Painters Pallete

My son finally taught me how to upload pics from my digital camera and so this is my first attempt to actually get the picture in with some text.  Obviously that is not the case, so I will have to post it separately.  How the heck do you add a photo to yur text.  I do not see anywhere to do that.  Anyway, the name of the plant is aptly named - "Painter's Pallete."  I just love this plant - it is a semi-hardy annual/perennial - depending on the area you live in.   I just let it reseed by itself, making sure to not pull up several plants.    The baby seedlings look just like the parent plant.   If you want to transplant them, wait until they are at least 4 inches tall.   They are delicate plants.  I took this picture at dusk - and you can see how beautiful it is.   This plant does well in full sun, or partial shade.  I have even seen in perform well in dappled full shade although the growth is reduced.   In mid to late summer tiny red flowers appear on a spike above the plant

So far, so good

So far my quest to save my strawberries is working.   I put up my fence, whoops backtrack, the firt thing I had to do was hammer in steel fenceposts.   My ears were ringing for hours after doing that.  Two were 6 feet tall so I had to stand on a step stool to pound them in, but the other 5 were 5 ft.   After i got them all pounded in, you should have seen me trying to attach this plastic coated wire fence to the posts.  It was like 3 giant anacondas vying for position around my feet, arms, and waist.   The fence was tightly rolled and when i cut the fence, it started acting like it was alive.  I was dragging, pulling, lifting, stretching, all at the same time.  At the same time I am trying to put tie wraps on the posts to hold the fence in place - this is a job I did all by my lonesome.    Today i decided to go and look to see if my project was still in place or had the groundhog bested me again.  I was relieved to see that everything is as i left it, and I can see one huge strawberry forming with others following.     Hopefully in about a week I will get enough for a quart or more.  

Best laid plans foiled again

I absolutely love strawberries and raspberries and for years I have tried to grow my own food.    When my parents still had their farm we could grow it eaily, but living in town presents problems.    Through trial and error I have learned to plant everything I want to grow in among the flowers and in front of the house.  This includes tomatoes, peppers, beets, carrot, and so forth.

I have grown day-neutral strawberries for several years - these are the ones who produce throughout the summer.    Last year i purchased some june bearers to have a greater quantity all at once.  We had a mini drought last summer buth they managed to surive.   They look great this year, with many buds coming on, etc.

However, i have a problem.    the property line butts up again a woodland area and everytime I try to grow anything, all the creatues think it is their own private deli, including my strawberries.

i took matters into my own hands tonight and purchsed some coated fencing, and a  few 5 ft posts.  I stretched it around as best as I could and hope the groundhog that is as big as a fat bassett hound will leave my berries alone.  If not, i will have to get the neighbor to put the creature out of its misery by killing it.     

Save those banana peels

Love Roses in your garden?  To give them an organic boost, take an old banana peel that is past its prime - as in black or nearly so, dig a shallow trench near the base of the rose bush and plant it.   The natural potassium in the peel is what gives the rose a boost.  One peel per plant.  If you have miniature roses you may want to cut it in half . 

Resurrection lilies

Trial by error when gardening.  Long ago when i was a new gardener, a neighbor gave me some huge bulbs - resurrection lilies.  They are spectacular in the late July garden.   Anyway, I planted them in the fall, and then waited until the following year.   The big green straps (leaves) came up but nothing happened.   These straps are about the length of the christmas amarilyus bulbs.  I was so disappointed.  I thought perhaps they needed another year to gain strength so left them alone.   Low and behold, imagine my surprise, when within a days time they had popped out of the ground and grew 12-15 inches in one day - by the next day they were 2 ft high with brilliant pink blooms -- magnificent.  So if you are fortunate to be given some or buy them, they add such a touch of delight to the late summer garden.

Sturdy annuals for Ohio gardens

Trial and error is how I learned to garden, in annuals (those that bloom for just one season) and perennials (those that come up every year).   Perennials are fabulous, planting them once and generally forgetting them, except for cutting back occasionally.   However, if you want to save some money, here are some annuals that are permanent residents in my Delaware, Ohio garden;    Dusty miller, dwarf snapdragons, bachelor buttons (self-sow), and dianthus.  

Dwarf snapdragon are an all time favorite, whether you purchase seeds or  plants, they will bloom happily all summer long.   You can spread the seed on the ground as early as late March -- they prefer cool weather, not blazing hot.  You don't even have to dig the seed in, the moist soil will take care of that.     When the season is over with DO NOT PULL THEM UP.   Just let them remain, dead stalk and all.   The following spring, cut back the stalks until you see new green growth.  Some of my snapdragons are on their 4-5 th season.    I do not remember if this works on the taller varieties.

Dusty Miller is the same.  They will bloom happily in summer sun or shade.  Leave them up just like you do the snapdragons.  They will turn an ugly grayish white over winter, but by mid April, cut back to 2-3 inches above the ground and should see green growth.  A bonus for 2nd year dustry miller is they will have a tiny yellow daisy like flower.   

Bachelor buttons are the easiest to grow from seed.  Just let them self sow and they will pop back up into your garden for years to come.    As I recall they also like cool weather, but check the seed packet to be sure.   

Dianthus is another plant that is on its 4-5th year with me.  The ones that say picotee are usually the strongest to survive.   I keep them trimmed back during the summer to encourage growth but they will bloom for years.   Happy flower gardening. 

Recycle

The gardening season is over with for those of us who live in colder climates, but avid gardeners are already planning what they want to do and possibly plant (their dream list) in their 2009 gardens.

Many people compost, and I do the best I can even without a composter or compost pile.   For those of you who do not have one or the other you can still do your part - it is easy and most important great for your plants.

Start saving your egg shells, now and especially during Easter, either hard-boiled or when cracking eggs for omelets, or for a recipe.    After cracking the raw eggs into a bowl or recipe, turn the shell upside down on a paper towel and drain.  The next day before you put them in a ziploc bag, crush them - they break easily, just like Humpty Dumpty.   

Save them until mid spring when your hosta plants are coming up.   Just sprinkle a ring around the base, about 2 inches away from the hosta base stalks.  This will help to keep slugs at bay that feast on your hosta leaves.  In addition the shells add calcium to the surrounding soil.