Growing Herbs - Basil

 Basil is a culinary herb that is a main ingredient for many recipes. When you add fresh  basil leaves to soups, sauces and entrees the flavor of the food will be heightened.  The foods that are prepared with basil herb are always well received by family and friends as they are delicious. If you enjoy cooking then I would recommend that you grow basil in your herb garden.

Aromatic and Delicious African Blue Basil

Grow basil from seed by starting the seeds indoors, planting in a grow kit, and set by a sunny southern exposure window.  Keep the seedlings soil evenly moist but not wet.  Transplant after the threat of spring frost has passed.  Plant the basil in a sunny location that has well-drained soil.  Water lightly in the morning until the plants are mature, then you would water as needed.  A mature basil plant is approximately two feet in height with a similar spread. 

The leaves of the basil are green and highly aromatic.  This herb produces a flower that blooms mid to late summer.  The flowers attract bees and butterflies.  If your summers are hot then grow basil as they flourish in hot humid climates.  

I grow Thai, cinnamon, and African blue basil in various sized containers and decorative pots and also in my rock garden. In the summer, I display the basil in containers on my patio and along my walkways. The aromatic scent of the basil plants is refreshing and repels many flying insects including mosquitoes. It is nice to enjoy the fragrant basil while sitting on the patio.

  
Tips
In the winter, I bring my basil herb containers into my kitchen or into the greenhouse and set them by a sunny southern exposure window.  

In January when the winter days are long and dark we will set the basil under a grow light.  Basil likes it hot so we set the plant container in the center and set the other herbs on the sides or behind the basil.

If you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs then harvest the basil leaves before the flowers bloom. My husband enjoys cooking he will not permit some basil plants to flower because the leaves have a stronger taste after the plant blooms.  

It is best to grow many basil plants so you can enjoy the fragrance and the flavor.

When you add basil to your kitchen herb garden, the plant's aromatic properties add a fresh scent to your home.

 

Growing Tips for Switchgrass

Switchgrass is a prairie grass that grows naturally in the central plains in the US.  This native grass provides many animals with forage and shelter.  You can grow switchgrass in masses or grow switchgrass as an accent plant by planting 10 to 12 seeds together.

Switchgrass "Trailblazer"Panicum Seeds Drought tolerant. Very hardy.

My prairie, phlox, and switchgrass

My home is located in the central states and prairie grass is abundant in large open spaces; fields, meadows, and pastures.  I like the movement of prairie grass and that it provides forage and shelter for wildlife.  A few years ago my husband and I decided to plant upland switchgrass seeds on the hilly and rocky land on the side of our home. 

The fully-grown grass attracted wild turkeys, pheasants, rabbits, foxes, and whitetail deer. Growing prairie grass has provided us with a natural way to relax.  We enjoy sitting on the deck and looking at the native grass and the wildlife. 

Choosing Prairie Grass Seed

Choose the grass seed that meets your needs do this by determining your soil type.  For heavy soil, or soil that is found in bottomland sites, you would choose a lowland switchgrass seed. This seed will grow up to 12 feet in height.  If you reside in a mountain region or hilly terrain or if your land has rocks then choose the upland seed.  The upland switchgrass will grow to a height of six feet.

Ornamental native switchgrass seeds that I recommend:

Where to Plant Grass

Choose a planting area that has well-drained soil and full sun.  

How to Plant Native Grass

Get the growing site ready for spring planting by mowing the area to the height of two inches in late fall.  

In early spring break up the soil with a tiller. Then follow the tiller with a cultivator to break up the soil clumps and then go over the soil with a lawn roller to smooth and firm the soil before planting the grass seeds.

Planting Grass Seeds

Plan to plant grass seeds when rain is in the forecast. Sow the seeds with the broadcaster and follow the broadcaster with a ½ inch layer of topsoil.

Prairie grass will germinate in 14 days and will be fully grown in 60 days.

