gardening

I Canna Believe It’s You!

/ Kevin / 18 Comments

Once the Elephant Ears were cleaned and planted, it was time to turn my attention to Canna.  Like their large-leaved companions, Canna are also over-wintered in brown paper bags filled with peat moss and then stored in the cement bunker at a steady, cool temperature.  (One year, I stored them in the garage, which was too cold and too moist.  The result was a smelly, mushy mess.)

For this demonstration, I’ll use my absolute most favorite Canna, “Black Knight.”  The leaves are big and bold and bronzy red, with hot red blooms.  And the rhizomes, well, they’re meaty.  That’s right.  Meaty.

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100th Post: Water For Elephant Ears

/ Kevin / 34 Comments

Attractive, aren’t they?

The last time I saw my Elephant Ears, they were clipped back, packed into peat moss, and stored in a cement bunker.  With the very warm April temperatures, I couldn’t resist opening up their winter palace.  But unlike Geraldo Rivera and Al Capone’s vault, I found my treasure.

 1. After a long winter’s nap, the stems, leaf remnants, and roots have withered from tropical green to paper bag brown.

2. To clean each bulb, I shake off the excess peat moss and dirt.  Then, it’s time to husk the dead leaves, stems, and roots. 

3. It takes a little effort, but once cleaned, there is usually a pinkish shoot at the heart of all that brown – the promise of new growth.

4. Some bulbs may still have healthy looking roots.  These I leave on – might as well give the bulbs a head start once they’re planted. 

 5. This Elephant Ear collection began years ago with the purchase of one bulb. Over time, smaller bulbs developed, like the one pictured here (toward the right), and these can eventually be separated, either manually or on their own.  I’ve also learned that the bigger the bulb, the larger the leaf.  But the smaller bulbs also have value – they can be kept in pots and moved around the garden as filler.

6. To plant the bulbs, the toughest part is choosing the right sized pot.  I add some potting soil to the pot, settle the bulb into place (shoot side facing up, of course), and then fill until the crown is just below the surface. 

7. I’m sure I make more work for myself by first potting the Elephant Ear bulbs.  With the pots, however, I feel I have more control over the plants.  If there should be a frost, I can move the collection indoors.  If a bulb fails to bloom, I won’t have an empty area in the garden.

8. Once planted, I place the pots in a sunny location and water daily.  These are tropical, and they thrive on heat and moisture.  Once they develop leaves, it’s into the garden they go – usually to a partial shade location.

A special thank you to Elaine from Ramblings from Rosebank for suggesting that I post a few photos of Elephant Ears in their glory days of summer.  

 

Next Post: I Canna Believe It’s You

Hosta La Vista, Baby

/ Kevin / 31 Comments

Today, I became a man.

Today, I channeled my inner Schwarzenegger, and tackled a division of Hostas – or rather, Hosta division.

The thought occurred to me that the Hostas in the front bed were getting quite large and needed to be divided.  Actually, that thought occurred to me years ago –and Joe has reminded me of this each season.  I always fell back on it’s just not the right time of year to divide – but the shelf life of that excuse was long exhausted.

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Bloomin’ Update 21: Down The Rabbit Hole

/ Kevin / 38 Comments

 

I was all set to do a before and after photo spread, starting off with white and colored eggs in the spirit of the Easter holiday, and then segue into a series of photos about my pre- and post-Spring clean-up.

Before: The implied knot garden.

My raking , though, became more of an excavation as I uncovered plants that I hadn’t seen in some time — and my imagination kicked in.  Suddenly, I was a space explorer hovering over an unchartered alien world, boldly going where no man had gone before.  Or, in keeping with the season, I was Alice down the rabbit hole — and the garden grew curiouser and curiouser.

An oasis of peony.

The Valley of Lily of the Valley.

A view of Hosta Heights.

The edge of the Great Boxwood Forest.

The Spiderwort Wood, or as the local tribes call it, Tradescantia.

The Great Desert was once a colorful jungle. What happened here?

The unfurling tendrils of the Ferocious Ferns are poised to snag an unsuspecting wanderer.

