It Snowed!

Late yesterday afternoon (after 6:00 p.m.) it snowed. The flakes were really big and they came down fast & furious. Even though the snow was still on the ground this morning, it is all melted now.

The crocuses are in bloom. I'm starting to see a variety of colors--yellow, deep purple and lavender. The snow didn't seem to cause any harm at all.

Last Friday, I planted Basil seeds. This morning when I was checking to see if they needed watering, I noticed that the seeds are already germinating. The pepper seeds that I planted haven't shown any growth yet.

The pansies are doing really well. I think that I will soon put them in the sunroom to harden off. If the weather doesn't turn bad, I would like to plant them outside in pots in the middle of April. I only have 27 of them so I'll have to decide where I want them to go. I think that I should have enough for the three large pots out front and four hanging baskets in the back.

Pansies Growing in a Flat

Ken cut down the grass plants in the back yard on Thursday and then did the ones in the front yesterday. It looks so different without them but I already can see the new green shoots sprouting. I was thinking of dividing the ones out back. They are huge and I think that the new divisions would be more vigorous. Also, it would give me an opportunity to put compost in their planting holes.

Yesterday, it rained but today is sunny. Both days have been in the high 50s. I read a tongue-in-cheek article yesterday in the Detroit Free Press about optimism/pessimism. One of the things that the author said was that optimistic gardeners begin cleaning out their beds as soon as the winter weather started to clear. I had to laugh. I'm sure many experienced Michigan gardeners would say that that type of person is not optimistic but clueless. The weather in March and April can change drastically overnight. I remember a sudden snow storm at the beginning of May (a few years ago) that left a significant amount of snow. A few days later it got warm and all of that snow was gone!

I was going through my seed packets this morning looking for tomatoes when I happened on the envelope that contained the pansy seeds that I planted in February. I had thought that I had bought Antique Shades but it turns out that I was wrong. They are actually Rococco pansies. Both have flowers that are similar--ruffled petals and soft colors. There were two comments about them on Dave's Garden Plantfiles. One of them said that they are lovely with a sweet scent and the other said that they are hardy as well as being free flowering. I also found out that the Rococco plants are more cold tolerant than Antique Shades. I was very happy about this fact because I am ready to bring them home and harden them off before I plant them. I need the space under the grow lights for the tomatoes and hot peppers.

This morning, I planted four peat pots each of four different varieties: Celebrity Hybrid (Lake Valley Seed), Lemon Boy (Lake Valley Seed), Sweet Tangerine Hybrid (Burpee) and Burpee's Jubilee (Burpee's Heirlooms). These seeds were left over from last year's packets. I had great results with all four of these tomatoes last year. Even though I planted four of each type of plant, I will probably only transplant two of each in my garden and give away any extras. (I will also be planting 4th of July and Sungold.) Twelve tomato plants should produce more than plenty for our needs.

Each of the tomatoes is described as:

• Celebrity Hybrid: This 1984 All-America Selections Award Winner remains one of the best all-purpose varieties available. It dependably produces high yields of flavorful, medium-sized, round, red fruit with exceptional disease resistance (VFFNTA). Determinate. Matures in 70 days.
• Lemon Boy: Finally, a bright yellow fruit with full tomato flavor! Medium sized fruits make an eye-catching display when sliced with bright red tomatoes. Multiple disease resistance. Matures in 72 days.
• Sweet Tangerine Hybrid: Bright orange, extremely sweet 6 oz fruits are produced in abundance on determinate vines. Lower acid flavor than red tomatoes. Matures in 68 days.
• Burpee's Jubilee: Bright golden orange, deep globular, mild flavored fruits up to 3" across. High-yielding, indeterminate plants Ready to pick in about 72 days after plants are set out.

I also received Organic Gardening's 300 Super Tomato Tips today in the mail. I look forward to reading it.

The bulbs and perennials are responding to the sunny weather we have been having even though today was only in the high 40s. The tulip bulbs that I planted last fall in the brick bed in the front yard are coming up. Also, I can now see the blue scilla flowers developing in the bed by the front porch. The minature daffodils are popping up in the bulb bed that I have in the back yard as well as the daffodils that I planted two years ago in the main bed.



Scillas Budding

Yesterday, I noticed suckers coming up around the weeping cherry tree. When we first bought this house this tree was doing very poorly in the backyard where it was surrounded by the taller trees which were blocking the sun. Ken dug out an overgrown tree in the front and replaced it with this weeping cherry. It has been doing great in its new location and has had the most beautiful display of flowers every spring. But I was concerned when I noticed all of the suckers.

