Yes, I can do the math, but why bother when this website does it for me and gives me this great list!
(When to start your seed and tranplant out your seedlings!)
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/e-PDGSeedStart.aspx??source=HomeSeedCalc0211
Sunday, February 27, 2011
One of Those Gray Sundays Wisconsin Does So Well
(The pretty yellow euphorbia above? Don't plan on it for your yard! FORBIDDEN by DNR NR-40!)
It is one of those gray Sundays that Wisconsin weather seems to provide so often. My son is off milking cows with my father-- yes, there are still some dairy farmers here California, you with all your damn happy cows... I'm looking through the blogs I follow and happened to notice one for today's date February 28, 2011. She has a clock on her blog, "Gardens of a Golden Afternoon". Her blog is written in the UK, so it is almost always a sunlit afternoon there.
Jimmy Buffet Parrotheads move over!
A bunch of things from her blog for today jumped out at me all at once. First, almost all the blogs I follow are of gardeners in much more hospitable climes, second, paging down there is a post from the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show featuring a plant that has been banned by Wisconsin DNR's NR-40, and last, there is a recipe for what looks to be a delightful vegetable curry.
Wisconsin is getting to be a much more repressive place, it seems. First, our weather--never particularly hospitable in the central sands part of Wisconsin anyway.
Secondly, our Governor, who after bankrupting Milwaukee County, has moved on to bigger and better things defying the Peter Principle and achieving a level on the employment ladder one higher than his proven level of incompetency. And, thirdly, and maybe more insidiously that someone died, or just went on vacation, and made the DNR king.
The DNR, (the Wisconsin Department of Resources) has been quietly getting a number of rules and bills passed giving them more and more authority over Wisconsinites' land ownership in the guise of protecting our waterways and other natural resources.
I'll put up the disclaimer right now; a lot of what the DNR does is a pretty good idea.
There are people from large metropolitan areas that buy property in less developed parts of Wisconsin where the zoning, or what have you, are not quite what they should be, or not quite so well thought out and the DNR will literally save the butts of those governing bodies with their rules for river or lake developments. Many time their rules simply bring state code up to federal NCRS standards. All good.
So getting back to the Chelsea Flower Show. The euphorbia pictured is illegal in Wisconsin according to the NR-40.
Reading the rule in its entirety is a bid daunting and scary; all the definitions and verbiage in the beginning can certainly weigh on one, especially in the gray of a Wisconsin day. In addition to listing a couple plants I've seen on display at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens and plants I have in my own yard. It also lists two species of cattail, the root of which is food for a number of different wetlands critters. It goes on to list things which no person in their right mind wants, nor are easy to control: Asian Longhorn Beetles, oak wilt, gypsy moths, wooly adelid, and emerald ash borer; putting the onus for control on the property owner.
It includes the parent stock of a newly hybrid bittersweet just patented and introduced this last year. I'm not sure what the legality of that patented plant would be.
It also includes Dame's Rocket, which has been a understory feature along some of Wisconsin's road ways all my life.
The rule also gives the DNR to the ability to declare any any plant noxious WITHOUT having to prove its invasiveness. That's not the only underlying, subtle phrasing included in this rule. The rule give the DNR the ability to get a warrant to enter a property if they simply suspect the forbidden plant may be present. They don't have to prove it and they get reimbursement for any costs associated with any of their actions.
Wow. There is a lot here to be worried about. A couple of the big plant suppliers that ship to Wisconsin are not aware of this rule. Nurseries and growers who have any of these plants in stock must destroy them.
A nice picture chart so Wisconsinites and report sightings of these bad, bad plants is provided.
So, property owners, get out your herbicides and insecticides and get spraying! You don't want to be fined by the DNR! Just be careful that none of your nasty chemicals get into our waterways and destroy the aquatic life the DNR obviously wants to protect.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Growing Data Sheets
I came across these great growing sheets Johnny's Select Seed on each of these slightly unusual veggies.
Artichokes
Celeriac
Growing Garlic
Basil
Artichokes
Celeriac
Growing Garlic
Basil
Order Among Chaos
Living in Wisconsin amid all the heated debate and protests over budgets and union issues, it is easy to see the world as possibly spinning out of control. Libya, Iraq, Bahrain, all seem distant. Their woes, though, seem capable of directly influencing lives here on a very local level. When I see the price of gas at the pump spike 16 cents in two days, I have to wonder where this is all going.
The answer is control what you can. So, plant a garden, or plant several!
Planting a garden to ensure a source of those perennial fruits and berries that might become expensively dear in the coming months and years just seems to make good sense. Good gardens all start with a plan. Start first with your goals for your garden. Make a list of those foods you really enjoy. Get real and include only those that grow well in your zone. Consider those that grow well for you and could make up a large part of your diet. Consider how many people you intend to feed.
Good gardens also include a plan. There are excellent planning tools available at www.Jungseed.com.
I already have included several perennial edibles into my yard landscaping. I have a Honeycrisp apple, a Moorpark apricot, a Seckl pear, blackberry canes, rhubarb, and blueberries. I have chives growing everywhere, and a number of other herbs including lavender as well. I bedded our two types of garlic last fall. I picked 20 quarts of strawberries off a 5' x 8' bed growing around my grape fencing which yielded approximately 20 pounds of grapes last fall.
This year, I am starting a co-op garden with my brother and sister-in-law. I think we all have the same goals. We want to control our food sources, what goes on those foods during the growing cycle, and possibly save some money in the process. We are dividing out the work and cost depending on what each of us can bring to the project. Having the knowledge and two 5-foot tall light racks, which I built myself, I am starting the seed for our transplants. They are supplying the garden space, because I have a tiny yard. My brother, being the "chain-saw carpenter" will, with my son's assistance, build some raised beds and enclosed garden areas to defend our labors from critters.
I have already planted seeds for many of our cool season transplants. They are up and growing. We are big on tomatoes, so they are next to be planted.
Seeing those tiny plant babies has given me a sense of some sort of control over some of the bigger issues facing our world. It starts on a very local level.
Plant a seed.
The answer is control what you can. So, plant a garden, or plant several!
Planting a garden to ensure a source of those perennial fruits and berries that might become expensively dear in the coming months and years just seems to make good sense. Good gardens all start with a plan. Start first with your goals for your garden. Make a list of those foods you really enjoy. Get real and include only those that grow well in your zone. Consider those that grow well for you and could make up a large part of your diet. Consider how many people you intend to feed.
Good gardens also include a plan. There are excellent planning tools available at www.Jungseed.com.
I already have included several perennial edibles into my yard landscaping. I have a Honeycrisp apple, a Moorpark apricot, a Seckl pear, blackberry canes, rhubarb, and blueberries. I have chives growing everywhere, and a number of other herbs including lavender as well. I bedded our two types of garlic last fall. I picked 20 quarts of strawberries off a 5' x 8' bed growing around my grape fencing which yielded approximately 20 pounds of grapes last fall.
This year, I am starting a co-op garden with my brother and sister-in-law. I think we all have the same goals. We want to control our food sources, what goes on those foods during the growing cycle, and possibly save some money in the process. We are dividing out the work and cost depending on what each of us can bring to the project. Having the knowledge and two 5-foot tall light racks, which I built myself, I am starting the seed for our transplants. They are supplying the garden space, because I have a tiny yard. My brother, being the "chain-saw carpenter" will, with my son's assistance, build some raised beds and enclosed garden areas to defend our labors from critters.
I have already planted seeds for many of our cool season transplants. They are up and growing. We are big on tomatoes, so they are next to be planted.
Seeing those tiny plant babies has given me a sense of some sort of control over some of the bigger issues facing our world. It starts on a very local level.
Plant a seed.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Great Plants in Pots
Tuberous begonia and needlenose ivy
Arborvitae 'Teddy'
The following were all taken at Olbrich Gardens in Monona, Wisconsin.
Creating One of a Kind Floral Arrangements Using Shrubs and Vines
I love to create one of a kind natural looking floral arrangements. Whether it is a garland to decorate an arch or railing for a special occasion or a simple wrist corsage for a spring prom or homecoming, shrubs and vines can add to the natural flavor of your floral arrangement.
This corsage was made to go with a flirty red dress with a balloon hem. It was worn for a Homecoming Dance. It features seasonal flowers, tiny pink carpet roses, along with the seed pod of clematis 'Sweet Autumn' and clusters of red berries from crab apple 'Red Jade'.
Red Jade is a wonderful small weeping crab apple for urban yards. It holds its beries throughout the winter. When they defrost in spring, they provide a natural food source for birds. The hydrangea used in this corsage is tardiva 'Unique'.
The greenery is from a Korean boxwood species, one of the hardier boxwood for zone 4. It does suffer a bit of tip browning in the spring. I recommend using an anti-desiccant or wrapping it in burlap to prevent wind burn.
This swag featured here is composed of conifers, pine cones, both hydrangea 'Annabelle' and tardiva 'Unique', clematis (again the 'Sweet Autumn' clematis, but a month earlier when it was in flower), grasses (This one is miscanthus sinesis purpurea or Purplr Flame Grass) and the seed pods of a rudbeckia. It is six feet wide and dried well, becoming a beautiful memory of a special day.
This corsage was made to go with a flirty red dress with a balloon hem. It was worn for a Homecoming Dance. It features seasonal flowers, tiny pink carpet roses, along with the seed pod of clematis 'Sweet Autumn' and clusters of red berries from crab apple 'Red Jade'.
Red Jade is a wonderful small weeping crab apple for urban yards. It holds its beries throughout the winter. When they defrost in spring, they provide a natural food source for birds. The hydrangea used in this corsage is tardiva 'Unique'.
The greenery is from a Korean boxwood species, one of the hardier boxwood for zone 4. It does suffer a bit of tip browning in the spring. I recommend using an anti-desiccant or wrapping it in burlap to prevent wind burn.
This swag featured here is composed of conifers, pine cones, both hydrangea 'Annabelle' and tardiva 'Unique', clematis (again the 'Sweet Autumn' clematis, but a month earlier when it was in flower), grasses (This one is miscanthus sinesis purpurea or Purplr Flame Grass) and the seed pods of a rudbeckia. It is six feet wide and dried well, becoming a beautiful memory of a special day.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Great Plants for Zone 4
As gardeners, we are always looking to add a great plant to our gardens. There is always the urge to push our zones and look for that micro-climate in our yards where we might, just might, be able to get a plant to flourish that none of our neighbors can grow. Putting this green one-upmanship aside, nothing beats a beautifully grown plant which is grown to its potential and properly placed.
Years ago, I had a mature flowering quince, with its shiny leathery leaves, that was just such a signature shrub for me. I haven't seen one correctly cared for in a number of years, especially since I have moved to a colder zone 4.
Gardening in zone 4 has its own challenges. These are some of the plants I feel are winners here.
This first is blue flax. Sure, it only blooms until about 11 AM everyday, but it blooms in an area of my garden that is little better than a gravel scree. Neighborhood dogs pee on it. It has a rough go. Still, it bloomed nearly all summer for me.
This next is a climbing rose, William Baffin. As you can see, I have the perfect little cottage-y house for it. I have to admit, I am not a big one for tieing up plants and training them, although I am not above "topiary-torture" to make plants fit my confined spaces. Ask the juniper out back that I have been keeping at 6' tall while its neighbor is going on 20'! My across the street neighbor though tied up his one-year old climbing rose and really demonstrated the bang for a piece of string,so I followed suit this year, and was pleasantly rewarded for my effort. With our cold winters there are few roses which that are worth training to climb; William baffin is clearly one.
I have become quite enraptured with Japanese peonies. When I was a kid, every old farm house had its row of tuberous peonies planted out along the lawn. I miss those days with those peonies lined up like overblown, taudry dancehall girls. The Japanese peonies, while more refined and shorter-blooming, are well worth the effort.
This next is one of the fall blooming hydrangea, tardiva 'Unique'. Part of a shrub border along a dusty alleyway; it never dissappoints!
I'll post more of my favorites in coming days.
Years ago, I had a mature flowering quince, with its shiny leathery leaves, that was just such a signature shrub for me. I haven't seen one correctly cared for in a number of years, especially since I have moved to a colder zone 4.
Gardening in zone 4 has its own challenges. These are some of the plants I feel are winners here.
This first is blue flax. Sure, it only blooms until about 11 AM everyday, but it blooms in an area of my garden that is little better than a gravel scree. Neighborhood dogs pee on it. It has a rough go. Still, it bloomed nearly all summer for me.
This next is a climbing rose, William Baffin. As you can see, I have the perfect little cottage-y house for it. I have to admit, I am not a big one for tieing up plants and training them, although I am not above "topiary-torture" to make plants fit my confined spaces. Ask the juniper out back that I have been keeping at 6' tall while its neighbor is going on 20'! My across the street neighbor though tied up his one-year old climbing rose and really demonstrated the bang for a piece of string,so I followed suit this year, and was pleasantly rewarded for my effort. With our cold winters there are few roses which that are worth training to climb; William baffin is clearly one.
I have become quite enraptured with Japanese peonies. When I was a kid, every old farm house had its row of tuberous peonies planted out along the lawn. I miss those days with those peonies lined up like overblown, taudry dancehall girls. The Japanese peonies, while more refined and shorter-blooming, are well worth the effort.
This next is one of the fall blooming hydrangea, tardiva 'Unique'. Part of a shrub border along a dusty alleyway; it never dissappoints!
I'll post more of my favorites in coming days.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
My Favorite Garden Plant Images from 2010
This angelica gigas is definitely a winner. Have I ever gotten it to grow in my garden, no.
This bignonia, related to a catalpa, is beautiful for its golden light.
I think these cimicifuga candles look like souls ascending to heaven.
Sometimes it is all about the statuary. This five-headed serpent from Wisconsin's Thai Garden at Olbrich Gardens is one such signature piece.
My Garden as a Bouquet: Incredible!
I picked this bouquet in June 28, 2010. After putting it in a vase, I looked at it and asked myself why can't my garden look as skillfully arranged and follow this palette? It would be perfect. Experts often mention planting a pot as a trial for a garden bed. This bouquet serves the same purpose. It is definitely a beautiful palette preview.
The bouquet is composed of an unknown climbing rose (which I did propagate to make more of this past summer), achillea pastel shades, Annabelle and tardiva hydrangea, Rose 'The Fairy', lady's mantle flowers, hosta sieboldonii flower scapes in bud, delphinium ('White Butterflies' or 'White Wedding', one of the new ones from New Zealand), lavender 'Munstead', and the mid-size pink rose is rose 'Mary Rose'.
It's THAT Time of Year AGAIN!
Well, this time of year I can literally see the pendulum swinging back and forth. It seems each swing brings an extra three minutes or so of daylight to central Wisconsin. That's big...almost an extra half hour of sunlight every week! I can't help but pick-up seed catalogues and make a stop at Jung's in Stevens Point "just because I'm going by..."
Last year, my vegetable garden planting had its ups and downs. A lot of people were again cursed by late blight. I think late blight might actually be spreading across the area not only on the wind, but on the very transplants gardeners bring into their own gardens. I am encouraging everyone to attempt to grow their own tomato transplants and be extra vigilant of disposing any infected foliage.
Tomatoes
This year I have decided on four different tomatoe varieties: Olpalka, an heirloom paste tomato; Chocolate Cherry tomatoes, another heirloom; Superior, a super early tomato; and Supersteak. Last year, I grew a Mountain hybrid. I like the Mountain breeding: very uniform tomatoes and good resistance to blights and other diseases, but a bit on the small side, and about 7-10 later than a lot of people start picking tomatoes. With the sometimes short season, I'm not getting the number of tomatoes I'd like.
I do a lot of sauces and salsas. I need a lot of tomatoes!
I have a small yard, so I can't plant more, I need them to ripen all at once and early!
I also grew some Legend and Rutgers a neighbor gave me. They were beautiful plants and grew well. I did see some disease and I did get some decent tomatoes, but just not the number of smooth shouldered, nice beauties I wanted.
Peppers
The peppers transplants I purchased grew well. Serrano did well. I tried Serrano rather than a typical jalapeno last year. Serrano is fine for someone who wants a bit of the hot pepper kick, but can't take the heat. The Hungarian Banana peppers did well, too, as did the Cayenne peppers. The Cayenne peppers were not quite as prolific as I would have liked. The bell peppers I grew, I think it was Arthur, did not pump out the nice sized peppers I desired.
The real pepper winner in this area, were some peppers a neighbor gave me. They were a corno di toro pepper, which has to have been either Planet Hybrid or Carmen. They were given to me fully red and ripe. They were some of the sweetest red peppers I have has, no hint of hot. They were picked out of some commercially grown peppers grown by her family; they sell the green, but no one wants the red, thinking they are not sweet, but hot. Their lost was my gain. I cut and froze strips, I dried some, and canned the rest as a sweet red pepper spread.
This year I am going to start seed for the pepper Carmen. Hopefully, I can duplicate her family's commercial effort in my own garden. I am looking for some prolific cayennes like Andy (but it was sold out where I tried to get some). I like to use the cayenne in gherkins and other pickled vegetables.
Favorite Seed Companies
I'm going to plug my favorite two catalogues and online seed sources here, Jung's and Johnny's Select Seed. ( www.jungseed.com and www.johnnyseed.com )Jung's has this incredible, free, online garden planner and is a local Wisconsin company. The planner is easy to use.
Johnny's is an employee-owned company and has a great online catalogue (I like the page turning sound effects!) Pages load very quickly, considering my connection speed. Johnny's also lets you pick out your wish list, so you don't have to decide and purchase everything in one online session.
