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

Floral Friday: Jan. 26

Prior to last year, my only knowledge of growing amaryllises was as a bystander. As a child, my mother grew amaryllises (only reddish orange ones) and I remember the trouble she went to in order to get them to bloom again. I never really gave them much more of a glance.

Last year was the first time I tried growing amaryllis bulbs over the winter. I was persuaded to give this bulb a chance by my gardening friend Julie of Garden Delights. (She adores these flowers.) So I purchased a bulb named 'Red Lion' and when it finally bloomed, I couldn't believe how deep the red coloring was (photos really didn't do it justice).

This fall I decided to experiment with some more. I focused on striped, white and double varieties. Last week this beauty was in bud (see here). Now, 'Dancing Queen' has stolen my heart and given me a new appreciation for amaryllises.



Her main flower opened slowly last weekend, and the other three buds gradually opened throughout the week. Now all four flowers are in bloom, and a second flower shoot is growing steadily. I bought the bulb in the fall at a local garden center and potted her up in regular potting soil in a terra cotta pot. I wanted to make sure the pot was heavy to begin with, since sometimes these flowers can become top-heavy and can topple over.

And if 'Dancing Queen' became injured, that would definitely be a crime.






My other three amaryllis varieties are in the process of growing. I can't wait to see what they look like when they bloom!

Are you growing amaryllises this season?
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Floral Friday: Jan. 19


Soon this double amaryllis will open and share its beauty. This was the bulb that started to grow in December. I have others to follow, but this was the first one planted. Maybe it's not a coincidence that the large colorful flowers bloom at the darkest time of year.

To see what was growing and blooming two weeks ago, click here.
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Book Review: The Wellness Garden by Shawna Coronado

I've been a regular follower of Shawna Coronado through Instagram, where she regularly shares gorgeous photos of her garden. What's more impressive is the story behind those photos.

Coronado shares in her recent book “The Wellness Garden: Grow, Eat, and Walk Your Way to Better Health” how her diagnosis of severe degenerative osteoarthritis of the spine changed her life. She shares her journey of discovering a new diet to help minimize her pain, and how she was able to adapt so she didn't have to give up gardening. In her book, Coronado shares an introductory overview of gardening and wellness practices to those unfamiliar with the topics. Coronado also includes information on the nutrient content of several fruits and vegetables (pages 58-59) and the benefits of growing your own.

I quickly read “The Wellness Garden” and ended up using sticky notes on several of the pages to highlight passages or photos I was inspired by. In fact, most of the photos in the book were taken by Coronado. (My favorite photo highlights Coronado's front garden and also kicks off Part 1 of the book. It showcases multiple edibles in an ornamental-style planting.) Research is regularly cited throughout the book, which is divided into three parts: growing plants, incorporating exercise and therapeutic gardening.

Most importantly, Coronado shows through her own experiences that a severe medical diagnosis doesn't spell an end for gardening, which is good news we all need.

“The Wellness Garden: Grow, Eat, and Walk Your Way to Better Health”
by Shawna Coronado
Cool Springs Press/Quarto Knows | $24.99
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Five garden goals for 2018

A spring scene at Winterthur, in this file photo.

In January, it is normal for people to declare and commit to resolutions for the New Year. I feel gardeners often do the same. This will be the year they pull out the weeds before they take over the front garden, or perhaps there will be a declaration to fit more gardening time into one’s schedule.

Of course, some things are out of a gardener’s control, such as an extremely rainy growing season that brings with it relentless pesky slugs. Or in the opposite scenario, scorching heat that makes watering upkeep an impossible task. Each growing season will bring with it its own set of challenges, and luckily, gardeners tend to be an accommodating group.

Putting the extreme circumstances aside, what about the items that you do have control over? Here are my top five gardening resolutions – or goals – for 2018.

