Monday, September 25, 2023

Plan Ahead to Protect Your Garden from Cold Weather

 

Garden image by FinjaM from Pixabay

We know the routine. Working through the seasons addressing immediate needs, we are often caught by surprising weather forecasts.

OMG! It’s gonna drop tonight into the teens or below! Better cover those tender plants, but with what?

Winter is coming. It always does. Don’t let frigid weather catch your garden unprepared. Get ready now.

There are lots of methods for protecting your garden from deep freezes. Here are a few:

Cloches. Garden cloches are bell- or cone-shaped covers that are placed over individual plants for frost protection. Cloches of yesteryear were made of clear glass. Most are now made of materials such as plastic, or frames covered with light-weight plastic sheeting, polypropylene or polyester fabric. The fabrics trap heat while still allowing light and moisture to pass through. Unless they have devices for allowing heat to escape, those of solid materials must be removed before too much heat builds up.

Frost fabrics. Frost fabrics are those light-weight materials as mentioned above for cloches, but purchased in much larger sheets. They work the same way and should be suspended over your plants, avoiding contact with foliage. This is often accomplished by draping the material over hoops or rods and anchoring the sides and ends to the garden soil or sides of raised beds to prevent the fabric from blowing off. These work fine unless a load of snow is forecast. In that case, the structures should have sloping sides to allow snow to slide off.

Greenhouses. These are commercially available in a wide range of sizes, materials and costs, or they can be homemade. You’ll find a host of videos on YouTube and other media sites to assist you with planning and completion.

Straw mulch. Mother Nature is hard to beat. Straw mulch can be laid around your plants – even over some of them – for protection. Mulch traps heat from the soil just as synthetic materials do. When winter is over and spring has sprung, the mulch can be raked aside and allowed to decompose in the garden, helping to retain moisture and enhancing soil fertility.

So, plan now to protect your garden from frigid weather. Gather your materials now and have them ready for use before that fateful weather forecast is announced.

Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Friday, September 1, 2023

The Gardener's To-Do List for September

 

Virgo image by Dorothe from Pixabay
Virgo

Helen Hunt Jackson's poem, "September", evokes the images and atmosphere of the month that we welcome so heartily.

        THE golden-rod is yellow;
        The corn is turning brown;
        The trees in apple orchards
        With fruit are bending down.
         
        The gentian's bluest fringes
        Are curling in the sun;
        In dusty pods the milkweed
        Its hidden silk has spun.
         
        The sedges flaunt their harvest,
        In every meadow nook;
        And asters by the brook-side
        Make asters in the brook.
         
        From dewy lanes at morning
        The grapes' sweet odors rise;
        At noon the roads all flutter
        With yellow butterflies.
         
        By all these lovely tokens
        September days are here,
        With summer's best of weather,
        And autumn's best of cheer.
         
        But none of all this beauty
        Which floods the earth and air
        Is unto me the secret
        Which makes September fair.
         
        'Tis a thing which I remember;
        To name it thrills me yet:
        One day of one September
        I never can forget.

This poem is in the public domain.

Now that we're feeling better after a brutal August, let's go garden now. Here are some gardening suggestions for each region.

Northeast Region

  • Plant spring-flowering bulbs.
  • Dig tender summer bulbs for storage over winter.
  • Stop fertilizing. You don't want tender new growth to emerge this time of year.
  • Divide perennials.
  • Continue to be on the lookout for insect pests. Pick them off, if possible, and destroy them. If pesticides are necessary, consider organic alternatives. Always read label instructions. 
  • Plant fall annuals.
  • Add finished compost to your garden beds.
  • Turn your compost pile, again.
  • Construct hoop houses and cold-frames to protect plants over winter and keep them producing.

Mid-Atlantic

  • Plant fall annuals. 
  • Plant spring-flowering bulbs.
  • Get your vegetable starter plants in the ground.
  • Stop fertilizing and pruning to avoid encouraging tender growth that could be damaged by the cold.
  • Remove spent plants and compost them.
  • Turn the compost pile.
  • Gather materials for hoop houses and cold-frames.

Southeast

  • Start winter annuals for transplanting later.
  • Cut and dry flowers and herbs for later use.
  • Order your spring-blooming bulbs, if you haven't already. 
  • Harvest fruits and vegetables.
  • Stop fertilizing trees and shrubs. 
  • Turn your compost pile, again.

Midwest

  • Plant your spring-flowering bulbs, if you live in the northern parts of the region.
  • Plant cool season annuals. 
  • Turn your compost pile.
  • Divide perennials.
  • Dig and store tender bulbs, tubers and rhizomes.

Pacific Northwest

  • Begin planting shrubs and trees.
  • Buy your spring-flowering bulbs.
  • Turn the compost pile.
  • Plant cool-season annuals.
  • Direct-sow root vegetables and leafy salad greens.

 Pacific Coast

  • Continue harvesting fruits and vegetables.
  • Keep the garden clean of spent plants and weeds.
  • Gardeners in the southern region should buy spring-flowering bulbs.
  • Gardeners in the warmer region can begin a second round of planting for warm-season vegetables and annuals.

Southwest

  • Continue pest control.
  • Plant cacti and succulents. 
  • Refresh annuals, as needed.
  • Continue regular garden maintenance.
  • Turn the compost pile.
  • Continue irrigation, checking the system for maximum efficiency. Don't waste water.

Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Friday, August 25, 2023

Go Garden Now and Relieve Your Stress

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Are you stressed? News reports, family issues, job complaints, financial woes and more can bring us almost to the breaking point. Thankfully, there’s relief from stress just outdoors in our gardens.

