Friday’s Flower: Bloodroot

One of my favorite early-spring flowers is the Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis).  Its foliage is one of the first to show in the spring followed by blooms in April.  The leaves are broad with deep rounded lobes.  Flowers are single or double white blooms.  This is a native plant that likes shade or partial shade and grows well in leaf litter and the typical conditions of a forest floor.

 Other names for this plant are coon root, Indian plant, snakebite, sweet slumber, paucon, red root, and tetterwort.

 The name bloodroot comes from the dark red liquid that oozes from the roots when cut.  Bloodroot was used medicinally by Native Americans as a remedy for many diseases and conditions.  It was also used as a dye and insect repellent.  It is highly recommended that this is not used medicinally since it can aggravate some existing medical conditions and some consider it toxic.

 The bluish-green leaves make a lovely groundcover and the white flowers will brighten your shade garden in springtime.  It grows 8-12” tall and will not take over your garden.  It looks beautiful under your birdbath, around the base of your trees or anywhere with lots of organic matter and shade.

Who Knew? Wednesday: Happy Whatever…..

Happy Wednesday everybody!  Did you know that every day is a holiday?  If you poke around, you can find a lot of strange and fun holidays.

Joe - in a landscaped tunnel

 On today – March 27th – we are celebrating:

• National Joe Day – the perfect day if your name is Joe

• Spanish Paella Day – Go out and have some.  It’s delicious!

• Manatee Appreciation Day – Go hug a manatee – and keep your motor boat away!

• Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day – something like  "Did I Shave My Legs For This?" by Deana Carter

 Whatever you’re celebrating, have a great day!

Friday’s Flower: Lily of the Valley Shrub

Pieris japonica is a variety of Andromeda that produces fragrant blooms early in the spring, showing lovely bell-shaped flowers.  It is very tolerant of shade but also does well in full sun. With evergreen leaves, it looks good year-round.  It is also deer-resistant.

 This lovely shrub can grow up to 12’ tall and 9’ wide but you can easily keep it in check by pruning right after the flowers die.  If you wait too long to prune it after blooming, you may be pruning off next years buds.

 It also requires acidic soil.  While flowers are generally white, you can also find cultivars with flowers in shades from pink to deep rose.

Consider adding this lovely shrub to your foundation plantings where it will blend well with rhododendrons.  The both have the same care requirements.

3/20/19 – Who Knew? Wednesday

Today is the first day of spring – the spring equinox.  It’s the day when both day and night are 12 hours long.  Now the days will be longer than the nights until we reach the first day of summer – the summer solstice.

 This is a huge day for celebration by the Druids.  Alban Eilir means The Light of the Earth.  The Druid symbol for Alban Eilir is the hare which protects an egg symbolizing life.  This is why we have Easter Eggs.

 Happy Spring!

Spring is almost here!

About two weeks ago I heard a sound that is the true harbinger of spring.  Redwing blackbirds had arrived.  They are among the first birds to return north after spending the winter in warmer climates.

Many people think that seeing robins means spring is here, but did you know that some robins don’t migrate and are here year-round?   There was a steady stream of goldfinches all winter eating thistle seed at the birdfeeders.  Soon the male goldfinches will molt into their yellow bright breeding plumage and will look like drops of sunlight flitting around.

The chickadees are leaving to head north and now flocks of house finches with their bright pink plumage arrive here in their raucous groups to feed.  Brightly-colored cardinals and blue jays who have spent the winter will soon be joined by this year’s youngsters.

New Jersey is on one of the major migration paths so you can see hundreds of species of birds passing through or looking for nesting sites.

If you like birds, it’s not difficult to provide them with a habitat in your yard.  They like thick foliage for shelter like that provided by evergreens and dense brush.  Many shrubs and trees produce berries and fruit eaten by our feathered friends.  And if you can leave a few thistle plants until they go to seed, you will see lots of small seed-eaters such as our goldfinches enjoying the bounty.  Sunflowers are beautiful additions to our gardens and provide food for birds in the late summer and fall.

Spring will be here on March 20th so get ready!

Cooking Outdoors

In warm weather no one likes working in a hot kitchen.  Even with air conditioning, it often just doesn’t seem all that comfortable.

 And who doesn’t like the taste of fresh-grilled food?  Cooking over an open flame gives food a flavor that you simply can’t produce in an indoor kitchen.

 There are several options for setting up your outdoor cooking area. 

 The best way to cook is with a full outdoor stainless steel kitchen.  You can install many of the amenities that you have indoors so you can make a gourmet meal to eat on your patio.  It’s a great way to entertain too.  If your home uses natural gas or propane, your built-in grill could be hooked up to your existing gas lines to avoid refilling a portable tank.

 Just think about what you could do with all of these:

                Barbecue Grill                                  Refrigerator

               Sink                                                    Storage cabinet

               Storage drawers                             Trash bin

               Bluestone work area                     Beverage dispenser / tap

 Your kitchen could be installed under a pergola or pavilion for protection from the sun and weather.  Lighting would let you work after dark.

Outdoor seating, fire table and a small kitchen under a pergola

 A less expensive option is a simple kitchen.  Select a couple of items from the list above or just install a grill.

