Hello my dear gardening friends,

I have been busy Christmas shopping – I was so surprised to find that some stores closed at 6pm whilst others remained open until 10-pm. None of them were busy – I expect that it was because A) it was snowing and B) after all it was Hockey night in Canada!!!!

I promised to continue with the “Orchid Story” so here goes….

Temperature:
Orchids fall into three distinct groups by virtue of their temperature requirements: warm-growing (night temperature near 70F degrees, daytime near 80F degrees); intermediate (night temperatures 60F degrees and night time 70-75F degrees). The drop in the night temperature is very important, for it slows down transpiration and therefore speeds up its growth. The cooler night time temperatures have been found necessary in some cases to set the flower buds.
If you watch your plants carefully you will soon see if they are happy or not – a little experimentation will soon show you if they need to be warmer – or even cooler.

Light:
Here again there is a wide variation as to light requirements. A good but simple rule to follow is give your plants all the sunshine that they can take without burning them. A green plant may look nice but probably will not bloom. Most healthy orchid plants are a light green but brown spots on the leaves and “pseudo-bulbs” are an indication of too much sun. Morning sun is most beneficial, so put your plants where they will receive as much morning sun as possible. Artificial lights are wonderful for any plant, and they are most satisfactory for orchids If you have grow lights you can grow plants almost anywhere in dark basements, warm garages etc.
If you wish we could discuss growing plants under lights very soon.

Water:
The amount of water and the frequency of watering are critical in most orchid growing. If you cannot decide whether or not your plant needs water – it doesn’t!!!! When to water depends on the size of pot, potting medium and humidity. Tap the pot; if it sounds hollow then it is dry. Or if it is a clay pot and it feels warm, then it is dry and needs watering. A finger poked down into the pot is our usual good indicator!!
When you do water, water it well, let the water run through the potting medium, then soak it again. Allow the plant to dry out. Plants with Monopodial habit of growth always need to be moist, but never soggy, as these plants cannot store water.

Humidity:
This is the amount of moisture in the air, and we need it these winter days as much as the plants do. This can be a little difficult at times in the house. There are a number of things that you can do to raise the humidity. Spraying the plants with a fine mist will be beneficial – but do not let the plants go into the night wet, as wet leaves will promote disease and pest infestations.
You can place the plants in trays that have been filled with stones and then filled with water. Be very careful that the pots are not sitting in the water. A relative humidity of 40–60% is desirable but orchids can do very well with an even lower humidity – just do not be scared of them – they are only plants after all.

Ventilation:
As orchids in nature are constantly refreshed by fresh moving air, this is an essential ingredient in the home culture of these plants. Orchids will not thrive in stale, stagnant air. Especially if there is a smoker in the house!! When providing ventilation, avoid draughts blowing directly on your plants.

Fertilizing:
Most orchid growers (even Wal-Mart) sell special fertilizer for orchids and included are the directions for use. Follow these instructions carefully – personally I only use half the amount they recommend. The type of potting medium will tell you which and the amount you should use. Osmunda needs no or very little, while fir bark has no nutrients and thus needs a regular feeding program. Always keep in mind less is best.

Pests, diseases and control:
Orchids are susceptible to scale, mealy bugs, aphids, thrips, beetles, weevils, slugs and snails. The best solution is to prevent infection. Be neat and clean always – wash your plants regularly and check for any nasties!!! Use the usual organic methods to be rid of them.

Potting and Re-potting:
It is time to re-pot when the orchid has outgrown its pot or when the potting medium has decomposed. This only happens every two to three years. The best time to re-pot orchids is after they have just bloomed for at this time they are putting out new roots.
When using Osmunda the medium must be packed tightly around the roots (either a pencil or a stick works well here). After the plant has been re-potted trim off any Osmunda that protrudes above the rim of the pot – not only does it look tidier, but will remove any chance of the moisture being “wicked” away.

These are very general rules but good ones. For more in depth instruction I would suggest a trip to either the library or a book store. Good luck, as I said before treat them as you would any other houseplant – they are not the prima donnas that we think they are – just use a little common sense.

