Dig Up Dollars In Your Front Yard

By John Phillips 

“You can make from $395 to $6,000 per year from a daylily bed that’s only 16-feet long and 12-feet wide” says Helen Wheeler Boykin of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

In a small daylily bed that size, you can plant 79-double fans of daylilies in the early spring. The following spring those daylilies should double. Then you can sell the increase, generally one-half of your crop, and get your money back in one year’s time. When the late spring of the third year of your daylily crop arrives, your daylily crop again will have doubled, and you once more can sell one-half of your crop and make a profit this time.

“You’ll still have some of your original stock of daylilies from which to grow more daylilies,” Boykin explains. “Daylilies can provide a reliable, extra income as well as color and beauty for your home and garden. Many types of daylilies, usually a double fan, sell for only $10, but some daylilies sell for up to $300 per double fan. Your customer base will determine the price of daylilies you sell the most.”

Today many families earn $1,000 and more each year by selling not only daylily plants but also daylily seeds.  Daylilies are beautiful annual flowers that multiply quickly, don’t require much upkeep and are drought-resistant. They can grow in almost any part of the United States and southern Canada and come in thousands of varieties of shapes, colors and sizes.  

Daylilies for College

With the rising costs of college educations, some families have begun raising and selling daylilies and putting the monies made into college funds for their children. Here’s another twist on that idea. Jason Berryhill of Birmingham, Alabama, planted daylilies to help finance his college education once he started to college.

“I helped someone with a daylily garden set up his computer system, so I received my initial stock of daylilies without having to take any money out of my pocket,” Berryhill says. “From what I’ve read, studied and learned from the daylily growers I’ve talked with, I expect to make from $3,000 to $8,000 a year from the 1/4-acre of raised beds of daylilies I’ve planted.”

To learn how to raise, grow, care for and sell daylilies, go to www.hunterstorch.com where you can see photos of hundreds of daylilies and learn about them. Click on “Garden Tips” to receive free tips for raising daylilies.

John Phillips

John Phillips is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily Internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors. He is also the president of Nighthawk Publications, Inc. in Birmingham, Alabama and the owner of Hunter’s Torch Daylily Garden.

Time-Saving Home and Yard Maintenance System

Dan shares his tried and true time-saving home and yard maintenance system that produces year-round good results.

by Dan Troceen 

Dan and his summer vegetable garden

Recently I was asked by my daughter who has a home of her own now, how do I keep my yard and home looking so nice? I started giving her a few tips, but quickly realized that what I do is a time-saving system that produces year-round good results.

I had never thought of it that way before, probably because no one had ever asked me how do I do it? So, I decided to write up my system so she as a new homeowner could learn about the elements of good yard maintenance. The payoff is that if it’s done right, the yard and home look great, it doesn’t take more time than necessary, and that leaves more time to do the things we’d rather be doing. 

Then I thought, other new homeowners might benefit from this approach also. So, this is what I’ve learned from keeping up many homes over the past 30-plus years, and share it with you today.

1. Get organized. Have a plan of what you need to do and what you want to do — weekly, and over the course of the growing season.

2. Get the right equipment to get the job done, and keep it in excellent condition. That includes a mower, edger, blower, rake, pruning clippers, hedge trimmer, lopping shear, and safety equipment like gloves, safety glasses and hearing protection.

3. Mow the lawn every week during the growing season. Do it religiously. Your grass will love it and grow healthier. But, mow only the top third of the grass stalk. If you mow more than that the grass will be damaged, allowing weeds to takeover! Keep the blade of your lawnmower sharp. Sharpen the blade at least once every year; it’s better if done twice. 

In the spring when the grass just begins to wake up from winter dormancy and is about 50% green, drop the deck on your lawnmower to a low setting (most mowers have adjustable wheels). Mow the lawn at this low setting for a few weeks until the lawn begins to thicken up. Move the deck up one notch each time the grass grows thicker until you move the deck up to its highest position in mid-summer. Tall, thick grass chokes out weeds from germinating and growing, and also shades the root zone during hot summer months.

