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January 16, 2002

Desert Duty...
The weather has been unseasonably nice here but you should have been with me in Phoenix.  With temperatures in the high 70's I was certainly getting a strong taste of spring fever.  On Saturday my sister Becky, her husband Dan, my newest nephew Nicholas and I ventured out to enjoy the Maricopa County  Home and Garden Show.  Too bad I don't have any pictures to share with you.  I took the digital camera along for the trip but did I remember to take it to the show?  Well let's just say that I was glad to have my head on my shoulders.  It must have been the warmer temperatures.  Since there are no photos I will do my best to explain the art of landscaping in Phoenix.

First of all the desert landscape is nice but there is not enough color on the palette to satisfy me.  Too many earth-tones for my liking.  However when in Phoenix the theme is desert landscape so I meandered around to just find out how many ways one can stack rocks.  I was amazed at the size of rocks used for landscaping.  Huge rocks, the kind you lift with a crane.  One of the award-winning booths we visited took several of these large rocks and stacked them on top of each other.  There must have been 5-6 rocks and they were beautiful.  There was a waterfall strategically placed at the top and the water gently rolled down the other rocks into a small pond filled with koi (big goldfish).  I couldn't decide if one needs to be extra creative to design something like this or if you play with these rocks like you play with Legos, stacking them until they stay in one place.  There were cacti of different shapes scattered among the rocks as well as pea gravel giving it that desert look and feel.  I must admit that I was quite intrigued by this particular display.  It was beautiful and when we spoke with the designer about the price I decided that rocks are nice but way to expensive.  You could easily spend over $10,000 in rocks alone.  That's not counting cacti, pea gravel or installation.  Yikes!  I think I'll stick to planting perennials, annuals and an occasional shrub or two.

Well, I wish I could talk about rain but I am afraid that we will be jinxed even further.  I have been watching the weather with great diligence but to no avail.  I remind you again to water, water, water, when the temperatures are above freezing.

~ Shelly  

Reconsidering Grow Lights...
Last week we recommended a number of houseplants that do well when sunlight is scarce.  Another option used by many gardeners is "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

Scheduling Those Seeds...
Are visions of spring dancing in your head yet?  The Vernal Equinox 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!

Blowin' In The Wind...
When those north winds blow we humans find ourselves feeling colder than the actual ambient temperature would suggest.  We know that as the "wind chill factor".  For warm-blooded animals, wind chills can have a profound effect on their ability to keep warm.  However, plants do not respond to wind chills because they do not need to maintain a temperature above that of the outside temperature.  It's not all good news for the plants however.  Wind is desiccating and can dry plant tissues.  Plant tissues require moisture to survive and high wind speeds can cause excess moisture loss from those tissues.  This desiccation may be great enough to injure or even kill tissue, particularly the smaller size wood as in peach twigs, apple spurs or blackberry canes.

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Belated Bulb Burial...
If you didn't get your bulbs planted before the ground froze in December, see if the ground has thawed enough to plant them now.  If not, set them in individual peat pots and place the pots in flats.  Put them outside where it is cold and bury the bulbs under a thick blanket of leaves.  If you're lucky the ground will thaw again this winter and you can use the opportunity to transplant them into the garden.  They should come up in full bloom once spring arrives!

Anxious For Asparagus...
Want to grow asparagus from seed, but hate to wait the extra year to harvest?  Try seeding the asparagus indoors in late winter to get two year's worth of growth in one season.  Plant seeds 3/4 inch deep in flats.  Sow them 1 inch apart in rows 2 inches apart.  Provide as much natural light as possible and supplement it with fluorescent lighting.  Fertilize the seedlings every three weeks once they have their true leaves.

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Winter Wisdom...
During the long winter days, a particularly enjoyable activity for many gardeners is planning ahead for the next growing season.  Commercial growers and nurseries compete for your attention and your available funds by supplying you with a seemingly inexhaustible flood of catalogs and offers promoting plants they hope you will find irresistible.  All of this represents a sizeable potential investment, and you will be wise to consider any selections you may make, carefully.  There are a few simple tips to follow.  Make sure you read about them in this week's Winter Wisdom... 

Basic Training...
The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with 7 being the point at which soil has a neutral reaction.  The majority of ornamental plants, including grasses and vegetables, grow in soils which have a slightly acid reaction, with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.  One exception is the ericaceous plants which include azaleas, rhododendrons, andromedas, and blueberries.  They require a more acid soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5.

Finally...
"Tis not the season of the leaf 
whose fragile body’s broken veins
disintegrate in gusts of winds 
while winter blows a frosty coat 
that caps the barren land."

~ Lucille Younger, Poet

 

 

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