More birdbath planters

Here's a few more photos of those bird bath bases I wrote about in my last post. For some reason, I don't have many photos of the three in my herb garden. Probably because I haven't found the right herb to grow in them.

I don't even know what was planted in the one you see in this photo, it's something I should try to remedy this year.

The other successful planting is the birdbath base in my front perennial border. This one has been filled with Sedum 'Matrona', sempervivum and one more Sedum. This year the only plant still surviving is the 'Matrona' but since this pot's been planted for five years, I'm not complaining. 'Matrona has filled the whole thing!


When I first brought these home I had to cut pieces of tomato stakes to sink in the ground first. I hammered them in well, at least a foot deep and then slid the birdbath base over the stake.

Once it was set I could fill the container and then plant away.

Here's one more close up look at this container. I think tomorrow I have to pull out that 'Matrona' and recreate this planting!

Melanie

Failure to Yield

The Union of Concerned Scientists has published a report on the progress of genetically engineered crops, which concludes thusly:

"Failure to Yield is the first report to closely evaluate the overall effect genetic engineering has had on crop yields in relation to other agricultural technologies. It reviewed two dozen academic studies of corn and soybeans, the two primary genetically engineered food and feed crops grown in the United States. Based on those studies, the UCS report concluded that genetically engineering herbicide-tolerant soybeans and herbicide-tolerant corn has not increased yields. Insect-resistant corn, meanwhile, has improved yields only marginally. The increase in yields for both crops over the last 13 years, the report found, was largely due to traditional breeding or improvements in agricultural practices"

Oxfam nods in agreement.

Peat Moss

Peat moss is one of those things that most gardeners use without question. "Mix in a bale of peat moss" is a typical garden instruction for such things as preparing soil for blueberry bushes, or mixing up potting soil. But what is peat moss, exactly?

"Peat moss is the partially decomposed remains of formerly living sphagnum moss from bogs. . . The biggest problem with peat moss is that it's environmentally bankrupt. . .Yes, peat moss is a renewable resource, but it can take hundreds to thousands of years to form."

Read the rest of the article over at Garden Rant, and ammend your soil with compost instead.

Organic Farming Versus Conventional

"A key question that is often asked about ecological agriculture, including organic agriculture, is whether it can be productive enough to meet the world’s food needs. While many agree that ecological agriculture is desirable from an environmental and social point of view, there remain fears that ecological and organic agriculture produce low yields.

"This short paper will summarize some of the available evidence to demystify the productivity debate and demonstrate that ecological agriculture is indeed productive.

"In general, yields from ecological agriculture can be broadly comparable to conventional yields in developed countries. In developing countries, ecological agriculture practices can greatly increase productivity, particularly if the existing system is low-input, which is the largely the case for Africa. This paper will focus mainly on evidence from developing countries. "

Read the rest of the paper here.

Farming in the City

Even before this recent economic crud, Detroit looked shockingly decrepit. Beautiful old houses have been left to rot - visibly falling apart - and the city is wide open with vacant lots where the crumbling architecture has been bulldozed. I have seen worse - in India. To see such decay at home touches me deeply, particularly since Chris' family lives in the Detroit area.

This is why I perk up at any mention of farming in Detroit. I hope this plan comes to fruition!

As a footnote, I find it irritating that the president of Greening of Detroit, an organization promoting small community garden plots, is against the idea. Detroit needs all the help it can get.

King of the Woods

In the dry side of our woods, the jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum, has started to spring from the ground. The individual plants seem to magically appear, rather than grow. Just like last year, this was one of the first jacks to pop up.

I would like to establish ramps over in this area eventually. In photographs I have seen of ramps, they grow alongside jacks.

When the bulldozers sculpted this piece of land, they left some lumps of earth and stone around the edges of the wetland. These tiny dry hills are covered with ferns and Canada mayflower, Maianthemum canadense, which is a delicate native plant that puts up individual leaves with seeming randomness across the forest floor.

The forest floor is still mostly bare. This will be covered with ferns soon.

Do you see the speck of yellow on top of the boulder?

That speck is the King of the Woods. The previous owners set him loose here, and now he guards the woods for us. I want to find more such dinosaurs for Gabe's Garden.