If you do have some weeds, the best defense is by promoting growth of the good grass through fertilization, and then selectively target and kill weeds that remain in the grass. There are weed and feed fertilizers for application in the spring and fall that work fairly well, and for the weeds they don’t kill, there are spot-treatment spray weed killers that are safe to spray on lawns.

4. Edge the yard at least every 3 or 4 weeks. This keeps the landscape areas and lawn areas looking crisp and well-maintained. It also keeps the grass from growing into the garden areas, thus losing the shape of the garden. The yard can be edged every week if you want, but that takes more time and is not necessary.

5. Water the lawn and gardens so that they receive about an inch of water each week. When there is no rainfall, watering twice per week has been best for our lawn and gardens. Watering more frequently can lead to fungus and diseases in the lawn. Always water in the morning when the air is calm; don’t water at night when the plants and grass will stay wet for an extended length of time, which will promote disease. 

It is best to water with an irrigation system. The next best method is to set up hoses with sprinklers that are turned on and off by a battery-operated control box attached to the faucet.

6. Do not let weeds get established in the garden areas!!!! At the first sign of their growth, either pull them out after a hard rain that softens the soil, or my preferred method is to hit them with Roundup anytime. In addition to mechanically edging the garden areas, you can carefully spray along the edge to kill the grass runners that have grown into the garden area. That saves the time from pulling out the runners. Be careful though with the conical spray pattern. Tilt your spray nozzle slightly up and away from the lawn area so that just an edge of the conical pattern hits the edge of the garden without spraying onto the grass. If the nozzle is pointed straight down, half of the conical pattern will spray onto the good lawn area, and that will destroy the good edge of the lawn. Be careful where the rest of the conical spray pattern goes also. If it gets on the plants in the garden, they will be killed. For that reason, I hold the spray very close to the ground so the pattern is small and tight. Don’t spray on a windy day. Sometimes it’s helpful to use a large piece of stiff plastic as a shield to protect the lawn or a plant. Just be careful that the Roundup spray that accumulates on the plastic shield doesn’t drip off onto the lawn or a plant as it’s moved from one location to another.

7. For easier mowing, plan your garden areas so that the lawn areas flow smoothly, and can be mowed with a minimum of stops, starts, turns or difficult places to maneuver with a lawnmower. The yard looks better with curvy lines, so why not use this approach to make the lawn easier to mow. Where grass does not grow well due to lack of sufficient sunlight, convert those areas to mulched gardens, perhaps laying stepping stones so that these areas can be traveled easier when it’s wet outside. Where grass has a difficult time growing, usually the weeds take over. Be strategic in deciding where lawns and gardens are placed.

8. Straight lines do not occur in nature, so lay out your gardens and landscape with flowing lines. Doing so will soften the yard against the straight lines of the house. Also, avoid planting trees in a row or planting shrubs and bushes in a straight line unless a formal patterned look is desired. 

9. Getting back to the idea of mowing the lawn every week — it’s a good habit to get into so that not only the lawn gets mowed, but some of the other yard and home maintenance can be done as well. Over the past several years my informal weekly to-do list had evolved into a spreadsheet with all the seasonal home and yard requirements noted on it. I use this as my annual game plan, and then refer to it weekly to see what I should be doing this week or next.

It’s particularly helpful to note scheduled lawn fertilizer applications and spraying for bugs both inside the house and around the foundation of the house. This has become very important for me ever since I planted my fig trees, blueberry bushes and roses so that I keep track of the fertilizer and spraying schedule. It also has helped me keep track of the vegetable garden requirements and fertilization schedule for trees and shrubs that I’m trying to get established. 

Note that when a required fertilizer or chemical treatment is missed, your landscape will show the effect, or the bugs will start moving back in.

10. Pruning the shrubs and trees is important to do on a routine basis so that only a small portion has to be removed each time. Severe pruning shows, and can be hard or fatal to a shrub or tree. 

