Learning about Gardening
Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 · Leave a Comment
While it’s true that I spend a lot of time studying and reading about plants, much of what I know comes from paying attention – outdoors, in the garden. Observation is a great teacher, I recommend it to you. Here are a few of my recent observations.
Blazing Star
Last week I was admiring a nice stand of blazing star, also called gayfeather (Liatris spp.). It is a spiky plant with bluish-purple flowers (or occasionally white) and in my part of the world it is just coming into bloom. The flower stalks stand up anywhere from 18-36 inches in clumps that increase in size each year. I’ve not had much luck with it – mine has tended to disappear after a year or two. I have tried 3 or more different species of it, none of which was long lived.
The owner of the Liatris offered me a clump or two, saying that her stand – 50 or more plants distributed over a 20 foot circle – was made up of “volunteers” that had all come from one plant. I was amazed to discover (when I went to dig out a clump) that they were not rooted in the earth. They were growing in the 2-3 inches of bark mulch that was sitting on weed mat that is impenetrable to roots. A light bulb went on in my head.
What I learned is that Liatris does well in dry, lean soil – or no soil at all (bark mulch has little nutritional value to plants). It needs no fertilizer. I have a garden with rich soil full of organic matter, and in most places on my property the soil stays moist, even in dry times. In the winter it can be downright soggy. Looking in Steven Still’s book, Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants I read confirmation: “One should avoid soggy soil situations during the winter.” Aha! I should have checked before I planted. He also notes that Liatris blooms from top of the stem downward, the opposite of most flower spikes.
Digging out a small dandelion in my vegetable garden recently I got the entire root by loosening the soil around it with my CobraHead weeder. As I was about to toss the weed into a bucket I noticed an inch section of the root was as almost as thick as a pencil but the rest was much smaller. Aha! I≠d had help in my garden, and one of my weeders had pulled a dandelion but broken off the root. That small section of root had spawned a new plant.
The lesson from that dandelion? Be careful pulling weeds, particularly those that are perennial or have tap roots. Even a small section left in the ground will produce a new plant. I know people who rototill their gardens year after year, chopping up dandelion roots, grasses and annual weeds. The annual weeds can be killed by tilling; grasses and perennial weeds usually are not.
If you hear a root snap when you are weeding, a plant will probably come back. So loosen the soil well, and try to get the entire weed. Weed when the soil is moist, even if it means watering before weeding. And use a good tool like the CobraHead (www.cobrahead.com) to get under weeds to loosen roots.
Snakeroot
It’s been hot and dry recently, which is not a great time for transplanting perennials. But I was installing a new garden bed, and we had a spot for a large plant. I wanted a full-sized bugbane or snakeroot (Cimicifuga racemosa) for the spot, although few nurseries sell plants the size I wanted. But I had one in my garden – a volunteer that had elbowed its way in. A gorgeous plant, it stood over 5-feet tall but was shading out the neighboring plants. It needed to go.
I hadn’t dug a snakeroot in a long time, but decided it was worth a try after Anne Sprague at Edgewater Farm in Plainfield, NH told me that it has a shallow root system and transplants quite well (things with deep tap roots or fleshy tubers are not so easy to transplant).
I dug the plant early in the morning, and re-planted it with half an hour. I dug it out with my drain spade. This is a pointed spade that is long and narrow: 16 inches long and only 5 or 6 inches wide, available at your local hardware store. I went around the plant, poking my spade under the roots at a 45 degree angle and lifting it slightly by pulling down on the handle. Once I had gone all around the plant, I pried it up and scooped up the plant.
Superthrive
Yes, that snakeroot took some special care for a week or more. I checked on it, watered it daily, even talked to it – words of encouragement cannot hurt. I also administered a solution of Superthrive (www.superthrive.com), a concentrated vitamin and hormone mixture that seems to reduce signs of plant stress. It’s expensive – $12 or more for 4 ounces, but only half a teaspoon is needed in a 2-gallon watering can. I’ve been using it for years, and seen stressed plants recover remarkably quickly when they get it. It’s not a fertilizer, but I often mix it in with some liquid fish fertilizer when I transplant.
Gardening for me is a passion. I love digging in the soil, planting, seeing new plants develop and grow. By observing well and remembering what works, I have created some very special gardens. You can, too.
Gardening: A Metaphor for Life
Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Gardening can be considered a metaphor for life. Some gardeners like their gardens – and their lives – simple and predictable. They plant things that they know will succeed and look good: daffodils, daylilies, marigolds, purple cone flowers and such. I grow all those things, but I like to take some risks, too. After all, I could be run over by a bus before the end of the growing season (though my mother did a good job of teaching me to look both ways before crossing). And I want to have the joys of growing special plants that are not necessarily hardy here.
I’m a plant collector and get great joy in growing plants that are outside their climatic zone (or that require special conditions) and seeing them do well. Taking a risk in the garden is different than racing motorcycles or skiing down the north face of Mt. Washington. Yes, I did once spend $75 on a yellow ladyslipper that did not make it through the winter because a dog dug it up, exposing the roots. But that was not personally perilous. I recommend taking some risks in the garden.
Calycanthus Floridus
My most recent ≈risk≈ was planting a shrub variously called, spicebush, Carolina allspice or sweet bubby. Those names are from my bible of woody plants, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael Dirr. Sweet bubby – that’s worth planting just for the name! Its Latin name is Calycanthus floridus Just as plants with botanical names including canadensis indicate northern origins, plants with floridus indicate southern plants. So it may not do well here.
