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Follow-up On Only 24 Hrs.In A Day

Category: Garden History | Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 4:16 am

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This is the continuation of my previous blog concerning getting my garden ready for a tour by 12 ladies who range in age from 63 to 87,in my 'Crazy Neighbor Lady's' garden club. For the sake of space she will be referred to as CNL. The blog left off on the Friday before the Tuesday tour and chronicled all the work I had to do in the next three days. Here is what happened.

But, first I must digress. I built the garden in stages, extending the beds 60 to 100 feet a year. Five years later it is a continous 500' long and anywhere from 8 to 20' deep. When I installed my first beds 60' on either side of my garden gate it required 40 2cu ft bags of cypress mulch. This season was the first time I had to weed and mulch the entire garden at one time. I had 62 bags left over from last fall, when I failed to spread them; one of the reasons I had so many weeds to deal with now. I just kept buying bag after bag this past week. My Garden Mobile is an old Ford Expedition and with the back seat folded down can hold 40 bags of mulch at a time. I spread the 62 bags on hand and started bringing in 40 bags at a time. It took an additional 160 bags to cover the entire garden, that is 222 bags of mulch or 18 bags short of 3 full pallets. I am buying in bulk next year. The first thing they teach you in Master Gardening class is to plan your projects and ALWAYS plan for the maintenance. I wish I known that principle before I started expanding my original beds.

While those backbreaking three days almost killed me; at first I was afraid I was going to die, later I was afraid I wouldn't. Every night this old out of shape body was aching from head to toes and as tired as I was it literally hurt to breathe let alone change positions in the bed.

Well, the day of the tour finally came and I was ready, the garden looked great, the gardener looked close to death and the Southern ladies were over an hour late. When they finally arrived I had iced lemonade and homemade cookies that were in the shape of flowers, ready for them. However,it turns out they were late because CNL decided to feed them before the tour. I made dozen cookies and maybe they ate 3 or 4 cookies total.

I was very pleased with all the complements they were gushing on me. Some just loved my greenhouse while others wanted to take my homemade compost bin home with them. All in all I know they enjoyed the tour and within 45 minutes they were on their way.

As I said before, my garden now looks like it would look around May 31, and I am very pleased with it. That Thursday we had our Master Gardener class and CNL was one of the 3 volunteer caterers assigned to supply lunch. So I did not think anything was out of place with her being there. When we broke for lunch CNL gave the blessing and then the roof fell in. She asked for a moment and began telling all my fellow interns about my 'beautiful' garden and how talented I was in the garden. I felt very embarrassed until I heard her say, "All of you need to see his garden, and you will be just as amazed as my garden club was. You need to pick a date and go over to Jerry's house and see it AND he will have lemonade and cookies waiting for you too". My brain was bouncing of the inner walls of my skull. 'What is she saying, did I really hear her say what I think I heard her say? Where's my gun'? Long story short I have 35 Interns and Master Gardeners coming to tour my garden on May 20. Hey, CNL nothing like clearing it with me first, just invite anyone you want to come over for lemonade and cookies.

At least the hard work is done and all I really need to do is put in my annuals for added color and start building the 15 hanging baskets that ring the garden. By May 20th everything will either be in bloom or at least growing. This weekend my wife is home and we are putting in or first vegetable garden.

This time I will be ready and be able to work at a leisurely pace. You know, not even I believe that last statement.


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Only 24 hrs in the day

Category: Garden History | Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 3:33 am

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I have not been on line lately due to my heavy volunteering scheduling and my Master Gardener Course. Too many ropes pulling in too many directions. But I only have 3 more MG classes to go and the Alabama Master Gardener Conference (that my chapter was hosting) ended last weekend. So hopefully things will start to slow down.

Last December my crazy neighbor lady who lived down the street and is also a Master Gardener, came to me and asked if it was ok if she brought her garden club to see my yard and garden in April. I questioned the timing because even in the Deep South, April is not the best month to view a garden. While I knew they were coming it was not until last week that I was informed the date was April 6th, not the 29th or 30th as I had assumed. I have been spending every available free moment weeding and mulching and fertilizing and raking and trimming and everything else that I would normally do between March and May 15th.

I had MG class all day today, 'fruit trees and fruit in the garden', was the lesson. I hurried home and got right to work. Four days left and I came in after using the last of my cypress mulch - I had 40 2 cu ft bags just two days ago. So it's off to the nursery for another 80 bags. They are delivering 40 bales of pine straw (for my front yard) on Saturday.

