A FEW GOOD GARDEN BLOGS I'VE FOUND

It as too cold for the greenhouse this morning so I spent a while on Twitter, Google and elsewhere to find garden blogs that I thought I might want to share. I struck gold! Below are some of the best ones I found:

This first one is a great gift idea but I want to make one so I can have Basil in the windowsill all winter!  Mason Jar Herb Garden

This nice bit of advice came from Twitter. You might want to follow @DailyHealthTips to read more.

Dotty Plants Greenhouse Journal and Secrets of a Seedscattererare both the property of Jean Campbell from Kansas. Both blogs are worth checking out.

Gardening know How is a very informative site with lots of tips and helpful articles. 

You might want to follow Herb Garden News @mituho_967 for good gardening advice.
Comment here to post a link to your blog or one of your favorite sites.

MY CHRISTMAS CACTUS - Schlumbergeras - How to have blooms from Thanksgiving til Christmas!

I have pink and red flowering Schlumbergeras. I grown them in pots and put them outside as soon as the spring weather is stable here in Tennessee. I bring them into the house (or greenhouse)  before the first frost. Up until this year they have bloomed at Thanksgiving rather than Christmas. This year  brought my big pink one into the house and put the smaller ones in the greenhouse. The pink one bloomed at Thanksgiving as usual but the ones in the greenhouse are blooming for Christmas this year! 

Christmas Cactus Red Flowers

So now I know how to have flowers from Thanksgiving through Christmas. If you don't have a greenhouse a cool basement or garage will work too. Check them and when they have big fat buds like the one here bring them into the house. These are really not cactus so do give them a drink more often than you would a cactus. As the blooms fade, carefully pinch them off so your plant stays pretty and fresh. When its done blooming put it somewhere near a window or other light source and take it back outside in spring (semi-shaded location) until fall. 

I had several in small pots that I started in spring from leaves, I brought them in and tucked the pots in container gardens that I was wintering over in the house. I loved they way they set off my Angel Wing Begonia!

Potted Cactus in container garden

Christmas Cactus Pink Blooms

Some great Ideas

As usual, I've spent way too much time on the Internet! As a result I found some great ideas and tips regarding gardening. Below are some cool links!

This one is a free E-book about composting

A Raised Bed with benches! What I wouldn't give for this one.

An eatable edging. I'll probably try this one for sure.

add a comment and tell me what great ideas you have found while surfing the web!

How to Over Winter Geraniums

Here is an excellent step-by-step way to keep your geraniums for next year. Click the link below.

From my buddy Mike

Fun Gardening, Cooking and Craft videos!

OK I'm guilty. I spent way too much time today on Youube. But  it is a Saturday morning after all - or was when I started! LOL!

Here are a few awesome tips I found there.





and one more...these girls are sort of silly but it's a cute idea.

Step by Step Propagating Lesson

I posted this little lesson on the Gardening Forum I belong to and figure there are folks out there who can also benefit from it.

Nearly all the plants I sell in my little nursery are propagated from cuttings that I take from my own plants. I have a mist system set up in my greenhouse where they are rooted and potted up for sale.

The following pictures show how I cut, trimmed and prepared an Oak Leaf  Hydrangea for the mist bed.

1. Here is where I made the cut on my plant. It is below 2 leaf nodes (where the leaves come out of the stem)

2. Here is what the stem looked like before I trimmed off the excess foliage: trimming is important so the plant does not waste energy trying to keep all those leaves alive. It will use it's energy to make roots!

4.Here are all the leaves I cut off . I was able to make two cutting to propagate from that one stem.

5. Now I "wound" the stem by cutting a small amount of the bark away. This helps the plant form roots.

6. Dip the end into rooting hormone. I use Hormodin #2 rooting powder but any hormone you can buy at a garden store will work.

7. Here are the cuttings in my mist system. They should have enough roots to survive in a pot in about 45 days.

 Try it yourself and make lots of free plants! Be sure you don't root any patented plants or the plant police will get you! Seriously, if you get caught there could be fines. Not worth the price of a plant. 

To Prune or Not To Prune...

That always seems to be the question from my customers and gardening friends. The answer is always... Prune! Don't be afraid to prune - when in doubt err on the side of cutting that plant!

