Wednesday December 30, 2009
Some of the best gardening tips I've received have been ways to recycle otherwise worthless objects in the garden. Using old coffee cans to stake plants like the ones shown here, covering tender tomatoes with soda bottles, foiling cutworms with the cardboard tube from toilet paper... There are so many ways to save money, time and resources in the garden and before I make it sound like a purely noble pursuit, many of these found objects can give your garden that look of age and substance we all crave.
Sometimes saving money in the garden means spending a little bit up front. Good soil, a good watering system and healthy plants are all worth paying for. Just do it wisely. Here are my Top 10 Ways to Save Money in the Garden. If you have a tip for recycling in your garden, we'd love you to share it.
Photo: Courtesy of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center
Monday December 28, 2009
Every year the All America Rose Selections tests new rose bushes in gardens across the U.S. After 2 years of testing, they select the best varieties for disease resistant, growth qualities and overall appeal. This year only 1 rose was awarded their top honor, so you know it must be an impressive rose. 'Easy Does It' excelled in all kinds of climates. AARS tells me that it weathered Oakland's heat and was still blooming in Rhode Island at Thanksgiving time.
I love old roses, but I've got to admit that the easy care, disease resistant roses they're breeding now area a delight in the garden. It is such a treat to have sumptuous clusters of rose blossoms throughout the summer, without even thinking about lifting a spray can. 'Easy Does It' looks very promising in these terms. It's also a confection of apricot and peach, with edges that look like they've been trimmed with a pinking shear. Here's some more info from AARS on what to expect from the 2010 All America Rose Selection 'Easy Does It'.
By the way, if you haven't visited the AARS web site, you really should. They have lots of great rose growing advice and tips like the best roses by region, when to plant and how much to water. I know a lot of plant award programs are seen as marketing gimmicks, but I've always found AARS to give solid advice. The roses they recommend tend to become classics.
Photo of 'Easy Does It' Rose Provided by AARS
Sunday December 27, 2009
We're just about done with those 10 years that defied an easy nickname: the 2000s, the aughts, the 20 somethings. Even harder than deciding what to call this decade was coming up with the best and worst gardening trends within them. For the most part, these types of lists are strictly for fun. There is no definitive list and in gardening, preferences are as much about where you live as what you like. But the editors at About.com threw the idea out to us Guides and, since I'm rarely at a loss for an opinion, I took the bait.
These are my Top 10 Lists for both the best gardening ideas and techniques popularized during the past 10 years and the worst gardening trends. See what you think and tell us yours.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti.
Saturday December 26, 2009
As a child, I always got an orange in my Christmas stocking. They were considered exotic in winter, back then. Not everyone can grow citrus trees outdoors, but if you can, there are few trees as beautiful, fragrant and rewarding. Texas is not known for their citrus production, so if Texas Cooperative Extension has a fact sheet for homeowners who grow citrus, you know gardeners will push it to the limit to have a spicy tangelo or kumquat in their yard. It's amazing how many types of citrus there are, actually. Our Trees & Shrubs Guide, Venessa Richins, has 15 of them profiled in her citrus photo gallery.
Some citrus can withstand a touch of freezing temperatures quite well. Check here to see if your area is suitable for growing citrus fruit. The rest of us will have to settle for lemon scented plants, I guess.
David McNew
