The Garden Buzz

Squares of Savannah: Sometimes It's Hip to Be Square

I'm not getting around to as many blog posts down here as I'd hoped for during my stay in Savannah. I expected time for exploring and writing, unfortunately health issues for myself and some family members have taken necessary time away. And then my car was smashed the other night while parked along the street. Even though I don't drive as much here, it's always something, isn't it?

I'll be busy this week too since I have a friend coming to visit, so I thought I would at least link to my Star Tribune post where I temporarily leave off my obsession with courtyard gardens and talk about the lovely squares of Savannah. It's not quite gardening but it is all about making beautiful spaces.

Here's hoping things calm down and next week I'll be back to my usual garden espionage!

The fountain on Lafayette Square                                         The Garden Buzz

The Self-Tending Garden

Have you ever wondered what your garden might do without you? In your absence would it wither and die, turning to dust or would it go rampant and smother your home in vegetation?

I've been wanting to read "The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman where he imagines a world without humans, and how soon it takes for our presence and infrastructure to disappear as nature reclaims the planet.

On the website there's an interesting animation,  "Your House Without You", that shows how the process might go.

But where am I going with this train of thought?

I've long been fascinated by self-seeding plants in the garden. And when myself and others write and talk about them, it's usually centered on flowers and grasses. Gardeners concentrate on harnessing the power of these volunteer plants, or eradicating them due their prolific nature.

Not much is said about volunteer vegetables. (UPDATE 10/13 Well, I take that back. I just returned from hearing Diane Ott Whealy of Seed Savers Exchange talking about the origins of their heirloom seed mission. She showed photos of her gardens with self-seeding lettuce and radishes welcomed in her flower beds) Oh yeah, maybe a late-season tomato plant, like the one cropping up in my perennial bed at this late date. But we usually plant our veggies new with each season.

But you gotta love it when a squash decides on its own where and when to grow. 

For the past few years I've been barely tending a small potager, nudging it along while it manages to produces enough veggies, herbs and a little fruit to supplement a few meals every week during the summer. With each year its seed bank increases and so does its yield. 

I didn't start out to make this garden self-sustaining, or an example of permaculture, I don't think it qualifies quite, but I've found that using a gardening style somewhat akin to that old-fashioned parenting style now referred to as benign neglect, it's a satisfying way to reap a few edibles with minimal effort.

With a permanent growing mulch of strawberries, bolted spinach and mesclun now seed themselves, intermingled with self-seeding cilantro in late spring followed with dill and Italian parsley. Nasturtiums, signet marigolds and kale add color, pungency and texture. I'm hoping that the beets will follow the example of the radishes and spring up next year on their own. Wouldn't self-thinning beets be great?

I add a new variety of pole beans each year, and by now there's a succession of "Blue Lake", "Kentucky Wonder" and "Emerite" that germinate and produce at different times.This is simply done by letting some bean pods dry and fall to the ground. Sometimes I move the seedlings closer to the copper tripod at the middle of this patch. This year some beans also ran horizontal along the twig rabbit fence I built. Those seemed the happiest.

The tripod and fence help to give this self-starting garden some design, but otherwise I call it a hot mess by late summer with its tangled abundance. It might be a form of square foot gardening sans any organization. Weeds are few, choked out by the thick plants that grow without rows. All I do is paw around and find goodies to eat. It's like a little treasure hunt each time.

It some ways it doesn't seem right to be rewarded for such slacking in the garden. 

September 11, Serendipity and Sea Turtles

The tales of September 11 often speak of timing, split-second decisions and the life-altering consequences that follow. Everyday we are at the mercy of traffic signals and small choices that put us at points on the map at random moments. Mostly they are without tragic results.

This week I'm taking a break from gardening and writing about gardening. I'm spending some time in Savannah GA where my daughter's starting her fall classes of grad school. Today as I went to meet her for breakfast I passed the fire station on Liberty Street and noticed a gathering of firefighters and family observing the solemn anniversary. 

Here I thought, I had been too busy this month delivering kids to colleges across the country to think of doing something in remembrance. I do think, probably too much about how things can change quickly in life. it's probably why I go the trouble of making sure these kids settle in and feel comfortable returning to school and their other lives.

Writers with their vivid imaginations always ruminate on morbid possibilities. I want my kids to know how much I love them. Just in case.

On a gentler note, the timing of traffic lights and our dinner choices resulted in a life-affirming experience we didn't expect to encounter this evening. 

The day before we'd stopped by the Pig and Shrimp, an outdoor cafe that's only open 4 days a week, usually not the ones when we pass by. A colorful character named Gerald runs this unique venue that warns its customers that friends don't let friends eat imported shrimp. His delicious shrimp po-boy reiterates this fact.

