Happy Garden - June 7, 2007

Volume 2, Number 23, June 7, 2007 (Read It Online) We have lots of gardening tips this week, I hope you find them useful. We also have been recieving more gardening photos than in past weeks, which is wonderful! Keep them coming, we love to see what readers are growing in their gardens. Until next week... Happy Gardening! Susan Send to a Friend! Submit Your Gardening Tips Submit Photos of Your Garden Submit a Gardening Request Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Photos: What's this Flower The Easter Bunny and My Veggies Homemade Rain Barrel Beautiful Fuchsia First Rose of the Season Rainbow Through the Lilacs Tips and Articles: Reuse Cooking Water In Garden Skewers To Keep Squirrels Out of Planting Containers Wire Coathangers For Gardening Use Tires for Protecting Plants Chemical Free Lawn Care Shoe Covers in the Garden Frugal Weed Killer Storing and Caring for Lawn and Garden Tools Milk Jugs to Protect Plants From Rabbits Garden Decor With Yard Sale Finds Plastic Knives as Row Markers Starting and Keeping a Worm Bin Starting Morning Glories New Requests: Dealing With Annoying Birds Climbing Rose Advice Thick Webs on My Pear Tree More Dandelions Than Lawn Getting Rid of Lambsquarter Reducing Algae in a Pond Struggling Asters Starting a Rose Bush from a Cutting Are Hens & Chicks supposed to bloom? Ground Cover Advice Separating Plants in a Dish Garden Can carrots and zucchini successfully grow in the tropics? Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds Starting a Hedge with Forsythia Clippings Growing Guides: Growing an Indoor Herb Garden Today's Sponsor: Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml Photos: What's this Flower I deadhead flowers and collect the seeds from various plants when I'm out looking at gardens around the area, then throw them out in the garden. This may be one from one of my excursions or may have been brought in by the birds. It grew last year and is bigger this year than last so it may be a perennial but because I live in a temperate climate, some annuals grow like perennials. The leaves look "maple like" but with three major sections. The flowers stand up from the leaves. Because there is other foliage around them, it might be hard to tell but hopefully someone can identify this for me. Susan from ThriftyFun Flower Close-up Leaf Close-up Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78879339.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print The Easter Bunny and My Veggies I wrote in awhile back regarding rabbits eating my veggies. I received a number of responses and I actually purchased a friendly trap so that I could catch and release it in the surrounding countryside. I gave up trying to save my garden after catching sight of the culprit though. (He doesn't eat that much.) At first we thought it was a neighbor's pet, because it didn't seem to be too afraid of us. It would come close then hop away if we moved. It nibbled its way around the perimeter of the yard along the fence but I never saw it eating anything other than the stray weed. The following day I shot the second photo from our front yard. I haven't seen him since. He comes and goes at will. I explained on my blog that he's the original Easter Bunny and the youngsters in my extended family were delighted to finally see the elusive fellow actually exists. Now, if I could just capture the real Tooth Fairy too, I'll be legendary. I really do enjoy The Happy Garden Newsletter. Keep up the great work! Regards, Jean Rabbit Taken In Our Back Yard Taken the following day in the front yard Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13111078.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Homemade Rain Barrel This is the rain barrel we installed last summer. We live in the southwest high desert where it is arid, but we receive summer monsoon rains. By using our rain barrel, we used almost no fresh water on our vegetable garden last year. We bought the 55 gallon barrel from the local flea market for $20. It had held Dr Pepper syrup and smelled good! :-) We bought the faucet parts for a little over $10. First, cut out the hole in the top, then drill out a hole near the bottom and reach in and attach the faucet parts. There will be a nut on the inside and the faucet on the outside. Run a bead of silicone caulk to make sure nothing leaks. We had the hardware cloth on hand and used small zip ties to attach it. It doesn't keep mosquitoes out, but with three preschoolers in our family, we were more concerned about keeping them out than keeping mosquitoes out. If that isn't a concern for you, you can use window screen for the top. Our downspout was loose, so we removed the bottom section of pipe, pulled it out from the wall a little, and put the barrel up under it and rested it on some stacked bricks for a gravity flow. I've also seen barrels in my neighborhood with the downspout pipe shortened and directed to flow through the mesh into the barrel. After the winter thaw and things warmed up, there was a lot of algae growing in the barrel's standing water. The garden plants don't care! By Katie from Gallup, New Mexico Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf54542196.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Beautiful Fuchsia This is a beautiful flower I grew last year. It was small when I bought it and I never dreamed it would get so big and bloom all summer and fall. By Sherry from Silverdale WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35269828.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print First Rose of the Season This is my first rose blossom of the season; it is a tea rose from Bellengrath Gardens in Alabama; it has such a beautiful fragrance that no perfume could "hold a candle" to it! The rosebuds are exquisite. By WandaJo from Tennessee Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43166263.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Rainbow Through the Lilacs I love this picture, taken May 19th when the sun came out between the rainy times. It lasted very briefly but I am happy I caught it! My lilacs are blooming nicely now too and I am always looking to get that unusual picture! The gardens are so lovely at this time. The peonies will be opening soon, tulips mostly gone. Bluebells still lasting but going too. We don't have very many hummingbirds this year either. Sure wonder what happened to them? We used to have about 50 and now maybe a dozen. Times and weather is changing it seems. It was a nice winter but the cold nights after a sunny day, did kill back many large leafed shrubs, like the lavatera. I love gardening, and it's theraputic for me too with having fibromyalgia and arthritis, you forget the pain when you're out there, deadheading or finding a weed to pull, or just enjoying the way Nature can create things so beautiful! Enjoy the summer and sunny days! Hugs, By Betty from Cowichan Bay, BC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79620344.