It's Only The Beginning

The seed starting light stand is on its way and I have placed an order for the seeds from Burpee.  I received many catalogs and went through each one to see where I could order the most seeds at one time rather than paying numerous shipping fees.  For what I needed this year Burpee had the most of what I wanted.

I ordered the narrow four-shelf model which will fit very well in the space that I have available in my basement storage room.  The plant light stand is from http://www.birds-n-garden.com/

For the veggie garden I am going more conservative this year with varieties that I know will perform well.

Baby Leaf Mix (5 gourmet baby lettuces)

Looseleaf Blend (5 loosleaf lettuces)

I find that my family likes the lettuce blends so this is a better choice for me rather than the new single introductions.

Mariachi Pepper (2006 AAS Winner)
Very prolific pepper on the spicy and hot list

I am going to start some old friends like Amaranthus and some new zinnias, impatiens and petunias.

Amaranthus 'Love Lies Bleeding'
I will grow this in full sun this year not overshadowed by grasses.

Amaranthus Green



Zinnia, Zahara Double Fire

Zinnia, Highlight Zahara Yellow

Tidal Wave Petunia Silver (All America Winner 2002)

Impatiens Wild Thing

Well, I am back seed starting after several years of down time.  I didn't think I would take this on again, but this is one of the results of blogging and wanting to try some plants that were not readily available on the market. 

I won't be starting any of the veggies under lights this year, buying already set plants in the spring. but the flowers will take center stage with selections that I have not seen at the nurseries or garden centers.

It Has Been One Year

It has been a year since I began blogging!  I cannot believe that I have lasted this long because it is really an endeavor and a job.  I have always loved writing so it is not a surprise to me that I have sustained the writing part of blogging.  But, the photography challenges have been a definite learning process.

I began with a Canon EOS Rebel Camera, very heavy, not a portable camera to carry with you on a daily basis.  I bought a polarizing lens during the summer and subsequently lost it in the garden, fell off of the camera. 

I then bought a small point and shoot camera, a Canon 210 SX 14 megapixal with a great zoom lens.  It is fine but does not get the macro pictures that the larger camera gets. 


I have been challenged by the concept of the blogger in todays society and the idea of writing and using photos to tell a visual story very similar to a newspaper. 

My first post was on the rabbits and my concern about them eating the tips of my tulips.  This is still a concern since I have seen many rabbits in my garden this winter.

I need to spend time organizing and labeling my photos for easy access.  I really like Frances' idea at Fairegarden where she has organized many of her garden plants into pages and attached them to her blog for all to see.  I really didn't understand how I would use this feature until I saw what she had done.

I am looking forward to another year of learning and I thank all of my fellow bloggers for their support.

January In The Garden

I know, you can't actually be in the garden in January especially if you are in zone 5 or below.  This is the month I actually use for planning, catalogs, seed ordering, rose bush and perennial ordering, etc.  I have already ordered a few hard-to-find bare root roses and all of my daylilies are ordered online
http://www.oakesdaylilies.com/ and http://www.daylilies-hostas.com/ deliver large scapes that flower the first year.

Myrtle Dart's Blue

After two days of above average temperatures, close to 60 degrees F yesterday, most of the snow is gone and underneath everything is green and lush.  But this won't be for long as it has dropped to 18 degrees F, browning and leaf drop will occur quickly.

I should have taken a photo of Heuchera Southern Comfort when the temperature was 60 instead of today where the frost is already beginning to predict its demise.

Becky Shasta Daisy

Even the cabbages look pretty good after coming out from under all that snow!

I will also be ordering some shade perennials because they are so expensive to buy locally.  I am referring to Brunnera and Hellebores.  I have had good luck with http://www.diggingdog.com/ because they ship deep planted perennials that become large even the first year.

January is also the month that I begin to draw out my plans for the new planting season, containers, borders and color schemes.  I mention color because I feel it is important to choose a color that will show off your home.  I have pretty neutral stone and brick so I can change colors on a yearly basis from the pinks to the oranges and they all pop against the background.

I am a big color person so I usually end up with every color once I get to the back garden beds, although I do find myself planning specific vignettes of certain colors, such as an orange theme on the patio.

I usually access http://www.provenwinners.com/ to see what's new in annuals and work in some new introductions in my container plans.

What Happens Next?

Well, this is a question we all ask this time of year.  The answer is we are going to THINK!  We are going to think about what worked, what didn't, what are we going to do differently next year.

I already know, there will be no dahlias in my garden, but there will be phlox and more phlox, gaura, clematis, daylilies, lilies, grasses, sedums, certain coneflowers, the roses will be back but they had a difficult summer.

The dahlias just never took off in the heat, had to redo this hayrack mid summer.

Clematis Fireworks and Bee's Jubilee, both type 2

Phlox Blue Paradise

Gaura, impatiens and coleus

Orienpet Lily Lavon and Tiger Lily Halloween

Chicago Rosy

Coneflower Magnus with Panicum Northwind grass in background

My favorite annuals were impatiens, coleus and some petunias, like Bubblegum.  Pretty Much Picasso was a dud and should not come back again unless in another form.  My Dura Cage was a failure, breaking and falling over when the tomatoes became large.  The metal color coated cages from Gardeners Supply held up as usual.

Supertunia Bubblegum

Pretty Much Picasso just never did fill out, pulled it out mid-summer and replaced with another Supertunia.

The Dura Cage is in the middle and just did not hold up as the Beefsteak tomato grew taller.

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The ferns, hostas, astilbies, solomon's seal all did great in the heat this year.  My dianthus Firewitch did not.  The Gailldaria did great but it grew totally out of bounds on the south side of my house, I had to move it.

Astilbe Maggie Daley

Hosta Frances Williams

Japanese Painted Fern, Heucheras and impatiens

Gailldaria Arizona Sun

Seed Starting

My husband decided to get rid of my shop lights that I hadn't used in many years.  I had two forty-eight inch lights that I hung on chains above a long bench in my old old home and my last home.  For many years I started seeds in my basement under these lights, veggies, geraniums, impatiens, petunias, salvia, etc.  I had great fun every year scanning the catalogs and choosing unusual seeds for plants I could not find at the nurseries.

I had a routine, watering each day before I went to work and raising the lights as the plants grew a little higher.  It is important to keep the lights low in the beginning, almost down to the soil, so that they stay short and fat, not tall and spindly. 

This is a nice one with plenty of planting space for me, but it is quite long and I am not sure it will fit in the space I have.

Well, guess what, I have developed a new passion for wanting to grow seeds again, but in a more high tech manner.  While teaching, I used a tiered plant growing system which worked very well with the trays and timer and the ability to move the trays up and down - no chains.

This would probably be the most practical for the space I have.

I think this will be my after Christmas present because they are quite expensive.  Stay tuned, Gardener's Supply has free shipping so this may be my choice.  I just don't know whether to order the one, two or three tier system!