Janet's Garden

Another way to get rid of lily beetles

2009-08-06T15:15:00.002-04:00

Joyce sent me an email with her solution for killing lily beetles. She says it works on both the adults and the larvae.

She takes one cup (250 mL) cooking oil, 1/2 cup (125 mL) Sunlight dish detergent, puts them in a one-litre bottle and fills it up with water. She sprays the insects directly and reports that they die within seconds.

I haven't tried it myself yet, but if I did, I would be watching to see if there are any negative effects on the plants too. While this spray sounds like it certainly would kill just about any insect on contact, it might be a bit intense for at least some plants.

If you try it, let me know what kind of results you get.

And thanks, Joyce, for sharing your spray recipe with me.

Fun Contest: Funky Nests in Funky Places

2009-06-14T23:18:00.004-04:00

This just in from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

You find them in hanging flower baskets…an old boot…a garage shelf…or under a bridge…birds build nests in the strangest places! That’s the theme for the newest environmental challenge from our Celebrate Urban Birds project: Funky Nests in Funky Places! As you may know, Celebrate Urban Birds is a free, year-round citizen-science project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, focused on birds in neighborhood settings.

For the Funky Nests in Funky Places challenge, we want you to take photos, do a painting, write a story, or shoot a video showing a bird’s nest built in some out-of-the-way or out-of-this-world place.When observing nests please be sure to avoid touching them or disturbing the birds.

For the list of prizes and further details visit the contest website.

You have until July 31, 2009. Do make sure you read the Terms of Agreement.

Missing in action

2007-10-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry about the lack of new posts here this year. Between various circumstances in my life and my determination to write a novel, I have not been able to stretch myself far enough to keep up with active gardening or active blogging. My energy is unfortunately rather limited. Happy gardening to all of you.

If you want a bit of an idea of what I'm up to, you can check out The Walrus Said, but posts are not very frequent there either.

Gross picture warning!

2007-05-30T18:59:00.000-04:00

I was hoping not to be able to show you this. But now that I am able, I am obliged. It's that stupid sense of public duty.

My lily beetle hunting expeditions were quite successful this year. I must have squished 30 or 40 of the pretty little nasties, often two by two. I scraped off the occasional clutch of little orange eggs, after dutifully posting the pictures here.

But one of them eluded me. Yesterday, my eye caught sight of a severely chewed leaf and I knew. I just knew. And here it is, complete with chewers.

One word. Ew.

That disgusting mass of goo contains a lily beetle larva which has successfully made itself extremely unappetizing. The easiest way to deal with these revolting creatures is to rip off the leaf and drop it into soapy water. Or grab a twig and knock the larvae into the same soapy water. Personally, I don't care to soil my shoes by dropping them on the pavement and stepping on them, but what you do with your shoes is your business. But do get them out of there quickly. Left unchecked they can wreak incredible damage. Fortunately, I seem to have only one leaf's worth. Being vigilant during mating season has paid off for me.

Technorati tag: Lily beetles

I hate my snowball bush!

2007-05-19T09:10:00.000-04:00

To the point that I am thinking of digging up my Viburnum opulus roseum. I planted this baby two years ago. Last year it showed every sign of settling in well, despite the attack of the mad arborist. This spring - oh joy! - flower buds. Visions of big fluffy floral snowballs floated in my head.

Then I read online that this particular viburnum is subject to aphid attacks. I was pretty sanguine about it. I hadn't seen the slightest sign of aphids in two years. Two days later - I kid you not - I followed the trail of some over-enthusiastic ants to find colonies of black aphids at the growing tips.

This is patently unfair! I should give up reading on the Internet; it appears to be bad for my plants. I pulled out the all-purpose spray, which is definitely fatal to aphids. The problem is, these bugs are very good at protecting themselves. As they attack a leaf, it curls around them and makes them very difficult to spray. You can see the curled leaf in the photo. It's virtually impossible to get them all, no matter how good the spray is. So I'm going to go out and snip off all the affected parts and drop them into soapy water. If that doesn't work the temptation to dig the thing out will grow even greater.

