Dried Orange Slice Christmas Tree Garland

Dried orange slices strung as a garland through a Christmas tree.

Dried Orange Slice Christmas Tree Garland

Did you ever string popcorn for Christmas tree garland? 

I did many years ago. I decorated a small outside cedar only to watch wild turkeys dragging the strung popcorn off as a treat the next morning.

I thought about those wild turkeys when I saw this lovely dried orange slice garland on a Christmas tree at the Henry Shaw country house at Missouri's Botanical Garden, St. Louis.

With Christmas trees staying up all year, or being transformed into Easter home decor, these dried oranges add nice color.

Oranges are a favorite treat of one of my favorite summer garden bird visitors. Luckily Baltimore Orioles have migrated by December or those dried orange slice Christmas tree garlands - or whenever they are used through the year - wouldn't have a chance!

Charlotte

Birds Everywhere

Fun to see how birds seem to be flying all over the place, isn't it!

Birds Everywhere

Birds are very much a part of my garden. In addition to being welcomed to nest in a variety of bird houses throughout the hillside property, they are part of my bug patrol, helping to keep unwelcome bugs in check and adding a wonderful dimension to my certified wildlife refuge,

I wasn't thinking about that when I decorated this Christmas tree this year but there was a tribute to my outside helpers in the white artificial doves I added.

It wasn't until I took this picture that I realized they looked like they were flying in from the outside, so appropriate for my house since right now my potted plants are wintering over inside,  giving my house a decidedly wild jungle theme. 

From my very green house to yours, may you have a very Merry Christmas!

Charlotte

Settle Down, Winter!

Ice coats tree branches in my back yard at the beginning of winter.

Settle Down, Winter!

Winter has been late in coming this year. Not usually an issue for me personally but worrisome for my bees because they have been enjoying record warm weather and consuming their honey stores, food they store to eat over winter.

Spring-flowering bulbs also depend on 12 weeks of cold weather to set their blooms, and frankly  I'm tired, I could use a break to catch my breath, do some reading and get ready for another growing season. I haven't had that stretch of cabin fever yet, unexpectedly warm days keep popping in enticing me outside to get yet another chore done before cold weather supposedly sets in.

Record cold temperatures dipping below zero started off this first week of December but will end the week at Christmas with the forecast with temperatures in the 60s, not a normal Missouri Christmas day by any means. Sunny days are good but the temperature swings are all off. 

So winter, now that you are officially here, please stop toying with us and settle in to stay cold enough to keep us inside reading for awhile. gardeners depend on that, too!

Charlotte

Fruit Tree Pruning

Be sure to distinguish between growing nodes and budding flowers on fruit trees.  This is a compact dwarf apricot tree getting ready to bloom as soon as weather turns warm again. Flower buds are nice and oval-shaped, growing buds have tiny green leaves starting to form. 

Of the four seasons, winter is the best time to prune trees. I usually start pruning my tropical trees wintering over inside and take the opportunity with a warm day to tackle my compact fruit trees scattered around my one-acre garden.

Now don’t wait until the tree is full grown. I completely forgot I had planted a semi-dwarf pear tree near my driveway until it started to bloom some 30 years later. Now I am trying to trim octopus-like branches while keeping enough branches I can reach to bear pears. If you start pruning and shaping when trees are young, trust me they are much easier to shape.

Most fruit tree pruning guides will offer confusing descriptions of the desired shape so here’s my short cut; keep the center of the fruit tree open to allow sun, and encourage 3 main center branches to form a cup. Prune remaining branches to grow outwards and strong to hold fruit. It’s tempting to keep more branches for flowering and setting fruit but if the branch is too weak, the weight of the fruit may break the branch so keep a few strong branches instead of a lot of weak ones.

For flowering trees such as redbuds and dogwoods, prune when flowers are fading. For the rest, prune in late winter when trees are still dormant. Don’t prune in fall when some viruses are at their strongest and can contaminate trees through their open cuts.

Some other tips:

Main side branches should be at least 1/3rd smaller than the trunk diameter. Encourage branches to form angles that form “10 o’clock” and “2 o’clock” angles within the trunk.

