tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31489142024-02-20T18:34:29.999-05:00outside in the gardenS E A S O N A L notes and musings, with relevant linksPalemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-82861156505192621352010-01-30T12:24:00.000-05:002010-01-30T12:24:11.425-05:00Seedling potsBuying seed starter pots or other containers for you seeds every year can get expensive. I was interested in The wooden <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/Paper-Pot-Maker/NewSeedstarting%20_Cat,38-636,default,cp.html">thingie </a>you use to create biodegradable pots from newspaper. This typically sells for about $20; I used to own one, but it got lost in my last move, before I ever made many pots from it.<br />
It turns out you can just use a household glass or a <a href="http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2007/03/seed-starting-pots-from-newspaper.html">soda can </a> to form it. Or you can do it origami style as demonstrated in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms7hUdbl8Ds">this video</a>. <br />
Or, you could fill with potting soil a half egg shell (see the Mr. Brown Thumb page, further down), or section of toilet paper tube. I kind of like the egg shell idea! <br />
<br />
Picture, if you will, an egg carton, filled with a dozen half eggshells -- planted with eggplant seedlings! A possible Easter gift??Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-74012204060749374592010-01-30T11:13:00.001-05:002010-01-30T11:15:14.098-05:00Good seed catalogsNot February quite yet -- but it's time to think SEEDS!<br />
<br />
For those who could use a list of reliable suppliers to the home garden, here's a list of ones that sell tried and true seeds and decline to sell anything that has been genetically modified. <br />
<br />
The manual genetic modification technology has yet to be thoroughly tested by the USDA and found safe for consumption.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, Monsanto and one or two other giant chemical companies are forging ahead. Monsanto owns come companies that own some seed distributors that own some seed companies; I urge people not to buy from those companies. It's not always easy to tell, but one clue is to look at the bottom of their website and see who owns the copyright, then look up that company (if it's different).<br />
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Here are some of the good ones:<br />
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<a href="http://www.parkseed.com/">Park Seed</a> <blockquote>Park Seed has always been committed to offering only untreated, non-genetically-modified seed, and now we are proud to be a source of professionally-grown Certified Organic seed.</blockquote><br />
<a href="http://rareseeds.com/cart/">Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds</a> <blockquote>Your source for 1400 heirloom seeds. We only offer open-pollinated seeds: pure, natural & non-GMO!</blockquote><br />
<a href="http://www.fedcoseeds.com/">Fedco Seeds</a> <blockquote>The company was founded in 1978 as a cooperative and caters mainly to home growers and market gardeners in the Northeast. Much of the seed offered is certified organic. The company maintains high standards, tests for genetically modified contamination, and offers excellent customer service.</blockquote>I can order Fedco seeds through my local Food Coop, which gets the volume discount by placing bulk orders for its members.<br />
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<a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/">Seed Savers Exchange</a><blockquote>Seed Savers Exchange,Inc., is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to conserving and promoting heirloom vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs.</blockquote>Non-members can buy from the Seedsavers catalog, but members have access to a gret many more varieties of seeds, many brought here by immigrants and handed down through families<br />
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<a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/">Johnnys Selected Seeds</a> A seed cooperative in Maine.<br />
<blockquote>...recognizing the precious genetic heritage in heirloom seeds, he offered numerous vintage varieties, whose seed, unlike hybrids, does not break down after one generation. And, although operating a business dependent upon seed sales, he wrote a book to help gardeners save their own vegetable seeds, called “Growing Garden Seeds”.</blockquote><br />
<a href="http://www.highmowingseeds.com">High Mowing Seeds</a><br />
The Safe-Seed Pledge<br />
<blockquote>Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. <br />
The <i>mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms poses great biological risks</i>, as well as economic, political and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities</blockquote><br />
