The Frugal Gardener

Cool Plants For Hot Days

 

Cosmos always look as fresh as a daisy. I love them in all colors. The single petal varieties seem to be impervious to heat. Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violate) Like ordinary garlic this plant belongs to the lily (Alliaceae) family. Experts day it should be considered a mere "cousin" of true garlic and that this plant is more closely related to the narcissus flower. Society garlic does have a distinctive, pronounced garlicky smell.
Despite it’s strong aroma, society garlic is an attractive ornamental plant for the garden. I use several plants to create a ruffled bordered, away from the path, so their smell stays a secrete. In the dog days of August, the leaves look refreshing.
Hardy geraniums can look ratty after they bloom in spring. Cut them way back, and they quickly re-bloom and grow new perky leaves. Especially, if you add mulch, organic fertilizer and give them a deep drink. Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) is a hot weather lover. In fact, the leaves don’t sprout until the days and nights warm. Even during the hottest days, the leaves never wilt, and the frilly blooms look fresh. Many herbs come on strong even during heat waves. One of my favorites is Dittany of Crete (Dictamus origanoides). It blooms all through the hottest weather, and it has dramatic unusual flowers. ‘Goshiki’ or False Holly (Osmanthus heterophyllus) is my new favorite hedge option. The varietal name ‘Goshiki’ translates from Japanese as "five colors", and this plant is colorful.  The new leaves emerge cream or red and then turn multiple shades of green. The leaves appear splashed with spots of creamy white, yellow-green and gray-green. My plant is still in a small pot.  They say it will have fragrant tiny white flowers in the fall. It likes moist soil and  afternoon shade, and I am amazed that my false holly has done well in a small pot in the heat. I try to water it daily...but despite my neglect it keeps getting new leaves! During heat waves, I appreciate my tough volunteers. Common lobelia and sweet alyssum seem to pop up in sweet spots regardless of the heat. In fact, I just discovered these wee treasures blooming by my brick path where they thrive even with reflected heat.

Combining Plants

Gardens offer surprises. Plant a Nicotiana alata 'Lime Green' from Annie's annuals in the shade where you think it will star, and ups pops a feverfew. They mingle together in a glorious, unexpected way.

Texture is valuable year-round in any garden. Lamb's ear offer fuzzy leaves. Nearby, I had forgotten my dormant Lemon Balm and they combined in an unplanned but lovely fashion. The puckered, fragrant, green, leaves of the balm, perfectly offset the soft grey velvety Lamb's ear.

 

The best color combinations often come about in an unforeseen way. My nasturtiums clamored up into an ivy geranium. I would never purposefully plant orange and pink side-by-side. However, they look smashing. I can't brag, because this was pure serendipity.

A friend of mine has a garden bursting with contrasting colors, it always inspires! The wisteria vine dangles close to clivia every spring.

Whenever you see a great color combination, remember the plants used and the colors that caught your eye. This appealing combination above is reminiscent of the prior photo featuring nasturtium and ivy geranium.

A challanging hillside gets colored with blue Pride Of Maderia (Echium candicans) and yellow Lady Banksia, a classic climbing rose.

In the shade, blue spiderwort and pink begonia provide interest - both in contrasting texture and colors.“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures,” said Henry Ward Beecher. Use your garden as your canvas!

April In My Garden

Spring is just plain fun. The flowers, the sunshine, the cool

beeeze! And, the roses!
From a sweet unnamed minature, to the above David Austin's Perdita- I have twenty roses! I love Perdita because there are so many romatic colors on one bush. The flowers change colors as they open. The scent is intense, like ice cream, tea, and honey mixed together.

Foxgloves and bunnies, seem a good match.

The cheerful Geranium incanum are covered with purple. They can become like weeds - spreading everywhere- but I can't bear to pull them in the spring.

My favorite beared Iris is in bloom. It came from my Uncle Happy in Utah. He is gone, but I think of him when this blooms!

Yellow is always a cheerful color and my columbines add a nice exclamation point in front of large camellia bushes.

 
Nature has a way of blending colors you'd never wear together- hot red, purple, yellow and blues.

