Bless My Bloomers |
Fittingly, the flowers that bear her name burst with intricate, delicate beauty in a rainbow of colors, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. The National Garden Bureau named iris as its perennial plant of the year. More than 3,000 years ago, King Thutmose III of Egypt returned from the conquest of Syria with irises for his garden. To the Egyptians, the three petals represented faith, wisdom and valor. In modern irises, the petals stand upright while the three adjoining sepals, known as “falls,” droop downward. The shape of the iris inspired the fleur-de-lis, a design often found on flags and coats of arms. The most popular garden iris today is the German or bearded iris. The latter name comes from the thick, bushy “beards” that appear on the sepals and attract pollinators. “By careful selection of bearded iris varieties, a gardener can enjoy a remarkable range of colors and a bloom season that extends for weeks,” Trinklein says. Some bearded irises bloom again in the summer or fall. Irises grow easily. They need at least eight hours of direct sun and a well-drained garden loam. Transplant at any time, although August to mid-October is preferred. Divide clumps when blooming declines—every three to four years under normal conditions. Reduce the size of the clump by removing several small divisions, leaving part of the clump in the ground, or by digging the entire clump. Replant a few large rhizomes. “Because of their hardiness and beauty, irises are among the most shared plants of gardeners,” Trinklein says. “Relatively few iris are sold in commerce, since most gardeners get them free from friends and neighbors.” Propagate irises by dividing their fleshy rhizomes. A propagule must have at least one growing point (fan) attached in order to survive. Expose the top third of the rhizome to the sun when planting. Shallow planting is best. Space 12-24 inches apart. Plant closer for more color impact. When planting closely, divide every two to three years. Water rhizomes immediately after planting. For the National Garden Bureau, 2020 is not just the Year of the Iris. The year also marks the nonprofit’s centennial. NGB founder James Burdett’s background as a journalist and advertising manager for a seed company helped him appreciate the role of the media in public education. He pioneered the idea of enlisting horticultural writers and broadcasters for mass education to increase the number of gardeners. Follow NGB on Facebook at facebook.com/nationalgardenbureau(opens in new window) or on Twitter at twitter.com/NatGardenBureau(opens in new window). Photo available for this release: https://extensiondata.missouri.edu/NewsAdmin/Photos/stock/plants/iris.jpg(opens in new window) Bearded iris. Photo by Andrey Korzun via Wikimedia Commons. Shared under a Creative Commons license (BY-SA 3.0). Writer: Linda Geist
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My husband and I always look forward to Spring and planting potatoes. Over the years we learned many things, such as when to put potatoes in, how to plant etc. In this blog I will give you some insight on potatoes.
Plant by St. Patrick's Day? We always try to plant by St. Patrick's Day but many times the garden isn't ready to be tilled or dealt with. Having a day to aim for planting potatoes gives us the insight that winter is about over and we really will have Spring and planting time. It is best however to plant in March as we get to reap the benefits of new potatoes when the first green beans are being picked. Which direction do you plant potatoes? After a few years of planting them differently we have learned it doesn't matter if you put the eyes up or down. They all grow basically the same. Sometimes it takes a little longer to see the leaves poke through but eventually they all will grow towards the light. How many potatoes per hill? Growing up I was taught to plant 2 potatoes per hill, but again with years of trial and error this is not necessarily true. However, I have found that the hills with two potatoes will produce a few more potatoes than the hills with one. Mulch or no mulch? This is a big deal to me. I have tons of oak trees in my yard and mulch them down every year, thus I believe in mulching. We tried something different this year, instead of digging holes to make hills for potatoes, my husband dug a trench. We put potatoes in the trench trying to space evenly then covered the trench with leaf mulch. As the mulch compacts down we throw more mulch on top. We used to use straw but straw is expensive and the leaves in our yard are free. When the potatoes are ready for harvest there is no digging to be done. You simply reach down and pull up the potato plant and pick the potatoes from the vine. This has made our life so easy. Hope you will try this too. Here is a recipe to try. Green Beans with Mushrooms and Potatoes 4 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds 1 medium onion, diced 3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into strips 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced 1 -1/2 lbs. green beans, 1" pieces 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Salt as needed In a stockpot over medium heat, warm, the oil. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute, then add onion and saute until light brown. Add the potatoes, stir, and fry for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 1 minute longer. Add the beans, spices and salt and stir to blend. Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Continue boiling to cook off nearly all of the liquid. Makes 8 servings On this snowy and chilly day of January, I start dreaming about the spring and what I am going to do different with my gardens this year. Many things are taken into consideration when I ponder over the next years garden. Here are a few of the things I think about from year to year. First of all I get out my garden journal from the prior two years and take a look at where we planted what. My husband and I have a tendency to move things around to get a better harvest. We have learned an awful lot about gardening in our 40+ years together. Looking at our layouts for the prior two years gives us insight as to which crop does better in which location. I also take into account the variety of vegetable and how great or not so great the yield was. Sometimes we bomb on a variety and other times we find a new one to try that is outstanding. This is all trial and error on our part. We look at the garden areas and decide if we will need to trim tree branches back to allow more sunlight and which ones will be trimmed. Usually we take a soil sample and have it analyzed to see what we need added to improve our soil, thus improve our yields. I then hit the many seed catalogs that bombard my mail box this time of year and read up on new and different varieties. Usually I try one or two new varieties and many times I try something totally different. How else will I know if I like it or not, and who knows I may find a new vegetable to add to my table. Unfortunately then comes the wait for spring and getting our hands in the dirt. There is something to be said about playing in the dirt. I love the way the soil feels, enjoy the bugs and worms, and knowing that we will have another successful garden. Happy dreaming to all! This is the time of year I like to start planning for the garden. Have you ever had an herb garden? There are many things to consider when planting an herb garden.
Herbs grow well just about anywhere that has at least 6 hours of sunlight. However their are some herbs that tolerate shade. Keep this in mind when picking a spot for your herbs. Herbs also don't like getting their feet wet for any length of time. Good drainage is a must if you wish to be successful. My advice is to pick a spot as close to the kitchen as possible if you plan on using your herbs for cooking. I have planted my herbs in more than one spot over the years and have found that planting in large pots works well for me. Right outside my backdoor is an open area that gets plenty of sunlight and I move my pots out every spring and bring my herbs back to life. Thyme, oregano, marjoram, mint and lemon balm are all herbs that keep well in pots over the winter if moved to the garage. Over the years I have seen many different herb gardens, one of my favorites is at the Ozarks Folk Center in Arkansas. Herbs are woven in among the walkways and the aroma is heavenly. Find your niche and enjoy the aroma of fresh herbs in your yard. Kale is very good for you and tolerates cooler temperatures very well. I have many kale recipes, here is one of our favorites. Kale with Feta and Olives 2 lbs. kale, stemmed and torn into pieces 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided 1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, for , garnish 10 kalamata olives, pitted and halved, for garnish Put the kale into a stockpot, add 1/4 cup of water, cover, and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain in a colander and set aside to cool. In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm 1-1/2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and saute for 8-9 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic, stir, and saute for 30 seconds. Add the kale and the remaining oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and vinegar. Uncover the skillet, sprinkle the kale with the lemon-vinegar mixture, and remove from heat. Transfer the kale to a serving dish and garnish with the feta cheese and olives. Makes 4 servings.  Rain is so nice this time of year, especially if you are a Fall gardener. My husband and I were fortunate enough to get our Fall garden planted and up before the rain began. Our lettuce looks very nice thanks to the cooler temperatures. This is the time of year that is also bittersweet as we use the last of our fresh tomatoes and the spent plants are being pulled up and hauled to the compost pile. Our freezer is over loaded with produce, broth etc. The shelves in the basement are full of tomatoes, salsa, pizza sauce, green beans among many other garden items. We have our potatoes in the the cool as well as squash. Aside from some very warm temperatures this years harvest is rated as one of our best. All of our hard work has paid off and we can reap the benefits all winter long. When the temperatures are below freezing and perhaps snow on the ground I will look back on our hard work and be thankful for our garden.
