My Top Five Garden Mistakes

 

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” - Albert Einstein

  Whenever we start out in learning something new, we tend to make mistakes...a lot of them.  But that's ok.  That's the "learn" part in learning.  I have definitely made a large share of them in gardening over the last 20+ years either by ignoring great advice or through simply not knowing enough about the plants. While it's impossible to know everything about gardening, we can avoid a few mistakes along the way.  I'm sharing my top five mistakes and hope this will help curb the gardening learning curve for you.

Probably way too much zucchini and summer squash planted again this year!

1. Over-planting

This sounds like such a simple mistake to avoid but I have found that I've made this mistake over and over again in the veggie and flower gardens.  For some plants, it has taken me years to cut back on the amount I feel we need to grow. Why is this?  Well, one of the first temptations is...

a) Free plants - those freebies from friends or in my case, from a local nursery.  I managed to plant over 20 sage plants in my very small yard.  I love sage, but really, did I need that many plants? Now I have to manage them with pruning, weeding and harvesting.  It's good to think ahead and plan for your needs now and in the future.

b) Extra seedlings - We've all been there when we only want 20 plants but have 35 instead.  I have to harden my heart and restrict my planting to the chosen few.  The others are given away or composted.

c) Not knowing if you're planting enough - It's always great to start with a few plants if you just want to add a few fresh vegetables.  You can always add more the next year if you find it's not enough.  I've found that 20-25 tomato plants take care of our fresh eating and canning for a year depending on the weather.  I've stuck with this number and it's really helped in me managing the vegetables...unlike the few years we planted 50+ tomatoes - it was way too much for us to manage and our yields were the same as 25 plants.

d) Just because we are able to do it - When we first started planting flower beds, I thought more is better.  Now some years later, I'm wondering why  I thought I needed so many?  We've downsized over the years now and doing so has worked great for us.  We would rather plant an amount of flowers and gardens that we can maintain and keep beautiful than to over-plant and lose control of the beds.

Remember...less is more!

 2. Crowded plants

When I first started out, I was undoubtedly an overenthusiastic gardener. I wanted every plant and lots of them. So I made this mistake with perennials especially. The plants looked so sparse and bare in their flower beds.  I read the tags saying how to space them but forgot how much growth they still had to go through.  I planted many of them very close together.  

There's a saying for perennials..."the first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap."  It's better to follow all the spacing requirements for perennials and fill in with annuals while they're still small.  You'll be shocked at how enormous some perennials can grow to...listen carefully to the planting information.  

Morning glories are beautiful but prolific seeders.

 3. Planting invasive species

Will I ever learn? I planted everything everyone gave me and I am still weeding some plants years and years later.  I am still trying to tame our south side flower bed from invasive plants including the herb oregano.  Reading up on the plants you want to put in your gardens is a must AND asking friends if a plant is a happy re-seeder or ground cover is essential.  As a matter of fact, the word "groundcover" means "invasive."  I would use it selectively in confined areas and give it it's own space.  

My mints are all in pots and this helps to keep this highly invasive plant contained.  If you do plant easy spreaders, try to limit your amount of plants and keep them pruned and make sure to get rid of their seed heads if they spread easily that way.  Chives, echinacea, perennial forget-me-nots, artemisias, morning glories, oregano (some varieties) are just a few that I am constantly weeding.  I still grow many of them but have learned to manage their growth.  Any others are sacrificed to the compost pile if I can't keep up with them.

 4. Lack of weed control

 It's so important to have a plan on how to keep down the weeds in all your gardens.  I am a fan of heavy mulching...I use coffee grounds, newspapers underneath straw and mulch, grass clippings and leaves.

I didn't get to our community garden in time to mulch and it was smothered in LARGE weeds.  After hand hoeing the whole garden, I have been very diligent in weeding once a week and continually applying mulch.  I don't mind hoeing a small area, but not a large one.  Determine your will power and garden accordingly...I know some people who enjoy weeding while I most definitely don't.

