What You Need to Know About Apartment Gardening

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With the pandemic situation, we have been forced to self-isolate and adapt to an indoor lifestyle. And while it’s easy to stay idle inside your apartment, it’s important to keep ourselves occupied. One great way to stay productive is by trying indoor gardening.

According to researchers from Chungnam National University, indoor gardening comes with numerous benefits—from relieving stress, to decreasing blood pressure.

The good news is that you don’t need a big space to get started, as an apartment garden can be just as ideal for lush greenery as a regular garden. If you’re ready to set up your own, we have gathered some tips from here in the US and from Europe that will guide you.

Set Up a Sunny Space

The first thing you’ll need to do when setting up your garden is find a space that attracts some sunshine. Whether it’s on your balcony or by the windows in your living room, getting an ample amount of sunlight is vital for the growth of any plant.

While you’re at it, you can also get creative when building your apartment garden. If you have a balcony, you can put some wooden crates to use as flower boxes. You can also take your cue from Parisians who like to create living walls for their urban gardens. This not only looks stunning but also increases the air quality of the surrounding space. Paris residents have even been encouraged to turn to this trend by the city government who now provide planting kits. While you don’t have to cover an entire wall, even a few plants will go a long way to improving your apartment’s living space.

Start with Succulents

Succulents can easily be spotted in any trendy apartment, but the popularity of these plants can be traced back to Sweden. True enough, The Local reveals that nature-loving Swedes started adding succulents in their homes because they’re easy to care for. From Aloe vera to the Zebra plant, succulents only need to be watered occasionally.

It’s important to remember, though, they only thrive in well-lit areas. Fortunately, there are many fun ways to place them in your apartment, thanks to their portability. On that note, why not set aside space for a hanging succulent terrarium by following our own guide.

Add a Water Feature

Elevate your apartment garden’s design by drawing inspiration from the British and their penchant for water features. The good news is that you don’t need much space or to break any ground, with features like a Mixed Metal Water Fountain being a self-contained unit that would fit perfectly on a balcony or even indoors.

Whether it’s placing a fountain on the balcony or installing a wall fountain, there’s one thing you’ll need to prepare for before adding any feature: the plumbing. While you might be tempted to grab a wrench and do some DIY, changing a single part can affect your entire water supply. And with HomeServe outlining how burst pipes are one of the most common issues facing households it pays to avoid any potential mishaps by seeking professional help for this modification. Ensuring that you have the proper plumbing for your cool new additions allows you to tend to your plants with ease, while ensuring your home is safe from any water damage.

Choose the Right Potting Mix

Since apartment plants aren’t exposed to most natural resources, veer from using regular soil and find the appropriate potting mix for each of your plants. For instance, succulents require soil that’s absorbent and coarse, while herbs call for a mixture that’s much smoother and lighter. And whichever soil use you use, be sure to repot your apartment plants every year, so they’re provided with the proper nutrients.

Protect Your Plants

Last but not least, don’t forget to prevent the presence of pests. Contrary to popular belief, pests aren’t only limited to the outside, as these sneaky creatures can manage to find a way to your apartment plants through soil or fertilizer. And while people typically use pesticide to deal with them, they’re harmful for indoor spaces due to the toxic chemicals they contain. Luckily there are organic alternatives for eliminating pests, such as a salt spray, eucalyptus oil, and chrysanthemum tea.

If you need more tips on indoor or outdoor gardening do check out our articles on Miss Smarty Plants.

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Choices in Virtual Garden Tours

With so many people eager to see gardens without leaving your back porch and laptop, House Beautiful released a list of recommended virtual garden tours, which has been shared widely.

My favorites of the five:

Above, Claude Monet’s Giverny.

I watched the one about Kew Gardens (above) was surprised by the size and variety of gardens there, including a space-age-looking alpine house.

Buffalo Botanical Gardens

Next I noticed Yahoo’s “Plans Canceled? Take a Virtual Stroll Through Some of the Nation’s Best Botanical Gardens” and it turns out they’re not videos some virtual technology I don’t recognize – like this in Buffalo or the one for the U.S. Botanic Garden. Call me a yahoo but I don’t GET how to use them.

So what else is out there for sheer viewing pleasure and to inspire our own gardening? It’s spring, time to dream, and our garden centers have been deemed essential!

Garden Videos by Magazines

Honestly I’m usually bored by famous, grand gardens but I love seeing private gardens, and gardening magazines have produced some great videos that do that.

• Try House and Home’s Outdoor Living playlist. E.g., here’s a small city garden.
• Garden Design on YouTube has backyard ideas, gardens to visit and more.
• Fine Gardening has no playlist for garden tours or design try their Tips and Tricks playlist.

