So-o-o many choices for growing Indoors for the Holidays

For some, cooler temperatures mark the end of the gardening season, but for those of us who love plants, we know that we just change the locale of where we work. In the spring and summer, we work outdoors; in the fall and winter, we move indoors. My home has become an indoor showcase of what can be grown indoors in the winter. Holiday decorations can be augmented with living plants of various types.

One of my favorites includes the Norfolk Island pine, sometimes called the Star Pine. Araucaria heterophylla is a beautiful, coniferous tree that grows slowly indoors and needs plenty of light. You may receive this as a table top Christmas tree and, if correctly cared for, over the years, this plant will grow into a small tree. It does best in a bright window, and thrives with average water and humidity.

The most common winter holiday plant, the Euphorbia pulcherrima, or Poinsettia, will, contrary to popular belief, not make you sick if you eat it, although I am unsure why you would want to. Care for your plant and it will reward you year after year. The bracts are what change color to form the traditional Christmas plant. Colors range from burgundy, purple, white, red, and pink with variations of solids, mottling, and variegation. Native to Mexico, the legend of the plant goes something like this:
There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked sadly to the chapel her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up. 'Pepita', he said, "I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him, will make Jesus happy."  Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'.  The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity.

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly referred to as Rosemary, grows well as a Christmas-tree-shaped house plant and makes a nice table top or kitchen plant. Some people love the smell of Rosemary and having a fresh sprig to use for your holiday recipes is an added bonus. Although not as vigorous as a Norfolk Island pine, it can be planted outside in the spring. This plant just needs a little water, and a happy window to look out if grown indoors.

Another more traditional plant to grow indoors is the Schlumbergera spp, or Christmas cactus. With flowers that range from orange to pink to red and even purple, these plants do not require a lot of water, and can handle me forgetting to tend to them if I am out of town for the holidays. Here are some tips that will help initiate flowers in Christmas cactus.

Narcissus papyraceus or Paperwhites are closely related to Daffodils, and are grown indoors. They are fragrant, and easy to grow. Just pot them up and place them in a window away from drafts and enjoy! A pot from any craft store can easily be decorated for the holidays and used to brighten up any room, which also makes it a great craft idea and can be a fun project to do with children!

Another one of my favorites, which happens to be a bulb, is the Amaryllis. From the genus Hippeastrum, these bulbs are also native to South America. What I love about these bulbs is that they are so ridiculously easy to grow. Grab a shallow glass vase or pot, fill it with gravel, stick the bulb on top, give it some water, and watch it start growing. It takes about 6 weeks for it to bloom once it is planted. The colors are deep red, to white with all types of variations in-between. They tolerate abuse from animals, too. I had an Amaryllis named Jar-jar in my apartment in college with 5 other roommates and it did quite well.

A relatively new one to the scene is Cupressus macrocarpa, or Lemon Cypress. This dwarf shrub, with chartreuse green foliage, can be grown in a pot and is a wonderful bright addition to your home. Potted cypresses need sunlight and are used to bright, sunny locations outdoors. Their soil should be kept moist but not wet and should not be allowed to thoroughly dry. A good test is to insert your finger into the pot down to the first knuckle and then remove it. If soil particles adhere to your fingertip, the plant does not need water at that time. Lemon cypress can go outdoors and live as a containerized plant or be planted in the ground in USDA zones 7 to 10.

So, while the gardening outdoors may have been placed on pause for the winter, above are several plants that I hope will inspire you to keep growing through the holiday season and long afterwards.

Herb Gardening for Food and Tea

Gardening herbs can be a sustainable and inexpensive way to provide your family with meals that contain healthy characteristics which accentuate the flavor and make for delicious teas. Herbs are plants chosen for medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. To start an herb garden first determined what herbs to plant. Pick herbs that you will use on a regular basis. Plants must be able to grow in the USDA hardiness zone for your area. Buy plants that are easy find in local garden shops and are healthy. Look for plants that are not dry, tuning brown or losing leaves. Or start from seeds. They grow well in containers, too!