Care for Grass

Grass will grow well if the annual rainfall is an average of 20 inches. If you have a heat wave or dry spell it is best to water the grass. 

Tips:

Switchgrass is resistant to erosion, pests, disease, drought, and pollution. It is also drought-tolerant and very hardy.

Harvest the grass after a hard frost when the crop has died back.

Switchgrass can be processed into a liquid and then used for clean energy biofuel. 

Grow switchgrass to clean the air. This grass is a natural way to remove carbon dioxide.

Sage Container Gardening

Grow a sage container garden for your culinary kitchen or outdoor garden.  This easy container garden will add color and interest to your living space.  The foliage of the sage is attractive as the leaves vary in color. Some sage leaves are green with touches of yellow, others are purple with touches of gray, and some are a rich shade of green that compliments both purple and yellow.  The sage herb is easy to grow provided it has direct light and dry heat.  

This year I am growing Honeydew Melon sage.  It has dark green leaves with red flowers in the summer.  The flowers have a fruity fragrance that attracts butterflies to my garden.   We use sprigs of honey melon sage to garnish our summer beverages; lemonade and sweet tea. The honey melon sage is a delicious herb and would be a good choice for a butterfly garden or sensory garden.

Instructions for growing a sage container herb garden.

Step 1:      Gather what you need to grow a sage container garden.  Various sizes in containers, potting soil, compost, a bag of rocks, fertilizer, an assortment of nursery-grown sage plants, grass clippings, garden gloves, garden tools, and a hose.
Step 2:     Plan your sage arrangement for your containers.  You may want to display the various container sizes in groups on a sunny section of your patio, or in your garden.  Decide which sage plants work with your color scheme..
Step 3:       Prepare containers for planting.   Turn the container over and look for adequate drainage.  Add a layer of small rocks to the bottom of the container.  These rocks will aid in water drainage.  Fill the containers with moist all-purpose potting soil mixed with compost.
Step 4:        Dig a hole in the center of the container that is the same depth and width as the nursery container.  Remove the sage from the nursery container.  Use your hands to untangle the roots.  Gently pull the roots away from the root ball.  Set the sage in the center of the hole.  Place the roots on the soil to encourage them to grow outward.  Fill the hole with soil and water well.

Tips:
Plant sage herb outside after the danger of spring frost has passed. Water as needed, a sage plant requires evenly moist soil until the plants are established. In late spring when the ground has warmed to 70 degrees, apply a mulch of grass clippings around the sage plants.

Redbud Tree – Accent Tree for Landscape

The deciduous leaves of the redbud tree are reddish purple in the spring and then turn dark green in summer followed by yellow in the fall.  The striking leaves and showy spring flowers that bloom in April to May make the this tree a accent for your landscape.  

Redbud Missouri Postcard by Susang6

I do not grow the red redbud tree in my yard, however I have planted a few for my clients and I view the  redbuds growing wild in the woods by my home.  I find it best to grow the tree in morning sun and part shade in the afternoon.   Grow these trees in zones 4 to 9.  

The eastern redbud is renowned for its upright growing habits as well as the dark trunk, and spreading branches and lovely spring flowers. The growth rate is slow. I planted a two foot tree for one of my clients 10 years ago.  The tree at 10 years old was 6 feet in height with a similar spread.

Where to Plant Redbud Tree

Before you plant a tree determine the growing site. Consider planting the redbud tree in front of a picture window or close to your home entrance.  Choose a planting site which allow the tree to accent your landscape.

Buying tips

Buy a tree that has some height.  If you can buy a four foot tree then do so as it will produce flowers the following season. Purchase a redbud trees in a natural burlap root ball covering or container.  

How to transplant a tree 

Transplant the redbud in early spring as soon as the soil is workable.  Gently remove the tree from the nursery container. The best way to loosen the tree in the container is to set the container on its side and roll it gently back and forth. This will loosen the soil on the sides of the container and will enable you to pull the tree out.  If the tree is wrapped in burlap; ask if burlap is 100% natural. A natural burlap wrapping can be planted with the tree, however a wax coated burlap casing must be removed as the roots cannot grow through the wax.  If the burlap is natural casings then cut the burlap away from the tree trunk and fold the burlap back. 