Don’t prune up any more than 1/3rd of the tree’s total height and never, ever, top a tree.

Charlotte

Tree Pruning Time

Prune trees above the growing node but make sure your pruners are sharp; i set these pruners aside so I don't tear more of the tropical hibiscus while pruning.

It’s time to prune trees if you haven’t already. Although I appreciate well-shaped trees and bushes, I have to work myself into a certain state to prune. There is something counter-intuitive about cutting off branches to make something grow a better, fuller shape.

I start pruning in January when my tropical hibiscus have dropped most of their leaves in my living room. The leafless tree shape is easier to see and I can do the trimming in phases so I don’t traumatize it. Basically you don’t want to trim more than a quarter of the total tree branches at once so mark them before cutting so you don’t cut too much.

Start with some simple branches to cut off:

1.     Mark and remove dead branches.

2.     Mark and remove branches that are unsafe. This can be branches that are unsafe for people who may be around them as well as branches that are unsafe for the tree itself. Branches that cross are not good for fruit trees, for example. Branches with a low clearance are not safe for people who may mow lawns nearby.

3.     When choosing branches to remove, mark branches so new buds are facing outwards. It took me awhile to get this concept under my belt but basically don’t cut above growing nodes that will force a new branch inward. The nodes should be pointing in the direction you want the new branch to grow.

4.     Don’t cut right at the growth node, trim at a 45 degree angle about 1/8th of an inch above the growth node.

Coming up next, tips for pruning fruit trees.

Charlotte

Growing Herbs Indoors

Basil is one of the harder herbs to grown indoors because they like a lot of sun and temperatures in the 70s.

A friend called me earlier this week excited to find a selection of potted herbs at a local store. “I want them all,” she said, “can I get them to grow?”

Growing herbs indoors is possible but a little tricky so here are my 11 tips on what to do if you want to grow herbs indoors:

 1.     Find a spot with at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. South-facing windows are best although I have mine facing more west.

2.     Place your herbs away from other plants. A stand that is taller than surrounding plants will work, or place them in an area apart from other plants. You don’t want hitchhiking bugs to find your herbs and most indoor plants have something keeping them company this time of year.

3.     Make sure the pots you place the herbs in have a saucer so the herbs don’t sit in water. Don’t use clay unless you have something under it because water moves through clay. Choose plastic, rubber or metal saucers. There are pretty ceramic ones but they will tend to loose moisture as well so wait until summer to use those.

4.     Same consideration about what pots to use. I have grown herbs in both clay and plastic pots. In cold climates like ours, furnace heat tends to dry out homes so use a plastic pot instead of clay so the soil stays moist longer.

5.     Make sure your pot has drainage holes so the herbs are not sitting in water.

6.     Don’t dig up soil from outside. Use a good potting mix. Place the mix in the pot, mist with water and let it drain through before adding an herb plant.

7.     If you have your herbs in a window, make sure the foliage is not touching glass so it doesn’t get nipped by cold.

8.     Give herbs a weekly mist. Better yet, give them a sink bath, let drain, and return to their window spot to keep their soil moist and hydrated from winter dry heat.

9.     Pinch herbs with fingers when ready to use. Cutting with a knife or kitchen scissors may add a metallic flavor.

10. My catnip plants tend to make it half way through winter until they are discovered by my cats. One minute I have a lovely pot of catnip, the next thing I know the pot looks like scissors moved through it. I have pulled one plant through after it was chewed on but I had to put it in a hanging basket to keep it from being a snack.

11. The following are herbs I have successfully grown inside and pulled through winter:

Chives

Rosemary

Spearmint

Italian Parsley

Oregano

Catnip

I am now growing a small pot of basil along with rosemary, cilantro and parsley. The basil hasn’t grown much since I transplanted it. During summer, basil prefers temperatures in the 70s so I am trying now to give it similar conditions.

Herbs grown inside will look leggier than growing them outside but they will still give you fresh herbs to add flavor to your winter cooking.

Charlotte

Garden Glow

It's one of the favorite holiday events at Missouri's Botanical Garden and you can see it through January 9, 2016. "Garden Glow" turns the Gardens into a magical wonderland with hundreds of cut-down trees brought in especially for the occasion.

