Smoothie Land

Hi ya’ll! I was going through some photos on my ole computer today and came across some of the photos I took this last spring when my flowers were in full bloom and before the heat burned a lot of stuff. I don’t know about ya’ll, but we did not get near enough rain. Anyway, here are the photos, enjoy!

Blackspot (Diplocarpon rosae) is a bad fungus your roses can get. It starts off as a small blackspot, turning the leaf part around it yellow, and can eventually spread to the entire plant.  You can catch it as soon as it starts to keep it from spreading by cutting off the infected parts of the plants and disposing of them by burning them, do not let them fall to the ground.  The fungus will work its way back onto the plant.  You can prevent it by treating it with a fungicidal soap and liquid sulphur, both of which you can find at your local nursery. (Always follow the instructions on the label.)  You can use a home remedy that works well: in one quart of water, add a few drops of dish soap and then about a teaspoon and a half of baking soda and spray your roses with it. Be sure to reapply whatever treatment you choose after every rain. Also, water your plants first thing in the morning to give the leaves a chance to dry. The roses having wet leaves will help it spread. If you do not have roses but want to get some, there are a wide variety of disease-resistent roses. Just visit your local nursery and they will be happy to help you out. You can tell them Miss Crystal sent you. It won’t do you any good, but you can tell them that anyway.

 Happy Gardening,

Miss Crystal

When you are planting your fall bulbs, you have to keep that different type bulbs get planted at different depths.  For example, you want to plant your crocus at 2 – 4 inches, lilies at 4 – 8 inches, tulips at 4 – 6 inches, and hyacinth at 4 – 6 inches.  The packaging should tell you at what depth to plant the bulb. If not, you can consult www.bulb.com or your local nursery. Planting depth is important, because if they get planted too deep they may bloom late or not at all. On the other hand, if they get planted too shallow, they could get damaged by winter weather.  If you live in the southern states, you may have to dig up your bulbs and winterize them in the refrigerator for a few weeks to simulate a good winter. Otherwise, they may not bloom every year.

When you are selecting plants for your garden, take into mind what shape the bed will be, what color scheme do you want to use, the height of the plants you would like to use, whether or not the soil needs to be amended and whether or not it is a shaded or sunny area.  Then you need to consult a local nursery to determine what hardiness zone you are in and what plants are right for your zone. (I am in zone 7 and my mother is in zone 8.) Also, remember that plants and bushes that flower are not the only beautiful ones out there. I get a great deal of pleasure at the different colors of foliage I have in my yard. Putting in flower beds and gardens takes plenty of planning to have a successful garden. There is no rush, take your time and add a little bit at a time until you are satisfied.

I have found the perfect plant for anyone who likes vines and groundcover. It is an Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine. I put these in my garden, knowing they spread, but daggum, I had no idea just how much they would take over.  I do love the green ones and also the Blackey Sweet Potato Vine, which is purple in color, and makes a wonderful contrast to the green ones.  As of now, I have the green ones in the ground and the Blackey’s in a hanging basket. Next year, I will have them growing side by side down the hillside in my front yard. I will post some pictures of my Blackey’s when I take some tomorrow.

Despite popular belief, you do not have to put all of your plants into regular pots. As a matter of fact, you can use just about anything, as long as you can drill drainage holes into the bottom of it. I have used old coffee cups, galvanized buckets, coffee containers, bricko blocks, tires, and old water heaters cut in half (I did not do this, but my Granny had one in her front yard and had Moss Rose, portulaca Grandilflora, growing in it). Be creative in what you use and you can get a great container theme going. I do like terra cotta pots if I use regular pots, but my favorite thing to do with them is to find a place that is hilly, dig out a little spot to set the terra cotta pot into on its side, like it has fallen over, and plant any vines I can find, have them growing out of it and down the hill. They are especially beautiful if it is petunias growing from them. I hope this helps you brainstorm on your own garden a bit!

When pruning your houseplants, remember that you can really do it at anytime of the year, although spring is said to be the best time to prune by experts.  To start with, take off all of the dead leaves and stems. Trim the wood close to a joint where a branch has been or where one has started to grow from it. Next, determine what parts have grown out further than what you would like. You can stand back and eyeball it.  Remember, you do not have to take all of it off at once. Take a little off and then wait awhile, come back and eyeball it again. Some plants get too many branches on the inside of them. They look tangled and can choke the plant out as well as keep light from getting into the bottom leaves. You can take these off flush with the branch they are growing from.  This is pruning for most houseplants. There are other plants like palms that need to just be cut flush with the dirt. A new shoot will sprout from the roots.

Making your own compost is really very easy, you just have to have the patience to wait until it is done to use it. To do this, you need to save all of your grass clippings, eggshells, potato peelings, coffee grinds, etc. (Do not use meat, meat products, or dairy products because these can create an odor and attract critters.) Find a spot not too far from the house, and in a spot where sun can get to it without drying it out. You can either make the pile on the ground or buy equipment especially for keeping it stirred up and aerated. The biggest thing is to turn it regularly and keep it moist.

I had a comment on one of my other blogs today that prompted me to write this post. There are many people who have a hard time growing most houseplants. They either over-water them or they under-water them. My best tip for houseplants is to stick your finger into the dirt up to your first knuckle, if you feel moisture, do not water. If it feels dry, give it just enough water until the water begins to run out of the bottom holes into the water catcher.  That’s another point I would like to make, before you ever put your plants into a pot, make sure that you have drainage holes and put rocks over those holes so the dirt does not run out or compact and stop it up. Happy Gardening!

Miss Crystal

Today I am going to tell you about a cheap treatment for repelling mosquitoes and those aggravating biting flies. It is also a good repellent for moles. I use mothballs to control the mosquitoes and flies. Before I put it out, the “skeeters” (as I call ‘em) will eat you alive and then the flies will tote what is left away, lol. You cannot even set down a drink without them getting into it. Put out some mothballs (and then water the area) and see what the difference is the next day. I can actually sit outside without bug spray on and do not have to cover up my drink.  Be sure to buy several boxes (especially if they are on sale) because it is hard to tell how much it will take. Two boxes should cover a small backyard. Just be sure you do not handle the mothballs with your hands, open the box and start spreading them by shaking them out.  You will have the odor of mothballs in your yard, but I can handle that as opposed to getting eatin’ alive!