“A Seed is a Wish About to Come True. . .”™ Summer Rayne
Call 1-866-694-9955 to place a credit card order. Any size order OK! Or Use PayPal Below
“A Seed is a Wish About to Come True. . .”™ Summer Rayne
Call 1-866-694-9955 to place a credit card order. Any size order OK! Or Use PayPal Below
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Newsletter Back Issues February 2001 Driftwood Gardens and Seeds www.Driftwoodgardens.comThe newsletter devoted to plant enthusiasts! Now called The Tumbleweed! February 3 ___________________________________________________________________________ Volume 3 Issue 5 In this issue
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Quick NoteWe want to thank everyone for your terrific newsletter name inputs! In appreciation of everyone’s entry ideas we will be send all entrants a free pack of Queens Rose Seed. (We will contact you by email sometime next week with further info.) All the names were terrific and it was very troublesome and difficult for the panel to choose. But the new name will be The Tumbleweed. (This entrant wishes to remain anonymous and we will respect their wish)____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Bauhinia by Jacki Crawford Bauhinia, the beautifully flowered shrub commonly known as Orchid Bush or Orchid Tree in our Northern garden centers, is truly a beauty to behold. Recently a good friend of mine from Australia sent me an envelope of seeds, and I immediately put down 9 of them. I planted them in standard seed starting packs with some soiless mix heavy in perlite. Then I watered them, and put the humidity dome back on. The seeds are rather large, about the size of a US nickel, so I knew that they would need to be moved into larger pots nearly immediately. Well, less than two weeks later, they were indeed ready. Seven of the nine seeds were ready to transplant, with one more germinating and the other seed still sound. To have enough pots for my seedlings, I
used plastic solo cups, in several sizes, with two rows of holes melted around
the base with the tip of an old knife. I
then fill the bottom, just to the level of the holes, with pearlite, then fill
with my potting mix. The pearlite
works as a wicking material, so that I can use deep tubs filled with water to
keep my young, delicate plants moist, but they don't get waterlogged this way. (great
tip!) I carefully picked out each of the seedlings, then planted them into their individual pots. A light watering, to start the wicking process and settle the soil against the roots, and into their tubs they went. The tubs hold a nice amount of water, and thus my seedlings never suffer dry spells, and the humidity remains nice and high around them. I can even feed them this way, by adding the liquid food to the water. After repotting and getting them settled in, I made room for them under one of the lights, and now it was time to just sit back and watch them grow! Jacki ____________________________________________________________________ The StartYou get up and draw the curtains back and see that once again your hopes of an early spring are dashed. The ground is blanketed in a fresh white covering of new snow. A breeze sweeps up a puff of the powdery fluff and throws it at the leafless and seemingly lifeless, tree in the front of your yard. And you ache for sunny, blue skies and that certain smell of spring that you know all to well. And you want nothing more than to get out into the garden. Though spring is just around the corner, it doesn’t mean that your wish to garden can’t be fulfilled. By now you have shopped the garden catalogs and have placed a few orders and your seeds are awaiting you on the counter. Or maybe you haven’t placed your order and are waiting for spring to arrive. Well, wait no longer. Get down to the nursery and pick out your favorite tomato or pepper seed and don’t forget some of those Impatiens you want to add to your garden! And while you're at it, you better bring home some flats and a good soil mix to plant those seeds in. It’s easy and fun. Come back and set yourself up a place near a sunny window to place your pots or flats. Or if you have a shop light or two you can set up a bench or shelf and hang the lights above. Why go to all this trouble when you can just wait and pick up a few plants when the nursery has them all ready and waiting for you? For starters, it gives you a chance to get your hands dirty long before the soil is ready to be worked outside. Plus you can’t get the variety, you may want, from the nursery. After all, they can’t grow every different variety out there and you may want to expand your horizons a little and try an heirloom or two. You can also get a jumpstart and grow larger, more healthy plants for setting out. It’s also less expensive. You can buy a lot more seed for 2.00 than you will ever get in plants. And if you are of an organic mind you can be assured of the quality of soil and other inputs that your seedlings have received right from the start. Now that you have a place for your new seeds, to start life out at, you will need to gather up your containers. If you didn’t buy the specialized flats at the nursery, don’t worry, you can make containers out of things around the house. Cut plastic milk cartons down or some people even use egg cartons. They already have dividers. Maybe you have pots left over from last year. In any case you will need to be sure that they are all clean and sterilized. Wash them, in one part bleach to nine parts water or if you don’t like to use bleach you can use white vinegar. Be sure to use the best soil mix you can get. Don’t use soil from outdoors. It may contain disease organisms that could kill your seedlings before they even start and you will want to get them off to the best start possible. The best is a pre mixed seed starter mix. It is light and fluffy and retains moisture. Fill your containers with the mix and let the mix become moist by watering from the bottom. You are now ready to plant the seeds. Read the packet carefully for depth instructions. Some seeds need light to germinate and others need to be buried and in the dark. Cover the containers with the lid that was provided if you bought a nursery flat or cover with a plastic like kitchen wrap to retain moisture and humidity. Place in a nice warm spot with a constant temperature of 70 degrees. Until the seeds germinate the top of the refrigerator works very well for this temperature control. When the seeds sprout move to a bright sunny window. Don’t hesitate. You don’t want the seedlings to start reaching for light because they will become to tall too fast and become ‘leggy.’ If you are using shop lights keep the lights as close to the top of the seedlings as possible. Keep moist and don’t let them completely dry out, but at the same time, don’t let them become soggy or they could get a fungal disease called “damping off” and die. When your seedlings get their first true leaves feed them a mild fertilizer of a seaweed solution or something similar at half strength. Now sit back, watch and enjoy your garden in miniature begin its journey for life in the great outdoors. As the snow blows around outside and you’re nice and warm inside, your garden is well on its way and your spirit for gardening has been nourished and refreshed. (reprinted from the January issue of The Garden Shed) Thanks for reading! In the coming months: How seeds spread, propagators, tropical water gardening, deck gardens and tropical plants, more from Jon Valley, and much more! ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ We are looking for article contributors. Put your plant growing experience to work! If you would like to contribute a one time, or occasional article please reply to this newsletter with contributor in the subject heading for guidelines. We would live to hear from you! You don’t have to be an expert! Just someone who loves plants! We would also really like a regular writer for garden oriented articles once a month. Come join us! ________________________________________________________________ Copyright © [Driftwood Gardens] February 3, 2001. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. It may, however, be forwarded, in its entirety, to whom you choose as a referral Thanks for reading!