For more catalog information, check out <a href="http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/7315/a-new-crop-of-seed-catalogs">The Vegetable Gardener</a> blog<br />
For an explanation of what's wrong with genetically modified organisms, take a look at <a href="http://www.saynotogmos.org/dna_myth.html">Say No to GMOs</a>, a website with links to many informative articles.<br />
To read what Monsanto has to say for itself, look at their <a href="http://www.monsanto.com/">website</a>. They argue that to keep up with population growth, the world will need genetically modified plants. (I wonder how they feel about birth control?)Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-11676825226381491272009-03-30T06:44:00.003-04:002009-03-30T06:56:00.511-04:00Bird's nest compost pileDeb Martin in eastern Pennsylvania practices and writes about composting, and while cleaning up a winters worth of sticks and debris last year came up with Bird's nest composting. I like it for its simplicity:<br /><blockquote>... to create creating a passive, no-turn compost project, a base layer of sticks makes a fine starting point. You can imagine you’re building a really big bird’s nest as you pile up the twigs in a rough circle or in the bottom of your open bin or pen. When you have other ingredients, start layering them inside the frame made of sticks and random prunings. The twiggy base will let air flow up and under the pile, reducing the need for turning to get air into the heap.<br /><strong>Read the rest, and more innovative ideas at</strong> <a href="http://www.compostgardening.com/moreinnovativemethods.html"><strong>Compost Gardening</strong></a></blockquote><br />I have a triad of metal wire bins; and just now, two are nearly empty and one is filled to overflowing with dry leaves. I had nowhere to put my food scraps, so I plan to construct a small bird's nest right next to the bin of leaves so every time I dump I'll have ready cover. <br /><br />Quick and easy! perfect.Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-64856008391131245562009-03-01T08:21:00.002-05:002009-03-01T08:38:04.147-05:00The traveling gardenerThere will be all sorts of events coming up that appeal to the gardener. For instance, organic gardener and teacher Linda Turner of Bozrah, CT, has scheduled a trip to the NY Botanical Garden in mid April. I found the link to her site "<a href="http://plantasiact.com">Plantasia</a>," at Nancy DeBrule's <a href="http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=0018HIQAN3euRhU_nib2cukUFEf3-fnAMqd-ljpe5Kqd0raeyXhJcVUQwfPE76qGl52mmVPYnm05EsWyxIeLjFWtgZgsRR5pH0FYzxtHMpt89nUQwwl1sjzPQ%3D%3D">Natureworks email update</a>.<br /><blockquote><strong>First Tour of 2009!</strong><br />Looks like the first tour will be in late April to the New York Botanical Garden. I'm looking at Saturday, April 18, so as soon as the bus is confirmed, I'll have the sign up sheet online and you can register. New York is about 3 weeks ahead of us as far as temperature etc, so there will be plenty of blooming bulbs, and maybe cherries and dogwood and spring blooming perennials. There's always the awesome exhibits in the conservatory if it's a little chilly out and the gift shop is great. They have a wonderful restaurant there, too. Other tours in process are to the Wildflower Society's Garden in the Woods and maybe their new education center at Nasami Farm, Tower Hill Botanic, and possibly one in New York State (that one may be an overnight!) If there is interest in some local spots, I will be planning some casual group events at Connecticut College and Harkness. </blockquote><br />This could be a lovely way to spend an April Saturday!Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-34134019329452504092009-02-15T20:22:00.003-05:002009-02-15T21:23:37.054-05:00Burpee meets Martha Stewart LivingI looked up George Ball Jr., the current head of the Burpee Seed Co.I was trying to find out if the company is now owned by the chemical company, Monsanto, which does own a number of seed companies.<br />I havent yet discovered what I went for, but did find some pleasant writing by Mr. Ball on the occasion of his visit to Martha Stewart at her Westport, CT home about 16 years ago.He found her likable, shy and attractive.<br /><blockquote>...Basically, what you see on TV is what Martha truly is. She gardens like a professional - I was very impressed. We visited the henhouses with their little Martha-like designer hens. She showed me their "Martha" eggs -- dappled and speckled in rich colors and shades. Amazing! I immediately fantasized that I'd try to breed and sell baby chicks again, like the original Mr. Burpee back in 1876. I told Martha about how we'd developed many of the strains of poultry she was raising. After I returned home to Warminster and reviewed the costs that would be involved, I abandoned the dream. Martha is a fantasy merchant; she creates wonderful worlds of make-believe and invites her audience to inhabit them for a very pleasant half-hour. It is not unlike the pleasure our customers get when they curl up with the Burpee catalogue or visit our Web site.