How I Love to Garden

Winter in the garden in Zone 7 USA (North Carolina)

2011-12-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, it does snow in North Carolina! Don't know if you remembered the little garden with the Muhly grass that I posted in the fall, but this is the same scene from another angle in the winter. This is actually taken last year in January but we had a little snow already a few weeks ago, well you might want to call it a dusting, but it was enough to give the little kids enough to make a snowball. The topic of these next few posts is "Winter in the Garden". I'm trying to show what is going on in my garden and will be adding more posts on the topic as ideas come to me. The soltice is approaching and the whole process starts to reverse itself with daylight gradually lasting longer each day. Hope you are enjoying some winter in the garden if you happen to be in the Northern Hemisphere, that is.

Winter Sowing

2011-12-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

For several years I have thought I would like to try Winter Sowing. After several attempts at sowing seeds indoors without much luck, I decided to try outdoors sowing. It's a really easy no fuss way if you have patience and trust. Patience that you can wait for the seeds to sprout when the conditions are right. Trust that they WILL germinate and grow, even if the temps in January are hovering around freezing or lower. If you are interested, go to www.wintersown.org for a delightful website which explains it all. www. Dave's Garden.com also has a winter sowing forum. With what I learned on these two sites, I set up my clear plastic covered box with about 15 different zip loc bags with different seeds in each including larkspur, kale, mesclun, lettuce, chard, spinach, poppies and zinnias (I could have waited on those but decided to give it a try). All but the zinnias are hardy annuals. Will see what happens and will keep you posted.

Here's a photo of what I hope to see, maybe in April as a result of my experiment. It's dinosaur kale!

Snow....Nature's Mulch

2011-12-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

A Great Tool....the Bulb Planting Auger

2011-12-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

I just posted information about my new favorite tool...check it out on my blog http://www.gardencoachws.blogspot.com/

MyWebsite www.garden-coach4you.com

2011-11-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

I would love for you to visit it and give me feedback, questions and ideas. I've already gotten some wonderful suggestions from friends and clients.

Please visit

http://www.gardencoach4you.com/

Cones of all kinds

2011-11-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

This is a beautiful little cone that appeared on our very little Italian Cypress. Cones like this are unusual for me but wonderful to collect to add to holiday decorations.

Garden Coaching: What is It?

2011-11-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

Simply put, garden coaching is like any other coaching. A person with experience guides another person. It could also be called garden mentoring. Recently there has been an increase in home gardening, especially vegetable gardening. When a person is just learning or is moving to a new place, they might want someone to help figure out next steps. Whether you want a flower garden or a vegetable garden, it should be a fun process for all involved.

As a Garden Coach, I do not do the actual installations but I teach you how to develop your own garden. Here are a few types of situations that might be aided by a garden coach:

-planning a garden for a new home (or renovating an existing one)

-planting a perennial bed, a cutting garden, a cottage garden, children's garden , etc.

-improving your property if you want to put your property on the market

-analyzing what will grow best on your property, sketching a plan

-tips on what tools, soils and plants you can use and where to get them

-go to the nursery to choose plants if you wish

-starting a vegetable or herb garden

-developing a maintenance plan including teaching you how to prune, water, weed, etc.

-incorporating your goals for conservation and environmental responsibility into your garden

If you are more interested, check out my garden coach blog at gardencoachws.blogspot.com

Iris Farm Wonderland (This is a small rewrite of the entry I wrote two years ago; the garden is in its full bloom right now)

2011-05-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

A Wonderland of Iris

My irises are coming up better each year.

Several years ago when I first returned to Winston-Salem, I drove by Meadowlark Road and noticed a field with many small signs. Thinking that it might be a day lily farm, I was even more curious when I began to see the plants growing. It occurred to me that this might be a nursery of some sort, but there were no signs or other indication of what it might be. On May 12, my friend Patsy called to say that she was going to the Iris Farm so let's meet there. Since I wasn't able to go on that day, I really forgot about it. I had no idea that this was the same field I had been observing for some time. That afternoon I decided to call Patsy about something else and she was IN the iris field selecting iris for her new garden. Her excitement indicated to me that now I HAD to go to the Iris Farm and SOON before the iris had stopped blooming. Although they had already reached their "peak", there were still still plenty to enjoy.

