April 5, 2006

Crazy About The Weather...
We've been blessed once again with a couple of really nice days this week. It sounds as if the weather might take a turn for the worse tomorrow. Severe thunderstorms and tornados might be possible. It is that time of the year. An unstable atmosphere makes the weather very unpredictable. Of course we here at the Marsh house look forward to a good thunderstorm. The crash of thunder, the howling of the wind and the thumping of heavy raindrops. All of those sounds exhilarate us. Call us crazy (and my mom has) but we're storm lovers. Are we alone or are there more of us storm lover's out there?

I am excited to tell you all about our newest sponsor, Courtyard & Patio. They are located in Overland Park and have been in business for 35 years. Wow, they must be doing something right! Visit their showroom to see the latest styles in patio furniture. Whether you're looking for wood, wicker, aluminum or wrought iron they have it all. If you can't find it in their showroom they will find it for you. "It's all about customer service" says Natalie Gibbs one of the many professionals you will find in their showroom. I think you'll agree with me that once you visit Courtyard & Patio there will be no other place to purchase patio furniture.

~ Shelly  

Elbow Room...
It is easy to sow too many seeds in a row of beets or carrots.  Carrot seeds are small and angular making it difficult to scatter seeds without inadvertently dropping several of them together.  Beets emerge from a capsule containing several seeds and often come up too thick.  Do your best not to overseed either of these popular vegetables.  Both of these crops need room for roots to expand and grow.  

Carrots should be spaced about 2 to 3 inches apart, and beets 3 to 4 inches apart.  Once they begin growing you can remove some of the plants in the row to attain these desirable plant spacings.

Source

Dig This, Or Don't...
Here's some advice - "Don't cultivate your garden."  This may sound kind of crazy, but the truth is cultivating and deep hoeing can cause considerable damage to the shallow roots of flowers and vegetables.  Also, every time you cultivate, you stir the soil and bring weed seeds to the surface where they can germinate.  A two-inch layer of mulch will stop annual weeds, otherwise, cut off weeds at the surface of the soil with a sharp scuffle hoe, so in a week or 10 days, you won't have another batch to destroy.  If you do not have a scuffle hoe, pull the weeds by hand.  If you start early in the season and keep them pulled regularly, it is not too big a job in a small to medium-sized garden.

Source

Longer Life for Lilies...
Easter is coming soon and many of you will probably receive a lily or two as gifts.  A common question this time of year is what to do with the lily after the blooms have gone.  Unfortunately the lily doesn't survive as a houseplant, but it can be transplanted outdoors where it may bloom again this year. 

Find a sunny spot in the garden to plant the bulb.  Remove the plant from its container and loosen the roots.  Plant the bulb a few inches deeper than it was in the container and cover it with soil.  Water thoroughly and fertilize with an all-purpose garden fertilizer.  For the remainder of the season water and fertilize as you would your other garden plantings.  Don't be alarmed when the top withers and dies.  New shoots will emerge and may flower in July or August. 

Understand that lilies are not normally winter-hardy in the greater Kansas City area.  To improve your chances for success, mulch them with 4 inches of straw or leaves in the fall.  With luck you will have new flowers again next June!
 

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Tines For Transplanting...
One of the trickiest parts of raising seedlings indoors is the delicate process of transplanting up to a larger peat pot.  All too often the soil surrounding the roots just falls apart.  Try using an ordinary table fork next time.  You can loosen the plants in the seed flat without damaging the roots.  Then you can open a hole for the new transplant in the new flat or pot by rocking it sideways.  Finally, by sliding the tines around the delicate stem and pressing down, the transplant can be firmed in the growing medium.

Befuddled By Bulbs...
Every year about this time we start getting e-mails asking about all the bulbs currently offered by retailers and garden centers.  "Isn't fall the correct time to plant bulbs?" is the common question.  Well, fall is the correct time to plant spring flowering bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocus, etc...)  But there's another group of "bulbs" that can be planted soon for floral displays this summer.  They include begonias, dahlias, daylilies, and so many more!  If you're ready to give them a try take a moment to read our Guide to Summer Flowering Bulbs in Kansas City.

Are You A Good Host?
Sometimes gardening is a lot like hosting a party.  Plants, like party guests, need to be steered toward others that will enjoy their company.  The practice of companion planting, growing vegetables in proximity to helpful plants, has become quite popular over the years.  Here are some of our favorite matchmaker tips:
 

Ready, Set, Mow...
If you haven't started mowing your lawn yet, get ready to.  Start by walking your property and picking up everything that shouldn't be there when mowing - toys, sticks, golf balls, whatever.  Also, make sure your mower blade is sharp.

Don't wait until the entire lawn needs mowing.  This time of year many lawns grow in a patchy manner and there will be spots that are several inches taller than others.

Finally...
"Truly in the East
The white bean
And the great corn-plant
Are tired with the white lightning.
Listen! rain approaches!
The voice of the bluebird is heard.
Truly in the East
The white bean
And the great squash
Are tied with the rainbow.-"

~ Louva Dahozy