Garden Tours at Good Gardening Videos

But for hundreds more videos of gardens, including many interviews with the gardeners themselves, I humbly recommend Good Gardening Videos, a site I edit.

Video tours of gardens by designers.

For garden tours we have three types – first Gardens by Designers.

Video tours of home gardens, with interviews.

The collection of Home Gardens tours is indebted especially to Central Texas Gardener.

Public garden videos include Monticello and Chanticleer.

The Gardens to Visit are public gardens that are best visited by video only. 

Choices in Virtual Garden Tours originally appeared on GardenRant on March 26, 2020.

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DIY Terrarium: Now is the time!

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Yep, we all have some extra time on our hands right now. It makes a DIY terrarium the perfect way to fill an afternoon. If you are looking for projects to do with your children, this is a good one!

While I titled this “DIY Terrarium” it probably could also be called “Terrarium Refresh” or “Replanting a Terrarium” because this was an old terrarium that needed a new look. After more than three years sitting on my desk it was time!

As you can see this terrarium is sad, S-A-D! I decided to scrap everything, including the pepperomia with the green and white leaves. With more tropical and water loving plants to go in here it didn’t seem like it would do well in the moist environment.

Plants for a DIY terrarium

I was surprised to find that our home improvement store had a really nice selection of small, 2″ size tropical plants.

For this DIY terrarium, I used (left to right): Strawberry Begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera), Butterfly Plant (Syngonium sp.), and Creeping Fig (Ficus repens). Its kind of amazing that I am using creeping fig here when we used to have it as a major part of our landscape in Florida!

How to put together your terrarium

I left most of the soil in my DIY terrarium from the previous plants rather than taking everything out. The charcoal was still in the bottom, so I simple made a small hole to pop the plant in.

I have to be honest, I was hoping this project would take longer than it did! It only took about 10 minutes to get these small plants in their new home. I did add fresh potting soil between the plants to help smooth it out and also add some new growing media.

I thought that my DIY terrarium looked like it was missing something, so I collected some small bunching mosses from outside. I haven’t done this before so it is an experiment! I place the mosses on top of the soil (no planting) and they seem to be holding up well.

The final step was adding a little bit of gravel as topdressing. I actually used chicken grit, which is a crushed granite, because I had it on hand but any small pebbles, seashells or even marbles would work well. I think this gives it a polished look!

As I sit at my desk writing about this project I am so glad to finally have it done! My DIY terrarium project was quick and easy and I hope that it will last another three years.

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What To Do With Your Garden

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There are some big countries in the world right now that are being made to stay indoors. The latest one to follow suit is the UK. With tightening restrictions, now might be the perfect time to get your garden ready for the season.

The world has changed completely, but one beautiful thing is that all people have to do now is go outside and enjoy the natural world. People will be going for walks and runs because that’s all they can do. Even if not in complete isolation like some countries, the US is practicing social distancing and people are staying at home more. This leads to being out in the garden and enjoying the peace and quiet of gardening. It becomes almost a hobby and a way to pass the time for some people. So what are you to do with your garden at this time? We’ve got some ideas.

Image Source

A Fresh Start

If you have never been into gardening before, and your garden is a bit untamed at the minute, then you might want to think about a fresh start. Sometimes it’s needed when your garden looks so out of shape compared to what you want it to look like. A fresh start often means clearing everything out, including anything like unsightly trees and bushes that you might have. Moore’s Tree Service is just one company you could contact to do the work for you. It gives you some more space to either turn it into the grass, or perhaps a flower bed, or you could even turn it into another tree patch and plant some trees that you actually like. A fresh start by tearing everything down is always going to make a big impact on your garden.

Online Shopping

Then you can think about doing some online shopping to fill your garden with things that you know are going to make it more aesthetically pleasing. However, we know that some people just love the experience of going into a garden center and picking out cute little ornaments. Ornaments can be delivered, and they will make your garden look so much better. You can usually find more discounts online as well!

Get Relaxing

Talking about online shopping, why don’t you think about looking for a hot tub to put in your garden. When all of this blows over people are going to be ready to relax and have fun, and what better way to do that than in a hot tub in your own back garden. You could also look online at online furniture sets if you have space and you don’t have a set at the minute. It gives you that social space you might be missing at the minute.

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Liquor is essential. Is landscaping?

Hope I’ll soon be able to make a haul like this again, but safely.

That was the question yesterday, as local green industry owners and employees were discussing whether or not garden centers were one of the (many) essential businesses allowed to operate while New York State is “on pause.” The long list includes things like anything medical (of course), police, fire, grocery stores, banks, utilities, construction, and many other businesses, including liquor stores (I agree). You won’t find garden centers on this list, except for an agriculture/farms item. Hence the anxiety among many; it’s almost time here to start pruning roses and pick up a few flats of pansies.

