Our Little Acre

Procrastination Pays Off in Bulbs

2009-12-03T21:35:00.005-05:00

Just polishing my crown here. As The Queen of Procrastination, I can tell you all the advantages to waiting to the last minute to do things while acknowledging that there are also disadvantages. However, I'm also a positive thinker, so I tend to dismiss the latter.

The latest triumph in my career of putting things off was delivered by The Man in Brown just a little while ago. Bulbs. Big and little bulbs, full of the promise of spring. Every fall I tell myself I'm not going to plant any more of them, then I think about how it feels in spring when these rays of light burst through the winter-weary landscape and make my spirits soar. That gets me every time.

This year, I was hanging out in Twitter when Brent and Becky's Bulbs announced their 50% off sale and I beat a path to their cyber-door. What's great about Brent and Becky's is that you know you'll get the same great quality product at the end of the season that you do during the rest of the year.

Another plus is you'll find all kinds of goodies that aren't readily available just anywhere. I mean, how many places do you think I've seen a Narcissus called 'Romy?' For those of you who don't know, my husband's name is Roman and everyone calls him Romie, just as they did his grandfather, for whom he was named. You know I just HAD to buy that one.

I've got the perfect place to plant a drift of spring crocus, so I bought several different crocuses, including more of one I already have and love, Crocus sieberi ssp. sublimis 'Tricolor.'

Crocus sieberi subsp. sublimis 'Tricolor' in the garden - 27 March 2009

'Advance' is aptly named, because it's one of the earliest to break ground and bloom. I really like the two-tone color combination of yellow and lavender on its petals.

I bought 50 of these, which might sound like a lot, but crocus are small and it takes a lot to make any kind of impact. I could have used about four times that many. Next year!

I gravitate towards stripes when I'm shopping for clothing and I guess I do the same thing when it comes to flowers. That's why I bought Crocus 'King of the Striped.'

This spring, Romie and I went to our younger daughter's house to help her with some clean-up around the yard of the home that she and her husband had purchased the summer before.

I was thrilled when she told me I could take a few of the "really pretty pink flowers" that had come up in various locations at the back of her house. Upon looking them up, I identified them as Tulipa 'Little Beauty.' Though she gave me a few, I wanted more, and now I have them.

'Little Beauty' is a species-type tulip, originating in the mountains of central and western Asia. I like their petite and delicate form and they're reliably perennial. I bought a couple of other species tulips that I didn't already have.

I bought some hybrid tulips, too.

And finally, a few bulbs of those little works of art called Iris reticulata. We've got 'Harmony' in a few locations and some native wild Iris cristata we found in Arkansas several years ago.

The new ones are called 'Spring Time' and look as though they'll be a little more blue than 'Harmony,' which is a definite purple. Brent and Becky's describes them as "bluebird-blue with white tipped violet falls, purple spots and yellow midrib."

So, you see, procrastination can be a good thing. When spring arrives in just over three months (yay!), there will be twice as many colorful new blooms than there would have been had I not waited until snow was in the forecast to order them.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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*With the exception of Crocus sieberi subsp. sublimis 'Tricolor,' all photos are courtesy of Brent & Becky's Bulbs, used with their permission.

Still Blooming...

2009-12-02T16:47:00.005-05:00

You've got to love it when fall spills over into winter. The local weathercasters told me today that November was the fifth warmest on record for our area.

Yesterday's high was 53°. But tomorrow's is to be only 38° and snow flurries are predicted - the first of the season. Someone said we had a few a couple of weeks ago, but somehow I missed them, so it doesn't count.

The 'Stars and Stripes' Pelargoniums are still blooming, amazingly enough. They are in baskets that are attached to the brick chimney and I figure the brick holds the heat of the day, even if it's just a little bit, and this is helping to keep the plants alive and blooming. They also are on the east side of the house, which gives them protection from cold winds.

Don't you think the small flower bud looks like a rose?

These aren't the only things still blooming. As I was doing some mulching over the weekend, I noticed the Knautia macedonica 'Red Knight' had several blooms and other new buds forming. I've had this particular plant for four years. I've moved it a few times and it hasn't really gotten as large as I'd hoped it would, but it's been hardy and a reliable bloomer.

11.29.09

The hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen coum 'Something Magic') has several blooms whose hot pink color contrasts nicely with the dramatically marked foliage. I purchased it this summer at The Planter's Palette in Chicago and while I paid a little more than I usually do for a perennial, this one has been worth it.

Our nice weather has brought out the procrastinator in me and I was late to buy more bulbs for fall planting. Over the weekend, I ordered some crocuses, daffodils, and tulips from Brent and Becky's 50% off sale and I got notice from UPS that they're to be delivered tomorrow - just in time to dig holes in the snow!

Maybe if I whine enough about the impending flurries, they won't happen. Hey, we've gone this long without snow - why not a few days more?

Reporting for Shirley Bovshow's "Garden World Report"

2009-11-30T21:49:00.006-05:00

I first met Shirley Bovshow through blogging, then ran into her again on Facebook, and eventually we chatted with each other on Twitter. In case you've not had the pleasure of getting to know her, let me introduce you!

Shirley is well known in gardening circles as a member of the "Garden Police" (on Discovery Home Channel), and appears regularly on HGTV as a guest designer on "Outer Spaces." She is the author of Eden Makers Blog and is a speaker at home and garden shows around the country. Recently, Shirley has been creator and host of the Garden World Report, which features the latest news in the gardening world of the U.S. and other countries.

A couple of weeks ago, Shirley asked if I would submit a video about the Smiley Park Children's Garden in Van Wert. Shirley knew my mom was a driving force behind the gardens and she wanted to share the garden's story with the rest of the gardening world through Garden World Report. I spoke at length on the phone with Shirley, who is in Los Angeles, and after receiving my instructions on what to "show and tell," Mom and I spent some time in the Children's Garden last Monday with the video camera.

