Florida Big Box Garden Center Tour 2011

When traveling I like to visit garden centers and nurseries. Even the big box stores are different in Zone 9. Lowes has their tropicals out alongside the spring annuals.

It will be a few months before we see this in Minnesota.





Bougainvillea is in bloom, often seen vining on walls or as a standard (left).





Doggie is going as fast as an elderly dog can go - away from crazy lady.


Not the best shot (I was trying to take a picture of the dog not the plants) but bougainvillea is vining over fence and doorways. They also have it on fence lines - it has thorny branches. It's salt and drought tolerant however tourists don't tolerate it well. A handy landscape plant when you own gulf-front property.





I Love Florida

Hello from sunny and hot Florida. This is a great place to visit but am glad that I'm a Minnesota gardener.




Bowman's Beach, Sanibel Island

 
The environment is harsh and the plants have adapted to survive. I discovered that grapefruit trees have thorns, well short spines. Saw Palmettos have sharp teeth on the petioles. And you need to wear shoes to walk across the lawn (at least where we're staying).



The beach house is great but a classic example of foundation plantings gone wild.


Regardless, the landscapes are lush and beautiful and the tomatoes taste good. I'm probably just glad to be a Minnesota gardener because there are 5 months of rest.

Garden Gadget Today, Heirloom Tomorrow

 


Piggy and I are both smiling. I got a pruner without breaking the bank.
Piggy is a special heirloom from a friend's mom, I love Piggy!

 
There's been a Gardener's Supply gift card burning a hole in my pocket. While I'm not a gadget gardener, there is one item that I've been lusting after for years. A Felco Pruner. One reviewer suggested the pruner will become a family heirloom. Doubt it, there are lots of pruners with my name in Sharpie marker that are M.I.A. 



,

Wow, that's a long thumb and it's not even green.



An end to the ice dams almost put an end to a new tree.

This ironwood (American Hornbeam) was planted from bare root last spring. When the icebergs came off the roof it got hit. It's been a long winter, time to get out and prune.



I pruned the broken branch to the left and the one below it.


Several new trees were pruned and the time was right. Pruning in late winter, just before spring growth starts, leaves cuts exposed for a short period of time before new growth begins the wound sealing process.

This information comes from, "Pruning Trees and Shrubs" by Mike Zins and Deborah Brown, University of Minnesota Extension Service Horticulturists. Before pruning I often refer to this publication; http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg0628.html

I really liked working with the Felcos and might need to invest in the pruner holster, need to keep them around for the heirs.

Forsythia to the Ceiling

If these forced branches are any indicator, it's going to be a good year for forsythia flowers. That is if we don't get warm weather and then a freeze like last spring.

Someone needs to change the water.

I'm going to change the water, it'll help to keep the blooms for a longer period of time before they drop.

Loaded branch.

Love the bright yellow color, especially when there's so much white outdoors. If you've got flowering shrubs (pussy willow,  flowering almond, and of couse forsythia) and want to try to get them to bloom indoors, follow these steps: http://amyablegardens.blogspot.com/2011/03/forcing-forsythia.html

Fungus Gnats in My Plants (Plants NOT Pants)

Easily mistaken for fruit flies, these little black gnats are found resting or flying near plants.

Red the dog, on the lookout for gnats.

Fungus gnats are an indicator of overwatering or decaying matter in soil. In my case I know what is to blame.

I've been trying to force "Paperwhite" narcissus bulbs to bloom (plant on far left). They are not thriving and the gnats are munching on the decaying bulbs. Even the dog is sad for the droopy plants.

To get rid of the gnats I'll dump the entire contents of that pot into the compost bin, because I won't get a bloom off this bulb again. "Paperwhite" narcissus are a tender bulb that grow in zones 8-11, so I can't hope for it to rise from the dead in the compost bin and survive a winter planted outdoors.

There's a strawberry pot under this jungle.

I'm also going to let the soil in all other houseplants completely dry out between watering, just in case the gnats are have moved to other plants (not pants).

Garden Overload and Shiny Things

Today I met with a neighbor and fellow gardener. We're working on a gardening presentation for the Minneapolis Victory Neighborhood. Specifically, "Gardening for Food & Raingarden Maintenance," but more on that in another post...which is the point.

http://amyablegardens.blogspot.com/2011/04/minneapolis-victory-neighborhood-spring.html

We both agreed  about the abundance of gardening topics (even in March). Too many shiny things.

A shiny crown & a mule.


It can be difficult to focus and complete anything, so the blog, project, book - you name it, just sits.

In my mind, today's post topics went from refreshing tired containers, to putting my name on my tools, to favorite tools, to tools useful for chasing burglars, to garden boots.

This is because I was going to refresh a container, but couldn't find my pruners, and while searching noticed my favorite tool - that I once brandished while chasing two guys who had broken into a neighbor's house. I couldn't keep chase because I was wearing clunky garden boots, etc.


Mmm, shiny. Don't make me hurt you.


My point; gardening is full of shiny things. Do one task at a time. You'll get more done.

Gardening Books & the Lazy Vegetable Gardener

It's already March and I haven't made a dent in the garden books I planned on reading over the winter.

However, I have discovered the Ian Rutledge Series by Charles Todd  http://charlestodd.com/books/ and am making short work of completing those books.

I'll be on vacation for most of March so I'll be packing "Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work," by Mel Bartholomew. I've been the lazy vegetable gardener for too long and have a few things to learn.

Forcing Forsythia

A couple of vigorous forsythia shrubs are planted right next to the driveway and the branches have been scratching our cars since last summer. However I didn't want to trim them until the time was right. (The right time being when I can bring them in after a long winter and force a bloom).



Forsythia, not beer.

 In the beginning of February there was a day that was above freezing. I cut a few branches down to the main stem and took them into the basement. I gave them a new cut under running water, pounded the base of the stem with a mallet and put them in a large pail of water.

There's a hint of yellow - I think.

In the meantime I should have changed the water (but I didn't). Today I noticed a hint of yellow, so I made new cuts, put warm water and the stems in vases, and brought the vases upstairs to where it's warm and sunny.



There should be blooms within a few days.

Update, we got blooms! http://amyablegardens.blogspot.com/2011/03/forsythia-to-ceiling.html