New in the Garden

Snow Storm!

Not a quilt, but this storm made me feel like being on Mt. Everest so I had to post it!

Spring Bulbs

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This year I splurged and planted some new daffodils as well as tulips.

This mix is called “Oh Pairs” from a company called Colorblends. They were stunning and stood up quite well in spite of the pounding rain we got this winter. All they need is plenty of sun and some decent garden soil.
Daffodils last for years and will multiply. You just need to separate them now and then because they won’t bloom if they are over-crowded. Also, planting them in a garden area that doesn’t get too much watering during the summer keeps them from rotting.

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20170328-KB0074The tulips are also from Colorblends and are called “French Blend Rose”. And yes, they were gorgeous too! The same gardening conditions apply as for daffodils: plenty of sun and good dirt. Unfortunately tulips only bloom reliably for one season. A small percentage of them will rebloom, but most of the time you just get a bunch of leaves. So take a deep breath, be thankful for the beauty and joy they gave you, and toss them in your compost pile!

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Eucalyptus wreath

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Our front door has a new look for January: a eucalyptus wreath and garland.  I gathered sprigs from nearby trees and enjoyed some time in the greenhouse making these.  After putting away the Christmas decorations, it’s nice to have something fresh to decorate our entryway.

 

Make a Pansy Wreath

photo(1)This time of year, here in the California East Bay, the most dependable annuals for winter bloom are pansies. I have pots of them all over our patios and they sure brighten up the landscape when the rest of the garden is asleep. Making a living pansy wreath is another option. Here’s how you do it.

First thing you need is a living wreath form. (They can be used year after year.) I bought mine from “Kinsman Company.” Get a big bag of sphagnum moss and soak it in a bucket. Then take handfuls and start to Continue Reading →

Summer’s End

IMG_4614Summer ends with a sigh. We’ve all been working hard in our gardens and enjoying the fresh air and lovely scents from the flowers and vegetables. But the summer produce is now waning. I’m still getting a few tomatoes and cucumbers, but the plants are showing the wear and tear of a season of hot summer days. I’ve pulled up most of my zinnias, but there are a few still limping along.

It’s the time of year for some Continue Reading →

Hide-and-Seek Beauties

IMG_2978As I’m looking out on these lovely perennials in my garden, I think the best way to describe them is “my hide and seek” beauties. Why?

In my garden, spring is the really splashy, colorful, dramatic season. Everything seems to wake up from the winter’s sleep all at once! The roses are in full bloom, and so are the iris, tulips, daffodils, and spring annuals like poppies, larkspur and sweet peas. It’s a madhouse—in a good way! Everybody is saying, Continue Reading →

Peony Poppies

peony poppy (4)Ostentatious. That would be the best description for these garden beauties! They can stand up to 5 feet tall when they’re staked, and the 4-inch peony-like flowers absolutely hog all the attention in the garden when they’re in full bloom. They are a type of Shirley poppy, so they are annuals and must be planted every year. (I haven’t seen them volunteer in my garden like the regular Shirley poppies will.) They like sun, but half a day’s worth is all they get in my garden, and they’re fine with that. Here in the San Francisco East Bay, bloom time is May, but if it’s a cool May, they can last into June.

So here’s how you grow them. The first year you have to Continue Reading →

Roses

rose 3Enduring. That’s the best word to describe a rose plant. They will put up with all kinds of ill treatment and still produce the most beautiful, fragrant, romantic blooms. Half a day of sun and a weekly soaking is enough.

You will find them in any shade of Continue Reading →

My Winter Garden

IMG_2665 We’re enjoying broccoli, snap peas, chard, spinach and lettuce from the garden right now. You don’t have to be an expert to grow a thriving winter garden, but a couple things are very important: soil preparation and pest control.

At the end of the summer, we rototill all the straw I use as mulch into the garden plot. Then comes some Continue Reading →