It is that time again, to plant the containers! I don't know why I bother each year to say I am going to cut down on my container gardening. There is something about seeing various containers throughout the garden as points of interest. They make every part of your garden a "go to" location.
I do have some small Guy Wolfe pots that I purchased up in Wisconsin and I use them around my vegetable garden. Even with additives they dry out quickly, but they look "cottagey" and I like that look around my vegetable garden. I do bargain hunt for pots at the outlet stores and have found some really special containers such as the broken ceramic piece pots. We have added drainage holes to many of these with a ceramic drill bit. It is important to have drainage holes or your plants will rot.
I purchased two new pots this year the same color tone as my home, and I gave away pots that were repaired or just not something I use anymore. We put them out in the alley and they were gone within an hour. It is good to know that someone will get use out of them. I have a ton of too small pots stored in cabinets in my garage which I should also give away because they dry out too quickly when planted.
I do use moisture control potting soil, but I also add water retaining crystals to my mix. Do not add too many preinflated crystals or during a rainstorm they will be all over the ground. I know the resin pots are getting better and better each year, but I still favor the real thing, concrete, ceramic, clay, etc. I did purchase two pre-planted bluestone look resin pots at Costco for the far end of the garden, and from a distance, they look great.
Containers require consistent fertilization, at least every two weeks. I mix up a five gallon pail of super bloom fertilizer, fill up my gallon jug and fertilize, fertilize. That's what I mean about containers, they are work! We will revisit when I begin to plant the thrillers, spillers and fillers. Figure out your expenses per plant, soil, etc., and sometimes is is more economical to purchase a preplanted container if it has all off the colors and plants you desire.
I keep telling myself with each one I plant, they are a lot of work but so beautiful!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Mr. Wizard
When I was a young child, there used to be a person on television called "Mr. Wizard." He was an expert at experiments and could do things that would always amaze us. Now, I am not saying that I am Mr. Wizard, but I am trying some experiments this year.
My first experiment was with a product called Plantskydd, a critter repellent. I tried it in three different gardens, one completely overrun by rabbits - most perennials eaten last year, one with spring bulbs tops eaten and the other with various plants and bulbs eaten. The product was applied in early March and reapplied in the overrun garden because mulch was put down. Not one plant has been eaten or chewed in any of the three gardens. The product is guaranteed against animal plant damage. I know, no one wants to believe this, it it not inexpensive, but it seems to work.
My other experiment is the layered raised bed vegetable garden. I have really gone big time this year, layering just about everything. I am also experimenting using the philosophy of Art in the Garden and incorporating the colors of famous artists in my containers and garden beds. My final experiment is the seed starting that I said I was not going to do, but I have done it without my lights. I am now hardening off Nicotiana, Saliva and Amaranthus (Love Lies Bleeding). They are all so fragile I hope they make it.
Mr. Wizard (Don Herbert) I hope you will be proud of me for being an experimenter!
My first experiment was with a product called Plantskydd, a critter repellent. I tried it in three different gardens, one completely overrun by rabbits - most perennials eaten last year, one with spring bulbs tops eaten and the other with various plants and bulbs eaten. The product was applied in early March and reapplied in the overrun garden because mulch was put down. Not one plant has been eaten or chewed in any of the three gardens. The product is guaranteed against animal plant damage. I know, no one wants to believe this, it it not inexpensive, but it seems to work.
My other experiment is the layered raised bed vegetable garden. I have really gone big time this year, layering just about everything. I am also experimenting using the philosophy of Art in the Garden and incorporating the colors of famous artists in my containers and garden beds. My final experiment is the seed starting that I said I was not going to do, but I have done it without my lights. I am now hardening off Nicotiana, Saliva and Amaranthus (Love Lies Bleeding). They are all so fragile I hope they make it.
Mr. Wizard (Don Herbert) I hope you will be proud of me for being an experimenter!
Friday, April 23, 2010
What's Blooming?
There are several things blooming in a quiet way before the full blast of the spring perennials take over. The Blue Dart Vinca is just beautiful this year. It must have been the snow cover. Those Orange Emperor Tulips will not give up making a final showing in the cooler and a little shadier part of the garden.
My strange fern is up and it looks like it could be from the dinosaur age. I identified it at a local garden center but did not write down the name. Bleeding Hearts are in full bloom on the north side of my garden and Viburnum Carlesi Compactum is full of blooms with a most heady fragrance by my front walk. The Amelanchier Regent was beautiful about a week ago as per the picture Anemone Sylvistris is blooming on the south side of the garden
The vegetable garden looks very colorful this year as I made it a point to grow some unusually named lettuces in some colors that just pop. The carrots are sprouting between the lettuce, as most of my lettuce usually is done by July, seed onions are coming up between the sets. It's an experiment called layering, so we'll see if it works.