I am a sucker for plants in bloom. I was recently at EC Brown≠s nursery in Thetford Hill, VT (www.ecbrownsnursery.com) and saw that new-to-me shrub, spicebush or sweet bubby, in bloom, and had to take one home. The blossoms are a deep dark red, globe-shaped and about 2 inches in diameter. According to Dirr≠s book, it is considered hardy to Zone 4, but “-15 or -20 is the breakpoint – flowers occur on short shoots from leaf axils along the entire stem length, i.e. where buds are present; even if shoot tips are winter killed, the potential for good flowering is excellent.” So I am optimistic that it will survive and thrive for me.
After my sister, Ruth Anne Mitchell, died unexpectedly two years ago I planted some plants of dubious hardiness here in her honor. Ruth Anne was a risk taker – she was an intrepid international traveler who thought nothing of hiking a hundred mile through a war zone such as Liberia during the civil war there. While working for an international aid agency she was once captured by teenage rebels carrying automatic weapons and who were high on drugs. They thought she would be scared. Not so. She lectured them, and asked if they would treat their mothers like that. Chagrinned, they brought her to their adult leader who reprimanded them and then let her continue on her way.
Among the plants that I planted in memory of Ruth Anne that did not survive were bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), trailing arbutus (Epigea repens) and that yellow ladyslipper. I also planted 3 blue Himalayan poppies (Meconopsis betonicifolia ), and 2 died that first winter. The third bloomed but died the following winter. Undaunted, I bought 3 more from Cady≠s Falls Nursery (www.cadysfallsnursery.com) in Morrisville, VT this year. That one successful poppy, with true sky-blue blossoms, gave me great joy, taught me where to plant it – and gave me the willingness to try again.
Darmera peltata
Of all the flowers I planted for Ruth Anne, the most successful was the umbrella plant (Darmera peltata). My bible of perennials, Steven Stills≠ Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants, lists it as only hardy in Zones 5-7 (minus 20 to zero in the coldest parts of winter). The first year after planting it limped along, but this spring it sent up numerous flower spikes with lovely pink flowers before the leaves appeared. And now those umbrella leaves are a foot across and the clump covers a 4-foot circle.
The key to out-of-zone success is getting the soil and sun requirements right for the plant. Acidity, drainage and exposure to cold winds really do make a difference. Even though the books by Dirr and Stills cost well over $100 for the pair, I think they are worth the investment: they tell you not only cold hardiness, they tell you what kind of soil is needed. I know the world wide web is supposed to have all answers, but I like an authoritative book that I can depend on.
Most nurseries have Dirr’s book on hand, and will let you read it before deciding if you should invest in a woody plant. Dirr’s book is very personal, with his strong feelings expressed, and anecdotes about where he has seen a particular plant growing. I use Stills≠ book to tailor the soil for perennials at planting time: he details the fertility needed, so I know if I should add plenty of organic fertilizer, just a little, or none at all.
Take a good look at your own garden. Are you willing to try some new plants? I spent hours this past weekend pulling out the roots of Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra) so that I could plant my new spicebush or Œsweet bubby≠. And if it doesn≠t survive? Well, I’ll have a good place to try another interesting plant!
Keeping the Deer at Bay, the Weeds at an Arm’s Length
Posted on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Karen Gillock and her husband, Rick Simons, live near the end of a dead-end dirt road in Cornish, NH. Karen has a big vegetable garden with 3 dozen tomato plants and much more. The garden allows them to eat fresh produce all summer and put up a year’s worth of tomato sauce each fall. Because she has a busy professional life, Karen has devised systems to produce her summer’s bounty with a minimum of effort – and to protect it from a forest full of hungry deer.
wood-sided raised beds
This spring Karen decided to install wood-sided raised beds, each 3- by 8-feet. That’s a nice size: she can reach the middle of a bed from either side without straining. She had the beds made using rough-sawn hemlock obtained from a local saw mill. The boards for the beds are a full 2- by 8-inches. Hemlock is quite resistant to rot, and with luck should last 8 to10 years. Pine will work, but won’t last as long. Pressure treated wood should be avoided as toxins from it may leach into the soil.
landscape fabric to cover each bed
Weeding is not one of Karen’s favorite pastimes. For years she has spread black landscape fabric over her entire garden to exclude the weeds, just slicing the fabric as needed to make room for her plants. This year, with the new wood beds, she has had to modify the arrangement slightly, cutting landscape fabric to cover each bed. Rick ordered a roll of good quality landscape fabric (one you cannot tear and that is rated for 15 years of use outdoors). The fabric allows rain to penetrate, but no sun – which keeps out the weeds.
Karen had the beds filled with her garden soil and enriched it with extra compost. A tractor with a bucket did the job in just a few hours (instead of days of back-breaking labor that would be required to do it by hand). Then, with a helper, she stretched the landscape fabric over the beds and stapled it in place, carefully folding the fabric on the corners the way you might wrap a present. Her stapler is the kind used by builders for installing insulation, not an office type.
To plant the beds, Karen sliced through the fabric, cutting a row or open square big enough to insert the plants or seeds. This fall she will use duct tape to close the slits and next year will plant into different places.
