Last Week of June June 30, 2008

 

On June 27th, I took care of some odds and ends in my garden.  It’s been tough getting out there to do much work as I contracted Lyme Disease a week earlier and was a little worse for the wear.  Plus the whole bit about not being in the sun as the antibiotics make me prone to severe sunburns has forced me to limit my hours in my garden until just before sunset. 

 

In any case, I was able to make another compost tea application on the 27th.  I had noticed a decrease in holes in my beans in particular after the last application so I continued with the system of wetting the leaves and then putting just a bit on the roots too.   The tomatoes have certainly grown nicely since the last application, but I can’t be sure if the compost tea is to be given credit for that.

 

 

Another chore I undertook, to my regret later when I wore myself out, was the building of my stone pillar for my container.  I really like the way it came out and it’s fairly secure, considering I had no means of keeping it together other than stacking the stones just right so they stuck in place due to the weight placed on them by the container. 

 

 

One other quick task I got in just before dark was to transplant my “ground cherry” seedlings.  This crop is a bit of an unknown for me.  Ground cherries are apparently a favorite fruit of the Mennonite and Amish communities for making pies.  My  mom suggested I try growing them so we’ll see how they turn out.  The plants are already taking off after just a few days in the ground.  

 

Art in the Garden June 30, 2008

 

I know my garden is supposed to be about the plants, but I don’t think any plant has made me smile as much yet as the recent addition of two art pieces to my ornamental beds.  Up on “Sedum Hill”, I now have a “man in the trees” that makes the metasequoia even more alluring.  And over in the cutting garden, I tucked a fat bird that makes me chuckle every time I glance its way.  I hope to add more art pieces to my garden as I find (and can afford) them.  I definitely feel that, while they were small, these two pieces enhanced the overall atmosphere and design of my garden. 

 

Emory Knoll Farms – Green Roof Plants June 30, 2008

 

Thursday’s field trip took us into Maryland to visit Emory Knoll Farms, a nursery dedicated exclusively to the propagation of green roof plants and the Natural Steps process.  I was very eager to take a peek at this notable nursery’s operations.  Emory Knoll’s founder and industry visionary, Ed Snodgrass, led our tour himself.  The extensive diversity in the plants available for green roof projects is what surprised me the most.  I was already hooked on sedums, but now that I’ve seen how Ed has taken them to a whole new level with green roves, I’m doubly fascinated by these workhorses of the plant world. 

 

 

Ed’s operation provides plants for green roves all over the world.  The plants are sold a cuttings, plugs, drop-in modules, and even sod.  The idea of the drop-in modules is fairly clever, I think, although they are no doubt more costly than plugs or cuttings.  But with these modules, as long as you have a roof that is structurally up to par, you can just place these modules on it with no further fuss. 

 

 

Another interesting fact that I’d never known before our visit is the attractive nature of sedums for honey bees.  Ed actually has a rather large apiary on-site which is now producing honey for sale.  All the students got a parting gift of a little sedum/green roof honey bear bottle. 

 

 

Ed’s zest and creative energy (i.e., passion) really manifested itself all over the property.  It was an inspiration to hear the story of how this one-time-dairy-farmer went from being seen as a slightly loony prophet to an industry leader in the past decade or so.   I look forward to reading his books and learning more.

 

More pictures after the break

Compost Tea Application June 22, 2008

 

The third week of June was a cool one, mostly in the 70s, and I got a lot of work done in my garden.  On June 17th to be precise, I put in my tomato stakes and moved around a few more odds and ends in my ornamental garden. 

 

More interestingly though was my first application of compost tea.  Nick was kind enough to brew this batch using some of the resources available in his IPM rotation.  I hope to brew a batch myself again next month, but I was eager to give compost tea a try as soon as possible and was grateful for Nick’s. 

 

 

Compost tea is an aerobic water infusion that has extracted the microbe population from compost along with the nutrients.  It “feeds” the microbe population, encouraging it to multiply rapidly. In other words, it speeds up the process that would normally take place if you just turned in dry compost in your soil.  Compost tea is a concentrated liquid full of beneficial organisms that serves as an organic approach to increasing nutrients in soil AND to deter pests.  

 

 

I naturally was interested in increasing the health of my garden’s soil, but I was most interested in the tea’s potential to help manage pests, particularly the squash beetles that have been buzzing around all June, putting holes in my bean and eggplant leaves.  Somehow the microbes are supposed to scare off the bugs.  I haven’t figured out the science of that yet, but I intend to study it more.  And to report back on the success, or lack thereof, in my garden.

 

 

To apply the compost tea, I filled a watering can and sprinkled it lightly over my vegetables, herbs and flowers. I used about 15 gallons for my entire garden.  It doesn’t take much, from what I’ve read, since the liquid is concentrated.  I am hoping by applying it this way, I’ll get both some protection on the leaves against pest and also some extra nutrients seeping down into the soil.  However, if the pest part proves viable, I might invest in a small sprayer to use just for organic applications such as these. 

 

 

 

Summer Container Planting June 22, 2008

 

Last Tuesday was a busy day in my garden.  One of the biggest projects was finally composing and planting my container.  I have to admit, I was intimidated by this big container.  Unlike several of my fellow students, I didn’t want it to blend in and disappear. Instead, I want it to be a major focal point, drawing the eye into the interior of the garden.  So, there was some pressure to come up with a combination of plants that offer some serious impact but still blend in with my subdued “al natural” theme. 

 

 

First, I have to make note that since the inception of my garden back in early April, I’d intended to use this required piece as a water/bog container to try out water gardening on a miniature scale.  But, since I have zero experience with water and bog plants and had a hard time finding large enough plants that I could actually afford, I decided to forego the idea of a water container for this summer.  My plans for it will hopefully unfold next summer, if my smallish Sarracenia takes off enough to fill in a good portion of the container. 

