Archive for December, 2013
A Christmas Wish
December 23, 2013
A Merry Christmas wish
to you, my friends, and family,
and a special thank you to those
of you who leave a comment to let me know
your spirit had been lifted,
or your mind was filled with something new.
I wish everyone health, peace, and sun-filled days,
gardening power, sweet flowers,
and a boundless harvest
in every aspect of your life.
God Bless you,
Make sure to follow me on facebook.com/inandaroundthegarden
What Everybody Needs
December 21, 2013Everybody needs a gift:
First for the rapture of surprise,
Then for the LOVE from which it came.
—©Dianne Marie Andre
A Special Christmas Exhibit You’ve Got to See!
December 19, 2013
Photo by Lauren Brunsvik
Are you looking for something different and special to do with the whole family before Christmas?
Visit The Conservatory of Flowers Special Exhibit in San Francisco and walk among hundreds of stunning butterflies fluttering among an intimate indoor cottage garden with beautiful poinsettias.
There are more than 20 colorful butterfly species, including the Zebra Longwing shown in above photo, and giant moths you won’t want to miss. Take your camera!
Conservatory of Flowers Golden Gate Park 100 John F. Kennedy Drive San Francisco, CA 94118 Hours of OperationsTuesday – Sunday: 10am – 4:30pm (Last entry is at 4pm). Monday: Closed, except Memorial Day and Labor Day. Please note that on Sundays and all major holidays, Golden Gate Park closes many of its roads to all vehicle traffic. Contact Information: 415-831-2090 If your inquiry does not seem to fall into a specific department, email us at: info@sfcof.org See more at: http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/about/contact#sthash.hEOXMYe9.dpuf
100 Christmas Garden Gift Ideas
December 17, 2013
Short on cash? Consider printing attractive certificates offering your services to:
- Plant
- Weed
- Stake
- Rake and bag
- Spread mulch
- Prune and clean
- Clean greenhouse
- Repair raised bed
- Clean garden tools
- Sharpen garden tools
- Lay garden pathway
- Clean out the garage
- Paint the garden shed
- Scrub and sterilize pots
- Repair the compost bin
- Install a tool-hanging kit
- Repair sprinkler system
- One workday in the yard
- Build a new compost bin
- Reorganize the garden shed
- Pressure wash concrete walks
- Clean gutters and downspouts
- Take the debris pile to the landfill
- Properly dispose of old chemicals
- Winterize garden shed windows and door
- Make a garden apron out of fabric remnants
- Clean up the junk piled in a corner of the yard
- Build a garden bench out of repurposed wood
- Build a potting bench out of repurposed wood
- Repair or replace handles on rakes, shovels, etc.
- Finish a garden project he or she hasn’t had time to do
- If you have photos of the gardener’s yard, put a small memory album together or turn the photos into greeting cards
Tip: Your time and services is especially helpful to older adults and working parents. Doing a service is a fun and rewarding project for the whole family. Children and teenagers, especially, will learn the value of giving of themselves by helping others. If you’re a young couple, this is a great way to say thanks to your parents for their many contributions (like babysitting) throughout the year. When wording the certificate, be respectful so your offer won’t insult the receivers. Humor is always good. Keep your promise to do the service, within 30 days.
Garden Attire:
- Sunglasses
- Back brace
- Rubber boots
- Garden apron
- Garden tool belt
- Large-brimmed straw hat
- Rubber clogs (Closed-toe)
- Gardening gloves (Select good ones that you know will fit.)
Hand tool gifts to give:
- Hoe
- Rake
- Shovel
- Pitch fork
- Weed eater
- Hedge clippers
- Pruning shears
- Set of gardening tools
Tip: When buying for women, remember that most prefer lightweight, small-scale tools.
