Gardening Tips

10 Free Gardening Products

2007-02-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

10 Free Gardening Products
Looking to buy some gardening accessories?
Go to
http://www.nursery-plants.info/garden-accessories/
by: Linda Gray
One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is finding alternative ways of coming up with the same, if not better, end result.....Household throwaways can be valuable to the alternate enthusiast. Here are ten recycleable ideas to make gardening a little less hard on the pocket!

1. Hedge clippings: Instead of burning or direct composting, beg, borrow or even buy, if the quantity justifies the price, an electric garden muncher.Branches up to an inch in diameter are posted into a slot and the machine munches them up into small chips. Spread these chips thickly around shrubs or fruit trees to help keep moisture in, and control the temperature of the soil.

2. Food Waste: All food waste must be composted.
Composting is becoming quite an art form, and special composting bins can be bought, or very simply made.There are many different theories and each gardener will find his or her preferred way. Keeping the compost fairly warm is the overall key to a good result. Or, if you're in no hurry, simply keep adding to a heap, and dig out the bottom when required. Sieve before using and the compost will be ready for planting small plants and even seeds.

3. Old carpets, large damaged cardboard boxes; and similar materials can be laid over the vegetable plot in autumn to help prevent those early spring weeds appearing. Spread over a whole patch and weigh down with stones or logs. Lift off on a sunny day in early spring a few days before digging.4. Paint trays: Keep old roller painting trays and similar containers for seed trays. Punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Add a little fine gravel before filling with seed compost. Seed trays shouldn't be deeper than 15cm.

5. Yogurt pots: All plastic yogurt or dessert pots can be washed and saved for re-potting seedlings. Make a hole in the bottom of each and add a little fine gravel before filling with compost or soil..

6. Glass jars: Glass jars with sealable lids are excellent for storing seeds, beans and peas for planting next year. (Safe from mice as well) After washing the jars, dry in the oven to remove all traces of moisture before storing your seeds. Collect dark glass jars, or wrap paper round clear jars to prevent seeds being damaged by light.

7. Ice Lolly sticks: Make perfect row markers in your seed trays or greenhouse beds. The wooden ones won't last for ever but you can at least write on them with pen, pencil or crayons!

8. Wire coat hangers: Make mini-cloches with discarded or broken wire coat hangers. Pull into a square shape. Place the hook in the soil and push down gently until the natural bend in the wire rests on top of the soil. Place another a short distance away in your seed bed to create two ends of a cloche. Now throw over a sheet of plastic and hold down with logs or stones.Note: this will work only when creating very small cloches.

9. Clear plastic: Keep any clear plastic containers that could be placed upside down over a plant. Cut a mineral water bottle in half to make two handy individual cloches. Large sheets of clear plastic from packaged household items are fine for throwing over mini coat hanger cloches.

10. Aluminium bottle tops: Keep aluminium tops from milk or juice bottles, and also coloured foil around beer or wine bottles. Thread together to maka bird scarer. Simply thread with thick cotton and hang on your fruit bushes before the birds find the new fruits.

Look out for other tools for the garden from kitchen throwaways such as: old kitchen spoons and forks for transplanting tiny plants in the greenhouse. Leaky buckets for harvesting small quantities of potatoes, carrots etc; light wooden boxes for harvesting salads through the summer, and transporting pots etc;Keep an eye on that rubbish bag and turn today's throwaways into tomorrow's tools!

About The Author
Linda Gray is a freelance writer and, with her partner, has spent ten years renovating an acre of neglected woodland. With a growing family to feed 'off the land', frugal gardening has become second nature! Drop in at http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com for pots of gardening inspiration! This article was posted on June 19, 2004

Looking to buy some gardening accessories? Go to http://www.nursery-plants.info/garden-accessories/index.html

Growing Nostalgic "Old Roses" In Your Garden

2007-02-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Growing Nostalgic "Old Roses" In Your Garden
by: Simonetta Jensen

Visit http://nursery-plants.info/rose-bushes/rose-bushes.html for roses to buy for this spring

"Old Roses" Convey Time Honored Tradition In the 18th Century, the practice of tending rose bushes was popular and a handy source for young men to offer as gifts during courtship. These roses were not only beautiful to admire and richly fragrant but also highly symbolic of an unwritten and often unspoken language between admirers. In ancient times, some even believed that these roses contained medicinal properties.

