Spring to Life

Container plants full of bulbs emerging with blossoms at different intervals of time will surely make a statement as the start of the gardening season approaches. What comes to mind when you think of plants that grow from bulbs? If you said, tulip, daffodils, crocus, and hyacinths, then you’re correct. A true definition of a bulb is a seed which resembles an onion, with residual roots, a small stem portion, and lots of leaves packed closely together. Other plants, amaryllis, crinum, and rain lilies, are really stems, not bulbs. Definitions for corms, tubers, tuberous roots, and rhizomes as follows:
● Corms: Tight, compressed, flattened, stems. Gladiolus is a corm having a central bud with smaller buds around the stem.
● Tubers: Buds can be found on the stem of caladiums with a central bud and many smaller buds. Leatherlike tuber is the skin.
● Tuberous roots: Dahlias have swollen, fleshy, usually underground roots where buds develop into new plants such as the sweet potato at the stem end.
● Rhizomes: Thickened horizontal stems grow plants, (canna, calla lily and daylily) some from the surface of the soil, while others form slightly underground.
Now we’ve established names and types of bulbs. You can now choose any type of container from terra-cotta, wooden, plastic, to metal, making sure there is good drainage. Try stylish containers suited for your personality, such as a bucket, box, baskets or a vintage treasure. Soil composition is very important, so I suggest a good organic potting mixture to advance the growth with just the right amount of water.
Fertilizing Tips:
● Scatter the fertilizer over the surface of the soil.
● Keep the granules away from the foliage to prevent burns.
● It’s fine to start the feeding near the base of the bulbs, but do not allow it to accumulate next to the green stems.
● Water immediately after the feeding.
Manures and slow-release products can be substituted for general garden fertilizers.
Bonemeal can be used as part of the feeding, but it’s not a complete fertilizer product.
Look for creativity of container bulb planting next week! For other articles please go to www.jacksoncountytimes.net and click on my business card. Till next time, Grace and Peace be multiplied to you, Pamela.

The Whimsical Viola 2/26/09

This time of year boosts expectancy for me as the "Master Gardener" shows off His mass palette of colorful buds and blossoms accented with the many trees and shrubs which are beginning to take form. We can surely be ever so grateful for the bountiful, rich supply of plants that are sure to bring us great delight!
So, let me introduce to you the incredible viola. The violas, pansies and almost all violets are the same, botanically speaking, belonging to the genus Viola. The zone you are in will determine whether these flowers are perennials or annuals. Each plant comes in a vast array of bright colors which are sure to meet your fancy. My choice is the viola as they require very little maintenance keeping their color and shape all season requiring no deadheading with continued blooming. On the other hand the pansy requires much more maintenance in deadheading as they put all their energy into one big long-stemmed bloom and then start looking scraggly if they’re not plucked off. Normally violas are used for border or edgings in your flower beds, however, try using them in containers to create winter color in a terra-cotta pot or a window basket.
Violas thrive in sun to partial shade, growing to 6-8 inches high and 8 inches across. To keep your plants healthy you need to start with good soil. Terra-cotta pots will require sand or wood chips at the bottom to help drain off excess water, then fill with a light potting mix, being sure there is adequate drainage. It is important to use the right mulch such as straw or leaf mulch which will keep the roots insulated and will prevent erosion.
Creating visual impact is essential, so let me give you some ideas to add to the viola. Try a Leyland cypress, dwarf arborvitae and English ivy in a window box and for the terra-cotta container, a Spanish lavender and heuchera. For a culinary treat add herbs such as rosemary and a common sage.
Tip: Sprinkle blood meal in the soil. The blood meal gives a boost of nitrogen immediately which also adds minerals.
Till next time, Grace and Peace be multiplied to you.
-Pamela

It is "Pruning Time"

