The Sugar Hollow Plant List

Echinacea (also known as coneflower) attracts butterflies and in late fall, gold finches.

Taking stock in the garden at season's end! I got 50 more daffodil bulbs planted last weekend and could probably plant 50 bulbs every season for the next 20 years and still not make a dent in the landscape. {I would love our land to be a sea of yellow every late February.}

What is on your wish list? What do you recommend?

HONEYBEE, BIRD AND BUTTERFLY ATTRACTORS

Catnip, white and lavender varieties
Butterfly Bush
Liatris
Glossy Abelia
Sunflowers
Echinacea
Bee Balm
Zinnias
Caryopteris ‘Blue Beard’
Sedum ‘Autumn Fire’
Salvia ‘May Night’
Russian Sage
Black-Eyed Susans
Shasta Daisies
Goldenrod (wild)
Yarrow (wild)
Thistle (wild)
Violets (wild)
Ironweed (wild)

BENEFICIAL INSECT ATTRACTORS

Love-in-a-Mist (self-seeding patch)
Daffodils, common and several other fragrant varieties
Iris, common and a variety that smells like grape Pez

NATIVES

Fringe Tree
Eastern Red Bud
Virginia Sweet Spire
Virginia Bluebells
May Apples
Wild Phlox
Trillium

HERBS

Plantain
Lavender (also good for honeybees)
Lemon Balm (also good for honeybees)
Sage
Rosemary (also good for honeybees)
German Chamomile
Thyme
Oregano (also good for honeybees)
Dill
Garlic
Mint, Common
Mint, Apple

ORNAMENTALS

Lilac, Common
Hydrangea ‘Endless Wonder’
A variety of small, ephemeral bulbs
Hollies, ‘China Boy’ and ‘China Girl’ varieties
Liriope
Dayliles, native, 'Pandora’s Box', 'Wineberry Candy', 'Jolyene' and several other varieities
Grape Hyacinths
Sugar Maple
Willow Oak
Eastern Red Cedars
Japanese Maples (3)
Azalea
Bridal Wreath
Rose, Climbing Antique 'Jeanne LaJoie'
Roses, Knock Outs
Coreopsis, Rose
Plumbago
Hollyhock, Common (deer fodder right now, but I hold out hope)
Veronica Speedwell
Tulips, Rembrandt and basic red variety

PERENNIAL FOOD PRODUCERS

Fig 'Chicago Hardy'
Juneberry (seriously chomped down by deer, but still living)
Black raspberry
Blackberries
Strawberries (in containers, for now)
Wild persimmons
Asparagus 'Mary Washington'
Elderberry
Rhubarb

REMAINING WISH LIST and FINAL THOUGHTS

A weeping mulberry shrub.
'Korean Spice' viburnums for along the front path.
A peony (or two).
More irises.
More Black-Eyed Susans along the ridge above the daylilies.
More compost under the walnut to help plants thrive?
More varieties of daylily for under the walnut.
A better okra crop.
Plant cucumbers for pickling.
Grow squash for the *blossoms,* too.
Find a spot for the elderberry that will let it thrive.
More native phlox.
Plant calendula – for botanical beauty potions.
Don’t plant green beans. (I just don’t love them enough to can and freeze.)

Dandelion Offerings and Other Spring Fun

Good grief, we are being sent the loveliest of spring weather and afternoons and evenings. I mean, really. Fields dotted with dandelions and wild violets. Lilacs and red buds and dogwoods. Crimson and salmon colored tulips. And our one Virginia Bluebell plant has hit its stride this year - along with the other natives - Spring Beauties and May Apples. Those Bluebells look mighty fine next to my blue bench.

Red, white and blue organic potatoes from Wood Prairie Farm have been planted. I am harvesting arugula every day from our cold frame (yahoeey!). Our oregano is begging to be used for some fish oreganata dish. Rhubarb is close to ready. The community garden is dotted with green here and there - collards, broccoli, cabbages, kale.

