Planters
Punchlines
Men’s Garden Club of Wethersfield
March 2015
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Gardens of Wickham Park "
@ Men’s Garden Club of Wethersfield March
Meeting
Monday March 23 @ 7:00 pm in the Pitkin
Community Center
The March 23 meeting of the MGCoW will feature two speakers
from Wickham Park in Manchester, CT. “Jack
of All Trades” Duffy Brookes will speak about the history of the Park and all
the Park has to offer – and he should know since he has been here since 1973!
The Park horticulturist, Susan Albin will talk about the
many themed gardens within the Park, when they were installed and what makes
each one unique, as well as discuss the many challenges faced maintaining
public gardens, (I am guessing the deer may be mentioned in that talk!).
See the Park Gardens at www.wickhampark.org/gardens.html
See the Park Gardens at www.wickhampark.org/gardens.html
The public is invited.
Compostable Matter
By Jim Meehan
William
Shakespeare once wrote, "Some are born gardeners, some achieve gardener-ness,
and some have gardener-ness thrust upon them." – or something like that.
I am
definitely of the “thrust upon” class.
Neither my
mother nor my father had the slightest interest in working in, or even near, a
plot of land whose purpose was the growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables. I had a couple of Aunts and one Uncle who
grew mostly tomatoes in small plots in their backyards and my folks and I
occasionally enjoyed some of their produce.
One of the Aunts sometimes watched me afternoons during my elementary
school days and she would sometimes take me to pick dandelions from an empty
lot across the street from her house. It
was kind of fun.
Then we
would eat them in a salad. Not fun.
We always
lived in rental properties, so my home lawn maintenance experience was
nil. My first such experience was
working for the New Britain Parks and Rec department during High School when I
mowed the grass at one of the town’s public parks. That lasted one summer.
I did zilch
horticulturing through college, and for the first ten years of marriage during
whichMars and I lived in an apartment in Rocky Hill. Then we bought our first, and to date only,
home in Wethersfield.
It came, as
expected, with a lawn – not a significant one but at least an hour’s worth of
walking behind the mower each time. It
also came, unexpectedly to me anyway, with a bevy of bushes and other
unidentifiable (some to this day) shrubbery.
When I say unexpectedly I mean I saw them when we looked over the
property and liked the look that they gave to the yard within which I saw
myself lazing in my lawn chair during warm summer days. It somehow hadn’t occurred to me that they
grew – continuously.
And then
there was the vegetable garden. Mars’
father was an inveterate gardener, and a good one. The backyard garden was just a fact of life
for her. So on our first Memorial Day
weekend of home ownership, following my father-in-law’s directions and Mars’
plans, we dug up and planted our first of many vegetable gardens. Much to my surprise this enterprise turned
out to be the easiest of my horticultural challenges.
And then
there was “Ernest” – the name that I gave to the guy who took care of my
neighbor’s yard work because of his physical resemblance to the macho American
novelist. I still remember the first
time I saw him.
He looked
to be of retirement age, about six feet tall, and thin. He was wearing clean, un-pressed tan chinos,
brown work boots, a yellowing Irish knit sweater and a tan chino baseball
hat. The hat was planted firmly on his
head, at a slight angle, with the left side up.
A thin stream of white hair flowed out of the sides of the hat and
continued down his cheeks, merging with a short-trimmed beard and
moustache. His neck was unshaven. When he removed his hat, I could see that the
hair on his head was military short. It
was a sunny day, but Ernest didn't wear sunglasses.
He squinted (even in the shade provided by
the long peak of his cap). As he worked
he removed layers. First he took off his
sweater to show a clean plain-white tee shirt.
Then the tee shirt came off to show an upper body, tanned and largely free
of fat - but not muscular.
He worked
continuously, pausing only for three things: to remove a layer of clothing, to
take off his hat and wipe his forehead, or to smoke a cigarette. He sat and smoked between jobs. Between grass cutting and grass raking. Between hedge trimming and hedge raking. And before leaving.
The tools
Ernest used were basic: a small, generic brand push power mower, hand operated
pruning shears and a metal rake with several teeth missing. His cigarettes, I surmised from the size of
the pack, were either unfiltered "regular size" Camels (my father's
brand) or Lucky Strikes (my former one).
The right hand that held the cigarette was always cupped. He rested that hand on his left wrist and
rested the left wrist on a crossed right leg.
He was very still when he smoked, except for his cupped hand slowly
floating up to his mouth and back.
When he was
done the lawn was uniformly short and clean, and the hedges were squared-off
and flat. He put his tools away and rode
off on a blue one-speed bicycle, with his Irish knit sweater stuffed into a
rusty handlebar basket.
