Marion County Master Gardeners' 600 square-foot demonstration garden grew about 400 pounds of food. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
All over the country, people who’d never sprouted a seed, planted a vegetable garden this year, and many of those who’d grown their own food for years, expanded their plots.
Seed merchants report jumps of 10- to 60 percent in vegetable seed sales in 2009. The number of home gardeners grew 40 percent this year over last, according to the National Gardening Association.
Even people without land wanted to garden.
Local requests for information about community gardens — from where they are to how to start one — went from one every three months in 2008 to three or four a week in 2009, said Ginny Roberts, urban garden coordinator for the Marion County Extension Office. Master Gardeners fielded about a dozen queries and made several on-site consultations to help people start community gardens, said Steve Mayer, the extension educator who oversees the volunteers.
It doesn’t take much space to make a difference.
Lettuces, tomatoes, corn, beans, peas and other produce valued at nearly $400 was donated from the Marion County Master Gardeners demo garden. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
This past summer, Master Gardeners developed a 600-square-foot demonstration garden outside the extension’s office at Intech Park. Even though the garden did not get planted until mid-July, nearly 400 pounds of beans, peas, tomatoes, lettuces and other food have been donated to a food bank, and the harvest is not yet complete, Mayer said. To date, food valued at $737.37, based on the National Gardening Association’s formula of $2 a pound, has been donated.
If you’d like to create your own garden or develop a community garden in your neighborhood, or at your church, apartment complex or business, please visit the community garden Web site.
This is the time of year we give thanks for the blessings in our lives. We thank Mother Nature for helping us grow the food we eat, which seems to taste even better when we’ve grown it ourselves. We also feel good when we share our bounty with friends, family and those in our community who are in need of good food.
Garfield Park and Indiana Rail Road partner for the holiday display at the Conservatory. Photo courtesy Garfield Park.
Models trains are running again this holiday season at the Garfield Park Conservatory, just five minutes from downtown Indianapolis on the city’s southside.
Conservatory Crossing runs from Nov. 27 through Dec. 27, featuring model trains wending among villages, hundreds of poinsettias and thousands of twinkling lights. The holiday celebration is supported by Indiana Rail Road, Indy Parks and the Friends of Garfield Park Inc.
Most days, Conservatory Crossing’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 19 through Dec. 23, extended hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission: $2 for adults, $1 for seniors and $5 for the family.
Other holiday events at the park:
Holiday Crafts, 4:45 to 5:40 pm., Dec. 2 for 7- to 13-year olds. Make unique holiday cards and ornaments out of different natural materials. All supplies will be provided, so you only have to bring your creativity. Registration required: (317) 327-7580. Fee: $4.
Christmas at Garfield, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dec. 12. Meet Santa at Conservatory Crossing, make toys with his elves at the Garfield Park Arts Center and sample Mrs. Claus’ treats at the Burrello Family Center. FREE.
Candlelight Crossing, 6 to 8 p.m., Dec. 18. Enjoy the holiday trains and poinsettias at a special family reception. Relax with a cup of cocoa and enjoy the warmth and beauty of the tropical plants in the conservatory aglow with twinkle lights. Admission: $5 per person; $15 for the family.
For more information about these and other events, please visit the Garfield Park Web site. Here’s a map.
The holidays are upon us and beginning this weekend, many of us start the season with a fresh-cut Christmas tree. On Nov. 25 on Fox 59’s Morning News, the Hoosier Gardener offers tips for selecting and caring for our trees.
Scotch pine, white pine and fraser fir are among the most popular selections for fresh cut trees. Scotch pine has stiff branches with good needle retention. White pine has long, soft needles, but weak branches for holding heavy ornaments. Fraser fir has stiff branches and short needles that are very fragrant.
Other tips:
Measure the space in your home where the tree will go. That way you’ll know what height and width to shop for.
Ask the retailer when the trees arrived. Do they arrive all at once or are there several shipments throughout the holiday season?
Test for freshness by bending a few green needles backwards. Gently bend a branch. If the needles fall off or the branch breaks, the tree is not fresh.
