Gardening From Seed

A mass planting of Sunflower, but you already knew that :-)

Annuals complete their life cycle in a year, so with seed fertility and abundance being needed and met, we benefit. Blink, and they germinate! I have traditionally filled abandoned areas of my garden with seeded annuals merely as an inexpensive way of filling area until I was able to add more perennial additions, but this year, I intend to grow a more consciously designed seeded-garden. Please join me! You can also add easy-to-seed perennials like Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and Cone Flower (Echinacea), though they usually do better the second year and on. 

(I will be adding a planting diagram later.)

Houttuynia, Cosmos & Swallowtails

How could I have done it? It has been a few years now since and my mistake will likely exist a thousand years from now --I planted in Houttuynia in my garden. Yes...I know.

On a more optimistic note, how exciting is a mass of Orange Cosmos! This plant has never failed me, and I have introduced it to several friends who all agree to its excellence. Besides a long bloom period in which it attracts those beautiful Tiger Swallowtails, it likes our soil –un-amended.

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Notes:

Houttuynia cordata can be ruthless and should never be planted in garden soil in North Carolina unless it is physically restricted or the gardener needs a huge space filled. It is nearly impossible to eliminate without removing the entire border. On a position note, writers on Dave's Garden suggests that it makes an excellent pond plant and has medicinal benefits, though I don't plan to be imbibing any soon. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2164/#b

Orange Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) grows well in the Triangle area of North Carolina, and likely has a large range. It self-sows, but I don't consider it noxious because the plants are so easy to remove. The seed is easy to collect in late summer if you wish to use it elsewhere next year. It flowers all season until frost, though it is good to cut back a bit after the first heavy wave goes to seed, to stimulate more blooming late in the season. Collect the seed before you cut it back.

The scientific name for the Tiger Swallowtail is Papilio glaucus.

Spring Pollen

Yesterday, I spent most of my gardening time over-seeding my lower lawn area. The area is somewhat shaded, so it should be able to withstand summer --I hope. And is there enough sun? We shall see. I love the lower garden area. Besides the ruin (our folly),  there is a wood, and a glade, and a garden bench, and trails. It was designed for our children.

The sky was yellow with pollen. I have never seen so much! Then this morning, all the surfaces are dusty just like an old attic, except, that the dust is yellow, and green, and powdery. Hello Pinus taeda! How do you do? Oh no, no worries! None at all. Spring is here.


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Notes: 


A folly is an artificial structure that is supposed to be interesting. It is different from regular garden art in that it is usually architectural, like a ruin, or fake castle, a tower.


Pinus taeda, also called a Loblolly Pine, is a common tree in piedmont and coastal plain areas of the southeastern United States. I consider it a underrated landscape tree, as many hate it. It is also useful commercially.

Love of Weeds

Spent most of this morning researching lawn weeds, getting to know them. I will probably need to write an article on my findings, called A Weed Gets a Promotion or something, because after my research, I'm tempted to get rid of my lawn! But for now, I will tend the fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Ironically, while working to keep it as my lawn, I have also been weeding out fescue in my perennial borders, and this is not an easy task! This cool season grass has a root system that is extremely developed which enables it to do OK in our warmer climate, except during the worst summers. To say the roots are developed is a joke of an understatement, though. Pull on it from the top as you will, but you'll have no more luck than if you were trying to pull out a young Sweet Gum tree! No, I finally had to dig this weed out, and then I was left with a large pit. I wonder what I will plant in it?

A Gorllewin Short

My main flower bed had a notch in it --a part that poked out like a sharks fin-- so to mirror the walkway and hedge it borders, I straighten this section out, replacing it with lawn. It should a lot easier to mow now, as well. I usually hate removing bed space and making more lawn, but in this situation, it made sense. I only converted over 5 or 6 square feet.

First Manual Core Aerator

In my efforts to find ways to garden without the help of an internal combustion engine, I recently purchased this manual core lawn aerator. My first impression was not so good, as it clogged the first run (about 10 punches). Perhaps my soils were too wet, so I will withhold judgement about that for now. Besides clogging, the ergonomics leave some to be desired, especially for taller users, because the bar is not adjustable. Aerating a large lawn --more than a third of an acre-- would be tedious, I think.


This device would be perfect for a 5'6" person with a small lawn. Except for that, I can't consider it a substitute for a motorized lawn aerator, so I'll keep on looking. I'm still holding for a core aerator that attaches to one's shoes like skis! Take a walk, aerate your lawn! Ha!

Plant Health Spa

This week's theme seems to be compost piles. I moved mine a few days ago, and could try to write an interesting story about the event, but it was really just standard work. But then, compost still on my mind, look what I found as I disposed of some leaves at a local nursery where I was helping! Cabbage! Sedum was in there, too. Ha! These had been cast away because of poor health, but, upon entry into what was evidently a sort of plant health spa, made a complete recovery!


I planted them in my garden today. Will they miss the spa? Gee, I hope they don't perish now! That might be embarrassing.