By Larry A. Sagers
If you haven't yet tried container gardening, get on board. Rather than fighting your horrible soil, try some of the new and exciting ways to grow plants in pots.
For some advice, I visited Brad Coleman, who has been the Red Butte Garden greenhouse coordinator for the past four years.
Coleman has been working for several months to create the beautiful containers that will adorn Red Butte during the summer as well as the planters that will be featured in Red Butte's upcoming plant sale.
The process is relatively simple. Coleman describes his planting plan for placing plants as follows: "Put an upright plant in the middle, put the bunching plants around it, and put the cascading ones around the outside edge."
Design the containers for their growing environment. First, check whether the container is to spend its time in sun or shade. While some plants tolerate either, most have a definite preference for one or the other.
For upright plants, Coleman recommends something to make a statement.
"I like to put in a grass of some sort. I like the pennisetum, either the green or the rubrum, or I also like cannas. They have big, broad leaves that are very showy," he said.
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The fillers can be many different kinds of plants. You don't want them to overpower your upright plants, but you want them to cover the soil and add color throughout the season. Petunias, zinnias, marigolds and many others fit the bill.
Coleman recommends looking at some of the different types of coleus. Many are now much more tolerant of sunny locations, and they are colorful from the day you put them in the soil, meaning you don't have have to wait for them to start blooming.
His recommendations for cascading plants also include colorful specimens. "I always like to throw in bacopa, some of the trailing verbenas, and I like the trailing or wave petunias. Also, don't forget the sweet potato vine for some showy color," he said.
Because he wants what he refers to as "instant gratification," he puts many plants in each pot. "I like to put eight to 12 4-inch plants in each 16-inch pot. I want the instant bang for the buck. I want people to enjoy their plants when they first get them.
"In addition to the plants, we give them 'wows' on textures and colors. People don't want a pot of all the same colors and textures, but they want plants that accentuate each other," he said.
While plants are important, Coleman has learned through his experience that it also takes good maintenance. He starts with his soil recipe.
"I like to mix about one-fourth coconut fiber or coir with three—fourth Premier Promix soil (a commercial growing mix) with mychorizae added. I then add into that one tablespoon of the water-holding polymer crystals per 16-inch container.
"I then add Osmocote, a slow-release fertilizer. I put two tablespoons of 14-14-14 per container and mix it in. Every two months I then add more Osmocote to keep the plants growing well," he said.
Water is another important part of growing plants in containers and keeping them looking good. "We water every day. As the season goes on, the pots get so root-bound, and that sucks the water heavily from the soil."
Deadheading is also an important part of container maintenance. Deadheading — or taking off the old flowers — is critical. If plants are not deadheaded, they stop blooming. Plants bloom to produce seeds, and once they set seeds, they stop flowering. Removing the old flowers keeps them blooming because they keep trying to produce seeds.
If you would like to learn more about Coleman's plant choices and methods, attend Red Butte's plant sale and let the staff help you create one of your own. They will have a potting station with a huge selection of great flowering plants.
Coleman points out that the sale will be in a different location this year. It will be held at Cottam's Grove.
"Not a lot of people go there, and it is a spectacular, incredible place," Coleman said.
"Our plant sale helps support the gardens and their mission. It is a great time to get great perennials, or water-wise plants. There is a huge selection this year of heirloom tomatoes and many other vegetables. There will be something for everyone," he said.
Caroline Spray
Q I have a camellia in a pot which should be in flower by now. It looks healthy but has only one bud. What could be wrong?
A Camellias like light shade and must be planted in an ericaceous compost if in a pot and fed with an acid plant food. They are happy in a container but I suspect the lack of flowers may be due to lack of water or feed, so make sure the soil doesn't dry out. Use water-retaining granules to keep moisture in.
Q You advised me to use lawn sand on my grass but it has turned black.
What do I do now?
A Keep calm. The lawn sand has killed the moss as it is supposed to and this is what has turned black, not the grass. If the lawn is mostly moss it will look awful so rake the dead moss out then feed the grass to rejuvenate it.
Q I bought two Rosa de Jericho - how and where should I plant them and care for them?
A The Rose of Jericho or dinosaur plant as it is sometimes known is an amazing variety which supposedly pre-dates the jurassic age. You place it in water and it quickly hydrates itself and becomes green. When it dries out it hibernates until wet again and the process can be repeated hundreds of times.
Q I have a long bed full of winter-flowering heathers and conifers. Should I prune the heathers?
A With heathers that flower in the winter and early spring, all you need is a light prune to remove the dead flower heads.
Q I only have a patio as my garden and would love to grow strawberries. Can they go in a pot?