Photo Source

5. Not labeling new plant varieties 

Yes, I have been so lazy over the years with labeling and have grown some great plants only to not remember the varieties I planted.  I have been really good about saving the stores flower labels and turning them over to use the blank side and label them with a Sharpie.   So many times I thought I would remember a plant only to have completely forgotten what it was.  I also try to journal the plants I've grown and that's helped out a lot.  I now try to limit the different amounts of varieties so I don't feel overwhelmed by the labeling.  I am learning to know my gardening strengths and weaknesses.

Well...I feel better after all that confessing.  I have made plenty more mistakes and will continue to make more, but I feel like I've learned so much from other gardeners as well.  After all, making mistakes always accompanies risk...and trying new methods and plant varieties is well worth it.

What's your biggest gardening mistake??

Blessings!

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Floral Flag

The Fourth of July brings an abundance of blooms and I couldn't resist featuring them here in my patriotic ode to Independence Day.  Not only are these flowers blooming right now, they also happen to be the colors of red, white and blue.

Bachelor's Buttons, an annual flower that is a true blue in the garden, represents the blue:  Feverfew, an herb known for helping to ease migraines, stands for the white and Monarda with it's spiky firecracker type petals proclaims the red of Old Glory.

Seems like even the flowers will be celebrating this day...

Happy Fourth and blessings!

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The Importance of Pollinators in Your Garden

 There's nothing like seeing lots of beautiful flowers and an overflowing garden of produce.  But what's the secret behind this fruitfulness?  That would be where pollinators come in.  Most flowering plants depend on bees, butterflies, animals (hummingbirds and bats) and even flies and wasps for pollination.  

What is pollination?  It's basically the act of moving pollen from the male stamen to the female stigma and fertilizing the plant which then causes it to set seed.  Insects and animals help to do this in your garden.  Pollinators are called "Keystone Species" because they are species on which other species depend.  In other words...if you want zucchini and tomatoes, you want pollinators.

Calendula flowers in the Garden

We need pollinators and they need our help.  "Pollinators are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems.  They are essential for plant reproduction and produce genetic diversity in the plants they pollinate.  The more diverse plants are the better they can adapt to the changes in the environment."1

An Uncommon Black Parsley Swallowtail Caterpillar.  Butterflies are pollinators too.

 How can we attract more pollinators to our gardens?  
This is a great question and fairly simple to do.  Many gardeners are doing it already without knowing it.  I know I began to learn about pollinators after watching them in action in different flower beds.

1. Plant a rich diversity of flowering plants in your flower beds and garden. 
 Seems like a simple plan but it does help to get some ideas by seeing which plants attract what insects in your garden.  I was able to observe this firsthand and found that mints are a huge pollinator attractor.  I mean huge.  It's worth planting some in a contained area just for this alone. Plant pollinating attracting plants in the garden around the vegetables too.  It will give the bees and other insects lots of pollen variety.

Also, by planting diverse plants and flowers, we are offering different sources of nectar (which of course attracts pollinators) and different bloom times which will provide food sources and pollen all season long.  Don't forget simple species such as marigolds and classic zinnias.  They are always drawing bees as well as butterflies to the garden.

This pollen-rich Sweet Alyssum attracts a pollinating fly.

2. Plant lots of native perennial and annual species. 
 Ever notice that some plants seem to have LOTS of activity around them?  These are the species you'll want to plant.  In the northeast United States, Echinacea, Bee Balm (Monarda), Gaillardia, Rudebeckias and daisies seem to be big attractors.  Don't forget herbs as well.  Lavender, thyme and mints are totally loved by bees and other insects alike.  I've even seen hummingbirds amongst my sage flowers drinking the nectar...who knew?

Pollinators include all kinds of bees and wasps.

 3. Don't use pesticides in your garden.  
This seems like the easiest step to help out the pollinators...no spraying.  I try to garden and plant vegetables and plants that are very insect resistant.  If it's very fussy...I won't grow it.  If I do ever spray, I use a plant-based biodegradable spray that will break down eventually.  Also spraying on a non-windy day helps.  I prefer to rarely use any kind of spray though and will hand pick offending insects whenever possible. 

Flowers that have an open petal face are great landing spaces for pollinators including butterflies.

