Blog Archives

Tending Tomatoes

6/28/2017

There is advice aplenty for planting, tending and harvesting for this most popular garden vegetable, the tomato.

Tomatoes originated in South America and early Spanish explorers brought the seeds to Europe where these plants were grown as ornamentals for a couple of centuries. Europeans thought the tomato was poisonous. They were partially correct in that everything but the fruit is poison to humans. In the late 1700’s tomatoes were finally found to be tasty first by the Italians and then by the French during their revolution.

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Do You Have Biennials?

6/21/2017

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In between annuals and perennials are the biennials; forgotten and misunderstood. Sometimes we don’t realize these are in our gardens. I bought Sweet William as an annual and was surprised when it showed up the next spring and every year since. Black-eyed Susan is usually thought of as a perennial. Parsley and onions are grown as annuals. These are all biennials. It’s no wonder that there is confusion. If you would ask me about growing biennials, I would be hard-pressed to give a general description other than that they live two years.

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About Alliums

6/13/2017

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There comes that time at the end of spring, after the daffodils are all dried up that my gardens only offer green and greener. I want them to be continuous and multiflorous from last snow melt to first frost. They do not oblige. For decades I have been on a quest for plants to fill the final days of this early growing season.

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Pinch & Prune

6/5/2017

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It seems the garden season has barely begun and already plants are crowding each other. So out comes my pruning shears and by-pass pruner. Pinch and prune can refer to a variety of techniques including pruning, deadheading, pinching stems or buds, or cutting back leggy plants to shape, form and trim. It is usually species-specific and based on common sense. Don’t worry about hurting your plants by experimenting.

Useful tools include by-pass pruners, pruning scissors, and hand-held shears. Avoid anvil-type pruners that can crush stems. Different techniques call for specific tools, find the one that works for you and your plants.

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June Calendar

6/4/2017

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Here’s my task list for June:

Fertilize the lawn late May/early June
Move houseplants out when temps are above 50°
Pinch back tall perennials: dahlias, mums, aster, Joe Pye Weed, sedum
Plant veggies when lilac is in full bloom

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Pretty Flowers

6/1/2017

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“I want some pretty flowers”, I overheard the tall slim man with a small round container of succulents in his hand declare to the garden center clerk. Here’s a place where there is a smorgasbord of flowers in abundance. I wondered how she would guide this customer. I didn’t hear her answer but the man replied with “something like pansies”. Good choice I thought as pansies are usually my very first purchase of the year to start the garden season.