Archive for the ‘The Impatient Gardener’ Category

I was on Facebook today and saw a post that someone was getting a bounty of blueberries. Then I looked at another post and there was okra, peppers, cantaloupe, eggplant, squashes with a few other goodies. So it got me to thinking about where the people posting are doing their gardening because, frankly my gardening is different.

So I researched about gardening zones in United States and Canada. We are divided into eleven zones on a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference. The United States, where I live, takes in zones 2 through 10. So how does it work? Well, for example, the lowest average temp in Zone 2 is -50 to -40 degree Fahrenheit. But zip down south to zone 10 and the average is +3- to +40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Okay now I see why some of my social media friends are growing wonderful produce that I am not.

Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration is the moisture, soil, winds, and well, the hottest summer since the dust bowl era isn’t helping much either, is it? Other catastrophic issues can cause problems. Earthquakes uproot trees and other plantings that can take several seasons to overcome. Or tornadoes that have been at record high this year ripping vegetation up can also take years to overcome.

For me, a few years back I experienced drought that caused pine beetles to come in and eat and destroy my pine trees. That was a hard season. Or the year that hurricane Ivan ripped through pulling on the trees and vegetation, the effects being felt as high as middle of the state. That was another planting problem that I needed to adapt to.

But generally this time of year most gardeners are reaping from their vegetable gardens. Knowing the growing season in our own personal zone helps us to know what to plant and where it is best suited in the landscape.

Along with growing for the right season I always recommend that a soil sample be done.You can get a kit at your Cooperative County Extension, you can find them in the phone book or on the internet. I love doing the soil sample. It takes the guess work out of what to use on my garden and landscape for fertilizers, tells me what grows best and what my watering needs are.

So the next time I see wonderful bounty on social media I am going to have the chart above handy so I can see where everyone is growing their gardens.

Sources for Soil Sample:

http://al-labs-eastern.com/taking_soil_sample.html

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=How+to+do+a+soil+test&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

The show offs! Crepe Myrtles find the heat of the South the perfect place to show off their glory. It is known that many of the beautiful plantings in my area found their way first through Charleston. Like many plantings found in America they first came here through China and Korea with a detour to England. But these fickle girls hate the cold clime of the British Isles. Truly they enjoy a good bask in the hot, humid south. So when Crepe Myrtles found a home in Charleston they reacted as if freed from prison. No more struggling under the cold, dampness. And reward us they did! It did not take long to get those beauties to show off.

The blossoms are beautiful. Most of the trees in my yard are a true pink, but I do see some that are white, light pink and a soft lavender. And unlike other southern belles like azaleas or camillas they do not need acidic pine soil but can grow just about where ever we want to plant them. 

The bark has a beautiful satin finish. When I run my hand over it I think of good carpentry work that has been sanded and modified so the wood surface glistens and smoothly catches our eye. Not so with Crepe Myrtle they already have beautiful bark while the tree is growing.

But as Sherlock Holmes has said, “something is afoot”. A crime against these belles that shocks anyone. Some gardeners like to call it pruning. I call it Crepe Murder. For some reason unknown to me the trend has been to lop off their tops, destroying their natural form. Left in the place where spring growth will be is amputated knuckle that looks almost like a bad case of arthritis.

Don’t get me wrong, oh yes, Crepe Myrtles do need proper pruning. And like all pruning if done correctly goes virtually unnoticed. Crossed limbs, leggy limbs and new shoots off the trunk can make for a scraggly look. Which is one excuse that Crepe murderers use to cut them back. It is true the suckers are unsightly but it only takes a few minutes to clip them off and too many trunks shooting up gives an appearance of an unkempt tree. These southern belles deserved a good trim. 

