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Lovely Purple Mondardo....

mycoupons | 24 September, 2007 06:00

Hi there gardening MyCouponers!

Our gardening question this week, was submitted by Jodi from Ohio.

Can I transplant my lovely purple monardo's now? The bee balm has taken over my azaleas. I have yet to cut them for winter and want to move them now but could wait til spring in order to not injure them.

Gardening in Ohio, Jodi.

Hi Jodi!

I can believe they've taken over your azaleas. Bee Balm (Monardo) is a very very invasive and prolific plant. They've taken over areas of my garden several times in the past.

As far as transplanting them, you could do it now, personally though I'd wait until spring to divide your Mondardo plants especially with chilly nights around the corner which may and can damage them.

A fact about Monardo is they multiply by two ways. One way is by re-seeding themselves. The other is, they multiply via underground roots. So if you want to try to "control" them a little bit, get rid of the dead blooms before they turn to seed, plus dead-heading them will also prolong their blooming. I would also dig up the ground around them a little bit in Spring , using a little hand shovel, to remove underground roots. This helps to stop the plant(s) from spreading .

Doing both of these things have let me "tame" my Monardo plants in my garden.

Thanks for the question!

Keep on gardening!

Annie~

Peonies....

mycoupons | 10 September, 2007 06:00

Hi there gardening MyCouponers!

Our gardening question this week, was submitted by Joan I. from R.I

Hello Annie,

I would like to plant Peonies in my yard. Is it to late to plant Peonies? What is the procedure for planting?

Thanx!
Joan I.

I love Peonies. I think most gardeners do. They certainly are one of the most dearly loved perennials in gardens. They are loved not only for their beauty and fragrance but because there are trouble-free plants with longevity. Peonies also thrive almost anywhere in the country, some even survive a zone 2 winter BRRRR! A Peony if happy, can bloom for 100 years or more with very little attention.

The time to plant Peonies is actually now, but you probably won't see alot of blooms for up to 3 years after planting. A peony prefers a sunny location with well-drained soil. Good air circulation around the plant is also important. This helps peonies avoid their only serious fungal disease problem, Botrytis.

To plant the Peony(ies) dig a hole to a depth of between 12 to 18 inches. Using a garden fork loosen the sides of the planting hole as well. Than, add a shovelful of compost and a handful of an all-purpose granular fertilizer, to the bottom of the hole and then add another shovelful of the original soil. Build up a "cone" inside the planting hole and then position the peony root on top of the cone with its roots hanging down the sides. Be sure that the growth nodes or "eyes" found at the base of the old stem are no more than about 2 inches below the soil surface.

Every year apply a bit of all-purpose fertilizer and a top-dressing of compost to keep the peony(ies) feeling good. Also do not mulch around your Peony plant(s), this can cause the plant to "think" it has been planted too deeply and can result it in the plant not having very many blooms or none at all.

Good luck and thanks for the great question!

Keep on gardening!

Annie~

If you would like to see your gardening question featured here on the MyCoupons blog, simply submit to annie@mycoupons.com. One will be chosen from all submitted.

Fall Planting...

mycoupons | 03 September, 2007 06:00

Hi there my gardening friends!

Alas, as the days get cooler and shorter you know the end of the garden's time, is nearing soon. However as gardeners, it seems that we are always forever looking ahead. Ahead to the next gardening season. With every Fall season, it always brings the thoughts and the expectation of what flowering blooms that we can enjoy this coming spring. Fall is knocking at our back gardening door, so right now is the time to start thinking and planting spring-blooming bulb gardens for this coming spring.

Here are some great tips for planning a spectacular bulb display for your garden this coming spring!

~~Sketch your garden bedding design on graph paper. Use colored pencils to get a better idea of what your color scheme will look like and what you want it to be.

~~Try a variety of shapes and colors based on your likings. I choose bulbs that bloom at different times to create season-long blooming.

~~Do not skimp on your bulb planting. The more bulbs the better it looks than planting a few sparse ones here and there.

~~Mix your bulbs in with summer-blooming perennials to help hide withering bulb flower foliage.

Here are some great online stores to order your spring bulbs for planting now.

Brecks.com - Shop now while their Big Bulb Sale is on. Save on tons of bulbs and then save more at checkout by getting $25 Off Orders $50 or More. Discount is automatic through link.

Gurneys.com - $20 Off $40 or more order! Discount is automatic through link.

JacksonandPerkins - Save up to 25% on premium bulbs now and then take 10% off your purchase with coupon code JSE at checkout!

Michiganbulb.com - Buy 1, get 1 FREE! Discount is automatic.

SpringHillNursery.com - Save $25 Off $50 or more order! Discount is automatic through this link.

BloomingBulb.com - Take 20% off your purchase with coupon code MCMYC202 at checkout!

Keep on gardening!

Annie~

A Mezmerizing Weekend....

mycoupons | 27 August, 2007 09:28

Hi there my gardening friends!

Normally on Mondays I answer gardening questions submitted by members. However, today I want to share with you a wonderful experience I had over the weekend and it does pertain to gardening.

