Spring Migration Map

A couple of weeks ago I posted the link to the Hummingbird Migration Map, but I just came across a migration map for other birds at eNature.com.  You can select your region of North America to see what birds are expected to migrate during your region.

This is a great tool if you want to pick a weekend to go bird watching to catch a glimpse of birds you may not normally see in your yard on a daily basis.  I have a friend who lives on a lake and she gets to see all sorts of interesting birds as they migrate to the north in Spring and to the south in Fall.

So make sure you check out this migration map, especially if you are a bird lover like me.
http://www.enature.com/birding/migration_home.asp

Idea for an old window

I just love old windows.  And since I can't paint, I've replaced the panes with stained glass or mosaicked the panes, but this idea I saw at the Rochester Flower Show would work well also and is perfect for a person like me who can't paint.

These windows are covered with paper pictures.  Actually, the paper is on the back side.  Basically, you just cut up a poster or picture so that each pane is part of the picture.  Then glue the picture to the back side of the glass and coat with several coats of an outdoor polyurethane.  I would think you'd need between 6-10 coats to protect paper from the elements. 

I'd bring the windows indoors for the winter, but I think they'd hold up really well during the summer months.  My only concern would be fading, so it might be a good idea to coat the papers with a fade resistant polyurethane first before gluing to the window panes.

Gardenscape 2010 | Series 4

As usual, there were many water gardens at the Rochester Flower Show. Some really unique ones too. This first one is baffling to me. I don't know how they get the movie screen to be intertwined with the water like that.

I love the rock river beds.

Even this formal fountain would be stunning in a formal garden or entry way.

This pond had water that was died blue with the water running into a rock river bed (as seen below).  I'm not really sure why they had the water died blue....it looked kind of weird flowing in the stream bed up close.

This looks like a copper fountain, but it's actually made from wood and covered with copper flashing.  There is tubing taped the the wooden structure and the copper flashing camoflauges it so you don't notice the tubing is there.  I thought it was a great idea, and one I'd like to try some time.

And this last photo shows a typical three-tiered water fountain that would be found in a more formal garden or a Japanese inspired garden.

Well, I hope these pictures give you some good ideas if you are looking into putting in a water feature in your garden this year.

Gardenscape 2010 | Series 3

I don't know where the past week went. Between school, Etsy and eBay, the time has flown by.  Sorry for the delay in posts.

This next series of photos are from a Japanese inspired garden.

In this sitting area, the chairs are made completely of stone.  I don't know how comfortable they would be to sit in, but they sure do make a pretty picture.


I'd love to make a fountain like the one in this third photo. I think I could do it pretty easily with hypertufa. I just might have to put that on my list for this year.

The water garden in this last photo is also something that can be made out of hypertufa, but I believe these were all stone.  I've also seen these same containers made into miniature gardens.

Though I don't have the right location for a Japanese style garden, I can certainly appreciate it's beauty.  I think it would be fun to incorporate some of the more basic elements like the sphere fountain and the water garden in the last photo.  Even the stone slap table and chairs would look good in less formal gardens.

Gardenscape 2010 | Series 2

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I loved the use of stone in this display. I can't imagine how heavy these pieces were or how much it costs for landscapers and nurseries to set up a display like this for the weekend.

In the second picture, I loved the use of the burlap against the harsh metal of the window box. The window box was made by using a sheet of metal cut into four pieces and then laser cutting the pattern on each piece. Each piece was welded together and the front piece was curved slightly to mimic the usual shape of this style of window box. I don't know why I never thought of using burlap before to line baskets. Sometimes something so simple escapes me, I guess...LOL.

Gardenscape 2010 | Series 1

On Saturday, Gary and I went to Rochester for the annual flower show.  It was our 6th year in a row going, and it's become an annual tradition with us.  Thankfully, temperatures were mild, so we had rain instead of snow.  One year, we came back in a severe snowstorm, and I don't want that to ever happen again.

Upon entering the show, there was a bonsai display.  And they had a sense of humor to boot.

We were bombarded with a feast for the eyes and nose as the bright colors delighted our vision and the fresh scent of hyacinths were incredibly sweet to smell.

The hydrangeas you see in the last photo were floating in water. Glass globs were on the bottom of the water feature adding to the sparkle when the lights were on.