My strange fern is up and it looks like it could be from the dinosaur age. I identified it at a local garden center but did not write down the name. Bleeding Hearts are in full bloom on the north side of my garden and Viburnum Carlesi Compactum is full of blooms with a most heady fragrance by my front walk. The Amelanchier Regent was beautiful about a week ago as per the picture Anemone Sylvistris is blooming on the south side of the garden
The vegetable garden looks very colorful this year as I made it a point to grow some unusually named lettuces in some colors that just pop. The carrots are sprouting between the lettuce, as most of my lettuce usually is done by July, seed onions are coming up between the sets. It's an experiment called layering, so we'll see if it works.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Swale Gardening
I am doing a couple of coaching jobs, one being the typical blank slate landscaping job and the other can you believe is a swale. Unbeknown to most gardeners, swale gardening is a whole other area of expertise. I am certainly not an expert but I did have a swale in my last home.
Just because there is a graduated dip so the water will flow into this area and away does not mean it is always wet. The banks of the swale can be quite dry, but eventually the roots from these fringe plants will reach down into where the water flows. I had three River Birches which loved the wet conditions, banks planted in day lilies which will also tolerate some wetness, some Red Barbary, Claveys Dwarf Honeysuckle and Cranberry Viburnums. They all did very well with the only planting at the bottom of the swale being the River Birch.
The garden I have looked at had to do a swale because water was leaking into their windrow wells and subsequently their foundation and basement. I am thinking just because of the size of our lots, River Birch trees will not be an option. So we talked about some plantings, Carex Ice Fountains (for the shady, wet area overshadowed by large arborvitaes), Viburnum Autumn Jazz in the sunnier area with plantings of daylilies below. In the front area of the swale it is also sunny (with three Green Mountain Boxwood already planted), so I suggested coneflowers White Swan and Kim's Knee High. At the back end leading into the back garden where the swale has ended, it would be nice to end the walk with Viburnum Carlesi Compactum. All of the large fieldstones will need to be relaid because they are on a slant. Not all of the plantings will be "in" the swale but will border it on top and bottom.
The main goal with a swale is to hold the soil on the sides. My present yard had a really dangerous swale when we moved in: whereas; you had to step down from the patio to walk to the front of the yard, there was no gradual descent. We had a raised bed built and a paver walkway put from back to front gradually maintaining the swale. In most cases you cannot remove this swale without impacting neighboring property or your own.
Just because there is a graduated dip so the water will flow into this area and away does not mean it is always wet. The banks of the swale can be quite dry, but eventually the roots from these fringe plants will reach down into where the water flows. I had three River Birches which loved the wet conditions, banks planted in day lilies which will also tolerate some wetness, some Red Barbary, Claveys Dwarf Honeysuckle and Cranberry Viburnums. They all did very well with the only planting at the bottom of the swale being the River Birch.
The garden I have looked at had to do a swale because water was leaking into their windrow wells and subsequently their foundation and basement. I am thinking just because of the size of our lots, River Birch trees will not be an option. So we talked about some plantings, Carex Ice Fountains (for the shady, wet area overshadowed by large arborvitaes), Viburnum Autumn Jazz in the sunnier area with plantings of daylilies below. In the front area of the swale it is also sunny (with three Green Mountain Boxwood already planted), so I suggested coneflowers White Swan and Kim's Knee High. At the back end leading into the back garden where the swale has ended, it would be nice to end the walk with Viburnum Carlesi Compactum. All of the large fieldstones will need to be relaid because they are on a slant. Not all of the plantings will be "in" the swale but will border it on top and bottom.
The main goal with a swale is to hold the soil on the sides. My present yard had a really dangerous swale when we moved in: whereas; you had to step down from the patio to walk to the front of the yard, there was no gradual descent. We had a raised bed built and a paver walkway put from back to front gradually maintaining the swale. In most cases you cannot remove this swale without impacting neighboring property or your own.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Summer Place
We took a trip to our Wisconsin home mostly because we had a very large arborvitae topple onto the walk during the winter. It didn't make sense, as ours was the only one in the area to have this problem. Well, the arborvitae has been propped up with a wooden 2" board. I am not sure this will be the solution, but for now it is at least upright and looks green and healthy.
