In the Garden

July out at the 'Farm'

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:19:00 +0000

I've been a bad girl and have failed to keep you up-dated on the progress of our 'Farm'. Almost everything planted has done amazingly well, especially the weeds, and we have started harvesting crops already. We had a good start with the zuchini, and got a bunch of them all at once, but one plant has died and I think maybe the heat has slowed down the other one. That's OK, we have enjoyed the ones we have eaten, and there will be more. Some of the brocolli have produced some yummy heads, the lettuce was delish. Last week I thinned out the beets and cooked up a mess of beet greens and baby beets that was wonderful!!! So much so that I just went out and bought more beet seeds for a second crop to fill in the spot where we lost 3 cabbages. I think I might try to slip in those pretty Swiss Chard Rainbow Mix seeds next to the beets too. The cabbages are getting big enough to start harvesting, so we'll be having some cole slaw for dinner pretty soon. Last night I picked three nice sized pickle cucumbers to add to some greek salad for dinner this evening.

Below are some photos I've taken as things progress out at the 'Farm'. You can see how fast things are growing! The bottom picture was taken just late last week, there is hardly room to walk down the paths to water and check the crops. There's a good set of green tomatoes on most of the plants, so any day now, we expect to start harvesting those. And the winter squashes!!! Sheesh! I swear they are trying to over-run the whole place. I have to keep steering the vines back into their designated area, otherwise I think they'd be out on Newburg Road

Al, diligently hoeing weeds

things are growing!

and growing

and GROWING!!!

I got another nice selection of seeds from the Seeds of the Month Club this month, and while I won't be able to fit them into this season, there is always next. This month I got some Garlic Chives, Salad Cucumbers, Okra, and Sweet White Spanish Onions. The seeds will keep until next summer, unless I see that yes indeed, I can fit in just one more crop. By then, I should have a really nice collection of wonderful new things to try, Mike sends such a great assortment every month.

The Seeds of the Month Club is distributed by Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC, who also administers the largest Vegetable Gardening page on Facebook.

Out at 'The Farm'

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Things are coming along nicely out at 'The Farm'. We got our plants in and our seeds planted just after Memorial Day, and spent the next several evenings making sure everything was well watered to ensure a good start. Before planting the beans, we constructed tee-pees of bamboo poles and twine for them to grow on, and set a sturdy tomato cage around each of our tomatoes. After a few days, we sprinkled on some 13/13/13 fertilizer for the plants, and decided to wait a bit to fertilize the seedlings, not wanting to disturb them unnecessarily.

Above, you can see the slightly raised beds I designed for our garden, keeping all foot traffic in the lower areas to keep the soil from getting compressed, making it easier to care for the plants, weed and hopefully harvest our crops.

We were out there last a couple of days ago and the seeds were all starting to emerge, the tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli and squash were all growing nicely, and we needed to weed! Boy do those weeds grow fast! Tons of little seedlings all over the place! Al made short work of them with a hoe, we watered again, and as the sun went down, we were on our way home. The weeds will be back I'm sure, but as long as we can keep them under control while the crops gain in size, we'll be OK.

I got another nice selection of seeds from the Seeds of the Month Club this month, and I sure wish I had a place to fit in some of those beautiful Swiss Card plants! Look at the color on those! I can plan on fitting them in next summer though, the seeds will keep until then, along with the Roma Tomatoes, Cilantro, and Eggplant. By then, I should have a really nice collection of wonderful new things to try, Mike sends such a great assortment every month.

The Seeds of the Month Club is distributed by Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC, who also administers the largest Vegetable Gardening page on Facebook.

Opening Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:12:00 +0000

Finally! After one of the wettest springs in my memory, the community gardens at Greenmead are finally open! We were able to check in with Brad, the head gardener there, find and mark our assigned 25 by 25 plot and plan on setting to work in it as soon as the weather and soil cooperated. When we checked in last Saturday, it was still too wet to work the soil- still some standing water, and muddy patches. Since the city never got to do the final plowing and disking, it was rough, and full of weeds, debris and a scattering of volunteer lettuce and dill. I could take my vegetable and herb plants out of the greenhouse and harden them off for planting! Woo-hoo!

Nice looking plants!

Our 'Farm'

Yesterday, I loaded up the car with tools and sett out to hoe all the weeds down and build the raised beds we would need to plant all of the veggies and cut flowers we intended to grow. An hour after arriving, I had hoed an area about 3 feet by 12 feet and the task looked daunting. So when a nice young woman came over and asked if I wanted the plot rototilled, I weakened, and then caved. Rototilling isn't really all that good for the soil, and churns up more weed seeds to grow more weeds, but it does make the weeds that ARE there easier to yank out. The rototiller made short work of the whole plot, so I spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon building the raised beds so we could start planting. I had rescued the wild lettuce scattered around the plot, so I stuck that back in on the edge of the squash bed- it will be a few weeks before that part of the bed would be overrun with squash vines, by then the lettuce would be eaten.

Getting it rototilled

Ready to plant

Later in the cool of the evening we hauled our tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli out to 'The Farm' along with the flowers and basil we also wanted to grow. The wind was pretty fierce, but we managed to get everything planted and watered in before the sun went down on the day. This evening we'll go back out and plant some seeds, cage those tomatoes, and make tee-pees for the pole beans we plan on growing.

Day 1 optimism

Just a footnote about my little Robins: Below is the last photo I got of them before they fledged. All crammed into the nest, pushing and shoving like little kids in the back seat. The next morning, only one remained in the nest all snuggled in. He seemed to be comfy there, almost saying "I've got my own room! Cool!" He stayed for another day, then seemed sort of lonely and left to go find his family. I took down the empty nest and put it in a tree in case Momma Robin wanted to use it again. Later that week I spotted two of the babies out in the woods waiting for Dad to bring them some food. It'll be fun to watch as the parents teach them where and how to fend for themselves as they grow into adulthood.