I have found another gardening book (surprise, surprise)!! It has all kinds of neat suggestions in it. I thought that this one was particularly interesting: “When my bird bath developed a crack in the bowl, I thought that it would be impossible to fix – until I figured out how to cover the crack with an inexpensive aluminum liner.”

First of all I measured the existing bowl, then I bought a similar sized disposable aluminum serving tray at a party supply store. I placed the tray on the cracked bowl and using a hammer, very gently shaped the tray until it fit into the bowl. This liner has turned out to be better than the original bowl. It is easy to clean algae off in the summer months. When the water in the bowl freezes during the winter time, I just pick up the tray pour some warm water over the outside and the ice just slides out. I fill the pan with warm water, replace it and the birds flock to drink it up as though it were a cup of warm cocoa.

Have you ever really noticed what is happening in your garden on a crisp fall day? Even if you are outside cleaning off snow – and I am sure still tinkering in the garden beds, take a peek at the wild creatures that are preparing for winter too. A grey squirrel is busy hiding his nuts, I often wonder if they find them again. Earlier on you might have seen a butterfly forming a chrysalis on a branch or under the eaves, a robin growing fat on seeds and berries, a toad digging into the soil, maybe in the spring you will find him emerging from his snug bed under a rock pile, hopping over to the compost pile to eat a big fat worm.

Go easy when cleaning up the remains of that garden.

Whatever you choose to plant, when it is time to “clean up” use a light hand in garden cleaning: Globe thistles (Echinops spp.), coneflowers (Echinacea and Rudbeckia spp), milkweeds and other perennials are still useful to the birds through the winter. Remove just enough seeds to replant next year and leave the rest for the birds. Seeds that aren’t eaten might be used for nesting material.

Allow spent goldenrod stems to remain. Bumps on their stems, known as galls, host many insects; the wasp’s parasites, and other opportunists looking for a warm home. In winter, birds perch on the stalks and tear open the galls and enjoy a meal on the inside.

Allow a section of grass to remain uncut (hopefully that lawn mower is safely inside and drained of oil and gas), this will act as a protected corridor for still active frogs, snakes, mice and insects. In winter, birds will search in the grass for seeds and insects.

Beheaded Tulips:
For years I was unable to enjoy my tulips because neighbourhood squirrels would decapitate every single one of them just as they began to open. A friend told me that she had had good luck deterring rabbits from eating her crocus by sprinkling black pepper on them. I decided to try her remedy, but took it one step further. I steeped two tablespoons of cayenne pepper in a quart of water, strained it into a spray bottle, added two teaspoons of oil, and sprayed the tulips periodically as they grew. The cayenne did the trick! For the first time in years I had gorgeous, large full tulips and no critters!!! I think that this would be worth a try.

Tansy to Repel Rodents:
A chicken wire fence kept most animal pests out of the garden but it never stopped the voles. Then I read how people used to scatter the herb Tansy on earthen floors to deter mice and ants. So I started to gather and dry as much tansy as possible. When we closed up the cottage for the winter, I left dried branches on the windowsills, in drawers, under sofa cushions, and along any mouse runs. When we returned in the spring, there was scarcely a trace of the mice that had really bothered us before.
Then I decided to try the tansy on the voles in the garden. I scattered tansy branches all around onions and shallots after planting. In the past the voles would dig up the sets within 24 hours but not any more - the tansy stopped them cold. That’s just another good tip to try.

A Deterrent for Deer:
Mix two teaspoons of beef bouillon and two well beaten raw eggs in a gallon of water. Place this mixture in an out of the way spot and leave it for several days, until it smells bad. Pour the mixture into a sprayer (be careful not to spill it on yourself or your clothes). Spray where the deer are a problem, it has to be repeated after it rains. Seems to deter grasshoppers and other pests too!

To get rid of cats in your flower beds:
I was visiting a friend and saw a plant completely surrounded by plastic forks. Hearing me laugh out loud she said that the tines of the forks stopped the cats from romping and rolling over the plant. Thanks to these forks, the plant that normally was a mere stub, was now large, lush and healthy.

I have been bothered for years by the birds beating me to my raspberries and tree fruits. A shiny red and silver Mylar ribbon (called Bird Scare Flash Tape) saved me! Just string it in the trees and bushes before the fruit ripens – works every time, but be sure to remove the tape after the berries are picked, otherwise they get used to and ignore it.

