All the Dirt on Gardening

The books about America’s gardens focus on the east coast, Florida, CA and the northwest. The gardens in those areas are well-funded and have been in operation for decades. Oklahoma’s history with public gardens is shorter, but the state’s gardeners and environmentalists are creating a number of places to visit, whether you love gardens or hiking, or just want a day trip to a beautiful destination. This list provides a starting point for several weekends of free or low cost outings. Contact gardens or check their website before going. Ask about hours, fees, parking, other local attractions, or handicap access. A local option: Muskogee Garden Club’s tour of 5 residential gardens will be June 18 from 10 to 5. Information 918-687-6124 .   PUBLIC GARDENS Bivin Garden , 501 W 1st ST, Shidler, http://thebivingarden.com, 918-793-4011, 6-acres, 12 miles from Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. Ray and Mollie Bivin began their garden on uncultivated prairie land in 1981. Weekends ...

Over the years, I have bought many types of plant tags to accomodate the hundreds of seedlings I grow every year from seed and from cuttings. I've used plastic spoons and knives marked with liquid paint pens, slices of plastic milk cartons and masking tape, florist tape, etc. The plastic silverware doesn't work long term because they come out of the ground and end up 20 feet from the plant. I regularly ask plant friends for help identifying things as they are emerging. Buying commercial plant tags is too expensive for the number that I need. What have you tried that works for your gardening methods? Here's the best method so far. Jerry Gustafson (my plant friend and always-patient advisor) told me that his friend Hugh Stout at Stout Gardens uses this Brothers printer and the tags last for years at his garden. Jerry uses the printed tags on clear plastic knives. But, I find that on our hill the knives do not stay in place after rains. So now I use plastic cards - expired...

My Mexican marigold was added to the herb bed 4 years ago and each year I hope it returns. It's location is not ideal and our weather isn't either. (It's also called Mexican mint marigold, sweet mace, Spanish tarragon) This winter I bought seeds and started them in the garden shed and they produced a significant number of seedlings. Good germination rate and great survival rate. So now I have about 30 plants to scatter around the various beds which should delight the butterflies and skippers late this summer. According to Alchemy Works "The Aztecs used it in ceremonies related to the dead, but Huichol Indians traditionally combined this plant with Nicotiana rustica in a smoking mixture used when taking peyote or other hallucinogens in order to induce clearer and less frightening visions. This magick herb needs lots of sun, enjoys humid heat, and can be grown in pots and brought inside in the winter. It has a nice spicy smell." I like it because the pollin...

Enter to win a copy of  “Composting inside & Out: 14 Methods to Fit Your Lifestyle.” Leave your name and e-mail address in the comments section or send an e-mail to MollyDay1@gmail.com. Two winners will be selected through a random number drawing There are many ways each individual can make a difference in the health of our planet. In honor of Earth Day, the U.S. Postal Service released a sheet of forever stamps with 16 suggestions. Each stamp has one idea including: Buy local produce and reuse bags, plant trees, insulate the home, maintain tire pressure and compost. Composting may be one of the easier suggestions since the process is simply piling up yard waste and letting it decompose. Other waste that can be added to compost include fruit and vegetable trimmings, manure, coffee grounds and tea bags, newspaper and the contents of your personal shredder. Stephanie Davies is a physical therapist with an avid interest in composting. Her website is called The Urban Worm...

Waterford Press produces simplified reference guides that introduce novices to nature, science, travel and languages. Their Pocket Naturalist Guides range from animal tracks to wildflowers for individual states in the U.S. and for countries outside the U.S. They sent me a few to look at - "Invasive Weeds of North America", "Bugs and Slugs", and "Beetles". Now that I've looked at their site and the quality of their materials, there are about a dozen more that I want/need. These 6-page guides fold into a handy pocket size that's easy to take along and the plastic coating is infintely practical for outdoor use. $5.95 apiece. Available from local vendors, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. "Bugs and Slugs" has photos of bees, ants, beetles, butterflies, moths, flying insects, grasshoppers, cicadas, true bugs, spiders, household insects, and other invertebrates. Each photo is clear with descriptions and details. "Beetles" is ...

One of the big water hogs in residential neighborhoods is the traditional lawn. Many movements have begun to reduce the use of horticultural chemicals that are causing problems in streams, causing distortions of wildlife physical maturity (frogs with extra legs, etc.), and causing the extinction of many butterflies. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center is reporting new research on the success of mixed native grasses used to replace traditional lawns grasses. The mixed native grasses require less mowing and as a result reduce the use of fossil fuels and pollution. They require less water since they are adapted to your climate. This isn't a new idea. Here's a website called Less Lawn with an article from 2001! The University of TX at Austin has completed the recent research and their report is here . Their suggested seeds: "From our on-going research here at the Wildflower Center, we have found that a mix of Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss), Bouteloua gra...

Growing tomatoes is a passion in the U.S. Having the earliest, the biggest, and the sweetest is one of our competitive sports. Successful gardeners seem to have a secret they will not share and a bad year for tomatoes is an opportunity for listing the reasons such as temperature, rainfall, bugs, etc. According to the experts, tomatoes need lots of light until the heat of the summer arrives, and then they need shade cloth to protect them from scalding. The Tomato Man’s Daughter, Lisa Merrell still uses her dad’s methods for growing (www.tomatomansdaughter.com). Start by finding a place with 6 to 8 hours of sun. Then from July, until the end of the growing season, plan to cover the plants with shading fabric. Tomatoes can be grown in large containers but many varieties’ root systems are large and require deep soil, so select a patio variety for best results. Consistent watering will help prevent splitting and blossom end rot. Put mushroom compost or other compost plus a pound of...