Free Contentment Offered at Public Gardens Today

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Go on, cancel your morning….bag your lunch meeting….or change your afternoon plans and get to a public garden. Today is the one day this year you can stroll amongst a treasured public garden of your liking for FREE! Today is National Public Gardens day!

A beautiful Spring day is made into a GREAT Spring day when you grab a friend, lover or family mate and spend a short while in your community’s garden. Or, if traveling, a different community’s garden.

Fresh shades of green every which way, the smell of worked earth and spring blooms and the grandeur of mature plants and trees that have been around much longer than yourself are

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh… RELAXING. Peaceful too.

And it feels good to find some contentment on a beautiful Spring day. To just be in a spot that somehow makes one feel grounded and optimistic about the world, when so many things can make us feel overwhelmed, dull and discouraged about the world.

So today, go find yourself a little slice of contentment with a visit to a favorite public garden.

For local readers, here are some Spring photos of the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise that is celebrating National Public Gardens day.

You could be sitting here…

…and gazing at this…

…or this…

…or go for a stroll on a lovely path

…and have this centaurea catch your eye

...next thing you know your at the fabulous new (installed this week) entrance to the Children's garden...

…next thing you know you’re at the fabulous new (installed this week) entrance to the Children’s garden…

A Difficult Start, But Plants & Gardeners Don’t Give in Easily

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April has come and gone and this means we are at mid-Spring. For a quick recap of early Spring I’ll write one word – ‘difficult‘. Difficult for gardeners anyway, (farmers too I’m betting) and who’s been waiting longer or more anxiously for its arrival!

The primary problem with this early Spring (around Boise, ID ) has been the wind, the drought and the freezing. Oh, I said problem? I meant problems – in plural form!

Well sure, it’s not unusual to have some wind and intermittent freezing during early spring but combining these challengers with almost no moisture takes a toll on a garden and of course the garden keeper.

In this part of the Intermountain West we only get an average of 11.5-12 inches of rain per year. So when a month skips its normal rainfall, we notice! That month was March and we missed about an inch of precipitation leaving us with very dry conditions. Statistically, we are 1.66 inches below normal precipitation since the beginning of 2013. It might not sound like a lot, but remember we are talking about a maximum of 12 inches per year. Nothing like the 36 inches of rain our neighbors in the Pacific Northwest experience.

Enough of the stats, just think about this…if you were outside trying to grow beautiful it would be difficult with wind blowing you in every direction every other day. Then the night cold arrives and it is so deep that you are left with no resort but to bow down and try to make it thru till morning. And remember there’s no water as a refresher – just more wind.

Now, that is what it’s been like for all the plants in my garden. Difficult.

Thinking about it from another perspective, it is amazing how many plants don’t give in and survive the challenges day after day. (The same can be said for the motivation of die-hard gardeners I suppose.) So even though the garden has gone through most unfavorable conditions this Spring I have a few highlights to share.

First, korean spice viburnum. A little shrub that I keep in a pot went from this to this in just a couple of days sharing its wonderful fragrance whenever I would pass by.

The one and only ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud (cercis canadensis) tree that survived the winter is surviving spring with its beautiful tiny blooms going from this to this.

The one shower we received in April did make for some very happy tulips! My bright ‘Orange Queens’ really loved the rain and seemed so happy that day!

I was also impressed with tulip ‘Hakuun’, planted in February in a pot and the raised beds. ‘Hakuun’ turned out to be quite a sturdy performer even in difficult conditions. I cut some from the raised bed to enjoy them inside as well.

Tulip ‘Purple Prince’ was happier under the crabapple tree rather than in pots. Here is a shot of its fleeting appearance.

New lily flowering tulips ‘Purple Dream’ in the garden. Too cold for them to fully open but I love their elegant shape.

And for my final highlight – glorious greens! Every die-hard gardener knows a few tricks to deal with unfavorable elements and I was able to overcome my challengers and grow a gorgeous bin of greens.

Arrugula and brocolli rabe went crazy in my steel planter while being protected by floating row cover. Mark one up for the gardenkeeper for not giving in to the difficult early Spring!

How about you? How has your Spring started? A favorable start with many highlights or some difficulties?