Other signs of an older, cut tree are excessive needle loss, discolored foliage, musty odor, needle pliability, and wrinkled bark. If in doubt, go to another tree lot.
Ask the retailer to make fresh cut at the base of the trunk. You’ll have about six hours to get the tree in water before the cut seals up. At home, sit the tree in a bucket of water until you are ready to place it in the stand.
If that’s not possible, take off ½ to 1-inch of the trunk with a fresh cut, then place in the stand. Make the cut straight across and not at an angle. A straight cut provides the greatest surface for the tree to take up water.
The temperature of the water is not critical and there’s not need to add amendments to the water.
Once in the stand, check the water level frequently to make sure it is high enough to cover the base of the tree.
Make sure the tree is not near a heat source, such as a register or vent, heater or fireplace.
Check your tree lights to make sure no wires are frayed. Always turn off the lights when going to bed or leaving home.
Keep an eye on the tree’s freshness. If it looks and feels dry, remove it and take it to the recycling center. In Indianapolis and many other communities, there are several tree drop off sites. There, the trees are ground up for mulch for parks, along trails and other areas.
Or, move the tree outdoors and lean it against a fence or shade tree. It should hold its needles throughout winter and provide a resting space and seasonal shelter for birds.
Christmas tree stats:
Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states. The top producing states are Oregon with 6.9 million trees harvested in 2007; North Carolina with 3.1 million trees; Michigan with 1.6 million; and Pennsylvania, 1.2 million. Indiana ranks 11th with tree farms harvesting 198,899 in 2007.
About 15,000 farms in the United States have about 350 million acres growing about 350 million Christmas trees in various stages, from seedlings to the 6- to 7-feet height that is ready to harvest. The farms employ 100,000 full- or part-time workers. In the 15 years it takes a tree to reach harvest size, this renewable resource captures carbon dioxide, helps keep the soil cool and shaded and provides shelter and nesting sites for birds. For each tree harvested, farmers plant one to three seedlings the following spring.
When we recycle the trees by chopping them into mulch, we return them to the environment. Or, we can delay that return by propping it up against a fence or shade tree for birds to use as a seasonal shelter. The tree can be turned into mulch in spring.
Terms:
Cut tree — grown and harvested for the holiday season. Purchased at tree lots, garden centers or at tree farms. Recycle after the holidays.
Balled-and-burlapped — a live tree with the root ball intact, wrapped in burlap. Transplant to the landscape after the holidays.
Containerized — a live tree grown in plastic container. Transplant to the landscape after the holidays.
More tree tidbits:
Thirty-five percent of us will buy a fresh cut or live tree this year. Eighty percent of those will buy pre-cut trees; 9 percent will buy live trees for replanting in the landscape after the holidays.
Live trees are grown in containers or as balled-and-burlapped specimens. Prepare the hole for planting in fall. Plant as soon as possible after the holiday. Photo courtesy Colorado State University.
When opting for a live tree, prepare the planting hole in fall or early winter before the ground freezes. After planting, make sure to water the transplant well. The best choices are Norway and other spruces (Picea), Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) and white fir (Abies concolor).For other tips, read Purdue University’s Living Christmas Trees for the Holidays and Beyond.
In the United States, we will purchase about 28.1 million trees and spend about $1.03 billion. We will spend an average of $40 to $50 for our tree.
The most common Christmas tree species: balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine.
Get your tree from a farm
Christmas tree farm. Photo courtesy Washington State University.
You also can visit tree farms to hand pick your tree, which is cut on the spot and loaded on your vehicle. This is the way to make sure your tree is a fresh as possible.
Most tree farms keep their fields very well groomed, but there are some things that are beyond the farmer’s control. Be careful of tree stumps, brambles, vines, uneven ground and sharp saws.
Go to the farm prepared for a day in the country. Wear comfortable shoes and old clothes. Bring rain gear if the weather is threatening. The “cutter downers” and the “loader uppers” should also have gloves.
