Flowering Toppers

When we love flowers, all things floral may pop up and the Royal wedding was no exception.  You must admit the Brits know how to dream up women's hats and today was certainly no exception.  These floral trimmed hats weren't at the wedding but inspirational to say the least.

The Queen has been said to own over 5,000 hats.  Royalty watchers say it's to help people recognize her.  With the hats she wears, she simply has to love hats and flowers.

This little orange number is one of her early flower crowns.

Flowers are everywhere for this blue number

Is it wrong to say "she's a cute 85 year old"?

William's mother with flowers in her hair and William's step mother with a pink creation.

 The new bride's hat style will fit right in with the Royals.  I'm thinking there is some serious Super Glue involved with these popular little cliff hangers.

This is one of my own hats from years ago.  Not exactly Royal class - maybe garden class ...  And, I promise to get back to something more garden next time - just too much hat fun to resist. 

All Hail The Queen

Doing a "Royals of England" garden article just in case you haven't had enough in-depth coverage of everything from Royal shoes to zippers.  Whether you enjoy the pageantry, the opulence, the history, or even the silliness - it's definitely a wide topic.

Many heirloom roses carry the names and descriptions from the Victorian England era.  Since Queen Victoria loved her gardens, many focus on Royalty.  A few are listed below and are rated for our Zone 5.  Enjoy.
 "The Prince's Trust", an English Legend rose.  It's a fragrant climber rated for Zone 5.
"Royal Pageant" is another fragrant climber for this area.
  "The Prince" has old rose perfume on the royal velvet substance.  A David Austin rose.
"Reine Victoria" was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.   Developed in 1872, it is extremely fragrant heirloom Bourbon rose. 
Rosa "Queen of England" is a Grandiflora tea rose. 

Not a rose, but, in the carrot family - "Queen Anne's Lace" has one lore crediting the lace making skills of Queen Ann of England for it's name.




The current Queen Elizabeth wore a coronation gown which was embroidered with floral emblems for the countries of the Commonwealth: English Tudor rose, Scots thistle, Welsh leek, Irish shamrock, Australian wattle, Canadian maple leaf, New Zealand silver fern, South African protea, lotus flowers for India and Ceylon, and Pakistan's wheat, cotton, and jute.

Daylily "Royal Prince" (below) is one of many holding royal titles. 

"God Save The Queen" daylily. 
 
And finally, there are the many flower gardens with Royal connections.  One of the most famous is the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens.

National Blueberry Pie Day

Do you remember that cute little commercial stating "Boo berries are our friends"?  Well folks - it's national blueberry pie day!  For only 80 calories for a cup of plain blueberries and absolutely no fat, you can have the friend of a lifetime.


While researching this article, I found no down side to blueberries unless you are allergic or something specific to your own system.  Granted they are a little expensive to buy off the counter but so is steak and we seldom see Americans turning away from the cost of good meat.  It becomes a choice as to what we spend our money on and here are some reasons to consider blueberries a need rather than an expense.   

According to a University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study, blueberries have the following health benefits:

1. The highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit - it boosts up your immune system and prevents infections.  With a strong immunity system it helps your system resist colds, fever, pox and some other viral and bacterial communicable diseases.
2. Neutralizes free radicals which can affect disease and aging in the body.  It's the presence of Anthocyanin, the pigment responsible for the blue color, plus all the vitamin C it contains.
3. Blueberries may help reduce belly fat and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. This is an on-going study and the conclusions not totally understood for humans.  Belly fat generally indicates an enlarged liver and is linked to obesity and insulin resistance, a hallmark of diabetes.
4. Helps promote urinary tract health by inhibiting growth of the bacterias which may cause infection.
5. Blueberry extract has been found (in clinical studies) to slow down visual loss. They can prevent or delay all age related ocular problems like macular degeneration, cataract, myopia and hypermetropia, dryness and infections, particularly those pertaining to retina. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration.
6. Blueberries can prevent and heal neurotic disorders by preventing degeneration and death of neurons, brain-cells and also by restoring health of the central nervous system. They even heal damaged brain cells and neuron tissues and keep your memory sharp.
7. The high fiber content, the anti oxidants and the ability to dissolve the ‘bad cholesterol’ make the blueberry an ideal dietary supplement to cure many heart diseases. It also strengthens the cardiac muscles.
8. The fiber (roughage) in blueberries will keep away constipation if you eat them by the handful.  Other components will improve digestion
9. It is believed blueberries can prove an excellent remedy for colon and liver cancer as well as prevent some cancers. Studies show a significant reduction in ovarian cancer risk.
10. Blueberries are very good anti depressants.

