Green Gardening- Making use of Recyclables

Take a good look at this planter- it's an old chair, rescued from the trash, it's upholstery removed and replaced with chicken wire, a coir insert, and a terrific combination of bloomers!

The following is an article written by a guest blogger- you never know who you might meet on the internet, eh? Some great points are made, reinforcing the things we already know as Master Gardeners, ideas we can use, and things we learned about starting seeds outdoors at last month's meeting using recycled materials.

There isn’t a better way to enjoy the warm springtime weather while making a difference on the environment than with indoor or outdoor gardening. Not only are we adding a little bit of green to our home but we’re also lowering the demand for non-organic vegetables and herbs by starting our own supply of fresh food for our cooking and eating enjoyment. Once you take up gardening, you’ll soon find that you can make the space around your outdoor furniture even greener by taking up eco-friendly practices such as using recycled materials to aid in the growth of your garden and by creating a nutritious compost pile.

One of the easiest ways to get started on living a greener life is by creating a compost pile in a backyard area from grass clippings and dry leaves produced from past seasons. Compost piles benefit your garden by providing an organic fertilizer filled with an abundance of minerals and nutrients that will nourish your organic garden and allow you to recycle waste from your kitchen. Used coffee grounds and tea leaves can be added to your damp mulch pile and are the perfect addition to plants that thrive off of acid-based fertilizers. Adding sheets or shreds of old newspaper around your plants will help with weed control as this material decomposes and becomes part of your nutritious garden soil.

If you’re looking to get your garden growing, there are a number of materials that are normally thrown out in the trash but can actually be used to house seedlings for a young garden that is just starting out. Plastic yogurt containers as well as milk and egg cartons provide a great space for transplanting new seeds and plants while you’re getting your soil ready. If your garden is well underway and you’re looking for a way to use recycled materials, try tying old pantyhose or T-shirt strips around metal or wood gardening posts to keep your tomato plants upright and growing strong. Also, add a charming aesthetic by building a small walkway with reused pieces of concrete or stone leading to or through your beautiful garden.

New Garden Coach Directory

It's a cold crisp day and I'm impatiently waiting for spring here, trying to figure out what to write about for this month. Well, sometimes the subject comes easily, and sometimes, like today, it just pops up! I no sooner opened this document when an e-mail arrived in my computer with an update to a site I joined a few weeks ago- The Garden Coach Directory ( http://gardencoachdirectory.wetpaint.Com/ ). It's a new version of the site I joined a couple of years ago that had grown to be too big for it's originator to handle. I've written about it before on my blog (August 3, 2007), set up a web site, and have even had a few clients since then.

As Master Gardeners we provide a valuable service to the public- educating, volunteering, caring for our environment, and hands on gardening efforts to show people the value of gardening as a whole. With the economy in such turmoil this year, I believe that there will be many people interested in learning how to grow their own food, and to care for their own landscapes and gardens as well as the environment as a means to conserve their own resources and even to nurture their own souls. We are all in a position to help them learn to do that.

There are a few ways to teach people about gardening available to us as members of the MGAWC. One is the tried and true "Let's Go Gardening" program set up years ago by Leo Blum. By volunteering on Saturdays in May at local nurseries, we can answer questions, advise on safe gardening practices as well as earn a bit of income for our organization. Another way is to direct people to the series of classes offered by our organization meant for beginning gardeners, the "Intro to Gardening" classes. Yet another is to man a booth at a local farmer's market and answer questions there. I predict that there will be a lot more people interested in taking advantage of our words of advice this year. I urge you to volunteer a few hours of your time to provide this valuable service. If that isn't enough for you, hang out a shingle as a Garden Coach as I have and provide the service right at the new gardener's home.

Visit the new Garden Coach Directory at: http://gardencoachdirectory.wetpaint.Com/ - it's growing quickly to be a valuable resource, user friendly, and a great group of gardeners all over the world dedicated to teaching about gardening. Each individual coach has their own page, listed in their home state- mine of course can be found in the great state of Michigan. It's absolutely free to join, and could be a great place to scatter your gardening expertise and help grow new gardeners.

See you in the Garden!

Ready, Set, Garden!

I don't know about you, but I've had enough of winter. Seems like every time I turned around, I was shovelling snow, and as I write this a recent warm spell with record setting temps has melted most of the snow piled up out in the yard. More snow is in the forecast for the week-end. I am so ready for spring!

It's time to rev up the grow lights, get out the seed packets picked up or ordered in the dead of winter, and load up the seed trays. Warm everything up, get the timing just right on the lights, add a bit of moisture and stand back. Within days, a miracle happens and those tiny seeds send forth a tiny root, seed leaves and then sprout their first true leaves, reaching toward the bright lights set above them.

Last year, I didn't start too many different kinds of seeds- I don't have a lot of places to garden here, so I figured that I'd just pick up a few four packs of annuals somewhere. I was sadly disappointed with the lack of variety available, and sorely missed Clyde Smith's garden center. This year, I still don't have a lot of garden space, but have picked up some of my old favorite annual seeds that I missed having last year.

