GreatGardenStuff – Newsletter, January 20th, 2008

My Dear Gardening Friends,

The weeks are just flying by, it is already more than half way through January, I hope that you are escaping the bad colds and flu that seem to be doing the rounds – I have a few tips for you that might help if you are suffering. New research proves that potent compounds found in flowers can be just as effective as over-the-counter medicines at combating colds, coughs and the flu. The following flowers can help to keep you on top of the sniffles all winter: -

If we had no winters, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. Anne Bradstreet.

But Andrew Wyeth says I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it – the dead feeling of winter, Something waits beneath it --- the whole story doesn’t show. Indeed our bulbs are waiting to pop up and delight us all.

Wild roses are teeming with rose hips, germ fighting gems that contain 1,700 mg of vitamin C in just one gram! That’s significant since vitamin C has been proven to nip a cold in its tracts, if you take it at the first sign of symptoms. To get the flower power: you can find rose hips dried, or in tablet form at your local health or drug store. Be careful to follow the directions on the package.

Rose Hips are also good for erasing scars, purchase rose oil and apply it to the scars, I do not think that it will do anything for stretch marks – Are your teenagers listening? When we see their outlandish clothing (remember sloppy Joe sweaters? and saddle shoes?) Hear the noise that they call music, Be-Bop anyone, or see they’re piercing – (I had to wait until I was 23 and in Canada before I dared to disobey my mother and get my ears pierced.) We can truthfully say, “and for this I got stretch marks!!! “ We would not be without any of them. I understand that our reward is our grand children; we should be very nice to both children and grandchildren for they get to choose our senior’s home.

These pretty flowers can help to end Laryngitis. Hoarseness and Sore Throat in seconds, by coating the irritated tissues with mucilage, a soft protective substance that will help the cells to heal. Sip Hibiscus tea, in Mexico this is a sweet soothing drink made from the fresh flowers, and is drunk to help combat the heat.

Did you know that having flowers around not only makes you feel better, but makes you more creative and sharpens your problem-solving skills…? There and you thought that you were being extravagant by buying flowers in the winter time. I would suggest that you go to Loblaws and purchase three bunches of flowers for only $10. In Peterborough we are lucky to have that special, wonderful lady, Deborah to help you, a word of caution her day off is usually Tuesdays.

I loved this little story: - I once had a rose named for me and I was very flattered, but I was not quite so pleased to read the description in the rose catalogue “No good in a bed, but fine up against a wall” and the other one “Women are like teabags, we don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water - both stories are attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt !!

My dear friend is so thoughtful. Instead of flowers or candy he brought me a gallon of gas!! It is coming to that – but cheers gas was below a dollar a litre this week.

Speaking of flowers, let’s try making an arrangement that will last for several weeks. I have noticed in a number of places that they are selling flowering bulbs, or use your own that have not flowered yet. Take a small wicker basket (try the thrift stores if you do not have about 50 of them in your storage space.) Line the basket with polythene or even foil to make it watertight, you will also need two small cartons for any cut flowers that you might use.

The bulbs should be packed into place with moist bulb fibre, peat, oasis (this you can usually purchase at florists) moss, earth, or potting soil. Put the tallest of the bulbs, whether flowering or not in first. Make sure that these are standing well. If they are top heavy then either wedge them in with stones, or put each bulb in a small carton or small flower pot, arrange the rest of the bulbs in the growing medium, cover the top with small stones, gravel, or moss if you can find it on sale, make sure that none of the moss trails over the edge of the basket, for it might act as a siphon. Finally fill the cartons with soaked oasis and arrange any fresh flowers into this container, then add to your basket. Use Hyacinths, small double tulips, aconites and perhaps a spider plant. You can add driftwood, bark, or any pretty figurine – very fast and very simple – this would make a really sweet hostess gift, or let it help to brighten your day, by keeping it on the counter near where you are working – I usually have something on my counter - or on a table in the room where I do my writing - this is a good use of those little flowering bulbs that are appearing in the super markets, it will also make a Valentine’s day arrangement, and much nicer than a card – afterwards, put the bulbs in the garden – feed them well and they should bloom again next spring ( outside of course)

I was reading my Gardening Tasks by the Months, we are trying to get some more calendars for you at our For the Love of Gardening Show on April 11th 12th and 13th for I know that you all enjoy this month by month chore list. Hopefully it will only be $1 again

For The Love of Gardening will be held once more at the Evinrude Centre in Peterborough , with 150 vendors, Garden Displays, Informative Demonstrations, Speakers, and lots more – it is only $5 per day entrance fee and there will be a continuous demonstration of dry stone walling by John Shaw-Rimmington , maybe John will be wearing his famous kilt too. You can find lots of information on our web site www.peterboroughgardens.ca or call us at 705-292-4953.