Hosta roots

In the spring of 2006 a local nursery received a number of birdbaths that had broken tops. They had an employee with a great idea, she put those bases upside down in the sales yard and planted them. I was the first person to ask if they had more of these bases and would they sell them to me. The price was a ridiculous $5 a piece and I got all 5 that they had available.

One base went in my shade garden and was planted with Hosta 'Halcyon', Hosta 'Green Lance' and Oxalis atropurpurea (the purple clover) which I adore but is not hardy here on Long Island.

For three years these containers all were fine, they even survived winter heave and an occasional fall. Sadly, the one container in the shade did not survive having a tree limb fall on it and knock it over. The broken pieces are two large pieces though and I hope to be able to glue them back together.

We've just had a heat wave here and I could not dig and divide perennials so yesterday I decided to address the problem of the broken container. Even though it had been broken for months and laying on it's side, the Hosta were still growing. Imagine my surprise when I tried to pull them out of the container and the roots just kept coming out.

Those roots were so long that my arm wasn't long enough to hold them for the camera and take a photo at the same time. In fact, those roots went all the way down to the base of the container. I had originally filled the container with compost, not potting soil and it was still nice and rich looking.
Once I had the massive root system on my work table I had to chop off those beautiful roots to make them more manageable.

Finally, the Hosta have been potted up and are ready for their next adventure. I do want to use a piece of both and recreate the planting that I had before.

Melanie

Garden Supported Charity

I've been making a pilgrimage with Michelle down to Martha's Vineyard every spring since before we were married. We travel down to meet with friends we may only get to see once a year and participate in the annual MS Tour of the Vineyard Bikeathon. I've never been particularly skilled at raising money for the event, and most years I just end up making the minimum donation to participate myself. This year, however, I had the idea that I would put my garden to good use and have offered up veggie rewards for those locals or co-workers that donate to this noble cause.

The plan is simple. If a co-worker donates ten dollars or more they get put on a mailing list letting them know when tomatoes have arrived at work giving them first pick. I brought in around a two-hundred pounds of tomatoes last year so there is a lot to go around, but getting a jump can't hurt! The three largest contributors also get to take part of a garden sized CSA, getting a portion of whatever the garden is producing. I sent out the e-mail last night and the response today was better than I've ever had before so I'm encouraged.

For family and friends who are to far to participate you can still donate to this worthy cause and know that you have my deepest thanks. For those gardeners out there that have extra veggies each year and charities they like to support here's a simple way you can combine the two together.

Cheers,

Chris

Walking - Walking! - In the Wetland

Thanks to my path, I can now casually stroll into our wetland when it isn't frozen solid! This makes me deliriously happy. No mud, no ticks, and no poison ivy!

Our neighbors Adam and Diane had some trees cut down a few years ago, and despite their attempts to give it away as firewood, they still ended up with a large pile of rotting wood. They generously gave it to me for use along the edges of my path. It will provide a home for insects, which will in turn feed the birds and other wildlife; and over time the logs will become mossy lumps like the fallen trees that are slowly being digested into the swamp here.





My little "pond" is swollen with water. I would be concerned with the scum in it, if the surrounding vernal ponds weren't equally scummy. The frogs don't seem to mind. One or two always dive for cover when I come near.

My path lets me view the rock from this angle now. Do you see those two lone skunk cabbages by the rock? I left them there deliberately. It was gardening by the subtractive method.


I wasn't expecting to have made so much progress by now, but the sand bridge gave me access to a mossy sort of island. Now, finally, I can get a look at what grows here al all times of year, rather than just in the dead of winter when the muck is a sheet of solid ice. And it turns out that many of those bare shrubs are spicebush - Lindera benzoin. This shrub is native all along the East Coast. It is the host plant to the spicebush swallowtail butterfly, and the berries are a good food source for birds in the autumn. The flowers aren't as showy as a lot of the other trees that are currently blooming, but they do make lovely splashes of color where the slanting sunlight illuminates them framed against shadowed trunks. Viewing them is a more intimate experience than viewing one of the more popular nursery-cultivated flowering trees.

Ka-Ching! I heard the bell ring...

Today we shattered our heat record. Although I haven't seen the official temperature, we had thermometers around here read 89 degrees. It was just too hot to dig and divide anything, so many plants were fully wilted.

