Another Productive Day in the Garden

Today I was up early and out the door before stopping for coffee. I needed to be at my client's house at 8 AM to do their spring bulb containers.  Lucky for me my client Marge handed me a cup of coffee and also offered me 2 slices of cinnamon toast. It is safe to say I have been on call to do their gardening needs for years and tend to think of them as friends who are also my clients.

The bulb resin containers came in two sizes 16 inches and 19 inches, and both were deep enough for the bulbs.  

Planting the spring bulbs was an easy project.  I planted the two large containers that would feature red tulips and Dutch master daffodils and the other 2 containers would feature grape hyacinth bulbs, Muscari with yellow daffodils, and narcissus bulbs. 

Then I did some smaller daffodils and tulip containers that would be kept in cold storage (average temp 48 degrees Fahrenheit)  My client said she would use the small bulb containers to decorate indoors; dining table, and coffee table, and she would give some to neighbors.

Since the bulbs came from clients' cold storage and had sprouted already I did not recommend that they put the containers outdoors especially if the weather was bitterly cold and the soil would freeze. This would not be good for the bulbs that had signs of new growth.

My client agreed and said they would put the containers on their deck where there was plenty of sun.  Then if the weather turned bitter cold again they would move to a protected area where the soil would not freeze. 

 I also recommended that the soil stay evenly moist but not wet as they did not want the bulb to dry out.

After the spring bulb container gardens were planted I went back home and got busy being productive in my own garden. Worked some on my new herb garden and also made a list of the things that I needed for the garden center at Lowe's.

This time of the year is busy for me because clients are calling for help with their yard and garden needs and I also need to get my gardens ready for spring flower blooms and garden plantings.

Today was another perfect day for working in the garden. I am glad that we have had warm days in January because I have used my time wisely by being productive in the yard and garden.

Planted an Herb Garden Today

Here in USDA growing zone 6 the threat of spring frost has past and now it is safe to garden. So I took advantage of the warm and sunny day and planted an herb garden.

Last week when  I did my garden checklist I noted that the harsh winter and killed many of my herbs and that I needed to replace many.  I was fortunate to have a friend with a nursery in town as she provided me with a discount.  Lucky me I was able to buy 11 herbs in three-inch pots for $3.00 each.


I found some new herbs for my garden and this year I will be growing
Mojito mint, I grow many varieties of mint and think it is a delicious plant for aromatics and for culinary uses.  In fact last year I made an invigorating soap from peppermint leaves.  So I am excited to be growing the new Motito mint.  

Another new herb this year is Kew Red Lavender for growing in full sun.  This aromatic herb looks exciting as it is covered with vibrant pink flowers with gray-green spikes.  I like that the lavender is drought-tolerant because my summers do get dreadfully hot. I am thinking that this lavender herb would make a nice bath soap and also a wonderful potpourri.

I am so happy that winter is finally over and that gardening season has begun.

Shopped Online for Garden Replacement Plants

Now that my garden has grown in I am aware of the plants and flowering shrubs  that did not survive the bitter cold winter.   Today I made a list of what I needed and shopped online for the replacement flowers for my gardens.

I needed to replace my daisy gardens and bought at Michiganbulb.com a mixture of Green Envy coneflower, Black-Eyed Susans, Every blooming purple coneflower and crazy Shasta daisies. These flowers will be planted in my wildflower garden back by my serviceberry shrubs. 

Daisy garden with coneflowers

Also from Michiganbulb.com I was able to replace the bee balm.  I bought 12 plants that were on sale.  The bee balm will bloom in early summer and continue to bloom until fall.  This plant is fast growing, perfect for borders that are close to dog kennel. The entire plant; leaves and flowers have potent mint fragrance plus it grows to 3 feet with similar spread. 

As for shrubs the oak leaf hydrangea was replaced with an elderberry black lace sambucus. This shrub will produce pretty flower blooms in the spring followed by edible fruit in the late summer. I am glad I was able to find the plants at greenwoodnursery.com as they were exactly what I was looking for as all will attract wildlife to my yard

Now all I need is some red cardinal flowers for the moist soil around the pond where nothing else will grow. 

Cottage Garden

I am looking forward to my replacement plant deliveries and look forward to spedign time in the garden.  I am so happy the winter season is over and I am  looking forward to an enjoyable summer season.

Note:  I was able to buy many plants with a coupon that I had gotten from Michigan Bulb and thus saved greatly.  Had I shopped locally I would have paid more.  When I receive the  plants I will post again to let you know the quality of plants and will share photographs.

