Tag: Garden

Garden

Growing Amaryllis

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Can a flower bloom so beautifully in the dead of winter?

Yes!  Most everyone is familiar with the annual parade of Poinsettias at Christmas time, but here is another beautifully blooming flower for the winter season, Amaryllis.

I have grown Amaryllis for many years and they bloom so extravagantly and beautifully every year.

The double white Amaryllis ‘Marquis’ in full bloom this past Christmas.

 

Growing Amaryllis

The Latin name for Amaryllis is Hippeastrum.  Amaryllis is a bulb from South America and is a tropical plant.

Amaryllis flowers are large, trumpet shaped blooms at the end of tall leafless stems.

They come in many colors-red, rose, white, pink, salmon, and orange.  The blooms can be single, double, variegated, stripped or picotee.

It is very easy to grow, and if cared for properly it will continue to grow and bloom for you for many years.  Some have been known to grow for 50 years.

Amaryllis naturally grows in zone- 8-10.  To grow in my zone, 5-6, the bulb takes special care as it does not survive in our freezing weather.  But it is very easy to do.

If they are purchased by bare bulb, the bulbs should be soaked in water for a few hours, then planted into a pot with good potting soil.  I always purchase my plants already potted and usually from the clearance rack, so they are very reasonable.  But the selection is very limited.  If you are searching for a special color or form they would need to be mail ordered in bulb form.

Use a heavy pot, as the plant can become top heavy when in full bloom.  Make sure there are drainage holes so the bulb never is in standing water or it will rot.

Plant the bulb with the pointy end up, leaving about 1/3 of the bulb exposed and above the soil level.  Use good potting soil.

The bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom.

Amaryllis grow best in a cool room- 60-70 degrees.

Place them in bright, indirect light.

Rotate the pot to keep the stem growing straight.  It is helpful to use stakes for support, as the blooms can be heavy and may flop over.

Water sparingly until the new growth begins, then water regularly.  Make sure the water is draining.

Amaryllis will bloom 6-8 weeks after being planted.  You can plan accordingly as to when you want them to bloom, and you can pot up multiple bulbs for a longer succession of blooms.  I wanted these white Amaryllis to bloom at Christmas time, and they did.  They were beautiful!

Amaryllis make wonderful cut flowers that can last up to 2 weeks in the vase.  A potted up blooming Amaryllis makes a wonderful gift at Christmas time!

After the bulbs are done blooming, cut back the flowering stalks.  The stems will eventually yellow and then they can be cut back too.  Cut back about 2 inches from the bulb.

Be aware that Amaryllis is toxic to pets.

I have had some of my Amaryllis for many years and they have bloomed faithfully for me every year.  This is what I do.  After the flowering stems and foliage is cut back, I place the pots in an out of the way place that does not freeze.  For me, this is the back porch, a regular area for in between things.

When the outside weather is above freezing, sometime in May, I put the pots in an out of the way place in the garden or on the patio.  There they stay, all spring, summer, and fall, getting rained on and fertilized along with all the other plants in pots.  When the temperatures begin to fall into the freezing range in the late fall I cut all the foliage back again, and take the pots to the basement.  There they will stay until I am ready for them again.  It is a cool, dark area.  I water them when I think of it.  I bring them back out when I am ready for beautiful blooms in about 7 weeks.

Something that I have done for years with my Sunday School class…we grow the Amaryllis after Christmas.  I have mostly girls in my class and I let them have free range in decorating our classroom for Christmas with items that I have collected over the years.  The class room is definitely not the nicest decorated classroom but they are very happy and busy doing it.  All of the Christmas decorations were taken down and packed away last week, and the row of Amaryllis set out.  The pots were watered and next week we will see if they have grown.  I always enjoy their expressions of excitement when they come back each Sunday and see how much they have grown.  I will keep you updated with photos as the Amaryllis grow and bloom.

Behold,

I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth.

Isaiah 45:19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garden · Uncategorized

A Visit to the Conservatory

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A trip to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

A Christmas gift to me from one of my children was a trip to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  It was beautifully arrayed for the Christmas season.

The Conservatory is located in Oakland at Schenley Park on the hill. It is one of America’s leading conservatories and is a historic landmark.  It was built in 1893 and covers 15 acres.  There are 14  Victorian style greenhouses plus adjoining grounds that are all landscaped beautifully.  There are 23 distinct theme gardens, and they are decorated seasonally.  Their Christmas season display was impressive.

And the company was vey delightful.  The grandchildren seemed to enjoy touring the greenhouses as much as I did.

