Since wood ash is derived from plant material, it contains most of the 13 essential nutrients the soil must supply for plant growth," said Sullivan. "When wood burns, nitrogen and sulfur are lost as gases, and calcium, potassium, magnesium and trace element compounds remain. The carbonates and oxides remaining after wood burning are valuable liming agents, raising pH, thereby helping to neutralize acid soils."

Where soils are acid and low in potassium, wood ash is beneficial to most garden plants except acid-loving plants such as blueberries, rhododendrons and azaleas. Use wood ash on flower beds, lawns and shrubs.

The fertilizer value of wood ash depends on the type of wood you burn. As a general rule, hardwoods such as oak weigh more per cord and yield more ash per pound of wood burned. Hardwood ash contains a higher percentage of nutrients than ash from softwoods such as Douglas-fir or pine.

"Hardwoods produce approximately three times as much ash per cord and five times as many nutrients per cord as softwoods," said Sullivan.

Ash from a cord of oak meets the potassium needs of a garden 60 by 70 feet, he said. A cord of Douglas-fir ash supplies enough potassium for a garden 30 by 30 feet. Both types of ash contain enough calcium and magnesium to reduce soil acidity (increase soil pH) slightly.

One-half to one pound of wood ash per year is recommended for each shrub and rose bush. Spread ash evenly on the soil around perennial plants. Rake the ash into the soil lightly, being careful not to damage the roots. Never leave ash in lumps or piles, because if it is concentrated in one place, excessive salt from the ash will leach into the soil, creating a harmful environment for plants.

Lawns needing some lime and potassium can also benefit from wood ash. Apply no more than 10-15 pounds of ash per 1,000-square feet of lawn; at high levels, ash can be toxic. Do not use if soil pH is more than 7.0 or if potassium levels are excessive.

"You may want to have your soil analyzed periodically to determine its need for lime and potassium," said Sullivan. "As a general rule, acid soils that would benefit from ash application are usually found in those places in Oregon that get more than 20 inches of rain per year. Alkaline soils (pH greater than 7) soils in portions of central and eastern Oregon generally won't benefit from ash application."

In compost piles, wood ash can be used to help maintain a neutral condition, the best environment to help microorganisms break down organic materials. Sprinkle ash on each layer of compost as the pile is built up. Ash also adds nutrients to compost.

If used judiciously, wood ash can be used to repel insects, slugs and snails, because it draws water from invertebrates' bodies. Sprinkle ash around the base of your plants to discourage surface feeding pests. But once ash gets wet, it loses its deterring properties. Continual use of ash in this way may increase the soil pH too much, or accumulate high salt levels harmful to plants.

Sullivan offered advice for using wood ashes as a soil or compost amendment:

• Protect yourself when applying wood ash. Use the same precautions you would use when handling household bleach, another strongly alkaline material. Wear eye protection and gloves. Depending on the fineness of the ash, you may want to wear a dust mask.
• Do not use ash from burning trash, cardboard, coal or pressure-treated, painted or stained wood. These substances contain trace elements, harmful to many plants when applied in excessive amounts. For example, the glue in cardboard boxes and paper bags contains boron, an element toxic to many plant species at levels slightly higher than that required for normal growth.
• Do not use ash on alkaline soils or on acid-loving plants.
• Do not apply wood ash to a potato patch as wood ashes may favor the development of potato scab.
• Do not apply ash to newly germinated seeds, as ash contains too many salts for seedlings.
• Do not add ash with nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-24S), urea (46-0-0) or ammonium nitrate (34-0-0). These fertilizers produce ammonia gas when placed in contact with high pH materials such as wood ash.

Author: Carol Savonen

Source: Dan Sullivan

Amazing Moon Flower

My first Moon Flower plant was given to me by a friend in Alabama. We had so much fun watching that plant bloom that I have carried one with me every time I have moved. I will have seeds to sell from this one in early fall – in time to plant for next years crop. I’ll post them on my side bar when they are ready. The Moon Flower is a member of the Evening Primrose family. It is not invasive but does reseed. The one in the video I planted this year, a mature plant can reach 5 feet tall, 4 feet across and can have over 100 blooms each night. They bloom for several weeks in June and July and as you can see from the video, it is quite a show. We used to drag our lawn chairs around the Moon Flower and bet on which bud would open next. I know - we need to get a life!

Bees and Butterflies...It's not what you think!

Butterfly Bush Bloom

Every year the butterflies get fewer and fewer even though I have tons of plants to attract them. My friend and garden buddy, Joni, sent me this very informative post about how to attract them to our yards, what plants they like and steps we can take to insure we will have our pollinators around for a long time. After all, our food chain depends on them. I can't imagine summer without a fresh tomato from my yard - tomatoes depend on pollinators like bees and butterflies to set fruit - squash, corn and many others too!

