Thoughts from a Yard Lover

6 Reasons You Should Start a Vegetable Garden

2009-04-30T10:45:00.004-04:00

Growing your own vegetable garden has so many benefits and rewards. And in case you're not yet convinced, here are a few:

Fresh food Instead of buying produce that has been traveling the country (or world) for weeks, you can eat your veggies within hours of picking, when taste and nutrition are at their peak.

Safe food You know where your food has been, what's been applied to it, and who's been touching it.

Economical Food No question about it, you can grow your own food for less money than it takes to buy it.

Improved Diet Studies show that families that grow their own vegetables and fruits eat more vegetables and fruits.

Exercise Have you started working in your garden yet? Then you know what I'm talking about!

Stress Reduction Research tells us that the physical work of gardening, combined with the fresh air, and the satisfaction of seeing your garden grow, are good for body, mind, and soul. Gardening gets us out of the building, out of the car, out of our busy, harried lives into a place that has its own rhythm, its own time.

So if you haven't made the decision to start a garden, I encourage you to give it a try. Container gardens are every bit as satisfying as a big plot in the back yard, as are community gardens; so if you have a little patch of sunshine somewhere, plant a garden in it!

Next time we'll look at some ways to nourish and protect your garden safely. Happy gardening!

2009-04-28T09:11:00.002-04:00

Things being what they are, many of us will being spending more of our time in our own back yards this summer. We're planning "staycations", entertaining at home, and enjoying low cost weekends in town. Here's an idea that will make your outdoor living at home extra special. Plant a fragrant garden.

Think how wonderful it will be to sit on your patio in the evening, or stroll through your garden in the morning, inhaling the sweet and spicy fragrances of everything growing around you. We often think of our gardens only in visual terms, but scent adds an extra richness and luxury to your landscape. So here are some things to consider when planning your own fragrant garden.

Location

Plant your fragrant plants where you will most enjoy them- close to or on your patio, porch or deck, or along a garden path. If possible, shelter them from winds that will whisk the scent away. Planting in a courtyard or against a wall will keep the fragrance close.

Keep in mind that the leaves of many plants are fragrant when touched or crushed. Consider planting them at the edge of walkways, where contact will release the aroma. Some can even be planted on paths, and will survive light foot traffic, delighting passersby with scent when stepped on.

Time of day

If you use your deck or patio in the evenings, look for plants that release their fragrance late in the day. If you enjoy your morning coffee near an open window, or like spending your days outside, plant accordingly.

Season

With some research and planning, your garden can be rich with fragrance almost year round. There are flowers, shrubs, herbs and trees that will keep your garden aromatic through the seasons.

Nighttime Scent

night scented stock
Nicotiana
Four o’clocks
Moonflower vine

Fall & Winter Fragrance

Nicotiana
Four o’clocks
Moonflower vine
Autumn Clematis
Evergreens such as fir, spruce, juniper

Fragrant herbs. Most herbs are fragrant. Here are a few I love:

Lavender
Lemon Balm
Mints
Scented Geraniums

Of course, I've left out some obvious fragrant delights like Lilac, Roses, and others. I knew you'd remember them on your own! What are some of your favorite fragrant plants? Share!

Dependable Daylily

2009-04-24T13:52:00.001-04:00

Hemerocallis is the scientific name for the daylily, but whatever you call it, this perennial has so much to offer, it should be included in any garden. So what is it that makes the daylily such a "must have"?

It comes in many colors shapes and sizes.

It will tolerate a wide range of conditions

It thrives with very little care, and are drought tolerant.

It is resistant to disease and pest problems.

It produces the most exquisite blooms, each one lasting only one day.

You are probably most familiar with yellow and orange daylilies, but that's just the start. There are lilies in every hue, and shades from pale pastels, to the deepest reds.

While daylilies will tolerate poor soil, you'll be rewarded for giving it the best conditions you can. Here's how to have a happy daylily:

Plant in full sun, or mostly sunny locations

Plant in well drained soil.

Improve your soil with compost before planting.

Once plant is established, use a balanced fertilizer

Mulch to retain moisture, and keep down weeds.

Since I am an undiscplined gardener, I get a huge return on my inconsistent investment! I have about a half dozen varieties in my yard, that is one of mine at the top of this post. It is a Viette daylily, the Viette's have been growing and hybridizing daylilies for 3 generations. You can see some of their beautiful hybrids at their website: http://www.viette.com.