The trees are bought from tree farms, where the trees are grown to be cut down. Once used for the event, the trees become compost and mulch to protect the Gardens plants through winter.

Lit trees dot walks along Missouri Botanical Garden's "Garden Glow."

The lights were also synchorized to Christmas music. The Climatron was beautiful in frog green in front of changing blinking lights.

Around the first main corner of the "Garden Glow" path, the only fully-lit tree, "Big Blue."

Garden Glow's "Big Blue" tree is the only tree fully lit during the seasonal event.

What kind of tree is "Big Blue?" A sweet gum.

Margaret (right) and I take a turn in the Garden Glow Snow Globe.

The Garden Glow walking tour included several photo opportunities including the snow globe, where I stopped with my friend Margaret for a quick shot.

Happy New Year and may you, and your garden, also glow in 2016!

Charlotte

Welcome winter!

Snow-covered Black Eyed Susan perennials under one of my bay windows.

When I think of winter, I think of bees huddled in their hives, plants cooling off under the soil getting ready to grow, and snow.

Winter is also a time to rest and to think about next year's gardens and projects.

Ruth Stout, the venerable easy gardener, suggests winter is also a time for oneself.

"There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself."  ~Ruth Stout

Welcome, winter!

Charlotte

Happy Poinsettia Day!

December 12 is officially Poinsettia Day, so designated by the US House of Representatives. July 2002, the House of Representatives approved a resolution honoring Paul Ecke Junior, who is considered the father of the commercial North American Poinsettia industry.

I remember growing up in Mexico City, Mexico and having Poinsettia trees in our backyard. Paul Ecke developed a technique that causes Poinsettia seedlings to branch, making what are trees in their original habitat more manageable potted bushes. The Ecke's technique remained a secret until the 1990s when a researcher published the formula.

Poinsettias are part of the Christmas holiday tradition. Poinsettias are the favorite Christmas flower in both the US and Canada. Their red bracts are actually leaves that have been turned red by being deprived of light.

Aren't they beautiful? Now imagine them the size of dogwood trees!

Charlotte

Blooming Sign of Christmas Holiday

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RED THANKSGIVING CACTUS IN BLOOM NOVEMBER 28, 2015 (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I don't know what marks the beginning of the Christmas holidays for you but for me it's when my Thanksgiving cactus  (Schlumbergera truncata) starts to bloom. Not exactly the best of signs because some of my plants bloom as early as September!

The leaf cactus I have are a collection of plant gifts and after Christmas sales plants. Since their identification tags were missing, I plopped them into hanging baskets in a basement window with filtered southeastern exposure. The basement stays cool all year around; they prefer temperatures around 65F, although plants in my office were exposed to temperature fluctuations and still bloomed well.

My main challenge is not to over-water. These are leaf cactus, after all, requiring less water than most and more than some.

Besides cooler temperature, the other requirement these easy to grow plants have is light exposure. To prompt them to bloom, they need a period of less light. As the seasons change and fall daylight gets less, that change in light exposure is enough to tell the plant it's time to bud and bloom.

And how do I know this is a Thanksgiving cactus instead of a Christmas cactus? 

Unless you have a very old plant, most plants sold on the market today are Thanksgiving cactus, grown to bloom around Christmas for gift-giving. 

Charlotte

Snow Flowers?

One of the joys of winter, watching my garden develop "snow flowers." If geometric designs in different colors can form a quilt garden, why not snow?

Do you recognize this dried out plant?

It's Autumn Sedum "Joy," a perennial that requires little water and adds interesting different seasonal looks to my garden. Quite the fashionable plant!

Charlotte

Nom-nom-nom....

These little plastic garden dragons where a gift from my brother many years ago. They make their way around every garden season, sometimes munching fall leaves or mid-summer, dining on impatiens.

For years I moved them into a storage space over winter, only to bring them out in spring to keep my spring garden full of tulips daffodils company.

Garden decor like this are wonderful gifts. In addition to adding whimsy to the garden, they are a wonderful memento of the person who gives them.

