Tomato time!

On this final day of March I thank Mother Nature for sparing us Northeasterners an early-Spring snowstorm! Now I can turn my thoughts to what's most important this time of year: planting. Intrepid gardener that I am, I already transplanted my hardiest plants--pansies, hyacinths and tulips--and now I must turn my attention to starting seedlings, namely tomatoes. For the earliest tomato crop in your neighborhood, start now.

I'm not suggesting you head outdoors just yet. No matter how many days have reached the unseasonably warm 70-degree mark this week, curb your enthusiasm. Weekend temperatures in upstate New York aren't forecasted to be warm; meteorologists report the mercury will struggle to get past the 40s. Yet plenty can be done inside. Below, the six steps to take now to accelerate your tomato harvest:

1. Choose a fast-maturing variety of tomato. Among the earliest growers: 'Orange Roma,' a sweet,
    fruity tomato, great for making sauce; 'Early Bush' cherry tomato, yields tomatoes 7-10 days before
    other varieties; 'Early Girl' hybrid which bears fruit a mere 50 days after planting.

2.  Select hot spots. Containers and raised beds warm up faster than soil in the rest of the garden. Be
     sure to start containers indoors, and place a cold frame over raised beds.

3.  Harden off plants. Before transplanting tender seedlings outdoors for good, let them sample the
     sunshine and wind for just a few hours a day.

4.  Keep young plants protected. Chilly temps and wind dry out plants. Place empty pots over
     vulnerable plants every evening until temperatures level off, becoming consistently in at least the
     60s.

5.  Hold off on the mulch. I know it looks neater, and cuts down on weeds, but thick mulch inhibits
     the soil from properly warming up, so wait a month before spreading a two-inch layer of straw
     around plants.

6.  Be supportive. I don't mean offering them words of encouragement to grow big and strong, though
     I suppose that can't hurt! It's vital to keep tomato plants growing upright and sturdy. Try cages,
     which support plants on all sides so there's no need to prune or tie stems. If space is an issue, try
     ladders, which offer strong support while encouraging the growth habit upward!

Appealing to the masses

It's not just the Northeast that experienced warmer-than-normal temperatures during the first quarter of 2016. Seems most of the United States was treated to mild climes this past winter, compliments of El Nino. I think of this weather pattern as Mother Nature's mischievous child, who, like his cohort, La Nina, likes to play tricks on us. Okay by me. I've enjoyed watching my crocus and daffodils pop from the soil weeks earlier than usual; it was delightful to see them peek out in February.

On a trip to Austin, Texas, last week I noticed the famous Texas Bluebonnets gracing every field, yard--even abandoned lots--with their heavenly blue hue. It was an opportune time to visit central Texas since the state's most popular wildflower will be just about gone at this time next month. My daughter was so enchanted by them that she sat herself down on the ground just to be in their midst (photo, above). It got me to thinking about planting in my own yard.

The massive appeal of looking over a field of blue sparked a desire in me to grab a shovel and a few dozen bags of bulbs, but for once I wasn't thinking about what to plant. I was thinking about how many bulbs I wanted to deposit into my garden. I realized at that moment that I'm often spouting the benefits or drawbacks of particular plants, but I seldom focus on the numbers. Yet the fact is this: more often than not, mass plantings have more impact on the eyes than single plantings.

There are exceptions. My neighbor has a beautiful specimen plant--a tree peony that I drool over every Spring. Designed around a garden of coniferous greens, it stands out magnificently. Yet I think a mass planting of tree peonies in the area would also wow every one of my senses.

There are drawbacks to mass planting. It can be expensive, especially if you want instant gratification, and have to buy full-fledged perennials in large quantities. And then there's the work involved. Planting dozens of flowers is a labor of love. It's also an exercise in faith when you don't know how it's going to turn out. Don't let the uncertainty discourage you...the unanticipated can surpass even the greatest of expectations. And if you don't like the effect, you can always dig them back up!

Prune those plants!

One of the best things about a mild winter is that you can get your spring cleanup underway early. As we head into the middle of March in upstate New York, local forecasters aren't seeing any harsh weather on the horizon. Of course, Mother Nature can be a trickster; she may toss a dodge ball our way in the form of a wicked April snowstorm, but fleeting weather events in early spring rarely damage the landscape permanently. With that in mind, I'll be reaching for the pruning sheers within the next week.

It's best to prune the plants in your yard every year. Trees, shrubs, and perennials have an awful lot of stems, and it's hard to keep them properly shaped and healthy if you don't establish a yearly routine. I think of pruning as an "outdoor housekeeping" activity--comparable to annual interior maintenance routines like painting ceilings and trim. It's vital to remove diseased, dead and damaged stems, which attract insects and invite disease.