It turns out that the iris in the field below was created by the 86 year old mother of Faye Short (she's the one in the photo below). Visitors were welcome anytime. I couldn't believe what I saw. Purchases are possible from the 2000 varieties available; yet, it seems that the main purpose of this garden was the sheer joy it brings to the community. Mrs. Short's sister described it as their mother's obsession gone wild.

TIPS on iris cultivation from these experts:

Iris need full sun, don't care much about the soil type (and grow well in our dense clay soil in western NC). When planting these iris (as soon as possible), plant them with the rhizomes near the top of the soil (in another words plant them high), cut off the folIage to about 5". This will encourage root development and a clumping effect, if done every fall.

I came home with twelve new iris, all different colors. I went with the idea of getting maybe 12 of the same color; forget it! Hopefully, I'll get some bloom next year, but it maybe be a little later. Meanwhile, I have these wonderful photos to encourage my anticipation of the future bloom in early May.

IT'S APRIL 2009 NOW AND MY IRIS ARE COMING UP ALL OVER MY YARD; ONE HAS A BLOOM JUST GETTING READY TO OPEN. PHOTOS TO COME AS SOON AS THEY BLOOM.

IF YOU ARE ANYWHERE NEAR WINSTSON-SALEM, NC GO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FARM. YOU WILL BE AMAZED.

Oh, if you want to see this Iris Farm, it's approximately 920 Meadowlark Rd. in Winston-Salem, NC. Go in early May to see the peak of bloom.

David Bare, the garden columnist for the Winston -Salem Journal wrote and extensive article about the iris farm in the Friday, May 6 paper (see Journalnow.com).

March and April Gardening Tips

2011-03-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

What a great time in the garden. As the days get warmer and longer, it's exhilarating to see our plants slowly growing in spite of a really cold and difficult winter in our area. Some trees are beginning to bloom and will come to their full glory in April.

Tips:

Finish your clean up from the winter and fall. Remove twigs and rake leaves if there are any left.

Remove any weeds as they return early! Getting rid of them now is much better (and easier) when the ground is wet. Some flower very early and their seeds will produce many more weeds later in the season.

Plant seeds outdoors now for those early spring cool crops, such as lettuce, spinach, peas, onions, potatoes. Wait until after April 15, our last spring frost date, to plant the summer vegetables such as squash, melons, okra, corn. Shrubs and trees can be planted. If you still have pruning to do, do it immediately. However, do not prune those that have spring or early summer blooms, or you will lose the flowers (azaleas, rhododendrons, etc.) They can be pruned after blooming.

Roses can be planted now. If you haven't pruned your roses, now is the time. Cut out all diseased and dead wood, any branches that are crossing and all other branches that are smaller than the size of a pencil. Altougt you may not want to prune climbing roses, others can be pruned to a size you prefer, usually waist high.

Many flower seeds and transplants can be planted, such as zinnias, impatiens, begoias, and other warm loving flowers.

Lawns: In spring your lawn will grow very fast so get your mowers in good condition. If you have any bare spots, plant new seeds.

Don't forget to water if we have high temperatures. Check any irrigation systems to be sure they are in good working order as May can get really hot and dry.

Above all, enjoy your garden! This is one of the best times of year to enjoy and get back outside for the fresh air and sunshine.

Perpared by Ellen Kirby, Garden Coach, with ideas from Forsyth Cooperative Extension

2011-01-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

I am moving all my new posts to my blog "Garden Coaching in Winston-Salem".
Do you need someone to help you plan and plant your garden? To show you how to prune? To work out a maintenance schedule?

A garden coach might be a good way to go. I'm offering my services to coach interested people whether they want a full garden, a vegetable kitchen garden, a perennial or annual border or containers on their deck. I can also show you how to set up a compost system. You can contact me by email at ellen.kirby@gmail.com. Also, visit my Garden Coach blog at (click here) http://www.gardencoachws.blogspot.com/ to learn more about what I do.

Home from Hotlanta...American Commmunity Gardening Association Fabulous Annual Conference

2010-08-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Participants loved to explore the gardens...this is the Dill Street Community Garden that is part of the Sullivan Community Center in Atlanta

I haven't blogged in a while but am still on a "high" from a fabulous annual conference for ACGA and NEED to write about it because it was so wonderful. Previous conferences have been held in Portland (Oregon), Indianapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, NYC, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Toronto, Boston, Columbus (Ohio) and Atlanta again (did I forget any?). This conference took place August 6-8 at the Loudermilk Center in downtown Atlanta.

