Gardening from Inside Out

Even when you can't get outside into your garden, you can still increase your yield by taking stock of your situation and increasing your knowledge. It's review time!

Today, in addition to recapping and reviewing our garden situation, I'll share my comments of a recently-read book with you, Landscape Planning - Practical Techniques for the Home Gardener, by Judith Adam. As she advises on page 43 in the section entitled "Putting it Down on Paper," "you may appreciate seeing the broad picture," so I will take a brief detour...back to where it all began...and attempt to paint a picture with words.

A regular reader of these posts will know that we have been in the planning phase for the Way Back Garden for 3 years now. We took what was essentially a tabula rasa (literally a scraped slate) of a more-or-less square quarter acre on the rear of our suburban lot (the house, driveway, and front/back yards occupy approximately 1/2 acre) and designed four garden "rooms" in what we call the Way Back Garden or WBG.

You will also know that, while we own the property, we also have an easement on most of the WBG, to Duke Energy for their transmission lines. We count ourselves fortunate that it's just the lines that cross our Way Back...no towers...and that, as long as it is under 15 feet tall and not a water feature nor a permanent structure (as in a building), we are good to go!

The previous owners, who built the house and landscaped the front and a small portion of the back yards, just left the Way Back to nature. So when we bought the property in 5/2009, we set about polishing up this neglected jewel by first having it mowed and scraped of the tangle of weeds and brush.

While you might imagine that...with no trees on the Way Back itself (Duke Energy had just come through the easement and whacked down everything that was growing a few months prior to our purchase), that we would be talking about full sun, all day long. And you would be as wrong as I was!

There are giant trees on the north and south sides of this easement, creating what is essentially a huge alley-way, approximately 125 feet square. The Way Back is defined by 8-foot "privacy" wooden fences on both the east and west sides; by a 4-foot "picket" wooden fence with a center gate for access from our back yard on the south side; and by a fledgling ligustrum and forsythia hedge across the north property line. There is also currently a temporary "farm yard" wire fence immediately behind the hedge-row to protect the young bushes from the overly-enthusiastic children of the neighbors beyond.

It is probably good to note that we didn't "design" the fencing across the rear of the Way Back like this. Duke Energy gave their approval to construct the privacy fence down the east side of the property (the one on the west side was already in place, built by our neighbor several years ago), transecting the transmission line alley. But, for reasons that defy logic but conform to the letter of the law, they would NOT allow us to put a fence across the north side, or paralleling the transmission line alley.

Put you a nice hedge across there, said the Duke engineer with the thick NC accent, when we asked what we could do? Of course, hedges do not hinder hounds when they are on a scent, so we had to build the picket fence across the back yard to keep the Drool Gang from going off on routine walkabouts.

Hedges...especially young,growing bushes...do not keep rambunctious kids at bay either. So when we added the first fruit trees to the Orchard on the northwest side of the Way Back, we put up the "temporary" fencing to protect our investment. Two years later and it's still standing...and doing a good job of keeping "them" out and keeping the dogs in. But, I'm getting ahead of myself here...and planning is all about "order and method."*

Some of you will be starting out, much as we did, with a blank slate of certain dimensions. Some of you will already have a garden** in some state of completion, but not the Garden of Your Dreams. Either way, it all begins with your Master Plan. The Master Plan can be summed up as:

1. Define where you are today: Point A.
2. Decide where you want to be at some point in the Future: Point B.
3. Determine how you will get from Point A to Point B.

Think of it as a road map. Know that there may be several interim stops along the way from Point A to Point B. And, you may have to take detours and u-turns and breaks before you reach your final destination, the Garden of Your Dreams. But given time, resources, and determination to succeed...you will succeed!

One the resources you may want to tap is the wealth of information "out there" on designing and planning the Garden of Your Dreams.

Wikipedia says:

"Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise. Most professional garden designers are trained in principles of design and in horticulture, and have an expert knowledge and experience of using plants. Some professional garden designers are also landscape architects, a more formal level of training that usually requires an advanced degree and often a state license. Many amateur gardeners also attain a high level of experience from extensive hours working in their own gardens, through casual study, serious study in Master Gardener Programs, or by joining gardening clubs."

As a Master Gardener, I almost always begin with the written word, since we are trained to use research-based information. Of course, not everything you read is researched-based, but published works are a good place to start.