My climbing Eden rose, is loaded with lush cabbage roses. I hate to park cars in front of the fence to block the view! My favorite thing in spring is all my roses. What is your favorite thing?

Egg-citment In The Garden

    Spring has arrived spreading her cloak of fresh green over gardens. Primal feelings surge inside the gardener’s psyche. Spring fever has hit and gardeners want to incorporate the icons of the season into their gardens. One such symbol is the egg, which symbolizes springtime, renewal, and rebirth.
  This year, to signal springtime in your garden, why not dye eggs from things you grow? Nature’s dyes come in an array of hues which are distinct from the chemical based, garish mass-produced dyes. The resulting eggs fit naturally in the garden, tucked into statues, perched inside nests, or embellishing an empty birdbath. Another plus of is this project is ideal for children of all ages.
How To Dye Eggs Naturally
    The easiest way to make natural dye for eggs is to boil plants, fruits, seeds, or hulls that have been cut up or crushed. Use a food processor, or a blender to macerate berries, carrots or any tougher treasures. Then, take at least two cups of the raw material and cover all the ingredients with water. Be sure to use a stainless steel, so you don’t stain the pot. Boil the brew a few minutes, then simmer for one half an hour.

    The resulting liquid is the dye. Strain the liquid through a colander or sieve, and place into large bowls, or jars.

  Add one teaspoon of     vinegar for every cup     of the the liquid dye to help set the color. While the dye is still hot, drop in hard-boiled eggs, and then refrigerate them overnight in the dye. For a beautiful sheen, rub the finished dyed eggs with vegetable oil.

   

The result is eggs that have a unique appearance, and each natural dye produces a different result.

The longer the eggs soak, the more solid the hue becomes, and some dyes just seem to make a more solid color. Onion skins in particular create a smooth color wash. However, the look from most berries is mottled, and uneven, almost like a bird’s egg or a stone.
    Get kids involved on picking items to create the dyes. To get shades of red and pink, use cooked beets, raspberries, or strawberries. Brown dye results from using yellow onion skins, ground cayenne, or coffee grounds. Blue and purple hues can be concocted from red cabbage, blueberries, cranberries, and grapes.

Yellow and green stains are the most difficult to obtain. Try grass clippings, yellow flowers, ground turmeric, or asparagus stems, and let the eggs stew longer. For intense green or yellow the eggs may need to steep in the dye for 48 hours.
    For longer lasting eggs, blow the inside liquid out before dying. Use a long needle and make a hole in the top and bottom of the egg. Breaking the yolk first makes the blowing out process easier. Blown eggs can stay outside, making them ideal for creating garden vignettes.

Extra Fun With Dyed Eggs
    These springtime eggs can have a surprising second life fighting snails. Just crumble the shells and mound them a half inch high in a circle around plants to repel snails and slugs. Additionally, decomposing shells add calcium to the soil. Seasonal displays, snail protection,and a fun project for children, do you need more incentive to begin?
    When you have several dyed eggs made, the creative fun begins. Hang blown eggs with fishing line so they dangle from trees, add eggs to wreaths, tie them onto gifts, or hang a few from masses of ribbon over the back of chairs. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, instead use your imagination.

Grow Green Flowers For Luck

   
Saint Patrick’s Day arrives and we all want to become part Irish.  If you enjoy that feeling, why not try your luck at growing unique green flowers?  Subtle, yet uncommon, these flowers will bring a smile.  Green flowers were once rare, but now, dance a jig because there are many available.
    A striking example of dramatic green flowers are Bells of Ireland (Molucella laevis).  This plant is an easy-to-grow annual. The flowers look like pale green bells with tiny white flowers inside.  This plant appears to be the work of a leprechaun.  Another common name for this flower is Lady-in-the-Bath, because the green oblong calyxes (bells) are shaped like little bathtubs, and the inner flower, with imagination, appears to be a miniature lady bathing.