I have just received the newest edition of Dave's Garden Newsletter today and it contained an article, Understanding Grafted Ornamental Trees, by Toni Leland. In the article she says that suckers are a common problem with grafted trees like weeping cherries. She states that it's important to be aggressive about removing the suckers so that they don't drain the strength from the tree. Also, the soil needs to be cleared from around the base of the trunk so that the graft union is above ground. Throughout the years, I have added a lot of cocoa mulch to this area and it may have covered the graft union. I plan on taking care of this problem in the next few days.

Today, I also started two different types of hot peppers from seed for Ken. One of them is Jalapeno M (Burpee) and is described as being hot and zesty. The other one is Anaheim Chili (Ferry-Morse) and is good for drying. Both of them can be picked when they are green or red and mature in 75 to 78 days. At the end of May or beginning of June, I'll harden them off before planting them outside. I grew these same seeds last year (these are left-overs) with successful results. Ken is still eating the peppers that he froze in the fall.

I also transplanted the four Sungold tomatoes into larger four cell packs. The roots were getting long and coming out of the peat pellets.

It's Spring!

Yesterday, was the first day of spring. It was overcast but today it is sunny and in the 50s.

Last Thursday, the first crocus bloomed. There are only two of them flowering today but their cheery yellow color makes my heart sing.

The First Crocuses of Spring

Ken has been working on the vegetable beds that are located on the side of the house and in the backyard. He has dug in leaves so that the worms can start digesting them. He did have one surprise though; the middle of the compost pile that he created in the back vegetable garden last fall was frozen solid. He will chip away at it during the next few days until it is thawed. He also took up the landscrape fabric that is on these beds so when the roofers begin they won't poke holes in it with the ladders.

I can't wait to start working outdoors but I'm still apprehensive about cleaning up the beds too early. After all this is Michigan and it is still possible to have snow storms until the beginning of May.

The last two days have been partly cloudy with highs in the 45 to 55 degree range. Not as warm as the last several days, but very nice. It was supposed to rain but has not done so yet.

Yesterday, I planted 28 of the pansies in large four cell packs. I still have to plant another seven of them but have not had the time. I had to throw three of the pansies away because as I was unwrapping the protective covering from the peat pellet, the dirt fell away leaving me with naked roots. I've learned to be more careful.

Bulbs and other early season plants are starting to sprout outside. When I was taking my walk yesterday, I saw that the crocuses (purple and yellow varieties) were blooming in the front garden of a neighbor's house. Every year, these crocuses bloom before any others in the area. She has a lovely front yard garden that contains a mixture of bulbs, perennials, annuals and shrubs. Another neighbor has purple pansies blooming around the mailbox. They survived the cold, snowy winter and look very hardy. The people who live next to me have a forsythia next to their house and it is starting to bud.

Yesterday, Ken and I took a walk around the yard. He wants to dig up a spirea bush that is next to the fence in the back yard. It doesn't get enough sunlight in its current spot and so it is not very attractive. I'm looking for some possible alternatives for this spot. He also wants to plant two more Gold Coast junipers next to the one that he transplanted in this area last spring. Its time to make a list of what needs to be done!



Gold Coast Improved Juniper

Everyone was talking about how beautiful the weather was today. It was sunny and 66 degrees.

I took some pictures of the tomato plants this morning. I can't believe that they have only been growing for a few weeks.

4th of July Tomatoes (3 inches high)

4th of July Tomatoes

Sungold Tomatoes

Sungold Tomatoes

I am now going out to enjoy the weather and take a walk!

Another beautiful day! Sunny and in the 60's. Today, I took Hines Drive home from work and there were more bicyclists on the road than there were cars. I also saw a stunning display of red twig dogwoods by the Nature Center.

Today, I transplanted the three Fourth of July tomatoes because they had long roots coming out of the sides of the peat pellets. I stripped away the binding material around the pellets and planted them in a four pack cell that has large units. After I repotted them, they were too tall to fit under the grow lights so I had to readjust the height of the shelf. But now some of the plants are not close enough to the light so I need to readjust the system. Tomorrow, I'll hook up two shelves with a light above each one.

I also need to transplant the pansies to larger pots.

Ken bought these roses from Hillers last Friday. They were only $9.99. What a bargain!

It is sunny and in the 50's today but I know not to hope that this type of weather remains. There is always a chance that it will become cold and snowy again!



