How to Create a Tutti-Fruity Herb Garden

 Backyard Garden  No Responses »
Sep 282010
 

One of the more entertaining backyard activities is introducing your child to gardening. Herbs are easy to grow, have many unique characteristics and will get your child asking questions abut gardening and what herbs are.

One fun and different child’s  garden is a tutti fruity herb garden. All the herbs will smell like their favorite fruits or candy. A tutti-fruity herb garden will introduce the child to the idea of growing an aromatic herb garden and that gardening can be fun. Be sure to explain to your child that these herbs are for smelling only and that no one should ever eat anything in the garden without asking an adult first. This even pertains to vegetables. Your children should know not to eat anything that they haven’t shown you first.

You can make a day out of creating a tutti-fruity herb garden by taking them to your local gardening center or greenhouse and letting them select a few of their favorite scents. You may want to include a few soft and touchable herbs for more color and interest.

Good plants to let children try are pineapple sage, lemon balm, or any of the scented geraniums. Scented geraniums come in scents like apricot, lime, orange, and strawberry. Children also enjoy plants in the mint family, especially peppermint, spearmint and chocolate mint. Chocolate mint is a favorite for children of all ages!

A few other positive points in herb gardening is that they take little small, grow well in containers and can be grown indoor and all year long if your child enjoys growing plants.  They will also make a great windowsill garden or hanging basket garden.

Letting your child grow his or her own herb garden is a fun way to learn about nature, gardening, and cooking. It will also give your child a sense of accomplishment, create curiosity about nature and boost self-esteem. Gardening is a wonderful hobby that you and your children and enjoy for years to come and have fond memories of summer, gardens and growing experiences.

Posted by Denise at 10:05 pm  Tagged with: , , , , ,

Foraging for Planters and New Plants

 Backyard Garden  No Responses »
Sep 142010
 

The fall is the perfect time for backyard projects and redoing backyard garden areas. The temperatures are cooler and any heavy work is not as tiring.

I have had too many large projects this year in the backyard and fitting them in and affording them can be a challenge. So when I went to a few garage sales and found a carload of planters and free seeds and semi free plants I was thrilled.

The planters were cleaned and half were stored for later use. The other planters were filled with perennial seeds and new plants. They are in the mini greenhouse (8 foot long and 3 foot wide) sprouting and growing new roots.

My best plant and seed haul were from a sale that was next door. I was admiring the garden and asked if I wanted seeds. (Never ask a garden addict if they want seeds.) I picked up a huge bag of Forget Me Nots, Foxglove, Columbine, and two other varieties of perennials.

I also am going to help thin out the neighbor’s garden beds for free plants. She needs the help in the gardens and I always need new plants for gardens or to trade for other plants. And she has amazing plants.

I have found over the years that by stopping and admiring gardens it leads to plant exchanges and free plants. And often gardening tips that add beauty and shortcuts to my gardening.

Seed Tip: Make sure any saved seeds are dry. Store them in paper envelopes or in glass jars stored in a dark dry place until you plan to use them.

Plant Transplant Tip: Get your plants in the ground as soon as possible. If need be make a temporary storage bed to lace them in. I also water the plants with a dilute mix of willow water to help with plants transplants shock.

Planter tip: Use vinegar to get any stubborn stains out of a planter. I also use baking soda for stubborn stains.

Look for a seed contest on backyard Oasis starting Sept. 15th. I figured since I was given free seeds I should share some.

Posted by Denise at 10:14 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Create a holding bed for moving plants

 Backyard Garden  No Responses »
Sep 052010
 

There’s a change in the weather here in NW Pa. So I spent time preparing a holding bed for the new perennials I picked up and for more that I am getting in a few days. There’s a perennial sale on so its time to revamp the backyard oasis!

In the fall a holding bed is one of the most useful garden tools I have. Yes, it’s a garden bed or sorts but a necessity if you’re diving and moving plants.

I usually make a quick raised bed out of any wood I can pick up for free and match its measurements to old windows or shower doors. (Just in case I have to cover the holding beds against frost or cold.) Old dresser drawers also work well and since I usually use these beds for a few weeks any old dresser drawer will work.

Set you holding beds up in an area of the backyard that is close to water and will get some shade, since theses are transplants and need protection for all day sun.

I use these holding beds for perennials I am diving, new perennials, flowers I am moving and for cool weather annuals that I want to add color to the backyard.

I have also used a holding bed for sick plants while I am nursing them back to health.

The nice thing about a holding bed is that it temporary. I usually put it in a place in the backyard that needs better soil and create the bed. After I am done I remove the bed and rake toe soil over the top of the ground, add compost and I have a area with better soil that I can either plant in the following year or reseed with grass.

Tip: If your nights are cooling down to less than 50 degrees it time to start bring in any indoor houseplants you moved outside for the summer. I also start moving in geraniums, which I over winter for the following year

Posted by Denise at 10:10 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Create an Outdoor Kitchen Herb Container Garden

 Backyard Garden  No Responses »
Aug 292010
 

Fresh herbs will spice up any recipe and your own kitchen herb garden container will put them within arms reach. And by raising your won herbs you also have control over any pesticides on the plants.