Stay tuned for more photos tomorrow.

African Violets

Spring is a great time to re-pot African Violets.  

The thing to remember about African Violets is that they won't bloom if they are in too big of a pot.  They really need to be root bound to bloom well, but with any plant, after a long year in the same pot, the roots are outgrowing the pot and the soil has no nutrients left to support the growth of the plant.

The best way to rejuvenate a violet is to remove it from the pot, root prune it, and then put it back into the same pot with new soil.  That's it. Simple and easy to accomplish on a Saturday morning while everyone is sleeping in.

When I re-pot African Violets, I....

1.  ...water them well a day or two before.
2.  ...remove them from the pot and cut off about 1/2" off the bottom of the roots.
3.  ...pull off some of the soil from around the top.
4.  ...wash up the pot a bit, just for looks.
5.  ...add some fresh soil to the bottom of the pot.
6.  ...put the violet back in the pot.
7.  ...push soil in and around the roots, using a plastic knife to help push the soil down to the bottom.
8.  ...water the plant well, allowing it to drain and not sit in water.

If you don't want to buy an african violet soil mix, you can easily make your own.  I have all these ingredients on hand as I use them for hypertufa and I only use organic fertilizers.  If not, a commercial potting mix is just fine.  They have organic ones now, so it makes it easy for those of us concerned about that sort of thing.

African Violet Soil Mix
Equal parts peat moss, vermiculite and perlite
About a teaspoon of dehydrated manure per 4" pot
A pinch of lime and superphosphate per 4" pot
1 tablespoon of horticulture charcoal per 4" pot

African Violet Fertilizer
Since most soil mixes are sterile, it's important to fertilize with every watering.  You can use a commercial water soluable African Violet food at half strength.  I happen to use a product called Monty's Joy Juice.  Whatever you choose, make sure the middle number is higher than the other two numbers.  This will encourage blooms.  If the last two numbers are larger than the first number, you will encourage root growth as well as blooms.

Here are a few pictures of the re-potting I did over the weekend.

 As you can see, this violet is in bad shape.  It's been in the same pot and soil for several years.  Shame on me for neglecting it so much.  the older leaves are pale and lacking in nutrients.  The roots are definitely bound too tight and there was only powder left for soil.

I cut away about a 1/2" off the bottom of the roots and filled the bottom of the pot with 1/2" of new soil mixture.

Ideally, you should not be doing this when they are blooming, but these violets bloom non-stop, which just goes to show you that they do indeed thrive on neglect.

After cutting off the bottom and teasing the roots a bit, I put it back in the same pot and made sure to press the soil around the roots and then watered well to remove any air pockets.

I cut of all the yellow and pale leaves and it does look better.  I also clipped off the buds so that it can use all it's strength to grow new roots.

Since I was on a roll, I took care of my other violet and three others I am fostering for my mother over the winter.  I also re-potted a miniature Chirita Tamiana which is originally from Vietnam.  It's hard to get a good photo of this plant, but here is one from two years ago.  It's grown quite a bit since then, so I will save some new photos for a new post in the coming months.

Spring To Do List

I was just thinking about all the things I need to get done before the gardening season really kicks in.  I figured I'd better make a list so I can be accountable for my actions, or lack there of as the case has been many times...LOL.

As soon as the snow melts I need to:

1. Prune any damaged wood off trees and shrubs.
2. Pick up all the rocks and twigs in the yard before the first lawn mowing.
3. Give the lawn mower a tune-up and sharpen the blades.
4. Apply corn gluten to the lawn to help control the dandelions.  This is done just as the forsythia begins to bloom or just as the daffodils begin to bloom.
5. Clean up and disinfect any pots that I didn't get to last fall.
6. Prepare any seed starting trays for the cool season crops like broccoli, lettuce, spinach, peas, radishes, brussels sprouts and cabbage.
7. Walk around the garden and push any plants back in that may have heaved out of the ground during the freeze and thaw process.
8. Trim and rake up any dead foliage from perennials, careful not to damage the crown or any new sprouts.
9. Weed, weed, and weed some more.  Get them early!
10. Fluff the mulch with a rake or hoe to help expose any slug and snail eggs that may lie beneath the surface.