When I came to, I was back in my garden, rake in hand and surveying my work . . .

After: The implied knot garden.

. . . still unsure about where I had been.  But at least I have the photos to prove that it was a real place. 

Happy Passover.  Happy Easter.

The Sunshine Award Goes To . . .

/ Kevin / 26 Comments

It was a dark and stormy night.

Actually, it was daytime – and it was gray and soggy.  The sort of day that feels like a wet sponge, and no matter how tightly you twist and wring, it continues to seep water.  At least that was my view as I stood in the potting shed, gazing out at a lawn that already needs to be mowed and winter remains that should have been raked up weeks ago. 

That’s when I noticed that sunshine can come from the most unlikely of places.

I had taken advantage of the weather to catch up on potting shed work, transplanting seedlings into individual pots.  In this case, I marveled at the smallest splashes of color on the first true leaves of Hypoestes phyllostachya, or Polka Dot Plant.  They actually seemed to sparkle on this grayest of gray days. 

I also caught a glimpse of sunshine on the arbor that spans the blue stone walkway.  This may not look like much to you, but to me this is the payoff for which I have waited years.  The Climbing Hydrangeas, purchased so long ago from a catalog, have finally matured enough to make their very first flowers.

Even more sunshine arrived courtesy of Ni hao Shangai! and Outtakes on the Outskirts, both of whom nominated my blog for the Sunshine Award.  Each of these blogs, although they couldn’t be geographically further apart, document family life in their own part of the world: Shanghai and Ohio, respectively.  And to each of these remarkable women bloggers, I would like to extend my thanks for discovering my site and for passing along this honor.

I’ve said it before – and I will say it again – when each of us writes and posts, we often forget that there is a world of an audience out there, each eager to explore and learn and discuss.  When notice comes that your work is appreciated, well, it is hugely touching and encouraging.  So, ladies, thank you again!

With these various blog awards, there are rules that must be followed in the acceptance.  So here it goes. 

  1. Include the logo in your post.  Check
  2. Link back to the person who nominated you.  Double check.
  3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.
  4. Nominate 10 – 12 other bloggers and link them to the Sunshine Award post in their comments section.

Some sunny facts about me:

1. What is your favorite color?  Actually, I don’t really have a favorite — so I opened my closet and did a quick analyis of my clothes.  There’s blue and green and lots of earth tones.  When I look at that description, I almost sound like Earth.

2. What is your favorite animal?  Again, I don’t really have a favorite breed.  I’m not someone who is surr0unded by prints and posters and trinkets of, say, Pandas or Koalas.  So I will take this as an opporunity to introduce you to the rest of the family: Murphy and Muffola.  Murphy is our 7-year-old Tibetan Terrier, who is sadly dealing with some knee issues in her hind legs.  Then, there is Muffola, the just over 1-year-old Ragdoll cat.

3. What is your favorite number?  Hmmm.  I really don’t think I have one.  Seven?  Because it rhymes with Kevin?  My age?  Because I’m happy to still be here? 

4. What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?  This one is easy.  Water.  I like the basics — cool and refreshing.  If I want to make it fancy, I’ll brew it into some unsweetened iced tea.

5. Which do you prefer: Facebook or Twitter?  Up until yesterday, this was neither.  I do not have a Facebook account because, as a school employee, I did not want students having access to me.  Then they would ask to be my friend, and I would have to set a boundary and say no, and then it would just get ugly.  So I have avoided Facebook.  As for Twitter — Is anyone really that important that they have to message whatever they happen to be doing at any moment of the day or even their opinion on everything?  Then I spoke to our friend Teresa, who gave me a crash course in blogging and Twittering and Facebooking and linking and, well, let’s just say I’m exploring all options on the social media front.  I’ll keep you posted.

6.  What is your passion?  There are way too many to list.  The obvious would be gardening and writing.  Then, there is bagpiping, traveling, reading, and food. 

7. Do you prefer giving or receiving presents?  I’m a giver — but I do like to receive a gift.  My favorites are the kind that are given for no reason and they do not need to be expensive.  Just a token that says, “I thought of you.”

