Like all living things, plants need water. They do not all have the same needs, and these vary depending on season and weather. We note that excessive watering will cause asphyxia of the roots, and that lack of water can be just as harmful. Water is a matter of observation and dosage…

The volume of water you will use when watering your plants depends on several parameters: what nature calls for (whether it is a plant in the tropics or in the desert), the amount of water that rain brings and the texture of the soil (sandy or clay).

Some highlights:

When you see a plant with its leaves drooping, it is urgent to give it water. With experience, we know the plant needs water before it even goes that far: the leaf loses its gloss, it is duller than usual, and this will last for a few hours before it starts wilting. Plants that wilt too often need more frequent and regular watering.

On trees and shrubs, thirst can be spotted more easily, because the branches do not bend. Early yellowing of leaves (sometimes as early as August), abnormal limited growth or even a flowering when not in season are the signs of a lack of water. Do not worry about over-watering, in dry and porous soil it can take up to 12 gallons (or more) per week to help a young growing tree!

So, consider the needs of the plants you have planted or you intend to plant. Choose those that are drought resistant if your soil is sandy or that the region receives less water than elsewhere. In wetlands, such as on the valley floor or near rivers, you don’t want to grow a plant with low water requirement: as you shall see, they will be unnecessarily sick.

Watering your plants properly also means not overwatering. Many plants suffer from soggy ground from too generous watering. This is the case of roses, which will develop root diseases and dieback. Hedgerows of evergreen shrubs, such as silverberry (Elaeagnus) will take on a yellowish color. If they experience over-watering for a long period of time, they will lose their leaves and wither. The beginner gardener might think that they must be thirsty, and waters even more… and exacerbates the problem! You must instead reduce watering, check the wetness of the ground before watering again: if it is still wet to the touch, you must wait.

Fertilizers are not a problem when used sparingly and at the right time.

Like people, plants need different periods of more or less nutrients. For example, during a child’s growth, we must take special care in feeding them and give them vitamins during periods of high growth. Ditto for an adult during periods of fatigue or stress. And the more we age, the less we need a rich diet.

It’s the same for plants. For proper growing conditions, they must be regularly given manure, compost and good amendments. When moved or changing pots, they go through a period of strong growth or flowering. They then need a little boost with the proper use of fertilizer.

It is important to have a reasoned approach to fertilizer use, because even if they are of natural origin, they transform the soil and the life it supports. If misused, they will be a source of imbalance to the state of soil fertility and nutrient composition of crops and in crop yields. You must therefore ensure that:

- You know your soil

- Understand the actions of different fertilizers, their technique of use and quantities to use

- Avoid the use of nitrogen on young seedlings.

- Do not apply fertilizer on plants that look sick and weak.

- Do not fertilize if the soil of your yard is parched.

- to avoid burning the roots, sprinkle generously with water first, then again a few days after fertilizer application.

Fertilizers that contain nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash in concentrated form, can overcome the deficiencies of the soil and offset its losses by providing the elements that are missing. Each major element plays a particular role in the functional balance of the plant.

You will notice that these three major elements are interdependent and mutually complementary. Their simultaneous presence in sufficient quantities is essential to harmonious vegetation. Experience shows that the importance of performance is determined by the element contained in smaller quantities. It is therefore no point to make use of one more than another, for example phosphoric acid, if others do not exist in balanced proportions.

Excess nitrogen in relation to phosphoric acid and potash are expressed in particular by severe vegetative disorders, failure of fertilization of flowers (sagging), imperfect maturation of wood and fruit, increased susceptibility to fungal diseases and cold …

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Since plants are living beings, they need food to be healthy. Soil plays a big role in the nutrition of plants since they will draw the nutrients that allow them to grow.

Amending your soil affects the soil by increasing the amount of nutrients that plants can absorb as needed. The soil amendment can therefore replace nutrients that were removed by previous crops. These practices also serve to enrich poor soil.

The dirt in our gardens is rarely ideal. To improve it, one incorporates various substances: it is called amending your soil. Thus, the gardener can play with the proportions of soil constituents. The operation is not without risk and it is imperative to meet the needs of each plant.

Organic soil amendment:
They help to renew the soil by re-balancing it. Thus, a land too sandy becomes denser and will retain water more easily. Similarly, a limestone or clayey soil is less compact. In addition to compost and manure, well-known to gardeners, other amendments consisting of other mixtures can also be very effective when amending your soil.

Compost:
These are the products of organic decomposition. Leaves, green waste from gardening or eating. Even though some composts can be purchased, it is preferable and more environmentally friendly to make it yourself. To do this, make or buy a composter. Each layer of organic matter should be spaced every 8 inches or so, with a layer of straw to ensure good oxygenation of the whole mixture. In about a year, you will get a well-decomposed mixture that you can add to your garden soil during gardening preparation.