There has been some clarity. According to the New York State Department of Agriculture, “Garden centers, nurseries and greenhouses that grow food crops, including fruit trees, fruiting shrubs, vegetable starts or herbs are considered essential business under the farm and agriculture category and may bring in employees to maintain these plants while remaining closed to the public.”

And this, according to a few New York state counties, but not confirmed at the state level, the work allowed is “Including care and maintenance of lawns and plants including plowing, mowing and plant care, but may not perform new installations.”  Ok, so no ponds, rain garden installations, or anything new and ornamental, just lawn care.

Many here believe that garden centers and nurseries will at least be allowed to offer curbside pickups, which is something, but not really satisfying to those of us who have been longing to browse among plants. I have mixed feelings. I, too, long to browse among plants, but I don’t want to do it in close proximity to my fellow humans. Not at this time.

I’m also worried about our local botanical gardens annual plant sale. The facility is closed, though I assume employees are allowed to come in to take care of plants on a limited basis. The sale happens in mid-May, when I have zero confidence anything will have returned to normal and it’s invariably a madhouse. I will likely not go; I’m sure I can pick up my preorders and that will have to be enough. I also have things on order at some mail order places (actually, quite a bit). I love gardening and can’t wait to get out there, but I won’t be risking my health and the health of others. Not worth it. Curbside sounds like a good compromise.

I’m not going to the liquor store either; I don’t have to. Mine delivers.

These are strange times.

Liquor is essential. Is landscaping? originally appeared on GardenRant on March 24, 2020.

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Lingering Plants from a Long Gone Garden

We bought our first house in 1986. Not long afterwards, we met the neighbor from three doors down. His name was Ethan Becker. His grandmother and mother wrote the first Joy of Cooking. Among many other things, he was working on an updated edition, which would publish in 1997.

Ethan lived in “Cockaigne”, the Bauhaus home which his father had designed. The kitchen was surprisingly tiny, but the landscape was expansive, about eight acres. One of our favorite parts about it was a wildflower garden his mother, Marion Rombauer Becker, had planted, beginning, I’m guessing, in the early 1940s. This garden featured prominently in the 1971 classic, Wild Wealth, which she co-wrote with Paul Bigelow Sears and Frances Jones Poetker, and was illustrated by Janice Rebert Forberg. From the book, one can envision a garden that was filled in its heyday with an unbelievable assortment of plants. However, by the late ’80s and ’90s, it hosted a dwindling number of species. Things like trillium were losing out to the growing population of deer, but dogtooth lily, Solomon’s seal, hellebores, daffodils, winter aconite, snowdrops, Leucojum, and a few others persisted in quantity. It was magical in early spring, and we enjoyed walking the mixed woods with our two young boys.

Spent hellebore leaves and winter aconite.

Ethan was a lot of fun. Driven by one of the most adventurous intellects I’ve ever known, he enjoyed a life of travel, loads of friends, and amazing hobbies. My dream life if I ever have the means. Conversations with him meandered far and wide through any number of subjects, but especially history, politics, food, agriculture, and horticulture. I always left wanting more.

His Fourth of July parties were the stuff of legend! Lots of interesting people, amazing food, an endless supply of really good beer and wine, every kind of firework, and the occasional blast from a scaled down replica Civil War cannon that would rock your chest. The boom would echo back from the surrounding hills for what seemed like days. Gotta say, you could do a lot worse than to attend a party thrown by the guy left minding the Joy of Cooking family enterprise!

But time passed, as it does. Our kids grew up and moved on, and so did Ethan. He married a wonderful woman from Tennessee, and they found a place well off the path in the eastern mountains of Tennessee. We lost touch.

The property was sold to a developer who razed the house and built nine McMansions. Just enough woods carved with ravines was left, however, to give us a little hope that the wildflower garden, or parts of it, remained. We also moved. Just a tenth of a mile up the road, we ensconced ourselves in an old farmhouse we had long drooled over. Although close, we never went back to check out the wildflower garden because we’d have to cross private property to get to it.

But, finally, last year we did. Another lot abutting the old Becker property was sold and a house was being constructed and suddenly we had—for a short window—easy access.

On my first visit, I found a few patches of winter aconite and daffodils. A few weeks later, I went back, bringing my wife Michele with me, and we ventured a bit closer to the houses. There, almost in the backyards, we came across some Solomon’s seal, snowdrops, winter aconite, and a sea of hellebores. Even some Epimedium. Sadly, the rest is gone, lost to an out of control deer population and competition from Amur honeysuckle. We poked around for quite some time. At one point I turned to Michele to find tears streaming down her cheeks. We were both filled with emotions that we could not focus. Were we happy for what we’d found, sad for what was missing? Was it longing for times gone by and friends that had gone? Was it that emotion that cripples you when your mind dwells too long on children who have grown? We didn’t know.