Here are a few ways that happens.

Just being out in the sunshine can boost our spirits. Sunlight affects our moods just as dark days do. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a problem for many folks during winter months. Symptoms may include feelings of depression, lack of energy, lethargy, cravings for snacks and sweets, difficulty focusing, anxiety and other feelings it’s hard to put your finger on. Even cloudy days make some people feel this way, but SAD seems to disappear on sunny days.

Sunshine also increases our bodies’ ability to synthesize natural Vitamin D, which is so important for our health and strengthening our bodies’ immune defenses. Add fresh air while being outdoors and you have a great combination.

Gardening puts us in touch with nature – bird songs, flowery scents, gentle breezes – and brings joy.

Can it be the trees that fill the breeze
With rare and magic perfume?

- "Love in Bloom" by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin. 1934.

Gardening allows us to create beauty. Your own lovely sanctuary becomes a safe haven for contemplation, meditation, and relaxation. The garden provides a place for personal growth.

Lethargy and depression, like weeds, tend to grow if left unattended, but gardening allows us to produce something useful and beautiful, whether we are growing flowers for cutting, tomatoes for eating, or producing any of the many other benefits our gardens can yield.

So, come with me and let’s GoGardenNow.

Thursday, August 3, 2023

The Gardener's To-Do List for August

 

Leo image by Dorothe from Pixabay 
 
It's August! At this time of year, many garden chores are common to all regions of the United States. Frankly, the list for this month hasn't changed that much from the last, but there are a few different points to consider. Here they are, though this is not an exhaustive list.


For all gardens

  • Avoid overheating! Do your garden chores early in the morning or late afternoon. Heat stroke is a very real danger and should not be ignored.
  • Drink plenty of fluids.
  • Get ready for fall!
  • Start flower and vegetable seedlings for transplanting to your fall garden.
  • Fertilize when needed. Check for yellowing leaves and slowed growth.
  • If using synthetic granular fertilizer, water your garden first, apply fertilizer to moist soil, then water again. This will help to incorporate the amendment into the soil and reduce the risk of fertilizer burn.
  • Be on the lookout for insect pests. Pick them off, if possible, and destroy them. If pesticides are necessary, consider organic alternatives. Always read label instructions. 
  • Heat and humidity can contribute to plant diseases. Check your garden closely for signs of infection and remove affected plants to the compost bin.
  • Check your irrigation to make sure you are watering wisely and conserving as much as possible. Adjust as needed. This is especially important in arid regions.
  • Add finished compost to your garden beds.
  • Turn your compost pile, again.

For vegetable gardens

  • Plant vegetable seedlings or starter plants for your fall garden.
  • Keep pruning your vegetable plants. Tomatoes, cucumbers and other trellised plants will produce better crops if suckers are pinched off and unnecessary growth is removed.
  • Pick some types of fruiting vegetables before they fully mature to prevent the plants from ceasing production. This is especially true of cucumbers!
  • Remove spent vegetable plants and compost them.


For flower gardens

  • Fertilize your roses, again.
  • Deadhead flowers to keep the plants producing.
  • Prune coleus, stick the cuttings in fresh, moist potting soil and place them in the shade where they can root and be transplanted to your garden or containers.
  • Remove spent annuals and compost them.
  • Cut and dry flowers and herbs for later use.
  • Plant fall-blooming crocus.
  • Make plans to order your spring-blooming bulbs.

For lawns

  • Check oil level, air filter and tire pressure on your lawn mower before every use.
  • Water deeply only once or twice per week. Frequent shallow watering encourages shallow root penetration and causes the plants to need more frequent watering. Add watering days if the lawn looks stressed.
  • Watch for fungus diseases. If you can’t identify them, take samples or photos to your nearby Cooperative Extension Office for diagnosis and recommendations.


For shrubs and trees

  • Don’t forget to water them DEEPLY during dry spells.
  • Watch for insect pests and treat accordingly.
  • Remove and burn dead wood.
  • Avoid pruning after mid-August.
Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Mazus! A solution plant for moist soil.

 

Mazus reptans

 
Most folks have one – a low, moist spot in the lawn. You’ve been meaning to do something about yours, but haven’t decided what. Here’s an idea. Plant mazus! So long as the soil isn’t under water or bone dry, mazus could be the ground cover for you.

Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans) is a dense low-growing ground cover with bluish to white flowers that just LOVES moist soil. It grows to about 2” in height. Each plant spreads to about 12” across, but strikes roots as it grows, so for all practical purposes it spreads indefinitely.

Creeping Mazus produces lots of interesting lavender blue or white flowers resting on evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage from spring to summer. It’s cold-hardy to USDA climate zone 4, and tolerates heat into zone 9. Though it thrives in full sun and partial shade, partial shade is recommended particularly in hotter areas.

As long as the soil is consistently moist, mazus will thrive. The soil pH can range from 6.0 to 8.5.

Mazus tolerates some foot traffic, so it’s an ideal lawn substitute. You can plant it under downspouts and any other area where water temporarily collects.

Fertilize in spring to early summer. I think that organic lawn fertilizer is best, but if you choose to spread synthetic fertilizer, use a low-nitrogen 5-5-5 mix. Be careful to avoid fertilizers that might burn the tender green leaves. If you broadcast granular fertilizer with a spreader, be sure to water it in after applying to rinse off the plants.

It ought to go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Don’t use a broadleaf weed herbicide on your lawn where mazus is planted.