Habitat loss is one reason for the decline of bees and other insects. So no matter what size space you have, you can plant for the pollinators!  A container full of lush zinnias or herbs will create a great resource for them and give them some fast food on their journey.

Planting with pollinators in mind is a win-win situation.  You'll be creating a safe micro-environment for them and they will be happily pollinating all your vegetable plants and flowers - perfect.

Blessings!

What plant attracts pollinators the most in your garden?

1. http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/wildlife/plants_botany/docs/National_Pollination_v3.pdf


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Make Your Own Moroccan Mint Tea

 The heat of summer has definitely rolled in here and with that comes the need for a great refreshing drink and Moroccan Mint Tea comes quickly to mind.  Although it's a great 4 season tea, it really comes across best iced in the summer (at least to me!)

When you hear the word "Moroccan," images of a busy and crowded open air market amidst hot temperatures immediately comes to mind.  It's no wonder that spearmint is the refreshment factor in this very famous tea.

 

In North Africa, in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia specifically, this tea is served all day.  It is considered a drink of hospitality and is served whenever visitors arrive as well as at mealtimes.  Shop owners will greet you with a cup of this tea when you enter their shop.  

 Best of all, this tea is made from very simple and basic ingredients.  I really enjoy using bulk tea for the Gunpowder, but even a green tea bag will work.  You can also use spearmint fresh or dried, depending on what you have on hand.  Again, a spearmint tea bag will suffice if you want to give this a try.  I like using the best ingredients available to get the best flavor, but feel free to experiment.

 To get to the actual preparation, I will give you a recipe by the glass and for a teapot amount.  You'll probably want the teapot version because this tea will be addictive!

By the Cup:

1 tsp of Gunpowder Green loose tea.  (Use a quality green teabag if you don't have the loose tea)
1-2 nice sized sprigs of fresh spearmint. (Use a teaspoon of loose dried spearmint or a teabag of a quality spearmint tea)
1 tsp of sugar (traditionally it's sugar, but you can use Stevia or honey if you like)
1 to 1/2 cups of boiling water (depends on the size of your mug or glass.)

Steep tea leaves, mint and sugar in boiling hot water for 3 minutes.  Gunpowder is a strong tea so if you oversteep it, it can become bitter.  Save these tea leaves for at least one more steeping as well.

To mix the tea, pour into another glass and then pour back into the original glass.  This also aerates the tea.  

Garnish with a sprig of fresh spearmint to serve.  Drink hot (like they do even in summer) or serve over ice for an amazing refreshing drink.

 By the Teapot (1-1/2 quart):


1 Tbsp of Gunpowder Green loose tea.  (Use a quality green teabag if you don't have the loose tea)
4-5 nice sized sprigs of fresh spearmint. (Use a teaspoon of loose dried spearmint or a teabag of a quality spearmint tea)
3-4 Tbsp of sugar

 Steep tea leaves, mint and sugar in boiling hot water for 3 minutes.  Gunpowder is a strong tea so if you oversteep it can become bitter.  Save these tea leaves for at least one more steeping as well.

Pour your first cup of tea out and then back into the teapot to mix and combine well. 

 (If you're feeling very Moroccan, then when you're ready to serve, pour your tea into tall heat resistant glasses and pour from as high as you can manage with out spilling. (Do not hold the glass and place on a tray to catch spillage.)  This will aerate the tea and create a froth on top...yum.  Not a necessary step, but very North African if you're are daring with your tea experiences.)

Photo Source

Sip, enjoy, repeat.

I make a dry mix for winter use as it's one of our son's favorite teas.  Just a mix of half gunpowder and half spearmint.  Use a tsp and a half or to taste.  Makes a great gift as well.

Two great tastes combine for one amazing refreshing tea.  And of course, this tea is full of health benefits as well.

Thanks for reading...Blessings!



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How to Store Fresh Ginger

Fresh ginger.  It's really the ultimate way to use this ancient kitchen and medicinal root.  Native to Southeast Asia, it is renown for its aromatic qualities, not to mention it's tremendous use as a medicinal spice.  And fresh ginger is not only superior in flavor but contains higher levels of gingerol as well as ginger's active protease (it's anti-inflammatory compound.)