Saws are usually provided by the farm operator. Check ahead of time.
Some farms measure and price their trees individually, others sell them by the foot. Ask about the pricing policy before heading out in the field. Here are some more tips:
Head out to the field and select the tree that fits your predetermined needs.
Check the trunk to be sure that it is sufficiently straight. Keep in mind that pines will usually have, at least, some crook in their trunks.
Check that the tree has a sufficiently long handle to accommodate your stand.
In fall, all conifers drop or shed a certain portion of their oldest needles. This is a normal part of the life cycle of the tree. This phenomena occurs because the tree is preparing itself for winter. Most farms provide shaking, or blowing, services so that you will depart with a perfectly clean tree.
Cutting the tree is easiest as a two person project. The “cutter downer” usually lies on the ground. While the helper holds the bottom limbs up.
While the cut is being made, the helper should tug on the tree lightly to ensure that the saw kerf remains open and the saw does not bind. The tugging force should be applied to the side of the tree opposite the cut.
Take the tree to the processing area where it will be cleaned and netted. Netting makes transporting and handling the tree substantially easier.
Now you’re ready to load up and head home to decorate your real Christmas tree.
Bad news, Sagamorons. Ruth Holladay’s blog reports the esteemed and award-winning Sagamore, the campus paper for IUPUI, shut down in August. Students are shuttled into iupuistudentmedia.com, where the lead story yesterday was about the Indianapolis Colts beating the Baltimore Ravens…and the relevance to IUPUI is??
tom mcCain was an editorial cartoonist at the IUPUI Sagamore. You can find more of his work at http://www.crittur.com
As a former editor (B.S. IUPUI, 1978), when it was the student newspaper of the year, this seems a great loss. Without any of the resources of the Bloomington campus’ IDS or Purdue’s Exponent, we took on the big ones and won and kept students, faculty and staff informed about Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis news as well as what was happening in the community at large. And we did it two times a week!
I and many others would have no career in journalism, public relations, publishing or marketing without IUPUI, which catered to non-traditional students, who worked full- or part time and frequently had families. The Sagamore formed life-long friendships in the same way that fraternities, sororities, school clubs and other student activities did. I get as emotional when thinking about walking the asphalt campus as those who trekked Dunn Meadow in Bloomington.
Oh, yeah. The excuse about competing with the Indianapolis Star for advertising? The Sagamore always competed with the Star for advertising.
Summer Wine ninebark's purple foliage turns a brilliant red in fall. Its companion is 'Limelight' hydrangea. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
This long season of mellow weather has enhanced the fall color on many trees and shrubs and prolonged their beauty.
‘Blue Mist’ fothergilla (F. gardenii), one of the first shrubs I bought when I moved here, earned its keep this fall despite lackluster performance in the past. This native shrub promised reddish-orange leaves in fall. Unfortunately, the reddish-orange did not really materialize until this year, when the color has been as promised.
Many viburnums have great fall color, but the Burkwood (V. x burkwoodii) usually is semi-evergreen, holding onto its green leaves well into winter or early spring. In my yard, one gets several hours of direct sun and one gets dappled sun. The one in sun turned a brilliant red orange this fall and recently dropped all its leaves, which it has not done in the past. The one in more shade has retained its green leaves for now.
'Henry's Garnet' Virginia sweetspire has long-lasting fall color. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
There are a couple of popular Virginia sweetspires (Itea virginica) on the market, ‘Henry’s Garnet’ and ‘Sprich,’ which is sold as Little Henry. Each of these native shrubs has beautiful red fall color. However, ‘Henry’s Garnet’ retains its fall color much longer than Little Henry. These versatile plants are terrific substitutes for the burning bush (Euonymus alata), which is considered an invasive species.
At the top of the list for spectacular fall color has to be the oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia), another native shrubs. Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom white cone-shaped flowers in early summer, which stay on the plant into winter, turning reddish brown to tan as they age. The foliage turns a beautiful reddish purple, a color it holds for weeks, usually well into winter.