Perhaps a Japanese maple...

Technorati tag: Viburnum

Struggling up the ladder

2007-05-17T17:41:00.000-04:00

I was feeling morose a while back. My beautiful Jacob's ladder (the Bressingham Purple) looked deader than a doornail. Polemoniums normally come through the winter with most of their foliage intact, but all I could see were dead stubs. I was, quite frankly, miffed. I'd grown rather attached to this particular form of Jacob's ladder, with its purplish cast and long-lasting flowers. It looked particularly nice with a frothing of deadnettle at its feet.

And then the other day I was doing my normal poking around and what did I see? This.

None of the reading I've done on this cultivar mentioned that it was a late riser or that it behaved differently than other Polemoniums. So as a public service I'm letting you know you shouldn't give up too quickly on this baby. It remains to be seen if it will come back as strong as last year. If it doesn't, I'll conclude that it's only borderline hardy in this zone, and make sure I mulch it well next winter.

For now, I am happy to see that it is coming back at all. There are a few residents of my garden that are missing in action or a bit worse for wear. But I'll tell the sob stories later. For the time being I am looking at my bleeding heart with a real sense of awe. A square metre they said it needed. Piffle! This thing is more than a metre across in its third year and the poor grape-leaved anemone behind it is feeling a bit crowded. Not for nothing that all its new shoots have sprouted further away from its rather overbearing neighbour. But I love it all the same.

Technorati tag: Jacob's ladder

Squill and friends

2007-05-16T15:37:00.000-04:00

When I hear the word "squill", it evokes in me images of something vaguely unpleasant, perhaps squirmy and slug-like. Fortunately, the pretty little spring flowers so named are much more pleasant to look at. They are known as good naturalizers but I do believe I'll help nature along by ordering an extra set of bulbs this fall. You can't have too many of these little beauties.

This is Siberian squill, or Scilla siberica. The vibrant blue is a welcome jolt of colour in a spring garden, and blue marries so nicely with almost any other colour that might be popping up. Some people grow these in their lawns, but I find that they are still going strong by the time the first mowing is due, so I prefer to leave them in the flower beds where they can continue unmolested.

Striped squill are lovely little white flowers striped with pale blue, which gives them an almost ethereal quality. They flopped over a bit in my back yard, probably from insufficient sunlight. I'll try to find them a slightly sunnier spot. Still, they were a joy.

As you may suspect, these are not the freshest of pictures. I'm running a bit behind here, and most of my squill have finished blooming especially in the front, where spring comes a bit sooner.

Some of you are wondering (those of you who actually read titles): but what about the friends? Here they are:

Minnow is a mini daffodil that hasn't really captured my heart. Many of them didn't bloom for me, and I found the colour uninspiring. In a close-up, it doesn't look bad. In the garden, it looked washed out. This one is not joining my must-have list.

Squirrels appear to be very attracted to Anemone blanda bulbs. Last year not a single one came up. Being a bear for punishment, I tried again, and this time about half of them survived the loving attentions of the tree rodents. I love the brilliant white, especially next to the deep purple blooms of the hyacinth you can see off to the left. I do hope it succeeds in spreading.

Technorati tag: Squill, Daffodils, Anemones

Tulip mania

2007-05-14T18:54:00.000-04:00

As promised, I am back with a picture of my Daydream tulips once they had faded to apricot.

I love the colour, but I was a bit disappointed with how quickly they wilted.

On the other hand, the Emperor tulips not only bloomed again this year, but they had actually increased in number since last year. Their blooms started early, held up for quite a long time, and were strikingly beautiful too. What more can you ask for? Emperor tulips have definitely joined my list of things I will want to include in any future gardens.

Technorati tag: Tulips

'Tis the season to be wary

2007-05-08T21:46:00.000-04:00

I was sitting in the sun yesterday minding my own business, when my eyes strayed to the right and discovered the horror of an alien invasion! A brilliant red exoskeleton, twitching black antennae...

