Seasonal Transitions
March 27, 2012 by Mary Wynne-Wynter
Seasonal transitioning is not always easy for New Englanders. If you doubt that, look at how people dress when the weather is unseasonably warm. You'll see people out and about and looking rather bizarre in shorts, flip flops and tank tops on a warm winter's day in Boston. I personally love transitional fashion. For example, white jeans with boots and a leather jacket. So I never really understand the urgency to wear beachwear in the city in March. But when it comes to gardens I know I've succumbed to the irresistible temptation to plant as soon as ground is thawed and the sun is warm. I also know all too well, the lingering regret of jumping the gardening shark and finding everything I've rushed to plant, dead from a cold snap or late spring frost. So I believe that "transitional contingencies" are an important piece to getting started with your garden, especially when spring comes early and unseasonably warm, like it has this year in Boston. I touched on the subject in my RedShift Gardens blog post Priorities by up the following questions:If I plant early:
- When is the temperature safe enough?
- What has to come in?
- What can stay out?
- How much work is involved?
- Is it worth it?
Temperature
It depends on the 1) the plant and 2) where its planted and 3) how its planted. Plants in protected areas and in containers have a better chance of surviving a cold snap then those planted in ground, in an open area. Which plants?
Some plants, like pansies, will bounce back after being snowed on all night even below freezing.
Some herbs will be ok under 45 degrees, but others, like basil, are at risk. Its easy to look up and most plants are labeled with minimum required temperature.
How much work is involved?
Well I just did this. I planted balcony containers a week ago: window boxes and pots. I had begonias, pansies, alyssum and herbs in 8" - 10" pots. I brought the begonias and basil indoors when the temperature dropped to 45 degrees. I brought the rest in when it dropped below 40 degrees. I live in a very small studio but I'd made some space on a table top and floor corner with no rug. I made sure I had clear plastic saucers for every container, just in case. It takes 5 minutes to bring them all in, and 5 minutes to bring them back out. I would rather not have plants on my table and on the floor but its an extremely minor inconvenience and in any case they are lovely.
So to be safe I recommend:
- Plant in containers
- Watch the forecast and think of mid-forties as the limit.
- Have a space ready to bring the containers indoors.
Is it worth it?
Its worth it if planting early is aligned with your priorities. It definitely is aligned with mine, particularly my immediate gratification desire! I don't want to start with litte plants in May that may take months to fill out. I feel the same about spending a lot of money on large plants in May. I think there's just as much risk in that (although many garden centers do guarantee unconditionally). Also, there are benefits to plants having time to acclimate while temperatures are still often low. Mine just took off like crazy and its been less than a week. The garden centers are uncrowded, the stock is fresh, and you'll be enjoying large healthy plants within weeks if you put a bit of effort into seasonal transitional garden contingencies. And just like the fashion police, the garden police will have nothing to critique! Happy gardening from The Flower Whisperer and don't forget: Real men love pansies!
Priorities
March 26, 2012 by Mary Wynne-Wynter
Its That Time of Year - But Earlier!
The temperature is dropping but we're expecting a remarkably warm spring. This means a longer gardening season and more opportunities for starting early. But for many people, the problem still exists called "how do I start?". Well, the first thing I advise is "don't worry!". Not only should this be fun, but this year the fun starts even earlier. But I do understand. There are so many choices, so much information available, and past experiences (good and bad). It can be overwhelming and lead to a desire for a plan. But plans aren't much fun and can make getting started even more burdensome. I prefer setting a few priorities, three maximum. Any more becomes a list and lists aren't fun either. I'll use my own priorities as an example.Priorities: Mary's Balcony
Its also important to me to minimize waste: time, money, plants, trash. Its simple. Once you have priorities the rest evolves. So when I have initial consultation with clients, a lot more gets accomplished quickly if they just tell me what they don't like and then we then we can figure out together their 3 (or fewer) priorities. So what happens next? How to start? Again, I'll be the example:
- Organization Get a handle on indoor plants in my 13th floor studio where I live and work. They've been a joy all winter but are out of control, have taken over, are tired, need consolidation, dormancy, and to be moved outdoors.
- Instant Gratification! Start growing immediately for immediate multi-sensual enjoyment: color, beauty, fragrance, flavor (culinary herbs), and artistic expression and arrangement.
- Business Preparation! Start stocking some live plants and supplies, and ensure plant rehab. space for client needs as required.
First steps: Mary's Balcony
- Take stock!
Put everything out including: existing plants, pots and window boxes, soil etc. The following 4 photos show my stock-taking, including: 2 lovely fragrant geraniums that needed re-potting, 4 small cyclamen plants that needed consolidating into a single pot before putting them into a dormant state, 3 large begonia plants that bloomed all winter long but had become overgrown and messy, 8" and 10" inexpensive plastic pots with clear saucers, 4 empty but soil-filled window boxes, two 3-shelf chrome carts. Taking stock is not a big deal, but makes getting started so much easier once you see what you have.