Manure:
Manure has been used to enrich the soil since the beginning of agriculture. It is efficient and easy to find. Animal waste is from livestock, but not all have the same qualities. The best is lamb manure, but more common is cattle manure because it is easier to get. Golden rule to follow: the manure composting must undergo a minimum of 6 months before being incorporated into the soil. Not following this guideline may burn the crops.

Commercial soil amendment products:
These include all preparations made commercially available, these are mixtures of manure, seaweed, bark, peat… In addition to improving soil physically, they fertilize the soil and allow plants to grow very rapidly. Note however that you must follow the suggested amounts when amending your soil.

While the the weather outside can keep your mind far away from your own garden, it is the perfect time to start preparing your spring garden bed. The soil may well be rock solid with ice, however it is critical to get your soil ready for a successful bed.

No matter if you favor the flower, or go with the vegetable type of garden (or maybe you want both), creating a natural environment for optimum results starts well before small seedlings will be put into the ground. After a harsh winter, the garden soil needs to be prepared to be in the best condition to give the most beautiful plants or fruits and vegetables.

The early spring season is perfect for pruning roses, shrubs and fruit trees. For the vegetable garden, it’s time to aerate and hoe deep into the earth. To help the soil to renew itself, it’s good to enrich it with compost, which you can make yourself.

But if the frost is still around in your area, it is safer to plant inside a nursery… ie; indoors. The cold weather of March can still do irreparable damage to the rest of the season. All herbs such as parsley, basil or chives may be planted in advance in pots or planters. Once the frost season is over, all you have to do is to transplant them into the garden soil that is well prepared.

To properly bloom during springtime, bulbs have to be planted just before winter season. Normally, bulbs usually won’t bloom the very first year. Hence get ready now and guarantee a productive bloom the following spring by preparing your spring garden.

Choosing a good area for the bulb bed will be essential. Bulbs require adequate drainage, good sun light as well as great soil.

Good waterflow and drainage is really important. If your soil drains improperly, the bulbs could be made weaker, be unable to blossom and often get rotten. If you fail to locate a properly drained spot, don’t worry. It is possible to construct a raised bed. Simply by planting bulbs within raised beds, the bulbs will be higher than the natural landscape level, therefore helping drainage.

Remember to inspect your garden tools and think of replacing older ones: good tools make your work easier and make the pleasure of gardening even more rewarding!

Practical tips for your garden before spring

* Ground cleaning after the winter. Remove dead leaves, branches, etc.

* Hoeing the ground and put fertilizer and compost at the base of each plant

* Prune rose bushes and shrubs

* Inspect seedlings or cuttings planted

To have a nice garden, one can grow many types of plants. After selecting plants according to the environment, the next step would be starting seeds. There are two methods; they can be planted directly into the soil in spring or fall and wait or you can start the seeds indoors in early spring (March-May). The latter method has the advantage of controlling the environment (water, light and temperature) and also offers the opportunity for children to observe the growth of plants and take care of them. Fun for the whole family.You can use juice containers and milk cartons that are cut in half lengthwise. These pots offer the advantage of being rectangular (easier to manage space), waterproof and recyclable. The steps are:

1. Cut a cardboard container in two
2. Fill with good soil
3. Make small holes in the soil about an inch apart with a pencil about 1/2 inch deep
4. Put a seed in each hole
5. Carefully cover the seeds with soil and Water lightly using a mist spray

(important not to move the plants).
6. Put the container close to a natural (like a window) or artifical light source.

Naturally, there are kits found in stores for starting seeds which often come with 3 trays, a lid and a drip tray for water. But any slightly hollow container will easily work: jam jars, bowls, soup bowls. To properly wash these containers, you must not forget to disinfect them with vinegar or lemon.

Water the plants each day (morning and evening) with the mist spray. After 6 weeks, or when plants are large enough to handle the transfer,  they can be transplanted. If the plants are accustomed to warmer temperatures and less light, it is preferable to allow a period of adaptation to external conditions by exposing plants to their next environment.
Even if seeds for a lot of plants may be seeded straight into the soil, a lot more plants require that the garden enthusiast begin by starting seeds indoors; the new plants are then transplanted outdoors when weather conditions will allow.

As I watch the snowline move farther down the mountain outside my upstairs window I have a mixed feeling. Part of me- the Mountain Girl- is happy about the snow, as I love winter and all the fun things that we do here in Montana in the winter, but the other part of me- the Gardener- gets a little sad. If any of the rest of you are like me you’ve waited until the very last minute to put your garden away for the winter.