Read what Joni sent here: http://deliciousliving.com/health/how-save-bees-your-garden?cid=nl_360_daily 

Kilbourne Grove - How it must feel to be Away

I visited Kilbourne Grove again today.  I do it because I remember the agony of missing my ever changing garden while I was up north beyond where the roads go.  I needed to see pictures of my garden in bloom.  I'm guessing, so does Deborah.

Her peonies were gorgeous.

If these were in your garden wouldn't it be awful to be away, even if you were spending your summer in a  tropical paradise?

See also: A visit to Kilbourne Grove

Wonder Weed - Dandelion

A friend gave me a box of dandelion tea the other day. She can't drink it because she is nursing her baby and the tea box warned not to use if nursing. I read the label. It's good for your liver and a natural detox. It tasted pretty good too - I added honey and drank it hot.  

Funny thing was that when I opened my email today there was a post about the benefits of Dandelion. I think someone up there is trying to tell me something. 

I have been adding Dandelion leaves to our salads this spring and they are really good. Here are a few other things that I read about this often despised weed:

• The leaves and flowers contain Vitamin C

• The root contains potassium

• The leaves contain iron - helpful for anemia

• The entire plant is high in B complex

• The leaves contain more protein than spinach - who knew!

• The root can be made into a tea, which can help to inhibit 
• bacterial growth in the urinary tract

• All parts of the plant are rich in antioxidants and don't forget about that Dandelion wine!

So instead of trying to kill the Dandelions, eat them or make tea! My mom said she started picking off the flowers when she was walking around her yard - she has much fewer plants than before. makes sense - no flowers - no weeds! So eat a few and pick off the flowers.  

Getting your lilacs in shape

 

 

 
Keeping lilacs strong, healthy and blooming season after season, requires some maintenance. Now is the time to prune lilacs. Most lilacs bloom on new wood, so timing is essential. The flower buds form during the summer, so you want to avoid pruning in the fall or late winter, if you want the plant to bloom the following spring. To keep your lilac growing vigorously and to avoid having to do major renovation, remove any dead, broken or crossing branches. Make sure you remove spent blooms and seed pods. This will help the shrub produce more flowers next season. To assure the shrub is always growing on the best wood, remove about a third of the canes each year. This includes suckers. You can leave two or three suckers to grow into mature canes.

This is also a good time to look for evidence of scale or borer damage. Severe insect damage should be pruned out. Persistent insect problems can be treated with systemic.

If indeed, your lilac has seen better days, consider cutting every cane of to 4”- 6” above the ground. This drastic approach will result in many vigorous canes next season, forming a two-three foot shrub.  

 Finally, work in 2” of sheep, peat and compost; add a balanced fertilizer, such as 11-15-11 and mulch to about 3”. Your lilac will be prepared for the rest of the summer and ready to bloom next spring.



Using Natural Insect Controls

 

June can bring a number of insects to the garden and one way to be ready for them is to learn more about biological insecticides. Each insect control works a little differently and knowing the differences will help you make a decision on which ones to use and when.

Insecticidal Soap uses potassium salts of fatty acids (insecticidal soap) to control a wide variety of insects in the garden and indoors. Potassium salts are made from palm, coconut, olive, castor and cottonseed plants. The fatty acids weaken the insect’s waxy protective outer shell and causes dehydration. Insecticidal soap doesn’t leave a residue and can be used up to the day of harvest.

Neem oil will also control sucking and chewing insects. Neem works by entering the insect’s body and disrupting its system. Neem is not an instant knock-down insecticide. It takes time for it to work. Meantime, the insect stops feeding and other insects are repelled from the treated plant.

Thuricide is a biological insecticide with Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) for use on vegetables, fruits, trees and ornamental plants. Btk will control tent caterpillars, cabbage loopers, tomato hornworms and budworms. If your petunias and geraniums suddenly stop blooming, you’ve got budworm and Thuricide is the product to use.  Once the worm eats on the treated leaf, it will stop feeding and die within 2-3 days.

Dipel is Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki in powder form. You dust it on the affected leaves. Both Thuricide and Dipel work effectively to control worms.

Spinosad is a broad spectrum natural insecticide made from specific microbes first discovered at an abandoned rum factory. It only works if the insect actually eats something that has been treated with Spinosad such as a leaf. It does not affect insects that merely come in contact with a leaf that has been treated and has dried. Spinosad is an all-purpose insecticide for organic gardening. Always read the label thoroughly and discuss any questions you may have with us.