Hello, Devoted Diva Darlings ! Sorry for my absence here. Despair no more. The Diva Returns with a handy quick tip just in time for planting your annuals and gift-giving for Mother's Day.
Are you repeatedly confounded by those pesky drainage holes in the bottom of clay/terracotta pots? Me too! I am always trying to find a rock or broken pottery just the size to plug most of it, yet despite my best efforts, dirt ALWAYS finds a way to escape. Alas.
I just learned a solution that I'm implementing immediatemente -- use a coffee filter as a liner between the clay pot and your dirt containing your precious petunia (or darling daisy, or ... well, you get my drift).
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, October 15, 2007
Get Your Yard in Gear, Part III - Final Chapter
I am compelled to finish what I started, so I submit the final chapter of the fall yard tips. We'll move on to what you're clamoring for (tee, hee!) - Halloween topics.
Turning to Trees
Looking around, you notice the gorgeous colors - if your trees aren't dormant due to the drought. Don't freak out YET about your seemingly dead trees, bushes, or plants until the spring if you're in my neck of the woods, the "Severe Drought Zone". Hopefully, we'll get some rain so as not to further tax our perennials. But back to the topic...
What’s your favorite fall foliage color, Pumpkin? Not all leaves contain sufficient amounts of pigment to produce vibrant color, which is why the leaves of some trees turn from green to brown. Here's a list of some of the best fall-foliage trees:
Yellow: sugar maple, tulip poplar tree
Orange to rust: sugar maple
Red: red maple, oak
Mixed colors: dogwood, crape myrtle, sweet gum, pear, sassafras.
If you're looking for trees with excellent fall foliage, visit local nurseries when the colors are at their peak. Fall is also the best time to plant trees because it gives the roots time to establish before the summer heat beats down on the tree. Trees for planting are often on sale at the end of the growing season.
Roses
· Fall is not the ideal time to prune roses. This could stimulate new growth that may not be able to survive much longer. Do cut off any dead wood.
· Replace ties with jute twine. Natural fibers make the best ties because they are more flexible. They will break down over time. At that point, though, it will be time to retie the plants anyway.
Fall Gardening Resources:
Weather.com – Home & Garden, Lawn & Garden. Put in your zip code and it tells you what plants grow in the climate as well as a garden forecast. You can also put in a plant name and month and it tells you what to do with that plant.
Scotts.com - I signed up for their email list on what to do to my lawn and when. You put in your zip code and type of grass you have. It's an excellent service, I guess; they didn't have any drought tips and sent out emails to my withering zip code encouraging all sorts of planting. So, take it, as with everything else, with a grain of salt. Otherwise, a great resource.
Your local county extension office
Auburn University (or your local land grant university)
Off to brush up on pumpkin tips for tomorrow. Toodles, Poodles!
Turning to Trees
Looking around, you notice the gorgeous colors - if your trees aren't dormant due to the drought. Don't freak out YET about your seemingly dead trees, bushes, or plants until the spring if you're in my neck of the woods, the "Severe Drought Zone". Hopefully, we'll get some rain so as not to further tax our perennials. But back to the topic...
What’s your favorite fall foliage color, Pumpkin? Not all leaves contain sufficient amounts of pigment to produce vibrant color, which is why the leaves of some trees turn from green to brown. Here's a list of some of the best fall-foliage trees:
Yellow: sugar maple, tulip poplar tree
Orange to rust: sugar maple
Red: red maple, oak
Mixed colors: dogwood, crape myrtle, sweet gum, pear, sassafras.
If you're looking for trees with excellent fall foliage, visit local nurseries when the colors are at their peak. Fall is also the best time to plant trees because it gives the roots time to establish before the summer heat beats down on the tree. Trees for planting are often on sale at the end of the growing season.
Roses
· Fall is not the ideal time to prune roses. This could stimulate new growth that may not be able to survive much longer. Do cut off any dead wood.
· Replace ties with jute twine. Natural fibers make the best ties because they are more flexible. They will break down over time. At that point, though, it will be time to retie the plants anyway.