When one thinks of gardening it usually generates thoughts of growing vegetables and herbs. To me at least, gardening is much more than that. Gardening is about life. Whether it is the plant life you've created by planting that seed in the soil or the life that God has created in the form of insects, specifically butterflies or our feathered friends that visit our gardens.

My weekend began late Friday night with a trip to our friend's home in a small town in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay.

Our friends decided to move away and trade the hustle & bustle of city life and a small home and neighbors only 15 feet away for a 4,000 square foot home on 5 acres in quaint and quiet surroundings about 2 years ago. Though our children have gone back and forth to see each other, we had never made the trek to their new home due to busy life. After being asked the ump-teenth time, we had decided this past weekend to get away and visit our friends.

When we arrived, I could see a world so different from what I had just left a few hours ago, even in the dark of night.

In the morning, I arose to the smell of delicious coffee and a scrumptious big breakfast. After eating, I excused myself and proceeded to then open the sliding glass door onto a wrap-around deck, that surrounded half the house. On this deck my eyes now see a world of a true garden.

There's a small handmade pond that our friends created containing large goldfish and frogs. The yard itself surrounded by woods and in the yard, a vegetable garden, peach trees, fig trees, apple trees, tons of different flowers and birdhouses

In this yard my friend also had a chain attached from her deck that ran a good length down her property. This chain had bird feeders of every kind and suet hanging.

My eyes could not stop taking in the sightings of many different kinds of birds this chain of feeders was attracting. Cowbirds, Chickadees, Gold Finches so yellow it was like seeing spots of gold. There were also Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, woodpeckers and many more that I can't name.

All of a sudden I hear a hummmmmmm and feel a whiz go by me. What was that? Thinking it may have been a gigantic bee, I now notice that my friend, we call her Me-Maw, has not one but several hummingbird feeders. These feeders are spaced about 5 feet away from each other going around the whole length of this wrap-around deck.

This hummmmm I had heard was the amazing ruby-throated hummingbird. Something I have not seen in many, many years. I was ecstatic just to see one of these tiny creatures, but there was not just one hummingbird, Me-maw's yard was full of them! As we sat on the deck surrounded by these feeders, I was mesmerized by the tons of hummingbirds zipping by us. These tiny feathered friends, not only captured my attention but my heart. I didn't care it was 108 degrees outside, I sat there in a chair for several hours captivated by them.

One female hummingbird even hovered in front of my DH and I. She was only a hand-width away from our faces. She hovered in front of us as though she was looking into our eyes and saying "Hi, you're new here". I could do nothing but shed tears of happiness as it was nothing that I had ever experienced before.

At one point Me-maw's hubby Be-Pop gets up out of his chair and runs inside and quickly returns with a pair of binoculars. Handing us the binoculars, he says "Quick, look into the sky through the binoculars at that pair of big birds up there". Ok, "why I ask, what kind of birds are they?" Be-pop tells us they are American Bald eagles. We look through the binoculars and see the most majestic birds ever.

I could go on about my visit, but there is just not enough time or space. All I can say is that after being there and spending time there, I did not want to come back home. I didn't want to leave my hummingbird friends who had captured my heart. I had seen a garden that to me was truly a garden in my definition of it.

We returned home late last night. As we are unpacking the trunk, there underneath our belongings, we find hummingbird feeders that Me-maw put in there with us not knowing. Attached, a note saying "Here's to starting another garden, a garden of feathered friends"!

Thanks Me-Maw and Be-Pop for a weekend that taught and gave me so much. It will live with me forever!

Annie~

Ornamental Onions....

mycoupons | 20 August, 2007 06:00

Hi there gardening MyCouponers!

Our gardening question this week, was submitted by Martha L. from Mass.

Hello Annie,

I've just started planning my garden for next year. Someone mentioned growing Alliums in my flower garden that gets alot of sun. Do you know anything about Alliums and is it an easy to grow plant?

Thanks for any help
Martha L.

Hi there Martha!

Oh yes, I love alliums. Alliums is one perennial that is a must have in the flower garden to ensure continuing color and beauty after the spring-flowering bulbs have faded. They provide great color during those late spring months. Flowering from May to July.

Alliums come in all shapes and colors and are so very easy to grow. They are great if you do fresh cut flower arrangements with flowers from your garden.

Alliums will grow well in any sunny location with well-drained soil. Plant them in September or October about 8 to 10 inches deep and make sure you plant multiples for a great effect.

I have white, purple and blue Alliums planted in one of my flower gardens with summer bloomers such as bachelor's buttons, coreopsis, sweet William, foxglove, baby's breath and red hot poker.

You can find Alliums either in your local garden center or online at such places as DutchGardens.com , HenryFields.com , Gurneys.com or MichiganBulb.com

Good luck and thanks for the great question!

Keep on gardening!

Annie~

If you would like to see your gardening question featured here on the MyCoupons blog, simply submit to annie@mycoupons.com. One will be chosen from all submitted.

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A Mezmerizing Weekend....

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