This month at Terrapin Gardens

After not one, not two, but at least four April snow storms, the weather has finally warmed up enough to melt the snow and ice and turn the grass green. While we enjoyed winter, we're more than ready for spring. It's time to get outside, get grubby and sun-burnt, and finish a few projects we started last fall, like preparing an area for our first vegetable garden, and ripping out the last of the wild blackberries to make way for some creeping juniper in front of the house. If we're industrious, we may be able to get a fall crop of greens in this year. Meanwhile, we'll have our CSA subscription this summer for our supply of fresh vegetables.

Long-distance Visitors

Last week, Alison stopped by for a visit on her way around the country on an extended road trip. It was a lot of fun meeting her after reading her blog for years. Meeting Maude was also great, and introducing her to Haley was hilarious (for the humans). To Haley's credit, she was generally respectful of Maude's space and kept the obnoxiousness under control fairly well. Alison, Rick, Maude and I also got to enjoy the first fire of the season, under the benefit of a bright, clear night.

Decorating Dilemas

The sectional sofa we ordered in February arrived yesterday. We were overjoyed at the prospect of finally having something comfortable to sit on in the living room, especially something that holds two people and two dogs comfortably. So overjoyed were we that we got absolutely nothing done yesterday...no shopping, no errands, no cleaning, and no gardening. We did get a lot of talking about decorating done while we watched the NFL draft. No final decisions have been made about the living room, and it seems unlikely that we'll be able to finalize a plan for the space until we put up a banister on the open-sided staircase, to replace the sideboard/bar that currently serves the purpose of keeping the dogs from jumping off the fifth step, and which I'd like to move into the living room, since it doesn't really fit in the kitchen. It's much more complicated than it needs to be, this decorating business.

We're also having trouble deciding where to hang all of the art we have. I think this is left-over "renter's syndrome." I don't think Rick or I have ever completely decorated a place before, and so making choices about paint colors, furniture arrangements and locations of artworks on walls is a bit overwhelming. The most "done"room is our bedroom, which still needs touch-up paint and new curtains, among other minor details. Still, we've at least chosen the colors in there and most of the furniture is either in place or on order.

Building Blog

In other news, we're making slow progress on the garage/apartment building project. The next step is to test for and design a septic system for the apartment (an easier and more cost-effective choice than trying to get a permit to tie the apartment in to our existing septic system). We've been waiting until the end of mud season to get an excavator up our driveway, so that we can dig test pits, conduct percolation tests, and hopefully find a suitable place on the property for the new system. Once the septic is finalized and our permit is approved we'll be able to move forward with the design of the building itself. The finished structure will most likely resemble a barn from the outside, except for the possibility of a second-story balcony off of the living room of the apartment. We're also hoping that we will have enough room in the budget to convert our current electrical system over to solar (for both the main house and the garage/apartment). Much of such budgetary flexibility will have to do with the amount of sweat equity that Rick and I are able to put into the new building - tiling, laying floors, hanging drywall, installing trim, and other finishing work.

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Frosty Flowers

Hellebores are some of the toughest winter flowers. They are related to the hardy buttercups that decorate meadows with gold in spring. However, these beauties will produce winter flowers even with a few inches of snow on the ground. Hellebores niger, the Christmas rose, begins blooming in mid to late fall. Once established it will produce flushes of bloom straight through winter until spring. There are varieties with flowers ranging from white, pale yellow, to pink and deep rose. Flowers range from 1-1/2 to 3 inches across. They have a nodding bell like habit that is best displayed by growing in an elevated container. Plants grow about 12 inches tall and spread up to two feet when mature.

Another variety, the Lenten Rose (Hellebores orientalis) begins blooming in mid winter and continues through early spring. These plants are a little taller, from 18 inches up to two feet. They are available in all the same colors as the Christmas rose. They are just as care free and will produce cold season flowers just when you need a reminder of spring.

Consider growing your Hellebores in portable containers. They need shade in summer and winter cold, but they can stand being brought in the house for short periods of time. While the exact timing of their blooms can be a bit fickle, if you're lucky, you might have blooms to showcase over the winter or spring holidays.

Once the weather warms up these plants tend to go dormant for a few weeks to a month. If you wish to plant them out in the garden, or move them to a larger container, this is the time. A spot with good drainage, summer shade, and lots of organic matter will make them happy. Once they send up new leaves they should be disturbed as little as possible. The buds for next winter's flower show are hiding, dormant for now, in their attractive green foliage.

Hellebores are bothered by few pests. Even deer, slugs, and gophers are said to leave them alone. The plants are slightly toxic and were once used medicinally in Europe and Asia. While poisoning is rarely reported, they should not be planted where young children, pets, or livestock may be tempted to sample their foliage. If plants can be kept evenly moist and shaded over our hot summers, they should live up to ten years or more. Hellebores will occasionally self sow, and if happy the clumps will eventually become crowded and need divided. Whether you are looking for a unique hostess gift, something to dazzle winter time guests, or something special for a shady corner, Hellebores has a lot to offer.