The mood of the conference was enthusiastic, inspiring and hopeful. There was amazing energy among a truly diverse group of nearly 300 participants of all ages and backgrounds. The conference was filled with great workshops, garden tours and excellent speakers (including First Lady Michelle Obama via videotape about the White House vegetable garden and her commitment to fighting child obesity). The theme "A Holistic Approach to Building Sustainable and Healthy Communities " was carried out beautifully with an emphasis on how community gardens can be a force in preventing childhood obesity and promoting child health. Speakers and workshops gave great examples of how this is being done in schools, community gardens, food banks, etc.

Two workshops that I attended were outstanding.

Bikes and busses were the methods of transportation to visit community gardens

Founder of a booming neighborhood community garden in a lot behind her backyard

Participant from a new citywide program in San Francisco

"Growing Healthy Kids: Community Garden with Obesity Prevention in Mind" was presented by Maria Hill from Chapel Hill, NC. Maria shared their experience from three years of establishing new community gardens to serve immigrant families with young children. The one in Chapel Hill primarily includes Latino families who are learning to grow food for their children and encouraging healthy eating habits of fresh vegetables and fruits. Close to 30 per cent of children in NC are either obese or in danger of obesity leading to higher child rates of hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.

The Mother Hubbard's Cupboard is a food pantry in Bloomington Indiana. Leader Stephanie Solomon led a workshop "Growing Food Access: Garden Education at the Food Pantry". Mother Hubbard sponsors four gardens which are tended by those who receive food from the food pantry. Stephanie shared great ideas for connecting families with healthy eating habits.

I left feeling in awe of how brilliantly these women are organizing truly "holistic" programs.

Dill Street Community Garden
Program of Sullivan Community Center

(Top)Atlanta's Community ToolBank progam that lends tools for communtiy programs
(Bottom) Tool shed that has a solar panel to provide power for lights and sound systems)

Experienced and enthusasitc gardener tells us about her plants including this awesome Princess Amaranth

Bus and bike tours to community gardens were fun and inspiring. I really learned a lot about design, crops, community organizing and eco practices. I went to three outstanding community gardens plus the Atlanta ToolBank Program (www.atlanta.toolbank.org) which was a totally new concept for me. This is a lending warehouse for tools for gardening, home repairs and other community projects. Tools can be borrowed for a week. ToolsUSA is now a new organization based on the Atlanta model and the next one will be in Charlotte! (Just wish I could get some tools for our Food Bank Community Garden project with 80 wake Forest students next weekend when we convert our garden from a summer to a fall garden).

My only regret is not having photos of a fabulous party on Saturday night at the Urban Metro Farm with every kind of southern food, a blues band and a tour of their new farm. A silent auction yielded $1500 for ACGA.

Ursula Chance from Bronx Greenup...checking out that mulch!

I returned home feeling renewed and refreshed. I'm inspired to keep connecting with these great people, especially those in our NC gardens and to improve our Food Bank Community Garden here in Winston-Salem. (http://www.foodbankgarden.blogspot.com/)

Thanks to the organizers and the great participants. Bobby Wilson and Kathy Walker of Fulton County Extension are the best!

For more information about the American Community Gardening Association, go to http://www.communitygarden.org/

Hydrangeas at last!

2010-07-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

After moving to our home three years ago, I discovered two hydrangeas planted by the previous owners. For the next two years they didn't bloom. I don't even remember doing anything to them the fist year. The second year, after the leaves had fallen, I thought the stems were dead so I cut them to the ground. Wrong! I realized that those dead sticks would come alive if I let them and in fact, those stems harbored the buds for the next year's flowers. I had an oakleaf hydrangea in my Brooklyn back yard and I knew not to prune it except to control the size. I this Niko blue macrophylla was totally different. Live and learn. A good source on all things hydrangea is hydrangeashydrangeas.com

Spring Bulbs in Bloom

2010-04-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

Facebook | Garden Coaching and Design in Winston-Salem, NC Reviews

2010-01-22T05:36:00.000-08:00

Check it out.....Facebook Garden Coaching and Design in Winston-Salem, NC Reviews

A great time to rest, read and plan

2009-12-27T13:16:00.000-08:00

While the snow is on the ground, gardeners can relax from the busy times of the planting seasons. I just got my first two catalogues. Cook's Garden catalogue is a feast for the eyes. It's a good time to plan as well. I will begin to look at my notes from last year and think about how to move things around, where to start new flower beds, etc. I don't think I will do much winter sowing unless I direct sow larkspur and other hardy annuals. I will really push the envelope by planting some daffodils that never got into the ground. I planted them as late as Christmas in New York and am not sure I can get by with that here in WS. Meanwhile at the Food Bank Farm we have truckloads of leaves to get distributed into the fields in time to decompose for the spring planting.