I’ve found that pruning shrubs is best done after the new spring growth has had a chance to set. Typically late May or June is a good time to trim the shrubs. When we’ve received a lot of rain during the spring and summer, another light pruning in September may be needed. 

For trees, it’s best to prune while they are dormant, which means a winter month. In general, the ideal winter month to prune is late February or March, just before the tree wakes up from dormancy, or just as it wakes up. Other light pruning can occur on both shrubs and trees during the growing season, but not after October 1st. The cuts have to harden before the first frost or freeze that might occur in November. 

Other important tips on pruning trees: never remove more that a third of a tree’s total mass at one time, no more than one-third of a branch if shaping a tree and never prune the central leader (which will destroy the natural shape of the tree and its vital structure).

Note that there is an ideal time to prune various plants in your yard, and they will benefit if that schedule is followed. Examples are the crepe myrtles, and the hydrangeas. A search on the web, for your growing zone or region, will provide the needed info. This is a good example of info to include on your yard’s personalized Maintenance Calendar. 

11. Keep the exterior of the house and the foundation treated to prevent insects from establishing permanent residency. Spray with Ortho Home Defense Max on all eaves, corners, along the base of the house, around windows — anywhere a spider or bug would love to live. Also sprinkle Ortho Home Defense Max Granules for Lawn and Garden around the base of the house and in the gardens, for a 2 to 3-foot perimeter of defense. Each of these treatments must be done every 3 months to retain an effective barrier. If not done, the house will get covered with spider webs, spider droppings, and all sorts of other creepy-crawlies leaving their mark on your house. Eventually, these new residents will make their way into your home as their families grow! By keeping the bug population down, your home will be much cleaner on the outside.

12. Wash down the siding, eaves and windows each year in the spring after the pollen has finished falling from the trees. Doing this once a year not only takes the pollen off, but also removes any mildew or fungus that may be starting to grow on the paint. All of those things, plus the dust, dirt and chemicals in the air that fall on our homes is very destructive to the paint. If you keep the house washed down, then it looks great, and the paint will last a lot longer. The difference could be several extra years of paint life by washing down the house.

How the house is washed down is an important element to review. In short, washing with the lowest pressure water, and least harmful chemical mixture is best. A mild approach prevents water intrusion behind siding and into the house, and does not break down the paint. Protect door and window areas on the inside. Check to see that water is not entering the house when they are being sprayed. High pressure can break the seal on insulated glass windows, rip the mortar from between bricks, cut lines into siding and rip pieces of the house loose. 

I recommend using a soft bristle brush, like the ones for washing a car’s paint, with a mild solution of about a 1/4 cup of Dawn dishwashing detergent, and 1/2 to 1 cup of bleach to about 3 to 4 gallons water. You’ll know that the bleach is strong enough if the mildew washes right off. The detergent is to get the sudsing action that will lift and carry the dirt away. First, lightly spray the area that needs to be washed to remove loose dirt and debris. Then wash the area with the brush and solution. Then, again lightly spray down the washed areas with fresh water before the solution dries on the siding. Squeegee the windows dry. Step back and be amazed at how great the house looks when it’s clean. If the house is washed each year, the job can be accomplished by this method. When the house is extremely dirty, a professional pressure wash will be the best option, but carefully screen for a neat, careful, conscientious contractor.

13. Plan ahead for the next year’s growing season by updating the Lawn and Garden Maintenance Calendar in January or February each year. Look over your notes from the last year to see what worked and what didn’t. Update or modify your plan. Make a list of items needed to purchase, like fertilizers or sprays so that they will be in place at the right time.

A little planning and organization will increase personal productivity during the year by doing the right thing at the right time. No longer will there need to be big yard cleanup days or weekends because things have gotten out of control. If you develop your own plan and stick to it the results will show in your yard year-round and you’ll have more time to do the other things you enjoy.

Oh Deer!