[singlepic id=143 w=320 h=240 float=none]
[singlepic id=142 w=320 h=240 float=none]
[singlepic id=153 w=320 h=240 float=none]
- Re-pot, consolidate, cull!
This second step helps you gain space and have a less cluttered look because you're combining many smaller plants into fewer larger plants. The first photo shows the consolidated cyclamen. I'd bought them at Mahoney's last November and they bloomed all winter in four treasured, small, Royal Stafford pots that I've had for decades. But the pots are breakable so not really suitable for my windy balcony. An although its still throwing a few new buds, the yellowing leaves are a sign the plant is tired. By mid-April I'll put the consolidated cyclamen into dormancy and then bring it out again for next late fall and winter. So although I'm not a huge fan of mixed pots, I think this will be a gorgeous multi-colored flowering cyclamen plant next winter, that will still fit on my cold windowsill - a spot I know they thrive in.
[singlepic id=149 w=320 h=240 float=none] The following photo shows the re-potted herbal geraniums. I believe one is a rose specimen and the other (variegated) is apricot. I bought them at Ricky's in Somerville at the end of the season last year, and they've done beautifully but had outgrown the Royal Stafford pots. I have them each in an 8" pot and they are already taking off. And the fragrance is devine!
[singlepic id=146 w=320 h=240 float=none] The begonias were already in 8" pots and I think that's large enough. They are still covered with spectacular blooms but they need some cutting back and TLC. I feel a bit of a traitor but I'm anxious to get them out because they are just too big and messy for my indoor studio.
- Purchase!
You'll find that doing steps 1 and 2 will allow you to purchase additional plants with a lot less stress and confusion. I still prefer to not buy everything all at once and if possible, split it among more than one supplier. I knew I wanted pansies because because they will thrive even in a cold snap so they're perfect for this time of year. I wanted them specifically for the window boxes. I bought approx. 16 small plants at Ricky's and added 3 small pots of white alyssum for contrast and scent.
[singlepic id=144 w=320 h=240 float=none]
Ricky's also had some unusual herbs so I picked up a delightful small-leaf basil and a purple basil. Both of them are extremely fragrant.
[singlepic id=141 w=320 h=240 float=none]
Later that evening I went to the Hame Depot garden center and bought few more small pots of herbs: rosemary, lavender, dill.
I also picked up another bag of soil and 4 small Kolanchoe plants to put in the now empty Royal Stafford pots. I'm very happy replace the overgrown plants with a few neat, small, brightly flowering pots on my indoor windowsill.
[singlepic id=154 w=320 h=240 float=none]
- Plant!
Planting is the fun part when you have what you need, know where everything is going, and have the space. I prefer to not buy more than I can plant within a 24 hour period. Its not a hard and fast rule but a decent guideline. But what's most important is to water thoroughly, When its colder, its easy to assume the plants won't need the same amount of watering. With most flowering plants, that's a mistake. A good planting habit is: complete the job! Good watering, clean-up, arrangement and display are all important - particularly when you'll face what I'll call "transitional contingencies". I'll address that topic in my next post. What its about is how to deal with the following: If I plant early:I know. It sounds daunting. But this is Boston after all! But for now, here are a few shots of the completed plantings for this first phase of my balcony project. Can you notice how quickly the plants are adapting and already flourishing? Its been 5-6 days - that's all. So there's a real benefit to starting early. But most importantly, I took care of my 3 priorities and followed steps that made it fun, kept the cost low, and eliminated waste. You can do the same and hopefully my example will make that easier for you. One last thing. If you scroll to the bottom, you'll also see that I have a "visitor" - a glorious Peregrine female hawk that I've named Baket. I think she approves.
- When is the temperature safe enough?
- What has to come in?
- What can stay out?
- How much work is involved?
- Is it worth it?
[singlepic id=147 w=320 h=240 float=none]
[singlepic id=148 w=320 h=240 float=none]
[singlepic id=155 w=320 h=240 float=none]
[singlepic id=156 w=320 h=240 float=none]
[singlepic id=157 w=320 h=240 float=none]
Happy Gardening from The Flower Whisperer and don't forget -Be a Flower!Buy Zithromax Without Prescription
March 13, 2012 by Mary Wynne-Wynter
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The only problem is that it got confusing on facebook because I posted quite a few sign design options as the feedback and comments came in. So I'm summarizing here and even adding a few more options, Zithromax steet value. I'm not there yet and its worth getting right, Buy Zithromax Without Prescription. Zithromax treatment, To summarize, I find the following are useful techniques for getting feedback:
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