This was my first experience shooting a video like this, and Mom's, too. After several outtakes, due to passing cars, noisy motorcycles, our "assistant" speaking while the camera was on (We still love you, Dad!), and tripping over our own tongues, we finally got some acceptable footage to send on to Shirley. That afternoon, I e-mailed the video to her, along with some summer photos of scenes from the Children's Garden.

Garden World Report airs the current weekly episode as a continual loop, beginning late Monday night and playing through the following Monday night when a new episode becomes available. At that time, all previous episodes can be played on demand from this page.

This week's episode is entitled, "Plant it Forward," featuring the kindness of gardeners on behalf of others, plus "Shirley's Favorite Things for the Garden." Be sure to tune in this week to see Mom and me in the Children's Garden!

"Garden World Report"

Flora Mirabilis - A Book Review

2009-11-28T23:05:00.002-05:00

Flora Mirabilis: How Plants Have Shaped World Knowledge, Health, Wealth, and Beauty
by Catherine Herbert Howell

256 pages
National Geographic, October 2009
List price: $35.00

When National Geographic joins with the Missouri Botanical Garden to produce a book about the history of plants, you know it's going to be something exceptional. Flora Mirabilis: How Plants Have Shaped World Knowledge, Health, Wealth, and Beauty is an intriguing look at the history of plants and how they've occupied places of distinction as their value and beauty were discovered.

Catherine H. Howell has created a time line of history, coupled with reproductions of more than 200 exquisite botanical illustrations, taking us from prehistory to the present:

Origins

Discovery

Exploration

Enlightenment

Empire

Science

There have been those plants that influenced the course of history, such as cotton, coffee, and cinchona, the latter from which we get quinine, used to treat malaria. Many others are highlighted and by the time you come to the end of the book, it leaves no doubt as to the invaluable part plants have played and continue to play in our lives.

Flora Mirabilis comes along just in time for gift-giving, not only for the gardener on your list, but for those who love history and want to know "the rest of the story."

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Catherine Herbert Howell has authored a number of natural history books for National Geographic, including Backyard Wilderness, Mountain Life, and four volumes in the Nature Library series, and has contributed to dozens of other books, among them National Geographic's Book of Peoples of the World, Expeditions Atlas, and The Curious Naturalist. She holds a master's degree in anthropology from the University of Virginia and is an enthusiastic - though very amateur - gardener.

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The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.

Brave New World of Schlumbergera

2009-11-27T16:45:00.007-05:00

For someone who has overwintered 175+ plants in her house, you'd think one of them would be a Christmas Cactus. But as you wade through the jungle of Brugmansias, Begonias, Kalanchoes, and Hibiscus, there's nary a Schlumbergera to be found.

Until now.

I've never been a big fan of these succulents, which probably explains why I've been able to pass them by multiple times whenever I've seen them in the garden centers and grocery stores. But I never used to eat broccoli either.

We spent Thanksgiving at our younger daughter and son-in-law's house yesterday. I went up the night before to help out, and had to stop at Meijer to pick up a couple of things we needed. There they were again - those colorful Christmas cacti - in all sizes and colors. And they actually looked good.

These are technically not Christmas cacti, but Thanksgiving cacti, as Elizabeth Licata brought to my attention. She provided a great link to a blog post that explains the difference: Thanksgiving Cactus vs. Christmas Cactus by Troy Marden. (Thanks, Elizabeth!)

In the past, my objections to Schlumbergeras was that no matter how pretty the flowers were, the foliage looked ugly. Most of the time it was damaged or droopy. These were neither. The other thing that turned me off was that most of them were either pink or something like it. I'm kind of fussy about pink flowers in that I don't like some varieties in pink, and this was one of those.

Meijer had healthy-looking plants in shades of pink, but also the purest white and a lovely shade of red. It was the red ones that caught my eye. There were three different sizes and for a moment, I considered just sticking my toes into the world of Schlumbergeras by purchasing a small one for $3.49. But when I saw the lush larger ones, loaded with buds, for $13.99, I decided to jump in all the way.

So now I have a beauty called 'Caribbean Dancer' sitting on the coffee table in my family room. I've had to do some research on how to care for it, since I'm new to this one. Here's what I learned:

Schlumbergeras are an epiphytic cactus, growing on trees in their native Brazil.

They are thermo-photoperiodic, meaning they are sensitive to both temperature and light in regards to producing blooms. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, they are stimulated to flower.

They don't have high light requirements, which is why they make good houseplants.

Keep the soil moist, but don't overwater. Don't let it dry out either.

Fertilize them four times a year and prune them after they finish blooming.

Propagate them by taking the pruned sections and lay them on potting medium after allowing them to form a callous on the pruned end. You can put them in the potting medium a little ways too, if you'd like.

Keep them in temperatures above 40 degrees F. They don't like it colder than that. (Zone 10b-11 suits them best for growing outdoors.)

Is This Really November?

2009-11-25T16:19:00.001-05:00

It's ten days past Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and only one month until Christmas. Who would have ever thought so much would be blooming outside around here?

An earlier commenter to this blog advised me to "squeeze as much out of fall as I could" and I'm doing just that. Each warmer-than-normal day sends me to the garden to see just what's hanging in there.

The fall season has been exceptional, as far as leaf color is concerned, and we're still marveling at the palette still being displayed in the gardens, even after all the leaves have fallen from the trees.

One of the most colorful has been the hardy geraniums.

Who needs flowers when the Geranium sanguineum var. striatum is blushing like this? Well, okay, if you insist...

Geranium sanguineum (unknown cultivar)

The self-sown Calendulas continue to provide sunshine in the garden when we can't see it in the sky.

Dianthus chinensis 'Telstar Scarlet'

Still going... Gaillardia 'Lemons and Oranges'

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'd neglected to take a photo of my Primula capitata 'Salvana' for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Here it is! (Still blooming.)

