August chores keep gardeners busy

Hopefully, you are enjoying the well deserved bounty your labors have created. It's always important to take time to sit and stare at the flowers, the fruiting plants, and the lush greenery in your yard and garden.

But there are never ending tasks to take care of this month. To keep the harvest growing you can plant a row of peas and lettuce for fall harvesting. Many of the herbs, like basil, are going to seed, so it's a good idea to harvest some and dry them, and others can be dug, potted so they can be brought indoors for the cold season. I have moved a dry seeded stalk of cilantro to a bare place in the garden where I want a new crop of cilantro and used another stalk to harvest and save the coriander.

You can check out the rows of mulch and see if they need more to preserve the moisture and add manure to any plant that looks like it's too yellow. Needless to say, dead heading is a constant job. I do it almost automatically and my granddaugther learned the task too well as you have to stop her from picking the flowers off before they are spent. Don't forget to start thumbing through the fall catalogues where you can order your garlic and flower bulbs for fall planting.

Its' a great season for the garden. Enjoy!

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Wildflower Seeds to make color for that bare spot in the yard or garden

EdenBrothers' has a great selection of wildflower seeds and you can take you pick of full sun or partial shade, perennial or annual, and also choose the proper region for best results. They also have mixes selected for color so there are mixes of red, blue, pink, and lavendar and they guarantee that their seed has no filler, is all completely wildflower seeds. There are low grow and tall flower selections and deer resistant, and dry tolerant varieties.

For example, the Pacific Northwest package which I would be interested in costs $24.99 for a pound which would cover 2000 sq ft. They list every seed included and say whether it is an annual or perennial. I'm still working on the bare places around new construction and I think this is at least a partial answer for me. Eden Brothers also has a complete line of bulbs to choose from.

At Eden Brothers

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Spring Hill Nursery has unique plants and gives a lifetime guarantee

SpringHill Nursery was founded in 1849 in a small Ohio town. In the 1930's they started becoming a mail order business. I like their unique selection of plants which are useful for the homeowner with a lawn and garden to cultivate. For example, their ground covers include many flowering plants like phlox and thyme as well as Snow on the Mountain which hides problem areas quickly.

They have a eclectic selection of trees, carrying the Dawn Redwood and Gingo. There are several Japanese Tree peonies including this lovely Shimi-Nishiki.

"It is imported directly from Japan by Spring Hill! Shima-Nishiki is Japanese for 'fire flame'. And this uniquely colored tree peony certainly lives up to its name. Large, semi-double white blooms with fiery red streaks measure 7-9" across! Very longlived, it will bloom for a lifetime! Flowers arrive in April to May. Mature tree grows 48-60" tall with a 3' spread."

I particularly like their Pre-planned garden offerings. You can select for many different areas and blooming seasons. If you need some color in a shady spot or you'd really want a lovely three-season garden, they have a design for each . If you want flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your property, or a perennial garden, they have each. They include easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams make to help make your planting a success.

And there is a No Risk Guarantee. They say all of their plants will be true to name and to reach you in perfect and healthy condition."If, for any reason, you aren't pleased with any plant upon receipt, after planting or once it grows, just contact Spring Hill anytime--no time limit--for as long as you garden. No need to return any plant. We will refund every cent you paid for that plant or send a replacement without charge--whichever you prefer."

Sounds like a deal to me. And the selection is unique and well planned for variety and the home owner who wants to make their yard and flower garden lovely.

At Spring Hill Nursery

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Ranunculus are an easy way to grow lovely perennials

On impluse, I bought Rununculus in a package of eight and planted them today. These bulbs can be planted now and their blooms in the summer will go all season long. Ranunculus have ncredible colors, straight stems, long vase life and bright blooms. All they need in return is sunshine and very light watering. No meticulous care is needed.

You don't want to plant them too late in the season, but right now in California is a good time, before it gets too hot. You want to plant them in well drained soild. Peat moss, compost or composted maure can improve the soil and the drainage. You're going to need to plant them in full sun.

The bulbs should be planted 2" deep and 6" apart. The bulbs have a strange shape. There are a bunch of prongs or rootlike protrusions that should be planted down.