Judith Adam has written an excellent multi-purpose book for gardeners in Landscape Planning - Practical Techniques for the Home Gardener, Second Edition, published in 2008 by Firefly Publishing. "Practical" is the watchword. From her "Ten Point Property Assessment" to her many and varied "10 Best..." lists ("10 Best Drought Resistant Shrubs;" "10 Best Flowering Shrubs and When to Prune Them;" etc.), Adam has written a garden book that you will return to, long after you think you have achieved the Garden of Your Dreams.

As it relates to our current discussion about planning, though, I think she has outlined the definitive approach: create a multi-year plan. In her case (as well as my own), she has recommended a 4-Year plan, and has given an excellent example on page 46. There is also an exercise to help the reader write up a 4-Year Plan, beginning on page 48.
She made my practical and realistic self sing when she wrote: "Look carefully at what you want to accomplish and establish a logical sequence of events that maximizes all your resources." (p. 42) For instance, you will want to design and create the basic "bones" (hardscapes, such as paths, benches, fences, rock borders, etc.) of your garden before you start sticking pretty flowers here and there...unless you are willing to move those flowers or see them crushed by the wagon hauling the mulch for a new side path. (OK, lesson learned the hard way...:). Hardscapes, you ask? Adam's book not only helps you decide on what you need where and why, it gives you ideas of how to use specific plants to make the most of your investment.

The one weak spot is the paltry "Home Gardener's Reference Library," found on page 238...and it doesn't even fill the whole page. Please. While this book would be a valuable asset in any gardener's library, we trust there must be more than 16 in Ms. Adam's.

I checked today, but there is still no digital version (Kindle, Nook, iTunes, etc.) of this book available. Too bad. It is the perfect reference to be able to search and bookmark and highlight...and not have to heave it off your bookshelf. Still, I imagine lifting this hefty tome will help keep a gardener's arm muscles toned...in order to tackle items on the 4-Year Plan!

Happy hoeing...and reading!


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* "Order and method" is the way Agatha Christie's famous detective, Hercule Poirot solves all of life's mysteries. I'm certain he would approve of my using this approach to gardening.

** Although we in the USA usually use the word "garden" to describe the productive or Kitchen garden...and most often define the word further, i.e., rose garden, flower garden...as opposed to the "yard" or lawn-space, I am using the word to include all the outdoor areas of your property...vegetation as well as amenities.

Best Laid Plans

"But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley..."

As Robert Burns wrote in his Scots-burr...and then as usually translated into English:

"The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often awry..."

...and as usually paraphrased into everyday American:

"The best-laid plans of mice and men
Often go awry."

Ah well.

It's all the same, however you say it. No matter how well you prepare, life sometimes throws a curve ball. Or, something to that effect.

We had the rest of May all mapped out:

1. Complete the long list of to-do's in the Rose Garden: pinning the soaker hoses, laying the weed barriers, mulching the beds. Planting the annual and perennial flowers as accents. Marking and weeding the paths. Setting the path edging stones in place. And, finally, bedding-in the last three rose bushes to call it done!
2. Completing the harvest of the cool season crops (cabbage, broccoli, spinach, and lettuces) in the smaller Kitchen Garden, and succession planting Lima beans in their places.
3. Getting all the warm season crops (tomatoes, peppers, beans, okra, squashes, melons, cukes, and corn) planted in the larger Kitchen Garden and covered with row covers for protection against the mounting army of pests. Removing the row covers on the sweet potatoes after the danger of bunny bites had passed, and covering the area with straw.
4. Weeding the new strawberry bed in the Berry Patch and covering the plants with straw.
5. Weeding the asparagus bed and covering with straw.
6. Hilling up the potatoes one last time...and covering with straw.

Well...

We were working our way through the list, starting with Item #1, when things began to "gang agley," as Burns said. After weeding the Rose Garden and paths, pinning all 500+ feet of soaker hoses, and hauling 100 path edging stones from the driveway to the Way Back, we used up our entire supply of mulch...and we still need to get another 60-75 bags to complete the project. That's OK, we said, since we had done about as much work in two days as we could manage.

This picture (below) shows our progress as of Sunday night...as approved by Duche$$...:)

Then, without much notice, we had to make the long drive to our daughter's home, as she needed our help when she fell and broke her foot. We harvested what we could before we made our rushed exit on Monday, as you see in the shots below.