None of the full-sized roses are blooming anymore, but several of the minis are still going, such as this red one.

Two years ago, I planted seeds for Petunia x hybrida 'Alladin Nautical Mix.' It has self-seeded ever since and keeps blooming late into the season, even in chilly weather! This is one of the lighter shades in the mix.

Various foliage continues to evolve into beautiful works of art, such as this Hydrangea macrophylla 'Variegata':

One of the joys of autumn is the seedheads formed by so many plants. This Clematis terniflora (Sweet Autumn Clematis) is a 'star' in my book!

The Scabiosa ochroleuca continues to bloom profusely and the seedheads produced are another of my favorites.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I'm giving thanks for the lovely warm weather we've been enjoying this month. We've only had one killing frost so far, and just a handful of light frosts. But if the weather forecasters are correct, this autumn utopia is about to leave us. We're to have snow and rain mixed tomorrow. Even so, it's sure to be warm and cozy inside as we celebrate the holiday with family.

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you will find much to be thankful for this year, as we have.

Good Dirt on Dirt!

2009-11-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

This is likely going to be old news for some of you, but for those who haven't yet heard the good word on dirt, listen up. It turns out that dirt is good for your mental health. I'm not going to tell you to flush the anti-depressants just yet, but it might be worth a try, depending on how down you are.

It's always been a belief of mine that God provides for "what ails ya" somewhere in nature. We may not have discovered the natural remedies just yet, but I'm convinced they're out there. Now lest you think I'm some sort of earth mother that doesn't believe in modern pharmaceuticals, I can assure you that is not the case. Those have been a godsend to many, including me. I just think that for minor illnesses that everyone is touched by, there are natural things out there that could be just the ticket.

So about this dirt thing...

Those of us that are gardeners, know that we receive benefits other than providing for Sunday's noon dinner when we till the soil. There is a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when we see the results of our labor. We appreciate the beauty that a garden brings. But guess what? There is a very tangible and direct benefit from playing in the dirt.

Soil contains a "friendly" bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae. When we dig in the dirt, it releases the bacteria into the air, which we then breathe in. Once in the body, the bacteria acts on the part of the brain affecting mood, by causing more seratonin to be released. Seratonin is what puts us in a good mood.

For years, all the way back to when I was a kid, I have extolled the wonderful aromatic scent of dirt. Before the days of no-till farming, you could ride your bike down a country road, go by a plowed field and breathe in the fragrance of earth. It always made me smile and it still does when we till the garden in the spring, turning the soil over and over, as we get it ready for planting, and later as we hoe the weeds and once again when we till the garden in the fall

So you see, a little dirt never hurt anyone. In fact, it could be good for you!

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* For the original article published by Medical News Today and a link to the abstract, click here.

November Blooms at Our Little Acre

2009-11-16T19:54:00.001-05:00

In spite of our extremely mild November weather - almost record-setting warmth, in fact - there is relatively little blooming here at Our Little Acre for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. But in November, you never know what you're going to get, so we enjoy each and every bloom, because we know it will be some time before we see these again.

The ornamental strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa 'Pink Panda') has never stopped blooming since early summer.

This Viola has been in this hypertufa planter for three years now and blooms faithfully all summer long, into fall.

Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Oranges and Lemons' is one of my favorite Gaillardias and one of the longest-blooming. The one I bought last year didn't survive the winter, so I replaced it. Let's hope this one is still around next spring.

I got a late start planting these Xeranthemum annuum seeds, but they eventually bloomed and I want to be sure to get some seeds for next year. They're extremely easy to grow from seed. I even saw a few volunteers come up in last year's location.

The Ivy Geraniums (Pelargonium x peltatum), both this 'Global Stars & Stripes' and the solid 'Global Red,' are still blooming, probably because they are in baskets up against the brick, which absorbs the heat of the day and keeps them warmer through the nights.

No need for me to plant Calendula seeds this year. Enough volunteers came up to brighten one little corner of the garden.

This Scabiosa ochroleuca is a very strong grower and I shared some plants this spring with other gardeners. They've got beautiful seed heads, too.

The Larkspur that I planted from old seed that Mom found in a drawer came up just fine and is blooming right through the frosts.

This annual, Osteospermum ecklonis 'Sunset Purple,' is one of my very favorites of the summer. The coloring and striping are just luscious! It's the only thing left after a couple of frosts from a container planting.

It was planted with Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie') and Asparagus Fern (Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri'), with a Cordyline australis 'Red Star' that I'd overwintered last year. I wish I'd taken a photo of the container when it was in its prime, because the color combination was fabulous.

Speaking of Sweet Potato Vines, when I pulled the frost-damaged vines, I also dug up the roots to try and save them over the winter. I've done this successfully once before and with roots like these, I'm hoping to do it again this year. LOOK at these! (I think they look like stomachs.)

For size reference, that is a normal-sized Buckeye (Aesculus glabra) nut laying to the left. These are from Ipomoea batatas 'Margarita.' Those from 'Blackie' look the same, except they're a very dark burgundy.

I forgot to take a photo of it, but the Asiatic Primrose (Primula capitata 'Salvana') has put out another bloom. I've also got a few roses blooming smaller, distorted blooms, as well as some mums enjoying a second flush of color after deadheading earlier, such as these 'Camina Red.'

Chrysanthemum 'Camina Red'

As I said earlier, the dandelions are blooming, too. There was one exceptionally warm fall (and into winter) when I remember hanging clothes out to dry on December 1st. The dandelions were blooming then, too. Among those clothes I hung out were those of a certain adorable 2½-month-old little girl. The year? 1982. My, how time flies...

Autumn Hangs On

2009-11-15T21:30:00.001-05:00

I've got a death grip on autumn this year. Maybe it's because last year we had the winter that Would. Not. End. I don't look forward to what happens after Christmas, but perhaps we'll be pleasantly surprised with a mild and short winter. In the meantime, we're enjoying extended warm weather and one of the most colorful autumns I can remember in recent years.