I decided to play around a bit and do some perennial pots. If you have pots that will over-winter without cracking, perennials are ideal to plant in them. I've learned that it's worth it to spend the $$$ and purchase concrete planters when I can get them. We've had one set for 25 years now and a few more for 10 years or so.

I have a number of plain green hosta that are hard to sell. I really don't understand why people shy away from them, they have a lovely light green foliage and flower like crazy. The name tag was faded when I divided them so I don't know their name but they are still lovely. I've learned that you need plain hosta to make the variegated ones show off better.

Two nice sized divisions were added to the two planters.

Next I went way back by our shed and mercilessly hacked out a chunk of fern that is native to our area (at least it popped up here on it's own).

The ferns are just starting to come up although with this heat I expect them to come on full force now.

There were a few pansies left over from another planting so I stuck them in to fill a spot until the Hosta foliage and the fern grows. The last plant though was the big surprise, it's the one that is terribly wilted on the right.

Not 10 feet away from these containers begins a wooded lot. There is a massive spot in the woods filled with Lamiastrum, another plant that arrived on it's own. I was wishing I had a variegated perennial to add to the pot when suddenly it happened, the bell began to ring.

The garden centers around here sell "specialty annuals" in 4 inch pots to make extra special, sophisticated planter arrangements. I'm positive I saw pots of Lamiastrum last year selling for $3.49 and here it is running rampent through the wooded lot next to us. So I carefully pulled out a few pieces. I say carefully because the woods is also filled with poison ivy. Rather than take a chance that I was taking more than the Lamiastrum, I did not dig it up with soil but instead just wiggled out the roots, that's why it's wilting so much but I'm sure it will perk up in a few days.

I bet in two weeks when I photograph those pots you won't believe how nice and full they look. Best of all, I know from past experience that those pots will be fine for three years before I need to take the plants out and divide them.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings :-)
Melanie

A Surprisingly Hot Weekend

Chris' photos put mine to shame, but I have been in too much of a hurry to do more than grab snapshots. This weekend I cleared out most of the remaining unused rocks from Gabe's Garden. The hard work is done! Now the space needs mulch and plants.


I paid a visit to Marna's garden, and she sent me home with oodles of plants, including three colors of violets. These tough little beauties are not only native, edible, and resistant to drought, but after being squashed into a bag, they came out looking unscathed. This photo was taken after transplant and a day of eighty-degree sun beating down on them!

More violets, between the Christmas tree and a large stone that makes a nice little seat. My friend Jen saved the day by helping me plant these. I was exhausted, and (as it turned out) rather sunburned.

I lined the underside of the bird-bath with violets. This resulted in the birdbath being a bit crooked. I will have to fix that.

This location will be getting strawberries around the edges, but the central part - where the shell is sitting - will just be gravel. It will be a play area for Gabe to push toy cars around in.

Piece by Piece

Sometimes, after you've had some plants in the same spot for years, they intertwine. In this photo are a few plants in what is only a foot or two wide.

The bottom left corner shows a Hosta 'Tea and Crumpets' which is a very small hosta. There's the Primula siboldii 'Alba' that I posted about the other day and poking up through everything is Polygonatum humile (dwarf solomon's seal).

This photo was taken last year, if I took it today it would have looked the same except it's almost impossible to find the Hosta 'Tea and Crumpets". I'd really like to divide out everything here without losing anything. Tomorrow or Monday I'd like to lift the whole area, pull out each piece and replace the Hosta with lots of compost.

This shot is taken closer to the Hosta. Those spiky plants are Tradescantia seedlings. I've grown a number of hybrid Tradescantias and on the whole have been ecstatic with their behaviour. Unfortanetly, the prettiest Tradescantia here, is also the most aggressive at spreading seedlings.

This is the same bed, just a foot or two away. The bright chartreusse is Tradescantia 'Sweet Kate'. I've written about her before, she isn't very sweet here at all. Last year I went around and dug up every one of her seedlings that I could find. It wouldn't be bad at all if they had the same coloring but every one of them reverts back to green with a standard blue flower.

It looks like this is going to be a job that eats up lots of time and only makes a change in a very small spot in my garden.