</blockquote><br /><br /><br />When Martha Stewart in turn paid a visit to the Fordhook, PA Burpee farms she picked a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20001007054011/burpee.com/whoweare/george/image/southerncharm.jpg">verbascum </a>as one of two favorites of the new varieties they were testing that year. Ball remarked that the plant made the test gardens look more natural, less like, well, test gardens.<br /><br /><blockquote>Traditional perennial borders are tricky to design. One slip of the palette and the result is pure mediocrity with the usual suspects lined up alongside one another, giving the effect of predictability and boredom. Where's the surprise? "Seen one, seen 'em all." <br />Gardeners should experiment, talk back, disobey an order. Maybe even go AWOL. Anything but the dull "English perennial border" designs that have little or no relationship to the actual site, much less to our North American climate. For beginning gardeners it is especially important to play around and have fun, like a child learning to draw. Establish the ground rules, learn the basics well, and then exercise the imagination. Plant what you like. Let the pundits and snobs lecture on their "rules". Who cares? Discover the flexibility of rules and learn the nuances of your garden as you go along. But "let yourself go." This is the lesson of modernism and it applies to garden design every bit as much as painting, music, or architecture.</blockquote><br />To read more of Ball, see a report of <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20000824031621/www.burpee.com/whoweare/george/conversation.html">conversation at Bard College</a> with an<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20000929114106/www.burpee.com/whoweare/george/image/finalgeorgekelldown.jpg"> English professor</a> Robert Kelly, under whom he studied while at Bard in the early 1970s.Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1149338233684490962006-06-03T08:24:00.000-04:002006-06-03T08:37:13.703-04:00Weather reportIt's been raining for a few days -- nice soft rain followed by more rain; but not the pounding sort of rain that dislodges young plants and batters down those in bloom. We had a number of quite warm days, so I finally had to dig around through some storage piles to see what I did with my summer clothes. I am still quite disorganized after our move of over a year ago.<br /><br />My first summer in this house, I plunked down some anuals in the little front beds and put a few containers of annuals on the porch -- nust so people would know someone was living here, after the house had been vacant for months.<br /><br />Since then, I have been trying to build compost, a slow business in that my only material was a superabundance of dry maaple leaves. This summer, I will have lots of green garden waste to add. The wild fall asters that are about 2 feet tall with a lot of rather coarse leaves and tiny flowers (aka weeds) and the buttercups and violets need to be cut back. I love the violets, but they cover most of the yard and are tall enough to give nice cover to a snake. I've seen <a href="http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/cgarter.html">one snake</a> about 2.5 feet long and the cat has found a couple of shorter ones. I like them, and would not like to setp on onelurking in the grass. My plan is to leave swaths of the violets as ground cover, but to cut pathways through them from the compost and brush pile area to the bird feeder area, for instance.Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1148179146368514102006-05-20T21:44:00.000-04:002006-05-20T22:39:06.376-04:00More tips...<br /><br />166. You can use coffee grounds as a mulch around acid-loving plants such as blueberries, azaleas, and dogwoods.Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1148174467893929902006-05-20T21:19:00.000-04:002006-05-20T21:21:07.920-04:00Organic Garden Tips<a href="http://www.organicgardentips.com/51-100.html">Caution!</a><blockquote>66. Certain kinds of leaves contain substances that can be harmful to plants, and should not be used for mulching with composting them first. These include: acacia, California bay, camphor, cypress, eucalyptus, madrone, oak, pine, pittosporum, red cedar, and walnut.</blockquote> Great tips and ideas at this <a href="http://www.organicgardentips.com/51-100.html">website.</a>Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1147776385887787242006-05-16T06:13:00.000-04:002006-05-16T06:46:25.896-04:00RainIt's been raining every day for 10 days or so (I dont keep as close a watch on the weather as I ought, for a would-be gardener). Reports indicate that there is flooding everywhere - but not here.