Learning to Garden with Barbara

Bad News and Good News

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:03:17 +0000

Unfortunately, we have some bad news. While we have both had a blast making these videos and sharing them with our little community, we both now have other business and personal commitments that make it impossible to carry on. So there will be no more posts to Learning To Garden With Barbara after this one.

The good news is that the blog will stay up for some months, until the domain expires. So you can still come back and watch specific videos again if you need reminders, and we hope you will continue to enjoy them as much the second time around.

Thank you for joining our community, and Happy Gardening!

Barbara and Helen

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Hyacinth Update

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:58:35 +0000

Here is an up-to-date photo of the Dutch hyacinths bulbs we planted in Helen’s office last November. Not only do they look lovely, but they smell divine — no room freshener needed with these beauties around!

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Planting Seeds Indoors: the links

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:41:15 +0000

We did a series of “The Basics” videos on planting seeds indoors for later transplant to the garden. If you’d rather start at the beginning rather than scrolling down, here are the links in order of presentation:

See how Barbara uses plant tags both to keep her seeds in order and in the actual planting
If you gather all your tools and supplies before you begin, the whole process goes much more smoothly
Planting an annual, in this case Browallia ‘Marine Bells’
An easy perennial, Echinacea ‘Pink Parasol’
A different type of perennial, Corydalis ochotensis var. raddeana
Ornamental Grasses, Carex ‘Red Rooster’

If you have questions about any of these, leave it as a comment and Barbara will address it for you.

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Planting Seeds Indoors: Ornamental Grasses

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:22:04 +0000

Ornamental grasses can add lovely visual and textural detail to your garden. In this video, Barbara shows the particular technique for planting seeds indoors for Carex ‘Red Rooster’ ™ from Stokes.

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Planting Seeds Indoors: Corydalis

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:10:19 +0000

Despite what people often think, in this video Barbara shows how easy it really is to plant seeds indoors for perennials. For this demonstration she chooses Corydalis ochotensis var. raddeana.

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Planting Seeds Indoors: Echinacea ‘Pink Parasol’

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:25:01 +0000

In this next in our “The Basics” series on planting seeds indoors, Barbara demonstrates how to plant Echinacea ‘Pink Parasol’, a perennial that is planted much as you would an annual.

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Planting Seeds Indoors: Browallia ‘Marine Bells”

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:17:31 +0000

Planting different types of seeds requires slightly different techniques. Here, Barbara demonstrates how to plant an annual, in this case Browallia ‘Marine Bells’.

Ready to Begin

Planting the Seeds

The Final Step

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Planting Seeds Indoors: What You’ll Need

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:39:37 +0000

Before starting to plant your seeds indoors, it’s best to assemble all the items you’ll need for the task. In this video, Barbara shows you what those items are. Scroll down beneath the video for Barbara’s summary.

Here’s what I use to start my plants inside:

1. 3 or 4” plastic pots – filled with soilless mix to start seeds, cuttings and transplants that are too large for 4-pack cell packs.
2. Cell packs – 4-packs are better than 6-packs – more room for the roots. Cell packs are used to start seeds and for transplanting seedlings.3. Solid Plastic trays – used with cell packs, 4” pots along with propagating dome (or without for larger plants).

4. Propagating Dome – used with plastic trays to retain moisture when starting seeds and growth of small plants.

5. Soilless Mix – there are many different mixes available. A general mix without fertilizer with a combination of peat, vermiculite and perlite is just perfect.
6. Ziploc® Bags (large) – can be used in place of propagating dome for single and double pots. Handy for perennials – keeps new seedlings out of squirrels’ little digging paws.
7. Florescent lights – any regular cool florescent light will do. They should be suspended over a flat service and be able to be raised or lowered depending on the height of the plants, 2-4” away from the leaves.
8. Fertilizer – your choice here. I use an organic for my vegetables and Miracle Grow® (15-30-15) for my flowers.

9. Plant tags & waterproof pen – must stand up to water. Plastic tags work better than wooden tags.

10. Scissors – it’s safer to open the seed packages with scissors rather than rip the packages open. One quick rip and the contents can end up flying across the floor. Best to cut the package open carefully.
11. Watering can – I like a small plastic watering can. I like how I can control the water flow over and around small plants and seedlings.

With these items – many that can be used for many years to come – you will be able to start plants inside and join us on your plant growing journey.

P.S. from Helen: One thing we didn’t talk about was the Tidy Tray. That’s the green tray Barbara uses to fill the pots with soilless mix, plant the seeds themselves and even mix the soilless mix with water. It’s a great all purpose tool that keeps everything tidy as you work. You can buy it online using this link:

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Planting Seeds Indoors: Plant Tags

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:07:26 +0000

This is the first in a series of videos in which Barbara plants seeds indoors. There are several steps in the process, and in this video she demonstrates her method of keeping her seed packages in order, ready for efficient planting.

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Choosing Good Plants at the Nursery

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:00:24 +0000

Sometimes too much choice isn’t a good thing, especially if you’re a newbie gardener at the nursery. We’re beginning a series of videos to show you what to look for in finding the right plant for your conditions.

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