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Tips and Articles: Reuse Cooking Water In Garden Save water! Rather than throw leftover water down the drain (from drinking cups or boiling food), use it. I keep a watering can outside my kitchen door that I use to water small outdoor plants. When I go to use it, it's already filled and ready to use. By Carrie from Yakima, WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39497816.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Skewers To Keep Squirrels Out of Planting Containers During the summer, I plant vegetables in containers and keep them on my deck. In the past, I've had a great deal of difficulty keeping the squirrels from digging up my new sprouts. A friend gave me an idea which has worked well. What you do is get a package of bamboo skewers, which usually runs about a dollar, and stick the skewers into the soil, with the points sticking up out of the soil and over the edge of the pot. This deters the squirrels from climbing into the pots to dig up the seedlings. It's worked very well, no squirrels have been injured, and my vegetables are allowed to flourish. By Marie from West Dundee, IL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94045272.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Wire Coathangers For Gardening Re-use old coathangers by twisting to desired shape to hold climbing plants, like roses, in place on lattice or wire structures. Once the cane is trained, you can remove and use elsewhere. Much less painful that tying back! Also handy to hook onto high canes to pull down and position. By Susan Mary from Tasmania Australia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55772495.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use Tires for Protecting Plants Old car tyres placed over new trees or shrubs will deter rabbits and possums until plant is mature. The tyres also hold rain-water in the rim which creates a humidified environment for the plant. When watering, also fill the rim. I have used this for some time and found that the plants with tyres flourished more quickly than ones without. By Susan Mary from Tasmania, Australia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf65186852.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Chemical Free Lawn Care By Ellen Brown We spend a lot of time trying to achieve the perfect lawn. Most of our energy is directed at discouraging the plants we don't want by using weed killing herbicides and insect eradicating pesticides-chemicals that are known to be poisonous. There is a healthier and easier way based on the principle that "less is more." The key is to encourage the plants we do want by optimizing the conditions that encourage grass growth. View This Article: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf470949.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Shoe Covers in the Garden Plastic food storage bags make great shoe covers when you're working in the muddy garden. Slip 2 bags over each shoe and secure them with rubber bands around your ankles. Instead of dealing with muddy boots, just discard the bags when you're done outside. By Joesgirl Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf358791.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Frugal Weed Killer To get rid of grass, weeds, or anything you don't want. 1 gallon white vinegar 1 lb. salt 1/4 cup dish washing soap Mix together and spray on whatever you DO NOT want. It really works and is much cheaper than weed killers or spray. By Marj Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf283572.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Storing and Caring for Lawn and Garden Tools Take a large bucket saved from laundry detergent or paint and fill it half way with sand and the used motor oil from your car. (Yes I said used motor oil) Clean and sharpen your shovels and other cutters and place into the sand and oil to store. The oil will keep the tools from rusting and the sand will help to keep a sharp edge. While your at it, if any of your handles are looking mighty worn and cracking, get a sanding sponge and give them a sand. Apply a good wood oil to them and they will last you a good long time. Murphy's oil soap is great for cleaning the wood if it has sat out for a while and gotten dirty. By Debra in Colorado Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf602089.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Milk Jugs to Protect Plants From Rabbits Use empty gallon milk jugs for back yard planting season. The rabbits would eat all our new pepper plants. The only way to keep them away was to cut off the bottom and top of the milk jug and bury the wide bottom part in the ground a couple inches. Sunlight and rain could come in from top and rabbits somehow didn't bother the plants. It worked every year. By LadyD Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf688803.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Garden Decor With Yard Sale Finds I was going through the unsold items from my yard sale. I found some wooden art frames. They were beautiful. I used some of them as flower garden borders, and some I wrapped thread, yarn, etc around and made a trellis out of it, it is leaning against the porch. I planted some morning glories. I also stuck some dead branches I had cut off one of the trees, they were about two feet high and pretty thick, into the ground for a trellis. I like using natural things for trailing plants. I am going to use some old shoes as hanging planters and hang them in the trees also. By Racer Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf360692.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Plastic Knives as Row Markers Save those plastic knives from your picnic to make durable row markers. Mark plant variety and planting date with permanent marker. Push knife with handle side in the ground. These can be used year after year. By Katz Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf970156.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Starting and Keeping a Worm Bin You can easily turn kitchen wastes into a rich compost by using composting worms. Proper home composting of organic kitchen wastes can reduce the volumes at the landfill or incinerator. Volunteer home composting is a cost effective method of dealing with compostable kitchen wastes. Composting is an efficient way to divert organic wastes from our County's solid waste stream. Read the rest here: http://gardening.wsu.edu/stewardship/compost/kitchen/wormcomp/wormcomp.htm Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf801146.