Bulb:Bulb:Bulb . . Easy-Going Gardening

Here is a quick way to do something great in the garden? 

Stick some bulbs under a bit of earth, and then sit back and wait. 

You might even forget they’re there, and surprise yourself come springtime with some colorful blooms as the earth wakes up to great another growing season.

Hint:  squirrels like to munch on tulips, but daffodils seem to remain fairly undisturbed.  First-timer recommendation: go with daffodils or narcissus.

Look for bags of bulbs in special displays at the grocery and big box stores or local garden centers this time of year, or send away for some mail-order specialties.  In person, you’ll want give them a little squeeze…bulbs should  feel like onions… firm to the touch.  Sniff them, too… Ick? If something smells fishy, find a different bag.  You do need to dig a small hole to drop the bulbs into.  A regular trowel will do, but  there are special tubular bulb digging trowels that make the job even easier.  Then cover them up with a blanket of soil for the winter.  You’ll need to get them in the ground before it freezes, which in central Kentucky stretches to about Thanksgiving time (brrr).

To do a quick survey of what’s available on-line, click on some of these sources:  Brent & Becky’s Bulbs …..  White Flower Farm …..  Old House Gardens

Courtyard Courtesy of Henkel Denmark

Here are some photos of the Henkel Denmark crew working hard to spiff up the Glendover Elementary courtyard.  Volunteers from the landscape company worked at over 10 schools today, in preparation for the new school year, which begins on August 12 in Lexington.  Click on individual images to enlarge for better viewing.

John Murray’s Essay on Gardening

A Way to Peace of Mind

by

John Murray

 

Each spring after enduring the dreary gray skies, leafless trees, and colorless landscapes of winter we flock to the garden centers to help out Mother Nature. This can be accomplished by purchasing flowers and greenery to fulfill our desire to be associated with or somehow be pleased by the beauty of nature. As urban sprawl continues we find ourselves surrounded by buildings, cars, and concrete. Why is it that upon a visit to most homes or offices we encounter a few live plants, artificial ones, or at least pictures of natural scenery?

 

Is it because plants provide the oxygen we need for our very existence that we are so attracted to them? A lot of people have no interest at all in gardening or don’t like the fact that gardening usually requires getting dirty. To them I hope they appreciate the beauty and fragrance that gardeners bring to the environment.

 

Horticulture, the science and art of growing plants, gives us the aesthetic pleasure that comes from having a plant in our office or landscaping our yard. People who love to garden always mention how therapeutic gardening is to them. With the pace of life so hectic at this period in time, spending a little time tending to plants somehow takes a persons mind off the worries of everyday life. Monetary concerns, health problems, or social situations can leave people at their wits end. The “quiet time” that gardening provides an individual allows one to reflect on the different aspects of life and to help temporarily block out those stressful moments. When we are in the garden we seem to concentrate on the things of nature and not on our own problems.

 

Jean Merrell, Columnist for Herb and Organic Gardening believes that “gardening nourishes both the body and the spirit. As an example, in one study, researchers gave potted plants to two groups of homebound elderly people. The first group was told that someone would take care of their plants; and the other group got the opposite message: that the plant’s life depended on the care that they gave it. At the end of the study, it turned out that the health of the elderly people in the second group improved significantly during the time of caring for their plants. Having the responsibility of another life increased their well-being.”

 

Gardening provides marvelous exercise; it requires stooping, bending, and lifting, just to mention a few exercises it requires, which can keep us in good physical health. These physical challenges can be alleviated if necessary by learning the techniques used in handicap accessible gardening, using raised beds or managing the amount of labor we want to perform. Gardening can be beneficial whether it is taking care of a few potted plants as in the study above or taking care of a multi-acre farm. Obtaining the optimal comfort level that brings us joy and peace of mind is what gardening is all about.

 

According to the Bible, man’s initial appearance on Earth was in a garden. Since that time, presently, and into the future, we will rely on agriculture to produce the food we consume. As time has changed and we now mass-produce our food and market it in supermarkets there are still those who love the challenge of growing their own vegetables or fruits and get a great sense of accomplishment out of growing their own food. With all the procedures necessary for the processing and preserving of our food today, there are some people who say these processed foods are unhealthy and claim that organic gardening is the way to go. 

Why is gardening America’s most popular hobby? There are a lot of people who—whether we realize it or not—are being attracted to that perfect state, in a Garden more beautiful than the first one, where we were initially intended to be.                                                               

Cool tomato sources …

Here are some connections you’ll want to investigate for tomato seeds:

Tomato Growers Supply Company carries more than 500 varieties of tomatoes and peppers, including heirlooms and a rainbow of colors in cherry tomatoes.  My favorite from last year? “Snow White’.

Burpee has been around for a century, serving garden needs for generations.  You can find seeds for the prolific ‘Sweet 100″ hybrid cherry tomatoes here, as well as sampler collections for trying varieties to see what you like.

At the Cook’s Garden, you can find a couple of new varieties of tomato this year, like Patty’s yellow striped beefsteak, as well as herbs like the new ‘Marseille’ basil.  You can also sign up for a free e-mail newsletter, or an old-fashioned catalogue.