Fall Gardening Resources:
Weather.com – Home & Garden, Lawn & Garden. Put in your zip code and it tells you what plants grow in the climate as well as a garden forecast. You can also put in a plant name and month and it tells you what to do with that plant.
Scotts.com - I signed up for their email list on what to do to my lawn and when. You put in your zip code and type of grass you have. It's an excellent service, I guess; they didn't have any drought tips and sent out emails to my withering zip code encouraging all sorts of planting. So, take it, as with everything else, with a grain of salt. Otherwise, a great resource.
Your local county extension office
Auburn University (or your local land grant university)
Off to brush up on pumpkin tips for tomorrow. Toodles, Poodles!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Get Your Yard In Gear, Part II
Don’t let your pots rot
Disinfect pots to get rid of moss and soil residue that may have disease:
· First, soak the pots in a sink, bucket, or bowl filled with a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water. Then scrub them inside and out with a scouring pad or bristle brush (Do you still have a baby bottle cleaning brush? Use that – it’s perfect).
· To prevent buildup of icky mold, let pots dry completely before stacking and storing by laying them on their sides, one tucked inside another
· Never stack pots vertically—changes in temperature and humidity will make them swell, causing them to stick together and they’ll break when you pull them apart. Didja' know that, Kitten?
Don’t be a tool to your tools
· Since tools seldom become obsolete, it makes sense to keep them going as long as possible.
· At the end of your gardening time, wipe off dirt and moisture
· Every couple of months, sharpen dulled edges, grease creaky hinges, and replace missing parts. · Disinfect pruners before using them on other plants as you remove spent blooms and foliage throughout the garden.
Light – Bulb on Bulbs
As far as planting goes, bulbs are on my mind, specifically tulips, crocuses, jonquils, and irises.
· Plant them before the ground freezes.
· Keep them in a cool, dry place until you plant them (mine are in my garage refrigerator currently)
· You don’t necessarily have to dig them up year after year.
· When selecting bulbs, bigger is better. Large bulbs produce more impressive blooms.
· Bulbs should be firm and look fresh
· Plant them with the fat side down. I'll bet you wondered about that.
· They need to be planted in well-drained soil. When bulbs fail, it's usually because they rotted in wet ground. Most bulbs prefer full sun. I know I do.
More to follow, my little garden mumsie. I'm on a roll. Yard bags adorn my curbside hoping to be picked up tomorrow (Columbus Day - we just never know when the city trucks have a mystery day off!). Toodles!
Disinfect pots to get rid of moss and soil residue that may have disease:
· First, soak the pots in a sink, bucket, or bowl filled with a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water. Then scrub them inside and out with a scouring pad or bristle brush (Do you still have a baby bottle cleaning brush? Use that – it’s perfect).
· To prevent buildup of icky mold, let pots dry completely before stacking and storing by laying them on their sides, one tucked inside another
· Never stack pots vertically—changes in temperature and humidity will make them swell, causing them to stick together and they’ll break when you pull them apart. Didja' know that, Kitten?
Don’t be a tool to your tools
· Since tools seldom become obsolete, it makes sense to keep them going as long as possible.
· At the end of your gardening time, wipe off dirt and moisture
· Every couple of months, sharpen dulled edges, grease creaky hinges, and replace missing parts. · Disinfect pruners before using them on other plants as you remove spent blooms and foliage throughout the garden.
Light – Bulb on Bulbs
As far as planting goes, bulbs are on my mind, specifically tulips, crocuses, jonquils, and irises.
· Plant them before the ground freezes.
· Keep them in a cool, dry place until you plant them (mine are in my garage refrigerator currently)
· You don’t necessarily have to dig them up year after year.
· When selecting bulbs, bigger is better. Large bulbs produce more impressive blooms.
· Bulbs should be firm and look fresh
· Plant them with the fat side down. I'll bet you wondered about that.
· They need to be planted in well-drained soil. When bulbs fail, it's usually because they rotted in wet ground. Most bulbs prefer full sun. I know I do.
More to follow, my little garden mumsie. I'm on a roll. Yard bags adorn my curbside hoping to be picked up tomorrow (Columbus Day - we just never know when the city trucks have a mystery day off!). Toodles!
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