I don't even worry too much about when. I know most garden books will say "best pruned in fall or cut back in the spring." That may be true but my theory is "If it needs cutting do it now". God created plants to grow back. Nothing is more unattractive in a garden than a leggy plant. Besides, every time you prune, you create the opportunity for the plant to put out more branches and leaves and flowers.

Look at the before and after of this Autumn Joy sedum.

Before

See all the new growth on the "after" picture. Every one of those stems will produce a flower.  I'm sure there are plants out there somewhere that don't respond well to pruning but honestly I don't know of any.

To get more blooms next year on your Hydrangea, prune it after the blooms fade. If you prune before the plant blooms in the spring you will prune off this year's flowers. Hydrangea bloom on new wood so if you cut the flowers off as soon as they start to fade, you will get lots more branches and lots more blooms next year.

Azaleas, viburnum, spirea, weigela, petunias, geranium, butterfly bushes, coleus are just a few of the plants that benefit from pruning.

After

There is much controversy about cutting back clematis. Remember it takes at least three years to establish a Clematis vine. I have grown Clematis successfully for years. I prune mine when they get too big for their trellis or if they seem to have very thin week vines. I prune all my varieties in the fall - I can't make myself prune off the tiny buds in spring. I know the books say there are three types of Clematis and they should be pruned according to the type - I pretty much ignore that and prune as needed in fall. So far in 20 years of beautiful Clematis this has worked for me. The fall pruning causes more vines to come up the following spring. I have pruned a big overgrown vine in summer and been rewarded with a new flush of flowers in the fall.

Get your pruning sheers and don't be afraid! The plants will reward you with lots of foliage and flowers!

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!

It's Not Queen Anne's Lace....

It's Caraway and it's not only pretty but it tastes great in a salad, it's seeds are good in an Italian spice mix, The roots are thick and tapering, like a parsnip, though much smaller and are edible. It's easy to grow.

Caraway is a biennial and very hardy if you let it go to seed at the end of summer, it will come back the following spring. Caraway will grow tall (1 1/2 to 2 ft) so give it a sunny spot where it can reach up. It's really pretty when planted in masses or as a backdrop for other flowers. I put it in my straw bale garden with my veggies. I think it may help keep away harmful bugs. I hope it deters the squirrels too. I'll report on that later. Contact me via mimisgreenhouse.com if you would like to purchase Caraway or other herbs from me. Caraway are $3.00 each plus $5.80 for Priority Mail shipping.

To Lift or Not to Lift, That Was the Question

Brown Turkey Fig Tree Babies

Everyone who gardens seriously has learned how to carry several nursery containers at a time. I think nothing of picking up four gallon size pots (6 if I'm really busy) and marching off across the garden with them. 

Last weekend I had potted up a flat of Brown Turkey Tree plugs. I was so excited to find them and couldn't wait to put them in 2 gallon pots to grow bigger for next year's sales. I wanted one for myself too. I was feeling pretty froggy (it's a southern thing) so I picked up two of those wet two gallon pots in each hand (four all together) and headed around to the front of the greenhouse. "Ouch!" A muscle in my back yelled, "Slow down! Put some of these down!" Did I pay attention to that pain? No... lived to regret that one. I carried all 18 of those babies, four at a time, to the front space.  This was Friday afternoon, by 6 PM that night I couldn't find a comfortable position to sit or stand. Spent the weekend  hobbling around like the old lady I am. Usually these sprains go away in a day or two with a little rest and a few Naproxen. Well, it's Wednesday, I've been walking the green-way every morning and I'm getting a little better but am still aware of not being back to the old me - pun intended. 

The good thing about all this is (there is always a good thing) I've spent much time on my swing reading a really great book, making lists for when I feel better and enjoying the garden sights and sounds. Speaking of books, I highly recommend 

Walking with God: Talk to Him. Hear from Him. Really  by John Eldredge. If you are a "get it done" person, A list maker, someone who can't sit still, you will totally identify with John. You may even learn a few helpful things too. 

So next time you start to get in a hurry and think you might be superwoman or man, slow down or you may not have a choice later. 