My Knockout rose bushes, which had been under the arborvitae, looked very spindly with only bottom growth, so I cut them back severely. Our Wisconsin place is about two hours north of the Chicago area, so things are not quite as far along growth wise as back home. The land where our home is built was littered with huge boulders as construction crews dug foundations. These boulders were used throughout the area for retaining walls and pleasantly became part of the landscape.
My hyacinths and daffodils are just about done, the sedums, nepetas, coreposis, day lilies, campanulas, shastas, coneflowers, and dianthus are all up and growing well.
I am an absent owner and have to choose plants that are xeric and will not require a great deal of care. So far, there are times when I think that this far away garden looks better than my garden at home. There is a watering system on the grounds but just for the grass areas and trees. All of the bed areas are without any additional water unless by hose. I have boxwoods, red twig dogwoods, Arrowwood Viburnums, Carl Forrester grasses, Chanticleer Pear over the patio (which looked beautiful).
We put out our patio furniture, and also a small table and chairs by our front door, watered all of our cactus plants, turned the water back on, cut down and fertilized everything. My husband refused to touch the rose limbs (because we both forgot our garden gloves), but I showed him how brave I was and cut the rose bushes up into little pieces. He finally loaded them into a plastic bag complaining the whole time.
We talked about selling the place as we both yelled "ouch" from the thorns because we don't come up as much as in previous years. We have been coming for about twenty years to two different homes, our grandchildren love it, it is a whole different world where people drive long distances to come to Wall Mart. There are no shopping malls, but there is a Home Depot now and a Target.
If your take a ride in any direction right out of town, there are large expanses of land dotted with farms, cows, sheep and horses. Little towns whip by in a flash, like Burlington (where Panicum 'Northwind' was discovered at Northwind Perennial Farm). This perennial farm is certainly worth a stop if there is time, not just for the plants but for the vintage yard art and the chickens that walk with you as you shop. If you go in the opposite direction down Route 50 out of town you will run into Pesche's Garden Center in the middle of farmland. It is a fun experience, great gift shop, reasonably priced perennials with lots of unusual varieties.
I get a feeling as I drive in on Route 12 that I am going back in time, like American Graffiti, the young people still play very loud music while tooling around town in their hopped up cars and motorcycles. This is an old town back to the 1800's with a gorgeous lake, Lake Geneva. What were we thinking of ? No Sale!
My Knockout rose bushes, which had been under the arborvitae, looked very spindly with only bottom growth, so I cut them back severely. Our Wisconsin place is about two hours north of the Chicago area, so things are not quite as far along growth wise as back home. The land where our home is built was littered with huge boulders as construction crews dug foundations. These boulders were used throughout the area for retaining walls and pleasantly became part of the landscape.
My hyacinths and daffodils are just about done, the sedums, nepetas, coreposis, day lilies, campanulas, shastas, coneflowers, and dianthus are all up and growing well.
I am an absent owner and have to choose plants that are xeric and will not require a great deal of care. So far, there are times when I think that this far away garden looks better than my garden at home. There is a watering system on the grounds but just for the grass areas and trees. All of the bed areas are without any additional water unless by hose. I have boxwoods, red twig dogwoods, Arrowwood Viburnums, Carl Forrester grasses, Chanticleer Pear over the patio (which looked beautiful).
We put out our patio furniture, and also a small table and chairs by our front door, watered all of our cactus plants, turned the water back on, cut down and fertilized everything. My husband refused to touch the rose limbs (because we both forgot our garden gloves), but I showed him how brave I was and cut the rose bushes up into little pieces. He finally loaded them into a plastic bag complaining the whole time.
We talked about selling the place as we both yelled "ouch" from the thorns because we don't come up as much as in previous years. We have been coming for about twenty years to two different homes, our grandchildren love it, it is a whole different world where people drive long distances to come to Wall Mart. There are no shopping malls, but there is a Home Depot now and a Target.
If your take a ride in any direction right out of town, there are large expanses of land dotted with farms, cows, sheep and horses. Little towns whip by in a flash, like Burlington (where Panicum 'Northwind' was discovered at Northwind Perennial Farm). This perennial farm is certainly worth a stop if there is time, not just for the plants but for the vintage yard art and the chickens that walk with you as you shop. If you go in the opposite direction down Route 50 out of town you will run into Pesche's Garden Center in the middle of farmland. It is a fun experience, great gift shop, reasonably priced perennials with lots of unusual varieties.
I get a feeling as I drive in on Route 12 that I am going back in time, like American Graffiti, the young people still play very loud music while tooling around town in their hopped up cars and motorcycles. This is an old town back to the 1800's with a gorgeous lake, Lake Geneva. What were we thinking of ? No Sale!
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