Keep Those Seedlings Strong!

2009-03-23T14:45:00.000-04:00

How are your seedlings doing? Do you have things sprouting? I don't think it matters how many years you do it, there is something so exciting about seeing those little green seedlings start to emerge.

I have tomatoes and zinnias that are ready to go outside. They are tall, and leafy and look great right now. Unfortunately, it will be another 6 weeks before I can risk putting them out. In the meantime, I'm going to put them in bigger pots, plant them deep, give them as much light as I can, and try to keep them happy indoors.

The rest of my herbs and flowers look good, most have their first set of true leaves. I don't plant any other veggies from seed because my gardening space is so limited in my shady yard.

If your seedlings are progressing, there are some things you can do to keep them in peak condition until it's time to plant them outside.

Thin ruthlessly. I know, it's hard. But you don't want too many seedlings competing for space and water in those tiny peat pots. Keep one, ok, two if you must, and pull the rest. You'll be happier with a few strong healthy plants than dozens of scraggly ones.

Transplant if needed. Move tall leggy seedlings into 3" peat pots. Give them a little room to stretch, and as much light as you can manage. Keep them under the grow lights if you have them, to grow sturdy stems and not leggy ones.

Soon, on warm days, move plants outside to a sunny, but sheltered area. Start with a couple of hours, and increase as weather allows. Don't forget to bring them in!

Water. Enough, but not too much, and preferably from the bottom.

Be patient. It's been a long winter hasn't it? But May is coming, and before you know it you'll be moving all your little seedlings to their permanent homes in the garden. I can't wait how about you?

What are your favorite seed starting secrets? Write and share them, or send us pictures of your set up.

2009-03-20T11:45:00.001-04:00

It's Spring. Yes, spring officially arrives this morning, and even though this was the coldest morning we have had at my house in over a week, I am very encouraged.

Because it is going to get warmer

the days are going to get longer

the leaves will turn green

the grass will grow

and the gardens will flourish.

It may feel like winter at your house today, it may even look like winter, but take heart! Spring comes every year, and it will come this year too.

Happy First Day of Spring!

2008-05-01T11:19:00.004-04:00

I'd prefer to find almost anything in my garden over a slug. They're gooey, and slimy, and you can't shoo them away. You're likely to touch one before you even see it. They squish if you stop on them. Just writing about it makes me want to say "yuuch!"

Lucky for me,I've found something to keep me from having a slug experience. Sluggo is an all natural, organically certified slug control. The active ingredient is iron phosphate, which kills slugs, but decomposes into a soil component. There is absolutely no risk to people, pets wildlife, or plants. It is perfectly safe to use in vegetable gardens right up until harvest. So I can sprinkle with abandon, protecting myself from slugs, and feeling secure that I'm not harming any of the beneficial residents of my garden and soil

This is what it looks like:
and this is where I get it: www.harvestsafe.com

2008-04-22T15:45:00.003-04:00

It's Earth Day again! Seems like I just wrote about Earth Day 2007! I'm sure you have been inundated with ideas, warnings, facts and figures, most of them depressing.

As a gardener there is one thing you can do to have a tremendous impact on your surroundings, and it will be FUN! Plant a tree! There are so many positive benefits of planting a tree, and here are just a few:

They help control pollution. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. leaves also absorb other air pollutants - such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide
They prevent soil erosion. Their roots hold the soil in place, and their canopies soften and disperse the impact of raindrops hitting the soil.
Trees will keep neighboring buildings cooler, lessening the need for air conditioning. Leaves provide a cooling shelter from the sun's rays.
They provide habitats for wildlife, and they provide soothing, peaceful, eye-pleasing spaces for humans as well.

So this Earth Day, take a break from all the bad news and do something happy.....

Plant a Tree!

Can I tickle your Plant?

2008-03-25T10:26:00.002-04:00

Have you ever seen one of these? It is a Tickle Me Plant, also known as Sensitive fern, and Mimosa pudica. When I was a child living in the tropics, we hunted for these roadside weeds, so we could touch their leaves.