For eight
years, during the yard-work season, Ernest came at least every other Sunday on
that same two-wheeler to do his work. And virtually every time, and most
Saturdays too, I was in my own yard trying to do the same. It wasn't in me to
give my yard the squared-off look of Ernest's handiwork. Instead I chose a less symmetrical layout,
requiring much more intensive labor.
As I pushed
my mower, hand-turned my old and new gardens, or dug out my dandelions, I would
stare over to see how I was doing compared to him - frequently at first, then
less often.
But I never
totally stopped looking.
As
the real Hemingway wrote, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a
master.”
Rooftop Gardening For City Dwellers
By Nikki Phipps
(Author of The Bulb-o-licious Garden)
If you
enjoy gardening but find yourself limited by space, rooftop gardening can
provide an excellent alternative, especially for city dwellers. These gardens
have numerous benefits as well. For instance, rooftop gardens make use of space
that would otherwise go unnoticed or unused and can be quite attractive.
Rooftop
gardens not only provide a unique way for urbanite gardeners to do what they
love most, but can also save on energy since rooftop plants supply buildings
with additional insulation and shade. Furthermore, rooftop gardens can absorb
rainfall, reducing runoff.
Creating a Rooftop Garden Design
Nearly any
type of roof can accommodate a rooftop garden. However, it’s important that you
have a licensed professional check out the structural capacity of the building
beforehand in order to assess whether or not the roof is stable enough to
support the additional weight of a rooftop garden. This will ultimately
determine the type of rooftop garden design [2] specific to your situation.
Typically, rooftop gardens can be constructed one of two ways.
Rooftop Container Garden
The most
common rooftop garden involves the use of lightweight containers. This design
is not only popular but it’s easier to maintain, offers more flexibility, and
is less expensive. Rooftop container gardens [3] are ideal for roofs with
limited weight capacity as well and can fit any lifestyle or budget. In fact,
many items, such as containers, may already be on hand and readily available to
the urban gardener. These might include plastic butter bowls, Tupperware
containers, or similar items that are suitable for growing plants. Add some
drainage holes and you instantly have an inexpensive container.
Since
weight issues can oftentimes be a factor in choosing appropriate containers for
a rooftop garden, lightweight containers, such as these, are excellent choices.
Fiberglass or wooden planters can also be used. Lining the bottoms of
containers with a lightweight material, such as peat or sphagnum moss, is
another good idea. Rooftop container gardens are extremely versatile too.
Plants can easily be rearranged or relocated to different areas, especially
during winter when they can be moved indoors.
Green Roof Garden
The other,
more complex, rooftop garden construction involves covering the entire roof, or
the majority of it, with soil and plants. Referred to as a ‘green roof,’ this
type of rooftop garden uses layers to provide insulation, drainage, and a
growing medium for plants. Since this type of construction is more difficult to
create, the assistance of qualified professionals is often required. However,
there are many suitable resources available for constructing your own ‘green
roof’ system.
The first
layer of the green roof is applied directly to the roof and is intended to
guard against leaks as well as provide insulation. The next layer contains
lightweight material, such as gravel, for drainage with a filtering mat
positioned on top. This allows water to soak through while keeping the soil in
place. The final layer includes both the growing medium and plants. Regardless
of the type of rooftop garden design, growing mediums should always consist of
lightweight soil or compost. The soil application should also maintain a depth
that will not only sufficiently anchor plants but support the weight capacity
of the roof as well since wet soil can get quite heavy.
In addition
to being attractive, rooftop gardens are energy efficient and easy to care for,
requiring little maintenance once established other than occasional weeding or
watering. For those with little space but no rooftop, such as apartment or
townhouse dwellers [4], you can still enjoy the benefits of a rooftop garden by
implementing a balcony container garden [5] instead. Whichever you choose, make
sure your garden is easily accessible, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Even
with the tiniest of spaces, city dwellers can have the garden of their dreams.
Remember, the sky’s the limit, and with a rooftop garden, you’re that much
closer to achieving your goals.
Garden Q.&A.
By Leslie Land – New York Times
The Worm Turns
Q. Do hot peppers “burn”
earthworms the way they burn people’s lips? If so, should one avoid putting
debris from chilies in compost piles?
A. The answer to your first question is
yes. Worms are very sensitive to irritating chemicals, said Richard Pouyat, who
studies urban ecosystems for the United States Forest Service. His work
includes measuring worm populations, which he brings to the surface by
saturating the ground with a solution of hot mustard in water.
Fortunately,
worms that can rise to evade the mustard bath can also wiggle around other hot
spots, so the answer to Question No. 2 is no (as long as your pile is seasoned
with chilies, rather than composed of them).
And you
need not fear that the worms will be burned before they know what hit them. They
are very selective feeders, Dr. Pouyat said, and they would be able to sense
the capsaicin responsible for the heat before they ate any of it.
It is also
likely that brief contact would hurt the worms no more than it hurts your lips.