Since January and February provide a great time to dig into gardening books, I want to remind folks to look at the book Community Garden, published by Brooklyn Botanic Garden a year ago. Hopefully, it will inspire you to look at ways to start your own community garden.

Scenes from my garden 2009

2009-11-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

Pollination Works!

2009-09-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ilex
verticullata, a native holly, is one of my favorite plants. I LOVE IT! Anyway, I bought two. You have to have male and female to get berries. The male, quite appropriately is named 'Jim Dandy' and is very low key obviously with no berries. However, he did his work, or at least the pollinators did. The female is full of berries. In addition, and this is the really cool news, there is another very large shrub in my garden which I inherited from a previous owner. I knew it was deciduous but I couldn't figure out what it was. It was so blah that I pruned it back bigtime last spring and was even thinking of taking it down. It had flowers which were very inconsipicuous.

Now, at the end of summer, it is full of berries...amazing, my own very large Ilex verticullata, commonly know as winter berry. When everything else is colorless and bear and bleak, it is in its shining glory.
Continuing to love this tree like shrub, I'm now a total convert to the amazing wonder of pollination.

Now, rush out and get one, but make sure you get two...male and female. I love Jim Dandy.

The Dog Days of August

2009-08-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

I think the heat and humidity is getting to me. I see lots of gray, hazy casts and some vile weeds taking over. I have to wear special armor to get rid of those awful prickly one (what are they anyway??), agressive ones that challenge the most patient gardener. Hey, I usually like to weed. But now, so many things are finishing their bloom time and the fall bloomers are awaiting some cooler temps and shorter nights. I looked around and decided to do a good check of what IS doing well and made a list to remind me to plant more next year:

First Prize: Zinnias

Second: Crape Myrtle

Third: Roses: Duan Juan and Veteran's Honor

Fourth (Tie): Phlox and Verbena

I have to admit, now that I've thought about it, that things aren't as bad as I thought, especially early evening and morning (oops, I forgot those Morning Glories). That midday sun really washes everything out. Somedays I think I am just too greedy and fail to take in what is, rather than what isn't.

Now, let me hope I will remember next year to plant those zinnias with their many shapes and colors.

Children and youth have a great time at the Food Bank Garden www.foodbankgarden.blogspot.com

2009-07-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Our Water Garden....We Did It Ourselves!

2009-07-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

2009-07-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

2009-07-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Making Our Water Garden

2009-07-14T19:50:00.001-07:00

Richard and I put together our water garden ourselves, after much consideration of whether we could do it. Of course, getting prices from professionals gave us a pretty good idea we would have to do it ourselves or not at all. We drew our plan, had a big hole dug, got the flexible liner, skimmer box, water fall, plumbing things, some water plants ( water lilies, pickerel weed, acoris, etc.) We ordered a ton of stones and put them around the edges.

We love to sit on our deck listening to the sound of the water fall and watching the dragon flies, fish, flowers on the water lilies and anything else. There is a lot of life in a pond. We had two frog visitors but they only stayed a few days.

Squash Rules! First harvest of squash at the Food Bank Community Garden here in Winston-Salem,NC

2009-07-04T12:19:00.001-07:00

The Good, the Bad and It Depends Where You Are

2009-07-02T10:14:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged for a while and have a lot of catching up to do. Of course, everyone out there knows that this time of year is more doing than thinking and I have been totally immersed in the world outdoors, plus my computer died. Now I'm back in action during the middle of the day when it's just too hot to be outside in North Carolina.

I decided to write about my experience in NC vs. my experience in Brooklyn, NY. It's amazing that even though I garden in both which share Zone 7, there is a huge difference in what goes well here and there and here and there.

Comparison of specific plants that grow well for me here (in my sunny hot location) and there (in my Brooklyn shade garden). Lest you say, aha, it's sun vs. shade, I know many of these plants growing in full sun at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in NYC and Reynolda Gardens here in NC.

