Green Thumb Momma

Here are several updates from previous posts . . .

1. I have finished preparing my new island bed in the back yard . . . new plants will be going in from mail order, transplants from elsewhere in the garden, or from plant division. I'm very excited. Hubby and I finished removing sod, tilled the ground, added amendments (gypsum, greensand, and all purpose fertilizer), then added twelve 40lbs bags of organic topsoil, two 40 bags of organic humus, and eight 20lbs bags of compost. All of these amendments were mixed thoroughly by hand with a garden fork. I topped it all of with some Preen - a weed preventer. This product is not organic, but I think it's necessary. There is an organic version that uses cornmeal . . . when I can find it in the stores, I will try it. On the backbreaking scale this project has ranged pretty high, so I'm hoping what they say about hard work is true.

2. My order from Bluestone Perennials arrived yesterday. It was accurate, on time and the plants look pretty good. All are larger than I expected.

3. My cool season veggies are looking pretty okay. Some of the lettuces are going to be harvested for tonight's dinner, the broccoli is looking good, but no heads yet. The beans have had a disease which I think I've fixed for the time being. The beans have blossoms too. The Swiss chard looks yummy, colorful and vibrant. The critters still seem to be avoiding the garden. I've still got Irish Spring Bar Soap scattered everywhere, but I am out of the Liquid Fence. Let's hope I don't need it. My garden is small enough that one "unwelcomed visitor" would finish it off and be looking for an entre.

4. Water restrictions have been lifted in my area, because of a couple of major storms that have come through, and temperatures have steadily dropped. It was 57 degrees last night for a low. No leaves changing yet, but I've been forced to wear a coat to the bus stop in the mornings.

Gotta get those new plants in the ground . . . hope the sandbox isn't too wet for the kiddos to play in while I work. Planning on getting my hands dirty tonight.

Remembering 9/11/01. . .

I've started a new perennial bed. I've never done this before, start to finish. It will be a 30' x 5' island in the middle of the back yard. I've been following Andre Viette's recommendations as outlined in his books and on his website www.inthegardenradio.com (check out "Preparing the Bed" in the tips & advice section.)

Hubby sprayed the grass with a turf killer. We've worked on removing the sod slowly - it is a serious workout in the heat and humidity. I hope to get the last bit of sod up, edge with bricks, and loosen/till the soil this weekend (going to call Ms. Utility today!). I've got the recommended amendments already (Plant Tone, gypsum, greensand, Osmocote.) This weekend I hope to get some topsoil and compost in the trailer. The edging bricks are leftovers from Hubby's parents. They had some walkways installed -- lucky me! Thanks Grandmom, PopPop and G.G.

Hubby will have to help, because it's beefy manly work (wink, wink). Besides I love to see (not smell) him working hard with his work boots and shorts - it's fabulous. Hauling the bricks, the topsoil (for 8-10" deep) and the compost . . . I'd rather have someone else do that.  Then, there's the mixing too. Everywhere you read the gardening guru's tell you, "Make sure the soil is healthy. It's by far the most important aspect of gardening." I agree. Get it right the first time.

It's the planting I love . . . the creativity and imagination realized. Such satisfaction and enjoyment in the end product . . . my pastors will see a sermon there!

Almost all the plants in this new bed will be transplants and divisions from elsewhere in the yard. I will buy more of the same plants to fill in where there's an empty spot. I don't forsee any other plants needing to be added. The bed will be greens, purples and light pinks. . . so imagine a dogwood and a pink crape myrtle as bookends. Caryopteris, miscanthus, and russian sage for height and winter interest. Also peonies, tall and creeping sedums, heucheras, catmint, mazus, veronica, stachys, echinops, and phlox.

Can't wait for next spring . . . Inspired to get your hands dirty? I am.

In my last post I mentioned that I was going to write down some helpful hints when ordering plants from nursery catalogues.

The first thing to remember is that nurseries are businesses. They are trying to sell you something. They use all the typical marketing skills to get you to purchase . . . so, be a smart consumer. Before I order I always refer to the Garden Watchdog page on www.Davesgarden.com. These pages list hundreds of mailorder nurseries with customer reviews as positive, neutral and negative. Dave also has a list of the top 30 companies. This is a great resource!