I did what any red-blooded defender of the planet would do and squashed the alien forthwith. And then I squashed its brother (sister? mate?). Too late I remembered my duty to the rest of the human community and realized that I should have photographed the intruders first to help others in the identification of the enemy. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, I soon had the opportunity to redeem myself.

So be forewarned, inhabitants of the planet Earth, or at least the lily-growers of planet Earth, this is the enemy. It is known as the lily beetle, the red lily beetle, or Lilioceris lilii.

They are often found lurking at the base of a lily leaf, where their brilliant red nail polish colour is not so easily spotted. Small holes in the leaves are a tell-tale sign of their presence. They are very easy to catch by hand and drop into soapy water or squash. Being the squeamish sort, I usually drop them onto a hard surface and step on them, rather than dispatching them with my fingers. They are emerging from the soil at this time of year and if the battle is won at this time, we can breathe easily for the rest of the season.

If not...

They lay clutches of orange eggs, usually on the underside of the lower leaves where they are harder for human-sized eradicators to spot.

These are easily scraped off with a fingernail and if you can get all of them, you can breathe easy for the rest of the season.

If not...

Well, fortunately for me, I don't have a picture of the consequences. I might have in a couple of weeks if a clutch manages to escape the loving caress of my fingernail. The larvae are truly hideous and truly destructive. They usually start at the bottom of the lily stalk and work their way up, devouring as they go. I don't recommend dealing with them bare-handed, as they have the very nasty habit of piling their own excrement on their backs to discourage (very effectively) any predator who is considering them for lunch. It's been a few years since I've had to do it, but I normally handle them by holding a bowl of soapy water underneath them and knocking them into it with any twig I can get my hands on. I sincerely hope I won't be able to inflict their beauty on you, but if I catch them in my garden, I know what my duty is.

Lily beetle hunters of the world, be diligent. The survival of our lilies depends on you!

Technorati tag: Lily beetles

Technical stuff

2007-05-03T19:07:00.000-04:00

I'm going to be gradually adding labels to my old posts. For subscribers to my feed, this means you are going to be seeing old posts coming at you as if they were new. My apologies. On the other hand, they are more or less seasonal. ;o)

I am still alive

2007-05-03T18:14:00.000-04:00

And so are most of the plants in my garden, amazingly enough.

I owe everybody an apology for not posting earlier. I took on the added task of writing a novel (over 81,000 words at this point) and it overloaded my circuits. Blogging was the main victim. But I am still here, I've reactivated my email account, and I thought I'd start this year off with some of the early bloomers in my garden. I doubt if I'll be checking in daily, but I will make an effort to do better.

Dasystemon tarda is a charming botanical tulip that seems to interest squirrels less than the showier varieties. It's supposed to come back year after year and spread itself around a bit too.

My Pasque flowers have responded very happily to the better treatment they got last year by flowering profusely and prompting at least one neighbour to beg for seeds. And unlike all the spring bulbs blooming along with them, the squirrels ignore them entirely. I approve.

I planted a good number of these Daydream tulips last year, but only two survived the solicitous attention of the local squirrels. They opened a rich, buttery yellow with a black throat, making me think I'd gotten the wrong variety. They have since "faded" to a lovely apricot colour, which is what I was aiming for. Not that I disliked the yellow.

Previous post on the topic of Pasque flowers

Technorati tag: Tulips, Pasque flowers

Easier than planting with a shoehorn

2006-11-01T16:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it. I got the last of my spring bulbs into the ground! Tulips and mini daffodils, squills and irises, hyacinths and anemones, crocuses and alliums - when I write the list out I understand why it took me so long! This is the gardener's equivalent of having eyes bigger than your stomach...

The last planting session went smoothly because I discovered a little trick. Those of you who figured it out years ago can laugh quietly in front of your computer monitor, or loudly for all I care, I can't hear you. Just gloat with class, that's all I ask. Those of you who haven't figured it out yet, well, I'm about to pass on my newly acquired enlightenment, and you can all look sophisticated and experienced when you pass it on in your turn, and not have to put up with the gloaters. If you know how to do it with class, you could even do a little gloating of your own.

