All the Dirt on Gardening

barbed wire fences on the Slovenian-Croatian border Yale 360 reported this week that the fences and walls that are being constructed to prevent the movement of migrants, are also preventing the healthy and necessary movement of wildlife. Excerpts follow -  " A flood of migrants from the Middle East and Africa has prompted governments in the Balkans to erect hundreds of miles of border fences. Scientists say the expanding network of barriers poses a serious threat to wildlife, especially wide-ranging animals such as bears and wolves." The author of the article,  Jim O’Donnell,  is a freelance environmental journalist and conservation photographer.  In addition to bears and wolves, lynx roam Europe as part of their migratory behavior.  " On his most recent trip into the mountains along the Slovenian-Croatian border, biologist Djuro Huber counted 11 dead roe deer, all caught up in the fencing. The deer stumble into the barriers while foraging. In ...

Since gardeners come in all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities, shopping for the ones on your list might take a little thinking. These suggestions should help take some of the confusion out of holiday shopping this year. There are traditional gardeners who love reliable bulbs and perennial flowering shrubs and there are modern gardeners who want this year’s brightest colors and newest hybrids. Eco-friendly gardeners prefer natural colors, wildlife-friendly and native plantings. A gift list for them could include a birdbath with a heater to keep the water from freezing this winter, bird feeders, solar lights to illuminate the outdoors in every season, or a motion-activated wildlife camera ( www.wingscapes.com ). For traditional gardeners on your list who are killing time until spring arrives, a potted Amaryllis bulb (www.gardeners.com) that they can watch grow until it blooms in the spring can be just right. Poinsettias and other indoor plants add cheer to the indoors, too. ...

The will to start life anew can begin anywhere, anytime. Pam Warhurst's Ted Talk is only 13 minutes long, during which she encourages a revolution in how we interact, use resources and take community, learning and business action. Yes we can is her enthusiastic motto. Watch How We Can Eat Our Landscapes here. Three and one half years ago she and her friends invented the idea around her kitchen table:  Pam Warhurst co-founded Incredible Edible.   Follow them on Facebook here . Invest in more kindness toward each other and the environment. They started with a seed plot, grew that into an herb garden. From there a vegetable garden, fruit trees, gardens at police stations and senior homes. Then, an aquaponics facility at a school where students grow fish that became a market growing center. Yes, it is replicable! The Ten Steps Toward an Incredible Edible Town are at this link . 1. Start with what you have, not what you haven’t. 2. Don’t write a strategy documen...

The new book, "The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles: learn how to forage, prepare & eat 40 wild foods" by Mike Krebill is being released this month by St. Lynn's Pres s. The handy paperback format will make it easy to tuck into a coat pocket or backpack and it's 190 pages loaded with information and recipes. The author, Mike Krebill was an award winning middle school science teacher for 35 years so, while the book has plenty of detail, it is completely readable. For each of the 40 plants covered the common and Latin name is provided along with photos of the entire plant and details for identification. Additional information includes: range, habitat, positive identification tips, edible parts and preparation, when to harvest, sustainable harvesting and preserving the harvest. Krebill says that he wrote about the 33 plants and 7 mushrooms that are his favorites and are widely found across the US. He included 10 activities that can be used with individuals...

Add caption We are having some relatively balmy weather today for late November. There are plenty of reasons to get outside in the garden! - Make compost to improve next year's soil. Pile up faded plants, raked leaves, coffee grounds, etc. and let the rain (and snow) break it down into nutrient rich topsoil for next spring. - Dump out flower pots that held annuals. In the photo you'll see that we pour ours directly onto the vegetable bed where they can compost in place. - Prune any diseased or damaged branches, limbs and twigs. Diseased plant parts should be put in the trash. The rest can be composted. - Pull out weeds that have grown among your perennials, fruit, and ornamental trees. - Deeply water newly planted trees. Do not fertilize. - Remove any remaining seed heads of plants you want to re-plant next spring. Zinnias in particular still have viable seeds. - There is still time to plant garlic, daffodils, tulips and other bulbs that need months of chill...

