Hello my dear gardening friends -

"Deep within each of us lies a garden. An intensely personal place. Throughout most of our lives, this garden remains hidden from view, save for brief glimpses during moments spent daydreaming or in quiet contemplation.... but many of us long to make this imaginative garden real." - Julie Moir Messervy, The Inward Garden

It is still cold and wet; however, we have come through another election and a colder spring. We are getting stronger all the time: not only have we put up with cold, rain, hail and more hail, we are still buying plants and beautifying our gardens! There are many garden tours happening: do take advantage of one of these to see how other people plan their gardens - we all come away with new ideas and thoughts of "all that work".

I am being driven crazy by earwigs; I moved a number of my containers and there they were hiding underneath the pots. I happened to have a wasp and hornet blaster, so I gave a zillion of them a short shot and surprise, surprise, they died instantly - it killed them "dead " ( I loved that commercial, for I have yet to see something killed alive!!!).

I have been asked about Bromeliads - what is a bromeliad? They are exotic, colourful, and easy to grow plants. They usually grow in rosette forms with stiff, often arching, blade-like leaves. Scapes and flowers vary a great deal, in most unfamiliar forms and colour combinations. Some of the foliages are very beautiful and smooth; some are entirely grey, with heavily barbed foliage. Bromeliads vary widely in culture, as well as in appearance. Some are xerophytic (growing with very little moisture - sounds like xeroscaping). Others are epiphytic (growing on trees and other objects like orchids), not as a source of nourishment, but for support. Some are terrestrial (growing in soil), and depend upon it for moisture and nourishment.

Sunlight: providing the correct amount of sunlight is one of the most important steps in producing healthy, thriving bromeliads. Growth, form, leaf colouration and flowering are all affected by the amount of sunlight that the plant receives. They are very durable plants that will look healthy for many months in insufficient light without showing any sign of stress. However, they will grow very slowly and any new growth will be weak, spindly and "stretched"; you will also notice a lack of colour in the foliage.

How do we know if they are getting enough light? Just look at the foliage – they will “speak” to you. If they are displaying the symptoms described above - give them more light. Conversely, if they are in full sun and display the same symptoms, move them into slightly shaded light. The ones that look more “tropical” or those with glossy, flexible, or rather soft foliage all fall into this category.

Whilst these plants are tolerant of poor moisture conditions, if you forget them and do not water for a long time, they will survive. If, however, you are careful with your watering, they will bring you a lot of joy.

Watering: Bromeliads that are grown in soil should be kept moist, not dripping wet all the time. Constantly wet soil will cause rotting of the root systems and even decay. The soil must be thoroughly watered from the top of the pot to the bottom; excess water must be drained away. Moistening only the top of the soil will produce only poor root structures and growth. Water the plant again before it totally dries out. The centre cup or tank that is formed by the centre leaves of many types of bromeliads should always be kept supplied with water. This reservoir is actually an ingenious device that has evolved through necessity and provides the plants with an emergency source of moisture and nourishment – see, they knew that we would neglect them!!!

Any plants that are not grown in soil absorb moisture from the air through their scaly skins. The more scale or watering absorbing grey covering, the easier it is for the plant to get water from the air. This capacity is lessened for plants being grown indoors, especially in the winter time, so you will have to mist them a couple of times a week. Do not use water that has been through a water softener; distilled water is fine but so is ordinary tap water, provided it is at room temperature.

Fresh air is vital, providing nitrogen, carbon dioxide, trace elements, and moisture. It is best to keep the plants near an open window or doorway – the optimum place is outside, in a protected shaded area. They will enjoy a little fertilizer as : mix your regular plant fertilizer half to one quarter strength and mist or spray it on the leaves - four to six times a year will be sufficient.

Potting soil: a good potting mix should be made of equal parts of soil, peat moss and Perlite or vermiculite can also be added for faster drainage. The mixture should be moistened the day before it is used, for there is less chance of damaging roots when you plant them in moist soil.

Temperatures: Most bromeliads are considered tropical or sub-tropical, thriving in temperatures of 50 degrees to 60 degrees F. Outside they will endure temperatures from as high as 120F to those approaching freezing.

Humidity: The simplest method of increasing the humidity in the winter time is by misting every one to three days; if you use a humidifier this is even better - it is good for you too!

Flowering can be forced by placing the plant in a bag with an apple – the ethylene gas will promote blooming. This can take up to a couple of months; however, once it has bloomed the plant will die. This process takes a long time; during blooming and afterwards, though the mother plant produces “pups” or young plants and, thus, will extend your collection of plants . Good luck and enjoy.

