Author Archives:

Pollinators, tips sought in urban gardens project

Leave a reply

How does your garden grow?

Probably not without the help of pollinators, an endangered group of animals that affects food production worldwide.

An international urban garden project that includes Tohono Chul Park hopes to grow a crop of young experts on pollinators and sustainable gardening.

Their efforts hope to yield tips for creating successful urban gardens.

This week Tohono Chul Park, the St. Louis Zoo and the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi will launch the P.A.U.S.E. Project, funded in part by an $86,000 grant from Museums Connect.

P.A.U.S.E. stands for pollinators, art, urban agriculture, society and the environment.

A team of 17- to 22-year-olds in each city will learn about pollinators, plants that attract them and the importance of urban gardens as sources of fresh food.

“What Tohono Chul Park is bringing to this is the agriculture, heirloom crops, native foods,” says Jo Falls, the park’s director of education and visitor services.

Using social media, video-conferences and personal visits, the teams will share information about their locations’ gardening conditions and practices.

Each team will then develop urban food gardens with pollinator habitats for its specific location.

The Tucson group will expand Tohono Chul’s ethno-botanical garden by adding Kino heirloom fruit trees, which were propagated from colonial Spanish-era plants.

The eight team members also will tend the park’s monsoon garden, which irrigates crops using only rainwater, and build a demonstration garden at Native Seeds/SEARCH’s office on East River Road.

All three gardens will have plants that attract pollinators. They will include an artful sculpture that also acts as habitats for native bees.

Finally, the team will develop a pollinator identification guide to distribute to the public.

“Our overall goal is increased interest in what’s happening with native pollinators,” says Falls, “and make people more conscious of what they eat and where their food is coming from.”

Two of the Tucson team, whose members were selected in an application process, say the educational aspect attracted them to the project.

“It’s everything I want to do with my life, teaching others about being sustainable and protecting the environment,” says Lauren Nichols. The 22-year-old Tucson native is a University of Arizona student of conservation biology.

Meagan Horman, who studies environmental water resource economics at the UA, hopes to show why gardeners should want pollinators in their gardens.

“I think it’s something a lot of people don’t understand, how interwoven life is,” says the 22-year-old Chandler resident. “It’s a delicate balance.”

P.A.U.S.E. for a moment

You can learn more about the P.A.U.S.E. Project at a website that Tohono Chul Park plans to launch soon. A link will be available on its website, tohonochulpark.org

Contact local freelance writer Elena Acoba at acoba@dakotacom.net

ISLAMIC ART-INSPIRED DESIGN THE INTRICATE DESIGNS, ARABESQUE … – U

Leave a reply

“There’s been a growing interest in Islam over the past decade, and not always for positive reasons,” says Sheila S. Blair, a professor of Islamic and Asian Art at Boston College and co-author of the book Islamic Arts (Phaidon Press, 1997). “But because people are curious about Islamic traditions, and art is a great way to learn about a different religion and culture, they are paying more attention to Islamic art.”

So what is Islamic art exactly? “It’s a very general term used to describe art created in countries where Islam is the major religion,” Blair says. “But wherever Islam went, the people practicing the religion interacted with local traditions. So Islamic art created in Africa has a very distinct look while Islamic art created in India has a different look.”

But while Islamic art covers a vast amount of work, which makes it hard to generalize, there are some major themes and similarities among it. “You typically see writing, geometry and extraordinarily colored arabesque patterns. Other religious art may feature people or animals, but in Islamic art that is much less prominent.”

That said, images of people and animals aren’t banned. “That’s a misconception about Islamic art – that you can’t depict people,” Blair says. “But there’s nothing in the Quran that prohibits the depiction of people in art.”

The love for Islamic art has spread to art collectors around the world. One of the most famous lovers of Islamic art is Doris Duke, an heiress who filled her Hawaiian home, Shangri-La, with Islamic art.

“In the 1930s, Doris traveled extensively and developed a great interest in the Islamic world,” says Donald Albrecht, co-author of “Doris Duke’s Shangri-La: A House in Paradise” (Rizzoli, 2012) and co-curator of an exhibition of her pieces. “Once that happened, she set about collecting Islamic art for Shangri-La. As a result, its walls were covered with shimmering surfaces and abstract patterns.”