A few natives continue to hang on.

I started to write a blog about this experience, but decided I needed more time to process. What was the story? Was it the emotions we had experienced during our visits, or was it something completely apart?  As gardeners, we find ourselves planting things that will supersede our years, knowing full well they will be at the mercy of whomever currently owns the deed. Was that the story?  Maybe it was just an excuse to mull over the role of exotic plants persisting where most of the natives no longer did, blooming early and supporting those first foraging non-native honeybees.

Although I’ve been nagged by the feeling that buried somewhere deep in all this was a potential masterpiece, here I am a year later tired of trying to find it. And so, right or wrong, I’m just going to go with what I’ve got.

At the beginning of March, I wrote a newsletter for our Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Plant for Pollinators program. This is the 2^nd year of a program designed to inspire the Zoo’s visitors and those touched by our horticultural outreach, many of whom are new homeowners and potential gardeners, to plant and register pollinator gardens. In short, actually do conservation in their own backyards. In the newsletter, I mentioned that a few early March bloomers like snowdrops and winter aconite provide pollen and nectar for early foraging bees.

That afternoon, I received an email from someone who identified themselves as a volunteer for a nature center in the region, which is actually even a partner in the Zoo’s program. He wanted to know why I hadn’t mentioned native wildflowers. Then he accused snowdrops and winter aconite of being invasive (they’re not) and the Zoo of profiting from selling these plants (we don’t). The Zoo abides by findings of the Ohio Invasive Plant Council—indeed my boss had served on the board during the years they developed their science-based protocol. Although I was angry, I diplomatically defended our program and my reason for mentioning the early blooming bulbs. These plants bloom very early, even before most of the ephemerals this person had wanted me to write about, and serve early foraging honeybees. I mentioned also that I intended to write about the ephemerals in the April newsletter, when they would actually be in bloom.

Having fired off that email, which actually prompted a fairly friendly reply, I thought again about Marion Rombauer Becker’s garden for the first time in a while. How many of her favorite plants are gamely forging on many years after her passing and her son’s departure to Tennessee and quietly providing ecological services. Yes, for a world far from pure, and yet for a world that still at least functions. Ironically, the family that willed the nature center the property it sits on were friends with the Beckers. Their garden features prominently in Marion’s section of Wild Wealth. They shared the same gardening aesthetic. It’s a shame a few of their vestige snowdrops and winter aconite are now considered a scourge on the land by some, especially at a time when lesser celandine is threatening to cover it like a lake.

In the end, I’m thinking that leaving behind some hellebores and Leucojum that persevere for decades in some wedge of green space no developer can bulldoze is not a bad thing. If, along the line, those plants in that garden gave Marion Becker pleasure, and young Ethan an appreciation of nature and horticulture, and maybe his son too, that was good. And, if it also happened to give a young family a place to explore its delights together, that too was splendid.

And now I know what I need to do. As maybe one of just a very few people who know the story of what those plants are and why they are there, I must tell their story to the people who live there now. I bet they don’t know. That garden has sustained people over time like a sourdough, and I should at least give one or more of them the chance to knead it, to see what rises, to keep the wildflower walk and its story, alive.

 

 

 

T

 

 

Lingering Plants from a Long Gone Garden originally appeared on GardenRant on March 23, 2020.

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Visit Public Gardens Now, While You Can

The Washington Post’s Weekend Section yesterday featured “Best Bets” that are all outdoors and include most of my favorite places in DC. They’re all free and OPEN, at least the outdoors part and at least for now.

Here are the 6 available outdoor places available even in a pandemic – and worth visiting especially in one. Just check their websites before you go because things are changing fast.

All photos were taken in April. See lots more photos of DC-area gardens in April and even more in May.

Not local, and not about to travel to DC anytime soon? I hope this inspires you to find gardens near you that are open now.

One note of worry: if we crowd these spaces unsafely, the authorities may have to close them. When I visited the Arboretum yesterday a staffer told me he’s hoping that they will close completely because it’s been so crowded.

The National Arboretum’s Magnolia Grove.

Hillwood House and Gardens usually charges an entrance fee; not now.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens doesn’t have water lilies yet, but there’s plenty of land plants blooming. Photo credit: NPS photo: M. Marquez.

The importance of Tudor Place is something I recently learned from my architectural history professor at the University of Maryland. The home was designed by William Thornton, architect of the U.S. Capitol.

