Garden Helper

 Meet Tivo Le my garden helper!

Tivo is a mixed breed, rescued "sweety"! We met five years ago when she was only 8 weeks old and I was volunteering at the local SPCA.

She loves to be outside in what I refer to as her "Queendom". She is not big on riding in the car or taking a walk but she does love it out back. As you can see in the above picture on the left, she pitches in to help with the empty plant bucket. When I do some digging she is right there to help. I step aside and let her go at it. She loves to put her nose in the hole and give a good whiff and then dig like crazy.  When she is finished I still need to do a little more digging but her help is always appreciated and it is worth a good laugh.

Tivo loves to give the squirrels a good chase and I must add she is excellent at it. She doesn't go "willie-nillie" about it but rather stalks them. It is a good show to watch.
Tivo is a wonderful companion and yes dogs and gardens don't always go well together but there is always a way to make it work. I do need to fence in some of my garden area where I have tender plants but the fence keeps the rabbits out also so it is a good investment of time and money. Our relationship, Tivo's and mine, is enhanced by the time we spend together in our "Queendom".

Vocabulary stuff

When shopping for plants it is good to have some basic understanding of the vocabulary used in regards to plants. Here are some of the most common terms that many people find confusing.

1. annual - living and growing for only one year or season
2. perennial - having a life span of more than 2 years
3. biennial - the life cycle of this plant is complete in 2 seasons
4. deciduous- shedding or losing foliage at the end of the growing season
5. herbaceous -  green and leaf like in appearance and texture as distinguished from a woody plant
6. evergreen - the plant does not go dormant, remaining attractive throughout the year

The terms annual and perennial, are used "openly" when you are looking for the small plant for your garden or front yard. You go out and look at the annuals and perennials your local garden center has on display. But these terms also apply to trees, shrubs, grasses and herbs so it is good to have an idea of what each means on your next shopping adventure!

Pampas Grass

Pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana, is native to southern South America. If you have a good spot for one in your yard I recommend it as it will reward you with beautiful feathery plumes that sway in the breeze and catch the light of the sun. I love to watch the sparrows sit on the top of the plumes eating the seeds,seeming to enjoy the swaying as much as the good meal!

Pampas grass is a tough plant. It is drought tolerant once established and needs very little care. I do prune mine each spring but it isn't really necessary. The plumes make a great addition to a flower arrangement and the plant itself remains of interest all year long as it is evergreen. The leaves are very sharp and one needs to take care when pruning!

The plant can be very longed lived and can grow to heights of 9 plus feet and a diameter twice that! It is not a good idea to plant it at the entrance to a driveway or walkway. It is generally a perennial in zones 7-11. It is considered an invasive weed in some places such as CA.

Spinach Vine

Red Malabar Spinach, Basella alba "Rubra" also know as spinach vine is not truly spinach but a plant that has a taste similar to that of spinach. It is easy to grow  in the ground or in a pot on the deck. It does require full to part sun and something to climb on as it will grow from 8 to 12 feet tall. I have read that it is a perennial in  zones 7b to 11 but I also read that it re-seeds very easily and that it is only truly perennial in the tropics.  The leaves are eaten raw in salads or on a sandwich. They are also used in soups  to help thicken the broth or in stir-fries with garlic and chili peppers. I am sure the uses are up to the individual cook. The leaves are high in  vitamins A and C and have a good amount of iron and calcium.

I have yet to try any of the leaves on my plant, I was/am so fascinated by the plant itself! I do think a stir-fry is on the menu very soon! One other note, this plant can be invasive in very warm climates. For more information go to http://www.bbg.org/ (the Brooklyn Botanic Garden).

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum (Mum) is a large family of Daisy like flowers. The Mum comes in a variety of colors with some blooming quite early helping to stretch the season from midsummer to late fall.
The Mum needs full sun with well draining soil. To encourage a well rounded plant  pinch the plant back when the plant has developed 6 to 8 leaves. As the pant continues to grow pinch off any side shoots. You may need to pinch the entire plant once again but you should stop all pinching by July 1.