 Want to cut the cost of this beneficial?  Plant your own blueberries.  There are three kinds of blueberries and they are classified by hardiness zones.   Highbush for Zones 3 - 7, Rabbiteye for Zones 7 - 9 and Southern Highbush for Zones 7 - 10. 

The Highbush grow from 8-10' (h) x 6-8' (w), Rabbiteye grows to 15' (h) x 10' (w) and Southern Highbush is from 3-6' (h) x 4-5' (w).  They need full sun.

Plant today because it takes three years to produce a small harvest and they won’t really begin to produce fully until about their 6th year.

These beauties are native to our North America.  Growing in the wild, they are smaller berries but professed to be the sweetest.  Cultivated blueberries are continually being bred for higher yields, heat and cold tolerance and better pest resistance.  The varieties mentioned above are old and you may see new varieties every year at your nursery or greenhouse. 

For this area the Highbush (or Northern Highbush) is usually recommended.  Highbush will self-pollinate, but yield and size is improved with cross pollination.  Planting a variety of plants allows for a longer production time.  Early: 'Earliblue', 'Collins'; Mid: 'Blueray', 'Bluecrop', 'Berkeley'; Late: 'Jersery', 'Patriot'.

The flowers are small, white, bell-shaped flowers hang in clusters in late spring.  Bees find them especially inviting since they are one of the first pollen flowers of spring.  The berries ripen over time, from green to a deep purple-blue.  The leaves are a pointed oblong, oval shape and substantial and almost leathery to the touch. They turn a brilliant red in the fall making them a beautiful landscape plant.


The only reliable way to know if blueberries are ready to pick is to taste one or two. Blueberries are their sweetest if allowed to stay on the plant at least a week after turning blue.  Mature blueberry bushes produce about 8 quarts of berries per bush.


Blueberries like a very acidic soil, with a soil pH in the range of 4.0 to 4.5. They also like a soil rich in organic matter. In heavy clay soil, blueberries will fare better in raised beds.  Make sure existing beds continue to have the pH range needed. 


Look for bare root plants that are 2-3 years old. Older plants suffer more transplant shock. Plant in early spring. You can mix some peat moss into your planting hole, so keep the soil loose, acidic and well-draining.


If you have only one or two plants, space them about 4-5 feet apart. To plant rows of blueberries, space plants about 4-5 feet apart in rows that are 9-10 feet apart.  Plant so that the roots are spread out in the hole and completely covered in soil. If they were container grown plants, plant about 1" deeper than they were in the pot. Mulch after planting. Evergreen wood chips, like pine or cedar, sawdust and pine needles will help keep the soil acidified.


Water in well and be sure they get a deep watering at least once per week. Blueberries tend to be shallow rooted and need at least a couple of inches of water each week, more during dry spells.  Don’t fertilize your blueberries their first year. In additonal years, use any fertilizer for acid loving plants, including blueberry food and azalea food.


All fruit bearing bushes and trees need some pruning and blueberries are no exception.  The first 2 years, all you really need to do is remove any flowers that appear. Your plants will get bigger and more vigorous because of this.  You can leave the flowers on for the third year. You won’t get many berries, but no pruning is necessary until the 4th year.


Beginning in the 4th year, you’ll prune your blueberry bushes in early spring, while they are still dormant. Prune out any dead or injured branches, crossing branches and weak, spindly branches.  A blueberry bush need to be open allowing light to reach the berries in the middle of the bush. Berries form on the fruiting spurs of side branches. The flower buds will be larger, plumper and rounder than the pointed leaf buds.


Birds are the biggest problem for fruit production and netting helps.  Plant disease resistant varieties for an easier and healthier plant.


A little side note:  I like to freeze my blueberries on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Then put into a freezer bag.  They are like candy and a great snack when I think I simply MUST have something sweet.  Kids love this treat.  Or yum onto a piece of blueberry pie - really it's OK - it's a National Day!

Walking the Line

Soil temperatures are important to those of you who plant seeds and plant sets each spring.  I've always winged it since I never really knew where or how to get accurate information.  I would error on the warm side rather than take the chance of seeds rotting or not germinating.  