Herbs are also a great alternative to salt and may also have crafting uses. Herbal soaps are one of my winter projects I like to create.

Decide which herbs you will use the most and buy either seeds or seedling plants. There are certain herbs I seem to be able to grow from seeds and other I struggle with. (Hint: In the fall you can find great prices on perennial herbs.)

Some popular cooking herbs are basil, dill, oregano, rosemary, cilantro, chives, parsley, sage and thyme. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs for both seasoning and crafting but this is an herb I seem to need to grow from a plant.

To grow an outdoor herbal kitchen container garden you will need one to three containers. I prefer clay pots but ceramic and even plastic are fine. I also like handcrafted pots. Its just adds color and interest to your garden areas.

Choose a container that is big enough to hold all the herbs that you are planting. I find I like one larger container like an 18-inch container and two smaller containers.

Make sure your container is deep enough that you can go several days without watering. If your planting container doesn’t have holes in it, drill a couple of holes in the bottom to aid in proper drainage.

Place about an inch of pea gravel or broken pot shards in the bottom of the container for drainage. Fill the container with potting soil up to ½ from the top of the container and position your herbs. Make sure you give the plants room to grow and do not overcrowd them. Most seed packets or plants that are bought will give you spacing instructions. I fins 6 to 8 inches work well for most herbs.

Once you have your herbs in place pat the soil down and water the herbs. Take tender care of them for the first few weeks until the herbs are settled and start to grow. Often during this time I will cover the container with plastic at night to add more warmth and control the climate around the plants.

Enjoy your new kitchen herb container garden.

Herb Tips:
1.  Pinch the leaves back to encourage new growth.
2.  Do not let the herbs flower because it takes away from the flavor of the herbs.
3.  If you containers are large you can place them on a roller or moveable stand to bring them indoors during the fall if you have cold nights.

For a chance to win a Kitchen Herb Garden check out the Gardeners Rake herb contest.

Posted by Denise at 8:54 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

How to Create a Prairie Garden

 Backyard Garden  No Responses »
Aug 232010
 

Prairies have a beauty that makes them stand out. They are full are native plants and different types of grasses. A variety of flowers are found in prairies that can adapt to different types of soil and climates variations. This makes what is called a prairie flowers an asset for difficult or unique growing conditions.

Prairies are also located all over the United States and are divided into three categories; dry, mesic (medium) and wet. These categories are based on the soil moisture available to the plants within the prairie. Many people also refer to Prairie flowers as wild flowers.

There are many types of Prairie Flowers and for more information and varieties check out Prairie Flowers.

Here are three varieties I use in my natural areas. I chose them for their ease in growing and for butterflies or crafting uses.

Butterfly milkweed, also known as butterfly weed and coral weed, is a perennial plant that can grow up to 3 feet tall. This plant is one of my favorite plants to grow. It attracts the monarch butterfly and has many herbal uses and can used in dried arrangement and fro crafting.

These plants can looks somewhat shrubby and bushy. Its leaves are dark green, 2 to 4 inches long and ¼ to 1 inch wide. The flowers are red-orange, orange and sometimes yellow. Butterfly milkweed will bloom from June to August and prefers full sun. It will also tolerate partial shade. It grows well in sandy, well-drained soils and rocky limestone prairies. In my zone 5 climate I grow it in rocky soil where other plants will not grow as well.

Being a taller plant I use it my garden areas in the back with other wildflowers in the front.

The USDA hardiness zones for butterfly milkweed are 4 through 10.

The Indian paintbrush is also known as painted cup and Indian blanket. It is a short plant that only grows up to 18 inches tall. The plant has hairy stems, and the greenish-yellow flowers are hardly noticeable. This plant has a bright red – orange bloom that appears in April through June. The bloom may also be yellow.

Indian paintbrush prefers full sun and only slight shade. Soil conditions should be mostly dry, but this plant can tolerate partially moist soils. This is another plant I grow in rocky soil.

The USDA hardiness zones are 3 through 10.

The yellow prairie coneflower is a perennial that will grow up to 3 feet tall. The daisy-like flowers are yellow and have a brown center. These flowers will return each spring from the same roots and will bloom the second spring from seed. The yellow prairie coneflower prefers full sun and nonacid, dry soil. I have grown this plant both from seed and from a transplant.

It is native to the plains regions, but can grow in all regions. Its USDA hardiness zones are 3 through 9.

The purple coneflower is a stunning perennial flower with herbal uses and makes a perfect garden accent flower. Once started it is easy to grow and low in maintenance. It is used both as prairie flower and in many flower gardens. It’s one of my favorite flowers.

One last favorite for prairie gardens is the Shooting star. It is also called prairie pointers and American Sweet coneflower. Growing to a height of 6 foot, if planted in moist soil, it makes a great background plant or flower for a fence.

Adding a prairie garden to the backyard oasis will give you that open feel and will also be a benefit if you have an area that has soil that other plants do not thrive in. You will also attract butterflies and other beneficial insect to your garden areas.

Posted by Denise at 9:06 pm  Tagged with: , , ,
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