For some plants – lettuce for example – weeds never had a chance. As the plants got bigger, they shaded out any daring young weeds. Others, such as her prize tomatoes, had enough space to grow a few weeds, too, but many fewer than if she had just planted them uncovered in the ground. Another advantage of the fabric: some tomato blights are soil-borne and infect plants when the spores splash up onto the lower leaves. The fabric should minimize that splash-up, though some blight is air-borne, so it’s not a sure preventive for blight.
Then there are the deer. Instead of fencing the entire garden, Karen decided to build shields over some beds with veggies that appeal to deer. Deer always go for her lettuce, chard and – this year – they have gone after peppers and broccoli, too. But her tomatoes have never been bothered by her deer, nor have they eaten her herbs, onions, cucumbers or squash.
Protecting plants from deer
Rick got her a roll of 4-foot wide welded steel fencing (with 2-inch openings) and a roll of 2-foot wide fencing (with 1-inch openings). Using tins snips, Karen cut 7-foot lengths of fencing and arched them over the 3-foot wide beds. Each bed needed 2 pieces of the 4-foot wide fencing to cover its 8-foot length. She used plastic tie-wraps to attach the two pieces of fencing side-by side. It is heavy enough that it doesn’t flop or bend, but stands up nicely and can be lifted off for harvesting. Karen used the 2-foot wide fencing to make end pieces to keep the dome structurally sound and to prevent enterprising deer from sticking their heads inside to grab a bite of her lettuce.
With left over fencing Karen surrounded the beds that were not covered with domes that might be of interest to deer. She was surprised when the deer walked into the enclosed section of garden – she had left just a small open “doorway” so that she could get in herself. Lesson learned: hungry deer are not afraid of walking into small enclosures if they see something they want. So she surrounded those beds with 4-foot fencing attached to grade stakes, right next to the beds. The beds are small enough that deer haven’t jumped over the fence to get inside such tight quarters.
The best arrangement I’ve ever seen for thwarting deer was at Fort Ticonderoga. There is a vegetable garden that is protected (after the tourists go home) with an electric horse fence. It is one that could easily be jumped by deer, but the deer are afraid of it. Each night workers spread peanut butter on squares of aluminum foil, attach the squares with clothes pins, then turn on the fence. Deer come, attracted to the smell of peanut butter. The smart deer just taste the electrified peanut butter once. The dummies learn more slowly, but never cross the fence. It must give them quite a jolt.
Grow Up! Build a Trellis to Use Your Vertical Spaces
Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Most of us think we need more garden space. But once we have carved out a garden and removed the grass from the lawn or field, it is often difficult to find more space – or the energy – to expand. But growing plants on vertical supports will help you save space in the vegetable garden. Bean tripods are well known, but have you thought about a trellis for your cucumbers or gourds? I recently designed and installed 24 wood-sided raised beds for a demonstration vegetable garden at Home Hill Inn, in Plainfield, NH. Each bed is 4-by 8-feet, and although that may sound like a lot of space, it gets used up quickly. I built some trellises to help grow more vegetables and save space.
trellis
The first trellis I built for was for cukes. It is an A-frame built using conventional 1- by 4-inch pine lumber. I bought pine boards that had already been sanded and primed, then applied a coat of exterior latex white paint. I used 8 boards, 4 on each half of the A-frame (2 legs and 2 cross pieces on each side). I also bought a pair of inexpensive door hinges and some 1-inch galvanized dry wall screws.
On a flat piece of lawn I began by laying out 2 boards, end to end. I attached the boards with the hinges so that later I could stand up them up to make the legs for an A-frame. I repeated with another 2 boards. Then I placed the 2 sets of legs 6-feet apart and connected them with cross pieces on what would become the inside of the A-frame. Using a cordless drill, I attached them with 1-inch screws 18 inches from the bottom of the legs of the A-frame and 18 inches from the top.
I set up the A-frame in the garden bed and attached plastic netting I had bought for the job. The netting is 78 inches wide, and has openings 6 inches by 7 inches. To attach the net I used 1-inch screws on the inside of the A-frame; I put the screws in just half way so that the head of the screw could be used to hook the netting on to, pulling it tight. It took a little experimentation to get the spacing right, but worked slick as a bean.
Arbor Trellis
The next trellis was a bit more work. I wanted to build a trellis for gourds that would allow the vines to go up 6 feet or so, then range across cross pieces like a grapes on an arbor, hanging down inside the arbor. I bought 10 pieces of 8-foot long bamboo, each almost an inch and a half in diameter. They make good sturdy poles.
Using a post hole digger I dug 6 holes, each about 16 inches deep. The arbor is a rectangle approximately 6 feet by 3 feet, fitting nicely inside the 4 by 8-ft bed. Each end of the bed had 2 poles about 6 inches from the end and side of the bed, and 2 were place equidistant between the end poles. I held the poles vertical as I added soil back into the hole, checking it for plumb with a small level. I tamped down the soil in the holes with a shovel handle, then mounded the soil up around each pole.
With the 6 pieces in the ground, I added cross pieces (a foot down from the top of the upright poles) on each long side. I attached the bamboo with copper wire I had stripped out of 14-gauge building wire (I was an electrician in an earlier life, and had some in the cellar). I wrapped the wire around the vertical and horizontal pieces and tightened them up with a pair of pliers. Lastly I added 4 cross-pieces on the top to support the vines and allow the gourds to hand down from.