Most of these "old roses" came from hardy shrubs that required moderate tending. Today's "old rose" varieties are also for the most part hardy but require consistent attention before you'll achieve a seasoned gardener's level of perfection. The category of "old roses" is from a hardy stock of rose bushes and climbers that were popular in the Victorian age. Most of these Victorian-age roses were imported from varieties that were first grown in Greece and Persia during the 15th Century. These aromatic roses are still highly popular in today's gardens since they grow well in several zones and don't require the same highly detailed attention as many hybrid roses. To select an "old rose" for your garden, begin by examining your garden area and figuring out what roses work in that area.

For instance, some "old roses" bushes work best as hedges while others prefer to crawl low as bed covers. Many climbers first look like small bushes but climb well up patios, sides of homes, and fences. Some other factors to think about when picking and arranging "old roses" are drainage, sunlight, shading, and insects. Most "old roses" must be watered very frequently on a daily basis. Sunlight is needed for about five hours a day for most "old rose" shrubs

About The Author
Copyright 2005 Simonetta Jensen. All rights reserved.Simonetta Jensen is the webmaster and operator of Roses ABC Inc which is a principal resource for information on roses and other flowers on the internet. For more info visit her archive of articles: http://www.rosesabc.com/ This article was posted on August 16, 2005

Visit http://nursery-plants.info/rose-bushes/rose-bushes.html for roses to buy for this spring

Video of how to Start a Nursery Business in Your Backyard!

2007-02-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

http://nursery-plants.info/free

Starting A Backyard Nursery Business for Profit! Video

2007-02-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

Starting A Backyard Nursery Business for Profit!
Get a FREE EBOOK that will help you get started in your own home based business in your backyard! Learn how the dirt farmer made $26,000 in 4 weeks selling plants from his front yard!

Click to view the website
http://www.nursery-plants.info/free

Looking for Ground Covers?

2006-08-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Ground covers are plants that quite literally help "cover the ground"! Boy that was tough! Anyway... These plants are very beautiful and important to a backyard landscape. They can help to prevent erosion, weed growth, unslightly views of the ground, as well as simply add beauty and fullness to any landscape. There are many to consider like...

Halliana Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Spurge
Dwarf Mondo Grass
Green Carpet Japanese Spurge
Silveredge Japanese Spurge
Liriope
Periwinkle
Purple Wintercreeper Euonymus
Virginia Creeper - This can be mistaken by novices as a poison ivy but it has 5 leaves not 3 like poison oak or ivy.
Barren Strawberry
Chameleon Plant
Creeping Wirevine
Big Ears Lambs Ears - Not really lambs ears for all you animal rights people! hahaha
Beacon Silver Lamium
Golden Anniversary Lamium
Orchid Frost Lamium
Pink Pewter Lamium
White Nancy Lamium
Big Blue Liriope
Spicata Liriope
Variegated Liriope
Golden Moneywort
Goldilocks Moneywort
Oriental Limelight
Illmuniation Periwinkle - I love the yellow leaves of this plant!
Candy Stripe Phlox
Emerald Blue Phlox
Buttered Popcorn Ranunculus
Silver Brocade
Silver Mound
Bigleaf Periwinkle

For more information on Ground Covers

visit http://www.nursery-plants.info/ground-covers/index.html

Still dry as A BONE!

2006-08-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

The ground here is so parched. I barely had any tomatoes this year, and my Dad's watermelons were so small. We are 30 inches behind in rain. Hopefully fall will be rainy and we will get some relief soon.

Dry as a Bone!

2006-06-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

I tilled a spot in the back yard for a garden and there was not any moisture in the ground at all! A dusty mess was what I really made. I hope we get some rain soon so that I can put out my tomato plants. Hopefully Sand Mountain will see some rain soon! Right now I am regulated to simply watering them in a pot on the back porch. Yesterday I planted some petunias in a couple of flower boxes for the back porch.

Preseason Garden Supply Sale

2006-03-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

Spring is just around the corner. Serious gardeners are dusting off their grow lights and getting ready to start seedlings - and they have supplies to buy! Gardener's Supply OWNS this season. They are the go-to place for all pregardening season products. From seedstarting kits to soils, they have it all and folks who buy this time of year know it. They are offering a Free Shipping off on orders of $55 or more promotion. This offer is good through 4/1/2006. Capitalize on this preseason garden sale! Use the search bar below

Parks Seed Company - Spring Offer

2006-03-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

Parks seed company has a nice spring offer going on right now for seed starting.

Deal: Free Park Seed Starting Tray with $20 Seed order
Expires: March 31, 2006
Coupon Code: freetray306a
Enter coupon code during Park Seed checkout process

Get the ParkSeed.com Free E-Newsletter Receive discount off your next Internet Order. Limited Time Offer.

Scholarship Opportunity For High School Seniors - Start A Nursery Business

2006-03-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

This is a great incentive for the older generation to share the love of gardening with the younger generation...

The $1,000 Somebody You Love College Scholarship

Start a nursery business... get your teen a college scholarship for $1000! Who is eligible?

You must be:

A High School Senior residing in the United States who will graduate high school in 2006.
Planning to pursue a degree at an accredited post secondary institution in the U.S.
Carrying a minimum 3.00 GPA at the end of your junior year of high school.
Note: Friends, or family of anybody associated with McGroarty Enterprises Inc. are not eligible to apply.

The application process is unique.

1. You must involve a parent, a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other mature friend or family member in this project. The purpose of the Somebody You Love College Scholarship is to pair the student with a mature adult they love, admire and respect. The idea is to allow the student and the adult to share some quality time together, while at the same time learn the art of plant propagation, share a laugh or two, and the joy of seeing roots on your first successful batch of propagated plants.

2. You have to build and successfully propagate a variety of plants using the "Simple Homemade Plant Propagation System". The system is very easy and affordable to build, Click on the above link for detailed instructions. It should cost you less than $20.00, maybe as little as $5.00 if you have some second hand materials you can use.

You and your chosen adult get to choose the plants you'd like to propagate. If you follow the links on the "Simple Homemade Plant Propagation System" page they will lead you to all of the plant propagation instructions you'll need to be successful.

(Hint) Don't over complicate a simple thing. Softwood cuttings done in late spring or early summer are the easiest to do. You can have rooted cuttings in just 2 to 4 weeks. But if you are currently a high school junior or even a sophomore and are planning to apply for this scholarship in the future, you are also welcome to try hardwood cuttings as well as any kind of seeds you can think of. (We can not guarantee that this scholarship will be offered after 2006, but we certainly hope to make it available each year.)

3. Take photos of the plants you propagate, as well as photos of you and your chosen adult enjoying the process. You can even send us some homemade video of you and your chosen adult enjoying this process. We'd love to see that, but please keep it short, no more than 15 minutes.

4. If you send digital photos please send prints as well. Do not send more than five photos.

5. Write an essay about what you successfully propagated, what you gained from the experience, and what your long term goals are. You should also share a few words of wisdom you garnered from your chosen adult. The essay should be 400 to 700 words.

Keep in mind, The Somebody You Love College Scholarship is more about you spending time with your chosen adult than it is horticulture. It is my sincere hope that as you venture off to school, your chosen adult will have learned a fascinating and rewarding hobby they can enjoy for a long time, and of course cherish the time they spent with you on this project.

The deadline to get your packet in is July 31, 2006. A recipient will be chosen before September 1, 2006.

Mail your entry to:

The Somebody You Love College Scholarship
McGroarty Enterprises Inc.
P.O. Box 338
Perry, Ohio 44081

Be sure to mention that Chris Chandler recommended you!

Thank you, and enjoy the experience.

-Mike McGroarty, President
McGroarty Enterprises Inc.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE!

Spring is In the AIR!

2006-03-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

Spring is in the air today! It is awesome weather. Sunny and warm, in the 70's, it should be a great day to get out and enjoy nature. The ground is still too cold for planting a garden but it wont be long now!

THE ULTIMATE plant propagation book!

2006-03-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

The Electronic version of THE ULTIMATE plant propagation book:

Free Landscape Plants! This E-book is an instant download, you can be reading it within minutes of placing your order.

ORDER THE COURSE HERE!

The E-book: "How to Start Your Own Money Making
Backyard Nursery This is also an instant download, you can read it this evening.

The DVD: "How to Sell Thousands of Dollars Worth of Plants from Home, Even if Your House is Surrounded by Garden Centers, Discount Stores, and Home Improvement Centers!" We send you this DVD by mail.

The DVD: "How to Start Your Own Money Making Backyard Nursery". This video is one hour and 40 minutes, just you and me talking business in my backyard nursery. We send you this DVD by mail.

The DVD: "How to Build Your Own Intermittent Mist System" Once again, this is just me and you talking as I explain in detail how to build and use an intermittent mist propagation system.

The Secret Directory of Wholesale Suppliers: These are my private wholesale sources that I use any time I need rooted cuttings of flowering shrubs for 54¢, Japanese Red Maples for 90¢ each or less, Flowering Dogwood trees for 60¢ each, or the best wholesale deal on containers, trays etc.

The Inside Secrets of the Rooted Cutting Business: My step by step guide to growing and selling rooted cuttings at home.

The E-mail course for Backyard Growers: This e-mail courses starts the day after you place your order and will help you get your Backyard Nursery off to a flying start. You will be slightly overwhelmed with all of the information that I am sending you. This course will guide and help you with suggestions on what plants seem to sell the best, and things to look out for as you establish your nursery.

Bonus Manual #1
"How to Make up to $465. a Day Working with Landscape Plants!" I used the information in this manual to provide for my family when he kids were small, often earning $1,500. a week in my spare time. Lot's of great info here. This is also an instant download, you can be reading it in minutes.

Bonus Manual #2
"How to Make up to $375. a Week Doing Yard Work in Your Spare Time". This is a great way to make a few hundred dollars any time you need extra money. This is also an instant download, you can be reading it in minutes.

Bonus Manual #3
"How to Design, Write, and Place Advertisements that Can Make You Rich". In this manual you will learn how I managed to sell $26,364. worth of $4.97 plants using a very simple, yet super powerful advertising strategy. This is also an instant download, you can be reading it in minutes.

Bonus #4
"The Backyard Growing System Compact Disk. This is a back up copy of all the digital products shown above.

Propagate plants at Free Plants
One Year Money
Back Guarantee!
You absolutely, positively must be satisfied or your
money will be refunded. No Questions Asked! It is the ultimate Garden book at Free Plants!

ORDER THE COURSE HERE!

Have A Green Thumb? Put Some in Your Palm too!

2006-02-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

DO YOU HAVE A GREEN THUMB? PUT SOME IN YOUR PALM TOO!

Who of you out there have the green thumb that can make even the shadiest garden look green, the rockiest earth look Eden-like, the hardest ground a fertile plantation? Well, for those garden magicians out there, that are looking to either make an extra buck or start a career, I recommend the eBook by Michael J. McGroarty. He can take you from start to finish on starting a backyard nursery business.

If you are a stay at home mom, or even a bank executive that just loves to garden, Michael's book about growing your own free plants, is a must read. Not only can you grow a huge amount of plants to sell with little overhead, but you will find that the gardening tips on plant propagation is valuable information for your own home garden.

I love his detailed plans on how to organize materials and propagating plants even in the smallest backyard. Then he goes into detail in how to go about selling your plants. And what is great is that there is no need for huge, expensive greenhouses, but just the basic tips to get your green thumb to greening your palm as well (with money that is)!

Click Here To Learn More About Starting Your Own Backyard Nursery!

Want to Plant Bulbs? Itching to view a bulb catalog? Try Dutch Gardens!

2006-02-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

Dutch gardens is a really cool place to look for bulbs. Their bulbs are grown in the place of some of my ancestory, Holland. Yes... my ancestors once wore wooden shoes. Thank God for Nike! Anyway, you will find that they offer a wide variety of bulbs from my beloved buttercups to Holland's own famous tulips!

They have an amazing array of GLADIOLUS! I love those plants. Their flowers are spectacular in late June and early July here in Alabama. In fact, the flowers are so numerous that the plants often fall over from the weight! I would recccomend staking these beauties before that happens.

To view their catalog click on the banner below..

Buttercups Peeping Up - It's Spring! Well... Almost!

2006-02-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

I looked out the window to see a welcome surprise this early in the year (February).. BUTTERCUPS! I love those little flowers. They spring up out of the cold ground before anything else and they announce to the world that spring is coming! BUT...

Old man winter still has his grip here in North Alabama.

It is in the mid 30's for high temps here and it looks like that will be the pattern for the upcoming weekend. Dan Satterfield at WHNT 19 in Huntsville, AL is predicting snow for this weekend, although we have heard that already and seen nothing but cold rain! As much as I love spring, one big snow would be great. We have a sled to pull my girls on and they don't remember the last snow we had that was a few years ago. By Wednesday though, Dan says it will warm back up to the 50's...giving my buttercups a chance to come back out after the "snow" :-))

Another up close shot of the buttercups here.

Order the Home Gardeners Problem Solver - Good Book

2006-02-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Good book answering the tough questions for home gardening...

Home Gardeners Problem Solver
This helpful book provides descriptions and remedies for hundreds of horticultural problems.Full ColorOver 400 PagesOnly garden book you will ever needGet one today.

Garden Accessories

2006-01-17T23:55:00.000-08:00

For a look at some interesting Garden Accessories, go to http://www.nursery-plants.info/garden-accessories/index.html.

Plant Seeds Indoors to Jumpstart Your Summer Garden

2006-01-17T23:27:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to think about getting certain seeds started indoors... take a look at this article...

Plant seeds indoors to jumpstart your summer garden
By GLORIA BALLARD
Staff Writer

Old Man Winter may be settling in, but dedicated gardeners can't help but think about spring.

Of course January is much too early to plant anything outdoors — even early-growing, cool-season vegetables need warmer conditions than are likely through February. But starting seeds indoors can give you a jump on the spring growing season. Now is the time to consider what you want to plant, and to pull out a calendar to determine the best planting times.

Timing is important when you're starting seeds indoors, but if you start gathering your supplies, you'll be ready to plant when the time comes.

Depending on the extent of your planting project, you can outfit your indoor space with all kinds of fancy equipment. Or, if you're experimenting with just a few seeds, you can get by with a fairly simple setup. Many nurseries stock equipment, and mail-order garden catalogs carry various seed-starting kits, germinating trays, heat mats, light stands, soil mixes, transplanting pots and other ''must-have'' items. Some do-it-yourselfers rely on supplies as simple as cardboard egg cartons for starting transplants indoors from seeds.

One must-have is a good seed-starting growing medium, preferred to potting soil. You can purchase a high-quality, sterilized, germinating medium, or you can make your own. A University of Tennessee Extension ''recipe'' combines one-third peat, one-third sand and one-third rich, finely textured, loamy soil. Sterilize the mixture by heating it to 180 degrees for 30 minutes in the oven, according to the extension's publication Growing Vegetable Transplants for Home Gardens. ''This will require moistening the mixture, placing it in a shallow pan and using a thermometer.''

A heat mat, which is placed underneath a seed flat to provide warmth, gives an added boost to germinating seeds, says Paul Thompson at All Seasons garden center in Green Hills.

If you don't have a greenhouse, the biggest challenge to growing seedlings is providing sufficient light. Fluorescent lights, placed just inches above the seed trays and left on for about 16 hours each day, can provide necessary light for tiny seeds to grow into sturdy plants ready for transplanting.

Timing

You can grow annual flowers for decorative borders, as well as herbs and vegetables for cooking, from seeds started indoors. Depending on what you want to grow, some seeds should be started four to eight weeks before outdoor planting time. Instructions on the back of the seed packet indicate how much time is needed to grow sturdy transplants and when they can be transplanted into the garden.

Pay attention to the expected last-frost date; in Middle Tennessee that expected date is in early April. Loose-leaf lettuce, for instance, grows best in the cool days of early spring, so seeds can be started indoors about six weeks before then, according to garden writers Felder Rushing and Walter Reeves in their book, Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Book. Seeds started indoors in the next couple of weeks should be ready to set out in the garden as sturdy transplants about mid-March.

How-to

Once you've worked out the timing and have all the necessary equipment, you're ready to plant.

Fill the container you are using to germinate the seeds with damp, sterile germinating mix. Rushing and Reeves suggest moistening the soil in a bucket and using the moistened soil to fill the starter trays or containers. Sow the seeds according to package directions; some seeds should be lightly covered with soil, some should not.

Cover the container with clear plastic and place it in a warm spot (68 to 75 degrees) in a sunny window or, ideally, underneath a fluorescent light. Relying on the light from even the sunniest window in your home may not be enough during winter for growing strong seedlings, says Thompson at All Seasons garden center.

The soil in the germinating container should be kept moist but not soggy; use room-temperature water. Once seeds have sprouted, make sure they continue to get plenty of light.

When tiny seedlings begin to emerge, poke a few holes in the plastic covering to let air reach the plants, a little bit at a time. Allowing air to enter too suddenly may cause a condition called damping-off (see related story), a fungal disease that will wipe out every seedling in the container, writes Eileen Powell in The Gardener's A-Z Guide To Growing Flowers From Seed to Bloom.

When the seedlings develop their second set of true leaves, it's time to transplant them to larger containers. Fill the cleaned, sterilized containers (such as 4-inch plastic pots) with damp potting mix and poke a hole in the mix, then carefully remove the seedlings from the original container and transfer them to the larger pot, then gently firm the mix around the roots.

Water immediately. Keep them out of bright light for a couple of days to allow them to recover from the shock of transplanting, then allow the plants to grow under lights, making sure they receive consistent water. Garden sources suggest applying half-strength fertilizer twice a week for the first three weeks, then full-strength every 10 to 14 days.

When outdoor planting time gets close, the plants should be ''hardened off'' before they are subjected to harsher outdoor conditions. This process should begin several days before planting time. Garden writer Judy Lowe suggests placing the plants in a protected area outdoors during the day in a shady spot, then bringing them to an unheated area indoors at night. As planting time nears, gradually move them into an area where they receive more exposure and leave them out all night.

''Depending on the temperatures, hardening off can take as little as a week or as long as 10 to 14 days,'' she writes.

This Article Online from the Tennessean.com

I found this seed starting kit at Gurney's Seed Company website and what I like about it is that it is small and can fit it any kitchen window sill and get you to a fast start...

Start Your Own Backyard Nursery Business!

2006-01-17T23:11:00.000-08:00

If you have a GREEN THUMB and a hankering for some more GREEN BACKS, I have the perfect idea for you! Start a backyard nursery! You can grow plants from your backyard and sell easily to your community! It can be done with the tips that my good friend, Michael J. McGroarty provides in his step by step instructional ebook. I know Michael and I know one thing about him, he really knows his stuff about growing plants, and the great thing about his course is that he has all the practical tips and ideas on running a backyard nursery all rolled into one package. His main focus is on plant propagation and he has the perfect name for his site... it is called

FREE PLANTS

! CHECK IT OUT!

The Plant of Love! Valentine's day is near!

2006-01-17T22:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a plant that I absolutely love. The first time that I ever seen it was in college at Jacksonville State University at a place I was renting. In the fall this curious plant that I later found out was named "Heart's Bursting With Love" and is also called 'Bursting Heart'. It provided an amazing display of bursting-open red seed pods & dangling red seeds that really grab your attention. Very ornamental. If you are looking to plant a different bush for this spring in your yard, I would highly recommend this plant.

To order this plant go to the links below...Bursting Heart Burning Bush
Price: $12.80

The Bursting Heart Burning bush, Euonymus americana 'Bursting Heart', is a unique shrub. In the spring and summer this shrub quietly takes the back seat to other seasonal color.... Read More

For more Bushes & Shrubs simply go to Nursery Plants and browse the site for more plants.

Order Garden Catalogs

2006-01-17T21:23:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a unique garden catalog, try Sand Mountain Herbs! http://www.SandMountainHerbs.com Email him for a spring catalog.

Also visit my online nursery at Nursery Plants

Perennial Herbs Often Need Planting in January

2006-01-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

This is a note to many gardeners who seem to have trouble growing some perennials when sown in the Spring. You need to sow many of those seed from late fall to this time of year, January, due to the fact that many of those kinds of seeds need to "winter over" to break dormancy. Some people try using the refrigerator to do this but you will find that you get much better results with nature itself. Also, for some of these seeds you can artifically break the cold treatment requirement by using a powder known as G3 (also known as gibberellic acid)

Plant Schisandra NOW! --Don't Wait!

2006-01-13T12:09:00.000-08:00

January is the is the best time to sow schisandra. Here is a trick to germinating the seed successfully. You need to boil water let cool for 2 minutes. Should be 180 degrees F. Soak overnight, then sow outside in a pot, or you want it to grow. It then needs 2 months of cold weather to germinate, or saturate 2 months at 40 degrees.

It makes a beautiful vine with red berries, which are edible - raw or cooked. Can be dried and used on journeys. Rich in sugars, it has a sweet/sour flavor. In Russia a paste made from the fruit is mixed with Kiwi (or Chinese Gooseberry) (Actinidia arguta) in order to counteract the low acidity. You can order this plant at my Dad'sherb store and the order info is below..

Scientific
Name: Schisandra chinensis
Common Name: Schisandra
Other Common Names: Schisandra, Tyosen-Gomisi, Wu Wei Zi, Wu-wei-zi
Plant Type: Perennial
Where To Plant: Full Sun to Partly Shady
Soil Types: Average
Zones 4-8

Germination: Hard
Number of Seeds Per Pack: 25
Uses: Medicinal
Notes: Chinese Herb, berries used to treat nervous conditions, chronic cough, asthma, thrist, diarrhea. Called Chinese Prozac.

SCHISANDRA CHINENSIS (Wu-wei-zi) Chinese medicinal; astringent and demulcent berries are used to treat nervous conditions, chronic cough, asthma, thirst, too frequent urination, and diarrhea. Sometimes referred to as 'Chinese Prozac'. Hardy climbing vine, to zone 5. Has adaptogenic and immune-enhancing properties similar to ginseng.
Price: $2.75/pkt

The Great Fire of Skirum 2006

2006-01-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

This is funny and not by design. Actually I was burning a few boxes on top of the kitchen scrap pile last Saturday and the wind caused the fire to get into the grass of the nearby field. Unfortunately it got out of hand! --Ouch! Neighbors come out and was beating out the fire with me, and we were just hoping it would not get the neighbor's shed on fire. One neighbor was helping that just had recent heart surgery (pacemaker) and that was a bad thing... - - - ouch again! Anyway the local fire department from Geraldine showed up 20 minutes or so after it started and finally doused out the great fire of Skirum with their gasoline powered pump engine and 2 man crew!

Anyway, you can always count your blessings when you think about the fact that no one was hurt, no property was damaged, and it did not cost me any money! It was not on my land either, but maybe I can plant a garden there since I cleared it off for them.. hehehehhe!!!

Herb Roots Website Announcement!

2006-01-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

My dad, Larry Chandler, & I started a new website this winter called HERB ROOTS at www.HerbRoots.com, & so far it has been a great success! We have been running the hugely successful herb seeds online store, called Sand Mountain Herbs, based here in the northeast corner Alabama. It has been in operation online since April 2002.

The new site, Herb Roots, provides many of the same herbs we offer in the online seed store, but only as roots! This makes it much easier for some of the non-green thumbs out there that have a hard time germinating seed (and perennial herb seeds can be tough sometimes) to just plant the root instead. The roots are mailed only in the cooler times of the year, such as late fall through winter, because of the dormancy period of the plants and the danger of killing the roots by going through a heat in the warmer times of the year.

We have plants like the Mayapple, Goldenseal, Wild Ginger, Passion Flower, Solomon's Seal, Sweetflag, Trillium, Ginseng, and much more. The plant above is a Mayapple, which by the way was one of the foods that saved the pilgrim's lives in the first winter in America.

Anyway.. Stop by and do yourself a favor! Get you some herb roots! Go to

HERB ROOTS.com
You will be glad you did!

Blog Explosion

2005-06-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

HEY BLOGGERS! THIS IS COOL!
Click on the banner below or simply click http://www.blogexplosion.com to generate more traffic to your site..

Father's Day gift - Alabama Flower Guide Book

2005-06-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

HERB SEEDS & FATHERS DAY TOMORROW
If you are looking for the seeds of herbs, try my Dad's website... www.SandMountainHerbs.com

My Dad is Larry Chandler, and he really knows his stuff. I got him a book for fathers Dad about the native wild flowers native to Alabama. He will love it! Here is a picture of him.

Table Scraps Make Good Fertilizer!

2005-06-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

Table Scraps Make GREAT Fertilizers!
I was noticing the other day that the weeds around our kitchen scraps pile were a very dark green, darker than the rest of the weeds in the field... when I got to thinking... you know, kitchens scraps do make great compost! They are all natural and totally free! If you throw your scraps in the trash, rethink how you dispose of all your kitchen scraps. All the plant material breaks down easily from your kitchen scrap bowl. Beware that meats will encourage dogs to eat the scraps, so usually they may be best left out, but leftover fish is very good fertilizer! Ask the indians! They always buried a fish under each corn plant to provide the soil with fertilizer. Other great scraps include..

Egg shells - Calcium source for soil. Soak in water 24 hours to water plants by.
Carrots
Banana peels
Corn shucks
tomato scraps
onion skins
...and the list goes on!

Other houshold fertilizers can include hair, sawdust, lawnmower clippings, and more!

Welcome to Chris Chandler's garden blog!

2005-06-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Blog of Chris Chandler, Garden Wiz! I am a lifelong gardener since the time I planted a small flower garden as a child in a rural area of Northeast Alabama known as Lakeview. I remember my Dad working the vegetable garden, when I was 8, with a tiller while I was behind the chicken coop planting the zinnia seeds I had ordered from Burpee's seed catlog during the winter. Nevertheless, even though I was not much at tending to my garden, I did get flowers out of those tough Zinnias amongst all the tough weeds. Amazingly, 10 years later as a teenager, I went back to that same spot and saw a small zinnia flower still fighting the weeds in that tough location! Amazing what a few seeds can do even without weed pulling!