There's lots of shade here, so my impatiens did very well in pots on the deck, I saved some seeds from those. Along the driveway is enough sun for a few tomatoes, herbs and sun-loving annuals. I adore the little Star White Zinnias, so I picked up a packet of seeds for those, along with some Cinnamon Basil I had a hard time finding last year. I think I have some Phlox of Sheep seeds left, I'll try to grow those again this year, last year's plants did not do well at all and I really missed their beautiful colors.

The soil here is very poor, I have my compost bins working to try to rebuild some areas. I'm hoping that the leaves I left to rot in place will also help to improve the texture of the compacted areas along the drive. I'll expand the small garden area I dug out, and make that bigger, it's sunny enough for some annuals, but not sunny enough for vegetables. Vegetables are fun to grow, and taste great, but it's hard to only grow enough for one or two people, so it's not a big deal to not have them.

It's an exciting time of year- just before Spring- there are so many possibilities, so many choices. We take all the new information we learned from our gardens last year, and apply it to this year coming up. Doesn't matter if we've gardened the same one for decades, or like me, a brand new place. Things change and evolve- sunny areas grow shady, shady areas can be suddenly sunny. Every Spring is a chance to start again, try again with Hope for a wonderful new season. Can you dig it? Are you ready?

See you in the Garden!

The Outdoor Room

Summer has finally arrived! I have the weeds well in hand here, and everything is planted, fertilized, caged and staked. The deck- my outdoor room- is all set up and decorated, so finally the garden feels like home to me. It must be pretty inviting out there- that's where all of my guests want to hang out.

With all of the garden ornaments, wide variety of furnishings, decorative items and plant containers available in the stores, markets and on the curb (my favorite place to shop) it is easy to furnish a deck or patio to create that outdoor gathering space. I have been collecting a lot of items for many years, so it's a simple thing to arrange and re-arrange the seating and decor to create an inviting look, and provide a lovely view of the garden (or in my case- the lawn and trees).

Setting up the outdoor room boils down to one word- VIEW - the room needs to be inviting from the inside of the house, and once out there seated, there should be something pleasant to look at both close up- mixed planters, small gardens, tellises covered with flowering vines, decor, etc, and a distant view. In my outdoor room, I have positioned most of the seating to view my neighbor's yard with stately maple trees, ancient lilacs, and an expanse of lawn with the sunset through the trees. My other views are the parking area of the driveway with my car parked in it, or my other neighbors overgrown and neglected yard with poison ivy thriving along the chain link fence and a rusted out truck (not a pleasant view at all). Easy choice for me there. I picked my car, and the stately trees and sunset for the long view, and arranged the furnishings to take advantage of it.

Once the bones of the set up is completed, then the close up views- decor, mixed planters, vertical elements like arches, trellises and shepherd's hooks can be included to frame views or mask unpleasant ones. It is very much like decorating interior spaces, except that instead of art on the walls, and windows to the outside, you frame pleasant natural views, and create walls of structures to support plants to appreciate. You can even add a bit of softness in the form of cushions and pillows, tablecloths and napkins for special gatherings. I store all of these items in a large plastic deck box to keep them handy.

We've worked hard on our gardens, enjoy the process of discovering new plants, finding just the right spot for them, and maintaining them, so why not go to the next level and create a space to relax and enjoy our hard work? Invite your guests out to appreciate what you do, create a room to relax in and enjoy this all too brief Michigan summer. Ready, set, decorate!

See you in the garden!
Ellen Leigh

New Discoveries

As Spring moves along on it's way to summer every day that I go out and ramble around out in the garden I find something new. A lot of the property has been allowed to run wild, so there are some meadow wildflowers here and there, buckthorn of course , and weedy trees like box elder and silver maples. But also there are some things that will be interesting to watch develop- gooseberry bushes, apple trees, berry brambles and who knows what else.

There's tons of Garlic mustard out there- I'll be putting that Garlic Mustard cookbook to good use! I've tried just sauteing it, and it is really pretty tasty, so I'll try to find the book and check out a few recipes- there's plenty out there. I've never tried gooseberry anything, so I'm looking forward to testing out a couple of new recipe's there too.

Finally the weather and my schedule worked out so that I had the opportunity to spend some quality time prepping my little planting areas for seeds, finishing the removal of a few square feet of lawn for a flower garden, and actually planting some seeds this past Saturday. I opted for some really easy to grow annuals- Cosmos, Sweet Alyssum, annual Forget me not's, Johnny Jump ups, and some scented Nicotiana along with Morning Glories and Moonflowers in the trellised pots. If I get a few divisions of perennials, I'll put them in the new garden, but I think this year it will be mostly annuals, herbs and a few veggies here and there. Along the driveway, which faces south, I will have a small herb garden, the tomato's, cinnamon basil and nasturtiums for both color and to add to salads. I'll also try to grow some broccoli and lettuce- but the bunnies may find it tasty, so it may not make it to my plate.