Bean Tripod
I also built a bean tripod. I went into the woods and cut down 6 maple saplings about 2-inches in diameter at the base; I trimmed each to be 8-feet long. I pushed the poles into the soft earth of the garden bed, and, standing on a step ladder, brought them together and tied them near their tops – where all 3 were touching. I used garden twine, but will go back soon and add some copper wire – I fear the string will rot before the end of summer.
Another way to make a bean trellis is to use four 6-foot (or 8-foot) grade stakes. These are 1-inch by 1-inch hardwood stakes. Drill a hole 2 inches from the top of each that is big enough to insert a length of metal coat hanger. Cut a 6-inch straight piece of the coat hanger, insert it though the holes, and bend the ends. Then stand it up and spread the legs – two on each side.
Peas are traditionally trellised using chicken wire and posts. My only suggestion is this: put in a post every 4 to 6 feet. That will keep the wire from sagging and flopping as the vines get heavy. You can’t put up a sturdy trellis that spans 8 feet or more between posts, though I drive by gardens that try to.
So if you’re short of garden space, think about getting your veggies up off the ground. In other words, grow up!
Weather Worries – Not to Worry!
Posted on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment
It seems as if the weather is getting more extreme: tornadoes, floods, drought, heat waves, cold spells. What≠s a gardener to do? Well, stop worrying, for starters. Each year the weather is different – and most years we still have nice flowers, and eventually have the lettuce and tomato for a good sandwich. And unless you≠re a commercial farmer, your life and livelihood will not be too adversely affected, even if the weather is bad. There are a few steps we can take to help our flowers and vegetables along, however.
Planting anything is best done on a cool, cloudy day – or even in a light sprinkle. If we’ve had a few days of rain, it≠s better to wait for the soil to dry out a little before planting. Rototilling wet soil is definitely a no-no, and walking on wet soil can compact it, ruining soil structure.
Adding compost, or aged cow manure, will help any soil. If you have sandy soil, it will act as a sponge to hold moisture from percolating right through. If you have a clay soil, it will improve drainage and make the soil lighter and fluffier – and more receptive to roots. Avoid fresh cow or horse manure as it will introduce grass and weed seeds to your soil – those animals don’t digest all the seeds.
tomatoes
I planted my tomatoes on a warm dry day in early June, and we almost immediately got hit by a spell of days in the 90’s. I had grown these babies from seed, and hardened them off outside, but a big, leafy tomato can lose a lot of water in the hot sun when it’s 94. So I created some shade for my tomatoes by draping row cover over the tomato cages. It helped.
Row cover is a spun synthetic fabric that is used to keep insects off plants while allowing water vapor and sunshine to pass through. It also can keep a plant a few degrees warmer early or late in the season if draped right over it. Row cover comes in various weights, and I had some of the heaviest type. It did a good job of shading my plants when placed the cages (and kept in place with clothes pins). I also kept the soil well watered during the heat wave.
A few words about watering: I don’t like overhead sprinklers. Yes, they are easy to turn on and let the machine do the work. But they get the leaves of your plants wet, and that can encourage fungal diseases. Most fungi send out hyphae (root-like appendages) that pierce the leaf, allowing the fungus to infect the plant. Many need a moist leaf surface to do that. Watering in the evening with an overhead sprinkler moistens the leaves and makes them more susceptible.
Watering Wand
I like watering with a watering wand. This is a nice 30-inch long metal handle with a watering rose on one end and a shut-off on the other. The brand I like best is Dramm. It sends out a nice gentle spray, even with the water pressure up fairly high. I find the less expensive watering devices send sharp sprays, which can damage the plants or wash away the soil. I like the watering wand because I can deliver water to the root zone while letting the tops stay dry.
Newly planted trees and shrubs need to be watered weekly, or even more often if the soil is sandy and temperatures are high. The most common cause of first-year death of trees is dehydration. But don≠t just give your new tree a quick squirt. Time how long it takes for your hose to deliver 5 gallons of water into a bucket, and then make sure to spray long enough to deliver 5 gallons – in a nice wide circle around the tree. Watering the rootball is not enough √ dry soil nearby will wick the water away, leaving the rootball dry in no time.
Many gardeners put down bark mulch in established perennial beds. This keeps down the weeds and holds in moisture. But if you add more mulch each year to pretty-up the beds, you can develop a layer of bark that is almost impermeable to rain. I find an inch to an inch-and-a-half of mulch is adequate. And I try to leave a little donut hole around the plant so that quick showers can deliver some water to the roots.
Recently I examined some maples that were dying in a parking lot √ the top half of one was completely leafless, the others also showed some leaf loss. These trees were suffering from bark rot due to ≥mulch volcanoes≈. Each had at least 6 inches of bark mulch right up against the trunk. I predict that all will be dead from bark rot within 2-3 years. And all will struggle getting any moisture. So be judicious in applying your mulch.
If we have another week of rainy weather, your vegetables like tomatoes may show yellowing leaves – a sign of stress. This occurs because normally plants pull up nitrogen and other minerals from the soil with water that is used to replace water lost to transpiration on sunny days – but not in rainy spells. The solution: spray liquid fish fertilizer onto the leaves. The leaves will absorb the nitrogen and green up.
So don’t worry, be happy. No matter what the weather, your garden will (eventually) be just fine.
