Friends of the Garden -- the Birds and the Bees

When I moved to my home in 1993, I planted a large strip of mixed wildflowers close to the garden plot. Little did I realize then I was doing a big favor to my yard and garden by attracting alot of birds and bees with the flowers. Over the years, some of the flowers died out but the most prevalent and aggressive still come back every year with zero maintenance. Pictured above are "Mexican Hats" and it's easy to see how they get the name, as they do resemble a large brimmed sombrero to include the pointed crown.

Pollinators like honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees and butterflies are attracted to bright colors like blues, yellows, reds and violets. These "Black-Eyed Susan's" pop up everywhere in the yard even where I have to mow the grass and I cut around them when possible. Pollinators are crucial for high yield and quality fruit and vegetable crops, strawberry, squash, melons and apples to name a few.

I also planted day lilies close to the garden but I don't remember the name of this variety, I just love the color.

Fragrant herbs like this basil deter many unwanted insects in the garden. The pink flowers in the background are wild primrose. This is just a small sprinkle that appeared at this location. There is a bigger grouping on the right side of the garden. Pollinators are important to set seeds and set fruit in the initial growing stage. How do they do it? They light on the anther (male part of the flower) and collecting pollen on the mouth, body, antennae or legs then light on the stigma (female part of the flower) and deposit the pollen and so on and so forth.

So, how do you attract them? Diversify, limit pesticides and leave flowers blooming in your yard and garden when possible, unless disease or insect infestations are a problem. These bok choy above have bloomed and are now seeding, but we won't cut them back until the pods fully ripen and then turn brown because they are attracting the pollinators we need for our garden. Plus we will harvest the seeds and plant them in the fall.

Another wildflower close to the garden that comes back ever year is this white yarrow. Although it's not my favorite I do love the fern like leaves. Yarrow comes in a variety of colors and can be used live or dried for arrangements. Plus, it also attracts pollinators.

I've talked about the bees, but now I'll give the birds some credit for being friends of the garden. Birds are not only fascinating to watch and sing beautiful songs, but if you let them and attract the right kinds, they will control unwanted bug populations. For several years, I have let the blackberry bushes around our garden grow until the crop ripens then cut them back. Why? One reason is so we can make a blackberry cobbler but another reason is to give my birds a tasty treat.

Also, I have a fig bush growing within yards of the garden, another attraction for the birds. And a plus to make preserves or dried figs to use in other recipes. Just like bees, birds need staples to attract and keep them close to your yard and garden. They need fresh water, shelter, food and the absence of strong chemical pesticides. All these staples are easy to purchase at a local garden center like Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.

All in all, the birds and the bees are some of the best "Friends of the Garden" and the yard for that matter, so I hope you take steps to attract them at your house.

Monday is "Memorial Day," so, please pay some tribute to a family service member, friend or someone in the military you may not know, regardless of past or present service.

Until next time.....

Happy Gardening 2012!


Posted by Wilma Smith

Stand up and garden

More and more people are trying to garden but have problems when it comes to the backbreaking part of it--like tilling, weeding, hoeing and digging. Here is a book for those of us that want to garden, but just can't because of health issues. It is also a method for those who just don't have the time or desire it takes to have a traditional garden but would love to have one if it were easier to do.

This method takes raised beds to new heights--essentially waist high and puts it on the same level as a kitchen cabinet so you don't have to bend or stoop. The method is kind of like straw bale gardening but is more permanent.

There are also suggestions to garden vertically and ideas for mulching, watering, and container gardening. I really liked the suggested idea of planting tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets--a cheap but effective idea for growing America's favorite vegetable.

This book is an easy read and could save you tons of backbreaking work. If you have a secret desire to raise your own fruits and vegetables but your head spins and back aches when you think about it, read this book. You just may be inspired to join the raised bed and vertical gardening movement.

Garden Update

After a rough start this spring with some of the craziest weather I've ever seen our garden is beginning to look like, guess what, yes, a garden! The bean poles are up, the cucumber fence has been installed and the biggest tomatoes are caged. Ahh..to sunshine, fresh air and beautiful rain.

