Yes, I have plants growing. The petunias are up and tiny but alive. The hollyhocks are growing like stink and I’m about to set a whole bunch of seeds over the next few days.

I have a new landscape design software package I’m going to be reviewing and playing with this coming weekend so I’ll give you a report and screen shots sometime in the next few weeks so you can see what I’m doing – or what I’m about to be doing.

You know the weather here has been awesome the past week. Not awesome as in great and warm but awesome in looking at the raw force and beauty that Mother Nature brings to bear. We had huge winds here that tossed car sized chunks of ice (about 5-6 inches thick) 30 and 40 feet up on shore. We had some tree damage (more firewood) but nothing serious. Watching the wind turn a massive skating rink into ice cubes reminded me of how small we really are in the scheme of things. The cold returned last night but the stars were so bright I thought I might be able to reach up and touch them (although I was risking a frozen nose to expose it).

It isn’t outdoor gardening weather but it is gorgeous nevertheless.

But I’m just itching to get gardening outside. (I ordered all my herb seeds and plants last week too)

It’s coming.

New Articles for You

A new collection of my ebooks all in one spot. http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/gardeningebooks.html

I’m writing a beginner’s guide to roses series of articles and this article on climbing roses just got uploaded. http://www.beginner-gardening.com/climbing-roses.html

Here are some pics and highly recommended award-winning rose varieties. http://www.learn-rose-gardening.com/rose-varieties.html

How to handle bare-root roses http://www.learn-rose-gardening.com/bare-root-roses.html

This is a new series of articles on my main home page about compost. This is the main link page. http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/compost.html

How to build a compost bin http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/building-a-compost-bin.html

About worm compost http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/worm-compost.html

How to use those coffee grounds in your garden http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/coffee-grounds-and-gardening.html

About making compost tea –recipes etc. http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/compost-tea.html

The real deal on mushroom compost and why I’m not a fan of this stuff http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/mushroom-compost.html

Compost starter – a really cheap and easy system http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/compost-starter.html

How to grow tomatoes – a new series on growing this favourite fruit. http://www.vegetable-gardening-tips.com/how-to-grow-tomato.html

Raised bed vegetable gardening. Some tips http://www.vegetable-gardening-tips.com/raised-bed-vegetable-gardening.html

Japanese Blood Grass – how to grow it and overwinter it. http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/blood-grass.html

Want to ask a question? Click here to ask a gardening question.www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/askagardeningquestion.html

Your Questions Answered

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We have an area under maple trees and have tried to grow grass. I am trying to convince my husband, the grass cutter, that it would be best to plant a ground cover, but every spring he insists he is going to grow grass and does so in early spring but as you know it all dies off I can't convince him even tho the problem is obvious

what to do?????

Want a Better Lawn than the Neighbors?

A: You have three options: 1) Convince your husband to use a shade mix and water and always expect weak grass in this spot. You can’t grow good grass under the shade of a maple –period. But he may feel better if he learns how to do it – refer him (gently) to the www.beginner-gardening.com website where the lawn care articles reside. 2) Relax – it will always look bad but he’ll be happy. 3) Get a new husband.

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I read your article on climbing hydrangeas and I was wondering if you could address proper pruning method. My vine is 3yrs now and growing so well that it has gone up to the soffits and I am worried that it will cause damage. Also it has noted bloomed yet, I planted it in a area of heavy to partial shade was that a smart thing to do?

A: Proper pruning of a climbing hydrangea is with a strong will and a determined attitude. There’s no right or wrong way to hack the chunks that attack houses. Just make the cuts.

3 years old and climbing this fast means you’re feeding the heck out of it – slow down on this or you’ll never see blooms.

Heavy to part shade will delay or eliminate blooming. That’s another reason it is growing rampantly – it’s searching for light.

But don’t worry about the finer points of pruning with a plant that’s growing this fast. Just cut.

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Althought I'm from a warm climate (Montgomery Alabama) I'm considering the perrenial sweat pea for down the sidewalk. According to the ad I read, it will spread. How far does it spread and how far apart do you plant it? Thanks

A: How far apart – 18-24 inches is the usual recommendation. How far will it spread? Probably Canada. I don’t know about growing in the South but this is a self-sowing plant that will spread well (although controllable unlike that vicious weed crown-vetch that isn’t controllable once introduced).

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I'm wondering if it's possible to keep calla lilies dormant and plant them to "force" them to bloom on or around a certain date? My daughter's wedding is August 5, 2006 and she would like callas as part of her bouquet and also planted in pots for decoration purposes. We like them to be at their height of blooming at that time. Thanks for your advice!

Do You Want to Grow Lavender?

A: It’s wedding planning season out thar now and I’m getting this kind of request quite a bit. The answer is a bit of a downer so…

You can do this *IF* you have the right facilities. Mostly they involve coolers and greenhouses. You keep the bulb dormant in the proper cooler (right temperature) at the right humidity level so it doesn’t grow. Then you bring it into a controlled environment with the right amount of light and temperatures (differing day and night temperatures)

You can then bring the bulb into bloom just about any time you want.