Check out John's website Ransomed Heart 

My Trip to Iris City Gardens

Near the quaint little town of Leaper's Fork, tucked back into the Tennessee hills you will find one of the best kept secrets in the Nashville area. Iris City Gardens sits on 200 acres, has three greenhouses, a wonderful woodland garden filled with native plants as well as many specimen plants. Of Course, you can buy plants there too.

The iris were just beginning to bloom when I visited but there are hundreds of them as well as Peonies and lilies. Above are just a few of the miniature iris. The garden ponds in front the greenhouse is a good place to rest and view the gardens.

In addition to plants for sale there is funky art work too. Look at the adorable birdhouses that their neighbor makes and sells.

I loved this crazy bird. His head bobs and his legs are springs so he moves in the breeze. They have a hanging basket seated in him but he would be great planted with a fern or other annuals - perennials too.

 We took at tour of the shade garden and I made the pictures below - Bleeding Hearts and variegated Hibiscus. I loved the white bark of the Hibiscus. I have Chinese Ginger like this one in my garden at home. Of Course, I bought some plants too. A beautiful red Heuchera and Japanese Asters

Chinese Ginger

 

If you are ever in the Nashville Area in May, add Iris City Gardens to you itinerary .

The Most Important Garden Tip I Can Give

I come from a long line of gardeners - all the way back to my Great, Great Grand parents on both sides of my family there were farmers and backyard gardeners. We all had one more thing in common, Jesus. Most of my grandparents were baptized in a creek somewhere in the South, probably on somebodies farm.

So what does all that have to do with a gardening tip? Here is is: before you put on your garden gloves and grab your spade, grab your Bible, a journal or Devotion Book and head to your favorite seat in your garden (mine is the porch swing) and spend a little time with Jesus. Thank Him for your beautiful garden (His creation) and while your at it, ask Him what He would like for you to do with this day He has given you.

Trust me, you will be amazed at how much better your day will go if you can find time for God's direction at the beginning. It is one of the times I enjoy my garden the most. For the most part I am so busy checking off the "to do" list that I often don't even see the beauty around me. Slow down!

Following is a little video I made this week of my view from my swing. Notice the quiet -wind chimes and bird song is all I can hear.

Cheap and Simple Seed Starter Cups

Most of my readers know how frugal- translate that cheap! Since I grow and transplant hundreds of tomatoes and other small plants, my container expense was climbing. I have small groups of folks over to my house every other week and we have snacks - I use the tall plastic cups to keep from washing dishes. They are just the right size to pot up my tomatoes for sale in! I used an ice pick to put holes in the bottom and a black permanent marker to write the variety on top!

Seed Potatoes in a Barrel!

I have very little sunny space for gardening in my yard. This year I am doing Straw Bale Gardening and I will post my experiment here soon. In addition, I am growing potatoes in half barrels. My son gave me a big white plastic barrel that had been around his work yard for years. It had not contained anything hazardous. Bill sawed it in half and drilled 1/2 inch drainage holes around the sides and in the bottom of the half that was the barrel bottom.

Here's what the bottom of that barrel looked like when Bill was finished drilling drain holes. I used a coffee filter to cover the big hole that was in the top.
Next I put about 4 inches of compost in the bottom of both barrel halves, laid my seed potatoes on top of the soil as in the picture at the top. I did red potatoes in one and Yukon Gold in the other half. Next I covered the seed potatoes with more compost until I could not see any of the potato seeds. picture below:

As the potatoes grow, I will keep covering the vines, leaving a few leaves to soak up sun, until the vines reach the top of the barrel. At that point I will let them spill over the sides till it's time to dump out my harvest! I'll post more as they grow.

Put Your Humming Bird feeders out!

The hummingbirds show up in my yard every year around April 15. One year they came on the12th. We always put our feeders out a week or two before the expected date. Sometimes we will see a little scout scoping out the neighborhood!

I have three (sometimes four) feeders in our yard. This one I can see from my kitchen table and when we sit on the deck in the afternoon we often have to duck to keep from being dive bombed! Our art studio is in the background and there is one hanging from a small tree in front of the porch. The swing provides a perfect place to watch the hummers and other bird feeders too. This blue glass one on the front porch is where we usually see our first hummers of the season.