We've got flowers still blooming, including the dandelions, and I'll show you those in a bit (sans dandelions), but for now, let's enjoy the fall color of the trees, shrubs and plants from the garden.

I can't hardly wait until my Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen') is larger, because in its infancy, it really stands out in the garden in fall.

I have lost the tag for this Sedum that grows in the sedum bed by our front door, but it catches fire in fall. It may be Sedum rupestre 'Blue Spruce.' I've had this awhile and that name sounds familiar.

An unnamed Heuchera glows when backlit by the sun.

New to the garden this year, Ajuga reptans 'Golden Glow' turns pinkish in fall.

Geranium sanguinium var. striatum has beautiful foliage all during the growing season, but never more so than in autumn.

Hylotelephium 'Purple Emperor' with yellowing foliage of Hylotelephium 'Autumn Fire' in the background.

Tiarella cordifolia 'Brandywine' competes for attention with its cousin, Heuchera 'Southern Comfort.'

I'm not sure if this Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' belongs here in autumn foliage or November's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Another new perennial to the garden this summer is Heuchera villosa 'Christa.' This is a somewhat drastic color change from summer, where it is more golden.

Fallen Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum'Emperor I') leaves turn even the most mundane objects into works of art.

At our front door, the bird fountain enjoys the final days of unfrozen water underneath the Snow Fountain Weeping Japanese Cherry tree (Prunus 'Snow Fountain').

Two Cleveland Pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Cleveland Select') trees line our drive and are illuminated by late day sun against a crystal clear blue sky.

And the view is just as lovely as we watch the setting sun shine through the same tree...

The Dirty, Decaying Detritus of My Garden

2009-11-13T12:18:00.004-05:00

Ever since I saw the compost bins at the Gene Stratton Porter gardens at Rome City, Indiana, shown to me by Earth Girl, I had compost bin envy. I knew this was something I wanted, something I needed for Our Little Acre.

It began quite simply. I picked a spot a little ways from the gardens and started throwing the results of deadheading, mowing, failed plant experiments, leaves, etc., on a pile.

Birth of a Compost Pile

By the time fall came, a large pile had accumulated. I worried that some of it might blow away over the winter, so I stretched some netting over it to hold it in place (garden staples worked great) and began planning a more permanent way to contain it. In the spring of 2008, my ever-so-handy-and-helpful husband constructed a wood bin for the compost.

It has two doors that open outward so we can get to the compost easily when it's time to harvest it. I actually do that when it's not entirely broken down and work it into the ground in the fall. By spring, it has finished decomposing and the soil is all the better for it.

Currently, I've got some potted Irises sitting in the bin for overwintering. The compost will help keep the pots warm until spring, when I'll plant them in the gardens somewhere. I potted them up earlier this summer when I cleaned out the Irises and got rid of the Iris borers. These are in pots as replacements, if needed, for the replanted Irises. If all the others make it through the winter, I'll replant these in other locations yet to be determined.

Composting has been one of the best things we've ever done for the gardens here. I wrote previously about our compost bin in December 2008. You can read about it here: "The Circle of Life in a Compost Bin" and be sure to see what we found in the compost when we transferred it to the bin!

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Want to see some compost solutions from other gardeners? Visit May Dreams Gardens and follow the links listed in the comments section there.

Remember The Korean Violet?

2009-11-11T10:21:00.003-05:00

Remember the Korean Violet (Viola koreana 'Sylettas') I was so thrilled to find after its long absence from my garden? I transplanted the tiny thing to a safer location, surrounded it with small rocks so it wouldn't get lost among its larger neighbors and crossed my fingers that it would thrive and reproduce.

Amazingly enough, shortly after that I found yet another seedling growing between the bricks of the patio. How that got there is an even bigger miracle than finding the first one, since it was nowhere near the original location of the plants that had originally grown in the garden and disappeared several years ago. I transplanted that one next to the first one and hoped for the best.

September 14, 2009

Sadly, the second seedling did not make it. I had to remove a brick from the patio to get it out and likely it was too much trauma for the little guy. But all is well with the first one! Not only did it thrive, but it had bloomed at some point. I missed the actual bloom, but I sure noticed the open seed pod.

If all continues going in this direction, I may have a nice colony of Korean Violets again someday!

The Night Shift

2009-11-10T08:06:00.002-05:00

The first time I noticed that some plants are more fragrant at night than during the day was when I first had to bring the Brugmansias inside for the winter. Being in a small enclosed space, you just couldn't miss the fresh exuberant scent reminiscent of lemon soap. A single plant with just two blooms can scent the entire main floor of our two-story house. Sometimes you can even catch a whiff of it at the top of the stairs.

There are other plants that have some scent during the day, but become noticeably more fragrant at night:

Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana sp.)
Hosta
Dianthus
Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
Night-blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum)
Evening Stock (Matthiola incana)
Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)
Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora)
Evening Primrose (Oenothera)
Night Phlox
Petunia
Four O'clocks (Mirabilis jalapa)
Gardenia
Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)

This list is by no means exhaustive, but contains some of the more commonly grown night-fragrant blooms.

Flowers are fragrant in the first place because of scent glands in their blooms called osmophores. Not every flower smells good to humans, but the scent isn't really there for us. A flower's unique odor is meant to attract a particular group of pollinators. Some of those pollinators are most active at night, so the plant accommodates them. It's simply a matter of perpetuating the species.

We're attracted to some of these same scents, many of which are used in perfumes and colognes. If Brugmansia came bottled, I'd buy it.

Return to the Woods

2009-11-09T10:12:00.009-05:00

“But I remember more dearly autumn afternoons in bottoms that lay intensely silent under old great trees."
~ C.S. Lewis

We're enjoying Indian Summer, Version 2.0, and the high temperature yesterday was officially 72° F. The record high for the date is 73° F, which was set in 1915, nearly 100 years ago! (Picturing my grandma, who was born in 1914, toddling around in the fall warmth...)

