Great Vegetable Plants for Containers and Small Spaces

Whew . . . It has been a busy two weeks at the Garden center with the beautiful weekends for Mother’s Day and the Annual Garden Center Party; and now we are heading into the busiest planting weekend of the year. The greenhouse has been restocked and we are ready.

One of the exciting things that I am seeing this season is the variety of vegetable plants that are specific for container or small-space gardening. This is great news for the new gardener who doesn’t want to be overwhelmed by the large garden or for those who have had the large gardens and are in their “down-size” phase (like me). I could go on and on about the wonderful aspects of container gardening and how easy it is to start gardening with just one container and just one plant and then you’re hooked like the millions of gardeners that get excited each spring about growing plants that give us edible and/or visual pleasure, but for now I will describe some of the special varieties that are being grown for containers.

Cucumbers - ‘Salad Bush’ is a variety that is perfect for the container as it has a rounded shape with short, heavily- producing vines that could easily be supported by using a tomato cage in the container. The cucumbers are usually about 8” long.

Eggplants - Some of the varieties of eggplants that grow easily in containers are the Asian types like ‘Ichiban’ which has long slender dark fruit; dwarf types like ‘Rosa Bianca’ which is an heirloom variety from Italy that produces a round shape that is lavender colored with white streaks (what fun); ‘Fairy Tale’ which grows long purple striped fruit in clusters; and ‘Pinstripe’ which grows great in a hanger basket.

Peppers  - All pepper plants can easily be grown in a container but a variety that works well for a hanging container is the ‘Mohawk’ which has a slightly trailing habit with fruit that grows 4-5”, green but turning a lovely shade of orange for sweeter taste.

Tomatoes - All tomatoes can be grown in containers but determinate varieties which grow as bushes rather than vines do better. Some of the many varieties of determinate tomatoes include ’Jet Star’; ’Oregon Spring’ (an early tomato); ’Bush Champion’ a tomato bush with strong stems that doesn’t need support with a cage; and varieties that are great for hanging baskets include ’Tumbling Tom’ in both red and yellow and ’Cherry Falls’ a bright red cherry tomato plant that cascades 36-40” but with only 6” in height.

These are just a few of the many varieties of vegetable plants that are available to the gardener who doesn’t have a lot of space. Try them and you just might get excited by growing some “fun”!

When Can I Plant in The Garden?

This question is asked by so many once the garden center opens each year and the plants become available.

Typically, my answer is first preceded by the questions “What do you want to plant?” and “How much of a risk-taker are you?” ; and then the conversation continues about the weather, “last frost dates”, their “micro-climates”, cool-tolerant plants, and ways to work with the warm/cold spring days and nights. There are options.

Vegetable gardeners can get a head start with planting by using raised beds which will warm earlier in spring, up to 5 degrees warmer than regular garden areas. Cool-season vegetables such as peas, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radishes, and onions can be planted when soil temperatures reach between 45-55 degrees. However, these same plants often deteriorate quickly (bolting or going to seed) when daily temperatures rise to the 80’s, so being able to get started earlier can result in higher yields.  Cool-season vegetable transplants that have become acclimated to the cold temperatures (hardened-off) can be planted before warm-season vegetable plants such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and vine vegetables.

Since we have had such a wide range of temperatures this spring, ( was it just a few weeks ago that temperatures in the 80’s and we were scrambling to find our short-sleeved shirts) and then dealing with this past weekend’s low temperatures in the 20’s, there are some tips to help our early plantings to survive.

Often, gardeners will use seedling protectors such as cloches (French word for glass bell) or floating row covers to help warm the soil around the plants and to protect from the wind and lower nighttime temperatures. One that I have used in the past is a gallon size plastic milk or water container, that has the bottom cut off. I poke a hole in the handle and thread either a small diameter dowel or a wire coat hanger that has been straightened, thru the handle to anchor the bottle to the ground. The cap of the bottle can be removed during the sunny day to avoid heat from building too much and then can be put back on at night to preserve the warmth. Once the plant has grown tall enough, the bottle can be removed, and stored for next year’s use or recycled. Row covers (made of spun plastic) have become more popular recently as they are useful both at the beginning of the growing season and in the fall for temperature control; but also covers can be used during the season for organic pest control. Another protector that can work is using tomato cages wrapped in plastic with the top open. The plastic should be removed once the danger of frosts have passed.

