Garden Stuff... Just For Fun

The Fall Garden

2009-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

The Garden Should Be Asleep About Now.. But Is It?

Fall in Michigan means a dormant garden .. but this year it is anything but dormant.

After a period of unseasonal cold weather when the frost hit earlier than usual ...striking down all the tender plants like the Heavenly Blue Morning glory .. the weather leveled out and even has gone above the norm to the point the garden is now trying to send new blooms out.

The bluebells are blooming again. The snapdragons are sending out new buds like mad. Alyssum is going wild as is the Blue Star stepable ground cover with the wonderful dainty little flowers I planted this summer.

Much of the garden has been able to be cleared out but a lot will be left to be used as snow accents.

There is something very attractive about the fountain grass sheathed in soft snow.

We also like to string cranberries and popcorn and lay it over the sedum plants that grow so tall and straight. The birds also like that .. especially the little chickadees that stay around snow and all.

Winter will be hitting soon. That we can be sure of ... so the tender perennials have been protected by frames and burlap .. specifically the tender roses that have such a hard time making it through our Michigan winters.

The dahlia bulbs as well as the peacock orchid bulbs have been pulled and put into the basement for safekeeping from the cold.

There is always a great feeling of satisfaction to know the garden is ready to sleep .. and a wonderful sense of anticipation is just ready to seep out as winter comes and the short days slowly get shorter and the feeling of cabin fever hits sometime afer the holidays.

It is then my mind will just naturally begin to float toward the promise of beautiful flowers once more.

Gardening is a wonderful thing.

Gardening and Stress Relief

2009-01-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

Gardening as a source of stress relief is a well known fact with gardeners.

If you are living under stress caused by something you have no control over gardening is a great hobby to turn to to give you release. Just the thought of digging in the rich earth .. you will find once you have begun to garden.... erases everything negative affecting you ... at least temporarily.

You get a period of complete peace .. and even if you know it is only a temporary peace .. you also know it will be there to reach out to whenever you may need it.

If you are not in an area to try this now... after all it is winter .... begin with those gardening magazines or catalogs. Browse them then begin to picture where you will put your garden in your yard. If you don't have a yard that you cna garden in.... then plan garden pots for your patio.. porch or deck.. or even your windowills. Window boxes make lovely wonderful gardens.

Put your plans on paper. You will get many tips and ideas from the magazines or catalogs you have acquired.

When the weather permits ... begin the garden you have planned in your head and on paper.

You will find you need no other source of stress relief than that ... in many cases.

Have fun... and let the world go away .... while you give your mind, emotions and heart a rest .. digging in the good earth ... learning that gardening and stress relief go together.

Where Has The Time GONE???

2009-01-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Winter in its full wonder... everything sleeping beneath the wonderful blanket of snow... and I cannot believe the last post here was in May of LAST year.

Happy New Year .. everyone.

Garden stuff in the middle of winter? Well.. the days are getting longer now so .... spring IS on its way. It is too soon of course to do anything with the garden other than look at the gardening catalogs that are beginning to show up in the mailbox now .. and dig in the heels against the temptation to make a list and order everything beautiful in them.

Planning for any new flowers can begin now.. in your mind at least .. if not on paper. You can draw a diagram of your garden and decide if you have room for more plants. If there just isn't any .. and if the need to have more is absolute.. then you will just have to dig more yard out!

Oh.. just tell him that it only will mean less grass for him to mow. That may even give him the incentive to offer to dig for you when the time comes.

Enjoy those catalogs .. and enjoy the winter. Put your feet up by the warm fire .. and you will be able to feel the sun's heat in the summer to come.

Winter is a great season .. even if you may not like the cold.

It Is Time!

2008-05-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Yes.. it is time. It is time to get busy with those flower seeds.

The last frost of the year has marked it's coming and going on the magnolia tree .. which of course was in full bloom and oh so beautiful. Each spring we watch breathlessly as the beautiful blooms open ... wondering who would win the race.... Jack Frost or Magnolia.

This year the tree won. It opened the beautiful blooms one week ago. They were in full bloom for about five days.. five days to enjoy their beauty. Then along came the frost ... turning the blooms brown overnight.

Each year ... we keep track of that last frost.. and it has for years been the last frost of the year. Now we confidently mark that last frost as the time to get out in the flowers again... and what a glorious feeling that is after a long cold winter.

Here is what I will do now.....

Tonight I will put the Heavenly Blue morning glory seeds soaking in a small cup of water. After 24 -48 hours the seeds will have softened and cracked open.. ready to safely plant.

If you live in an area where the spring is still very cold and the ground the same .. I would encourage you to wait until you too have a day when you just know it is time.. time to get out with your flowers.

You will know when that time is.

After I have taken care of the morning glory seeds, I will get out the zinnia seeds I harvested from last year's zinnias and go out and plant them.

This of course .. is after I have cleaned last year's growth out of the garden. I like to leave it in through the winter for the effects. Once I got rid of the old stalks and stems .. I put a weed killer on all those little green starts that seem to jump upover night.

The garden cleaning I did a week or two ago.. when it was nice enough to get out there to do it... but still too cold to plant anything. That way the ground was able to just rest a while as the weeds were wiped out.

Now... the zinnia seeds will be scattered lightly around the area in which I want to grow them. I then will cover the seeds with fine earth.. just enough to cover them so the birds don't come and eat them and keep them lightly watered until I see the plants emerge.

