Start exercising, lose weight, clean the closets .... Why do most New Year's resolutions focus on things you should do, and not things you want to do? Instead, we decided to come up with some garden resolutions that you'll want to keep!
Start exercising, lose weight, clean the closets .... Why do most New Year's resolutions focus on things you should do, and not things you want to do? Instead, we decided to come up with some garden resolutions that you'll want to keep! What follows is our list of ten. What are your resolutions? Share them in the comments at the end of the post.
1. Spend more time in the garden Whether you're busy tending plants or kicking back and relaxing, time spent in the garden brings its own joys and rewards. This year, resolve to spend a few minutes in the garden every day, pulling a few weeds or simply enjoying the beauty and wonder around you.
On the shortest day of the year, the employees of Gardener's Supply gather for a moment of personal reflection. Each of us writes one of the year's regrets on a scrap of paper.
Then, Jim Feinson, our company president leads us into the crisp December air, where a copper fire pit blazes. We toss our regrets into the fire and toast marshmallows in the flames.
We also write a personal resolution for the coming year, place it in a sealed envelope with our name on it, and give them to Jim. These sealed envelopes are returned to us, unopened, in about six months, as a personal reminder from ourselves about the resolutions we made.
This annual rite, started in 2009 when we became 100 percent employee-owned, was written into the agreement we made with our founder, Will Raap, when purchasing his shares. It happened that we closed the employee-ownership deal on the solstice.
In addition, we celebrate the anniversary at our two Vermont stores by serving a “piece of the pie” – literally, delicious pies – to all who shop with us that day.
Gardener's Supply has always been a different kind of company, to learn more, check out our Who We Are pages.
The announcement of award-winning plants might not generate the buzz of the Academy Awards — at least not among the general public. But if you're a gardener who likes to stay on top of the latest and greatest, then perusing plant awards offers a glimpse into what to expect at garden centers this spring.
The Jack Frost brunnera, a prize-winner in 2012, is a shade-tolerant perennial with bright-blue springtime blooms. The foliage, frosted in white, looks great all season.
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Learn more about the groups that choose award-winners in my article, Red-Carpet Plants.
The announcement of award-winning plants might not generate the buzz of the Academy Awards — at least not among the general public. But if you're a gardener who likes to stay on top of the latest and greatest, then perusing plant awards offers a glimpse into what to expect at garden centers this spring. If you're a new gardener, the sheer number of plants to choose from can be overwhelming, and browsing award winners can help you narrow down your options. So if your version of style is more salvia and sedum than taffeta and tulle, spend a chilly January afternoon checking out these winners for 2012.
Many people wonder if you can get amaryllis bulbs to rebloom. Yes! It's easy because amaryllis are forgiving plants.
Amaryllis thrive best in bright, indirect light.
Amaryllis benefit from a summer outdoors. For best growth and bloom potential, remove them from pots and plant them in the ground.
"The flowers faded months ago, but I can't bear to throw it out. I'd like to save it and see if I can get it to bloom again. What should I do?"
Blooming amaryllis bulbs make spectacular holiday gifts and recipients invariably want to keep the plants in hopes of a repeat performance and to honor the gift-giver. Fortunately, amaryllis are forgiving plants. All they need to bloom again is a season in the garden to replenish the bulbs. Giving the bulbs a summer vacation of fresh air, sunshine and moist, fertile soil is the best way to keep them healthy and to increase their size and flowering potential.
After the blossoms have faded, cut off the flowers, but leave the stalk until it withers. If any leaves have grown, leave them alone. Continue to water and feed the plant regularly with a liquid houseplant fertilizer, such as All-Purpose Plant Health Care.
In spring, when the danger of frost has passed and daytime temperatures are above 50 degrees F., you can plant your bulb outdoors. It's important to give it a slow transition to outdoor living. A couple of weeks of protected exposure to the sun and wind will prepare the bulb for life in the garden. For the first week, put the potted plant outdoors in a shady place out of the wind. If nighttime temperatures are predicted to go below 40 degrees F., bring them indoors in the evening and set them back out in the morning. In the second week, introduce them to morning sun or full exposure on cloudy days. Continue to protect the foliage from hot midday and afternoon sun. Keep the soil in the pot barely moist during this transition time.
After the transition time, it's safe to plant the bulb in the ground. Choose a site with well-drained, fertile soil that gets four to six hours a day of morning sun and afternoon shade. Avoid hot, sunny areas. To encourage strong root and bulb growth, mix some granular fertilizer into the soil. Be sure to follow the recommended application rate.
Tip the plant carefully out of its pot and gently unwind any circling roots. Set the plant into the garden soil so that the neck of the bulb is an inch or two above ground. Backfill with the amended soil, firm it gently, and water thoroughly.
During the summer, protect the plant from slugs and snails. Feed with liquid fertilizer every six weeks. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. The goal is to keep the bulb growing vigorously. Strong foliage feeds the bulb and produces more flower stems and buds.
