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Savvygardener.com
February 23, 2000


Planning Ahead
One thing about Savvygardeners - they always have a project in mind.  Kevin and I have been in our house for five years now and every year we have tackled some type of gardening project.  When we first moved in we developed a wish list.   Amazingly, the list keeps growing and growing.   Our project this spring will be adding more gardening space which involves removing a section of our driveway, a project that will probably involve a contractor of some sort.  

If  you are thinking about a big project now is the perfect time to contact designers and landscape companies.  Once spring arrives everyone else starts thinking along the same lines and the contractors become too busy to return your phone calls.  So from one Savvygardener to another: start planning now and meet with a few professionals to complete that project early.

Rain, rain oh how I love rain!  It is amazing how a good warm rain changes your spirit and the way you feel.  They say that smell is the sense that stirs memories the most.  When I smell rain I remember everything I love about gardening.  (My husband, by contrast, says it smells like worms but that's some weird throwback to his youth.)  It looks as if the rain may continue this weekend.  Good news for all of us Savvygardeners!


~ Shelly               


Get the Scoop on Your Soil
When was the last time you had your garden soil tested?  Never?  Shame on you!  Soil testing is one of the most important, and overlooked, things you can do to better understand your garden.  Fortunately it's not very difficult and doesn't cost much either.  Your county extension service probably offers soil testing for a nominal fee.  (You can find your extension office by following our "Web Resources" link in the left column of this newsletter.)  If you decide to have your soil tested at the extension office simply follow these guidelines for getting a good sample for them to evaluate (note: soil should be dry or nearly dry):
  • In the area you want tested take a garden trowel and plunge it at least six inches into the soil.
  • Rotate the trowel 360 degrees creating a tapered column of soil.
  • Lift the column of soil out of the ground and place it in a large container.
  • Repeat the above for every 25 square feet in your garden.
  • Thoroughly combine the samples.
  • Remove rocks, grass, roots and other "non-soil" debris.
  • Put about one pint of this soil in a clean container and mark it with an identifying label.
  • Take the sample to your county extension office for evaluation.  It may take several weeks before the results are available.
You may want to have several soil tests performed - one for each distinctly different garden on your property.  

From One of Our Readers...
Savvygardener Elva Bledsoe of Paola, KS writes, "This time of year is a good time to take a long look at houseplants.  The days are getting longer now.  Do they need a good dusting or a shower?  Also it is a good idea to remove a bit of the topsoil and replace with new fresh soil.  This will help them get a good start with longer daylight hours and spring just around the corner."

Good advice that we follow in our home!

Your Search Is Over and We've Just Begun
We are excited to offer some new features to the Savvygardener.com website.  We've recently added a search engine that gives Savvygardeners the chance to search our site and our archive of past issues by keyword.  This is a great way to quickly find the advice you need!

You will also notice a link to "Feature Articles" in this issue.  There are some topics for which we just can't do justice in a newsletter.  Those timeless items that require a full article to discuss will be posted here.  We've begun with a look at seed starting at home.  Here you will find, step by step, the basics of this great gardening exercise.

We are even more excited to tell you that we will be launching Savvychat in a few weeks.  Savvychat is an on-line discussion forum that allows Kansas City Savvygardeners to post questions, respond to other's questions, give advice, and basically share gardening experiences with each other.  This may be the best thing since Miracle-Gro.

Finally...
"The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities; but to know someone who thinks and feels with us, and who, though distant is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden."  Goethe, German poet, 1749-1832.

 

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