Traditionally, the vegetable garden planting date has always been the original Memorial Day weekend, although we have had cold frosty temperatures into June in years past. However, for all of  those risk-takers, we do have helpful ideas for working with Mother Nature.

Oh . . . The Joy Of Bringing The Outside In

One of the pleasures . . . (for now I’ll look past all of the work that needs to be done to revive my garden beds), when I look outside at home, is enjoying the colors of yellows and pinks and whites of the spring yard. Every year is different with the weather of New England; and this year in particular is very unusual with so many plants in bloom at the same time. This past weekend, as I walked through the yard, I saw the fading yellows of the forsythias, the fewer than normal daffodil flowers, and the emerging apple and crabapple tree blossoms. The whites of the spiraea ‘Bridalwreath’ and the viburnum ’Carlesii’ ( my favorite viburnum) stood in contrast to the bright pinks of the rhododendron’Aglo’ and ‘PJM’. The dark purples of the lilacs and azalea ‘Karen’ are just beginning to show their color. However, the cold temperatures that came recently after the record warmth did affect the magnolia blooms for this year. Oh well . . . there is always next year for the yellow buds of my magnolia.

Ok, back to the exciting display. On Saturday morning, knowing that the much-needed rain storms were approaching, I went through the yard with my pruning shears and a bucket of water to capture some of those spring delights. I chose a few of the apple and crabapple slender branches from my mature trees and added the pink sprigs of the ‘Aglo’ and the arching whites of the ‘Bridalwreath’. I arranged them all in a vase, re-cutting as necessary, to enjoy for a few days inside while it rained outside. I also collected a few delectable blossoms of the ‘Carlesi’ because it smells “heavenly”.

 

When cutting woody-stemmed plants, such as forsythias, lilacs and viburnums,  if you mash the ends of the stems with a small hammer, the stems will be able to absorb more of the water from the container. The flowers will also last a little longer if the water is changed daily; and it is recommended to add a few drops of bleach or floral preservative to the water.

For how ever long the flowers last in the vase, I will breathe in the scents and enjoy the colors of spring, knowing that next week I will go in search of something else to “bring the outside in”.

Oh My . . . How Dry It Is!

 

The weather in 2012 has been anything but normal. One of the major consequences of having below average amounts of snowfall and, thus far, below average amounts of rainfall, is that our soil is very dry. Typically, spring snow melt and March and April rain storms, give a deep watering to all of the trees, shrubs, perennials, lawns, and gardens as they waken from dormancy. This has not happened this year. The result is that the soils are dry and the plants are already stressed from lack of moisture.

While we were preparing the landscape beds this past week; cleaning off the street debris, composting around the shrubs and perennials, and mulching, I noticed that the top soil was dusty and powdery, and the shrubs, particularly the spiraea plants were not showing their typical greening leaves. Even the trees were not as vibrant as they normally are at this time of the year. Since the irrigation system had not yet been activated this year, we watered all the individual plants and watched while a good amount of water ran off the dry surface, particularly if there was any elevation to the bed. So we quickly worked on mulching the landscape beds, leaving a ring around the trunks of the trees and shrubs to avoid rot. Once we added the mulch, we then watered the plants which allowed the surrounding mulch to hold the water longer to give the plants more relief. At the garden center, we use an organic perennial mulch that doesn't use up any of the nitrogen from the plants as it continues to decompose and add nutrients back to the soil

One of the major spring tasks that homeowners do is to spread fertilizers on their lawns and planting areas in preparation for the growing season. A concern for this year, in particular with dryness of the soils, is applying fertilizers before thoroughly watering the areas. Sometimes "plant burn" or "fertilizer burn" may occur and lead to a browning result or plant death. So at least for this spring, you should water before feeding.

We may have no control over what "Mother Nature" may do, but we can pay close attention to what effect the current weather has on our gardens and make sure to use whatever moisture conservation methods are available to us. 

What To Do With Those Potted Flowering Spring Bulbs

What To Do With Those Potted Flowering Spring Bulbs

I love the scent of the Easter Lily and the gorgeous potted blue hyacinths that graced my dining room this past week. However, as the blooms fade, I am thinking about planting them in one of my garden beds at home. So many times I intend to plant those same spring-blooming bulbs in the fall (which is the usual planting time) but my garden beds seem too full with daylilies, hostas, and grasses and I neglect to plant. As I look at one bed in particular, I am going to plant the hyacinths and see what happens.