Typically fresh ginger will last 3 weeks in the refrigerator if left unpeeled.  However, I tend to not use it that quickly at times.  So, if you want to be be sure of keeping your fresh ginger "fresh," then here's a method I found from somewhere on the internet that has been working well for me. 

I needed a method of storage that would work long-term and wasn't too fussy.  There are many methods out there and I've tried a few, but this one seems to fit the bill for me. So far, my ginger has been storing well using this method going on a month and half.  It still is looking good too.  So without further adieu, here it is...

First, get a clean paper towel.  Lay your ginger root at one end of it and start to tightly roll, forming the paper towel to the ginger.

Once that's done, get a piece of plastic wrap and starting at one end, roll your paper-towel wrapped ginger root.  Again forming the plastic to the shape of the root as you roll.

You'll want to get it as tight as you can in order to keep out the air.

Wha-La...the finished package.  Yes, it looks like a spider web wrapped cocoon of some type but that's okay.  It's supposed to look this way.

Store your wrapped ginger root on a shelf in the refrigerator where it can be seen and maintained if the plastic wrap comes loose.  You will also want to rewrap it everytime you use the root.  Make sure to change out the paper towel if you notice it becoming too damp.  I wasn't doing this and found some mold on one of my roots.  I just cut out the mold parts and rewrapped in a fresh towel.  Also make sure to rewrap it so it stays airtight after every use.

 

That's it.  Pretty simple yet it has really been working for me the best.  Hope this helps you as well.  Blessings!

What's your favorite way to store fresh ginger?

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3 Amazing (Heat Tolerant) Summer Greens for Your Garden

There's no doubt about it.  Springtime means lots of great lettuce, spinach and various other summer greens.  This year I planted Broccoli Raab, Arugula, Mizuna and Giant Red Indian Mustard.  There's no doubt that these greens are wonderful during these cool springtime temperatures but as soon as the heat of summer sets in, these greens have bolted and finished.   I still will have kale growing but eventually it also will succumb to the cabbage butterflies who love to use their leaves for their voracious young. 

This does not work for me.  I don't spray the garden.  I don't want the pesticides, $$ and expensive as well as the labor involved.  Ultimately I'm a lazy gardener who wants plants who don't need to be coaxed, babied or pampered to produce.  That's where these 3 greens come in.  Easy to grow, very heat resistant as well as vitamin dense, these top performers deserve consideration for being grown in your garden.

1. Swiss Chard.  I mention this green a lot because it deserves attention.  Most people are unfamiliar with it unless they have grown it themselves and that's too bad because it's one of the most reliable greens to grow.  It germinates very easily in pots or directly sown in mid-spring and that's about all the work you'll need to do.  Love.  It also comes in a variety of colors including, yellow, white, orange, and red. 

 Health benefits?  Lots of them.  Swiss Chard is a great source for vitamin C and vitamin K.  Vitamin K is believed to help with bone formation and strengthening as well as helping to limit neuronal damage to the brain.  This means it's thought to be useful as a treatment for those with Alzheimer's.
 
It is also rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, B-complex group of vitamins, and minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus.  Need I say more?  This summer green can stand the heat, is very insect resistant and doesn't bolt.  If left to overwinter, it will come up in the spring and produce leaves before it finally bolts.  I manage to harvest as many as I can before my new plants have gotten big enough to harvest.  This green is a win-win.

 2. Mustard Spinach.  This is a new green for me.  I grew this one year in the garden and it not only grew well and quickly but was also hardy and very heat resistant over the summer. It's not a mix of two greens but rather a mild Chinese mustard and native of east Asia. This ancient green is making a comeback with the emerging trend of nutritious greens being fashionable on the dinner plate once again. Its mild flavor makes it popular as a cooked green.  I found my seeds in the grocery store seed rack and not in a seed catalog.  Don't worry if you can't find the seeds easily, one packet should be enough.  I planted mine once and had LOTS of volunteers the following spring.  You won't want to let this go to seed if you don't want lots of it around.  I like mine to set seed as it's a great way to get your seed for next year.  