The trick is quite simply this. Jam your trowel in under the edge of a patch of ground cover, fold it back and pop your bulbs in. If they need to be buried a bit deeper, that's easily done. Then just fold the groundcover back over the bulbs and pat it back into place. Soooooooooooooooooo much easier than digging individual holes in all the tiny little spaces between your overpacked perennials. Well, between my overpacked perennials, anyway. When you don't have much space, you overpack plants because you don't want to deny yourself. Well, I do anyway. All you disciplined gardeners who know how to limit your palette and design with restraint can now have a turn to gloat too.

And you'll get another chance or two to gloat at my expense come spring, when I'm busy asking you to help me identify all those strange little green leaves popping up. I didn't keep any records of what I planted where. A disciplined gardener, I'm not.

Technorati tag: Bulbs

Green Thumb Sunday

2006-10-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

Join Green Thumb Sunday

Palace Purple heuchera still in bloom in October.

Previous post on the topic of Heuchera

Technorati tag: Heuchera

I succumbed to temptation

2006-10-28T17:16:00.000-04:00

In theory, I'm not buying any more plants now, right? I don't have much room, and besides, if I'm going to be moving there just isn't any point, right? Right.

Wrong. How could I say no yet again to an Apple Blossom amaryllis at supermarket prices? Especially when it was freshly arrived and hadn't had time to deteriorate under their tender care? My last amaryllis was a supermarket buy too, and it has been happily blooming for me for years now.

Which puts me in a dilemma. I have three sleeping amaryllises. When am I going to wake them up? One thing for sure, I'll do it one at a time, to stretch out the pleasure over the winter.

Did you know that there is no botanical necessity to push your amaryllises (say that three times quickly...) into dormancy? I put mine out every summer to charge up on solar energy, keeping them well fertilized with a high phosphorus fertilizer (the middle number represents phosphorus) so the bulbs will bulk up as much as possible. But I often let them keep growing when I bring them in. They happily keep chugging along and bloom on their own schedule somewhere around early spring. This year though, I left them outside quite late, and they reacted to the declining sunlight and temperatures by going dormant all on their own. I'll just leave them in their pots and store them in a cool, dark place until it's time to prod them into growth again. Say, one for Christmas, one for mid-February, and one for the end of March? That sounds about right, but I'm willing to bet I won't be able to hold out quite that long. Still, with both my Christmas cactuses (cacti, if you like Latin plurals) and my cyclamens sporting flower buds, I might be able to tough it out a bit longer, grey gloomy weather or no.

Previous post on the subject of Amaryllis

Technorati tag: Amaryllis

Sitting pretty

2006-10-27T15:01:00.000-04:00

I wish I could take credit for the little pumpkin, but I can't. Everything else was gathered from the back yard: heuchera and dogwood leaves, pine twigs and cones, and one tiny maple leaf that had not yet started curling. A nice centrepiece for my son's birthday!

I know it doesn't look like a professional arrangement, but I'll let you in on a little secret - I like it better this way. Somehow, if it's too perfect I almost don't see it anymore. Like all those models in make-up ads, they start to look the same and, as beautiful as they are, anonymously bland. I like to see a little quirky personality.

Technorati tag: Pumpkin

Warm me up, Wilma!

2006-10-26T15:13:00.000-04:00

It's starting to get chilly around here! See how red my cheeks are getting? You've got a nice warm fuzzy sweater, give me a big hug!

As you can see, the sundrops turn red at the first light touch of frost. It was a very light touch too; the ones in the more sheltered back yard are still green and the roses near the house are still blooming.

Strangely enough, the tuberous begonias have been zapped and the hanging begonia hasn't. I don't know whether the hanging begonia is naturally tougher, or that the fact it's about four feet off the ground made the difference.