Bye-bye birdies

They grow up so fast!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:49:00 +0000

It seems like just yesterday that Mr. and Mrs. Robin built their nest on the porch light and dropped 4 perfect little eggs in the bottom. In no time the little ones hatched out and started to grow as momma and daddy brought them juicy worms and other insects. Follow their progress below as they triple and quadruple in size, grow feathers, and open their little eyes.

May 11

May 14

May 17

May 20

Momma and Daddy have learned to identify the 'paparazi' and fly at me whenever I am outside

It will probably only be a matter of days before the little ones leave the nest and follow their parents around learning to find food, I hope to grab a few more pictures before they do, but I really don't want to lose an eye.

Spring comes to Michigan! (finally)

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:01:00 +0000

Finally! After a long, long, long winter, and a cold and wet early spring, it seems that finally we are in for some nicer weather. The trees are finally leafing out, and flowers are blooming.

New life has begun right under the front porch roof- a pair of Robins has started a family on top of the porch light, and while we could have removed the nest before they laid eggs in it, it seemed like a mean thing to do- it was so sweet and perfect, well protected, warm and dry for the little ones. From last year's experience, I knew it would only be a few weeks slight inconvenience before the eggs would hatch and the babies fledged. Within a few days, although the parents fussed at us whenever we left the house, the nest had three, then four beautiful blue eggs in it, being kept warm by two diligent parents. They got used to us coming and going, and while they would fly off the nest if we got too close, they stopped fussing and dive bombing us unless we reached up to snap pictures.

This morning, while working in the garage, I noticed one of the parents perched on the edge of the nest, rather than sitting in it. She seemed to be looking down into it, so I thought just maybe the eggs were hatching!

When I finished my work in the garage, I got out my ladder to snap a picture of the inside of the nest- the only way we can see all the way into the bottom. While they are far from cute yet, the two newly hatched chicks will be joined by their two siblings soon and in just a few days double in size, start to grow feathers, exhaust their parents in keeping them fed until they completely crowd each other out of that deep nest and are forced to fly off and explore the world.

It's been spring in my basement for a while now as all of my seeds have sprouted and are quickly outgrowing my shelves, some flats have even been moved out to the greenhouse on the deck- cabbage and broccoli like the cooler spring weather, and so do phlox and lobelia. The indoor shelves are crowded with tomatoes, impatiens, zinnias, and a few other things to plant around the condo, or out at our vegetable plot we are calling 'The Farm' or 'The Back .040'.

Last week, I got a new shipment of seeds from the 'Seed of the Month Club'. Italian Flat leaf Parsley, Black Beauty Zucchini, Cylindra Beets, and a packet of Mammoth Sunflower seeds. Some of them will be planted here- the parsley I can put in my herb garden, the beets and zucchini can be planted out at 'The Farm', but the sunflower will have to be saved for next year- it's just too big and tall. Some time in the next few weeks, we should be able to start planting, and I can hardly wait! If you are interested in The Seeds of the Month Club, there are links below to find out how to join.

The Seeds of the Month Club is distributed by Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC, who also administers the largest Vegetable Gardening page on Facebook.

Garden Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:25:00 +0000

Counting down the days to gardening season, and I've been working on planning out my 25 by 25 garden plot I've rented for the summer growing season here in Michigan. We're in zone 5 or 6, depending on where you are in the state. Technically, I'd say I'm in zone 6, but I tend to work with the zone 5 info as far as frost free dates go, especially for really tender plants and those that really like warm soil before they are planted out.
There's still a month to go before the Community Garden will be ready to plant in, so that leaves out some of the crops that really like a cool season, like peas, lettuce and spinach. Those I could be planting right now, and as soon as the soil is warm enough, they'd be up and growing. They close the gardens up in mid October, so crops that mature really late and can be harvested well into November and December (up until a good hard frost) would be wasted. So, I wouldn't get a full harvest of kale, parsnips, and a late crop of brocolli.
On the other hand, the garden is in full sun, all day, and has plenty of room for all of those yummy summer crops we all love so well! Tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, beans, squash, and so on. To make it easy to maintain and harvest, I'm planning on setting up some raised beds in it, and doing some companion planting to maximize my harvest and have a great looking garden. I love cut flowers in the summer, so I'm including some of those amongst the vegies, and some of the varieties I'm planting will be pretty as well.
All around the perimeter of the 25 by 25 plot, we'll hill up raised beds about 30 to 36 inches deep, allowing two entry and working paths about 2 feet wide along the main pathway. Along the main path, will be planted some cabbages and dill. Along the left side, we'll put in a variety of different tomatoes, spacing them about 3 feet apart, with a basil plant in between each, toward the path side. I have a cage for each plant, and a good sturdy stake. Along the right side, we'll alternate Comet Brocolli, and a crossed variety called Purple Peacock that I wanted to try. There's a back section that we haven't decided on what to plant yet. Maybe more tomatoes, or just flowers. In all four corners will go some short sunflowers and a pretty variety of zinnia I found for cut flowers.
We'll divide off the large remaining section into different sized raised beds. Towards the back, we'll form a large square about 10 by 10, and in it will go 4 hills with 2 kinds of winter squash. To the side of that will be a 3 foot wide bed of bush pickle cucumbers- we hope to make some pickles later in the summer. To the front of those will go a long row of pole beans- a purple variety I love, and a coral runner bean- the combination of the two colors of flowers and beans should be very decorative. Purple beans turn green when cooked, and have a wonderful flavor. The runner beans are also delicious when picked about pencil size. We'll set up some sort of trellis for them to grow on. In front of the beans, we'll plant a row of carrots. The feathery leaves will look pretty along the path.
So, the planning is going well, in the next week or so I'll be starting some of the vegie seeds we plan on using, including some of the newest shipment of seed I got from the "Seeds of the Month Club". This month I got Thyme (I love thyme) Chantenay Red Core Carrot, Lincoln Peas, and Golden Acre Cabbage. Both the carrots and the cabbage will be put to good use in the garden, and I may try the thyme here in my herb garden if I can find some room.