Tending BBQ at The Pig and Shrimp

We got to talking with Gerald and told him we might come back the next night to try his BBQ. But when we got there, after a string of red lights and a few minutes before closing time he was flustered and turning away customers because his help had failed to show up. We took our food to go so he could close up and then headed to the beach.

Sea oats on Tybee Island at sunset

Sticky and gritty with sauce and sand we took our limeades (he makes a killer limeade too) for a walk down the beach. and saw a group of people gathering. It was hard to tell what it was all about; a prayer service,a beach wedding? 

Rescuing sea turtle hatchlings

Turns out we were lucky enough to happen upon a Loggerhead sea turtle hatching and rescue. Daily volunteer patrols at dawn monitor sea turtle nests and often reolocate them to the slope closer to the dunes since the first slope of the beach puts them in danger. From May to October, 60 days from egg-laying they hatch and make their way to the sea.

This little guy didn't make it

They face predation from animals, habitat disruption from sea wall construction, confusion from lights on shore, fishing nets and a host of other obstacles to survival. 

An unhatched sea turtle egg

This particular group of hatchlings were affected by the wave actions of Hurricane Irene. Unfortunately the marine biologist was only able to find two babies alive. She pulled out lifeless little turtles suspecting that fire ants in the nest might be an issue as well. An unhatched egg resembling a leathery ping pong ball was pulled from the sand too.

The two survivors

The two babies were taken to the water's edge, enabling them to imprint the area and physical action of crawling. From there they have a two day swim to reach the warm currents of the Sargasso Sea. If they were females, and if they survive, 35 years from now, they will return to lay their own eggs within miles of this very spot.

Assisting the baby sea turtles on their incredible voyage

Assisted by the voulnteers they were set upon the wet sand, then washed up and down the sand by the waves, one step forward and two back over and over until they disappeared into the surf at sunset.

Maybe there's some sort of symbolism there. 

Happy National Pollinator Week!

Celebrate National Pollinator Week by planting trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs and fruits that attract and support these vital forms of wildlife. It's what puts the buzz in The Garden Buzz!

Check with your local extension office for lists of pollinator-friendly plants for your region, it's easy.

I've posted this article link below recently, however I'll repeat the link since it provides an emphasis on pollinators and their behaviors, along with plant information.

http://www.herbcompanion.com/gardening/attract-pollinators-to-your-garden.aspx

 

 

 

Garden2Blog: Hanging Out with P. Allen Smith

It's not everyday I get to hang out with a celebrity. But first, P. Allen Smith would gently correct me; he considers himself foremost a teacher, and shies away from the glossier term, that has indeed made so many of his garden visions a reality. 

I was lucky to have a chance to spend a few days with about two dozen other bloggers for the first of hopefully many Garden2Blog events with the noted garden designer and personality. Here's just a little of what I experienced!

The mighty oak in front of the Garden Home Retreat

I hate to use the phrase "boyish good looks", but can't find a suitable substitute to describe him. In his trademark blue, he presents a disarming southern charm with the smallest touch of weary aloofness. It's forgivable as you see him work, constantly on for the variety of cameras that record his every word and move.

P. Allen Smith talking about water features and garden geometry for Garden2Blog

He delivers his lines with a believable freshness and good timing, as when he relates that his grandmother told him the P in his name stood for "potential". And he's not above poking fun at his fame, when he calls out in a nasal tour guide impression, "New Dawn Rose Alert", as we frequently pass huge masses of the ubiquitous, blushing pink climber that he introduced to Little Rock. 

New Dawn roses at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion in Little Rock

This is no garden variety-type HGTV star, there's a gravitas behind the brand. Coming from generations of nurserymen, he has the hands-on knowledge combined with the historical depth and breadth from his study of classical gardens in England. 

An allee of alliums at P Allen Smith's Garden Home Retreat

As he shows you through the home it becomes quickly obvious that the myriad books artfully placed on round tables are not for looks. Weighty tomes covering garden design, politics, culture and history among others inform his living and gardening. His concept of Garden/Home integrates indoor and outdoor living spaces in such a way to increase your enjoyment of both by blurring the lines.

One of many library tables laden with books at P. Allen Smith's Garden Home Retreat

I found myself thinking while following him through the gardens at his "Garden Home Retreat" on Moss Mountain in Arkansas that is was perhaps a little like being able to peer into the thought process that went into the making of Jefferson's Monticello. In fact, there are nods to the horticultural hero at every turn, like the octagonal pavilions flanking the strolling gardens. His twist being the vegetables and fruit trees sitting upfront with ornamentals.

Looking past the art studio to the pavilion and orchard beyond

I found it especially fascinating to see the holistic approach to design throughout, even the tool sheds were a thing of beauty. Interior and exterior colors, like tinner's red, butter yellow, lichen green with deep dark brown bark all reflect the surrounding environment for a harmonic feeling.