Don't waste your money on the premixed or powdered humming bird nectar. Here is a simple recipe that will attract tons of hummers, is easy and cheap to make.



Humming Bird Nectar
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup filtered water

Combine the water and sugar and either bring to a boil on the stove top or microwave for 1 minute. Allow to cool to room temp. Fill your feeders and watch! I multiple this recipe by 4 and make 2 quarts at a time and keep it in fridge.  

I also plant flowers near my feeders and in the yard that I know attract hummingbirds. I place hanging baskets of Petunias near the feeders too, as you can see in the photo above.

Some flowers that hummers like are:
Petunias
Trumpet vine
Butterfly bushes
Honeysuckle ( it's invasive)
Bee Balm (Monarda)
Zinnia
Lilies
Tropical Hibiscus

Some of my Favorite Garden Web Links

I spend quite a few hours a week searching and reading about gardening and plants. I've run upon a bunch of really great sources of information and plants over the years. Below are a few of my favorites and a brief description of them

Let's start with plant information. By far the best plant search and information site I have found is  Missouri Botanical Garden  plant search. You can search by common name or Latin name. There are pictures, plant info and growing tips http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx

Dave's Garden is also a good place to search. You can subscribe for even more perks. Plants available for sale on this site too. http://davesgarden.com/

This link has good information on seed starting and other gardening tips on the sidebar http://www.prescottenews.com/index.php/features/columnists/ken-lain-watters-garden-center/item/22894-starting-seed-indoors

Fun tips and ideas here:  http://www.amateurgardening.com/category/how-to/

I've mentioned Mike McGroarty several times but his site remains one of the best sources of info out there;
http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/

University of Minnesota Extension has lots of features for gardeners too http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/

The best free forum on the web; http://www.gardenweb.com/  you can search by region, state, plant even birding etc.

This next one is a retail site that has great information about the plants they sell. I use it for growing info quite often Plant Delight Nursery http://www.plantdelights.com/#

Everything you ever want to know about perennials http://www.perennialplant.org/

FREE SEEDS HERE! http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/Free_Seeds.html
http://www.heirloomseedswap.com/ 

Not free but good source of seeds http://www.southernexposure.com/

Some of my favorite plant sources
Walter's Gardens        Mary's Greenhouse in Tennessee     Gorge Top Gardens

Petals from the Past     White Flower Farm  lets not forget Amazon and Ebay too.

Please share your favorite sites in my comments section

GROW YOUR OWN MEYER LEMONS FROM SEED

I look forward to December every year not only because of Christmas but because our local grocery has Meyer Lemons for sale.

They are a real treat for us tea sippers and lemon lovers. Nothing beats the tangy Orangey/lemony taste of a Meyer lemon. Last year I saved seeds from one and planted it in the spring. I was rewarded with this little seedling. You can grow one too - no matter where you live.

Look for Meyer lemons in the produce isle and my store has them in a separate area from the other lemons. Meyer lemons are bigger than normal lemons and much juicier.

Save the seeds that you will find near the center of each lemon. Some of them have lots of seeds and some only a few.
Rinse the seeds and allow them to dry. Store them in a little container until ready to plant. I put them in a small pot of regular potting soil, cover with about a quarter inch of soil and keep moist until you see the little seedling. Keep it moist and warm and it should grow for you. Remember these are tropical plants so be prepared to winter them over inside if you are above zone 8. If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse that's perfect. I have grown several types of lemons from seed and I winter them over in my little greenhouse. One is pictured below. It doesn't get below 40 degrees in there so they make it through the winter just fine. A sun room or brightly lit window will work too.

2 year old lemon in my greenhouse

As you can see in the picture above, my little tree is small but happy in the tall pot I planted it in. As it gets bigger, I'll move it up to a larger container. I'm not sure how long it takes for it to bloom. Probably three or four years - I can hardly wait. My friend bought a tree from a local garden center. It was EXPENSIVE and full of blooms. she said every bloom fell off about a week after taking it home. I think one of two things probably happened; she went from cool greenhouse atmosphere to dry house. A humidifier or steamer may have helped. Some plants simply don't like to be moved and will drop blooms and leaves due to shock. If that happens just water it sparingly and wait. They will usually recover and put out new leaves. Keep it happy and you should have blooms the following year.