My parents were here for a visit and it was so needed and so cherished. We went for walks up at the University, Mint Springs and the Downtown Mall. And we ate at Taste of China. Twice within three days. Have you heard about Peter Chang? (Anyone from Charlottesville will laugh at this question - so it is for my far flung readers, too.)

And ::

This weekend is Historic Garden Week Virginia time! My lofty goals include Staunton gardens on Saturday and taking a day off from work to see the Albemarle-Ivy gardens on Monday.

I'm planning my black walnut guild with lots of edibles that work with the tricky toxicity of a black walnut - mulberries, currants, elderberries and tomatoes. More on that soon.

I bought a plastic Diana lomography lens for my Canon and can't get quiet enough of it. Blurs and saturated colors and lens flares. Perfect for capturing spring!

Some rest and more time with my pile of books - A Summons to Memphis by Peter Taylor; The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West and The Nick Adams Stories by Ernest Hemingway. Reading in the late evening is best enjoyed with the window open to the mountains and the peepers while ignoring the laundry, dishes and dust bunnies.

Best Explanation of Sheet Mulching. Ever.

And it is no surprise, as it was written by local permaculture dynamo Christine Gyovai for the Piedmont Garden Swap. Learn more about area permaculture events and opportunities at the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network site.

The part about the multitude of happy worms is what really got me. Read on.

*****************

Hi all,

I've built several beds with sheet mulching - layering newspaper and cardboard (and compost, etc.) - with varying degrees of success.

My most recent beds have worked out wonderfully - we have about 450 sq. ft. of sheet mulched beds.

I removed all glossy colored sections from the newspapers, and removed all tape from cardboard. I think the Cville Weekly uses soy-based ink; would want to double check with them for sure.

I put the cardboard down first, overlapping the edges by 6 in, watered the layers well, put an inch of compost down, put down newspaper (about 6 sheets thick) again overlapping, watered well, and covered the whole bed with thick straw mulch. It takes a few seasons to break down, and you want to keep it as wet as a wrung out sponge. The worms go crazy (I've never seen so many worms). They come up and eat the sugars and starches in the newspaper and cardboard and aerate the soil, and you get their castings. Really remarkable. I've planted seeds and starts directly into the beds.

Here's a link to a project I worked on in Charlottesville for a class I co-taught. You can see pictures of building sheet mulch beds, as well as read a document Kathleen Maier wrote about the process:

The book Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway gives a great description of sheet mulching as well.

Hope that helps,

Christine

A Marriage in the (Ignored) Garden

Love means having a husband who doesn't give you a hard time for biting off more than you can chew. Garden-wise. Instead, he quietly helps you reclaim what has become overrun and completely unruly. He spends part of his weekend battling the wicked thistles - because a few months ago, you came inside - weepy. Croaking that it looked as if whoever used to tend our gardens seemed to have either died or up and left. He tells you that the aforementioned gardener was actually very busy doing something else. Bringing another life into this world and nurturing her in the best way possible. And, I melt.

So we worked together this past weekend. Battling the brush and the thorns. Bringing hope for the following spring planting season.

I also called on the experience of fellow gardeners in the Piedmont Virginia Garden Swap for their thoughts on reclaiming an ignored (but much beloved!) garden. Many recommended sheet mulching with newspaper and cardboard (we are trying that - with cardboard only - as we are growing food in these beds and are wary of the chemicals in newspaper). April's comment to me - about wearing my ignored garden as a badge of (mama) honor - made me puff my chest out and smile. Thanks, girl.

Over dinner last night, friends of ours (Reed and Christine of the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network) mentioned an organic farming friend who uses plastic mulch and plants in plastic mulch. We have a supply of black plastic that we'll be trying for the fall and winter - to smother what weeds we can and start anew in 2009. But planting in plastic? Must investigate further. This ATTRA article is interesting.

I can't wait to get back to growing our own food. With the lean times and the world being topsy-turvy lately - it will become more and more important to tend to our own plots and harvests. Our century's version of a Victory Garden.

