All the Dirt on Gardening

New links you need to know about The University of Texas at Austin announced a new site, Landscape for Life . From the press release A new Web site developed by the United States Botanic Garden and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin brings homeowners comprehensive, accessible advice on creating nature-friendly, sustainable landscapes at home, no matter where they live. The new site at Landscape for Life provides a layman's explanation and practical approaches to greening gardens and home landscape based on the principles outlined in the Sustainable Sites Initiative. .. . It offers detailed descriptions of sustainable practices which can be put in place in any home landscape and explains the potential benefits these practices can provide. Okra flower - late October The History of Herbs at the Herb Gardening Guru dot com was written by a former Tulsa resident and member of the Tulsa Herb Society. On the left side of the page there are link...

The first Amaranth I grew from seed was Love Lies Bleeding ornamental. And, I've written about Amaranth before, because if you grow a few varieties, you are providing nectar for adult butterflies, seeds for fall migrating birds, and a feast for your eyes. This other October beauty, Chenopodium gigantum , is commonly called Magenta Spreen , Purple Goosefoot, Tree Spinach and Giant Lambsquarters . Can you beat the pink and green colors of Magenta Spreen for their cheerfulness when paired on the same leaf? Hopi Red Dye, Amaranth, Spreen , Chinese Spinach, call them what you will, I love these plants that many gardeners consider weeds. Here are two varieties growing together in the nectar bed. The Globe Amaranth or Gomphrena , on the left in pink and the Cockscomb seedlings in hot red on the right. The leaf colors are stunningn the fall. Then, let's talk about fall leaf colors on the Spreen . These leaves are on the same variety but in different beds with varying fertility a...

Fiskars is so clever. They know how I let vines crawl up into everything. The rake they think is specifically and well designed to be a Shrub Rake for leaf removal is actually a vine removal rake. What they say is also true * dig debris from tight spaces * light + narrow head that fits into small spaces * tapered 1/2 inch tines * 8 inch wide rake head * flexible and durable resin tines * teardrop-shaped shaft = sure grip * long handle improves posture and reduces back strain * lifetime warranty And, as a certified short person having a light weight, narrow, long handle, rake is a huge selling point. I can't reach the middle of many of my flower beds so have to wait until conditions are perfect for walking on the soil. You're saying I should put gardener's paths throughout those big beds - (I know. I read the book.) - but I can't help myself. If the beds aren't jammed with blooming or about-to-bloom plants I have a little panic attack and put something in. This H...

Savlia is one of the stars of our October garden. When so many other plants are becoming brown stalks, the salvias really shine. Every year I think I should figure out which seeds my friend Ronn started for me 5 years ago. But, when I look in the seed catalogs I can't figure out exactly what to get. Then, by the time the heat of the summer has worn me out too much to care, here they come. Back for another performance. I've added a few Perennial Salvias each year - at least they were intended to be perennial. A couple of the woody ones come back each year. As soon as the weather cools for good, I'll be taking cuttings of the pineapple sage for next year. I don't want to spend a fall without it. Mountain Valley Growers is my favorite source for January purchases of sages and salvias. I love the scent of the leaves. The red flowers are spectacular butterfly attractions.

Adrian Bloom's latest book, Gardening With Conifers , has readable text and hundreds of beautiful photos. Firefly Books is the publisher. This is a beautiful, oversize, softback book that provides guidance for planting coniferous trees and shrubs available to North American gardeners. The photographs illustrate individual plants and show conifers used in a variety of environments, from small gardens to estates. The directory covers more than 600 conifers - •Size and growth rates •Site and soil preferences •Planting, maintenance and propagation •Pruning, pests and diseases •Dwarf conifers and ground covers •Conifers in containers, and more Adrian Bloom has 35 years of experience planting and maintaining a six-acre garden that includes 500 varieties of conifers. He designed many smaller gardens and has photographed collections in North America, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. He is an international television presenter and regularly appears on The Victory Garden, on WGBH Boston. Ad...

Fighting Hunger … Feeding Hope is the slogan of the Oklahoma City Regional Food Bank - www.regionalfoodbank.org. The program distributed 36.5 million pounds of food during Fiscal Year 2009, through 450 agencies in 54 Central and Western Oklahoma counties. In addition to distributing donated and purchased food, the facility has a 3.5 acre working farm. Bruce Edwards, director of Urban Harvest, is the man behind the gardens. With one, half-time, employee and dedicated volunteers, the farm grows fruit, vegetables, and herbs for families. Edwards' job description barely covers the tasks and responsibilities to which he applies his creativity and energy. The program offers basic sustainable gardening classes to the public. Last spring a few hundred people attended and many grew their first gardens. Edwards taught raised bed gardening, organic pest control, container gardening, composting and worm composting. The classes are offered on a sliding scale of $5 to $25 and are free for those...

Mid-October planting adventures - We are cooking greens a couple times a week, having finally discovered the ones we consistently enjoy growing and eating. And, the sweet peppers are still producing like crazy. I stopped harvesting the broad beans to get seeds for an early spring crop but they are going strong. The lettuce is 3-inches tall so we should have salads in the next week or so. Last February, we planted potato seeds in cages we made of rabbit/chicken wire. It was an experiment to see if patio dwellers could have home grown potatoes. In my potato-eagerness, I ordered way too many types and ended up with half left to plant. So, we turned to the raised bed behind us and tried the Ruth Stout method. The potato seeds were placed on the ground and covered with 8-inches of wheat straw. The cage method produced decently, but the raised bed, no dig method resulted in pounds and pounds of potatoes to harvest. Over the summer the bed was planted with tomatoes and squash, neither of whic...