Hand made items are raffled Members of the Tulsa Herb Society spend a full year making flavored vinegars, chutneys, jams, jellies, holiday decorations and more holiday goodies so we can enjoy shopping. Carols and Crumpets 2017 Dec 3 from 8 am to 3 pm Tulsa Garden Center  2435 S Peoria AV Tulsa In addition to holiday goodies, the Herbies offer lunch at their Snowflake Cafe and evergreens to decorate your home at the other end of the Garden Center. Tulsa Herb Society's hand made gift items Dozens of vendors join the event to make it one of the most eclectic holiday shopping experiences in the area. Not to be missed. (Hint - Arrive early - great prices so lots of items sell out early)

Mark you calendars for the Jan 13 & 14 Horticulture Industries Show in Fayetteville Arkansas. There are always dozens of speakers with dozens of presentation topics.  This year's topic is  "Local Foods, Farms, Gardens and Success" The public is welcome! Keep an eye on the website  http://www.hortindustriesshow.org/ Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/HorticultureIndustriesShow/ OSU website http://www.hortla.okstate.edu/research-and-outreach/programs/HIS for more information. Register at this link https://www.tickettailor.com/checkout/view-event/id/70588/chk/be60/ The keynote speaker will be Anthony Flaccavento,  SCALE, Inc. Flaccavento has 25 years of hands-on experience in sustainable community development, along with a BS degree in Agriculture and Environmental Science and a Masters degree in Economic and Social Development.

Emerald Ash Borer - NH Bug s The Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, reported that the Emerald Ash Borers have been found here.  Eric Rebek, Extension Entomologist, reports. "Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, an invasive wood-boring beetle that has killed hundreds of millions of North American ash trees in the United States and Canada, has been recovered from a monitoring trap in Delaware County. This catch represents the first official record of this devastating insect in Oklahoma.  Life Cycle  The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) notified me of the find on October 13, and the identity of the specimen was subsequently verified as EAB. Information for sharing with the general public was made available by ODAFF and can be found at http://www.forestry.ok.gov/eab. Emerald ash borer belongs to a group of woodborers known as flatheaded borers. The adult beetles are often shiny and brilliantly c...

The  November 19  meeting of Flower, Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas will feature Amy Tucker speaking about "Bringing People & Nature Together."   During Amy's 30-year career in health care administration, she noticed the positive impact of bird watching for her patients.  This experience influenced her to be directly involved in the bird-watching business, so she and her husband, Don, now own two Wild Birds Unlimited stores. They offer products to ensure healthy birds.   The meeting will begin at  10:00 a.m.  in the Student Center of Northwest Technical Institute at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale, AR.  It is free and open to the public.  for more Info - call  479/521-7654 .  

The Texas Master Gardeners Association website is loaded with useful information for gardeners in this part of the U.S. Their Nov 2016 newsletter is available at this link . This month's topics include: a letter from their president and announcements of upcoming events. Their Facebook page is kept up to date with regular postings and you can see it at https://www.facebook.com/TexasMasterGardenersAssociation/?fref=ts The International Master Gardeners Conference will be in Portland and registration is open July 10-14, 2017 International Master Gardener Conference 2017 The Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener Program is excited to host Master Gardener faculty, staff and volunteers from across the United States, Canada and South Korea. There are 44 concurrent session classes and 16 tours; you can  register . Sign up to explore Williamette Valley, Columbia Gorge, Pacific Northwest nurseries, iconic Portland gardens and the stunning Oregon Coast, plus a ...