Large items:
- Tiller
- Shredder
- Chainsaw
- Composter
- Wheelbarrow
- Outdoor sink
- Green house
- Storage shed
- Pressure washer
- Outdoor drinking fountain
Items to put in a garden gift basket:
- Tool belt
- Plant ties
- Leaf bags
- Bulb planter
- Rooting vase
- Hand cleaner
- Garden twine
- Garden apron
- Garden journal
- Insect repellant
- Watering wand
- Germinating mix
- Nursery gift card
- Bath soaking salts
- Outdoor thermometer
- Gardener’s hand soap
- Windowsill herb garden
- Canvas gardening tote bag
- 2014 Old Farmer’s Almanac
- Hand cream made for gardeners
- Gardening magazine subscription
- Bag of potting soil (All gardeners can use this.)
- Kneeling pad (Give a thick one that will actually keep the knees padded.)
- Seasonal vegetable planting guide (available at local Master Gardeners’ office or website)
- Book on plants suited to the gardener’s zone (Check with your local Master Gardeners’ office)
Tip: Before making a purchase, think about the gardener. What type of tools does he or she use? What type of plants? What kind of gardening, i.e. vegetable, perennial, cut flowers, houseplants? Too often gardeners get “cute” items of poor quality that create clutter or don’t last. Select something that you know he or she will use and enjoy. Unless you know of a specific plant or tree that the person wants, it’s best to give a gift card.
Miscellaneous Items:
- Plant caddy
- Plant stand
- Solar lights
- Tool caddy
- Flower frog
- Soaker hose
- Trail camera
- Garden hose
- Outdoor shower
- Citronella candles
- Stackable storage containers
- Automatic plant watering device
- Folding garden kneeler and seat
- Memorial stake or sign for loved one
- Pet memorial garden stake or stone
- Tomato cage (The collapsible type are great space savers)
- Ticket to holiday home tour (These are held before Christmas so you’ll have to give this in advance.)
Online shopping links (Be sure to ask if there’s still time to receive delivery before Christmas):
http://www.findgift.com/Services/FindGift-Deals/
http://www.fisherblacksmithing.com/ (This company has some unique items that you won’t see anywhere else.)
http://www.originalsheds.com/categories/garden-sheds.aspx
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/largarcenced.html (This company has eco-friendly products)
http://www.gardeners.com/Gifts-for-Gardeners/20679,default,sc.html
http://www.gifts.com/categories/gardening-gift-ideas/e93M6W
Happy shopping!
Make sure to follow me on facebook.com/inandaroundthegarden
Brrr it’s cold
December 12, 2013The cold, frosty week has chilled me to the bone and got me thinking . . .
. . . how monochromatic the earth remains beyond naked tree limbs
before the rains come and the field grasses grow;
. . . how glad I don’t live in snow country
yet yearn to photograph the beauty it holds;
. . . how shrubs and trees store sugar all winter long
for hues shiny and sweet come springtime;
. . . how loud are icy grass blades when walked upon
or how musical are the drips of melting frost;
. . . how quiet and secluded squirrels remain,
and unproductive laying hens reside,
. . . how the effort to stay warm seems like combat;
. . . and how all living breeds navigate cycles through
slumber and wake.
Frost Caps for your Garden
December 11, 2013By Guest Writer and Amador County Master Gardener Bonnie Toy
Winter is definitely on the way, and that can mean pipes broken from the frost. This morning I disconnected all my hoses and rolled most of them up for storage. The standpipes are all wrapped in the foam pipe insulation that you can get from the hardware store, but it has always been a challenge to figure out how to protect the faucet itself – wrap it with rags and string? Insulating tape? A scrap of wall insulation?
I’ve tried a variety of these over the years, and while they all work okay, it is a nuisance to get them all wrapped safely, and it is a hassle to unwrap them again in the spring, only to have to repeat the process for the next frost season.
This year I made frost caps for my faucets. They tie on easily, and can be removed easily in the spring and stored for the next frost season.
I made several different styles and sizes, as I have some hoses that must run all winter to keep the stock troughs full, and I have a couple of 2 headed faucets on a single stand pipe. But most are single faucets on a straight stand pipe.