I promised to tell you a simple method of determining your soil type, by its texture or the size of the mineral particles. Sand is the largest, followed by silt then clay. It follows that the percentage of each particle size in a soil determines its type. If the soil is over 50% sand - it is called sandy soil. The general types are as follows

Sandy or Light soil - Coarsely textured with little organic matter

Silty Soil - Medium fine textured sediment, medium density

Clay or Heavy Soil - Finely textured, dense

Loam - Good mix of about 40% Sand, 40% Silt, 20% clay

So what kind of soil do you have? The squeeze test is the easiest and the quickest. Take a handful of moistened soil and squeeze it in your hand. If it feels gritty and falls apart when you release it, there is a large amount of sand in your soil. If it feels gritty but clings together, it is loamy sand. Clay soil will make a smooth smear, while sandy clay will make a gritty smear.

The Shake test takes a little longer. Fill a quart jar about 2/3rds full of water. Slowly. Add soil from one spot in your garden until the jar is almost full. Close the jar and give it a good shake. After several hours, different layers will have settled out. Sand weighs the most and will sink to the bottom; silt will settle in the middle with clay on the top. Compare the amount of each, as the highest percentage determines your soil type - if nothing else this is a lot of fun.

Now you have to amend your soil. What does it need?

Sandy soils - Manure, compost and clay- rich soil.

Clay soils - Manure, compost, sharp sand (washed and screened quartz sand is best).

Make your own compost by layering organic matter, soil, lime, and manure or fertilizer. Keep it moist, but in heavy rainy weather such as we are enduring, cover it over to prevent the nutrients from leaching. Turn it every two weeks or so. It is ready to use when the ingredients have broken down, that is when they are no longer recognizable. Use it at a rate of one shovelful to about one square yard.

What should you put into your compost? Vegetative kitchen refuse, veggies and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves and bags, clean eggshells, leaves, faded blossoms, grass clippings, straw or hay, pet fur, human hair, sawdust, shredded newspaper, and if you have acid soils, wood ashes.

Do NOT put into the compost any of the following: woody garden debris (it takes too long to break down), invasive vines and grasses, noxious weeds, meat, bones, butter, oils, bread or any food containing grains (e.g. pasta), anything that might attract vermin to your garden, used kitty litter or droppings from any carnivorous pets, dogs for example, as they can carry diseases.

My raccoon still runs to greet me when I come home at night, thinks that he is a dog. I must say that I really enjoy his “company” as my attack cat is quite indifferent to me - the odd time she will tolerant a snuggle, but mostly she prefers her own company. This weekend my daughter is bringing me a stray kitten: bet the fur will fly over this one!!!

Another question that keeps raising its head is about watering containers. If you use large containers 10 inches in diameter and larger, they will need watering less often. Unglazed pots are of course porous, and allow moisture to transpire through the sides. Not only does this mean more watering, but you also get that ugly lime deposit in this area, in many cases actually spoiling the container. A neat trick that I have discovered is nesting a smaller pot inside a larger one, fill the space between the pots with potting soil . The extra inches of soil around the inner pots keep roots cool and retards moisture loss. You will find that the plants do better, need less watering than if you had left the small pot exposed to the sun and wind- just make sure that the insulating soil is moist as well.

You can also try mixing in a moisture retentive fibre with your potting soil (this can be purchased at most garden centers). You can purchase a super absorbent soil polymer. These gel like particles act like small sponges. They absorb hundreds of times their weight in water and nutrients. Plants then draw the retained water that is usually drained from the container, furnishing water to the roots even when the soil itself is dry. We have had the polymers used in the hanging baskets on the main street in Lakefield – with success. I hope that you have noticed our beautiful baskets and containers.

A drip irrigation system works well for containers too. It resembles the garden system that is used frequently to conserve water. You need a ½ inch tube for the main supply line and extend ¼ inch tubing to each pot, where you place one or more emitters. Medium sized and larger pots will need more than one emitter to moisten all the soil well. If a container needs two emitters, you can use a 1/4 inch tee fitting to make a two armed T shaped service line putting an emitter at the end of each arm. This is not as complicated as I am making it sound.

If you need more than two emitters in a large container it is easier to install in-line emitters (I just love that word!) spaced where you want them, but in a ring of microtubing within each pot. Just form a ring of tubing from a tee connection, splicing in the emitters at equal intervals around the circle - simpler still- just go out each morning with your hose and check to see "the state of affairs".

This should keep you all busy for the next little while - coats, hats, gloves (warm woolly ones) bug repellent - they are vicious this year, biting with abandon - HATS and sunscreen.

Lovingly, Beryl