The Seeds of the Month Club is distributed by Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC, who also administers the largest Vegetable Gardening page on Facebook.

New Gardening Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:31:00 +0000

As some of you know, I moved last summer to a lovely condo with a whole lotta shade and no where to grow the veggies I love to grow every summer. It was OK going to the Farmer’s Market every week and picking up whatever I could find in season, but I sure did miss growing my own. At my old house I grew several tomato varieties, broccoli, pole beans and a lot of herbs. I love to cook, and using fresh herbs and veggies makes my dishes sing.

This year, in an effort to again have our own fresh produce to eat and share, we’ve obtained a community garden plot nearby, just a few miles away. Already, we’ve been planning what to plant where, what kinds of things to grow, and drooling over catalogues. Decisions, decisions!

In addition to again having plenty of space to grow things, I’ll have a garden to blog about! I’ll be writing about the process, the problems, and the progress as well as posting photos of all the yummy things we’ll be growing out there. What fun we are going to have! My partner Al has a bit of experience gardening and is very willing to work along side in helping with the planting and upkeep, so it should be very pleasant to throw our tools and the dogs in the car and do a bit of farming in the evenings.

A couple of days ago I found a fantastic opportunity that fits right in with this year’s gardening project. It’s the Seeds of the Month Club! I happened to find them on Facebook and checked out the process- it looked like fun to me, so I signed up. Mike the Gardener says:

From novice to experienced, millions of people around the world grow their own vegetables. Some do it for fun as a hobby but many do it as a means to put healthy, safe food on their family`s kitchen table for a lot less than what they would pay in stores. With a monthly Seeds Club subscription you can cut your costs even further to as little as $0.06 per day!

Signing up was really easy, there are different plans available and it’s really risk free. Every month I will get 4 new packets of vegetable seeds to try out (or can fit them in, in my case).

So today, in our mailbox was an envelope with four packets of seeds: Marketmore Cukes, Green Flesh Honeydew Melon, Paris Island Cos Lettuce, and Ace 55 Tomato. Way cool! We’re off to a great start on our vegetable patch, and whatever seeds we can’t use, we can share, give away, or save for next year’s garden. I can’t wait to see what comes next month! I invite you to check out the sites below, and join me in this adventure.

See you in the Garden!

The Seeds of the Month Club is distributed by Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC, who also administers the largest Vegetable Gardening page on Facebook.

Monsanto’s Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human and Animal Health

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:19:00 +0000

I always thought that Round-up was an OK product to use both in the agricultural industry and in the home/hobby garden until this morning. This article by Jeffery Smith on the Institute for Responsible Technology web site shows that the product isn't as safe as we thought. After reading the article, I won't be using it directly in my garden any more, and will limit it's use to the weeds growing in the driveway cracks. I urge you to check the article "Monsanto’s Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human and Animal Health" out and spread the word. Thanks!

And they're off!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:41:00 +0000

This is the last photo I got of the baby Robins. It was taken a day or two before they all flew out of the nest on Monday when I returned home and attempted to open the door without disturbing them. Just look at how crammed into the nest they are, just a tangle of feathers and beaks. What an amazingly fast process! From egg to flight in under a month!

New arrivals!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:01:00 +0000

This morning I noticed that my mama Robin wasn't in her usual spot on her nest. I was worried that I had just disturbed her too much, or her nest had been raided and the eggs lost. Not to worry- she was just off finding food for these four little darlings! My goodness, they sure look hungry! I hope she's up to the task of keeping all those little bellies full. I just adore Robins!

New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:08:00 +0000

Spring has sprung, the scent of flowers is in the air, and new life is springing up all around me. Several Robins are singing out in the yard, and a pair has even set up housekeeping just outside my door after losing their first nest by my neighbor's door. They seem to be getting used to my comings and goings, I can get quite close to them and still they remain on the nest of three beautiful blue eggs. They seem to know that I won't hurt them or disturb their nest.

As I write this I am resting after a session of digging up and potting the few plants I have grown attached to here- the lavender, chives, sage and oregano I planted my first summer here, the miniature rose bush that is a cherished gift from a friend, the day lily that is the only plant I have from my previous garden, and the assorted perennials that came in a mixed cut flower seed packet I scattered last spring. This place and garden has always been a temporary place for me, I never really set down any roots here, and now it's time to move on.

This time I get to move in the spring of the year instead of the dead of winter, and for a much more hopeful reason. It's a new beginning and not an ending. In preparation, I have tossed out, sold or given away things I won't have room or a use for any more and kept those things I really like or just can't part with. The next few weeks will be spent packing up all of my things and setting up a new household and a new garden, combining possessions and creating a new home.

The new garden will be considerably shadier, not enough sun for the tomatoes and vegetables I like to grow, but under the lovely flowering trees will be room for a variety of hosta, my favorite impatiens, and some perennials. There are some sunny spots to tuck the herbs into, and that will satisfy the chef in me for now. I can get all the fresh vegetables I want at the local Farmer's Markets, along with the fresh seasonal fruits and herbs I won't be able to grow at the new place. When you are only cooking for two, you don't need much.

