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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:We want to thank everyone for their positive response to our request to pass along Green Thumb Times. It is really appreciated. So, where to go this week? We look this week at gardens in general, from the healthy garden to a wildflower meadow to a butterfly garden, and of course, we have more for you to enjoy. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor "Exotic & Unusual Seeds from Around the World" 2) How To Create A Healthy Garden:
The basic thing to remember is that fewer pests are attracted to vigorous plants grown in fertile soil. And your plants are less susceptible to infections by plant pathogens when you grow in fertile soil. Plants grown in poor soil will result in poor plants. This is why we discussed compost piles a couple weeks ago. Secondly, you'll want to start your garden by obtaining healthy quality seeds. Always choose seeds that are right for your growing conditions. Of course, there are many garden plants that are adaptable in a wide range of growing conditions. If you want your plants to thrive, not just survive, it is worth your time to become familiar with their needs. Vegetables, for example, will grow best in a site that has a lot of air circulation and good water drainage, with 8 to 12 hours of full sunlight each day. Most vegetables will need at least one inch of water each week.
Another extremely important factor is that healthy plants need to have enough to eat. Organic matter will always improve the physical characteristics of your soil and encourage the beneficial soil microorganisms that help make nutrients available to your plants. During the season, take a good look at your garden at least once a week. This will allow you to spot potential problems before they get out of hand. But you also need to become familiar with both the good guys and the bad guys. If you spot pests, do NOT immediately grab a bottle of insecticide. Check your garden for several days in a row to see if the beneficial insects are holding their own and taking care of the pests for you. Why don't you want to automatically grab the insecticide? Because almost all insecticides will kill the good guys as well as the bad guys. Once you kill the good guys, the bad guys will have free reign because their eggs will hatch and the natural predators will be gone. With a little experience you will learn how much damage your plants will tolerate before you need to take drastic action. Hope this helps with your efforts to have a healthy garden. *** 10% Savings Through January 29, 2004 *** The discount will not show up in your shopping cart -- we will take care of it for you before finalization of your order. (No other discounts apply.) 3) Humor for Today:Weary of constantly picking clothes up from the floor of her son's room, a mother finally laid down the law: each item of clothing she had to pick up would cost her son 25 cents. The plan backfired a bit. By the end of the week, he owed her $1.50. She received the money promptly, along with a 50 cent tip and a note that read, "Thanks Mom; keep up the good work." 4) Use A Seed Starting Mix:The best germination medium (potting soil) is one that is very light. It should be well drained, low in fertilizer or other additives, and it should be labeled as sterile (free of insects or disease pathogens). You can mix your own starting medium from peat, vermiculite, etc., but it is probably simpler to simply purchase a ready-made growing medium from a nursery, greenhouse, or garden- supply store. 5) Meadows and Large Open Spaces:Wildflower meadows are easy and very inexpensive to grow from seed. Wildflowers will provide a welcome visiting spot for native butterflies, bees and birds. We suggest you start your wildflower field by roto-tilling a space in your yard. If you have extra space in an open field, that would be an excellent spot. Of course, you don't necessarilly need to roto-till, you can spread your seed in any open space. The problem is without tilling, it may take longer to establish a field of wildflowers - - it may even take about three seasons to fill the space with pleasing results if you don't roto-till first. Most meadow annuals will thrive best in full sun in average soil. Spreading the seed in the late fall is best because the seeds prefer to freeze. Then in early spring, spray the area with water to help the seeds germinate. The nice thing about wildflower is they generally do not need a great deal of care. Of course, you may still want to pull or hoe any weeds that find their way into the meadow. Most wildflowers will re-seed themselves. For best results spread a small amount of new wildflower seeds each year to keep the plot beautiful with blooms for years to come. You'll truly love your new wildflower meadow. Cold Climate Gardeners are passing
up an excellent resource if they don't take a look into the Minnesota
State Horticultural Society. Visit them today. We recommend them
highly. 6) Quote for Today:"Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made
up of those tiny successes the big ones come too infrequently. If
you don't
have all of those zillions of tiny successes, the big ones don't mean
anything." 7) Reader Mailbag: Butterfly Garden"A friend always has hundreds of butterflies in her garden. Can you help me have a butterfly garden like hers."This is something we hear often.
You might want to visit your friend's garden to specifically observe which flowers the butterflies prefer. Look closely to see if they are sunning or if they are sipping nectar from a particular flower. Imitating nature is the best way to learn how to grow a successful butterfly garden. As we all know, before a butterfly becomes a butterfly, it is a caterpillar. You must remember to feed the caterpillar with leaves of plants they like. Of course, we don't mean you have to hand feed them - just provide the right plants for their diet. There are many types of plants preferred by caterpillars. Some of their favorites include violets, parsley, hollyhocks, and milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant that Monarch butterflies will eat. Adult butterflies are attracted to plants that will feed their developing larvae. Most adult butterflies feed on the flower nectar, so you must select the right kind of flowers to provide their favorite nectar. Many shrubs including butterfly bush (Buddllea davidii) and Abelia (Abelia x grandlora) are excellent choices. You'll also want to provide a safe haven for the butterflies, this and food and water will give them a reason to stay -- your garden will be comfortable place. All butterflies like sun and they dislike wind. Thus, you should select a sunny spot protected by walls or shrubs to provide a windbreak. Butterflies like to bask on flat stones in the sun. Butterflies are attracted to shallow puddles and muddy soil. Here they will congregate and drink water. You can create a shallow basin, line it with plastic, and cover it with sandy soil to form a butterfly-luring water source. As we said, most butterflies are fussy eaters and only feed on a few varieties of plants, but it is also important to offer protection from predators. You can do this by setting aside a corner of your butterfly garden and let it grow wild -- this tangle of brush will offer them a safe haven. Remember to provide a smorgasbord of food and nectar that will attract different species of butterflies from early spring through fall. If you do not want butterfly larvae to munch on your vegetable garden (Carrots, celery, cabbage, broccoli and parsley) it is best not to plant your butterfly garden close to your vegetable garden. And finally, we strongly urge the creation of a pesticide free habitat. You need to know that even organically acceptable pesticides will kill butterfly eggs and larvae. 8) Stay Safe:We talk about healthy plants and gardens, but we also want to think about being safe and healthy in our homes. Here are some unhealthy things we should resolve NOT to do: use a screwdriver to open paint cans, use a chisel or a butter knife or fingernails or a drywall knife as a screwdriver, stand on the top of a step ladder, work without safety glasses, work without hearing protection, work without breathing protection, sand surfaces that might be painted with lead paint, stick a knife in the toaster. All these are bad habits that many of us have done and have had no negative consequences, but eventually things catch up with us. Try to work safe in the short and long run. 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times Click Here or send email to subscribegtt@goalsmint.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@goalsmint.com Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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Creating and maintaining a naturally healthy garden is not simple.
Every decision you make plays an important part in the results you
obtain. Every year you are faced with new conditions, new problems
and different results. This is what makes gardening such a challenging,
but rewarding hobby. In spite of this, there are some simple steps
you can follow to promote garden health.
Fruits need plenty of sun and a fertile soil, while ornamental plants
vary widely in their sun and soil needs. Before choosing the seed varieties
you wish to plant, make sure they meet the environmental conditions
you'll be placing them into -- why struggle growing a plant that doesn't
like where it lives.
Planting a landscape for butterflies is a great way to add moving
color to your garden. It is necessary to choose the right annuals and
perennials that will supply the food that meet butterfly's need. One
other thing people forget is the necessity of providing water and shelter
which encourages the butterflies to stay in your garden.