Mint - Mentha app,

Herbs are plants used for medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. Herbs can be trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, annuals, vines, or lower plants. They can be classified in many ways - method of use, culinary, ornamental, medicinal, or aromatic. Also, economic/industrial used as dyes, cosmetics, or pesticides. They can be classified by length of their growing season, whether they are annuals or perennials..

To start an herb garden first determined what herbs to plant. Herbs are either perennials or annuals. Knowing which are annuals and which are perennials is essential when planning and planting herb gardens. Perennial herbs like sage, thyme, lavender, chives, and mint comeback each year. Annuals herbs like basil and cilantro may not survive winter, they must be replanted each spring. Some annual herbs once planted reseed themselves each year. 

Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis

Plants must be able to grow in the USDA hardiness zone for your area. There are many common herbs that grow well in Idaho. Herbs from Europe and the Mediterranean are well adapted to Idaho climates and prefer full sun and well-drained soils. Some tolerate partly shady areas, catnip, chamomile, cilantro, dill, bee balm, burnet, hyssop, lemon balm and mint are among these herbs. 

Herbs generally require less water and fertilizer than other garden plants. Some varieties of sage, lavender and thyme make good choices for low maintenance or xeriscape gardens. Culinary herbs can be frozen or dried. 

In conclusion, herbs contain healthy characteristics which accentuate the flavor of homemade meals and teas. Herbs are valued for medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. To start an herb garden determined what herbs to plant. Pick herbs that will be used frequently. Plants that grow in the USDA hardiness zone for your area and are easy find in local garden shops. Look for plants that are healthy, not dry, tuning brown and/ or losing leaves.

Rosemary - The Wonder Herb

Rosemary (Rosemary officinalis) is a perennial evergreen herb related to the mint (Labiatae) family. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rosemary is hardy in Zones 7a through 11a, however from personal experience it can be overwintered in the Treasure Valley if somewhat protected. A rosemary plant can live for more than 30 years.   Rosemary requires well draining, slightly acidic soil and prefers at least six hours of full sun, however it will tolerate partial shade. Rosemary seeds are slow to germinate but it propagates easily from stem cuttings, layering and division. While rosemary is fairly resistant to pests and diseases, root rot is the most common cause of death.

Rosemary’s culinary uses are well established. It is used to flavor meats, stews, teas, stuffing and many other gourmet feats ranging from savory to sweet. Rosemary can be used in breads, and also flavoring oils and butters. Sprigs of rosemary can be used as a graceful accent in presenting food such as a charcuterie board or in crafts like wreath making. 

Rosemary is an easy herb to grow in patio pots, vegetable gardens and as landscape shrubs.  Some cultivars can be grown as erect columns, rounded or irregular shrubs, and makes a fragrant topiary. It can also be used as ground cover, draping over a wall and in rock gardens. Outdoor pots can be brought indoors before first frost and kept as a fragrant house plant. Landscapers place rosemary in mountain gardens as it is resistant to damage by both deer and fire. The flowers are valued by butterflies and bees. Perfumes, hair care products, lotions, candles, potpourris, and sachets have long used rosemary oil. It takes over 100 pounds of raw rosemary to distill one pound of oil. 

Students in Roman times wore sprigs of rosemary thought to assist with memory; brides and grooms wore rosemary to encourage remembrance of wedding vows. Romans and Greeks considered rosemary a sacred plant that symbolizing both love and death. They threw sprigs into graves to signify their desire to remember the departed. In the West, rosemary has been associated for centuries with faithfulness and friendship as in Ophelia’s much quoted line in Hamlet:

“There’s rosemary; that’s for remembrance. Pray, Love, Remember”

How seeds saved me during the Pandemic...

Being a first-line healthcare provider during a worldwide virus pandemic, I self-quarantined, leaving me with spare time in the spring & summer of 2020. I enjoy flowers. I threw caution to the wind, mixed up my seeds, prepared my flower beds and got to sowing. What a successful experiment that resulted in colorful blooms. Seed-saving benefits include rapidly diversifying and enlarging flower beds while selecting from your favorite hearty blooms, at no cost! It delighted my soul during a very difficult time, so I had to know more

Click to learn more about Saving Seeds from your Garden 

What type of flower seeds are best?