Waiting for the Last Frost Date

Days like today lead to many a spoiled garden. It was sunny and in the eighties with the whole world seeming to come to life. Still the average last frost date for our area is between May 8th and the 22nd depending on who you talk to. Last year I put out my tomatoes on a day like today and ended up losing them a couple weeks later. Gamble big and you might win, but I'd rather play it safe and steady. The tomatoes will have plenty of time to get huge. I spent the majority of my day today either indoors miserable from my cold, or outside trying to find things to photograph. The first photo is of flowers from a Bradford Pear. An invasive tree that our neighbors have which I must admit is really pretty to look at.

While I was taking the above photo I heard wing flaps above my head. When I looked up I saw a sparrow about six feet away on a higher branch and managed to get him in focus before he flew away. As Michelle said two invasives in the same photo!

I'm pretty sure Michelle tsk'd when I said these blue flowers looked nice. I assume that means their invasive, but maybe she can clarify.

The bane of all those who would have a perfect lawn. The humble dandelion.

I took this picture from the big rock overlooking Michelle's pond. Just some moss, fiddleheads, and a log.

Thank you Garden Give -Away

Welcome. Pour yourself a cup of tea and come see what I have been up to in my garden studio.

With Mother's Day just around the corner I thought it would be fun to paint some special "Welcome" garden signs just for you. I am thankful for all of the wonderful people who come to visit my blog and leave me such nice comments and want to say thank you and Happy Mothers Day with a special Give -Away just for you.

Give - Away



Your choice of any original Welcome garden painting shown on this post and a $50.00 gift card to Jo -Ann Fabric and Craft Store, which can be used in one of their stores or on-line.



Give - Away Art


Original art on fine cotton canvas - size 8X7 - suitable for hanging on your garden gate, picket fence, front door or special place in your garden. Canvas has been coated with a protective coat of clear varnish.

Finding Inspiration For Your Special Paintings

Here . . . .

Red geraniums in basket of my Vintage Rocket bicycle.

Welcome Red bicycle with basket of geraniums garden sign.


There . . . .

White bucket of pansies.

Welcome Pansy garden sign .

Everywhere . . . .

Bucket of sunflowers fresh from the Farmers Market just for you.

Bucket of sunflowers Welcome garden sign.


Welcome lilac sign

Garden bunny nestled in pink geraniums.

Welcome garden bunny sign

Give - Away

$50.00 Gift Card to Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts (can be used in store or on line).

Simply leave a comment, anyone can enter, if you do not have a blog, you can send me an e-mail at http://erinsart@ca.rr. with your comment. Tell me which Welcome garden painting you would like to win along with the J0-Ann Gift Card. Random Drawing will be held on May 2nd.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I love to hear from you and it means so much to me that you have taken time to leave me a comment and follow my blog. If you have any questions or would like to see me paint something special, please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail.

Have a lovely week. Blessings, Erin

A Brilliant Spring Day

Today was a brilliant spring day with sunny dry weather and a nice cool breeze. The soil in the garden heated up nicely today and all sorts of things sprung to life. I saw this composition of the young pea bracketed by old dried up roots and a nice splash of red from some fallen flowers off one of the trees and jumped on it. I really love how peas kind of explode out of their seeds with all sorts of leaves ready to go. As you can see from the rock in the picture our soil isn't exactly perfect. With only one year under our belts we have a lot of improvements to make with compost additions in the coming years.

I've been checking the Asparagus bed every day, and I swear that there weren't any spears poking through the soil this morning. This evening when we arrived home there were spears poking through the soil all over the place. The one above is long enough that I figure I must have missed it previously.

Most of the spears are just poking out a little bit like this one. They all look very healthy though and tasty. The problem is we aren't supposed to eat any this year, giving them one more year to really build up their roots before we harvest anyone is the plan. Michelle really want to eat a bunch and I'm going to be trying to fend her off;)

While the getting was good I ran around the yard taking pictures of emerging plants that Michelle was pointing out.

It is pretty cool to see just how many different types of ferns we have around our yard.

I really like the variety of colors and shapes. They feel so alien at times.

The flip side is they can also look so elegant and fragile. I remember as a kid crawling under a canopy of ferns and pretending they were a fort.

We didn't manage to harvest all of the raspberries last year and some of them dried out and hung around. Hopefully this year we'll be better about that.

Michelle pointed out a spice bush that was just starting to really wake up.

I would love to find a Swallowtail caterpillar on one of these later this year.