One of the many benefits of going to a University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener class is getting plant starts.

Harriet Bain, our propagation instructor March 8, 2010 demonstrated how to use No. 1 rooting powder, which gives most plants a nice head start.

Rooting powder is simple to use; dip the wet end of a plant cutting in root powder poured into a separate cup; then place cutting in a pot of good starter mix. Water well.

This lovely selection of potted plant starts includes bay leaf cuttings, basil seedlings, all spice seeds, green pepper starts (and a plant whose name I forgot.)

If they all do well, they'll be ready to be savory Mother's Day gifts. Ever had fresh-dried bay leaves in a stew or soup? Nothing quite like fresh-dried.

Besides being good Mother's Day gift ideas, with a little care these plants will keep on giving. It's a little early  to get peppers and basil started in Missouri but I have sunny windows; as long as the cats don't mistake basil for catnip....

Oh, and a fig tree start. No, not native to Missouri; needs to be mulched and grown in a secluded garden spot. I'll worry about what to do if the cutting makes it but just think - figs!!

Charlotte
http://www.bluebirdgardens.com
Making life easier. Custom quilts, gifts, gardening...

Custom Quilts and Gifts Facebook Fan Page
http://www.facebook.com/bluebirdgardens.com

Bluebird Gardens Etsy Shop
http://www.etsy.com/shops/bluebirdgardens

Chirp!
http://www.twitter.com/bluebirdgardens

It was sunny but bitterly cold this weekend when I went on garden rounds, checking birdhouses, picking up limbs and just enjoying being in sunshine.

Although it was cold even birds and frogs were out in force; I laughed walking back to my house because of the noise spring peeper frogs were making - they masked nearby highway sounds!

Chickadees, usually the first birds to sing after new year, were hopping between bird feeders and Tufted Titmice cracking open sunflower seeds sitting on nearby tree branches. Everyone seems to get along in early spring.

Several red male cardinals, and four deer also showed up at sunset, although spring peepers stopped their courting sounds when I got close; guess even frogs like to keep their courtship private.

It's too early to be doing much work in the garden but I was reminded why I plant crocus bulbs in fall; I found a lovely yellow crocus bulb (photo) blooming among fall leaves, the first of the year.

Spring really IS just around the corner! Anything blooming yet in your yard and garden?

 

 

Charlotte
Gardening to Distraction

http://www.bluebirdgardens.com
Making life simpler: custom quilts, gifts, gardening...

Custom Quilts and Gifts at Bluebird Gardens on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bluebirdgardens

Bluebird Gardens Shop on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/bluebirdgardens

Chirp!
http://www.twitter.com/bluebirdgardens

Eastern Bluebirds are lovely birds; I watched two of them earlier this winter eating smooth sumac seed pods off my back porch, their blue feathers lovely against white snow.

A little larger than a sparrow, Eastern Bluebirds live off garden insects and help keep insect populations in check.

Early March is the time in Missouri to get Eastern Bluebird nesting boxes in place so these lovely birds can settle in for one of their three yearly nestings.

Eastern Bluebirds were on the decline until a concerted effort by amateur bird enthusiasts put up nesting boxes and watched over them. The are the state bird for many states, including Missouri.

There's a bit of controversy over what is the best bluebird house to use.

In general, cedar homes with at least 7/8 inch walls and at least 4x4 inch floors seem to be the eastern bluebird's favorite nesting spots. Bigger the better.

I'm putting up Gilbertson PVC nest boxes along Bluebird Lane this year (that's Bartholomew "helping" in the garage)

To make Eastern Bluebirds most comfortable, install boxes at least 5 feet high facing away from the sun and prevailing winds, open to the surrounding area for easy fly-in access.

Some people prefer to mount nesting boxes on pipes in the ground; my eastern bluebirds have comfortably used nesting boxes on trees. Monitor to make sure sparrows and other birds don't move in.

There are a number of bluebird house kits you can make; get plans or buy from someone who makes them like KNWoodworks, who just shipped me several, and  pair them with one of our Singing Bluebirds and a Bluebirds book to wish someone happiness. Makes a great gift for spring occasions.

These lovely birds love mealy worms so if you want to see them closer, stock up on a supply and provide them in a bird feeding station close to a window.

My friend Bob McKune has some fabulous bluebird pictures (photo left) from his patient photo-taking off his deck; you'll find many of these wonderful photos throughout Bluebird Gardens.

That's one thing bird-watching definitely teaches, it pays to be patient!

What luck have you had putting up bluebird nest boxes? Do you enjoy bird-watching and have some tips to share?

Charlotte
http://www.bluebirdgardens.com
Making life simpler: custom quilts, gifts, gardening...

Bluebird Gardens on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bluebirdgardens

Bluebird Gardens Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/bluebirdgardens

Chirp!
http://www.twitter.com/bluebirdgardens

Remember hearing Purple Martins eat a ton of mosquitos every day so every garden needs a Purple Martin house?

Not so, according to the Purple Martin Conservation Association. The whole story about Purple Martins being natural mosquito predators was promoted by Purple Martin house manufacturers.

The campaign worked so well Purple Martins today are the only bird species to depend exclusively on manmade houses.