There were a number of train displays in one of the greenhouses.  A boys delight!  I also thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the intricate detail in the train displays.

There were a number of water features, some with live fish.  This one, with a glass viewing area was very entertaining to the littlest one.

Visiting a conservatory or botanical garden is a wonderful way to spend a winter day.  I can’t say that I got many gardening ideas from my visit, but it was so nice to spend time among living, growing things while everything is frozen outside.

http://www.phipps.conservatory.org

 

 

The January sun is climbing imperceptibly higher in the southern sky.  We are gaining 2 additional minutes of daylight each day this month.  Have you noticed the days getting longer already?

Gardening season will be here before you know it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking · Garden

Growing Chives

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There are a number of herbs and vegetables that are perennial, meaning that they will return year after year to give you a harvest.  One of my favorite perennial herbs, or one of my favorite herbs in general, is chives.

 

There are 2 types of chives, the common chive (Allium schoenoprasum) and garlic chives (Allium tuberosum).  The common chives have a mild onion flavor and the garlic chives have a garlic flavor.

Pictured above is the common chive, the one that I have grown for years.  This clump has moved with me to our current location and it has been divided and shared many times.

Both the leaves and flowers of chives are edible.

The most commonly used part of the chive plant is the leaves.  The leaves are hollow and grass like and are best used fresh.

The flowers are also edible and can be cut and used fresh while they are in season.  They are usually used in salads and as a garnish.

How to Grow Chives

  • Chives grow from small bulblets
  • Chives are one of the first of the herbs that are ready in the spring
  • Chives are milder than onions, and are members of the onion family
  • Chives grow well in any zone from 3-9. They are very cold hardy
  • Chives grow best in full sun
  • Chives like well-drained rich soil that has been amended with compost
  • Plant clumps of chives 6 inches apart
  • Chives can be divided every three years and re-planted out after the last spring frost
  • Water regularly, keep weeded and mulch
  • Can be grown in containers and can be moved indoors for all year use
  • Require minimal care, and I consider them well behaved.  Some of my reading says that the flowers heads, if left, can cause them to spread but I have not found it so.  If you have a problem with too much self seeding, just make sure the flower heads are cut off before they go to seed.
  • Will flower from late May till June.  Flowers can be used fresh or dried in cooking, or as an ornamental or cut flower
  • To harvest, just grab a handful or how ever much you need, and cut them off at the base.  If using the flower heads, just cut off as needed
  • Chives can be used in salads, dips, egg dishes, in potato salad, on pizza or as a topping.

My favorite way to use chives-freshly chopped over a baked potato with butter and sour cream.

What a lovely, delicious welcome to Spring!

Do you grow chives?

Praying for Ukraine

 

Faith · Garden · My Town

In Praise of Snow

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Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Dancing through the air you go.

Falling so gently, softly and light

From th’ clouds above to the earth below.

 

Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Th’ crowning beauty of winter cold;

Falling both by day and by night,

Falling on mountain-top and wold.

 

Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Falling gently on vale and dell;

Cov’ring the cottage of the poor,

And the mansion of the rich as well.

 

Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Falling on things both high and low,

Hiding the fallen leaves out of sight,

While o’er the brown tree you thickly blow.

 

Beautiful snow, so pure and white,

Oh, how I love to see you fall.

Oh, I am certain, yes, I am sure,

Nothing’s as pretty as snow at all.

 

Lord! make my heart as pure and white

As the snow when it falls from above.

Fill me with Thy truth and light

And sweet beautiful faith and love. 

Effie Waller Smith

 

A poor photo, I know, due to the angle of the sun, but icicles on the roof of the house.  My roses are just below and they are entombed in ice also.  Hopefully, they make it through this winter.

There are benefits of snow for the garden.

  • Snow acts as an excellent insulator.  Shovel the snow onto your growing bed to give them a nice blanket of protection.
  • Snow protects from harsh, drying winds that can damage plants.
  • Snow can protect from the heaving up of plants due to the freezing and thawing cycle.  It is best to have the ground stay frozen until spring.
  • Snow provides moisture to perennial plants and bulbs as they are waking up for the spring.
  • Snow, as it melts, provides nitrogen that is essential to plant growth.
  • If you have designed a garden for winter interest, snow provides beauty as it covers everything.

As we are ending the month of January, we are leaving the season of Deep Winter.  As we enter the month of February, we are entering the season of Late Winter, and the seasonal temperatures should be steadily rising all across the nation, which they will continue to do till mid July.  There will still be snow and ice and cold to contend with, but-

Winter brings the

the cold of February,

But remember,

It is only temporary.