It's also a very fast growing and large leafed green.  You won't need too many of these plants as the leaves of one or two plants as these plants become quite jungle-like in nature.  That's a bonus for me, it's less leaves to have to wash and more to cut up in soups, stews, as well as sauteing in garlic.

.This green is also loaded with vitamins C, A, Folate and B-6, Calcium and trace minerals.  It packs a big bang in the nutrient department.  This is a great green on its own or to mix with others.

3. New Zealand Spinach.  This isn't a true spinach either but rather a long vine-like plant that produces edible leaves.  It was said to have first been introduced by Captain Cook from his South Seas expedition.  It has a mild flavor as well and has thicker more succulent type of leaves. It likes a moist environment and will thrive under those conditions even with the heat of summer.  Mine grows in an area with some part shade which might explain why it loves to grows so well.  

It's said to be difficult to germinate so you may want to soak the seeds for 2-8 hours before planting.  I however had no problems getting mine started and once established in the right environment, it needs no maintenance except for harvesting.  I planted mine five years ago and I haven't planted it since.  It reseeds itself readily and I often end of weeding it out of the garden.  This could be called invasive, but I call it handy because it has shallow roots which make it easy to remove.  

New Zealand Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C, A, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus.  It also contains antioxidants which adds to its already rich nutritional profile.  I like it because while regular spinach is gone with the heat of summer, this green grows steadily on for months through the fall.  


There you have it, three amazing greens that are easy to grow, withstand the heat of summer and are loaded with vitamins and nutrients like their spring cousins. Did I mention these greens are highly resistant to insects and pests too?  Another great bonus as a garden vegetable.  There are more great summer greens for your garden, but this is a good place to get started now...happy eating!

Blessings!




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References:
1.  http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/swiss-chard.html
2. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrient-listing-mustard-spinach-vs-spinach-3672.html
3. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/new-zealand-spinach-nutrition-1220.html

Perennials for Your Garden: Armeria (Sea Thrift)

Over 20 years ago I was a budding gardener with lots of enthusiasm and a new little yard that was begging for flower and herb beds. I knew quite a bit about annual flowers, but I soon learned about the kind of plants that didn't need replanting year and year and soon became infatuated with flowering perennials.  Since then, my garden has shifted over the years and I've seen which plants have done well and Armeria is definitely a surprise favorite.

Perennials DO come back year after year but generally bloom only once a year.  Many bloom in spring.  The trick with perennials is to plant a variety of them in one flower bed of varying heights and blooms times.  Armeria is a low growing, spring-blooming perennial.  It's definitely meant to be planted in the front of the border. 

"Armeria," "Thrift," or "Sea Pink" is so named because it is commonly found along coast lines and originates from the Mediterranean.  There are over 100 species but there are only a few types that you'll find in garden catalogs.  The colors are mostly in pink but they also come in white.  

The plants themselves struck me as odd-looking as they are best described as "tufts of grass."  They are perfect "grass" as they never grow beyond their short height of 4 or 5 inches.  In the early spring they send up tall stalks of little cushions of pink flowers that are exquisite to look at.  I love them planted along with chives and their beautiful globe shaped flowers. 
 

 

 What makes this a great plant for your garden?  It's easy to grow as long as you have the right growing conditions for it.  What's nice about this is that because it's a Mediterranean plant, it likes rocky, infertile dry soil.  I love this.  This basically means that you don't have to pamper it, fertilize it, water it or baby it.  In fact, I've done nothing to them over the years and they've slowly spread and fill out.  Armeria spreads very slowly and is great as a ground cover.  It also has no serious insect or disease problems.  Perfect.  Dead head the flower blooms for more flowers in the spring.

Find this perennial anyplace where they are sold and also online.  I found mine at Bluestone Perennials, a local online/catalog nursery which also sells to the public.  They even offer a red Armeria as well.  Nice.

Armeria, or Sea Thrift (go by the Latin name when researching) is a great flower choice for your perennial flower garden...enjoy!

Blessings.


References:

1. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/w970/armeria-maritima.aspx
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armeria

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