A Strawberries will grow very well in a container or a hanging basket. Buy strawberry barrels with holes in the sides so you can plant in the sides and the top. This way the fruit will hang down. Remember to water, feed and protect them from the birds with a net.
EILEEN FISCHER
Environmental concerns, high food costs make vegetable gardening popular again -
There isn't any hard data on how many of us in Connecticut are raising our own vegetables. In fact, it's not a statistic the state's Department of Agriculture can even hazard a guess on. But with the growing concern over the environment, the increased demand for organic, locally farmed produce and increasing food costs, anecdotally, it seems, more of us are interested in planting home gardens. Bill Duesing, executive director of Connecticut's Northeast Organic Farming Association (www.nofa.org) in Oxford, which has about 800 members, has been gardening since 1969. While gardening is the No. 1 hobby, according to the National Gardening Association, over the years, Duesing said he's seen the popularity of vegetable gardening wax and wane. It was growing in the 1970s, he said, but slacked off in the '80s and '90s. Today, he said, "I think we're approaching a perfect storm of problems with climate change and high food prices" that is resulting in people once again returning to the earth.
This time, he said, "this may be a trend that lasts for a longer time."
"Edible gardening is going to continue to grow," said Charlie Nardozzi, a senior horticulturist with the National Gardening Association in South Burlington, Vt. Traditionally, he said, it's people in their 50s or older who garden, but he predicts younger people will pick up on the trend. In 2007, he said, 25 million, or 22 percent, of
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American households had a vegetable garden. That number has held steady for about five years, he added, but what did increase, by 22 percent, is the amount of money spent on the gardens. Next year, he believes, there will be an increase in their number, too.
"What happens in the edible gardening category is when the economy gets rough, people want more control in their lives and one way to do that is to grow their own food," he said. "The bigger picture is concerns about the safety and quality of foods and [people] are concerned about their carbon footprint."
But, planting a vegetable garden can seem intimidating — Where to start? What to plant? How can I keep the deer from eating everything? If you're concerned that you don't have all the answers, or the space, joining a community garden may be one solution. "The wonderful thing about a community garden is there's someone who knows what they're doing," said Cordalie Benoit, president of the Connecticut Community Garden Association. "You don't have to be friends to do a community garden; it's a true cross-section of society that's arbitrary.
"And people learn from each other," she said. "It's not that hard. Kids can do it. Old people can do it. [Gardening alone] in your own backyard can be discouraging."
In Connecticut, there are 80 community gardens, she said. Some are located in urban areas where you'd expect to see them, such as Bridgeport and New Haven, but they're also in upscale communities, such as Darien and Westport.
"They're everywhere," Benoit said.
A plot can be large or small, ranging in size from 8- by 4-feet to 10- by 20-feet. Generally, families work a plot together, she said. But, there are many ways to run a community garden.
In New Haven, where Benoit lives, she gardens at the Williams Street Community Garden. The maintenance is done as a group and the harvest is divided among the members, which includes about 30 families. In Bridgeport, there are 20 community gardens with 200 families involved, said Robert Halstead, president of the Bridgeport Community Land Trust. Over the last two years, the number of participants has increased by about 50 percent, he said. Halstead attributes the rise to better maintenance of the gardens, which has given them better visibility in the community and improved people's impression of them. Lynn Pritchard, a Land Trust board member and captain of the Burroughs Community Garden in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, has been gardening for 18 years and prefers gardening with others. "You can garden alone, but you're getting to know your neighbors and know who's around. It makes the neighborhood safer," she said.
About 18 families and children who go to the Burroughs Community Center are involved with the garden. Pritchard's two children garden, too, and thinks it's a great idea for youngsters for many reasons: They learn about nature, where their food comes from, and watching something grow that they planted is a great source of pride, she said.
The garden's main crops are tomatoes, kale, collard greens and beans, said Pritchard, who started hundreds of heirloom vegetable seeds in her home for planting in the city gardens. There are plans, she said, to expand the Burroughs' garden.
"We are seeing more interest because of the cost of fresh food," she said. Before the recent opening of a Stop & Shop supermarket nearby, the garden was the only source of fresh vegetables for some families, she added.
In Milford, Linda Ball works for the Park and Recreation department supervising the Bensen-Crump Community Garden in Eisenhower Park, a job she's had for 17 years. There are 135 plots on three acres, said Ball.
"Interest in the garden has been pretty steady," she said, but in the last few years people have been calling earlier and earlier to get on the waiting list, which this year swelled to 25 people. Seniors, especially, are concerned with the high cost of food, she said, and want to keep their plots and more people are even planting winter crops, she said. They are even talking about canning, which seems to be on the rise again after being almost nonexistent for years, she said.
