Merry Christmas! Enjoy :)

Sipping Tea and Perusing Seed Catalogs

With our first rockin’ snowstorm of the season behind us, in Southeast Wisconsin we are quite confident we’ll enjoy a sparkly, bright, white Christmas this year.  In the days ahead, each of us will celebrate the season in our own personal ways… enjoying family traditions, celebrating with friends and coworkers, cooking and baking family specialties, observing the sparkle in the eyes of our children and grandchildren.

Although the Christmas season lends itself to religious and secular celebrations, the hectic pace that consumes us during December usually slips away as we ease into January.  (I have learned to appreciate the slower pace of January… more time to reorganize, redesign our landscape, and review the newest seed catalogs.)

I once read the nicest activity in January (for a gardener) is sipping tea, while perusing seed catalogs. Whether you preferring calming chamomile tea, green tea, peppermint or the Earl Grey variety, TEA is a quiet celebration for one.Tea is the ideal beverage to sip while you leaf through catalogs displaying photos of vibrant flowers and scrumptious veggies.  Each delightful photo and description brings closer the promise of a new growing season.   As you read, tiny sparks of sunlight peek through an ice encrusted window pane, but the flower photos draw you in, reminding you that starting in late December, each day offers a bit more daylight, and warmer days are coming soon.

So brew another cup of hot tea, sit in a comfy chair, and page through your new seed catalogs. Seize the moment AND the month… January can be a special time!

M. Lynn Schmid,   Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture

 

Go Green ~ with a living Christmas tree!

A Living Christmas Tree… a very good thing

Decorating at holiday time using a living Christmas tree is both special and “green.”  A living tree is not the same as a cut tree, which was once living but has been severed from its root system.  A living tree still has its root system attached and is growing in soil in a small container.  When the Christmas season has passed, you still have a lovely tree to plant in your yard as a reminder of your Christmas memories.

Since living Christmas trees are typically small specimens (2.5’ to 3’ tall), you won’t need many ornaments to decorate it.  If you prefer tiny lights, one string of 50 – 100 lights should be sufficient.  If you plan to display your tree on an outdoor deck, you can place a few ornaments on it that are visible from inside your home.  If you prefer a “green” décor instead, simply make bird-attracting ornaments like pinecones tied with string and rolled in peanut butter and birdseed.

Some people select a living Christmas tree in memory of a loved one… the tree can be placed in your yard and, if you wish, you might decorate it with ornaments reminiscent of the favorite color of your loved one.  (In spring, you will remove all ornaments from your tree before placing it in your chosen location.)

Colorado blue spruce and Serbian spruce are examples of trees that work nicely for Christmas decor; later they are “repurposed” as an element of your landscape. Many of our Lammscapes’ customers have successfully planted living Christmas trees during the past decade.   A few hints to ensure success:  
If kept indoors during Christmas season, a maximum of 10 days to two weeks! Keep away from heat vents and fireplaces or heaters.  Then tree must be taken outside to re-acclimate to colder temps; can keep in garage , but please WATER!

If kept outdoors on display, keep it wet, and wrap root zone in layers of burlap fabric.  Wind dessication is the enemy of conifers/evergreens, so storing tree out of the wind is most helpful.    When soil is workable in springtime, just dig hole, plant and fertilize the young tree, and enjoy watching it thrive and grow taller!
M. Lynn Schmid,   Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture

Mini Pumpkins.... NOT mini plants!

Mini pumpkins grow nicely in a home garden and produce tiny orange bits of joy in late summer, early fall.  Though these pumpkins are just a few inches in diameter, they grow on large vines which require significant space in your garden.  In June 2012, I planted more than twenty mini pumpkin seeds (from the genus Cucurbita)  and anchored a substantial wooden trellis for their support .  Plants were watered (at the base) frequently due to prevalence of scorching summer days during this growing season, and the seedlings thrived.  Soon the tiny tendrils along each vine began to grab onto the trellis and moved onward and upward.

During drought, some plant species will abort their blossoms and fruit in order to preserve the primary plant, I wasn’t sure these vines would produce the tiny pumpkins I love.  Luckily, the vines produced a plethora of vivid yellow blossoms, and bees continuously worked among the pumpkin flowers.   I was pleased our hearty vines “gave birth” to four dozen delightful mini pumpkins in AUG/SEPT.

If you are thinking about growing mini pumpkins next season, consider the space required for a successful crop.  Even with a vertical support available, tenacious vines also traveled horizontally and encroached upon other plants in their vicinity.  Also, since pumpkins are open pollinated, you should not plant other varieties of pumpkin or squash nearby.  (Long ago I made this mistake and the unsightly “mutant” pumpkins produced were the result of cross pollination.) 

