Organic gardener growing food and flowers, lovin' pollinators and birds.

Let's Talk Pelargoniums

Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory with an ivy geranium.
One easy way to save money this spring is by growing annual geraniums (Pelargoniums) from seed. Geraniums are another plant that you can start now from seed, like pansies.

I've grown geraniums for at least 10 years due to sentimental attachment. My grandfather used to grow them in pots around his garden in Queens, New York. He would bring them indoors to overwinter. His geraniums had bright lipstick red flowers. He would take cuttings of them (a popular way to propagate geraniums), root them and get more plants. They were very long-lived.

Before I owned a house with my husband, we rented an apartment in the adjacent town. This building was a converted middle school, so the apartment windows were large (almost seven feet high!). I would buy geraniums from Country Flower Farms (a nearby plant nursery) and then let them go wild in the windows, which faced west. They grew at least five feet tall, with all their support on the windows. It was a geranium jungle! When it came time to move, I had to cut them back. It felt awful to trim back these large, voluptuous (albeit, a little leggy) plants to normal size geraniums. But, you do what you have to do to transport your plants. (I also learned that geraniums let off a "stink" when you trim them. I still joke with my husband that this is the geraniums way of telling the other plants it is under attack.)

Maverick Coral geranium seedlings (photo taken
Feb. 25). They were sown on Feb. 2 and
sprouted under lights on Feb. 9.
Geraniums in the Garden
This past fall, I dug up my geraniums that I grew from seed last year, potted them and brought them inside. (These plants are hardy! They survived even with voles eating their roots.) They are clustered around my growlights as we all wait out the winter together.

I've found it difficult to find geranium seeds at local plant nurseries, so I was really happy to discover that Swallowtail Garden Seeds offered a whole section on their website to choose from. (This year I decided to try growing Pinto Premium White to Rose and Maverick Coral geraniums).

Why else are geraniums fabulous? They make great companion plants for vegetables like tomatoes and grapes. They repel Japanese beetles*, so it would be a good idea to plant them near roses, too. Deer and rabbits do not seem to be interested in nibbling on them either.

Geraniums are also tolerant of neglect, so if you forget to water them for a few days, they won't wilt like more delicate annuals (impatiens, anyone?). They will wait patiently until you see their soil is dry and they need a drink. With geraniums being so easy to grow, what are you waiting for?

* It turns out Japanese beetles become paralyzed after eating the flower petals of the zonal geraniums. 
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Edibles and Ornamentals Can Coexist: Here's How

HARTFORD, Conn. - "You can't tell me that food isn't pretty."

Nancy DuBrule shows slides of her garden Thursday
at the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show. 
Nancy DuBrule, owner and founder of Natureworks of Nortford, Conn., shared photos from her garden, clients' gardens and portions of Natureworks during her talk Thursday. Her seminar "Blended Gardens," part of the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show, shared how the food we eat can also be used to beautify a landscape.

Proving that food can be grown anywhere, DuBrule began her slides with photos of Veggie Island, a raised garden created by Erich Bender, part of her staff, in the Natureworks parking lot. "Herbs are there to increase pollination of the plants," she explained when showing photos of the herb-spiral permaculture design. The food that was produced in Veggie Island was given away free to customers.

A peek at DuBrule's own garden shows how ornamental flowers and edible flowers coexisted around the borders of her raised vegetable beds. The series of colorful photographs included breadseed poppy, calendula, gomphrena fireworks, bronze fennel, iris, rudbeckia triloba and fennel. Fennel, an herb, is grown for its leaves and seeds but if allowed to flower it will attract beneficial wasps. Mixing flowers around the border vegetable gardens also attracts beneficial insects which decreases the need for sprays to control garden pests, DuBrule told her audience.

But vegetables do not need to be relegated to their own corner of the garden, as the seminar's title implied. Many vegetables can be intermingled with annuals and perennials in front yard gardens for their ornamental value. But DuBrule cautioned gardeners to know how a plant will behave during its life cycle.