Become a better composter. I have rabbits who are litter box trained, which means their litter box contents can be put into the compost pile. I need to be better about doing this, because rabbit poop makes great fertilizer, too. Lately I’ve gotten lazy and I haven’t been composting as much food because I don’t’ have an enclosed composter that will keep mice out. But when I throw out food scraps, I’m starting to feel really guilty, so I know this is something I need to change this season.

Get up earlier and spend 20 minutes in the garden. This is going to be the hardest resolution to keep, but I’m up for the challenge. In the past I’ve repeatedly told my husband that I just don’t have enough time in the day to get done what I want to do outside. But I figure if I spend a little time each day chipping away at garden tasks, I’ll be able to stay more on top of what I need to do. And as we advance to summer, there’s definitely going to be more daylight available in the morning before I go to work. 


Grow more vegetables designed to fit my space. When I visited California for the Veggie Trials in August with the NGB Plant Nerds, I came away with a much greater appreciation for all the different types of varieties of food we can grow. But instead of trying to grow everything, I need to narrow my scope. For example, I have mostly part sun conditions, so obviously, I should focus on plants that can do well in part sun (lots of leafy greens fall in this category). I don’t really have room for sprawling indeterminate tomatoes, so I should focus on more compact varieties.

Grow food that we will actually eat. I like to grow beans, but we are really bad about harvesting and eating them. This year I want to focus on growing more vegetables we will actually consume, such as peas, lettuces, spinach, celery, peppers and tomatoes. I’m sure a few other varieties will find their way into the mix, but I’m going to try to stick with plants that will produce food that will actually find its way onto the dinner plate.

Create an interactive area in the garden. In the past I’ve used Facebook Live or the Live feature on Instagram to broadcast from my garden. This year, I want to create a designated area where filming can occur. I’m working on creating a backdrop to be used in this area.

Of course, I plan on blogging more about my garden and gardening in general in 2018 than I did in 2017. What are your gardening goals for 2018?
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Floral Friday: Jan. 5

It's a fairly quite week for the first Floral Friday of 2018. My Queen's Tears is continuing to bloom (lower left) and I have new growth on the mandevilla (lower right) that I trimmed back and brought inside for storing over the winter.


The weather outside has been downright cold and inhospitable, and I worry that my hydrangeas will be suffering the consequences of our recent cold snap. I never wrapped them in burlap in the fall so it is quite possible that they have suffered cold damage on old wood. Unfortunately, time will tell.

To see what was growing in my home and garden last week, click here.


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Leave space in your garden for these 11 AAS Winners

Zinnia Queeny Lime Orange at an AAS Trial Ground in
Salinas, California.
Back in August, I fell head over heels in love with a zinnia. Let me be clear: This was plant lust at it's finest. I took several photos of this plant — even selfies with it.

This wasn't any ordinary zinnia. The petals had an ombre effect that ranged in color from apricot to rose, standing on sturdy stems that propelled the 2 to 3 inch double and semidouble blooms about 30 to 40 inches off the ground. This was one of the many plants being evaluated in this year's All America Seed 2017 Ornamental Seed Trials, and depending on how it would perform during the growing season would decide if it would be available as an AAS winner for home gardeners to enjoy in the future. “It looks amazing everywhere,” said Diane Blazek, Executive Director of All-America Selections (AAS). Obviously, I had my fingers and toes crossed that it would win.

So in late November, I was delighted to find that it was one of the 11 plants recently designated as 2018 AAS winners (and officially named Zinnia Queeny Lime Orange).

Each year AAS evaluates numerous entries into its ornamental and edible categories. AAS is the only non-profit plant trialing organization in North America, and the plants are grown in multiple locations. (I had a chance to view two trial grounds when I visited California in August as an NGB Plant Nerd.) There are between 30 and 45 professional, independent, volunteer judges for both the flower and vegetable category. The entries are assigned code numbers and are grown alongside two comparable varieties currently available on the market, which also means that all varieties need to be planted at the same time and each plant treated equally. The judges take notes on the way the AAS entry plant grows and how it compares with the varieties it is being compared to. Once all the data is tabulated, the winners are crowned.