Small kitchen gardens fronting the tool sheds where we sheltered from a few storms

Sustainability is evident in all aspects of his farm and gardens, however it's pragmatic rather than nostalgic. Composting for soil amending is a given. While heirlooms are grown, he feels that hybrid plants that perform well with the least intervention are in keeping with the mission. Even the breed of sheep and poultry that forage picturesquely in the pasture are chosen for production and hardiness.

Buff Orpington poultry sharing the pasture with Dorper sheep

As he looks to the future, the next garden goes back in time and then forward. He is developing a historical rose garden featuring a time line of American roses, from the Charleston legacy of noisette varieties that he cherishes  all the way to new low-care Knockouts. 

P. Allen Smith with rose garden plans

During the entire time we were tested with dangerous to merely annoying bad weather. Allen shepherded us through all the event with a gracious and unflappable ease. We were treated to fabulous food including many of his recipes and even eggs from the farm. His staff, and they are many, were efficient and helpful too.

I ducked out of dinner for a moment to look over the bluff to the Arkansas River after the storm

Putting faces to names of all these talented bloggers was a great experience. So many backgrounds and so many different angles! .

Anxious to increase his exposure and presence with social media, I like to think that he's making an effort to partner with and harness the power of bloggers. In fact, he's now blogging too. I didn't feel any pressure to put a face on anything I didn't agree with. I felt comfortable with the information I was given and will be sharing in the future. It's not going to be all P Allen all the time of course, but I'll be posting more pics and tips from the event.

Let me know if you have any questions about or for P. Allen, post them in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer!

Careful partnering with sponsors like Corona, Proven Winners, Garden Safe, Bonnie Plants, Stihl, Berry Nurseries, Jobe's Organics and Laguna Pond Pumps has made the construction of this Garden Home Retreat possible, only proving that he is an astute businessman in addition to artist, interior designer and chef.

P Allen Smith with the Berry (yes, that's their name)representative offering blueberry tips and treats

Meanwhile I didn't so much drink the Kool-Aid as the blueberry lemonade. I've tried hard not to gush, but it's hard not to admire P. Allen Smith for the Renaissance man that he is. 

 

 

Celebrate Earth Day!

    

                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landscaping with Native Plants: A Book Review

Checklist before leaving on vacation tomorrow:

1. Pack for all weather possibilities but hopefully WARM weather, woo-hoo.
2. Put houseplants in bathtub with instructions for hubby to water.
3. Get Henry dog bathed and take him to "boarding school" to learn better impulse control (not going ape-crap around unfamiliar people and pets) and general manners reminder. More peaceful and safer (ice ice baby) dog walks to follow, yea. 
4. All that other pesky pre-trip stuff
5. Write that book review for my blog.

Here's #5...

This book is targeted for Minnesota...HOWEVER I'm going to share some of the valuable non-regon specific advice it contains for those of you that don't live "up north".

First let me recommend this book to Minnesota and cold climate gardeners already growing or thinking about growing native plants. "Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota" (second edition) by Lynn Steiner is a thorough but easily digestible volume with lots of great information that identifies Minnesota's native plants and plant communities while showing home gardeners how to use them effectively.

Lynn Steiner is a longtime gardening editor,writer and photographer with more than twenty years of extensive gardening experience. She knows her stuff.

Landscaping with native plants has often been regarded as a messy, lazy method of gardening; looked down upon by neighbors and city councils alike. Lynn's tips can help you to design a landscape that is pleasing for humans and habitat. Here are a few...

• Maintain at least a small area of turf
• Use a buffer of grass or mulch between planted areas and sidewalks/streets so plants don't flop onto paved areas, making visitors uncomfortable
• Add embellishments such as sculpture and benches to make it look more like a garden and less like a field of weeds
• Use natives that are "more controllable" in their growth habit; these tend to be the clump-forming plants rather than spreaders.
• (Natural gardens have curvy lines, yet) Install some straight edges, either around garden beds or in the form of fences and paths

Along with real-world landscape photos (one of my friend's gardens is in the book) and comprehensive plant profiles with instructions for cultural and maintenance requirements, the book includes ideas for landscape placement and design concepts often lacking in other books on the subject. 

If you've been hesitant to work with native plants or if you're just starting to flirt with the idea...I highly recommend Lynn's book. If you already garden with native plants...send a photo, and I'll try to use it with a follow-up post.

Here's a few favorite natives from my garden...

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)                The Garden Buzz 

Large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)        The Garden Buzz

 

Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier laevis)        The Garden Buzz

 

 Wild ginger (Asarium canadense)             The Garden Buzz

 Red baneberry (Actaea rubra)                                     The Garden Buzz

Join the Club: There's a Gardening Group Out There For You

I know people who ask for a load of compost for their birthday. I know people who schedule vacations around their vegetable harvest. I know people who go out to their gardens first thing to just check on things, then realize they are still weeding in their jammies at noon.