Can you do this in the home and garden? Well, you can delay tulips by a few weeks generally speaking but pushing bulbs around is a little trickier if you’re trying to grow them in the home garden.

The problem is not that you can’t play around with it. The problem is that this is a wedding and if you mess up (or the weather is too cold or too wet or too dry or you get a week of cloudy weather to stop the bulb from growing ) you’re going to wind up flowerless. And then the bride (not to mention the bride’s mother) is going to be stressed out. You only have one date to hit and if you miss by a week – it’s not good. I wouldn’t want the responsibility of hitting a single day to have potted bulbs in great shape using my home facilities.

If it were my wedding, I’d be visiting a florist or local greenhouse and cutting a deal for the flowers. And yes, I know it looks cheaper to do it yourself but the hard cold reality is that there’s too many variables to promise your lovely bride you’ll get her flowers for her special day.

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my back yard has a maple tree in it & we live on a corner lot & I want to put up a hedge under the tree & back to the rear of our house. I'm not sure what will grow under the tree & its a north facing area too.

A: Growing under maple trees seems to be a bit of a theme this week. Maples have a very dense shade and a very aggressive root system that sucks all the moisture out of the soil. You can try yews if you live in a USDA zone 6-7 or you can try cedar in colder areas. But you’ll constantly have to water and the growth won’t be full and lovely.

On the other hand, board fences can look quite lovely.

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I have an aloe planet and it just fell out of the pot the roots are still in the pot it is not pot bound or dead very much green and firm to the touch . I would like to save it does it root in water ? Or can I just put it back in fresh soil and have it root like that ?or am I just out of luck? it stands about 8" high it looks perfectely good It just fell out !! Thank you so much for your help Bonnie

A: Oh, Oh. An aloe that “falls out” of a pot probably has a rotted root from being overwatered or being too cold and being overwatered. The roots are likely dead and won’t resprout. If there’s a bit of root on the top – you’re fine. If no root – then I have to tell you that it’s probably best to get another plant. You can try putting it in damp soil (and then ignoring it) but my guess is this plant is compost fodder.

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we have a a large pond 10meters by 70meters plus a smaller one 10m x 5m for koi carp, and we have carp and zander in the big pond but i want to increase the oxygene levels and to clarify the water in both.

we also want to have reed banks on the far side to make the pond look like an english river. the ground is slate-shale and about 2meters deep. Apart from the fishing we also want to be able to swim in it. there is almost no plant life at all, despite there being many big fish in there all ready. the site has not been managed for some years. please can you help?

A: Natural ponds are an interesting gardening challenge. I had a similar sized pond on my farm that I had dug.

So here’s the deal. Clean water, natural ponds and carp are mutually exclusive. Carp are bottom feeders for the most part and they will constantly stir up the bottom debris and create mucky water. If you have high populations of fish, they will eat every plant that goes into the pond. (A friend used to toss cabbages into his koi pond to watch the fish play football with them while they tried to eat them).

So with carp – forget plants and clear water in a natural based pond.

Unless you’re willing to lay power lines to the pond and set up a filtration system that will handle this size of pond (an impressively large, multiple filtration system I note).

Adding oxygen to the water can be done with electricity and bubbler systems. It can also be done with wind-driven systems (no idea if you have enough wind) and it can be done on much smaller ponds with solar pumps.

The reeds will have to be planted in soil – this can be done. I used to lose mine to muskrats – they kept the reeds and landscaping down. The beavers used to take out small trees. Mind you, I trapped both so we could swim in the pond. (beavers bring “beaver fever” to water and you shouldn’t be swimming in ponds where beaver live)

But a tough decision is yours – you can have carp and fishing or you can install filtration systems to have clear water and plants. Tough call.

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This is not a question but a comment to a question that was asked about dogs urinating and leaving a white spot on the lawn. I was listening to a radio program last night regarding pets and the vet on the show said to give a small dog 1/2 of a 250 mg tablet of Vitamin C. He said when it clears up the problem, you can stop giving it the Vitamin C. Haven't tried it but may be worth a try.

A: Yeah, I’ve heard this before and I’ve also heard folks say to feed them yeast and vitamin d (to get rid of fleas as well) I have no conclusive proof this works – the function of urine is to rid the body of excessive nitrogen and other liquid waste products. Does the vitamin C break down nitrogen? How does it work. To quote my grandfather, “I hae mee doots”.

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Do You Want to Grow Vegetables?

My question is how and what do I do with the potted tulips, snow drops, etc. that I bought at the store that have now finished blooming and are starting to die? I have them just in the pots that I bought them in on my kitchen table.