To see other gardens and what happened in April join Helen at The Patient Gardener’s Weblog.

Sow what?

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Sow what you like, that’s what!

Early spring is a great time to sow vegetable or flower seeds outside in raised beds or container gardens. Raised beds and/or containers enable the soil to warm faster so you can sow earlier. If you want to double-check that your soil is ready, use a soil or compost thermometer to make sure it is in the germination range of the plants you want to grow.

Lots of people now have raised beds or container gardens for growing food as this has been a popular trend over the last several years. If you happen to be wondering what to do with your raised bed in its second or third year of production, read on. A couple of simple steps and you’ll be on your way to seeding.

The first thing I do with my raised beds each Spring is weed. Weed seeds blow in during late Fall and Winter and these guys always get a headstart on growing so there are always some to pull by the time I arrive on the scene.

Once the weeds are out, I add about 2-3 inches of compost to the top of the bed and work it in with a hand spade. This year I used a bagged product from a local garden store that is being sold as a specific amendment for raised beds. I liked that it is organic, available in a good size (2.2 cubic feet) and contained a balanced ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – the essential nutrients.

Now it’s time to sow or plant or both! In my first bed I placed an obelisk in the middle and sowed sugar snap peas around the base. Then I planted some lettuce starts (picked up at a local nursery) around the outside of the peas.

This pairing should workout nicely for Spring/early Summer and when danger of frost has passed I’ll place a tomato plant in the middle spot underneath the obelisk and then use the obelisk as a support for the tomato as it grows. When the hot weather arrives, the lettuce can be replaced with peppers, basil and other herbs.

Well that didn’t take long! The peas (planted last week) have started to sprout!

I’ve also been sowing arugula, broccoli rabe, beets, kale and a salad mix in some other raised beds. As you may have guessed, I really enjoy eating homegrown greens.

And in another 6 weeks or so…we’ll be full on into what I claim is our “salad season” meaning most dinners consist of single entrée that is some type of salad that can be eaten as a meal. Think taco salad, grilled kale caesar salad, chinese chicken salad, greek salad, etc… Of course, I’ll get some groans and moans from my kids but they eventually come around to eating fresh! (I’ll share a couple of yummy salad recipes in May.)

How about you? Do you grow in raised beds? If so, what do you like to sow? Have you ever tried grow bags as a container?

Flower and Garden Shows: What’s Not To Like!

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I had the opportunity a few weeks back to leave Winter behind and head to Seattle for a sneak peek of Spring at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. Oh what fun it was!

Not only did I get to spend some time with a great friend but together we enjoyed fantasy gardening at its best, ascertained advice, tricks, and tips from well-known garden gurus and walked aisles of plants, garden decor, bulbs, seeds, tools, growing aids, and other garden related products. Afterwards, we wrapped up the evenings with a little fantasy shopping (think flagship Nordstroms), some vino and fresh Foodie creations in a beautiful city… so tell me, what’s not to like!

Fantasy Fuels the Imagination – The gardens at garden shows are decadent. Whether it be plant combinations, interesting hardscape materials, furniture, lighting, water features or in many cases, all of the above, they present an outdoor setting that is completely perfect – just waiting for human presence. This is very alluring to the gardener’s soul and you can’t help but begin to think about how a bit of “the fantasy garden” can be transported to your outdoor area.

Of course, I know gardens of great magnitude can be expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to maintain. (I didn’t just stick my hands in the dirt for the first time yesterday, you know!) But these artful canvases are for exploring possibilities and just like any worthwhile passion, it is fun and exhilarating to spend time thinking BIG without boundaries and opening up to undiscovered possibilities. To me, this helps fuel the inspiration for makings changes in your garden and evolving as a gardener and even an individual.

Here are some shots of my favorite “fantasy gardens” all based on movies as the show was celebrating its 25th Anniversary and the theme was Silver Screen takes root…Gardens Go Hollywood.

Audrey’s Roman Holiday

Audrey’s Roman Holiday

California Dreamin’

Pillow Talk

Backyard Box Office

A Hobbit’s New Zealand Garden

IP Man

On the Road to Oz

Have A Seat and Learn Something New - O.K. say you have absorbed so much fantasy that although you live in a dry climate, you’re dreaming of creating a tropical garden and hiring a garden boy named Tatoo, it might be time to check out a garden seminar. The NWFG show offers a robust line up of seminars each day, featuring some of the gardening industry’s best-known experts.

This year I caught Helen Yoest on “Gardening with Confidence, Adding Your Style,” Ciscoe Morris on “Turning Your Garden Into A Wildlife Sanctuary: Attracting Birds and Butterflies” and Robin Stockwell on “Succulent Survival” in the Pacific Northwest.

Whew! A lot of great information and such badly self-written notes! Seriously, each seminar provided me with more knowledge on plants as well as new ideas to evolve my garden. I especially enjoyed Ciscoe Morris ( garden Superstar of Washington) as he injects a great deal of humor in his interactions and offers so much happy energy to the crowd. I was even lucky enough to pick up a copy of his book “Ask Ciscoe” and get it autographed. My new plant list for attracting hummingbirds to my garden is pretty cool too. And Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ you’re at the top!

Oh My! The Marketplace! – This part of a show can’t be missed and this is where after resting a bit in the seminar, you turn on the stored energy! It’s time to scour the hundreds of plants and garden accoutrements selecting your own personal “must haves” for the coming season. Here’s a small sample of some of the treasures I spotted. I even brought some of them home!

The Wrap Up: Garden shows are a grand event where one gets to see endless forms of creativity, learn about the latest trends, hear about the greatest plants, rub elbows with garden experts and experience the energy of a group of people who are excited about life and growing it! So really, what’s not to like?!

For Local Readers:

A little encouragement here to get to the upcoming Boise Flower And Garden Show being held this weekend at Boise Center starting Friday, March 22 – Sunday March 24. You can see the full line up of activities here. All of the fun you’ve just read about along with wrapping it up with some vino and fresh food (my favorites Fork or Red Feather) in a beautiful city can be yours this weekend!

Seasonal Celebrations at Gardens Eye View

Today I’m joining Donna@Gardens Eye View and her Seasonal Celebrations meme. One of the ways I celebrate the arrival of Spring is by attending at least one Flower and Garden Show. They provide just the right amount of celebration as the season begins to bring out my gardening best! Check out Donna’s blog to see how other folks celebrate the arrival of Spring.

A LOVE(ly) Day Filled With Tulips

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So last week was filled with red hearts, dark chocolates and Cupid’s mischievous arrow flying about…and Mother Nature was somehow struck along the way, for she showed some sweet love to us here in the Boise valley and the thermometer topped out in the mid-50s for several days in a row!

Of course, this change in weather made my gardening DNA leap out of dormancy and I was outside poking around thinking about what could be done in the garden.

It didn’t take long for me to find something to do, for as I was out searching the garage for tools and checking on tender perennials that are overwintering, I discovered a bunch of tulip bulbs that never got in the ground!

Forget about getting a head start on Spring, I still have Fall gardening to catch up on!

Many of the tulips were attempting to put out their first sprouts and there were no signs of mold or rot on them. Since they had definitely gone through enough of a “chilling period” being in my garage the last 3 months, I drug out several pots, purchased some potting soil and “potted up” to my heart’s content on my Valentines’ day.

After planting, I watered them in and set the pots in a slightly protected southern area and fingers crossed – they’ll forgive my tardiness and show me some love this Spring with bountiful blooms glistening violet and white.

Tulip ‘Purple Prince’

Tulip ‘Hakuun’

I’ve not tried tulips to this extent before so I’m unsure of what to expect. However, I discovered I’m not the only one doing this experiment. Last week at Master Gardener class, the instructor asked if anyone attempted any planting during the nice weather.

I embarrassingly shared I planted tulips and to my surprise many others chimed in saying they did the same thing!

I was not alone in my discovery of bulbs that should have been sunk in the ground last fall OR my heartfelt desire to plant something during Mother Nature’s sweet surprise of unseasonable weather.

How about you? Do you experience a strong desire to plant or “garden” during a few days of winter that are above normal temps? Have you ever tried planting tulips very late in pots or otherwise? If so, was it successful?