We are talking about being with her in terms of weeks, not days...so we will have to create a revised "scheme" for caring for the garden in our prolonged absence.

First, we can whittle down the to do's to the essentials:
1. Water
2. Harvest
3. Water
4. Inspection
5. Water

Second, we can catalog our resources:

1. Friends
2. Neighbors
3. Ourselves

As you can see, watering is top-most important. And we can rely on friends and neighbors to help us with that...and with the harvesting as needed. Mr. T will be going back and forth, so he can inspect and report...and we'll decide what he will be able to deal with...and what we just have to live with.

Here's what the Kitchen Garden looks like as of this morning, when Mr. T watered (since he's already made one trip back to NC). This shot was taken on the north/west side, looking back toward our house. You can see potatoes, beans, and cotton (!) on the right, and tomatoes, then peppers, okra, squashes, cukes, and melons on the left.

At least we got those crops in before the plans changed, right?

Ah well. It's a gardener's life.

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Forgive the spacing on this post. Can't seem to get my iPad and Google Blogger to the negotiation table today. They aren't playing nice with each other Sorry...;)

Singing in the Rain

And the rain kept falling...

Water, water everywhere...and we are slap-happy about it! We were nearly 4" in deficit for the year, and yesterday's rainfall erased 2.8" of that. Hooray!

We have so many new plants in the Way Back Garden: 14 new fruit trees in the Orchard, 40 new roses in the Rose Garden, and worlds of new perennials and seeds of annuals planted as pollinators everywhere. Not to mention the Kitchen Garden, which is still populated with cool season crops that need lots of moisture to keep producing in the mounting heat this May...plus all the warm season plants that have just gone in this month that need lots of water to help germinate and establish healthy root systems. Oh, and don't overlook the lovely blackberries and blueberries that need water while plumping up on their respective vines in the Berry Patch. Oh yes, the rain is most welcomed around here!

I got out during a lull this morning for a walk-around to check on things and take a few photos to document this week in the garden. I noticed that the row covers on the sweet potatoes and the cowpeas (both of which went into the garden last week...just in time to benefit from these downpours...:) suffered the most storm damage...probably beyond what can be repaired with duct tape. Fortunately, I had placed an order just last week for some new Summer-weight covers, so I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery van from Gardeners Supply. [In years past, I have lost two plantings of sweet potato slips to the bunnies, so I now take the extra precaution of row covers...even though the dogs regularly roam the Way Back these days.]

And the winner is...
Gertrude Jekyll!
First of the new David Austin roses to bloom.

I also noticed that the rain...while much-needed on all the new rose bushes...did a number on the opening blooms of the gorgeous pink Gertrude Jekyll, which we have declared the Winner of the First-to-Open contest among the new David Austin English roses. Actually, ALL 12 bushes from Order #1 have budded up, and most of the 16 bushes from Order #2 are close on their heels...with the slow-to-show Brother Cadfaels and even pokier Winchester Cathedrals finally leafing out nicely. The 6 bushes from Order #3 are all leafed out, with buds just around the corner, I'm certain.

So what warm season veggies are now coming up in the Kitchen Garden, you ask? We've had decent germination on the KY Wonder pole beans purchased this year, but I've had to replant the row from a pack dated 2011. Remarkably, we had almost 100% germination on the little packet of heirloom Lazy Housewife beans (an oldie, so named because it's stringless...:) marked 2010 that we got at the Old Salem Seed exchange in January. Go figure.

View from the garden gate...
The Kitchen Garden on 5/14/2012

Zucchini loves rain...
and so do the tiny nasturtiums...

We also have Dixie cream peas and Burgundy Bush beans from that same exchange, but not such good luck with the red burgundy okra seeds (which I've since replanted with Clemson Spineless). I got great germination of the fish pepper seeds, and I've got most of those plants growing in containers on the deck...since the info says the plants themselves are variegated and interesting to look at. And I noticed on my walk around that the Amish melons were responding well to the rains, as are the hybrid cantaloupes (no germination on the watermelons yet, though...waiting, waiting, waiting...:) . I have them (the Amish melons) in the row next to the so-called "pea fence," as we hope to train them to grow up, as we do all the vining crops.  We also have yellow Summer squash on that side; on the opposite side are cucumbers (Straight Eights) and zucchini.  I interplanted with nasturtiums, using the companion planting guidelines to help with pest (squash bugs) control. [If you squint and look just left of the lettuces (above/left), you can see the beginnings of growth along the pea fence. A close-up of the zucchini is on the right.]

