Summer Garden and More

At Crossroads Garden Club meeting Monday night, club member, Cindy Christie used a 4th of July theme for refreshments after the meeting. I thought her red, white and blue fruit dish idea was worth sharing with everyone who might be entertaining next week on Independence Day!

Shown above is a great flag table cloth and three section dish loaded with strawberries, blueberries and covered yogurt raisins. Her entire spread was a great way to celebrate the 4th of July and the beginning of summer that started July 21st.

Now our spring garden has ended and it time to clean the garden of cool weather crops like sugar peas, kale, bok choy, lettuce, etc. and make room for those sun loving plants like okra, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, etc. The only downside to the hotter, drier season is the fact that bugs like the heat just as much, so more care is needed to avoid infestation (especially, since we have an organic garden).

However (maybe because the season just started), we haven't had too many problems with squash bugs or squash vine borers. Pictured above are "Rattlesnake" green beans. We planted these for the first time last year with much success. The yielded throughout the summer into mid fall even with the extra dry weather.

The tomatoes love the rain we've received lately and are full of fruit.

Although the carrots don't like the warmer weather, the tops are still full and very green. We've only harvested a third of the row (only digging up enough to eat and keep some extra in the frig). I love it because fresh veggies in the garden are like having a grocery out your front door.

The cucumbers and sweet potatoes seem to like being close together.

We had to replant the okra and planted another row in a different section, two weeks later. Staggering planting times allows a longer season and prevents every crop being ready to pick at one time.

Today we decided the next types of seeds we'd plant once we cleared the leeks, onions and other cooler crops out. There is still time to plant a summer garden.

Here's another picture of Cindy's delectable feast, chicken wings with blue cheese, celery and carrots, red hot pepper jelly over creme cheese and crackers. She also made cupcakes (not pictured), decorated with white creme cheese icing, sprinkles (red, white and blue) and little American flags stuck in each one.

So, if you like summer (like I do) and haven't had time to get all your summer garden planted (like I haven't) don't fret, there's still time. I also hope, if your entertaining next Thursday on the fourth, you can use some of Cindy's summer ideas to spice up your table.


Until Next Time...........

Happy Gardening 2013!


Posted by Wilma Smith

Gardenias and New Flooring

Lately, I've been lax blogging, mainly because I've had new flooring installed and it's like moving in a way. You have to pack up or move pictures, nick nacks, and things (really not needed) lying around because every piece of furniture has to be moved out of the rooms. If you have pets (like I do), you also have to keep them occupied somewhere out of the way.

Although this can be pretty stressful for the pets and homeowner, I discovered my little gardenia bush was packed full of blooms and Tia, Todd, Sunny Boy, Mr. Basil and myself were soothed by the blooms (as seen above) and the amazing aroma!

Initially, gardenias originated from China introduced in 1763 by Dr. Alexander Garden (love the name). However, as we know most all ornamental shrubs and bushes have evolved through time with propagation, research, new ideas and techniques into often hundreds, even thousands of varieties and exciting lineages.

My bush is a type of miniature which I needed in the space I planted it, as I have other perennials and annuals in this small bed.

Gardenias are evergreen shrubs that usually bloom in late spring or summer depending on the variety with glossy leaves and gorgeous white flowers that turn a leathery brown at maturity. They grow well in part shade or full sun and like good potting, peat type soil (don't use lime). Especially during spring and blooming keep the soil moist but not as much during winter. Propagate with cuttings. I don't remember "ever" fertilizing mine, but do add good soil to the bed every year.

While the new floor was installed Mr. Basil catted around all night and now just wants to catch up on his sleep!

A pic of my new floor. It's not the most expensive, but I like it and so do my pets because it's cooler and easy to maintain.

I recommend anyone to add a gardenia to their landscape, as not only is it a beautiful bush, it will add an aroma that can be enjoyed year after year with little or no maintenance.


Until Next Time.........

Happy Gardening 2013!


