And ..... It's a wrap!

October brings mixed emotions to gardeners.  We've had a couple of frosts. It's time to wrap it up.  

1.  Pots need to be brought in to Warner's temps or dumped and put away. 

2.  Cuttings from plants you want for next spring can be started inside. 

2. One last mowing and an application of dry nitrogen should put our lawns to bed for the winter.  While you're at it, throw some nitrogen on the shrubs and perennial beds.

3.  It's time to clean up the vegetable garden. Haul off the dead plants. Sprinkle some of that dry nitrogen on this garden spot too.  

4.  Same routine for flower gardens.  Pull those weeds that linger.  Re-mulch the beds that need it. 

4.  If you need to patch in new grass, you are running short on time.  Get it in ASAP and keep it damp.

 4.  Bulbs and or tubers to be saved for next spring, need to go to the cool end of the basement.

 5. We give our compost pile one last stir and tarp it for the winter. 

5.   Get out your list of indoor projects and get busy!

A tisket a tasket ..... an iris in my basket.

Iris blooming at Taddiken Farm

If you are reading this gardening blog, then I presume you are a gardener or at least interested in gardening.  Right?  So what is your favorite spring flower?  Mine is easy ....... it's the iris.  So many great atributes.  They are fairly carefree.  They sport big showy blooms of an infinity of colors.  The plants are nearly indestructable. They thrive in any spot in our yards. They multiply over time so can be divided and shared.  They have a nice smell but not a strong smell so I can bring them into the house if I want.  They take up a decent amount of space in the garden.  The big drawback to growing iris in my opinion, is that grass loves to take up residency in their beds.  You cannot get up next to the iris plants with a hoe.  Ever try pulling grass out from around those tubers.  Doesn't work well either. 

I just opened my May newletter from the Extention Service.  It has an article about a couple of chemicals that we can use for those pesky grassy iris beds.  They can also be used in broadleaf perennial beds.

According to Extention Horticulture Agent David Coletrain, there are two major weed killer types that are used to kill grassy weeds in broadleaf plants.  The herbicides "Poast" and Fusilade II" can help gardeners who don't have the time or inclination for hand weeding.  These products are specific for controlling grasses.  All broadleaves are not affected.  This means that the applicator can spray the top of perennial beds and control grass problems. 

Fusilade is often sold under the names of "Grass-B-Gon," and  "Grass-No-More-Over the Top Spray" and "Over the Top Grass Killer".  Poast is commonly sold as "Hi-Yield Gras Killer" and Monterey Grass Getter". 

The above info is from a newsletter called River Valley Green Thumb Guidelines.  It may be found at http://www.rivervalley.ksu.edu/

Pots with Personality.......

Red Dragon Wing Begonias

Our mild Winter glided right into this beautiful Spring and I have hardly blogged about gardening!  In my defense, it is partly because I have been outside working - a lot.  Still so much to do out there but as always, it will all get finished up..... eventually. 

I want to visit about container gardening.  We used to think that meant putting a tall lanky tomato plant in an ugly clay pot.  Today, the possibilities are endless!   Containers run the gamut from Shabby Sheik to upscale modern pottery.  Pots are everywhere.  Hardware stores.  Big box stores. Garden centers. Mail order catalogs. If you are fascinated by the old tin and distressed look, you can entertain yourself with trips to the second hand stores, auctions, flea market etc...  If it holds dirt, it can be your next container garden.  



Iron chair with a seat full of assorted succulents.



Who ever thought that cement blocks could make this statement?

Old chicken feeder on a sawhorse.

Something new has caught my eye this season.  Fairy Gardens. Have you seen them? On a recent trip to Arnold's Greenhouse in Leroy, I looked at their huge fairy garden display.  It was approx 6ft X 4ft and looked like the "land of enchantment".  There were miniature "living" trees, tiny flowers and plants, little cottages and barns and Fairies. Of course, the tiny miniture plants were offered for sale there.  IF I talk myself into doing this it will be on a much smaller scale and it will be when my grand daughter is old enough to appreciate it with me.  

Good use of a cracked pot and a "doable" Fairy Garden.



Larger scale Fairy Garden beneath a shade tree.  Wouldn't our Kansas wind just wreck this?!

 I have been experimenting with some pot plantings at our house.  I have started some good looking succulents in my patio pot.  They are an agave plant, a varigated paddle pland and a rose succulent.  Reportedly, they will grow to be very large so I am looking forward to seeing how this looks later in the season.   I also filled a strawberry pot with succulents. 

Recently planted succulents.  Hopefully, with a little TLC they will grow into something with a Wow factor!

 A couple of years ago, my son-in-law Justin hollowed out a maple stump for me.  It's on the east so I had been putting shade loving plants in it and it hasn't done much.  This year I am going to put Margarita sweet potato plants and a bubble gun putunia in that stump. 

This isn't my stump.  Ours is about the same size.  At present, it is empty.  Stay tuned for my end result.

I have a huge red pottery pot in my north bed.  Last year I planted it totally to purilla.  It likes sun or shade.  It was georgous all summer!  I am planting it to purilla again this year. 

Purilla

This wash tub has one bubble gum petunia growing in it.  It doesn't always take a ton of plants to make a big statement. 