And it's almost time to say goodbye to the cool season goodies:  the broccoli, the cabbage, the spinach, and the lettuces.  Almost.  But not quite.  Here are some close-ups (below) of some that will probably be coming into the kitchen after the rains subside today.

Happy hoeing!  Just not in the wet ground...:)

Today in the Garden: May 3, 2012

Cool Season Crops...getting warmer

It is HOT, HOT, HOT around here. Mr. T's car recorded 93 on his drive home from Charlotte yesterday, and I wouldn't be too surprised to hear a higher number when he gets in from Raleigh in a bit. [Missy M called in a 97 from Louisville as she was driving her hybrid home...or rather as she was sweltering while sitting at a stoplight, when her AC clicks off...a downside to going green...:)] People: it is only the third day of May! What in the world will August be like?!?

The unusually hot weather ...unaccompanied by any significant rainfall...means that the greens (phone, left) will soon show signs of suffering. So, I grabbed my new hod (a gift to myself from myself, purchased online from Gardeners Supply) and some snippers, and headed to the spinach and leaf lettuces to give them seasonal crew cuts. I also snipped some broccoli for good measure.

All of these (plus the cabbages, beets, and carrots) are considered "cool season crops." You plant them in the late Winter or early Spring (and again in early August for a Fall crop), and they are typically vacating their real estate by the time you are looking for some more space to put Lima beans or purple hulled peas (to name a couple of "warm season crops"). When the temps ratchet up, the spinach will bolt...or send up flower stalks and turn bitter-tasting. As neither are good candidates for the freezer (well, you CAN freeze spinach, but it isn't one of my favs), you will have to harvest as much as you can...and start giving some of the bounty away. (I carried some of this morning's harvest next door, and my neighbor reciprocated with a quart of strawberries he got at the Triad Farmers Market...yum!)

I also ran up the water bill as everything looked a little droopy, from the roses to the fruit trees to the tomatoes and peppers. Some places have soaker hoses (like the Rose Garden), and some places I used the hand-held sprayer. I gave the greens a good soaking spray as they were looking a bit sparse after I had harvested. I noticed that the early sweet corn has germinated under the row covers (which will stay in place for at least another week or two to protect the tiny plants from our army of crows), so I watered it, too. Getting a good soak from a soaker hose were the newly-sprouted pole beans along the bean fence, as well as the squash, melons, and cukes...all showing signs of new life along the pea fence (which is smaller and shorter than what we call the bean fence..and which didn't get installed until it was too late to plant peas...so it will serve to support other vining crops). It's all looking good!

Speaking of looking good...we noticed on our Morning Coffee Walk that many, if not most, of the new David Austin English roses have buds on them! Now that's cause for celebration around here. Hip hip hooray!!!

Two things I need to take care of:
1. Get a new wheeled hose reel. The one I have has a leak at the connection; not fixable I don't believe.
2. Figure out how to get water to all the trees in the Orchard. I can't reach the ones in the last row...and we have a new apple tree that's replacing one we lost back there.

I'll give it some thought, and report back to you.

Until then, happy hoeing!

Wrap Up for April; To Do's for Zone 7 Garden in May

Here's the wrap up on the Way Back Garden from April (look below for the May activities...:):

View of Kitchen Garden with new corner fences:
Lettuces, spinach, broccoli, and cabbage in foreground;
Early corn under cover in back. Taken 4/28/12

Things have been rolling right along, with lots of progress in all the gardens.  I eagerly tackled the planting checklist for the Kitchen Garden, following the average last frost date for our area (typically quoted as being April 15). Since we had experienced a later than usual frost, I had held off on getting many of the transplants and seeds in the ground (although I still had to make a mad dash 4/22/12 to cover some tender tomatoes and boxwood basil (in the photo, right) when I heard the weather forecast).

I'm happy to report that I got eight tomato transplants in, along with seven pepper plants. In the tomato row, I planted a German Johnson, a Marglobe, a Bush Goliath, two Early Girls, a Lemon Boy, a Bonnie Select, and a Rutgers. In the pepper row, I planted four sweet green bell peppers, a yellow bell, an early bell (which matures to red), and a Cubanelle. I still have seedlings of Better Boys, Jet Stars, Romas, and Juliets under grow lamps, along with Fish Peppers. These will all be ready to go into the garden in a couple of weeks, about the same time I plant the next four rows of corn.