Whatever you love! Whatever you have! Best choices are annuals and easy-to-grow perennials. Consider starting with marigolds, zinnias, snapdragons, lavender, etc. For consistent blooms, choose open pollinated flowers and not hybrids, which differ from the parent plant. Check the package label on your initial flower seeds for Heirloom, or OP (open pollinated). If it says hybrid, F1 or F2, don’t save these seeds.

When choosing blooms for seed collection:

• Use the largest and best blooms from healthy plants to ensure hearty genetics. 

• Don’t use diseased plants. 

• Leave the blooms on the plant until they have withered, turned brown and dried out. 

• If you collect seeds from flowers that have not dried out on the stem, the seeds may be immature and may not germinate.

• Be sure to label all seeds with the flower name, Latin name,

• location and collection date as you save them.

• Seed Saving is not just for flowers, click to learn about veggies too!

To collect, clip the dried flower heads from the stems. 

• Marigolds and zinnias break open and remove the seeds from the center. Marigolds have long narrow seeds (bottom right) and zinnia seeds are arrow-shaped (top right). Sort out the large chaff by hand and use a small fan or just blow on the smaller bits to remove, leaving just the seeds. 

• Snapdragons and lavender seeds will easily fall from the seed heads when shaken into a bowl. 

• Spread seeds on paper towels to dry in a dark cool area. Make sure they are completely dried before storing to avoid mold which can ruin the seeds. 

• Store in a labeled envelope or personalized seed packet. Mason jars, plastic baggies can be used if seeds are completely dried out. 

• Proper, air-tight storage will help the seeds retain their viability, so choose a dark, dry, cool place protected from pests.

Sit back and watch your garden explode with flowers! Oh yes, and Christmas came early since I packaged up my seeds to share as gifts for my family and friends. Truly a gift of time and love!

Iron Chlorosis in Maple Trees

  Strolling the grounds of my one acre “estate” on a warm summer day, I was distressed to see something wrong with two of my Sycamore trees.  While two of the trees looked great, nice dark green leaves everywhere, the other two had sections of leaves that had yellowed.  Upon further inspection, I noted that the veins of the leaves were still green, but the areas between the veins had turned yellow.  In some cases the edges of the leaves were brown. “What is wrong?” I wondered.

What was wrong with my trees was something called, Iron Chlorosis. This problem is apparently common in places that have high alkalinity soil (pH above 7.0). My soil was significantly above this level. It is believed that there is a link between alkalinity and iron in the soil. The problem isn’t a lack of iron, but the inability of the plant to benefit from the iron that is there. For some reason, chemical reactions render the iron unusable to the tree.                                 

So, now that I know what is causing the trees’ problem, is there anything I can do about it? Yes, there are a number of things that can be done to deal with this problem. The best solution is prevention.  Do a soil test to determine the soil pH and then select species that will do well in a particular soil. However, if the trees are already there, like mine, you have several options.  One option is to add elemental Sulphur to the ground around the tree.  The Sulphur will help free up iron for the tree to take up.  This is a slow process and may take a year or more before seeing results.  Another option is to inject iron directly into the trunk.  This involves drilling a series of holes in the tree. This procedure should not be done more than once a year.  Finally, the foliage can be sprayed with an iron solution.  This usually provides the quickest results, however as new leaves come on they most likely will exhibit the problem. Solving the problem of iron chlorosis is a difficult and time consuming challenge.  Research and careful planning and follow up are keys to your success. Saving all of your beautiful plantings are worth the effort.  

Good luck!

Victory Gardens for the 21st Century

During the difficult days of World War II, Americans rallied to support the nation’s war effort. One of the many ways they were encouraged to help out was to plant and utilize produce grown from their own efforts.  While it was a way to increase food production, it also enabled people to save money and to become more self-sufficient.  Additionally, it improved and increased the American diet with nutritious foods picked at their peak.