There are a number of other easy plants that can provide winter time cheer, although few of them are as carefree as Hellebores. When visiting your garden center or nursery keep your eyes open for the following plants in six packs or four inch containers. For a winter show, you need to select plants with flower buds well formed or nearly ready to open.

There are several types of African Daisies that will bloom in winter. An open spot with good drainage or a container or raised bed will make them happy. Make sure the plants you purchase have nice fat flower buds. Most African Daisies are low growing, slow spreading plants. But there are many varieties, so be sure to read the plant labels so you know what you are getting.

Calendula was named for the calendar. It can produce flowers all through the year. Individual plants are short lived, but once you have them established they are reliable self sowers. For best luck with winter flowers, purchase budded plants from the nursery. These bright yellow, orange, and gold flowers like a sunny open spot.

Stocks are an old fashioned flower that can be coaxed into blooming during cool weather. Plant them near a south or west facing wall or fence or better yet, in a container placed on a sunny porch. These flowers only grow a foot or so high and tend to be rather spindly. However they make up for their lack of substance with a heady and delightful perfume.

Snap Dragons are often associated with summer, but if you find plants for sale with fat flower buds, you are in for a treat. New cultivars are available in a number of colors and flower forms including those that resemble azaleas, some with ruffled and double flowers, as well as the traditional snapping dragons. These flowers will tolerate some shade and soggy soil. However they make happier bushier plants when grown in a sunny well drained spot.

We covered Sweet Alyssum in a previous article, but it is worth mentioning again. It is a low growing perennial available in a number of colors. It can be planted at any time, and it will provide several flushes of blooms through out the year. They do best in an area with full sun and good drainage.

Winter time flowers are not really frivolous. They provide nectar and pollen to the good bugs that pollinate our food crops and that help us control pests. So while you beautify your yard, you can feel good about your contribution to the garden's environment.

Hellebores plants can be ordered from Wayside Gardens: (800) 213-0379

http://www.waysidegardens.com Seeds for Hellebores and all the other plants mentioned are available from Thompson and Morgan: (800) 274-7333 http://www.thompson-morgan.com

That's all for now, but stay tuned, next time we will be growing the very delectable winter herb, Sweet Cecily. Meanwhile, you can probably find me out in the garden, Digging the Dirt.

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Syndication Coming Right Up

I first started this blog as therapy after the accident in January 05 that left me with a traumatic brain injury. Very soon after starting the blog, much to my surprise, I found I was once again writing publication quality prose. I contacted my local newspaper (which I had written for in the past) and they were interested in running the article on "Cilantro." You all first saw that article here. In a very short time those occasional articles lead to a weekly gardening column, "Digging the Dirt," which I continued to post to the blog for a while.

As one thing tends to lead to another, I began a second column for our other local newspaper. This one is called "The Book Worm," and it features classy books with a positive out-look on life. Once that column got going my blog was neglected. I am just way too busy to post her very often. But I want to thank all of you for reading and encouraging me!

Today, I am beginning another new phase in my writing. I am ready to begin syndicating my columns. If any of you living on zones 7-9 would like to see my gardening columns appear in your local newspaper, please let me know. If you send me the name of your local newspaper and the town and state where it is located, I can search for their web page and see if they are interested. harvest95546@yahoo.com Your recommendation just might help convince the publisher to give it a try.

Complete details about the columns are available on my web site. http://www.HarvestMcCampbell.com Check out the "Digging the Dirt" page for an offer for newspapers to run the column at no cost for a limited time . . .

Meanwhile, it is definitely summer! I have plums coming on and hope to make jam and plum butter very soon. Today I am going to roast garden fresh summer squash, garlic, parsnips, and greens in a new utensil I picked up recently. It looks like a wok with holes in it, made just for cooking on a grill. My raspberries and black berries have been keeping us in smiles.

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Grow a Beautiful Lawn without Chemicals or Fossil Fuels

A. Most lawn-keepers make their lawns pretty by applying lots of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides—and irrigating like the dickens. That is, in a nutshell, bad for the earth, for the air, and for water. Too much water used for lawns could be used for drinking or irrigating food crops, and chemicals leach from lawn soil and end up in streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.

I don’t use chemicals on my lawn and never have. But until recently I’ve thoughtlessly used standard operation procedure: gasoline-powered rotary mowers, a riding mower, a couple of push mowers, and a gas-powered weed whacker. My increasing awareness of climate change and peak oil compelled me to ask myself if cutting the lawn that way is OK. It became increasingly difficult to avoid the conclusion that I really should find a better way. I decided to switch from fossil solar energy to here-and-now solar energy: me, combined with electricity from the sun.

Q. What is your lawn like now? What kind of maintenance does it require?

A. It’s not one of those Better Homes & Gardens creations. It’s just whatever comes up: a mix of grasses and some “weeds” like dandelions. It requires fairly regular mowing of whatever nature has seen fit to plant around the house, the vegetable and flower gardens, and the fruit trees and berry bushes. There are a lot of rougher, hilly areas. Yeah, you can play croquet on my lawn, but it is a much more interesting and challenging form of the game than you might be used to!