Behind the place is a nice sized deck for my 'garden room' furniture, my barrel pond for my fish and some mixed planters. The deck and rear garden back up to an old growth strip of woods where the Trout Lilies, Wood Anemones and other woodland wildflowers are already done with their blooming for the year, and the undergrowth is now filling in. I look forward to the two of us sitting outside and enjoying the view of the garden and woods on a soft summer's evening. It's big enough beyond the shallow rolling lawn for a short exploration to discover what else may be growing in there and perhaps insert some additional woodland flowers along the edge to enjoy next spring. It will be nice to be able to see out into the woods from the sunny living room, dining room and bedroom and watch the wildlife and the seasons as they change. I really miss being able to see the garden from the house and having it entice me outside to see what's going on.

So this spring and summer are especially hope filled for me, with a new life and love, a new home and garden, and a new future to shape. There will be new adventures, new plants to try, new soil to work and a new way of life. Together. In a new nest.

See you in the Garden!

Ellen Leigh

Catalogue Choices

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:48:00 +0000

So far this winter I have amassed a huge collection of seed and plant catalogues. I love to page through them, looking at all the gorgeous photos, reading the descriptions and trying to decide if this plant or that plant would be a better fit in my dream garden (I call it my dream garden because it only exists there, my real garden is somewhat 'limited in size').

Writing up all those blurbs about different plants and seeds has to be really tough work sometimes, I mean truly- the writer has to work really hard to come up with new descriptions for virtually identical plants, worded just the right way to entice the gardener into parting with their hard-earned dollars, and max out their credit cards on enough seeds and plants to fill two gardens. And much like real estate descriptions, you have to learn from experience what all those fancy key words really mean. Heaven help the novice gardener, faced with these choices, all of which promise to give them a garden showplace, worthy of a professional design mag layout. So here's a bit of help in deciphering just what all that jargon means:

Choice: We're overstocked, trying desperately to move this item off our shelves.
Rare and Choice: We can't even squeeze all these into the storeroom.
Common: Well known plants from our childhood, even the most inept gardener can grow these. Common plants are never offered in catalogues. This term is only used to describe a variety "Much improved over it's common ancestor" Common plants are described as "durable".
Exclusive: they've paid the breeder a big fat fee to only sell the item to them. You have to get it from them, no-one else has it. This season anyhoo- next season it will be half the price in every catalogue. Watch for 'Mail-order exclusive'. It's probably available on the groaning shelves at Wallyworld.
Limited Supply: You might want to rush right out and order this, but it's futile. It means that either (A) they've sold out the day before the catalogues went to press, or (B) they are hoarding the few they do have for friends, family and a few discerning favorite customers.
May bloom the first year: means it won't bloom the first year in my garden, or yours either. "If planted early enough" means plant it on New Years Day.
Hardy: will live through the winter...somewhere, but not in your garden. Hardy to zone 5 really means zone 6, but one person once got it through a zone 5 winter with unseasonably warm weather and plenty of snowcover. "Hardy with some protection" means it must be coddled more than a flu-stricken husband.
Light fragrance: You have to crush it and shove it up your nose to notice.
Vigorous grower: flashing red lights should be going off in your head. These are plants that will devour your house and yard in weeks. (Kudzu is considered a 'mildly vigorous grower').
Provides winter interest: extra boring the other three seasons.
Old Favorite: AKA 'Victorian Favorite' replaced by better varieties pre WWII, for good reason I might add, it will succumb to all kinds of maladies and even introduce you to a few new ones.
Tolerates light shade: Yeah- it'll survive, but it sure won't like it. Probably won't die, but will just get leggy and won't bloom.
A challenge: Will die. (in law, this is called a disclaimer)
Spectacular: Gaudy and tasteless.
For the discerning gardener: (A) The opposite of 'Spectacular'- you need a magnifying glass to see the flowers the three days it is in bloom. (B) Priced at twice it's worth.
Will reseed freely or Self-sowing: make sure you like this one, because it will spew seeds into the rest of your garden, your lawn and even the cracks of your driveway and defy any efforts to limit it's spread.
Mild: often used to describe tomato flavor, it means it will taste just like the sliced pale winter tomatoes on a diner salad.
Delicate in flavor: there is none, you'll need plenty of butter and garlic to appreciate the vegetable you spent all summer growing. Wonderful smothered in pasta sauce.
Prolific: You will have to leave these on your hated neighbor's porch under cover of darkness just to get rid of them. Often used in descriptions of Zuchini varieties.
Unique: Just downright weird looking, bordering on ugly, this is the most positive term they could come up with for this one. Some people like their flowers and vegies to look like something out of a science fiction novel or 'Star Trek'

So how do I know what these terms really mean? Because every year I fall for them, place those orders, and try something rare, choice and unique, available in limited quantities for the discerning gardener only, that's how.
See you in the Garden!

Winter Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:36:00 +0000

The cold brisk days of winter are settling in now and I have a chance to reflect on the past growing season. Currently, I don't have as much gardening space as I'd like but I did make good use of it this past season growing tomatoes, herbs, and scarlet runner beans (really tasty if picked young with lovely red flowers) along with an assortment of annuals, just because I love flowers.

The seeds I like to save are put away until next March- impatiens, phlox, and blue lobelia among them. I'll probably pick up some seed packets too for some tomatoes, beans, and herbs along with perhaps some new varieties of flowers. March is when the growing season begins for me- moistening up the seed mix, filling the seed trays and scattering the seeds on the surface to start 'the watch'. In a matter of just a few days the miracle happens- first a little white root then a hint of green and before long, baby plants have sprouted and are shoving their way up towards the grow lights, shouldering aside their siblings in the tray. I can hardly wait!

