KEN'S GARDENING BLOG
A COLLECTION OF HIS SEASONAL ADVICE
On my front page I offer a short piece of seasonal advice about what I am doing in my garden that week. It occurred to me that I should be accumulating those pearls in what amounts to a gardening blog so that my readers can look back and see what I was doing yesterday or last year at this time. So here it is. Dated and linked, where possible, to other pages on gardening-enjoyed.com so that you can quickly find further information about that topic. Hope you find this useful.
Here I am with my trusted advisor contemplating the tips, tricks and ideas that will appear on the front page and be accumulated here.
20 February 2012
The seeds have all arrived and it's time to start getting them into the soil. There are a few key items to consider when starting our seeds. Getting the right soil temperature to encourage germination is very important. When to plant each variety is also a key to producing good transplants for the garden. A little reading and calendar counting solves this problem in a logical manner.
09 February 2012
We ordered the seeds and went to Florida for a week while they were in transit. We took advantage of a media pass to visit the new Legoland. It is on the site of the old Cypress Gardens and that's why a garden writer goes to Legoland. This silly old gardener climbed onto few rides, (the Assistant Gardener wisely offerred to be the photographer,) on his way to see the parts of the old park that were being restored. The whole place was a great experience just click on this link to read about it.
28 January 2012 Getting ready to start some seeds and the first step is to thoroughly clean and bleach all of the trays and tools as one of the steps to preventing the Damp Off fungus from attacking the seedlings.
25 January 2012 I have enjoyed a wonderful break from writing and planting but even during the holiday I got to do a little fun planting. Helping each of the grandchildren plant an Amaryllis bulb is a great way to get them interested in the joys of growing things. Even as young as this little guy, they get right into shovelling and poking dirt with Grandpa.
21 December 2011 A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of my readers. I will be relaxing with family and perusing seed catalogues for a couple of weeks. Will post here again about the middle of January.
16 December 2011 I am very proud of myself. I have even brought the Snowblower to the front of the garage and tuned it up so that I am actually ready for the first onslaught of the fluffy white stuff. Bring on the seed catalogues and skis, we are ready for winter.
07 December 2011 For many of my readers it might be too late but I'm now busy emptying my rain barrels so that they don't freeze and split. Great opportunity to make sure that your evergreens head into the winter with adequate moisture.
02 December 2011 Now is the time to put all of those leftover bulbs into pots for spring forcing .
25 November 2011 I like growing my Pole beans for a variety of reasons and as the season ends we can shell the dried beans to make a big pot of baked beans.
20 November 2011 Those of us in cold climates who are still growing some of the less hardy Rose types need to provide some winter protection, such as hilling up the soil to protect the bud union and the bottoms of the tender canes. Growing some of the many new hardier varieties is much easier.
16 November 2011 One of my least favourite jobs as winter approaches is to climb the ladder and clean all of those lovely coloured leaves from the gutters. I try to wait until they have all fallen and then the weather can get quite unpleasant
06 November 2011 The pond water is getting cold and the fish are becoming inactive. It's time to remove as much vegetation as possible so that it doesn't just sink to the bottom of the pond and add to the goo. This also makes skimming the falling leaves each day, much easier.
01 November 2011 It's a bit late in some parts of the country but I'm planting my bulbs this week. Tulips and Narcissus and Snowdrops and many other wonderful spring time treats will nestle into the still warm soil to get ready for a wonderful spring time display.
25 October 2011 We have this wonderful large Black Walnut tree that shades the patio and cools the house in the hot summer. Not all blessings are free. Some years it produces an excellent harvest of walnuts which are big, filthy and a pain to pick up. Every squirrel in the neighbourhood comes over for the banquet and the shredded walnut skins stain everything they touch.
17 October 2011 We've moved most of the plants indoors to join those that are permanent indoor plants. Now we have to adapt our watering techniques to the shorter days and drier heat We might also give many of the houseplants the last bit of fertilizer they will see until the spring.
13 October 2011 The Hibiscus is looking a little apprehensive as the overnight temperatures start to drop. It is one of my part time houseplants and it's time to start moving them indoors for the winter.
09 October 2011 The stems have died down and our pot of Potatoes is looking sad but now we empty it out and find the amazing potato harvest.
04 October 2011 Compost is our magic ingredient and now is the time when I empty out what is left in my useable bin and turn over the current bin into the just emptied one. This gets that compost ready for next year and leaves me an empty bin to fill as I clean out the beds.
29 September 2011 Potatoes are one of those amazing treasures from the earth. Dig up the dead plants now and those wonderful rich tubers are a joy to find and eat.
