| October 3, 2005 15:53 - It's the Ideal Time to Hook Up your Yard
We're into October and "it's the ideal time to hook up your yard" according to John P Begeman. "Plant trees and shrubs of all types early this month. Warm soil temperatures and cool air temperatures combine to provide ideal conditions for the establishment of new landscape plants." Trees, cool-season annuals and veggies together with advice on pruning roses are all covered in this piece. Read more..
Anne Farrow has a suggestion for something you can plant in your garden that makes your property more beautiful, safer and even more secure. It doesn't require fertilizer or compost, just electricity. "Adding lights to your landscaping is one of gardening’s newest topics" she claims. "Nightscaping" is what it's called, and you can read all about it here.
gardening
Comments
October 10, 2005 17:22 - Soft, Melodious Gurglings and 346 Pumpkin Pies
If you're on the phone and you hear soft, melodious gurgling sounds you'll know that you are on hold waiting to speak to someone at Urdl's Water Gardening Center. This is their alternative to the usual annoying muzak to which you are subjected when the phones are busy and you are in a queue.
This is a clever marketing ploy by Urdl's to get you thinking about fountains and fish ponds. I just hope that it does not have the unintended side effect caused by my local radio station Wave FM whose original signature/jingle was the sound of waves gently lapping on the shore. Unfortunately this caused many of its listeners to rush to the toilet every time it was played. Needless to say it was dropped as soon as they realised what was happening. But if you want to read more about Urdl's, here is the link.
"Thanksgiving dessert is on Michelle" reports Erin Putsay. Only one dish on the menu and it's pumpkin pie, or 346 of them according to Michelle Verhoff's calculation. And that's from just one of the five giant pumpkins that this gardening rookie from Massillon grew in her backyard. Read more..
gardening
Comments
October 19, 2005 11:41 - Special Offers Update
No sooner had I emailed the October issue of Garden Ramblings with its rather meagre collection of Special Offers than new ones popped up in my mailbox. If anyone reading this does not know what I am talking about, just go to Garden Ramblings where you can subscribe.
First came Brecks with "The World's Most Beautiful Begonias - Get One Free". Twelve for $29.99 + One Free. According to Brecks "These Deluxe Begonias are much stronger than other begonias, and they flower much more profusely. They begin blooming in early summer and provide a continuous, nonstop floral parade right up to the frosts of fall".
Close behind came Gurneys with an offer of 25% off Garden Solutions Grass Seed Blends. If that was not enough to excite you, they returned a few days later with their Fall Perennial Clearance Sale. "Grab your mouse and click your way to savings on all sorts of great plants during our Fall Perennial Clearance Extravaganza! You could save as much as 25% on daylilies, poppies, daisies and more."
Next day Brecks were back imploring you to Save Over 50% on their Festival of the Giant Tulips. "With long strong stems, and bright coloured 5" blooms, there's simply nothing like these magnificent Dutch flowers."
Finally Gardeners Supply cries "Now through Nov. 6, take 10% off everything in the store - even already-reduced outlet items!!"
gardening
Comments
October 26, 2005 11:23 - Fall Color, Planting Bulbs and a Cautionary Tale about Potting Compost
With Autumn's first frost your summer show of brightly colored annuals will have been reduced to a grey soggy mess only fit for pulling out and piling on the compost heap. But this does not have to mean the end of garden color according to Susan Grupp, a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. Mums and asters are blooming at this season as are several others that she suggests. more..
Here's a cautionary tale from New Zealand. Four residents of Christchurch have contracted a new strain of legionnaires disease which has been linked to potting compost. According to the report: "Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey says gardeners should be warned about the latest cases. He says people should open bags of soil products slowly and keep them away from their face.
Dr Humphrey says legionella thrives in compost bins.
source
"Now is the time to plant fall bulbs" says Tom Krupicka. " I would bet that most gardeners, not yet rested from this summer’s gardening activities, have not given a thought to planting fall- and spring-blooming bulbs. I can say this because as history has shown us, more and more consumers are asking for fall bulbs to plant in the spring as bulbs then begin to grow and bloom." more..
You can tell that the bulb-planting season is drawing to a close because many of the merchants are making special offers in an effort to shift their remaining stocks. You can get up to 55% off from Dutch Gardens, Brecks Bulbs
and Gurney's Seed and Nursery.
Comments
October 31, 2005 12:49 - Halloween Magick and Decaying Leaves
For someone who is both a master gardener and a practising witch, it is no surprise to learn that Ellen Dugan lives in the Halloween House. It always features 20 or more carved pumpkins arranged on hay bales, orange lights strung everywhere and a scarecrow with an illuminated head. But it is what goes on indoors that will interest gardeners. Ellen has drawn on her knowledge in both fields to write a number of books including "Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up" and "Cottage Witchery: Natural Magick for Hearth and Home". more..
"Don't bother to rake up your leaves" says Chris Beardshaw. Well that is not quite what he said. He is happy for you to clear the lawn and remove fallen leaves from your pond, but there is no need in his view for you to follow his grandmother's habit of chasing every leaf with her broom. Rather let the leaves that fall on your flower beds remain to decay naturally and enrich the soil. more..
While Chris Beardshaw's article was all about preparing for winter, this one by Tenaya Groff opens like this: "Thirty days hath November ---- in the garden. Let us be thankful that we live in such a perfect climate for gardening year round. Happy Thanksgiving!". No prizes for guessing that she is writing from California. more..
gardening
Comments
| 