"You must know the habit of the plants you plan to grow," she said. A tomato plant, especially an indeterminate one, will grow tall and lanky throughout its growing season. However, Bull's Blood beets, which have bright reddish leaves, can be tucked into flower beds with ease for the entire growing season. Curly parsley and alpine strawberries are also other good border plants.

"The comings and goings of a vegetable garden can be a little tricky," she said. DuBrule used a a potato plant as an example of a plant that may look good temporarily when it is blooming, but will decrease in ornamental value as the plant dies back before the potatoes are ready for harvest. "If you are going to put edibles out front, you have to understand what the ornamental value of food is."

A fairy garden on display at the Natureworks
vendor booth at the Connecticut Flower
and Garden Show Thursday.
Certain crops will not remain all season. A garden that starts off with peas and lettuce will look great in cooler spring temperatures but will need to be replaced with other plants when the summer heat arrives. For example, DuBrule replaces her garlic (which is typically harvested in mid-July in the Northeast) with beans. "If your vegetable garden is a little more obvious you can paint trellises blue, for example," she said referring to plants such as beans and cucumbers.

DuBrule suggested mingling peppers in a sunny edible landscape to start. "They are pretty and easy." Okras also make nice ornamental plants with flowers that resemble a hibiscus. She explained mixing vegetables in an ornamental garden is no different than figuring out which perennial flower would look good with another.

"Look at the edibles and ask what will go with this in my garden," she said about planning. Plants like asparagus can even be used in hedges, because their fern-like leaves will grow six feet tall.

Other plants that may already be used for their ornamental value may already be in your landscape, such as daylilies and nasturisms. "Nasturisims are high in vitamin C and you can shred daylily petals into your salads," she said. "The choices are endless. [Ask] how I can make it fit."
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In Hartford, It's Spring, At Least Through Sunday

A portion of the display by Pondering Creations.
Click on the image to view larger.
HARTFORD, Conn. - Pondering Creations, based in Terryville, Conn., captured "Best in Show" for a second straight year at the 33rd annual Connecticut Flower and Garden Show.


It took two people five days to construct the display garden at the show, but the preparation began back in October.  Kevin Rescildo, owner, joked that he was expecting others to bring in white sand and palm trees to illustrate this year's theme of "Backyard Paradise." But Rescildo focused on creating a natural landscape.


"I'd rather see something realistic and [a] New England style," he said. Located in landscape number one of the demonstration gardens (prime real estate for winning Best in Show at the 2013 show), his display consisted of shrubs and plants such as Variegated Threadleaf Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Aureovariegata'), Hosta Guacamole and Purple Gem Rhododendron. Insert an open gazebo, spring bulbs and of course, a water feature.

"Our main forte is the water features," he said. This one came complete with fish. Rescildo has been in the business for for 13 years. "I've been building ponds since I was 12. I'm lucky I can do it every day for a living."

A portion of the display by Supreme Landscapes, LLC.
Click on the image to view larger.
The Best Design Award was awarded to Supreme Landscapes LLC, based in Bristol, Conn. Matt Kaminski, owner, said his display took five days to construct with the help of four people. He looks forward to the annual show where designing a display garden is "fun and addictive." The best part, according to Kaminski, is "starting to work before spring is here."

The planning begins a few months in advance of the show when Kaminski sits down with his wife and brainstorms. He said this year's idea began with an herb garden, and "it came together." His display features an herb garden shed, a spiral labyrinth and a water feature.

A side view of the Pondering Creations display.
The Connecticut Flower and Garden Show runs through Sunday (Feb. 23) at the Connecticut
Convention Center. Tickets are available at the door, cash only; $16 for adults and $4 for children ages 5-12. (Also be sure to budget in money for parking. I spent almost nine hours at the show on Thursday and paid $17 to park in the attached garage. Hopefully a better rate can be arranged for next year's show.)

Click here to view more award results via The Hartford Courant.