8. What is your favorite pattern?  Plaid.  Hands down, it’s plaid.

9. What is your favorite day of the week?  I enjoy Saturdays (it’s a weekend) and Wednesday evenings (bagpipe lesson night), but I especially enjoy a lazy Sunday morning, lingering over breakfast and The New York Times and the crossword puzzle.

10. What is your favorite flower?  This is a particular difficult question, but if I have to  play favorites, then Dahlia holds a special place in my heart — just don’t tell the other flowers.  They each think that they’re my favorite.

Now for my nominees.  The first 8 are a group of blogs that I visit regularly for inspiration, creativity, and knowledge.  They are, I guess, my rays of sunshine and I often nominate them for various awards.  I truly admire the creators of these blogs.  Numbers 9 – 14 (yes, I know I went overboard) are new discoveries.  I was fortunate enough that they found my site so that I could explore and discover their world.  Please find the time to click on over and explore all that they have to offer — no sunscreen required.

  1. Lee May’s Gardening Life — The first blog I ever read, and the one that inspired me to take the leap.
  2. Hortus 5 — The style is tremendous, but it’s Mario’s warmth and dedication that keeps me returning.
  3. Jean’s Garden — With wit and intelligence, Jean makes gardening and nature very hands-on.
  4. Arigna Gardener — Each day is an adventure, as Bridget shares so much of her gardening life in Ireland.
  5. Promenade Plantings — This is so more than a gardening blog.  There are recipes and humor and a European life.
  6. Tidy Gardens by Jane — A day without Jane is like a day without sunshine.  I especially love her humor.
  7. Canoe Corner — Join Marguerite as she shares her progress on renovating her dream home and landscape.
  8. Dreaming of Roses — If there was ever a place where the sun shines, it’s in this garden.  Roses, roses, and more!
  9. Breathe Lighter — Three remarkable women have joined forces to share their inspiration, knowledge, and philosophy.
  10. Dirt Road Documentaries — An incredibly fascinating journey.
  11. Rainy Leaf — Elaine offers a tremendous amount of gardening knowledge, with a Pacific Northwest slant.
  12. Joy in the Moments — Char takes the reader on a tour of life’s moments, and in between are lessons in writing and coping.
  13. The Garden Diaries — There’s a lot of design information here, but it’s Beekeeping 101 that grabbed my attention.
  14. Transformational Tuesdays — At last, it’s time recognize my friend Teresa, the same friend who instructed me on the power of Facebook and Twitter.  This is just one of the many projects she has embarked upon in her effort to spread motivation and personal growth. 

At this point in writing — and reading — the sun feels as if it’s about to set.  Again, many thanks to my nominators, and I hope you can find the time to visit my nominees. 

In closing, I’d like to borrow a line from an Irish blessing: “May the sun shine warm upon your face.”

 

Bloomin’ Update 20: Bulbalicious!

/ Kevin / 36 Comments

The other day when I pulled into the driveway and stepped from my car, I was overcome by the sweet perfume scent of Hyacinths.  It’s a smell that I call intoxicating.  In fact, I’ve referred to this scent as intoxicating so often and for so many years that it has become a sort of running joke between myself and Joe. 

“Can you smell that?” I begin.  “It’s . . . “

“I know, I know,” answers Joe.  “It’s intoxicating.”

Now I’m thinking of breaking out of predictability with a new description for Hyacinth — and I’m going with Bulbalicious.  I figure if the vernacular can work for Beyonce, why not Hyacinth?

While Hyacinth may be the headliner on the Spring stage, we mustn’t overlook the supporting bloomers.  Afterall, we all know what happened to Diana Ross & the Supremes.  Besides, these back-up harmonizers are all Bulbalicious in their own right.

Tulip — a little shy now, but emerging slowly.

What’s her name again?  I’m not sure what to call this dainty flower, but she’s reliable.

Watch out for Muscari.  With a name like that, she’s the vixen of the bunch, and she just might push Hyacinth out of the spotlight.  In fact, I believe she’s exploring a film role as a tree in a Dr. Seuss movie.

