In The Sunshine of Your Love

You only get one chance to make a first impression.  In gardening, that first impression is usually your front yard/porch.  I know if I drive up to a house and it is all lawn with a predictable poured walkway, a token lilac, and a pot of pansies on the porch; I assume that you are following The Office Space Principal for your yard, i.e., If you are threatened with your job, you will only work hard enough to not get fired.  Or, in other words, you have other priorities, are worried you don't know what you are doing, and don't want to be the worst looking house on the street.  I know that some of you are screaming in your mind that I missed the most obvious thing, that you have no money/time left over for landscaping, but I'm going to prove over the summer that budget/schedule is not a limitation for you.

Maybe my need for individuality and style comes from spending many of my years in tract housing developments where every third or fourth house looks the same.  Maybe it's because I've lived in harsher growing environments than this one (Phoenix, Las Vegas) and don't understand why people here don't have beautiful yards.  I don't expect you to all go out and spend $40,000 on a landscaper and a new yard, that's just silly, but I hope that you will be able to take a little bit of the information here and make this a banner year for your front yard.  Here are some before and after pictures to inspire you to new heights, before I dig into a list to achieve front yard greatness.

You'll notice that none of these face-lifts involve huge expanses of lawn.  I know you are tired of hearing about it by now, but giant lawns are so 1985.  They are as out of date as pink tile linoleum, lace curtains and brass fixtures.  Nothing says, I have a huge lot and no imagination like 1/2 an acre of lawn. Not to mention they cost a small fortune to install and maintain.  Now, a small to medium sized lawn that is properly cared for and part of a good design is always in style.  For those of you who still don't get where I'm going, one more metaphor.  Huge lawns are the landscaping equivalent of a 60 year old man in a small red sports car and a toupee. 

Enough, I'm going to move on to the meat and potatoes of this post.  Here is a list to get you on the path to front yard awesomeness.  At the end you will find a small list of links that will get you to the vital information you need for success.

1.  Pick a Genre and Go With It.  Are you modern? traditional? whimsical?  When it comes to landscaping style, let your freak flag fly.  Just remember to fold it correctly and don't display it at night with out properly lighting it.  There is no law that says because you live in Wyoming you can't have a beach theme in your yard, even if your neighbors have gone with White Trash Chevrolet Grave Yard.  I'm slowly transitioning to a Roadhouse and Blues Music Theme in mine.  I teach guitar lessons, so I think it'll be fun for my students to pass by my "Rock Garden" on the way to my porch.  I'll post pictures once I get tore into it this year.

2.  Follow Good Design Principals.  There are multitudes of excellent books on this subject, and a simple Google Search for creative landscaping can yield excellent results.  Sunset Magazine is my go to resource for, well, everything so keep it in mind too.  Keeping things in scale can be hard, and if you have trouble with this, getting a consultant can really help.  Also, remember the golden rule of gardening, put the right plant in the right place.  Below I am including several links on plants that thrive in Wyoming as well as some excellent free design resources.  Don't forget that when you purchase plants at reputable greenhouses and nurseries, they can advise you on plant/design choices.  I'm always here to help, and for a plate of goodies I'm more than happy to come over assess your landscaping situation with you.

3.  Obtain Good Quality Plants.  Did you know that perennials need to be divided every couple of years?  When this happens people sometimes want/need to get rid of some of their plants.  KSL is a good place to look for things like this, as well as fun decorations, and I am trying to start a plant exchange on Face Book so people can easily distribute them to each other.  Farmer's markets are another place to find these plants, bulbs, and tubers.  Ask your friends and neighbors too.  I have lots of Currant Bushes in my yard, and you can come over and get a start from them anytime.  I'll be dividing my Irises this fall too, and I'll let you know how many I have up for grabs then.  For plants you are purchasing,  always, always, get them from reputable greenhouses and nurseries.

4.  Dream Big and Be Realistic.  Sometimes the plan you have in your head is just never going to play out in your yard.  Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Take what you can and work with it.  Do your best.  Be flexible.  Consider using containers instead of creating huge beds that need to be mulched and weeded.  I've seen regular old freight pallets turned into gorgeous vertical gardens and screens for privacy.  Maybe you're the neighbor with the White Trash Chevrolet Grave Yard.  Go with it, have some fun and make it nice.  Maybe you can turn one of them into a Pickup Truck Planter Fountain.  Realize that if you are going to create an Old Rose Garden, you are going to need the time patience and know how to keep it up.  Maybe you just need some wild and native roses which require much less care to create the same look.