In the mean time over the winter, perhaps I'll do some research on the possibility of designing a prairie garden. I had the opportunity this past summer to spend over a week traveling across the northern Plains states and spent quite a bit of time photographing and appreciating the vastness of an open prairie. We visited some Prairie preserves in western Minnesota and drove across both North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa, stopping frequently to appreciate the beauty of the Great Plains.

I'm sure many of the same grasses and wildflowers also can be grown here in the wetter climate of Michigan and would certainly be low maintenance. Some of the plants I saw I've even used as part of a perennial border- Purple Coneflowers, Black-eyed Susans, Blanket Flowers and grasses. What we don't use here are the beautiful silver sages. If those aren't available, a Russian Sage could be a good stand in for that, along with a culinary sage for a different bloom time, leaf and flower form. Of course there will have to be a Prickly Pear Cactus here and there as well and some low growing Prairie Roses. And it won't be complete unless there are grasses to wave in the breeze and blend the flowers together to finish the composition.

The book I bought on the trip: 'Wildflowers and Grasses of the Northern Plains and Black Hills' will be thoroughly studied along with the multiple photographs we took. I can find sources on line for seeds and plants and make notes for a future time when I may have just the right spot for my 'Prairie Garden', dreaming of the day when I can turn the soil, scatter the seeds and find just the right spot for each of those special plants I want to highlight in the garden. And through the center of it all will be a grassy path leading to a rustic seat to relax on and remember the beauty of the prairie.

Happy dreaming, see you in the Garden!

Ellen Leigh

http://ellensgarden.blogspot.Com

Below are a few of the on-line catalogues I'll be checking out.

http://WWW.americanmeadows.Com

http://WWW.edenbrothers.Com

http://WWW.wildflowerfarm.Com

http://WWW.prairiemoon.Com

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:18:00 +0000

I'm completely overhauling my professional Facebook page- it was too confusing to have my main identity and my business page have the same name (I am blonde after all). My apologies- but if you had already fanned me, you probably are gonna hafta do it again. I hope this clears up a few issues people have been having, and helps me to keep a better eye on which page has what on it and why.
The new page can be found here at Ellen Leigh Inteiors on Facebook.

A little friend

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:28:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Isn't he (or is it a she?) adorable? I found the tiniest of toads hopping around in my garden recently. Barely the size of my fingernail, I'm sure it will grow and help consume the bugs I don't like out there. He joins the other toads I've seen out there- some much, much bigger, some medium sized ones. They even hop up the steps and onto the deck looking for bugs to eat.
Late spring nights I can hear them singing in the weedy edges of the yard- I'm not far from a small lake- it's a sweet sound of one toad calling to another, looking for love. As a friend so nicely put it: "It's all about the nooky."

Summer Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:27:00 +0000

I am really enjoying my little gardens this year. The above photo is of the herb garden outside my back door. With easy access to the kitchen, I can run out quickly and grab something to add to the evening meal or breakfast omelet. Last year's pineapple sage survived the winter snuggled in close to the house, and looks really healthy there in the back. Chives, lemon thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, plus lavender and some catmint for scent and color round out the herbs, along with some nasturtiums and pansies to add to a salad.

I love to decorate my garden with old furniture and impliments. The chair above sits alongside the parking area and holds a lovely mixed planter. My favorite blue lobelia, and a pretty coral pelargonium fill out the barely visible cobalt blue pot.

I can't tell you how many generations of impatiens I've grown from seed collected each year from plants I've started in the house. I never tire of saving the seeds, starting them in March, and patiently waiting to see what surprising colors show up each summer. Coral swirl is my favorite color, and there's one I'm especially fond of with spatters of dark burgundy on a coral background- very unusual!

Green Gardening- Making use of Recyclables

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Take a good look at this planter- it's an old chair, rescued from the trash, it's upholstery removed and replaced with chicken wire, a coir insert, and a terrific combination of bloomers!

The following is an article written by a guest blogger- you never know who you might meet on the internet, eh? Some great points are made, reinforcing the things we already know as Master Gardeners, ideas we can use, and things we learned about starting seeds outdoors at last month's meeting using recycled materials.

There isn’t a better way to enjoy the warm springtime weather while making a difference on the environment than with indoor or outdoor gardening. Not only are we adding a little bit of green to our home but we’re also lowering the demand for non-organic vegetables and herbs by starting our own supply of fresh food for our cooking and eating enjoyment. Once you take up gardening, you’ll soon find that you can make the space around your outdoor furniture even greener by taking up eco-friendly practices such as using recycled materials to aid in the growth of your garden and by creating a nutritious compost pile.

One of the easiest ways to get started on living a greener life is by creating a compost pile in a backyard area from grass clippings and dry leaves produced from past seasons. Compost piles benefit your garden by providing an organic fertilizer filled with an abundance of minerals and nutrients that will nourish your organic garden and allow you to recycle waste from your kitchen. Used coffee grounds and tea leaves can be added to your damp mulch pile and are the perfect addition to plants that thrive off of acid-based fertilizers. Adding sheets or shreds of old newspaper around your plants will help with weed control as this material decomposes and becomes part of your nutritious garden soil.

If you’re looking to get your garden growing, there are a number of materials that are normally thrown out in the trash but can actually be used to house seedlings for a young garden that is just starting out. Plastic yogurt containers as well as milk and egg cartons provide a great space for transplanting new seeds and plants while you’re getting your soil ready. If your garden is well underway and you’re looking for a way to use recycled materials, try tying old pantyhose or T-shirt strips around metal or wood gardening posts to keep your tomato plants upright and growing strong. Also, add a charming aesthetic by building a small walkway with reused pieces of concrete or stone leading to or through your beautiful garden.