By the way, I have some back issues of some gardening magazines up for auction over at eBay.  It's a lot of 20, and they start at an opening bid of $4.99.  Check them out here.

Our eBay Listings

Root Pruning

Root pruning is done to trees and shrubs to prepare them for being transplanted.  Basically you are severing the roots to encourage new feeder roots to grow within the root ball.

Since it is difficult to get all the roots when transplanting a tree or shrub, root pruning is very effective in helping to prevent transplant shock.  If you read my blog post on March 6th, you know that it is best to transplant while the tree or shrub is dormant, in late winter or early fall.

Mature trees and shrubs can be difficult to move, so you want to root prune them at least six months before you transplant them.  A year would be even better.  To root prune, simply cut down into the soil around the drip line of the tree, or about the size of the root ball you plan to dig up.  Use a straight edged shovel or a large knife meant for cutting roots, and cut completely in a circle around the tree or shrub.

What you've just done is to encourage smaller feeder roots to grow within the circle you have just cut.  These feeder roots will be what the tree or shrub uses to help get re-established in it's new location once you do transplant it.

Root pruning is also used to encourage trees to set buds and flower and to encourage slow blooming vines like wisteria and hydrangea.  Root pruning is also done to keep plants a dwarf size, like in the case of bonsai, or plants grown in containers for long periods of time.

As in the case of transplanting, root pruning should be done while the plant is dormant.

OWOH Prize from Kylie Mell

I received my last prize from the One World One Heart blog event.  I won four this year!  WOW!  I'm still trying to get through the list of fabulous bloggers at Lisa's blog, The Whimsical Bohemian.  You can view an alphabetical list of the bloggers who participated here.  Lisa will have this list posted on her blog for the next few months, so if you are looking to kill some time in blog land, check it out.

As you can see, Kylie sent me a lovely butterfly pendant and an altered tag, that I will probably use as a bookmark, I like it so much.  It says, "A little birdie told me" on the front.  I've already worn the pendant and I love how it has a nice long silver chain.  I can even change it up a bit and maybe put it on a black silk cord for something different.

Kylie lives in Australia, a place I would love to visit someday, although I guess that would be difficult if I don't ever get on a plane....LOL.  Feel free to check out Kylie's blog and get a glimpse of her life in Australia.

Transplanting Trees and Shrubs

Late winter and early spring are ideal times to transplant small trees and shrubs, while they are still dormant. Transplanting now, will help reduce transplant shock, but may stunt them a little during their first year of growth after being transplanted.

Another good time to transplant is in late fall and early winter, before the ground is completely frozen, but after the plant has gone dormant.

Transplanting season can be very short, depending on where you live. So it's important to really pay attention to the weather forecast and to keep an eye on your plants. Once they brake dormancy in the spring and begin to leaf out in the spring, I suggest you abandon your transplanting efforts until the fall.

Have your new location dug and prepared prior to digging up your existing plant. If you are transplanting a tree, do not amend the soil with compost. You want the new roots to grow out of the hole. If the hole is well amended with compost, the roots will not venture out of the hole as they should and the tree will have a weak root system and be subject to blowing over very easily. Instead, spread a half inch of compost over the top of the soil after planting, acting as a mulch.

When digging up trees and shrubs, or any plant for that matter, you want to dig up as many roots as possible so that the plant has a lot of roots to help get re-established once replanted.  The rule of thumb is to dig up a 12" diameter root ball for every 1" of stem caliber.  That is why it's so hard to transplant trees and shrubs that are well established.  It's very difficult to transplant anything large, without using heavy equipment.  And then if you do get it moved, there is a greater chance of transplant shock and death.

When replanting, make sure the root ball is no deeper than it was planted originally.  When in doubt, plant it a little higher; it will settle anyway.  Make sure the soil is lose and gets all around the roots.  Water the root ball about half way through the filling process.  This will help the soil settle around the roots.  You don't want air pockets or the roots will die where the air pockets are.  Finish filling the hole with soil and water again.  Make a well around the base of the tree with compost or mulch.  This will help the water remain focused on the root ball when you water.  Otherwise, the water would just drain away from the root ball and will not saturate the roots.