At this time of year, I have all the drama and diva attitudes I can handle right in the garden. What’s that I hear? “And I am telling you, I’m not going. . . You’re gonna love me . . .”  

Bulbalicious all the way.

 

 

A Pot To Call My Own

/ Kevin / 18 Comments

It seems like only yesterday that I planted these Geraniums, the first of this year’s seeds to be started early — and here they are, all grown up and ready to be moved into individual pots.  The truth is I am always caught off guard each year.  I know this day has to come – and then all at once, all of the sprouts have their first set of true leaves, an indication that I’ve got a lot of transplanting to do. 

Step 1:  I moisten a batch of seed starting mix, which is a little lighter and airier than potting soil and so roots do not have to work as hard to develop and grow.  Keeping the mixture moist not only creates a damp environment for the transplant, but it also keeps down the dust factor for your lungs.  I then fill the cell packs with the mixture.  Using a pencil or the tongue depressor plant label, I make some room for the transplant, deep enough so the roots can grow downward.

Step 2: I then ease the seedling from it’s starting pot.  This can be a little tricky.  I use the plant label as a shovel to help bring out the seedling.  In a starting pot that is more densely packed, I usually unpot the whole thing, resting the potless soil and seedlings on the potting bench.  I am then able to pry out each individual seedling, working from the perimeter to the middle, without disurbing the roots of the neighboring plants.

Step 3: At this stage, be very careful in how you handle the seedling.  I do not hold the plant by its stem or by the first set of true leaves.  Everything is still a little delicate — kind of like the soft spot on a baby’s head — and I wouldn’t want to crush any of  the developing plant cells.  Instead, the only thing I handle are the cotyledon leaves, the “baby leaves,” since these will eventually die as the plant continues to grow.

Step 4: With my plant label “tool,” I place the seedling into it’s new pot.  My goal is to help the roots into the hole’s depth, rather than bunching up near the surface.  I think this helps the overall health of the plant, especially as it continues to mature and is ultimately planted in the garden.  Deeper root development helps to prevent the plant from drying out in arid conditions.

Step 5:  Finally, I place the pot in a tray of water for bottom watering.  At this stage, I do not want to compact the soil mixture too much with watering from above, since that would hinder healthy root development.

 

Now that the Geraniums are transplanted, all I have left are Amaranth, Impatiens, Salvia, Candytuft . . . Hmmmm . . . Do you suppose this is why Joe scratches his head in disbelief each year? 

Things I Do When No One Is Looking

/ Kevin / 24 Comments

Willy Wonka — actually Gene Wilder in the better of the two Chocolate Factory movies — sang, “There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination.”  But is it possible to have too much imagination?

That thought occurred to me just the other day when I found myself with my head very close to a pail of moist seed starting mix – inhaling.  I’m not sure what came over me.  One minute, I was mixing the dry powdery combo with water – and the next, I was breathing.  Deeply.  Completely absorbed by the clean, fresh, earthy smell.

I admit, when I’m working outside and I’m by myself, I do get lost in my own thoughts and imaginings – and it’s more than daydreaming of what to plant and where to plant it.  No, that would be too easy.  My imagination, I feel, needs a diagnosis.

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Bloomin’ Update 18: One Week In Two Zones

/ Kevin / 21 Comments

One day, you’re on vacation in South Florida, gazing at the pattern of a banana leaf sunlit from behind (above) — and the next, you’re bundled up against the wind chill of Long Island.  After arriving home, I went through some random Florida photos and then walked around the yard on Long Island to make a comparison.  Can you guess which photos came from which zone?

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Ladies & Gentlemen, Start Your Seeds!

/ Kevin / 33 Comments

The thing about a vacation is that you have to come home.  One day, I was enjoying the warmth of south Florida sun, and the next I was bundled up against the wind chill on Long Island — and there’s no better day to start seeds.  Like many of you, my hands were itching to get dirty and to begin the new growing season.  Since the potting shed was built, this has been my tradition — a step-by-step homecoming.

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