New Garden Coach Directory

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:20:00 +0000

It's a cold crisp day and I'm impatiently waiting for spring here, trying to figure out what to write about for this month. Well, sometimes the subject comes easily, and sometimes, like today, it just pops up! I no sooner opened this document when an e-mail arrived in my computer with an update to a site I joined a few weeks ago- The Garden Coach Directory ( http://gardencoachdirectory.wetpaint.Com/ ). It's a new version of the site I joined a couple of years ago that had grown to be too big for it's originator to handle. I've written about it before on my blog (August 3, 2007), set up a web site, and have even had a few clients since then.

As Master Gardeners we provide a valuable service to the public- educating, volunteering, caring for our environment, and hands on gardening efforts to show people the value of gardening as a whole. With the economy in such turmoil this year, I believe that there will be many people interested in learning how to grow their own food, and to care for their own landscapes and gardens as well as the environment as a means to conserve their own resources and even to nurture their own souls. We are all in a position to help them learn to do that.

There are a few ways to teach people about gardening available to us as members of the MGAWC. One is the tried and true "Let's Go Gardening" program set up years ago by Leo Blum. By volunteering on Saturdays in May at local nurseries, we can answer questions, advise on safe gardening practices as well as earn a bit of income for our organization. Another way is to direct people to the series of classes offered by our organization meant for beginning gardeners, the "Intro to Gardening" classes. Yet another is to man a booth at a local farmer's market and answer questions there. I predict that there will be a lot more people interested in taking advantage of our words of advice this year. I urge you to volunteer a few hours of your time to provide this valuable service. If that isn't enough for you, hang out a shingle as a Garden Coach as I have and provide the service right at the new gardener's home.

Visit the new Garden Coach Directory at: http://gardencoachdirectory.wetpaint.Com/ - it's growing quickly to be a valuable resource, user friendly, and a great group of gardeners all over the world dedicated to teaching about gardening. Each individual coach has their own page, listed in their home state- mine of course can be found in the great state of Michigan. It's absolutely free to join, and could be a great place to scatter your gardening expertise and help grow new gardeners.

See you in the Garden!

Ready, Set, Garden!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:53:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I've had enough of winter. Seems like every time I turned around, I was shovelling snow, and as I write this a recent warm spell with record setting temps has melted most of the snow piled up out in the yard. More snow is in the forecast for the week-end. I am so ready for spring!

It's time to rev up the grow lights, get out the seed packets picked up or ordered in the dead of winter, and load up the seed trays. Warm everything up, get the timing just right on the lights, add a bit of moisture and stand back. Within days, a miracle happens and those tiny seeds send forth a tiny root, seed leaves and then sprout their first true leaves, reaching toward the bright lights set above them.

Last year, I didn't start too many different kinds of seeds- I don't have a lot of places to garden here, so I figured that I'd just pick up a few four packs of annuals somewhere. I was sadly disappointed with the lack of variety available, and sorely missed Clyde Smith's garden center. This year, I still don't have a lot of garden space, but have picked up some of my old favorite annual seeds that I missed having last year.

There's lots of shade here, so my impatiens did very well in pots on the deck, I saved some seeds from those. Along the driveway is enough sun for a few tomatoes, herbs and sun-loving annuals. I adore the little Star White Zinnias, so I picked up a packet of seeds for those, along with some Cinnamon Basil I had a hard time finding last year. I think I have some Phlox of Sheep seeds left, I'll try to grow those again this year, last year's plants did not do well at all and I really missed their beautiful colors.

The soil here is very poor, I have my compost bins working to try to rebuild some areas. I'm hoping that the leaves I left to rot in place will also help to improve the texture of the compacted areas along the drive. I'll expand the small garden area I dug out, and make that bigger, it's sunny enough for some annuals, but not sunny enough for vegetables. Vegetables are fun to grow, and taste great, but it's hard to only grow enough for one or two people, so it's not a big deal to not have them.

It's an exciting time of year- just before Spring- there are so many possibilities, so many choices. We take all the new information we learned from our gardens last year, and apply it to this year coming up. Doesn't matter if we've gardened the same one for decades, or like me, a brand new place. Things change and evolve- sunny areas grow shady, shady areas can be suddenly sunny. Every Spring is a chance to start again, try again with Hope for a wonderful new season. Can you dig it? Are you ready?

See you in the Garden!

The Outdoor Room

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:13:00 +0000

Summer has finally arrived! I have the weeds well in hand here, and everything is planted, fertilized, caged and staked. The deck- my outdoor room- is all set up and decorated, so finally the garden feels like home to me. It must be pretty inviting out there- that's where all of my guests want to hang out.

With all of the garden ornaments, wide variety of furnishings, decorative items and plant containers available in the stores, markets and on the curb (my favorite place to shop) it is easy to furnish a deck or patio to create that outdoor gathering space. I have been collecting a lot of items for many years, so it's a simple thing to arrange and re-arrange the seating and decor to create an inviting look, and provide a lovely view of the garden (or in my case- the lawn and trees).

Setting up the outdoor room boils down to one word- VIEW - the room needs to be inviting from the inside of the house, and once out there seated, there should be something pleasant to look at both close up- mixed planters, small gardens, tellises covered with flowering vines, decor, etc, and a distant view. In my outdoor room, I have positioned most of the seating to view my neighbor's yard with stately maple trees, ancient lilacs, and an expanse of lawn with the sunset through the trees. My other views are the parking area of the driveway with my car parked in it, or my other neighbors overgrown and neglected yard with poison ivy thriving along the chain link fence and a rusted out truck (not a pleasant view at all). Easy choice for me there. I picked my car, and the stately trees and sunset for the long view, and arranged the furnishings to take advantage of it.

