Category: Annuals

Decoration Day and Red Geraniums

5/30/2020

Grandma Minnie rides shotgun; Mom is behind the wheel of our 1960 pale blue Mercury Monterey. Four kids are jostling like snakes in a pit for the coveted window positions on the back bench seat. The trunk is filled with red geraniums. It’s Decoration Day and we are on our annual pilgrimage to the grave yards in southwest Wisconsin’s Driftless area to honor our ancestors. I am reminded of this every time I look at red geraniums.

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Timing Tools for Planting

3/21/2020

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Spring started this week which gets gardeners excited like kids anticipating Christmas. Except it is still way too early to start gardening. Even starting seeds is at most about 6 weeks before planting and we usually can not plant until late May.

I’ve always thought the astrological seasons were off kilter; even meteorological seasons are too early for those in Zone 3. Yesterday we received about an inch of snow which is now melting on top of the foot of snowpack left from our winter that started before Thanksgiving (i.e. “fall”).

What can a gardener rely on to determine the proper planting time?

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Early Seed Starting Webinar - April 3

1/23/2019

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Early Seed Starting Webinar
Wednesday, April 3 (an additional session has been added by request)
6:00 - 7:30 pm @ your computer
Offered through WITC
See below for registration info

Late winter and early spring are the time to check out catalogs, place seed orders and start seeds. Learn more about several seed starting techniques from Sue Reinardy, UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in an upcoming webinar. Sue has volunteered her time to create and deliver this webinar that will feature: deciphering catalog and seed package jargon, proper planting conditions and several techniques including the winter sown planted method that you can start now.

This webinar can be attended from any home computer or device with an internet connection, microphone and camera. Instructions to access the course will be provided a few days before the start of the class. Registration is required through WITC at courses.witc.edu Enter "Early Seed Starting" in the search box. The registration fee is $13.50, and for those 62+ it is $9.00 .

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2018 in Review

12/28/2018

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I haven’t thought much about how my gardening year turned out, its successes and failures. Usually I make notes on my garden rotation sheet about what worked and what didn’t. This year’s sheet reminds me what happened in the garden and thoughts for next year. Better late than never, here goes.

Major accomplishment – put in raised beds and wider paths. See my July 29 post – Evolution of a Garden
Early Planting – we had a warm spring that allowed one of my earlier planting, most were planted on May 25. That allowed for an earlier and longer harvest season.
Raspberries – great year for these berries, the third year since planting in a new bed.
Hollyhocks finally bloomed – see August 20 post – Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) Memories
Dahlias – I was disappointed by the late blooms and short season. Next year need to find a sunnier spot and maybe get them started inside.
Tomatoes – BLIGHT! Even though I put them in a new raised bed they were all dried up by mid-August. Still got a fairly good harvest of tomatoes for the table but they sure looked ugly.
Cucumbers – it was a fantastic year for cukes, lots of them and a long harvest. Not sure if I can take the credit or Mother Nature supplied just the right amount of warmth and sunshine.
Green Beans – good year BUT…. Some creature ate the plants right to the ground late in the season. Do I need to put a fence within my fence? Still haven’t figured out who is the culprit.
Lettuce, spinach, chard, kale – all did well but we didn’t eat much of what was grown. I may just replace this whole group for more cut flowers next year.
Zucchini Failure – also documented in September 9 post – The 2018 Zucchini Failure I may just give up entirely on zucchini, they are so easy to buy or get from other gardeners. Why bother?

Writing these down now gives me a game plan for next year. The challenge will be to remember where I put these ideas so I can act upon them. Do you have any successes or failures to share?

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An Alternative to Seed Starting Indoors

2/14/2018

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Read more to discover the Winter Sown method of seed starting. The pictures are of a milk jug seed container cut in half, then taped shut until the weather was warm enough to expose the seedlings to the elements.

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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.