Shasta Daisies.....totally a winner in NC and always a failure for my in Blyn.
Hydrangeas........totally a winner in NYC and not so hot for me here in NC
Oakleaf Hydrangeas.....the MOST beautiful flowers in my Brooklyn shade garden; just planted one here in NC....we will see. After all it's a native to the south east.
Day lilies..............totally a winner in NC and not so hot in NYC, except the NY Botanical garden where they have an extraordinary day lily collection
Hostas........I guess it depends on the variety as some do well here in NC but one which was spectacular in my Brooklyn garden did not do well as a transplant here. I tried seveal times iin the shadiest part of my garden; meanwhile,other hostas are doing great. Conclusion is that it depends on the variety.
Cercis canadensis "Redbud" ....Fabulous in NC, the woods are full of them blooming in the spring; a rarity in NYC
Crape Myrtles.....Fabulous and probably over used in NC; just beginning to be known and popular in NY.. Brooklyn Botanic garden has a terrific collection.
Balloon flowers....great in NC; never grew them in NYC
Lavender....Have great luck in NC with plants I bought in Long Island; never could grow them in NYC
Nepeta....Grows well here but really falls apart when it gets hot; much longer bloom time in NYC
Echinacea....They are fabulous in NYC and I wasn't able to get much bloom until this year, 3 years after planting
Rudbekkia....Great in both places
Lilacs...Unbelievable in NYC and very rare in NC. I've seen one this season.

Why these differences....Soil is VERY different. In NC it's clay and in Brooklyn, well it has more organic material and lots more rock. In NC the winter is about a month shorter so everything is at least two to four weeks ahead. Heat and humidity....higer in NC. Amount of rain; can vary totally. This year NC is having fair amount of rain and NYC is having huge amounts of rain. When I recently visited NY I can never remember, in the 40 years of living there that the tree canopy from the air was as green and lush as it is now.

Of course, the fall leaves are another topic as they are very different in NC and NY. Will wait for that until my October report. Meanwhile Ithink I'll go have a glass of sweet ice tea.

My organic roses

2009-05-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

What can be more beautiful than the first roses of spring? These blooms, photographed on Mother's Day are my gift to myself. I am trying to use all organic practices....constantly enriching the soil, mulching, using organic spray, removing Japanese beetles by hand, organic fertilizers, etc. The proof will be as the summer progresses. I also water with underground irrigation and also my rain barrel collection. All of the collected water goes into my roses. I'm in Zone 7 in Winston-Salem, NC.

More later as the summer progresses and I get more photos. For more on roses, also see the post on my friend Kay's beautiful rose garden in Raleigh, NC.

Zephrin Drouhin....an heirloom French rose

2009-05-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

Summer Bliss

2009-05-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

Community Gardening Guidebook Goes into Second Printing!

2009-03-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

A much needed resource for starting a community garden or for learning more about it....Available from bbg.org and amazon.com. See sidebar for details about contents. Photos alone are worth the price and tell the story.

Installing a Rain Barrel Step by Step

2009-03-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

Installing a rain barrel is great fun and terribly satisfying. We can collect 55 gallons in this barrel with less than 1 " of rain off our roof. See right hand column for all the steps to installing your own barrel. With a drip hose channeled from the barrel we can water our ten rose bushes with a steady slow watering for over an hour. Try it. You'll love it!

Community Gardens Grow Healthy Food!

2009-02-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

With all the alarm these days about getting safe food, it's no wonder many people are looking for a community garden to get their own tomatoes, lettuce, watermelons or whatever suits them. Folks like a community garden because they can learn from each other the best practices. I find food crops a lot harder to manage than oramentals. Seems as if they are more prone to disease. To be an organic gardener you need as much advice as you can get. Organic Gardening magazine has always been a great resource for me. In Brooklyn, where I have gardened a lot, youth have developed a farmers market from their produce. They've learned business skills as well as horticulture. If you want to grow food for your family, a community garden is a great way to go. Get ideas on how to start a community garden from www.communitygarden.org. Also, check out the new guidebook COMMUNITY GARDENING from bbg.org or from AMAZON.COM