If you live in a climate with a mild winter you really don’t have a lot to worry about. but if you live in a climate like ours- here’s that last minute check list…

First- make sure all your outdoor faucets are turned off! You won’t need them, and trust me- if you forget one it WILL burst and you will have an ice-skating rink in your yard! Boy, did I learn that from experience!
Put all your tools away! You won’t need them either! You can store them in a place that freezes as long as it is dry. Moisture breeds rust so make sure they don’t get rained on, snowed on, or leaked on. Clean them up before putting them away. Wash them, dry them, and put a coat of oil on any metal parts… and yes, Crisco oil works.
And those Ceramic or Clay Pots? if you don’t have a dry place to store them remove the plants but leave the soil in them. Turn them upside down and pack anything you have around them. I have an abundance of leaves and I use them a lot for packing and mulch. The nice thing about leaves is they insulate well BUT you have to remove them in the early spring or they will also suffocate well! ( In the earliest part of Spring that you can, pull the leaves off, let them dry a couple days then mow them… they will dissolve under your mower and add great nutrients to your yard.)
Don’t forget to drain your garden hoses and store them in a dry place!

Also- don’t forget to collect seeds! Look at all your plants to see if there are seeds to collect. Don’t forget to look at your neighbors plants, the fast-food drive-thru- the Church yard- whatever or wherever!
Collect those seeds!!!! They will be valuable come Spring. All seeds need a cooling period- just like in nature- so when you gather them put them in paper -NOT PLASTIC – and you can give them the cooling period they need if you store them in the frig for the winter. I have a vegetable bin in the bottom of the frig that is only for seeds! Come late winter/early spring- you will have seeds to start and will save a lot of money if you collect your own.

While you’re waiting for Spring get out there and appreciate winter! Take advantage of any outdoor activities you have and look around you.. Most people think Winter is ugly, cold, and bleak but that is not so. One of the best things I’ve found about Winter is the color schemes. Mother Nature can teach us all a lot about colors that go well together, no matter what season it is.

So ….. once you’ve put your garden to bed get out there and enjoy your winter! It only comes once a year! Go on-line and order catalogs.. lots of Nurseries offer free catalogs. Curl up in front of your fire on a January night and look at those beautiful pictures, get out your pencil and paper and draw out that new bed you will plant in the Spring when it once again becomes time to hang up the snow shoes and bring out the garden tools!
Enjoy your Seasons!

I would also like to take this time to thank all of you that have written to me with your questions. I may be slow in answering as sometimes it gets a little busy here in my little piece of Mountain Heaven and my first priority is to my Home, Husband and Critters, but I will answer all mail as soon as I can, and I will try to do it as quickly as I can.
And an another HUGE thank you for those of you that take the time to write back and let me know how things turn out, or are happy with my help and write again with more questions.

So??? ….Gather those seeds, enjoy your winter, and let’s plan for next Spring!

Shawne

I’ve been getting a lot of mail lately asking me to Landscape a yard via e-mail. I haven’t been a
Landscaper- other than my own yard- but I have worked with many, so maybe-if I can’t landscape your yard via e-mail, I can give you some hints and tips to help you come out with exactly the yard you want. Let me tell you though, from personal and professional experience- even the most expert gardener makes
mistakes and ends up moving things two or three times until they get it right. It’s part of the process,
so don’t feel bad, or stupid, or like you’ll “never get it” if you end up having to move things more than once.

Let’s start with soil… and it is soil, as my professors pointed out to me many times. “Soil is what you grow in, dirt is what’s underneath your finger nails.” If I had a nickel for every time I heard that! ( along with ” it’s a shrub- not a bush!”) It’s my understanding that builders- in housing developments or lots that sell pre-built homes generally scrape off the topsoil and sell it. So you’re pretty much starting with bedrock! If you buy land and are building your own home you have a better chance of starting with some pretty good soil. Buy a soil tester! They are relatively inexpensive and you can find out what you are starting with. Check many different areas as soil can be totally different 6 ft away from a spot you check.
Decide if you need soil brought in or if you can till up and move around what you already have. If you
have soil brought in don’t take the seller’s word that he/she has the best topsoil in the world! Feel it, touch it, smell it before you buy it! ( and make sure the delivery fee is included in the price you are quoted.)

If you go with a professional Landscaper- do your homework! Many Landscapers don’t know plants at all.
They just know what looks good for now! If they don’t know the botanical name of a plant- you don’t
want them in your yard! Make sure they are licensed, bonded, and check references! If you decide to do your own landscaping- once again- do your homework!! Make sure you know your Zone and the plants you buy are suited for your Zone. Make sure you know the difference between “full sun” – “partial sun” – “shade”- and “full shade”. Know what time of the year your plants will flower and plan for a garden that will give you full beauty from early spring to late fall, and even winter beauty. Make sure that shrub you dearly love isn’t going to cover up the view from that picture window in a year or two.

