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Monthly Archives: January 2012
Photo: First Daffodil 2012
The daffodil foliage had been pushing up over the last few days, but as I drove away from the house today I noticed a flash of yellow from the street side bed. Sure enough, this daffodil was fully opened. Many more tome come, but there is something special about the first one of the season.
Speak Out! – What is happening/will happen in your garden this year?
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What is happening in your garden — or what will happen once the snow subsides?
Share your stories, ideas and information here as a comment.
This is an open thread and all non-spam comments will be posted.
Project: Steel pipe garden edging
You have probably seen my photos and videos of our wine bottle garden edging project. This photo shows a similar approach using an entirely different material. I am not sure where you would source enough of this pipe cheaply, but obviously this person did.
One issue with using unique items for your garden edging is that their small diameter means you need A LOT of them. The wine bottles are probably 4″-5″ in diameter but that is still much smaller than a brick, a stone or using some bender-board edging. This also means it takes more time to install, as you have to lay each piece separately.
I like that the gardener filled each pipe with soil and stones and then planted small succulents. I think this is a great use of otherwise wasted space in the edging.
Still, I really like the look of our wine bottles and these steel pipes. Click through on this Pinterest link for more garden photos and ideas from the original blog.
Source: floradoragardens.blogspot.com via Douglas on Pinterest
Watch garden videos (and more!) on my YouTube Channel
Video: Vertical Garden Installation at Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge, CA
We haven’t made a trip out to Descanso recently, but this would certainly be cool to see in person. There is a lot of interest in vertical gardening lately and this does it on a grand scale.
Link: Descanso Gardens Web Site
Vertical Garden Installation at Descanso Gardens from Descanso Gardens on Vimeo.
DIY: PVC Pipe Strawberry Planter
Vertical growing, whether upside down (tomatoes) or right side up (the strawberries below) has been a big trend of late. The fact is though, vertical growing has long been a way to make the most of small space. Espalier is a way of pruning fruit trees to have them grow in a flat plane i.e. against a wall and yet still produce abundant fruit. I have recently seen pallet gardens — shipping pallets filled with soil and place vertically — for growing on apartment balconies, too.
This creative idea builds on the concept of the traditional strawberry pot, but allows you to plant as tall as you might wish. This picture I found on Pinterest links to a Flickr set of photos, but it seems pretty clear that they have taken a length of PVC drainage pipe, cut out holes for the plants and then filled it with soil. I could see 3 or 4 of these in a row along a sunny fence. Water is probably added from the top and allowed to flow down each tube.
I have updated the post with this photo and link to a much more detailed walk through of a similar project.
Strawberry Tower photos an info from Backyard Gardening Fun blog.
Watch garden videos (and more!) on my YouTube Channel
More information on growing strawberries:
A Gardener’s Notebook Facebook page reaches 100 “Likes”
Today, Becka was the 100th person to “like” our page on Facebook. I maintain that page for those people whom use Facebook more than any other service. The more readers, the merrier, no matter where they might be. It is also another space for use to share pictures and talk gardening.
If you know someone is a Facebook homebody, share the AGN page with them. I would love to see them there.
Elsewhere: Recycled Garden Tool Organization
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Here a recycled rake head is used as a hand tool holder in the garden. Garden frugality at its best.
Source: diyideas.com via Kathleen on Pinterest
Education: Southwest Yard and Garden Series – Season 1 from iTunes U
There is a host of great information available from universities and organizations around the world via iTunes U. Over the next several weeks, I will be highlighting some of the more interesting shows and classes that I find there. You can check out the entire catalog at the iTunes U information page ordirectly in iTunes.
Southwest Yard and Garden Series – Season 1
by New Mexico State University, Media ProductionsDescription
Each episode features a travel destination with two gardens and a public garden from elsewhere in the Southwest. Innovative gardeners and basic how-to information will be part of each show, which will have segments from several states.
Related posts:
Event: Fullerton Arboretum’s Plant and Garden Show
Giveaway: Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce by Cathy Thomas
Video: Chef’s Garden “Unboxing” – chef-quality produce from Ohio
Photos: First Paperwhites 2011
Elsewhere Online: Project Noah App Lets You Learn About Nearby Wildlife and Plants
NEWS: Bonsai stamps released in the US
Despite the problems facing the US Post Office, it is nice to see them still producing some pretty nice stamps. Here are some of the most recent examples, dedicated to bonsai. Click through to the article for larger images.
With these five stamps, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the beauty of bonsai. The word “bonsai” (Japanese for “plant in a pot”) refers to the art of cultivating plants — usually trees — in trays, pots, or other containers. Favorite bonsai plants include evergreens, maples, and azaleas, but many other trees and shrubs are also suitable.
