God made rainy days….
God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done. ~Author Unknown
Orchid Therapy
Even though the world is filled with confusion
When I gaze at one orchid
I can forget all my problems.
– Song Sunam –
Plant Fall Bulbs for Spring Color
Fall leaves us with diminished foliage and dried up flowers. And we have nothing but months of winter drab to look forward to. November is the time for most of the country to plant spring flowering bulbs for that boost of color we desperately need in early spring.
The choices are numerous. Daffodils and tulips are probably the most popular but many others are available. I choose mostly daffodils because animals do not disturb them and they seem to come back faithfully year after year. I find the color yellow to be so cheerful.
Fall bulbs for spring flowering should be planted once the ground cools and before it freezes. As a rule of thumb, plant before Thanksgiving in most of the country.
Dig a hole to the required depth. Depth is measurement of space between the soil line and top of bulb or bare root.
Set the bulbs or bare root in place, pointed side or sprout side upward.
Cover the bulbs by replacing the soil and water thoroughly.
You will be rewarded in springtime with foliage first, then cheerful colorful flowers.
Tomato Transplanting
Finally, its time to transplant my tomatoes outside. I have a small growing area so I am growing three in the ground in my TINY vegetable bed. Three others are going into “muck buckets”. They are large plastic tubs. I drilled holes in the bottom and placed them in the path of the lawn sprinklers for ease of care. These are growing in the Denver area and will receive very little rain water during the growing season. I fertilized with vegetable fertilizer granular pellets which will last the entire season. If temps threaten to fall, I will use “walls of water” to protect the plants from frost. I will also be growing a bell pepper plant, some mesclen lettuce and a variety of herbs. I find that I can tuck herbs into empty spaces in the flower beds and they just add a touch of green. Now the hard part….waiting on the sweet juicy tomatoes.
Amazing Flower Video
A friend forwarded this video to me. I found it to be absolutely amazing and thought maybe some others would enjoy. Credit goes to the individual noted on the video. Enjoy.
The Life of flowers (Жизнь цветов) from VOROBYOFF PRODUCTION on Vimeo.
Kalanchoe flowering today
This is a Kalanchoe plant flowering in my home. The Kalanchoe is a succulent and is an easy care houseplant that rewards the grower with pretty petite flowers in the doldrums of winter. The leaves are a glossy green and have an interesting shape.
Care of this plant is easier than pronouncing the name. ‘KA-luhn-KO-e. and kuh-LAN-cho are both acceptable pronunciations.
Too much attention is not a good thing. It thrives on neglect. I put it outside all summer with only a bit of sunshine. In winter it does thrive in a sunroom with a western exposure, but southern works, too. It winter, it should receive a minimal amount of water, like most succulents. It can nearly dry out. The leaves will begin to shrivel if it gets too dry.
After flowering, Kalanchoe can be cut back of the plant gets top heavy or leggy. The cuttings will produce new plants if more are desired. Cutting back keeps the plant full and nicer looking. It’s a nice addition to any houseplant collection.
Finally, the flower is open
The flower bud finally opened. As a bud, the background of the flower is a creamy yellow. It quickly changes to a warm white background. The slide show can take you through the progression. It is beautiful in each stage of its development.
Tomato Seed Planting
You may notice a theme with my blog. I am always looking forward to spring or summer, the growing seasons. One way to rush the season is by planting seeds of vegetables or flowers. There are many who would argue that you can save money by growing from seed. Although it is truly less expensive, it may not be very practical unless you have the right conditions and the will to tend to the plants once they start growing. I recommend growing your own if you love doing so. Otherwise, there are nice starter plants at garden centers to buy.
Today I started my tomato seeds. I started Celebrity because they did so well last year. The fruits are small but they were really sweet and juicy. I am going to walk you through the process I used. There are experts who will tell you there is a right way. I would argue that there is more than one way that works. I have developed processes that work for me and I will share those with you. If other ways work for you, please share those with the rest of us.
I use a seed starting mix or light potting soil. The soil should be very fine and it must be sterile. This will help the little seedlings break through and avoid wilt after they come up. The soil goes into little cell packs, but you can also use a pot if you don’t have cell packs. I wet the soil before inserting the seeds. That way you don’t displace the seed when you add water later on. I use a cuticle stick to make a little hole (about 1/4 inch deep) in the cell. Then drop the seed in and cover with dampened soil. After planting the seed, I add a little water in the form of a fine mist from a spray bottle.
The cell pack needs to remain warm and moist for quickest germination. I have a little electric seed starting mat that holds a seedling flat. I cover the flat with a plastic dome lid made for that purpose. You can also use a plastic storage bag to hold moisture in. Popsicle sticks work well to tent the bag, keeping an opening for the seedlings to come up without touching the plastic. For heat, a warm windowsill will work as will the top of a warm appliance. Just make sure there is bright light for the seedlings to germinate. I use shop lights with one warm and one cool bulb. You can get seed starting supplies at garden centers, nurseries and even Wal-Mart. I tend to order some supplies from Gardeners Supply Company, but there are other mail order options as well. Last, add a label because if you plant more than one thing, you won’t remember what you have. Add the date so you have an idea of when to expect germination.
Next is the hardest part. You wait for the seedlings to peek through. The earliest I have ever had tomatoes germinate is 5 days and it can easily take 10 or more depending on conditions of seeds and environment. More about that in 5-10 days, I hope.
Can Everyone Grow Orchids?
Encyclia cochleatum
If you can grow houseplants, you can grow orchids. They are not necessarily harder, but they are different than houseplants. Start small and focused. Different types of orchids, just like other plants, require different care. And educate yourself about growing orchids. I suggest starting with the American Orchid Society website www.AOS.com. There are many excellent references on the site.
Some easy options are Phalenopsis, Encyclia (pictured above), Dendrobium, and Cattleya. These are usually available in flower shop, grocery stores and even Lowes or Home Depot. Lowes and Home Depot have lower prices on orchids. Once you develop your skills, you may want to mail order from some of the vendors on the AOS site. I really like www.oakhillgardens.com. They have affordable prices on “starter orchids”. They have great support and every accessory you could ever need. Oak Hill Gardens is outside of Chicago. Larger cities often have greenhouses where you can buy smaller orchids for a very reasonable price.
Some considerations for which type of plant to buy are light and temperature near your available windows. The good news is that orchids require relatively little care. They prefer to be left alone and watered only when needed. That is likely to be only one time a week. They need to be repotted approximately every two years. For this effort, you are rewarded with flowers that are breathtaking. And once you start, be warned, its habit-forming. But an orchid collection will bring you years of satisfaction.
The Dirt on Gardening 