Living in Perfect Harmony (Or At Least, Trying To)

Well, by Sunday, the bat and I had a better understanding of each other.

He finally took to a hibernation-like sleep, hanging upside-down on one of my brother's garment racks. Probably exhausted from flying into walls and dealing with me and Chris.

And I, very slowly, took the time to check him out and kinda-sorta appreciate his good looks and his place in our world. He has since been relocated outside, with the greatest of care, by my tender-hearted brother.

I also need to remember that bats can be huge allies in the garden. Great for taking care of mosquitoes and garden pests.

"Just one bat can catch hundreds of insects in an hour, and large colonies catch tons of insects nightly, including beetle and moth species that cost American farmers and foresters billions of dollars annually, not to mention mosquitoes in our backyards." - From the Bat Conservation International website.

Bat Conservation International offers details on everything you could ever want to know about bats. Including plans to make your own bat house and how to attract bats to their new digs. They also sell bat houses - with multiple chambers, condo options and cameras.

Their Quick Links section is a hoot: "Bats in Your Home? - Living in Harmony"; "Bats in the Community" or "Send a Bat e-Card!"

I'm hoping to gain a deeper appreciation of these little guys - with more of a sense of humor and less screeching and ducking. Maybe, just maybe, I'll treat them to some condominium-living out in the Hollow. With rent paid in full by way of number of insects gobbled.

What Worked, What Failed in 2007

I'm cutting myself a little slack this year in the way of 2008 garden planning. Knowing that I will have my hands full with a newborn, little bean this spring - I am paring down, streamlining and refocusing my garden energies.

Today's post will be about reflection. A 2007 garden season postmortem-of-sorts.

I'll post later on this week about short-cuts, no-fail veggies and flowers to grow and lighter garden projects that can be tackled and/or savored between naps, feedings, vomit and poo.

The Successes

Planting potatoes in straw. The potatoes eventually burrowed down a little further into the soil below the straw, but the minimal amount of digging, up front, makes this a winner.

Our new bean and pea trellis. Truth be told, I swiped this idea from neighbors of ours who have a tidy, productive, totally enviable garden. I consider this trellis my first step toward the upper echelon of vegetable gardeners. And a standing homage to them and how they inspire me.

The lasagna bed. It is hard to screw this one up. What I layered last spring became a viable bed this fall - for lots of bulb planting. No-till gardening rocks.

Cardboard mulching. For the raised beds. For the pathways between the beds. For the break it gave my back. Recycling never felt so good.

The Failures (a.k.a. Lessons Learned)

Seed balls. These never produced much of anything. Big, big disappointment. After reviewing all of the variables, I realized that I should have used dry and ground terracotta, not wet terracotta. I actually can't wait to try these again. I'm thinking it would be a fun party to have with other gardeners. We can roll seed balls, gossip and compare gardening notes.

Sweet peas in containers. Not a complete failure, but not the heady volume I was hoping for . . . and had in the raised beds in previous years. They will return to the beds this upcoming season. Scrambling up the new pea trellis.

Tomatoes without any sort of fencing. This was garden gambling with almost no respect for the original inhabitants of Sugar Hollow - The Deer.

Growing corn in raised beds. A lackluster showing, at best. But I'm not completely sure it had to do with the smaller growing area or raised beds. The soil was just meh - in need of improvement and nutrients. Corn is a big feeder. So - in summary - compost, compost, compost.

Slanted and Enchanted

Today's Work To Do List . . .

1. Reconcile our financial accounts for October.
2. Complete cost transfers to two departments (you don't want to know).
3. Edit and summarize 60 (more) pages of text comments from a recent survey.
4. Deal with an ongoing sewer smell that plagues our office (again, you don't want to know).
5. "........"

Oh. Good God. I, I, I actually put myself to sleep for a moment there.

What Is Really Floating Through My Mind . . .