Deer eating our landscape

On a recent evening while turning into our driveway I was doing my usual “lookout” for the pesky neighborhood deer herd, when I discovered several of those hungry beasts nibbling around my roses and daylilies.  This little herd of about 9 or so deer is seen almost daily roaming around our subdivision dining on everyone’s shrubs, roses, hostas, and other flora.  It was pitch dark so I grabbed my flashlight and leaped from my vehicle yelling and chasing them from our yard.

It was too dark to tell if I actually rescued any of our plantings from their ravenous consumption, but further inspection at next morning light revealed that the herd had struck our garden again.  The deer had enjoyed quite a nice buffet at our expense!  The damage this time was quite extensive.  Late summer growth on several rose bushes was eaten to the bare stems; so much for my hopes for a few fall rose blooms. 

Many of our hostas had been reduced to spiky twigs sticking up where their long, green leaves had once been.  They even ate the summer’s growth on the small Japanese maple that I had sitting in a pot near the side of our house.  I had tended and shaped it all summer and had planned to plant it later this month in one of our front flower beds.  It looked so pathetic that no amount of fall sunshine and fertile soil can help it this year!  This was not the deer’s first visit to snack on our landscape nor will it likely be their last one.
 
So what is a gardener to do?  Short of deer hunting in our neighborhood, how can we send these varmints packing?  Well, so, our mission is not to actually harm the deer but to try to control the deer, or at the least, make our landscape less appetizing to them.
 
Choosing deer resistant plants for the border of the flower beds is one thing that I have tried and it does work to some degree.  Before shopping for your plants do a little homework so you can select those that are less attractive or even tend to deter deer.  This tactic seems to work in some areas but not as well in others.  It seems the deer find some plants to be more offensive than others and tend to avoid those.  However, they will often trample right through those less offensive plants for the more tasty ones at the middle or back of your beds.  For instance, in the woodland garden where it is more shady we border with hellebores, fern, and Bath’s Pink dianthus. The deer have never bothered these plants nor have they ventured into that garden to nibble the azalea and hydrangea behind that border. 

Over in the sunny herb beds we border with rosemary, thyme, and lavender.  Again, the deer never take a taste of these plants; however, they will step over them to get to the tender daylily shoots in early spring. 

For a more effective method of deer control, put up a fence.  Generally, the more aesthetically appealing the fence the more it will cost you.  Keep in mind though that the fence does not have to be expensive or elaborate to be effective.  I noticed that one of my neighbors put up a single strand of electric fence around his vegetable garden.  It was not so pretty but it was very efficient in keeping out the deer.  I have often seen the deer herd in his yard but not in the vegetable garden.  His summer vegetable garden was lush and looked to be quite productive.
 
Making a tent or a wrap for your plant with wire mesh is also another effective way to prevent deer from eating your prize plantings.  This method will work; however, it too is not so attractive.

I have read where gardeners have sprinkled human hair gathered from hair salons around their plants or hung scented bars of soap in trees or shrubs.  Others have concocted potions of egg shells, garlic, and hot pepper that they spread around or spray on their vulnerable plants.  These methods do have some success.  You are welcome to try any of these but personally, I prefer to leave the production of scented repellents to the professionals. You can purchase a number of scent repellents that are very pungent and highly effective. That is until it rains for several days or weeks and you will likely need to reapply.

Last but not least, we can rely on man’s best friend.  Yes, a good dog will keep the deer chased out of your garden and landscape.  Just be sure you train it not to dig up your plants!

What is your most effective means of keeping deer from devouring your landscape or prize plants?

What other animals are you trying to control in your garden?

Lilies

Orienpet lily in the evening

Lilies are not just gorgeous; they add a touch of glamour and romance to even the smallest garden. One of the sweetest rewards as a gardener is to walk outside at the end of summer’s day and catch a whiff of that delightful heady scent from blooming lilies. The humid evening air seems to amplify their fragrance thus making you want to linger outside just a bit longer.