Wildflowers That Are Not So Wild
Posted on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Every time I travel to a far-off place I am intrigued to see what is growing in a different climate – and what I might learn about plants that I grow here that also grow under different conditions. I recently had a fabulous hike down the Rogue River Canyon of Oregon in prime wildflower season. The trip was organized and supported by Rogue Wilderness Adventures (www. wildrogue.com or 800-336-1647). Although we hiked most of the way – some 40 miles in 4 days – the trip was supported by rafts that carried our stuff (or us, if we got tired). That meant I could hike with just a day pack – and not worry about the weight of wildflower books.
coral bells (Heuchera spp.)
So what did I see? For starters, coral bells (Heuchera spp.).Coral bells are commonly sold in garden centers in the standard green-leafed form as well as lime green, orange, purple and variegated-leaf varieties. The plants generally have very thin flower stalks that stand up well above the leaves and terminate in small but handsome bell-shaped blossoms. I grow a number of varieties including a purple-leafed one that I think is called ‘Persian Carpet≠ (those pesky tags are routinely stolen by the garden gnomes). I grow Persian Carpet≠ in light shade in soil that is rich in compost – in full sun the color of the leaves tends to bleach out. I grow the standard green-leafed variety in full sun with rich, moist soil. It has orange-pink blossoms that look lovely in a vase.
Coral bells were growing in both sun and shade along the Rogue River, including some growing right out of the rock in walls that face the afternoon sun. Generally there was a little seepage at this time of year, and moss was present that also held a little water. Still, these plants (which I identified as Heuchera micrantha) are growing in a much tougher environment than those in my garden. Winters, however, are much milder out there – just a few days below freezing.
I was not surprised to see sedum growing on the rocks out there. Sedums of all sorts are used as rock garden plants here, including my favorite, Sedum rupestre “Angelina”. Angelina has chartreuse foliage, but no flowers; it≠s an excellent groundcover. The sedum (sometimes called stonecrop) I saw out there was Sedum spathufolium which had grey to green leaves, and bright yellow flowers on 3-5 inch stems. As with sedums here, this one is very drought tolerant, sometimes growing right on rocks with no apparent soil.
Iris innominata
Iris tenax
I was surprised to see iris growing in deep shade along the Rogue River and blossoming profusely. Many sun-lovers, (and I consider iris to be a sun-loving plant) will grow and survive in shade, but bloom minimally. Not so with the iris I saw there. I identified 2 species of shade-loving iris: Iris innominata and Iris tenax. I did a Google search and found GrowsonYou, a website in the United Kingdom (http://www.growsonyou.com) that sells both species of iris. They do not offer our zone hardiness ratings, however, so they may not be viable here. This winter, when I have more time to do a more thorough Web search, I may be able to buy seeds and start my own plants, which is better than getting plants from overseas.
California poppies
I grow California poppies here from seed, and saw plenty of them in grassy, sunny meadows there. The California poppy is a very bright yellow annual poppy. I don≠t find them re-seeding for me, or not very often. Like annual poppies, they start easily from seed.
larkspur
Another annual flower that I saw there and grow here is larkspur. It is the annual form of delphinium, a perennial that many gardeners grow. Larkspur is readily available in 6-packs from garden centers, or you can start your own. I have learned not to try starting larkspur indoors in early spring, as it needs cold soil to germinate. If you want to grow it from seed, it is best to start it outdoors in the early spring. The blue of the larkspur in Oregon was truly wonderful: a bright, bold, medium to dark blue. I was surprised to see it growing in both sun and shady locations.
Wild columbine is common along the Rogue. Columbine comes in several colors, though there it is just the red columbine (Aquilegia formosa). Here I have a deep purple that is almost black, and hybrids in blues, pinks and light colors. Columbines in the wild here I see mostly growing on rocky outcroppings. It is a short-lived perennial that is easily started from seed – and often sows seeds itself. I find my columbine sends “volunteers” where I didn’t plant them.
The last of my flowers that I saw there was a lesser known perennial known as umbrella plant (Darmera peltata). It was growing right on the banks of the river, and in the river where the water was high. I planted an umbrella plant in 2009 in memory of my late sister, Ruth Anne, right next to my stream. In 2010 it limped along, but this spring it bloomed beautifully: pink flowers on tall stems that appeared before foliage in early May. And this year the foliage is big and luxuriant.
So if you travel, look to see where plants grow in their native habitats. It may help you understand that we sometimes pamper our plants too much, and they can do fine on their own.
Scarecrows
Posted on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Back in the 1950’s when my grandfather grew Golden Bantam sweet corn, scarecrows were pretty basic: a fence post for a backbone, pants, a shirt, and an old hat sticking up on the top of the pole. Sometimes scarecrows were stuffed with mulch hay to fill out the body a little.
When corn first comes up out of the ground it is considered a real treat by crows. That germinated seed, for crows, is as tasty as chocolate chip cookies are to us. A flock of hungry crows can decimate a family’s potential corn crop in just a day. But once the corn roots are established, corn is no longer of interest to crows. So scarecrows were to scare the crows.
In recent times scarecrows have become garden art. I remember encountering a scarecrow in Randolph, Vermont that was so life-like it fooled me. It was wearing a dress and was a fine, full figured lady carrying a hoe and a garden basket. When it didn’t move, I finally got the idea and I laughed. I’ve built a number of my own scarecrows since then, and introduced a scarecrow competition in the Cornish Fair. Making a scarecrow can really be fun. You≠ll startle visitors and get them to giggle.