Fiji: A Feast For Winter Eyes

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For those of you with a case of winter blahs… that are tired of looking at a white horizon with nothing but gray and brown shapes scattered about and dismayed each day wondering if the sun will break through the hazy fog, here’s a bit of the Fiji islands to feast your eyes upon! (I promise the next 2 minutes will be much more fun than watching snow melt and then freeze again!)

A shot from the seaplane of the amazing reef system around the islands

It is no secret, I’m not a fan of mighty cold. So luckily this January, which was the coldest in about 20 years in the Boise valley, I was able to escape part of winter’s freeze and enjoy the warmth of the Southern Hemisphere.

The Fiji islands warmed my body, heart and soul with its beautiful waters, embracing people and village living. It is well worth the long trip to this remote part of the world to experience the beauty and culture.

The one small village (approx 400 people) of Yageta.

A goodbye shot with some of our favorite hosts

Click below to take a little ‘mental vacation’ today and get some gorgeous color inspirations for your garden or home compliments of Mother Nature via the Fiji Islands.

Just in case anyone is curious, most of the photos were taken on or near Yageta, one of the islands in the Yasawa Group of Fiji. Vinaka! ~ Thank you!

Planning Makes Good Use of January’s Mighty Chill

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Accepting January and the obnoxiously cold temperatures it brings is something that just must be done if living in Boise, Idaho (Zone 6). Earlier this month as the mercury dropped to 12, 5 and even 0 degrees there was no use in “layering up” or bundling in ‘down.’ The cold simply and smugly invaded any barrier set between it and the unconditioned bodies that were sure nothing lower than 32°, okay 25° would dare to invade them this winter.

Yes, this is Idaho…one would think there would be annual mental and physical preparation for frigid days and nights but I think few are equipped with that sort of discipline and long-term outlook. Instead, many cling to (with two hands) the refreshing temps of November and the pleasant-with-polar-fleece coolness of December convincing themselves it is going to be yet another mild winter which means snow in the mountains (for skiing on sunny days and summer water) but nothing extreme on the valley floor where most of us live.

Inevitably, January slaps this lot of us with an ice-cold whip causing us to literally run from place to place when doing errands and to even cut out some non-essentials that would take one out of the house and into the frosty air. OK, I’ll admit, I may be extreme in my avoidance of cold but I have a hunch that I have friends exhibiting these behaviors too.

Looking on the bright side of these freezy days… more time inside, at home, can be a wonderful thing for any gardener with a bug to create a ‘plan’ for next year’s garden. And for me in particular, it is just what I needed to complete the landscape plan assignment for the Master Gardener program in which I’m participating.

So with a cup of tea and some very low-tech and high-tech tools, I started on a real sketch for my backyard berm. The first task was to draw the selected area to scale (on graph paper) and then plot in the existing trees, fence and any other objects that are to remain permanent in the area. (also to scale)

Next, was to look at the site with a critical eye and develop a focal point. A spot that will grab the eye and make the overall area more pleasing to view. I chose one end of the berm to create a short path that will curve around an existing Spruce tree. One of the reasons I chose this spot is because one of the primary windows from inside my house lines up perfectly with this spot so that it will be a focal point when viewing the garden from inside or outside.

Now it was time for figuring out plants for this berm (taking into account the soil and sun exposure) that would provide a variety of year-round texture, color and structure. After using my tech tools to research plant options, I used my hand tools to draw/color them on the plan.

This time spent was enjoyable. It gave me a mini dose of the feeling you get on the first warm Spring day when your mind starts racing about all the new plants you want to try. Productive too, I hope. Come planting time, I’ll be armed with a “roadmap” for this part of my garden meaning it won’t suffer from “I’ll-find-somewhere” syndrome—the result of too many impulse purchases.

Looking out to the cold, snow-covered site and visualizing what is to come was motivating and that’s a good thing because suddenly I realized it was time to put my plan aside and get busy navigating the cold again as I had commitments to get to… like we all do…

I did prove a gardener can make good use of a mighty chill and get a great start on planning, but seriously January, after two weeks plus, the temps need to get back to something reasonable…say 32? Otherwise, a ‘plan’ to escape your chill entirely seems to make great sense. Hmmm…I bet Fiji would be delightful in January!

igardendaily

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