 If you just want a place to relax, you can mimic a campfire using a fire pit or upgrade that concept to a fire table.  These are really great for socializing on warm summer evenings.  Have a sip of hot cocoa, wine or some beer, or hang with the kids while toasting marshmallows.

 If your patio needs upgrading, now would be the time to do that so you would be the talk of the town.  Finish it up with some outdoor furniture and a sound system and you will have your own private heaven.

 We’ve won awards for our masonry and outdoor kitchens.  See what we could do for you.

The Drought-Resistant Garden

With climate changes due to global warming, our weather patterns have changes.  Once the spring showers stop, we now have summers with high temperatures and little rain.

 When plants are faced with dry conditions, they release a hormone that causes a chain reaction and ultimately closes the plant’s pores, stopping the loss of moisture.  Some plants are better at this than others.  Scientists are attempting to create a commercially-viable synthetic version of this hormone, but until they do, we will have to either provide artificial sources of water or rely on plants that are naturally drought-resistant.

 Another option is bio-engineered plants.  There are plants being developed by cross-pollinating popular plants with versions that are more drought-resistant.

 There are a few ways that plants deal with dry conditions.  Knowing which conditions exist in your area will make it easier to select plants that will survive and even thrive. 

 Some perennials evade periods of drought by halting all growth during times of drought.  Some species have deep roots along with the ability to maintain growth, even in times of drought. And some plants have the ability to store water in their leaves and stems such as cacti and succulents.

 Some general hints to help your plants make the most of their situation are:

• Keep plants closer together. This reduces bare ground around the roots and allows the plants to shade each other. The close plantings will hold in more moisture.

• Use mulch. This absorbs any morning dew and reduces evaporation of ground moisture.

• Shade your plants. Place your plants in an area shaded during the hottest parts of the day or put up a structure that reduces or reflects sunlight, but does not hold heat.

• Protect your plants from the wind. A steady breeze will evaporate a lot of moisture from the plants and the ground.

 Whatever your situation, we will be able to help you select plants that will thrive in your environment.

Jersey Tomatoes

Who doesn’t love a ripe, juicy tomato?

 We have to say that the best tomatoes are grown right here in New Jersey.  The state is famous for them. New Jersey’s nickname is “The Garden State” and despite all the jokes, we do have a lot of farmland.  Our climate and soil is ideal for growing tomatoes. 

 Tomatoes became an important crop because of logistics.  Tomatoes that ship well typically are picked early or are varieties that won’t bruise easily.  These often have little flavor.  Add the fact that most of the giant commercial farms are located in California and you find that the bulk of tomatoes in the store are simply not worth buying. 

 We are near the metropolitan areas of New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, down-state Connecticut and New Jersey itself.  Every county in New Jersey is considered an urban area so there’s a large market within a relatively short distance.  We literally have millions of people within 200 miles just waiting for those juicy fruits.

 And yes – Tomatoes are fruits and not vegetables.

Hybrid vs. Heirloom

By definition, heirloom tomatoes are varieties that have been grown for at least three generations while avoiding cross-pollination from other varieties.  Hybrid tomatoes are created by growers who cross-pollinate multiple varieties to bring out their best traits in one tomato.  (Do not confuse “hybrid” and “GMO.”)

 Hybrid tomatoes may be developed to improve taste, durability for shipping, drought tolerance, higher yield, disease resistance and other desirable traits.  They tend to be consistent in size, color, shape and the time it takes to produce fruit.  Pollination has to be controlled to retain those traits.  If it is not controlled, subsequent generations of the plants often lose the traits bred into them and they may even produce sterile seeds. For the home gardener who likes to keep seeds to plant the next year, this can be a difficult task.

 Popular hybrids are

• Beefsteak: Ramapo, Patio, Better Boy, Big Boy, Early girl

• Plum: Plum Regal, SuperSauce, Juliet, Shimmer Hybrid

• Cherry: Sungold Hybrid, Sweet Million, Cherry Bomb, Napa Grape, Sweet Mojo

 Heirloom varieties are produced through “Open Pollination.”  This means that the plants are pollinated by insects and will produce the same traits generation after generation.   This makes it easy for the home gardener to save seeds for next year and expect the same quality as in the original plants.  However there may be variety with in size, color, shape and the time it takes to produce fruit.  Many people prefer heirloom varieties since they often have superior taste to hybrids and they are normally less expensive to purchase.

 Popular heirlooms are

• Beefsteak: Pink Brandywine (this author’s favorite,) Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, Mr. Stripey, German Johnson, Yellow Zebra

• Plum: San Marzano, Roma, Principe Borghese, Red Plum

• Cherry: Black Cherry, Bumblebee, Lemon Drop, A Grappoli D'Inverno

Determinate vs. Indeterminate

Determinate varieties will produce their fruit within a period of a couple of weeks.  Plants put out blossoms and then tomatoes will appear.  This will determine the entire harvest.  If you want a large number of tomatoes all at once, choose determinate varieties.  This is great for canning.

 Indeterminate varieties will produce tomatoes as long as the weather allows.  The more you pick, the more new shoots and blossoms will appear.  You will have tomatoes all season long.

So get ready for summer.  Now is the time to start your plants indoors for an early harvest!