We even have a free coat and parcel check – so that you will not be wondering what to do with your coat, and the numerous packages that you purchase here. Unfortunately we have not yet worked out a place for you to leave your children and spouse,

Back to the garden calendar: -

For January it says: - Inspect stored bulbs and discard any bad, or badly damaged ones.

Clean and sharpen your garden tools (shame on you if you did not do this in the fall as I instructed!

Plan your gardens for this year – why do we go through this every year? Because we keep buying

Plants and need more garden beds!

Try forcing some spring bulbs

Order your seeds – oh dear you are just recovering from Christmas shopping, never mind if you time it right

You will not have to pay your visa bill until March

Start geraniums and begonia seeds

Inspect and treat house plants for white fly, spider mites and aphids, scale creeps in there too.

Lets rush the season a little and hear what the The Song of The Ribwort Plaintain Fairy has to say :-

Hullo, Snailey-O

How’s the world with you?

Put your little horn’s out;

Tell me how you do?

There’s rain, and dust, and sunshine,

Where carts go creaking by;

You like it wet, Snailey;

I like it dry

Hey ho, Snailey –O.

I’ll whistle you a tune!

I’m merry in September

As e’er I am in June

By any stony roadside

Wherever you may roam,

All the summer through, Snailey,

Plaintain’s at home!

(There are some other kinds of Plantain beside this one. The one with wide leaves, and tall spikes of seed which canaries enjoy, is Greater Plantain) Thanks once again to Cicely Mary Barker she always touches my heart.

Now don’t you feel better? – You do not have to go outside and pick the snails and thugs, oops slugs off your Hostas I know. It is snow clearing time!!!!

Whilst we are thinking of planning a new garden think about raised beds, you can build your own and grow wonderful flowers and vegetables. My son-in-law heard about raised beds, many years ago, knowing nothing about them he had a pile of old railway ties delivered and built the beds to above his waist level, we of course all laughed at him, now the laugh is on us, for the beds are still there, he tops them up with fresh soil and compost when necessary, 25 plus years later he does not have to bend to weed, the plants are at almost eye level, so he cans see the nasties that live on our plants. Phil you were right. However, one does not need raised beds quite so high, so I am going to give you a few tips about this project.

Limit the size of your raised beds to allow easy access to all the plants. You should be able to reach the middle of the bed quite easily, for weeding and of course harvesting. Plant lettuce around the edges so that you can just pop out for a salad – keep the herbs close to the edge too.

If you plan to use the walls of the beds as benches, make sure that they are at least 18 inches high and wide enough to sit comfortably.

Fill the bottom of the bed with a few inches of rocks, or pebbles to make sure you have good drainage. You can also include some holes in the walls, slightly above the ground level so that this will also help the water to drain away.

For wooden beds, choose pressure treated wood to prevent rotting, if like Phil you use railway ties, make sure that they are clean and have not been treated with creosote and oil.

Build the walls on a solid foundation, using proper construction techniques, you can either go on line, or try your local library for plans. This is especially important in our areas. For the cold and frost may cause your walls to move.

If more than three layers of lumber or cement blocks are used, it is recommended that you use steel reinforcing rods, for added support (Phil, did not and the beds are still there).

For extra strength stagger the sections of the materials to eliminate continuous vertical joints.

Several weeks before you plant, fill these beds with good top soil, compost, aged manure and coco fibre. Water it well and allow it to settle. There are your raised beds. Wasn’t that easy? Especially as we look out onto our snowy landscapes, we can almost feel spring in the air, we have a long way to go yet, and do not forget Canada Blooms on the horizon, giving us that much needed taste of gardening.

You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere said Buddha - Think about this even if you do squish slugs and lily beetles.

Never cut down a tree in winter- Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait, be patient. The storm will pass, and spring will come. Robert Schuller.

I think that we should all be thinking about growing our own vegetables this season, I was just listening to the dire stock market report. I do not understand why, when the “market” and stocks go down, prices go up? Have you seen the new Loblaws advertisement, Gaylon Weston is consulting babies about organic produce catching on? Perhaps that is where some of the problems lie??

I was in Norwood tonight and their speakers were discussing growing vegetables – right on topic so my dear friends I will say goodnight to you all.

Keep in mind the small arrangement for Valentine’s Day is less than a month away, despite the fact that it was advertised before Christmas.

Hats, gloves, scarves, sunscreen, lip moisturizer, snow shovels and hats do not forget to stretch before you shovel the snow away.

Enjoy.

Lovingly beryl