You might like mazus so well that you want to plant more in other moist areas. You can buy more, or you can propagate your own. Clip off runners about 6” long and stick the lower ends into small plastic pots with some moist premium potting mix. Keep them in the shade until they root, which shouldn’t take more than a few days. The rooted cuttings can be transplanted wherever needed. You can also divide your plants in early spring by slicing across a mature plant with a sharp spade, digging up one half and transplanting it elsewhere.

Growing Creeping Mazus really is that easy. Get started with your new mazus ground cover. 

GoGardenNow!

Monday, July 10, 2023

How to keep snakes out of your garden.

Snake Image by Karsten Paulick from Pixabay

Unless you are fond of snakes as pets, you probably don’t want them in your garden. Never mind that snakes have a beneficial side, i.e. eating vermin and similar pests. Venomous reptiles certainly pose a danger. Even non-poisonous species can give you a fright when encountered unexpectedly.

Here are a few things you can do to discourage them from taking up residence:

Install a “snake-proof” fence. When my father-in-law (of saintéd memory) would sit on my front porch and come up with more things for me to do, installing a snake-proof fence around my property was one of them. He was thinking of his daughter’s and grandchildren’s safety, of course, but I thought it was a little ridiculous. I had over 3,600’ of property line. I didn’t do it then, nor would I now. But a much smaller area – like a kitchen garden – would be considerably easier to enclose. Here’s how:

  • Select galvanized or aluminum hardware cloth with small mesh.
  • Fencing should be about 48 inches wide. That will allow you to bury about 10 inches or more in the ground and leave the rest above-ground.
  • Slant the fencing outward to discourage determined critters from climbing over.

Remove hiding places from the area. Stacked wood, posts, overturned pots and such need to go. I admit my kitchen garden is not so tidy. I carefully turn upside-down pots with a long stick if they’ve been there for a while.

Discourage rodents. If serpents aren’t hiding under things, they’re searching for food. Rats and mice are on their menu. If you have outdoor pets, keep their kibbles stashed away until feeding time. Rodents just LOVE pet food. I once found a rat stash of dry cat food under the hood of my old Chevy Caprice! Well, rodents entice snakes. We won't let that happen again.

Keep weeds down. Doing so will discourage rodents and their reptilian predators.

Consider gardening in tall, raised beds. Many styles are on the market. Some range from 12” to 32” or more in height. The metal ones are much more difficult for snakes to enter for lounging among your bush beans.

Apply a protective barrier of snake repellent. Moth balls and vinegar are reputed to keep them at bay, or you can purchase commercially prepared repellents from your local lawn and garden store. Bear in mind that all snake repellents don’t repel all snakes, but many venomous snakes are most likely to be repulsed. Snake repellents will need to be re-applied.

To allay some of your fears, I suggest learning how to identify snakes native to your region. In the event that you come across a snake in the grass, you’ll know better how to react appropriately.

Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Monday, June 26, 2023

The Gardener's To-Do List for July

Cancer zodiac constellation

July is upon us. At this time of year, many garden chores are common to all regions of the United States. Here they are, though this is not an exhaustive list.

For all gardens

  • Get ready for fall!
  • Start flower and vegetable seedlings for transplanting to your fall garden.
  • Fertilize when needed. Check for yellowing leaves and slowed growth.
  • If using synthetic granular fertilizer, water your garden first, apply fertilizer to moist soil, then water again. This will help to incorporate the amendment into the soil and reduce the risk of fertilizer burn.
  • Good garden hygiene is essential for healthy gardens. Remove dead and dying material to the compost bin.
  • Add soft-tissue plant clippings to your compost bin.
  • Check your irrigation to make sure you are watering wisely and conserving as much as possible. Adjust as needed. This is especially important in arid regions.
  • Refresh mulch in your garden beds to conserve water.
  • Add compost to your garden beds.
  • Turn your compost pile, again.
  • Keep a sharp eye out for pests – sucking aphids, chomping beetles, munching larvae, hornworms, and the like. Pick them off and destroy them, if you can find them. Otherwise, opt for targeted organic solutions rather than using indiscriminate chemical applications.
  • Water all plants before applying synthetic or organic chemicals to avoid tissue damage. Dry plants are more susceptible to damage.
  • Keep your garden tools clean, dry and sharp to lengthen their lifespan and make your work easier.


For vegetable gardens

  • Plant vegetable seedlings or starter plants for another round of production before summer ends.
  • Keep pruning your vegetable plants. Tomatoes, cucumbers and other trellised plants will produce better crops if suckers are pinched off and unnecessary growth is removed.
  • When removing tomato suckers, stick them in quart containers with fresh, moist potting soil. Keep them in the shade. They’ll root and you can transplant to your garden.
  • Check your fruiting vegetables, (e.g. okra, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons) for fruit. If the plants are developed enough, but not setting enough fruit, they might not be getting sufficient pollination from bees. If you are watering with an overhead sprinkler, this could keep the bees from working. Instead, irrigate with a watering wand at the base of your plants.
  • Pick some types of fruiting vegetables before they fully mature to prevent the plants from ceasing production. This is especially true of cucumbers!
  • Stake tall plants to prevent wind damage or structural collapse from heavy yields.
  • Squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs can dig in your soil, uproot your plants and eat your veggies. Trap and remove them (humanely) or cover your crops with netting.
  • Remove spent vegetable plants and compost them.


For flower gardens

  • Fertilize your roses, again.
  • Stake tall plants to prevent wind damage.
  • Deadhead flowers to keep the plants producing.
  • If you’ve been deadheading your garden mums, you can stop now. This will allow them to produce more in fall.
  • Prune geraniums (i.e. Pelargoniums), stick the cuttings in fresh, moist potting soil and place them in the shade where they can root and be transplanted to your garden or containers.
  • Remove spent annuals and compost them.
  • Sow seeds of biennials such as Alcea, Bellis, Campanula, Digitalis and Viola now for next year’s bloom.
  • Cut and dry flowers and herbs for later use.
  • Seeds can be gathered from dried flowers such as Coreopsis, Echinacea and Rudbeckia to be scattered in your little wildflower meadow-ette for future enjoyment.