26 September 2011 Just when you think that fresh flowers are done for the winter, these large pink Colchicum burst forth like magic to brighten the early fall days.
17 September 2011 Peonies rarely need transplanting but when the need arises allow considerable time to dig out their massive roots. Now is the time to tackle this big chore.
09 September 2011 Early in september is the time to take cuttings from Geraniums and Begonias or other plants that we want to overwinter.
05 September 2011 We are back home after a couple of weeks of travelling and are preparing ourselves to face the backlog of activities. Planting the Garlic cloves that will produce next summer's Garlic is a fun and easy task to ease us back into the routines.
28 August 2011 Travelling to check out new gardens for you again. Fabulous garden around the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Gotta love this piece of art in the garden.
23 August 2011 It's time to dig up and enjoy the easiest thing I planted. Garlic is a wonderful and, at least to us, neccesary ingredient in every garden and kitchen.
17 August 2011 The wonderful old climbing Euonymus in front of the house is getting a bit robust and needs its annual trim.
12 August 2011 The lovely long trailing annuals like this Callibrochia will flower much better if given a bit of a haircut now.
07 August 2011 The wonderful early summer Raspberries are sadly finished and it is time to prune out the old canes to get ready for next year.
02 August 2011 The first pole beans are ready to pick and we are looking forward to their easy addition to our menus.
24 July 2011 The Cucumbers are enjoying the heat and need a little training to find their way up their obelisk.
19 July 2011 In our little corner of the world it's so hot that only the shady parts of the garden are getting weeded.
15 July 2011 The Zucchini are ripening quickly and there are many delicious ways to prepare and eat them
12 July 2011 Most containers are planted in a soiless mix that has very little nutrient content and we must make sure to keep them well fertilized all summer to get the best results.
08 July 2011 Garlic scapes are a double delight. Their twisted and curled style can add greatly to a floral arangement and they are delicious chopped into a stir fry or salad. The bonus is the removal of any seeds that may become weedy in your garden.
05 July 2011 After several years of trying I now have a Clematis that is scrambling through my Crab Apple Tree but it needs a little encouragement to find its way.
02 July 2011 Some of our delightful Alliums need to be deadheaded to avoid having a garden filled with seedling Allium.
28 June 2011 The arrival of the Spuria Iris is a bittersweet time. They are wonderful to see but they signal the end of the Iris Season.
23 June 2011 I love my harlequin maple but it requires a little vigilant pruning to remove any shoots that revert back to plain green.
17 June 2011 The Potatoes in the containers are growing well and we need to keep adding new soil to fill up the pots.
13 June 2011 It is almost time to say goodbye to weeks of eating Asparagus and let the latest spears grow on into the large ferns that will regenerate the roots for next year.
09 June 2011 Every garden should have some mint in it but do keep it contained in a pot or other confined space or you will have a garden filled with mint.
31 May 2011 An important but often neglected chore each spring is the maintenance and sharpening of our lawnmowers. A sharp blade on the popular rotary mower can make a big difference in the appearance of your lawn.
26 May 2011 The cold weather may be over and it is time to try all of the exciting new flowers and a few vegetables in your containers.
24 May 2011 The Tulips have been glorious this spring but we must make sure to deadhead them so they will regenerate strong bulbs for next spring.
19 May 2011 I like to start all my cucurbits like Cucumbers, melons and summer squash, indoors, a couple of weeks before they head to the garden.
16 May 2011 We are finally enjoying fresh Asparagus on a regular basis. A few warm days brings it along rapidly.
11 May 2011 It's nice that the warm weather has finally returned and brought the fish back to the surface of the pond, looking for food.
07 May 2011There are a great variety of Hydrangeas available and many of them need a spring pruning. Some to the ground and some to where the new shoots are developing
05 May 2011 Spring is great time to propagate many perennials such as Hosta; when they are just emerging from the soil and in an active growing phase
02 May 2011 Mulch can have many benefits and now is the time to top up the mulch on beds where it is doing a good job.
24 April 2011The slowly arriving warm weather has finally started the new growth on my Roses and now I can see where to prune them. Cut to an outward facing bud above 2 - 4 healthy growing buds and take out spindly canes altogether.
20 April 2011 It's time to start catching the best free gift available to gardeners. Set up as many rain barrels as your downspouts can fill.
15 April 2011 The Red Lily Bug has crawled out of the soil in my garden and the hunt is on. Watch emerging Lilies and Frittilarias.
12 April 2011 Another early job is cleaning out the ponds and I have discovered the Pond Shark a great new tool that makes that ugly job a lot easier.
06 April 2011 It's time to work on those outdoor chores that are not so weather related. I'm rebuilding a collapsed stone wall before planting season starts.
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