Transplant the redbud tree into a hole that is twice the size of the container.  Remove the dirt from the hole and put in a wheelbarrow.  Break up the clumps of dirt so that it is a fine texture.  Mix compost with the dirt and then add enough dirt to the hole to form a small mound in the center.  Set the root ball in the center of the dirt mound and back fill the soil to 10 inches.  Add an organic root simulator. Dilute solution according to the instruction on the package.  Back fill the remaining dirt. 

Firm the dirt around the tree trunk and press on the dirt to remove air pockets.  Water the tree well. 

Care for Tree

Care for your newly transplanted redbud tree by applying 3 inches of mulch around the trunk or wrap the trunk with a mulch ring. Also tape the trunk to protect it from insects and husbands with weed whackers, trimmers or lawn mowers.  Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet throughout the growing season; spring until a hard frost.

Fertilize the redbud tree every other spring. Continue to keep the soil evenly moist for two years after transplant. Deep watering once a week will encourage a deep root.

Consider pruning the tree in late winter to keep a formal shape.

Tips:

Eastern Redbud is formally known as “Cercis Canadensis” and is a large shrub or small tree that is native to eastern North America to Southern Ontario Canada.

The nectar rich flowers attract honey bees and carpenter bees. Some redbud trees bear fruit in late summer.  The fruit looks like a flat brown pea sized pod. Harvest seeds from the pod or leave the pod on the tree for birds to forage.  The eastern redbud tree is a good choice for a backyard bird habitat.

Nanking Cherry Bush Information

Nanking cherries grow on a bush rather than a tree and these fruit bearing bushes produce a tremendous crop of tart berries for jams, wine and some people make pies, but I have never tried. If you prefer to not use the berries for food consumption then leave on the bush and feed the wildlife.

The Nanking cherry (Prunus Tomentosa) is a moderate to fast growing bush that is native to China and to Japan.  The Cherries are edible for human consumption and will attract birds, deer and other wildlife to your yard.   

Two years ago I bought 3 18-24 inch Nanking Cherry bushes from Gurneys.com and planted them in full sun with well drained soil.  

I fertilized the bushes with Spray n' Grow and by the end of first growing season my Nanking cherry bush had doubled in size. 

 This year my cherry bush was covered with pale pink spring flowers and by the end of June the bush was covered with berries.  

These berries ripened to a bright red color and I harvested 1 quart of cherries for recipes and left the remaining berries on the bush for the birds.

In the fall the leaves turn a lovely shade of gold which makes the nanking a lovely accent bush. 

Growing Nanking Cherry

 If you reside in growing zones 2-8 you can grow Nanking Cherries.  Plant two or more cherry bushes and you will get a large yield of berries. 

Fully grow bushes are 6-8 feet high and will yield a crop of 2-4 quarts of cherries.  If growing more than one bush; plant 8 feet apart.

Plant in spring after the threat of frost has past. Grow Nanking cherry bushes in a sunny area of your yard.  Cherries do not grow well in wet areas so choose soil that is well drained.  

Dig a hole that is the same depth and width as the nursery pot.  Add time released fertilizer into the hole and mix with soil.  Set the cherry bush in the center of the hole and back fill the soil.  Apply two inches of mulch around the stem.  This mulch will help in deterring weed or grass growth.  Water newly planted bush so that soil is moist but not wet.

Notes:

 Nanking cherries are self pollinating so if you have a small yard you may grow one bush and harvest an average of 2-4 quarts of cherries.

Dressing for a Yard Work – Protective Garden Wear

No matter what season a gardener must dress defensively to protect themselves from the weather and from garden pests.   