I also got seeds planted for pole beans, bush beans, okra, yellow and zucchini squash, cantaloupes, watermelons, and cucumbers. Following a re-read of Louise Riotte's Carrots Love Tomatoes: The Secrets of Companion Planting (a new copy of which I downloaded to my iPad's Nook ap...:), I've interplanted herbs and flowers, such as basil and marigolds in the tomato row and nasturtiums with the squash...attempting to add some natural pest control. (I already have sage and onions planted with the cabbages and the broccoli.)

The blueberries and the blackberries have already flowered and are fruiting up nicely in the Berry Patch.  We knew if we wanted to have any fruit this year, we'd better get the bird nets up, so we did.  We also are seeing lots of strawberries, even though we probably should have removed all the flowers this year (per usual instructions for a new bed) to let them take root...as this is a new bed from the runners of the old bed (formerly in the space now occupied by the Rose Garden)...but I ask you, who can remove the pretty flowers?  Not I.

And I'm proud to report Mr. T put the last three trees in the Orchard, and got the last order of the English roses planted in the Rose Garden. We have three more hybrid teas on order, and that should do it for planting for this year...except for the perennials and annuals for accents, of course. There is ALWAYS an "except for...," isn't there?

So, here's what's on our 'To Do' List for May*:

Kitchen Garden:

·         May 1^st is the beginning of the recommended planting time for bush lima beans (through July 1^st), okra (through May 31^st), and both sweet and hot peppers (through May 31^st ).  May 15^th marks the date to begin planting sweet potatoes (through June 15^th).  I've got a good start on this one.

·         Continue planting pole beans (through July 1^st), cantaloupe/muskmelons (through June 1^st), sweet corn (through June 1^st), cucumbers (through May 15^th), pumpkins (through June 15^th), summer and winter squash (through May 15^th), tomato plants (through July 15^th), and watermelons (through June 1^st).

·         When setting out tomato plants, set up stakes or cages so you won’t disturb the roots later.  Be sure to remove any suckers to encourage the plant’s energy be used for larger fruit rather than side shoots. (I always attempt to root the suckers; many times I'm lucky and get a freebie tomato!)

·         When planting beans (pole and/or bush) and corn, make successive plantings every two weeks to ensure a longer harvest.

·         Plant basil and dill directly in your garden this month.

Orchard and Berry Patch:

·         Fertilize blueberries, blackberries, and grapes this month.  Read more about it in the NC Cooperative Extension publication Grapes and Berries for the Garden.

Rose Garden (and perennials and annuals):

·         To prevent black spot on roses, continue a weekly fungicidal spray regimen, if you don't use the 6-week systemic variety.   The latest research says NOT to remove black spot infected leaves UNTIL you don't see anymore green...thereby giving your rose bush all the help it needs in continuing to produce chlorophyll.

·         Prepare beds for summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias; a location with 6 or more hours of sun each day is ideal.

• Additionally, on our list is to finish the Rose Garden Patio I wrote about in an earlier post.  We are installing three lattices that will support beautiful red mandevillas.   

Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in the Front and Back yard gardens:

·         It’s time to plant summer-flowering bulbs, especially caladiums and gladioli. I already have some glads coming up that seem to have made it through the mild winter we had.  We shall see...

Our rhodo in full bloom in April.
Time to fertilize and prune in May.

·         Prune and fertilize Spring-flowering shrubs such as azalea and rhododendron (photo, right) after they have bloomed.

·         Remove broadleaf weeds from all landscape planting areas. If left to grow, they will rob water and nutrients from your plants.

Lawns and Grasses

·         According to the Home Lawn Calendar for May from the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at NC State, mow tall fescue lawns at 3 to 3 ½”, and at least once each week.  This article also encourages grasscycling, which is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn.  “Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn's fertilizer needs.”  We actually use the clippings from the Way Back (around the Orchard and the Berry Patch) to "feed" the compost piles.  Good as gold!

·         Lawns need 1 to 1 ¼ inches of water per week.