Posted by Wilma Smith

Pine Forrest Gardens -- More than Hosta

If you've "Sneaked a Peek" at Deberah's other blog, "Every Day Finesse" then you know Crossroads Garden Club took a field trip to "Pine Forest Gardens" located in Tyrone, GA. last Saturday after the owner, Richard Jolly was speaker at our May meeting on Memorial Day.

The hostas pictured above were one of my favorite because they grow taller and make a great plant to
place in the back of a hosta garden or other plants not as tall (for mine around a red Maple in my back yard).

Immediately, I found much more than three large shaded green houses of hostas at the gardens, but a world of love, knowledge and work for more than just the amazing collection of close to 350 varieties of hostas. 

Next to his cacti greenhouse, I took a picture of this brilliant rose on a large bush filled with the same

This is only one garden sites at Pine Forest. Planted on this plot, as you see, was chard, cabbage, broccoli, curly kale and other cool weather crops. Close by in another plot, he had lots of corn and tomatoes (both were above my knees).

Richard's business card states "Landscape Design & Installation," this picture doesn't give these yellow day lilies justice.

His cacti greenhouse is filled with golden barrels, old man, agave ( such as, century plants) and plenty other species, I can't name. Many touch the top of the building.

Here's one our group commented, "Looks like a cucumber that's blooming!"

I discovered the gardens have two drilled wells to water everything including a small pond Richard keeps filled and grows water plants, like these pictured above.

Richard is a "Master Gardener" and obviously a VERY HARD WORKER, as he does the majority of maintenance at Pine Forest Gardens (plus, he's a nice guy).

After, we left the gardens, we ate at the "Box Car" in downtown, Tyrone and guess what, most of us ordered vegetable plates with "Fried Green Tomatoes." Gotta love this hosta!

If your inclined and need some great shade plants for your landscape, please visit "Pine Forests Gardens." I can guarantee you want be disappointed for using the time or gas. You'll find more than 350 varieties of hostas.

Pine Forests Gardens
556 Ellison Road
Tyrone, Georgia   30290
770-487-5036
Toll Free: 1-866-605-5418
(Ships In & Out of State)

*Professionally Grown Hostas
*Fine Perennials
*Unusual Woody Ornamentals

pineforest@numail.org




Until Next Time........

Happy Gardening 2013!


Posted by Wilma Smith

Volunteers Mix with May Garden

 

Our summer garden is beginning to bloom and it's mixed with lots of volunteer plants from previous seasons, especially lettuce, bok choy, different types of beans and primrose, a type of wildflower.

Have you ever had a pot of flowers, grown plants in your garden, or even thrown out dried blooming plants to discover the next year they're growing? If, so you have a volunteer that reseeded, itself or kept alive by strong roots and Mother Nature.

Above is an example of a type of lettuce that will reseed next year. Hot weather will dry the blooms and after tilling the soil, planting another vegetable for summer, tilling again in fall may allow a volunteer to sprout without any help, when the time is right.

We added cucumbers and sweet potatoes to our summer garden this year. Last year the sweet potatoes kept growing even after we dug them up in the fall but no volunteers this spring.

We were out early this morning picking sugar peas. No volunteers here (except, Deberah and Jerry). This wasn't our best season for my favorite pea.

As you see, we did have enough for salads and as side veggie. A grilled meat will be perfect for the main course. Jerry is an expert griller, as well as, our expert tiller.

We let these butter lettuce volunteers grow between the rows of "Rattlesnake" green beans and turnips greens (left the greens for those purple top turnips).

All volunteer lettuce in this basket! Earlier this year, we moved volunteers to another spot in the garden and they continued to grow in the original spot.

Onions and garlic volunteer in the yard and other places in the garden. Pictured above are red onions we planted this spring. Once mature the onions will show the fruit.

Parsnip sprouts, grow and bloom in the yard close to the garden from two years ago.

Root crops like carrots and red potatoes can reseed and volunteer, but we usually harvest before there's a chance.

Primrose seeds are volunteering all around the garden.

Volunteer plants grow all around a yard or garden, often we don't recognize their small sprouts or realize the benefit. I think volunteers make some of the best and strongest additions to your landscape.