Asiatic Lily in the Garden

For thousands of years lilies were grown in Europe and China as both a food staple and for decoration.  Even Native American people used lily bulbs as food and in some cultures the flowers were associated with religious and civic rituals.  Today these exotic beauties are more often collected and cultivated for their showy blooms. I love them as a garden subject as well as cut flowers.  For whatever reason, I find it hard to cut my lily blooms. I’m not sure but I think I prefer to just enjoy them when I am out in the backyard or strolling through the garden.  However, I do occasionally cut a few and put them in a vase for us to enjoy inside or I’ll take a little bouquet to friends who appreciate them.

Leslie Woodriff

Having been hybridized by numerous horticulturists over the years, lilies are available in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and interesting types and their luscious fragrance make them a favorite among many gardeners. Lilies add height to the flower garden and are generally easy to grow when planted directly in the garden or in pots. Some lilies grow 4 to 6 feet tall or taller so they may need staking. Fortunately, some varieties have stems that are sturdier and may not require the assistance. Like clematis, lilies prefer to have their faces in the sunshine and their toes in the shade. For best results, lilies need lots of warm sunshine and soil that drains well and doesn’t stay wet. Lilies can survive a fair amount of abuse and neglect but wet, soggy soil will do them in every time.

Deer damaged lily stalks

A drawback to growing lilies is that they are often a favorite menu item for a number of animals. While this can be a bit heartbreaking, it should not deter any gardener from growing and enjoying lilies. There are effective solutions to protecting your beloved lilies from being devoured which make them worth the effort.

Golden Asiatic Lily

If animals such as rabbits, rodents and deer eat your bulbs or emerging plants try putting up a 3 foot wire-mesh fence around your plants to discourage them. This will help particularly during the early spring when there are few food sources for these animals.  Once the animals’ usual food sources have emerged you can take down the fence. Of course, this is not a guarantee that these animals will not drop by later and have lunch!

Stargazer

To deter animals that dig your bulbs try covering surrounding soil with bird-netting, wire-mesh, a piece of landscaping fabric, or even burlap for a couple of weeks until the smell of freshly-dug earth has faded and no longer attracts them.

Golden Trumpet-shaped Lily

If you have critters that burrow to your bulbs you can protect them by lining the planting hole with wire-mesh, plant your bulbs in wire-mesh boxes or plant them in pots covered with a piece of chicken-wire.
Another very effective and easy option is to spray the plants and the bulbs with non-toxic Ro-pel® which is available at many garden centers or it can be purchased online at http://www.nixalite.com/animalcontrolproducts.aspx. The NIXALITE of America, Inc. claim is that their products are effective because they combine the most bitter and vile tasting substances into their repellent. One spraying will last up to a year. Ro-pel® adheres to surfaces and works very well on lilies and so many other plants plus it is environmentally safe.  This is good stuff – wish I had discovered it sooner!!

Pink Oriental Lily

If you want to know more about the history of lilies, growing, and propagating lilies there are many books, blogs, and websites. My favorite resource is Lilies A Guide To Choosing And Growing Lilies, by Michael Jefferson-Brown. This book is packed with practical information and excellent pictures on almost every page. The photography is exceptional and if you love lilies, this book will be a treasure. An excellent online resource is Old House Gardens, they are a great source for heirloom bulbs and their website has historical tidbits scattered throughout. You can even sign-up for their email newsletter that is filled with lots of useful tips and information. 

Orange Tiger Lily

Striped Lily

I love growing lilies for all the gratifying reasons described here. My mother shared the tiger lily and the striped trumpet-shaped lily with me years ago. The parent bulbs were given to her by some of her gardening friends.  I am so grateful that she passed these along to me!

Peach Colored Orienpet

Reliable sources for purchasing healthy lily bulbs either by catalog or from their websites are White Flower Farms, Old House Gardens, Wayside Gardens, Park Seed Co., and The Lily Garden. These are just a few and for sure there are no shortages of good lily bulb and seed sources.