As I usually do this time of year, I'm posting the pruning basics so gardeners can avoid the errors that cost plants their lives--and plant owners their hard-earned cash. Below, 4 vital pruning rules:

1. What to prune now: Deciduous shade trees like ash, oak and linden, which are dormant in winter. When pruning, be careful to cut old branches flush against tree trunks--no stumps allowed

2. What to prune soon: All plants that bloom on new growth in summer (examples: crape myrtle, potentilla, butterfly bush). You can cut these plants all the way back in late winter or early spring and they will still flourish and bloom in profusion

3. What to prune later: Any plant that forms flowers on "old" wood, which means that buds are formed on existing stems. Lilac, forsythia, climbing roses and rhododendron fall into this category. These plants must be cut back immediately after bloom in order to give the buds a chance to set for next year. When pruning, cut back the oldest existing canes and stems all the way to the ground. This encourages young stems to grow vigorously, which is healthiest for the plants

4. What can be pruned nearly anytime: Shrubs without visible blooms, grown mainly for foliage, may be cut back anytime. Some prime examples include burning bush, boxwood and barberry. The only time you don't want to take the shears to them is late autumn, which exposes vulnerable plants to harsh winter temperatures before they've had enough time to harden off (not allowing them to recover from their cutting wounds before the dramatic climate switch).

Begin the pruning process now and your garden promises to be a cut above last year. If you're like me, you like to see your landscape improve every year!

Room for 'srooms

Esteemed for both culinary and health-supporting properties, mushrooms also look really cool in the garden.  Three of the most beneficial mushrooms hail from Japan, but can be easily grown in your garden. Below, note the health benefits of each type of mushroom, and their horticultural
needs:

Shiitake

This mighty mushroom contains polysaccharides, which appear to be powerful anti-viral and anti-tumor agents. Shiitake also enhances immunity by boosting the production of T cells, and even helps to fight flu, due to the presence of a polysaccharide known as KS-2. New clinical studies suggest that Shiitake even protects against the damaging effects of radiation and chemotherapy.

Ingesting shiitake benefits the heart by lowering cholesterol. Studies conducted at the National Institute of Nutrition demonstrated that consumption of shiitake leads to a drop in serum cholesterol of between 7 and 12 percent. Studies show that shiitake inhibits platelet gathering in the blood, reducing the buildup of arterial plaque - which causes hardened arteries.  This mushroom also lowers high blood pressure.

Reishi
A staple of  traditional Chinese medicine, reishi is thought to enhance longevity by fighting tumors, presumably due to the presence of the polysaccharide Beta 1.3, which also occurs in shiitake. Reishi also increases immune-protective T cells and macrophages. The mushroom demonstrates anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity, and accelerates recovery time from infectious Hepatitis.
Reishi protects the liver from damage  by chemical toxins such as carbon tetrachloride. The presence of a histamine-inhibiting compound in reishi, makes this  mushroom helpful in the treatment of chronic bronchitis. Reishi is also inhibits platelet aggregation - a contributor to arterial plaque --providing significant heart- protective benefits.

Maitake

Not as well-known as the shiitake and reishi, maitake may be valuable in the fight against HIV. At an International Conference on AIDS in Amsterdam, maitake was reported to inhibit the HIV virus in vitro. While the mushroom doesn’t kill the HIV virus in humans, it may help as part of a total integrated health regimen. Some Japanese research even suggests that maitake may provide the strongest immune-enhancing properties of any mushroom.
Like both reishi and shiitake, maitake contains a wide array of valuable amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals and other medicinal compounds. Research shows that the compounds in maitake mushrooms may fight breast and skin cancer cells. These compounds appear to bolster the immune system by stimulating the production of macrophages, killer T-cells, T lymphocytes, and natural killer cells. Maitake mushrooms also reduce high blood pressure, and help to stabilize blood sugar levels, vital for diabetics.

Since mushrooms can be expensive and hard to find, the idea of growing your own is starting to catch on in North America. It's supposed to be relatively easy, so I'm going to give it a try. I discovered a detailed guide for having fun with fungi on "Sustainablog":

There are but a few things you need, including a supply of freshly cut wood, mushroom spawn, and a shady, damp place to store your inoculated mushroom logs.
Mushroom inoculation commonly occurs in the early spring. You will need to find a source of hardwood (such as oak, which is commonly preferred). If you have access to woodland, you can cut your own trees for logs. However you obtain your logs, they should be 40″ long, and approximately 4-6″ in diameter.
Mushroom spawn can be purchased from a variety of suppliers (such as Fungi Perfecti or MushroomPeople) and usually come in the form of dowels or sawdust. Either medium will grant you the same results, but using the sawdust spawn does require the use of a special inoculation tool, which you can also buy from the same suppliers.
After letting the logs rest for three weeks to let the natural fungicides die back, you are ready to inoculate. Drill holes every 6-8″ around the full circumference of the log (and 2″ from either end), and then plug the holes with either your dowels or sawdust spawn. In an old pot, melt some beeswax, and then paint the wax over the holes to protect the spawn. (The beeswax protects the spawn from contaminants as the mycelium runs through the log.)