My wife is home tomorrow and Saturday so I will have much needed help. I should have the last of the winter weeding done tomorrow, finish the mulching Sunday, and spend Monday touching up with the cutting the lawn, cleaning of statuary and other garden ornaments and buying a gun to shoot my crazy neighbor lady. My wife, who is leaving on another business trip on Easter Sunday, informs me that it is customary in the Deep South to put out lemonade and cookies for this type of event. As I write this she is digging out one of her mother's recipes for me to bake them on Monday.

The one thing that I have refused to do is put in my bedding plants as I am sure we are going to get one more frost before 4/15, we always do. The day lilies are really doing well, the double knockouts are in full green but will not be in flower, the hostas have broken through the ground and it is a lot greener in the garden than I expected, so it should be ok.

There is one major upside to this - by Monday evening, my garden will be in wonderful shape and ready for summer. I, on the other hand, will be totally exhausted and completely spent. I keep reminding myself, I could have said no!


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A Gardener's Prayer

Category: Gardening Remembrances | Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:17 am

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There are 21 interns in my Master Gardener class. Today, one of them, Lynette Morse a delightful native of South Africa, read a 'gardeners prayer' before lunch. I would like to share it with you and I hope you will find it as inspirational as we did.

Gardeners' Grace

As gardeners we are grateful

- for the sun that grows our grains

- for the soil that nourishes our greens

- for the pollinators that form our fruits

- for the aerators that work the soil for the grass that feeds our meats

-and for the water and clean air that makes all our food possible

And we ask for guidance to do our part in conserving our land

For the sake of others now and yet to come

In the name of all our denominations we pray

Amen


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Master Gardener Update

Category: Gardening Remembrances | Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:00 am

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Do you want to make new friends and influence people? Take the Master Gardener's Course offered by your local County Extension.

The Master Gardener class is something I look forward to every Thursday. The classes are so interesting and filled with useful information that I just want them to go on well beyond the 3 PM quitting time. We normally cover two subjects per class and so far we have had classes in Plant Physiology, Soils & Plant Nutrition, Entomology, Weed Science, Taxonomy and Composting. This week it is Backyard Wildlife and Pesticide Safety. The classes will continue through the month of April. The program is designed to educate people so they will be able to constructively volunteer their gardening services within the community and many volunteering opportunities are provided.
So far I have become a member of the Montgomery Tree Committee, the Old Alabama Town Herb Society; where I am told members eat food that is cooked or baked with herbs (my first meeting is later this month). I am also helping maintain the gardens at the Alabama Shakespeare grounds and the Fine Arts Museum, and helping where I can with the Cypress Creek Project that will restore hundreds of acres of wetlands along the Alabama River into a wildlife preserve.

February is a busy month for the tree committee; what with Arbor Day and all. On Friday we will bag seedlings to pass out at the Montgomery Curb Market on Sat. 2/20 and the Alabama State Capitol grounds of Wed. 2/24. Of course there will also be numerous tree plantings ceremonies around the local schools and downtown area.

Master Gardener Interns need to accumulate 50 hours of volunteer service before Dec. 31 to qualify for certification. At the rate I am going I may have 2,000. I can see that if I do not keep this under control I will be working in every garden but my own and that is not going to happen.


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Things to do in the dark days of Winter - Plan for Spring

Category: Things That Grow In My Garden | Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:00 am

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I have no idea how it happened but the links I had attached to this blog were missing so I added them again.

Now is the time to get ready for spring. Get your ideas and plans all in a row so you are ready to go after the thaw.
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/seasonal/spring-beauty-garden-plans/?sssdmh=dm17.417778&esrc=nwgn28_10&email=940709895


Have you ever used wildflowers? Plants that are native to your area will grow best in your garden.
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/gardening-by-region/regional-gardening/top-native-plants-for-your-region/?sssdmh=dm17.417778&esrc=nwgn28_10&email=940709895

Now is the time to plan for that landscaping project you want to start in the spring:
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/dramatic/garden-planideas/?sssdmh=dm17.417778&esrc=nwgn28_10&email=940709895

Remember, regardless of where you live, gardening is a 12 month a year endeavor and adventure. So much to do and only 365 days in which to do it. You better get started.