The lamb's ear, Stachys lanata, (alternative botanical names:, S. byzantina, S. olympica) is the common invasive variety. A neighbour gave me a couple of babies this spring in a supreme act of selflessness. I dug up the ones she would have weeded out and took them home... (It's always a bit of a warning when neighbours will happily part with a plant, you know.)

It was quite a shock to me earlier this year to discover that earwigs and sowbugs like munching on the leaves. You'd think the hairy texture would deter them, but no. I will have to remove the outside of the clump in spring to keep it under control, but I really do love the effect of the fuzzy grey leaves against the glossy green rose leaves behind them.

To my mind, lamb's ear is a great companion plant, providing a nice contrast in texture and colour to just about everything. On its own, it's not too exciting, but it does great backup. Doesn't have the voice for solo, but she can sure lay down a mean harmony. If I get fed up with its rambunctiousness, I'll probably go out and get one of the tamer cultivars. I just like the effect too much to give it up.

(Sorry I've been AWOL again. After being overly busy, I got overly tired and needed a couple of days just to rest.)

Previous post on the topic of Sundrops

Technorati tag: Sundrops, Lamb's ear

Green Thumb Sunday

2006-10-22T13:40:00.000-04:00

Sunset and cat (photo credit to my daughter)

First snow (but still no frost!)

Previous post on the topic of Green Thumb Sunday

Technorati tag: Sunsets, Sedum

Confessions of a cranky gardener

2006-10-19T12:26:00.000-04:00

The weather's fair! The air is warm, the sun is shining! All's right with the world! Seize the day and the trowel and get your procrastinating butt out into the glories of nature and plant all those abused bulbs that have been sitting in their delivery box, lo these many days. Weeks.

Well, that's what I did.

But my back is not a happy camper and I quickly realized that planting those bulbs among the rosebushes was not going to be easy, even if I had a good back. The front beds needed a complete reorganization. Not going to happen.

I persevered and managed to get all the bulbs for the front squeezed into absurd little corners, discovering in the meanwhile that there are still spots in my garden that feel more like concrete than loam, despite all my attempts to amend the soil so far. These will get special attention with compost and leaves, but in the meanwhile...

Before heading back inside - and leaving the backyard bulbs for another day - I decided on the spur of the moment to pop the cannas out of the large pots at the end of the sidewalk. How hard could it be?

Stop laughing. It's not nice.

Those modest little tubers had exploded, giving no aboveground signs of it either, other than one puny little sprout. Not only had they anchored themselves with a ferocious determination to stay put, they had tangled their roots in with the ivy, geraniums and sedums as if to say, "I dare you!"

I was not to be outdone by mere tubers, and in the end I prevailed, growling and muttering, but I have never in my life had such difficulty prying plants out of pots. (Yes, that was growling and muttering, not cursing. I don't swear, but there are times when the temptation to do so is severe. This was one of those times. I'm glad you didn't choose that moment to walk by.)

I've set them on newspaper to dry for a few days, and then I'll find the coolest spot I can to store them. Of course, after all of this I looked up cannas and found that most people recommend leaving them in the ground till frost has taken the foliage. Like, NOW they tell me. *grumble, grumble* Still, I have found many times that plants can be very forgiving, as well as illiterate, and as long as I don't let these babies either rot or dessicate, they should be quite impressive next year. Wish me luck.

Now I'll go nurse the scratches on my hands and rest my poor aching back. Why on earth do I do these things to myself? And there's still the back yard to do... *snarl* At least there's no roses back there.

Previous post on the topic of Cannas

Technorati tag: Cannas

October bouquet

2006-10-18T14:04:00.000-04:00

The refugees I am harbouring right now are not only in pots. When frost was threatening (an empty threat as it turned out), I ventured forth, clippers in hand, to bring in some of the nicer offerings of the October garden. In my case, that means roses, as the other inhabitants still sporting blooms are not the kind that prosper in a vase.

Another tiny vase is filled with mini-roses exclusively. And seeing as the frost is holding off, I think I'll go out again in a few days and bring in another selection of just-opening roses.