<br /><br />I'm still in the "we really need it" mode. Last summer it was very dry; water seemed to disappear soon after it touched the powdery earth. And, being new here and somewhat strapped for cash, I didnt have enough mulch to hold in the little we had. I am busily creating leaf mould to use as compost or mulch. There has been very little green to add to my compost piles until this rain hit. Now, of course, it's too wet to mow. Although it hasn't been raining constantly, it has not dried up at all between rainfalls.<br /><br />A <a href="http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/community/2006/uf515a.jpg">map</a> at the Accu Weather <a href="http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/community_blog.asp">Community Weather Blog</a> shows that my part of Connecticut had 3-5 inches of rain last week. That's a lot of rain for one week. In the Boston and southeastern corner of New Hamshire, they had up to 12 inches! <br /><br />I usually rely on the federal <a href="http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/">NOAA </a>reports for my weekly weather forecasts, as they can be localized quite well -- just type in your zip code. But they do not provide one thing I've been looking for: a nice, easy to read series of charts showing rainfall and temperature history.<br /><br />Well one good thing about this rain: my peas have finally begun to grow. For some time, they just sat there in the ground, occasionally rising up out of it to look around. It's nearly time to place a support for them -- but it's raining to much! Hm, may have to work put there in the rain!Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1146360979132727892006-04-29T21:36:00.000-04:002006-04-29T21:40:21.153-04:00<h3>Rosa <em>rugosa</em></h3><br />Rugosa, I guess, is the "wild" rose you see along the coast. The online <a href="http://www.rosemagazine.com/articles04/rugosa_roses/">Rose Magazine</a> has quite a bit of information on this plant- more than the seed catalogs that offer them for sale.<br /><blockquote>For a first time Rugosa grower, I would recommend Hansa (picture above), a 1905 introduction which produces brilliant red-purple, extremely fragrant blooms. It is comparatively small growing (4 - 5ft./1.2-1.5 m). In fall, it produces red-orange hips suitable for making rosehip jams or jellies that is, if you can get to them before the birds do. </blockquote>Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1140265438680106172006-02-18T07:23:00.000-05:002006-02-18T07:23:58.750-05:00Tinker's Gardens — Vegetable Gardening - Crop Rotation<a href="http://www.tinkersgardens.com/vegetables/croprotation.asp">Crop Rotation</a> <blockquote>Failure to rotate crops annually will result in increased soil borne disease, nematodes, soil insects, imbalance of essential mineral elements, and a dramatic decline in productivity. Crop rotation is the most economical ways to aid in prevention and control of insects and disease. Vegetables in the same family grouping are likely to be susceptible to the same diseases and organisms. Rotate these groups so vegetables from one group are not planted in the same location more than once every 3 to 5 years.</blockquote>Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1118493049336235742005-06-11T08:30:00.000-04:002005-06-11T08:30:49.336-04:00Amazing hills<a href="http://pipimaru.dyndns.org/china_2000jun/06/untitled-28.html">Additional Detail for untitled-28.jpg</a> see image of many steep little hills in ChinaPalemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1118492932600983222005-06-11T08:28:00.001-04:002005-06-11T08:28:52.600-04:00Yum,dinner - China dog<a href="http://pipimaru.dyndns.org/china_2000jun/06/untitled-21.html">Additional Detail for untitled-21.jpg</a>Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1118492882582596202005-06-11T08:28:00.000-04:002005-06-11T08:28:02.586-04:00China<a href="http://pipimaru.dyndns.org/china_2000jun/06/untitled-20.html">Additional Detail for untitled-20.jpg</a>Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1118488964584066392005-06-11T07:21:00.000-04:002005-06-11T07:22:44.583-04:00I'm in a new place, with a nearly entire garden to create. This will take several years, I imagine.Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1093946087005069052004-08-31T05:54:00.000-04:002005-06-11T07:20:16.820-04:00testis it possible this is fixed??<br />Now Im wondering if it worksPalemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1087043985511057632004-06-12T08:35:00.000-04:002004-06-12T08:39:45.510-04:00Summer ruined They are finally repaving our street AND putting in new sidewalks. We are overdue for both, but there are two bad aspects to this.