Since the potted bulbs were forced to flower earlier than their natural bloom time, a lot of nutrient value has been taken out of the bulb so it is important to use some bulb fertilizer or booster on top of the soil and I will add bone meal and/or compost to the bottom of the planting area. Normally, when planting bulbs in the fall, you would plant bulbs to a depth that would be approximately 3 times the length of the bulb. My potted hyacinths have been grown in a pot less than the recommended depth; so as I plant, I will allow for some composting mulch to cover the hyacinths after the leaves have naturally died back. The spot that I have chosen will allow the hyacinths to be seen in mid-spring but as the leaves die back, the nearby 'Endless Summer' hydrangeas will grow and cover the leaves. It is important that the leaves be allowed to brown naturally as the sugars and energy produced by the leaves replenish the bulb for the next years bloom. I have seen some creative ways that gardeners use to disguise the leaves such as braiding the leaves, but the best idea is to plant the bulbs where they will be hidden by an emerging summer-blooming perennial or shrub.

Some of the gardening experts have reported inconsistent results when planting forced bulbs, possibly taking 2-3 years to rebloom, but I'm a risk taker and willing to take the challenge. 

Aww . . .Pansies, those brightly colored flowers with the cute faces!

         The pansies are in at the Garden center and we are planting them. I have been watching the nighttime low temperatures within the last week and although we have had some bizarre temperature swings this spring, its time to plant. Early spring color is so desired in our landscape as we complete the cleanup tasks, removing fallen leaves and branches from the winter; pansies are a safe choice to plant.

         While pansies are an annual (must be planted yearly), they are members of the viola family and have perennial (plant that returns year after year from the same root structure) "cousins". We will be getting in some of those new varieties such as 'Columbine' and 'Etain' violas when the Garden Center opens on April 19th. The annual pansy is cold-tolerant and can survive light frost and even the occasional "surprise spring snowstorm".  Customers have told me that their pansies have come back year after year, but usually that is because pansies drop their seeds near where they have been planted or if the seeds have been carried off by the birds, a new pansy plant will come up in a different spot. I have been delighted by a pansy sprout and bloom in the middle of my driveway during a winter thaw in January in years past.

          We are planting pansies in one of the landscape beds that gets full sun, as pansies grow well in full sun during early to late spring, but will survive best if planted in an area where they will get some shade from the intense hot summer sun. It is important to water consistently, preferably early in the day to avoid any of the typical fungal diseases. Additional care tips include fertilizing with a low phosphorus fertilizer (to reduce the leggy appearance of the grown pansy plant) and to remove the blossoms that are faded or dead. We have also cut back pansy plants by a third to renew growth and blossoming for the fall season. If grown organically, pansy blossoms are an edible tasty garnish for salads and desserts. It doesn't get better than that!

Check out some intriguing Pansy Flower Recipes we found !!   

                                       

                               Aww . . .Pansies, those brightly colored flowers with the cute faces!


       

New Adventure

First off, I am not a writer and I am not an expert in anything, but I do love adventure and I have a passion for gardening. Blogging is totally new to me but I love to learn about new things and I love to share them and this seems like the perfect way to connect with other people with the same gardening passion as myself. My goal is to share my experiences both from being in the business of owning a garden center to my own personal, once beautiful, but sorely neglected and overgrown garden.

And so it begins...

As we scramble to get the garden center cleaned and prepped for opening (April 19), the "to-do list" written, checked, and completed; I always feel excited walking around the gardens, looking to see what plants made it through this winter "mild that it was" and which plants will be affected by the recent summer-like weather and then that "plunge" into reality with this week's normal temperatures. I am concerned about my old-fashioned hydrangeas whose buds had begun to swell with anticipation of continuing warmth, but will most likely drop off due to the cold, resulting in lovely green leaves and no flowers on my plants. However, I also have the newer variety of hydrangeas, the 'Endless Summer' series that will bloom on both new growth and old growth. So at least I will get my delightful, big, beautiful, blue blooms of summer.

So I invite you to come along on this journey with me as I hop into one of my new adventures...blogging. I would love any thoughts and feedback that may help me succeed in this adventure.

-Sandy