There are all kinds of things to be done in weather like this, and all of them are an attempt to make the most of it, because you never know when reality will come to stay. I can recall some pretty snowy Novembers.

Earlier this summer, Romie and I made our first visit to the Flat Rock Nature Preserve, located just a few miles from us. We made a hasty retreat on that trip, after just a few minutes in the woods, due to the clouds of mosquitoes that insisted on accompanying our foray. Yesterday, we returned and while there were no mosquitoes, the Asian Lady Beetles were out en force, but we can live with that.

Join us as we walk through the woods:

As we began our walk, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The teasel stood tall in a great expanse as we approached the trail head from the parking area.

Good-looking goldenrod (Solidago sp.) fuzz going on here, between the teasel field and the woods.

Here's a closer look.

There are some larger trees than this one, but this is typical of the larger ones in this woods.

Oh, a Shagbark Hickory! (Carya ovata) That means there must be...

...nuts!
Actually, we saw the nuts first, then we looked up.

I'm thinking this is a Heath Aster (Aster ericoides) still in bloom.

It's a matter of life and death on the woods' floor...

Mud-covered leaves and berries of I-don't-know-what. ID help appreciated!
*Tom Arbour had ID'ed this as Carrion Flower (Smilax herbacea).

Trails are marked, but there's no way to get to the one at the back of the preserve except for crossing water. Romie has MUCH better balance than I do. I got wet feet crossing at a different spot. I knew better than to try walking across a log!

Sadly, we came upon this 8-point buck that had died recently. We couldn't really determine how it died, but we suspected it had been hit by a hunter and retreated to the woods to die.

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) leaves are gigantic! They can be up to nine inches across. I love the tree's mottled bark.

A dead tree had fallen over into the crotch of another tree and it had become decorated with lichens.

I love Gray's Sedge (Carex grayi) as much in fall as I do in summer, when they're green.

I was surprised to see some green Rue (Thalictrum aquilegifolium), since all mine has turned yellow and dropped its leaves. Perhaps this is a seedling from seed dropped earlier in the season.

One of my very favorite photos of the day. This pretty much sums up the ambience of the walk through the woods - peaceful and beautiful.

Some seed heads look great silhouetted against a blue sky. Clouds started moving in as we made our way back to the car.

While we thought we were alone in the woods, the drying vegetation provided auditory clues that we weren't. As we passed by several spots, rustling leaves told us the woods was full of creatures. Thankfully, we didn't see any snakes, even though as part of the former Great Black Swamp, they're pretty common in areas such as this. That would have ruined Romie's good time.

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** Many thanks to Tom Arbour, of Ohio Nature Blog, for help in identifying some of these native Ohio plants.

A New Website and a Giveaway!

2009-11-07T14:49:00.001-05:00

If you're a regular reader of this blog (thank you!), you know from time to time I post a review of a gardening-related book that I've read. My purpose in sharing these books with you is threefold:

To bring your attention to a new publication

To share my opinion of some of the available books on different aspects of gardening

To give you a possible gift idea for the gardeners on your gift list

Books are just one way of learning more about so many subjects, including gardening. I've always loved reading and I love gardening as well, so book reviews are my way of sharing two of my favorite pastimes with you.

Our Little Acre has evolved over the last three years (where did that time go??) in that it originally was started as a way for me to journal my gardening adventures and share what I was doing with family and friends. It soon found its way into the reading list of many others and has led to some wonderful opportunities, one of which has been doing more book reviews.

There are now a number of books sitting beside me for review, and since I want to keep this blog true to its original intent, I decided to launch a companion site to this one, called Gardening by the Book. This will allow me to do many more reviews without flooding this blog with them. I will still post an occasional book review here on Our Little Acre, with cross-posting to the new site, but for all my book reviews, you'll want to follow Gardening by the Book.

I have quite a library of gardening books, which I will draw from for reviews in between the new releases. Some are collections of gardening essays, a few are garden-themed fiction, there are coffee table books with stunning garden photography, and many are reference books. All will be related to gardening in some way, including those on insects, birds, and butterflies.

Now here's the best part...

To celebrate my new website, I'm giving away a copy of the book featured in my latest review: Bulb by Anna Pavord. This is a meaty hardcover book with 544 pages, full of valuable and fascinating information on over 600 bulbs. There's a lot of that stunning photography I was talking about, too.

For an entry into the giveaway, you must go to Gardening by the Book, and become a follower in one of the following ways:

Subscribe by Email
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow on Twitter
Follow with Google Friend Connect (found on the sidebar of Gardening by the Book)

You can do all four (yay!), but only one is required to be eligible to win the book. Once you've done that, come back here and leave a comment, telling me you're following and if you'd like to be entered to win the book. Non-entry comments are always welcome, too! I'll accept entries here through Wednesday night, November 11th, at 12:00 midnight EST, at which time I'll draw a name from the eligible entries.

I know that's a little more work than some giveaways require, but this book is worth the effort, due to all the invaluable information it contains. The book weighs 4 pounds and while Amazon.com ships it for free, I don't have that luxury. So yes, this is a bribe to get more readers of the new website. I want to say thanks to those of my fellow bloggers that have already mentioned the new site on their blogs, on Facebook, and through Twitter.

Anyway, I hope you will continue to read Our Little Acre (we have kitties! LOL) as well as becoming a new reader of Gardening by the Book. Good luck in the giveaway!

Bren and Kylee On the Loose Again!

2009-11-06T23:15:00.005-05:00

In June, I traveled to near Bowling Green to visit my gardening and blogging friend, Bren of BG_Garden. We spent a delightful day just generally wreaking havoc in the gardening world and today she came my way so we could do it all over again. No buying of plants this time, since we're in the latter days of fall and the garden centers don't have a whole lot anyway.

