Yesterday when reading one of my favorite newspapers, I found out about a new product that I want my readers to know about. The new product is manufactured by a company I do not know; nor do they know TheGardenLady when I tell you about this product. So this is NOT an advertisement.But let me digress.
I have to clean out the vegetable bins in my refrigerator. This is a job I hate doing. And one of the reasons I hate doing this job is that I feel sick to my stomach when food goes bad on me. Growing up poor, on a farm, we never wasted anything. So it is difficult for me to see waste. Yes, I compost any rotting food, so it is not a complete waste. However, I believe in the adage, ” Waste not, want not.” But sometimes, when company is coming, I buy more produce than I can consume in a short time or sometimes the produce is sold in larger packages than I can use. So the produce in my refrigerator spoils waiting to be used. I understand that one quarter to one third of the world’s produce is wasted each year. “American and European consumers toss out between 210 to 250 pounds of food per person each year. A study at the University of Arizona at Tucson in 2004 estimated that household food waste in the United States alone adds up to $43 billion each year.” I feel guilty of wasting my share.
My roses are in bloom already. It is amazing to see roses in bloom two to four weeks early. But since all the other flowers opened early, why shouldn’t the roses?
One dreams that insects wouldn’t enjoy the roses as much as I do; but unfortunately roses are one of the most beloved flowers for all sorts of nasty insects. I had been lucky, except for Japanese beetles, I had not had many insect problems on my roses in past years. But all good things must come to an end.
It was such a warm winter where I live with so few hard frosts and so little deep snow, I worried that this year I might see more insect problems than I have had in the past. And this year my roses have proven that I did not worry in vain. I have an extraordinary amount of buds on the rose bushes and the leaves looked so beautiful and healthy: but in the last few days I have never seen so many chewed leaves and damaged flowers as they open. From the looks of the rose flowers, I suspect I have thrips in my roses.
Winter doesn’t mean that gardening has to stop. Winter is a great time, and the ideal time, to do many chores in the garden. Pruning can take place while plants are dormant. This is a great time to see the actual form and structure of a tree or shrub. I love to prune in winter. I also fertilize in late winter when the ground is bare. The fertilizer will work its way into the soil and be ready for the plant when it starts to grow in spring. …
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A reader wanted TheGardenLady to identify a flower that she liked. It is an Kniphofia (the k is silent) and people seem to pronounce the name in a few different ways as you will hear when you watch this video.
It also has a number of common names including Tritoma, Red hot poker, Torch lily or Poker plant. See here.
I just learned that the first full week in May is International Compost Awareness Week or ICAW. Since I know that all the readers of TheGardenLady blog are composting all their leaves and garbage (except for bones, meat, grease or carnivore feces, like dog and cat poop) I believe you are aware of composting every week of the year. But just in case some new reader does not know about composting, please start becoming aware of composting THIS week and continue doing it for the rest of your gardening lives. (See here and here and here)
Many people love to garden, but because of health issues they think they no longer are capable of working in the garden. “Nurturing something and watching it grow can be very therapeutic and rewarding, helping people take their minds off their pain and lets them feel that they are accomplishing something worthwhile.”
Because gardening is such a healing activity health providers are trying to find methods whereby people with pain can continue working in their gardens.
Is there anyone who doesn’t love rhododendrons? ThisGardenLady certainly finds them beautiful. The word “rhododendron”, which includes the azalea in the family, comes from the Greek meaning Rose Tree. It is the national flower of Nepal which must make the country look like Shangri-La when they are in bloom.
One of the breeders of rhododendrons was Hank Schannen. Mr. Schannen had been a recipient of the Gold Medal of the American Rhododendron Society and a former board member of the Rhododendron Species Foundation. He started a nursery to showcase and sell his rhododendrons called Rare Find Nursery in Jackson, NJ. Though Hank Schannen had passed away a few years ago, we are fortunate that his partner and associates have kept the Rare Find Nursery going. And though they sell excellent other plants, the rhododendron is still the star of the nursery.
Rats, I missed sending out information about the Tulip Festival in Seattle and the Azalea Festivals happening around the country.
But lots of Rhododendron Festivals are going to be taking place in the US during May and June that I hope some readers will be able to attend. I read that after Roses, Rhododendrons are the next most popular flower.