COMPOSTING

2009-01-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

Although this photo of Susan JOhnson in Brooklyn was taken last fall, it oculd have been here in Winston-Salem yesterday. It was in the mid 50 degrees and sunny. After several days of temps in the mid 50's it was a great day to work the soil Such a day gives a healthy dose of spring fever! I ventured into my garden to take soil test samples. I'm sending four to the Ag Extension Service in Raleigh (see my column on soil testing). I took samples from each of four gardens; rose garden, little forest area, perennial flower border and vegetable garden. It was great to dig in the soil. But, the real excitement came from harvesting compost! We put all our kitchen cuttings and coffee grounds (filters and all) into the compost on a regular basis. However, the fall leaves are the biggest part and I had to plow through a pile of them to get to the rich compost at the bottom of the bin. (Yes, I know I should be layering the leaves and the kitchen material to get a proper carbon nitrogen mix, but I will do that task later). I have a three level bin made of recycled plastic (purchased from Smith and Hawken) so I took off the top section and removed the contents then the second section. I got to the compost in the bottom section. Rich, finished and full of earthworms. The sight of the earthworms gave me the biggest thrill because that tells me the compost system is really working. I removed about 30 gallons of finished compost and put that into our vegetable beds (we have raised beds) as well as several large containers which I will spread into other parts of the garden. The photos are ones of the compost harvest in the Schaef Earth Garden. I will add some photos of my compost here in North Carolina asap.

Compost is the supreme soil amendment to add structure and organic material to your soil, something we DESPERATELY need with our clay soil here in North Carolina. It enhances plant growth, helps with water retention (especially to create a drought tolerant garden) and is easy to make yourself. Winter is a great time to add to the garden before the spring rush of planting.

Home composting saves money too and you know what's in it because you put it there.

Winter Sowing Containers

2009-01-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

I decided to see how many different kinds of containers I could use. And, I wanted to recycle as many different things as I could. Now, I look at every container to think about it's potential to plant seeds. The ones I have used so far are:

Large clear plastic container (as you put under your bed to store sweaters) with plastic baggies. I removed the plastic top but be sure to put it on and to drill holes in the top. Photo 3.

Other examples: Ice cream cartons, Soda bottles, Empty Canola Oil bottle, Styrofoam cups, strawberry container from grocery store. If you go to the winter sowing website they have more details and even more container options. Photo 2.

The first seeds that sprouted were mesclun seeds (took about ten days). The temps have been below freezing all the way up to the 50's but it doesn't seem to matter. Chard is also coming up. Don't forget to keep the containers covered with a baggie but make little vent holes.

Also, these styrofoam cups in photo 2 were cut in half and I will use both the tops and the bottoms.

Winter sowing is addictive. This is my first year and I'm already convinced it works. It's so much easier than seed starting indoors as you are letting nature take care of all the guesswork, etc. For a comparison I'm also planting seeds indoors of similar or same varieties. Will try to see what does best and is the most successful. Watch for future reports.

Winter Container Gardening

2008-12-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

I decided to add an evergreen to the containers on my stoop when the summer and fall plants bit the dust. I figured I could move the plant to my perennial border in the spring and start all over again. I found these Dwarf Hinoki Cypress (Chamecyparis obtusa 'Golden Sprite' that were about the right size. They are very compact and do just the trick to bring some green into the otherwise bare containers.

Grasses (miscanthus zebrina)

2008-12-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

Ornamental grasses have year round beauty. They come up with new green shoots in the spring, grow tall and striking in the summer, send up beautiful plumes in the fall, give structure to the landscape in the winter. I never cut mine back until early spring, just when the new shoots begin to appear.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH DROUGHT?

2008-07-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last summer (2007) there was a terrible drought with water restrictions all over NC. In Raleigh, my friends Gail and Kay were restricted from ANY watering. In Winston-Salem we were given voluntary guidelines. This summer, we were expecting the same thing but it hasn't been QUITE as bad. Meanwhile, there is much to learn and do to conserve water. It will probably continue to be a big problem in NC. When we received our water bill and the irrigation portion was over $100 for June, we were shocked.

Here are things I have learned and plants I recommend for gardening in NC:

1. Select Drought Tolerant Plants

My best picks for drought tolerant plants:

Yarrow (photo above) Shasta Daisy, Cosmos, Rudbekkia, Vinca, Lavender, Geranium, Lamb's Ear. All ornamental grass(NOT the lawn grass), such as Miscanthus and Muhly Grass, Many shrubs and trees such as dogwood are drought tolerant. All succulent plants are great, such as hens and chicks (which are also perennial), ice plant, portulaca,etc.

Worst:

Impatiens, Hydrangea, Morning Glory, Lawn grass

Moderate:

Roses, Chrysanthemum, Coleus, Begonia, Malva family (e.g. hollyhock)

Most of my garden is sunny so I'm not including the good dry shade plants, but there are many.