5.  Set Yourself Up For Success.  Don't put in something that goes completely against your grain.  If you are not a robo-gardener, don't put in a maintenance intensive yard.  Hate yard work or don't have the time?  Put in an outdoor living room or entertainment center.  Then you can relax in your yard guilt free, but still have a whole lot of curb appeal.

Finally, the links:

http://www.sunset.com/  Sunset Magazine--a wealth of information and ideas
http://www.uwyo.edu/cessupport/agpubs/Search_Subject.asp Wyoming Cooperative Extension Horticulture Publications.  This has downloadable pamphlets on all aspects of Wyoming Gardening including lists of what to grow here.
http://www.jjnursery.com/j15/  J&J Garden Center.  These guys are top of the heap in Utah, and they have great ideas and information.  Just be sure to check and a make sure their plant suggestions grow in Wyoming.
http://www.landscapingnetwork.com/?gclid=CNDXuZH8t6gCFQImbAodDnWNCw  This network has all kinds of ideas to get you excited about your yard.

Don't forget Container Gardening Workshop, May 4th, 6pm, Mountain View Library!

You Gotta Keep Em Separated

This entry is in answer to Peggy Parker's question about where to put plants in your vegetable garden.  She is living in North Dakota and this is information that gardeners everywhere can use.  Thanks for the input Peggy, this link is just for you http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hortcrop/h1185.pdf.  Just like anywhere else you go in the US there is always cooperative extension services provided through the state to help you understand your growing conditions.  I'll bet money that North Dakota's soil is much less alkaline than the soil here in Wyoming.

First of all I'd like to revisit the concept of the raised bed garden.  If you are not familiar with raised beds, here are a couple of examples:

There are several important differences between row gardens vs. raised beds (also known as intensive gardening), not all of which are readily apparent.  Raised beds retain water and nutrients better, allow for greater aeration of the plant's roots, allow more sunlight to reach your plants, reduce your amount of weeding and pest control, and produce a much larger harvest in a small amount of space.  I'm not knocking traditional rows, if that's the way you like to garden you probably already have a system that is working for you.  I've never had good luck growing this way, and I've found that my success rate in a raise bed is much, much higher.  I'm always looking for ways to get more rewards with less time spent.

I like lists, so here is how I plant my garden in order:

1.  Soil preparation is key, it doesn't matter how amazing your plants are if you haven't properly prepped your soil, your harvest will be disappointing.  Peggy, you'll want to go to North Dakota's Cooperative Extension website to get the exact details for your soil type.  However, no matter where you are you are going to need to add organic matter, i.e., compost or Soil Pep.

For Bridger Valley Gardeners, it is a good idea to add Iron, Sulfur, and Gypsum amendments with your organic matter, these help to reduce the alkalinity and increase the water holding capability of your soil.  Conversely, Peggy might need to add lime to her soil to decrease the acidity.  NEVER EVER put LIME in your soil if you live IN BRIDGER VALLEY the only thing it should be used for here it to reduce odors in your crawl space.  It is quite useful in that regard.

Lay out the areas you are going to use as raised beds.  For ease of working 3x6 beds seem to be ideal, and the added organic matter (you need to add roughly 4-5 inches of it) will naturally make nice little mounds.  When done correctly, it will look like a freshly dug grave :)  Double Dig your soil like this:

Rototilling is the devil.  For real, even though husbands everywhere love to do it.  It can quickly destroy your soil structure and completely ruin all the soil improvements you are trying to make.  Correctly double digging is a time investment with huge returns.  If your bent on tilling, I suggest finding someone who will come plow with a horse or mule, I'm actually being serious.  There are people out there that still do this, and they are very reasonably priced.  The results are much like double digging, and it's kind of interesting to watch.  For smaller areas, just double dig.  The exercise is good for you, and the vegetables you will be eating in the future will be good for you too.  And yes, it does need to be done every year.

2.  Soak the soil deeply and let it rest for a day or two before planting.  Mark off the areas you where you will be planting different types of vegetables.  Here is a chart to help you decide how to do this:

Plant Type	Companions / Compatible	Incompatible
Anise	Coriander
Asparagus	Tomato, Parsley, Basil
Basil	Tomatoes
Beans, Bush	Potato, Celery, Cucumbers, Corn, Strawberry, Summery Savory	Onions, Fennel
Beans, Pole	Corn, Summery Savory, Radish	Onion, Beets, Kohlrabi, Sunflower
Beets	Bush beans, Lettuce, Onions, Kohlrabi, Cabbage	Pole beans, Mustard
Borage	Tomato, Squash, Strawberries
Cabbage	Celery, Onions, Potatoes, Aromatic Herbs, Beets, Chamomile, Spinach, Chard	Strawberries, Tomatoes, Pole beans, Dill
Carrots	Lettuce, Radish, Onions, Tomatoes, Peas, Rosemary, Sage	Dill
Celery	Onions, Tomato, Cabbage, Bush Beans, Nasturtium
Chervil	Radishes
Corn	Pumpkins, Peas, Beans, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Pumpkin	Tomatoes
Cucumbers	Corn, Peas, Radishes, Beans, Sunflowers	Aromatic herbs, Potatoes, Sage
Dill	Onions	Carrots, Cabbage
Eggplant	Beans, Marigold
Fennel	plant by itself if possible.	plant by itself if possible.
Garlic	Roses, Raspberries
Lettuce	Onions, Strawberries, carrots, radishes, cucumbers
Mint	Cabbage, Tomatoes
Onions (& family including, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives)	Lettuce, Beets, Carrots, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Summer Savory	Peas, Beans
Parsley	Tomato, Corn, Asparagus
Peas	Carrots, Cucumbers, Corn, Turnips, Radishes, Beans, Potatoes, Aromatic Herbs	Onions, Garlic, Leek, Shallots, Gladiolus
Peppers	Tomato, Basil, Parsley, Petunias, Carrots, Onions, Okra	Fennel, Kohlrabi
Potatoes	Beans, Corn, Cabbage Family, Marigolds, Horseradish	Pumpkin, Squash, Tomato, Cucumber, Sunflower
Pumpkins	Corn, Marigold	Potato
Radishes	Beets, Carrots, Spinach, Parsnips, Cucumbers, Beans, Lettuce, Peas	Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Turnips, Hyssop
Rosemary	Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Sage
Sage	Rosemary, Cabbage, Carrots	Cucumbers
Squash	Radishes, Cucumbers, Corn, Nasturtium	Potatoes
Tomatoes	Carrots, Onions, Parsley, Nasturtium, Asparagus, Cucumber	Cabbage, Cauliflower, Fennel, Potatoes
Thyme	Cabbage
Turnip	Peas	Potatoes

Certain plants help each other to grow.  Corn is nitrogen depleater, and peas are a nitrogen producer.  My husband likes to plant them together because they help each other out, peas provide nitrogen for the corn and corn provides a natural trellis for the peas to grow up.  If you are going to try this, plant your corn several weeks before your peas so that it has a chance to get tall enough to grow well before the peas start to climb it.  Carrots and Tomatoes make a good combination too.  Cucumbers and Melons don't make good neighbors, my Brother-In-Law, Dean, did this one year and ended up with melons that tasted like cucumbers because they cross pollinated.  Cucumber Melon is a nice lotion scent, but a nasty fruit salad.

3.  Broadcast your seeds evenly over the area you want them to grow, cover lightly if necessary.  After they have sprouted and grown about an inch, run a garden rake over them lightly in one direction.  This will thin them enough so that they can thrive.

4.  You have reached the maintenance phase at this point, and now all that is necessary is occasional weeding and regular irrigation.  Intensive gardening reduces weeds because when you plant more veggies, here is less room for weeds to take hold.  Good plants will choke out the ones you don't want growing.  

In my dream world, I would have drip irrigation with a timer on all of my raised beds.  Right now I just used a good sprinkler and it works just fine.  A good tip for watering is to do it early in the morning, this reduces the chances of plant diseases and keeps your garden hydrated throughout the day.

5.  Harvest and Cleaning.  Harvest your edibles as they become available and enjoy.  There is no greater confirmation that you are loved by your creator than eating produce fresh from your garden.  This is also a good reason to learn how to preserve your harvest for cold winter days. I'll be covering the basics of canning/dehydrating/freezing in this blog throughout the year, so check back often.

Once you have finished harvesting for the year trim down the remaining stalks and vines from your garden and dig them into their surrounding soil or take them to your compost pile.  This helps to add organic matter for next year's harvest.  Once you've got it cleaned up, spread a 3-4 inch layer of organic matter such as Soil Pep over your beds and let them rest.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions about where and what to plant.  Our Container Gardening Workshop is quickly approaching, and I can't wait to see everyone.  Several lucky participants are going home with the demonstration containers I plant that night, and everyone gets to enjoy garden fresh snacks and goodies.  Remember May 4th, 6pm, Mountain View Library.

Ina Gadda Da Vidda II

With all this rain, things are starting to look a little bit greener out there.  I know I'm starting to get exited about putting some color in my yard.  Here are some pictures of my favorite botanical gardens to give you some good ideas...

Denver Botanic Gardens

Red Butte Gardens

Thanksgiving Point

I love these examples because they are water wise, but more noticeably they are extremely well designed and full of beautiful color.  So how can you bring this high end look home?  Does it take a small army of gardeners to keep it looking this good?  Do it take a small fortune to install it?