Lilium Rubrum

Fall is a great time to plant lilies for next summer’s enjoyment so grab a bunch of lily bulbs, put on your gardening gloves and let’s start digging!  

 

 

What gardening experiences can you share? 

Tell us about your favorite lilies. 

How do you protect your lilies from pests?

Last Days of Summer

Ah, the dog days of summer are winding down and autumn will be here before you know it.  Though the sunshine and soil have been pretty hot here in the southeast, we have had a fairly mild summer compared to those in recent years.  Temperatures have averaged in the mid-nineties and we have had several unseasonably cool days with lower humidity.  Best if all, the ample rainfall has kept the arid drought away this season.  I would love to see many more summers like this one.

Knockout Rose

Taking a look around our home gardens, we can see the evidence of summer’s end.  Just as the hot summer days are becoming noticeably shorter, the flowers are beginning to wane as a result.  My Knockout roses have had beautiful, bountiful blooms all season; however, this morning I noticed the new growth and new blooms are now much smaller and fewer.  They are fabulous rose bushes that hold up well to our heat and humidity here in the south.  

Faded hydrangea

Endless Summer Hydrangea

This sun and heat ravaged mophead hydrangea bloom has turned brown and the surrounding leaves are starting to fade and have discolorations unlike they were just a few weeks ago.   It has sparse blooms throughout the summer and struggles in the Alabama heat.  This hydrangea was a gift and it did not have a plant tag so I am unsure what variety it is.  By contrast, the Endless Summer hydrangea with its big green leaves still looks amazing.  It too is a mophead; however, its older blue blooms have faded to a lime green with tinges of pink on the tips of the petals – very nice. This plant will continue to put on new blooms well into fall until the first hard frost puts it to sleep for the winter.  These are some of the characteristics that make Endless Summer one of my favorite hydrangea.

Winsome Dahlia

While many flowers are fading or gone for the season, my Winsome dahlia has been blooming for 3 months and its vivid, richly colored blooms are even more abundant than they were in June.  This little heirloom dahlia just gets better and better and its waterlily like blooms keep coming faithfully until they are killed back by frost.  I ordered this fabulous dahlia online from Old House Gardens, http://www.oldhousegardens.com, and planted it in May 2007. This is one plant that is just superior and gets more beautiful every year.  In our zone 7 climate, I have not ever had to dig the bulbs in the fall.  After the first hard frost, I just trim it back and tuck it in with for the winter with a layer of good mulch.

Lantana

There are still many plants in my garden that appear to be flourishing in spite of the late summer conditions.  Lantana is a hardy plant that you can rely on its many colorful blooms all summer long.  It can take the heat and even some drought.  In early September, my lantana seems to be at its finest and is showing no sign of slowing down its blooms.  A bonus is that butterflies and hummingbirds love it!

Toad Lily

Other late summer beauties are these cute little toad lilies that scatter their blooms down their stems. 

Impatiens and Knotweed

Over in the other shade garden is a little pot of pink and white impatiens cuddled up to some “Painter’s Palette” knotweed. 

Moonflower

 You don’t have to wait for a full moon to illuminate your garden at nighttime.  The huge, white moonflower blooms not only seem to glow in the dark, their sweet, delicious fragrance wafts through the evening air.  These intoxicating blooms open in late afternoon and only last for one evening.  As morning light appears the moonflower blooms begin to close and wilt.

I plant moonflower in mid-April or when the danger of frost has passed.   Moonflower seeds will sit quietly in the soil and I often forget about them until the vines appear in late July.  By early August, the first blooms appear.  On some early evenings we have sat on our patio and actually watched these amazing flowers as they open.  These are some of my husband’s favorite flowers that we grow.

Periwinkle and Nasturtium

Other annuals we love to grow from seed are periwinkle and nasturtium, these round out the late summer show nicely.  Although the nasturtium began their blooming weeks later than the periwinkle, these pair together quite well.   