For lawns

  • Keep your lawnmower blades sharp. Dull blades damage grass leaves, enable disease entry, and make your lawn look UGLY!
  • Water deeply only once or twice per week. Frequent shallow watering encourages shallow root penetration and causes the plants to need more frequent watering. Add watering days if the lawn looks stressed.
  • Do your mid-summer fertilizing.
  • Watch for fungus diseases. If you can’t identify them, take samples or photos to your nearby Cooperative Extension Office for diagnosis and recommendations.


For shrubs and trees

  • Don’t forget to water them DEEPLY during dry spells. This is especially true of newly planted items.
  • Watch for borers. If you discover them too late, you should remove the infected plants and burn them to prevent the borers from migrating to other plants.
  • Remove and burn dead wood.
  • Prune flowering shrubs soon after blooming.


Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Friday, June 16, 2023

A Brief History of The Trustees' Garden - Savannah, GA


Map of Florida


Before the Colony of Georgia was founded in 1733, the Margravate of Azilia was conceived. The territory was to be ruled by a military governor, i.e. a margrave. 

Sir Robert Montgomery and Colonel John Barnwell proposed this venture in 1717 for lands south of Carolina.

It was disputed territory. Spanish, French and English had claimed it. French incursions had probed the east coast from Port Royal, SC, southward. The Spanish had pretty much established themselves in La Florida since 1513 and were well-rooted in St. Augustine. 


Map of St. Augustine Florida environs


England and Spain agreed by treaty that whichever should actually settle the land would possess it. In fact, though, Spain had withdrawn to positions south of the St. John’s River, and the Carolina Proprietors were having a hard time controlling the southern territory. So, possession of the area between Charles Town and St. Augustine was contestable.

Here’s when Montgomery and Barnwell entered the picture. Sir Robert, 5th Scottish Baronet of Skelmorlie, applied for permission to settle the area between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers. It would serve as a buffer colony between Florida and Carolina, i.e. between the English and the Spanish. The Carolina Proprietors agreed, so long as it didn’t cost them anything. Royal approval, however, was never granted. 

Plan of Margravate of Azilia


To sell the idea to investors and settlers, Montgomery published a booklet, A Discourse Concerning the Design’d Establishment of a New Colony to the South of Carolina, in the Most Delightful Country of the Universe. Though he never visited the area, Montgomery, like any real estate developer, wrote the most glowing descriptions to promote it.

There’s no record of Barnwell ever visiting, either.

To begin, Montgomery assured his readers of his integrity. “It has been commonly observ’d, that gay Descriptions of new Countries raise a Doubt of their Sincerity. Men are apt to think the Picture drawn beyond the Life, to serve the Interest of the Representer.” Not in this case. He assured them that he’d learned from the most reputable sources, and that his motives were purely in service of his fellow man.

It lies in the same Latitude with Palestine Herself, That promis’d Canaan, which was pointed out by God’s own Choice, to bless the Labours of a favourite People; It abounds with Rivers, Woods, and Meadows. Its gentle Hills are full of Mines, Lead, Copper, Iron, and even some of Silver; ‘Tis beautified with odoriferous Plants, green all the Year. Pine, Cedar, Cypress, Oak, Elms, Fruit or Timber Trees grow every where so pleasantly that tho’ they meet at Top, and shade the Traveller, they are, at the same Time, so distant in their Bodies, and so free from Underwood, or Bushes, that the Deer, and other Game, which feed in Droves along these Forests, may be often seen near half a Mile between them.



“The Air is healthy, and the Soil in general fruitful, and of infinite Variety; Vines, naturally flourishing upon the Hills, bear Grapes in most luxuriant Plenty. They have every Growth, which we possess in England, and almost every Thing that England wants besides. The Orange, and the Limon thrive in the same common Orchard with the Apple, and the Pear-Tree, Plumbs, Peaches, Apricots, and Nectarins, bear from Stones in three Years growing. The Planters raise large Orchards of these Fruits to feed their Hogs with, Wheat Ears have been measur’d there seven Inches long, and they have Barly, Beans, Pease, Rice, and all our Grains, Roots, Herbs, and Flowers, not to speak of Numbers of their own, which we can find no Names for; Beef, Mutton, Pork, Tame Poultry, wild Fowl, Sea and River Fish, are all there plentiful, and most at lower Rates, than in the cheapest Parts of Wales, or Scotland.”


James Edward Oglethorpe
General James Edward Oglethorpe

For various reasons, the Margravate of Azilia didn’t get off the ground, but the idea of a buffer colony established around trade and agriculture settled by hard-working farmers and merchants ready to bear their arms against the Spanish gained traction. Within 16 years, General James Edward Oglethorpe arrived with his band to settle the colony of Georgia.


Savannah Georgia 1734

The Trustees' Garden was established in 1734 on a ten acre plot just to the east of the Savannah settlement to explore agricultural possibilities. Something somewhat akin to the Chelsea Physic Garden was envisioned, but with emphasis on commerce. Several high-value crops were tested. 