Why? Because when touched, the leaves fold up right before your eyes, and the branches droop down. It's fascinating to watch, and a mystery of the plant world. Tickle Me plants can be grown easily from seed, and make great projects for kids.

I can testify that kids of ALL ages find these plants very entertaining. I have one on my office windowsill, and I never tire of "tickling" it to watch it fold up tight.
This is the same plant has after being touched. See how tight the leaves are, and how the stems droop instead of reaching up? In a few minutes, it will open up again.

They are slow growing, so don't get discouraged. Mine is happy on a sunny windowsill with moist soil. I bought it online at www.Seedlover.com.

Pics from Last Summer

2008-03-03T14:37:00.002-05:00

These are my earth boxes from last year. I did not have a yard, just a very sunny deck, and this was my garden! They both stayed beautiful all summer, and the herb garden was great! This year, I have a yard, but it is morstly shady, so I'm going to use my earth boxes for veggies. Tomatoes for sure, and maybe some squash or melons in the second one. I have a 3rd one, which I may use for herbs again. The great thing is I can move them around because they are on casters, to take advantage of whatever sunlight my wooded lot will have.

2008-02-25T16:24:00.000-05:00

Gardens have the power to delight all of the senses, sight, sound, touch, taste and smell, and that is something to keep in mind while planning for a new season. How will your garden engage not only the eyes, but the other senses as well?

As I plan my yard, I am focusing on fragrance. I moved last fall, and so this is a new yard to me. Many plants I have loved in other yards drew me by their smell rather than their appearance. I need those favorites around me, and hope to discover some new ones as well.

Some things to pay attention to:

Plant fragrant specimens where people will be spending time. This could mean along walkways, at the front entrance, or near the patio or deck. It's wonderful to walk along a path and be surprised by a fragrant flower. Look for plants that release their perfumes at night if that is when you use your patio or deck.
Plant out of the wind. You don't want all the scent carried away to where you won't enjoy it.
Think about blooming seasons. Use plants with different bloom times for season-long fragrance.
That scent that attracts you also attracts bees. Consider children's play areas when planting fragrant plants.
Don't forget about herbs. It's not just flowers that smell pretty. How about some herbs along a pathway,where leaves will release scent when bumped or rubbed. Herbs are perfect for container planting on a deck. Choose something lemony, floral, or minty that you can enjoy whenever you are outside. Just pick and crush a leaf or two, for a wonderful release of fragrance. I used to have a lemon balm that tried to take over my entire yard, but it had a rich citrusy floral fragrance that I can almost smell just writing about it.

Hmm, I may have to get another one of those.

C'mon, Let's Compost!

2008-02-25T16:10:00.002-05:00

I am going to start a compost pile. I've never had one before, but there are just too many good reasons not to put it off.

First, I have tons of leaves, raked into piles at the very back of my lot. I will continue to pile yard waste back there, since I really don't have any other means of disposing of it.

Second, compost makes great mulch. It has a beautiful, deep dark color, prevents weeds, and will supply your plants with all the nutrients they need all summer long. And it's FREE!

Third, and most important, adding compost is one of the best things you can do for your soil. Soil that has been "improved" with chemicals year after year is barren and depleted. Adding compost will restore the nutrients, texture, and living micro-organisms that make up rich, healthy soil. I've only lived in this house for a few months, but the soil looks pretty barren to me. And from the bags of lawn care "stuff" he left in the garage, I don't think an organic gardener lived here! :)

Fourth, I'll cut down on trash, and landfill usage by recycling my kitchen scraps, unbleached paper towels, even newspapers into wonderful, fertile compost.

I hope you will consider starting your own compost heap. If you already have one, share with me. What have you done that really works?

This is the bin I purchased to get started.

I bought it at www.Yardlover.com.

Look What I Found!

2008-02-20T16:02:00.002-05:00

Look What I Found!

All along my front walk, hopeful daffodils are poking up through the mulch, as though asking, "Is it time yet?"

Here in Virginia today, we are having snow flurries, with snow, sleet, rain and all the other forms of precipitation predicted for the next 48 hours.

BUT- dawn is coming earlier each day, and the sun is still above the mountains when I leave work, and now, the daffodils poking through. So I know spring MUST be on the way!