The Franciscan Monastery’s first floral peak is in April, when the tulips are blooming. Or visit in May when the roses are spectacular.

The famous cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin are peaking this weekend, so they’re included in the Post’s “Best Bets,” but I wouldn’t bet on it myself. I heard from someone who’d arrived there yesterday morning at 7:30 a.m. to find it swarming with people. And not particularly safely. I’m skipping it this year.

But nearby, there are plenty of Smithsonian Gardens to enjoy, and they’re all open.

I’m told that there’s one public rest room still open on or near the Mall – at the FDR Memorial. No more taking public rest rooms for granted, huh?

Visit Public Gardens Now, While You Can originally appeared on GardenRant on March 20, 2020.

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How To Water Phalaenopsis Orchids

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Phalaenopsis Orchids are believed to be the most popular kind of orchids. People commonly refer to the them as the “Moth Orchids”. Taking good care of them is very important, same as knowing the dos and don’ts when dealing with them.

They are not your typical houseplants you water in whatever way you feel like. For Phalaenopsis orchids, you have to be deliberate when watering them. You can’t afford to overwater them. Underwatering your orchid is a manageable situation unlike overwatering which is more dangerous to the health of the plant because it is not able to absorb the water.

Overwatering is believed to be the number one reason most Phalaenopsis orchids get into trouble. These orchids, being epiphytic plants, naturally cling to trees in their natural tropical environment. They have fleshy, thick roots that help them go to the air to absorb moisture. Overwatering can endanger these roots which underlines the importance of knowing how to water Phalaenopsis orchids properly.

Keeping the room temperature in mind when watering your Phalaenopsis orchid can also be helpful. When you have cooler temperature, you should know it’s time to cut down on watering it. When you have warmer temperatures, then it’s most probably the right time to water it more. This means summer and winter determine your watering routine. This is an important factor to note if you want to keep your orchid happy and healthy.

Watering Your Phalaenopsis Orchids Correctly

Just like every other houseplants’ owners, first-time owners of Phalaenopsis orchids tend to be overzealous about the watering of their new plant. However, overwatering is capable of preventing your orchids from draining properly, making the plants soggy and causing harm to their roots. Learning how to water Phalaenopsis orchids in the correct way is important. They are not made to endure submersion, so excess water is harmful to their health. Sometimes, root damage may be not be reversible and can cause the failure of orchids, or in the worst case scenario, death.

Generally, Phalaenopsis orchids are watered once a week but it’s also important to feel the substrate with your finger before watering your plant. If wet, don’t water it till it’s dry. Also, lifting the pot up to check the weight can be helpful in knowing if there’s a need to water your orchid or not. If it’s lighter, you will know you have to water the plant. If heavy, you need to hold off on watering it because water still remains in the pot.

Because Phalaenopsis orchids don’t have water-storing organs, don’t let them dry completely before watering them. Let water run till it gets out of the pot through the holes in it. Getting water on your leaves or between them can cause them to rot, a situation which can cause plant death. It’s better to water from the side and not from the top to prevent water getting on the leaves. As time goes on, you’ll understand the pot more; how heavy it feels when your orchid requires water and its heaviness when there’s still moisture inside. After you might have watered your orchid, check pot’s weight. This will help you know the right time to water the plant again when pot is lighter.

The pot with moisture may look different. An orchid in clay pot will have a darker look when it is still wet. If it has a light look, it might require watering. Don’t use chemically treated or softened water to water your orchid. Water should be able to pour swiftly through your pot. If water is getting trapped in it, your potting mix might be extremely dense. After watering, check back in few minutes to empty saucer so there’s no water sitting around close to the orchid.

Ensure the pot you’re housing your Phalaenopsis orchid in comes with drainage holes. Your orchid can’t be properly watered if there are no holes available for water to drain through. We’ve emphasized the importance of water not staying in your pot, so it is important for water to effectively drain through drainage holes. If your orchid comes in a pot that has no holes, endeavor to repot in a pot with enough drainage holes in its bottom.

Try to water your orchid in the morning. Watering your plant at night lets water stagnate on Phalaenopsis’ growing tips. It attracts fungal and bacterial infections. Ensure your orchid stays dry through the night.

Orchids tend to tell you when they need something different from you and you have to be attentive to such clues. You should know how they respond to different climates in order to change your watering routine to suit them.

Factors That Affect Watering

Knowing how to water Phalaenopsis orchids in a proper way is extremely important; it could make them thrive or destroy them. At the heart of watering your plant correctly is understanding the factors that affect it. We will discuss below some factors you have to consider when drawing a watering routine for your orchid.