It could take a full year or two for the tree or shrub that you moved to get established again.  You will need to water during periods of drought (at least 1" a week).  Don't use synthetic fertilizers.  Compost or compost tea will be all your tree or shrub needs to get established.  If it's a flowering tree or shrub, you may want to clip off any flower buds for that year.  I know it's hard to do, but it will help your plant in the long run.  If you want to avoid that, then transplant spring flowering plants in the fall and summer or fall flowering plants in the spring.

In my next gardening article, I will talk about root pruning, which can greatly increase the survival rate of larger trees and shrubs.

I've been testing out a new logo and color scheme for the blog and website.  I'd love to know what you all think of it.

Latest Features

I just got notice that our feature over at Audrey's Country Crafts is live today.  I hope you will check out her blog.  It's really great.

This feature focuses on recycled crafts, and Audrey is doing a whole series of them, so scroll through the archives and prepare to be amazed at all the talented artists and crafters out there.

And as a side note, I received a copy of the hard bound edition of the Best of Birds and Blooms 2010 and we have two projects that were selected for the book.  I am so excited about that!  The first project is our Tipsy Pot article that was originally published in the April/May 2009 edition and our mosaic birdbath which was originally published in the Oct/Nov 2009 issue of Birds and Blooms magazine.  It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I started writing for Birds and Blooms.

They currently have two projects in house that have yet to be published, but you will be the first to know when I find out.

Feature in the REVIVE Newsletter

I stumbled upon a great little publication when the editor, Karen Parent, asked if she could feature my recycled bowling ball garden spheres in her newsletter, REVIVE.  REVIVE is all about re-using and re-purposing items.  Definitely something that is near and dear in my heart.  I was very impressed with the unique ideas mentioned in this month's issue and had to share them with you all.  This month's issue focuses on some ideas for the Spring garden, so I urge you to take a look.  A PDF of the newsletter can be downloaded here.

Here is what Karen had to say about herself and how the newsletter got started.

"I'm just a mom who worries too much about what the future holds for my kids so I started thinking of what's important to me and how I can make a difference.  I like stuff, I like making stuff, I like reusing stuff, I like anything that means I don't have to get more stuff from the stores!  I just want to create a network of resources that others can use to make a difference in their lives.  It's all about community!" - Karen Parent, Editor, REVIVE

Karen is based in Canada, but you don't have to live in Canada to benefit from the ideas in her newsletter.  To subscribe, simply send an e-mail to Karen at revive.stuff@shaw.ca and tell her Dottie at GardensAndCrafts.com sent you. 

Hummingbird Migration Map

It's that time of year again when we all start looking for our hummingbirds to come back.  Did you know that the same hummingbird will return to the same feeder each year?  It's true.  They must have a very good memory.

People in the south west are lucky enough to have more than one hummingbird species come to their feeders.  We in the north, east and central part of the states only get the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds.

You can watch their migration by going to Hummingbirds.net and clicking on the migration map, which is found here.  Any time someone sees a ruby-throated hummer in their yard, they come to this site and log it on the map.  As of this writing, there are only a few blips on the map in Florida and Texas, but it won't be long before they will be heading on north.

To get an idea when hummingbirds start to arrive in your area, check out last year's map. 

To find out more on how to attract hummingbirds to your landscape, check out my article here.

OWOH Prize from Coming Out of my Exoskeleton

I was lucky enough to win two beautiful photo magnets from Karla's blog, Coming Out of my Exoskeleton.  There, Karla writes about her life in Michigan, one day at a time.

Her photography is really beautiful.  In fact, these pictures really don't do them justice.  The dragonfly one, especially, is stunning.

You can visit her Etsy shop, Daydream Studios here.  If you'd like to see more of her photography, then visit her blog by the same name, Daydream Studios.

Gardenpuzzle.com

I just wanted to share a really cool site I just found that will help you design your landscape.  It's called Gardenpuzzle.com. 



For free, you can pick one of their scenes and then pick plants based on your zipcode, soil type and water requirements, and then see how they will look. It's pretty neat. For a small monthly fee, you can upload your own photo and see how the scene will look in all four seasons, plus some other features.

I had a lot of fun playing with all the plants, statues, and buildings. You can even take a look at what others have designed to get some ideas.

Note: I have not been compensated for mentioning this website. I just thought it was cool and wanted to share it with my readers.