For yard and garden makeovers that require you to clean up brush, debris, or leaf removal you need to wear protective clothing and accessories.  This is your first defense for preventing a tick, mosquito, brown recluse spider. or poisonous snake bite.

Rubber boots good for high grass or brush

If the job involves manicuring an overgrown yard and garden, then it is wise to dress to protect yourself.  A yard that has leaf matter or overgrown brush will have borers, spiders, ticks, fleas, chiggers, mites, snakes, and rodents.  

For heavy-duty yard clean up jobs I wear a long sleeve Columbia Omni shade shirt that provides me with ultraviolet protection by reflecting the sun rays, this shirt also whisks the moisture from my skin making my skin not as desirable to the tick as they are attracted to moisture and dark areas of the body; stomach, behind the knees, inner thigh, underarm.  I also wear light color shirts only; white and pale pastels because the light colors reflect the sunlight and it is easy to see ticks, spiders, or other insects crawling on you.

I will tuck the shirt into long pants and then I wrap the leg of the pants tightly around my waist and then put on rubber mid-calf or knee-high boots.      

Tips:

Before putting on my garden wear I spray clothing including socks and undergarments with Deep Woods off. I will also spray the rubber boots with insect repellent.  This is how I protect myself from bug bites.

Wear a sun reflective hat when doing yard work.  It is helpful in keeping ticks from getting in your hair.  When trimming shrubs the ticks could be on the leaves.  If you brush the leaf the tick may get onto your hat.  Treat the hat by spraying Deep woods off or other deet insect repellent onto the hat.

The best way to prevent insects from biting you is to be defensive.  Treat the lawn and gardens with diatomaceous earth before you work to kill the pests. Wait a minimum of 4 days for the brown recluse, ticks, and fleas to die off.

Notes from sgolis:
The pests in my yard are very bad this year and I believe it is due to a mild winter and a warm and damp early spring.  We have an infestation of brown recluse spiders, fleas, ticks, and snakes.  I have been out working in the yard and garden since late March and wear rubber garden boots daily.  

Where to Buy Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade

Diatomaceous earth food grade is a natural home and garden pest control.  It will get rid of; fleas, ticks spiders, mites, lice, webworms, bed bugs, cockroaches, aphids and powdery mildew without harming your pets or children.

For natural pest control, I apply diatomaceous earth food grade with a duster application.   It is best to cover your entire yard and gardens with the dust or you can mix the DE into the soil.  

Food grade that is 100 percent pure with no additives is the only formula that I will use because it is safe for wildlife, humans and pets.  

Where to Buy  Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade

When shopping online I look for the words pet and people safe.   You can buy DE online at Walmart.com they carry the product Lumino Home Diatomaceous Earth – food grade. for pets and people.  I like that this brand sells the DE in a jar because it does have to be kept airtight.  You can buy in a package but you will have to put in a jar that has a tightly fitted lid.

I also found diatomaceous earth food grade at ebay.com  They sell the brand Perma Guard Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth 10 ounces.  

"I bought a 3-pound container of Natures Wisdom food grade Diatomaceous Earth at Amazon and used it for the treatment of home and garden pests. Note a little bit goes a long way"   

Tips:

1. Diatomaceous earth food grade is fossilized skeletons of tiny aquatic organisms.  The earth is processed into a fine white powder that is best applied with a duster.  
2. The earth is effective in killing the insects with the razor sharp edges of the skeletons. The insects including bed bugs are killed when they come in contact with the earth, they are killed physically not chemically.
3. You can mix diatomaceous earth with pet food to kill hookworms   You can also add the earth to a shaker container and shake onto your pet's fur.  The diatomaceous earth food grade will kill fleas, ticks, mites, and lice.  Learn more here 
4. For yard and garden treatment I recommend that you use a ventilator mask when you are dusting your yard or garden.   If wildlife; raccoon, possum, fox, and deer enter your yard it is wise to reapply the earth every 4 to 6 weeks.
5. When shopping for DE look for the words organic, or pet safe on the package.