I do love a good snow fall!

Following are some photos of my town after the last storm.

 

And a photo of the Redbank Creek with the resident geese and ducks.

And lastly, a big shout out to the state and local snow crews that work so hard to keep our roads clear.

They had quite the big clean-up job after this last snow storm.  And another one is on the way….

Thanks guys!

You Lord, are forgiving and good,

abounding in love to all

who call to you.  

Psalm 86:5

Garden

The Winter Garden

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Yes, January is the time for dreaming about this years garden.  With the cold and snow of my mid-Atlantic growing area, there is not much that can be done outside.  But there are things you can be doing to get ready for the dream garden in your head.

 

raised beds in snow
My garden in winter

Now is the time to begin planning for this years garden.  

If you have kept a garden journal or took photos of your last years garden, you can refer to them when planning for this year.  Now is the time to evaluate what worked and what didn’t; things you would like to do different, or something to change, or to try new.  You can evaluate the design and structure of the garden.  The location of the garden, the walkways and structures, anything that needs worked on or changed.  

This is a wonderful time of slowness when you can peruse magazines, garden books, and the internet for garden ideas for this year.  It is still a little early to begin starting seeds for our area, but that time will be here soon enough.

 

(A job waiting for me as soon as workable, that didn’t get completed last fall!)

Some photos of the big snow storm of recent…..one of the biggest snowfalls that I can remember in a number of years.

It has snowed most every day for over a week now.

Temperature have been below 0 many nights.  Too cold for me!

It took us a couple of days to dig out and clear the walkways and drive.

Things to do in January

  • Plan this years garden
  • Peruse seed catalogs
  • Start this years garden journal, noting things that you would like to try new or change
  • Inventory your old seeds
  • Decide what and how much you would like to plant this year
  • Gather items needed for seed starting and get things set up
  • Prune as needed
  • Learn new things
  • Start seeds of slow germinating plants and some cool season plants
  • Shovel snow on to your growing beds
  • Get ideas from books and the computer
  • Keep up with houseplant care and overwintered plants
  • Keep wildlife animal feeding and watering stations filled
  • Clean and organize your garden shed or storage area
  • Clean and sharpen your garden tools

Are you getting anxious to get back to gardening again?

Here’s to a wonderful, bountiful garden of your dreams!

 

 

 

 


Garden

March Garden Chores-The First Week of March

margieclyde2 Comments
raised beds in snow
My garden in winter

It was one of those March days

when the sun shines hot

and the wind blows cold:

When it is summer in the light,

and winter in the shade.

Charles Dickens

Ahhh, March…such a mercurial month, but in reality, it is the true beginning of the gardening year.

The warm days tease me to take a walk-about around the gardens to see what is happening, if anything.  And, yes! things are happening already in the garden-tulips and hyacinths popping their heads up, the sedums showing green, unfurling from amongst the leaf mulch, and the fall planted garlic showing in their row.  Others, such as the asparagus and rhubarb, are still asleep, though I look hard for some visible life.  Soon, soon….

We are ,(in my 5-6 gardening zone) 11 to 12 weeks before the average last frost.  

There are things to be done in preparation for the new gardening year, soon to begin in earnest.  While it is still too early to do much outside in the garden, there is much to be done indoors to be well prepared for the soon coming Spring.

The cold winter months are wonderful for perusing the seed catalogs that arrive just after Christmas.  Oh, the dreams of beautiful, weed free gardens….

 

Things to do This Week in the Garden

  • Plan the garden.  Sketch out what will be planted where.  Refer to last years garden journal.
  • Start this years garden journal.
  • Survey your yard-are there any areas that need an update or to be changed?  Make plans now to do this. 
  • Visit a local Spring flower and garden show…..you will be inspired!
  • Check for any garden structures that need attention or replacing.  It is so much easier to replace a trellis now, rather than when it is full of vines!
  • Inventory your past years seeds.
  • Peruse the seed catalogs, and place your seed orders.
  • Plan out your planting schedule for your climate zone.  
  • Purchase and/or prepare the seed starting supplies.
  • Set up a seed starting area.
  • Test your soil if you choose.  (I do not.)
  • Clean out bird nest boxes.  Do it sooner rather than later, as birds do not like to be disturbed once they start nesting.  The birds are already chirping!
  • Clear away the mulch in the beds of early blooming flowers.
  • Do not rush the removal of mulch and cleaning up just yet.
  • Cut back grasses.
  • Finish up the late winter pruning of roses, grapevines, fruit trees, brambles and late summer flowering shrubs.
  • Many pruned branches can be brought indoors and forced for early indoor bloom.
  • As the daylight is getting longer, houseplants will begin putting out new growth.  Give them a ‘shower’, trim back foliage as needed and begin fertilizing.
  • Check on winter stored plants and vegetables.  Care for as needed.
  • Clean the garden tools.
  • Seeds of cool season crops can be started indoors now-celery, leeks, lettuce, onions.
  • If you have a cold frame, you can plant cold hardy seeds, such as radish and spinach and peas.