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<br />First, every day, nearly all day long, there are dozens of trucks, earth movers and diggers, plus (it appears) the pickup trucks the workers came to work in.One comes home from work not knowing if one will be able to get into the driveway, or will have to park up the street around the corner. That makes planning grocery shopping difficult since I am not prepared to carry heavy bags that distance.
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<br />Second, They took out and carried off the nice old granite curbstones that surely date from before 1900 and are replacing them with bland concrete curbs.
<br />Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1079797140622037712004-03-20T10:39:00.000-05:002004-03-20T10:43:05.000-05:00Snow .... snow ....It doesn't exactly feel like March. We have had several snow storms over the past week and the temperature has been below freezing.
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<br />However, as snowstorms go, these have been very mild. I'm sure part of the reason is the longer day. Even on a day with a gray sky, the sun seems to peek through in the late afternoon to add just a little more melt to the mix.
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<br />The wind is not as harsh, the temperature not as low as it would have been (in fact, <em>was</em>) in January. Not so bad! And the bulbs being delayed and well watered, may do better than average. We shall see!Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1076864480606242982004-02-15T12:01:00.000-05:002004-02-15T12:03:56.390-05:00Smell the dirtI was looking at a garden magazine that asked customers to submit their favorite sight of spring.
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<br />For me, it's not a sight, it's a smell and a feel. When the weather warms up above freezing for a little while, you can smell the thawing soil. And even when the temperature is fairly low -- today we have a high of about 18 F, for instance -- it feels different. There is more light; not just longer days, but a higher sun at noon. So, even when it's cold, it somehow feels warmer, and partly that warmth is fueled by hope.
<br />Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1073190100239306012004-01-03T23:21:00.000-05:002004-02-10T07:02:54.436-05:00Tower Hill Botanical GardenWe drove to Worcester, Mass. today to see the relatively new botanical garden which is a project of the Worcester county Horticultural Society. It was winter of course, so nothing in bloom. And yet, as I hped they have a good winter garden, with dark and bright woods, nice tree shapes, glowing berries and so on.
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<br />Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1073058897596373762004-01-02T10:54:00.000-05:002004-01-02T11:01:12.053-05:00Ahhh! fixed at last!Can it be? somehow I have fixed this -- I have been unable to post to this blog since October.
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<br />There was an entry (Wed. Dec. 31), a more or less random set of characters. which was not a test, but rather our ginger cat, Morris, striking out on a trek across the keyboard <span lang="fr">en route</span> to the top of my computer box, a spot he favors for napping in a sociable way.Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1067992545277725852003-11-04T19:35:00.000-05:002003-12-31T06:36:25.466-05:00testtest 2Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1066606057555335432003-10-19T19:27:00.000-04:002003-11-04T19:35:12.390-05:00Hibiscus: the ExtrovertMy friend M. says he will share his gardening observations in this space now and then. Well, I suggested he start a garden blog, but he demurred, as follows:<blockquote>As a matter of fact, I have always enjoyed the 'agricultural' side of life. What is commonly called Gardening. I do keep an eye on the local vegetation, what is flowering, how it is doing and so forth.