Growing mini pumpkins is especially fun for children since they watch the progression of growth, and one day they can harvest the tiny orange bits of joy.

NOTE:  If you do not have significant space available in your home garden, just stop in at Lammscapes in Jackson, WI to buy your decorative and delightful Jack-Be-Little mini pumpkins!  They are only $1 each and can be used in your autumn décor by themselves, or along with an assortment of winged gourds and funky pumpkins,  available for you during October.

M. Lynn Schmid,   Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture

Plant Fall Bulbs NOW - for Spring color!

Daffodils… plant now, enjoy later!

Cool nights in early September summon our attention, hinting that autumn is near.  The onset of autumn presents another gardening “to do” list: continue harvesting veggies, divide and cut back perennials, plant bulbs for spring bloom.

Daffodils, along with tulips and grape hyacinths, contribute to the early springtime kaleidoscope of colors present in our flower beds… a color explosion we eagerly anticipate as winter begins to release its grip on our gardens.  The planning and planting efforts we put forth in autumn will yield colorful rewards next spring… consider adding a variety of daffodils to your current design layout.  Daffodils (genus Narcissus) are available in creamy whites, saffron yellows, and two-tone varieties; some are miniatures, while others grow to a height of twelve inches or more.

If your garden is a luncheon buffet for deer and rabbits, daffodils are a great alternative to tulips (a.k.a. “deer candy”). Daffodils contain a natural substance which is a deterrent to deer and rabbits, so they should not bother the blooms.

Daffodil bulbs will multiply underground, so every few years, you will have an abundance of new bulbs begging to be planted in a new location in your garden, or shared with a friend.  Daffodils can thrive in fairly neutral pH soil (6.0 – 7.0) and aren’t particular about soil type.  However, if you have a heavy clay-based soil in your garden, you may wish to add organic matter (NOT sand) to provide a safe haven for your bulbs.   Ideal planting depth is 7” – 8” for daffodils and I like to plant in clusters of five to nine bulbs.  Cover with an inch of loose soil containing organic matter and a sprinkling of granular bulb food.  Fill in remaining soil and top with cedar mulch shavings (2” – 3” layer is desirable); finally, water.

With the arrival of spring, your newly planted daffodil bulbs will emerge as slender green leaves, followed by a bounty of blooms for your enjoyment!

M. Lynn Schmid,  Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture

 

Girls' Night Out - Wed Aug 15th 5-9pm - FREE admission! Join us for vendors, treats, prizes & live music :)

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Chicago Botanic Garden ... a haven or a heaven?

Chicago Botanic Garden … a haven or a heaven?

The flowers in bloom at Chicago Botanic were amazing on July 25, 2007 (my first visit to this exquisite collection of gardens).   The first time I laid eyes on this incredible place, I was smitten.  The garden has beckoned me to return countless times since 2007, and each season is unique, providing lovely venues for visitors.  

When Laurie Lamm of Lammscapes suggested arranging a bus tour to Chicago Botanic on July 25, 2012, I was thrilled to participate!  Exactly five years after my first visit, I was able to accompany thirty gardening aficionados to Glencoe, IL, so each could enjoy a variety of vistas throughout the 385-acre living plant museum and wildlife haven.   2012 also marks the 40^th anniversary of Chicago Botanic.

Specialty gardens are scattered throughout the islands which comprise Chicago Botanic.  You may enjoy the newest exhibit for 2012, Butterflies & Blooms, where butterflies might land on your hand… or your hat.   Butterflies (in their pupa stage) are shipped from several continents, all destined for Chicago Botanic in IL. There is a model railroad garden featuring “G” scale trains and buildings to please train enthusiasts.  The Japanese Garden and English Walled Garden offer  sensational groupings of plants, paying homage to their respective countries.  

An amazing Vegetable Garden invites you to walk through, as well as a Sensory Garden and an Enabling Garden.  Horticulturists, volunteers and a dedicated staff at Chicago Botanic help ensure the plants are happy and healthy; and visitors receive a free detailed map to guide them as they meander through this horticultural heaven.  (Admission is free to the garden, but a parking fee applies.)

Members of our tour group commented they found unique design ideas and discovered plants they could incorporate into their personal spaces at home.  If our crazy, hectic world is getting the best of you, spend a day at Chicago Botanic; then YOU decide, is it a haven or a heaven?

M. Lynn Schmid,   Certified Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture

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FUN summer events are still happening here!   Garden Tea Party & Girls' Night Out coming up soon :)

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