Doris Duke wasn’t the only person inspired to bring Islamic art into the home. Ann Getty, a designer and philanthropist, also did.

“One of Ann’s favorite cities was Istanbul,” says Deborah Hatch, chief curator of fine arts for the Ann and Gordon Getty Collection. “She loved traveling to Istanbul, and her homes show her love for the artwork she’d find there.”

Islamic influence can also be seen in garden design. “There are key elements to an Islamic garden that people can follow no matter where they call home,” says Emma Clark, author of “The Art of the Islamic Garden” (Crowood Press, 2011). “They are designed with order and geometry, often split into four distinct sections. Islamic gardens were considered a refuge from the outside, harsher environment of the desert. So it is lush with water and shade. That’s what people longed for when trudging through the desert.”

The Islamic garden is meant to delight all of the senses, Clark says, so people include “bubbling fountains, fragrant roses and lavender and delicious fig trees. And lastly, make sure it feels peaceful, a place for contemplation.”

© CTW Features

Croc’s chef doesn’t have to go far for his produce – The Virginian

Leave a reply

By Mary Reid Barrow
Virginian-Pilot correspondent
© November 11, 2012

VIRGINIA BEACH 

There’s a vegetable garden down near the Oceanfront that’s a feast for the eyes.

And for the stomach, too, of course.

This little city garden consists of several rows of lush green produce in raised beds, designed to appeal to the aesthetics and appetite. The gem is behind Croc’s 19th Street Beach Bistro.

Standing tall in the back are still-ripening Roma tomatoes and cocktail tomatoes, various varieties in myriad shapes and colors.

Stair-stepping down in shorter raised beds are medium veggies like eggplant, broccoli and colorful peppers of several descriptions and degrees of hotness, and beds of greens like kale, tatsoi and arugula that will grow well into the winter.

In the front are beds of baby lettuces and herbs. In one bed, a medley of mixed greens spells out “Croc’s” – that is, if the greens aren’t overgrown.

The garden was planted in mid-summer, and now it is lush with cool-weather crops and vegetables that linger into the fall.

The bounty provides most of the produce that is used by chef Matt Knack at Croc’s Bistro. The veggies adorn salads and go into healthy green sides.

Those who visit the Old Beach Farmers Market Thanksgiving market from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Croc’s parking lot will have an opportunity to get the lowdown on the garden.

Even fresher than the produce at the market, the veggies show visitors how their fall greens grow in the field. Marketgoers also can get growing and cooking tips from one of the several collaborators who brought the garden to fruition.

Ashley Grosch, who owns Seasoned Gardens and designed the Croc’s garden, will be available to answer questions. Laura Habr, who owns Croc’s with her husband, Kal, will be at the market that morning, and so will farmer John Wilson of New Earth Farm in Pungo, who built the garden and who will be selling his produce at the market.

Grosch designed the garden using organic-gardening principles, where “friends take care of friends,” she said. For example, beans are used to fix nitrogen in the soil, and edible nasturtiums repel insects.

Grosch designed the beds with an eye to beauty, such as the taller beds and plants in the back that graduate to smaller beds. There is more subtle beauty, too, like the bed of contrasting kales – a row of green kale, then a row of black kale followed by a row of red.

Grosch gave her garden design to Wilson, who built the beds and filled them with a natural compost he made himself. Wilson also provides plants and seeds and ongoing advice.

The garden was a natural fit for Croc’s, Habr said. Not only is Croc’s home to the Old Beach Farmers Market, but the restaurant also is the first one in Virginia to be certified as Virginia Green.

Knack, Croc’s chef, is yet another arm of Croc’s gardening effort. He picks veggies from the garden every morning for that night’s dinner. An autumn side vegetable might be a saute of kale, tatsoi and mizuna with herbs and garlic.

Tatsoi is a pretty, dark-green Asian salad green, similar to bok choy, and mizuna is a peppery green similar to arugula.

“Tomatoes and lettuce are in the salads,” Knack said. “And the peppers, sweet and hot, go into our five-pepper sauce.”