"Before" Picture of Small Backyard Bed 1 (March 14, 2009)

Yesterday, I took a few pictures of some of the beds that I have. I decided to shoot "before" photos and then later in the growing season I can take "after" shots. This small bed is in the backyard. This bed has been through a lot of transformations during the last six years. For the first three years it was a perennial bed and during the last three years it was an annual bed. Originally, I wanted to grow a hodgepodge of perennials that I hadn't grown before. However, I just couldn't get it to work and I also wanted more color in that part of the yard. So then I decided to grow annuals. The first year I planted a combination of begonias, Victoria salvias, and vincas. The last two years, I raised Wave petunias under grow lights and transplanted them to this bed. They were very beautiful but once I pulled them up in the fall, the bed is bare.


I was just reading an article in April, 2009 Organic Gardening about jardin potagers. This is the name that the French give to kitchen gardens that incorporate flowers, vegetables and herbs. I have been thinking about doing something similar in this bed. I have some perennials that I want to transplant (including daylilies, Autumn Joy sedums, columbines, mums and salvias) and they would be perfect in this sunny location. With the addition of spring bulbs and a few annuals, there would be color throughout the growing season. I want to plant a zucchini in the narrow end and green beans around the edges. Perhaps, I could also fit in one or two of Ken's hot pepper plants in the center of the bed. There may even be room for a few pots of herbs.


I am especially interested in growing green beans in this bed. We love to pick fresh green beans and cook them for dinner but we did not plant any last year. During the summer of 2007 the green beans that we had in the side garden were attacked by an insect (I haven't been able to identify which one) and small holes were chewed into both the leaves and the beans. Even though I sowed several crops throughout the season, the plants were continuously attacked. I am hoping that by placing the green beans in another area that I will not have this problem again this year. If I don't have any luck, I can always tear them out and plant something else.

Another beautiful March day--sunny and in the 40's.

Ken and I have been trying to create a "green" environment around our home both inside and out. We don't use insecticides or herbicides and use organic fertilizers. Ken is really into creating compost. In the far corner of the backyard he has several compost bins. One of them he purchased over the internet (seven years ago?). It is a recycled pickle barrel that is mounted on a wooden stand. He is able to take the top off to put in leaves/grass (or to take the compost out) and is able to swing the barrel around so that the materials mix. It is made of heavy duty black plastic so it becomes hot inside quickly. In the summer, he is able to create compost in two to three weeks. When he removes the compost, he places it in a second compost bin to store it. This bin is a piece of circular green plastic with large holes. Ken can take it apart when it is filled and use the compost where it is needed in the garden.




Last fall we decided to start composting our kitchen scraps. We have lots of critters in our yard including squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, etc. We didn't want to attract unwanted pests so we decided not to put the kitchen waste in the outdoor compost bins. Instead, Ken decided to buy a worm composter. We keep it in the basement and the worms have already produced several large pots of castings. We are able to put coffee grounds & filters, tea bags, and vegetable scraps in it. We keep a covered container in the refrigerator and when it is full Ken transfers the material to the worm composter.

This spring we are going to purchase a rain barrel system. Last year when we went on the Livonia Garden Walk we saw a very attractively painted rain barrel system set up at one of the houses. After doing some research, we decided that rain barrels would be an environmentally-friendly way to help meet our watering needs. We decided to start by purchasing one system this year but we haven't done so yet. We are getting a new roof this spring so I prefer to wait until that is done before ordering and setting up the rain barrel.

I also believe in reusing materials. For example, when I take my walks on Sunday evenings (Monday mornings the garbage trucks come around) I always keep my eyes out for items that people put on the curb especially flower pots. I have discovered that many people prefer to throw out nice pots in the fall instead of saving them for the next year. The last couple of years, I have built up a collection of large pots. I prefer terra cotta, beige tones, and green colors. Containers are expensive and I feel good knowing that I am not only saving money but reusing items that would end up in a landfill.

Today, I planted the Flambe Salmon petunias. There were 40 seeds in the pack but I only potted up 24 peat containers. The seeds were the smallest seeds that I ever remember planting. In addition, they are a black color so I couldn't tell if they had actually landed in the soil or not. I used up all of the seeds hoping that I was able to get at least one seed in each pot. The package said not to withhold light so they are now under the grow lights.

So far, I have sown the following:

• Pansies. Not all of the seeds germinated but I think that was due to the fact that I took some of the peat pots out of the growing tray when I didn't see anything happening. I think that they were the ones that were slow to germinate. If I had been more patient, they probably would have produced plants. When I first placed the pansies under the grow lights, they got leggy so I moved the shelfing closer and now they are more compact. The plants have grown several sets of leaves that have the characteristic pansy leaf shape.