Today, Anthony Peoples (WQAD meteorologist) commented on this very subject and I asked him where I could get info on a regular basis.  The door opened and he gave a resource to me and that led to another.  Love it when it works so well - and thank you Anthony!

http://www.agri.state.il.us/news/markets/cropreport.pdf

http://www.isws.illinois.edu/warm/soiltemp.asp 

These both are from an Illinois perspective and if your computer doesn't process pdf files, use the other.  Other states will have sights sponsored by their USDA or their local university specializing in agriculture. 

(I might add the U of Illinois has downsized and some of their on-line informational columnists have been let go.  Back information usually stays on the web history.  It's sad so many fine educational employees will no longer have U of I employment or be a benefit for the state's residents.)

For the farmer, soil temperature is a major importance for nitrogen application and planting.  There is a massive amount of data regarding how and why.  It is interesting reading but I'll leave the fine points to those who need to use it for their livelihood. 

If you use lawn and garden chemicals, correct soil temperature is often a necessary criteria for successful application.  "Already the crabgrass preventers are showing up in the stores. But that doesn't mean you should use them yet. Crabgrass seeds will not germinate until the SOIL temperatures are 55-65 degrees for 7-10 consecutive days. For northern Illinois that often does not happen until late April into early May. Even in a warm spring it is unlikely that you will need to use them before the end of April."  U of I website.

Along with soil temperature, the last frost date is important for planting tender annuals.  Typically, we have been told Mother's Day is the last day of concern for frost.  Realistically, that is just a fifty fifty chance - meaning 50% chance of it working either way.  We have had frost at the end of May - just be prepared to cover exposed tender plants if the forecast calls for frost.

Although a little late for this information - if a plant seed has a long germination time, it will be difficult to have a wealth of produce before the temperatures drop in the fall and production stops.  The farther north you garden, the shorter the window of growth opportunity.  Those seeds need to be started indoors and transplanted outside to get a jump on the game.  That - or look for plant sets at your local nurseries or garden centers.  

Because "soil temperature" is confusing for most casual home gardeners, most product directions simply list "air temperature" as a defining gauge for planting tender annuals.  Generally, you don't want established plants to sit unprotected if the night temperatures dip below 60 degrees.  

I've seen clean gallon plastic milk jugs used as frost protection.  Leave the cap on the spout and cut off the bottom.  Push a little into the ground to keep the wind from blowing over.  If there is going to be cold AND high winds - you may want to use garden pins or rocks to hold an old blanket over all the jugs.  Take off during the day so it won't become an oven that bakes the little sets.  

Here's the rub:  the quicker/sooner you have a plant growing in the spring, the quicker/sooner you have produce and the more months of produce which equals more produce.  An unprotected tender annual or seeds that don't germinate because they are planted early will mean meager or no produce.

Yep, because your northern Illinois weather is mine I walk the fine line on planting dates.  (Is anyone whistling a Johnny Cash song right about now?)  Bad pun-bad pun!!  

Cute Little Trick

I added a cute little trick to the bottom of my blog allowing those interested to have new "For The Love Of Gardening" articles sent to your e-mail address. 

I added this feature about a month ago.  I wanted to make sure it worked in a manner I liked before I recommended to readers.  It's pretty slick and doesn't have a bunch of added advertisements or pop-ups.  It's the article, including the photos, and easy to read. 

I don't use your e-mail address for anything - period - nothing - zip.  If you want to correspond, the comment section provides that avenue.  I don't give out my e-mail address to readers for a couple of reasons.  First - I use my e-mail for family and business.  Second - the only time I did, it was used as a way for someone's agenda to flood my address.   Thanks for understanding.

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read these little stories.  I've always maintained that gardeners are the nicest people and I'm gratified to be touching some of you with "For The Love Of Gardening".     

I Love to Tell the Story

The old gospel song "I Love to Tell the Story" touches me in so many ways.  Foremost is the message:  "...of Jesus and His Glory - of Jesus and His love."  And, all writers are story tellers of sorts.  Even those that offer instruction are drawing upon their own lives and weaving it through the selection of topics. 

I'll use plants from my garden as an example of bringing your own particular story to your garden.  Be it Biblical, colors, family or other interests, acres may be filled with your theme varieties. 