Grosch said they hope to be in the garden every Saturday morning next summer at the Old Beach market.

“We hope to have tours,” she said, “and 101 Garden Instruction.”

 

Matt Knack’s Sauteed Tatsoi

Serves: 4 to 6

-6 cups tatsoi (about two heads)
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 garlic clove, finely diced
-3 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
-Pinch of salt and pepper
-Splash of dry white wine
-Fresh Parmesan cheese, optional

Wash tatsoi, then dry completely. Lay leaves flat on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, slice into half-inch strips all the way down to the stem.
Place saute pan on burner turned to medium-high. Wait about 15 seconds for the pan to heat up. Add olive oil, coating the bottom of the pan. Add garlic, then cook for about 30 seconds to release flavor.

Add the tatsoi. Using tongs, toss the tatsoi so it’s evenly covered with the oil. Add fresh thyme, a pinch of salt and pepper, also tossing for even coating.

Cook for about a minute, keeping the tatsoi moving so it doesn’t burn.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine, letting it reduce for 30 seconds.

Grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top before plating, if desired. Serve.

 

Mary Reid Barrow,

barrow1@cox.net

<!–

–>

Springfield Garden Club to host ‘These Enchanted Seasons’ fund-raising event …

Leave a reply


Cori Urban

By

Cori Urban

The Republican

on November 11, 2012 at 7:17 AM

Brought to you by



gardenclub.jpg
From left, designer Bob Whitney, Springfield Garden Club President Sherry Williams, event chair Suzanne Reed and designer Christi Langone.
The Republican | Don Treeger

Cold weather doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful plant materials in your home,” said Judy A. Cmero, a member of the Springfield Garden Club.

Whether it’s fresh flowers from the florist or an arrangement of twigs with interesting buds and bark from a walk in the woods, arrangements can provide a lift at holiday time or any time.

The Springfield Garden Club will present “These Enchanted Seasons: Seasonal Designs for the Upcoming Holidays” on Friday, Nov. 16, at Wilbraham and Monson Academy’s Greenhalgh Athletic Center Dance Studio, 40 Faculty St., Wilbraham.

Three well-known floral designers—all members of the American Institute of Floral Designers—Robert G. Whitney, Heather Sullivan and Christi Langone—will show participants how to create trend-setting traditional and contemporary arrangements for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. They will use a variety of seasonal flowers, sprigs, holly, baskets, bells and unexpected materials as they educate, inspire and entertain their audience.


floral.jpg
The Springfield Garden Club is getting ready for their “These Enchanted Seasons” fund-raiser on November 16. This is a floral display similar to one that will be auctioned at the event.

The Republican | Don Treeger

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a social with wine, punch and light hors d’oeuvres followed by the designers’ program. “They’ll give hints on decorating for the entire holiday season,” Cmero said.

Each designer will create multiple designs for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
There will be a live auction of their creations.

Whitney, a sales representative for Springfield Florist Supply Inc., suggested selecting a variety of pinecones, pieces of bark and mushrooms—for example—to be used in arrangements along with fresh flowers. “How you put it together” is what makes the finished product appealing, he said, noting that the items found in nature or in the yard help stretch a floral design budget.

As part of the presentation at the garden club event, the designers will talk about good design and good mechanics. While creating the arrangements, they will talk about “why we put things together the way we did,” Whitney said. “That’s the educational part of the evening.”

“Having plant materials around you is very energizing, and working with plant materials is energizing and soothing and uplifting,” said Cmero, the garden club publicity chairman. “There are a lot of benefits for having plants in your home and around your home.”

Tickets for the event are $20 each and include a complimentary glass of wine and light hors d’oeuvres.

The event is a fund raiser for the garden club’s scholarship fund and outreach activities.

Since 1990, the club has given nearly $55,000 in scholarships to more than 30 Hamden County residents pursuing degrees in horticulture, agriculture, environmental science and related fields.

For more information, contact Judy Cmero at (413) 599-0462 or jacm56@charter.net.