Lets start with the basics of how you make this happen in your own yard.  I won't give you a list of plants that grow well here, mostly because it's tedious.  Here are some links that will help you figure it out though:

http://www.wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B1152.pdf
http://www.wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B1139.pdf
http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/sunset-climate-zones-nevada-wyoming-utah-colorado-00418000067318/

So how do you get that professional look?  Well, the best way is to actually hire a professional.  I highly recommend Good To Grow out of Evanston.  They will do as much or as little of the job as you like.  They're more than happy to design it for you and let you do the work too.  Good To Grow are usually booked a year in advance, mostly because they are incredible.  They did my Mom's yard (Denise Pritchard, her house is on Riverbend in Mountain View, and if you are driving by in the next couple of weeks you can't miss it because of the Daffodils).

Maybe you are more hands on and want to do it yourself though.  I respect that, and you can definitely get some good results if you follow some basic design and planting principals.  First of all, pick the right plants for the spot.  This is a re-occurring theme with me I know, but I can't stress it enough.  Each plant has specific requirements for light, irrigation, growing season, soil conditions and heat/cold tolerance.

This means no matter how hard you try, Blue Hydrangeas are not going to grow in your flower bed here.  They need a nice loamy low pH soil, lots of water, long growing season, partial shade, and they can't take cold below 20 Degrees Fahrenheit. 2 out of 5 won't cut it for these temperamental plants.  However, you can have great success with Lilacs, Snowball Bushes, Floribunda Roses, Peonies, or Bleeding Heart.  As long as, you make sure to plant them in the right spot in your yard.  Always read the planting guide which is generally included with the plant you are purchasing, or ask a garden center employee.  Or, you can ask me anytime, I'm here to help :)

Grow Your Own Tip:
Another thing I stand by is buying your plants from a reputable greenhouse or garden center.  Don't be cheap.  Really, just stop yourself.  Places like the Green River Nursery take extra care in picking healthy plants that are guaranteed to thrive in our environment.  They have a knowledgeable staff on hand that can help you find the perfect plant for the project you are doing.  You can sort of get away with buying annuals at box stores, but any perennials, shrubs, or trees need to be bought somewhere they actually care about what they are doing.  I know you are thinking of reasons why I am wrong right now, knock it off, I'm trying to help you. I have nothing to gain by giving you this information, I'm not selling anything.

Secondly, have a plan and stick to it.  The best way to get a good plan is to use a resource like Sunset Magazine (L-O-V-E Sunset), or go to the library or Google and find a landscape design you can adapt to your yard.  This will help you properly place plants into a nice layered effect by height and color.  Kind of like this:

You can have a lot of fun with this, by making your yard change colors every couple of weeks throughout the summer.  This happens when you choose plants that bloom in succession, daffodils in yellow and orange die out and give way to pink and white tulips, tulips fade and bring on dark purple and red perennials, those fade into orange and yellow perennials... With a little planning, you can have a different yard every time you go outside.

Next, make sure you put in good irrigation.  Drip systems pay for themselves and they are not hard to install as they require no trenching.  Just make sure to put 4-6" of mulch down after you have put your plants in, this covers up your drip lines and creates an organic weed barrier--BLACK PLASTIC IS A TOOL OF THE DEVIL!  Once again I'm trying to help you here, so stop saying "Well, I get the kind with holes in it," it doesn't matter, it all stratifies and compacts your soil, creates poor drainage, then eventually breaks up and makes black trash.  Don't try and justify it to me, I've seen the difference between a well mulched yard and black plastic.

Now, if you've done your homework, stuck to a good design, bought the right plants, mulched, and created a good method of irrigation, you're maintenance will be minimal.  Pulling the stray weed, cutting spent flowers to encourage new growth, and kicking back in your lovely yard are what you have to look forward to.  When mulched correctly cleaning up for winter is a snap too, just trim back your plants, bury the waste in your mulch, and plan your next snow shoeing adventure:)

Grow Your Own Tip:
Now, I know some of you aren't cheap, you're broke, and there is a difference.  You can still get good results on a shoe string budget if you are willing to be flexible.  There are many gardeners here in the valley that are more than happy to share perennials out of their yards.  Most plants need to be divided every few years, and asking around for plants is a good way to get them.  Many of the Shasta Daisies in my yard came from Theresa Kellum's yard.  I have raspberries I got from Kathy Moretti, and several plants that I inherited from my Grandma Beth's yard.  You get good quality and you don't have to spend a dime, in fact, you are doing someone else a favor.  If you are looking for a common plant, try posting on Facebook for it.