• Wednesday, February 25: Four 4th of July tomatoes. All four have germinated and are growing very well.


• Monday, March 2: Four SunGold tomatoes. I thought that all four of them had germinated but when I was examining them today I noticed that one of them looks like a pansy plant!


• Tuesday, March 3: Thirteen Salmon Velvet Petunias. Seven of the thirteen pots have germinated so far. If I don't see plants in the other six pots by the end of the week, I'll replant them. I still have a few of these seeds left.

Today, I removed the pots with the Alberta Mums from the bed in front of the porch so that any bulbs blocked by them could sprout. Suprisingly, two of the mum plants look as if they survived. Both of them have some green leaves growing at the base of the plants. I hope that they do survive because they are a beautiful shade of reddish-orange.

Alberta Mum

I also took a walk around the front and back yards to see how the beds are doing. I didn't clean up the beds in the fall (I prefer to do that in the spring) so there is a lot of dead plant material. However, I did notice that bulbs are also starting to sprout in two of the beds in the backyard. I planted one of the round beds with minature daffodils and crocuses in the autumn of 2006. The following spring the plants did very well but the results were disappointing in 2008. The leaves came up last year but most of the flowers did not bloom. I decided to wait and see what happened with them this spring. If they do well, I will keep them in the bed. If they don't, I'll take them out.

I also noticed some of the daffodils that I planted in the long bed in the fall of 2007 are breaking ground. There are three varieties in this area--Salome (14-16 inches), Carlton (18-20 inches), and Ice Follies (16-18 inches). Brecks describes each of these flowers as follows. Salome is a large cupped daffodil with a creamy white preianth. The cup opens apricot yellow which soon turns pink. Carlton is a two-toned yellow large cupped daffodil with a nice vanilla scent. Ice Follies is one of the best large cupped daffodils for perennializing and naturalizing. It has a yellow perianth and yellow cup.

It is sunny and warmer than yesterday. However, I didn't get to enjoy the weather because I am ill. But it gave me time to think about the garden.




"Before" picture of the side yard bed (March 14, 2009)

I am looking forward to cleaning up and planting the brick bed that Ken created at the side of the front yard two years ago. It is very long and narrow so it is easy to maintain. Right now it has three tall grasses, two dwarf grasses, two dwarf shrubs, and two large pots in it. I had various types of grape hyacinths planted in it but after they bloomed last spring, I pulled them out. Even though the flowers were pretty (shades of dark, medium and light blue), they looked too messy in this bed. Of course since I don't want them there, I see that quite a few returned! I'm going to dig them out and hope that they don't pop up again.

Ken will clip the grasses back for me when it gets slightly warmer. The ones that are growing at each end of the bed are called Porcupine grasses. The tag that came with them describes them as "tight, upright growing grasses featuring stiff, leaves resembling porcupine quills. The foliage has yellow horizontal stripes and a coppery fall color". The ones that I have are about 5 feet tall.

I also plan on planting some of the pansies (Antique Shades) that I am currently growing in the pots. Last year, the pots contained pansies in the spring and pink geraniums in the summer. I don't know what I'll plant in them this summer though.

The shrubs (Sungold Threadbranch Cypress) made it through the winter which isn't a surprise since they are hardy to -30 degrees. I'm not sure how the dwarf grasses are doing because they die back every winter. However, I've had them planted in various beds for at least five years and they always return. They seem to like where they are now.

Today is sunny but cool (37o) and extremely windy. When I went out to get the mail, I saw that some of the bulbs that are planted by the front door garden are coming up. For the last few years, this area has been very pretty in the spring. However, I'm not sure how it will look this year. In the fall, Ken put three pots of reddish-orange mums in the ground around a display stand with pumpkins/gourds. I haven't gotten around to taking the pots (with the dead mums) out of the ground so I'm not sure if the bulbs underneath them will germinate.

Last year, I planted wave petunias in pots and in several beds. The plants in the beds grew like crazy and had tons of flowers but I was disappointed in the ones in the pots. Unlike the potted wave petunias that I had the previous year, they were leggy and unattractive. I should have dumped them out but I kept hoping that they would recover. They never did.