To order tickets to “These Enchanted Seasons,” send a check made payable to the Springfield Garden Club to Judy Cmero, 452 Springfield St., Wilbraham, MA 01095. Include a stamped self-addressed envelope to have your tickets mailed or pick them up at the door.

Hesitant parents warm up to idea of their children going into trades

Leave a reply

EDMONTON – What do you want to be when you grow up is a question that’s asked frequently from a young age. Quite often the answer says more about the parents’ aspirations than anything else; that is, a push to the academic world, with no thought to a career in the trades.

Tom Welling of Calgary said he had “great ideas� of his son Colin going to university. The possibility of a trade entered the picture when an automotive teacher asked Welling and his wife if they knew about the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).

“We had no idea (about RAP),� Tom Welling said.

The teacher explained the program and the parents talked to their son, who had heard about RAP, but wasn’t sure if it was for him. After thinking it over, Colin applied to train as an auto-service technician and was accepted shortly before finishing Grade 11.

Shortly into summer break, he got a call from his RAP supervisor who had lined up a job for him at ULS Maintenance Landscaping Inc. Colin put in 10-hour days working on the company’s large fleet of vehicles — and enjoyed it. Back in school, he kept up his automotive theory work and passed the written exams in January. The landscaping company wanted him back, so after completing Grade 12 this spring, the 18-year-old returned to his former workplace, until his next school session at SAIT in Calgary.

“It’s been a brilliant program for him,� Tom Welling said.

May Picardo of Drayton Valley is equally enthusiastic about the 4th class power engineering pathway and mentorship program her son, Daniel Meadwell, 16, is taking, while earning his high-school diploma. Being university educated herself, she expected Daniel to follow in her footsteps, and because he is strong academically, she was thinking more along the lines of business or medical school.

At an information night she learned about RAP’s stringent requirements and the opportunities and changed her mind. She was “initially hesitant, but now I would rave about what he’s doing.�

Her reluctance sprang from the heavy workload Daniel would be undertaking.

However, he’s doing well in school and in the apprenticeship program, as well as participating in sports and volunteer work in the community.

Now in Grade 11, Daniel started the program in Grade 10 via computer from school. Last summer, he worked at Drayton Valley Power, where he gained excellent hands-on experience while accumulating the required work hours to continue with the program.

As of January, he is registered at NAIT and Frank Maddock High School. When he graduates from Grade 12, he will have his 4th class power engineering certificate as well as his high-school diploma – “a workable diploma,� Picardo said.

He can then take courses to upgrade his trade certificate, and branch out to business and management opportunities at a young age.

“What a fantastic start for a high-school student,� Picardo said, and if he decides to go to university, he will have a backup career.

Whatever lies ahead, the trade he’s pursuing is a career, not a job, she stressed, and one that’s in demand.

Backyard Landscaping Ideas for Your Home

Leave a reply

There would be no such house where the task of landscaping has not been taken place. Landscaping is basically and primarily used to add more beauty and class to your house. When it comes to renovation or remodeling of your home, landscaping can surely be considered that will add an extra add on feature to your place. There are often many people who love spending their entire day time in their homes but sometimes they overlook it because it is not completely maintained and also not beautiful enough. Now the main question arises that how we can landscape the backyard area of our homes in an innovative manner. In this article, we are discussing some of the main ideas about the backyard landscaping decoration ideas that would help the people to carry out the landscaping process within their limited budget. Starting with, by creating the list of such items that are needed in the backyard landscaping is the first and foremost step. There is no doubt about it whether it is landscaping or the gardening; the most difficult task is the purchase and selection of plants, trees and shrubs.

Large and giant looking plants and trees are always appearing to be expensive and much costly for the people. In such situations, it is vital that the person should prefer such plants and trees that have recently grown and are tiny looking as well. This would help the person not only to save the money but can even landscape his backyard and front yard areas of his home in a best possible way.Additionally, during the time period of spring and summer, the rates of the plants and landscaping tools normally gets increase and can even cause troublesome situations for the individuals while making a buying decision of these plants and shrubs. In such situations, it is better that the person should fill the stock before these kind of messy situations gets arrived. If the person is fully aware from the method of storing the items during winter than this process makes the landscaping much simple and effortless! For the backyard landscaping, try to select those trees and plants that can survive in severe environmental conditions because backyard is that area of the house that is normally not noticed by everyone!