The other things I have learned:

2. Use drip irrigation (as early in the morning as possible).3. In fact, Water early in the day for everything. 4. Water deeply, especially when planting so that the roots can go as deep and therefore be protected from drying out on the surface. 5. Amend the soil with as much compost as possible. It retains water, improves the structure of the soil and provides vital nutrients. Make your own compost with fruit and vegetable discards from the kitchen. 6. Mulch, mulch, mulch. We use soil conditioner as it breaks down quickly and improves the soil. I like shredded hardwood or pine straw for some areas as they give a nice clean look and set off the plants. Mulch also keeps weeds under control. Living mulches are also good, such as ground covers that are drought tolerant.7. Plant a rain garden to collect water runoff. 8. Nearly every plant will withstand drought better when it is established and/or larger and shrub like. Newly planted plants are very vulnerable to drought, so avoid planting new plants and/or seeds when it is hot and dry. 9. Finally, get a rain barrel. We are getting one installed in our vegetable garden to collect rain off the roof from the drain pipe. Rain water is an endangered resource and is much better for the plants. A huge amount can be collected with one downpour. Will let you know how it works.

See "Links" in right sidebar resources on Water Conservation and Drought Tolerant Gardening (NC State Ext. Service has NC list). See my photos for drought tolerant plants on the sidebar.

Roses Grow in Raleigh, NC

2008-06-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

New Dawn Roses Climb Kay's Fence in Raleigh, NC

2008-06-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

Kay's Rose Garden in Raleigh NC

2008-06-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

My friend Kay has been growing roses in a lovely space beside her home with a backdrop of New Dawn's on a fence and a collection of nearly twenty varieties including St. Patrick, Touch of Class, Mr. Lincoln, Voluptuous, Mr. Lincoln, Garden Party among others. Her home is filled with vases of the finest roses and she gives away roses to friends and family. One of her rose photos was featured in the Raleigh News and Observer.

2008-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Exploring the Master Gardener Display Garden in Winston-Salem, NC

2008-06-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Children's Garden at Tanglewood Park, Winston- Salem, NC

2008-06-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

CHILDREN'S GARDEN AT TANGLEWOOD

2008-06-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

2008-05-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

Iris Farm in Winston-Salem, NC

2008-05-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

About - www.GardenBloggers.com

2008-05-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

About - www.GardenBloggers.com My blog is primarily and educational blog based on my experience as a botanic garden staff, community gardener and an home gardener. Current topics include, roses, rain barrels, drought tolerant gardeningI have a garden coaching service in Winston-Salem, NC where my blog is gardencoachws.blogspot.com Thanks for your blog; it's a great service to all.

2008-05-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

Plant Shares....just after I wrote about the "white garden" with the Gaura and possible Shasta Daisies, my neighbor across the street brought me several Shasta Daisy transplants from her garden. Now they are added to the Gaura and the white Annabelle hydrangea in the backyard garden. I gave her a handful of cosmos volunteers to make the swap complete. I have discovered that plant swaps are a great way to spread the wealth of our gardens and to get to know our neighbors. Shasta Daisies are another of the plants that do extremely well in drought and have a long blooming season.

Favorite Plant Today

2008-05-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

Gaura does extremely well here in Winston-Salem. It's tall, blooms all summer, stands up to drought. Looking for pure white, I found 'So White' at the Farmstand on Peace Haven Rd., one of the best small nurseries I have found here in WS. Since I want to use lots of white in the backyard garden so we can enjoy in the evenings, I am planting these in several places around the border along with white Annabelle Hydrangea (which the rabbits ate last year, but so far my Deer Off is working), white vincas, etc. Another white plant that does extremely well in the drought and heat here is the Shasta Daisy, so I'm going to move some of those from other places into the back.

My garden spring 08

2008-05-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

The RED Garden

2008-05-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted something in front of the house that would blend in with the red brick of the house. There's a spot in front of the porch where there are large shrubs and a flower bed in front. So...after some thinking I decide on two red Knock Out Roses, verbena, dianthus (yes, there is red dianthus). Richard adores boxwoods so he planted five small English ones for the very front of the bed so that we'd have something there in the winter. My Brooklyn hostas (huge leaves gold and chartreuse) were there too but, alas,had to be moved again. (They were in my garden in Brooklyn in the shade and we just can't find the right spot for them here..can always raid more from Brooklyn if needed). On the stoop I put red caladiums and begonias. Hopefully all of this will give some color without going overboard in front of the house. To top it off I'm adding touches of .....orange. We'll see. Photo to be added when everything starts to fill in. Orange is supposed to be the "in" flower color this year and seems to blend in well with the red. We'll see...can always move it out.