The usual Phlox of Sheep, light blue trailing lobelia, and my special variety of Impatiens are growing well under the grow lights, so there will be some continuity in my new garden. As usual, I started way too many plants for my own use, so some will be looking for adoptive homes, along with a few tomato plants as well. I only have room for 4 different plants, but of course I have to plant a few seeds to ensure having a good plant to keep for me in each variety. The portable greenhouse is filling up with plants picked up at the MGAWC plant sale, and with those that I'm hardening off before planting.

My garden may not be large enough for a garden walk this year, but it will be pretty later on in the summer, so if you are out in the Plymouth area be sure to stop by, enjoy a glass of iced tea or lemonade and sit a spell on the deck in the shade. I may even offer you a piece of gooseberry pie!

See you in the garden!

Let the Gardening Begin!

As you all know, I had to say goodbye to the garden I had spent 17 years creating and developing. Some of the trees, plants and shrubs I left behind had been grown from seed over 25 years ago and moved to the site, some were cherished divisions from family and friends, and many of the trees were planted in memory of loved ones who had passed on in years past. I have my memories, photographs, and a lot of the portable ornaments and pots from the garden, but left behind every plant.

Waiting for Spring has been hard, not knowing how I would fill the hole in my heart left by it's loss, sometimes remembering what early spring flower should be in bloom first, and visiting nearby gardens to see if someone else might have something green and growing to fill my heart.

Finally, the temperatures are warming up, and Spring has returned to the area. So on a very warm day this week, I spent the afternoon carrying furniture and decorations out of the garage, and arranged and rearranged everything on the deck and alongside the house to begin the process of once again decorating the outdoor room that will be my new garden. I have a lot of it planned in my head- what seeds to plant here, what pot filled with flowers will go there, the best spot for the herbs, the tomatoes, maybe some beans.

My fingers began to ache to be in the soil, and even though I haven't turned the flower beds yet and taken out the weeds, I celebrated Spring with the purchase of a six pack of brightly colored pansies, and a lavender plant to fill the chair/planter I put by my door to greet me and my visitors.

My garden this year will be much smaller, mostly in pots, and mostly annuals, but I have always depended on annuals to give me plenty of color all summer long. There is continuity in starting the seeds I saved from the Impatiens, Phlox of Sheep and Blue Lobelia I have been growing for years, and making plans to plant them all around my new deck here.

There's a lot of wildlife here- raccoons, possums, rabbits, groundhogs, and even coyotes, although I haven't seen one of those. Growing some things may be a challenge, but I'll give it a shot. There is a wide variety of birds that visit my feeders, and I'm sure there is a trumpet vine growing on the sunny side of the house, so maybe I'll have hummingbirds- I would love that!

So- I have made a start, my gardening heart is healing, and while it won't be the same garden, it will be my garden. In the coming weeks and months, I will keep you posted on how it develops, what works, what doesn't work, and post some pictures on the blog. I may even have a garden party or two to celebrate. Stay tuned!

See you in the Garden!

On the Edge of Spring Slideshow

On the Edge of Spring

It's been a long cold snowy winter, and at the moment we are just on the edge of Spring. I had the oppportunity to go out to Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, Michigan for a hike in the woods, and to check out the displays in the conservatories on a chilly Saturday in March. Tired of being indoors, and having the company of a good friend, off we went!

It was a grey day, chilly, but not windy. We hoped for a little bit of Spring to be found out in the woods, but if it was there it was still hidden by snow and ice. We took pictures of the beauty of the late winter landscape, bare branches agains the snow, bleached beech leaves still clinging to some of the trees, and green mosses on piles of boulders and fallen tree trunks. The hike was a challenge- the paths were still snowcovered and slippery, but the woods were so beautiful with the promise of Spring in the next few weeks. The woods were very quiet- just us two, the singing birds, and the one rabbit we scared up- not another soul around. There were plenty of tracks in the snow- deer, dogs, rabbits, squirrels, boot prints of other hikers, and some tracks from what must have been a huge wild turkey!

The conservatories held all of the glory of Spring bulbs, orchids, and a variety of blooming Amaryllis on display, some terrific cacti and succulents in the desert house, and of course the tropical house filled with huge trees and flowers.

We even took the time to look at the Dwarf Conifer collection- beautiful specimens showing their winter color still. What a great place to see some unusual varieties of trees and shrubs, along with some of the ones we all are so familiar with.

After a little outdoor picnic in the cold, we drove around the grounds looking at some of the other collections, but by that time my camera batteries had given up for the day, so I didn't get Pictures of the rest of the grounds for the slide show I made.

All in all a perfectly wonderful day, looking forward to the beauty of Spring, saying good-bye to a long cold winter.

See you in the garden!