Growing Orange Tiger Lily Flowers

The oriental orange tiger lily will add color and interest to your mid-summer flower garden.  This showy flower with its dark brown speckled petals that curl downward when fully bloomed can be grown in the ground or in a container.

Tiger Lily (Lilium tigrinum) grows in my yard.  I did not initially plant the bulbs as they were planted by previous owners.  I suspect that the tiger lilies were planted by the original owner a master gardener.  

The tiger lily flower bulbs are planted in groupings of 12.  They all grow together and when the lily stems emerge in late spring they will grow 30-48 inches in height.   The tiger lilies when fully grown look like shrubs as they are tall and the foliage is full.  They are a focal point in my landscape.  When the tiger lily flowers bloom; in June and July, the orange flowers with the dark brown specks face the ground rather than up toward the sun. There are approximately 12 blooms for each stem and they continue to bloom for several weeks.

Growing Tips for Tiger Lily Flowers

Choose a planting site where the soil moisture is average and well-drained.  The tiger lily will tolerate loamy soils also. 

The sun requirement is full sun however if you reside in an area that has hot summers then it is best to provide the tiger lily with part sun to shade in the hottest part of the day. My summers are extremely hot and the tiger lily grows best with afternoon part shade to shade in the peak heat of the day as it prevents the plant from wilting.

Grow in zone Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9

Get Your Garden Ready for Planting

Ready the garden site for the tiger lilies by removing the sod and then loosening the soil to 8 inches. Use your hands to break up the soil clumps. If you are planting more than one tiger lily you would dig a hole that is six inches deep with a space of 9 inches apart.  Mix the soil with compost or manure and add some bone meal to the hole and then plant the bulb.  Cover with soil and water well.

Caring for Tiger Lilies

Like the clematis the tiger lily likes its roots shaded so it is best to apply organic mulch around the stems Three inches of mulch will keep the roots cool.  

Another way to provide shade to the tiger lily roots is to plant other perennials.  These plants will provide the shade that is needed. In contrast, you may want to grow purple verbena.  The purple flower of the verbena would be a nice contrast to the orange tiger lily.  The verbena has a spreading growth habit and it would provide shade for the tiger lily roots.

Cut off spent blooms to encourage repeat blooms. Leave the leaves on the stems and do not cut back the foliage until after a hard frost.  The leaves gather nutrition and nourish the bulb for the following season's blooms.

Other Tips

Tiger lilies do not make good flowers for cutting.  The stems break easily and the flower is hard to arrange in a vase.

Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the tiger lily flowers.

When shopping for tiger lily bulbs look for them in spring, if you watch the garden store circulars you may be able to get a coupon for a sale price.   Tiger Lilies look best when you grow them in a group; 10 or 12 tiger lilies will accent your landscape.

Love Oriental Orange Tiger Lily Flowers see more by viewing this YouTube video.  

Negotiating Contract for Yard Clean-up

Image credit

Today I met with a client and surveyed the property.  In a word, it was a real mess.  They had not addressed the removal of the fall leaves, nor did they clean up the gardens or prune any of the dead branches from the trees.  The lawn was all weeds except for an assortment of naturalized spring bulbs.  


To say the least I was rather overwhelmed looking at the property of 72 x 167, a large yard that needed to be cleaned up and then manicured. 

I needed the work, but this contract would require me to hire a lawn service and gardener. So I quoted a high estimate and the client wanted to negotiate at 50% less than my asking estimate. I was their 15^Th gardener that had submitted a bid for the job.  I gave the client my business card and told him if he changed his mind or if he had any questions to call me.  I declined the job.  

Had I been hired I would have manicured the gardens as shown in the images below. I always have photographs of my work in my portfolio.  Many times the before and after images will get me hired for the garden job

The only reason the job was available was that the property was overgrown and every inch of it needed to be addressed and the client wanted cheap help. I figured it would take 40 hours to get it manicured before I could concentrate on early spring containers and feature gardens and felt my estimate was fair.  

