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!


===================================

* "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.

==============================
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!


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