My Trip to Co County

I can't go "out of town" without stopping at a local garden store. 

This week, after a garden consult in Appling, I visited Greenbrier Nursery on Washington Road. 

What a sweet shop and nursery. 

Couldn't help but notice this...

Viburnum macrocephalum (doesn't that mean big head in Latin?)
Chinese Snowball bush or tree in this case!

Had to have a flat of  Diaschia "Romeo"
...looks more like Juliet.

 Pretty urns for arrangements & gardens, funky rubber boots, and lots of goodies inside the adorable shop.

Blessings from the Garden.
ML

Feed Me, Seymour!

Before I go out to check what the 4" rain in Burke County did to the pumpkin patch, I want to remind you how important it is to fertilize after what my friend, Winnie, calls a "toad choker"!

The heavy, soaking rains in the CSRA mean we gardeners need to get out and fertilize. Just like diluting tea with extra water, the rain takes vital nutrients from the soil...If you have not used a Slow Release or Controlled Release fertilizer up to now, it's (Osmocote pellets) time to go ahead and work that in. Also you may consider a "water soluble" fertilizer such as "Proven Winners" water soluble fertilizer.

Full report on Burke County Gulley Washer ASAP!
Blessings from the Garden.
ML

Memorial Day Weekend List

I have a country house full of teens and

lots of work to do this weekend...

* Prep work for Pumpkins ....planting date is

to be determined by the state of the garden

this weekend... possibly June 5th, but

definitely no later than June 12th...

* Determine war zones and techniques against

deer, armadillo, turkeys, etc...any suggestions

would be greatly appreciated!

* Weed, weed, weed flower beds...

* Clean up bee hive and ready for new bees!

* Plant more zinnias, sunflowers. All prep

for FlowerCamp.

In the meantime, I'll be cooking, cleaning, and

visiting the "country cannibal" in town. Will report!

Blessings from the Garden.

ML

ps. take a moment or two to remember those

who are in the Garden of Heaven...

More Hummer Info...

A faithful reader found a "misprint" on a hummer food

recipe. The correct mix is 4 parts water to 1 part sugar.

Boil the water then add the sugar and let cool. Boiling

allows a longer standing time in the feeder without getting

moldy...especially around here! Thanks Kathy!!

Here is the link to my March 28, 2009 post on hummers

http://www.mlchgarden.com/2009/03/hummers-are-coming.html

Blessings from the Garden.

ML

Garden Seminars!

Garden Seminars

A super opportunity to learn more about gardening with no tests, no commitment, no pressure, no prerequisites! Sponsored by the Augusta Council of Garden Clubs, you may pick the topic(s) of interest, register and learn from the most sought after speakers in Augusta! All sessions include a "hands on " garden tour component...here is the scoop...

Blessings from the Garden

ML

The Augusta Council of Garden Clubs will hold a monthly series of gardening seminars

starting June 19 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 3185 Wheeler Road.

Sessions are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lunch included.

Cost is $25 per session.

For information call Judy Kirkland at (706) 556-3417,

or e-mail jukirkland@charter.net.

Here are the topics:

June 19 Soil Prep & Composting, vegetable gardening

and companion planting

July 24 Herbs: Floral and Culinary

August 21 Perennials, Bulbs & Annuals

September 25 New Cultivars

October 16 Native Plants

Novemer 13 Indoor Plants

January 15 Trees & Shrubs

Twine

There are several items I keep handy in the

garden. Twine is one of them, especially now

that growth is exponential.

The primary function of twine or jute during

spring/summer(in my garden) is to tie tomatoes to posts.

My toms have grown as high as 8 feet, so I just keep

tying the stems to the posts for upward persuasion.

Jute, which is actually a plant, is much heavier. I used

jute to tie the "teepee" posts together...Jute is too

harsh for the delicate tomato branches/stems.

Here(below) is another way I use twine. An upside down tomato

cage with twine working its way up the cage. My first blooming

sweet peas are appreciating the support! Next up will be

Blackeyed Susan vine. Topped off by small garden pot!

Also, the twine comes in handy to provide support for peas

& beans...Here are English peas growing rampant up a trellis

I concocted...

Buy some twine at your local garden store or big box

home store.

Well,I just counted 30 tomato plants in the Home garden! WOW.

I had 9 plants last year. A LOT of twine!

Blessings from the Garden.

ML

Rain!