Rununculus make great cut flowers and this will not hurt the plants. After blooming has finished for the season leave the foliage in place; don't cut it off. The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next year. Water as needed during active growth periods. Ranunculus actually prefer not to be watered while dormant.

At the end of the summer the leaves will yellow and die back as the plant slips into dormancy. Foliage many be removed at this point. Your ranunculus will rest for a few months before beginning the next growing cycle. I don't think you will be disappointed.

At Rainbow Ranunculus - 10 Bulbs - Size 7+cm

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Breck's pride itself on it's expertise in bulbs

Surprisingly Breck's is in Indiana, but they say they have buyers in the Netherlands 187 Years of Experience Assures Superior Bulbs for Your Garden
They say, "No organization has more knowledge about which bulbs grow and bloom best in all sections of the U.S. than Breck's. We take advance reservations, and then just as soon as the crops are harvested, our staff of Dutch Bulb Experts makes an on-the-spot selection of the finest bulbs available to fill those reservations.
Breck's full-time staff of bulb experts spends the entire year in Holland devoting themselves to obtaining cream-of-the-crop bulbs for shipment to our customers in America. Our experts all come from Dutch families who have been growing and marketing bulbs for several generations. They know how to pick the very best.

Ordering from Breck's is like having your own personal buyer right in Holland."

Sound good? I'm wishing I had the job in the Netherlands. Sounds like fun. Right now they are shipping the spring perennials, all the well known ones such as Iris, Lilies, Dahlias and Gladiaoli as well as the lesser known. The lesser known shade plants include Old fashioned Bleeding Heart for $14.99. The sun plants have peonies and bea balm.

They have spring shipped collections from $30 to $60 with your pick of Dahlias, Lilies, and Phlox among others. The great thing about Breck's is that there are very few customer complaints. The orders arrive on time; they are in good shape and exactly what was ordered. Right now there is a sale coupon for $25 off your order

At Breck's

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Stargazer Lily Collection blooms and is fragrant all summer

Day lilies, as opposed to dahlias, are easy to grow and are hardy over most of the US, from zones 3-11. This jumbo pack has 12 lilies of three different varieties in pink and white. They grow quite tall so plant them in against the fence or in the back of the border as they get as tall as 24" to 40". They are perennials and can also be grown in containers and make great cut flowers. Plant them 4" to 6" and space them a foot apart, sprinkle fertilizer and you're good to go. Only $23 from Holland Bulb Farms.

At Holland Bulb Farm

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Okay, I'm really going to do it with Dahlias---maybe!

So I bought the impulse buy at Costco and now have read up on how to grow dahlias and realize I have bought myself some work. First of all, they can't be planted until danger of frost is over. That's no problem. The problem is that they need sandy well drained soil and I have heavy not well drained clay. So I can add some sand to the hole and compost and mix it up for them. The next problem is the ph which they like to be 6.2 to 6.7 so maybe some peat moss will help also.

The worst problem is that they are hardy in zones 7-11 so that in most of the country they have to be cut back in the fall and then dug carefully with a pitchfork, washed off, dried and stored and replanted in the spring. This is more trouble than I usually take on. I might not do this as I am zone 7, kind of marginal since it is in the mountains and the winter weather is very variable. But I'll worry about that in the fall.

Right now all I want to think about is the glorious colors I can have this summer. In case you missed the costco sale:

At 5 Powder-Puff Dahlias Mixed Colors

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Gurney's Catalogue has it all

Gurney's Seed and Nursery company is located right smack in the midwest and carries every aspect of seed and plant and supply that a gardener needs. They have no particular ideology other than supplying what they consider to be the most reliable and the best. They have both heirloom and hybrid varieties. They sell fruit and nut trees as well as vines and shrubs, hedges and grasses. They have house plants and windbreaks, just about anything you could possibly want.

They are promoting a sweet corn called "You gotta have it" which they claim is the sweetest and stays the sweetest longest of any corn you can grow. It is hybrid but not sugar enhanced. One feature I like about their online catalogue is that they include comments from growers who have tried the seed and the comments are negative as well as positive. For example, after reading the growers comments you have a good idea that you need to wait to plant it until the soil is really warmed up--trying to rush the season will most likely end in failure or at least poor germination. This is a very helpful section for anyone interested, like me, in giving this sweet corn a try.