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<br />Unfortunately, my personal territory is reduced to a rather small balcony. True, it is crowded with plants on behalf of which I go to certain lengths to keep healthy and happy. I certainly do not have enough 'ammunition' to run a blog on Gardening.
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<br />However, apart from keeping an eye on my local area vegetation - Monaco has some Very Good Town Hall Gardeners
<br />who do a Marvellous job around Town in the numerous little parks and spaces in this now semi-tropical climate - I pretty much always check out the Weekend Financial Times Gardening Section. Okay, that concerns the North -
<br />British climate. But it is interesting and the guy knows what he is talking about : probably, about the only person working on the Weekend FT who has ever had any experience of the Real World in any shape or form!
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<br />To say, I would indeed be Happy to contribute occasional - even regular remarks to Your Garden Blog - when I have something to share, as it were. I really do enjoy reading about and mentioning Gardening Stuff - plants and
<br />flowers, the weather and so on. Is is also such a pleasant change from my Regular Beats ! So, if You do not think it too absurd, I shall try to pop in a few observations.
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<br />I can tell You right away, that down here along the Mediterranean Coast this year, all varieties of hibiscus have done very, very well indeed ! Possibly about the only plants - and certainly Flowering Plants - to have thrived on the 100 degree Summer. As You know, hibiscus have large, individual, highly-coloured, trumpet-shaped blooms. And Boy ! When they Bloom, they Bloom ! They are full-bodied, extrovert and proud of it ! Normally each bloom lasts only about a day. These plants of tropical origin, I surmise, really come into their own with the heat and new blossoms appear daily in abundance for months. All the colours are very luminous and saturated: reds blues purples pinks yellows. Having one or two of these shrubs around, which can grow very large, it like being on Copacabana Beach : You get Your eyeful all the time and there is no false modesty ! They are, also, very cheerful, good-natured flowers to have around. They are what they seem: generous. If Global Warming is here to stay, my advice would be to joyfully check out the hibiscus folk ! :-)
<br />--Big M.</blockquote>
<br />Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1066505181393137642003-10-18T15:26:00.000-04:002004-06-20T13:19:44.513-04:00Bird-feeding tipTo foil the squirrel who eats a weeks worth of bird seed in an hour or so, <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/gardening/content.asp?copy_id=5524&SC=DNA70086">Gardener's Supply </a>suggests mixing the seed with hot pepper powder. The birds don't taste it at all, but the squirrels will avoid it like the plague.
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<br />Alternatively you could spend $60 on a squirrel-proof <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/department.asp?CMP=IL8892&DeptPGID=17706">feeder </a>;-)
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<br />And if you happen to have a swimming pool on your property, as nearly everyone in Texas and California seems to, you can avoid having little animals fall into it while seeking water by providing for them elsewhere on the property. Check out the animal water jug <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/sell.asp?ProdGroupID=17900&CMP=IL8895&IMG=34%2D117%5Fa%2Ejpg&DeptPGID=&lstCategory="><img src="http://bronzefrogs.com/blogs/chip.jpg" alt="earthenware water jug for small animals from Gardener's Supply"></a>
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<br />p.s. I am moving this blogPalemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3148914.post-1066299187474540662003-10-16T06:13:00.000-04:002003-10-18T15:43:38.616-04:00Post heat wave: the Euro weather reportA <a href="http://sillyremarks.blogspot.com/" title ="Michael O'Dwyer">friend </a>living in the second smallest independent state in the world writes:
<br /><blockquote> After Europe's Heat wave which, from a gardening point of view only, destroyed baclony plants, window boxes and gardens and their shrubs, some of those poor plants are struggling to come back to greenery and flower.
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<br />Now - in the middle of October. Plants which should have currently been becoming leafless are now sprouting new greenery and also bursting into flower. The Season is crazy: anemones and daffodils are also already putting forth their preliminary greenery. They should be sprouting only After Christmas. Something very peculiar is going on.
<br />:-)
<br />Big M.</blockquote>Palemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07332820101922303018noreply@blogger.com