This evening at 7:00 I got a callback and we agreed upon 15% less than my original estimate. 

When it comes to an entire yard clean-up a gardener must look at the entire property and determine if it can be completed by one person or if it is better to hire workers. For this property and the time frame that the client wants all work completed, I hired a college student that does lawn service and a gardener to help with weeding.  By hiring students I will save on labor costs, however, I will need to oversee the work on a daily basis. 

Even though I accepted the job for less than my asking estimate I am glad that I was able to negotiate a fair gardening contract as it is better to have jobs lined up rather than having nothing on the books. 

Design a Garden for Your Senses

Set the mood of your yard by designing a section that stimulates your senses and achieves inner peace from your sensory garden.  

Stimulate your sense of touch, sight, scent, hearing, and taste by designing a sensory garden that features flowers, ornamental grasses, bamboo, and tasteful as well as aromatic herbs.  

Add a soothing water feature and a cozy outdoor living space where you can sit and relax.  When you design a garden that stimulates your senses you will find harmony.  

Water feature garden

Before you begin your garden you will need to decide on the type of plants that you would like to grow.  You will want to choose a color scheme that is compatible and soothing, as well as flowers, shrubs, and herbs that are fragrant and will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. 

Choose ornamental grasses; fountain, reed, or zebra grasses will give the garden movement as well as lovely plumes and winter interest.  Fragrant flowering shrubs and vines:  ruby spice summersweet, sweet autumn clematis, and Four O’clocks will perfume the air in late summer and early fall.

  

Add a water feature to your sensory garden. The water feature need not be large however one that has water cascading down rocks into a shallow pool will provide you with a sense of sight and hearing.  The trickling water is a natural way to relax your mind and body.  

 

Designing Garden for Senses

Decide on the location of your sensory garden.  Allot space for flower, herb, and grass gardens, as well as a feature water garden, and sitting area.  Your garden should appeal to the eye by inviting you to different focal areas.  

A focal area could be your water feature, a pergola over a comfortable seating area, a colorful coneflower garden or a butterfly garden.  When you have decided upon the location of your garden you would then measure it.  

Measure the space of your garden and then draw out the locations of each garden.  Use colored pencils to indicate the color scheme of the plants.  Section off your sensory gardens; assign specific areas for plants.  You may want to plant bamboo or grasses with height in the back section of your garden as these plants will provide you with a living privacy hedge.  You may want to have a section for wildflowers, a water garden, herbs, or a butterfly garden.  

Garden Path

Pave stone path to the herb garden

Decide if you would want a natural stone garden path to connect all of the gardens to the outdoor living space.  Do a rough drawing to give you an idea of how you want your garden to look.

Excavate the garden area by clearing the area.  The best way to achieve this task is with a tiller, and a wheelbarrow to remove the sod.  Loosen the earth to the depth needed to install the pond and your container plants, shrubs, or trees.  For planting amend the soil with compost or manure, the plants that you grow will stimulate your sense of sight taste, and smell.

Install a water feature.  Set the fountain or pond close to the area where you will put your patio furniture. Add your seating or resting area to your garden.  Set outdoor furniture in the center of the garden also a bench close to the garden path.  This resting area will allow you to stimulate all of your senses.  Lie in a lounger or sit on the bench and read a book. Take a moment to close your eyes, listen to the sounds of the garden, and breathe in the aroma of the herbs and fragrant flowers.  Your daily stress will melt away and your body will be at peace.

Gardening Tips:

Accessorize your garden with wind chimes.  Hang the chimes in various locations in your garden.  When the wind blows the chimes will produce music. The wind music will stimulate your sense of hearing.

Add light to your garden by outlining the path with solar lights or accent feature areas with hanging solar lights.  The lights generate power from the sun and all soft lighting to your garden at night.

Here is a video that will give you an idea of how to design a garden for your senses.