Beautyberry

I know that fall is just around the corner as I see the berries on my native beautyberry bushes are turning their gorgeous purple.  Soon the cardinals will discover them and they will gobble them up within a day or two. 

 

What are the late summer favorites blooming in your garden?

Is It For The Love Of Gardening Or Something More?

My Little Pink Bonnet

What influences in your life have motivated or inspired you to garden?  For me, there is something about growing and tending my garden that gives me a sense of peace and harmony with God and nature.  Yet, I receive so many benefits from gardening other than just the mental relaxation and it really seems to be a bit addictive.  Let’s explore some of the reasons we have for gardening. These are by no means all the reasons but here we go and in no particular order.

For The Love of Gardening

The love of gardening, both veggies and flowers, was instilled in me at an early age. I remember “going to the garden” with my grandparents to pick vegetables for our lunch, watching Nanny prepare and cook them, and the sheer delight of eating them. Talk about fresh, that was the ultimate fresh meal and nothing can compare to that delicious taste! YUM!! These are some of the dearest memories that I have of my grandparents.  I so well remember that Nanny always wore a neat bonnet on her head to shade her face when she was in the garden.  She even made a bonnet for me out of some of her quilt scraps. I still have and cherish that little pink bonnet and those precious times spent with Nanny and Papaw in the garden.  That was when I learned to love the feel and smell of sunshine and soil.

For The Fresh, Delicious Flavors And Variety

When staying with my grandparents during the summer, sometimes I would sneak into the garden to pick the young ears of corn or strawberries, and eat them right there, dirt and all. These were the only times that I was ever seriously scolded by Papaw.

Today many people still grow fabulous gardens and enjoy those mouth-watering fruits and vegetables.  My brother-in-law, David Fikes grows enough vegetables to feed an army.  He and my sister feed all their kids, grandkids, and anyone who will take home a “sack of tomatoes and squash”.   Every season there is something delicious growing in David’s garden. Anytime they call me to come over and pick peas, blueberries, mustard greens, or any tasty item, I am sitting on ready!

David always grows the usual southern garden vegetables like beans, peas, tomatoes, corn, squash, okra, and such; however, each season he adds some different veggies just for the fun of it. We often discuss what new items or seeds sound good.  He just likes to grow a few veggies or melons that you can’t find at the local grocery store, curb market, or farmers’ market. Last summer he grew moon and stars watermelons. Those were by far the best watermelons I have ever eaten! I was sad when we ate the last one of the season. I saved some of the seeds and planted them in my garden this past spring.  Needless to say, they are making some really pretty vines but no melons as yet. I have much to learn growing those!

For The Beauty

We lived in the country but my parents didn’t grow very many vegetables; however, the fruit trees, daffodils, azaleas, and flower beds were quite impressive during the spring and summer months. In those days we often sat on the porch after dinner or did a little weeding in the flower beds until dark. I remember our neighbors and my parents’ friends while driving down the road would occasionally pull into the driveway to tell my mom and dad how much they enjoyed passing by our house just to see what was blooming.

Those memories seem to revive within me every spring when my garden comes alive after a cold winter. When I see those little tender shoots and daffodil blooms pop up I am reminded that God is the Master Gardener and I am just His gardening assistant.

For The Environment

Both my parents and grandparents were avid and responsible gardeners. Their values and love for gardening contributed to instilling my passion and love for gardening and for being more environmentally responsible. Through them I learned a great deal about companion planting, composting, and water conservation; however, there is still much more to learn in regards to how gardening improves the environment.

As conscientious gardeners we must learn how to successfully grow gardens that are vigorous and in harmony with our environment.
 
For Cost-cutting

For my grandparent’s generation who endured the Great Depression, gardening was a necessity for sustaining themselves and their families. Thankfully they passed this know-how on to their children and they passed it on to their children.

My vegetable garden is quite small compared to David’s and my grandparents. However, I don’t have the garden space to grow such lush ones.  At times when the deer ravage my garden or the insects get a foothold, I am not so sure that vegetable gardening is really all that cost effective for me. It is more likely those folks who have the really big gardens who actually are cutting their food costs.
 
