Hello my Dear Gardening Friends,

We are more than halfway through February, and we are still getting snow and even more snow – never mind your plants are sleeping nicely tucked up under their snowy bed covers.

I haven’t had too much excitement this past week – I have been out in my own vehicle – the snow has covered the ice and my snow tires are working well.

Let a man once begin to think about the mystery of his life and the links which connect him
With the life that fills the world, and he cannot but bring to bear upon his own life
And all other life that comes within his reach the principle of reverence for life…
~ Albert Schweitzer

I have been asked about bringing branches indoors to force into bloom. I purchased a small willow tree in Wal-Mart its “pussies” are falling and the new green leaves are sprouting well. There are other kinds of branches that you can force inside anytime now, depending upon where you live. As well as pussy willow, there is forsythia and flowering cherry. These shrubs are forced into bloom by breaking their rest period. Wait for one of those mild winter days, 30oF or even warmer, and select some branches that have a lot of flower buds, for then you are sure that you are not bringing just leaves into the warmth. Flower buds are larger and a different shape than vegetative buds, which are smaller and not so plump. Choose branches that are of any length, but they should not be over half an inch wide at their base. Bring them inside, place them in lukewarm water, and store them in a cool room or cellar. When the buds get really plump, bring them back into a warm room, and then just sit back and enjoy.

In February just try pussy willow and forsythia as they are the early spring bloomers. Forsythia is the easiest one to force because it can go directly into your warm living room. Leave the flowering cherry until the middle of March.

The song of Wild Cherry Blossom

In April when the woodland ways,
Are all made glad and sweet with primroses and violets
New opened at your feet,
Look up and see a Fairy tree,
With blossoms white in clusters light
All set on stalks so slender, with pinky leaves so tender,
O Cherry tree, wild Cherry tree!
You lovely, lovely thing to see!

~ Cicely Mary Barker

I have been chatting with several people who are either just beginning to garden or even the dyed in the wool – experts, we are all getting long, clean finger nails – short on patience –all just waiting to get into the “dirt”. Have you tried growing plants indoors to avoid the winter blues? Gloxinia is a pretty plant to start. This plant produces large, velvety leaves and tubular flowers that are large and broad coming in a host of colours. Start the Gloxinia in a special potting mix using equal parts of peat and sand. Leave the crowns of the tubers just showing above the surface. When the plants are large enough to handle safely place them in five to six inch pots, setting them at the same depth as before. From now on they will need a temperature of 60 to 65oF. They need a good light, but keep them out of the direct sun. Be very careful not to over-water them, otherwise they will just rot. You should have those beautiful exotic flowers by the middle of May and they should continue to bloom right until next September – rest the bulbs and start all over again.

Where do you get the tubers? Any good garden centre – so far I have only seen Begonias, but they will be here very soon now. Failing to find tubers, just “save” a plant from one of the supermarkets (A&P have them) or treat yourself at a garden centre or florist.

Q) Why do I recommend superphosphate mixed with fertiliser?

A) Superphosphate encourages root development. If it is applied to the soil surface after planting, it will remain on the surface where it will do no good whatsoever, looking very unsightly to say the least.

Q) Can fertiliser be applied at any time?

A) There was a time when fertilising after planting was difficult, when we only had those slow – dissolving chemicals available to the home gardener. Now, the nutrients a house plant needs can and are applied in liquid form. Apply it at regular intervals of two to four weeks at the regular time of watering – in the winter use half the strength marked on the bottle. We can use this type of fertiliser as a foliar plant food too. Apply it to both the soil and the leaves at one and the same time. In the case of African violets, gloxinias, begonias and other heavy – furry leaf plants, apply only to the soil, and avoid even wetting the leaves.

Q) When can I plant my begonia bulbs?

A) The stores are getting these pretty bulbs in right now. Both begonias and oxalis (false shamrock) should be potted up in February or March. A trick to remember when potting begonias is to drop about a teaspoonful of sand under each bulb to help prevent rotting. It is also a good idea to plunge or seat those pots of begonia bulbs right up to the rim in a box of wet sand or ashes, and put them away in a cool part of the cellar or basement. Once growth starts bring them into the light, but do not apply much water until the bulbs are truly well rooted. (I cheat and wait until the hanging baskets are delivered to Loblaws. I can see just what the flowers are like – last year we had some beautiful ones – double looking just like roses – they lasted right up until the frost finally took them.)

Q) When should I bring my geraniums out of winter storage?

A) Right now. Bring them out and re-pot them. Cut them back by half if you want the plants to be bushy and attractive, not straggly and leggy. Place your newly potted geraniums in a sunny window and increase the water supply as they continue to grow. When the warm weather arrives, these plants will be ready to go outside into the flower beds or your well cleaned and freshly “soil-ed” planters and containers. If you are still married at this point – take your spouse out for a good meal – for being so fore bearing putting up with all the mess and loss of room the plants have “devoured”.

A tip for you: If your garden plans are finalised, now is the time to order your spring nursery stock.

Be extra careful this year if you spread salt on sidewalks and driveways to melt all that ice – it seems to have covered a larger area this winter. Do not let any scatter into the flower beds or grassy areas. I use kitty litter – it is messy but safe. The salt does seep down into the soil, causing injury to plants and the turf.

Another question, this time about growing plants from citrus seeds.

A) Try soaking the seeds in lukewarm water for a day or at least overnight. Start them in a general purpose potting soil. Cover the container with glass, a bottomless plastic pop bottle without the cap (makes a very cheap “green house” until the seeds germinate). Be careful that it doesn’t get too wet otherwise you will have case of mould. I have had better success when I just covered the seeds and not the whole container. It works really well with oranges, grapefruit and lemon seeds. They will need plenty of light and should be kept at around 55oF.