~Float~Float~Float~

I have dreamt about a flock of guinea hens for a long time. So serene. So fluffy. And they help control fleas, ticks and garden pests. Once our own 'coop' is finished - I will pursue this further. Until then, I read and plot and plan. And peck away at the idea.

~Float~Float~Float~

A cold frame. Organic salad greens all winter long. How civilized!

Unrealistic? Yep. Exactly what I need to feed my outdoor soul during my indoor, cubicle-bound work days? Absolutely.

P.S. Don't tell Corey about these thoughts. They make him panic.

It's July. It's Virginia. Ack! It's Another Drought Watch.

No rain. No problem. Some annuals, like the Spider Flower, still keep going during the worst of times.

It is that time of year in Central Virginia when we need to rethink our water usage. If we don't receive much in the way of rain this week, water restrictions will go into place. Here are a few more details.

Out in Sugar Hollow, we rely heavily on rainwater, as we collect it off of our roof for all of our household water needs (check out Rainwater Management Solutions out of Salem, VA to learn more). So, as of late, showers are getting shorter, laundry is prioritized by way of familiar summer standards, plates and cups are reused and used again. And, parts of the garden suffer. In a huge, gut-wrenching way. It is all about picking our battles.

Yet, as a gardener and best-of-intentions nurturer of anything green, this is the hardest blow for me. Sniff.

Lots of crunchy stuff. Yellowed and stressed and dead. My carefully cultivated oasis of a container garden is struggling. Plants that normally thrive in Mediterranean-type climates - tomatoes, peppers, basil - are eking out an existence here in the Piedmont.

These times do open my eyes to what is kickin' in others' gardens during the dry spells. My friend Leora pointed out the Spider Flower a.k.a. Cleome to me the other night. Maybe next year.

But for now, the signs are all too clear. Our dwindling water supply is mirrored by the river that runs through Sugar Hollow. Low. Dried out. Desperate for replenishing.

As for my plants, I have the memories. And a few thirsty stalwarts who will teach me a little bit about a theory called - survival of the fittest. Rock on.

What do you do around the garden and in the house to make the most of your water usage while conserving?! Are there any plants you have found to be especially resilient during a drought?

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The above photo is from Wikimedia.

Halt! Put Down That Spray, Plant A Marigold

Marigolds standing sentry for my green bean plants in a raised bed.

**********************

There are certain plants that actually attract beneficial (or predatory) insects. Insects that'll eat and banish the bad buggers. This glorious food chain can be harnessed on a small scale in your own garden (container or veggie). Here's the low-down.

I'm keeping this experiment small, as it usually takes me a while to wrap my head around the more scientific-end of gardening. I am testing out three 'host plants' - marigolds, cosmos and zinnias - in my vegetable beds.

Who The Hosts Attract

Cosmos (usually the white ones) - hoverfly, parasitic wasp, lacewing

Marigolds - ladybug, hoverfly, parasitic wasp

Zinnias - hoverfly, parasitic wasp

Who The Predators Hunt

Ladybug - aphids, aphids, aphids!

Lacewing - aphids, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies, eggs of leafhoppers, moths, leafminers, smaller caterpillars, beetle larvae, long-tailed mealy bug

Hoverfly - aphids, mealy bugs, leafhoppers, thrips and scale larvae

Parasitic wasp - caterpillars and caterpillar eggs

You can usually snag a four pack of these annuals for around $1.25. While stinky, scary pesticides cost a pretty penny. So . . . not too shabby.

Let the battles begin.

Seeds Bombs - Ready for Firing (and Flinging)

Ah, yes - a project filled with much promise. I am still holding onto the quote from the Path to Freedom website that states these bombs are great for 'derelict' sites. Man-o-Manishevitz, I hope so.

I have been making seeds balls in the evenings, while watching my Netflix DVDs. I ended up getting regular terracotta clay from the art supply shop. I mixed the following seeds with some compost, pinched off a penny-sized bit of clay and molded, rolled, molded, rolled. A good workout for my digits. I set them in the sun for a day or two (to harden) and simply placed the bombs on top of the soil.