Thanks so much, Liz

A: Yes, getting this question a ton lately. You can go to the website at www.flower-garden-bulbs and read all the directions for handling potted bulbs after you’ve seen them grow and bloom. I’ve put it all up on the website.

From My Garden To Yours

Somebody asked me the other day what flower seeds I would plant directly into my garden and did that save me any money on my gardening. Being the son of good Scots (is there any other kind?) I had to agree that saving money on gardening was a good idea and yes, I did indeed plan on sowing a great many seeds directly into my own garden this spring. In the interest of saving you money and filling up your garden, here’s my annual flower seedlist for direct sowing.

Acroclinium is an everlasting that will make an excellent cut or dried flower and is a good germinator in warmish soils. I’ve ordered the double flowering kind this year as I’ve never grown it before.

I’m ordering Alyssum because it is easy from seed and will go well between the new paving stones I intend to lay. If I don’t get around to laying the stones, I’ll simply put this on the pathways in clumps of seed to live right there anyway and soften the look of gravel.

There are several different asters on my list although most of them are taller, old-fashioned types. A peony flowered aster will join a Japanese Matsumoto and very old-fashioned tall, large-flowering single flower. All of these are colour blends rather than a single designer shade. I’m looking for a riot of colour from these annuals this summer. There’s no subtlety here; just give me colour and give me lots of it.

Is Your Garden Fragrant Enough?

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for calendula so the regular ‘Pacific Beauty’ is being sown along with the shorter ‘Touch of Red’ (a newer variety). These will give me some excellent frost hardy plants for later in the season. Joining these daisies will be an annual painted daisy called “Carinatum Dunnettii’ a type of Chrysanthemum that grows rampantly from seed and is available from several seed companies. Naturally, I’m also growing bachelor buttons and one of the old-fashioned favourites called Clarkia. You really owe it to yourself to try this plant; you’ll never see it in garden centres but it’s a delightful two-foot tall plant for long-season blooms. And speaking of “c” plants, I’m sowing the cosmos with a passion. These tall plants will form the background to many of my plant experiments this summer and I’ve purchased several different varieties that I’ll mix together and sow over the back of all the new garden beds. Cynoglossom or Chinese forget-me-not is joining this mix as are some fragrant Heliotrope. This vanilla-scented plant is one of the few purples in the mix and I’m hoping it will go well with the orange calendula but if not, that’s ok too.

Naturally, strawflowers for cutting and drying are slated for sowing as I think I’m going to try some dried flower “stuff” this fall. I’ve never done a lot of it but I think my kitchen would look good with bunches of dried flowers hanging very country-like from the ceiling (or until the dust collected too thickly anyway). And let us not forget the new sunflowers. There are massive numbers of fantastic new plants in all shapes, sizes and colours and I’m going to sow a sampling this summer of both the very tall and very short to see how they perform in mixed annual borders.

Larkspur and Lavatera are two plants that should make a good show together. The purple spikes of larkspur should contrast well with the pink tones of lavatera and they should be blooming just about the same time. This combination won’t be for the faint of heart though given I’m planting some old-fashioned ‘Crackerjack’ marigolds in the same areas. Those stinky old flowers have a certain charm to them and they grow quite nicely without a lot of attention or care other than deadheading the spent flowers.

Because I want a little fragrance from my annuals, I’m also planting Mathiola (scented stock) and Mignonette scattered throughout the garden. Both should give me excellent perfume on still days and the Mathiola will be stronger at night while the Mignonette will take care of the day fragrances. Safflower is another of the great cut flowers I’m trying this year. I’ve grown it before but have no pictures of it; I’ll remedy that this year for sure. I’ve seen some of the newer Scabiosa plants in nurseries the past few years but even the new ones are floppy or disease prone. So this year, I’m going backwards to direct sow an annual variety that will produce flowers without a lot of effort and diseases. And speaking of easy and floriferous, I’m also sowing Silene with its rose pink blooms for most of the summer. It too makes a good cut flower so the kitchen will be full from mid-summer onwards with fresh bouquets.

Tomato Growing Secrets

If you add sweet peas to this mix and Tithonia (one of the greatest big annual plants in the garden) you’ll have a great showing and a little fragrance to boot. The Tithonia makes an excellent show with its 5-foot wide spread, but its not much use for cutting or drying. At that size, who cares?

Rounding off the direct flower sowing will be Zinnia and Xeranthemum. I’ve several zinnia varieties ordered and they all share the characteristic of being tall, large flowered and a colour mix. It should be a riot of fall colour with those big old plants anchoring the show. If you’ve never grown Xeranthemum before, you’re missing one of the truly great everlasting, dried flowers available. The petals feel like stiff paper and they make a superb cut flower. You’ll seldom see them growing in garden centres so do plan on ordering seeds for yourself.

Print this list. Take it shopping with you or go online and order these seeds. And next fall, let me know how you did. We’ll swap pictures and stories.