Humidity

When the weather is hot or dry, your orchids may need watering twice in a week or you may need to increase your room’s humidity. You can measure the room’s humidity with a hygrometer, a device you can pick up in a store. You may need more humidity in the room and acquiring a humidity tray is a way to get that. These trays can also be bought in a store. Ensure the water on your tray doesn’t touch the orchid pot’s bottom because much exposure to water can make the roots deteriorate. Once water evaporates from your tray, there will be the needed humid climate in the potting medium.

Misting your orchids is another way to increase humidity. Spray bottle can be employed for this process. Considering the fact water evaporates partially quickly, your orchids will need to be misted daily, or several times daily, depending on the dryness of your climate. The level of humidity around you should help you develop a watering routine that is specific to your climate.

Potting Media

The amount of water retained by potting media differ. If your medium retains much water, then you don’t need frequent watering. If it doesn’t retain much water, then you might need to water your orchid more frequently. Whether your potting medium is with holes or without them is also of great importance. You can plant Phalaenopsis orchids in several materials like sphagnum peat, charcoal, tree fern, sphagnum moss, diatomite, perlite, fir bark, or a mixture of all these materials.

Coarse-cut materials can be used in promoting suitable root aeration, nutrient and water retention and also root drainage. Choice of medium is very important to note when learning how to water Phalaenopsis orchids.

Airflow

Your Phalaenopsis orchid likes some free air, around the leaves and roots. However, greater airflow can make them dry quicker which will require increased watering. You must be attentive to your growing area to know when the airflow is much and you need to give more water.

Learning how to water Phalaenopsis orchids is quite easy when you are very interested in it. We’ve discussed several steps and factors to consider if you want a blooming orchid in your home. This kind of orchid is cheap and easy to maintain once you take its peculiarities into consideration.

Good luck!

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The Cloistered Garden

Library of Congress archival photo.

I began dreaming of a walled sanctuary soon after I began gardening in the 1970s. I wondered what it would be like to live behind the cloistered wall of a monastery, sealed off from the chaos of the outside world.

Rose and I are now cloistered. This is not what I’d hoped for. Not by choice, we are walled in, staying close to home.

The very large Gingko, at the nearby Abbey of Gethsemani, gives me hope. Like it, we too are old growth.

Gethsemani Encounter II participants gather beneath the Gingko. 2002. “Groundbreaking dialogue between monastics of various Catholic and Buddhist orders.”

I am at an elevated risk to coronavirus COVID-19. I am old-ish (68) and my immune system (M.S.) is compromised. My life in the garden this past week has been a healing process. My half-dozen past gardens, over 45 years, have always been my quiet place, where I am able briefly to let go of the world around me.

The Cistercian monks at the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani arise at 3:15 AM to do the first of their psalms (beginning with Vigils and ending with Compline at 7:30 PM).

We, meanwhile, sowed seeds of lettuce, spinach, chard, turnips, and beets, then planted potato eyes and sets of spring onions.

Brother Harold in 1991.

Brother Harold was the self-anointed gardener at Gethsemani in the 1990s. He and I corresponded for several years before we met. He shared my love for gingkoes. Harold loved his perennials also, especially daylilies. He purchased perennials from my old Holbrook Farm and Nursery. (Who knew frugal Trappists had a budget for plants?!)

Brother Harold took me behind the cloistered wall on my one visit with him in 1991. We stood still under the big Gingko. I had previously, on earlier visits beginning in childhood, looked through the closed gates and wondered what lay beyond. A secret garden, perhaps?

Filmmaker Morgan Atkinson captured the Gingko in his documentary about Gethsemani:

Thomas Merton was Gethsemani’s best-known monk. Merton was a priest, teacher, poet, photographer, activist, author, occasional hermit and gardener. Brother Harold, in contrast, was not well known beyond the Abbey of Gethsemani.

It wasn’t until this last week, when our own self-styled cloistered existence became suddenly essential, that I began thinking again about Brother Harold.

Alzheimer’s took Harold’s mind and eventually his life, but I will remember his trust in faith and mystery. The Abbot told me later that Harold, in a diminished state, would often come up to other monks, hold up bouquets of flowers, in front of their faces, and say wildly, “Aren’t these beautiful?” The monks acknowledged politely, “Yes they are.” They smiled and walked away.

The remnants of Thomas Merton’s Zen Garden. 1991.

I’m convinced Harold was on a gardening mission. He wanted to bring the monks back to the garden.

I have spent the last 50 years trying to do the same. Garden converts don’t come easily. Gardening requires a unique subset of determination: passion and the discipline of a holy monk.

Gingko behind the monastic wall. Brother Paul Quenon photo.