Another reason that they have been cut back incorrectly is that they are too tall or too close together. Pruning can control some of this but here a few tips on growing a Crepe Myrtle that will make you happy. If your’s is too overwhelming replace it with a semi dwarf that reaches about 8-14 feet in a ten year period. Some choices could be: Acoma, Catawba, Cherokee, Comanche, Hopi and Sioux. If you are looking for a shrub here are some possibilities: Centennial, Victor, Prairie Lace or Hope. These can get to 3-4 feet tall. The species that are usually victims of Crepe murder are those that grow pretty tall, at least 20 feet. If you do want a tall beautiful belle like this in your landscape, which I do, you can choose from: Natchez, Muskogee, Fantasy, Dallas Red, Byers Wonderful White, Watermelon Red and Biloxi.

If you have a Crepe Myrtle that has been improperly pruned all is not lost. You can with patience fix pruning mistakes.

Here are a few tips for fixing pruning mistakes from Southern Living:

1. A stub left by an improper cut last year allowed two shoots to grow in place of the one that was removed.
2. To restore the proper form, remove one of the two shoots.
3. Then remove the stub.
4. The result should be a cut that will heal into a single branch.

Nothing says southern living like showy plantings and Crepe Myrtle are wonderful show offs!

References:

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1083/ANR-1083.pdf

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/crepe-murder-00400000005718/

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/southern-gardening-crepe-myrtle-history-00400000064970/

A well planned landscape can be environmentally friendly and requires minimal care such as watering, pruning, fertilizing and pest control which is of interest to homeowners. In our busy lives low maintenance is desired. Few, if any, gardeners intend to install a garden that will take time and money. So what is a low maintenance landscape? Here are seven principles that I have found useful that have helped scale down on the work over the years.

Begin with the plan. I find low maintenance means look for what grows well in my area. Then I try to use those plantings.

• Start with inventory of the yard, the neighborhood and the purpose that we plan to use our landscape for.
• What will be the present and future needs IE. If you are a young family or are retirees the planning will be completely different.
• Low maintenance means a simple design. So scaling down is useful. Simple does not have been uninteresting.
• Grouping of plants is important. By getting a soil sample it takes all the guess work out of making decisions on what can grow and where.

Site analysis is a real key to making a good landscape perform. For example, my soil is very acidic and mostly red clay. So these are the questions I ask:

• First I find out what acid loving plants will grow.
• Drainage and if there are low spots or changes in the grade that will effect what happens in rainy, sunny, shady or drought conditions.
• Consider your view, I love a natural privacy fence so it is important to determine balancing this with the vegetation.

Small Gardens Can Be Well Thought Out and Planned

Then I go for plant selection. I live in the humid south which means that a great many “old timey” plants grow well with minimal effort.

• It is crucial to keep plants spaced properly. Trees or bushes to close together vie for water and root expansion room. A tree dropped down on its side on the ground generally is an indicator of how far out the root system goes. And do not plant too close to the house or buildings. The roots can interfere with your water line or cause structural damage. Lesson learned.
• I like plants that require low maintenance and loads of flowers. In my area I start the blooming season at the end of February and go right through October.
• I do not like a “busy” look. It feels confusing and begs of high maintenance.

And the lawn area is important. While I love the garden and patio area there is a need to plan out the turf area. When I first moved into my house there were so many trees and bushes that made mowing a real effort to skirt around each one.

• Decide where the recreational areas will be.
• Decide the easiest mowing path and symmetry to the landscape.
• And consider ground coverings as alternative if you are not a big fan of mowing.

Watering or irrigation are a necessity. While I do live in the humid south this year we are suffering under a major heat wave. The plants are strained as well as the lawn. Watering is necessary to the landscape however, overwatering in this stress situation can harm the plantings too.

• Watering should operate efficiently and effectively. For example, overstressed and overheated plants thrive best if a early dawn watering is done.
• Avoid daily watering as it leads to shallow roots, long deep watering is the best.
• Drip irrigation has become popular and for good reason. It is an efficient use of water.

And I cannot say enough about mulching. It is like putting a light jacket on in the fall for humans or a layer of sun protection in the summer. And is it useful! You bet!

• It conserves soil moisture and regulates the soil temp as well as protects from soil erosion, reducing weeds and soil compaction. Nothing feels better than to dig into a well mulched area and soil slices like butter.
• It also keeps some soil-borne diseases at bay too.