In late summer, usually by mid- to late August, stop watering and fertilizing the amaryllis plant. Let the foliage die back naturally, but protect it from freezing. In September — or if frost threatens — dig the bulb from the garden and plant it in a pot indoors. Trim the roots only if necessary to get the bulb into the pot. For detailed potting instructions, read How to Pot an Amaryllis Bulb. Let the soil in the pot dry out and the foliage die back. Store the bulb in a cool, dark and dry place for a minimum of two months.
About five to eight weeks before you want the amaryllis to flower again, resume watering — sparingly at first. Once you see sprouting, increase watering and place the pot in a cool place with bright, indirect light.
I'm finally getting around to tidying up some of my flower gardens, and one of the benefits of my tardiness is that there are plenty of seedpods filled with ripe seeds. In a matter of minutes I collected hundreds of seeds for replanting. Saving seeds is one of gardening's best-kept secrets. When else in life can you get something for nothing?
Some seeds, like these from a columbine seedpod, are especially small.
I'm finally getting around to tidying up some of my flower gardens, and one of the benefits of my tardiness is that there are plenty of seedpods filled with ripe seeds. In a matter of minutes I collected hundreds of seeds for replanting. Saving seeds is one of gardening's best-kept secrets. When else in life can you get something for nothing?
The most obvious reason to save seeds is to save money. Buying a packet of zinnia or calendula seeds will set you back a few dollars and it may contain as few as a dozen seeds. A single flower will usually yield that many, or more.
There are other rewards to saving seeds.
There's something satisfying about the process of nurturing a plant from seed to seed and completing that circle of plant life.
By repeatedly saving seeds from plants with traits you desire, over time you can develop strains of plants that are uniquely adapted to your growing conditions.
Since the dawn of agriculture people have collected seeds for replanting. So, when you save seeds, you become a part of this legacy.
Saving seeds is pretty straightforward, but if you're new to seed-saving, it pays to have a little background information. Learn how it's done in my new article: A Garden in Your Hand.
In partnership with the Green Education Foundation, we are proud to announce the 2011 winner of the Green Thumb Challenge: Growing Green, a program at Andrew Cooke Magnet School, in Waukegan, IL.
Learn about the rehabilitation of the greenhouse at Andrew Cooke Magnet School.
In partnership with the Green Education Foundation, we are proud to announce the 2011 winner of the Green Thumb Challenge: Growing Green, a program at Andrew Cooke Magnet School, in Waukegan, IL. The garden/greenhouse science curriculum combines the living landscape with the core concepts taught in science classrooms.
To win the $5,000 grant, youth gardening programs from across the country were challenged to demonstrate the impact of their garden on the community.
"The school was able to transform unused space into a flourishing learning environment," says Maree Gaetani, Gardening Relations Director at Gardener’s Supply. "They have managed to incorporate standards-based lessons for students, as well as get the greater community involved."
The school started work in 2008, when it began rehabilitating an idle greenhouse. Today their program teaches students about the relationships between water, energy, air and plants. Teachers can use the gardens for hands-on experiments and activities. What's more, the gardens beautify the community, attract wildlife and provide nutritious food for the school community.
"It is a perfect platform to teach elementary-school students," says Todd Freer, science teacher and leader of Growing Green.Designing, building and managing a garden requires a critical thinking — and the ability to navigate shifts in the weather. "This type of learning will prepare the students for success in the 21st century."
GEF, a sustainability education nonprofit organization, launched the Green Thumb Challenge in 2009. The largest youth gardening initiative in history, the Green Thumb Challenge is a free program that mobilizes schools and youth groups to plant gardens and incorporate standards-based lessons and activities related to gardening in the classroom.
Essential oils can improve your mood and clear your mind with plant-derived fragrances. For instance, choose peppermint to cheer holiday gatherings, lavender to bring deep sleep, and orange to freshen the air.
Use our Essential Oils to create spa-inspired gifts, such as soaps, room fresheners, bath salts and salves.
Essential oils can improve your mood and clear your mind with plant-derived fragrances. For instance, choose peppermint to cheer holiday gatherings, lavender to bring deep sleep, and orange to freshen the air. Lemongrass enhances relaxation, rose strengthens the heart, eucalyptus improves mental clarity, and rosemary relieves stress. Grapefruit is both soothing and uplifting, and tea tree promotes healing.
Keep in mind that there's a big difference between Essential Oils and fragrance oils. Essential oils are extracted from plants and carefully processed to retain the "essence" of the plants. Fragrance oils, on the other hand, usually contain a blend of synthetic components that combine to mimic the desired scent.
If you're using scents for therapeutic purposes, such as in aromatherapy, stick with essential oils. Although fragrance oils may smell similar, they don't contain the same natural molecular structure that gives essential oils their therapeutic properties.
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