This seems so early for the Dog Days of Summer, believe we usually have to wait until August. The good part about all this warmth is the tomatoes are thriving as is the okra and peppers. They all seem to love the heat. Unfortunately the crops that love water and a little cooler have died out. I really can't complain about the garden as we have had a great crop of potatoes, cabbage, beans, squash and cucumbers but boy the late frost didn't provide us with much fruit. We lost the plums and half the cherries, however, the grapes and apples look good. I guess every gardener is at the mercy of mother nature. Hoping the Fall temperatures will be more per usual and the late garden we will plant can thrive. Hope your gardens are providing ample vegetables for you to enjoy.  Here is a recipe to try, it is an oldie.
Baked Dried Corn serves 8 1 cup dried corn 3 cups milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoon sugar 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoon butter Grind corn in food grinder or blender. Combine with milk and allow to stand 1/2 hour or more. Add salt, sugar, and eggs. Mix well. Pour into a buttered 1 quart casserole dish. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.  This year has been a tough year for our broccoli plants. We got them out early, and they were flourishing, then the dry weather. No matter how much we watered they haven't produced any florets. Our gardening friends nearby have the same problem. What to do with big beautiful leaves and no florets you ask? Don't just throw them to the chickens or put them in your compost pile, cook with them.
My husband Jim and I decided we would eat the leaves. To our surprise we found the leaves to be very tender and have a good flavor. There are many recipes for broccoli leaves, but we eat them sauteed just like we make our kale. Use the more tender leaves, wash, chop and cook in a little butter or oil, add garlic, pepper and cayenne. The leaves are packed with vitamins A, K and C. Another good way to use your broccoli leaves is to make broccoli leaf chips just like you make kale chips only use broccoli leaves instead of kale leaves. Wash leaves, I tear into smaller pieces and take out the large stem down the middle of the leaf. The stem can be tough when cooked. I put the leaf pieces in a large zip plastic bag and add olive oil, salt ( if you use it), garlic and parmesan cheese . Zip the bag shut, shake well to coat the leaf pieces. Bake in a 425 degree oven until crisp. This only takes a few minutes, you need to watch them closely. They make a great snack. Hope you find many new uses for your broccoli leaves.  Gardening is such a wonderful hobby. What a great feeling to first feel the earth between your fingers, then hoping all the seeds and plants you just put out will produce the result you intended. My husband and I mostly do vegetable gardening as we like to have fresh fruits and vegetables and to know what our food contains. With all the medical issues around and preservatives etc. in many packaged items, it is great to know where my food came from and how it was preserved. When the weather has been cooperative and our plants thrive I can freeze, can and dry enough vegetables and fruit to get us through until the next season. Knowing we have food to survive gives us some peace of mind. I will be the first to say it is a lot of hard work tending to a garden, picking vegetables and fruits, preparing for preservation then the actual preservation. My mothers saying was no one ever died of a little hard work. There is a gratification knowing our hard work and diligent efforts have provided for us. We are already reaping the benefits of this years garden with lettuce, onions, chard, kale and fresh herbs. Can't wait til tomatoes, squash and beans are ready. Hope your gardens be they flower, herb or vegetable flourish this year. Just a note to remind everyone the Phelps County Master Gardeners and the Master Naturalists plant sale is this Saturday, May 12th from 7 a.m. until 12 p.m. We will be located at the Rolla Downtown Farmers Market. Herbs, trees, natives and flowers are a few of the many items that will be at the plant sale. See you there!
Please save your clean pots as we will be having a pot swap in May. |
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