So what kind of trouble did we manage to get into today?

After a tour of Our Little Acre, we jumped in the Beetle and headed south to Van Wert. We picked up my mom and we went to DeShia's for their Christmas Open House and lunch. DeShia's is a quaint gift shop located south of Van Wert on US 127 (of World's Longest Yard Sale fame).

They were quite busy, and our table for lunch wasn't quite ready for us, so we browsed the rooms of the shop. Gift of all sorts were available, including Yankee Candles and Vera Bradley items. There were lots of rustic items for decorating any time of the year, but since this was a Christmas open house, the focus was on Christmas decor.

It really put us in the Christmas spirit, seeing all the decorations and smelling those Christmasy fragrances.

We had a nice conversation with the owners, Bob and Karen Miller, which was especially fun for me, since Mr. Miller was my guidance counselor when I was in high school and I hadn't seen him in quite some time. Isn't it funny how your teachers in school never manage to really have a first name, no matter how old you get?

We had a lovely lunch in The Gathering Room Café consisting of a sandwich (I had ham and cheese), potato soup, lettuce salad with strawberries, and Red Velvet cake with raspberry sauce! It was all very good and after we got our tummies full, we went on our way to our next destination.

Laurie's Naturescapes is a favorite of mine, not only because they have all kinds of fun plant material during the growing season, but because they have an amazing gift shop, too. Laurie carries unusual decorator items and I always find something I can't live without when I go there.

She's also Romie's first cousin and I've known her since she was a little girl. People don't come any nicer than Laurie. (Are you feeling the love, Laurie?)

When we walked into the shop, we were met with an overload of color and sparkle and all things Christmas. Laurie carries many things in her store that you won't easily find anywhere else in the area. It's that uniqueness that keeps people coming back for "just the thing."

We walked outside where the nursery plants are usually kept and while Laurie still had a few things left, we didn't find anything we couldn't live without, except a beautiful dwarf crabapple from the Round Table Series, wearing beautiful yellow berries. This one was planted in the ground, but Laurie told me she will carry these trees for sale in the spring.

Malus 'Lanzam' a.k.a. 'Lancelot'

Scenes from the gift shop:

These trees have a Dr. Seuss feel to them, don't you think?

Since Mom had had neck and back surgery just a month ago, she was getting pretty tired, so we returned to her house.

Mom showed Bren around her yard and gardens and we visited with her a little, before heading to the Smiley Park Children's Garden.

Bren had already heard about the garden from me and while it too has been put to rest for the winter, she could still see all the amazing sections of it. I briefly shared with her some of the stories behind each of the smaller gardens contained within, before chilly winds sent us scurrying for the car.

We arrived back at Our Little Acre, where it was nearing nightfall and since Bren had a bit of a drive back home, we said our goodbyes and made plans for getting together again soon. It's so much fun spending time with friends, and meeting Bren is just one of the many great things that has come my way as a result of blogging. *Hugs* to you, Bren!

Better Than Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-05T13:53:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again. The Jack-O'-Lanterns' lights have gone out and pumpkins can once again be used for their original purpose: making us fat. Okay, just kidding. Only we make us fat and pumpkins are great sources of Vitamin A and fiber.

Every year, I get requests for my recipe for pumpkin torte. I don't remember now how I got this recipe myself years ago, but my family insists I make it every Thanksgiving. They're nearly delirious with joy if it happens to turn up at other times of the year as well.

I wish I could have a dollar for every time someone asked me for this recipe. I could hire someone to make it for me. But it's not difficult. Here it is. Enjoy!

Kylee's Pumpkin Torte

1 yellow cake mix (take out 1 cup)
3 eggs
1¼ cup white sugar
¾ cup butter
¾ cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large can pumpkin pie mix

Crust: Mix the cake mix (less 1 cup) with one egg and ½ cup butter. Press into the bottom of a greased jelly roll pan (10½ x 15½ x 1).
Filling: Mix until smooth - pumpkin pie mix, 2 eggs, and evaporated milk. Pour on top of the crust.
Topping: Mix 1 cup cake mix, sugar, cinnamon and ¼ cup butter. Sprinkle on top of the pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

Colchicums - The Other Fall Crocus

2009-11-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

When Mom and I first visited Schedel Arboretum and Gardens in the fall of 2007, we came upon a beautiful ground flower that resembled giant crocuses. We'd not seen any like them in person before, but I'd recently seen photos of and read about Colchicums, and was pretty sure that's what they were.

Colchicums are sometimes known as "Fall Crocus," though they aren't crocuses at all. While I do have a true fall crocus growing and blooming here (Crocus kotschyanus), I'd not ever invested in Colchicums. I say "invested" because they aren't the cheapest bulb you can buy for the garden. But this fall, Park Seed had some for about four dollars each (including shipping), so I bought nine.

The ideal time for planting Colchicums is late in August, but I wasn't passing up this opportunity to own these beauties. (Plant them 5" deep in a dry location and give them good drainage.) The 'Water Lily' bulbs arrived at the end of September and I got them planted. Some had anemic buds beginning, but I didn't expect to see those finish out by blooming in my garden this fall.

A few weeks ago, I was walking through the garden and don't you know, those Colchicums were blooming!

Colchicum 'Water Lily'

They've been an attention-getter as more leaves fall and their glowing lavender petals shine through the drab brown carpet of leaves. Each bloom measures 4-5 inches across. I'd say my money was well-spent and next year the show should be even better.

Oh, and there's one more thing to like about Colchicums: Squirrels, rabbits and deer don't like them.

What's Wrong With My Plant? - A Book Review

2009-11-03T01:32:00.005-05:00

What's Wrong With My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?): A Visual Guide to Easy Diagnosis and Organic Remedies
by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth

452 pages
Timber Press (December 2, 2009)
List price: $24.95

I don't care how long you've been gardening, even if you do everything right, plants won't be healthy 100% of the time. Some new bug or spot eventually finds its way to your garden and then what?