The newsletter devoted to plant enthusiasts! Now called The Tumbleweed Garden News! February 10 Trivia- What do 9 million American households have as an integral part of their garden? (answer at the bottom) _________________________________________________ Volume 3 Issue 6 In this issue
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Did
You Know. . . Valentines day is almost upon us and the Rose is as popular as ever.
____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Ornamental Grasses by Patty JohnsonAre you thinking of spring yet? Even with the snow blowing outside you can still think of the outdoor gardens and what you will do with them this season. After all Spring is just around the corner. Water features have become a predominate force in modern landscape design and practice and along with them have come a surge in a very natural looking plant that compliments any water feature and perennial garden. Grasses. For decades the lawn has been the apple of a homeowners eye as far as growing grass is concerned and still is the main aspect and central focus of every garden. What person has not sat down in the garden, after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day, with eyes gazing out upon the beautiful carpet of green with rows so straight, and you feel that certain sense of peace and satisfaction? Stretching the natural bounds of traditional gardening, Ornamental grasses have come to the forefront of imagination and technique, standing tall among other perennials and quite beautiful. In times past some would have considered grasses as invaders and weeds. But now they come in so many sizes, colors and varieties that they must be considered for any garden look. One of the nicest aspects that I have found in using different Ornamental grasses is the fact that they make a striking appearance throughout the winter. When the seed stalks grow up and come to maturity in the fall, they should be left alone to stand tall and rigid against winter snows and freezing winds. Grasses are easy to grow and coupled with the many varieties and colors they are versatile enough to be considered for every season and every type of garden. From the lowly oat grass, Arrhenatherum elatius that grows 6 to 12 inches tall, with green and white variegated leaves, to the charming white plumes of Pampas grass Cortaderia selloana growing as high as 10 feet. A plant being called an ornamental grass does not of itself mean that it belongs to the grass family. Some ornamentals are similar and grass-like in appearance but may belong to the Ophiopogon or Liriope genera as well as others. The point is that these plants are simply grass like. They are also grown as annuals, perennials and biennial, just like flowering plants. There are cool season grasses that grow best at temperatures between 60 to 80 degrees f and warm season grasses that love 80 to 95 degree f daytime temperatures. Some have brilliant coloring like the red bladed Blood grass Imperata cylindrical. Others have subtle characteristics until the seeds form like the small floating white puffs of Cotton grass Eriophorum latifolium. So no matter where you live, or the climate you are growing in, there is a grass just right for you and one perfect for your garden. Below is a brief list of some grasses for differing garden uses. Short
grasses: Sheeps fescue, Festuca amethystine Cotton grass Eriophorum latifolium. Japanese sedge Carex morrowii Tall grassesPampas grass Cortaderia selloana Perennial corn zea diploperennis Sea oats Uniola paniculata Zebra grass Miscanthus sinensis zebrinus Giant reed Arundo domax Burgundy Giant Fountain Grass Pennisetum Grasses
for water gardens
Dwarf umbrella plant Cyperus albostriatus ‘Nanus’ Dwarf Japanese cattail Typha minima Corkscrew rush Juncus effuses ‘Spiralis’ Scouring rush Equisetum hyemale Thanks for reading! In the coming months: How seeds spread, propagators, tropical water gardening, deck gardens and tropical plants, more from Jon Valley, and much more! ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Copyright © [Driftwood Gardens] February 10, 2001. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. It may, however, be forwarded, in its entirety, to whom you choose as a referral. Thanks for reading!
Answer to trivia – An Herb Garden __________________________________________________________________ The Tumbleweed Newsletter
February 17 ________________________________________________________________ Have you ever thought
about giving your outdoor garden the Tropical look ____________________________________________________________________
Coffee by Dale Johnson
Chamomile (Matricaria Chamomilia) used to alleviate the effects of
for picture of
young plant.
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Copyright © [ Driftwood Gardens - ] May 1998-2008. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. Unless otherwise noted all photos are taken by Dale Johnson or Jon Valley and are Copyright © [Dale Johnson - Driftwood Gardens - Summers Seeds] All rights reserved. No picture may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher. |