Once the bones of the set up is completed, then the close up views- decor, mixed planters, vertical elements like arches, trellises and shepherd's hooks can be included to frame views or mask unpleasant ones. It is very much like decorating interior spaces, except that instead of art on the walls, and windows to the outside, you frame pleasant natural views, and create walls of structures to support plants to appreciate. You can even add a bit of softness in the form of cushions and pillows, tablecloths and napkins for special gatherings. I store all of these items in a large plastic deck box to keep them handy.

We've worked hard on our gardens, enjoy the process of discovering new plants, finding just the right spot for them, and maintaining them, so why not go to the next level and create a space to relax and enjoy our hard work? Invite your guests out to appreciate what you do, create a room to relax in and enjoy this all too brief Michigan summer. Ready, set, decorate!

See you in the garden!
Ellen Leigh

New Discoveries

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:26:00 +0000

As Spring moves along on it's way to summer every day that I go out and ramble around out in the garden I find something new. A lot of the property has been allowed to run wild, so there are some meadow wildflowers here and there, buckthorn of course , and weedy trees like box elder and silver maples. But also there are some things that will be interesting to watch develop- gooseberry bushes, apple trees, berry brambles and who knows what else.

There's tons of Garlic mustard out there- I'll be putting that Garlic Mustard cookbook to good use! I've tried just sauteing it, and it is really pretty tasty, so I'll try to find the book and check out a few recipes- there's plenty out there. I've never tried gooseberry anything, so I'm looking forward to testing out a couple of new recipe's there too.

Finally the weather and my schedule worked out so that I had the opportunity to spend some quality time prepping my little planting areas for seeds, finishing the removal of a few square feet of lawn for a flower garden, and actually planting some seeds this past Saturday. I opted for some really easy to grow annuals- Cosmos, Sweet Alyssum, annual Forget me not's, Johnny Jump ups, and some scented Nicotiana along with Morning Glories and Moonflowers in the trellised pots. If I get a few divisions of perennials, I'll put them in the new garden, but I think this year it will be mostly annuals, herbs and a few veggies here and there. Along the driveway, which faces south, I will have a small herb garden, the tomato's, cinnamon basil and nasturtiums for both color and to add to salads. I'll also try to grow some broccoli and lettuce- but the bunnies may find it tasty, so it may not make it to my plate.

The usual Phlox of Sheep, light blue trailing lobelia, and my special variety of Impatiens are growing well under the grow lights, so there will be some continuity in my new garden. As usual, I started way too many plants for my own use, so some will be looking for adoptive homes, along with a few tomato plants as well. I only have room for 4 different plants, but of course I have to plant a few seeds to ensure having a good plant to keep for me in each variety. The portable greenhouse is filling up with plants picked up at the MGAWC plant sale, and with those that I'm hardening off before planting.

My garden may not be large enough for a garden walk this year, but it will be pretty later on in the summer, so if you are out in the Plymouth area be sure to stop by, enjoy a glass of iced tea or lemonade and sit a spell on the deck in the shade. I may even offer you a piece of gooseberry pie!

See you in the garden!

Let the Gardening Begin!

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:51:00 +0000

As you all know, I had to say goodbye to the garden I had spent 17 years creating and developing. Some of the trees, plants and shrubs I left behind had been grown from seed over 25 years ago and moved to the site, some were cherished divisions from family and friends, and many of the trees were planted in memory of loved ones who had passed on in years past. I have my memories, photographs, and a lot of the portable ornaments and pots from the garden, but left behind every plant.

Waiting for Spring has been hard, not knowing how I would fill the hole in my heart left by it's loss, sometimes remembering what early spring flower should be in bloom first, and visiting nearby gardens to see if someone else might have something green and growing to fill my heart.

Finally, the temperatures are warming up, and Spring has returned to the area. So on a very warm day this week, I spent the afternoon carrying furniture and decorations out of the garage, and arranged and rearranged everything on the deck and alongside the house to begin the process of once again decorating the outdoor room that will be my new garden. I have a lot of it planned in my head- what seeds to plant here, what pot filled with flowers will go there, the best spot for the herbs, the tomatoes, maybe some beans.

My fingers began to ache to be in the soil, and even though I haven't turned the flower beds yet and taken out the weeds, I celebrated Spring with the purchase of a six pack of brightly colored pansies, and a lavender plant to fill the chair/planter I put by my door to greet me and my visitors.

My garden this year will be much smaller, mostly in pots, and mostly annuals, but I have always depended on annuals to give me plenty of color all summer long. There is continuity in starting the seeds I saved from the Impatiens, Phlox of Sheep and Blue Lobelia I have been growing for years, and making plans to plant them all around my new deck here.

There's a lot of wildlife here- raccoons, possums, rabbits, groundhogs, and even coyotes, although I haven't seen one of those. Growing some things may be a challenge, but I'll give it a shot. There is a wide variety of birds that visit my feeders, and I'm sure there is a trumpet vine growing on the sunny side of the house, so maybe I'll have hummingbirds- I would love that!

So- I have made a start, my gardening heart is healing, and while it won't be the same garden, it will be my garden. In the coming weeks and months, I will keep you posted on how it develops, what works, what doesn't work, and post some pictures on the blog. I may even have a garden party or two to celebrate. Stay tuned!

See you in the Garden!