And when you get all that going for you then just maintaing appropriate maintenance is all you need to do.

• Prune when appropriate and watch for branches that cross or old dead branches on the plant.
• Use the right tool. As I have gotten older I have needed to use the anvil pruners and it has made my life so much easier.
• Keep those tools sharpened. Dull pruners can cause accidents. Another lesson learned. Fall is a good time to get all the tools sharpened and oiled.
• Take a cuppa coffee and wander about just checking for pests or problems that can be managed easily. No one wants a job that reaches epic proportions.
• Avoid overwatering and over fertilization to ward of pests and disease. I volunteer for a garden helpline and these are two most common mistakes in the gardening.
• And mowing? Shorter is not always better. Check online for the proper height for the grass you.

Maintenance is and can be minimal depending on your needs. By spending regular time with these basic tips maybe like me, you will find that you are not spending all your time as a weekend warrior. Nothing feels worse than Monday morning warrior aches and pains. Makes any good gardener begin to avoid their landscape.

Gardening should be fun, the landscape is part of the personality of our life, of who we are just like the interior of our home. We hear more these days about how much curb appeal matters. Not just for the neighbors but for us. It is refreshing to pull up to your yard and feel good about it and find that home sweet home is pulling you in and beckoning to be the sanctuary from the stresses the day.

Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just beginning to grow clematis in your yard this vine can be very rewarding. Climbing flowers add a dimension to the landscape that is pleasant to the senses. Some clematis has a nice scent to them to add to their beauty. My clematis contends for this privilege with my Confederate Jasmine. Both can provide a lot of blooms for a long growing season.

But like any vine that is grown in the landscape clematis will depend on the gardener to maintain them. And your neighbors will be happy you did! Clematis can take over the landscape if not managed.

I think the reason I like clematis is that they are good in many climes. I have lived far north in Europe and far south in the U.S. and in both places my clematis happily responded by providing me with beautiful flowers yearly.

Planting in the summer will mean extra care with watering, they will need sufficient water. They can be planted in the fall. If you do plant them in the fall a good reminder is when spring rolls around pruning will be needed. Another option is planting in containers which, I find is not a bad idea. I have one of mine in a pot and one on a trellis. I am starting another one from cuttings for third trellis. The pot idea worked out because I use one that was big enough. That is important because the pot needs to be well over a foot tall to support the clematis. The clematis is happily thriving.

Ah yes, pruning. This seems to be the biggest issue. Do not be reluctant to prune your clematis as they do get overgrown. Clematis and can develop problems such as fungus or mildew. And if it is not secure to its trellis or post it can topple over.

Some pest problems can present themselves such as slugs or earwigs which will require baits and pesticides. This could easily be managed with good pruning routines. One example is I like to have a full look all the way up so in the spring before they are start to grow I prune then so they will grow fuller with more airiness to avoid problems. I can tell you from experience that there are ways to kill clematis but pruning is not one of them! The nice thing about clematis even if you do pruning at the wrong time of the year they are forgiving and will still come back the next year. I find clearing out the overcrowded areas in my vine only needs to be done about every two to three years. The one I cleared out this spring is already in need of control as you can see from the picture.

Clematis is an old timey vine. They were first found in China growing wild and made their way to Japanese gardens around the 17^th century. Then introduced to Europe shortly thereafter and onto the Old West in America. At the present time there are approximately 300 species. I love clematis and cannot imagine any garden I have without this beautiful plant. I do hope you will enjoy growing one too. I recommended you go online and search about the different species that will you might like. Enjoy!

Gardening is my favorite hobby.  It allows me to justify being outside all the time and fills a need to get something done. No matter when I go out in the garden there is always something to do. Over the years I have learned a lot. Some of my present successes have come from mistakes that have been made. But thankfully Mother Earth is a forgiving soul and just bounces back to let me try again.

