The End of The Line

I recently started using Google+.  It is a far superior way of sharing information.  I will be posting all of my gardening stuff on there from now on.  Through Google's Hang Out tool we can actually have live chats and classes about gardening stuff and it will be easier to share information and answer questions.  If you would like an invite to Google+ let me know.  I'll be glad to get you going :)

It Might Actually Be Summer

Just so everyone following this blog knows, I haven't given up on it, but I'm enjoying summer too much to blog twice weekly.  I'll be back in the fall and we'll discuss awesome stuff like composting and things you can grow in doors.  In the mean time, enjoy the summer and feel free to drop me a line if you have gardening questions.

~Penny~

Time Keeps On Slippin

I just realized I haven't updated this blog yet this week.  I haven't taken any pictures of my lawn progress either.  With the weather holding us back, my efforts and energies have been used elsewhere.  I did get some seeds started, my cats dug them up and ate the tastier ones. I got my lawn ready to go, and I'm pretty sure all my feathered friends have eaten the grass seeds.  So in a way, I guess I've been really successful so far; an entire ecosystem is being fed through my efforts :)

I'm not letting it get me down.  I'm not going to start anything in earnest until June 6.  Then I will plant my vegetables and put out my flower containers.  There is still plenty of time for this thing to turn around.

Let me know if you have any gardening questions.  Until next week, keep your chin up and have fun gardening.

Adventures in Reseeding

Today I'm getting my lawn power raked, which is not something I would normally do.  Power raking mostly tears up your lawn and doesn't do much in the way of taking care of thatch; which is what it is supposed to take care of.  However, if you are removing crab grass, quat grass, alfalfa, and other pasture grasses from your lawn then over seeding it with new improved grasses, power raking is the ticket.  Tomorrow, I will be getting my lawn aerated which will indeed take care of any thatch issues that I have.  Provided it doesn't rain this evening and I get a few calm minutes with little wind, I am going to spray any weeds that might still be lingering.

My husband (who is a lawn lover) has taken great pains to get our sprinkler system running and vigilantly sprays for weeds as often as he can.  He grew up on a farm, and I think he just likes having the look of a green pasture around him.  I don't hold this against him at all, it's his thing  and he keeps our lawn looking nice when he can.  I on the other hand couldn't care less about the lawn, and find it more of an inconvenience than anything.  I long for a low water, low maintenance yard.  Someday when we build our homestead, I plan on having 3/4 of the yard that way and one gloriously perfect patch of turf about the size of a volleyball court.  We hope to be living on about 20 acres, so Raym's need for pastures will be taken care of.  As with so many things in life, you can find a nice balance for everyone in your landscape without compromising the things that bring them happiness.

I see a lot of you doing square foot gardening this summer.  I'm excited to hear how it works for you, and I'd love to see pictures.  If you feel confident in it, I would love to come interview you and take pictures for my blog so I can help other people who are interested.

I hope everyone reading this will at least try to grow some herbs in a pot this summer.  You've still got 2 weeks to get it together, and I know it will be worth all your time and effort.  There is nothing quite like eating vegetables and fruits you grew yourself, and nothing quite as nice as sitting and enjoying the summer evenings in a green space you create/maintain with your own two hands.

Now, several tips to keep you on the right track:

1.  Containers rock, and you can make them from anything.  Use your imagination, just remember to make sure they have good drainage and follow the tips from my container gardening workshop.

2.  Less is more.  Using more than the recommended amount of fertilizer won't make your plants grow better, and may chemically burn them. Over-watering will kill your plants just as quickly and under-watering.  Creating more yard than you can care for is a recipe for insanity.  Unless you are going for "berserk redneck design," 50 yard gnomes are not better than 3 good ones.  BTW I totally dig lawn nicknacks.  This is blunt, but removing excess crap and strange unexplainable rituals from your life will make you a better person.

3.  You're not Martha Stewart, and she's a psycho-house-beast anyway.  You don't need to fashion an arbor from antique spoons to impress your neighbors.  In fact, if you are gardening to impress your neighbors, you're doing it for the wrong reasons and should just put in tennis court.  Do YOUR best, and don't worry about what everyone on the block thinks of your yard.  Keep it clean, be respectful, and that is more than good enough.

4.  Try something new this year, even if it is only a 6" pot full of Black Velvet Petunias (totally awesome flowers, I've got a plant crush on them right now).  If you have never fed hummingbirds before, give it a try.  If vegetable gardening is too far out of your comfort zone, visit a farmer's market.  It's okay to ease into this thing, you can't expect to be a master horticulturist right away.

5.  There will be some really nice days soon, remember to make yourself a pitcher of lemonade or sun tea and enjoy them.  Grill something great.  Play with your kids or pets in the sprinklers.  Make a fresh cut bouquet  from your flower beds and take them to someone who needs to be cheered up.  Share your bumper crop of summer squash with people who don't have gardens.  As you sow, so shall you reap :)

I'll post pictures from my reseeding adventure soon...

It's In The Bag

The Container Gardening Workshop was a blast!  Over 20 of you showed up to share some great information and tasty treats!

I've had several people ask me for my "recipes" for the snacks, and they will be included at the end of this post.