In addition to the Queeny Lime Orange Zinnia, here are the additional 10 winners that were crowned for 2018. (For a list of seed retailers that sell AAS varieties, click here.)

Canna South Pacific Orange F1 in an AAS trial ground in Salinas, California.

Canna South Pacific Orange F1

A canna grown from seed! Say what! That's right: This compact variety can be used in the landscape or in containers. This canna is unique because of its vivid orange coloration and it makes a good tropical addition to the garden. The flowers contrast with the bright green foliage, and offers more vigorous, more uniform, and more basal branching than comparison cannas. It grows up to 52 inches high, and can also be used in pollinator gardens.

Gypsophila Gypsy White Improved at the AAS Trial Ground in Salinas, California. 

Gypsophila Gypsy White Improved

This variety was actually grown next to Gypsy White in the plant trials (it's predecessor). This improved variety of Gypsophila has double flowers and a compact form that offers better branching than Gypsy White. The flowers are much whiter and offers more, larger flowers, some of which are double. It does well in containers and tucked into small spots in your garden.



Image courtesy of AAS.
Tomato Chef’s Choice Red F1

This tomato is the fifth addition to the Chef’s Choice tomato series. (A delicious family that the NGB Plant Nerds sampled during the Veggie Trials!) It produces globe-shaped, beefsteak style tomatoes, with a firm flesh and a superb balance of acid to sugar. The 8 ounce fruits are prolific, and are grown on 5 foot indeterminate plants. Chef’s Choice Red was also a regional winner (southeast, north to northwest). To view the region map, click here




Image courtesy of AAS.
Marigold Super Hero Spry

There hasn’t been much breeding for French marigolds lately, but Marigold Super Hero Spry is here to change that. This bicolor version is more compact – about 10 to 12 inches tall. It doesn’t need to be deadheaded in order to bloom and it attracts other pollinators, so it would make a great border around a veggie plot.








Image courtesy of AAS.
Tomato Valentine F1

The Valentine F1 tomato is an indeterminate grape tomato that is very meaty – like a miniature Roma (paste tomato). However, in addition to its deep-red color, it also has a Brix of 7 to 9 and lasts on the vine (if you can’t pick it right away). It starts producing fruit in as little as 55 days from transplanting. 







Image courtesy of AAS.
Pepper Hungarian Mexican Sunrise F1

Pepper Hungarian Mexican Sunrise F1 is a multicolor variety that can be eaten at any stage. It has an early maturity and a high yield, ranging in color from lime green to yellow to orange and then red. The peppers are semi-hot, can be used for ornamental displays or for processing, pickling or fresh eating. Hungarian Mexican Sunset was a regional winner (southeast and southwest United States). To view the region map, click here.  




Image courtesy of AAS.
Pepper habanero Roulette F1

Pepper habanero Roulette F1 is a sweet habanero, with no heat! The one ounce fruits are red with thick walls and a citrusy flavor. The plant produces peppers sooner, with a high yield. According to AAS, “one judge noted that each plant easily produces 10-11 fruits at one time and up to 100 per season so there are plenty to eat fresh, cook with, and enjoy!” It’s a great pepper for a foodie to grow in his or her garden. 





Image courtesy of AAS.
Pepper cayenne Red Ember F1

Red Ember F1 is a cayenne pepper that has better growth habit (medium size plants) and offers numerous peppers that are spicy. It is earlier to mature than the other varieties it was trialed against, which means they will turn red before the first frost in shorter growing seasons.


Image courtesy of AAS.

Pak Choi Asian Delight F1



Pak Choi Asian Delight F1 was exceptionally high scoring in the trials, according to Blazek. “It was trialed against top Pak Choi on the market and all the judges absolutely loved it,” she said. Also known as Bok Choy, this Chinese Cabbage outperformed the comparisons it was trialed against “by leaps and bounds,” according to AAS. The main quality that stood out was that it did not bolt, even weeks after the other varieties had gone to seed. It forms 5-7 inch heads with a white rib and a dark green, textured leaf.