I'm getting really excited for the Container Gardening Workshop!  So many great things to show all of you and some tasty treats too!  Put May 4th, 6:00pm, Mountain View Library on your calendar :)

Turf Wars 3: Return of the Lawn Boy

Sooo...

Perhaps a little fertilizer, pest management, and good watering practices aren't going to fix your problem

You have a total weed patch...

Or it's died completely, or never existed at all...

Seeding, sodding, or reseeding are your best options. Never fear, it's not as bad or expensive as it sounds. I'd like to point out that before you get on the Big Lawn Bandwagon, you should read my piece on lawn alternatives--it's got nothing to do with spray painting grass or astro-turf.

I could write a very lengthy article on this subject, but in the interest of your time and mine I'll give you a link to the best piece of info on Turf In Wyoming there is:

http://www.wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B1129.pdf

It is well written, easy to understand, and it has good pictures. It covers everything from what type of turf to buy, seeding, sodding, reseeding, application rates for fertilizers, and all kinds of other little tidbits.

My husband and I will be reseeding our whole lawn this year, probably the first or second week of May. We have decided to go this route because our lawn is mostly pasture grass and not all that fun to walk on in bare feet. We have a pretty awesome crop of dandelions, clover, alfalfa, and crabgrass. I personally like to have a little clover in the lawn because it helps it to be a little hardier, especially if you have pets. We will be adding a small amount of clover into our new lawn too.

I'll take lots of pictures of the whole process and let you know what I've learned. Out of personal preference, we bought IFA's Quick Green Premium Grass Seed, along with their brand of starter fertilizer and bag of Ironite. Even though I'm not a huge fan of lawns, I'm excited for this project, and I actually think it's going to be pretty fun.

True to form, here is a list to help you decide if you want to reseed or not:

1. Have you already tried a season of good lawn care basics and been unimpressed with the results? Properly caring for your lawn will encourage the growth of good types of grasses and choke out the unwanted kinds. If you don't already practice good lawn care, or hire someone who does it for you, your next lawn will be a disaster too.

2. Do you love mowing, watering, and caring for a lawn? If not, why are you planting a new one? You can still have a green, lush and beautiful yard with little to no grass. This can be especially attractive if you have and love dogs, who are notorious for ruining lawns.

3. Consider the actual function of your yard, is it a playground? a multipurpose room? a used car lot? or a show piece? This might help you determine the areas that truly need reseeding, and places where a hard scape or other type of landscaping would be more suitable. Now is the time to seize the opportunity to put in that raised bed garden you've been dreaming of, or to create a beautiful outdoor living room, or to put in a gravel area to park your four wheelers and camper.

Enough on Turf.

I saw a Blue Bird today, and that can only mean one thing. Spring has truly come to Wyoming. The Cranes and Geese are the early warning signs; but once you see Blue Bird, there is no turning back, Spring is here. That doesn't mean we won't get a few more snow showers and hard freezes, but the days are getting warmer and summer is on it's way. You'll know Summer is on it's way when you hear Kill Deer and Meadow Larks out in force.

Also, the first and second weeks of May are time to start putting out your Hummingbird feeders. So start getting them out of storage and ready to go, or purchase some if you want to attract them to your yard this year. Remember the food mix is 1 part sugar to 3 parts water, and a little red food coloring if you like. These little guys need lots of energy, and they are a delight to watch. We have several different species that come to The Valley and it is a lot of fun to see who your "regulars" are. A couple of notes on Hummingbirds: don't substitute the sugar for anything else when you are making their food, don't leave your feeders out past the second week of August, and remember to clean them often to prevent the spread of disease.

What would you like to learn about next week?  Send me some feedback.  Don't forget the Container Gardening Workshop on May 4th @ 6pm in the Mountain View Library.

Ina Gadda Da Vidda Baby

So, what actually grows here?  Good news, more than you think!  I'm going to focus on edibles today, I'll discuss flowers and shrubs next Monday. 

Don't think you're a vegetable gardener?  I'll bet I can at least get you interested, if not growing your own vegetables (foodies, this is for you).  I didn't think that I was for a long time.  I used to think that all that tilling and weeding just wasn't worth it.  Not to mention the bugs.  I'm all about my bottom line; I firmly believe that time is more valuable than money, and I won't waste more than about 10 minutes to save a buck.  After all, you can always scrounge up a few extra dollars, but have you ever tried to find an extra 15 minutes in the day?  

I know that resonates with a lot of you.  You're busy, and making all the ends meet all the time is a bear.  Most likely, you're going to be going it alone in the gardening department.  So can you really make it easy, and is it really worth it?  After all, I keep saying that we have crappy soil and no growing season.  Here are the things that will make a difference; raised beds, containers, and season extenders.  These are more important than having a list of what you can grow.  If you understand how they work, then you can make your own list of things that you are willing to grow.