Other vegetables that were winners for me in 2010
My favorite potoato is Yukon Gold. It really is as buttery as they say. The tubers were all very uniform and well-worth growing for a special treat. I live in the middle of potato-growing country so potatoes are generally cheap for the commercially grown varieties, so checking out some of the red ones to eat fresh, fingerlings, or Yukon Golds is really the only efficient way to go.
Cucumbers had a pretty wet August. I grew Alibi, which were tasty and sweet and filled my canning needs. The Straight 8 was a nice slicer for fresh salads. I didn't get the late season yield because of over-watering right before a major rainy period.
Flat leaved parsley was a winner. I didn't care for basil "'Dani', not enough basil taste for me, although the lemony flavor was nice on the early leaves.
The long day length onions I grew did not do it for me. I am going to try and grow my own sets for leeks, onions, and scallions this year. I'll try to remember to post how that turns out.
Last year, my vegetable garden planting had its ups and downs. A lot of people were again cursed by late blight. I think late blight might actually be spreading across the area not only on the wind, but on the very transplants gardeners bring into their own gardens. I am encouraging everyone to attempt to grow their own tomato transplants and be extra vigilant of disposing any infected foliage.
Tomatoes
This year I have decided on four different tomatoe varieties: Olpalka, an heirloom paste tomato; Chocolate Cherry tomatoes, another heirloom; Superior, a super early tomato; and Supersteak. Last year, I grew a Mountain hybrid. I like the Mountain breeding: very uniform tomatoes and good resistance to blights and other diseases, but a bit on the small side, and about 7-10 later than a lot of people start picking tomatoes. With the sometimes short season, I'm not getting the number of tomatoes I'd like.
I do a lot of sauces and salsas. I need a lot of tomatoes!
I have a small yard, so I can't plant more, I need them to ripen all at once and early!
I also grew some Legend and Rutgers a neighbor gave me. They were beautiful plants and grew well. I did see some disease and I did get some decent tomatoes, but just not the number of smooth shouldered, nice beauties I wanted.
Peppers
The peppers transplants I purchased grew well. Serrano did well. I tried Serrano rather than a typical jalapeno last year. Serrano is fine for someone who wants a bit of the hot pepper kick, but can't take the heat. The Hungarian Banana peppers did well, too, as did the Cayenne peppers. The Cayenne peppers were not quite as prolific as I would have liked. The bell peppers I grew, I think it was Arthur, did not pump out the nice sized peppers I desired.
The real pepper winner in this area, were some peppers a neighbor gave me. They were a corno di toro pepper, which has to have been either Planet Hybrid or Carmen. They were given to me fully red and ripe. They were some of the sweetest red peppers I have has, no hint of hot. They were picked out of some commercially grown peppers grown by her family; they sell the green, but no one wants the red, thinking they are not sweet, but hot. Their lost was my gain. I cut and froze strips, I dried some, and canned the rest as a sweet red pepper spread.
This year I am going to start seed for the pepper Carmen. Hopefully, I can duplicate her family's commercial effort in my own garden. I am looking for some prolific cayennes like Andy (but it was sold out where I tried to get some). I like to use the cayenne in gherkins and other pickled vegetables.
Favorite Seed Companies
I'm going to plug my favorite two catalogues and online seed sources here, Jung's and Johnny's Select Seed. ( www.jungseed.com and www.johnnyseed.com )Jung's has this incredible, free, online garden planner and is a local Wisconsin company. The planner is easy to use.
Johnny's is an employee-owned company and has a great online catalogue (I like the page turning sound effects!) Pages load very quickly, considering my connection speed. Johnny's also lets you pick out your wish list, so you don't have to decide and purchase everything in one online session.
Other vegetables that were winners for me in 2010
My favorite potoato is Yukon Gold. It really is as buttery as they say. The tubers were all very uniform and well-worth growing for a special treat. I live in the middle of potato-growing country so potatoes are generally cheap for the commercially grown varieties, so checking out some of the red ones to eat fresh, fingerlings, or Yukon Golds is really the only efficient way to go.
Cucumbers had a pretty wet August. I grew Alibi, which were tasty and sweet and filled my canning needs. The Straight 8 was a nice slicer for fresh salads. I didn't get the late season yield because of over-watering right before a major rainy period.
Flat leaved parsley was a winner. I didn't care for basil "'Dani', not enough basil taste for me, although the lemony flavor was nice on the early leaves.
The long day length onions I grew did not do it for me. I am going to try and grow my own sets for leeks, onions, and scallions this year. I'll try to remember to post how that turns out.
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