But still if one has to landscape it, they he should make a careful choice while making a selection process. Make sure that such plants that have been selected for the winter and spring timings should also go well suited for the summer time period as well. In addition for making the landscaping much beautiful, the person should know the appropriate techniques of watering the plants as well. You can even take the assistance from the plants and gardening experts that would make you aware from other needed aspects and characteristics regarding the backyard landscaping in a much better way and manner. On the whole, after viewing these ideas, we are sure that all such people who have been thinking about the backyard landscaping they would have get excessive knowledge.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/backyard-landscaping-ideas-for-your-home-6294314.html

About the Author

Visit landscaping burlington, snow plowing burlington

Verbal Landscaping

Leave a reply

By AMANDA COPLIN

While writing my novel “The Orchardist,” I wanted to adequately render the landscape—the orchard country of central Washington state—in all its physical glory, as well as to portray how landscape can mirror characters’ inner lives.

Again and again I consulted the masters to figure out how they succeeded. Great landscape writers create a world that appeals immediately to the senses, especially to sight: not only the color and shape of objects but their weight and texture, their relationship to air and light. No one does this better, I think, than Virginia Woolf.

In her early short story “Kew Gardens,” she writes: “From the oval-shaped flower-bed there rose perhaps a hundred stalks…unfurling at the tip red or blue or yellow petals marked with spots of color raised upon the surface; and from the red, blue or yellow gloom of the throat emerged a straight bar, rough with gold dust.”

This satisfies our craving for specificity and informs us indirectly on the landscape. What’s the weather like? Sunny, most likely, since there’s the contrast of light implied by the “gloom of the [flower’s] throat.” Woolf’s intimate detail about one object extrapolates a world.

Style also distinguishes a landscape writer. William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy treat physical detail in a way that verges on the rhapsodic, overlaid with mythic tones.

In his famous long story “The Bear,” Faulkner writes of Mississippi: “The rich deep black alluvial soil which would grow cotton taller than the head of a man on a horse, already one jungle one brake one impassable density of brier and cane and vine interlocking the soar of gum and cypress and hickory and pinoak and ash.” The rhythm of the sentence created by the strange punctuation and language mimics the reader’s own heartbeat, her own primal nature.

Finally, a landscape master can show how the exterior environment affects human interiority. In “Voss,” Australian novelist Patrick White tells about a megalomaniac explorer. The conventional style of the opening quickly alters as Voss travels deeper into the desert. In the more severe landscape, his soul opens up, and the novel’s structure, language and associations become more confused and wild.

Starving, Voss hallucinates a reunion with his fiancée: “So persuasive was the air which flowed into and over their bodies, they dismounted to pick the lilies that were growing there. They were the prayers, she said, which she had let fall during the outward journey to his coronation… She advised him to sample these nourishing blooms.”

Intangible prayers have become tangible lilies. Mr. White excels at such inversions—when landscape not only influences people but also becomes the mirror of man’s psyche, blinding in its mystery and terror.

So I tried to depict the landscape in “The Orchardist” as a haven for two distressed runaway teenage sisters who come into the orchard of the main character—William Talmadge—early in the book. They refuse to leave, touring the homestead, watching Talmadge from afar but never approaching him.

The orchard becomes their solace: “There was an apricot tree in the orchard that was perfect for stepping up into. Once one of the girls did this, a curved branch invited another step up, and a branch above that dipped slightly in the middle, inviting a hand to grip it for leverage… There was a type of heat and light that was direct and overhead and bleached the orchard of color. The orchard at noon on the hottest days. And then there were mornings when the air was blue and soft, and the leaves of the trees looked like velvet.”

In writing about the exterior, you describe the interior. Characters move through the world but also through their own bodies and minds, their own souls. Every leaf and cloud and ant becomes significant.

—Ms. Coplin’s “The Orchardist” was published in August.

Time to protect gardens from winter’s chill – Daytona Beach News

Leave a reply

More than 30 people attended the Flagler County Extension Services’ final program of the year Monday to learn the do’s and don’ts of caring for Florida landscape plants during the winter.