March-the month of Promise.

Happy gardening!

A joyful heart is good medicine.

Proverbs 17:22

Garden

Fridays Flower-Hyacinth

margieclyde2 Comments

Spring Hyacinths

spring hyacinths

Hyacinth-one of the early spring blooming flowers.

What a welcome the blooming hyacinths are, for their rich color and wonderful fragrance!

Hyacinths are very easy to grow, requiring very little care, but so rewarding after a long, cold winter.  They are the essence of the fragrance of spring, blooming about the same time as daffodils and tulips, March to April.

Hyacinths grow from large bulbs that should be planted in the fall, usually in September to October, any time after the first light frost but before the ground freezes they can be planted.

Bulbs can be purchased at your favorite big box store or ordered from seed or nursery catalogs.

Hyacinths are hardy from zones 4-8.

They do best in full sun but will still flower in partial shade.

Hyacinths come in a wide range of colors from white, peach, apricot, salmon, blue shades, yellow, pink, red to purple and lavender.

Hyacinths grow to 6-12 inches tall, with a dense flower spike surrounded by strap like leaves.

The bulbs should be planted 4-6 inches deep with the pointed end up and 4-6 inches apart.

They like rich loose soil that is well drained, and only need water when dry.

Hyacinths do not multiply and spread like daffodils.  One bulb per flower-the bigger the bulb the better.

Hyacinths tend to decline over the years-some people treat them as annuals and replant new bulbs every fall, but if left alone they will bloom for many years, just not as pretty and lush as the first year. The faded flowers should be cut back as soon as they begins to turn brown, and the leaves left to grow.  The leaves will store energy for next years bloom.  When the leaves brown off they can be cut back or gently pulled off.  Some compost or fertilizer is appreciated at this time.

Hyacinths are best at the front of flower borders.  Emerging perennials will hide the dying foliage.  They are lovely lining a walkway where their fragrance can be enjoyed.

Hyacinths make good cut flowers and have a long vase life.  They can also be planted in containers, or forced for indoor winter/spring blooming.

One warning-the bulbs are poisonous-they contain oxalic acid, so use care while planting and around children and pets.

I am enjoying the beautiful colors and fragrance of my hyacinths this spring.  In the photo above is one of the beds that I made at our new house.  The stone wall on the right was already here-I made this flower bed, bordered by my signature stacked stone borders from stones that I have gathered over the years. Seems like every time I was digging I ran into stones-I decided to put them use as border stones.  Now I look for stones everywhere, and have been known to stop the car and grab stones from along the side of the road.  No stone is safe around me if it is the right shape and size!   Also the stepping stones were brought from our last house and reused as a walkway between the stone patio and stairs to the deck.

The garden here is a work in progress, and I am enjoying the progress of it!

 

Poem by Gerald Green

HYACINTHS PERFUME

I lingered to enjoy the moment,
ending the eleven-month intermission,
as the sweet aroma reached me
from the garden behind the house.

The hyacinth had returned
without fanfare or recognition
by bulbs not yet broken forth,
or buds pregnant with the glory of spring.

I followed the unforgettable scent
to its humble position beside the hellebore,
and admired my early spring friend
before me in perfect health.

With one whiff, everything changed.
Last year’s faded images of spring renewed,
and the value of life increased
in a moment. In a breath.
Garden

Winter Surprise

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February…what a teaser!

We have struggled and endured the stunningly cold polar vortex that assaulted us for a number of days in late January and early February….then February decided to give us a taste of spring with warm breezes and sunshine.  We are now back to cold and blowing snow.

While walking to the house with my head tucked from the cold wind, and not paying much attention, I glanced down and couldn’t believe what I saw…the little violas that had reseeded along the sidewalk were blooming!  Such an unexpected surprise!  February is teasing us again!  But spring will be here soon.

The flowers of late winter and early spring 

occupy places in our hearts

well out of proportion to their size.

Gertrude Wister

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Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always;

again I will say, rejoice!

