I have been dividing and starting perennials from seed this week. Its a great time to work on collecting new flowers for the following year.

By starting perennials from seed in the fall you will have plants that are ready to bloom next year. The plants will be small with only a years growth but they will have flowers – if you start them in the fall.

And if you start them early enough (4 to 6 weeks) before frost they will have started to grow and develop a root that will survive winter. For a new plant I will mulch the area where they are planted heavily or put a movable cold frame over them for more protection.

This you tube will supply you with more information on the Canterbury Flower and its history.

This flower is one of my favorites for cutting for flower arrangements.

Technorati Tags: Canterbury bells, fall gardening, flowers, perennial flowers, perennials

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Canterbury bells, fall gardening, flowers, perennial flowers, perennials

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Gardening is an adventure. Well, at least it is in my backyard. I’ve had the wandering dogs, the ground hog that was smarter than me, the drunk from the swamp and various other events to keep me occupied.

But when I am not being occupied by wayward visitors I keep myself busy with the “dumb things I do when gardening.”

I always try new things in the garden and most of the time they work better than I had planned. The ideas are from books or suggestions from other gardeners.

Growing vining beans and peas has always been time consuming. I used to set up trellises every year. The teepees would fall over or the strings get tangled or break. So one year I heard of a gardener who used an old bedspring for a trellis for peas to grow up. I happened to have one of the really old springs so thought why not give it a try?

It was rather a challenge getting the springs to the garden that was located behind the barn. Next I had to get it staked in place and that wasn’t too bad. By burying it four inches in the ground and pounding stakes into the soil on all ends the unique trellis stayed in place. It looked a bit homely but once the vines started to grow it might look quite interesting, especially if I added a flowering vine or two to the mattress spring planter.

Now I must admit the look from family and anyone passing by on the creek in canoes and boats was rather interesting.

The early peas grew well and later in the year I grew cumbers in the same area and used the mattress trellis for the crop to grow up. The flowering vines were in full bloom so it actually looked quite nice and a frog moved into the bottom of the trellis and proved me with entertainment while weeding.

But there was one flaw in the plan. And that was I was a lazy gardener that year. In the fall I took care of most of the garden but I did not take down the mattress trellis. In the late winter it fell down and in spring the grass moved in. I moved this garden to another area and by time I went back to get the spring out the grass was securely holding it in place. I tried prying it out but I lost the battle.

In the fall I burned the grass down around the mattress and again tried to pry it out. But by then the soil has settled in and it was there to stay.

So to make a long story short – I had to have a backhoe push it out for me. And all that was left was a jumble of wire and old metal frame.

Since them I have learned to make trellises that can go quickly up and down and put them up before the gardening season and take them down at the end of the season.

Would I use a mattress spring again? I don’t think so. Pre-planned trellises are easiest to put up and take down. And they are also cheap. I used the plastic piping you can get at any hardware store. But being the natural thrifty person I foraged most of the pipe and picked up the rest I needed at and auction for a few dollars.

Technorati Tags: gardening, gardening adventures

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: gardening, gardening adventures

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

One thing that makes growing herbs easier than most plants is that very few diseases or insects attack herbs.  Sometimes in dry, hot weather red spider mites can be found on low-growing plants and aphids may attach dill, caraway, anise, or fennel.  I have also noticed that rust will often affect mint.

Herbs can be bought and planted into a home garden or indoors. They can be grown from seed. Planting from seed is easier on the budget but I have found a few herbs that are easier to grow from a plant. Lavender and rosemary are two such plants. For some reason they challenge me! And they are two of my favorite herbs.

When planting herbs, indoors or out, you should use well-drained soil.  If your soil is heavy or compacted, add organic matter to it so that bit drains better.  Other than that most herbs take care of themselves so fertilizers are not necessary either.

Most herbs prefer a sunny location although you will find a few that prefer full shade. And many herbs will grow well with afternoon shade.

When starting herb seeds use a shallow pot or box. If you’re planting for year round use anytime is fine, if it’s for outdoor herbs start the seeds in the late winter.  Use a light, well-drained soil to grown your seeds in.

Since herbs do not have a deep root base, make sure not to cover the seeds too much with the soil. Follow the rule: the finer the seed, the shallower it should be sown.

You can transplant the seedlings to the outdoors in the spring.  And if you’re keeping the plants indoors move to a windowsill or near a window. My one window has hanging herb planters. They are hung at different level to create interest and depth to the plants.

Although most herbs can be grown from seeds, some herbs do not transplant well.  Herbs like dill, fennel, anise, and coriander should be planted directly into the garden.  And if planting outdoors but you want an early start for your herb plants that should be “planted where they will grow,” use a moveable cold frame or mini greenhouse.

Once you grow your own herbs you will find that they become an asset to the home and kitchen.

Note: Enter The Gardener’s Rake herb Contest. Click Herb Contest for the rules and prizes.