"Last year about 25 gardeners grew for themselves and also participated in Plant a Row, or PAR," an initiative to help feed the hungry, she said. "We set aside two plots for PAR that volunteers took care of.
"We totaled 716 pounds of food that was donated" to local soup kitchens and shelters, she said, proudly. The National Gardening Association has a free, monthly e-mail newsletter on edible gardening. For details, visit www.garden.org.
BEGINNER'S GARDEN
- Start small. Horticulturist Charlie Nardozzi from the National Gardening Association said plant a 3- by 5-foot bed that's in full sun in an area that you'll pass by frequently.
- What to grow? Bush beans, summer squashes, tomatoes, any greens, swiss chard and peppers are good first choices, said Nardozzi.
- Keep the garden low maintenance. Mulch around beds and plants. Visit the garden every other day and spend 10 minutes weeding instead of once a week.
- Get the children involved with planting seeds, harvesting carrots, fun stuff, not just pulling weeds. Once they're invested in the garden, they'll discover how great-tasting fresh veggies are.
- Container gardening is easier than ever with the new self-watering containers and specially mixed potting soil — don't use garden soil in containers, said Nardozzi.
If there is magic to be found at the bottom of the garden, one would be sure to find it at the Gardening Australia Expo this weekend.
The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre abounded with wonders botanical, innovative and sustainable, with everything from water tanks, boutique compost and specialist plants for the dedicated gardener.
The most unusual plant on display was without a doubt the hybrid Aloes.
A cousin of the humble Aloe Vera found in most gardens, these unique blooms can go for six months without water and have an other-worldly names like Gemini, Topaz and Aries.
Breeder of the plants, Michael Dent said the blooms were complex, some having up to eight parent breeds.
"We launched them here in Queensland and hope to take them to other states soon," he said.
But not all the interesting plants at the show were botanical, as the brisbanetimes.com.au discovered talking to Mr Paul Plant.
Mr Plant, editor of subTropical Gardening Magazine, said his name was indeed the one he was born with.
Appearing keenly aware of the irony of having the name Mr. Plant and being a well-known figure in the horticultural community, he said he didn't have an especially keen affinity with greenery as kid.
"I just was the only one in my family that didn't instantly mow over everything my mother planted."
The expo runs from 9.30am - 4.30pm today and tomorrow.
By Tina Mast, Correspondent
The garden year is defined by many words and, as circumstances change, they change, too. This year's garden word, it pretty much goes without saying, is "drought."
At this point, that's no revelation, but as the buds burst on the dogwoods and green tips push up through the soil, many of us are considering how we want to garden in this year of water restrictions and drought-weakened gardens. Here are a few ideas for getting by when the going gets dry.
First, find some way to collect rain water. You have options at all price points. Whether you piggy back a bunch of retrofitted garbage cans together, buy pre-fabricated rain barrels, or have an above or below ground cistern installed, you can and should try to collect water. Even if you don't plan on doing a lot of planting, your existing plants may be quite weakened from the drought last year and will be much more susceptible to giving up the ghost this year.
In your container gardens, use water-holding granules or mats. The mats can be cut to fit containers, placed in the bottom, and planted over. During the heat of summer, it's helpful to keep saucers under your containers so that when it rains or you water, you have a little reservoir of water for the plants to draw from over the coming days. Deep saucers are even better than the standard shallow ones for this. This is a temporary technique, however. Do this in winter or during a wet season and you could have plants rot out on you if you don't dump the excess water periodically.
Many people are asking about drought-tolerant plants, and with good reason. Just bear in mind that, with few exceptions, drought-tolerant plants are not drought-tolerant the first year in the ground. If you plant them this year, make plans to water them regularly, too. Next year they'll reward you with their toughness and durability (probably just in time for a record wet year).
Make sure you get a nice 3-inch layer of mulch layered over your garden beds, as well. Mulch isn't just a nice way to pretty up the garden; no, mulch is your friend. It will help keep water from evaporating from the soil. It will smother emerging weeds. It will help keep soil and soil-borne diseases from splashing back up onto plants during what we hope will be frequent rainstorms. It will keep plant roots cooler in the heat of summer and nice 'n' toasty during winter.
It won't keep you from accidentally digging up your heirloom snowdrops as you try to find a place to squeeze in another plant or tell you where you last left your pruning shears, but other than that it's got you, dare we say it, covered.
Finally, don't hang up the trowel because we're having a drought. Gardens feed the soul, exercise the body, delight the senses, provide a place of respite, and give sustenance and shelter to the local wildlife (OK, so that includes voles and snakes). It's a fact, not a maybe, that there will always be some obstacle to overcome. So, as spring dons her rainbow attire, don't resist the urge the get out in your garden and get dirty. Go forth and dig!
