What an amazing scene. A series of delicate yellow Japanese Irises popping after a few days of slow rain.  Passionate orange Gerber Daisies unfolding like a fan.  Then, surprisingly, the Nandina offers the unexpected red and pink hues.  A brilliant combination.  A combination that leaves me seeking that romantic sunset story in my near future.  Perhaps I will find such a story.

You should grow 3 of my favs together-

1. Japanese Iris
2. Gerber Daisy
3. Nandina

You should let nature inspire your pallet.  Or perhaps, you can keep your fingers crossed and see if the garden fairies look kindly upon you and offer some luck.

Happy Gardening!

m

Many people probably skim the news and see random stories about honeybees dying and don’t really think about it.  It is an epic problem.  I am not trying to sensationalize anything, but without honeybees there would be no food. This problem effects more than tens of billions of dollars within the American agricultural economy.

Honeybees do far more than produce honey, they pretty much pollenate all food sources for animals and humans.  Therefore, these reports of a massive die out should raise concerns in us all.

Today, the US government released a study that there isn’t one single cause for the massive death of the honebees, but multiple ones, including poor nutrition, pesticides, parasites and lack of genetic diversity, (tangentially related -a big issue in Salmon these days too). More details of the study and the problem can be found in this New York Times blog article.

Bottom line – we don’t have the answer yet.  The problem is way more complex than we thought.  We aren’t equiped right now to solve for it.  But I have hope we will figure it out…it just may take a while.

Next time you see honeybee news, you may think twice about skipping the article.  It not only effects us garden lovers, but everyone.

Plus spring is a busy season for us dirt diggers. Here is what we did with that time in the garden. Two gardeners are always better than one.

Check out the before and after pictures: Incredible.

BEFORE

Look at this lonely chair that actually was missing a slat. I painted it a couple of years ago and really haven’t done anything with it.

AFTER

WOW….we took chairs, pots and plants from around and look how it all turned out. We even used my “Tiki Bar” sign.

Here is the to do list:

AFTERNOON 1:

1. We started with one bed at a time.  We weeded, added fertilizer and cut back all the perennials.
2. Then we assessed if plants were happy in their spots.  We moved 4 shrubs into new homes. WARNING: be careful how many you move in the spring.  You must water them religiously during the summer.
   
3. We moved pots and furniture  around. Chris has vision…I haven’t developed mine yet.
4. We stopped, had some wine and celebrated our accomplishments. We scheduled next session.

Adding the bird feeder and pots together helped with the structure.

AFTERNOON 2:

1. We planted the shrubs and trees I got from various plant sales and swaps- another 5 in total.
2. We added soil conditioner and mushroom compost to my soil…it was a little dense.  Good tip to remember.
3. We planted my fruit bushes – blueberries and blackberries.
4. We turned the rest of the veggie bed to prep for tomatoes and other summer goodies.

Beds have new blueberry and blackberry bushes. Bring on the tomatoes!

AFTERNOON 3:  …which was a bonus and not really part of my present

Chris showed up with her wonder-man husband Bill to help limb up some trees to offer more sunshine.  It is a amazing what one can do with a bow saw, tree pruners and a ladder. NOTE…I held the ladder – it was a very important job!

WOW…it was transformative.  Thanks Chris. Thanks Bill. Best gift ever…

You should find a pal and help each other in each garden.  It’s more fun and you get soooooo much more done.

Happy Gardening!

m

In the beginning we raked and planted side by side.  We got dirty, made a mess, planted beautiful things.  Then Imogene’s husband would come out in his  necktie and sweep  up  after us.  

It was always a really good  day.

More recently, Imogene couldn’t do much heavy work, so she pulled weeds (with a vengeance)  from a lawn chair that I moved around.

The last few times we planted, she  held the plant tags and watched from the window, too frail to navigate her own back stairs.

Then in late February, at the age of 97,  my oldest friend passed away. 

It was time,  as they say.  Still I  am sad that we will not celebrate Spring in her garden this year.  But it helps that Imogene is everywhere in mine.  

Gardeners go on–

In the plants they share like the blue woodland phlox in the top photo.  Imogene dug a clump from her garden for mine almost 30 years ago.   Because of the cool weather, it is having a splendid year. 

In the designs they inspire like this path I built with my own two hands after the brick knot garden that Imogene built with her own two hands became a problem for the mower guy and  she told me I would be doing her a big favor if I carted all the hand-made brick away. 

In the knowledge and encouragement they pass on to younger gardeners which may be why I’m finally able to sit down and write about the loss of my dear friend.  Husband Bill and I just spent a very hard but satisfying Saturday afternoon helping co-blogger Melissa  limb up trees in her garden. 

The best gardens are never solo projects—Imogene would be proud.

My oldest friend and garden mentor, Imogene and me

Since then, I’ve moved on to other shrub passions like this variegated Weigela–

and the native/Asian cross, Calycanthus Hartladge Wine. 

But one of my 80s  Azaleas still makes my heart beat faster. 

This is George Tabor, two of them  actually, flanking the path in our woods. 

Every spring my passion for this big, beautiful azalea  is rekindled.  I love it very much!

So if you are just starting to shape your  Southern garden (and planting shrubs is the way to do it, BTW), make room for at least one Azalea–George Tabor. 

Any other suggestions? What are your must have shrubs?