We had a steady rain shower this afternoon so I am out

to the garden to check on things and fertilize. I'll be using

"llama beans" and some 10.10.10. It's a good time to

fertilize as a good rain leaches nutrients from the soil.

I am going to hoe around the Silver Queen corn as the

weeds are starting to encroach. Same with the 4 o'clocks,

they require shovel pruning frequently!

Prepared a calendar for blogging today while it rained. My goal is to blog about SOMETHING every day through August.

I'll have to remember the laptop while on vacation.

Go out and check the garden, you may find a suprise!

Blessings from the Garden.

ML

ps. the pic is Queen Ann's Lace that looks like a snowflake to me...

click on it to appreciate.

Home Garden Update

Home Garden Explosion 2010

Came home to another explosion in the Garden. Even after "coming in" to tend the garden earlier in the week during Master's vacation, there are so many new colors and sizes!

Above picture shows English Peas taking off onto twine trellis,

Jericho lettuce, 2 types of Radish, Arugula, and 9 Brandywine tomatoes

just beginning to soak up the warm temps...

Top pic shows a flat leaf Viburnum, below is a small

ornamental peach just beginning to produce fruit!

"Pink Charm" daffodils from Easy to

Grow Bulbs planted late and blooming nicely.

Home Garden Harvest

FRESH VEGGIES

The combination of rain and a bit of sunshine

has started the spring veggie machine! I feel

daily blog posting coming up.

After picking up the newspaper, I spotted

some broccoli and collards ready for picking.

So off with the plastic sleeve and in with the

veggies!

Lettuce, beets, English peas and radish are all sprouting, too!

Weeds are everywhere, though. Will need to

get busy with weeding and mulching...

Blessings from the Garden!

ML

Get Busy!

Time has a way of slipping up on me!

According to the UGA calendar for

Vegetable Planting in our area,

we need to put some things in the ground!

(Pictured is early "fall garden" 6 toms,

3 bells, 1 eggplant, sweet potatoes)

As of today, I've not seen any veggie transplants for fall.

Go ahead, look at this list, make your

own list and you will be ready to buy when transplants come in.

Also, check out Johnny's Select Seeds, Seeds of Change,

and Kitchen Garden online. Lowe's on Peach Orchard Rd.

carries a variety of seeds--lettuce, beets, carrots,radish...

Seeds to Buy

beets

carrot

cucumber & squash(no later than 8/31)

lettuce

radish

spinach

turnips

chard

chinese cabbage

Transplants

broccoli

cauliflower

cabbage

collards

kale

mustard greens

Experiment with this list. Check the veggies you like. One source states that 6-12 broccoli plants will be enough for a family. I am starting with 6 plants.

We love beets, I've ordered "golden" beets and regular "red" beets from Johnny's. Play with different varieties of the veggies to add color to your plate this fall/winter!

Here is my list from Johnny's Select Seeds. I wait patiently by the mailbox!

golden beets, ruby red chard, easter egg radish, mokum carrot, de cicco broccoli,

bonsai pak choi, gypsy broccoli

Get Busy!

Blessings from the Garden.

ML

Home Garden Update Part I...

I probably need another blog for the farm since all my updates have been combined and a bit confusing! I have posted a few "H"ome pics to look at and compare in the upcoming weeks...
My tennis buddies laugh at some of my monogramming...

why not take it to the garden????

so, here is a taste of what's in the HOME garden!
One of my favorite sunflowers from Goodness Grows in Lexington, GA.
I searched for this one because I liked the interesting little thingy in the middle!

Still have a few gladiolas popping up(right). Bought some new "African" bulbs in honor of Robert. It's not too late to plant them...

On left, Bee Balm (Monarda). The bees really do love it.

Plant in fall!

This pretty thing came out of Nanci's yard next door.

Have not identified it yet...

All of my tomatoes look great! These are Brandywine, they will be squatty, meaty and fat. Also have Sungold and ACME.

This is my prize for shaking Mullein seed everywhere in my garden last year! This is actually an herb. The ladies in Burke County would disagree and call it a WEED, but it is still so whimsical!





Rose Campion, left, is going to seed. If you would like some to sprinkle in your garden, just email me. Sprinkle it now or this fall and you will have these showy purple/pink flowers on soft gray stems!



A garden club friend, probably in her 80's gave me some seed in an old film canister several years ago. I am happy to share.




The weather is not too hot today, need to catch up in home garden.I'll continue the update later with "Part II".
see you. ML