By using rooting powder and starting them in moist peat moss, I produced a dozen healthy scented geranium plants from the cuttings when I cut back the original plant. If you haven't tried rooting powder for starting cuttings, I highly recommend buying a bottle and keeping it on hand. One container will last for years without losing its effectiveness and is ideal for those hard-to-root plants. How to Use Rooting Powder to Root Cuttings
Cuttings typically form roots within a few weeks, but the amount of time depends on the type of plant you are rooting. Leaves should remain green and appear healthy. There are many brands of rooting powder available, but I have had good luck with the Schultz "Take Root". Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!
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My morning started like every sunny summer morning, with a cup of coffee in my garden. But things soon took an unusual turn. I noticed a baby hummingbird struggling to stay in the air as his tried to drink from the flowers in my garden. It wasn't that he couldn't fly. He could, but he seemed exhausted.
I decided to observe for a while and only offer assistance if necessary. He buzzed to one of my planters and slipped between the plants and the side of the plant. Although he was giving it all he had, he couldn't quite make it back out. Just as I approached to offer a helping hand, he lifted above the edge and flew to my raised perennial bed. Concerned, I continued to watch. Eventually, it became apparent that he didn't have the strength to carry on. As he perched on a purple coneflower wasps swarmed him and he couldn't chase them away. At this point, I decided to bring a feeder to him. When he tried to drink, I noticed a wobble and thought perhaps I would lose him. He lifted his head and chirped a tiny chirp that touched my heart. I reached out my hand and gently closed it around the tiny body. With my free hand, I brought the feeder to within reach and was amazed to see this tiny bird begin to drink. We stood for a while, my hummingbird and me. I loosened my hand and he made no attempt to escape. Slowly we made our way to the garden chair where we sat for close to 30 minutes as he alternated between drinking and resting. At one point, he even cleaned his beak on my finger. I can't say for certain, but when he cocked his head and looked me in the eye I think he spoke to me. Eventually, he lifted his little wings and buzzed away. He has been back once for another drink and I can hear him chirping in the brush. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures, but the experience was amazing. Hopefully, he will return so that I can get some pictures later . . . but until then, I am content to have held this tiny jewel in my hand. Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING! While sitting in my garden chair watching my hummingbirds feeding on my nasturtiums and listening to the robins sing, I came across these adorable hummingbird swings and knew immediately that I simply had to have one for my hummingbirds. As you can see there are several designs to choose from . I'll be honest, my first thought was that I should just make my own, but once I checked the prices I realized it would cost me that much to buy the supplies - assuming I wanted to make them from copper (which I would).
If you haven't visited my hummingbird page, you might want to stop by there and follow the link to the article on making your own hummingbird feeders from test tubes and copper wire. Not that I'm trying to prevent you from buying the combination swing and feeder shown above - but if you are limited on finances, it might be worth your time. If you'll pardon me, I think I have some online shopping to do. Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!  I wasn't sure what to expect when I planted my tomatoes in the Topsy Turvy Planter this year. I had heard that they were a novelty and didn't perform well. In fact, the Washington State University Extension claims the upside down tomato planter tends to suffer from wind damage, doesn't provide room for the roots to grow (they cluster in the bottom of the container instead of stretching upward in the soil), and exposure to direct sunlight overheats the roots stressing the plants. It also reports that the stem tends to rot at the point where it extends through the foam ring at the bottom of the container. Additionally it claims that the yield from tomato plants in the Topsy Turvy Planter is not good. It's too early for me to offer any evidence of yield yet, but I can tell you that I have had a few surprises.
Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!  Photo by Metric x/Flickr Last year, I grew a bumper crop of morning glories on my porch railing. They grew up the twine trellis and tried to escape to the roof, but the roof is metal and they couldn't get a foothold to climb it. The result? Lush green foliage twisted into a mass at the top of the porch with brilliant blue and scarlet morning glories all competing for attention. This year, I decided to grow nasturtiums on the railing, because they don't grow as tall and prefer similar lighting. I planted my morning glories in window boxes and set them in front of the lattice work of the deck, thinking they would climb to the second story and create a dazzling display of color on the wall. I t was a great idea, but it failed. You see, the sunny wall I wanted to grow them on doesn't get any sun at the soil level where the seedlings are. I held out hope that once the seedlings grew a foot or so they would have all the sun they needed and quickly cover the wall. I was wrong. I've babied these seedlings for weeks and the tiny vines are so thin and weak that I finally gave in today and moved them. Which brings me to the purpose of this post. Once I accepted the fact that there would be no vine-covered wall in my garden this year, my decision was easy. Getting to that point was not. You see, I dreamed all winter of morning glories on that wall. It would have been a striking display of color and foliage. This morning, I noticed that the few morning glories I had tucked into my hay bales were thriving and decided to tuck my window boxes between the bales in the hopes that they will take off and cover the fence with blooms sometime soon. Sometimes, when plants fail to thrive in the location you have chosen, the kindest thing you can do - for both you and the plants - is to move them, even if that means transplanting them out of season. Gardening is not an exact science. Seasons vary. Plants are finicky and sometimes we simply overlook their needs when we make our plans. Moving them a better location gives them what they need to thrive and eliminates the frustration of trying to meet their needs when it simply can't be done where they are. Perhaps next year I'll attach boxes to the lattice and elevate them to the proper height for the seedlings to thrive . . . Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING! |
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