Southern Living Plants Collection just made a generous donation to the Tulsa Linnaeus Teaching Garden . I've written before about the mission of the Linnaeus Garden - providing information to local gardeners, former gardeners, potential gardeners and want-to-be gardeners. As with most teaching gardens, the Linnaeus is a nonprofit that relies on corporate donations, volunteers and contributions. Southern Living donated to the Linnaeus Teaching Garden in 2008 when they were first getting started. In 2010 they donated 23 of hardy annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. Director of Horticulture, Barry Fugatt said that the contribution made a huge impact. Plants included: Purple Diamond Loropetalum, Blush Pink Nandina, Jubilation Gardenia, and Early Bird Crapemyrtles. Living Plant Collection: Plant Development Services Inc. and Southern Living magazine joined forces in spring 2008. Southern Living Plant Collection are selected to perform especially well in Southern gardens. A tip of the...

Just take your eyes off the plants for a few days and something will move in. I don't know what these are but there are hundreds of them on the potted lime tree. My best guess is scale. Can anyone corroborate my guess? This is Euonymus scale . I'm going to prune back the shrub, destroy the trimmings and spray. I love this chain link fence climber. It hides the heat pump from view. Even though these caterpillars destroy the plants they eat, they are allowed to grow as fat as they can before the winter comes. Butterflies have free range here. Then, there are the garden pests that roam freely from our neighbors' yards.

The current garden design trend is to reduce the amount of lawn we water, fertilize and mow. The concerns include fertilizer runoff, fuel for and pollution from power mowers and lawn's lack of environmental contribution. Designers recommend removing the lawn and replacing it in one fell swoop. A more natural approach would be a gradual change, over time. Ten years ago, Tina and Stanley Logan of Tulsa, had a front and back yard with vegetable and perennial beds plus lawns in the front and back. One day while shopping, Stanley Logan was browsing through a garden design magazine and discovered do-it-yourself cement bowls that are made by digging a hole in the ground and pouring in cement. Then he wanted a piece of my garden so he could put in his designs, Tina said. He installed an arrangement of cement balls and gravel and then added some black bamboo. The Logans said that they would never have the garden they have today without each others’ total support. Every change is discussed a...

I'm reading " Blue Highways " and it reminded me of a recent trip we took along a 2-lane highway through the hills of West Virginia. One of our stops for a stroll was at Cathedral State Park - a National Natural Landmark since 1965. It is a beautiful place for a break during a road trip. Cathedral is a landmark because it is 133 acres of ancient hemlock forest. Majestic trees, ferns, mosses and wildflowers complete the view. If you have an opportunity to visit, you'll want to review some information about what plants to look for while you are there. Our stop was serendipity and I wish I had known more. One of the plant surveys that has been conducted is online here . The entire road is a delight to travel. And, across the street from the park entrance is a restaurant with really good home made pie. Highway 50 is two lane most of the way and you can count on being behind a pick up truck traveling just as the driver did in 1950. That is to say, at about 45 miles an...

Yucca Do Nursery is a leading expert on all things succulent. They sent out an email to subscribers providing tips on preparing dry-loving plants for winter. The tips: Good air circulation keeps the plant dry. Don't fertilize. Avoid watering too much. Watch for bugs and treat with a combination of horticultural oil, Pyrethrin , and Spinosad . The recipe they recommend is this - One gallon of water + 1 ounce horticultural oil + 2 ounces Spinosad + 1 ounce Pyrethrin . Repot agave and cacti in the fall unless you can (and want to) provide bottom heat. Here's a link to the full article if you want more details. The photos are from the yard of Tina Logan in Tulsa OK.

There are over 250 perennial Veronica Speedwells, growing from swamps to rocky European hills. They are strong plants with spikes of small flowers in white, rose, pink, light blue or purple-blue. All the Veronica colors appeal to butterflies and hummingbirds. According to tradition, St. Veronica wiped the face of Christ after the crucifixion and an imprint of his face was left on the cloth. The Veronica plant was named for St. Veronica because the flowers resemble the imprint of a face. Species vary by their water preference but all prefer average, well-drained soil. Most succeed in zones 4 to 9. They bloom best with at least 6-hours of sun a day. Perennial Veronica plants are divided in the fall and Veronica seeds are planted outside in the fall. Do not cover the seeds – they need light to sprout. Veronicas are in the figwort family and one, Veronica filiformis, Creeping Speedwell, is considered to be a weed. The most popular Veronicas are the upright selections with tall ...

There is a vending area with caterpillars to take home in cute containers, complete with caterpillar food. The tropical butterflies are huge, beautiful and fearless pacifists. Inside the house, the butterflies were glad to land on hands - butterflies love perspiration. Look at them on the netting! The advertising says 5,000 butterflies in the house. I didn't count but the children found plenty to amuse themselves with. I'm going to meet with the owner after the fair ends. He has ideas for our Muskogee butterfly exhibit. The owner, Dave Bohlken (white shirt seated). The wonder in this child's face is what we are looking forward to at ours.