Monday, May 31, 2010

GARDENING SEMINAR HANDOUTS

As I think you know, I have begun offering Gardening Seminars. I have had a number of requests for copies of the handouts I make available at the seminars, from people who have not been able to attend. I’ve thought hard and long about that and what I should do about it. I would like to just make them available for anyone who would like to have them, but…

It takes me quite a few hours to pull them all together. Then there’s the inevitable trip to Staples to make copies which involves gas and of course, the cost for copying them. And, as I do more and more seminars on different topics, there will be more available.

At the moment, I have decided to charge $5.00 for each set of handouts for those who are not able to be at the seminars, or who would like an extra copy. I would include postage in that fee, if you live at a distance (within the USA of course!)

What I would really like to do is to pull a CD together that would have all of the past handouts on it, including a full year of Gardening Chores. I think that could be quite handy. They (CD’s) would be easy for me to have “on hand” at the seminars, and equally easy to mail to folks who might be interested in a specific seminar that they are not able to attend. All I have to do is figure out how to do that. Some of the handouts are easy because they are either on the computer or can be pulled from the internet. However, there ARE those that I have taken from various publications and books. They would have to be scanned and inserted. I have some work ahead of me.

I would charge the cost of a Seminar ($10.00) for the CD’s once I get them going. I think they will be worth it as they will have a lot of information from which you could pick and choose.

This is posted on the "Bridge to the Garden" blog. I just want you all to know what is available and how you can obtain information if you are not able to attend a seminar.

You may either email me with the request to ncmgardener@gmail.com, or send it with a check including your address of course, to: North Country Maturing Gardener; PO Box 2; North Haverhill; NH 03774

Thank you all so much for your support. I am enjoying this thoroughly and I hope you are as well!

Friday, May 28, 2010

FLOWERS POPPING UP ALL OVER!

It's such fun walking all over the garden and neighborhood. Flowers, wild and not, are coming to life and butterflies are everywhere. The Hummingbirds are loving the feeder and I'm loving them! It's fun to see the lupines that I sowed years ago by the side of the road, coming up and flowering.
It's a wonderful time of year for gardeners. Everything is lush and new. The colors are bright and the weeds are not quite going crazy yet.
My husband wants desperately to cut the lawn in the small (very small) meadow we have. I don't want him to do it until all the daisies have at least bloomed once! So, it looks scruffy, but I don't care. I just want to see that field of white. It used to have lots of wildflowers in it, but over the years they have disappeared and left us with daisies and Black-eyed Susans. But that's OK, I love them too! I'm a gardener that's easy to please.
I guess after the daisies bloom, I'll want to see the Black-eyed Susans! MAYBE he'll get to trim that lawn SOME time...

Monday, May 24, 2010

SMALL GARDENING CHORES

Yesterday I filled two (1/2) Whiskey Barrels with annuals and herbs. Right now they look a bit anemic. I hope in a week or two they will fill out a bit! In the one closest to the kitchen, I planted parsley and oregano. I hope to pick up some basil today. That is usually enough to satisfy any recipes for the two of us. I made sure to water the barrels thoroughly as they have just been sitting there over the winter. The soil appeared to be cool and damp, but better safe than sorry. Those barrels get pretty dry, pretty fast.
There is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (big, yellow and beautiful!) hovering over all the creeping phlox. He's been there for days now. I'm assuming it's the same one. Maybe not, but I haven't seen two of them at any time.
Today I'm going to get some morning glories and moon flowers to put on the fence. I'll probably get them in the ground tomorrow. We'll see how the day progresses!

Friday, May 21, 2010

GARDENING TOPICS FROM MY FILE!

For years I've been collecting articles from magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, etc. about various topics concerning gardening. I KNEW someday they would come in handy!
Well, now that I've started giving Gardening Seminars, they are proving to be invaluable.
This morning, I went through the file looking for things to talk about at my next Seminar on "New Gardener, New Garden!" This will be on planning your garden. If you're interested in seeing what it will involve, you can go to my Bridge to the Garden blog.
At any rate, it was fun to rummage through all those articles. They will be very helpful and I'm now so glad I saved them. There were times I wondered why I was doing that, it seemed I rarely looked at them. NOW, however...I'm happy!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

