Category Archives: fellow gardeners

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – July 2013

fellow gardeners

We are head-on into summer for this month’s Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. The Other Half and I were out of town visiting Mom G. I thought it would be fun to share what is blooming in her garden in Zone 5a. As usual, her plants bloom a week or two behind those on the Lot. However, our beautifully normal Spring has allowed her plants to flourish this season.

Backyard Bed with Lavender

This first bed is in full sun the majority of the day, and the sun always feels super hot at her house. Plants near the back of the bed cast some shade and relief from the heat on those more toward the middle of the bed. Right now the lavender is in full bloom, as well as the coral bell and a little tea rose.

Backyard Pond

This next bed is darling as it surrounds a petite fish pond. Another environmental factor Mom G. has to deal with behind the house is some pretty wicked winds. The arrangement of these plants have survived being tossed about on windy days. In bloom is the lamb’s ear, daylilies, dragon’s blood sedum, white monarda, daisies, spiderwort, pond lilies, and larkspur.

Pond Detail 1

Here is a closer shot of the pond. Some of the blooming plants are set down into the water as part of their growing conditions. Mom G. explained the concept to me before, where there are different water depth levels for different plants.

Pond Detail 2

Here is another close shot of the pond. Here you can see the daylilies, pond lilies, and dragon’s blood sedum.

Window Planters

This is a window box my niece and I put together for Mom G. to surprise her when she returned from out of town. I know they are quite common, but I really love potato vine. Look how that chartreuse pops. Also in the box is a shasta daisy and some calibrachoas. My other “fuzzy” nieces enjoy the beneficial pollinators the window box attracts.

Shasta Oddity

The last shot is one of the shastas sporting two blooms at the top of one stalk. We looked over the other plant and the rest of this one, but couldn’t find a replication of this oddity.

What About the Lot?

The Lot is also full of blooms, but unfortunately I did not snap any photos. The roses have faded and all the daylilies are putting on a show. All the varieties of coreopsis are splashing the Lot with different hues of yellows and red. The south, front bed continues to have ice plant, blanket flower, and daisies blooming. The lavender and lamb’s ear will soon be on it’s way out. The butterfly bushes are blooming and the balloon flowers have just started.

To see what else is blooming around the world this month, be sure to visit May Dreams Gardens. Have a happy Bloom Day!

Worms & Margaritas

compost, education, fellow gardeners

What is better than enjoying Happy Hour sipping made-from-scratch margaritas with my friend and fellow gardener Mrs. R? Enjoying Happy Hour, sipping made-from-scratch margaritas with Mrs. R while sorting her vermicompost bin!

Just this past January, the Other Half had lovingly purchased and constructed a vermicompost bin for our home. We moved Jim into his new home, and he has since been happily devouring our garbage. However, we are probably another six months out until we will need to sort the bin. That’s why I was so stinking excited I couldn’t stand it when I drove over to help Mrs. R yesterday.

First the bin was hauled up out of the basement, into the garage, and the contents were dumped onto a tarp. The contents of the bin had the smell of fresh, rich soil.

Vermicompost Bin Contents

We then both pulled on some gloves and began sorting the contents of the bin. The castings (worm manure) were set aside for use in the garden. The worms along with the majority of the intact compost and remaining bedding were placed back in the bin. It was fun to discover nests of worms in the hollow of an eggshell or an avocado pit. There seemed to be a good variety of worm generations active in the bin.

Compost Worms

Finally, when all the worms were tucked safely away back in their bin, we hauled the tarp of castings out to the garden beds. Mrs. R chose to use the worm manure to top dress one of their raised beds.

Worm Castings in Garden

As we were sorting the bin, chatting, and enjoying our cocktails, I kept thinking “This is such an inexpensive and near effortless way to reduce waste and get amazing nutrients for the garden. Plus, its fascinating. Why doesn’t everyone do this!?”

Happy Earth Day 2013

education, fellow gardeners, to do

According to the Earth Day Network, April 22nd (Earth Day) “marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.” The newly founded holiday united people from both ends of the political and socioeconomic spectrum. It also led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States.

This past Saturday, our city’s zoo held an Earth Day celebration. Though it was freezing and I could barely feel my fingers afterward, I really enjoyed chatting with the local organizations who where set up around the zoo. They had some great educational resources I can put to use on the Lot, and opportunities to fulfill the volunteer hours required for the Master Gardener Volunteer certification.

Wild Ones

This not-for-profit, national organization was founded in 1977 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Local chapters focus on sharing information with the community about landscaping with native plants. Their approach to gardening promotes “biodiversity and environmentally sound practices.” The local chapter for our community is the River City Wild Ones. More info about the national organization is available at www.wildones.org.

WMEAC

The West Michigan Environmental Action Council is a non-profit founded in 1968 and has since “provided West Michigan citizens a means to take action on behalf of the environment.” This group’s main focus is on “Building Sustainable Communities and Protecting Water Resources.” I have seen efforts of the WMEAC around the city in the form of rain barrel workshops and community garden projects. As I chatted with the lone, young woman manning this table, she told me the rest of her team was at the riverfront helping with sand bag efforts because of the flooding we have been having in our area. More info is at wmeac.org.

Grand Rapids Environmental Services

This is a department of our city, but I was pleased to see how much they were doing to integrate education of water quality into their everyday responsibilities. A direct mail program featuring environmental tips has been included in the city water billing system. Information about their efforts in building rain gardens to help manage storm water runoff is available on their website.

What I found most exciting is the new Adopt a Catch Basin program offered by Environmental Services. City residents can adopt a catch basin near their home, keeping it clean of leaves and debris, for award points through myGRCityPoints. The catch basin program educates city residents about stormwater runoff leading directly to the river and not passing through a treatment plant. This will be a definite addition to Lot gardening practices.

Blanford Nature Center

Last, but definitely not least, I stopped by the table for the Blanford Nature Center. I have visited the center several times before, along with what is becoming annual visits for the Garlic Mustard Pull. This place does a great job on providing children’s and community programs to teach good environmental stewardship. I enjoyed chatting about Toad Abodes, little shelters made from unused terracotta pots, with Kristin at this table. Another to-do for the Lot!

Education is the First Step

All of the programs reminded me we are a part of something larger and therefore have certain responsibilities to uphold when it comes to this planet’s ecosystem. When talking with all the various organizations, they stressed the importance of making educational materials available to the community. That way city residents can arm themselves with the knowledge and be empowered to make changes, even if small ones, to sustain the health of our environment for future generations.