For Exercise and Health

In the evening after a long day working in the garden my body reminds me that I have just used muscles that haven’t had a workout in a while. Gardening truly is good exercise and you can’t say enough about the health benefits of fresh vegetables.

Somehow it seems that the love for gardening and those growing skills did not make it to very many in my generation and even less so in the generations thereafter. However, we can see a number of indications today that there is a renewal of gardening interest. This may be attributed to the attention to “going green” and the demand for organically grown fruits and vegetables.  Additionally, many people are spending more of their free time enjoying being at home which has aroused more interest in spending a little time and money toward attractive garden settings.  The benefits and positive results of home gardening is unlimited.

So, what do you love most about gardening?

What has inspired you to garden?

What gardening topics interest you?

Spring 2009

This has been one of the most beautiful springs in Alabama that I can remember. We have had good rainfall and warm temperatures.  Sunshine and soil with some refreshing rain, now that is what our gardens need!  April was a bit cool but this just made the flowers bloom a little later so May has been shaping up great.  My veggie garden was looking really nice until the local deer found it.  Most of my tomato and pepper plants have been bitten down about half way or almost to the ground!  This has not only stunted the flowering and production of fruit but many of my plants are dying as a result.  Such a bummer!! 

At least the deer have not eaten the squash and cucumber plants just yet.  These are beginning to flower and hopefully they will begin to develop some tasty vegetables soon.  The carrots have finally started to come up.  Maybe they will start growing before the summer heat sets in.

My first Earth Box

Not to be defeated by the deer, during the first week in May I planted my first Earth Box with more tomato and pepper plants.  I included some more squash and a Moon and Stars watermelon.  I actually ordered the Earth Box off the internet a couple of springs ago but it somehow found its way into a corner of my garage and was promptly forgotten.  The deer incident made me look around for a more suitable way to move some veggies closer to the house for a little protection. Well, okay, the deer will likely eat these too if they find them but hopefully they will not venture this close to our back door.  At least this type garden is mobile and I can move it around to try and confuse the deer.  

The flower beds are looking fantastic this year.  The iris, peonies, and daffodils have produced more buds and blooms than ever before.   Too bad their long awaited blooms only last for a couple of weeks.  Thank goodness the deer don’t typically eat these!

Crimson honeysuckle began blooming in March and is visited by the ruby-throated hummingbirds continually until they begin to migrate south again in September.  They love drinking the nectar from these long, tube-shaped blooms. 

The St. Joseph’s Lily with their bright red blooms standout among the other flowers and are one of my absolute favorite flowers that bloom in May.  They aren’t actually a lily; they are an amaryllis and were once a very popular pass-along-plant.  I got mine from a neighbor a few years ago and have shared some bulbs with a couple of friends so I suppose they are still being passed along.  Not everyone has friends or neighbors who can share these exceptionally beautiful amaryllis.  If you want these in your garden then try ordering them from such reputable sources as Old House Gardens at http://www.oldhousegardens.com/ or any other online source that you prefer.  I especially like Old House Gardens because they are a family owned operation that specializes in antique or hard to find bulbs and plants.  They personalize every order and I love their montly emails packed with great information.

Well, the deer aren’t just into eating veggies, they seem to have munched on a few lily stalks too.  I discovered this while checking my lilies for buds.  Low and behold, several were bitten down just as the tomato and pepper plants.  Apparently the deer prefer Orienpets as these were the ones most demolished.  The bad news is the deer ate my Orienpet lilies last spring.  I was truly hoping they would not nip them this year because I so missed their beautiful blooms and sweet fragrance last July.  Now I will have to wait another year for them to bloom again.  I suppose that the best I can do is move them in the fall to another flower bed where the deer haven’t been dining.. at least so far anyway.

What was the most memorable flower or vegetable in your spring garden?