Here’s a link to the PAX sale at NCSU. Click on woody plants on the right to see the list of shrubs they plan to offer

http://www.ncsu.edu/project/pialphaxi/plantsale.html

And the Garden Conservancy Open Days are in the Spring now:

 http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays/open-days-schedule

Note that the  fabulous Joslin garden is open. I will have to revisit that old favorite and pick out one or two more gardens on the list. 

At the State Fair grounds, a cluster of great sales by local garden clubs: 

 http://www.raleigh-garden-club.org/plant-sale.html

If you like Azaleas, the Gardeners of Wake County sale will take your breath away.  I  prefer the Raleigh Garden Club Sale which usually has plants shared from members ‘ own gardens.  They do very well in my Wake County woods.

So grab your hat, a check book and get out there.  April 13 and 14 is a great weekend for local gardeners.  Enjoy!

Time  to cover the dinning room table with plastic, dust off the grow lights and  sow tomato and pepper seeds indoors. 

Timing is critical when it comes to growing from seed.  I want to have these plants ready to plant in the garden by our last estimated frost date, April 15th.  Too early and they will be floppy and leggy.  Too late and the plants will  be stunted. 

Let’s hope my timing this year is just right.   (These plants were started March 8-14.) 

It’s time to set out purchased transplants of lettuce, spinach and other cool weather crops in the garden.

And it’s time to eat lots of homegrown kale, collards, cabbage and other greens that wintered over so I’ll have that space empty when the aforementioned tomato plants are ready to set out. 

It’s also time to fertilize, mulch, powerwash outdoor furniture, weed the beds, clean the porches  etc, etc, etc.  Spring is the busiest season in the garden, sort of like Christmas if you’re in retail.  

So  don’t forget to enjoy the fruits of your labors.  Sit down and take in the view, even if your chairs are covered in winter’s grime. 

Bulbs, like these (Ice Follies and February Gold) daffodils planted in the woods last fall are looking good. 

And here’s another favorite bulb blooming in my garden–Spring Starflower (Ipheion uniflorum and Tristagma uniflorum).  It will grow anywhere, even in the dry shade at the base of trees.

This tough little perennial will even grow between pavers, but since the foliage smells a bit like a skunk when it’s bruised, planting starflower on my little patio was not the best idea.  

One day, maybe I’ll move these.  Gardens are like mine are never really  finished. Might as well relax and enjoy!

PS.  It’s also time to start checking  yourself for ticks.  Can you believe I got my first tick bite on Sunday?  Yikes that’s early.

Then in the 80s, I started seeing Italian parsley listed in recipes.  Thank goodness.  Italian  or flat leaf parsley is packed with sweet, fresh flavor.  These days, it is THE  garden crop I am never without. 

A true biennial, Italian parsley winters over in my Wake County garden.  I clip, wash, and chop green leaves  even on the coldest days–then put them in many of my favorite recipes–like this quick and easy go-to pasta from the food magazine, Cooking Light.

tp://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-prosciutto-peas-10000000226527/

My Italian parsley crop is lovely now–but as the weather warms it will bloom, turn leggy and die. Don’t even try to save it.  That’s the life cycle of a biennial plant.   

So new parsley plants are the works under grow lights on our dinning room table.  This parsley is  easy from seed or transplant, and very rewarding.  In fact, if you have almost no garden space at all, I would tell you, find space for a few herbs (like my favorite–Italian Parsley). 

What herbs do you love and grow?

And if you want winter colors (like blog partner, Melissa), Camellia Crimson Candles can’t be beat. 

I love the way it showers the ground with spent blossoms.

And I love the way it shines from my kitchen window where I spend a lot of time working over the sink. 

We’re blessed with one of the country’s best Camellia Nurseries in Chapel Hill.  Most of my favorite shrubs come from Camellia Forest.  Pay them a visit and start enjoying Camellias of your own.

I must admit, I have been totally uninspired to garden or to blog about gardening, despite some gloriously beautiful weather this winter season.  I finally figured out why.  There were no flowers in my garden.

Co-blog partner Christine Ramsey, always said that it is much easier to have a beautiful garden in the spring, but to have a beautiful garden in the winter…now that is a feat.

She is totally right.

Here are 5 lessons I have learned about inspiration and winter gardening.

1. Don’t put you best winter flowers out of sight.  That’s right. These Hellebores have been blooming since the first of January, but they are on the side of my house I never go.  You can’t see them from a window inside, but they are beautiful.  Note to self and others…move these in a place you can see every day.
2. Early daffodils can do wonders to your garden mood.  As soon as these February Golds bloomed, I was instantly inspired to get back in the garden.  Even if it was to only weed…it made me want to be out there.
3. Blooming winter shrubs with fresh fragrance can transport you to memories of spring.  This Wintersweet in the front of my house, is not only beautiful, but when I go to the mail box I smell the sweet aroma and instantly get excited of the blooming season to come.
4. Plant more evergreens. That’s right…often evergreens don’t have showy blossoms, but they will make all the difference when your deciduous plants have died back in your garden.  I definitely need to plant more evergreens to provide needed structure to my garden, but also to keep it from looking so barren.
5. Don’t skip the annuals.  I made a conscience choice this season to skip the annuals.  I was way too busy and just decided I didn’t have it in me to plant them.  Bad mistake.  Because I don’t have some of those lovely pansies by my mailbox or in some of my beds, I miss the winter flowering treat they provide.

Take it from me.  It is important to plan for a winter garden to keep your inspiration mojo pumped. Review these 5 lessons and take pictures now of your garden, so you can prepare your game plan for the spring planting seasons.

Happy Gardening.

melissa