Spring Is Not So Far Away

I was really feeling blue a few weeks ago. Snow, below zero here in Tennessee, big dogs sleeping on my couch because of the cold. I decided to cheer myself up by remember how beautiful my yard was last May. Here's the video of my gardensfrom last year. They will be that pretty again and so will yours!

Must Have Herbs

I bet you have been perusing those seed and plant catalogs like I have. Will spring ever get here? Well, we know it will and we will be out in the garden again, This post is about my "must have" list for the herb garden, Below are listed the culinary herbs that I would not want to be without. All but the Basil are perennial in my zone 6B garden. If I can ever get my shopping cart installed, these will be for sale on my website http://www.mimisgreenhouse.com/plants-available-for-sale/

          

Greek and Hot & Spicy Oregano

A must have for Italian dishes 

Hot and Spicy is exactly that - A kick of spice!  

Perennial Herb Zones 4-9

Full Sun  Part Shade

height 12-24 inches 

Sweet Basil

Asian or Italian dishes

Annual Herb Zones 3-10

Full Sun Part Shade

height 4-30 inches

Garlic Chives
Delicate garlic flavor
Perennial Herb Zones 4-8
White star shaped flowers
Full Sun Part shade

height 2 ft X 2 ft

Mint

Chocolate, Grapefruit, Lemon, Moroccan 

Perennial herb Zones 5-9

6 inches - 2 ft tall

Full sun  Shade

Rosemary Salem and ARP

flavor fish, chicken, pork, beans

One of the herbs I would never be without

Perennial Herb Zones 8-10

Full Sun Part Shade

Shrub 3 to 6 ft. 

Pruning and Harvesting Rosemary

Rosemary 'Salem'

I received this very informative article the other day in my email box. I asked the author of the email, Shelly Rosenberg, if I could share it on my blog. She graciously agreed and said the article was written by a new member of the Nashville Herb Society.  Shelly writes the newsletter for the Herb Society of Nashville - Link at the end of this post. I also included a link to Shelly's page should you ever need her professional editing and writing skills.

Shelly writes:

 As summer draws to an end and as you look forward to fall, you might consider pruning your rosemary. It is not necessary to prune rosemary but many prune in order to shape or contain its size. Rosemary may be pruned in late spring or summer but should be pruned no later than 4-6 weeks before the first frost. If rosemary is pruned too close to the time of frost, the new growth might not have time to harden making it susceptible to winter damage.

Before you begin pruning, make sure that your pruning shears are clean and sharp. Dull or dirty shears may cause ragged cuts that are vulnerable to pests. Rosemary may be pruned back as much as 1/3 at any one time but further pruning should be after 2 to 3 months. Individual branches may be pruned back by ¼.

If you make the decision to prune, what should you do with your harvest?  Many dishes are enhanced by rosemary. One of the most popular uses is with lamb. Rosemary is thought by some to have both a strong taste and smell so should be used sparingly. One popular method is to use a rosemary sprig dipped in olive oil as a replacement for a basting brush for a subtle flavoring.

One way to take advantage of your harvest for months to come is to make rosemary herbed vinegar. A recipe for the cold method is listed below.

Rosemary Herbed Vinegar

A good quality apple cider or wine vinegar (You may use the bottle that the vinegar is purchased in for storage)

3 or 4 sprigs of rosemary

1 clove garlic

3 or 4 peppercorns

Pour a small amount (approximately ½ cup) of the vinegar into a small clean bowl to reserve for later use after the herb sprigs have been added.

Place the fresh rosemary sprigs in the bottle of vinegar.

Top off to fill the bottle with the reserved vinegar and seal tightly.

Place the bottle on a sunny window sill for 3 to 4 weeks, gently shaking the bottle every day or so to mix the flavors of the herbs.

This flavored vinegar is great for marinades for meat and poultry, in salad dressings and many other recipes requiring vinegar. It can be stored in the pantry for up to 3 months.

Herb Society of Nashville link:  http://www.herbsocietynashville.org/

Shelly's web site: Editing, Proofreading & Resume Services by Shelly Rosenberg

http://www.shellyrosenberg.com/