We'll start with raised beds.  By definition this is just mounding up the soil into separate beds rather than gardening in rows.  By concentrating the area and soil you are gardening in you overcome 3 things that plague WY gardeners; shallow soil, high soil pH, and soil temperature.  Raised beds warm up faster than traditional garden rows because they are above ground.  Mounding soil up increases it's depth, and you can easily add organic matter and till in minerals to help reduce soil pH and alkalinity.  More organic matter and concentrated planting will reduce the amount of watering and weeding you do, and many diseases and pests are reduced too.  Above ground beds mean no huge rocks, and eliminate the need for Roto-tilling (which is a soil destroyer).  All of this means less time spent working on your garden and more time enjoying delicious veggies and fruits.

I can't say enough good things about raised beds, a little extra investment of time and money up front gives you huge gardening dividends later on.  As you can see in these pictures, raised beds are a beautiful addition to your landscape, and they can be as elaborate or low key as you like.  It really depends on you, and your budget.

Maybe your living situation does not have enough space or time for raised beds, let me introduce you to the raised bed's cute little sister, Container Gardening.  Even if you only have a small front porch, you can grow your own edibles.  Containers beat any soil condition you can think of, outsmart the weather (snow? frost? just bring them inside), and even if you already have a nice garden, they can add whimsy and fun to your hard-scapes.

How about growing your own bag of lettuce?

Perhaps you're a fan of fresh carrots?

Or maybe you just want the freshest spaghetti sauce you can find in one pot?

Fresh Blueberry Muffins Anyone?

Still don't think you have enough room?  Go Vertical:

I hope this gets you excited for the Container Gardening Workshop on May 4th.  I've got some really exciting and fun things to show you :)

Next, season extenders.  When the temperature drops, plants can freeze.  This can happen on the 4th of July here, so it's good to know how to protect your plants from it.  The easiest way to protect plants from freezing is by covering them when you know we are expecting a frost.  Old bed sheets are wonderful for this, because if you forget to take them off right away, they won't fry your plants when the sun comes out and warms things up.  Plastic garbage bags and sheeting are good too, but remember that as soon as the sun comes out it's going to literally cook your vegetables.  Just remember to secure them well, as the wind might, possibly, begin to blow :) 

Another fantastic invention are Walls-of-Water:  http://www.wall-o-water.com/ .  They can be found at most garden centers, and sometimes even Wal-Mart and can be left on your tender plants all season long.  Once again, raised beds are your friend here.  It is very easy to fit them with hoops or makeshift scaffolding to support your season extenders, they also lend themselves well to cold frames and cloches.  Use a combination of these season extenders, and you can get another 45 days out of our growing season.  Since I know some of you just went "Huh?"  Here are some pictures:

Walls-O-Water:

A Cloche encounter:

Cold Frames:

Garden Cover with hoops/scaffolding:

You can use many combinations of these techniques to grow just about anything you want here in the BV, and extend your season from 60-81 days to 90+ days.  I hope this got you excited about your garden, and at least interested in growing your own vegetables.  Come back next week and see how you can overcome the odds and grow a flower garden that will rival anything you see in SLC.  Until next time, have fun gardening!

Turf Wars 2: The Homeowner Strikes Back

Take Your Lawn From:

FAIL!

To:

FABULOUS!

I know that many of you fight your lawns--I am no exception in this case. In fact, I'll bet that most of my neighbors wonder when there are going to be toilets full of flowers in front of my house.

Bridger Valley Lawn Care Basics:

You'll recall from the piece I did on trees; we have little or no soil, the soil we do have is very alkaline, there is occasional windiness, and our season is brief to say the least. These conditions present their own unique challenges, but they are not insurmountable. There are beautiful lawns all over the valley, and if you are willing to put the time and effort in, yours will be too. Here is your chronological checklist:

1. Late April early May: Time to fertilize and aerate.

You want a a spring fertilizer that is not too high in nitrogen preferably a 25-0-3 (I use IFA's brand), you also need to add Ironite. This combo along with the late spring snow/rain showers will green your lawn up rather quickly. A week or two after your initial fertilization, hit it again with an organic fertilizer like Milorganite and more Ironite. Milorganite is available at the Evanston Nursery, or just about any other reputable garden center (like J&J in Salt Lake). Continue this regiment until it starts to warm up for good, usually around the second week of June.

• I'm a huge fan of IFA's products, and their co-op business model is commendable: http://ifa-coop.com/country-stores Scott's is a national brand, there is nothing wrong with it, and you can get it at Benedict's. If you are already traveling to Utah for other things though, IFA Country Stores are a lot of fun to shop at (even for kids), and the products are specially designed for our region.