On with my list:

1. Double check the growing conditions the plant requires with an outside source (like the USDA Plant site http://plants.usda.gov) including USDA zone, and water/light requirements. Also consider the mature height/spread of a plant and the time it will take to achieve mature size. What other characteristics does the plant have? What's its shape? How do the leaves sit on the branches? Does the seed self-sow?

2. Be aware of great photos! Those great blooms featured in the catalogue photo -- it might take years (depending on the size of the plant you've purchased) to get. Often the photos are only of the plant bloom; what does the rest of the plant look like?

3. Be aware of short descriptions. What does the plant look like year round? Here's an example. I was at a favorite nursery (in person) in the off season just looking around. A Harry Lauder's walking stick corylus avellana contorta was on sale for half-price. I loved it until an older gentleman walked by and offered his advice. "The shrub has no leaves. If you buy it now, you'll put it in a prominent place in your landscape to rightly show it off. The problem is that Harry Lauder's is a very non-descript plant 7-8 months of the year. It's boring with leaves." I took it off my cart and gladly saved myself $50.

4. Do your research. My favorite resource for researching plants is The American Horticultural Society's A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Its thick and expensive . . . use the local library's copy or www.google.com the latin name of your plant for a reputable website.

5. Find a photo of the plant (especially shrubs and trees) with some kind of height reference like a ruler. That full page photo of the most beautiful flower may only be 2" in diameter!

6. Check on bloom length . . . What does the plant look like out of flower? If a plant looks great for the two weeks it blooms, and horrible the rest of the year, is it the right plant for you?

7. Beware of the name! I've seen companies use latin names in place of a common name to disguise plants with bad reputations. Invasive vines, prolific self-seeders, finicky plants have all be "renamed" to make them more appealing. Beware.

8. Other important considerations: What is the nursery's return policy? Shipping dates? How are the plants packaged?

Now, let me say that most companies have great reputations, and are willing to rectify any legitimate customer complaints. The onus is on the buyer to make sure that we are aware of what we are ordering.

caveat emptor -- adepto vestri manuum immunda (buyer beware -- get your hands dirty)

One of the milestones in the annual routine for gardeners is the arrival of fall catalogues. I just received my first in the mail today. I couldn't wait to get my 2-year-old to her nap, so I could peruse is peace. While I love looking at wonderful pictures, letting my imagination run wild, I've made some observations about catalogues that I will share in my next post. Stay tuned.

There is a general perception that spring is the best time to plant new goodies. But, for many plants early fall is the best time. It gives root systems a good long time to get established before hard winter sets in . . . come springtime they've got a jump start to perform much better for you in spring and summer.

So, I've ordered several things from www.bluestoneperennials.com. Bluestone's got a great reputation on websites like www.davesgarden.com, but this will be my first ordering experience with them. One of the perennials I'm hoping will be a success is a groundcover under the Latin name geranium macrorrhizum (not one of the annual geraniums used often in containers). This perennial geranium will hopefully be THE panacea for all my garden problems. A tough plant; it has a good rep as a weed proof barrier loving both wet and dry conditions as well as sun and shade. If only there were such a plant! Wet, dry, light, shade . . . I usually call these weeds . . . or ivy if you've read any previous posts! So the verdict is out on the wonderplant for now. Unlike preciously mentioned daughter who will jump from the stairs into my arms with wild abandon and absolute trust in my willingness and ability to catch her, I'm cautiously optimistic.

Since I'm on the genus species, geranium rozanne is the Perennial Plant Association Plant of the Year for 2008. I've planted two in the front yard. It has bloomed all summer! With beautiful purple-blue flowers, it's sprawling. I'm going to buy more, and try it in different locations. Check out past PPA winners on their website, www.perennialplant.org. I've got several past winners in my garden, and each is well-chosen.

I feel jealous of my friends' well-manicured hands, while mine are rough, cut up, dirty . . . wait, I've changed my mind. Go get some dirt therapy.