“It’s now time to ready our yards for cooler weather,” Louise Leister, water and environmental education program coordinator, told the group. “The care and culture for your landscape is not the same for 12 months of the year here. Even though it feels like the weather is much the same over the year, Flagler County can have some temperature extremes.”

Leister explained that, ideally, plants should go into the winter months with gradually declining temperatures so that they can start to slow down and harden-off for colder weather.

“Nature is telling our plants to slow down now with fewer hours of sunlight and cooler temperatures,” Leister said. “We’re going to be cutting back fertilizer and water and naturally bring them into the dormancy period.”

According to Leister, fertilizing should be finished for the year and, in fact, should have been done by the second week in October. The only exception is specialty palms that have not had their fourth fertilizer treatment. Those, she said, should be fertilized one more time to help them weather the colder months.

She cautioned that this exception does not include native palms such as the Sabal, cabbage palms or Washingtonians.

She recommended that everyone get out and walk their landscape, check the condition of the plants and see what needs to be done.

“If you’re not out in your yard, you don’t know what’s going on,” Leister said. “Now’s the time to go out and look. Now’s a good time to evacuate all weeds from your yard. Make sure your irrigation heads can pop up and water properly.”

Gardeners should make sure there is three to four inches of mulch on landscape beds by adding more or raking existing mulch over bare or thin spots.

“Do not throw mulch over weedy beds,” Leister said. “The very best mulch is pine straw, especially in Flagler County which tends to have alkaline soil. My second favorite is pine bark or pine chips, I like to mix the fines with the large pieces. It covers the bare ground but the big pieces allow for aeration.”

This can also be a good time to prune away dead branches from shrubs and hardwood trees. Leister did not recommend pruning citrus or palm trees at this time and emphasized that when pruning palms at any time, you should only remove completely brown fronds and seed pods.

Leister also recommended checking plants for diseases, insects and nutrient facilities and reminded everyone that they can bring plant samples to the extension office for diagnosis and recommended cures.

“Most important is to keep your landscape and healthy year round,” she said. “Weak and unhealthy plants sustain more damage in cold temperatures.”

How do you get ready for a cold winter night?

“I wake up early and turn the irrigation on and I get everything nice and moist and wet,” Leister said. “Wet mulch absorbs the sunlight and gets real warm, so when the sun goes down it radiates back out and helps moderate the temperature in the bed. Do not turn your irrigation system in the night, you are not a citrus grower. If you have anything that is really tender, cover it up and weigh it down. Do not use plastic, you can buy frost cloth. Do not put out Christmas lights, they generate no heat.”

Finally, Leister said that any freeze damage to plants should not be cut off the plants until March, otherwise tender new growth would be stimulated and another freeze would further damage or kill the plant.

The audience included newcomers to Florida and long-time gardeners, such as Terry Cochran of Palm Coast, a former master gardener.

“I usually come every time they have a program,” Cochran said. “You always learn something. It’s great. You get to talk to people and learn something new.”

Winter gardening tipsRecommended fall gardening chores include:

– plant cool season vegetables, hardy perennials, citrus trees and hardwoods;

– collect seeds from flowers;

– divide grasses;

– plant bulbs;

– put down bone meal on existing bulbs;

– trim and shape junipers;

– turn over garden soil;

– redo planters and edge beds;

– Prepare a spot inside for tender potted plants.

Over the Garden Fence: Tips for winter gardening

Leave a reply

While I was cutting and stacking firewood all weekend, it occurred to me that I was making another valuable short-term mulch material: the coarse sawdust created from my cutting firewood. I keep my saw properly sharpened, so it throws off large chips of wood and this should make great mulch. Since sawdust is fresh organic matter, it should be removed from the plant beds before next growing season begins next spring. You can either then compost the sawdust a season before it is incorporated, or work it into the soil very well and add extra fertilizer to feed the soil organisms as they decompose the wood particles.

If you don’t need mulch, the coarse firewood sawdust can be saved and used to provide traction on icy sidewalks and driveways later in the season. The larger particles stay on the surface and don’t wash away to quickly. If you add a few handfuls of rock salt or urea fertilizer to each bushel of sawdust, the mixture will help melt the ice and snow and provide valuable traction.