Grow Your Own Tip: 25-0-3 is the N-P-K or Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potasium content of a fertilizer. As a Wyomingite, you will be most interested in the Nitrogen content of fertilizer. Phosphorous is naturally occurring in most of our soils and adding a lot more is not really a good idea. Potassium is not a huge consideration either. Ironite, as the name suggests is Iron, and it helps to counteract the alkalinity of your soil. It will green your lawn without burning it, but it can discolor any concrete it comes in contact with.

2. Late April early May: Weed and pest management.

Unless you have a huge expanse of lawn with no trees, shrubs, perennials, or bulbs; I strongly urge you not to buy fertilizer that is a weed control also. All of the afore mentioned plants can be seriously harmed or killed by using it. Young trees especially suffer, and it will kill more tender plants. If you absolutely must use it because you are being held at gunpoint, stay well away of the drip lines of your trees. The drip line is from the trunk to the furthest branches of your trees.

My preference is spraying for weeds with 2-4D commonly called Weed-B-Gone. This targets anything that is a dicot (plants with two leaves at germination opposed to a monocot which only has one), which in Plain English means that it won't kill your grass. Generally this is an early morning activity, you want to do it when there is little to no wind and rain/snow is not expected for 2 or more hours. If you have a bounteous dandelion harvest like I do, you will want to do this 1-2 times per week. That is if you aren't going to be eating the dandelions--they're quite tasty, but that's for another day.

Pest management is a little bit easier, in that you can spread it all over the lawn without worrying about hurting other plants. First identify if you need a pesticide, it's not a good thing to kill every bug living in your yard. Next, try to find a pesticide that targets the specific pest you are trying to kill; really, you don't want to wipe out everything. Finally, apply it as directed by the manufacturer. If you have questions about this ask, and send me pictures. Or better yet go to the UW Cooperative Extension Service website and get the full scoop. http://www.uwyo.edu/ces/

Mid May through End of July: Discontinue the use of Ironite on your lawn, it needs Nitrogen now, but no so much it burns your lawn. 28-0-0 would be best if you can find it; but if you can't, just get close that is good enough. Continue to alternate every two weeks between the 28-0-0 and Milorganite.

August through the first week of October: Step up your nitrogen a little and add some Potassium to strengthen your lawn for winter, try a 32-0-12. Continue two week rotation with Milorganite.

After the first week of October: call it a year for the ol' lawn. Continuing to fertilize at this point will encourage new growth and can harm your lawn as temperatures drop.

Watering and Mowing, A Vicious Cycle

Improper watering of lawns is a huge problem. I won't get on my water conservation soap box today, so here are a few tips to keep your lawn green and your water usage responsible.

1. Take a shovel and dig up a small piece of your turf. You are inspecting the the root system. What you are looking for is yellowish-white, healthy looking roots that go down 7-12 inches. If yours are much shorter than this, you are watering too often and not long enough.

Grow Your Own Tip: Soil that is easily made into a ball and wants to clump together is usually clay based. Soil that is crumbly and will only hold together if wet is usually sand based. If you have something happily in between, consider yourself lucky because you have a nice loamy soil that will retain moisture well and get plenty of oxygen to your plants roots.

2. Determine how long you need to water. If you happen to have sandy or loamy soil, 15-20 minutes of watering is usually sufficient. If you have a clay soil it could be anywhere from 30-45 minutes. When you dig up your grass you should be able to determine your soil type. Step two of this process is to take a long metal instrument, like a really long screw driver, and stick it in your lawn as far as it will go and then pull it out. Ideally, it should be muddy for around 10-12 inches. Less than that means you need to water longer; more, you should cut back. Use 5 minute increments to adjust your watering length. This tool and measurement will be very important to you, so keep it handy.

3. Determine how often you need to water. Get out your lawn watering measurement tool, and stick it in the ground when you think your lawn needs to be watered. If it comes out moist or muddy, your lawn needs to wait another day. If it is harder to push in or comes out a little on the dry side, it's time to water. If it won't go in at all, perhaps you should consider concrete or a rock garden :) Most people only need to be watering 2-3 times per week, and during the hottest part of summer 3-5. Most people are watering every other day no matter what. This creates lawns that have poor root systems, which means they go brown quicker during a drought and they are using way more than their fair share of water.