Lastly, another prizewinner is ‘Seward,’ a native ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), which is marketed as Summer Wine. Its bronzy purple leaves turn a deep red and persist for weeks.
'Sikes Dwarf' oakleaf hydrangea. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
The incredibly mild fall weather here in Central Indiana has created incredible fall colors and prolonged the life of many blooming plants. Here’s a rundown:
Annuals
‘Snow Princess,’ a new sweet alyssum (Lobularia) from Proven Winners, is still going strong. Alyssum, in general, likes cooler temps, but this one gets raves for withstanding the heat and benign neglect when it comes to watering.
Calibrachoa continues blooming into fall despite a lack of water. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
And, while we are on neglect, check out a hanging basket of Calibrachoa that relies pretty much on rain for its watering needs, yet it is still blooming, albeit pitifully. I’m sure it would appreciate a drink. Maybe tomorrow.
‘Henna’ coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) from Simply Beautiful plants and its impatiens companions are in a protected area on the east side of the house and they are managing to hang on.
Proven Winners’ ‘Flirtation,’ an orange Diascia, is another cool-weather loving plant, which also looks good for this late in the season. All summer, it was in a little more shade than it might have preferred and now, with the leaves off the trees, its pumpkin color has livened up, making it a perfect fall plant. One of its companions in the container is one of the hardest working plants in the garden, ‘Victoria Blue’ salvia (S. farinacea), a very cold tolerant annual.
Purple leaf oxalis still blooms in a protected area. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Also able to withstand some of the cooler temps with a little protection is the big purple leaf Oxalis, which is still shooting up pink flowers.
Seed-grown ‘Sangria’ ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum) have turned a deep red, ready for harvesting for drying and cooking. A chef friend said the peppers have a little bite to them, but the research says they are safe for planting around children. I have not researched these peppers with my own taste buds. Maybe tomorrow.
Blooming with the peppers is Easy Wave ‘Burgundy Star’ petunia from Simply Beautiful. Verbana and snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) and verbenas also are blooming well.
Perennials
Plain, white and pink, regular Chrysanthemum from Yoder Brothers, whose tags were lost long ago, are full of blooms.
Dianthus Scent First. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
As for new perennials…and these are so new they are still in the pots waiting to be transplanted…maybe tomorrow…Dianthus Scent First from Skagit Gardens has done extremely well in a 4-inch container all summer. It has bloomed on and off with fragrant, velvety-red, carnation like flowers. At maturity, it will be about 12 inches wide and 5 inches tall — 10 inches when flowering. And, it has that lovely blue-green grassy leaves that make dianthus a true four-season plant.
'Paladin' daisy from Terra Nova Nurseries has one bloom and the bud of another. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
‘Paladin’ (Leuchanthemum x superbum) from Terra Nova Nurseries is a trouper in a nursery pot, too. It has one flower in bloom and one more bud opening up. It has been in part shade most of the summer. At maturity, this daisy will get about 15 inches wide and 16 inches tall (20 when in bloom).
The ground cover epimedium's leaves have started to turn purple, which they will hold through winter. Nearby is a creeping foam flower (Tiarella) and Helleborus. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
As for fall interest on perennials, at the top of the list is Epimedium, which has started to take on its bronzy purple hues. This under used groundcover is a three-season plant. It blooms in early spring, usually before the plant leafs out. The leaves emerge with tinges of red, but turn all green as the trees and shrubs nearby leaf out to shade the plant. In fall, when the trees and shrubs drop their leaves, the leaves on epimedium turn deep purple. Epimedium is a great plant for dry shade. It grows in a clump and would never be considered invasive.
Shrubs
‘Annabelle’ (Hydrangea arborescens) is still holding one white head high. ‘Rozanne’ Geranium, which has been blooming all summer, still has a few flowers and the ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ aster (Symphyotrichumoblingifolius) looks fabulous.
'Blue Mist' fothergilla colored up nicely this fall. Epimedium is in the background.(C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
One of the first shrubs I bought when I moved into this house was ‘Blue Mist’ fothergilla (F. gardenii), because of the blue foliage in summer and its spectacular fall color. Ordered from Fairweather Gardens in New Jersey, it had that promised color the first fall. Subsequent years, the fall color has been so-so, but this year, it’s been spectacular.