Natives
Echinacea
Black-Eyed Susan

Annuals
Bachelor's Buttons
Calendula
Cosmos
Love-in-a-Mist
Sunflowers

I will test them out in two sites on our land. One - the bad of the bad - a true derelict site - compacted red clay that we have tried to till up. The second - a more humus-rich soil in a bed that I made over the winter. Both full sun.

I am helping the clay soil spot a little bit with occasional waterings. The other will have to rely, somewhat, on nature. Seed bombs are specifically designed to deal with areas that receive low rainfall - as the clay/compost combination protects and feeds the seeds as they sprout.

Please visit the Path to Freedom site for great directions (and photos) on how to make a seed ball/bomb. It also lists other sources on seed balls - if you want to dig further.

Holy Cow! *Lightbulb* Seed Balls!!

I get it. I get it. Finally!

Seed balls (a.k.a. "seed bombs") are a sure-fire way of introducing and establishing native plants - from seed. As quoted from the very cool website, Path to Freedom, "seeds balls are a great way to seed waste areas in your yard."

Being that our land has been a construction zone for years - that's us! The site adds, "They (are) useful for seeding dry, thin and compacted soils and for reclaiming derelict ground. This method takes a fraction of the time or cost of other methods to cover large areas and is also very applicable in small areas."

The seed balls, a mix of compost, clay and native wildflower seeds, prevent the seeds from drying up, blowing away or being eaten by birds and the like. They are especially successful in areas with low rainfall.

You don't even need to bury them - just 'bomb' the area with seed balls by setting them on top of the ground. Here are very simple instructions to make your own, from the Path to Freedom website.

Or, you can purchase pre-made seeds balls here.
I just picked up some terracotta clay at lunchtime. I have black-eyed susan and echinacea seeds at home. I may also try sunflowers. Desperately waiting for 5 o'clock to roll around - when The Man releases me from his grip and I can go p-l-a-y!

Mystery in the Garden - Vanishing Honeybees

One third of our diet relies on pollination by honeybees. Scientists are reporting that billions of bees have disappeared since late last year - with no clear answers on the cause. A congressional hearing is going to be held to review the issue. There are also plans for a report from the National Research Council and a National Pollinator Week at the end of June in Washington D.C.

Here's more from a CNN article.

And . . . as backyard gardeners and such, maybe we can do our part with the Humble Bumble Bee Home - to encourage and offer shelter to another pollinator, the bumble bee.

The Lasagna Bed: The Very Basics

Okay, I am mildly ashamed that it took me so long to figure this one out.

The Lasagna Bed.

A No-Till Method.

Why did I spend several seasons moving earth, when all I needed to do was create something on top of the earth? Gears start turning, mouth opens slightly, smoke rises from ears. Ahh - I see . . .

This is my first attempt - I felt a great sense of accomplishment after less than an hour this past weekend. And my back was the better for it.

The bottom layer is cardboard. (I made an arrangement with the local health food store to ferret through their weekly recycling pile.) Ideally, you'll need to wet the cardboard and then start with your layers. I'm testing out compost, mixed with shredded leaves, some coco(nut)-peat and eventually, grass clippings. Then, lots of mulch. Repeat.

As everything starts to decompose - you pull the layers apart and start planting. I'm going to create paths and just put hardwood mulch from our county's solid waste authority over those sections of the cardboard mulch.

An even bigger shortcut, for small spaces, would be to buy bags of potting soil, lay them flat on the ground, cut them open and plant di-rectly. Throw a little compost and mulch its way and you should be ready to plant your new-fangled flower bed.

I've heard that you need to wait a year for everything to break down - but I'm hoping for something a bit sooner (which is why I am using already decomposed compost and coco-peat). Patience is something I still only aspire to practicing.

It doesn't look like much now, so you need a lot of vision. I'm hoping for some natives - Black-eyed Susans, Echinacea, False Blue Indigo and Phlox. Vision! Which is what most of us gardeners seem to thrive upon anyway . . .