This is how to turn an old tree stump into a planter!
Gorgeous!
Greetings from my Lavender Garden Cottage! I live in a lovely old 1890's cottage surrounded by beautiful flowers. I love the patina of old, worn, tarnished antiques and sell them in my Etsy shop. Welcome to my cottage lifestyle!
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
8.17.2014
7.29.2013
In My Garden....
A few pics of gorgeous flowers in my garden...
These daylilies are still looking good!
Just a tiny part of a huge hanging basket of blue verbena.
Black-eyed-susans, dayliles and a hint of garden phlox in the back.
(and yes, that is a solar light in the lower right)
Garden phlox and stargazer lilies smell delish!
Potted Yukon Gold potatoes and basil.
Only a few of the first basil seeds took so I seeded again.
(another re-do I this year...yikes!)
The roses are blooming sporadically this year but at least they are blooming.
(and might I mention that 3 out of 4 roses I planted last year died after sprouting
this spring and, you guessed it, were replanted. another re-do....wth!)
Thanks for enjoying my garden!
Deb
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6.05.2013
A Rose by Any Other Name...
Just had to share my first rose of the season...
Peace Rose
Today I am sharing with...
5.14.2012
Change your Hydrangea’s Bloom Colors!
My hydrangea is full of small, but growing, blooms. I’m thrilled! Every year it gets bigger and has more blossoms on it. But what color will those flowers be?
I can’t remember what type and bloom color this big leaf hydrangea was when I planted it. It was a free one from work (I work for a flower catalog company, nice huh?) and it may not have even been marked or marked correctly. Sadly, I can’t even remember what color the blooms were last year. I think they were pink…or some sort of pinkish white. I was just so thrilled to have blooms that I don’t even remember what color they were. All hydrangea colors are welcome in my cottage garden.
Are all hydrangea colors welcome in your garden? Or are your gardens color coordinated? Maybe you planted a pink garden and your big leaf hydrangea is now putting out lavender blue flowers?
Well, change those blossom colors right back. Or just change them to another color. Big leaf hydrangea colors are determined by the soil ph. To change your hydrangea’s color, just follow these rules:
• To change a pink hydrangea to blue, add aluminum sulfate to the soil around the plant. Drench the soil around the plant with water, then dilute 1 tablespoon of aluminum sulfate in a gallon of water and pour it around the plant. Soil ph should be between 5.2-5.5. Fertilize several times per year with a fertilizer with an N/P/K of 25/5/30.
• To change a blue hydrangea to pink, neutralize the aluminum in the soil under the plant by adding dolomite lime a few times per year. The soil ph should be between 6.0 to 6.2. To keep the pink color, use a fertilizer with an N/P/K of 25/10/10.
• White hydrangeas can’t be changed to any other color though they sometimes pick up a pink or red tinge as the flowers age.
• In a hot climate, it is almost impossible to keep red hydrangeas red without some fading. Red hydrangea blossom colors can’t be changed to another color.
• It is possible to have blue, pink and lavender flowers on one hydrangea bush due to changing soil ph levels.
• If you just can’t keep your hydrangeas in the color you want, you can always plant them in huge pots where it is easier to maintain the soil ph for the color of bloom you want.
I hope this will help you with your hydrangea bushes and their flower colors. As always…
Happy Gardening!
2.06.2012
Signs of Spring in the Garden
I am already seeing signs of spring in my garden. I will admit that I have been out there everyday looking for it! I’ve been moving dry brown leaves around hunting for the bright fresh green of spring.
And…I found it!
Daffodils, how I missed you!
Delicate fronds of fennel!
Black hollyhocks!
Oregano in the giant herb pot!
Left over lettuce in the garden!
Radishes…oops…I forgot you in the fall!
I have missed you all!
1.27.2012
Top 5 Heirloom Seed Catalogs
I love heirloom seeds. Heirloom seeds are seeds with a history. These old seeds were saved year after year often by the same families for growing in their gardens.
The names these old gardeners gave their seeds are intriguing. Who can resist a tomato called “Stump of the World”? What would that even taste like? And, what about Serpent Melon? At less than 12 inches, it is a cucumber, but at 3 feet, it is a melon. Okay, you have me…I am intrigued.
Heirloom seeds refer to any seed that predates modern, 1951 or later, hybridized seeds. A hybrid is a plant that is bred by crossing two distinct plants to create a genetically different third plant. Hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce the crossed varieties. Hybrids are bred to take advantage of certain characteristics each parent may have. They are created for a variety of agribusiness reasons, such as uniform size for shipping and marketing, the ability to withstand transport over long distances, ripening at the same time, or resistance to pests, blight, and other environmental and weather hazards.