Our path is laid

2008-05-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

It was exciting to make a stepping stone path through the new perennial border. Richard and I got the stones at Lowe's and he laid them. It's amazing how much it enhances the design and helps me with planting, weeding and watering.

Spring 2008 "The Path is Laid"

2008-05-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Now in the second year of gardening in Winston-Salem, I realized we are about six weeks ahead of New York, maybe even a bit longer because of the full sun. Daffodils were up in February. today is May 10 and we've got salvia, nepeta and roses in full bloom.
Richard put in a wonderful path with stones we got at Lowe's (See photo above). They look so real and add a practical and lovely addition to my bed which is about 15 x 10 ' and visible from the street. It's fun to talk to people when they walk by.

I've used purple and blue as my theme with some wine thrown in. Some of the plants are nepeta,snapdragons,salvias(three types),verbena,monarda,peroskia,pansies,mugo pine,boxwoods, abelia (Little Richard!), nandina, malva, balloon flower,sedum Autum Joy, echinacea,lavender (Provence), cosmos, ....

Richard also gave me a great idea to put names of the plants on small rocks so I've been trying to keep my list current. This is a great idea cause it's free or cheap, permanent, easy to see (they are on the ground), and helps to "mark the spot" for the winter.

Poll Results for December

2008-01-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome visitors to my blog. Thank you! I am running a monthly poll to get an idea of your thoughts on each month, a la gardening. For those who participated in December, here are the results:

Thoughts about December:

Too dark: 2
Too cold: 2
Too hot: 0 (where are all the southern hemisphere folks?)
My favorite season: 0
Love evergreens: 2
Want more evergreens: 3

If you want to vote on the January poll, please check the preferences at the top right of this page. Results will be posted in February. Happy New Year to all!

February Poll...Vote Soon!

2008-01-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

My February poll is almost finished. Please add your voice; poll results to be announced in early March... spring is coming!

Poll Results for January

2008-01-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks for your interest in the January poll. Look for February in the top right column. Cast your vote early and often.

Here are the results

January is too dark......11
Too cold.........................15
Too hot............................0
My favorite month........0
I enjoy snow..................6
I leave seed pods, grasses, etc.................12
I cut everything to the ground................2
I continue my compost.............................11

Participation went up this time from about 10 in December to 57 in January. That's a good sign.

Many folks leave their seed pods, grasses, etc. for winter interest. I notice how few people in my neighborhood do this leaving ugly "chopped off" grasses when they could have beautiful stems and pods blowing in the wind or providing a fabulous sculpture when it snows. Between the evergreens and the grasses, with a bit of planning, the winter garden can bring the garden alive. I even see the birds rustling around the grasses or perched on top. It was also great to see how many people keep their compost going. I remember one time turning my compost in sub freezing weather and finding a whole cluster of worms even though I could have sworn they went underground in the coldest time of winter. The compost pile obviously was still active enough (thanks to those worms) that the heat level maintained an environment to keep the worms a live.

Please take a look at the February poll. Vote for as many as you wish.

Winter Beauty Camellias

2007-12-15T20:43:00.000-08:00

I'm introducing this series of posts on winter gardening with this most beautiful Camellia that was planted in my yard near the front door by the previous occupants. It blooms every Christmas and, appropriately, is named 'Yuletide'. As you can see the bright red flowers with the contrasting yellow stamens really catch your eye in an otherwise bleak landscape. These flowers often seem "out of sync" with the rest of the landscape at this time of year but I love it. It's color seems to fit right into all the other red for the holidays. According to the NC State Extension another good choices for winter color is Camellia x 'Crimson Candles'. The new foliage is bronze- red, and the flowers bloom in Feb and March. Both these plants can withstand night temperatures in the 20s and is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 9.

Hollies

2007-12-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

I am beginning to learn that hollies (Ilex) have numerous varieties in common use. In addition to my favorite Winterberry, I love the 'Nellie Moser" variety that we have as a border on our lot. this year it produced berries whereas last year there were none. I think this is becuae of a frost in the spring 0f 2007 that nipped the flowers. I know the birds are pleased.