We had too many tips to confinethis post to just one day . Here are six more of the 13 bestgarden tipsof 2013 . What did you check over the year ?
8)Beware of free plant . Martin Stern , the knowledgeable and creative proprietor ofSquire House Gardensin Afton wrote an clause in 2013 , which we called “ Too Much of a Green Thing . ” It blab out about that ok line between plant that are level-headed and hardy , and those that are just too belligerent . Martin ’s advice for home gardener : Be leery anytime hoi polloi offer you free plants . No matter how pretty , they may be inclined to spread .
9)Choose annuals that like the coldness . Michelle Mero Reidel , photographer , Master Gardener andwinter - seed expert , drop a line about15 Frost - Friendly Annualsin our September / OctoberNorthern Gardener . She offer some wonderful proffer of plants that can take the frigidness and will stay on to bloom and look pretty well into the fall . Some of her pick : Verbena , calibrachoa and nemesia .
This photo was taken in November. It looks a little rough, but the verbena is still blooming.
10)Consider hydroponic fertilizers for semen starting . Also in September / October , writerMeleah Maynardintroduced us to David Nackerud , a Minneapolis nurseryman who set forth 1,000 or more plants from seed each year . This guy knows a minute about seed starting ! He recommends using fertilizers immix for aquacultural gardens on your seedlings . Brands he suggest let in FloraGrow , FloraBloom and FloraMicro .
11)Make your own potting grease for peachy results . Susy Morris contributes picture taking toNorthern Gardenerfrom time to clock time and also blogs atChiot ’s Run . Susy is a do - it - yourself gallon and makes her own potting soil . I examine her mixture of two component peat moss , two office vermiculite and one part louse castings in 2013 for seed start and was stunned by how well my indoor seed - start worked . Here’sa videoin which Susy gives her formula for a container pot soil , which is a mutant on the formula I used .
12)Plant oaks for wintertime pursuit . NurserymanLeif Knechthas long advocated planting oaks for winter interest . Oaks tend to hold their leaves well into the wintertime , adding a russet proportion to an otherwise white and gray landscape . Check out the cover of our November / December issue to see how beautiful oak tree can be .
Oak leaves persist into winter, adding a russet color to frosty days.
13)Never halt learning . We larn this over and over . No matter how long you have gardened , how many experience you ’ve had or books you ’ve read , there is always something new to get word . We hope 2014 will be a great year in your garden , one fill with joy , peace and the upheaval of new discoveries .
What was your best garden lesson of 2013 ?
Happy New Year !