This past fall, I forgot to bring my little dragons in so they spent this winter outside. They are not any worse for wear; I found one of them as I was filling my bird-feeders, the little open mouth apparently taking in newly-fallen snow.

Hummm, at this rate, getting rid of all of the snow on my garden could take awhile!

Charlotte

Dueling Woodpeckers

So cute, downy woodpeckers enjoying suet feeding stations right outside of my living room window.

The chair faces the garden so I can easily pop in for a few minutes and watch my feathered garden visitors.

In winter, many birds show up that I don't see in summer, not just because of leaves on trees but because this is not their summering spot.

During winter, one of the main visitors are woodpeckers, although they are in the garden all year around removing insects from tree barks.

Birds in a garden help to keep insect populations in check but not right now, everything is still quite frozen so suet is the next best thing.

Charlotte

What a lion!

The saying goes something like "March comes in like a lion" and did it ever in 2015.

In Mid-Missouri, we ended up with at least seven inches of snow over a sheet of ice, encouraging us to stay home where it was safe and warm.

The snow was a welcome layer of insulation and a source of moisture. Our water tables are still quite low and need to be replenished through snow and other precipitation.

The best part?

The saying goes on.

"March comes in like a lion, leaves like a lamb."

Something to look forward to, for sure!

Charlotte

Snow Blanket

It's easy to think of cold, icy, snowy wintery weather as being unpleasant. To a garden, it is a much appreciated blanket of insulation.

Much like an applied mulch, snow insulates plants, and bee hives, from bitter, fluctuating temperatures. When temperatures vary, it causes bees to break from their cluster and consume more honey. It also causes plants to heave out of the ground. 

As snow melts, the additional moisture keeps plant roots hydrated and alive until spring, when they seem to turn green overnight.

My bees, and new raised bed vegetable garden, are nicely tucked in.

Is your garden covered in snow?

Charlotte

Mystery Guest Solved

It's snowing February 16, 2015 in the Missouri Ozarks, a wonderful day to be tucked in at home with a pot of homemade soup on the stove and a pile of favorite bird books nearby.

It's also one of my favorite times to watch my garden and see what visitors come in and fly by.

One of the mysteries I wanted to solve was what birds have been using my tiny ront porch outside my front door. Over summer, I found shelled sunflower seeds scattered under my swing. Then earlier today, I saw several birds flying off before I could reach a window.

After tucking a camera in my pocket and waiting for calm to resume, I caught this bird comfortably settled on my porch swing.

Do you recognize it?

It's a mourning dove, with the most beautiful feathers when it settles in the sun. There is a bevy of them usually in my garden, sometimes just roosting on a tree limb outside my living room window.

Of course, as my brother David would suggest, but then again, maybe this bird isn't the one that has been on my deck...

Charlotte

Valentine Garden Thoughts

I love this vintage Valentine post card with a flowering tree surrounded by butterflies. The flowers are blue, reminiscent of forget-me-nots, although in my garden they only grow as low bushy plants.

These post cards were printed in USA probably around the 1920s. Printed version of a tweet!

Charlotte

The Perfumed Garden

"The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You and you alone make me feel that I am alive. Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen three and thou art enough." -- George Moore

Happy Valentine's Day!

Charlotte

Pulling Mums Through Winter

Did you plant chrysanthemums last fall? Autumn is the most popular time of year of the four seasons to plant them but not necessarily the best time for the plants.

Chrysanthemums are one of the most hardy cut flowers. It's why most florists use them to fill up flower arrangements and bouquets. They do need a little special care and are well worth it.

To help your mums pull through winter, make sure the plants are kept moist. Water the plants 1-2 times a month by pouring a good gallon of water around roots.

Keep mum roots mulched to minimize changes in temperature causing the roots to literally heave out of the ground.

Here are a couple of mums I bought for 25-cents last fall that are making it so far through our Missouri winter by getting water and being mulched.

From the top it looks like the plant is dead. Plant starts, however, are peeking out from the sides.

By keeping roots moist, plants will be ready to grow as soon as temperatures warm up. The full season of growth will make them stronger for fall blooms and you should now have repeating blooming chrysanthemums.

Charlotte

Love of Gardening

"The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies." — Gertrude Jekyll

Charlotte