Near the end of my few hours with Brother Harold, he took me to the back of the monk’s quarters, out of all public view. Brother Harold pointed to the forsaken Zen garden that Thomas Merton had built. There wasn’t much left besides chunks of karst limestone and a few chairs. We stood there quietly for a few minutes with no distracting thoughts.

Harold must have done this magical tour before, but he didn’t say.

I suspect Brother Harold had discovered that God and garden are mysteriously revealed together at the sweet spot of the quieted mind.

The Cloistered Garden originally appeared on GardenRant on March 19, 2020.

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Tips For Tidying The Garden This Spring

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The world may be a little turned around right now, but in the wake of self-isolation and social distancing, it’s the perfect time to turn your attention to your home. Your house and garden need your time, and with the weather moving into the spring, it’s the best time of year to get the garden tidied and ready for everything to open once more.

A messy garden is easily ignored when life is filled with work, but if you now have the time, let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can get your garden tidied and ready for that warmer weather. 

Image Source: Pexels

1. The first thing to do is to allocate some time to cleaning out your garden. As you’re at home, you can rope the kids in to help! Getting it all done in one go will let you step back and see what you’re dealing with right now. You can get the weeds and leaves cleared, get out the lawnmower and get it looking tidied enough to assess what you need to do next.
2. Once you’ve sorted the lawn, get some professional advice from companies such as Minnesota Tree Surgeons, as they can tell you whether you need to cut back your garden trees. Sometimes, trees lean in the strong winds and can brush up against the side of the house. You’ll need their expert advice and help when it comes to cutting them back.
3. Get some perspective when it comes to your garden. Yes, it’s a big job, but you’ve been in the cold for months now, and there just hasn’t been the time to clear it all out. Check out other gardens online, by all means, but try not to judge yours too harshly. The best thing that you can do is get stuck in!
4. If there are any stone benches in your garden right now, it’s time to get out the pressure washer. Grubby chairs that have been stained by the weather, mud, and debris are in dire need of a cleanup. Don’t let them stay grubby when you could be working on getting them properly scrubbed. You can do the same with wooden benches, too. Re-treating them is essential after the bad weather!
5. Cleaning out the rest of the garden furniture and your garden tools is a must. They’ve lived in a musty shed for some time now. You can also get stuck in and clean the shed while you are at it. You can give the shed that much-needed lick of paint and sweep the whole thing out. Check your tools over and ensure that mice and other critters haven’t eaten through anything. It’s vital that you look after your things and check the wiring of the tools before you plug anything in just good sense.

These are challenging times to live in, but a beautiful garden can provide an excellent distraction to all that worry. Take the time to plan your garden clear out properly, and you’ll have the most beautiful space to enjoy.

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How To Create The Ultimate Kid-Friendly Back Yard

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Your back yard should be a haven for the whole family, the kids included. It should be a place where they can express themselves, make as much noise as they want, get plenty of fresh air and exercise and have all the fun in the world. It should also be a space that is safe, and attractive to the rest of the family.

In this post, we are going to look at some of the ways in which you can create the ultimate kid-friendly back yard, with tips for making it fun, calm, safe and enjoyable for everyone all year round. Ready to find out how? Let’s go!

Image credit: Pixababy CC0 License

Incorporate natural elements

Where possible, incorporate as many natural elements int your garden. In terms of sustainability, this is much better for the environment, but it also gives children the chance to really connect with the natural world around them and explore textures, smells and sounds. For example, you could use decorative rocks for landscaping, dig out a rockery to make a little natural sandpit, have rope or tire swings hanging from the branches from trees –  just make sure that they are strong branches first!

Use playground tiles

If you have decided to put up swings and slides, you may well be concerned about the safety and giving them a soft landing space if they were to fall. While bark chippings and grass are ideal solutions, if you are looking for something easier to lay down and maintain, rubber or foam playground tiles are a great choice. 

They come in a wide choice of colors, so you can have them to blend in with nature or bright ones to add a fun pop of color. The usually interlock, and can often be made of recycled materials, such as rubber tires, so they can be environmentally friendly.

Creating a seating area for the grown-ups

We would say the kids need somewhere to sit, but it is rare for most kids to stay sitting down for more than a few minutes at a time. Instead, when it comes to your seating areas, keep the adults who are on supervising duty in mind. 

Make sure that there is a clear and unobstructed view of the garden, particularly if you have any water features or play equipment or steps or younger children. A raised patio or decking area is usually a good option for this. Think about making sure they are comfortable and have somewhere to put down their book or drink when they inevitably have to run to tend to a grazed knee or a rogue child in the treehouse!

Chalkboard walls

Kids love drawing, usually where they are not supposed to! Direct their creativity by covering one of your walls or fences with chalkboard paint, which is cheaply and readily available at most hardware stores. Give them a tub of playground chalks and let them loose; you never know, you may have the next Picasso on your hands!