 

Garden

Brrr! Bring them inside!

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Bringing Plants In

“The Autumn Winds They Do Blow Cold…”

It is the time of year to bring in any tender plants that you want to overwinter.

You can preserve plants from year to year and also enjoy the tropical greenery inside.  It is nice to have something green growing when all is dead and buried under snow outside.

Inspect the plants and pots for pests and insects before bringing them in.  The plants may need pruned back some, or re potted.

Make sure you have the right spot for them-they need bright light out of direct sunlight.

The air inside is dryer, and of course much warmer, and the plants need a higher humidity-mist them occasionally or set on pebble filled trays.

I find that it is easier to take care of them if they are grouped together.

Keep them well watered.  They should be lightly fertilized about once a month, especially after the daylight begins to lengthen in the early spring and they begin growing again.

What is going on here garden wise….

The only vegetable garden I was able to muster this summer here at our new home was this…

A few tomato plants and a few zucchini squash along the block wall by the carport.  They grew fine and I enjoyed the precious few tomatoes and summer squash.  The summer season ended all too soon and I am left wondering where the summer went.

The temperatures have dipped into the 30’s at night these last few weeks and reduced my small garden to this…

Good by summer!

One of the most frost sensitive plants are my impatiens-they put on such a beautiful display in the shady areas of the garden-overnight they turned into this.

I do have a few houseplants that I overwinter every year, bringing them inside before the frost damages them.  After spending the summer outside, they are all growing very lush and full.

One is the Christmas Cactus.  It is really a Thanksgiving Cactus, as soon as I bring it into the warm house, it begins setting its blossoms and should be in full bloom in a few weeks.  It is a very forgiving plant and survives just fine outside in the summer and also does well inside during the winter.

I love ferns, and try to keep this one from year to year-it is a challenge as it does not like the dry heat of the house. By the time late spring arrives, it is barely surviving.  It recovered nicely this summer, but I am expecting it to suffer in the house again this winter.

I was given a few pink sorrel plants years ago -these were from the person’s grandmother, and could I keep them alive?-and have overwintered them successfully for a number of years.  They are considered perennials, but are not hardy in our area.  They overwinter in the house fine, but do make quite a mess, as they grow, flower, die off again and again.

The last plant that I plan to overwinter is this mixed hanging basket.  It grew ferociously during the summer, hanging down about 4 feet, but it is very frost sensitive and suffered some killing damage already as I didn’t bring it in soon enough.  I will cut it back severely, and see if it recovers.

It is the time of year to begin tucking everything in for the winter….are you ready?

Do you overwinter any plants?

Are you successful?

*

Proverbs 24:5

A wise man is strong;

yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

 

 

 

Garden

Flower of the Week-Johnny Jump Up

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Johnny Jump Up

What a name!  But the flower does its name justice.  Such a cute name and such a cute flower.  Such a happy smiley face of a flower.

When we moved to this new house last fall, I found lots of these Johnny Jump Ups all over, in the lawn and in beds.  I tried transplanting some of them from the lawn into beds where I wanted them.  Most of the transplants did not live over the winter, but this spring, there were plenty more to move where I wanted them.  I had never grown violas before and I am loving them.

So, here is the scoop on Johnny Jump Ups…

Violas, known as Johnny Jump Ups, are a popular, easy and fun to grow flower. They are also known as wild pansy, which they are related to, (the size of the flower being the difference) and as heart’s ease.

Violas come in the cheery colors of deep purple, mauve, and yellow.

They love the full sun, and will also do well in partial shade.

Violas can be planted in the summer or fall, by scattering the seeds on the ground and then barely covering them. Keep watered.

They like average garden soil, but some compost never hurts anything.

They will germinate in about 10 days.

Violas are long blooming, blooming from spring till the fall if they are kept deadheaded.  When the plant becomes worn out, cut it back to about 3-4 inches for a re-bloom.

Violas are low growing, about 3-10 inches tall and are good for the front of flower borders.

Violas can be self seeders, as the ones I have are.  If they are not deadheaded, the seeds will scatter as they will.  Just dig a good size clump and move them where wanted.

They like to be kept well watered and weeded.

Violas are not bothered by disease or pests and are frost tolerant.

Violas are edible-they can be used as a garnish to decorate cakes and pastries, added to salads, and frozen in cubes to float in summer drinks.

I am enjoying my happy face Johnny Jump Ups.

Do you grow violas?

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Colossians 1:10

That you may live a life worthy of the Lord

and may please him in every way;

bearing fruit in every good work,

growing in the knowledge of God.