Pictured above are giant Alaskan Sugar Pods. They need picking today and this will make the third crop we've picked. You can eat them off the vine while you gather them, chop them in a nice salad, saute in butter or olive oil, add them to your favorite stir fry and they keep a long time in the frig.

The yellow and zucchini squash look good now, knock on wood, as for two previous years we had problems with squash bugs and vine borers. As, seen on an earlier blog we used a row cover until the blooms appeared and the plants grew too large. Also, we've sprayed them multiple times with BT Worm Killer to proactively keep these pests from destroying the produce.

The red cabbage look good and are heading, as they should. BT has been applied to keep cabbage worms away. But growing an organic garden means using a heads up approach which means monitoring the plants daily for any trespassers.

All the hot peppers like the "Chili Red" pictured above are developing just fine. Most insects or small animals don't bother hot peppers, we just watch out for blight and similar problems. I can't wait to stuff one with cheese, batter it, then bake or fry it...yummy.

Due to the 80 degree weather in February the red and white rows of potatoes did not fare well, but as I like to tell everyone, we have one potato, two potato, three potato, four....and that's true two red plants and two white plants.

However, this year we planted a row of sweet potatoes and they are doing great. I've always understood that sweet potatoes are better for you and I love pies and fries.

Jerry's watermelons look good, too.

We use a fence to grow our cucumbers. Last year we had success, as they seem to like running on a fence. It deters small animals from nibbling and helps to prevent mold and rot.

This year instead of the usual "Kentucky Wonder" green beans, we planted "Rattlesnake." They are a Georgia local favorite, just hope the name doesn't attract snakes up the poles. They look good and so far haven't encouraged pests.

Our lettuce is crisp and ready to pick now but it won't last long in the summer heat.

The two rows of heirloom tomatoes have basil, coriander and dill mixed in the rows. Also we planted some at different time intervals so our tomato crop wouldn't produce at the same time.

Last but not least, seen above is a "Bonnie" bell pepper growing in the sweet pepper row. Bell peppers have so many uses in ethnic recipes around the world.

This is a back view of the garden and now I've got to run to do some work, pick some produce and enjoy the serenity.

Until later....and another garden update..........

Happy Gardening 2012!

Posted by Wilma Smith.

Snakes, Lizards and Frogs -- Good for Yard and Garden



 

I grew up in a rural setting with snakes, lizards and frogs, so I've never been afraid of them and always had respect of their job in the yard, garden, woods and Georgia eco-system.

Cleaning up after the yard sale at the site, Todd (my Chiweenie) cornered this snake, who was minding his own business moving across the driveway. Since I didn't recognize the species, I decided to take it home and look it up. If it was poisonous, I would dispose of it and if it was beneficial to the yard and garden, I would let it out.

Researching the species took me back to recollections of my youth and what my dad taught me, how cold blooded reptiles like snakes and lizards and amphibians like frogs and salamanders, help humans in the yard and garden. Snakes keep the rodent population in check and poisonous snake venom is used, not only to cure snake bites, but used in lots of different kinds of disease research. Small lizards, as seen above, help to keep unwanted insects around the house, yard and garden to a minimum.

If you're interested search the web for the benefits of these amazing creatures that live at your house.

Frogs are also beneficial, eating mosquitoes, nats and other pests. It's hard to tell from this photo, but this guy is only about one fourth inch (the big one got away before the photo). They reside under the plastic pots growing our seedlings to plant in the garden. Searching the web, I learned an amazing fact. Frogs and toads are different, frogs have smooth skin and toads have rough, bumpy skin and most likely, toads are the ones living around our house and garden.

Although, I am not scared of most snakes, I don't suggest that you put one in your trunk. I'm sure this is a rat snake, but it is still in my car! I really gave my friends, family and me a good laugh with my debacle. Just hope I'm not driving when it comes out from under the dashboard.

Regardless, without these yard and garden friends, rodents and insects would be a bigger problem around our houses, yards and in our gardens.

Happy Gardening 2012!