Other             

• Take some time to enjoy the butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds!  Remember to use low toxicity pesticides to protect these beautiful and beneficial creatures.  And, even though Neem Oil is marketed as an Organic spray, it is still toxic to bees...so don't spray when in the morning when bees are most active.
• Move houseplants out-of-doors when the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees.  
• After incorporating finished compost into your garden, begin a new compost pile. Or, make this the year that you start composting.  Learn everything you ever wanted to know about the subject from the NC Cooperative Extension publication:  Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes.

Remember, May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.  Before you dash outside to your May gardening activities, put on a hat, sunglasses, and adequate sunscreen protection.

Happy hoeing!


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* This May To Do List is updated and revised from an article I had published on GoGreenTriad.com in 2011.

Everything Will Soon Be Coming Up Roses

As I have said in earlier posts, we have tinkered with our Master Plan for the Way Back Garden...consolidating the Kitchen Garden to the First Quadrant (left of the main path, as you enter through the gate), and creating a Rose Garden to the right in the Second Quadrant.

Easier planned than done.  Have I mentioned that we have clay soil?  Rocky, clay soil.  Rock-hard, rocky clay soil.  Still, we can dream...

No, we can turn that dream into a reality!  And, we've come a long way toward that goal since I last posted.  We now have planted 28 David Austin so-called English (shrub) rose bushes and 6 hybrid teas in the space that once grew corn and purple-hull peas.  Plus, we have completed an 8x10 patio of 24" concrete pavers (yes, they weigh every last ounce as much as you might think they would...:) and a new birding area we are calling the Bluebird Bistro in honor of its proximity to the fence with two active bluebird houses.

It's been a busy week indeed!

First, here's the skinny on our new Rose Garden:

1.  We first decided on where the "hardscapes" would be.  We added cottage corner fences to outline the edges of the Rose Garden (see photo). We wanted a paver-patio, sized large enough to place our new teak glider and a couple of side tables on...with plenty of "floor" space for rugs for the dogs to enjoy.  We sited its location angled across the southeast corner of the garden (the main "boundary" path runs south to north, on the west side of the Rose Garden, with the other "boundary" path running east to west on the north side of the Rose Garden; there is a fence and fence-row marking the east boundary of the Rose Garden.)  We also wanted a birdbath and bird feeders, sited opposite the patio...across the winding path through the Rose Garden.  In addition to roses, I wanted to use perennials (in the ground) and annuals (in containers) for color and interest.

2.  We made our rose selections using several sources, including the David Austin catalog and website (http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/advanced.asp.  We had read an excellent book on the subject, entitled 100 English Roses for the American Garden, by Clair G. Martin (the curator of roses at the prestigious Huntington Botanical Gardens)...and we were hooked!  We had never grown English roses before, but were encouraged after reading about the successful trials of several of the varieties.  We decided on:

Rose Garden taking shape

• Abraham Darby (pink) - 3
• Brother Cadfael (pink) - 3
• Gertrude Jekyll (pink) - 2
• Golden Celebrations (yellow) - 3
• Huntington Rose (pink) - 2
• Molineux (yellow) - 3
• Pat Austin (copper/apricot - 3
• William Shakespeare 2000 (red) - 6
• Winchester Cathedral (white) - 3
• Susan Williams-Ellis (white) - 6

3.  We also ordered three each of some "special" hybrid teas:  the All America Rose Selections winners from each of our birth years:  Sutter's Gold (for Mr. T), Chrysler Imperial (for me), and Friendship (for Missy M).  I located a reliable source for these in Roses Unlimited, which is "almost" local in Laurens, South Carolina. (Their website won't win any awards, but we have been quite pleased with the roses we have received so far.) We already had the AARS winner from the year of our wedding (America, a climbing rose) on a trellis, and a Chrysler Imperial in the back yard, but I was concerned about moving it.


4.  We placed our orders online and received our shipments without a hitch.  Although we have one more shipment from Roses Unlimited due to arrive in May, I have no doubt it will arrive without a problem.

5.  We planned where the roses would go in the garden....first on paper, then Mr. T transferred this to an Excel spreadsheet.  He then made markers for the roses, using metal coat hangers that he fashioned into stakes.  I snipped pictures of the roses from one of the two David Austin catalogs we had ordered and put them inside plastic sleeves (like you find at Office Depot).  He sealed up the sleeves with heavy packing tape so they would have some weather resistance.