If you have had no luck with seeds .. then I would advise you to go and find starts of the flowers you wish to see growing. They really aren't all that expensive to buy when you consider the joy you receive from them all summer long.

I have made the mistake of planting my seeds too early and the spring rains along with the cold have caused them to rot... and I replaced them with starts from the local nursery. I enjoyed doing that.. I have to admit.

There is a neat satisfaction in putting in a seed and waiting for it to pop up.... but there is also a great feeling of satisfaction of putting in a plant .. presto... instant growth!

Next I will plant the sunflower seeds. Nothing needs to be done in preparing these to plant. I will simply go and stick one in each spot I can envision seeing a sunflower growing. I love the Mammoth seeds.

Now I will look forward to that first trip to the nursery for new plants... and that is for another day.

Get out in the dirt.. it is time. Enjoy!

New Season ... New Plants

2008-04-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Each new spring season I look for at least one new plant to add to my garden.

That new plant may be a vegetable stuck in with the flowers or it may be a rare type of flower I just found out existed or it may simply be a flower I have always wanted to try but just never have.

Whatever the reason .. whatever the plant .. it is always a fun adventure.

One year we planted peanuts .. and as we are in a northern state ... I never know how much luck I will have when planting something like peanuts.

We picked and roasted and ate peanuts that year and it was just a great learning experience to see how they grew ... underground. None of us knew that before we grew them.

I haven't decided yet on what new one to look for this year .... but if you have any idea of what you want ... and easy way to get any details on any plant is by doing a search for it ... find out what its needs are ... plus all its essential details .. then decide if you want to plant it or not.

You can start your search below if you have an idea what you are looking for.. or just enter "plants" or "vegetables" or "flowers" or "roses"...etc.

If you have never gardened before .. you are in for a treat if you are thinking of beginning. Just remember.. think small at first .. till you get your feet muddy.

Spring Treasures

2008-04-10T04:36:00.000-07:00

The green shines through the dark wet earth.. the first treasures of spring poking up... and life everywhere is filled again with hope.

The cycle of the seasons to me reflect the cycles of life.

That is why gardening brings me such a sense of peace ... I guess. It is reassuring to see the cycles go by and see so much has survived a harsh winter.

Those first sightings of green make me want to grab that shovel and ...... DIG. The feeling is so strong I have to physically tell myself ... "NO." I can however.. go out and pull .. and that I do... pull out the old flower stalks from last year that looked so great covered with snow during the winter .... while protecting their roots from the extreme cold.

I can also pull some of those weeds that have such an easy way of growing and taking over the flowers home space... or I can use a good organic weed killer to get at their roots. This is the only time of the year I concentrate on weeding.

Once the flowers take over... the poor weeds can have their way.. to a degree. The big ones get yanked throughout the summer.

This is the time of the year the roses get fertilized around the roots .... then if I forget to do it regularly.. I know they hae had one good dose.

Spring is a great time to be outdoors ... and somthing about "in the garden" belongs to spring. The work done now will shine back on me all summer long to enjoy in the form of the splash of flowers that flow from May through September.

This is when I am driven to gardening sites and catalogs ... just to see what is new and what new plant I will try this year.

Each spring I try one new plant .. just for the fun of it.

The sunflower and morning glory seeds I bought a week ago stare me in the face from the kitchen counter. I will not plant them inside as I just never have luck with transplanting seedlings I start indoors. Instead... I plant these seeds directly outdoors when the ground has warmed sufficiently.

The morning glory seeds I split with a small sharp knife and soak in water overnight before planting. The sunflower seeds go directly into the ground.

Zinnia seeds are other seeds that grow easily from seeds planted directly into the ground.

You just need to be sure you recognize the plants as they begin to grow so you do not pull them out thinking they are weeds.

Garden For The Soul

2008-03-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

Pick up that shovel... start digging. It works magic.

Garden for the soul.

Gardening of any kind and any size is the greatest therapy on earth for anyone suffering from overload of anything.

Tranquilizers, uppers, downers .. Valium, Zoloft, Zanax.... they are just a few of the prescribed meds that are common names everywhere today.. it seems.

Why do so many people need so much medication these days? Is it simply the times we ive in.. where every second of every day is marked for achievement of some kind .. where time off and relaxation may take a second seat to that achievement no matter what?

Is it the pressure of the release of all social taboos that make it so impossible to raise teenagers today with a positive view of morality in life?

Is it the pressure of "have-to-have it too.itis" that seems might prevail in the lives of the young marrieds today?

Whatever the reason... none of those medications oan come close to providing the results gardening does to allay all stress.

Of course.. you must take time.. time to dig. You need to just drop everything.. just everything... grab that shovel.. and go dig.

While digging you will find everything else just drops away...it is you and the shovel and the dirt... and there is nothing so satisfying .. nothing so energizing.

Just digging in the dirt.

All negative thoughts seem to just disappear.. or come to view in a way that makes you wonder why in the world you were so stressed about them?

Life takes a perspective... a perspective of calmness and a feeling that all is all right. It is after all .. just life.

That huge heavy problem that was pushing you onto your knees is lightened a thousand fold. It hasn't gone away.. but now you see it in a perspective that makes you know it isn't as big as your mind had made it seem.

You find everyting is surpassable.. doable.. no matter how big it may have seemed.

Digging in the dirt.

Garden for the soul.