All the hydrangeas’ leaves except ‘Annabelle’ have good fall color and at the top of the list are the oakleafs, such as ‘Sikes Dwarf’ (Hydrangea quercifolia). One of the other standouts in the fall garden is ninebark ‘Summer Wine’ (Physocarpus opulifolius), which I have paired with ‘Limelight’ hydrangea (H. paniculata).
Indeed, fall in Indiana has been simply lovely this year. Wonder what December holds.
To find out what’s blooming in other bloggers’ gardens, check out Indianapolis’ Carol Michel’ Day Dreams Gardens.
At 18-inches tall, 'Fernleaf' dill does well in a container. Photo courtesy All-America Selections
One of the most versatile plants in the garden and one that ranks high for attracting pollinating insects has earned Herb of the Year for 2010.
The Herb Society of America selected dill (Anethum graveolens), a tender biennial that is usually grown from seed each year. Dill forms a taproot, making it difficult to transplant; however, seedlings can be found in garden centers in spring.
The ferny dill leaves are used to flavor fish, sauces, salads, potatoes and eggs and the seeds are used in pickling and vinegars. Seed from Indian dill (A. sowa), called sowa, is an ingredient in many curries.
Sow in full sun after the last frost, usually in mid-May. Sow seeds every couple of weeks to extend the harvest of the fresh leaves. Seed usually germinates within two weeks and harvesting can begin in about two months. Dill readily self sows.
Black swallowtail caterpillar on parsley. (C) iStockphoto
The species gets about 4- to 5-feet tall and is topped with wide, umbel-shaped, yellowish flowers. This is there you’ll find bees and tiny beneficial wasps. You’ll also find swallowtails (Papilio) slurping up the nectar. Swallowtail caterpillars devour the leaves and stems. These caterpillars also like fennel, parsley and carrot leaves, which are all related to dill.
Cultivars to consider:
'Dukat' dill. Photo courtesy Jung Seed.
‘Dukat,’ bred in Denmark for Scandinavian food, has a sweet flavor, says Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee’s Garden Seeds. It gets about 2 feet tall, making it ideal for growing in a pot on the patio, porch or balcony. Seeds also are available from Seeds of Change, Territorial Seed, Jung Seed and others.
‘Fernleaf,’ a 1992 All-America Selection, is appreciated for its short, stout nature. At 18-inches tall, this is another candidate for a pot. It is available at Park Seed, Burpee and others.
‘Bouquet’ has large, 6-inch wide heads, making it a favorite for pickling seeds. It will get up to 3 feet tall and is available at Botanical Interests, Seeds of Change and others.
'Bouquet' dill is prized for its large seed heads. Photo courtesy Seeds of Change
Pot up bulbs in containers now for enjoyment next spring. Photo courtesy www.bulb.com
On Fox 59 Nov. 11, we answer a question the Hoosier Gardener gets every year, usually in January:
“Oh, my gosh! I just found this bag of tulips (daffodils, hyacinths or any other spring bulb) that I didn’t get planted this fall. What can I do?”
Plant them right away! But how can you do that in January or February, when the ground is frozen? All is not lost!
When you find the bulbs, plant them in a large container, cover them with soil, water the pot and stow it in an unheated garage or porch until the tips of the bulbs break through, then move the container outdoors to a sunny spot. In spring or early summer after the bulbs bloom and the foliage has turned yellow or brown, called ripening, replant the bulbs in the landscape.
Layer the bulbs in the container, placing the largest ones, such as tulips and daffodils, 6- to 8-inches deep in the container. Add soil to cover all but the tips of the first layer of bulbs. Place smaller bulbs, such as hyacinths, crocus and Dutch iris in between the tips of the lower level of bulbs. Cover the second layer with soil and add more layers as needed.
You can also follow this method any time you want to plant spring bulbs up in containers.
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