You do need a sewing machine, but frost caps aren’t hard to make. Here are instructions for the single faucet/single standpipe style. You can modify the dimensions for other configurations once you see how easy these things are to assemble.
What you need for 1 frost cap:
2 pieces of water resistant fabric, 8”x16” (I ordered ripstop nylon from Seattle Fabrics)
2 pieces of quilt batting or other insulating material, 8”x16”
1 piece of 1/4” cording, 26” long
Lay the fabric out and top each piece with a piece of insulating material.
Fold each of the pieces in half, so that the fabric is on the outside and the insulation is on the inside. You should now have 2 8” squares with one finished edge (the fold), and 3 unfinished edges. Stack the squares on top of each other, making sure the folded edges are together.
Pin at the 4 corners, doing your best to align the fabric pieces and insulation pieces so that all layers match at the corners.
Fold the cording in half, and push the loop formed by folding it from the inside of the “sandwich” to the outside. The loop should slightly show outside a raw edge, and should be about 1” above the folded edge. The tails should be pulled down so they don’t get caught in the seam.
Now, starting at the folded edge with the loop nearby, sew a few stitches and backstitch. Continue sewing until you have stitched over the loop. Backstitch again. Continue sewing until you get to the corner, turn the corner and sew across the top, turn the corner and then down the other side. Backstitch when you reach the end. Trim your seam allowances and turn the cap right side out.
That’s it! Easy Peasy.
Bounty Hunting for Plants with Bling
December 10, 2013
When it comes to selecting new plants, a great fervor burns in me for color and texture, and for the uncommon species. The vibrancy of bright blooms and variegated foliage is what brings a garden or patio—and one’s emotions—to life.
Unlike commonplace shrubs, nurseries usually stock plants with bling in small quantities making them a quick sellout and the hunt challenging.
This year, during a pursuit I captured a variegated, red twig dogwood (Cornaceae). Spring through summer the leaves are bright green edged in cream. Come fall they turn variegated pink. The leaves have fallen now. This exposes the beautiful, smooth red twigs–a showstopper when the plant is larger.
While in its dormant state, I transplanted the dogwood from the black nursery pot to a larger, clay pot. Then I did a little pruning to keep the dogwood from becoming straggly.
First, I removed a few deadwood, cross or crowded branches. If my dogwood had suckers at the base I would have cut them off, but only if I did not want it to spread like a shrub.
Next, I pruned branches growing beyond the dogwood’s natural shape. The trick is to not over prune. This reduces foliage and possibly the yellowish-white spring flowers.
Last, I went through the trimmings and chose those with a node near one end of the twigs and placed them in the same pot to propagate.
With proper care, my dogwood will bring life to the back patio and evoke garden bling year round.
Here’s the rap sheet on variegated, red twig dogwood.
Zones vary by species
Deciduous
Blooms April
Full Sun/Partial Shade
Max Height: 6-8′
Max Width: 4-6′
Water well in any soil type
Holiday Balance
December 5, 2013
The days have been hectic since the last post. I had several blogs in the works, and then all was put aside for the joyful preparations of Thanksgiving’s family gathering and a major deadline still in the works. And now arises the next holiday.
During the coming days, most of us will be, if you aren’t already, overcome with a list of Christmas tasks. New on my list this year is to send a ‘few’ greeting cards. It’s been years since I mailed Christmas cards. Family members will be shocked. Small as this task seems, I now wonder what inspired me to take on yet another project. Perhaps it was Vista Print’s irresistible special.
There are holiday events I’d like to attend. Scenes I’d like to capture. But sometimes we have to put our desires aside to bring balance and rest into our lives.
Today is one of those days when physical needs and holiday preparations push the normal everyday tasks (and my impending deadline) to the far left. I have a hunch your December days are the same or soon will be. So I share this amazing beauty outside my back door. I hope you feel the gift of joyful balance and rest in this photo or more importantly in something or someone near and dear to you.
Merry Christmas!
Dianne Marie Andre
In and Around the Garden 