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January 17, 2001

Cactus, Palms, Warm Sunny Days...
Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.  Actually I was in Phoenix this past weekend visiting my sisters and attending the Phoenix Home & Garden Show!  Wow - What a show!  We walked around for nearly three hours and only saw a portion of the exhibits.  We could have easily spent 5-6 hours there!  It was so much fun to see all of the plants and flowers the landscapers used.  Many were familiar - geraniums, pansies, marigolds and petunias.  Others, like palm trees and cactus were not.  I also saw some of the most beautiful rock designs!  What a care free garden (I hear rocks don't require weeding).  Not my first choice, that desert look, but I must say I was drawn to several exhibits and could probably live with that look if I were gardening in Phoenix.

Well it is too bad that it is not 60 degrees here but then again we are not in Arizona.  It is supposed to remain cold through the weekend but the weather experts say we might get a chance at a warm up later next week.  Here's hoping they're right!

~ Shelly  

Scheduling Those Seeds...
Are visions of spring dancing in your head yet?  It may be a couple of months away but if you're like us seed starting is on your mind.  This year you'll know just when to get started thanks to a nifty little table we've published called When to Start Seeds Indoors.  It's so helpful - providing dates to get started, germination times, temperatures and light requirements.  Don't overlook this one!

Reconsidering Grow Lights...
When indoor sunlight is scarce many gardeners may be attracted to the notion of "grow lights".  These pricey items are designed to emit light primarily in the red and blue regions of the light spectrum.  However, grow lights actually give off less light than standard fluorescent lights.  A standard fluorescent unit containing two regular 40 watt fluorescent tubes or one cool white and one warm white tube will provide adequate light for house plants and are much more economical.  Save your money for the plants!

Source

Melting Snow, Lots Of Leaves...
OK, most or all of that December snow is gone - finally.  But in a strange twist on normalcy the melting snow has revealed an abundance of leaves - the ones that were falling as the snow was coming down.  Well, they're not doing your lawn any favors, especially as wet as they are.  Before it snows again make some time to get out and rake them up. 

Pot Washers Needed...
Winter means we've got a little extra gardening time.  Since you can't do much outdoors take advantage of the spare time to get some chores done.  Start by inspecting your clay pots.  They're probably still dirty from last season.  Clean them with a soak in vinegar to help remove salt deposits.  Then soak them in a dilute solution of bleach (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) to kill micro-organisms.  Now you're ready to go when the weather warms!

Savvygardeners, Sappy Trees...
If you have ever pruned trees in late winter to early spring, you may have noticed that some weep sap from fresh pruning wounds.  Different species of trees vary in how easily and how much they "bleed."  Those that are most susceptible to bleeding include maples (silver, sugar, amur, Norway and hedge), black walnut, pecan, birch, mulberry, Osage orange (hedge tree) and grape.  Though bleeding may look as if it would cause considerable damage to the tree, that's not the case.  Even if large amounts of sap are lost, there is no apparent long-term damage.  However, many people find the appearance of this bleeding objectionable.  Pruning during the winter when temperatures remain below freezing will help minimize sap flow.  So if you have any of the "bleeders" that need pruned, you might want to do it while the weather is really cold.

Source

Winter Wisdom...
So, what's bugging you?  The cold weather means that there should be fewer bugs outdoors come spring but there are probably more indoors right now.  We've got the scoop on bugs in this week's Winter Wisdom...

A Better Handle On Things...
Ever finish weeding and can't find that tool you just set down?  A bright color on the handle might have helped.  Take time now to paint wooden handles or wrap some colored grip tape around plastic or metal ones.  Your tools will be easy to find even in the thickest of foliage!

Finally...
"To see a hillside white with dogwood bloom is to know a particular ecstasy of beauty, but to walk the gray Winter woods and find the buds which will resurrect that beauty in another May is to partake of continuity."

~ Hal Borland, Journalist, 1900-1978

 

 

 

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