I think the one short cut I have taken far too often is not getting a soil sample test so I know what is in my soil. Then I can determine what fertilizer and amendments will be necessary. I love it when I get the results back on the soil sample so I can take the guesswork out of what kind of soil I have. And I can easily go to the garden store and know what to buy that works.

Another problem I have is over planting. I get plants from others or I split out plants I have and I cannot get rid of them. Last fall I took out a lot of plants in my garden and this year I am working on getting rid of trees and shrubs that have out lived their usefulness. When plants that are diseased or sick are in the landscape they can harm the healthy the plantings. Besides they are just not attractive! After getting my soil sample back I know my soil is in good shape so getting rid of bushes and trees that are unsightly is presently on the list. Of course I send my “tall guy” out there to help me with the high branches and hard to cut stuff. Without his help our garden would not be as healthy. He is worth his weight in gold!

Overfeeding or overwatering were two more huge culprits to a unhappy garden. For some reason us gardeners think everything can be fixed with more water or more fertilizer. Not so. And I have learned to make sure I plant in the right place and plant what grows for my area. Too often I have seen a great plant in a garden magazine and failed to realize it will not work in my area. My first rule of thumb now no matter where I live is to walk the neighborhood to see what successes I see in the yards. Then I know what I can plant! Saves both time and money!

Don’t kill the good bugs! Too often gardeners see all bugs as harmful. But not so! For example, the Lady Bug is a hard worker and will eat the bad bugs such as aphids, scale insects, mites and even mealy bugs. Along with butterflies and bees which are both good for the garden they are pretty too!

Gardening doesn’t have to be a chore. More times than not the reason that we dread keeping up our garden and lawn is because there is so much information about how to do that we think it takes a lot of work. Just like anything else it just takes knowledge. My goal with gardening is “less is more”. By that I mean that I do not like a garden that is so much work it is all I can do. That is one reason I find local plantings and grass that I know works. For me gardening has to be easy as I am limited with physical issues so each year I look around and see what can be done to make it less work. And the answer seems to always come back to the mistakes I have overcome. When I stopped making the mistakes things just started responding so much better! Whatever reason you need to simplify I hope these things I have learned might just make it easier!

For those of us who enjoy gardening this is a “slow” time of the year. Waiting for spring seems like forever by the time February rolls around, even more so this year because we are having such a harsh winter. This is a great time to think about caring for our yard tools. They were busy serving us well throughout the growing season and with spring on the horizon it is good to be ready to put them to use! As I opened the door to the garden shed to eye my tools I found them in disarray and in need of care. I fought the urge to just shut the door again and forget about them. But I fought the urge to do that becuase it is time to consider those tools in need of their repairs and maintenance.

But alas, I need to gather up the shovels, rakes, spade, the handsaw, pruning shears and hand tools. A good old wet cloth will do the trick to get the debris off. A putty knife can be use to remove clay and dirt that can be found in crevices. The pruning shears will need a good sharpening now before I am in need of using them. Okay so when the tools are all clean and dry it is the time to dig out some WD-40 for the metal parts and maybe some linseed oil for the wooden handles.

The chainsaw, leaf blower and mowers are now in good condition which my husband made ready last week. However, the John Deere needs to be taken in for its tune up. And I also have a smaller chainsaw I use along with a hedger that both need a look over. But no sooner had he finished the mowers I noted I needed to dig out the old lawn clippings on their blade to get ready for the season. And I was reminded that the trimmer may need the string replaced.

These are not the “fun” projects of gardening but they are the necessary part. I can’t tell you how great it is when the pruning shears are ready and I start out to clear winter pruning. In my area this is the time to start pruning, clearing the landscape to get ready for the season. I live in Zone 7 but in many places you are still under snow. Lots of snow and the plants are nestled underneath safely waiting for the spring thaw. So this is a great time to get the tools ready.

I love gardening because it is the closest I can get to the earth. I love the fresh air, the plants and the sounds of mowers in the distance as life begins to renew itself. But right now it is too cold to do too much so I will make sure the tools are cleaned up and ready for the spring season. I can almost hear them gently saying, “thank you”. What about you?