The Joy of Gardening

[kittygrrl]

Originally Posted by homoe

In today's Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Section Forkner offers tips on plotting for spring but what really grabbed my attention was his reference to a 2015 book by Ken Druse.The New Shade Garden: Creating A Lush Oasis In The Age of Climate Change.

Forkner agrees that the garden of the future will be shade ones. Last year was one of the hottest summers on records in the Pacific Northwest and agrees Climate Charge will play an important factor in future gardening endeavours.

it should be snowing here, with at least 6" on the ground this time of year. However to date only a sprinkling here and there but mostly rain. I am enjoying it but quite worried this means a searing hot spring & summer......so perhaps i will only grow tomatoes this year..i am a little worried about my fruit trees now...

[homoe]

If you're new to gardening like myself, a recent article in the January issue suggests tips on sowing timelines, but mostly importantly they indicate if one has no clue to their area's average frost date they visit garden.com

The article also lists several seed companies and a bit of info on each.....

[homoe]

The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, established in 1986, collects, preserves, and distributes historic plant varieties and strives to promote greater appreciation for the origins and evolution of garden plants.

The program centers on Thomas Jefferson's horticultural interests and the plants he grew at Monticello, and covers the broad history of plants cultivated in America by including varieties documented through the nineteenth century, and choice North American plants, a group of special interest to Jefferson himself.

According to a recent article in Better Homes & Gardens one can buy seeds of plants he tended in his garden at Monticello.

[homoe]

Pay Attention to Temperature
Most plants, like people, are comfortable in daytime temperatures between 65 to 75 degrees F. and nighttime temps above 50 degrees F. To provide that for your plants, keep them away from both cold drafts and sources of heat, like radiators, ovens, fireplaces and electronic devices. Fluctuations in temperature can be just as damaging as prolonged periods of heat or cold.

Low Humidity
Low humidity is probably the biggest hurdle to overcome during winter. The humidity level in heated homes can drop to 10 - 20% in winter and plants prefer a level closer to 50%. If you have a humidifier in your home, move your plants to a spot where they will enjoy its benefits. If you do not have a humidifier, you're going to need to raise the humidity level by other means.Start by clustering your plants in groups. Plants naturally release water through their leaves by transpiring and grouping them together will put that moisture to good use. If you have room in the bathroom or kitchen, these are the best rooms to congregate your plants, other than the one with the humidifier in it, because they accumulate the most moisture from showers and boiling water.

[homoe]

Winter is probably the easiest time of year to kill a houseplant. Grueling growing conditions like lower light levels, dry air, shorter days and chilly temperatures put houseplants through the paces.

The most common problem houseplants suffer from in winter is over watering. About 95% of houseplants need soil to dry out almost completely before watering.

[homoe]

Give them ample sunlight



Keep in mind that plants get the nourishment they need to grow from the sun. Do your best to give your potted plants as much light as you can during the winter months. Plants left directly under windows get the most light, but if you need to put it elsewhere in the room, leave it by the back wall of the room. If you leave your plants in places of the room that get enough sunlight, you won’t have to worry about looking into artificial sources of light during the winter. During the winter, your southern-facing windows will get the most sunlight. In order to effectively follow the previous tip, it’s best to keep your plants directly under sunlight from the southern-facing windows.

[homoe]

Don’t Repot until spring, if possible.


Repotting is very tough on plants, and they will need all their strength in the winter. So hold off on repotting window plants until spring...

[homoe]

Fertilize.


This is a time for garden plants to go dormant and rest. Forcing them to start new growth before the ground warms in the spring not only interrupts this period when they are rejuvenating but ice storms and temperatures below freezing or even hard frosts will kill tender new growth.

[homoe]

Think outside the box when it comes to containers..

[Lyte]

If you like color … if you like bulbs … all different kinds of bulbs... I can't recommend these guys enough. I ordered from them a couple of times when I lived in NY.

COLOR BLENDS <-- linky

Then sell bulbs in bulk … so they're pretty economical vs what you'd pay at the Home Depot or Lowes or wherever else... and they're of much better quality. They sell single colors or in some pretty spectacular color combinations. Even if you're in a part of the country that doesn't really get proper "winters" … such as California… they can provide you with insight on how to get bulbs to work in your area. Ohh... they offer a free catalog too!

[homoe]

Originally Posted by Lyte

If you like color … if you like bulbs … all different kinds of bulbs... I can't recommend these guys enough. I ordered from them a couple of times when I lived in NY.

COLOR BLENDS <-- linky

Then sell bulbs in bulk … so they're pretty economical vs what you'd pay at the Home Depot or Lowes or wherever else... and they're of much better quality. They sell single colors or in some pretty spectacular color combinations. Even if you're in a part of the country that doesn't really get proper "winters" … such as California… they can provide you with insight on how to get bulbs to work in your area. Ohh... they offer a free catalog too!