Here's a few reasons why:

*already acclimated to your soil & climate
*survived neglect from drought and zero cultivation
*surprise...surprise (most fun)!



Until Next Time.......

Happy Gardening 2013!


Posted by Wilma Smith

Raised Beds, Pay Off Early

April 19th, I blogged about the raised beds, Mike, Dianne and Copper had built in their back yard. It took them another week to finish the project, so I wanted to update you on the progress they've made in a month.

Pictured above are the green beans planted in one raised bed. Bamboo stakes and string was used for the plants to run, simple, but effective.

Above, Mike is making sure his sugar peas are growing up the trellis he constructed in this bed.

This bed is growing squash, bigger than some planted in our garden at the same time.

Mike and Copper admire the fruits of their labor, after constructing and planting the four raised beds.

Dianne grew these tomato plants from seed in her dinning room window before planting in this raised bed.

I like this idea of placing the seed packs in a plastic bag, tacking to the raised bed, so you can't forget the types of seeds planted, plus all the info is handy! Also, I think the rain gauge is a plus.

Now, Dianne can sit back and enjoy, too, until watering and fertilizing is needed.

 

 

As, you can see, raised beds pay off early, regardless, of your space and time. I bet you have some materials you can use like old planks, cross ties, bricks, or rocks to build a little garden somewhere in your landscape.

 

It won't be long before Mike, Dianne and Copper are enjoying fresh veggies in a meal. I'm amazed their raised beds have only taken a couple of months from start to now!

 

 

Until Next Time........

 

Happy Gardening 2013!

 

 

Posted by Wilma Smith 

 

 

Nelson Gardens

Last Saturday, Mike, Dianne and I attended a food raiser/fund raiser for the Coweta County Pet Food Pantry at Mike and Charlotte Nelson's house. I was excited to go because Charlotte is such a great gardener, as well as, a big animal lover (she has a side business, as a pet sitter; walking, feeding and care taking pets while their owners are on vacation, need assistance, or any situation).

So, even the rain didn't stop the event, they just moved the food, donations and people inside, ringing a bell every so often to give away door prizes. What a fun day!

I spied this breath taking amaryllis (pictured above) from a window inside while enjoying some delicious treats and could hardly wait to go outside for a closer look. Reds are the only amaryllis bulbs I've ever planted and I thought they were the most vibrante, however, I stand corrected after admiring this two foot white.

After, a nice shower we were able to tour what I call the "Nelson Gardens" as with every turn of the head you wanted to look closer at the flowers, plants and neat decorations, like the pool above.

Charlotte informed us about her experiments with items bought straight out of the grocery store. Above is celery and red onions grown from the bottoms cut (usually mulched or thrown away) preparing dishes for a meal. She also has "Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn" coming up in another area.

A smart gardener uses all types of mediums in a garden and adds favorite concrete statues, as well as, decorations to add interest and space. Pebbles, river rock, bricks, wood chips and pine straw are a few I saw at the Nelson Gardens. I also saw ivy, a ground cover used making a great mulch to keep unwanted weeds at bay.

A wrought iron fence as a back drop gives this beautiful rose a dramatic effect. Yarrow is also growing in the foreground.

Charlotte is famous for her straw bale gardening method and as you see above, she has a good start this year with her vegtables. She was featured in the "Coweta Magazine" and has been a speaker at numerous garden clubs to include Coweta County's Backyard Association.

How cute is this idea?  I may have some old rubber boots in my basement.

Everywhere you looked (like the rose above) there were beautiful, healthy plants to enjoy and envy.

But the most important thing for the event was about the help pets will get from the donations to the Coweta County Pet Food Pantry received on Saturday!

 

 

From all the dog and cat food, treats, bowls, leashes, etc. pictured with Charlotte and Holly the event was a success!

 

I need to make a correction from my previous blog, as the Coweta County Pet Food Pantry gives individuals help feeding and caring for their animals when they have fallen on hard times and want to keep pets until better times.

 

  

 

Until Next Time..........

 

Happy Gardening 2013

 

 

 

Postedby Wilma Smith