 

Mulberry and silk worm
Morus alba and Bombyx mori

 

Silk. Since luxurious silk was in such high demand and commanded high prices, it was hoped that domestic sericulture would become a profitable enterprise in the American colonies. All that was needed were silk worms (Bombyx mori), mulberry trees and the right climate. The potential for silk seemed logical since red mulberry (Morus rubra) was native to the continent from Vermont to south Florida. White mulberry leaves (Morus alba), the preferred food of silkworms, was imported and did quite well. It eventually naturalized in North America.

According to an article by L. O. Howard, Ph. D. published in the USDA Yearbook of 1903  “Silk culture is said to have been introduced into New England about the year 1660 by a Mr. Aspinwall, who had nurseries of the mulberry at New Haven and on Long Island. Some trees were transplanted in Manslield, Conn., and Mr. Aspinwall furnished the inhabitants of that town with the eggs of the silkworm. Reverend Doctor Stiles, an early president of Yale College, aided Mr. Aspinwall in his efforts to introduce the culture in Connecticut.” Silk was also grown in Virginia and South Carolina, so it wasn’t far-fetched to try silk culture in Georgia. But despite those early and subsequent efforts, silk production didn’t take off in Georgia.


Cannabis sativa
Cannabis sativa

Hemp. Note that Cannabis sativa, aka hemp, is of two types: industrial and “medicinal.” Industrial hemp is high in fiber and low in psychoactive THC. “Medicinal” hemp might contain from 3% to 30% THC. It has been grown for millennia, principally in China, India, and Arabia, but eventually spread to Europe and the Americas. Both types were grown extensively in early America without much distinction between them.

Cannabis has been highly valued for its many uses. Fiber has been used in cordage and clothing. Seeds have been used for food and oil. The leaves had their own, special application. Hemp was useful for trade, barter, and even for paying taxes. No wonder, then, that it was included as a crop in the Trustees' Garden. For governments, cannabis has been a bane and then a boon.


Linum usitatissimum

Flax. Linum usitatissimum was another desirable commodity known to have been used for about 30,000 years in the manufacture of linen fabric. From underwear to bed sheets, linen would always be in demand. Investing in the linen trade was a sure-thing like buying stock in toothpaste production; it was always in use, needed to be replaced, and necessary for everyone.


Grapes
Vitis spp.

Grapes. When colonists first arrived on these shores, they found grapes growing practically everywhere. How fortuitous! Take a walk through our southern woodlands and you’ll see something like what they discovered. Cultivation began immediately. In fact, the oldest grape vine on the continent is thought to be The Mother Vine, Vitis rotundifolia, on Roanoke Island, NC. Perhaps it was dug from the forest and transplanted by settlers of The Lost Colony about 400 years ago. Life back then was tough, but joys could be found. As the Preacher of Ecclesiastes instructed, “Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.” Colonists took it to heart. I can find no mention of the species and varieties grown in Trustees' Garden, but grapes were among the crops.


Olive
Olea spp.

Olives. Since Georgia lay in the “same Latitude with Palestine Herself, That promis’d Canaan” and olives (Olea spp.) were abundant in the Holy Land, they were tested in the Trustees' Garden. For whatever reason, olives did not become an important commercial crop in Georgia, but as of this writing olives are making something of a comeback. Olives are showing up in yards, gardens and orchards. Olive oil is now produced in limited batches in the southernmost part of the state.

 

Indigo plant
Indigofera spp.

Indigo. Indigofera, native to India, was an important cash crop wherever the local climate would allow it to be grown. Unless one wanted to dress in shades of gray and brown, dye was needed. Indigo was such a source.

Almost as soon as colonists set foot in North America, they set about to grow indigo. Crops were tested from New York to Louisiana. By the 1730s, efforts were made in South Carolina beginning with seeds sent to Charleston from Antiqua by 16 year old Eliza Lucas, a budding botanist. Before long, the indigo industry began to take off. Nearby Savannah, Georgia got into the action when seeds were planted in the Trustees' Garden.

Indigo cultivation, like most agriculture of the day, was labor intensive. The White people in the upper ranks of society didn’t think they were cut out for that kind of work. So slaves were imported to carry "The White Man’s Burden". Rudyard Kipling scathingly denounced such servitude about 200 years later. As a matter of fact, slavery was outlawed in Georgia UNTIL laborers were needed to expand and sustain the indigo industry, then altruism was tossed out the window. There were also cotton and rice enterprises to expand. 


James Henry Hammond
James Henry Hammond

Cotton. This was the first place in North America where cotton was planted for potential commercial production. Enough is known about cotton that nothing needs to be written about it here. Needless to say, though, it became and continues to be immensely important. It was James Henry Hammond (1807-1864) of South Carolina who coined the phrase, “Cotton is king” in a speech before the U.S. Senate in 1858.

No, you dare not make war on cotton. No power on earth dares to make war upon it. Cotton is king.

Just so you know, Hammond was not a nice person, to put it mildly. A reading of his Secret and Sacred diaries will reveal plenty.


Cochineal

Cochineal. This exotic crop was also tested at the Trustee’s Garden. Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a little “bug” that produces carminic acid, which is actually a deterrent to its enemies. But it is a valuable dye used to color textiles, cosmetics, and food.  Feeding on some species of cactus, these little critters are cultivated, harvested and mashed to extract the red colorant.

Cochineal extract is non-toxic. Just think, though. When you put on that lipstick, it might be made of bug juice.

Since south Georgia is home to native Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa), it seemed that it would be a likely place for a cochineal industry to flourish. It didn’t. Cochineal production is now limited mainly to Peru and other Central and South American countries. But maybe cochineal can come into its own in Georgia as the new olive industry attests.

Now that your interest in Savannah’s Trustees' Garden has been piqued, wouldn’t you like to see it?

 

Trustees' Garden site

That’s it. As Joni Mitchell sang,

“Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.”