Pineapples can make nice plants. Slice off the tuft of leaves, just below the crown of the fruit, insert the crown into moist sand, do not let it dry out, very soon it will develop a root system and can be potted on into a well drained, open potting mix (soiless mix is good). Be sure that there is: at least an inch of gravel or crocks, broken pieces of old flower pots (for really good drainage), lots of light, and a minimum temperature of 60oF in a moist atmosphere.

I did this in Mexico for the children – they thought it wonderful for they had just been fed to the pigs previously – the tops of the pineapples not the children!!!! We just planted them in the garden, which was all sand of course, and the sun and the sea breezes did the rest .

Avocado’s work very well too. Soak that big seed in water and remove the brown covering. Plant the seed with the small end up, this is where the shoot comes from. Using a six inch pot, plant the seed about half an inch below the surface of the soil. It does best in a well-drained sandy soil with lots of organic matter.

It is a good time to start a pot of parsley in the house. If you have trouble getting the seeds to germinate, try pouring boiling water over them. Don’t forget those plants near the windows, it is so cold. Place at least a piece of cardboard between the plant and the window – if you have drapes, pull these as well making sure that the plants are on the inside of the drape. Otherwise in the morning your plants will be frozen. If you have mistakenly left them on the outside of the window covering and they look “not well”, place them in a cool cellar or cool area and sprinkle them with cool water. When they thaw out cut them back to a good bud and start over!!!!

And now for all you gardening wives, who keep your husbands waiting, this is called Kingfishers in British Columbia:

A mad kingfisher – rocketing about in the red fog at sunrise
Now sits on the alder post that tethers the floats, angrily awaiting his mate
Here she comes, like a left wing three quarter cutting through toward
The goal in sun-lamped fog at Rosslyn Park at half past three in halcyon days.
~ Malcolm Lowry
(Poor man must have been kept waiting many times!!!)

These days I am enjoying a cup of soothing Camomile tea, and I discovered this about it:

Chamaemelum nobile (common or Roman camomile) Matricaria recutita (wild or German camomile)

Famiily – Composita
“I bring you the gift of a calm, sunny disposition”

Origins: Camomile grows profusely across Europe and is native to North Africa.

There is perhaps no flower that soothes the psyche like camomile. Modest daisy-like flowers belie camomile’s strong spirit. For above all, this little plant represents an ability to stay cool and collected in the face of adversity.

Spirit and Symbolism:
With its distinctive aroma of newly mown hay, camomile reminds us of relaxing summer days – we gardeners do not know that we can relax in the summer time!!! To Ancient Egyptians, camomile represented the omnipotence of the sun god Ra. Camomile was used to invoke this solar deity and for medicinal purposes. To the Druids it brought the power of the sun to their potions and spells. Shakespeare said of camomile, “the more it is trodden, the faster it grows”, recognising its ability to help us cope with our problems.

Plant Spirit Medicines:
As a herbal tincture or tisane, camomile soothes nervous indigestion, stomach upsets and headaches. Sip a cup of camomile tea at bedtime to promote a good night’s sleep and prevent nightmares (I do this very often – I sleep well, but do not know about the nightmares!).

Used as a beauty treatment, my mother used to rinse my very blonde hair with camomile flowers as it will bring golden highlights to fair hair. The essential oil of camomile owes its faint bluish tinge to an anti-inflammatory chemical called axulene that promotes rapid healing of skin problems and wounds. One of the gentlest essential oils, it is safe for babies and children with eczema , diaper rash and irritable skin conditions. As a homeopathic remedy, camomile treats childhood conditions, such as teething and colic, when the little ones are tearful and hard to console.

As a flower essence, camomile eases emotional stress in the nervous system and solar plexsus. It calms and releases anxiety and fear in those who are easily upset and who harbour emotional tension in the stomach.

Camomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
This herbe is called camomile, the vertuy of this herbe is thus, if it be doike w wine it will breke the stone and distroyeth the yellow evel. It helpeth y akying and the disease of y lyver, if it be strained it helpeth and swageth y lozes in a man’s mouth, it is good for king in a man’s head, and for the megri, this herbe is hoote and drye.
~ Anthony Ashkam, A Little Herball, 1550

(Can any of you translate the whole of this – I got most of it – but do not know what “hoote” means – any takers???)

For Joyce Thompson – who gave me a small quote of Shakespeare’s Sonnet number cxvi (16)

Let me not to the marriage of true minds, Admit impediments, Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove;
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
It is the star to ever wandering bark. Whose worth is unknown, although his height be taken.
Love is not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out ev’n to the edge of doom,
If this be an error, and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

~ William Shakespeare.

For something a little lighter or less challenging, can Venus Fly Traps count? It seems so, for on each of its leaves there are six hairs, if only one of the hairs is touched – nothing happens. If two of the hairs are touched one time, the leaf folds in half. If one hair is touched twice, the leaf folds in half. Number two is the signal for the leaf to close like a trap.

When a raindrop falls on a leaf, it only touches one hair, so the leaf stays open. Once a leaf closes it will not open for a whole day, so it has to be careful to only close on a meal. An insect usually moves around when it lands on a trap, the leaf gets the “two” signal and closes – fast! The insect is trapped inside, the leaf slowly digests it – so be careful around Venus Fly traps – maybe the “Little of Horrors” was true after all!!!!

Well my dears – time to say goodbye for this week. Good Gardening, be careful shovelling the snow – it is indeed still falling - hats, gloves, scarves, snow boots, do not forget your sunscreen.

Lovingly, Beryl