So this year I bought two new types of petunias (Thompson & Morgan) from English Gardens. One of the varieties is called Salmon Velvet. There were only 12 seeds in the packet. They are described as the "best ever basket" petunia. They grow 6 inches high and are covered with flowers on stems that are 3 feet long. I planted the seeds last week and most of them have already germinated. I sowed the seeds in individual peat pots and placed them in a recycled food dish that has a clear top. The seed packet said not to withhold light during germination so I immediately put them under the grow lights. This Friday, I will take the cover off of the plants so that they aren't stunted by it over the weekend. I couldn't find any other information about these flowers online. I plan on using these petunias in the hanging pots that I have in the backyard.

The other variety is called Flambe Salmon petunia (Thompson & Morgan). There were 40 seeds in the packet. They are described as having yellow flowers that are washed with pink on compact bushes that are 10 inches high and have won the Fleuroselect Quality award. I would like to plant these flowers in the beds in the backyard in areas that get full sun.



Salmon Velvet Petunia


Flambe Salmon Petunia

It's cold, rainy and dreary again today. Typical March weather in Michigan.

I've been thinking about how I am going to rearrange the long bed that I have in the backyard. For many years I had daylilies at one end and hostas at the other end with grasses in between. Of course, there were other plants scattered throughout this bed--coral bells, columbines, shasta daisies, cone flowers, mums, and annuals. Last year, I took out the hostas because they were getting too much sun. Ken built a brick bed under one of the maple trees and so I moved them there.

After I removed the hostas, Ken planted three shrubs (Gold Coast Improved Juniper) at that end of the border surrounding a double shephard's hook. I had wave petunias planted in pots and placed them in the hooks. That looked very nice. Then I planted a hodgepodge of plants including mums, daylilies, and annuals in the rest of the area. The annuals looked very nice as the summer progressed but I wasn't happy with the rest of the bed.



This year, I would like to take out some of the Stella d'Oro and Happy Returns daylilies. I have at least 30 of these plants in that area. In the early summer they bloom beautifully but I haven't had a great rebloom. I think it's because they need more sun as the summer progresses. I will remove about six to eight plants but I'm not sure what I will replace them with. I know that I want to add more annuals at that end of the bed.

Another problem that I have with these specific daylilies is that they are susceptible to disease. I find that I have to spend a lot of time pick off the dead leaves. Some gardeners like the leaf structures on these specimens but I think that they are unattractive when they are not in bloom especially in the middle of the summer.

The Livonia Garden Club is planning to have a plant exchange in May. I have never attended their plant exchange before but this year I think I will take the daylily plants and trade them for some other plants. Perhaps, coneflowers? (The gold finches love the coneflowers and will sit on the seed heads and pick out the seeds.) I have three coneflowers already but I think that they need to be dug up and moved to a sunnier part of the bed.

This weekend was very cold, gray and rainy but today is sunny. I know that it is still early in the season but I'm looking forward to seeing my bulbs pop up. Last fall, I planted two new varieties of tulips in the front brick bed that Ken built several years ago.

One of the varieties is called Oxford. It is described as having a flame red body with a yellow base. The other variety is called Golden Parade. This tulip is a lemony yellow color. Both of them are are 24 inches tall and bloom in April/May. After I planted them, I had Ken put a layer of leaves on the bed and then add a layer of compost.

I didn't get to English Gardens last autumn until later in the season but both of these were on sale. They came in packages of 32 bulbs. They were originally $16.99 each but I bought them for $12.99. I hope that they bloom at the same time because the yellow & red coloration in the Oxford should complement the Golden Parade.

I had a pleasant suprise today. All four of the 4th of July tomatoes have sprouted but one of the plants has really taken off. It now has a set of real leaves and is developing a second set. Once they develop a good root system, I will plant them into larger cell packs.

It's March!

Yesterday's weather was beautiful--sunny and warm. However, today is cold and dreary. But the snow is melted and there is not ice!

I have already started to grow some of my seeds under lights. I have over 30 pansy plants Antique Shades) that I planted in the middle of February. If the weather is warm in April, I will bring them home and keep them in the sunroom until I can plant them. I'm planning on putting them in pots for a spring display. Once the weather gets warm, I'll take them out and replace them with summer flowers.





I have also started four 4th of July tomatoes. I had great results with them last year. I read in Horticulture magazine that I should start them early and that I should keep transplanting them in to larger pots to encourage root growth. In May I will dig a deep hole, put some of the worm compost in it, and plant the tomatoes. Then I will surround each plant with a Wall o' Water until the weather gets warm enough to support their growth. I have also started four Sungold tomato plants and plan to use the same process with them.