Though Dr. Pouyat’s populations are, as he put it “sacrificed for science,”
those gathered in the same way by fishermen can live on indefinitely, though
they seldom get the chance.
Q. A neighbor’s house is looming over
my tiny Maine coast garden, so I am considering a hedge of hardy bamboo for
privacy and erosion control. But locals are discouraging me. Is planting bamboo
wise or not?
A. The bamboos that best control
erosion are known as running bamboos, a title that describes speed as well as
growth habit. Their robust rhizome networks help bind sandy soil, but they are
rightly condemned as invasive.
A hedge of
hardy clumping bamboo, on the other hand, should bother nothing but your wallet
and could be a beautiful solution to your privacy problem. Just be warned that
even hardy bamboos are cold-sensitive when young. And they are not happy in
bright sun and salt wind.
Does Anyone Own A Swoe?
A gardenweb.com forum
Anne
I bought one a few months ago and it's the most worthless
garden tool I own. It's supposed to remove weeds, but it takes about 3 times
the force of a hoe to get the weed up. I can't see that it has any advantage
over a hoe. I'm wondering if anyone here is happy with their swoe, and if so,
could tell me how they're using it.
cynthia_gw
Some well intentioned soul gave me one of these as a gift. I
thought I might be able to use it as a hammer or a defense weapon in a pinch
but it turned out to have no use or purpose. I made sure that left it was left
in the shed at my last home.
mirka_g
Return it to where you purchased it and try for an exchange
for a different item
gardener_sandy
I've never used a swoe but love a "scuffle" hoe or
stirrup hoe. It cuts on the push and pull strokes and makes short work of weeds
without having to "chop" at them like a traditional hoe. When hoeing
weeds close to your plants you don't usually want to disturb the soil too deep
anyway. That will bring up additional weed seeds and sometimes will damage the
shallow roots of the plants you want to keep. The stirrup hoe only disturbs the
top half inch or so of soil and is lots easier to use. JMHO
DawnStorm(7/MD)
I cannot recommend a hula hoe enough! Whatever a swoe is,
I'd exchange it for a hula hoe.
maronark(z6 CT)
Last summer someone stole my swoe, what woe! For all of you
who have posted spite for this sort of hoe, send it to me, they are hard to
find and expensive in the USA. It is a wonderful tool for a quick garden touch
up. It is not intended to break up the soil or cut well established plants and
weeds, but rather to go through an established garden and nip new weeds in the
bud. A swoe makes it easy to go in between rows of plants or across beds and
aerate the soil as you slice through the top 1/2 inch of soil and cut down
sprouting weed seeds with out bending down or getting to one's knees to pick
them by hand. Do any of you unhappy souls want to put yours up on ebay so I can
bid for it! Fooey on thee who took mine. My kingdom for a new swoe!
gflynn(z7 MD)
Has the swoe ever been used in poetry or music?
I was asking because I have a painting at home that is a
still life of sorts that is called "Apple, bottle, book, wenier dog and
swoe".
I figured that if folks were willing to paint it that it may
have been the object of song.
Greg
kathryn_marsh(ireland)
Anyone who is using a hoe to "get the weeds up"
needs to learn to hoe the easy way. The purpose of a hoe is to cut through the
weed just below the soil surface so that it will wither and die, leaving its
residues to be recycled by the soil life but disturbing the surface and turning
up new weed seeds as little as possible. Chopping down into the ground is just
asking for shoulder and back problems in the long run and leads to extra
weeding. The swoe is a lovely tool, sharp on three edges, and will cut through
weed stems closer to the plant you want to keep than any other I've tried. The
art of the hoe is to slide it just under the surface so you don't disturb the
surface and bring up more weed seeds.
If you do want to use the traditional American chopping
motion can I recommend the cobra head which will hook out roots with less
damage to its surrounding than others.
The value of the swoe can best be demonstrated by the fact
that I've just had to buy my fourth (in forty years) because yet again its been
stolen. and I'm delighted to find that the price here has just dropped by two
thirds so I recommend shopping around.
schultzybear
Sharpen your swoes with a grinding wheel. then you can slice
thoe weeds close to your plants easily. sorry
all you folks didnt have someone to show you the best garden tool ever
fmart322(Z6SNJ)
I'm gonna have to keep an eye out for one, sounds like a
great tool. I have a hoe that is sharp, because I keep it that way. It's more
like the type Sandy has. I keep it shap with a fine tooth knife file. Now THAT
is a great tool to have.
Lee Valley has a great selection.
sfmiller(z7 MD)
Ultimately it comes down to personal taste/preference, but I
love the balance and lightness of this hoe for skim-weeding in tight quarters.
It's lighter, more maneuverable, and, to my tastes, better balanced than the
swoes I've tried.