4. Cutting your grass. Believe it or not, letting it grow a little bit longer is ideal. Depending on the type of grass you have planted 2-5 inches is perfect. Longer grass will stay greener longer, retain moisture better, and be more comfortable to walk on bare foot.  Not to mention it is more resistant to doggy damage.  If you have a healthy lawn you are going to be mowing quite often. Get yourself a nice mower that is easy to use. If you are really ambitious get a push mower and get your cardio in with your lawn mowing. If neither of those appeal to you, there are lawn cutting services available in The Valley. I prefer to cut my own, but then again, my lawn is smaller than most people's houses.

Some closing thoughts on lawn care:

• If you are going to go to the trouble to have a lawn in your yard, keep it nice. Everybody has "treasures" that build up over time, try to keep them respectable and neighbor friendly. Unless you live out of town by yourself, miles from others--then let your freak flag fly.
• DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT feed your lawn clippings to horses. It can clog up in their stomachs and kill them, and it's a very long, very painful way for them to die. I've seen a horse die of colic, and it was horrifying. The best thing to do is get a good mulching mower that cuts the clippings into very small pieces that can be left on the lawn. This creates organic matter that helps your lawn to grow better. However, I know that most people that have a lawn are really into how it looks and are going to collect the clippings. If you can, start a compost pile with them. Compost is organic gold.

The Container Gardening Workshop will be held Wednesday May 4th, in the Mountain View Library from 6pm until 7:30pm.  There will be garden fresh goodies and snacks, and I will be giving away several prizes.  I'm not selling anything, this is purely for fun and to share information.  So grab a friend and come.

Also, I know there are more than 8 people following this blog.  Make sure you are getting counted, and sent updates by entering your email address in the top part of the page and hitting enter.  I will be giving away a pair of Atlas Gardening Gloves to the 20th follower.  Spread the word and tell your friends, and as always, please send in your questions and stories.  Until next week, have fun gardening :)

The Short List--Are You Ready For Spring?

(In this picture, Ellis and Emma Walker exploring at the Walker Ranch.  It's one of my favorites, and I've named it Wyoming Summer.  It always reminds me of summers I spent at my Grandparent's House)

Everybody says they are ready for spring to be here, but I'm going to take a wild guess and say it's mostly talk.  Fortunately, our pre-spring thaw has only just begun you still have time to get it all together.  That way when spring flies by you in an instant, and summer is here, you are ready to go enjoy it.  Today I've got a check list for you, if you have any questions about items on the list, please let me know and I will go over them in more detail.

Also, I will be doing a container planting workshop and party at the Mountain View Library the first week of May.  I'm not selling anything, it's purely for fun and it will be informational too.  I will be giving away several prizes, and there will garden fresh goodies and snacks.  This will be a great event to bring a friend to.  I will be demonstrating Spaghetti Sauce in a Pot, Confetti Containers, and Thriller Spillers.  I go way beyond Petunias, and show you how to have a stylish and functional container garden.  If you've ever wondered how to beat our climate and growing conditions, this class if for you.

And Now, The List:

1.  Do you know where all your garden tools are?
2.  Is your lawn mower and other yard equipment tuned-up and ready to go?
3.  Have you got Ironite, Milorganite, a balanced spring fertilizer, and Weed Spray (24-D) ready for your lawn? (more on this Thursday in Turf Wars II)
4.  Are your beds cleaned from last year and mulched for this year?
5.  Have you made an appointment for your lawn to be aerated?
6.  Have you checked your irrigation system for missing or broken sprinkler heads, and made sure all your hoses are in good repair?
7.  Have you made a check list of the projects you need/want to get done in your yard this year?
8.  Do you know what you are planting in your garden, and do you know when you need to start seeds or purchase plants?
9.  Are all your containers emptied out and cleaned for this year?
10.  Have you sprayed for Black Vine Weevils?  These are those nasty little black things that are eating your Lilac Bushes.  A lot of people think the late summer damage is due to grasshoppers, but it's not.  A simple application of Sevin in early spring can knock these little suckers back and help your Lilacs to thrive this year.
11.  Is your grill ready to go?  Make sure all your propane bottles are in good working order and filled.
12.  Have you got your sunblock and mosquito repellent ready to go?

A couple of tips:

1.  Many nurseries (especially in Utah) will hold plants for you.  Most require that you pay for them in advance.  You get a much better selection before Mother's Day, and that way you can guarantee that you get the plants you want.  I like to go with a dark purple, red, and orange/yellow color scheme, and it can be hard to find the plants I want, so I plan and buy early.

2.  Your yard doesn't have to be perfect to be fun, so don't ever allow yourself to get discouraged.  Just keep it clean and do what you can.  I'll be sharing all kinds of gardening ideas in this blog, and I'm always here to help you find ways to make them your own.

Have a wonderful week, and please tell your friends and family about "Can You Dig It?"  As always, I'm here to answer your questions and love to hear your gardening stories, so send them in!