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Archive for the ‘E. Ayers’ Category

The contemporary cowboys are young and ready to take on the world. Okay, maybe just a mean-spirited bull, but you’ve got to love their determination.  They earn points for each ride but so does the bull.  No, I don’t exactly understand the point system.  The better the bull is at giving the rider a tough ride, and the longer the rider stays on and handles the antics of the bull, the higher the overall score. All these photos were taken at The Isle of Wight County Fair in Virginia.

Here come the garden catalogs. Beautiful photos of blueberries, apples, caladiums, roses, hosta, tomatoes and zinnias tempt us into buying more than we need. Ah, yes. We drool or at least I do. The thought of that still warm from the sun tomato busting with flavor makes me want to buy all those wonderful seeds. Except I know better.

I’m not a novice gardener, nor do I own a greenhouse. That doesn’t stop me from curling up in a chair with a few garden catalogs. Let’s take a good hard look at those catalogs. See that little color-coded map? Where do you live?

If it grows in Minnesota it’s probably not going to grow well in Arizona and vise versa. If you live in Zone 7 make certain that whatever you purchase is hardy for Zone 7. Most of the time you will see a range, Zones 6-8. These zones are based on cold temperatures. Some companies are adding a new map of sun zones that are based on high temperatures. That’s quite handy for growing vegetables and annuals. Did you know that certain flowers and vegetables quit flowering in high temperatures?

If you need help deciding which growing zone you are in you can check with the USDA if you are in the USA. http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html It’s not interactive for Canada or Mexico, but the zones are present. The USDA map is much larger than the catalogs’, so it’s easier to see the zone for your area.

The biggest mistake people make is buying things that will outgrow their small area. That cute little tree will grow quite large. If they say plant it 25 feet from the house, they mean it! You don’t want it scraping your siding or its roots destroying your foundation.

Also those foundation plants such as American boxwood can reach heights of thirty feet or more. So why would anyone plant such a thing and then try to keep it three feet high? That’s like trying to bonsai a mighty oak tree, but people do it all the time. Some shrubs should never be pruned, yet people do it. Forsythia is a prime example. Left to grow naturally it will turn into a cascading yellow waterfall. The only maintenance it will require is a little thinning every three to five years.

Fruit trees are work! I don’t care how carefree the catalogs make them seem – they aren’t. If you love a particular fruit and it is hardy in your area. Then buy it and enjoy it. Where I live in Virginia, fig trees do very well. They aren’t really trees. They are shrubs. They are practically disease free here and they have lovely foliage. They also bear lots of fruit. How many figs were you planning to eat? Fig jam anyone? I’d love a good Fig Newton recipe but Nabisco isn’t giving it up, and in the long run buying a package of Fig Newton cookies when the craving strikes is much easier than coping with the fig tree. Fortunately the squirrels like figs.

Seeds are relatively cheap. Find the ones you can plant directly into the ground. Plant them at the proper time for your zone. You don’t want those tender shoots popping up through the ground only to be frozen by a late frost or being cooked to death from too much heat.

So what about all those great tomato seeds? The thought of little seedlings in the kitchen window getting a head start just might mean you’ll be eating garden fresh tomatoes in April or May. It can be done. It’s not difficult. Plant the seeds, maintain soil temperature and moisture, and provide enough light. My biggest problem is light and I don’t want to invest in a fancy light system. Well, that’s not exactly correct. My biggest problem was light. Now I have a bigger problem, a cat named Hook. It’s his job to destroy all my indoor plants.

There are two types of tomato plants indeterminate and determinate. It’s important to know the difference. Indeterminate keep growing and growing and producing the entire time. Determinate grow, produce lots of fruit, and die. I hear people say they had these wonderful tomatoes and three weeks later the darn plants died. That’s what happens. The great thing about most determinate tomatoes is that they produce early. So plant both. Look for those letters such as VN after the name on the tomato plant. The more letters, the more resistant they are to various diseases and insects.

So what does this mean to the average novice gardener? Look at the catalogs. Choose seeds or plants wisely. Visit your local garden center. Chances are if they are selling it then it will probably do well in your area.

So what makes me drool? Daylilies. I’m a sucker for a daylily catalog and a sexy romantic novel.

Coming soon: Gardening in Tiny Spaces (doing it on the balcony), Sex in the Garden (the sexiest garden inhabitants), The Child’s Garden (teaching them about the birds and the bees), and Garden Tools (keeping them disease-free and well-lubricated).

You chose that romantic garden calendar and hung it on the wall. Its bright cheery flowers smile back at you each time you glance at it. Ah, to have a garden like that one.  Scores of white flowers drift between trees, and the white wicker settee with its colorful cushions looks like the perfect place to sit and read your latest romance novel.

Screech! Rewind that image. Since when did iberis bloom at the same time as peonies? And balloon flowers are not going to be happy growing next to the Solomon’s seal. Is that a yucca tucked in that shade? And who leaves those cushions on a piece of wicker out in the elements?

The day I stopped long enough to seriously identify the flowers, was the day I realized I had been duped.  Then it became a game. What’s wrong with this photo?

I’ve scrutinized many a calendar photo and spotted the black plastic flowerpots nestled between the ivy. All it takes to make your garden look like that is easy access to a greenhouse, the willingness to shift plants around, and plenty of ground cover.

But wait, you’ve been places such as Busch Gardens with all those beautiful plants in full bloom. If they can do it, why can’t you? Simple, for every plant you see they have three more just like it in the greenhouse. They have people who do nothing but replace plants as needed in the wee hours of the morning before you visit. If that hanging basket looks a little bedraggled, it’s exchanged with a fresh one.

So what does that mean to the average person who’d like a nice garden? Nothing.  Enjoy what you have and don’t worry so much.  Anyone can turn their backyard into a romantic paradise long enough to take a few photographs, have a wedding, or picnic with friends and relatives.  Just don’t expect it to stay that way.