This is a treat I don't indulge in during the summer. For one thing, it is easy to step outside and enjoy them whenever I want, and for another, my garden is just too small to be able to fill a lot of vases and still look good outside, especially because most of the perennials are just in their first or second year and blooms are still rather sparse. So I'm particularly enjoying this little display. Park a couple of candles around it and set it where the lace curtains form a backdrop, and it's almost as good as sitting in the garden.

Previous post on the topic of Roses

Technorati tag: Roses, Bouquets

Refugees

2006-10-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

They huddled by the back door, begging for mercy. So I let them in and they are now undergoing the fate of refugees everywhere, jammed together in temporary and inadequate accomodations while the government - me, in this case - decides what to do with them. Coleus and caladium, amaryllis and crown of thorns, ivy and oleander, cyclamens and ah yes, the cyclamens. These are not miserable, starving refugees at all. Their summer outside has agreed with them, and they are plump-cheeked and bright-eyed and much bigger than when they went out this spring.

These are my seed-grown cyclamens, now about a year and a half old. I would be thrilled if they flowered for me, but the leaves are so beautiful, flowers are not necessary to attract admiring glances. I'll put them in a northeast window. I've tried southwest in the past, and they scorched. Although, come to think of it, having come in directly from outside, these ones might be able to handle it... Hmmm. I think I've talked myself into trying.

This tiny crown of thorns will definitely join its mother in the southwest window. These were cuttings I took as anti-theft insurance, (the big one was out front not far from a busy sidewalk) and it spent most of its summer tucked among garden plants as a cat deterrent. It stayed healthy, but didn't grow much in its not-so-sunny location. Crown of thorns often drop their leaves in response to an abrupt change in light and temperature, but after finishing their snit fit they grow a lovely new set, so it's not a major problem. So far the larger mother plant, much to my surprise, has accepted her new surroundings calmly, and other than cranking her flowers around to face the window, has maintained her poise admirably.

I might even let the Christmas cacti in soon too. I noticed this morning that the big one is putting out flower buds already. Pregnancy is always helpful when trying to sway immigration officials.

Previous post on the topic of Cyclamens, Crown of thorns cactus

Technorati tag: Cyclamens, Crown of thorns

Foundling

2006-10-16T12:36:00.000-04:00

You know what a foundling is, don't you? The whole "abandoned baby on the doorstep" thing? I bet you thought that only happened in 19th-century novels. Well, I'm here to tell you that it still happens today.

A couple of days ago, I opened my door on a chilly - though not freezing - day and I found this little darling shivering on my doorstep! I hustled in right inside into the warmth and took this picture to prove it.

I still haven't figured out if it's a boy or a girl. Or one of each.

What I do know is that I now have a potful of two varieties of pothos, which has got to be the closest thing to a foolproof houseplant in existence. It is very hard to make a pothos unhappy, although a severe spider mite infestation will do it. But pothos will survive low light, indifferent care, no fertilizer and even no soil. I've known people who have grown it for years in vases full of water.

I'm not too sure where this baby came from, although I have my suspicions. I am pleased to say that it is in perfect health. I've grown pothos before, golden pothos to be precise, which has a deep green leaf with bits of golden variegation to brighten it up. No golden pothos in this pot, but I will confess to having eyed the pale-leafed type with real envy at my local bank, so I am truly pleased to have my own. It's even better with the plain-leafed variety in the same pot for contrast.

I've also used pothos as a great filler in outdoor pots, although it does have to be handled with a little care in these circumstances. Full shade is best, or at least in a spot that gets afternoon shade. And it will have to be hardened off carefully, more to the light than anything else, or the leaves will scald. Start by setting it out in deep shade and expose it gradually to weak sunlight. Once it's acclimatized, morning sunlight should not cause any problems, unless you're in a hot climate with intense sun.

Now if I'm really lucky, one of my knowledgeable readers will come along and tell my precisely which varieties I have, which will save me doing the research. ;o) And in the meanwhile, I'll have to decide in what room to give this baby a permanent home.