Finally, stack your logs against a fence, in the fashion of a tipi, or lay them on the ground on a bed of straw. You will want the logs to be in a shady, damp place so that the logs maintain a high moisture level. If the rain is infrequent, you can induce shiitake fruitings by submerging the logs in a body of water or watering them heavily. Either way, expect to see mushrooms in about 6-12 months after the inoculation. Shiitake mushrooms usually appear after a day of rain in the spring, summer, and fall months.

Your shiitake logs will continue to produce fruit for up to eight years, providing you with many harvests of beautiful, delicious, and healthy fungi! Give it a try!

What is a cottage garden?

The world is an ever-changing place, and days seem to slip by at the speed of light. We get caught up in the chaos of political situations, global events and all the everyday issues bombarding us like that nasty bully in grade school, during gym-class dodge ball. It's no wonder we take refuge in the comforts of our routines and personal spaces! Be it a cup of warm cocoa on a snowy day, a pile of freshly raked leaves to dive into every now and then, or our perennial favorites planted in the garden. When we combine flower planting with the memory of former gardens we've loved, we're well on our way to creating a cottage garden.

Traditionally, a cottage garden was functional. Devised centuries ago in working-class England,  the emphasis was on herbs, vegetables, a few fruit trees, a beehive or two, and livestock. No one thought much about the appearance of their garden, as long as it got the job done. By the late 1870s the English started looking around garden spaces with appreciation for their humble roots. They cast critical eyes on the more structured, rigorously maintained English estate gardens of that era, whose formal designs and mass plantings of brilliant greenhouse annuals seemed excessive to the everyday person.

They found charm in the enclosed, practical spaces of the simple gardens behind their cottages, and indulged in a few guilty pleasures--profuse flowers that, unlike their hardworking floral predecessors (like the golden-blossomed calendula, used to treat wounds) did little more than look lovely and smell divine.  Over time, flowers became even more dominant, and soon English Cottage Gardens contained a bevy of double-duty beauties and lusciously lazy slackers, content to turn their beautiful blossoms toward the sun and bask in the glow of warm rays and garden-visitor praise.

To create your own version of the cottage garden, and have it blooming strong from spring until fall, try a mix of old-fashioned staples (just like Grandma used to have) with just a few of those oh-so-exotic garden stars:

Garden mainstays for spring:

Amsonia (blue star), Allium (ornamental onion), Baptisia (false indigo), Astilbe and Nepeta (catmint)

Spring celebrities:

Peony (especially a mashup of deep burgundy and cream), Veronica and Digitalis (foxglove)

Summer staples:

Heuchera (coral bells), Shasta daisy, Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan), Echinacea (coneflower), Cranesbill (geranium), Stachys (Lamb's ear), Phlox, Achilla mollis (Lady's mantle) and Monarda (Bee balm)

Summer superstars:

Rose (any and all roses command one's complete attention) and Delphiniums (perhaps the most "cottage" of all cottage blooms).


"Fall"back flowers:

Sedum (stonecrop), Aster, Liatris (Blazing star) and Agastache

Autumn all stars:

Hydrangea and the ruby-hued Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower)

Make a garden party out of deadheading every week or so (invite your friends over for a "deadheading walk" while sipping wine!), and you've got yourself lush bloomers that merge the seasons seamlessly!

Freezer burn

In the wacky world I live in--upstate New York during the late winter of 2016--unpredictable weather has turned my garden inside out. Weeks of temperatures hovering well above freezing encouraged tender buds to venture forth--only for their hopes of early bloom to be harshly dashed when the mercury dipped below zero! The day after my car thermometer registered a temperature of negative eleven (yes, I kid you not, check out the photo, below), I entered my garden spaces to survey the carnage. What I found astounded me. Fledgling daffodils, allium and poppy greenery valiantly pushing up through the cracked, frozen soil.  Would they survive?

Feeling that there was no time to waste, I began scouring my notebooks, kept since my training at New York's Botanical Garden. I turned to clipped magazine articles, the Internet, and questioned every friend I knew who loves gardening.  Here's what I found:

Fortunately, flowering bulbs are remarkably resilient. "Most will not be fazed by limited periods of cold weather," says Steve Zwiep, Parks Department supervisor for the city of Holland, Michigan, home of the annual Tulip Time Festival. "The risk of damage is greatest when the plants are blooming. Before the buds open, both daffodils and tulips are fairly immune to the cold, but open flowers are more sensitive to frosts and freezes."