You put your plant detective hat on and get to work at finding out just what the problem is. So the leaves are yellow and it's not fall. There are little green specks on the stems and leaves. And they're moving.

Thankfully, you don't have to be an entymologist with a degree in horticulture to figure this out, because David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth have done the work for you. Their collaboration to bring gardeners a simple method of diagnosing a plant's problems leaves this gardener grateful for the immense amount of labor that has gone into this book.

With easy-to-follow flow charts, you are taken through a series of identifications by both illustrations and photographs that eventually lead you to the problem and the solution. If a pesticide or fungicide is required, there's an organic remedy described. They've also provided a list of resources for locating recommended products.

For years, we've wondered what the strange, pointy growths were on the leaves of some of our maple trees. I now know they're infected by bladder gall mites for which the solution is insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or Neem oil. It took me no more than five minutes to find this out, using the flow charts.

This is one reference book that no gardener's library should be without.

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David Deardorff, Ph.D., is a plant pathologist and botanist who uses public speaking, writing, and photography to explain the science and beauty of the natural world. Naturalist Kathryn Wadsworth shares her love for gardening and the outdoors through writing and photography. Together, David and Kathryn (www.ddandkw.com) present classes and workshops with a focus on diagnosing and curing plant problems. They live and garden in Port Townsend, Washington.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.

Pretty Pink Petunias

2009-11-02T13:52:00.005-05:00

This past summer, Mom and I visited the trial gardens at Michigan State University. That was like walking through a candy store, with the colorful array of annuals in full bloom laid before us in strips like aisles in a floral supermarket. The thought that kept running through my head was, "I'll take three of those, six of those, and ALL of those!"

Some of the plants that really caught my eye were, of all things, petunias. Even though I've grown them every year in some variety or another, I was still somewhat of the mind that petunias were overused, boring, and a grandma flower. But I kept returning to look at them here and by the time we left, so had my previous stereotypical thoughts about them.

First, there was 'Antique Shades.'

And then I was smitten with 'Lime Bicolor.'

I took note of them and will look for them next spring. In the meantime, a lovely pink petunia came up volunteer on our front brick walk here at Our Little Acre.

While I don't know exactly which one it is, it's most likely an offspring of a pink Wave variety that I had in my flower boxes on the front porch two summers ago. They bloomed like crazy and no doubt thousands, maybe even millions, of its seeds fell to the ground below.

When my parents came to help spruce things up before the garden walk in August, Dad wanted to pull it out. He thought I wouldn't want it growing in the brick walk, but I was perfectly content to let it remain and do its thing. How could anyone destroy something as lovely as this?

Today, the latest issue of Horticulture magazine arrived in the mail and there was yet another petunia staring me in the face that is now on my want list for next spring:

Photo by Proven Winners

Supertunia 'Pretty Much Picasso' is brought to us by Proven Winners.

With their ease of growing and the great new varieties there are to choose from these days, petunias aren't just for grandmas anymore!

Something New, Something Old, Something Silver and Gold

2009-11-01T23:31:00.004-05:00

What's new to me is sometimes old to someone else, especially in the plant world, because I'm so new to it. I just completed my fifth summer of gardening and though I've learned a heck of a lot in that time, it's but a drop in the bucket, considering the whole. But this isn't a bad thing.

When you find a pastime that is as big and varied as gardening, there isn't a chance for boredom to set in. Your world is only limited by your time or space or energy. There are times when we're hit with all three, but even then, it seems there's always something new on the horizon to capture our interest.

The garden is winding down for the year, but there are a few tough plants that soldier on, bursting out with new blooms of color. There's the 'Clara Curtis' daisy mum (Dendranthemum) that laughs in the face of Jack Frost. Who would think there would be so much pink in the garden now? There are other mums too, and a few roses, like these minis:

And imagine my surprise at finding a non-Stella daylily in bloom:

Hemerocallis 'Penny's Worth'

But what I'm really enjoying right now is the Silver and Gold Mum.

That's what it's commonly called, and while it used to be in the genus Chrysanthemum, now it's Ajania pacifica 'Silver and Gold.' I purchased it in June, at Bench's Greenhouse, when I visited Bren of BG_Garden. I wish I'd bought more than one, although I do see small signs of it spreading already.

It's a perennial, suitable for zones 5-9, and it blooms September through November. The plant is about 12-15 inches tall and its blooms stay as tight little buttons that seem as if they'll never open up further, but they eventually do. The foliage has a sheen to it and at first glance its perfect form looks artificial.

Is this a commonly grown plant, or is it new just to me?

New Website For Your Reading Pleasure!

2009-11-01T18:42:00.004-05:00

As the colder months are breathing down our necks, and the holidays are edging their way into our periphery, it's the perfect time to hunker down with a good book or two. In most climates, gardening is a three-season endeavor, so we can use the off-season to garden by way of wonderful books.

I love reading. I love gardening. So it was just natural that I create a site that joins both. Gardening by the Book came about as a result of these two loves plus the fact that more and more review copies of gardening books are coming my way. I didn't want Our Little Acre to become something other than what it is, which is more or less a journal of my experiences in our northwest Ohio gardens. Yet, as I said, I love reading and want to share what's been on my bookshelf and what is arriving in my mailbox.

I will still post some book reviews here, but there will be more of them on Gardening by the Book.

If you're the author or publisher of a book on gardening or a related subject and would like me to review your book, please contact me through my profile here or the contact link on Gardening By the Book.

If you're a reader of Our Little Acre, I urge you to visit my new companion site. It's on Facebook, too!

Mexico Welcomes the Monarchs

2009-10-30T17:54:00.005-04:00

We've long passed the peak migration period for the Monarch butterflies in our area (mid-September), even though we saw one in the garden earlier this week. The straggler had better get on his way before daytime temperatures become too cold. Monarchs can't fly in temperatures below 50° F, which is why they flock in trees overnight until it's warm enough to continue on their long journey to Mexico.