Bells of Ireland thrive in full sun and sandy soil.  In mild climates, sow the seeds in late fall. In cold climates, sow after danger of frost has passed. Their seeds require light to germinate so don’t cover, instead, press the seeds lightly into the soil.  Plants are available in some nurseries now.  In warm climates, they often bloom in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
  photo from www.anniesannuals.com
  If you want green,fragrant flowers to fill a shady nook, then nicotiana is ideal.  This plant pictured above, is known as flowering tobacco, and comes in ‘Lime Green’ (Nicotiana alata). When you see this woodland plant covered with perfumed, lime-sherbet hued flowers, you will be charmed. Nicotiana are evening scented, so place them where you will enjoy their rich scent at night.

Green flowering gladiola bulbs are drought tolerant and can be planted as soon as the soil warms, and after all danger of frost has passed. These traditional flowers have been filling gardens for generations, because they are so bullet-proof. Give this old-fashioned flower a twist by planting ‘Green star’ a stately, green blooming variety. 

Happy Valentine's Day & a Sweet Easy Project

The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it.  You and you alone make me feel that I am alive.  Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough. - By George Moore

 
It has been said that we need just three things in life: Something to do, Something to look forward to And someone to love.

By Anonymous 

 

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” Judy Garland   

 

 

 

 

How did it happen that their lips came together?  How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill?  A kiss, and all was said. By Victor Hugo 

 Make a sweet project. Buy or cut curly willow and insert into large urn. Add decorative rocks to hold in place. Make or buy delicate garland, heart shaped ornaments. Make your own tags from favorite papers & vintage scraps .

Ah me! love can not be cured by herbs. 

By Ovid

The Rose In Winter

“The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart.” Author Unknown
    Now is the time to bring the romance of roses into your garden.  Buy a bare-root rose and experience the reward of a thorny cane becoming a regal blooming wonder.  January and early February are the best months in mild climates to plant roses.  With Spring, soils warm, roots anchor, and the rose gets a good start. Now is the time to prune your existing roses, to revive and reshape them for the year.
Buy bare-root roses as soon as they get to the nursery.  Avoid purchasing them at drugstores or buying sale plants.  Purchase only Grade One roses for a vigorous, quality plant. Try to get your rose into the ground as soon as possible!  Carefully pick new roses by noting fragrance, color, size, disease resistance, and necessary care. Taking your time and evaluating a rose will save you trouble and prickly problems later.
  This is a great time to boost soil quality with a rich soil amendment, particularly important in Southern California where organic matter is practically non existent. There are many excellent soil amendments specifically for roses to try, Kellogg's has one, and a local favorite is Ada Perry’s Magic Formula for roses. This formula combines bone meal, blood meal, and Epson salts to stimulate your rose without harsh fertilizers.
 Plant bare-root roses in a hole large enough to contain the roots without bending them.  Thoroughly mix amendments into the soil.  Set your rose over a cone of soil in the center of the hole with it’s roots splayed over the cone.  Then, firmly backfill the hole.  Create a watering trough by digging an inch wide trench in a circle around your rose.  Water often until your rose is growing and established.
    Nurseries now are full of fantastic bare-root roses.  This year there is a dazzling rainbow of rose colors to choose from in our local nurseries.  A fairly new rose getting rave reviews is the ‘Honey Dijon’ hybrid tea rose. It’s flower is a nice burnt mustard color.  This rose is reported to do particularly well in Southern California. 

Also, look for the rare rose with reddish black blooms, ‘Black Baccara’. This is said to be the darkest of the reds yet. 
    Don’t miss shopping in January for the best selection of new roses and of old favorites.
     Now is the time to prune the roses you already have.  Pruning seems complicated, but it is a process of simple evaluation. If you think of it as “whacking back” and try to not feel as if you need a Ph.D. in pruning.  People whack back plants in their garden, yet when the time comes to shaping roses people become afraid. As the Nike slogan says, “Just do it!”. 
    When you start pruning plan from the ground up, aiming for an urn shaped rose.  A good rule of thumb is to cut off 1/2 to 1/3 of each cane.  Remove canes which cross or block the rose’s center, and use good quality sharp pruners.  Look for the cane’s bud-eye which resembles a small smile or frown.  New growth emerges from this area.  Prune above an outward eye to direct growth away from the rose’s center.  Remember to remove all leaves left on the plant or on the ground after you prune roses, as these can host pests and diseases. Keep in mind, it is not brain surgery, and a panel of experts will not critique your job.
    If this sounds too confusing, don't fret, all local nurseries have free instruction sheets on pruning and often offer classes.  They can provide information if you have a climber, English or another type of rose. Go ahead and prune, even if your rose has buds and leaves. You will get better and more confident each year you prune.