They eat insects but few to no mosquitos. If they eat anything interesting, these birds feed young insects and small rocks and glass pieces to help them digest.

After years of watching these birds in other yards, I bought a plastic purple martin house kit  this year I thought I could easily put together and install next to my pond in a cleared area. So much for that plan; even instructions for this relatively lightweight birdhouse recommends two people install it.

I may still make it.

I usually spot Purple Martins sitting on utility lines and in Bluebird Gardens mid March, their big wing span and long, double pronged tail marking the arrival of north America's largest sparrow.

Like hummingbirds, Purple Martins winter over in Brazil and make their way back in early spring through Florida. Fun to track their way back to North America; some weather forecasters now even show this map!

For many years Fort Leonard Wood, our neighbor to the southwest as the Purple Martin flies, celebrated the arrival of these lovely purple birds with Purple Martin Day on March 14.

Whether you celebrate or not, consider getting a Purple Martin house, either for yourself or to give as a gift. Pair it with a book on Purple Martins for a gift that will keep on giving all season.

If you're handy with wood, consider making a Purple Martin house. Some of the most interesting Purple Martin houses I've seen have been lovingly handmade as gifts.

Once Purple Martins decide they like the real estate, they will keep coming back. After centuries of peacefully co-existing, Purple Martins have little fear of people and make charming, very interesting neighbors.

Do you have Purple Martins in your garden? Any suggestions for the new Purple Martin fan?

 

Charlotte
http://www.bluebirdgardens.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bluebirdgardens
Custom Quilts, Gifts (and Gardening)

Bluebird Gardens on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/bluebirdgardens

Tweet!
http://www.twitter.com/bluebirdgardens

It was below zero and snowing when I spotted them in the corner of the retail center: lovely bags of red and yellow onion sets, and piles of inexpensive seed packets...

American Seed Co, has offered 10 cent seeds for years; this year they went up to 20 cents  but the usuals were still there: basil, lettuce, pumpkins, zinnias, nasturtiums, cherry tomatoes.

Last year,  I was so excited to find them, I planted cherry tomato seeds in cardboard egg cartons a bit too early. The teenage seedlings fell over and crowded each other before it was time to put them in the garden so I transplanted them to bigger pots thinking these are "cheap" seeds, some won't make it.

By the time it was frost free, they were still all there so I shared some as Mother's Day gifts and populated my vegetable garden. I didn't name each plant but I was tempted. We'd been through a lot to get to that point; every time I picked cherry tomatoes I could taste the warmth of it not being midwinter.

There are a number of other reputable companies that offer a wider variety of seeds, and more of them. But there's nothing quite like seeing those little packets waiting to go home,  holding the promise of spring.

 

What means spring to you?

Charlotte
Gardening to Distraction

http://www.bluebirdgardens.com

Bluebird Gardens on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bluebirdgardens

 

Chirp!
http://www.twitter.com/bluebirdgardens

Almost a year ago this February, I was given a basket full of moth orchids in pots.

They were lovely - pinks, peaches, pinks and whites, even chartreuse...and I panicked, trying to think about how I would explain their most likely demise.

A year later, all 8 moth orchids are in various stages of re-bloom, in spite of several falls; missing a couple of weekends of watering, and in another case a couple of weekends of over-watering. Not to mention periodic pats on leaves and nudges to the blooms by a curious cat.

What I've learned to love about moth orchids is how easy they are to care for and how long the blooms last - literally months. And once they're through, snipping the stem at a node encourages stem regrowth.

In terms of care, few plants are easier. I water mine on Sundays with 1/2 cup of lukewarm water and periodically check for bugs and give leaves a sponge bath. I've also given them diluted orchid food every 6 weeks or so.

Resting plants sit on a window sill with southern exposure during winter; in summer they spend several months on a shaded deck where they can get rain.

When they start to bloom, I move them into a room where I can enjoy them again.

So if you received a lovely moth orchid for Valentine's Day, enjoy. These lovely plants require very little care and will give you months, and years, of enjoyment.

Charlotte
http://www.bluebirdgardens.com
http://www.facebook.com/bluebirdgardens
http://www.twitter.com/bluebirdgardens
Custom Quilts and Gifts

Remember seeing Christmas cactus on sale after the December holidays?

I found some on sale at a local hardware store for 75 cents each and brought a couple of them home.

Not only were they budding almost a week after I settled them in a southwest window under a corn plant, (photo) but they bloomed again for Valentine's Day, a lovely unexpected gift!

I'm periodically surprised at people who say these plants are hard to grow. There are native to Brazil so they are not winter hardy; they need dispersed direct light from a southern window and 1/2 cup of water every 2-3 days.

With the right light and watering schedule, Xmas cactus will keep blooming almost all year around and make a lovely flowering gift any time of year. The Xmas cactus flowers look like long-necked orchids.

And what an extra treat, the Xmas cactus sale pots each had three different Christmas cactus colors: pink, red and white.

Charlotte
Bluebird Gardens
http//www.bluebirdgardens.com
Custom Quilts, Gifts (and Gardening)

Custom Quilts and Gifts on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/bluebirdgardens

Bluebird Gardens Etsy Shop
http://www.etsy.com/bluebirdgardens

Tweet!
http://www.twitter.com/bluebirdgardens