Technorati Tags: container herbs, culinary herbs, growing herbs, growing herbs indoors, herb facts, herbs

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: container herbs, culinary herbs, growing herbs, growing herbs indoors, herb facts, herbs

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Today I saw the cutest salad garden created in a child’s red wagon. I stopped to talk to the owner and they had an old wagon that wasn’t being used and with fall and the end of gardening season almost here they decided on a fast small pace garden that could be moved from the cold if need be.

The mini salad garden contained a variety of greens and herbs along with vining nasturtiums. (Which are edible and wonderful when added to a salad) The wagon can be pulled in and out of the sun and brought in a night if the temperatures beginning to drop.

The wagon was lined with plastic because it contained edible plants. The plants were also grown in pots to help prevent any metal contamination. You could also use boxes or regular planters. If you were planting flowers you might not feel this step was necessary.

I could also see this as a small herb garden or a fall floral garden with mums in the wagon and gourds and pumpkins placed in and around the flowers.

And old tricycle could also hold a few plants. Often one found item that has been stored in a garage or attic can become a small space garden.

Technorati Tags: garden ideas, mini garden, mini garden idea, small space garden, theme garden

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: garden ideas, mini garden, mini garden idea, small space garden, theme garden

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I started my last planting of cucumbers, started more fresh garden greens and plan to save tomato plants for the next year. By removing parts of the tomato plant where they have formed roots you can replant them and grow them indoors. And in the spring you can use these plants to create more plants.

I don’t do this with all tomato plants but some heirloom plants and seeds are hard to find so this is a solution to the problem.

And with the problems with safe non-toxic greens I plan to grow my own supply all year long.

I have a large new batch of perennials to split and to start from seeds so I need large planters with no bottoms and seed trays. The large planters with no bottoms will be old dresser drawers. I pick them up at auctions for next to nothing. You can also make a rectangle or square form from salvaged boards and get the same result.

You may want to see if your neighbors have extra perennials in their gardens they are thinking of thinning and throwing out. You could do a plant swap and pick up new perennials for your gardens

And I am mixing up more compost to fill all the planters. This project is one of my September end of the growing season projects.

The plant cuttings are for new shrubs I am starting. I make 6 inch cutting from preselected plants in my yard and plant them in sand and use a rooting hormone. In a few weeks I will have roots. It’s still early enough in the fall for the roots to grow and to get new growth on the shrub.

The shrubs will be for my backyard and also for sale next year.

I also need to dig up peony plants and divide them but they dig up hard because of the long roots so I am not looking forward to this project. I will wait until we have a few days of rain to soften the soil and see what success I have.

There is always a gardening or backyard project to do. The garden season may be coming to an end for many people but starting and saving plants is almost a year round activity

Technorati Tags: gardening tips, perennials plants, starting seeds, tomato starts

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: gardening tips, perennials plants, starting seeds, tomato starts

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

They are also perfect for the seasoned gardener.  After all with all those fresh vegetables you need fresh spices to compliment harvest.

The following are the rules for the

September Herbal Kitchen Garden Contest

• Win a

  Herbal Kitchen Garden
• 
  Contest starts August 27 and runs two weeks. Rules will be posted August 28.
• 
  
• Rules and article for the Herbal Kitchen Garden contest
  
  Take a chance and get a herb garden seed set up for many of the most popular herbs used in cooking. You don’t know how great it is to have fresh herbs picked minutes before you use them until you grow them in your own kitchen or patio area.

Good luck!!

Technorati Tags: herb seed constest, herbal seeds, herbs

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: herb seed constest, herbal seeds, herbs

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The Gardener’s Rake is hosting an Herbal Kitchen Garden contest with Hometown Seeds supplying a wonderful prize of an “Herbal Kitchen Garden”

This Kitchen garden seed set up will supply you with many of the most popular herbs used in cooking and homes.

*** The contest will last until Saturday, September 11. During this time you will find helpful tips for herb gardening and how to use herbs.

So how do you enter? And how do you win?

To enter send an email to emagnthat@yahoo.com. This is an address set up just for this contest.

You can send an email about your favorite herb, an herb garden adventure, herbal recipe or a couple of herb tips.

* The grand prize winner receives the Herbal Kitchen garden but everyone who winds gets a prize!

* Ten other people will get several of my favorite herbs. (These will be in handmade envelopes as I save a lot of seeds and these will be from my garden.)

* And everyone will get a PDF of all the great tips and entries to the contest.

So take a chance and ether the contest today. And check back here daily at the gardener’s rake and its sister site, Our Backyard Oasis for herbal tips and garden help.

Also check out Hometown Seeds. They have a wonderful selection of seeds for any gardener’s and home owners needs.