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Why You Should Grow Pansies From Seed



Johnny Jump Ups!
Pansies are an easy to grow flower from seed and they can be sown from December through February. The earlier you sow, the earlier you can expect them to flower. My last batch of pansies just germinated yesterday, so they will bloom a little later than the ones I started in early January. If you live in an area with a long cool spring, than you can get away with sowing them at the end of February even. Mine usually bloom around Easter, unless Easter is especially early.

Pansy seeds that have just sprouted.
The best part of sowing pansies (and violas for that matter, since they are treated the same way) is that they can be sown earlier than most other seeds. So when you get an itch for spring in the middle of winter, you can safely start pansies inside.

I usually sow my seeds and barely cover them with soil. (I use a seed starting mix.) I take the plastic seed cells they are in and place them in a disposable plastic bag from the grocery store. Then I place them on the floor in a dark corner of my house with either pieces of cardboard or newspaper on top. The seeds take about two weeks to germinate in the darkness. My house does not have a basement, so the foundation is a cement slab. In the winter, it can get very cold. Bad for me, since it's cold to walk on, but good for the pansies. They seem to like the chilly feet.

I check the pansies every couple of days for germination. Usually nothing happens until the tenth or fourteenth day. Then I remove the cell packs from the plastic bag and put them under my grow lights. At first, they look very frail and weak (as shown above). But after a few days they begin to look stockier.

Pansy seedlings that are a few days old.

Here they are with the first pair of true leaves.

Tiger Eyes Viola.
I don't fertilize my pansy seedlings. I just keep them watered when the soil looks dry. I prefer to water from the bottom to encourage strong roots. I also try not to overwater them, since this not only can cause dampening off, but also encourages pesky fungus gnats to breed. (To battle them, I place little ramekins of vinegar or water out to catch them. They seem drawn to the scent of the vinegar or just the movement of the water, since I've found that both work. They try to land on it and often drown.)

I usually plant too many pansies and violas seeds, but there are so many different types and colors that it's hard to pick just one. I've found that Swallowtail Garden Seeds offers a very good selection of both pansy and viola seeds. Seed Savers Exchange also offers an old-fashioned pansy. (The Seed Savers variety definitely reminds me of the pansies that talked to Alice in the Disney movie Alice in Wonderland due to their "faces.")

In recent years, pansies with frilled petals have grown in popularity.  I see the Frizzle Sizzle varieties the most often at the plant nurseries.
Of course, even though I grow several different varieties, I usually purchase a few plants from the garden center. What can I say? I'm a sucker for ruffled petals.




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Product Review: Heated Birdbath Keeps The Water Just Fine

The Erva D14BH heated birdbath this morning before 10 inches of snow arrived.
My new heated ground birdbath from Erva (D14BH) is really pulling its weight this winter. We've experienced several days (if not weeks) of below freezing temperatures and the birdbath has performed well. The birdbath apparently will keep water unfrozen with temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit, but luckily it hasn't gotten that cold in Connecticut to test that claim!

Why is it important to provide water to birds in the winter? Most bodies of water become frozen, and normal birdbaths without a heating element will often freeze. Birds get thirsty too.

The bath is 14 inches in diameter so it accommodates large birds such as mourning doves fairly well.  Other big fans of the birdbath are the neighborhood squirrels. It stands 5 inches off the ground which apparently is the optimal perching height for thirsty squirrels.

On extra cold days, the birdbath's water will look as if it is steaming. This does not mean the temperature is too warm for the birds, but it does give it a nice hot tub look. According to Nature House, which manufactures the birdbath, "the thermostat is set to turn the unit on at 38 degrees Fahrenheit and off once it reaches 65 degrees Fahrenheit."

Taken through the window halfway through today's storm.
A white-throated sparrow decided to take a drink.