All Mums are easy to grow from cuttings. You can take the cutting in late spring or early summer. You can keep your Mums healthy by dividing the clumps every one or two years. The Mum is a perennial in zones 5 to 9. Because there are so many selections your local garden center should be able to tell you what grows best in your area. Something to remember: because Mums are grown in a greenhouse to bloom at a particular time the Mum you purchase may not bloom at the same time in your garden the next season.

Otto Luyken, English Laurel

Otto Luyken English Laurel is an evergreen shrub that is suitable for zones  6 to 9. It requires full to partial sun. In extreen heat it needs watering weekly as do many other plants. It grows to about 3 feet tall with a 6 foot spread. In the spring it produces white fragrant flowers followed by small black fruit in the summer. It makes an excellent screen. To learn more you can go to http://www.monrovia.com/ and search the plant title. 

Loropetalum, Ever Red

Loropetalum, Ever Red is a beautiful dark burgundy, compact, mounding evergreen bush. It blooms in late winter - early spring with vivid red blooms. It is disease resistant, drought tolerant and mildew resistant. It requires full sun or part shade and is suited for zones 7 to 9. It can get large, 6 feet high by 6 feet wide.

You can learn more about this beautiful plant at http://www.gardenersconfidence.com/.

Small evergreen tree

Berchman's Golden Arborvitae (Platycladus orientallis 'Aurea Nana')

I planted my "little guy" in 2002. It was in a one gallon bucket. Today , Sept. 2011 it is about 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It is very drought tolerant and is very well formed. An excellent speciment in my eye. As the card said it is a "neat, compact, rounded evergreen shrub".

Whitefly

As you walk through your garden or pick a flower have you ever noticed a flurry of little white specs floating in the air? Perhaps you thought, there are those darn eye floaters again or you said to yourself "Look at the albino mosquitoes!" Well darling you probably have whiteflies on your plant. If you squint real hard you may see the whitefly in the right hand corner of the baggie in the above pictures.
The whitefly is a common garden pest. It is moth like and is only about an 1/8 of an inch long. It lives on the underside of the plant leaf and sucks out the sap leaving yellowed and spotted foliage behind. If the infestation is serious enough it can weaken the plant to the point it may die.

Spraying the plant is the only option as it is impossible, I believe, to try to pick these little guys off. I am using the spray I recommended 2 posts ago, the oil, soap and water.
The whiteflies are on my Dahlia plants and although the leaves are very spotted I do have flowers. I believe this is the first time I have had a problem with whiteflies, however I have had a lot of eye floaters in the past....hmmm. So have you had a whitefly problem and if so how did you solve it?

Controlling some garden pests

White flies, aphids, mites and mealybugs oh my! Yes these are some of the common pests that like to visit our gardens. No description of these little guys here today, but they will each have there turn for notoriety soon enough.
If your go to your local nursery about these pests they will probably suggest one of two types of horticultural oils. Dormant oil, for dormant plants as the name suggest, is a heavy petroleum based oil that you spray on. Summer oil, (superior or supreme oil) which is a lighter petroleum based oil that you spray on when the air temperature is below 85 degrees.
A green solution for the summer oil is;
1 tablespoon of plain vegetable oil and
1/4 teaspoon of liquid soap per quart of water.
Shake vigorously and spray being sure to get the underside of the plant leafs.

The "green solution" is never as lethal as chemical based products but with some patience and the willingness to be happy with less than the picture perfect plant you will be making a healthy choice for the environment which inevitably is healthier for all of us!

Jalapeno Peppers

What to do when your freezer is already full with jalapeno peppers from the garden and you just picked a pound or two more? Pickle them! This is a simple recipe to do just that.
1 pound of jalapeno peppers
1/2 pound sliced carrots
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups white vinegar
Dash of hot sauce (optional)
Bring vinegar to a boil, add sliced carrots and boil for 10 min., add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 min. Pour contents into jar, (be sure they have been sanitized) let cool, and refrigerate! How easy is that! I am eating mine after 2 days in the refrigerator and liking them. They are not as hot as when I first picked them, but that is fine as they were really hot! I did not add any hot sauce. The texture is soft. I would do this recipe again.