This is the perfect time of year to plan that landscape for next spring. Take measurements, draw
pictures, plan your yard on paper and use that as your blueprint. Don’t make a flower bed too big to get
in and weed comfortably or an aisle between a bed and a building 2 inches to narrow to get the mower
through. Mix flowers and vegetables together for full use of your space allowing you beauty and an
edible garden at the same time. Add containers in and out of spaces. I use rounds of wood from my winter wood pile that I have to split every year to roll into a tight space and set a container on. Use what you have or what you think may be junk- for example- an old useless wheel barrow turned on it’s side can be filled with soil and planted with pansies so it looks like they are flowing out of the wheel barrow.

Take advantage of your County Extension Office. Your taxes pay their salary. Their knowledge and
expertise is a free service to you and they know what they are talking about ( most of the time). Use as
many Native plants as you can- they will last longer, and once established require much less water and
maintenance.
And black plastic… so many people ask about black plastic as a weed barrier. If you choose to use
plastic then feel free to do so. I do NOT use, or like black plastic. Yes- it keeps the weeds back, but
it also kills the worms and beneficial insects a garden needs. A garden can’t just be planted and will
look as good forever as it did on day one- so be prepared to put in the work it takes to maintain that
beautiful landscape. Be prepared to weed, prune, move, mulch- whatever it takes- but trust me- all the
hard work is well worth it when you’re sitting out in the evening with a cup of tea enjoying all the
beautiful colors and smells!

And here’s another idea for you! It’s coming on winter- yes- but it’s also a season of giving- with the
holidays, winter birthdays, and yes even Halloween! Throw some seed packets in with those gifts you
give. Even for kids! Kids love to grow things and what better gift than something to watch grow in the
Spring! I hope this helps answer some of your questions. If you have more questions you can always email me. I have gotten a little behind in answering my mail with having to get all the winter prep done. We live in the mountains, get a lot of snow, heat with wood, and there’s much winter prep to do in late September and all of October, but I will answer your mail soon. I’m almost done now and set for winter. I will enjoy my plant catalogs, or my seeds and draw out my plans for next years newest addition to the
landscape.

Enjoy your winter, enjoy your Holidays and Plan Those Landscapes and Gardens!
Happy Planting!

Shawne

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Another of my favorites! Most people hear the word geranium and think of Zonal's
or Martha Washington's but there is a whole wondrous world of perennial geraniums
to explore.
I like the Geranium renardii most specifically for it's foliage although the flower
is quite attractive also. The foliage is grayish green, 5- lobed, fuzzy, and feels
like a lamb's ear. It is also well-behaved in the garden. It forms a low growing
mound that spreads slowly, but is not invasive. 

I have the cultivar 'WhiteKnight'and I am in love with it!
Bloom time is late spring, early summer and the flowers are almost a transparent
lilac. Although most catalogs show g. renardii as zone 6-9 I have to garden by
zone 4, and this geranium is in it's 5th year now and has survived the cold and
snow beautifully.

So give those geraniums a thought would you?

Happy Planting!

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We could not be happy without such dependable perennials as Peonies Iris and Phlox but it is great fun to try something new. I have been enjoying some hardy Primulas. They object to a hot and often dry climate for they much prefer it cool and moist. Some of them are at their best along a stream of water in light shade. Primula Japonica likes such conditions but with a little extra watering, it did grow very well along a north foundation.

There are many varieties of Primulas some are evergreen and others lose their green leaves during the winter. Primula Japonica belongs to the latter class. I planted seeds of it in a flat in March, watered well and set them outside to freeze. I was careful not to let the flat dry out and was rewarded by fine seedlings the latter part of April. As soon as the plants were of a size to be easily handled, I set them along the north foundation of my house. They grew very fast and I soon realized that I had planted them much too close together. Knowing that they appreciated moisture, I watered them frequently during the summer. I had fine big plants when the cold weather came. After the ground froze solid, an airy mulch was applied.

The plants made fine new growth in the spring. The largest crown was almost two feet in diameter. Finally buds could be seen deep in the center of the leaves. They grew rather slowly for an impatient soul but eventually opened a whorl of them around a stout stem.

Not being acquainted with flower, I supposed when all those buds had opened and faded that would be the end of their blooming but no, the stem grew in height and soon another tier a little higher up opened while those below went about their business of making seeds. The tallest stem grew 27 inches in height and had its sixth tier of flowers before it stopped blooming. Several plants sent up a second and a third stem not as lusty or tall as the first one but very good.

The colors were very pretty some a good rosy-pink, others a lighter pink and several plants had white flowers with a dark eye. The flowers were very attractive for many weeks. I felt well repaid for the extra watering they required.

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