I don't worry too much when spring bulbs come up earlier than I think they should. As long as they have a good thick bed of mulch, they are usually just fine. They grow a little when a warm day encourages them, but unless there is an extended period of warmth, they probably won't get tall enough to be damaged by a cold snap. Sometimes I'll cover them with a thick layer of leaves, but if they are short like the ones in this picture, they usually survive just fine.

2008-02-19T15:15:00.002-05:00

Earth Box Gardening

The Earth Box Gardening system sounds almost too good to be true. Here's what the inventor, Blake Whisenant promises: "higher yields, minimum maintenance, and gardening that is friendly to our environment. It can be used to grow tomatoes and peppers, herbs, flowers, salad and spinach, strawberries, even melons!
Earth Box with Optional Stake Kit
Here's how it works:

Place the screen in the bottom and insert the watering tube.
Fill the Earth Box all the way to the top with moist potting soil.
Add 2 cups of granular fertilizer.
Seal with the cover(included)
Cut "X" shapes in the cover and plant seedlings.
Keep the water reservoir filled. YOU CANNOT OVER WATER!

That's all there is to it. Plants have a constant supply of water and nutrients, without any guess work. Plus, your Earth Box includes wheels, so you can move it around your yard, deck or patio. What could be easier? I'm going to be planting 3 Earth Box gardens, just like I did last year. Look for my photos as the season progresses. Send me your Earth Box photos too, so we can see how your garden grows!

2008-02-18T15:49:00.000-05:00

This is my new yard. I moved in at the end of October, so I have not done anything except rake leaves. There are some things I really like~ the back yard is wooded with mature oaks, and the landscaping does have a variety of color and texture. But SO MANY BUSHES! I'm going to let things come to life, and I will love having the Rhododendron and azaleas, but the boxwoods have to go. At least most of them. They just don't do anything for me.

I have some ideas for things I want, old favorites, and other things I've never had room to try. I'll post the changes here, and you can give me thumbs up or down as I go.

2008-02-16T10:29:00.000-05:00

I spent Saturday evening in my backyard, sitting by the fire pit with a drink and a friend. It was a beautiful evening, in the 40's with a clear sky. It was quiet, and dark except for the crackling flames and the night sky, and there was just no more perfect place to spend a Saturday evening.

Which got me to thinking about why I garden. I'm not inteested in the biggest tomatoes, or the prize winning Zinnias. I don't can and freeze a winter's worth of veggies. I don't have exotic landscapes, or all the latest and greatest varieties. I enjoy the gardens of people who do those things, but they don't motivate me. Those things feel like work to me, and I already have enough work to do!
For me, gardening is all about feeling good. I want a place outdoors where people feel happy and relaxed. I want it to be a place to have fun. I want to wander around, seeing what's changed, what's growing, what smells good, what's ready to pick.

That makes me happy!

2008-02-16T09:59:00.000-05:00

I have a new favorite gardening tool, it's called a Leatherman Hybrid pruner. I just used one for the first time, and now I'll never be happy working in my yard again until I have my own. It looks like regular pruner, which it is, but it has 10 other tools folded into the handle. A lot of times I'm skeptical about "all in one" tools because they are flimsy and "gadgety", but this one wasn't. Every thing really worked!

And I loved that because my problem is I don't just do one job at a time. I may go out to prune a tree, but then I see dandelions under it, so I have to go back in and get my weeder. Then I finally remember to remove those old rotten stakes from when a new tree was planted but I don't have my wire cutters. And then back to pruning, except there's one branch that really needs a saw, so I go get it. Does this sound familiar, or is it just me?
but if I had a Leatherman I could wander happily from job to job, which is my favorite way to garden, with 11 tools in my hand!
Yeah, I definitely need one of these! Any body else have one?

Flower Power

2008-02-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

I just read a really interesting thing about cut flowers. It was in reference to a study done by Harvard medical school talking about the health benefits of cut flowers. Like ~ people who have flowers in their home worry less, have lower anxiety and have a more elevated mood that those who don't have flowers.

People with flowers in their homes also feel more compassionate towards others.

Having flowers around gives off a calming energy.

Flowers can help over come "morning blues."

That really fascinated me, because of how happy I always feel when I have cut flowers in the house. Plus, now that I know it is not just an indulgent luxury, but an actual HEALTH issue :) I'm going to make sure I always have some at home, and maybe on my desk at work too!

Happy Valentine's Day!