All the Dirt on Gardening

IN TULSA FEB 7 AT 8:30 AM On Saturday Feb 7 , I'll be attending the Oklahoma Native Plant Society "Birds Bees Butterflies Blankets and Beautiful Oklahoma" Indoor Outing. On-Site Registration begins at 8:30 am and the last event ends at 3. Click here for the roster of speakers. Admission is $5. SAT FEB 21 AT 9:15 AM IN MUSKOGEE OK On Saturday, Feb 21 in Muskogee OK there will be a free how-to Community Gardening event at Muskogee Public Library, 814 West Okmulgee AV. The library opens at 9 and registration for the event will begin at 9:15. The keynote speaker will be Bruce Edwards from the Regional Food Bank of OK and the Urban Harvest Program. Edwards is involved with successful community gardens all around the OKC area. After Edwards' talk, attendees will be able to choose between two presentations. One will be a panel of gardeners helping beginning gardeners with basic information. The other track will be a presentation about growing to sell at farmer's mark...

Just a few hours south of Muskogee, there is a wonderful haven for garden lovers. Last weekend when it was 26-degrees and cloudy in Muskogee, it was 75-degrees and sunny at the Ft. Worth Botanic Garden ( www.fwbg.org/ ). the weather station on our roof The Botanic Garden itself looked like most winter landscapes but the seven-acre Japanese Garden ( www.fwbg.org/japanese.htm ) maintains its distinct beauty in the winter. The entire botanic garden is 109-acres with 23 gardens that are home to 2,500 species of native and exotic plants. The Japanese Garden was the inspiration of the parks and recreation director and the botanic garden director in 1968 and it was built on a site that was originally a bluff that opened onto the Trinity River floodplain. It served as a watering hole for cattle, a trash dump and a gravel pit. Clubs, businesses and individual donors contributed plants, materials and art objects to make the garden a reality. The garden has three entrances, representing heaven...

This is the view from the back porch out to the front gate. That's our driveway, somewhere.... On the far left the birds are feasting on seed we had to put on the ground since the feeders are frozen to the trees and can't be moved. On the lower-right is a Burford Holly and the tree with ice laden branches is an elm that shades our front livingroom windows in the heat of the summer. On the left is a large oak that is just ouside the back door. In the center is the grape arbor. Inside the kitchen on the plant windowsill the daffodils from Touch of Nature keep us thinking of spring.

This is a branch of the peach tree. Pretty but maybe not so good for this year's peach production. The lavender has stood tall all winter. We'll see how she does when the ice melts. Thursday it is predicted to be in the mid-50s again. The Heavenly Bamboo is beautiful iced over. When I approached it to take the photo, a family of bunnies scampered out. It was still mostly dark at 8:30 a.m.

Just a few Sunday night tidbits --- One tidbit - This blog author http://uncorked.org/medley/ is offering a free hand made gift to the first five people who comment on her blog entry tonight. Click over and see if you can be one of the five. Next tidbit is this http://theseedsite.co.uk/ website about seed starting. Great information plus photos of 700 seedlings to help you identify your unmarked ones when they come up. Third is the National Garden Bureau's list of new varieties for 2009 at http://www.ngb.org/gardening/varieties/index.cfm - while you are there, on the left you can click on the All America Selections link. AAS varieties go through rigorous testing at gardens all over the country to earn the AAS distinction. My seeds are germinating and I'm repotting some already. The broccoli babies are in individual pots. Now, we need some rain and some warmer weather.

Friends of Honor Heights Park is getting started with its first email newsletter and first meeting. We hope to have a Friends website soon. Here is the Jan 09 email Newsletter with the February first meeting announcement. Membership levels are $25 Individual, $35 Family, $100 and above Donor. Dear Friends of Honor Heights Park, WELCOME - FIRST MEETING We now have 27 members and are looking forward to our first meeting on Saturday Feb 28 from 1 to 2:00 at Honor Heights Park in the newly constructed meeting rooms. GARDENING WORKSHOP After the business meeting on Feb 28, a workshop will be offered from 2:00 to 4:00. Matthew Weatherbee will demonstrate plant propagation techniques and Martha Stoodley will demonstrate seed starting. Everyone will go home with cuttings and planted seeds to grow in pots and beds. The workshop is free for members and $10 for non members. VOLUNTEERS In order to complete the 501C3 certification process, we need board members and officers. Some people have alre...

The Health Department held a wellness event at Muskogee's Arrowhead Mall, yesterday. To bring potential community gardeners to the table, we put together a little display with plants, freebies, a sign up sheet and a survey. The box in the back held Osmocote Plant Food samples and informational brochures. The basket held free seeds from Botanical Interests and Renee's Garden . The papers on the table were coupons for Renee's seeds and seed starting booklets from Botanical Interests. Muskogee's Wellness Initiative hopes to get more neighborhoods involved in growing vegetables and fruits for their family. The exercise of gardening is a good way to improve health and having vegetables on the table is always a good thing. Everyone involved considered the event a success. Thanks again to the generous donors!