Posted by Wilma Smith

Orchids -- Gotta Love'em

My sister, Deberah gave everyone a great tour of the Hills and Dales Gardens in Lagrange, Georgia, the Crossroads Garden Club visited, May 5th. I knew she would share a fantastic blog and take  pictures, so anyone blogging could join our walk through the gardens. I enjoyed every step and every view into each different type of garden spot. But one section I enjoyed the most was the green house and the magnificent orchids in bloom.

One of the most prevalent orchids, I recognize, as seen above, is the "Cattleya", named after, William Cattley from Barnett, England, a collector and botany patron, who lived around 1832. Today there are sixty plus varieties ranging in colors from whites, creams, pinks, violets, purples and even in darker shades of each. This variety is a favorite of American florists and garden centers due to price, availability and color schemes. Florists use them in corsages and arrangements, retail garden centers use them for pot and hanging basket sales.

The "Cattleya" orchid originated from Central and South America, introduced to England in 1818, but other genus of orchids have wide spread origins from Spain, China, to Australia and even a cousin, the slipper orchid from Cyprus.

Although, I have tried in the past to grow this gorgeous plant, I have never had success. Maybe it was my ignorance or maybe a certain fear and belief that a green house was needed to maintain and grow an orchid. After, a little research, understanding the steps to care for this orchid doesn't seem as hard as I thought. Grow in a five to ten inch pot which has excellent drainage (one of the keys), use commercial orchid soil or use a mixture of course peat (size of a pea), ground bark and charcoal. Water regularly during the growing season (blooming), sparingly during winter. Maintain at 70-80 degrees, mist to maintain humidity at 50 percent (another key element) throughout the year and keep in a window with good non-direct sunlight. A humidifier placed close by, plus misting should solve any humidity problems. Use a weak fertilizer, once a week during the growing season and consult the internet or knowledgeable grower, if you have questions or problems.

Regardless of whether you want to take a challenge to grow orchids -- you "Gotta Love'em" because the flowers are magnificent and bring a beauty to our earth to enjoy and share with anyone in your life!

I tried to share the photos with Tia this afternoon but she wasn't interested and took a nap....she can enjoy the blog later.

Next time I'll give you an update on the two sister's garden. Until then......

Happy Gardening 2012!

Posted by Wilma Smith

Our First Annual Crossroads Garden Club Yard Sale

Over the weekend we had a Crossroads Garden Club Yard Sale. We asked our club members to donate garden (or yard sale) items for the Garden Club and invited members set up tables around the barn to set up their own yard sales, too. Above from left, Wilma Smith, Paul Boylen and Deberah Williams in front of the Crossroads Garden Club table.

 Charlotte Nelson displaying her wares. She brought garden items she had made to sell and her booth was a big hit with customers, especially her china bird feeders and her terrariums. They were perfect for Mother's Day presents. Charlotte normally sets up on Saturdays in Newnan where she sells canned goods, extra vegetables, plants and her beautiful handcrafted items. You can pick up these items on market days at the old Fairgrounds in Newnan.

Garden club member, Angela McRae also set up her table in the shade and enjoyed visiting with other members while waiting on customers.

I want to thank all the members who brought items to sell at the Yard Sale. This was a last minute endeavor but even with very little time to prepare, we made a nice sum of money and enjoyed visiting with one another--and our steady stream of customers. We even met some prospective new club members!

I sold many of my extra pot-bound tomato, pepper and lavender plants. We sold cuttings from a gardenia bush and we also had some very nice plants of various kinds grown by club members. We had old pots, annuals, perennials of various kinds and I even bought some much needed hostas to plant in my landscape.

Some of our members also made money for themselves and cleaned out old yard sale items--and that is always a good thing.

After packing up, we decided it was a very successful event and we would like to do it again next year. This time we will have plenty of time to prepare!

Hills and Dales Gardens

When you do to Hills and Dales they immediately tell you that its history includes two families. The Ferrell story and the Callaway story. As we were touring the gardens, it was evident that the timeline of the story began some 180 years ago as Sarah Ferrell moved to her mother's home and began to expand the garden using slave labor. Every where you look you can see her desire to glorify God using religious symbols grown in boxwoods surrounded by flowers, trees, statues and religious topiaries.