This year I decided to grow flint corn. Flint corn is the rock hard stuff that is ground for Johnnycakes, cornbread and polenta. It is an old fashioned corn similar to what the pilgrims grew back in the 1600’s. They didn’t grow corn to eat fresh with salt and butter. Corn was dried and stored as a good nutritious food that could be kept without refrigeration or any kind of preserving. I am interested in becoming independent of the grocery store (though I know that will never be possible). So I am growing corn as food during the winter. I have a friend that has a small stone corn mill who will help me grind the corn before storing it.
But growing corn takes space, and my garden each year is full of tomatoes, potatoes, and a little of everything from A to Z (artichokes to zucchini). But Michael Smith of Gypsy Meadow Farm in Plainfield, NH agreed to let me have one 30-inch wide row that is 250 feet long in one of his fields. Plenty of room for corn – and crows. So I decided it was time to make a scarecrow again.
If you are going to have a scarecrow that is garden art, it needs to be robust to fool your visitors; it needs a human shape, including the curves. And if is to last all summer, it≠s important that its stuffing dry out between rains – or the clothing will quickly rot. I made a female scarecrow that has a bosom, a rounded backside, and a leg that appears to be stepping forward – with a shoe on it.
Building Scarecrow Step 1
Here is what I used: a 6-foot steel fence post, an 18-inch scrap of board for the shoulders, a pair of old jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, a sleeveless summer dress, a pillow case to make into a head, a shoe, a glove, and a hat. Additionally, I used an old life preserver to give the chest some bulk, lots of used plastic bags and a woven plastic grain sack.
Building Scarecrow Step 2
First I slipped the steel post through one leg of the jeans, and pushed it into the ground. I stuffed the seat of the jeans with a plastic bag full of other plastic bags for bulk. Then I slipped string through the belt loops and tied the jeans to the post. I left the jeans low enough so that later, when I wanted to arrange one leg to look as if Melba (all scarecrows should have names) is walking, I could stuff one leg into an old shoe and place it ahead of the body.
Building Scarecrow Step 3
Next I put a Phillips screw though a pre-drilled hole in the post, and screwed it into the middle of the board that serves as the shoulder piece. I slipped on the life preserver and zipped it up. Next I put some plastic grocery bags in a 20-gallon garbage bag, and tucked it into the top of the life jacket to fill out the bosom (the bags hang down over the life jacket). I draped a grain sack over the shoulders (to round them) and let the ends hang down into the sleeves of the old shirt that I put on my scarecrow.
Scarecrow
For a head I partially filled a pillow case with row cover – a fluffy synthetic material I use to keep beetles off my cucumbers. I made a nose by bunching up the pillowcase and tying a knot around the fabric so that it stands out. I used a black magic marker to make large round, black eyes. Birds are, apparently, very aware of eyes; some butterflies have round, dark circles – fake eyes – to keep birds from eating them. I tucked the pillow case into the life jacket, and then slipped the dress over the mannequin. I put on a big straw hat and adjusted it at a rakish angle. Lastly, I put a shoe on the loose end of the jeans, and put the “foot” forward, as if taking a step.
Crows are pretty smart, but I only have to keep them away for a few days. To add a little movement to my scarecrow I added a red Superman cape made of lightweight synthetic fabric. It blows in the breeze quite nicely. And after my corn is well established, I’ll bring Melba home and let her provide giggles to visitors in my regular garden patch. Gardening should be fun, after all.
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment
If you have traveled a mile from your house this past month, you have passed by plenty of blooming trees and shrubs. Some, like those bold, deep pink or magenta PJM rhododendrons, are brassy and loud in their announcement of spring. Others, like the maples and birches, are more subtle. All give me joy. All are worth observing.
Maple Flowers
It seems to me that maples are given scant attention when it comes to their flowers, but this year the maples in my part of the world are producing prodigious numbers of blossoms. Most trees have an occasional year when they produce a bumper crop of fruit, nuts or seeds. This appears to be a mast year for maples. Their flowers appear first each year, before the leaves, and are dainty greenish yellow. The flowers hang or dangle on thin green 1-3 inch long strings in a merry, decorative fashion. They don’t resemble flowers we pick or admire, for the most part. Still, given the numbers of them this year, they make a dramatic statement, creating a yellow/lime green cast to the entire tree, glorious from a distance.
The birches also have interesting blossoms, which are called catkins. Catkins are hanging appendages 2-4 inches long, a bit like tiny fuzzy sausages hanging in groups of 2-3 that produce (or receive) pollen. There are separate male and female catkins. Catkins also appear on some willows, and poplars. Like any wind-pollinated flower, catkins produce lots of pollen and may cause allergic reactions in some people. Male poplar trees produce pollen which is very irritating to many people, and is a main cause of hay fever at this time of year √ though the females are not allergy producers.
If you suffer from hay fever, a good resource is Tom Ogren’s book, Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping. Ogren lists not only trees and shrubs, but many common flowers and rates them on a scale of 1 to 10 in term of how potent the pollen is.
shadbush, shadblow or serviceberry (Amelanchier spp)
The shadbush, shadblow or serviceberry (Amelanchier spp) have been blooming along the roadside in recent weeks. These are white-flowered understory trees or shrubs that bloom towards the end of the forsythia display, but before lilacs. The blossoms resemble apple blossoms, but the trees (or shrubs) have smooth gray bark and a lankier overall appearance than apples. They vary in size, but rarely get taller than 30 or 40 feet in the wild. As a domesticated shrub they can be kept in the 6-10 foots size.
