Category Archives: My Gardens

What works and doesn’t work in the home garden. Great garden ideas, practices, blooms and growing suggestions

Disease free home garden roses

Posted on September 19, 2010 by | Comments Off on Disease free home garden roses

Grow coral-orange Showboat roses in zones 4-9

Good news on the commercial release of a sweet little rose that thinks it’s a big shot blooming spring through summer with another heavy color burst in fall.

These StoryBook™ roses are tiny but mighty bloomers. They are highly disease-resistant and low maintenance. One delightful note to home gardeners: StoryBook™ roses can be easily propagated since they can be grown from cuttings on their own roots.

I’ve have two StoryBook™ roses growing in the front of my house for three years. With the exception of an occasional watering during the drought, I’ve generally neglected them. They are disease free, and don’t need the intensive care that keep many folks away from roses.

My StoryBook™ roses do not get pricey rose food, have no spray schedule and are happy to have a shovel full of compost and a couple inches of mulch every year. Thanks to its compact habit, they require very little pruning.

Advertised as “highly resistant to powdery mildew and little affected by black spot”, they proved to be disease-free in my hot, humid zone 6 garden. Even in containers, these hardy roses have survived week-long 100 degree days and weeks of freezing weather.

I have two StoryBook™ Roses. One is a floriferous coral double rose named “Showboat,” and the other, a bold and bright white rose with a yellow center, named “Moby Dick”.

There are two more StoryBook™ Roses. “Little Women”, is a soft pink semi-double rose. And the newest is “Sundance Kid” starts as a coral bud and opend to a soft yellow with a faint coral blush. Mature blooms are a soft yellow and hold their color even in the hottest weather.

Just imagine how beautiful they would be if I lavished a little attention or fertilizer on them. But after three years, I really do need to shape and trim them up. Now, I am headed out to cleanup these long ignored little roses because we are expecting company. This spring, you can come by and see my roses. Or, call 1(800) 770-2777 to order Storybook Roses.™

Brought to the industry by the breeder of Patriot™ Lantanas, R.J. (Jack) Roberson, StoryBook™ Garden Roses will be “whats next” in easy care home gardens. These little gems are perfect as patio roses or hardy in containers.

Story Book™ Roses are the closest thing to a maintenance free rose I have ever grown.

For more information: contact Jo Roberson at jo@americandaylily.com or go to www.gardensofglory.com.

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Homemade Sun-dried Tomatoes

Posted on August 26, 2010 by | Comments Off on Homemade Sun-dried Tomatoes

Try Tomaccio Tomatoes

The most prolific tomato in my garden is ‘Tomaccio’™.

Cluster after cluster until frost.

‘Tomaccio’™ originated at Hishtil Nurseries in Israel as the result of a 12 year breeding program using wild Peruvian tomato species to create the world’s finest, sweetest snack tomato, fresh or dried. Europeans in France and Germany have been growing and enjoying tomato ‘tomaccio’ for several years.

These tomato plants are huge, about 7′ tall, so I trimmed the tomato plant and hung some of the tomato vines to dry to show you how to do it. Tomaccio are the first tomatoes to ripen, continuously producing cluster after cluster of fruit.

Bargain sun-dried tomatoes

I’ve been drying cherry tomatoes for many years because I love the intense tomato flavor in winter soups, on pizza, and in spaghetti sauce. Tomaccio are rich and sweet fresh off the vine, drying simply intensifies their flavor.

Living next the Mississippi River, the air is usually too humid for fruits to dry naturally, but a 5-tray food dehydrator makes fast work of drying cherry tomatoes. I cut each tomato in half and fill the trays in a single layer.

You can also dry tomatoes in an oven on 100-degree F for about 3 hours. Snack on the dried tomaccio or store in a plastic zipper bag in the freezer.

C. Raker & Sons partnered with the Israeli firm Hishtil to bring Tomaccio to the United States. Look for Tomaccio plants at independent garden centers next spring, or visit www.raker.com to find a retail source near you.

As a member of the Garden Writers Association, I had the opportunity to trial Tomaccio this summer. These plants are prolific. I think I am getting more tomatoes from a single Tomaccio plant than I would from three or four cherry or pear tomato plants. That’s more produce in less garden space.

Plants will grow to 9'

The plants continue to grow and produce sweet cherry tomatoes. Later, I’ll have more details about drying Tomaccio.

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Posted in Herbs in the garden, Herbs in the kitchen, My Gardens

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Lawnmower Heaven

Posted on August 18, 2010 by | 1 comment

Jakes lawn mower repair

According to legend, older elephants instinctively direct themselves, when they reach a certain age, to the elephant graveyard. They then die there alone, far from the group

Need a part for an old lawnmower? It’s here.

There is no such thing as an elephant’s graveyard. Metaphorically it’s come to mean a resting place for a collection. And it was the first thing I thought of when we drove up to Jakes. If you need help with lawn mowing, you can hire experts from this link https://msglawncare.com/lawn/mowing/.

Hanging Tree of Weed Whackers

I know landscapers like King Green and now I have arrived in a place where lawnmowers come to die in Southeast Missouri. Then I saw the weed whacker tree. For all the tree damage that weed whackers have inflicted on trees, it came down to this. Ironically, all the tree abuse ended here. The hanging tree for weed whackers.

Jake’s is the best illustration I’ve ever seen of a “It might come in handy some day,” collection. Jake has amassed what others see as a junk pile. But to him, it’s a used lawn mower parts store.

He sometimes a has a used lawnmower, weed whacker or leaf shredder for sale. If you’ve found your way to Jakes, you probably are not of the “ buying used lawn equipment is just buying someone else’s problems” mind set. If Jake repaired it and would even consider selling it to you, it works. Lawnmowers, trimmers, shredders, there is probably one at Jakes.

No one would just happen to be driving past Jake’s while looking for a lawn mower. He doesn’t advertise and he lives in a remote area. If you know about North Star Tree Service and Jakes Lawn Repair service, it’s a testimony to word of mouth advertising.

Bring your lawn tools to Jakes to stretch out their life.

In my effort to live a greener, more earth-friendly life, I try to stretch out the life of everything. The goal is to keep it out of the landfill or junk yard for just one more year. So, in and effort to keep that old mower running just one more year, I took it to Jake’s.

Earthwise or not, it made sence to repair a lawnmower. Repairing the mower I had, gave me time to do a little consumer research before my next purchase. I can also put a mower in the budget for next summer. Instead of making an expensive “gotta have it now!” purchase, I can take my time. Giving me a post season and pre season to look for lawnmower Bargains.

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My Patio

Posted on August 14, 2010 by | Comments Off on My Patio

Neon Rose Wave Petunias

Beautiful spring to fall

Wave Petunias are hardy and faithful bloomers all season. They will make a ground-hugging carpet of color, but I grew my Neon Rose petunias in a hanging basket.

faithful Bloomers spring to fall

Bright colorful plants drew butterflies and hummers to my patio all growing season.

I could have had this plant photo ready by removing the spent flowers, but this pink petunia has survived on it’s own with no additional fertilizer or attention, just water.

Wave petunias were introduced in 1995. They’ve been around, introducing wave after wave of vibrant colors and  easy care annuals for 15 years.

Wave petunias have their own website. If you are a fan of this flower, let Ball Horticulture know you want to Join The Fan Club.

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BALL HORTICULTUE

Thanks to BALL HORTICULTUE who provided  the petunias

to me to trial and  evaluate.

Wave petunia fill beds with color

“Easy Wave® Neon Rose:  hot pink petunia from the Easy Wave series of spreading petunias is new for 2011. It is more mounded and controlled, making it ideal for baskets and containers.”

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Alligator Tears and Goldilocks Rocks

Posted on July 26, 2010 by | Comments Off on Alligator Tears and Goldilocks Rocks

 Alligator Tears and Goldilocks Rocks

I like this combo of two Proven Winners annuals. For some reason, I was blessed with five pots of this coleus, aligator green foliage with a creamy-yellow tear drop center; and three Golidilocks Rocks™ – Bidens Ferulifolia


ColorBlaze® Alligator Tears™ Solenostemon scutellarioides Coleus is growing in three different place in the garden. I am attracted to the multi color coleus in reds and greens, so Alligator Tears had to win me over, and it did.

It requires less trimming to maintain it’s thick, full shape than most coleus.

This was one of the easiest, to care for containers on my patio. In fact, I have a pair of these containers. One container with two coleus and one Bidens, and another with one coleus and two Bidens.

Golidilocks Rocks™ – Bidens Ferulifolia is loaded with bright yellow blooms and has bloomed continously all summer. It has grown in containers with little care or attention. Goldilocks is a great choice for containers, withstood our record-breaking heat and has blended into a delightful container combination. This self cleaning trait – meaning no deadheading necessary – is another reason to include Golidilocks Rocks™ in container garden combinations.

Aligator Tears

Only two coleus in the concrete planter, they looked kind of lonely  when they were first planted. Out by the mail boxes, these Aligator Tears recieved no pruning or cutting back. They did not set seed until mid August. They nicely fill the container and kept a good shape. Imagine how well they would do with pinching back, generous water and fertilzer.

These plants were sent to me for trial and evaluation. Thanks to Proven Winners for the opportunity to grow the newest most exciting plants. For plant combinations and container ideas, go to Proven Winners.

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Calibrachoa and Coleus

Posted on July 25, 2010 by | Comments Off on Calibrachoa and Coleus

Excellent Container Choices Calibrachoa and Coleus

Superbells Coralberry Punch color Calibrachoa from Proven Winners. And Ball Horticulture Coleua “redhead”

Coralberry Punch Calibrachoa is a Superbells® Proven Winners Calibrachoa hybrid paired with Coleus Redhead a Ball Exclusive and a Simply Beautiful® selection. These two plants seem to bring out the best of red in each other. Colors do not fade and they are very drought tolerant.

Most coleus need regular pinching or pruning to keep it’s bushy shape, but I rarely trimmed or fed this combo. The Coleus Redhead, is a Ball Exclusive. It’s hard to find a fade resitant coleus this color. I will look for the Redhead next spring and add it to my hanging baskets or containers.

Calibrachoas are a new type of plant that looks like a dwarf  Petunia. These little flowers bloomed all summer, the containers are in full sun, and got irreglar watering. Great container choice for this drought tolerant plant that showed no sign of disease or insect damage.

Look for more varieties of this fade resitant full sun bloomer at Proven Winners. There are some great color combinations on Proven Winners site.

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Book Review: Tomatoes Garlic Basil

Posted on June 23, 2010 by | Comments Off on Book Review: Tomatoes Garlic Basil

PBHobson2 Patsy Bell Hobson is a garden writer and a travel writer. For her, it’s a great day when she can combine the two things she enjoys most: gardening and traveling. Visit her personal blog at and read her travel writings.

In my Zone 6 garden there are always three kinds of tomatoes: a paste tomato for sauces, a cherry tomato, because these small tomatoes are always the first to ripen (and later, when the big tomatoes are producing, these small ones will be dried), and a big, meaty tomato for eating fresh (and for bragging rights). I love tomatoes and when I saw Tomatoes Garlic Basil (St. Lynn’s Press, 2010), I judged the book by its cover. It is beautiful. Eventually, I was tempted to open the paperback tribute to the garden and kitchen’s favorite produce and I’m glad that I did. The book only gets better!

5-21-2010-5
Tomatoes, garlic and basil are the holy trinity of the vegetable garden.

Doug Oster’s Tomatoes Garlic Basil is a love letter about our favorite home garden produce. If you are one of the millions of backyard gardeners who grow tomatoes, this book is for you. Tomatoes are the star of the show. And, just like most gardens, basil and garlic have strong supporting roles in the book that magnify the magic of home grown tomatoes.

The book will not overwhelm you with soil science and plant genetics. It will give you some good advice about soil preparation and plant selection. The pleasure of reading this book grows as Oster offers us many choices with these three simple garden staples.

Like most gardeners, Oster is generous in sharing his experience and recipes. If you are new to gardening, try the simple combination of these three plants. He also encourages people who do not have garden space and shares some planting options. Each chapter begins with a garden or food quote that ties into the chapter. In Chapter 2, I was inspired by “Summer Celebrations” and looked forward to incorporating some of his ideas as I create new traditions for my own family. And by the time you get to the great advice in Chapter 9, which is about soil preparation and weed control, Oster will feel like an old neighbor

Oster is still on the big adventure of trying some different tomato plants every year as well as growing his favorites. It’s a good idea and you will never run out of tomato varieties to try. After reading this book you will be able to speak about basil and garlic as well as tomatoes with any home gardener.

This book would make a great gift for either a new or experienced gardener, as well as for the recipients of your produce bounty. (I recommend you buy the print version to enjoy the artful photographs.) The only difficult part is deciding whether to put this book with my cookbooks or on the shelf with the gardening books. I decided to take the book into the kitchen and try the recipes with my own fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil.

I enjoyed the humorous and serious gardening stories and there are plenty of artsy photographs throughout the book. I will definitely put Doug’s recipes and gardening tips to use this summer.

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Cherry tomatoes are heavy producers.

Book Details
• Tomatoes Garlic Basil: The Simple Pleasures of Growing and Cooking Your Garden’s Most Versatile Veggies by Doug Oster
• Paperback: 272 pages.
• Publisher: St. Lynn’s Press; 1st edition, ISBN-10: 0981961517 and ISBN-13: 978-0981961514
• See Doug Oster’s Blog at http://www.dougoster.com/books/ to read “My favorite story from Tomatoes Garlic Basil.”

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Posted in Herbs in the garden, Herbs in the kitchen, My Gardens, Product reviews, Recipes

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Rock Solid Strawberry

Posted on June 23, 2010 by | Comments Off on Rock Solid Strawberry

Frozen fruit will thaw by dessert time. photo by Roboppy

Little berries are sweet and would be tasty frozen treat. photo: PBH

First, this is not my idea. I came upon this tidbit watching late night/early morning TV. Frozen Fruit

Ingredients
1 quart strawberries, de-stemmed
1 (3 pound) block dry ice

Directions

Wash strawberries and place in a paper towel-lined colander. Cover with another paper towel and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

  • Break dry ice into small pieces, and toss with berries in a large bowl. Place into a container and cover with a towel. Place this in a cooler for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove berries and put into sealable bags and store in the freezer.

French strawberries grown in a hanging basket photo:PBH

Frozen Fruit

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2010

Posted on June 18, 2010 by | Comments Off on Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2010

I love June.

Yes, there are lots of day lilies and cone flowers.

Day Lilies are bright and cheerful and at their best in June.

Everything in the garden is green and healthy. Later in the summer, plants get dusty and wilted or chewed and burned up by bugs and heat. There are lots of day lilies and cone flowers  in full bloom. The roses haven’t been attacked by the Japanese beetles yet.

Cone flowers ablaze, different varieties bloom at different times, extending the season

Before I share  my flowers, I wanted to show you this unobtrusive drip irrigation system for all 12 of the hanging baskets. Most of these plants are annuals and trial plants that are fun varieties new to me.

a thin black tube carries the water overhead

Raddish flowers

Spring raddishes hung on till the summer heat, then bolted, bloomed and are setting seed.  With all the beautiful flowers, sometimes it’s easy to overlook the  little blooms in the herb and vegetable garden. I’m focusing on edible blooms and vegetable flowers this Bloom Day.


Raddish seed pods look like little bean pods.

Herbs are at their best now and growing fast. Many, like this lilac colored geranium are edible.  Add the petals to a garden salad or,  garnish a dessert plate with these little flowers.

I vowed to keep the zucchini  in control this year. Harvesting squash blossoms, to stuff and fry is a tasty way to keep this beautiful vegetable from over populating the kitchen counter. Harvest these baby squash for grilling.

enjoy fried squash blossoms or grill baby zukes.

attracts bees

Nepeta, or catmint, is a member of the mint family.

Catmint (Nepeta), is a member of the mint family. It is easy to grow, has few pests or problems and attracts loads of pollinators to the garden. A few of these petit little blooms sprinkled on top of a dessert or a salad would be festive.

Carbon tomato plant is loaded with yellow blooms.

Growing fast, and delicate blooming while little fingerlings are growing in the ground.

onion flowers add a very mild, touch of onion flavor.

Onion flowers add just a hint of onion to poppy seed dressing, potato salad, rice wine vinegar or herb butter.

This rose was just begging to be photographed before the Japanese beetles invade.

And finally, these Jackson and Perkins roses just begged to be photographed before the Japanese beetles arrive. And, really it’s nice to end on a rosy note.

Thank you for visiting, please come again.

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Open potting soil bags quick and easy

Posted on May 30, 2010 by | 4 comments

Keep a plastic knife in your garden tool box.

picnic plastic knives open bags fast

It will open those weighty bags of potting soil or top soil faster than most pricey garden gadgets.
Keep one of these handy.

open plastic bags

A plastic picnic knife makesa great garden tool.

My frugal gardening suggestion is recycle plastic forks, spoons and knives as plant markers and plastic bag openers.

You will probably use plastic flatware at a picnic this summer and most of it will go into the trash.

recycle pastic flatware from picnics and "to go" food.

They aren’t frugal if you buy them especially for this purpose , but if you happen to use plastic ware this summer, recycling for garden use will keep just one more thing out of the landfill.

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