Technorati tag: Pothos

Garden portraits for October 15

2006-10-15T16:19:00.001-04:00

Green Thumb Sunday

Unlike other parts of the province, we haven't had a proper frost yet, let alone snow, but we've gotten close enough to inspire different plants to pull on their autumn coats.

English ivy:

Cinnamon fern (the spinulose shield fern is still bright green and will stay that way all winter):

Who knew? Morden Sunrise produces beautiful orange rosehips:

JoinGreen Thumb Sunday: Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Previous post on the topic of Cinnamon ferns, Morden Sunrise rose

Technorati tag: Ivy, Ferns, Roses

Chemical fertilizers

2006-10-13T17:35:00.000-04:00

I have never been a fan of chemical fertilizers, at least not since I stopped to think about it for more than a second or two. Here is part of the reason why.

Dead zones can encompass areas of ocean 100,000 square kms in size where little can live because there is no oxygen left in the water. Nitrogen pollution, mainly from farm fertilisers and sewage, produces blooms of algae that absorb all of the oxygen in the water.

Thanks to Stolen Moments of Island Time for pointing me in the direction of this article.

Now I recognize that home gardeners individually don't have much of an effect; it's more agribusinesses that need to address the issue. But still, I am also a believer in the value of doing my own small bit to make the world a better place, and that includes not pumping my tiny little corner of it full of toxins and artificial chemical stimulants. Just like taking drugs, they provide an immediate rush, but you pay for it later in one way or another.

Yes, it was too cold to go out and garden today. ;o)

Technorati tag: Fertilizers

Venturing out into un-English waters

2006-10-12T16:02:00.000-04:00

Anybody up for a challenge? How about a Danish gardening blog? At least I think it's Danish. That's my best guess. Or Swedish. Even if you can't read a word of Hagedagbok fra parsellen i Bergen, the pictures are great. Like this one of brugmansia, affectionately known as brugs by those who grow them (I wish):

The blog includes videos, and fortunately uses Latin names often enough that you can know what you're looking at.

If French is more your cup of tea, Martine Gingras in the Montreal area has a marvellous blog/website/forum, Banlieusardises.com that covers gardening, cooking and motherhood. She's become known as the Martha Stewart of Quebec and has even been written up in the newspapers. Click on the "Jardinage" tab for the gardening section.

Unlike Martha Stewart, she's not at all intimidating and has a wonderful warm style. Lots of recipes too, if you and your bilingual dictionary are up to the challenge. And she does all this with a full-time job and a toddler too. OK, so maybe she's a LITTLE intimidating.

Previous post on the topic of Recommended blogs and websites

Technorati tag: Martine Gingras

Everything's coming up roses

2006-10-11T16:57:00.000-04:00

OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration. But every time I look out my kitchen window, I catch a glimpse of roses, and it provides that little jolt of joy that ensures I will not abandon gardening any time soon. On a cold, dreary, rainy October day like today, that's no small benefit.

The Morden Sunrise that I still have mixed feelings about is really at its best in cool weather. The flowers fade quickly in the heat of the summer, but now they can delight me for days on end.

All my roses, in fact, are still blooming merrily away, seemingly oblivious to the waning of the season. The mini roses in particular are sending up thick sprays of new buds, bless their little hearts. I'm watching the weather forecasts carefully; when frost threatens, I'm going to go out and clip myself some bouquets.

In the back yard, the indefatigable Rozanne geranium is the star performer, rivalled by the grape-leafed anemone and the pink wax begonias, all of which are providing the colour I crave. The occasional bright red maple leaf drifts into the yard to provide an extra jolt. I don't think for even a second of raking them up; there aren't enough to smother the grass and the vivid splash of colour is welcome. I don't have enough autumn colour, but it's difficult to touch all the bases in so little space.

And those are the musings of a northern gardener who can only enjoy her yard through the windows today. But I've really got to get all those bulbs planted...

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