The Greenest Choice for a Holiday Tree

      Holidays are a joyful time, but environmental concerns can put a damper on decorating your home.  Especially difficult is the tree decision. Is it better to go artificial, or have a cut tree? This can be a perplexing decision, but hold on for cheerful news.  The best option for the environment is to buy a living tree.  And, this is good news because there are so many wonderful options of holiday trees to buy, and there are also great choices that are not even trees at all.
    Think beyond pines, and firs, and look for something else that is fragrant and showy.  Topiaries made from herbs, like rosemary or lavender, can be turned into a wonderful tabletop arrangement. 
Simply add tiny ornaments or tie large bows onto the trunks.  Then, when the holidays are over they can go into your garden.  One caution, these herbs don’t enjoy being indoors.  Accordingly limit the time spent inside to two weeks. 

   
    Even more fleeting, but quite dramatic is a floral design shaped like a tree.  Craft stores have floral foam trees in several sizes.  Use long-lasting flowers like amaryllis, or carnations to cover the form.  Place form in a shallow bowl which can hold water.  This allows the foam to take up the moisture the flowers need to stay fresh.  Expect your theatrical design to last a gorgeous week.
Do you want something longer lasting?  Then, get a live tree.  Since most of us have small gardens, or garden in containers, a dwarf pine or fir is an excellent choice. (For details on varities and care instructions go to my 2009 december blog entry). Most will remain in a large container for many years before requiring transplanting.  Nothing adds spirit and scent to holiday decorating like a real conifer.
    To keep a live tree healthy, limit the time spend indoors to a week or two at most.  Additionally, place the tree in bright light and away from heat sources.  Plan to pick up your tree as soon as possible for the best selection, because local nurseries usually only get one delivery of live trees right after Thanksgiving.
Have a green Christmas!

 


 

Happy Halloween- get your gourd on!

  To make these simple pumpkins, and gourds for Halloween and Thanksgiving, first gather your materials. You will need: floral adhesive, succulent cuttings, sphagnum moss, pumpkins, and gourds. The next step is putting glue around the pumpkin stem, or wherever you want to place the moss.

Next take your cuttings and place the smallest amount of glue along their stem, and insert into moss. The cuttings can be plucked out after you finish using the design, and they will be perfectly callused and ready to plant.




Keep adding succulents until you are happy.




Happy Halloween, and don't eat too much candy!

The Baby Chickens Arrived!

These adorable day old chicks arrived at our post office on Tuesday morning, They are araucana's, and lay eggs in cream, green, and pale blue and thus are nicknamed Easter Egg chickens . We have been preparing for them for awile now.



My inspiration for the chicken coop came from a local birdhouse builder. Sort of like Dr. Seuss crossed with Alice-in-Wonderland. My marvelous husband built it for me, and helped install the enclosed pen. Here is the area we cleared for the girls and the birdhouse. The photos below show the stages of construction. I was a good cheerleader, and made loads of iced tea!

Jeff, my husband used paint stir sticks to make the roof, and he hinged it on one side so I can clean it out, and get out eggs. Very clever. He also added some fun doors.

Currently, the girls are inside under a brooder heat lamp.  They need the temperature at 95 degrees the first week. If it gets too cold they huddle. When it is too warm they seperate and move away from the heat source. It requires constant adjusting of the lamp, but they are such tiny, sweet things, it is fun to watch them. I am thinking of naming them Poppy, Petunia, and Posy. But, Violet, our lop earred bunny might get jealous.I hope that none of them ends up being a rooster! I think the neighbors would frown on crowing.  
 

 

 

 

   

 

 
 

 

  
I will post more information about the babies as they grow. I think they already look bigger in the photo where they are drinking from a wee tea cup!