WOW, thanks! I have already spent WAY too much time on their site....

[homoe]

Lucky Bamboo

Did you get some "Lucky Bamboo" over the holidays? Although these pretty plants do look like it, they're not a bamboo of any kind. They're a tropical plant called Dracaena that breaks all the houseplant rules. Most plants need lots of light; but direct sun will kill Lucky Bamboo. The ambient light in the average room is all it needs.
And while most plants would rot if their roots sat in water all the time, Lucky Bamboo requires that amount of constant moisture. But it is finicky about the water itself. The chlorine and fluoride in city tap water will turn the leaves yellow at first and then eventually kill the plant. Use spring water or distilled or purified water instead. Think of the bad karma if you killed your Lucky Bamboo

[Lyte]

Great!! So glad you like them! I felt like I'd discovered a lil treasure when I found them.

Originally Posted by homoe

WOW, thanks! I have already spent WAY too much time on their site....

[homoe]

Preping for a new garden

Planning a new garden bed for next summer in an area where grass or weeds are currently growing? Make it easy on yourself by starting the project right now. First, place a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard over the area, then pile on alternating layers of organic material like compost, leaves, pine needles, untreated grass clippings, and straw. In the spring, the grass and weeds underneath the pile will be dead, and your new garden bed will be ready to plant!

[homoe]

Asrai Garden 1935 W North Ave, Chicago

Asrai Garden was founded by Elizabeth Cronin in 1999. It's a retail outpost known for stunning floral arrangements, luxurious fine jewelry, and magical curiosities. Besides floral they also carry hand-painted tarot cards and incense-bundles. Their new online shop highlights many of their offerings ......

https://www.asraigarden.com/#

[homoe]

This time of year may still be cold and gray, but there's a quick way to conjure some green indoors. Carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, parsnips, rutabagas, and celery root all sport edible greens when planted and set on a sunny windowsill. Just don't use potatoes-their sprouts are toxic....

[homoe]

Cloches are removable glass or plastic covers that protect plants from cold. Sometimes called bells or bell jars, most fit over individual plants, but some are large enough to cover a row. Like other covers, cloches should be placed over plants before the sun goes down and removed in the morning after the frost has thawed.

Glass cloches are highly ornamental. When you're not using them outside for frost protection, you can use them indoors over humidity-loving houseplants like violets. You can also use plastic cloches, which are generally less expensive than glass ones. But because they are lightweight, they must be staked into the ground to prevent them from blowing away in high winds.

Note: Since cloches used for cold protection are temporary measures, you may opt to create your own makeshift versions. Flower pots, Mason jars, baskets, and milk jugs with the bottoms removed can all be placed over plants to shield them from freeze and frost.

[homoe]

The Chicago Flower & Garden Show which takes place at Navy Pier March 20 - 24th. This event has been going since 1847 when the Chicago Horticultural Society hosted its first exhibition of Fruits and Flowers. It boasts a total of 170,000 square footage filled with vendors, landscapers, etc etc

There are also events such as a photography class showing how to use your smartphone to take and share flower pics and a "potting party" class where you can create your own container garden filled with colorful blooms.

Weather permitting, I'll be in Chicago around this time and can't wait to attend this..

[Canela]

Originally Posted by homoe

The Chicago Flower & Garden Show which takes place at Navy Pier March 20 - 24th. This event has been going since 1847 when the Chicago Horticultural Society hosted its first exhibition of Fruits and Flowers. It boasts a total of 170,000 square footage filled with vendors, landscapers, etc etc

There are also events such as a photography class showing how to use your smartphone to take and share flower pics and a "potting party" class where you can create your own container garden filled with colorful blooms.

Weather permitting, I'll be in Chicago around this time and can't wait to attend this..

I so miss Chicago and Navy Pier and the Miracle Mile...my nephews both graduated in one of the giant auditoriums at Navy Pier...one from Loyola and one from Du Paul...that place is beautiful, fun and amazing!

I hope you have a great time out there homoe!
Please post pics so I can live vicariously through you...

[homoe]

Originally Posted by Canela

I so miss Chicago and Navy Pier and the Miracle Mile...my nephews both graduated in one of the giant auditoriums at Navy Pier...one from Loyola and one from Du Paul...that place is beautiful, fun and amazing!

I hope you have a great time out there homoe!
Please post pics so I can live vicariously through you...

I would LOVE to post pics however I don't own a phone with a camera......LOL I keep life simple and use those Kodak disposal camera...

I am curious, did you live in Chicago at one time?