~ January 28, 2009 ~

The Bright Side Of Snow...
Yesterday's snow was soft and pretty. I liked that if fell continually throughout the day covering everything in white. I have such a hate, love thing for snow. I guess if you look at the positive there are many fun things to do with snow. Snowball fights, the building of snowmen and snow forts and sledding. Of course there is skiing but that is a bit of a stretch since we live in Kansas. How about catching snowflakes on your tongue? Or making snow angels? Even now as a grown-up I still enjoy most of these activities. I don't like the cold but I do like the way snow looks and I guess when it comes right down to it you can have a lot of fun with it.

Savvy Seed Starting...
It's getting to be seed starting time around here. Depending on how adventurous you are there are seeds to start indoors now and many, many more to start in the weeks to come. Need some help getting started? We've got two very handy (and popular) articles that you might enjoy:

• When to Start Seeds Indoors includes timing information related to our last frost date in Kansas City
• Seed Starting Indoors is a step-by-step primer on the whole seed starting process.

Valentine's Day Looks Rosy...
Valentine's Day is fast approaching. If you are giving or getting potted miniature roses we have some tips to keep them looking great.

• Start by providing the plant with as much sun as you possibly can.
• Keep it cool. Avoid temperatures above 75°F and never place your rose near a heat source.
• Keep the humidity high by placing it on a tray of pebbles filled with water.
• Remove faded blossoms and turn the plant frequently to counteract its tendency to reach for sunlight.
• Monitor it carefully for spider mites and discourage mite infestation by giving your rose a shower in the bathtub every two weeks.
• When warmer weather arrives in April, you can plant your valentine gift in a sunny position in your garden or move it to a larger container to add color to a corner of your deck or patio.

Thank Heaven For Houseplants...
This time of year many Savvygardeners turn their attention to houseplants. It's not the same as gardening outside during the other three seasons but it's gardening nonetheless. Repeated requests for information on houseplant care (cleaning, fertilizing, containers, and light requirements) have prompted us to post an informative article on Houseplant Care. Find it in our Features section...

Oh, Deer...
With the rise of deer populations, damage to landscapes has increased because of browsing. However, deer have preferences and will avoid some plant species if more desirable food is available. K-State Extension has given us this short list of plants deer normally do not bother. Remember that feeding habits can shift due to changes in food supply. Also, some deer may have different preferences than most of the group.

• Trees: Blue Spruce and Russian Olive
• Shrubs: Barberry, Boxwood, Redosier Dogwood, Yew, Russian Olive, Rose of Sharon, European Privet
• Annuals, Perennials and Bulbs: Yarrow, Ageratum, Columbine, Snapdragon, Lily of the Valley, Purple Cornflower, Daylily, Lavender, Sweet Alyssum, Daffodil, Russian Sage, Marigold, Lamb's Ears, Thyme, and Yucca.

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Groundhog Day Explained...
Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. It is on this day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow. If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole. If the day is cloudy (and, therefore, shadowless) he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground. The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important. According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

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Forcing The Issue...
One of the great winter pleasures is forcing the stems of certain woody plants into bloom for indoor display. Three of the easiest are forsythia, pussywillow and flowering quince. These plants have now gone through enough cold weather to satisfy their chilling requirement and should bloom if given the right conditions.

Choose a day that is above freezing for collecting branches for blooming. Cut the stems, keeping the stem length to 3 feet or less and place them in a bucket of water. Once you have all the branches you want, bring them into the house and soak them in warm water for several hours to ensure that the stems and buds are fully hydrated (a bathtub works well for this). Next, place them in a container that has a warm preservative solution and place them in an environment with high humidity and plenty of light. Floral preservatives accomplish two functions; they prevent bacterial growth in your water and provide nutrients and energy for the life processes of the plants.

Normally, forsythia will take about 9 days to flower, quince will require between 12 to 20, and pussywillow needs from 5 to 15 days. The time required will vary depending on your indoor conditions and how late in the winter the branches were collected with less time being required for later collections. Most woody plants will remain in flower for about a week before the blooms start to fade.

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Bag Those Worms!
Winter is a great time to reduce the bagworm population, decreasing damage next summer. Eggs of the bagworm moth survive the winter in bags left on the tree. These bags, which are 1 to 3 inches long and hang from the branches, are easy to spot, especially on deciduous trees including bald cypress. Check your evergreen conifers as well. Pick off the bags and throw them away. Each bag contains 500 to 1000 eggs, so removing even a few can significantly lessen the injury next year.

Finally...
"It is not one's partner's idleness or unfair apportionment of labour that may cut a marriage asunder, but it is wheelbarrows. Those lovely little three-legged objects which are the backbone of garden transport. No matter how many we have, and by now we have acquired four, they will be full, in the wrong place or mysteriously mislaid. They are the thin skin of garden compatibility, the Achilles' heel. Abuse, accusation and devious manipulation hang around wheelbarrows like bad vibes round the Moonies. Has any gardening couple ever owned enough wheelbarrows? I'd love to know. And if they have, what is the number?"

~ Mirabel Osler