On the Edge of Spring Slideshow

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:12:00 +0000

On the Edge of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:32:00 +0000

It's been a long cold snowy winter, and at the moment we are just on the edge of Spring. I had the oppportunity to go out to Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, Michigan for a hike in the woods, and to check out the displays in the conservatories on a chilly Saturday in March. Tired of being indoors, and having the company of a good friend, off we went!

It was a grey day, chilly, but not windy. We hoped for a little bit of Spring to be found out in the woods, but if it was there it was still hidden by snow and ice. We took pictures of the beauty of the late winter landscape, bare branches agains the snow, bleached beech leaves still clinging to some of the trees, and green mosses on piles of boulders and fallen tree trunks. The hike was a challenge- the paths were still snowcovered and slippery, but the woods were so beautiful with the promise of Spring in the next few weeks. The woods were very quiet- just us two, the singing birds, and the one rabbit we scared up- not another soul around. There were plenty of tracks in the snow- deer, dogs, rabbits, squirrels, boot prints of other hikers, and some tracks from what must have been a huge wild turkey!

The conservatories held all of the glory of Spring bulbs, orchids, and a variety of blooming Amaryllis on display, some terrific cacti and succulents in the desert house, and of course the tropical house filled with huge trees and flowers.

We even took the time to look at the Dwarf Conifer collection- beautiful specimens showing their winter color still. What a great place to see some unusual varieties of trees and shrubs, along with some of the ones we all are so familiar with.

After a little outdoor picnic in the cold, we drove around the grounds looking at some of the other collections, but by that time my camera batteries had given up for the day, so I didn't get Pictures of the rest of the grounds for the slide show I made.

All in all a perfectly wonderful day, looking forward to the beauty of Spring, saying good-bye to a long cold winter.

See you in the garden!

Garden Design for Others

noreply@blogger.com (Ellen Leigh) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:29:00 +0000

I had the opportunity last season to work in several area gardens, either in starting to restore them, maintaining their good looks, or redesigning them for people eager to install and maintain a lower maintenance but beautiful garden. I'm sure I will be doing more of the same this season, and have plans to get started as soon as the weather permits. Perhaps this is something you'd like to consider doing for others, so I thought I'd write about the steps to take in designing gardens for someone other than yourself.

Initial contact- layout the steps that need to be taken to complete the design process. These include the initial consultation; the measure and photographing the outdoor space as-is, drafting and design of the garden as is, and projecting new planting areas to fit the client's needs and finally the presentation of the finished design to the client. The potential client at this time has probably seen a garden you have designed, either yours or someone else's, liked what they saw and wants one like it, or they wouldn't be calling you, so be prepared to quote fees for your time.For this initial contact, a fee per hour worked amount works, and a range of time from minimum to a high middle range of time will let the client know what they can expect. Alternatively, you could charge for the initial consult, and then quote a price to design the garden.

Initial Consult: Get to know the client- what do they like to do in their free time?, do they entertain, like to build things, have children or grandchildren? Pets? Do they travel a lot, or always stay home? Where do they like to go when they travel? What do they want to have in their garden, why do they want a garden? Go out and wander around their property with them, talking about what they like, what they don't like, what they've tried, what they'd like to see, and access what features are good, what needs to change, the amount of sunlight available in different areas, what the neighbor's yards are like. Look at the architecture of the house, the style of their interior, discuss colors, and possible plant budget. Roughly assess the soil- sandy, clay, loamy? Take lots of notes to refer to when you measure. My initial consultations are frequently in the evening, and I run out of daylight to measure, so I make arrangements to return for measuring and photographing the garden and property. I generally quote a price for doing the work, and collect an initial 1/3 payment to proceed with the work.

Measure: I bring a hundred foot tape, a 25 foot tape, a sketch pad, clipboard and my camera. All of the features of the garden are sketched out and measured- including any permanent features such as decks or hardscaping, buildings, fences, etc, the soil needs to be assessed, for drainage and quality,and samples taken for testing if necessary; Make note of overhead wiring, meters, anything ugly that needs to be screened from view, anything beautiful outside of the property that can be visually included in the garden. Make note of where compass north is for predicting shadows.

Drafting and design: I draw out the garden the old fashioned way- using a pencil and tracing paper on a drafting board using an architect's scale. There are computer programs available to do the layout, but in the end, it isn't the tools used to design the garden, it's the end result that is important. I draft out the garden as is, then overlay another piece of sketch paper to play around with the beds, their purpose and how they should look. I think about what plant material can be used in those beds to get the desired look and amount of maintenance and make note of that as well- doing some research if necessary to find the right plants. A final drawing is created, noting which plants are to be used, existing plants that will remain, any new hardscaping to be included, etc. Before the presentation, I have copies made of the design- 2 or 3, to make note of any changes that need to be made after the presentation.

Presentation: I bring a few books that have photos of the plant material, marked, the plans, and plenty of enthusiasm. The plans are laid out on a table and I 'walk the client through' the plans, discussing all the features, what purpose they serve, who benefits, what they will look like, why the plant material was selected, where it can be purchased and planted, and if the client is doing the work themselves- where they should start and how to start.

The gardens I design are generally for people who want to be hands on gardeners- they really want to do it themselves, but aren't knowledgeable enough yet to know what to plant where and why. They want a beautiful garden, but don't have a lot of time to spend on it, and they are willing to do an entire landscape if they knew how to break it down into planned sections that can be achieved over a period of years. Some of them already love to garden and know a lot about the individual plants, but don't know how to coordinate them all into a beautiful look. Others have a bit of basic knowledge, have made a few mistakes, and want to avoid making more in the future. That's where I come in- designing and painting with plants, making a potentially beautiful garden for people to enjoy working, entertaining, and relaxing in.

See you in the Garden!

Ellen Leigh