All of your favorite spring-blooming perennials can be dug and divided now, giving them plenty of time to settle their roots over the winter to bloom next year. The list of plants to divide now includes:  daylilies, iris, sweet violets, oxalis, thrift, candytuft, Shasta daisies, coneflowers and St. Joseph’s lilies (hardy amaryllis), among others.  In March when the soil warms perennials will be peeking out of the soil, putting out new growth buds and showing signs of life. By then, their roots will have become established in cool, wet weather and be ready to spring forth. You can use a spading fork or shovel to dig up the existing clump, just be sure to start digging far enough out from the central crown to get as much root as possible and to avoid damaging the crown. Separate the clump of the original plant into sections with roots and cover them or put them in the shade while you prepare the soil they came out of. Dig organic amendments into the soil. This could in...

Bringing Nature Home recently posted an excellent reminder for us as we face fall clean up in the garden and plan for next year's garden.  Amelanchier canadensis Click on the link above to read the full article. Here are excerpts to whet your appetite: Chances are, you have never thought of your garden — indeed, of all of the space on your property — as a wildlife preserve that represents the last chance we have for sustaining plants and animals that were once common throughout the U.S. But that is exactly the role our suburban landscapes are now playing and will play even more in the near future. we have forced the plants and animals that evolved in North America (our nation’s biodiversity) to depend more and more on human-dominated landscapes for their continued existence.  Viburnum dentatum those little woodlots and “open spaces” we have not paved over or manicured are pristine. Nearly all are second-growth forests that have been thoroughly invaded by alien...

November 1 is the deadline for sending in seeds you've collected from your garden for the American Horticultural Society Seed Exchange.   Only AHS members can donate seeds. AHS members can order from the Seed Exchange in January 2017. Another good reason to join! Memberships begin at $35.00.

"Late Bloomer - How to Garden with Comfort, Ease and Simplicity in the Second Half of Life" by Jan Bills,  is just out this month from St. Lynn's Press . The author is a second half of life gardener, herself, She says in the introduction that this stage of life gardening is about simplicity, beauty and harmony, comfort and ease, celebrating life with food from your soil, relaxation and letting go, She is now a professional gardener! “It is not about keeping up with others,” Bills said. “It excludes memorizing botanical names and identifying every garden insect or noxious weed (that’s what Google is for). Rather, it is an ongoing relationship, with deep and lasting experiences. For me, it is an opportunity to bring what I love to the garden; it makes me feel alive, rejuvenated and well. Gardens are my blank canvas, the one place to be fully expressed without limitation or prejudice. A garden is where hope is restored and relaxation is practiced.” Three of Bills'...

Horticulture Magazine has a new article with ideas for how gardeners can help bumblebees survive and thrive. This is an important topic as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added 7 species of bees to the Endangered Species list, providing protection for the bees. Here are some things the Xerces Society recommends that we all do to help bumblebees in our neighborhoods: Provide them with pollen and nectar from late winter through early fall. Plan your garden to start blooming early and finish late. Choose flowers that welcome the bumblebees. Plants native to your area are a good choice because the bees have evolved alongside them. Exotic (but not invasive) species can work, too. Just be sure to use the straight species, or pick cultivars that retain the general look of the species’s flower. That is, avoid cultivars bred for double petals or other fancy forms that make it hard for the bumblebee to access the pollen. Bumblebees best like purple, blue and yellow flowers. They c...

October will be a busy month at the Oklahoma Botanic Garden ! Thursday, October 6 7:00 pm TBG Educational Center Cory Suddarth from Suddarth Optical Repair will join us to discuss binoculars, scopes, and everything in between. Cory is an expert in the repair of old optics, so be sure to have them with you when he fields your questions. For more information visit: paynecountyaudubonsociety.com Presented by Payne County Audubon Society Saturdays: October 1, 8, and 29 9:00 am – 3:00 pm The Botanic Garden at OSU The garden is a captivating place to stroll with family and friends before heading to your favorite tailgate party. Make a visit to The Botanic Garden part of your game day activities in Stillwater. You can purchase mums and pumpkins for your tailgating décor while supporting The Botanic Garden! Ambassadors will be in the garden to welcome you and answer your gardening questions. The West Virginia Avenue entrance will be open for additional parking and handic...