The last one for today… I’d tried just about every repellent that one could imagine to prevent my sweet corn being devoured by the redbirds, blackbirds, robins and starlings as they ate the newly emerging seedlings. I finally discovered that spreading fresh grass clippings over my patch did the trick. Apparently the birds can’t distinguish the thin leaves of the seedlings from all the green grass clippings. I’ve had good corn patches ever since. I guess that you can still learn new things after 75!

From December to March, there are for many of us, three gardens – the garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in the house, and the garden of the mind’s eye. -Katherine S. White.

Reduce the size of the lawn; as a work saver, this step is second only to choosing the right type of grass. It reduces the outlay for fertilizers, lime and other lawn-care products and enhances the lawn’s visual impact. This makes it an important feature rather than simply a background for plantings.

Make the lawn compact with a relatively small perimeter. Less water will be wasted in sprinkler or over-spray and in the faster evaporation that takes place at a lawn’s edge. The most compact shape is a circle, followed by a shape with right angles.

Make the lawn as level as possible to make mowing easier and minimize water runoff. Don’t plant grass along the base of a fence, a wall or any other hard to mow spots that will need hand trimming - you will never get round to doing it!!!

Edge the lawn with masonry or rot resistant wood set flush with the soil to eliminate the need for clipping and to prevent grass from encroaching upon neighbouring plantings.

I read this with interest: In the hot arid climates of the West or Southwest, attempting to grow Kentucky blue grass is pointless. It requires intensive care and maintenance to survive let alone look good. A better choice would be buffalo or blue grama grasses. These native grasses are adapted to dry alkaline soils. Buffalo grass had in the past to be sown from seed and tended to clump but new cultivars of the grass ‘Prairie’ and ‘609’ form a dense, springy sod that is extremely drought tolerant. Blue grama grass is equally tough and can survive on as little as 5 inches of water a year. It is hardy to –20F and tolerates light shade – I think that I am going to try these grasses next year since I have the dry alkaline soil!!!!

Next time I will talk about Christmas Trees and how to care for them.

These cold nights one looks for a little romance and Sandalwood (Santalum album) fills the bill. This woody, sensuous oil from India is the oldest known scent, its use spanning some 4,000 years. Traditionally, it was burned as incense in temples and was an important constituent in embalming. Sandalwood’s notable resistance to ant infestations has resulted in the trees being harvested to near extinction to satisfy the building and furniture trades. Its oil is extracted from trees aged to at least thirty, so it is not surprising that it is expensive. In aromatherapy, sandalwood has a valuable role to play as a physical, spiritual, and emotional healer. It is used regularly in the treatment of cystitis and other urinary infections because of its purifying and anti-inflammatory properties. A bath with 3 drops of sandalwood oil and two drops each of tea tree and lemon oil will be soothing.

Although sandalwood has many uses, its best application is in skin care; it is particularly effective for eczema, dry or chapped skin, razor rash, and scalp conditions such as dandruff etc. Conversely, sandalwood’s slightly astringent properties make it useful when added to a conditioner for oily hair or to a neutral moisturizer for oily skin.

Its musklike fragrance has also earned sandalwood a reputation for being an aphrodisiac. Create a romantic atmosphere with candles; add three drops of oil to the liquid wax as each candle burns.

To aid relaxation, a full body massage using 2 drops each of sandalwood, chamomile, and lavender oil diluted in 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil will relieve feelings of anxiety.

I should try the last one! I went to the assessment office on Friday and met the most charming gentleman – they are actually coming out to re-assess my property – we will not hold our breath – but who knows maybe the gods will be kind – or at least my guardian angels!

Good gardening to you all – time to plant those bulbs for forcing. When you go outside to remove the snow, remember your hat (warm and woolly), gloves, sunscreen and be careful - no pulled backs please. Be sure to wash your hands regularly – I understand that this is one of the tools in preventing cold and flu bugs. I understand that we do not take the time to wash them properly – I use a liquid similar to that which is used when we enter either a seniors residence or hospital.

Lovingly, Beryl