One Bubble Gum Petunia

The great thing about container gardening is that anyone, anywhere can have some fun with it.  Whether you have pots sprinkled around your yard or have one container at your front door, have fun with it.  Give those pots a little personality! 


Draws your eye right to this opening in the wall doesn't it?
This was picture was taken along the River Walk, San Antonio



Ornamental cabbage in a shade garden at Nell Hills, Atchinson

Spring is in the air .....still

On a normal year, a warm spell in March triggers a burst of excitement in my gardening buddies and me. Those of you who live in my geographic area know that we've been experiencing the excitement of spring since about last October!  We do not remember ever having been exposed to a winter as mild as this one just past. We have recently endured several days of extremely windy, 60 degree weather followed by a night of thunder, lightening and a ground cover of small hail.  This said, I am totally clueless  as to what Mother Nature might bring to us over the next several months.  We'll just forge on as usual.

If you haven't gotten your tree pruning finished up, it's time ........ nearly past time.  Also, you should be laying down bulb fertilizer ASAP.  Probably goes without saying that we want to take advantage of this warm weather to finish cleaning off those beds and garden spots that were skipped last fall.  I am putting in an asparagus bed and some new rhubarb plants.  It's time to get that area spaded up and trenches made.  I am only putting two more rhubarb plants in so they will reside at the end of the asparagus bed.  I have a raised bed of tired strawberry plants that I plan to plant another two dozen plants into. 

I have been doing some research into these three plantings so will pass my findings on to you.  Maybe some of you are planning to plant one or more of these this spring?

Strawberries fit into one of three varieties:

Everbearing.  Produce smaller berries and lesser harvests 2 or sometimes 3 times throughout the growing season. They shoot fewer runners than June bearing.
Day Neutral strawberries produce throughout the growing season when the temperature is between 35 and 85 degrees.  They shoot few or no runners so would be ideal from container plantings.

 
June bearing.  Large abundant fruit with good runner character.  They shoot healthy runners that encourage new plant growth. 
I have ordered 25 Allstar plants. Harvest lasts two to three weeks, generally during the month of June. They are on the recommended K-State Research list.  It's always a good idea to check these Research and Extension lists for your state. 

My asparagus plants will be from the Jersey series.  They will be all male plants.  My research tells me that 10 plants are sufficient for one person who only wants fresh asparagus.  I am planting 20 plants. They will need to be planted in a long trench.  Stark Brothers Nursery site has a great planting guide if you need one.  Be sure to plant in full sun and remember that after their harvest season, they shoot up beautiful fern fronds.  These can create shade in an area that you might not want shaded.   Once the plants come up later this spring ....... Leave them alone!  Resist harvesting it until the 3rd year and you are good to go for the next 25-30 years!

Trench with asparagus roots ready to plant.

This asparagus after growth can be used in cut flower arrangements!

Rhubarb varieties are a little more tricky.  I have a plant of my mom's that is absolutely ideal.  The flesh is dark red and fairly sweet.  Most importantly, it does not go to seed.  I have no idea what variety it is.  My two new plants are advertised as a close match.  They are Red Scarlet.  We'll see how they work out???

Dream, dream, dream............

Typically, in January I would encourage you to curl up with an afghan, hot cup of tea and a seed catalog.  During the recent January warm spell, I could have advised you to put your sweatshirt on and take a walk around your yard instead.  I just love this planning part of my gardening year!  We can conjure up all sorts of ideas without all of the actual work (yet) :-)

  However you spend your planning time, I hope you are getting excited about your Spring garden.  The seed catalogs have been arriving since December so you should have your stack by now. I try to grow something different each year.  This year it's going to be okra and blue potatoes.  I confess to not being a huge okra fan although I plan to try some different recipes with it.  My main interest in okra is the plant itself.  I saw two different plantings of it last season and it has a huge presence in the garden.  The foliage and blossoms are gorgeous. 

Row of Okra approximately 5 ft tall

Okra blossom

Blue potatoes have been in the health news lately.  Besides being a nice conversation starter, they are high in antioxidants.  Have you tried them?  I haven't, but I have a small bag on the counter so will be trying them soon!

 I admire those of you who order actual seeds to early start vegetables and flowers.  I have spent a respectable amount of early growing seasons trying to start those tiny plants.  When I think about it, starting them isn't the problem.  It's getting them to grow to a transplantable size that gives me heartburn!  I know that some of you have great luck with setting up growing stations on a card table or sunny window seal.  Doesn't work for me.  K-State has instructions for using growing lights with adjustable heights.  This technique would definitely work ........ I don't have a good place to set the system up. 

Adjustable Grow Light

I wish my vegetable garden looked like this!

I order seeds that I can plant directly in my garden soil.  Some flowers, but also cucumber, green beans, beets, greens etc...  Besides the old standby catalogs, I have a few catalogs and websites that I have also successfully ordered and grown from.  I also have a couple of new catalogs that were discussed at our last advanced Master Gardener training and a couple that our County Agent uses.   I will list these below so that you can see what you think of them. 

highcountrygardens.com
jungseed.com
johnnyseeds.com
whiteflowerfarm.com
morgancountyseeds.com
grandpasorchard.com

Again, this is NOT my garden, but oh how I wish it were!  I need to work a little harder to eventually get to this!  Are you noticing that there is a general "mixing" of plants throughout this garden?  I am really liking the interest this creates.