Since I am not a large agribusiness farmer, just a home gardener, it makes sense for me to use heirloom seeds for my garden. With heirlooms, I can enjoy a wide variety of colorful, uniquely shaped, yummy tasting, delightfully named vegetables from my garden.
Here are my Top 5 Heirloom Seed Catalogs.
Honorable mention:
Seeds of Change
For organic, sustainable seeds not always heirloom.
The names these old gardeners gave their seeds are intriguing. Who can resist a tomato called “Stump of the World”? What would that even taste like? And, what about Serpent Melon? At less than 12 inches, it is a cucumber, but at 3 feet, it is a melon. Okay, you have me…I am intrigued.
Heirloom seeds refer to any seed that predates modern, 1951 or later, hybridized seeds. A hybrid is a plant that is bred by crossing two distinct plants to create a genetically different third plant. Hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce the crossed varieties. Hybrids are bred to take advantage of certain characteristics each parent may have. They are created for a variety of agribusiness reasons, such as uniform size for shipping and marketing, the ability to withstand transport over long distances, ripening at the same time, or resistance to pests, blight, and other environmental and weather hazards.
Since I am not a large agribusiness farmer, just a home gardener, it makes sense for me to use heirloom seeds for my garden. With heirlooms, I can enjoy a wide variety of colorful, uniquely shaped, yummy tasting, delightfully named vegetables from my garden.
Here are my Top 5 Heirloom Seed Catalogs.
#5
This website is a one-woman operation with some amazing heirloom seeds. The owner grows and harvests all the seeds she sells on her website. Who can resist Woodle Orange Tomato or Chicken Heart Peppers? She also carries heirloom flower too. Most have limited quantities so order early!
#4
Heirloom Seeds is a small family run web based seed business. They are backyard gardeners for backyard gardeners. What started with tomatoes and peppers has grown to include other vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. In the descriptions, they mention where the seed came from and what year it originated in. Try Parisian Pickling cucumber, an heirloom from France dating to 1892, for pickles or slicing into salads this summer.
#3
Landreth is the oldest seed company in the US
#2
Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and preserving heirloom seeds. They have a gorgeous catalog, informative website and you can find their seeds in retail locations. Join their nonprofit group and save 10% off your seed order from their website! I have my eye on the Chioggia beets, a pre-1840’s Italian variety and tiny Tommy Toe tomatoes. Yum!
#1
Jere Gettle started this catalog in 1998 when he was just 17 years old. It has grown to include 1300 different varieties of heirloom vegetables, flowers and herbs. He and his wife, Emilee, are preserving numerous old seed companies and have their own magazine, Heirloom Gardener. Their gorgeous catalog and website are extensive and you will want to buy everything! Some of my favorites are White Wonder watermelon, with creamy white flesh, Rouge d’Hiver lettuce, a red romaine from France and Black Pineapple tomatoes, a stunning striped tomato.
Honorable mention:
Seeds of Change
For organic, sustainable seeds not always heirloom.
1.13.2012
My Top 5 Favorite Flower Garden Seed Catalogs
Do you like to grow your own flowering plants? If you are thrifty or have a lot of space to grow in, then growing your own is the way to go!
I love to grow my own plants from seed but I only have one south facing window and it is usually full of heat-seeking kitties.
Some seeds can be scattered on the ground, like sunflower seeds, and they will grow without all the fuss of seed starting equipment. Those are my favorite lazy-gardener kind of seeds.
Below are my top 5 favorite flower seed catalogs. Now is the time to request these catalogs for dreaming of summers flowers.
#5
Thomson and Morgan is an English flower seed catalog that has the most extensive collection of seeds I have ever seen in a catalog! Who knew you could grow lantana or lemon grass by seed? All the seed in this catalog comes from England so if you are planning a proper English cottage garden, this is the catalog to order.
#4
I think what I like best about Renee’s is the lovely collections she has. Who can resist an Irresistible Scented Sweet Peas Garden or An Old Fashioned Fragrance Garden or the Heirloom Cottage Garden? Yeah, me either!
#3
Whatcom specializes in unique seeds, all kinds of unique seeds! If you have never heard of it, they will have it. Where else could you find Snake's Head Fritillary Checkered Lily (truly lovely despite the name!) or Black Tacca Bat Flower (very unique!) or the Carnivorous Whitetop Pitcher Plant (ewww…)? Their online catalog is worth a couple of hours spent looking at their unique plants!
#2
What I love about Eden Bros. is the breath of different seeds per type of flower. I never realized there were 16 varieties of cosmos or 19 varieties of zinnia’s or 22 of poppies. When grouped like this, it is easier to do a whole garden or section committed to only lupines or yarrow or sunflowers. Don’t miss their Rare & Unusual flower seeds sections with such unique wildflowers as Autumn Sneezeweed, Illinois Bundleflower Seeds, Tidy-Tips Seeds or Toadflax.