This is also the time of year to plan for the balled and burlapped Christmas tree you may be planting later in December. I know this from personal experience. Open a hole in the ground well before the soil freezes. Make it at least 3 feet in diameter and about 18 inches deep. Put the excavated soil in containers and place it where it will not freeze solid. Spread unfrozen mulch material over the soil surface after you plant the tree. Before the soil freezes, drive three or four stakes into the ground so you can wire the tree in place until spring.

As Christmas approaches, you might want to do some late season pruning. Light thinning of evergreens in December will provide material for seasonal decorations.

Don’t do the entire pruning at one time. Take a few stems as needed for indoor or outdoor decorations. By spreading the pruning out, you will always have some fresh material available. Even under optimum storage conditions, evergreens stems don’t last too long once they are cut from the plant.

The longer branches of evergreens may bend or snap under the weight of snow, so shorten their stems a bit. Take steps to reinforce these plants if, even after pruning, it appears they will be damaged by snow weight.

Finally, we are getting into the bird-feeding season. Earlier in the year, fruit and seeds were abundant in the woods and fields. The abundant food supplies in some areas might have altered the natural patterns of certain birds. As the weather cools, more and more juncos, tufted titmice, nuthatches, chickadees and various winter sparrows appear in this area. A well-stocked feed station containing a variety of seeds will attract many different types of birds. Sunflower seeds and millet appeal to a number of bird species, as does suet suspended from a tree branch or fastened to a fence.

When purchasing bird food, choose quality seed. Try to avoid products that contain excessive amounts of filler material such as cracked corn, sorghum or similar grain seeds. It is fun to watch the different birds and also a challenge to keep the squirrels off the bird feeders. I found that metal around the access holes in my hanging tube feeders keeps the squirrels from chewing the plastic.

Bill Lamont is a professor and extension vegetable specialist in the department of plant science at Penn State. He can reached by email at wlamont@psu.edu.

5 tips for planting spring-flowering bulbs

Leave a reply

Now's the time to plant spring bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus.

The leaves are falling, the days are getting shorter, and the temperatures are dropping, so now is the perfect time to be planting spring-blooming bulbs for an explosion of color next year, said Tim Holcomb, owner of Holcomb Garden Center in Hixson and Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.

“Take advantage of the pretty days you’ll see over the next few weeks and perform the easy task of planting bulbs in your garden,” Holcomb said. “The bulb industry’s motto is ‘dig, drop, done.’ It really is about that simple to plant bulbs.”

Some bulbs can be grown indoors, Holcomb said.

“For great decorating color for the holidays, plant easy-to-grow indoor bulbs like amaryllis and paper-white narcissus. Plant now, and you will be enjoying their beauty within four to six weeks. These are great ways to get children involved in gardening because they are so easy to grow. You can almost watch them grow each day.”

Holcomb offers the following tips on planting bulbs.

5 Tips

1 Plant in full sun. Select a sunny spot in your lawn or garden, as most spring bulbs prefer lots of direct light to bloom well.

2 Prepare the soil. Though the motto is “dig, drop, done,” soil conditions in the Chattanooga area can be a little less than desirable. Blend a good planting mix or soil conditioner into the top 6 inches of soil. This will allow fast rooting of the bulbs and excellent drainage so they will not rot over the winter.

3 Be selective. First and foremost, don’t skimp on size. The bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom. Holcomb recommends choosing tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and/or crocus. All of these bulbs grow well in our area and come in a variety of colors. Always plant clusters of at least six or more bulbs for a greater show of color next spring.

4 Plant pansies over the top of your freshly planted bulbs. Your pansies will bloom all winter. Just when you think they couldn’t be any prettier, your bulbs will burst through them with an explosion of color proclaiming spring has arrived.

5 Feed your bulbs. While it’s true that the bulbs have stored energy in them, that energy is soon used up once they start growing. Adding Dutch Bulb Food will encourage the best growth and blooms possible. You also can feed your pansies and bulbs with Fertilome Pansy Food.