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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:We don't know about you, but winter sure seems to be dragging on and on here in the upper midwest. We assume it is the same for many other parts of North America. We know that weather in the eastern US has been real nasty this year. That's why this is a great time of year to be planning your garden - makes spring seem so much closer. This week we talk about water, preserving you Valentine roses, a bit about seeds, and more. 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) Water Saving Basics In Gardening:
Good soil care is the key to keeping moisture where the roots can get at it. Loose, crumbly soil can easily soak up rainfall. How do you do this? By not walking on your garden beds more than is necessary. Adding organic matter to the soil will help keep the moisture in the soil. Organic matter acts as a natural sponge, releasing the moisture when the roots need it. Also, liberal quantities of mulch around your plants will help the plants by not allowing the sun to bake the soil dry. You should channel the rainfall to remain in the garden and not to have it flow into the street -- you do this by re-grading areas of your garden. Building terraces is another excellent method. Or, you can set your plants in shallow depressions, so the crowns and the soil around them slightly below surrounding soil level. If you do this, it is best to leave extra space between plants so the roots can reach further without competing with each other. If extra water is needed, do your watering early in the morning or better yet late in the day. Soaker hoses or drip systems will keep the soil properly moist and moisture off the leaves which is important if watering late in the day. Keep these things in mind and you might be able to retain more water, or find you are needing to water less. *** 10% Savings Through February 12, 2004 *** Flowers for Fresh and Dried Arrangements 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:Two immigrants have just arrived in the United States and one says to the other, "I hear that the people of this country actually eat dogs." "Odd," her companion replies, "but if we are going live in America, we might as well do as the Americans do." Nodding emphatically, one of the immigrants points to a hot dog vendor and they both walk toward the cart. "Two dogs, please," she says. The vendor is only too pleased to oblige, wraps both hot dogs in foil and hands them over the counter. Excited, the companions hurry to a bench and begin to unwrap their "dogs." One of them opens the foil and begins to blush. Staring at it for a moment, she turns to her friend and whispers cautiously, "What part did you get?" 4) Bouquet for Valentine's Day:
Once you have that lovely bouquet in your hands, don't be tempted to plop the entire thing in a vase and run off for a romantic evening. Take a couple of minutes to do it right. If your roses arrived in a box (not in water), remove all the foliage that would be below water level in the vase (usually the lower third). Using a pruning shears or a sharp knife, cut about one inch from the ends while holding the stems under warm water (100 degrees F). Cutting the stems under water ensures that water, not air, will enter the stem. Leave the cut ends of the stems in the water until you are ready to arrange them, to prevent them from drying out. Use a floral preservative in the water to lengthen the life of the flowers. If you are using floral foam in your arrangement, be sure to soak it in a water-preservative solution before use. Place flowers and finished arrangements in a cool place, out of direct sunlight, and away from heat and drafts. Keeping these tips in mind will result in their beauty being around longer. 5) Growing Plants From Seed:There are many reasons for propagating plants yourself. Sure, you can always buy young plants from greenhouses and garden centers -- these plants may have the advantage of flowering more quickly. But as a special bonus, propagating from seed is considerably less expensive, and more fun than buying plants. More important, most exotic plants are just not available at garden centers. There are thousands of exotic varieties, including herbs and vegetables, only available as seed. Rex's Seedco offers thousands of types and varieties, including miniature vegetables rarely found in garden centers. Most people agree that summer would only be half as beautiful without summer flowers. And when you add container vegetables to your patio garden you are adding another plus – especially if you live in a townhouse or if you have a patio apartment. Container gardening can add fresh vegetables to your patio garden very easily. There are also a good number of vegetables that can be container grown. Of course, some container plants need a lot of watering while others need very little, one commonality -- they all hate to be waterlogged. Most container grown plants have no food reserves and thus you need to feed them frequently with a water soluble fertilizer or a slow-release type. And remember that almost all container grown annuals make wonderful flowering and foliage plants. All you need is a sunny location and quality soil and you have wonderful container annuals from seed to maturity in one growing season. 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:"God, give us the grace to accept with serenity the things
which cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should
be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other." 7) Tomato Benefits:
And, as we all know, omatoes are both tasty and healthful. They contain beta-carotene and a powerful antioxidant called lycopine -- known to reduce the risk for prostate cancer and heart disease. You should definitely include cooked or processed tomatoes in your diet several times a week. Tomatoes are easily grown in most regions, so grow your own if you are able or so inclined and eat them fresh from the garden. Just four or five plants will yield plenty of tomatoes for your salads and sauces. 8) Dianthus:Have you heard of Dianthus? The common name of this flower is "Pinks." Dianthus is native to south-eastern Europe. It generally grows from 8 to 12 inches tall and is an excellent plant to grow as a border plant, in rock gardens, in window boxes, or in containers. The leaves are blue-green grass like and it produces intensely fragrant flowers of pink, white, or red (depending on the variety). The plants prefer a well drained soil in a sunny or part-sunny location. Like most fragrant flowers the plants prefer an alkaline soil. This "old fashioned" plant is legendary to many gardeners. Pinks will bloom from June through October and makes a great old fashioned bouquet for the dinning room table. TPF081 Maiden Pinks (Dianthus) 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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If you live where rainfall is scant or undependable, or if your soil
is sandy, planning your landscape design accordingly makes sense. First,
consider plants that will thrive in full sun or can withstand dry spells.
Second, there are techniques that will save water in your soil -- using
water-wise gardening keeps in storage the rainfall you do get.
Valentine's Day is coming quick. Here are some tips if you receive
a beautiful bouquet.
When you go out to eat and are offered a tomato-based soup as an appetizer,
don't pass it up. It's a great way to begin a meal, since soup is filling
and nutritious and will make you less inclined to overeat your other
courses.