Hunter01
I purchased a swoe through Organic Gardening over 10 years
ago. Paid less than $20 for it then and have used it every season since and
wouldn't take today's new price for it. Handiest garden tool I own, even with
having to replace the handle twice over time. This morning I cleaned the weeds
from our entire raised-bed garden (9 beds, 12x4 ft.) in about 15 minutes. Then
I sharpened it for the next use. Keeping it sharp and then practice through use
are the two critical factors for efficient use and satisfaction.
Edible Landscaping Basics
What is Edible Landscaping?
Edible
landscaping is the practical integration of food plants within an ornamental or
decorative setting. The same design principles as for ornamental landscapes are
used, while substituting edible plants such as lettuces, blueberries,
vegetables and fruit trees for some of the otherwise unproductive plant
material. Using edibles in landscape design can enhance a garden by providing a
unique ornamental component with additional health, aesthetic, and economic
benefits. Edible landscaping is a mixture of beauty and utility. However,
edible landscaping doesn’t have to be all edible. In fact, filling the yard
with edibles would often produce too much food for most families, not to
mention time and work. Instead, careful planning and the judicious use of
fruits, herbs, and vegetables results in a yard that is flavorful, practical,
visually pleasing. As a bonus, it’s a great topic for conversation!
Homeowners
in all climates-with small or large yards-can benefit from a trellis of cherry
tomatoes cascading over the entryway, a fragrant border of colorful and
flavorful basils, or a prolific semi-dwarf apple tree or two. There are tasty
and ornamental edible plants for just about any garden setting in any climate.
Only the most shady areas and soggy soils are not suitable. The sunniest spots
and the areas with the choicest soil are best reserved for most fruit trees and
annual vegetables. On the other hand, there are culinary herbs suitable for
rocky or poor soils, and a few perennial edibles for wet locations.
Theoretically, any edible plant can be used in an ornamental landscape; but
practically and aesthetically, some are better suited than others.
Combining
Edibles and Ornamentals:
Edible
plants can be combined in many creative ways-with other edibles, or with
ornamentals. For instance: try a cool-season border of lettuces and spinach
interplanted with dwarf nasturtiums. All types of pepper are striking when
combined with dwarf marigolds or a background of tall red salvias. In shady
areas, try a border of alpine strawberries and curly parsley under a hedge of
currants. For your dwarf fruit trees try planting them in geometric beds
surrounded with a border of culinary herbs; or plant them along the driveway
instead of the usual privet or junipers.
Edible
Landscaping Design Elements
The most
important design elements for an edible landscape are strong, firm lines and
structure. With edible plants, the main goal is a diversity of food on your
table and not just the look of your yard. However, in a purely aesthetic sense,
adding edibles to your design provides a greater mixture of textures, forms,
and colors than a typical ornamental landscape. In order to counterbalance this
mix of plants, it helps to almost over-emphasize the line and structure of your
landscaping elements.
A design
consideration with edibles is the seasonal nature of the color-flowers, fruit,
and/or foliage-and occasional times of reduced drama due to transplanting,
harvesting, and soil cultivation. During these times, the importance of strong
lines, as defined by pathways, patios, planters, hedges, evergreens, and
structures, becomes evident. Long curving beds or interplantings of colorful
flowering plants-edible or not-also help tie the design together and provide
accents to intrigue your eye. Edible landscaping is more than just planting
edibles. Without the backbone of an integrated design, an edible landscape can
become just another scraggly vegetable patch.
With any
edible landscape, I urge folks to start small. Small and simple means you can
easily maintain what you’ve started. Temper spring enthusiasm with the
knowledge that many edible plants not only need maintenance (mulching,
watering, weeding, feeding, and pruning), but also take effort in the form of
harvesting and cooking- and preserving a large harvest. Choose dwarf fruit
trees over standard-size trees and select fruit varieties that spread the
harvest over many months.
Healthy Plants are Beautiful Plants
Good design
is important, but if the plants are not healthy, the best of designs is for
naught. The keys to healthy plants are choosing the correct plant for the right
place and properly preparing the soil. Most edible plants need at least six
hours of mid-day sun to produce well, and be healthy. With few exceptions, most
edible plant varieties require soils with fast drainage. Soggy soil is the
culprit for many failed edible gardens. Annual fruits and vegetables need soil
filled with lots of organic matter and a source of nitrogen.
Expect
trees and shrubs in your landscape design to take from three to five years to
start to look mature. On the other hand, annual beds filled with herbs,
vegetables, and flowers can give you a colorful and tasty impact starting the
very first season.
Certainly,
an edible landscape is one of the most rewarding yards one can have. You’ll be
able to grow tasty treats that can’t be bought for love or money, often with
enough to share with friends and neighbors. An edible landscape is the only
form of gardening that truly nurtures all the senses.
Horti-Culture Corner
It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and
the wind blows cold:
when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
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