Attribution: Cottage garden with bench: http://mrg.bz/OrmYmE

Easy to Grow Elephant Ears

An elephant ear is a tropical plant that is grown from a bulb.  This plant earned its name because when the stem grows upright out of the bulb a large elephant ear-shaped leaf will unfold at the tip of the stem. This ornamental plant comes in many colors; green, purple, or black and some leaves have white veins. 

Elephant ear container

Mature elephant ear plants will grow to a height of 2 to 10 feet with a leaf spread of two feet. Because of their large size and spreading habit, the elephant ear is a good choice to grow along a garden path or grow as a group as a privacy screen for your patio or outdoor living space.  

Growing Tips

Grow elephant ears as perennial in warm humid climates or grow as an annual during the summer when the temperature is an average of (68 to 88)   Choose a garden site with part sun and shade. Elephant ear grows well in moist to wet soil that has organic matter.  If you have a pond then plant the elephant ear in the moist soil along your pond.  If not grow an elephant ear in an area where the soil is evenly moist.  

Ready the garden site

One bulb will require a space of 36 to 60 inches. Allow space for the elephant ear to spread.  When you know how much space is needed for your elephant ear garden, you would then clear the garden site by removing the soil and then using a  tiller to loosen the soil to 10 inches deep.  Work the soil by breaking up the clumps so that the soil is a fine texture.  Improve the soil by adding compost or manure.  Also, add soil that will aid in retaining moisture.

Planting Elephant Ear

Dig a hole that is 8 to 10 inches deep. Plant the bulb; flat side down.  The top of the bulb should be planted no deeper than two inches below the soil.  Water well.  The plant will emerge in approximately 2 to 3 weeks.  

 
Tips:

• Provide the elephant ear with its growing needs; part sun and shade, rich organic soil, and evenly moist soil, and the plant will provide you with beautiful foliage and a summer flower.  The elephant ear is a great plant for a beginner gardener because it is easy to grow. 
•  
• Grow the elephant ear in the ground or as an accent plant in a large container.
•  
• Set up a soaking hose or drip irrigation to provide the elephant ear with water.  Install a timer on the faucet so that the plants will be hydrated automatically and you will not need to worry about turning the faucet on or off.
•  
• Refrain from allowing the soil to dry out as this will cause stress on the plant and the leaves will wilt. 
•  
•  Elephant ears can become invasive when growing in tropical climates. If this occurs then divide and transplant them in the spring or divide them in the fall after you lift them from the ground.
•  
• Lift the bulbs in the autumn after the foliage has died back and before a fall frost.  Store the bulbs in a cool and dry area until it is time to plant them in spring.

Image Credit Elephant Ear bulb

Image Credit Elephant ears grown in masses

View the video to learn how to care for elephant ears during the winter months.

 

Design Ideas for Sensory Garden

Design a sensory garden for your health and well-being.  A sensory garden is a natural way to relieve stress and anxiety.

A few years ago my husband and I designed and installed a sensory garden.  Our garden is 22 x 34 which means that the size does not matter as long as you have room for all of the sensory stimulates; sight, touch hearing, scent, and taste.

I had most of the material needed for the sensory garden; however, I did need to pull the garden together in order to make it flow nicely in the section of my yard.  I selected an area in my yard that was located on the side of the wood and designed a garden that featured sections. These sections were connected to each other with a pea gravel path.

In one section I planted a culinary herb garden, in the other section I grew fragrant roses. In the center of my sensory garden, I added a medium-sized solar birdbath and planted Echinacea coneflowers and Black-eyed Susan. These flowers attracted hummingbirds and butterflies to our yard and garden. 

Below view photographs of my sensory garden.

In the back of my garden, in a focal area, I planted a small ornamental grass garden, and next to the grass garden was a small fountain.  This fountain is where the wildlife comes to drink. The outdoor seating area was limited so wood benches were set along the path.

To add to the ambiance of the sensory garden I added garden accessories: wind chimes, solar lighting, bird feeders, and garden statues of fairies, frogs, and cats.

Designing the sensory garden was an enjoyable garden project.  My husband helped me with the installation of a garden pond kit that we bought at Walmart.com we also bought solar lighting which was installed in a sunny section of our yard close to the garden path.

We worked together as a team and now we are proud of our accomplishments.  The sensory garden healed us of our daily stress and helped us to focus on our priorities.

If you work in a high-stress environment or if you suffer from anxiety then you should design a sensory garden as it will help you to achieve inner peace. 

Note: It took us 28 days from start to finish to design and install our sensory garden.  We worked on the gardens daily, after work, and on weekends.