I wish the cord connected to the bird bath was a bit longer; it is only 6 inches long. Eight or even 12 inches would have been helpful in placement purposes for the garden. I ended up buying a six foot outdoor extension cord so I could plug it in. I also purchased (separately) a cord shield that protects the two connecting power cords from rain, snow and other weather maladies.

It's important to keep the birdbath filled with water. It will run without water, but it causes the plastic dish to bow and distort. (This happened once to me so far when I didn't refill it one morning when the water level looked low.) The birdbath still works well even when the snow gets too high, as seen in the photo from today. Sometimes icing will occur on the edges but it does not effect its performance.

So far the birdbath has been easy to clean (it is made of resin). I just dump the water and refill it. It hasn't accumulated any birdbath "gunk" as other birdbaths typically do (this could also be due to the cold temperatures). The birdbath doesn't come cheap: it's $79.95 through Duncraft or $89.95 directly through Nature House. (I received mine as a Christmas present through Duncraft.) According to the manufacturer, the resin dish is made with a flame retardant material, which makes me feel better about leaving it unattended outside.


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Winter is Pretty, in its Own Way

It's still spring inside, even if it is snowing outside. Last night I sowed more seeds for pansies, geraniums and wax begonias. We get a break from shoveling today, but more snow is forecasted for tomorrow.

Even thought winter is my least favorite time of year, I am reminded that it can be a beautiful season. Some chickadees and dark eye juncos reminded me of this yesterday.



What are you doing to get ready for spring?
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Seedy Sunday, Punxsutawney Predictions, and More

Six more weeks of winter is what Punxsutawney Phil predicted earlier today, even though we had a seasonably warm day in Connecticut. Today's temperatures reached the 50 degree Fahrenheit mark, which felt downright balmy after weeks of temperatures in the teens.

The weather agreed considerably with Seedy Sunday, an annual event held at Natureworks in Northford, CT. After arriving shortly after the store's opening today, I spotted three robins in the nearby trees and a flock of geese flew overheard to land in the adjacent field. (A loud welcome indeed!)

Natureworks has been teasing this event in their newsletter and on their Facebook page for the last few weeks now. This is my third Seedy Sunday, which serves as a great excuse to focus on spring and summer gardens in the middle of winter. I think it has also grown in popularity over the years. (This is the only day the store opens during the winter shut down between Dec. 23 and March 20.) Natureworks concentrates on selling organic and non-GMO seeds, and there was plenty to choose from today.

Here is a peek at what made it into my basket:

There seems to be a color theme here...

A few vegetables and herbs made the cut today.

This year I plan to focus more on flowers in the garden as opposed to edible plants. In past years I've devoted almost equal planting space to edible and non-edible plants. This is an idea I've been kicking around for a while now, and I've come to the conclusion that flowers may be more forgiving with my sunlight exposure than vegetables have been. I wasn't going to even start tomatoes from seeds this year but I was tempted by the Cosmonaut Volkov Slicing Tomato and Chadwick's Cherries seed packets. (Two packets is still less than last year's seven varieties that I started from seed.)

I also want to focus a bit more on gardening for my house rabbits. I plan on ordering willow cuttings (the bunnies love the leaves and branches) and growing more herbs that they can eat. Today I picked up fennel and wheat grass to keep them happy.

Gardening for bunnies may seem strange to some. But in
a house rabbit home, it makes sense to save money this way.
Seedy Sunday was well-attended during the 45 minutes I spent in the shop. The staff was helpful (as always!) and customers were courteous to each other as they shared viewing space in front of the seed rack displays. There were also several clearance items available, including books (I snagged two) and plants.

Seedling Update
I came home to find the daylily seeds that I collected and saved from the garden this past fall have finally sprouted! I was beginning to think they wouldn't emerge at all after reading online that they were suppose to have exposure to the cold before planting. Luckily, this wasn't a deal breaker.

A daylily seedling surrounded by neighboring pansies.
I am not sure what the daylilies will look like once they flower. I have several varieties in my garden, so I'm hoping for a weird - but beautiful - cross!
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