Shadbush Flowers
If you want a good bush for feeding birds in summer, shadbush is a good choice. They produce blue berries that are much beloved by birds, and are generally stripped off the bushes before I get a chance to taste them. But they are tasty for us, too. And I love the smooth gray bark and the multi-stemmed growth of the bushes. The most floriferous of the varieties, for me, is Amelanchier arborea ‘Cole’s Select’. I found it at E.C. Brown’s Nursery in Thetford, VT. (www.ecbrownnursery.com) and I have gotten other varieties there, too.
This is a good time to prune your forsythia. As early spring bloomers, they set their blossoms for next spring this summer, so prune by early summer to get the best display next spring. That is a good plan for any spring-blooming tree or shrub. If you have forsythia that only bloom on the lower branches, you have an old fashioned variety, one that is easily susceptible to winter burn. The blooming branches are those that were protected by snow. The best solution? Cut them down, dig them up, and get a better variety. ‘New Hampshire Gold≠, ‘Vermont Sun≠ and ‘Northern Sun≠ are good, hardy varieties that should do well for you. Or ask at your family-run garden center for a good one for our climate.
Apples and crabapples set their buds for next year by early June. You should be done with pruning them by now, though a little pruning now is all right. Fruit buds are brittle at this time of year, and you can easily snap them off when pulling prunings from the tree, so be careful when removing branches. Pruning them when dormant is best, which is why March is the usual month. It≠s also fine to do some pruning in the heat of August.
Lilacs are some of the toughest and most wonderful of the blooming shrubs. Old farmers scattered wood ashes around the base of their lilacs in March to keep the soil sweet (not too acidic). You can do that now √ or anytime, really √ to help with next year≠s bloom. A quart yogurt container of limestone or wood ashes is fine for a small lilac or a couple of cans for bigger ones. It really does make a difference. And lilacs in full sun bloom much better than those planted in shade. Buy lilacs in bloom so you can see their color and sniff their fragrance before making a purchase.
This is a great time to plant trees in shrubs, but only if you are willing to water them all summer. If you≠ll likely forget, plant in the fall.
Hardening Off Plants and Planting the Vegetable Garden
Posted on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Each gardener knows best when to plant the vegetable garden. For many, it’s Memorial Day weekend, though I tend to plant some things later, others much earlier. But long before I plant seedlings, I get them ready for planting. It’s called “hardening off.” Unlike a mother bird, you do not have to push your plants out of the nest all at once.
Whether you plant tomatoes that you bought at the greenhouse or started indoors yourself, your tomatoes have led a pampered life. Temperature, wind and moisture levels have all been controlled. Light levels have been less than the full sun plants will encounter in the garden. In the greenhouse some of the sun≠s power has been filtered through plastic and absorbed. My plants have been growing under lights much less powerful than the sun. It is important not to shock plants by moving them from shelter to garden in one fell swoop. They can get sunburned or windburned, which won’t kill your plants, but will slow down their growth for a couple of weeks.
I grow over 100 tomato seedlings most years (though I share many). These plants have been going for a walk every nice day to get ready for their big adventure. I start the process of hardening off my plants by carrying them outdoors onto my deck where they will get 3-4 hours of morning sunshine and just a little wind (the wind is blocked in 2 directions). If rain is forecast, I don’t put them outside – they can be beaten down by hard rains, or waterlogged.
Vegetables
After a few days spent in the morning sun, plants are ready for afternoon sun. But be careful: big, leafy plants (like lettuce) can dry out very quickly on a hot sunny day, particularly if growing in a 6-pack with only a small space for roots and moisture. You need to watch over them – or continue to leave them in a morning sun location. After a week of hardening off, plants are ready for the full sun of the vegetable garden.
The date of the last frost is unpredictable. I believe that it is better to wait and plant after all chance of frost has past. I have a garden in a low spot where cold air settles. And it is near a stream, so the soil is generally wet, which keeps the root zone chilly. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cukes and squash do not do well in cold, wet soil. So I wait. And sometimes I wait until June 10 or so, but my plants catch up to those planted by my friends on Memorial Day. Even broccoli, a cold-hardy plant – does not do well in soil that is cold and wet and can get root rot.
In case you believe the tale that the last frost occurs with a full moon, 20 years of weather records kept by Sally Wellborn here in Cornish show that not to be true. Clear nights are more likely to have frost than cloudy ones, however.
Jet Star tomato
That said, I planted a Jet Star tomato in the garden on May 7. I teach Sustainable Gardening at Granite State College, and wanted to show my class how to plant a tomato sideways to develop a bigger root system (more on that later). After planting it I installed a “Wall-o-Water.” This is a flexible plastic cylinder that consists of baffles that I filled with water and then gathered together at the top to form a sort of teepee. The water heats up during the day, and gives off heat at night – and holds it in. I put one over a tomato plant last spring in early May and it went through several frosts without harm. They are available at garden centers and from Gardeners Supply (www.gardeners.com). They are reusable.
Tomatoes Sideways
Planting tomatoes sideways is good way to establish a bigger root system, and to deal with long, lanky plants that might otherwise flop over. I use my CobraHead weeder to loosen the soil in an 18-inch diameter circle and mix in some compost and bagged organic fertilizer.