BY Pamela Nobles

Glancing around the outdoors where many of my plants have remained during the cold winter season lets me know that it is now time for pruning. When temperatures begin to plummet below freezing for an extended period of time, even the covering with freeze cloths doesn’t always help when the fierce winds blow. Even so, it can become a good thing, depending upon how you look at the situation.
Pruning your various plants will vary in scope. It’s a way of removing the old to bring on the new. Plants will bear much fruit when this technique is applied to bring forth new stems and buds which will make them spectacular in the spring. The simplicity of pruning plants is the same for "in ground" plants as it is for "in container" plants. Pruning maintains the health of plants, production of flowers or fruit, growth direction and undesirable growth removal.
Let me give you several situations I have faced which might help you. For instance several pots of the Asparagus sprengeri ferns had many new fronds* that were coming out every where, due to the warm weather. Knowing the type of fern made it easy for me to prune, due to its invasive growth. In fact I’ve decided to cut them all back, with a two-fold reasoning; easier to divide, and production multiplies to share.
Having worked with several Crepe myrtles, it’s amazing to me how resilient these shrubs can be. However, they too need pruning. They will bloom on new wood, so prune them late winter or early spring to increase next summer’s flower production. Remove side branches on trunks up to 4-5 ft. and inner branches reveal attractive trunks. After doing some research on pruning the crepe myrtles I was shocked (to say the least) at the following statement after I had already committed this crime! It reads as follows:
Don’t Commit "Crepe Murder"
Don’t chop your large crepe myrtles down to ugly stubs each spring just because your neighbors do.
This ruins the natural form and encourages the growth of spindly, whip like branches that are too weak to hold up the flowers.
To reduce a crepe myrtle use hand pruners or loppers to shorten the topmost branches by 2-3ft. in late winter, always cutting back to a side branch or bud. For branches more than 2 in. thick, always cut back to the trunk. Don’t leave big ugly stubs.
Till next time, Grace and Peace be multiplied to you, Pamela
*See Spectacular Ferns Pt. II, October 23, 2008 at www.jacksoncountytimes.net

Distinctive Houseplants 1/22/09

By Pamela Nobles

If you want to add depth to any empty space in your home, then purchase a houseplant that best suits your personality. I’m sure you’ve heard the statement, "I don’t have a green thumb"! That’s ludicrous; anyone can do anything they set their heart to. With a little guidance and instruction choosing a plant to accentuate your home will be exciting and rewarding to say the least. You’ll be fascinated with the many varieties available that will brighten and enhance any room of your home…. So let’s get started.
The possibilities are endless. Choosing a plant that is conducive to the climate where it will be displayed is imperative to its livelihood. For instance displaying one or several on a windowsill in your kitchen or in a bathroom where there is high humidity with bright light, your choice might be any of the following; Peperomia, Ferns, Ivy Hedera helix (different varieties), Fittonia, Hypoestes, or Ficus. Any one of these plants would also be appropriate, with some misting to add humidity, on coffee tables, end tables, dressers or maybe on your dining room table. Consider a floor plant in any room of your home. I would suggest Split-leaf Philodendrons, Ferns, Dieffenbachia, Crotons, Palms or a Norfolk Island Pine. Let’s not leave out herbs, as they can thrive where there is bright light, even when it’s artificial light.
The houseplants mentioned above do require some attention, with little care and watering on a weekly basis. Plants purchased from area nurseries have been fertilized in green houses so they will not need to be fertilized for several months.
If you may have failed in the past, this is a new day, so look beyond the commonplace. Step out and let plants become a stimulating hobby that is sure to become a pleasure.
It would be an honor for me to help you make the right choices, so feel free to call me at 592-2522. Till next time, Grace and Peace be multiplied to you, Pamela.
Tip of the week: Camellias are in full bloom! Cut a stem or two for that special nook where you can enjoy their beauty much longer. Ask a kind neighbor for a cutting if you don’t have one in your yard.

The Exquisite Camellia 1/8/09

I’ve recently had the privilege of visiting with Glen’s sister, Janice Basford, over the holidays. Upon my arrival, a Camellia shrub captured my eye in her front yard that was decorated with exquisite buds and blossoms. I was in awe of this delicate flower and immediately wanted to have a few cuttings for several of my vases. Without hesitation, Janice so graciously allowed me to cut all I wanted.
From that special moment, it was for sure I would have one planted in my yard soon. So from there I have done some extensive research on these magnificent shrubs to pass on to my readers, although, I would encourage you to also explore the many facets of this beautiful plant.
Camellias were first introduced from Asia to the West in the early 18th Century by a Jesuit priest, Georg Josef Kamel, from whose name the camellia is derived. During the 19th Century, camellias blossoms were prized and displayed in elaborate crystal bowls throughout the South as this is the heart of camellia country. Alabama’s state flower is the Camellia japonica.
There are more than 3,000 named species and cultivars that exist in a spectacular range of colors, forms and sizes. Since the blooms of Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua and their hybrids are so attractive, both of these families are popular for landscapes. There are even fragrant varieties that bloom from fall to early spring growing outdoors, as well as, indoors in the right environment. With the new introduction of the Ice Angels series, even cold climates of Zone 6 where cold hardy camellias are available can be enjoyed to minus 10 degrees.
Growing Tips: In landscapes, Camellias thrive in partial to filtered shade and fast-draining soil, rich in organic material, so water does not accumulate in their root zones. To keep the roots cool, always layer them with 2 inches of thick mulch. Trunk base of plant must never be below soil line. After plants are established, they can survive—even thrive—on fairly little supplemental moisture. Camellias are free from most insect pests, but occasionally mites can attack. They require little fertilizer (acidic plant food).
Til next time, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the coming year 2009! For other articles and interesting information, go to the webpage for the Jackson County Times. With a grateful heart, Pamela.