Garden Solutions - December 2014

            Fall will turn into winter this month, and it is not the happiest time for us gardening enthusiasts, but yet a necessary evil. It is also a time for us to gear up for next year’s seasons and study the new and improved plants coming onto the market. And believe me, there are many exciting new plants from all plant classes including annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs.

            We at Hillermann Nursery have been chosen as an AAS (All American Selections) display garden location for 2015. We will be one of 179 locations in North America including Canada, and one of very few in the Midwest. We are so very excited to have been chosen to bring the best and newest plant selections to you! We will be starting many of these plant selections in our greenhouses and we will keep the progress of the display gardens on our website and in our newsletters. Hope you have the chance to check it out next spring.

 

           I also like to promote the National Wildlife Federation and the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program that they sponsor. I have my home and our business certified as Backyard Wildlife Habitats with the NWF. It is easy to do and a great educational tool. Our feathered friends are great for the environment. Not only for pure enjoyment, but because they also help with pollination issues and are natural insect predators, helping with a sustainable lifestyle and living chemical free. So consider helping your feathered friends through these tough winter months by offering them food and heated water!

 

           One new trend coming to light is growing by aeroponics or hydroponics. This is growing with water as the medium and in much less space than conventional ground gardening. The nice thing about aeroponic/hydroponics is the fact that they can easily be grown year round with the addition of light during the winter months inside. There is a display aeroponic garden growing system indoors now at Hillermann’s filled with fresh edible garden greens. You can’t beat that freshness!

            Here are some items of garden interest for December:

• Thoroughly water all trees, shrubs and especially evergreens just before the ground freezes to protect the roots from frost damage. This may need to be done again if the temperature warms up and there is no snow to help insulate the ground (mid January).
• Hollies may be trimmed now and the trimmings can be used in holiday decorations.
• Use caution when spreading salt or calcium on ice or snow packed walks and driveways. Salt can damage lawns and plantings, calcium is much safer to use. Be sure to designate areas to be piled with snow from plowing in advance to prevent damage to trees, shrubs and lawns.
• Clean and oil all garden hand tools before storing for the winter.
• All power equipment should be winterized before storage. Change the oil and lubricate moving parts. Either drain fuel systems or mix gas stabilizing additive into the tank.
• You may continue planting bulbs until frost in the ground prevents you from digging.
• Perennial beds and roses should have been put to rest for winter by now. If not, cut back, clean up and mulch. Roses should be mulched 10-12” deep.
• Continue to feed our fine feathered friends and place heated birdbaths out with fresh water.
• Keep the dish for your fresh Christmas tree filled with water.

      I wish you and your family a very Blessed Christmas season.  Let’s get to work on planning those beautiful garden scenes for next year!!!

See you in the Garden………..

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

     

Garden Solutions - May 2014

        Gardeners, start your containers!! Spring has sprung! The weather has begun to turn warmer and the sun is beginning to hang around a little more each day.      It is time to grow your own groceries!  Almost any vessel can be used as a container, but it must have drainage holes that allow water to freely flow through the pot. Most veggies only need 8” of soil depth. Trays and smaller containers work fine for lettuce, radishes, spinach, and peppers. Root crops like carrots and onions, and large plants like most tomatoes and squash, require containers larger than 16 inches in diameter. Generally as a rule, bigger is better for root growth and overall vigor. 

Something NEW to consider is growing aeroponically.  With this method, you can grow plants vertically using “only 6 square feet of space, 90% less water AND land”.  To learn more, check out www.sandimcdonald.towergarden.com.  This is the way of the future to save resources, time and space.  It has been greatly received in larger population cities and on each coast.  With a little planning and attention, container gardens and aeroponics can produce like mini farms.

Container color gardening continues to be a trendy thing. The many choices, styles, shapes, and colors of containers make great accent pieces for inside or out. Let your imagination soar and express yourself. Use imaginative containers you pick up at flea markets and auction yards.  Learn to mix annuals and perennials for great combinations. Try hostas with begonias and impatiens….or hydrangeas with groundcovers. These containers can make great accent pieces on the front porch, the back deck, in a flower bed, around the pool, or at the end of the driveway.  And you can rearrange them as often as you wish.      

        Take your houseplants outdoors once the evening temperatures will remain above 50°. Move sun-loving plants (hibiscus, gardenias, mandevillas, etc.) gradually to sunny locations, as they have not had full sun in your home and will need to be acclimated to those conditions.

        Plant summer bulbs now and fertilize with bone meal or bulb food. Pinch hardy garden mums back now and continue to do so until July 4 to insure proper fall blooming. Treat slugs in your garden with organic diatomaceous earth. This powder product is food grade 100% safe, and is good for the treatment of slugs, ants, fleas and ticks outside, as well as roaches and ants indoors. This organic product is very safe to use and a good one to have on hand. “Natural Gardening” with eco-friendly products is a very SAFE thing to do for your own health as well as the environment. Check out the chemical-free options available to you today. Then sit back and watch your kids and pets enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

        “Coming home” at the end of a day can be even more important to us now than ever before. Times are changing and everyone is busier than before with kids to coach, meetings to attend, and work to do. In addition, the cost of gas makes us want to leave the car parked when possible. So, enjoy daylight savings time and extend your living quarters to your yard and garden. Think of your outdoor spaces as an extension of your home. And in doing so, consider the floor, walls, and ceiling per se. Adding resting areas is easy to do… hang a hammock in a tree, set a bistro set in the perennial garden, or put benches in your Hosta beds.  Add a fire pit, BBQ gill or Pizza oven. Then invite friends over and have a cook out. Let the nature in your yard tickle your senses with the sounds of birds, fragrance of flowers, sounds of running water, and splashes of color. Hardscapes can enhance your outdoor rooms by adding a “floor” to your area of enjoyment. 

        Until next month… Enjoy connecting with nature and….see you in the garden….

 

Sandi Hillermann McDonald