Image courtesy of AAS.
Cuphea FloriGlory Diana

The Cuphea FloriGlory Diana was trialed as a cutting, so unlike the other varieties, it is only available as a plant. (The other winners are available as seeds.) It has larger flowers that are dark magenta with dark green foliage. The plants stay compact (10 to 12 inches) and have heat tolerance.







These 11 winners join the three previously announced 2018 AAS winners in July 2017 2017: Sweet American Dream Corn (the first bicolor sweet corn that has been trialed in 20 years by AAS); Ornamental Pepper Onyx Red (a decorative variety used for fall containers and offers its best color later in the growing season); and Red Racer F1 tomato (a vigorous cocktail-style tomato). 

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The Gardener's January Calendar


Welcome to the New Year! It's time to plan the best ways to make your garden produce an abundance of cut flowers or food for your table.

Let's get on to the chores, shall we?


Pansy and violas can be started now from seed so they will be
ready to bloom by early spring. 
  • Cue the lights! If you use grow lights, clean your equipment. In the past, I used a diluted bleach solution to wipe down my trays, but you can also use soap and water first, and then vinegar to disinfect. Make sure grow light bulbs work. I use the three-tier grow light stand from Gardener's Supply which I purchased in December 2010. It's a big investment (and takes up a good amount of space in my kitchen) but I save lots of money on plants later in the season by growing what I want from seed. The fixture uses T-5 bulbs that provide full spectrum light. They last about five seasons before they start to dim (about 10,000 hours of use). I replaced my bulbs last year.
  • Disinfect plastic cells. If you reuse plastic seed starting cells (like I do), begin cleaning them now with a diluted bleach solution (or the vinegar solution I mentioned above) to kill anything that might compromise your plants for this year. Or make newspaper pots using wooden pot makers. 
  • Figure out what your growing calendar looks like. For me, seed starting begins this month with pansy seeds. This is a good way for me to beat the winter blues and have my own pansies for early spring and Easter decorating. Figure out what your estimated last frost date is. (This website will help.) Then count backward from that week. This is your growing season. So when a packet of seeds says to start them inside eight weeks before the last average frost, for example, count back eight weeks from your last frost date.
Heated birdbaths provide a constant supply of fresh unfrozen water for birds and wildlife throughout the winter. 
  • Help the birds. Keep feeders filled. I use black oil sunflower seeds in a small feeder. I also use a suet feeder that attracts woodpeckers, flickers, nuthatches, chickadees and wrens. It's also very important to keep unfrozen water available for birds when other sources of water are frozen. (Here's a review on the heated birdbath I use.)
  • Clean your tools. You can use fine steel wool to remove any sticky sap and then clean the blades with soapy water. Mineral oil can be placed in the space between the blade and the hook to help them move smoothly. If your blades need sharpening, you can use a diamond hand file. Take the file and in a smooth motion, drag it across the length of the blade so it sharpens the beveled side. You can also use it on the flat side of the blade if needed. Another way to store your larger tools is to place them in a bucket of sand when not in use. 


  • Make plans. Which new gardens will you visit this year? Here are some garden locales that I have visited in the past (all are located on the Eastern coast of the United States).
  • Help perennials. To prevent frost from heaving plants out of the ground, recycle Christmas trees so the branches protect your plants. (Read more here.) If you see plants coming out of the ground, push them back in. If it's too cold to chop up a Christmas tree, consider leaving it standing in your garden. It will provide protection for songbirds.


  • Make plans! Dream big! What have you seen on Instagram that you love and want to try? Maybe you earmarked some pages in a gardening magazine concerning a specific plant or a design you admire. Take these ideas and assemble them on a piece of matboard, a bulletin board or large sheet of paper. Having a visual representation available of what you want your garden to emulate helps make it a reality. 
Remember — spring is coming.

I live in Central Connecticut and garden in Zone 6b.
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