Gardening is not Perfect

I love to garden.  For so many reasons I’m not sure I can remember them all.  Being in my garden gives me a sense of accomplishment and reward.  It’s not an easy task, and at times can turn very disappointing.  Most gardeners would love to tell you they have the perfect garden.  Many will be honest enough to tell you they don’t.

I gladly share pictures of my garden.  Why not?  I put a lot of work into it.  I visit it every morning and every evening.  I check for subtle changes, new growth and possible flowering buds for a promise of vegetation soon.  I’m proud of my work.  I’m pleased that I can feast from my harvest and enjoy the rewards.  What I don’t share are the flaws.  Yes, I will admit it, they are there.  I’m not ashamed of them.  They come with the territory. The yellowing leaf that can’t survive the environment, or has perhaps been over watered.  The potato leaf that has a few bug nips on it.  The pepper that I transplanted into the garden and didn’t quite handle the shock.

No, gardening is not perfect.  There are so many elements to battle.  They can become overwhelming if they are not dealt with on a daily basis.  The bugs, the weeds, the environment and animals.  There are sensible, safe, and friendly ways to protect your crops and handle these challenges.  Time and experience are the only safeguards you can count on when it comes to doing the right things.  Listen to Mother Nature and let her do the talking.

That yellow leaf is not a disaster.  It is however a warning sign.  A calling card you might say.  Mother Nature’s way of saying “hey I need some help here”.  You may not always have the answer right off.  You may need to try a few different approaches.  A little less water? A little more shade?  If one technique doesn’t fix the problem don’t give up.  It’s your best tool.  The three “P’s” of gardening.  Persistence, patience and practice.

No, gardening is not perfect always.  But ya know what is?  Watching a young seedling mature into a full grown productive crop.  Seeing the first buds of peas sprout from the vine. Digging a basket of new potatoes and picking the first cucumber.  A green bean and squash casserole fresh from the garden.  Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts steamed on the grill right beside the Chicken Breast.  To me that is about as perfect as it gets.

GOTTA LOVE THAT ORCHID

When you think of the Orchid you probably associate it with beauty, elegance and class.    You may even find yourself shying away from one of the oldest, yet most fragile plants around today.  It’s really not that hard to maintain an orchid.  However you do need to have a lot of patience and determination.

Orchids originated many many more years ago than I could possibly count.  They began a rise to popularity in the 18^th century.  They became so popular they faced endangerment.  Mother Nature was extremely clever with this jewel though.  This flowers various means of pollination have help the Orchid stay afloat, and improve for centuries.   With a spectrum of tones and fragrances insects find them as hard to resist as birds do. The variety of colors and hybrids have steadily increased over the years.

 

The first thing, and the most important thing, you want to do to insure your orchid’s success is read the specifications that come with your personal choice.  Does your environment meet the requirements your orchid desires?  Different species of Orchids require specific temperatures, lighting and moisture.  They have been known to survive anything from mild, moderate, or hot and humid conditions.  They do not however handle cold temperatures at all.  So it’s easy to see why they survive in every corner of the continent excluding the Antarctic region.

Once your orchid is welcomed to its new home immediately remove any decorative covering from the pot.  These often aluminum wraps will interfere with proper drainage.   Too much moisture will turn an Orchid to mulch quickly.  It might be necessary to find a more suitable planter.  It is important to remember that an orchid does like a snug fit, so avoid one that is to large.  This allows the orchid to use available resources to produce the magnificent flowers and not expanding the root system. 

Find a good Orchid Bark to re pot the stem into.  Orchid Bark, in basic terms, is a mixture of potting soil and fir mulch.  The soul to mulch ratio will vary.  The higher percentage of fir mulch the more moisture the soil holds.  If an Orchid requires higher doses of moisture pick a higher ratio of fir bark.  Provide a good liquid fertilizer that is sufficient in nitrogen.  There are several options available tailored specifically for the Orchid.  Follow the fertilizer directions every four to six weeks, but do not over feed or you risk permanent damage to the roots.

So remember to check an orchid’s environment requirements for moisture, temperature and lighting before taking one in to care for.  If you do you could find yourself with a most glamorous plant that will provide beautiful flowers and has been known to live indefinitely.

Fighting the Winter Blues

Every fall when I know the ground is getting too cold to hold my favorite crops I get the blues.  Yes, the commitment to my garden can be a chore at times.  Somehow that is vastly overshadowed by the thrill of watching my tomatoes ripen, or creating that tasty dish right from my own back yard.   A few years back I knew I had to find a way to overcome those blues.  I needed to come up with a way to fulfill my joy of growing and cooking my own crops all year round.  It wasn’t that hard to come up with a plan either. 

One way to get started is to plant seeds in the soil that are very tolerant to the cold temperatures.  Lettuce, Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are just a few that no only survive the chill, but also come packed with nutrition.  Spinach, Kale and Collard Greens are also very hardy.  You can see a pretty consistent theme.  Late fall and winter crops tend to be high in iron, calcium and potassium.  Keep these crops happy and you’re sure to get the recommended daily requirement.  Bite for bite they are the best savings account you can build for your health.

Another way, and by far one of my favorite, is to move the gardening inside.  Container gardens come in maybe shapes and sizes.  They also come in assorted prices.  My best option for a container garden is to purchase strong and sturdy storage containers (usually when they are on sale after the holidays) and place them in a sun filled room.  It is also very easy to make your own hanging container of jugs or bottles.  These are best for herbs and such and smaller plants.  To see how I made my own inverted container see Success With The Inverted Container.

The container garden has several advantages.  I have two container peppers, one green pepper and one jalapeno pepper, growing in my breakfast nook bay window.  My husband dug them up in the fall and put them in plastic buckets, so I moved them inside.  It’s nice to watch them grow in the sunlight bathed window.  I walk from my kitchen just a few steps to my bay window and pick a pepper when I need one to prepare a meal with.

When gardening in winter there are options.  Indoors vs outdoors?  Indoor you have the comfort of picking crops while avoiding the frigid cold.  Outdoors you have the pleasure of enjoying the sun and air.  And yes it is true that crops harvested outdoors will produce more vegetables.  But, why choose?  You can always take advantage of both.