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Starting Morning Glories I use coke bottles, the small regular ones, to start morning glories. When the vine gets too long, I cut it off and put it in a coke bottle with the top cut off. I then put a string through either end and attach it to a clothes line with a paper clip or twine. They are so pretty. By Racer Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf546627.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Contest! Tip Contest Submit a Tip or Recipe! Photo Contest Submit a tip with photo! The above contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! New Requests: Dealing With Annoying Birds There is a little black bird that's been in my garden for about a month now, and he's driving me insane. I love all animals but this little guy is really testing me. He tweets from 5:30 AM until I leave for work at 8 AM. I'm not sure how much more I can take. Can you tell me how to get rid of him without hurting him? Lee from Ireland Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf40710060.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Climbing Rose Advice I have a climbing rose that is just about finished blooming (I think), and I was wondering if I could make it keep blooming by trimming it. It's my first rose, so I'm kind of winging it. Any suggestions would be great! Hardiness Zone: 5a Beth from MA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf28443965.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Thick Webs on My Pear Tree My pear trees have thick webs that cover parts of branches. I have been told they are probably a worm of some sort but not sure what kind or how to get rid of them. Hardiness Zone: 9a Betty from Orange, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63503319.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print More Dandelions Than Lawn Please give me frugal ideas on how I can make my grass grow. I just divorced and moved in a new rental home and the grass will not grow. There is more dandelions than grass. I don't know anything about keeping a lawn up so can you please offer help? Hardiness Zone: 8a Onesummer Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37210965.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Getting Rid of Lambsquarter I need information on how to eliminate lambsquarter from our garden. The last two years it seems to always take over. I thought we would be OK this year because a farmer said it probably started when last year we put a lime product with fertilizer in it on the garden. However, this year we put nothing on it and it's back. I've already planted it and now where the black landscaping cloth isn't used it's all growing back. Our garden is very big about 70x30. I'm getting worn out from pulling it and it's very expensive to cover the whole thing. If you have any suggestions please let me know. Hardiness Zone: 6a Lamoon from Piqua, Ohio Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37707019.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Reducing Algae in a Pond If I use shock for a pool and chlorine to reduce the algae, would it be safe to use these items in my water pond if I do not plan on adding fish or plants for a month? Hardiness Zone: 6b Firsttimepondowner from Wichita, Kansas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56446767.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Struggling Asters I purchased some beautiful annual asters at a local garden center and planted them a few weeks ago. They are not doing very well - they just look droopy and sad and it looks like something has been eating the leaves (bug, I think - I don't have many rabbits around here and it doesn't look like rabbit damage.) They are in full sun and we've had a very dry spring so far. I water when the soil is dry. They just look bad. Has anyone else in zone 5a had good or bad luck with annual asters? Hardiness Zone: 5a Heather from Indianapolis, IN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37439606.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Starting a Rose Bush from a Cutting My daughter asked me "how do you start a rose bush?" Can you start one with a branch of the bush and rooting it in water? Thank you, Joyce from Wis. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf81542154.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Are Hens & Chicks supposed to bloom? Are Hens & Chicks supposed to bloom? I've had them for years, but mine have never bloomed before this year. Hardiness Zone: 7b Janus from Oakwood, GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf70419233.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Ground Cover Advice I am looking for a well behaved ground cover that isn't invasive - got any suggestions? Winters can get to below freezing and summers up to 105F. Hardiness Zone: 8a Holly from Richardson, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf40344063.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Separating Plants in a Dish Garden I received a lovely large dish garden. It has 8 different plants. When should I separate and repot? Hardiness Zone: 6a Thanks, have a great day. Peggy from Cortland, Ohio Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf75565370.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Can carrots and zucchini successfully grow in the tropics? Can carrots and zucchini successfully grow in the tropics? Hardiness Zone: 9b Chrissy from Trinidad Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf88836938.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds How do I keep cats out of my flower beds? Our neighborhood is overrun with strays. Any fresh dirt is swarmed with cats! NASTY! Last summer I even had a 10 in planter that a cat did it's business in. How do I keep them out with minimal to no expense? Jody from WYOMING Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60749016.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Starting a Hedge with Forsythia Clippings I have these bushes at work and would like to make a hedge using them. Can I root them to do so? Hardiness Zone: 7a Helen from Baltimore MD Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf632345.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here Growing Guides: Growing an Indoor Herb Garden By Kate Gilby If you live in the northern hemisphere, then it is likely that your garden is tucked up for the winter. However, this doesn't mean you can't enjoy freshly picked herbs. Many varieties will grow quite happily indoors on a sunny window ledge or porch. In addition to providing a source of fresh herbs, an indoor garden can look extremely attractive, and they are a wonderful introduction to gardening for children. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf542994.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print More Stuff Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users. Submit a Request... Frugal solutions to everyday problems.