Q. Are you starting cold turkey, or easing into the system one phase at a time? Will you allow any exceptions?

A. The first to go was the riding mower. That tool uses a lot more fuel than a push mower, because it’s not just cutting grass, but also carrying its quarter-ton self plus me around. It was in the picture in the first place because the lawn was too big for a push mower alone. So there’s the first element in the plan: Make the lawn small enough that I can tend it with appropriate tools. I’ll be putting more of the lawn into white clover, which doesn’t have to be mowed as much, and low-growing ground covers.

My next step is to replace the remaining gas-eaters with human-powered and/or electric-powered alternatives. My home is completely solar-powered, so all electric implements will be fueled by the sun. The only exception might be the gas-powered weed whacker that I use to trim the tall pasture around my gardens.

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Compost Requirements

There are seven main compost requirements needed for really great compost decomposition. These requirements are compost size, air, moisture, fragment size, green matter, dry matter, and heat. Keeping these compost in mind will help to ensure a lot of humus and nutrient rich compost for your organic garden.

Compost Size

Your compost structure (or compost pile) must be at a minimum of seven cubic feet to provide enough heat, air, and moisture for adequate decomposition and compost requirement. See Selecting your Compost Structure

Air

For rapid decomposition, you need excellent ventilation for compost. If there’s not enough air (oxygen), then the decomposition process slows down and you’ll get some bad odors-not good if you’re preaching "Organic" to everyone! Keep this in mind when selecting your compost structure.

Moisture

Moisture is very important for compost requirements, but not wetness. Balance is important here … not too much water or too little. In hot weather, it’s important to keep the compost moist. When there’s rain, protect the compost to prevent nutrients from leaching out and away.

Fragment Size

The effect that fragment size has on decomposition is much like the effect of throwing wood in a burning fireplace. Throwing (placing) a log in the fire doesn’t have an immediate reaction… it takes some time for it start to really burn. BUT if you throw a handful of fine-sawdust into the fire there is an immediate, and dangerous reaction - the sawdust almost instantaneously combusts! This reaction occurs, because the “surface area” of all the pieces of fine-sawdust together is significantly more than the surface area of the large log.

Now how does this relate to compost requirements and fragment size? The smaller the fragment sizes the faster the decomposition. Depending on your time, your budget and energy level, shredding leaves and branches may not be something you’ll want to do.

Green Matter and Nitrogen

Think of green matter and nitrogen as lighter fluid for your compost. Green matter has a significant amount of nitrogen, which speeds up compost decomposition. Typical sources of green matter are grass clippings, fresh green leaves, weeds. Sources of nitrogen are bloodmeal, organic nitrogen based fertilizers, rabbit, pigeon, cow and horse manure. I’m sure you can think of a lot more examples... just think “Green”.

Dry Matter

Healthy compost has balanced carbon to nitrogen ratio…this is not as complicated as it sounds. Dry matter helps increase the carbon base of your compost. Dry matter also helps absorb moisture and maintain compost porosity and structure.

Good sources of dry matter for your compost pile are dry leaves, small dry twigs and shredded dry branches, paper towels & bags, cardboard, sawdust, wood ash, wood shavings, woody prunings, rodent bedding, old straw & hay, and paper based egg boxes.

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gardeningyear.com - Low-Maintenance Plants

Perennial grasses are easy plants. Once planted, they require very little attention, except occasional removal of dead foliage and old flower heads if they offend. Cutting back the dead foliage to ground level in early spring will encourage lots of new growth.

There are many types to grow, from compact dwarfs to huge plants that reach 2.4m (8 feet) or more. They can be used in beds, either on their own or in mixed plantings, to stunning effect.

Be cautious about mixing grasses among other plants, however, as some are difficult to control, and rampant species will soon take over a bed and become inextricably entwined with other plants, so clump-forming types are best.

The more spreading grasses are better grown in an isolated spot, but the smaller ones will work in a border if you plant them in a large container sunk into the ground, with the rim flush with the surrounding soil. Annual grasses will self-seed unless you deadhead them after flowering.

Ferns For Moist ShadeThe intricate foliage of ferns makes these fascinating plants essential for moist, shady corners of any low-maintenance garden, where they will without doubt thrive without any intervention. Many die down in winter, but there are also plenty of evergreen species, and they are varied enough in shape and size to make an interesting planting despite the lack of flowers.

Planting FernsMost ferns prefer a moist, shady or partially shaded position, and will do especially well if you take time to prepare the soil by incorporating plenty of organic material. This is very important in an area shaded by a tree or wall, where soil is usually dry. If the soil is impoverished, rake a balanced fertilizer into the surface of the soil when you plant. If planting in late summer, autumn or winter do not use a quick-acting fertilizer.

1) Water the fern thoroughly about half an hour before planting. It is very important that ferns do not dry out, especially when newly planted.

2) Make a hole large enough to take the root ball. Firm the fern in carefully. Then water thoroughly so that the surrounding soil is moist down to the depth of the rootball.

3) To help conserve moisture and maintain a high level of organic material in the soil, mulch thickly. Top up the mulch each spring.

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