Sprinkled throughout your garden, they are simply a reminder to yourself of your passions.  For those who wish to expand a Biblical themed garden, here are some beauties:

I planted "Amazing Grace" in my family flower garden bed (called the family plot) for my granddaughter, Grace.  It is a beautiful 6 inch ruffled bright yellow daylily.  It blooms in June-July and is fragrant.  Awards:  Award of Merit, Honorable Menton and Junior Citation. 

"Spiritual Corridor" daylily is a gorgeous lavender pink with a prominent creamy yellow eye and a matching picotee edge.  The creamy watermark that blends into the eye is another feature that makes this early bloomer a standout.  

"Timeless Grace" is another of the many featuring Grace in it's title.  The bloom is 5 1/2 inches and is considered an extra early season bloomer and then it may re bloom.  The wide petals of pale rose pink have heavily ruffled edges and a yellow throat.  The cream midribs may be pronounced or mostly hidden. 

"Jacob's Ladder" is a sweet perennial featured in my article "J Is For Jacob's Ladder"  numbered 303.  

The white "Lily of the Valley" bell-like flowers have a fragrence worthy of the many perfumes which use it's scent.  Considered a pest in some areas of the country because it spreads - in this neck of the woods, it's a treasure.  Loving shade, it nestles under bushes and perennials blooming in early spring and then the leaves sit patiently for the rest of the summer.

A little stop by a favorite flower during your morning coffee or your evening glass of tea may bring sweet memories of why you have chosen a certain garden theme.

"God Almighty first planted a Garden; and, indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures; it is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man..."  Francis Bacon 

  

Dishing On Dirt

Exactly what is right and wrong for garden soil (soil not dirt is the correct word according to the “horticulture crowd”)? You may get as many different answers as there are questions and many are from experts.

Granted, I take a casual attitude and tend to use as few chemicals as will suffice. I understand that location, soil composition and gardener involvement make a difference.

My casual attitude indicates I love fresh produce straight from my garden but do not in any way enjoy the tasks involved in vegetable gardening. Call it lazy or call it selective – I’ve come to accept this about myself. I realized I needed the simplest way to garden and still get abundant healthy produce.

For those who love-LOVE-L O V E the processing of gardening – let this article go without reading. For those of you who are process averting – come along with me today.

Seldom does town or county acreages have perfect soil. My garden area is former fields which were compacted, nutrient depleted, rocky and drained poorly. A town garden may be backfill.

Over the years my main garden soil enhancement has been manure. Dried (or aged) manure tilled into the garden will improve nutrients, aid de compaction, and enhance drainage. It is the single best additive I have ever used.

I also recycle/compost various non animal products such as coffee grounds & filters, fruit & vegetable scraps, newspaper & other biodegradable papers.

During this process, we have raised the soil level to enhance drainage. Raised beds are again gaining in popularity and I recommend this if you are starting from scratch. Besides the benefits for the soil, it enables gardening without bending over. There are directions for these if you are interested.

We do not till the garden except on the years when we add manure. There are several reasons: doesn’t disturb the beneficial insect activity, doesn’t eliminate the mulch already in place, doesn’t compact and takes less labor.

For the most part, I use newspaper as my garden mulch. It isn’t pretty but it recycles, it decomposes and it works. I use shredded paper, torn paper or flat newsprint in layers. Paper will absorb and hold moisture and help keep weeds from germinating. It allows plant specific watering without splashing mud on the plant or wasting water on bare ground. Paper can’t be applied on windy days, should be wet down immediately and may need some clods of soil to initially hold it in place.

If you plant seeds, apply paper between the rows and once the plants are thinned and larger, apply around the stems.

I’ve found paper mulch inhibits harmful insects better than most insecticides and keeps produce off the ground to prevent rotting. A negative of any mulch is it prevents beneficial earth dwelling bees and wasps from having access to expanses of nutrient rich soil.

Read my blog for other hints for reducing garden work. And to all the gardeners who love the process – I admire and enjoy your perfectly manicured spaces. To all the farmers starting the spring planting season – be safe and thanks again for feeding the world.

“Right letting alone and right meddling are the beginning and the ending of good gardening . . .”
E. A. Bowles in “My Garden in Spring”, 1914.

This is the start of paper mulching around my tomato plants.  This was a no-till year and grass is beginning to take hold - always a factor when using manure.  It will be smothered when it lays under a thick mulch all summer.

 
"New BFF" - blog article #135 - has more on Manure for gardens.