Last edited: Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:29 am

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Egrets, Geese & Ducks and Old Man Winter

Category: Gardening Remembrances | Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:19 am

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Egrets, Geese and Ducks; we have them all on our small bass lake. At my end of the lake on any given day we have a Blue Heron and one Egret that call this place home. Canada Geese will come down during their migratory seasons in the fall and spring but fortunately they do not stick around too long. I remember how messy they were in NJ where they got used to everyone feeding them and set up permanent residence in pools and fountains of suburban office buildings. Those areas soon became wall to wall goose feces.

We move here in April, 2005 and were quickly introduced to Big Blue and his egret buddy. One morning in late August we awoke and the entire edge of our lake was filled with egrets. They stood wing to wing as far as the eye could see. We did not realize it at the time but they were nature's weathermen. Katrina was bearing down on The Big Easy and every bird in its path had headed to safety. Shortly after the storm passed they headed home but, now we know that a lot of egrets on our shoreline mean someone is in for bad weather.

Today there were at least 30 egrets on the far side of the lake. I can only assume that a storm front is moving through LA and MS from Texas. While we are in a deep freeze we have no precipitation. Before I could get my camera out they all took off, flew over and around the lake and off to the south. A few did alight in the trees across the lake and I did get some pictures of them before they took off to join the rest of the flock.


Egrets in the tree tops ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )

Within an hour after the egrets departure a flock of Canada geese came down for a short stay. These beautiful birds have always amazed me. Did you know that unlike humans, they actually mate for life? If their mate dies they will find another mate but while they both are alive they are together. This picture shows them walking around the top of the dam. Obviously they too were avoiding a far off storm.


Geese on the dam ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )


Geese on the shoreline ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )


And lastly, our new neighbors! I received an email from the HOA letting us know that a family was releasing a pair of ducks on the lake and if we see them, they eat dry cat food. I was expecting a pair of white ducks that someone's kids got last Easter so I was pleasantly surprised when a pair of mallards were foraging just on the other side of my fence. Naturally, I went into my garage and filled a quart container with dry cat food. If there were 'the' ducks they would eat this type of food. Low and behold, they did not just eat it they devoured it. The female was very possessive of this cache of food but the male did manage to get his share.

On Tuesday morning the lake had a crust of ice stretching from our shore to the middle of the lake. I heard a duck making a lot of noise and investigated. The male was frozen into the ice just off the shore line and the female was quacking her head off in distress. I was able to free him using an oar from my neighbors boat to crack the ice around him. He took off like the preverbal Duck out of hell and his mate was right behind him. Once again I did not have my camera but I did get pictures of them from our earlier meeting. People down here in Alabama cannot drive on snow or ice so why would a southern raised mallard know how to sleep on an icy lake?


New Neighbors ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )









Last edited: Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:47 am

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Better Homes & Gardens - Garden Notes

Category: Gardening Remembrances | Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 9:32 pm

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I recommended this garden tips website last month to my fellow Stewbies and today I received my latest edition of their newsletter. It is so full of tips and ideas of things to do in the garden next spring that I just had to pass it along again.
It's called Better Homes and Gardens.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

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The Decorating is Finished including 'My' Penguin Tree

Category: Gardening Remembrances | Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:11 pm

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There is something about my wife that I did not realize before we got married. Normally she is a very intelligent, compassionate, and well centered person. That much I did know. But as the Christmas Season approaches a change comes over this woman. All intellectual acumen and reasoning is put aside, and this little child emerges. She becomes absorbed in the season and, if I did not put my foot down, we would have a Christmas tree in every room in the house. Our house is a single level, fairly open floor plan. Not counting the three bedrooms, kitchen or other service rooms, we only have four rooms to work with. Actually, since the dining room and living room are divided only by two columns, there are really only three areas; and she has a tree in each area.

The main tree in the living room/dining room area, one in the den, and one in the sun room. The main tree, as I refer to it, is decorated with the designer ornaments and Waterford crystal that she accumulated before she ever met me. I have to admit that it is the most beautiful tree I have ever seen. A few years ago she came home from Market with a tall, narrow tree and told me she was putting it in the corner of our den. It has been there every Christmas since.

And then there is what see refers to as Jerry's tree. More years ago than I care to remember, a friend began giving me little penguins because she was amused that my college mascot was a penguin. She had gone to a 'real' school with a 'real' mascot; an alligator. I never was able to figure out her thought process regarding that. But, I digress. I soon had about a dozen of these little things cluttering up my office area; and years later when I met my wife, she too was amused by the little critters. She restarted the penguin collection and told everyone who would listen that Jerry collects penguins. Penguins began pouring in at every gift occasion. What do you get the guy who has everything? Penguins!.