The history might have ended with Ferrell except for two things. The Ferrells opened their gardens to the people of LaGrange and therefore to a young son of a Baptist minister, Fuller Callaway who often visited the gardens walking with Mrs. Ferrell and discussing spiritual matters. In 1911, after Callaway proved to be a successful businessman and Ferrell had passed away, he purchased the property deciding to keep the gardens intact and build a new home for his family.

At this point, Ida Cason Callaway became the garden keeper of their new Italian Georgian home and gardens. Mrs. Callaway not only tended the gardens but expanded on them.

As we walked around the back of the house, we could tell we were in a more modern garden. Ida Cason Callaway tended the garden from 1911 until her death in 1936 and Alice Hand Callaway because the garden tender for the next 62 years. After her death in 1998, Hills and Dales and Ferrell Gardens were bequeathed to the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation to be used for education and enjoyment.

I imagine that each garden tender had her own ideas for improvements to the gardens, yet each new tender respected the hard work of her predecessor keeping much of the previous gardener's design ideas intact.

Behind the greenhouse are several cutting gardens with flowers appearing to grow wild everywhere. I don't know who started these gardens, but I can imagine that Ida Cason Callaway used them to keep her new home filled with beautiful flowers all year. I am sure Alice Hand Callaway and later the Callaway Foundation found this to be a good practice.

I loved the row of pots with tomatoes lining one of the cutting gardens.

I loved the twig arbor in the cutting gardens. It is something I could build myself and it was charming right next to the old bird feeder with the rusted tin roof.

It is such a wild, yet controlled area.

The work house next to the greenhouse is made pretty with its vine-covered wall. This was built by Ida Cason Callaway and remodeled by Alice Hand Callaway.

The herb gardens in front of the greenhouse look quite modern.

Looking back over the area between the garage and the greenhouse you can see the gardens at the back of the house and it is a lovely view.

I really, really loved the yarrow that is between the new and old parts of the garden. I noticed that they dried the yarrow to use in arrangements. It is really beautiful and useful--great for the butterflies and bees, too.

The view of the house made me feel I was in the gardens of an Italian villa with the Italian Cypress evergreen spires around the house.

We walked down the Florida walkway to the oldest part of the garden.

Arriving at the Church Garden or Santuary, it is obvious this was created many, many years ago. It is surrounded by boxwoods. Four Chinese firs with wisteria vines growing to form a canopy.

I have seen this in other old gardens and it is always a beautiful sight.

As you walk away from the Church garden you seed the canopy and a maze of boxwoods including Dwarf English, American, tree, Spanish and curly leaf boxwoods.

Another China fir shades more of boxwood walkways.

The centers of the boxwood groupings surround profusions of flowers.

A number of walkways, including lover's lane are still a beautiful place to stroll.

I can't help but wonder how gardeners get into the circular hedges to tend the plants in the center without damaging the hedges.

Many of the hedges are shaped in religious symbols like this lyre and the cross below. A famous grouping of boxwoods I unfortunately didn't photograph are the grapes. Sarah Ferrell's inspiration for these topiaries was from Numbers.

This area of the garden was redesigned by Fuller Callaway Sr. and Alice Callaway added this statue of St. Fiacre to the area. It was originally Sarah Ferrell's Maze garden.

The large fountain next to the house was added in 1916 when the house was built.

A circle of small boxwoods surround the fountain and a row of calla lilies, a favorite of Ida Cason Callaway.

I don't know who is responsible for the sunken gardens and the curved bench that is the central feature. The curved sofa in the living room of the house is said to modeled after this bench.

The God topiary is next and it is a beautiful grouping of hedges with flowers growing in the center and spelling out God. This was also designed by Sarah Ferrell. If you will notice, the hedge that looks like it has a dip growing above the God topiary is the tea hedge, camellia sinensis. This hedge probably provided tea for the Callaway family.

It is very pretty and I think amazing that a something this large could spell the letters so perfectly.

The bird gate was designed by Alice Callaway in the later years and though it was a later design, it fits the garden perfectly.

After we finished the garden tour, we went around to the back of the house for an al fresco lunch under the oaks. A perfect meal before a tour of an Italian villa.