It is out of this effort, that the notion of a Victory Garden was introduced. Now, more than three-quarters of a century beyond the second world war, there is a resurgence in the desire to grow one’s own food. It is no surprise that, with the many impacts of the COVID pandemic, it has become quite popular to stretch the family food budget as far as possible. Many also seek to grow their own food to help the environment; to use fewer undesirable chemicals, to limit shipping produce from state to state and country to country, as well as to improve their own soil.

Victory Gardens can fit any landscape. The size of the garden can vary with the size of the lot where a person lives.  Vegetables can be tucked into a flower bed around the house. A collection of containers on a balcony or patio offers urban gardeners the chance to grow their favorite vegetables without a yard. Small garden plots can be taken out of grass. Community gardens give urban families a chance to garden with others to learn how to raise vegetables.  Many different settings and needs can be incorporated into the Victory Garden landscape.  

What do you need to start your own Victory Garden

1. Assess your property: Fruits and vegetables will need sunlight, water, soil and fertilizer. 

2. Poll your family on their likes and dislikes.  Plant what your family will eat.

3. Commit to the time needed to care for your plants.  

Supplies you may want to have for your garden.

1. Shovel
2. Hoe
3. Trowel
4. Bucket
5. Seeds
6. Compost
7. Fertilizer

To get started, check out this video from Maine County Extension.

To prepare your garden site, see these tips or check out more options here.  Advice on getting started can also be obtained from your local County Extension Office.

Plants that are easy to grow include: 

1. Beans- 50-80 days to maturity

2. Beets- 50-70 days to maturity

3. Cabbage- 45-65 days to maturity

4. Cucumbers- 45-70 days to maturity

5. Lettuce- 30-70 days to maturity

6. Peas- 65-80 days to maturity

7. Potatoes- 50-100 days to maturity

8. Squash-Summer squash 40-75 days to maturity, Winter squash 70-120 days to maturity

9. Tomatoes- 50-80 days to maturity 

Victory Gardens can fit anywhere and promote a healthy lifestyle that benefits all walks of life.

Get your kids in the garden with you!

Share your love and passion for gardening with your kids by bringing them into the garden to discover the pleasure of growing food. Gardening may be the solution for parents struggling to find ways to encourage their kids to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Allowing your child to pick fresh produce from your garden will increase their desire to eat fresh vegetables.  Tomatoes warm from the sun are delicious.  My son loved green onions and once harvested and ate an entire row! Fresh peas are so delicious.  Help your child build a snack using 5 foods from my plate harvested from the garden or purchased from a local farmer’s market.  Think of all the brain-building vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients your kids will be eating and how that will improve their nutrition.

Give them a small piece of ground that is their own, along with gardening tools and gloves. Provide instruction on how to plant seeds and plants. For more information see the U of I Together Class offered August 10 to prepare a garden template using a paper towel, seeds, and glue. (More information and registration here.)  Show them the flowers, bugs, worms, and growing plants.  Let them dig a hole and plant something. It is about time to plant your fall garden. 

·       Allow the kids to emulate your garden activities in their own plot. Show them the difference between weeds and plants, pull and cultivate weeds, water, fertilize and care for their plants.  Don’t forget to show them the importance of bugs in the ecology of gardening.

·       Take your kids to an orchard and allow them to help you pick fresh fruit.  Build a snack around that. Observe the bees and teach them about making honey and pollination of plants. 

Spend time in the outdoors with your child and applaud their discoveries and experience. Provide ample opportunities for sensory experiences, such as varieties of colors, water features, insects, water skippers, frogs, polliwogs, fun textures and treasures.  Remember the mud pies you used to make as a child, those provide excellent sensory experiences. 

·       Kids who participated in gardening projects scored higher in science achievement than those who did not. Seeing a garden grow may spark your kids to ask questions like: Why do the plants need sun? How does the plant “drink” water? Why are worms good for the plants? Why are spiders needed in the garden? The questions your kids will ask will provide plenty of subjects for discussion.