Stripping tomato leaves
Then I strip off all the lower leaves from the tomato, leaving just a cluster of leaves at the top. Next I dig a hole for the rootball and a trench for the stem, and place the tomato in the soil (placed sideways) and cover it over with soil. I bend up the top few inches of the stem so that the leaves are above the soil line. It may seem to you that the stem will break, but it won’t.
If you have started broccoli, cabbages, kale or Brussels sprouts indoors and have floppy plants, you can plant the rootball and stems deeply, so that the thin stems are buried.
I believe that everyone should grow rutabagas, parsnips and kale, all under-appreciated plants that grow well, and are tasty. Plant rutabagas and parsnips by seed now, following directions on the packages. Kale is slow to start, so it is best planted now as seedlings. I find Winterbor kale the most productive, but Lacinato and Red Russian are also terrific. Good garden centers will have more than one type of kale.
Whatever you grow, remember to water when the plants are little. And don’t let the soil dry out where you have planted or you can lose your crop before it even starts. Gardening really is very easy: visit your garden every day, water if dry and pull a few weeds. You’re bound to succeed.
Lawns, and the Machines Available to Work on Them
Posted on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Most guys love machines, the bigger and louder the better. And before you take me to task for that comment, answer this: who in your family usually uses the chain saw, the lawn mower, the rototiller and the snow blower? In my experience it’s the guys. Not always, but most often. So spring is here, and the guys (and a few intrepid women) are itching to get out the chain saw to cut up the pine branches that broke off last winter and then get to work on the lawn.
Me? I’m not much of a machine guy, so to learn about the various motorized options, I visited Upper Valley Equipment Rental on Bridge Street in West Lebanon, N.H. and talked to Brian Henry, the manager. We looked over his arsenal of machines: a power broom, a lawn de-thatcher, a core-aerator and a 40 inch sweeper with a bristle brush, and I went home with a power broom to try out.
power broom
The power broom is actually an attachment that goes on a string trimmer (also known as a weed whacker). It consists of a rotating cylinder with rubber paddles that lift and push debris forward. The one I rented weighed 25 pounds, but because the motor and blades are at opposite ends of a 6-foot handle, the machine requires a certain level of strength and endurance (your 80-year old mother should not attempt to use it).
The power broom works: you can push a lot of debris with it. My lawn is quite soft and I found that if I didn’t keep moving the machine forward, it was possible to damage the grass and dig a depression. I see it as best used to clean up a paved driveway or the shoulder of the driveway with sand and gravel left from the winter. I still prefer a rake to a power rake, even though an old fashioned rake takes more time.
core-aerator
The core-aerator is a machine designed to make your lawn less compacted – and thus to grow better. It extracts plugs of turf from compacted lawns, allowing you to get compost and fertilizer into the soil. As I explain in my new book Organic Gardening (not Just) in the Northeast, you can test your lawn for compaction by trying to plunge an ordinary 6-inch screwdriver into the lawn up to the hilt. If you cannot easily do this, your lawn is compacted and you may wish to rent an aerator. It pokes holes 2-3 inches deep and half an inch across. The plugs extracted fall out on the lawn (and would eventually break down) but most people would want to rake them up. Spreading compost after aerating is a way to get organic matter into the lawn, increase biological activity to soften and loosen the soil.
Sweepster
I also looked at a walk-behind “Sweepster”. The one I saw had a 40-inch stiff-bristled brush on a rotating drum. It reminded me of a street sweeper, but it pushes the debris forward and does not pick it up. Since I have no pick-up truck I wasn’t able to bring one home, and (as a confirmed Luddite) I am not sure I need one anyway. Again, it would be great on driveways, and might also serve to clean thatch, or accumulated dead grass, out of the lawn.
dethatching
Speaking of which, I got a demonstration of a dethatching machine at the rental center. It≠s a walk-behind machine with lots of short metal blades designed to loosen and lift dead grass. If you have biologically active soil, the organisms in the soil (including earthworms) should breakdown your grass clippings, precluding the need for a dethatcher. But if you apply lots of chemicals to the lawn, you may wish to rent one, as chemicals tend to minimize biological activity. The machine would be good for scuffing up the soil in order to apply seed to an existing lawn, too.
Small engine repair shops are busy tuning up lawn mowers and sharpening the blades. If you are mechanically inclined, you can sharpen the blade yourself by removing it and using a bench grinder or coarse file to mimic the angle of the blade set by the manufacturer. If it has been warped or bent by hitting rocks, stumps or dog bones, you should replace the blade.
If you set your blade at 3 inches or more, you can minimize crab grass growth – effectively shading it out. If you want to minimize weeds in the lawn you can spread corn gluten. It is a corn product that should be spread now, during the period between the blooming of forsythia and lilacs. But it is not a miracle (some weeds will get established anyway), and for best results should be used 3 years in a row. Microbes in the soil break down the gluten, releasing peptides that inhibit root growth – of weeds, but also of any grass seed you might use, so don’t use it if overseeding the lawn now. Corn gluten contains nitrogen and acts as a fertilizer, slowly releasing nitrogen as your microbes break it down.
The best spring activities for improving your lawn, besides cleaning it up, are spreading some compost over it and adding some good grass seed. Half an inch of compost spread with a shovel and rake will energize your lawn, and adding grass seed will fill in the thin spots. So pick your weapon of choice – either motorized or manual – and get to work. Summer will be along soon.
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