Technorati Tags: herbal gardening, hometown seeds, kitchen garden contest, seed contest, thegardenersrake.com herb contest, win seeds

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: herbal gardening, hometown seeds, kitchen garden contest, seed contest, thegardenersrake.com herb contest, win seeds

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I don’t know about you, but digging the garden bed in April is challenging here. It’s either to wet or too cold. So the “prepared bed” solves this problem.

If you’re putting to “rest” a section of your garden that is done for the season follow these steps.

• Clean out any old plants
• Remove any weeds and rocks
• Add fertilizer or compost.
• I like to add layers of material that will decompose over the fall and winter such as: old sawdust, chopped leaves, grass clipping and compost. This will add nutrients to the soils and protect the soil from erosion and harsh cold weather. Often I will place clear plastic over this topping to help break down the added materials. In the spring I stir the topping in and the soils is twice as rich and very workable.
• In the spring stir the new material in. I also stay off the soil and often I will not need to till the soil. At most I just need to break up the soil mix with a spading fork.
• Smooth the soil in the spring and you’re ready to plant. Again, The unused sections of the garden that I am not ready to plant I will either cover with clear plastic or add more composting materials to break down while waiting for spring planting.

If you’re creating a new garden bed you can till the soil or use a lasagna garden method to create the bed. I have an old garden that really needs an overhaul and has not been used for at least 5 years. I am using a lasagna garden/raised bed method.

The garden area is 20 foot by 30 foot. I have made rectangular raised beds shapes with cement blocks and am filling these areas with compost materials. I will cover these with plastic this fall and remove the plastic in November. At that time I will add 6 inches of fresh compost and ignore until spring.

This garden will be a combination vegetable garden and perennial garden. The perennial garden is for plants I am raising to sell.

Tip: A good-size vegetable garden for a beginner is 10×16 feet. I break a garden this size down into 12 smaller sections. This makes each area easy to maintain as I work one section at a time. It’s also easier to do succession gardening with this method.

Technorati Tags: fall gardening chores, garden, gardening tips, lasagna gardening, preparing garden beds

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: fall gardening chores, garden, gardening tips, lasagna gardening, preparing garden beds

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Geraniums were on sale yesterday so I bought ten. They need some tender loving care but they will blossom in the house until January and at that time I will take 5 of the plants and start new plants for the spring. (I should be able to get 20 starts from each plant.) And I will put the other geraniums away until march and bring them back out and water them to get them growing again.

Some people put their geraniums in pots and set them in an attic or warm basement until spring. I shake the geranium plants free most dirt and place in a brown bad until March. Then I replant them and water. I also cover the pot with plastic to create a greenhouse effect to give them a little more humidity and tender loving care.

You can still enjoy garden flowers indoors. I just planted sweet alyssum, dwarf marigold, browallia, ageratum, and nasturtium. They plants all grow well in a moderately cool (60 degrees F), sunny window. With these varieties I can fresh bouquets until November.

Note: Nasturtiums are also edible and add wonderful color and a peppery taste to salads.

And you can still grow a variety of vegetables. So take a look at your seeds and select 3 to 5 varieties to add color texture and fresh vegetables to your indoor living areas.

And it’s a great time to plant fall-flowering bulbs. In my garden areas I need to plant bulbs in raised beds and cover them with net in the fall to keep any squirrels out. This week I am making new raised beds and selecting my bulbs. I like to mix spring, summer and fall bulbs with perennials so that I always have color through three seasons.

Technorati Tags: cheap flowers, fall flowers, fall planting, flowers, indoor gardening

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cheap flowers, fall flowers, fall planting, flowers, indoor gardening

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Hollyhocks are a member of the mallow family and grow in nearly all of the United States. The hollyhock was originally a transplant from Asia. Hollyhocks are normally tall flowers. Recently a new version of hollyhock has been developed that is smaller in height and can be used more in gardens and mixed with other flowers.

The traditional hollyhock is often used in the background of a flower garden or near homes or fencing.

Hollyhocks are easily grown and usually blooming the year after they are planted. But if started indoors early, so they begin to establish roots, they may bloom the same year they are planted.

Hollyhocks come in two types, perennial and annual. Most are perennials, and all of them will self-seed. This is how I started growing hollyhocks. A friend gave me several dried hollyhock tops, which I crumpled up in my hands and scattered the seed.

Hollyhocks prefer full sun, although they will tolerate some shade. Hollyhocks will grow best if the soil is always moist, but not wet.

This flower tends to bloom later in the year, July through September, when a lot of flowers are done. Its best to keep this in mind when planting them in your garden areas. I prefer to plant flowers in front of the hollyhocks. The hollyhocks emphasis the color of other flowers and makes a great background. Later when the hollyhocks are in full bloom there may be some color left in the flowers in front. You can make sure of color and texture by choosing flowers with colored leaves or mixing a few late blooming perennials in the garden area.

Even though these flowers are showy, they are not noted for fragrance.

© Denise for The Gardener's Rake, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh