After months of the worst winter in Florida that most can remember, it almost time (and past time for most of us) to start the clean up.  I've just started the cut backs in my garden and there's lots of work to do.  While I'm at it I thought that'd I'd share some tips that work well for me.

• Use the finger nail test - Before you begin cutting back you need a place to start.  The best place to start is usually where the dead plant ends and the live plant begins.  One of the easiest ways to find this is the finger nail test.  Gently scratch the skin of your shrub with your fingernail.  If it shows brown, make your way down the limb until you find green.  Start your trimming above that point.
• Have a plan - Use the opportunity of your spring cutbacks to gain more control of your shrub.  You can shape and tune if you take a minute to visualize what you are trying to accomplish before you start.
• Use sharp tools - This seems like a no brainer, but it's so easy to just grab the nearest pair of lopers and have at.  The problem is, you can do damage to your plants.  Not severing the limb properly can leave a wound on your shrub that makes it more suseptible to disease.  The thicker the limb the more important the sharpness of your tool and the cleaner the cut. 
• Start trimming ABOVE the area that you've identified as your starting point - The finger nail test doesn't always work.  Sometimes the bark of the shrub is thicker than you think or thicker than the test you gave.  If you start higher than you think and work your way down you may be surprised where you actually find green.

I hope these tips help you in your garden clean up.  As I work through my garden, I hope I find more live plants to trim than dead ones to remove.  So far, I keep finding green in unexpected places.  That's a good sign.

In our recent survey, several of you asked for beginner’s advice to aid you in the garden, today I thought I would share with you 5 Benefits of Gardens and Gardening for you to consider.
  
1 Nature’s Teachings:
Life was created in the Garden of Eden.  Since then ‘we’ have always had infinity with the environment in which we surround ourselves.
The teachings and experiences gained from our gardens are manifest.  We enjoy the sense of expectation and excitement as we prepare the soil, plant the seeds, perform the watering, nurture the seedlings to growth, harvest the crops and then taste the delights at our tables.  The dedication to these actions teaches us fundamental elements that are necessary in our everyday lives discipline, responsibility, patience and reward.  Thus, providing an environment to enable our children to assist us in the garden has many benefits all round.
 
2 Exercise:
Whether you are physically able bodied or disabled there are many activities for you in the garden.  Gardening offers physical exercise in many forms to all ages.  Calories are burnt at a much faster rate than people think whilst gardening, thus our bodies are nurtured towards greater physical fitness.
 
3 Diet:
By choosing what to grow in our gardens and how to grow it, can enhance our dietary well being.  Home grown produce has been shown to provide us greater nutritional value to our diets than those foods shipped from afar.
Remember also, you will be receiving the necessary Vitamin D synthesis whilst out in the sunshine which is an added bonus! Always remember to apply sunscreen through.
 
4 Psychologically:
Gardens and gardening take us away from the hustle and bustle of our hectic lifestyles, providing us with relaxation and enjoyment. Research has shown that stresses can be reduced with time spent in the garden.  Blood pressures have been recorded lower and depressions lifted, even children with ADD have been shown to have more spent more time concentrating following time spent in a garden.
 
5 Social Connection:
Our gardens provide us with a place to entertain or share with our families and friends.  The possibility of joining a group of people with the same interests, the ability to share accomplishments i.e. that extra large pumpkin!
With the state of the economy at present, communal gardens and victory gardens are on the rise within local communities who are banding together in the pursuit of attaining greater yields of produce through shared labors.  Check out your local area for information and consider joining them.

Through most of the South East US the temperatures have started an upward trend from the lows of last week's winter blast.  Like most, our garden is not looking its best.  It's a bit of an emotional roller-coaster to have worked 11 or 12 months on getting it just the way you want and (seemingly) lose it all in one week.  But such is the life of a gardener.  Besides, watching the garden wake up in the spring is probably my favorite part of gardening!

With this warm up you're probably starting to see some of your plants struggling to put on new growth (something I'm personally trying to stop on my own waistline).  Or as one of subscribers put it, "The broad-leaf weeds are recovering fine".  It's very tempting to reach out and help this new growth by pruning all the frost damage, giving the new growth room and energy.  DON'T DO IT!!!  Even in Florida, it is very likely we're not done with freezes yet.  It may seem like spring out there right now, but it's not.  If the winter so far is any indication we'll have at least one more freeze before we can begin to clean up our garden.  If you've started to encourage new growth on your plants before that frost comes you'll be putting that new growth and the plants overall health at risk.  The dead parts of your plant act as an inhibitor to new growth preventing them from exposing themselves to further damage until spring truly begins.

Here is a list of things you can do while you wait for spring:

• Prune deciduous trees and shrubs - These plants went into hibernation before the cold got here and won't wake up until spring so pruning will actually help them when Spring does arrive.
• Refresh your mulch - Now that it's cooler outside it's a good time to do the labor intensive tasks before the swelter of summer arrives.  Refreshing your mulch has the added benefit of curtailing weed growth now and when Spring gets here.
• Apply pre-emergents - If you want to try and stop weeds in your lawn before they appear now is the time to apply some pre-emergent weed kill.

I hope this helps you resist the urge to prune just a little longer!

Last night, there came a frost, which has done great damage to my garden.... It is sad that Nature will play such tricks on us poor mortals, inviting us with sunny smiles to confide in her, and then, when we are entirely within her power, striking us to the heart.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

Fortunately, we live in Florida and the weather has very little impact on our koi and goldfish, which can live through extreme temperatures from 20 degrees to 100 degrees.  More than the extreme in temperatures it is the changing temperatures that can hurt your fish.  If the temperatures in your pond, over a matter of a few hours, changed 30 degrees or so your fish would suffer.  But if the temperature gradually drops, the internal temperature of the fish will also change slowly and they will not be affected other than a loss of appetite and metabolism.

Koi

If only this were true for me, I would subject myself to freezing temperatures in hopes of losing a few pounds -- if only it were so easy -- I would live in an igloo 6 months a year and pig out the other six!

But I digress, so the quick answer is, the cold temperatures for the most part do not harm our cold water fish, like they do the tropical fish.  But because, I have named all my fish, I did turn my waterfall pumps off for the last week while the temperatures were so low.  And because cold water is saturated with oxygen, there is no need to aerate the pond, I turned my pumps on when the evening temperatures rose and stayed back above 40 degrees, with this last cold spell my pumps were off for almost 10 days.  The pond temperatures remain warmer when the waterfall is not circulating water through the cold air-- so the pond temperatures stayed higher and the water lilies were better off. 

Now, I am not about to get excited about the survival of my lilies yet, they look  pretty rough at this moment, and that is being nice, but they are tropical plants so we take our chances with tropical lilies, but for blooms every day for the better part of the year, it is worth taking a chance.  We will deal with the water lilies later, for now leave them be.

Pondscapes is Waterlily's Store in Tampa, Florida

Can I ask that you take a moment and consider the birds this week?  Here in Central Florida, the birds will certainly benefit from a little help from you at this time with this irregular cold spell we are having.  By hanging a bird feeder either bought or handmade you will give them a little extra fuel to keep them warm through the chill.

Mocking bird in the garden

Bird watching in our backyards can be enhanced in the winter months by providing food and water for our feathered friends. Here is the recipe for an easy to make bird feeder suet, it has been used to attract many different birds.

Bird Feeder Suet Mix Recipe

Ingredients:-

2 cups lard
1 cup of peanut butter
2 cups of quick cooking oats
1 cup plain flour
2cups of cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 cup bird seed

Method:-

Melt the lard and the peanut butter (crunchy peanut butter tends to add that extra bite!), in a pan over a low heat.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the other remaining ingredients.
Allow to cool slightly and then pour the mix into plastic molds or containers.
When set use or cover and store in the freezer until ready to use.
Hang outside close to the house so you can view the birds as they enjoy the delicacy.

This is a great activity to share with your children, once the bird feeder is hung the children would enjoy journaling the bird activity and drawing their sightings.

Let me know via the contact us page what birds you have seen in your gardens.

Grooming
 
Grooming an African Violet is as important as providing the African Violet the culture it needs.  You can have a large plant that just does not look its best due to a lack of grooming.  Grooming requirements mean keeping all the rotting or spent leaves removed and also removing all the dead blooms and the flower stems.  African Violets can develop suckers, a sucker is a new plant and this should be removed to keep the symmetry of the parent plant. Certainly a sucker can be planted in its own pot to grow into a beautiful African Violet to share with others or to keep for yourself.  The problem with a sucker is that if it is allowed to remain with the original plant it will ruin the shape of the plant.  Keep the foliage into a pleasant symmetrical shape.  Groom your plant often and remove the lower leaves that are either smaller than those above or yellowing.  Leaves can be moved into a more pleasing shape by using a stake in the soil and encouraging the leaves to grow into a pattern of each leaf overlapping the stem of the leaf below.  Turn your plant every few days so that it does not lean towards the light.  Ease new bloom stalks out from under the foliage and encourage the bloom to stand up above the African Violets leaves.  A little time spent grooming will reward you with a more healthy and beautiful plant.

Trim to maintain symmetry

Cleansing

Cleansing goes hand in hand with good grooming and is also important to the health of the plant.  Violets receive air and moisture through the pores in their leaves.  Your plant will be at its best if the pores are kept clean and open.  Dust and grime will accumulate on your plants no matter where they are kept.  A small amount of dust and dirt can be removed from the leaves by lightly brushing with a soft clean brush.  African Violets also benefit from an occasional bath under the water faucet.  Use lukewarm water in a light stream and run this over the leaves.  Avoid filling the crown of you plant with water.  Next allow your plant to dry away from the light.  Light rays will be magnified by water droplets and brown spots can develop on the leaves.  Also, a light misting with warm water is good for dust removal from your plants.

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Cold Weather Tips for Your Plants – Before, During, and After
Florida is a great state in which to live; you can wear shorts, eat ice cream, and enjoy the great outdoors year-round. You can also grow plants all year long, provided you watch the weather reports and prepare for the occasional cold snap that may happen this time of year. Unfortunately, those beautiful tropical’s and sub-tropical’s that everyone loves to plant are susceptible to cold damage, so it’s necessary to know the right and the wrong ways to not only protect plants from the cold, but care for them afterwards if they do get cold damage.

Life Imitating Art… or is that Flora?
A common trend of most Floridians is the combination of wearing shorts with a sweater or jacket when it starts to get cooler. Nevertheless, this fashion faux pas makes for a great comparison of how plants may feel when the temperature starts to drop. By maintaining a 3” layer of mulch over the soil in your landscaped beds, the roots of plants may not notice the cool weather as much as their above-ground counterparts, the leaves and stems, which need to be protected from, heat loss. Most plant damage can be minimized by reducing radiant heat loss from the plant and the soil surface. It’s important to stock up on sheets, freeze cloth, and light blankets to cover any cold sensitive plants you may want to protect. Be sure to cover plants all the way to the ground to trap enough heat to last throughout the night, and remember to remove the coverings when temperatures rise above freezing. Another common observation is that Floridians carrying a few extra pounds around their waistlines don’t “feel” the cold the way others might. Plants that are well-fed (healthy) – in the form of water and proper nutrients (fertilizer) – throughout the year tend to survive lower temperatures and recover faster from cold injury. Keep in mind that plants are still growing during winter months, but at a slower rate, so you still need to maintain a proper schedule and rate of fertilization and watering.

While a cool breeze is a welcome relief at the height of a steamy Florida summer, it can cause even the most seasoned Floridian to hunker down and cringe when it’s cold outside. Windbreaks may offer a great deal of protection to plants in hard freezes that are accompanied by wind. Consider the placement of plants in your yard in relation to outdoor structures, tree canopies, and walls of your house; survival may depend on as little as six feet and a fence. If possible, gather up all your potted plants and place them close together before covering them up to reduce heat loss from container side walls. Placing a light bulb or string of Christmas lights under the cover will provide some additional heat.

Haute Horticulture versus Real Life
A common practice in commercial farms in anticipation of freezing temperatures is to run the irrigation system to wet the plants so that the continuous freezing of water on the plants and the resulting release of heat keeps plant cells at a temperature just above freezing. This can only work with a continuous flow of copious amounts of water, and residential sprinkler systems are not capable of doing this successfully. So while the agricultural industry can utilize this behavior to save millions of dollars in crops, the only results for the typical homeowner are lots of water waste, a potentially exorbitant water bill, and the risk of greater damage to plants than if nothing was done at all.

The Morning After… It’s Just a Waiting Game
Depending on the severity of the freeze and the specific plants in your yard, it may be necessary to do a botanical triage to assess the best recovery plan for your landscape. The most important first step is to check your plants’ water needs after a freeze. If the sun is shining, leaves may be losing water to transpiration, but the water in the soil may still be frozen and unavailable to the plants. Water plants to thaw the soil and replace the water being lost through the leaves. The typical reaction of most Floridians after a freeze is to hack off all the freeze‐damaged limbs the next day, but keep in mind that the weather in our fair state is about as finicky as our voting machines. Keeping some of that dead or dying material on the plant during a successive freeze will help to protect the undamaged parts if/when the next unseasonable freeze rears its ugly head. Severe pruning should be delayed until new growth appears and there is no longer a risk of freeze. Don’t try to save damaged annuals or vegetables; they’re inexpensive and easy to replace. Damaged areas of turf will return as the weather warms up enough to promote new growth. Most perennials will die back to the ground, but there is a good chance that new growth will start up from the roots.

The best advice I can offer when it comes to cold weather and your landscape is this:

Prepare well with proper plant choices and cultural practices; stock up on protective cloths to help plants ride out the storm; and exhibit pruning patience while waiting for warmer days and new growth.

Part of the magnetism of gardening is the opportunity for creative expression. Why bother with the same boring terra cotta pot or hanging basket when you can grow mother-in-law’s tongue out of an old toilet or a medley of herbs in a discarded wooden crate? Okay, so maybe you’re not too keen on showcasing your prized fern collection in a gleaming white porcelain throne, but consider creative container gardening as an opportunity to spice up your landscape and get those creative juices flowing!

By definition, container gardening refers to large containers planted with a mixture of plants, and they serve as focal points by elevating plants and making them more prominent in the landscape than a similar grouping of plants at ground level. It is necessary to consider the right plant for the right place when picking plants for your containers, same as you would do in the garden. Be sure to choose plants with similar needs (i.e. light, water and fertilizer). Also be conscious of growth rates and mature size, so that the containers match the plants’ potential. Finally, consider your desired maintenance. Annuals usually stay under control but need to be replaced seasonally, whereas perennials may need occasional pruning but infrequent replacement.

Potting Soil
There are a variety of potting soils on the market, depending on the type of plant you’re growing; specialty soils are available for cacti and succulents, orchids, and more. The key is to use a potting soil that can absorb and retain moisture, while also allowing water to drain. A general lightweight potting soil with peat moss (for moisture retention) and perlite (for drainage) is suitable for most containers and most plants. If working with very large or very deep containers, substitute some of the potting soil with a light weight filler material, such as Styrofoam™, empty plastic bottles, or lava rocks. In this way, you don’t spend as much in potting soil, the plant roots are not affected, and the container remains light enough to move around, if necessary.

Planting Procedure
Container gardening involves placing plants to determine the desired arrangement, so after filling the container with soil, but before digging, set the plants in their original pots on top of the soil and step back to see the bigger picture. Arrange the plants as many times as necessary to get the look you want, then dig your holes. Similar to planting in the garden, you have to ensure that the hole is large enough and that the plant is not installed too deep or too shallow. However, keep in mind that the finer your potting soil, the more it will settle once watered. The final level of potting soil should be about 2 inches below the rim of the container, and the top-most root of each plant should be level with the surface of the potting soil. If the plants in the container are small and not yet mature, add a layer of mulch on top of the soil to protect the roots and keep the soil from drying out too quickly. As the plants fill in, the soil will be better covered and mulch may not be needed.

Drainage
Although it may seem like common sense, be sure your container has at least one drainage hole. Additionally, make sure that the drainage water has somewhere to go, since water that drains onto a patio or deck may be hazardous and unattractive. If it is not possible to create a drainage hole in a chosen container, then adjust your potting arrangement so that the plants fit into a smaller container (with drainage) that is then placed in the larger container. You will still get the benefit of the container design or style, and your plants will not drown.

Irrigation and Maintenance
Probably the most limiting factor to container gardening is irrigation. Potting soil, because of limited space in a container, may dry out quickly without regular rainfall or supplemental irrigation. It is imperative that you observe your potted plants for signs of wilt and don’t allow them to get to the point of no return. Immediately after planting, the initial watering may quickly run through the soil and out the container’s drainage holebecause of all the pore spaces in the potting mix. Give the soil a few minutes to settle, that water again, slowly, to allow the soil to absorb as much moisture as possible. Most container-grown plants will need watering at least 3 times a week, unlike their counterparts in the landscape, which may go as many as 7 to 10 days in-between watering. It is a good idea to invest in a low volume, micro-irrigation system, specifically designed for potted plants. The system can run directly off an outdoor spigot or hose, and you can place a battery-operated timer on the system for scheduled watering. Keep in mind that plant water requirements will change with season, rainfall, growth stage, and plant size. Other maintenance issues include weeding and pruning. Until young plants fill in to cover the soil in the container, weeds will regularly rear their ugly heads, distracting from the beauty and form of your container garden. Be diligent and hand pull weeds as much as possible, since many herbicides may also injure or kill your desired plants. As some plants grow and fill in, they may not keep their original shape in the container, ultimately changing the overall look you were trying to achieve. Prune selectively, so that you’re not spending inordinate amounts of time creating the “Disney look,” but you’re still shaping plants in a natural form that complement the rest of the container and/or the surrounding landscape design.

Other Tips
Just as you would choose plants for the landscape based on their size relative to the structures around them, it is important to choose containers that are large enough to fit all your desired plants and will not “disappear” into the surrounding environment. Even though larger is better, very large containers may put a significant dent in your pocketbook. For the same impact, create a grouping of containers that are similar in shape, material, or color.

If you tend to lean more toward the eclectic side of life, a hodgepodge of containers may just suit your fancy. By choosing the right plants to create the right effect, a diversity of wild and wacky containers will really make a statement!
 
Use your containers as focal points in the landscape by selectively placing them throughout the yard and designing plant beds and pathways around them. Increase the dramatic effect of a small container by placing it on a pedestal or securing it at eye level against a wall or fence.

Finally, choose plants with brightly colored blooms or foliage for containers in the shade or along a garden border. They will help to define the space, while drawing the eye towards the area in which they are placed. A slightly modified version of a quote from Proverbs says, “Don’t plant more garden than you can care for,” and this is sage advice. But remember that container gardens, if done right, can provide you with color, style, impact and versatility throughout the landscape and throughout the year.

You’re only limited by your own imagination!

Consider Reading:- Add Style to the Garden with Containers

The secret to growing beautiful African Violets is to give them what they want. What they want is the proper amount of light, the right soil mix, the correct moisture level, a good fertilizer, and a comfortable temperature.

Violet - Taffeta Petticoats

Photographs Courtesy of AVSA Gallery 

Light can be from either natural light or fluorescent light. One of the reasons the African violet became one of the world’s most popular plants is that they are an indeterminate-day-plant or a plant in which flowering is achieved with 12 – 18 hours of daylight. For the casual grower of just a few African violets, any window that has strong, bright light is good. Shield from the hot mid-day sun and turn the plants ¼ turn daily. If the plants reach upwards, more light is needed. If the plants are showing bleaching of the leaf surface, then move them away from the window until a happy medium is achieved. Most hobby growers use fluorescent lights and keep their plants 12 – 16 inches from the top of the pot to the bottom of the light tube. If the plants grow upright with long leaf stems, move them closer to the lights.  If the plants are growing too compactly and the center leaves become hard and brittle, move further away from the lights.
Soil mix for African violets is a light and porous mixture. Packaged mixtures in the stores do not allow for the Florida humidity. I use 3 parts Pro-Mix BX, 2 parts perlite, 1 part vermiculite with ½ cup of charcoal added to every 5 gallons of mix.
 
Moisture is one of the most important culture factors. Water that has been through a water softener or heavily chlorinated water can be detrimental to your plants. Check with your city or county water department to see what has been added to your water source.  I use tepid water that has been filtered. With a large number of plants I have found wick watering saves a lot of time and energy.  Many growers use acrylic wicking. Wicks can be cut from yarn, plumb line, and old panty hose. The wick is placed in the African violet pot and then allowed to dangle in a reservoir with water in it. This way the plant will absorb the amount of water it needs.  African violets should be kept evenly moist.
 
Fertilizer should be well balanced. I use a 15-30-15 fertilizer at a rate of ¼ teaspoon per gallon during fall and winter, and in summer I cut back to 1/8 tsp. per gal. Too much fertilizer causes roots to burn and brittle foliage. Too little fertilizer will cause light foliage and just a few small flowers.
 
Temperature for the African violet would ideally be 65 – 70 degrees at night with an increase of 5-10 degrees in the day.  Below 60 degrees the plant’s growth slows. If too warm, the plants grow sappy and spindly. If the grower is comfortable, then the plants will be too.
 
The African Violet Society of America lists many affiliated clubs throughout the world. The website is www.AVSA.org. It is very likely there is a club near you with members happy to answer any questions. 

* Consider Reading More Basics:
7 Tips on Basic Fall Gardening or Container Basics

As November 2009 is National Adoption Month I previously shared with you the blog post entitled Gardening With Children - 5 More Tips to Consider - Part 1 

Here is Part 2, with another 5 Tips for you to consider when gardening with children, I hope you find them helpful. I think with little ones you can never be too careful, so although the listed points may be known to you, please let them serve as a reminder for you in activities around the home and garden.

1. Guarantee your children are safe by ensuring your garden is securely fenced. If your driveway or path leads into the garden, fit the gates with child proof locks to prevent your child wandering away.

2. Remember that there are many poisonous plants, berries and flowers. If possible exclude them from your garden until your child is old enough to understand, always set a good example by not eating straight from the plant in your garden.

3. To prevent insects, wasps, bees etc avoid sticky sweet drinks in the garden. Young and old alike can have severe reactions to stings so consider a suitable insect repellant.

4.  Chemicals should not be poured into containers which resemble something drinkable, eg coca-cola bottles. Labels should always be kept clear so that identification is easily possible. Chemical and pesticides should not be used when children are in the garden with you.

5. And Finally always remove animal droppings and feces, wear gloves or use a pooper-scooper and dispose of it correctly. Feces contain parasites which can cause serious infections and illness in children, so beware!

Involve your Children in Garden Activities