Bluebirds

I find the Bluebird a beautiful bird. The blue of the male bird is something to behold. I am also attracted to the Bluebird because of the patience they project as they sit and watch for their next meal. Since I moved to North Carolina 10 years ago I have seen the Bluebird in my neighborhood but never in my backyard. Three years ago I started to add more mulch around my very large, old Oak tree to help keep the moisture in the ground for this beautiful specimen. To my surprise the Bluebirds showed up to sit on my back porch railings to look for food in this newly mulched area. I immediately built and put up a nesting box as it was spring and wanted the chance to have them nest in my yard. As I watched the activity over the next week many different birds were attracted to the new box. Afraid that the Bluebirds would lose out I put up a second box! That spring I was rewarded with baby Bluebirds not only in the first box but the second also! That was as I said three years ago. This last year the Bluebirds used the nest box once again and had one successful hatch. After June I did not see any Bluebirds until today, Sept 19th when 5! showed up at the nest boxes! There were 4 adult males and 1 adult female. I couldn't help but think that they returned "home" to have a look see for the spring nesting.

Although I love the Bluebirds I don't do any thing I consider unnatural to attract them. I believe nature must take its course. Having said that I do make my yard very bird friendly. I have a variety of nest boxes, 5 in all, and give a source of fresh water year round. I plant a variety of bushes, perennials and annuals that invite bugs for the birds and also provide berries and seeds.

In the very cold of the winter I will also put a little seed out for all and any bird that happens by.

Gardening is all about bringing all of nature together. We reap the reward of viewing nature in our own backyard!

Candytuff (Iberis sempervirens)

Candytuff is a very popular perennial in the Raleigh area. Now it might be in other areas also but this is where I live and notice the popularity. It is perennial in zones 3 to 9 and does well in full sun to partial shade. It is evergreen with white spring blooms. Its need for water is low and it is an excellent plant for edgings or rock gardens. You should never plant it in poorly drained soil as the roots will rot in winter, in fact rot is the worst enemy of candytuff as it is not prone to diseases nor insect problems.
Candytuff blooms in early spring and last several weeks. Trim the plants after blooming to help keep the plant compact. If you want to divide your candytuff do so in the fall.
I have a new bed in the yard and think I will plant candytuff at the front. I like the fact that it is evergreen and the need for water is low.

Fennel

Fennel is a perennial in zones 5-10. It can grow to 3 to 4 feet tall and likes full sun. If you love butterflies you need to consider adding this plant to your garden.

When planting you need to remember that it can cross pollinate with dill, bean and tomatoes. So it should be planted a distance away from any of these as the cross pollination will distort the taste to something "ugly".

The entire plant is edible. The stalk is eaten like celery, the root is boiled and eaten as a vegetable (I guess) and the seeds are used to flavor stews, meats and fish. The taste is licorice or anise. I don't care for the taste but planted for my friends, the caterpillars which will become the Blue or black swallowtail butterfly!

CANNA

I have not had much luck with Cannas. As I received one yesterday I thought I would look it up once more and see if I can't have a bit more success. Cannas are tropical looking and can range in size from 1' to 8'. They like full sun and rich, well drained but moist soil. They do not mind wet conditions. They are cold hardy through zone 7.
I dug up the ones in my yard this last spring and found that the rhizomes did not look healthy so I tossed them. That may be why I have not been successful. The other reason I may not have had much success is that I do not water as much as I probably should. I will plant this one near my rain barrel to be sure to give it the water it will need now and next summer!
Note; Cannas are prone to leaf rollers, a caterpillar that rolls itself in the new leaves and enjoys a good meal! You can spray or I prefer to pick the little guys off and toss out for the birds to have a good meal.

Pansy (Viola)

Pansy - an annual liking the sun and cool weather. The pansy may suffer from a very cold day but should bounce back when the sun shines. I left my pansies until July last year. Yes they became a bit leggy but I loved the blue in my garden. I just planted my first pansies of the new season last week, Sept 5,2011 and they are doing very well.