You may wonder why we took this step...until you realize how easy it is to forget what color/height/growth pattern, etc. a Gertrude Jekyl rose has compared to a Winchester Cathedral.  We used these neat markers to go out into the freshly tilled and raked...but completely empty...Rose Garden and "place' the roses for effect.  Should we put the Pat Austin next to the Golden Celebration...or across the path?  Believe me, it's much easier to move a marker than it is to dig up a rose bush and replant it!

Bare root roses in the bath before going in the ground

6.  We followed the directions we gleaned from our research and from both rose growers.  As the David Austin roses were all bare-root, we soaked them in a large, galvanized tub for at least 6 hours prior to planting.  Mr. T used this time to get the holes ready in the spots we had previously identified as the permanent homes for the named roses.

7.  He dug the hole with the shovel, lifting out some of the heavy clay soil.  Then he used the Mantis tiller to turn that hole into a receptive location for tender roots.  He added about 1/2 bag of shredded, composted leaves we had collected last Fall and about 1/4 bag of an organic compost called Moo nure to each hole, tilling as he went.  I then added 1/2 cup bone meal and a scant 1/3 cup Epson salts (remember, it's not a salt at all; it's magnesium sulfate...and noted for helping build a strong stem structure in roses), and he gave it one more whirr.

8.  Once the holes were ready, we brought the bare root roses out of the tub, into the garden.  DO NOT ALLOW THE ROOTS TO GET DRY!  We build little mounds of amended soil in the middle of each hole to correspond to the root structure of each bush...making sure that we were NOT burying the graft.  We live in an area of hot, humid summers and usually mild winters, so we do not cover the graft with soil, as other parts of the country might need to. We covered the roots, made sure we tamped the soil down to eliminate air pockets, and then created "berms" or moats around each rose with more of the soil.  This will help in the watering process later on this summer.  We also added another layer of leaves as mulch as a "topping" to the moated areas.  Then, we watered well.

9.  We will make sure the new roses receive at least 1" of water every week, with more if this summer is particularly hot and dry (as last year was).  We will not fertilize until we see a good deal of new green growth or for another 4 weeks, until the roots begin to take hold. And we will follow all the good advice on pruning to help establish the "bushy" structure of shrub-type roses.

Whew! A lot of work...and we have high hopes for reaping great rewards.  We'll keep you posted.

In my next post, I'll update you on all the gardens in the Way Back, as April is an exciting time for the Kitchen Garden, the Orchard, the Berry Patch, and the Rose Garden!

Until then, happy hoeing!

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Third Time's the Charm

It's Year Four for the Way Back Garden...and Year Three for my Gardening with the Giants blog.  Just as the start of Spring brings hope to every gardener and opens the possibilities of the coming months, so too has this Spring brought hope and possibilities to me.

Reclaiming the Way Back
100 bags of mulch

Paths done!
Only 50 bags of mulch to go!!

I am happy to report that, after a sad and unproductive 2011, this year is looking fantastic!  The Way Back went neglected and unattended last year, while our energies and efforts were directed to helping Mom in the final steps of her journey (the details of which I posted on the family blog The Adsit Adventure). But, in the first quarter of the year, we are making great strides at reclaiming our quarter-acre of paradise.

So far in 2012, we have:

Mr. T fills the potato grow bags

1. Redesigned the Four Year Plan, designating the lower-left quadrant of the Way Back as the Kitchen Garden and the lower-right quadrant is now the Rose or Cutting Garden (we call it both...:).  The upper-left continues to be designated the Orchard and the upper-right continues to be the Berry Patch. (To recap, the Way Back is an almost-square quarter of an acre, fenced on all sides, nestled under the transmission lines of Duke Energy...the "Giants" of this blog's title.  The only trees are on the periphery, which means we have almost full sun in this area...great for veggies, fruit trees, berries, and roses.  We are making a silk purse out of a sow's ear, if ever...:)
2. Planted a row each of cabbage, broccoli, spinach, lettuces, carrots, and beets in the Kitchen Garden. Onion sets were interplanted with the cabbage and broccoli. All are doing well, with the exception of the carrots...which have been slow to break through the crusty clay soil...and I still have the cabbage and broccoli under row covers to protect them from pests.  Weeded the asparagus bed, which is in its second year and beginning to produce shoots. 
3. Planted 6 grow bags (purchased from Gardener's Supply; photo, above/right) of Yukon Gold potatoes (from seed potatoes, purchased at Tractor Supply) and one row of Russets (from potatoes sprouting in my kitchen, originally purchased at Harris Teeter grocery...:).
4. Used over 100 bags of mulch (see "before"  and "mid-task" photos, above) to re-mark the paths and the Rondel, which is what we call the center oval where the paths dissect.  Prior to putting down the mulch, Mr. T put a layer of old newspapers, covered with a layer of Preen black landscape fabric. Hopefully, this will block the grass and weeds that sprouted through the original mulch in the Rondel.
5. Ordered, received, and planted 11 new fruit trees from Stark Bro's Nursery in Louisiana, MO, in the previously-prepped holes in the Orchard. [Mr. T had triple-tilled the holes and added several bags of leaves as compost.] We now have planted 18 dwarf fruit trees (remember, we are limited by the easement agreement with Duke Energy to trees of 15 feet or under), including two cherry trees, three pear trees, two peach trees, ten apple trees, and one crabapple tree.  All are doing well, with the exception of one of the apple trees, which is one of the ones we purchased at Tractor Supply and planted last Spring.  I think it will need to be replaced this Fall.  Meanwhile, we plan a rest area in the Orchard, with a paver-patio and a covered swing (which we got on our last Tractor Supply run...:).
6. Ordered, received, and planted 12 new roses from David Austin Roses (3 William Shakespeare, 3 Golden Celebrations, 2 Huntington Rose, 2 Gertrude Jekyll, and 2 Susan Williams-Ellis)  in the newly-tilled and prepped Rose Garden quadrant.  Mr. T has also assembled and stained a new teak glider that will be placed on a stone-paver patio we will lay.  We will place a bird bath and a feeder across the path from this patio, so that the bluebirds will have their own Bistro near the two bluebird houses on the fence.
7. Tilled and retilled...and populated the new strawberry bed in the Berry Patch with runners from the "old" bed (that was tilled under to create the Rose Garden). We had so many runners that I have planted strawberries in every empty pot and hanging basket I could find.  All are doing well...and many are already flowering and fruiting. 
8. Fertilized all the blueberries (which are already flowering), the blackberries, and the grapes in the Berry Patch.  Also, fertilized the crepe myrtles and privet.
9. Seen our first snake of the season...and lived to tell the tale about it..:)
10. Ordered and installed 2 (of 5) cottage garden corner fences, to mark the corners of ...and the path between...the Rose Garden and the Kitchen Garden.
11. Pruned and started the feeding of all 18 rose bushes, in the back yard and in the Rondel.  Two didn't make it through the heat of last year's summer and the (mild) winter, so I replaced them in February.  All are looking good; most have buds already!
12. Started 4 kinds of tomatoes and fish pepper seeds in peat pellets/egg cartons.  They are now under the grow light on the screen porch (which is still plasticized).  The tomatoes are getting their first true leaves (the ones that arrive after the seed-leaves) and will be ready to move into larger accommodations (3" pots) this week.
13. Placed...and received (while I was composing this...:) our Lowe's order for the materials to construct two patios in the Way Back and one "pad" that will run from the driveway, under the double gates, and into the back yard.  More on this in a later post.

Whew!  I'm tired just recounting what we've already accomplished! Here are a couple of shots of some of the work:

Rondel and paths are mulched in the Way Back.
Row covers on the cabbage, broccoli, and lettuce (left)

Standing in the Rondel, looking toward the Berry Patch:
Blueberries in raised beds...blackberries behind them.
New Strawberry Bed on lower right.

We have an outstanding order with Roses Unlimited for 9 hybrid teas, and another order in with David Austin for 14 more English roses...all of which are scheduled to arrive over the next few weeks.  I got several perennials at Home Depot on Friday (when we took both cars to pick up 35 more bags of mulch to create mulch rings around the fruit trees...and to cover the path in the Rose Garden), and I will be adding those to the Rose Garden to give us some color while we are waiting on the English roses to grow.  I also picked up some herbs that I shall pot up in larger pots.  I am trying Boxwood Basil this year, with the plan to use it as a border between the Kitchen Garden and the center path.

Gus says...time for a break!

I have a long to-do list for the garden for this week, but I'll save it for the next post.  I don't know about you, but I need a break after all of that.

Lemonade, anyone?