Just about now, the first Monarchs are arriving at their winter roosts in central Mexico, completing one of the most amazing migration trips in the insect world.

In case you've never heard the story of the Monarch's life cycle and how they deal with northern winters, Nova has done a wonderful piece for PBS called The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies. It's shown periodically, but you can watch the 50-minute program online at your own convenience.

I urge you to take the time to see it:

(Click on the graphic)

WANTED: Apple Tree

2009-10-29T22:02:00.003-04:00

We live in the land of Johnny Appleseed. To our east, not far from here, is Defiance, where he established one of his nurseries on the north bank of the Maumee River. Most of the early apple orchards in our county (Paulding) were started with seedlings from that nursery. Just a short distance west of us, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, lie his remains.

I've always thought that it was cool to think about, that this American icon once walked where I walk today, spreading seeds as he went. And it is an interesting thought, but I learned something last night, while watching The Botany of Desire on PBS. The trees he planted by seed were largely inedible as a snack. Good for cider, though.

When we moved to our house here at Our Little Acre in 1977, my parents bought two apple trees for us to plant. They were both 'Red Delicious,' which I recently learned is probably the best kind to plant here, as they are most resistant to cedar-apple rust.

Those two trees have given us many apples over the last 32 years. One of the trees has always been smaller than the other and has produced less fruit. In recent years, it's declined in health and we've gotten very few apples from it. About two years ago, the tree began to lean considerably and we had to prop it to keep it from falling over altogether. Finally, we decided the time had come to cut it down and plant a new one.

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day and I suggested to Romie that we take care of the ailing apple tree. No chain saw or axe was necessary. Because we'd had plenty of rain recently, the ground was pretty soft. All it took was a good hard shove and the tree fell over as the roots gave no resistance.

Those roots held the key as to why the tree was both not producing much fruit and could not stand up straight. They were shallow and rotting.

We want to plant another apple tree and would like to have 'Golden Delicious.' However, it is one of the varieties that is highly susceptible to cedar-apple rust, which is common around here. The search is on for a suitable replacement.

Bloom-Again Orchids - A Book Review

2009-10-29T13:52:00.002-04:00

Bloom-Again Orchids: 50 Easy-Care Orchids that Flower Again and Again and Again
by judywhite

132 pages
Timber Press (November 28, 2009)
List price $14.95

Who thinks orchids are scary plants, hard to grow, and expensive? *raises hand* Judy White is here to tell you it's not true!

In her new book, Bloom-Again Orchids: 50 Easy-Care Orchids that Flower Again and Again and Again, she attempts to debunk the common myths about growing orchids. As one who has grown orchids for about three years now and has encountered some of the difficulties commonly associated with them, I was really interested in what Ms. White had to say.

Her book is easy to understand, with the guidelines for growing orchids laid out in a concise, simple manner. She lists 50 orchids for growing that are easy to find, easier to grow, and relatively inexpensive, with information specific for each one.

When one is an expert in their field, with years of experience behind them, it's easy to say that something is...well...easy. Much of what is learned becomes instinct. After awhile, you just know. And while I'll agree that her tips for orchids aren't difficult, following them does require a bit of vigilance and effort above and beyond that of the ordinary, everyday keeper of houseplants.

Most gardeners know that orchids aren't the kind of plants that you simply water once a week and expect to produce those exotic, luscious blooms. There are many things to consider, such as soil type, amount of light, amount of water, how to water, fertilizing, etc. Different types of orchids have different requirements.

But with this book at your side and a little effort, you too can grow orchids that will be the envy of the neighborhood.

judywhite is author and photographer of the award-winning Taylor's Guide to Orchids (Houghton Mifflin 1996). Her photography has graced many books and publications, and has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. A former research biologist and past editor-in-chief of one of the world's first mega-gardening Web sites, Time-Life's Virtual Garden, judywhite is married to British garden writer Graham Rice. She is proud to say she has killed orchids on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Our Little Acre on Facebook

2009-10-26T21:42:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that I added what's called a "Facebook Fan Box" in the column on the right. It's likely that you've heard of Facebook before, and perhaps you're a registered user. Good for you!

I'm a huge fan of the site, though I wasn't always. When I first signed up, I wasn't sure it was something I would even use very much.

I was wrong.

Facebook has put me in touch with former high school and college classmates, friends I'd lost contact with, and people with whom I have a common interest. It's just one of many social networking sites available to internet users.

So what is a social network anyway? Here's a short video that gives a pretty good explanation:

I use several social networking sites and each has their own unique way of providing me with the tools to connect with those who share a particular interest. Like gardening!

Blotanical has put me in touch with so many wonderful gardeners around the planet, I can't begin to even list the people I've met there. Twitter is another social networking site that I didn't think I'd use much, and although I don't frequent it as much now as I did at first, it too put me in touch with a number of wonderful gardeners. I met Shawna Coronado (The Casual Gardener) on Twitter.

Then along came Facebook. I used it for staying in touch with people that I've known for many years - people that I've met and are relatives or friends in my personal life. Then I found some of my online garden blogger friends were there and some of them found me. My friend list grew.

I started posting updates to my blog on my personal Facebook page, then as more and more businesses and organizations began to have Fan Pages, I thought it would be nice if Our Little Acre had a Facebook page of its own. There I could post updates from my blog as well as photos from the garden and random happenings related to gardening without cluttering up my non-gardening friends' updates.

So the Our Little Acre fan page was born.

As of right now, the page has 100 fans and I'd be happy if that number continued to grow. If you become a fan, any updates to the blog or random comments and photos concerning the garden will show up on your Home page right along with your friends' updates.

Won't you join me on Facebook by becoming a fan of Our Little Acre?