A HUMMINGBIRD IN THE GARDEN

During breakfast we saw our first hummer of the season! He may have been here for awhile, but we just noticed him for the first time this morning. He seemed to be very happy for the hummingbird feeder which has been up for a month anyway.
Here's a site from Wild Birds Forever, all about hummers.
I make about a months supply at once. Of course, I don't have tons of hummers so this takes care of my needs. 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. I bring it ALMOST to a boil. Just enough to melt the sugar, but not burn it. I let it cool and put it in a glass milk bottle which I keep in the 'fridge until I need it. When I want it, I pour it into the feeder and nuke it for 10 seconds. Then out on the deck hook it goes.
Remember you don't want to let it get moldy, so change the nectar at least weekly! I try to do it on Sunday, or whenever it gets empty.
If you haven't seen hummers around your yard, don't let that discourage you. Put up a feeder anyway, you may be AMAZED to see that they are in fact, in your yard. Once you are aware of them, you'll see them everywhere.

Monday, May 10, 2010

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

I have found out what a foot of snow does to daffodils. The daffodils were beautiful before the snow last week. Then they were decimated! I thought that was that, I'd had my daffodil show for the year, but lo and behold! They pulled themselves up to their feet and looked fairly good after all!
As is my wont to do, I picked some of the best ones and brought them in for my dining room table. They were beautiful! I have found that daffodils are among the longest lasting cut flowers. These on the other hand only last for about two days before sagging. Hmmm... I would guess they expended so much energy pulling themselves up onto their feet that there was nothing left to draw from for being a cut flower. Sadly, I'm having to toss them in the compost after a day or two.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

BRIGHT GREEN IN THE GARDEN

Don't you love how GREEN the garden is after a brief rain? Everything is so clean and bright. I love it.
Our neighbor told me today that there was a bear cub in our yard last evening, around 7 PM. Tonight I took the dog for a walk at just about 7 PM. I was sure to do a lot of throat clearing and chatting with the dog! I don't want any unpleasant surprises.
I'm loving my walks around the property. It's fun to see what's coming up, what's blooming, and just what's there. I love that. It's one of my greatest gardening pleasures. I hope I never have to give that up.

THE POST PROMOTION
About once a month I add a post about a company that would like to be recognized on my blog. This time it's one about Patio Furniture.
One of the things I love to do is to sit on the deck and just enjoy looking out over the areas I have spent so many happy hours putting into place. In order to that, it's good to have something to sit on and a place to put your cup of tea, or martini. Here's a place to check out the outdoor furniture. You might find something you like. Why not give it a try?

Saturday, May 01, 2010

GARDENING CHORES FOR MAY

MAY

Tulips should be dead-headed (remove spent flower)

The grass can be mowed when it reaches 3-4 inches (sorry, but
it IS that time again!) When you do cut it, set the mower to 2 1/2 to 3 inches.

Hold off mulching until the soil is warm, or you'll just keep
the cold in!

You can now plant lettuce, beans, corn and carrots right in the
soil.

Tomatoes can be planted when the lilacs bloom. You might sprinkle
a teaspoon of Epsom salts into the hole where they go to provide magnesium.

Marigolds, zinnias and even nasturtiums are good to plant in and around
your vegetables as well as the flower beds. They repel insects!

You can begin to plant gladiolas at 2 week intervals.

This is a good time to weed dandelions, before they flower and set seed!

You can fertilize any bulbs that are up.

Stake your peonies before they get too big. This applies to other tall growing plants. Get the stakes in the ground before they get too tall. (Remember to try rebar.)

Cut back your tall perennials like bee balm and phlox to control their height.

Harvest rhubarb by grabbing it at the base of the stalk and pulling firmly away from the crown, twisting just a bit. Be sure to throw the leaves into the compost as they are poisonous!

You can prune your spring blooming shrubs just as soon as the flowers have faded.

Dead head your lilacs.

Check your lilies for red lily leaf beetles. CRUSH them!

Don't forget to dead head your bulbs as well. Leave the foliage, but take out the spent flower heads.

Have you got hosta? Are there slugs chewing them? Try this solution, if you haven't already.
Combine 9 parts water to common household ammonia and spray it on the hosta just before dark. When the slugs hit this, they will dissolve!

Check the apple, cherry, and other fruit trees for nests of tent caterpillars. As soon as the tender, new leaves emerge, so will the caterpillars. Their destruction is just awful! Bt will work if you can get it up there. I also understand that the Praying Mantis is a big time enemy of tent caterpillars. Perhaps you should order some of those! They should be released into the affected tree at the same time the caterpillars emerge. If you place them before their dinner appears, they will find another yard to in which to chow down.

If you have to spray insecticide, do it AFTER bloom is finished to protect the bees!

Plant Annuals no sooner than May 30th!