The same thing seems to be true for my 'Stellata' magnolia tree. Even though it's covered with buds which look ready to burst forth, they have always managed to hang on without damage. Once they bloom though, it's a different story. I estimate 6 out of 10 seasons see at least a bit of flower damage on those delicate beauties. Every time it happens my heart withers right along with the frost-burned blossoms.

As for poppies and alliums, they appear to be as susceptible to unseasonable cold snaps as most other plants.  Damage above 32 °F is chilling injury rather than freeze injury. Freeze injury occurs in all plants due to ice formation. Most plants that develop in colder climates often survive with little damage if the freeze event is not too severe. Negative 11 is quite severe, but it didn't last too long.

The problem is the unseasonably warm weather BEFORE the brutally cold drop off played a dirty trick on the plants, causing them to lose their "hardening" ability (a process by which plant tissue gradually accustoms to colder temps) after the warm spell. Hardening is most probably related to an increase in solute content of the plant tissue or decreases in ice-nucleation active (INA) bacteria concentrations during cold periods, or a combination. During warm periods, plants exhibit growth, which reduces solute concentration, and INA bacteria concentration increases, which makes the plants less hardy.

So, when all is said and done, will this uniquely destructive climate damage the tender perennials? Sadly, only time will tell, but I remain hopeful that my spring garden will shine.

5 flowers you must have for your valentine

It's that time of year again: Valentine's Day. Time for flowers to take center stage for 24 fleeting hours. Ironically, I don't particularly like the holiday. I've never been one for what I call "staged romance." I much prefer to let my husband be spontaneous, showing me affection whenever the mood hits him. I smile every time I think of weekend mornings all year long: he makes me bacon-smothered egg creations with piping hot coffee. As I'm chowing down, he asks me for dinner requests, then goes about preparing gourmet meals. To me, nothing says "I Love You" like the tireless TLC he gives to my stomach.

Even though I don't buy into the whole candy-flowers thing each February 14th, I do enjoy seeing the wide variety of horticultural offerings this time of year, and it's hard to keep from peeking in my florist's cooler. The variety and presentation of flowers on Valentine's Day never ceases to amaze me. Each year I marvel at the clever combinations of cultivars and colors, and I find myself frowning when I see a man carrying a bouquet of red roses. Yes, roses are lovely, but seriously? How much thought goes into plucking a supermarket bouquet? Show loved ones that they are truly loved by giving them a flower selection that says "Significant Other".

Below, I've made a list of classic and cutting edge florals--as well as touching on the meaning of certain colors--so you can mix and mash up a fantastic Feb 14 presentation:

CARNATION

Who doesn't love this tried-and-true bloom in a Valentine bouquet? The origin of this blossom's name is debated, but the most widely held belief is that it derives from the Latin "carnis," meaning "flesh"--the pinkish tone of the first carnations closely resembling God-made flesh. Now available in nearly every color of the rainbow, my favorites for this occasion are white, which signifies pure love and luck, dark red for deep love, and delicate pink, the original hue, thought to derive from the Virgin Mary's tears--a symbol of a mother's undying love. It's a great choice for a spouse who has just had a baby, or has learned she will have one soon!

NARCISSUS (AKA DAFFODIL)

This cheerful bloom symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings. Perhaps add a few sunny yellow daffodils to the pink carnations for the new mom or mother-to-be to ensure happiness. A word of warning: legend has it that daffs should always be presented in bouquets. A single bloom is thought to forewarn misfortune.

ALSTROEMERIA

The flower of this little gem of a plant looks a lot like the blossoms on my favorite azalea bushes in my front yard, but with a twist--of leaves, to be exact. They twine around the flower stems, symbolizing the intricate twists and growth of friendship. Therefore, the myriad hues of this cut beauty--white, yellow, orange, pink, red, lavender and purple--signify the strength and variety of friendship. A bouquet of alstroemeria is the perfect present for a true blue pal.

ORCHID

Exotic and artful in appearance, orchids exude luxury and represent rare and delicate beauty. Present your loved one with a pink orchid, and you are not only expressing admiration, but conveying pure affection.

ROSE

Let's face it, a Valentine's list wouldn't be complete without the unparalleled appeal of the rose. Red, of course, means enduring passion; white means purity; yellow stands for friendship; pink conveys gratitude, and orange denotes desire. While there's good reason to choose such a widely acclaimed blossom, why not update this classic to keep it from turning into cliché? Try pairing purple roses with white lilies, and you've enchantingly expressed that you've fallen in love at first sight. Any Valentine would love to experience that!