Cindy had a 2 ½ foot wire Christmas tree that she would put bulbs on and place on the table in the foyer of our home. One year I came home to find 'my' penguins hanging on it instead of the usual bulbs. It was cute, it was harmless, and of course it was another excuse to let everybody know that Jerry went to Youngstown State, the Penguin College. Ho Ho Ho. Soon there were more penguins than room on that little wire tree. As things evolved, she added a third tree that now resides in the sunroom and is just chockfull of little penguins.

It has become a tradition in our house and I guess it is here to stay. But, last year I put out an edict to all who would listen, NO MORE PENGUINS. As it is we have another 3 dozen that would not fit on this 7' tree. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a Bah Humbug, Scrooge. But, she will not be here to take these trees down since she will be back on the road with her very busy consulting business as soon as the holidays are over; it happens every year. Ho Ho Ho.



( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )

This is the main tree in the living room.


The Den Tree ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )

Here is the one she has in the Den




( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )

And here is 'My' Penguin Tree


Close up of Penguin Tree ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )


( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )





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Getting Adjusted To My Greenhouse

Category: Things That Grow In My Garden | Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:34 pm

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A few weeks ago my brother-in-law, who has an incredibly busy schedule, drove down from Birmingham to run an electrical line to my new greenhouse. Since I am one of the millions of handymen who do not go near electricity I was totally dependent on his expertise. It was getting critical as the temperature kept dropping lower and lower as we got deeper into December. Naturally I was very anxious to get my heater installed to protect my plants that are wintering in there. He installed a ground fault interrupter box in my shed to protect the line from overloading. I was thrilled when we flipped the switch and the heater came on.

Greenhouse ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )

That night as the temperature continued to drop and he had returned to Birmingham, I checked the greenhouse and found that the GFI had tripped and all power was off. I reset the switch and the heater started up again. This happened again the second and the third nights too. I began checking the circuit three and four times a day and made some adjustments to the heater. It has a setting for 1500 and 1300 watts so I turned it down to the lower wattage. However, it again tripped out that night too. However, without any further adjustment it remained on the following night. That was over a week ago and it has not tripped since. I am holding my breath and 'knocking on wood 'that it remains that way. I still check it two or three times a night, just to be safe. First to the shed to check the switch and then to the greenhouse to check the temp.

Last night the temperature outside was 27F or -3C but 65F, 24C inside the greenhouse. In my visits to the greenhouse I was so consumed by the heater and what the temperature was that I did not take time to really look at the flowers. Yesterday I did take that time and was amazed at how beautiful everything is holding up. While it may be the depths of December outside it is still Summer in the greenhouse even if I still check the circuit in the middle of the night.


Begonia in Greenhouse ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )


Boston Fern ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )


Coleus & New Guenea Impatens cuttings ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )


Begonia in Frog Planter ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )


Older Coleus Cuttings ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )


Foxtail Fern ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )





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Bear and the Birds

Category: Gardening Remembrances | Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:34 am

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This is Bear, aka Bear the Cat or Bearcat. In many ways Bear thinks she is a dog. She will carry on conversations with you, meowing to everything you say. She will come when you call her and the thing I like best, she is always right beside me in the garden. We have three cats but Bear is my cat. As you can see she is a Maine Coon.

We got Bear as a kitten from a group that saves and protects this breed and we literally had to sign our lives away. We had to swear that we would not take her for rides in the car, never have her declawed or allow her to go outside. The first two were easy but Bear insists on going outside and no one is going to stop her. The addition of doggie doors for our two Golden Retrievers made it impossible to stop her.

Bear the Cat ( photo / image / picture from Accidental Gardener's Garden )

Today I was loading the dogs into the car for a trip to the grocery store when I spotted Bear walking across the driveway with something in her mouth. When she ran to the front of the house I knew she was up to something. It took awhile to catch up to her and when I could finally see her up close there was a feathered wing and tail feathers sticking out of her mouth. When I reached down I guess she was going to meow to tell me something and as soon as she opened her mouth that poor finch took off and escaped into the cool afternoon sky.

I do not mind when Bear catches field mice or scares away squirrels but I do have a problem with her and birds. I can understand her being upset with mockingbirds that constantly chirp,harass and dive bomb her during the summer, but the other song birds are welcome and I do spend a lot of time feeding them and keeping their baths filled with water. I know Bear thinks I do these things to attract birds just so she can catch them; she may be my friend and companion but after all she is still a cat.







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