Build a treehouse

Treehouses are the ultimate in childhood garden fun. Big or small, rustic or professional, kids will love climbing up and hiding out with a blanket and some snacks, and watching the world from up high.

If heights are not your thing, or you do not have any trees, a summer house or playhouse is a good alternative. This gives your kids somewhere to go that is sheltered from the elements and gives them a bit of privacy, as well as encouraging role play and imaginative play.

Build a wonderful water world

When kids are grumpy, bored, arguing and bickering with each other, just add water! Your garden is the perfect place to set up a water play area. A plastic paddle pool or a water tray make great places to float toy boats in and splash about in. If you have some old guttering or pipes, attach them to a fence or a wall to make a water wall for hours of free and easy entertainment.

Repurpose household items

Look around your house and yard; what is lying about that can be used for something different? For example, some old pallets could become a mud kitchen, or if you are particularly handy, a kids picnic bench. Old guttering could be used in the water world we have mentioned above, and all sorts of containers from the house can be used to grow plants and make it a little more fun for the kids- old gum boot plant pots, anyone?

Light it up

Who says the fun has to stop when the sun goes down? Extend those summer evenings even further by lighting up your garden. Twinky fairy lights hung from the fences and walls, solar-powered lanterns and tealights in glass jars are all low cost and simple ways to add some light to your garden, giving the children much more playtime in the garden, and creates a sense of ambience and calmness for the adults who are supervising them.

Throw some shade

A shaded area is vital if you have children, to protect them when the sun is at it’s strongest. There are various ways you can do this – by planting lots of big trees and bushes to create natural shade, or by building up gazebos and arbors. If you want something a little less permanent, tents and teepees make ideal places for the kids to go and chill out when the heat gets too much – throw in some pillows and you have yourself a cute little reading and relaxing nook.

Space is out

The most important thing that you can give your child in their back yard is space. If they have a big, flat area, they can have hours of fun playing soccer, basketball, hula-hooping, riding bikes and trikes and taking out toys from the house. Whether you opt for a concreted spot, rubber matting or lawn, it is entirely up to you.

By putting just one or two of these elements into your garden, you will create the ultimate kid-friendly back yard that not only provides them with hours of fun but you with plenty of peace and quiet!

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The garden is never closed

Witch hazel in Central Park in March

Nor, to a great extent, is the outdoors. As the menu of possible activities narrows exponentially—for New York this means no bars, restaurants, gatherings, and nearly all arts/cultural activities—the outdoors is still open for business. It’s one of the few places where social distancing is not only possible, it’s kind of built-in.

Nuthatch at Tifft Nature Preserve, Buffalo

Outside of big summer festivals and always-crowded tourist hot spots like Niagara Falls, parks, preserves, and other public green spaces are usually sparsely populated. There are nature preserves in Western New York where I know I will not see one other person, except maybe a caretaker, on any given day, especially now, in the offseason. In fact, there are no staff on duty at most places, though trails remain open. New York State parks also remain open; there’s just no programming and visitors’ center are shuttered.

Beautiful Goat Island, Niagara Falls, is never crowded at this time.

In our local Facebook gardeners’ group, members, not satisfied with seed-starting, are champing at the bit to get outside and plant. Um, no, it’s really not time yet, with overnight hard freezes still common, but it will be in a couple weeks. At that time, we gardeners can channel our needs to get out and do something. In the meantime, what a great time to make plans, nurture seeds, and take a few quiet walks. Along the wooded trails of a local preserve, I can watch and listen to the birds—migrators are beginning to return—enjoy the different tree forms, and imagine a world before us.

In a world that is beginning to resemble an apocalyptic science fiction film, this brings solace.

The garden is never closed originally appeared on GardenRant on March 17, 2020.

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These “Inspiring” Gardens are Hilarious

Um, no it’s not!

For some tension-releasing laughs (I’m getting tired of funny animal videos myself), I’m sharing some truly ridiculous gardens I found on a bogus gardening website of non-English-speaking origin, but that’s all I know about it. (I won’t give them a link.)

These fussy, intensely high-maintenance ideas are a bizarre contrast to today’s advice, which is all about working with nature to create gardens that are close to self-sustaining, and look relatively natural.

Get a load of these “inspiring” gardens from somewhere. They remind us of the bad old days of gardening styles and practices.

“This creation” is a good term for it.

SO natural-looking!

Do those look like perennials to YOU?

This one isn’t ugly, but does that look like a small yard to you?

These “Inspiring” Gardens are Hilarious originally appeared on GardenRant on March 16, 2020.

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