Does this sound familiar? Do they sound like your kind of people? Or does it sound like you?

Maybe you should consider joining a garden club, plant society or conservation group. There's no better way to find like-minded gardeners; people who will understand why you'd rather buy plants than shoes, why your jeans are always green at the knees, and other such telltale signs of garden addiction.

There are garden clubs and then there are garden clubs. Some are for refined ladies and gentlemen who direct and delegate the goings-on in their gardens, They usually serve lovely beverages and food at their meetings. Other garden clubs are for those of us who like to grub around in the dirt. We often do potluck, straight from our gardens.

I think there's a place for both kinds of garden clubs and don't find it odd if a person belongs to both of them at the same time. In fact, one of my top horticultural fantasies is to belong to a 100-year old, high society garden club with other grand dames of dirt, inviting them to stroll the grounds of my ever-so-perfectly landscaped estate, while sipping tall glasses of iced tea with mint. A girl can dream, can't she?

Meanwhile I'm excited about a "Books in the Garden" book club I just signed up for this week. The first month, we go from The Secret Garden; Frances Hodges Burnett's classic children's tale to Genesis to the heavy verses of John Milton's Paradise Lost. This book club is obviously not for beginners. I'll let you know how it goes.

 
Just beyond, a secret garden                     The Garden Buzz

Plant societies are as varied as the passion of the members; there are hordes of hosta lovers, iris fanciers, and daffodil experts, along with avid African violet people and crazy-for-cactus folk. Not every town may have a club for the object of you adoration, but so many plant societies are national with newsy newsletters, online information and opportunities to meet up at conferences and conventions.

Just as diverse, conservation groups are popping up all the time, God bless them, hellbent on saving the whole earth or some particular cause they feel fiercely about. These people are often headstrong and outspoken; such is their fervor.

I belong to a number of these gardening groups; Extension Master Gardeners, Herb Society of America, Minnesota Horticulture Society, Garden Writers of America, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Wild Ones, Xerces, and many more. I'm not as involved in some as I am in others; I might volunteer many hours at one, while only reading the newsletters of another. However I've found many friends and fellow gardeners I would never have known otherwise. For a few of us, these meetings and events are the only time we come up for air from our dirt-caked hands and knees.

Maybe this is the year to find your garden community. Among the many benefits, you'll find:

• Knowledgeable gardeners
• Like-minded gardeners
• Unlike-minded gardeners who'll challenge your garden philosophy
• Education
• Garden tours
• Plant swaps
• First dibs at plant sales
• Local gardening information not found in broader-based books
• Conferences and conventions
• Networking and employment leads
• Friends!

Have a favorite garden group/experience/suggestion you'd like to share? Let us know in the comment section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Giveaway: We Have Winners!

 
Bee on Bottle Brush Shrub               The Garden Buzz

Some bloggers use "random generator" software to determine their giveaway winners. I think it's fun to hold my own old-fashioned drawing. After printing out the entries, I cut them into strips of paper, put them in a container and pick them by hand. This year we put them in the big orange mixing bowl, then my daughter closed her eyes and picked out the winners. How more random could you get?!

Congratulations to the following ten readers upon winning a North American Bee Calendar...Michele, Marija, Shelley T, Johanne, Sharlene, Mickey, Bella, Bernieh, Maureen and Elsie, who have all been notified of their good luck.

If you still would love to have a calendar, they can be ordered from the Great Sunflower Project. The proceeds go to bee conservation efforts through this great "citizen scientist" project.

Thanks to all readers who submitted entries. Next giveaway should begin in February. Stay tuned.

Blog Action Day 2010: WATER

Today is Blog Action Day 2010. Thousands of bloggers are tackling this BIG issue about a precious resource no one can live without. WATER. We'll surely all address it from a different angle, that's the beauty. 

 

I think it's best to keep it simple and in the garden. Here are a few ways that you can help to conserve water without sacrificing the look of your garden. In fact, these tips might increase your enjoyment.

 Five Easy Ways to Conserve Water in Your Garden

1. Install a rain garden. Appropriate plants vary from region to region. Consult your local extension experts to see what the possibilities are for your area.
2. Place rain barrels at your gutter downspouts to collect rainwater for dry days. Put screens on top to keep out leaves and critters.
3. Reduce lawn area and plant water-saving native plants. Xeriscape plants are not zero-scape; most are beautiful as well as easy to grow. Herbs are great too.
4. When you water, do it wisely. Use drip and soaker irrigation. Install timers and rain sensors on your sprinklers.
5. Mulch shrubs and trees along with flower beds to reduce evaporation and conserve moisture.