The Trustees' Garden served its purpose and was abandoned to be occupied by a fort and businesses including Kehoe’s Iron Works and Savannah Gas Light’s facility for converting coal to gas. The site now serves a multi-use entertainment/cultural facility and the Pirate’s House restaurant.

Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

The Gardener's To-Do-List for June

 


June is here. These are some things to do for your garden.

No matter where you live, you should:

Keep a sharp eye out for pests – sucking aphids, chomping beetles, munching larvae, hornworms, and the like. Pick them off and destroy them, if you can find them. Otherwise, opt for targeted organic solutions rather than using indiscriminate chemical applications.

Keep pruning your vegetable plants. Tomatoes, cucumbers and other trellised plants will produce better crops if suckers are pinched off and unnecessary growth is removed.

Northeast

  • Plant cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons outdoors.
  • Fertilize your roses, again.
  • Turn your compost pile, again.
  • Watch out for June bugs.
  • Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs.
  • Plant eggplants and tomatoes outside.
  • Add mulch if necessary.

Mid-Atlantic

  • Squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs can dig in your soil, uproot your plants and eat your veggies. Trap and remove them (humanely) or cover your crops with netting.
  • Plant curcurbits (squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, etc.) outside.
  • Time to plant your tomatoes and eggplants.
  • Divide spring-flowering bulbs.
  • Add mulch if necessary.

Mid- and Lower South

  • If you don’t have any extra, stop by a local nursery for seedlings and till in any empty spaces.
  • Remove and compost early season root vegetables that are starting to go to flower.
  • Keep watering your garden.
  • Add compost to your garden.
  • Turn your compost pile and add more to it.
  • Fertilize roses, again.
  • Check for pests and diseases.
  • Squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs can dig in your soil, uproot your plants and eat your veggies. Trap and remove them (humanely) or cover your crops with netting.

Midwest

  • Plant cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons outdoors.
  • Squirrels and rabbits can dig in your soil, uproot your plants and eat your veggies. Trap and remove them (humanely) or cover your crops with netting.
  • Fertilize your roses, again.
  • Turn your compost pile, again.
  • Watch out for June bugs.
  • Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs.
  • Plant eggplants and tomatoes outside.

Pacific Northwest

  • Plant cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons outdoors.
  • Fertilize your roses, again.
  • Turn your compost pile, again.
  • Watch out for June bugs.
  • Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs.
  • Watch for fungus diseases.
  • Plant eggplants and tomatoes outside.

West Coast

  • Plant cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons outdoors.
  • Fertilize your roses, again.
  • Turn your compost pile, again.
  • Watch out for fungus diseases and insect pests.
  • Remove dead flowers from spring bulbs.
  • Plant eggplants and tomatoes outside.

Southwest

  • Check your irrigation to make sure you are watering wisely and conserving as much as possible.
  • Mulch your garden beds to conserve water.
  • Add compost to your garden beds.
  • Fertilize your roses again.

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Saturday, May 27, 2023

Debbie's Charming Cottage Garden

 


Seen nestled behind a pecan grove, you’d think this charming cottage was built at least 150 years ago. But it’s much newer, built in 1990. Debbie moved to south Georgia over 40 years ago, but felt homesick for the place of her childhood in East Tennessee. After a few years in the area, she came upon a design that reminded her so much of her mountain home.

Her antique furnishings, décor and collectibles are in keeping with the homespun design. Visitors feel like they’ve stepped back into a simpler age. You’ll have to imagine it, though. The interior is not on display here.

While we stopped by to deliver some strawberries, Debbie allowed me to mosey around her little garden and take a few photos. I’m sharing them with you.

One of the joys of gardens, at least to me, is smelling the fragrance of flowers, and crushing the leaves of aromatic herbs for savoring. Debbie's roses, dianthus, verbena, achillea and bay delight the senses.

Her little place reminds us that delightful gardens needn't be large or ostentatious to be satisfying. They can be comfortable, small and intimate.

Follow me and see what grows in Debbie's garden.

Multiflora rose


Rosa 'The Fairy'

Verbena 'Homestead Purple'

Rosemary and Bay

Mutliflora rose

Achillea millefolium

Rosa 'The Fairy'

Oxalis

Dianthus and Oxalis

The cottage garden

Magnolia grandiflora

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Saturday, May 13, 2023

How I started worm composting, and you can, too.

 

Compost worm image by Chesna from Pixabay

First of all, what is worm composting? I'm glad you asked. It’s the practice of intentionally enlisting the aid of earthworms in composting your organic yard and kitchen waste to use in your garden.

If you have an open compost pile or bin in your garden, earthworms have likely found their way to it.

As I wrote in “The Not-So-Magical-Experience of Composting”, the compost pile is “like a big bash going on down the street, nearby residents and passersby take notice. Flies breeze by and drop off bacteria. Single-cell creeps with hardly half a brain between them arrive and begin to cling. Fun-guys (fungi) appear from nowhere and make themselves at home. Mites pick at this and that, including other guests. Millipedes stroll and stroll and stroll, sampling a bit of everything. Sowbugs eat stuff mashed on the floor. Snails and slugs, never socially adept, slime their way among the crowd munching left-overs. Spiders entrap and roll the unsuspecting. Centipedes and beetles knock over spiders and other party-goers. Earthworms work their way around, and somehow everything comes out right from their ends."

I never gave earthworms much thought. They just showed up, and I expected that they always would.

This year I bought a couple of Vego 17" Tall 9 In 1 Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed Kits. With them came a promotional gift package containing two of their In-Ground Worm Composters

 

Vego In-Ground Worm Composter

I installed one in an unplanted garden bed. At once, I began adding some soil and kitchen scraps to the bin. That’s how it started.