 

 

But, back to the current installation.  This summer’s container planting is full of contrasting textures and green and red tones accented by just the smallest bits of yellow.  I tried to take to heart much of what we learned in our brief container workshop in the Idea Garden.  I first “shopped” for plants and put different combinations together on the ground.  I was fortunate to get all my plants for free, pulling some from Harold’s overflow of annuals, my friend Taylor’s overflow of sedums, and a few field finds that Kerry Ann had plucked earlier in the season.  The only downside of this free bounty is that I can’t very well list at the moment exactly what plants I used since I’m still identifying the majority of them.  What really sold me on this combination though are the deep red coleus and the smoky amethyst grass that I now love to “pet” as I pass by.

 

 

I then mixed the soil, using 1 part compost to 4 parts soil and then a few tablespoons of bone meal to promote foliage.  I filled the container almost to the very brim and laid in my selection of plants, still in their pots.  I switched them around a few times before planting and then I dug in, planting from the back from, packing in the plants tightly so there would be an immediate sense of established lushness.  I made this container have interest from all sides, but I did concentrate the yellow highlight in the “front”, which is the side facing the garden’s enterance. 

 

 

A few tasks remain for the container though.  After identifying all the plants, I’ll need to create some type of label for them. I’d like to have one comprehensive label and not 20 different ones.  But first, I’d like to raise the container up a bit so it’s about waist level and more appreciable for the viewer and more of an overall focal point in the garden.  

 

 

The Green Man June 21, 2008

No matter how often I visit the Morris Arboretum, I love seeing the Green Man there.  He’s carved out of an old beech tree stump.  The artist, Marty Long, really captured the organic quality of nature…it’s fluidity and it’s longevity. 

 

Evening Walk Through the Garden June 21, 2008

 

I actually had a few spare minutes (it doesn’t happen often) to stroll through Longwood the other evening.  There were some really wonderful things growing, and I took several photos throughout.  But it was the Idea Garden, as usual, that got my attention the most.  Nick’s containers are fabulous and there was a variety of chicory that I thought was the most beautiful plant I’d ever seen!  I really want to get some seeds for it and grow it this fall. 

 

 

New York Botanical Gardens June 17, 2008

 

The field trip for June 12th was a visit to the New York Botanical Gardens (in the Bronx) to take in, among other things, their peak rose blooms.  I can’t help myself when there are beautiful plants to be photographed so I took dozens of shots of the many roses.  I wasn’t able to get many other pictures since we were very short on time.  I did love their children’s garden, which I saw on a rapid walk-by.  The caterpillars made of sedums and other plants were truly ingenious. 

 

My favorite element of NYBG was how I immediately felt immersed in nature even though one of the world’s largest cities is giving the property a giant bear hug. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Vegetables Almost All Planted June 15, 2008

 

On Thursday, June 12th, I prepared another of my vegetable beds with compost and landscape fabric.  I put in my swiss chard and sorrel seedlings, both of which are struggling after being fried in the greenhouse when the power went out earlier in the week (no electicity = no fans for circulation).  The sorrel seems to have perked up (after all, it was a weed in European pastures at one time), but the swiss chard seems to be lagging. 

 

 

I’ve been harvesting lettuce like mad, taking in tub-fulls every other day.  I keep trying to give it away to everyone I see.   It’s been a lovely crop, excess aside, and I really like this particular mix of “antique” varieties.  I am seeing it starting to get leggy in this heat, but I’m hoping with plentiful watering and cutting it every other day, it’ll hold off going to seed until the end of June.   On a slightly funny note, I harvested two (yes, 2) radishes this week.  They were beautiful and tasty, but that’s all that made it out of the 50 or so seeds I planted.  Maybe I’ll have better luck next year.

 

 

My corn has taken off nicely, but the solanaceae and cucurbitaceae crops seem to be stuck in their current six inch size.  I’m a little worried about their success, particularly that the soil doesn’t have enough nutrients even though I ammended it with plenty of compost.  I’m going to try making a batch of compost tea this week to see if that’ll give them a boost.  I’ve not made compost tea before so need to do some research on that.

 

 This salad was produced entirely by my garden (except for the beans).

 

The only vegetable left to plant out in the garden now are the sweet potatoes.  I do plan to seed some of my fall squash crops in the greenhouse at the start of July though to give them a head start. 

Air Spade June 11, 2008

 

This post is a bit belated, but definitely deserving of some “air time” (pun totally intended).   I got the honor of using the air spade on my last day in the nursery.  I have to admit I was a bit intimidated by the power of this tool.  And getting suited up in the heat wasn’t a ton of fun.  However, the results were impressive and the procedure necessary for the Ilex opaca, which were showing stunted growth. 

 

 

The air spade, which uses very strong blasts of air, uncovers the root system of a tree without damaging the roots themselves.  It’s a messy process (thus the head-to-toe suit) and more effective in some soils (sand) than others (clay).  Once the roots are exposed, we got under the tree branches and cleared out the mess of roots too close to the surface and any that were circling around the flare of the trunk and strangling the tree.  The reason these particular Ilex needed the air spade was due to being planted too low in the first place.  Since the flare of the tree was buried (a tree planted right will have its flare showing just about ground level), the roots were sticking close to the surface and wrapping around the portion of the trunk that was buried.  The pictures below should demonstrate the point.

 

So many roots (exposed by air spading) that you can’t even see the flare.

We cut away the roots, exposing the flare.

And finally we filled in the shallow spaces bewteen the remaining roots with leaf mold and some soil. 
Notice that the flare is now very visible, as it should be.