These are the Black Velvet Petunias I kept telling you about.  Very cool.

This Zebra Coleus made an excellent topper to what I am calling my Bag Lady Planter.

Here you can see me starting the Spaghetti Sauce In a Pot.

I love Roma Tomatoes for so many reasons, they grow well in containers and they are delicious in sauces.

In Spaghetti Sauce In a Pot:  1 Roma Tomato, 1 Rosemary, 1 Orange Thyme, 1 Oregano, and a Black Velvet Petunia for bling.  Congratulations to Kara Jaynes, the lucky winner of Tomato Sauce In a Pot!

Here I'm demonstrating a Confetti Container.  I chose an Orange/Red, Black and White color scheme for this one.  This container included a White Geranium, Vinca, Orange/Red Calibrachoa, Ancho Chilies and Sedona Coleus.

I love the way the Vinca is already spilling over the side of this cute little pot.  Congratulations to Liberty Heaton the winner of the Confetti Container!

Now, I'm not going to lie, I was making this one up as I went.  I decided to call it The Bag Lady Container because I used a reusable shopping bag as my "pot."  I will include a more instructional slide show on how to make one of these yourself.  Essentially, I just cut holes in the front and sides of the bag to poke the little plants through and filled it with as many plants as I could.  Included in this planter is several types of Coleus, Calibrachoa, Vinca, Bacopa, Splendor Grass, 5 varieties of mint, Cayenne Peppers, and Black Velvet Petunias.  Congratulations to Jan Busse, the winner of the Bag Lady Planter!

Each one of these cute little containers cost me less than $30 to make.  They have color combinations not often found in pre-made containers, and when properly cared for will produce vegetables, herbs, and colors all summer long.

Now a list to help you plant your own containers:

1.  Make sure your container will fit the crop you are going to plant

2.  Allow for adequate drainage

3.  Use a light potting medium like pearlite or vermiculite to help reduce the overall weight of a large container

4.  Use a well balanced potting medium like Miracle Gro Potting soil in containers, and mix in slow release fertilizer like Osmocote Flower and Vegetable.  Never use soil from your own yard.

5.  Buy good quality plants from reputable nurseries to fill your containers with.

6.  Make sure to break up the roots of your plants and squeeze as many as you can into one container.

7.  Fertilize your containers with a liquid fertilizer 3-4 times per week throughout the growing season.  For vegetable containers, make sure you are using a fertilizer that is balanced, and not high in nitrogen.

8.  Enjoy the summer and all your hard work.

I realize that this doesn't cover half of what we talked about at the workshop, but it does cover the basics to container success.  I'll be going over this a lot more, as container gardening is my favorite subject.  Don't hesitate to send me your questions either.

Now, the "Recipes"  I use this term loosely as I don't really follow recipes all that much myself.

Strawberries Fresca:

2 Containers of Strawberries

3/4 Cup Piru Canyon Avocado Honey, get yours here http://bennetthoney.com/default.aspx

The juice from two limes

Mix Lime Juice and Honey together until well blended, pour over hulled strawberries.

Rancho Verde:

6-7 Tamatillos

1 Serrano Pepper

3 Tablespoons Cliantro

1 Cup Crema Mexicana

Remove husk from Tamatillos leaving stems.  Add Tamatillos and Serrano Pepper to boiling water and boil until Tamatillos change from bright green to army green.  Drain and cool.  Remove stems from Tamatillos and pepper.  Combine all ingredients food processor and pulse until well chopped and incorporated.  I was able to find all of these ingredients at Smith's in Evanston.  Benedict's has everything but the Crema Mexicana.  If you are just making Verde Salsa, then you don't need to add it at all.  Avocados make a nice addition to this if you are not using the cream.  Serve with good quality tortilla chips.  If you don't like the heat, you can leave the Serrano pepper out completely or substitute it with something a little more mild.

Mascarpone Spread:

1 Tub Mascarpone

Garlic Salt and Basil to taste

Spread on baguette toast and add fresh tomato.

The Peach Mango Salsa I got from Benedict's.  It is Salpico brand, I love all of their flavors I have tried.  Their Roasted Tomato is excellent too.

All of these snacks are low fat, easy and delicious.

With spring kicking in and my schedule kicking in to over drive, I will be doing Can You Dig It just on Mondays.  I tried to get all of the important pre-spring information out to you as quickly as I could, and I hope it helped.  I am going to do some yard tours and interviews this summer, and I hope you keep checking in every week for good information and fun ideas.  Have fun gardening!

Reminder!

Sorry everyone, I've been very busy this last week.  I'll do better after I get through this week :)

I just wanted to remind you that the Container Gardening Workshop is May 4th at 6pm in the Mountain View Library.  Feel free to bring a friend, well behaved children are welcome (I think they will be bored to tears though).  I've got some great plants to share with you:

Black Velvet Petunias (they really are black)
Chocolate, Orange, Lime, Bergamot and Pepper Mint
Calibracola
Vinca
Coleus
Ancho Chilies
and several other little surprises

I'll be giving away a confetti container, one spaghetti bowl, and a hanging bag.  There are going to be tasty treats along with their recipes, and I'll be there to answer your questions about all types of gardening.  I can't wait to see you there!

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!