Vego In-Ground Worm Composter installed

One can’t have a worm composter without worms. Being the impatient fellow that I am, I bought a bag containing 500 red wigglers from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm. They arrived safely and earlier than expected. They are now happily housed in their new digs. (I guess they’re happy. They’re not actually smiling like Uncle Jim’s website shows. But who can tell with worms?) Now I divide our fruit and vegetable kitchen scraps between my worm composter, compost barrel and “swamp water” composter. (The “swamp water” composter is another story.)

In short order, I expect the worms to do their job decomposing the scraps. The compost should feed the garden bed, and the worms might wander around improving the soil.

So far, I recommend the Vego In-Ground Worm Composter. It’s a simple contraption compared to some others I’ve seen on the market. But I started thinking that there must be an even cheaper way.

It seems to me that one could use a simple plastic laundry basket with a lid, remove handles, partially sink it in the ground, then add soil, scraps and worms. The lid, I believe, would be essential to keep neighborhood cats and raccoons out. It might not even keep the raccoons out unless the lid was secured somehow. 

 

Laundry baskets


I’ll try it myself when I need another worm composter, but if you try it before I do, let me know how it works for you.

By the way! Vego Garden and Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm do not know I’m posting this article. They certainly haven’t paid me for this mention, nor do I expect them to. Rest assured that this is entirely honest and unsolicited.

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Thursday, April 27, 2023

The Gardener's To-Do List for May

 

Taurus Image by Dorothe from Pixabay

Wow! April seemed to pass so quickly.

May is upon us, so here are some things to do in and around your garden.

Surely you've taken a soil sample to your nearest County Extension Service office for testing. You have, haven't you?

You should be keeping a garden journal. Record what you planted where, when and how. Note your successes and failures, weather conditions, etc. This might help you repeat your successes and avoid failures in the future.

 Northeast

Get rid of those weeds. Either pull them, hoe them or mulch deeply to suppress them.
If the threat of frost is past, plant tomatoes, peppers, okra, pumpkins, beans, corn, squash and other heat-loving crops. Otherwise, wait.
If frost is still a possibility, start seeds for those plants indoors.
Get your perennial herbs in the ground.
Harvest rhubarb and asparagus.

Mid-Atlantic

Finish planting trees, shrubs, perennials and fruits. Hot weather will be coming soon.
Add compost to your garden.
Plant your flower beds with summer annuals.
Water your garden to keep your beets and other root crops growing.
Fertilize roses.
Divide older established perennials if needed.

Mid- and Lower South

Direct-sow more vegetable seeds in your gardens and raised beds.
Begin to thin radishes, beets and other crops closely sown.
Keep watering your garden.
Add compost to your garden.
Turn your compost pile and add more to it.
Fertilize roses, again.
Check for pests and diseases.

Midwest

Start seeds indoors for cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons.
Fertilize your roses, again.
Turn your compost pile, again.
Remove some of the mulch applied last fall so new growth can emerge.
Divide perennials, if necessary.
Plant beans, squash, corn, peppers, and tomatoes, if danger of frost is past.

Pacific Northwest

Stay on top of your weed situation. Don’t let them get out of control.
Divide perennials.
Plant peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, and melons once your soil has warmed to 70 degrees F.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs, perennials and perennial vegetables.
Turn your compost pile.
Add finished compost to your garden beds.
Fertilize your roses, again.
Continue pest control in your orchard.

West Coast

Finish harvesting cool weather crops.
Fertilize trees, shrubs and roses.
Plant summer-blooming bulbs, perennial and root vegetables.
Add compost to your garden.
Prune roses and shrubs that bloom on fresh wood.
Remove excess mulch.
Refresh mulch, if necessary.

Southwest

Plant summer-flowering bulbs.
Finish harvesting cool weather crops.
Plant outdoor vegetables and warm season annuals.
Add compost to your garden beds.
Fertilize your roses again.

Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Are you thinking about becoming food self-sufficient?

 

Vegetable image by Devon Breen from Pixabay

Are you beginning to think you should become food self-sufficient?

You've seen significant price increases at the grocery store. It seems there's no end in sight.

The USDA predicts, “Food prices are expected to grow more slowly in 2023 than in 2022 but still at above historical-average rates. In 2023, all food prices are predicted to increase 6.5 percent, with a prediction interval of 4.9 to 8.2 percent. Food-at-home prices are predicted to increase 6.6 percent, with a prediction interval of 4.4 to 8.8 percent. Food-away-from-home prices are predicted to increase 8.2 percent, with a prediction interval of 7.3 to 9.0 percent.”

But that's not all the bad news.

Fertilizer production seems to be at risk

A recent dairy farm explosion destroyed 18,000 cattle. That's got to have an impact on the food supply.

In January, 2023, 100,000 chickens died in a Connecticut egg farm fire.

In 2022, 18 weather and climate disasters, each with damages exceeding $1 billion struck the U.S. coast-to-coast.

More than 500,000 US farm animals died in barn fires in 2022. Most fires occurred in the Upper Midwest and Northeast.

This FDA website lists the following recent food recalls:     

  • Recalls of Food Products Associated with Peanut Butter from J.M. Smucker Company due to the Potential Risk of Salmonella,
  • Recalls of Food Products Associated with Onions from ProSource Produce LLC and Keeler Family Farms due to the Potential Risk of Salmonella.
  • Recalls of Food Products Associated with Onions from Thomson International, Inc. due to the Potential Risk of Salmonella.
  • Recalls of Vegetable Products Associated with Mann Packing Co., Inc. due to the Potential Risk of Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Recalls associated with Almark's recall of hard-boiled egg products.

