My Three Minutes of Fame

I rarely watch TV but the power it has to spread information amazes me. I was recently a guest on 'The Plant Pro' with Marion Gold. We were discussing begonias and the RI Begonia Society. Within an hour of the showing I had someone at the RI flower show say to me "Didn't I see you on TV this morning?" If you'd like to see the clip you can go to www.TurnTo10.com/jar/lifestyles/home_garden/

Spring Flower Show

 There's nothing that lifts winter-weary spirits like a visit to a flower show! This year the New England Flower Show in Boston  won't be happening, so the RI show has been quite busy. There are some lovely gardens, including a real charmer from the Newport Preservation Society. The designer, Jim Donahue, has created a formal garden using lettuces, swiss chard, radishes and other edibles in places of traditional bedding plants. Even the urns are filled with magnificent munchables! The tints, tones and shades of green let the viewer experience the delights of texture and pattern  without distraction. There is even a cage of fuzzy chicks to engage the kids! 

 If you'd like to see some pictures of the show head over to www.WhatGrowsOnRI.com to see Sue Kortes' views of the show. Today is the last day so come visit me at the RI Begonia Society booth and see the plants that were featured on 'The Plant Pro' with Marion Gold. 

February Already?

Yikes! Time is flying and I feel the pressure of getting seeds started, new gardens planned, old pots washed. Have you checked out the horticulture division for the Newport Flower Show in June? They have some really fun categories this year, all with a 'green' theme. It's got me thinking about plant combinations, especially the first class which requires chartreuse foliage and flowers that attract pollinators. The Newport show is in such a pretty setting and very easy to enter... even if you only have one perfect blossom in your garden you can put it in the competition. Visit www.NewportMansions.org for more details.

Snow, Slush and Rain

Most people are probably not thrilled with a forecast that starts out with 3 to 5 inches of snow, turning to rain! Now we have an interesting mix of stuff on the ground, but I smile when I look outside because all my small pots of perennials are cozy under the snow. The rain is replenishing our groundwater and keeping dessication at bay. I'm going to start some pansies this week from seed.
The begonias under lights are coming into bloom and looking very happy. B. 'Marmaduke' is looking very good which surprises me since I haven't cared for the looks of it before. One little plant insists on getting mildew but I just hit it with Lysol spray and it behaves itself for a while. The other problem in the light garden is the mice which insist on digging in the pots. I put out peanut butter baited traps but they must have heard about the salmonella problem; they are avoiding the traps!

In The Greenhouse

With the high temperature today well below freezing, I visited my greenhouses to see if everything was doing OK. The black leaved cotton plant isn't happy with the lack of light or with the aphids attacking it. I hacked back a scented leaf geranium that escaped from its pot and has taken over one end of a bench... who knew they could be invasive? The Spanish lavendar is 4 feet high and just coming into bloom right next to a fragrant camellia. The vining jasmine will open its buds tomorrow if we have sun. The plants know that the days are getting longer, but the ice is thick on the ground and the snow that covers the ice makes it even more treacherous to walk outside. With weather like this, I'm planning a trip to Danielson, CT to visit Logees!

The Living Wreath

Step one for creating a living wreath is to have plenty of plant material. I've done about 30 4" variegated ivy cuttings that are sitting in a vase to root. Today I was at a big box store getting some seed starter mix and saw a beautiful variegated  spider plant. Have you met 'Bonnie'? The young plants are distinctly different from an average spider plant; the leaves are twisted and curly. This parent plant had so many babies that I couldn't resist. Tomorrow I will start those little guys rooting! The mature plants lose some of the curly quality (at least mine have) so I'll need lots of young 'uns to cover the coir liner. Looks like I'll be making two wreaths!

Insect Pests

Oh, the dreaded mealybug! How I hate to see that tell-tale clump of fluffy white stuff! I get out the sprayer of rubbing alcohol and enjoy watching them do a melt down as I spray. Aphids aren't as tough to banish and scale is pretty easy to control with Pokon brand plant polish, but I struggle with mealy.