#1
Baker Creek has a beautiful catalog! The owners are preserving our heritage, our heirloom seeds, by collecting the seeds, growing the plants and offering the results via their lovely catalog. Not only do I love all the heirloom flowers in it, but the vegetables are just as easy on the eyes. This catalog is as precious as a book and is one of only two catalogs I save every year. Get yours while you can!
What are your favorite flower seed catalogs?
This week I am linking to:
4.22.2011
Happy Earth Day 2011 - 10 ways to Celebrate!
Happy Earth Day to all!
Here's a list of 10 simple ways to celebrate Earth Day:
1) Plant an organic garden.
2) Shop local.
3) Buy organic.
4) Plant a tree.
5) Stop using pesticides in and around your home.
6) Change your light bulbs to eco-friendly ones.
7) Start a community garden.
8) Use a refillable water bottle.
9) Turn off lights when you leave the room.
10) Recycle.
Make everyday an Earth Day!
4.14.2011
Your Hardiness Zone for Plants
"What growing zone am I?" is a frequent question on this blog. I know I mention grow zones in my flower of the day posts but what exactly does that mean? Grow zones are hardiness zones for plants. These are the zones that a particular plant will grow best in. This is why you don't see palm trees growing in Minnesota and why lilacs don't grow in Florida. The first needs warmer temps and the latter needs winter chill.
Below is a basic map of USDA plant hardiness zones. For the best results, grow plants that are hardy for your zone!
Happy gardening!
2.12.2011
My Secret Source for Flowers
One of the most frequent questions I am asked is "where can I find this flower?" Honestly, I didn't think it was such a mystery to find these beauties! But, perhaps, it is time to give up my secret source!
I work for a large garden catalog company that sells a variety of plants: annuals, perennials, vines, trees, shrubs, bulbs and seeds. Yep, it is nice! A dozen different flower catalogs come across my desk every month and I drop everything to drool over their glossy pages.
My favorite work day of the year is "free plant day". As the name suggests, it is the day when all the spring flower shipping has ended, the sad little leftovers have been inventoried, and then....that's right, they give the flowers to employees!
These plants are in varying degrees of sadness: some healthy but leggy and in need of pruning, some sorely in need of nursing back to health, some already knocking on deaths door. Some make it, some do not. Last year's haul included lots of butterfly bushes, coneflowers, daisies, irises, lavender(!) and petunias. Previous years have included a lovely smoky leafed barberry, lemon, lime & fig trees, pampas grass, crocosmia (surprise!) and some weird thing with glossy green leaves that shoots up a tiny trumpet of neon pink flowers in early spring. (I still can't figure out what it is!)
Since the pots are not marked and the choice can be some what limited, I try to pick only the ones I really like and whose leaves I will recognize when I plant them. Every year I have a few surprises that sneak into my yard. All pretty flowers are always welcome in my flower gardens. Weeds need not apply!
Below are links to some of the catalogs for the company I work for:
Some of my other favorite flower sources:
What are some of your favorites?
12.13.2010
Understanding Your Seed Catalogs
Every year I anticipate my seed catalogs arriving in the mail. I consider this the first sign of spring! Yippee! If you are new to gardening or new to starting your plants by seed, some of the abbreviations may leave you perplexed. What is an heirloom? What does open pollinated mean and do I want that?
Smalltownliving.com has put together a wonderful article explaining what these seed terms mean.
Just what is the difference here.
Hybrid seed is seed that is derived from mixing different traits from various plants to come up with a new/unique variety. Alot of times when seed is planted from this type of plant..it may/may not grow true to the parent plant. (In your seed catalogs you’ll see hybrid seed is listed with numbers like F1 and so forth on the description.)
Open pollinated seed means the seed is allowed to grow as nature intended…all heirloom seed is open pollinated seed.Open pollinated seed is then classified as both heirloom seed and open pollinated if the strain of seed has proven to grow “true to type” for 50 yrs or better.
Heirloom seed is seed that has been passed down from generation to generation and is seed that is at least from a 50 to 100 year strain of seed that has proven to grow “true to type” meaning that what you plant seed wise will look like the parent plant.
Organic seed does not necessarily mean that you are getting an heirloom variety of seed..organic simply refers to the methods/practices by which the seed has been grown..usually with minimal chemicals. Both hybrids and heirlooms can be grown organically.
Happy gardening!
9.11.2010
Flower of the Day!
Todays flower of the day is Painted Daisies - pretty pinks and reds that grow just about anywhere and multiply!
Happy Gardening!
9.10.2010
Flower of the Day!
Todays flower of the day is Meringue Coneflower - another wonderful coneflower! I will never tire of these lovely flowers!
Happy Gardening!
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