We hear news too often about some fresh vegetable being recalled due to contamination. ABC News recently warned, "Check your fridge for these salad kits and lettuce recalled due to listeria concerns."

The Market Realist reports, "In May (2022), there was a fire at a commercial egg farm in Minnesota that left thousands of chickens dead. Fortunately, the fire incident didn't lead to the loss of human lives. The egg farm fire comes at a time when some areas have been witnessing an egg shortage. What caused the fire at Forsman Farms? Was it an accident or intentional?"

Eat This, Not That! recently listed 12 Major Food Recalls You Need To Know About Right Now.

There's more, but you get the idea.

Dependence on the system sometimes seems precarious. So, you might have the urge to do something for yourself. Some of us have the time and places to garden, raise poultry or rabbits and such, but I expect that most folks do not. So, what do you do if your resources are very limited?

Start small.

Assess your space, time, physical ability and any other limiting factors. Write them down.

Make a list of vegetables that you like to eat a lot of: beans, radishes, lettuce, eggplant, tomatoes, chard, okra, peas, squash, onions, garlic, shallots, turnips, mustard, peppers, etc. Don't forget your herbs and spices: thyme, parsley, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, basil, dill, ginger root, turmeric and such. How about fruits? Strawberries, anyone?

Do a little research to learn which of them are easy to grow in your area. Are they prone to pests, or not? Will your neighbors mind? How much sun should they receive? How much water? Can they be grown in small spaces? Will they thrive in containers? Can any be grown indoors on a windowsill or under a grow-light? 

Let's say, for example, you love radishes and you can't do without them. Radishes are easy-peezy to grow. They take up very little space, germinate quickly, mature for harvest in a few short weeks, and then you can start all over again. Eat radishes fresh or pickle them. It might not seem like a lot, but you can easily become self-sufficient in radishes.

Is that all you can manage? Okay. If not, add another plant to your list.

How about thyme? You can grow thyme indoors year around. It's compact, delicious and has many health benefits. Set your mind to growing it and you might never need to buy thyme again.

There are many such things you can grow to eat fresh, dry, preserve, can and store for future use.

There's no way that most of us can be self-sufficient in everything we need. But we can become self-sufficient in something. If you can become self-sufficient in only one or two foods, you won't feel so helpless. You'll feel safer, good about yourself and your accomplishment, and you'll save some money, too.

Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Friday, April 14, 2023

How To Make A Simple Composting Barrel

 

Compost Image by Joke vander Leij from Pixabay

Composting happens all the time without human intervention. Leaves fall, grasses die, wood rots and the circle of life from a seedling to a plant’s final end returns the basic building blocks of life to the soil for another go-round.

Gardeners can use this process to their benefit by gathering and confining the organic material to an easily accessible location for the process to occur. It can be in an open pile or contained in a box, barrel, bucket or bin. The choice is yours. The end result is COMPOST – black gold for the garden.

For the organic material to be useful, it must be decomposed. For it to be useful sooner, it must decompose faster. The key to faster decomposition is turning – turning the material over and over so that all the ingredients are exposed to the insects, worms and micro-organisms for digestion and decay.

We’ve tried every basic method – open piles, boxes and bins. Some were flimsy. Others were not very durable. Some were simply inconvenient to manage. I’ve seen the manufactured barrels that rotate on metal or wooden stands, or those on rollers for kicking over and over. I was sold on the concept, but not the products on the market, so I decided to try composting in a barrel of my own making.

I paid a visit to The Barrel Man. He’s just down the road from me. He sells all kinds of used barrels at very reasonable prices. I selected this 60-gallon plastic, flat-sided barrel with a screw-on lid. It also has an inner lid for better sealing.

Blue barrel

“What was it used for?”, I asked.

“Meat processing by-products”, he said.

I opened it up to sniff. It smelled clean enough; not offal.

“Oh, it’s been cleaned”, he informed. “It’s food-grade plastic.”

So, I paid him, loaded it into my pickup truck and headed home.

Why did I choose a flat-sided barrel? I’m glad you asked. I don’t intend to mount it on a stand, but to push it over on its side and kick it around several times to mix the ingredients, and maybe turn it upside-down, too. I figure the flat sides will do a better job of shifting and mixing the material inside for faster decomposition. It can’t get any simpler than that.

The only tools needed were a power drill, a 1” hole saw, a 2” hole saw, and a big, black, felt-tip marker.

I began by marking the ribs on all four sides where I’d drill the aeration holes. These holes were drilled with the 1” inch hole saw.


Compost barrel process

Then I turned the barrel upside-down. I used the 2” hole saw to penetrate the very center, and the 1” hole saw to make four more drainage holes around the circumference. When the barrel is filled, I hope these drainage holes will also provide entry ways for earthworms and other busy critters when the barrel is in direct contact with the ground.


Blue barrel bottom


Important tips: 1) the bottom is thicker than the sides, so takes longer to penetrate; 2) take your time cutting with a firm hand, 3) better do your work over a tarp so you can gather the plastic shavings and dispose of them properly.

It wasn’t long before I had the barrel mostly filled with leaves, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and torn paper filters, shredded documents in layer upon layer. I could see that it wouldn’t be long before my barrel would be maxed-out. So I headed back to The Barrel Man for more barrels. These flat-sided composters can be easily lined up near the garden, all in different stages of decomposition, taking less space than round barrels.

 That’s all there was to it. You can do it, too.

To see a YouTube video of this process, click here.

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