At Gurney's Catalogue

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

White Flower Farm Garden Catalog - The Garden Catalog

The White Flower Farm catalog comes from Connecticut and is filled with the most lovely perennials you are likely to find anywhere. They ship both perennials and annuals all over the country, specializing in bulbs and plants, ignoring seeds altogether, which makes them unique. They have a great daffodil mix of 100 bulbs for $49 and promise that after the first great year of blooms the plants will self propagate year after year. There is a unique daylily collection of 50 in varied colors shipped bareroot for $99.

The catalog has a kichen section with a beginners garden of tomaotes, peppers, cucumers, and squash, nine plants for $59. The plants come to you when the temperature is right for you location. They offer herbs, mushrooms, fruits and berries,
There is a whole section on flowers just for planting in containers. There are gorgeous peonies and dahlias and page after page of annuals and perennials.

All together this is a fascinating catalog and well worth perusing. I'm thinking of the daffodil "The Works" for my home.

At White Flower Farm Garden Catalog

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Narcissus Ziva Paperwhites planted now, bring spring blossoms or they can be forced indoors

If the ground thaws and you can get outside to plant, these narcissus will make you smile in the spring. Sometimes it's hard to get motivated in the winter when it's really cold out, but a little effort is worth the while. Don't forget you can also force the bulbs indoors. And these have a lovely fragrance that will fill the house.

The steps for forcing narcissus are very easy:

Get a shallow pan. One good size is 12 inches wide and 1 to 2 inches deep, but almost any size will do. Then fill the dish with small pebbles or gravel and cover the stones with water. You then put the bulbs in the pan, the pointed side up, and be sure the bottom of the bulbs is sitting right on the pebbles. Put the dish in a warm, well-lighted indoor location, such as a sunny window. Keep the stones constantly wet. Paper-whites will usually bloom in about six weeks. After blooming, if the soil is not frozen, plant the bulbs outdoors and keep them moist.

At Narcissus Ziva Paperwhites, 10 bulbs - 17+cm

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

OXO Good Grips Quick Release Gardening Bulb Planter both punches the hole and covers the bulb

For those of us with weather suitable for bulb planting, this tool will help make the job easy. You push and twist the Bulb Planter into soil then pull it back out, leaving the perfect hole for planting. After the bulb is in place, use the Planter's Quick Release lever to replace the soil back into the hole. The planter is constructed of heavy gauge, chrome plated carbon steel, and it features an extended handle that is wide enough to fit two hands for added strength when plunging into soil. The Planter's gripping areas are soft, comfortable and non-slip even when hands are wet. The Bulb Planter also features a tooth pattern specially designed for easily penetrating and twisting through soil. Use the stamped in, easy-to-read standard and metric measurement markings on both sides of the Bulb Planter to plant at precise depths.

At OXO Good Grips Quick Release Gardening Bulb Planter #1068280

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

10" Copper Plant Markers will mark where the bulbs are planted

This is a good time to get the tulip and daffodil bulbs planted and these copper plant markers will let you know where you put them. Here in New England our neighbor was planting tulips remarking that the squirrels would probably dig them up and eat them which in Boston is probably true. I have the problem of planting bulbs and then when planting something else, discovering I have sliced the bulbs in half, ruining them. Sad to say, I"m too lazy to make my own plant markers, and so must buy them ready made. These are made of plastic and have a space at the top to label the variety.

At 10" Copper Plant Markers - 5 pack

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Amaryllis Growing Kit makes a great gift for the holidays

Amaryllis grows well indoors in the winter and this kit provides everything you will need to produce huge, brilliant colored flowers to brighten your home. The flowers can be 8" across and you have your choice of red, white, or appleblossom. Complete instructions are included. You can get successive year's blooms. I've grown these many times and never been disappointed. They make a great gift and are lovely at Christmas.

At Amaryllis Growing Kit - Great Gift - CHOOSE COLOR!

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |

Mixed Darwin Hybrid Tulip 100 Bulbs

Here's a dazzling mix of colorful tulips you could get in the ground right now for showy spring blooms. They will grow 18" to 24" tall and bloom in mid to late spring. The price is right and you get 100 bulbs!

At Mixed Darwin Hybrid Tulip 100 Bulbs - Great Colors-EASY

Marilyn Renaker at Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |