http://statebystategardening.com/al/blog_03_summary/ en jeknight17951@aol.com Copyright 2012 2012-03-09T17:39:45+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/plum_trees_in_early_spring/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/plum_trees_in_early_spring/ It is still winter in south Alabama, but it sure seems like spring.  It is 66 degrees, and this morning we had light showers.  This is wonderful weather for southern gardeners, for we have been in a drought situation for the last three years.  Hopefully this is our year back  to normal rainfall. We have had rain most of the winter, and I believe that the shrubs, fruit trees and perennials  will reward the gardener this year with plenty of blooms.  The fruit trees usually bloom early, and one of our oldest trees has really put on a show.  If every flower makes a plum, the tree will not be able to hold them up.  We have had a tree, however, that had so many plums that my husband had to put braces under the heavy limbs to keep them from breaking...........That was a "bumber" crop.............. Jelly is so easy to make; just follow the directions in the Sure Jell box.                  Eventhough this is a very pretty little plum tree, it does not grow as fast or have as many plums as the one with the white blooms.  The plums on this tree are more tart and great to mix with the plums from the other trees when making jelly. 2012-03-09T16:39:45+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/christmas_in_the_woods/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/christmas_in_the_woods/ Living in the woods makes one think of an old fashioned Christmas.  Our house was built on an old home site, and after a rain we can still find remnants from the past........broken pottery pieces, old rusty iron bed stead springs and small rusty pieces of farm equipment.  My son even found a man's suit button that looked like it was from a Civil War uniform.  I wish that we had pictures of the old home places, but we can only imagine what they looked like.  They were farmers for sure, for the woods are full of terrace rows that were put there to keep the sandy soil from washing away.  After the 5 inch rain we had today, I can see the reason for the terrace rows.  But with Christmas just around the corner, I did make some pictures of the few decorations in the yard.   We wanted the house to have an aged look, and I think that the front door and the dinner bell reflect that idea.        The old home site was located under these oak trees with the new house behind. Maybe this old iron bed was part of the furniture in the house, but since the house is gone and the bed has been placed in the yard, it is used as a rose trellis and needs a red bow for Christmas.  Welcome to Knight Oaks, and we hope that your Christmas is filled with joy and peace.  As the song goes "I'll be home for Christmas."  Keep the gate open...... And, of course, the manger scene that shows the "reason for the season."  This baby Jesus has a baby piglet loving Him; it was placed in the manger by our five year old granddaughter.  She thought that he wanted to love baby Jesus too.  Merry Christmas.      2011-12-21T23:45:00+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/the_first_day_of_fall_in_the_woods/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/the_first_day_of_fall_in_the_woods/ When I first began gardening about 10 years ago, I always looked forward to Spring; however, now I believe that Fall is my favorite season.  I love the cool, crisp mornings, the leaves turning yellow,red and gold, and dividing and transplanting one of my favorite perennials, the daylily.  I also enjoy the wildflowers in the woods this time of the year.  I must admit that I do not recognize them by their scientific names, but they do give this gardener pleasure with their small flowers blowing in the breeze and the rich purple berries that are wonderful for flower arrangements.  And there is also the beautiful walnut tree with its' rich black bark and big green shells that cover the nut.  But be careful when touching the green shell; it will stain your hands for quite a while.  So take a walk in the woods before the days of winter are here and enjoy the beauty of the Fall.   2011-09-23T17:51:45+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/garden_art_at_the_longest_yard_sale/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/garden_art_at_the_longest_yard_sale/ When it is too hot to garden, go to The World's Longest Yard Sale; of course, it is hot there as well.  August is when the yard sale takes place, and it stretches from Gadsden, Alabama to Hudson, Michigan.  My husband and I attended with friends this year, but we only traveled a short distance from Mentone to Gadsden.  So much fun, but very hot.  It is a great place to look for garden art, and if you like rust, you are in for a treat.  Even though you can get some real good prices on garden art, it seems that the more rust, the higher the price.  The shopper has to learn to "Wheel and Deal."   I made a few shots of some items that I liked and purchased.   Bought these items real cheap. The Seven Sisters rose doesn't look too good in August, but I hope that pink blooms will cover the old iron bedstead in the Spring. These two bird baths with the old lids on top for the birds to bathe in are "Country Cute."     More unique garden art. The old light fixture is my favorite piece, especially under the rose trellis.  I had to deal real hard with the seller to get it for the price that I wanted to pay, but that is part of yard "buying and selling"......fun, fun, fun. The child's tricycle is another one of my favorite pieces; the boiler that will be used as a planter is one of my Mother's.  More "Country Cute;" I just love roosters.  I did not purchase these, but they were priced very reasonably. Can't resist taking pictures of the local scenery; this old building would make such a cute garden shed.  The side view of one of the churches in Mentone, Al; the rustic wooden church with the rock foundation and the picket fence show the uniqueness of a little mountain town. And finally, what gardener doesn't like a good rock, especially when it is covered with moss. 2011-08-09T23:54:36+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/saturday_morning_grass_cut/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/saturday_morning_grass_cut/ Saturday morning has always been the day to cut the grass, but since living in the woods, we cut almost every day.  We cleared too much land for the yard, and now we have to keep it up.  It is work...........but I enjoy the clean cut grass.   It also seems that we should cook hamburgers on the grill after the grass cutting, but it is too hot; and we are too tired.  I do enjoy looking at the flowers after the cut; they seem to perk up.  I have posted a few shots taken this late July morning.............the crepe myrtle and knock out roses are signs of the South.  Hope that you enjoy.   This nice green border is known as Creeping Lily Turf (Liriope spicata) or in the South, the popular name is Monkey Grass.  It is my favorite border, but I remember that my grandmother would not plant it because it multiplies and becomes really thick.  It is still my favorite border.  The purple berries that appear in the late summer let the gardener know that fall is coming real soon.  The foliage stays green in the winter, although the freezing temps will burn it.  I cut mine back with the lawnmower in late winter or early spring, and the new rich green grass appears soon after the cut.......try Monkey Grass for a nice border.  More Monkey Grass growing around the house.  I have daylilies, Loropetalum chinense, and of course, crepe myrtle in these beds.  I love the crepe myrtle, but in the deep South it loves the 90 degree temps, and tends to get too large, especially when it is so close to the house.  I will have to get out the clippers this winter.  The daylilies are what some call ditch lilies, and they tend to spread into the Monkey Grass.  But I am not a perfect gardener, and my beds are not always perfect.  To me the important thing about gardening is it gets the creative juices flowing, it is good for your health, and gives the gardener a Spiritual satisfaction.   I enjoy everything (except weeding) about gardening.  A few more shots made on a late July morning.      Crepe myrtle comes in so many different colors................Just a potted plant on the deck, the Dortmand rose that has really taken off this summer, and a few pears that show that summer will soon come to an end.  The cool crisp days of fall are just around the corner.  So keep on cutting the grass, keep yourself hydrated, and stay in the shade whenever possible.  Happy Gardening.............        2011-07-23T15:34:31+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/althea_and_ferns/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/althea_and_ferns/ July and August are two of the most difficult months for me as a gardener.  In southeast Alabama it is very hot (the heat index was 107 degrees yesterday), we have every kind and size of insect imaginable, poisonous snakes occasionally show us that this was their home first, rain usually comes in the form of strong thunderstorms (very grateful for these this summer), and most plants are a stressed pale yellow-green color.  So what is a gardener to do?  What I do is look for plants that can survive the hot/humid weather.  Some of my favorites are the Althea (Hibiscus syriacus), better known as the Rose of Sharon, Guara lindheimeri, Gardenia augusta, and the Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior).   They show their beauty when most plants are sweating and wiping their foliage.........      A beautiful hardy, old-fashioned Althea given to me by my daughter. Gaura is a new plant to me; I just planted mine last summer after seeing some that a landscaper planted in my sister's yard.  After finding the plant at a local garden center, I thought that I would try it.  I planted it close to my pond directly in the hot sun, and it has really thrived.  The Southern Garden Living Book describes it as an airy plant that grows 2 1/4 to 4 ft. high.  The branching flower spikes bear many 1 inch long white blossoms that open from pink buds closly set on  the stems.  It blooms from late spring unto fall with only a few blossoms opening at a time.  It needs good drainage, is used in the South, but performs best in the Southwest.  As I said, this plant has performed exceptionally well for me in Southeast Alabama, especially during the drought.     The Gardenia fragrance is unforgettable, especially when it hangs in the air on a summer evening.  Silky white, highly perfumed flowers glow against a backdrop of lustrous, dark green foliage.  Gardenias can be frozen when winter temps dip into the single digits and lower teens in the winter, but usually return from the roots.  They can also be grown in pots and cut back to keep over the winter in the garage.  If you can't find one at a garden center, find a hardy shrub in an old garden near you and root a tip cutting, while in flower, in a glass of water.  Alabama and Mississippi Gardener's Guide.     The old fashioned Cast Iron plant is another plant that survives the long hot humid days of south Alabama.  The Alabama & Mississippi Gardener's Guide implies that it is not called "cast Iron" plant for nothing--it is commonly seen growing in dense shade around old homes, still thriving after decades of complete neglect.  The plant, which is often grown in pots even indoors, requires shade all year, or its foliage will yellow and burn.  Sometimes a harsh winter will kill the foliage, but its new growth will appear in the spring.  My Cast Iron plant was given to me from my sister-in-law, and she got hers from her grandmother's garden.  There is something special about having plants that are handed down from one generation to another.                                2011-07-13T02:00:33+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/memorial_day_weekend_in_the_woods/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/memorial_day_weekend_in_the_woods/ It has been a very dry Spring in south Alabama, but after a slight shower last evening, the garden is fresh and clean this morning.  Southeast Alabama has suffered a drought for the past three years.  The rain goes either north or south, but we have so much to be thankful for.........no tornadoes.  I enjoyed taking a few photos this morning of plants that amaze me because of their ability to survive the lack of rain, the strong dry winds, and the sandy/clay soil with little mulch.  The veges also continue to amaze me; the peas are blooming and the corn is tasselling.  We do water every day, but our garden still shows stress.   I continue to work my beds, amending the soil (which can be very expensive), building a few raised beds for better drainage, fertilizing and watering; but I am about to decide that mulch, mulch, and more mulch is the key to success.  The daylily is one plant that survives the heat and drought better than most plants.  Eventhough the blooms only last for a day, the gardener is rewarded every day during the blooming season with new blooms.  And in the late Summer/early Fall the plants revive themselves; the foliage becomes a dark rich green color.  Here are a few of my daylilies that were planted late last summer.  They have bloomed and bloomed, and they still have buds that have not opened.  The foliage is not as pretty as I would like for it to be, but I think that is because of the dry heat.                 The Shasta Daisy is another one of my favorites; it is very tough and multiplies for an extra bonus. These beauties also make a very pretty arrangement to take indoors.  I took this picture of the hibiscus that a friend gave to me; the heat will stress it and it will wilt real quick, but I put it on my screen porch where it only gets morning sun, and it has bloomed and bloomed. I love roses and the Mermaid is one of my favorites; it is not a great bloomer and blooms later than my other roses, but it has a large flower and the foliage is a rich green.  The heat does not seem to bother it, and it doesn't show stress.  Pictures of the garden; the corn is tasselling and the peas are blooming.  The tomatoes and cucumbers have been small so far, but they have a good flavor.       Various shots of the garden on a hot,dry day in early June.  We had very little rain in the Winter and only two slight showers since the tornado in Tuscaloosa.The weather has been a real challenge this Spring; but being a gardener, I have to keep on planting, watering,  mulching and praying for a rainy day.  Happy Gardening.                                     2011-05-27T18:32:13+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/that_beautiful_purple_plant/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/that_beautiful_purple_plant/ I love all colors and textures in the garden, but one day I noticed that I was planting more purple flowers. It is becoming one of my favorite colors.  I have planted purple verbena, lantana, violas and pansies, and recently I painted an old ladder purple.  Why is purple so pleasing to the eye? Maybe it is because of the contrast against the green, or it could be that the blue sky has so many different hues of blue that it sometimes looks purple.  Whatever the reason adding a little purple to the garden will really blend in nicely with the pinks, reds, yellows and even whites.    I will have to admit that one of my favorite purple plants is the old fashioned wisteria, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), that seems to grow wild in south Alabama.  Since we live in the woods, we are fortunate that we can explore and find old home places that still have some of the remmants of days gone by.  The  wisteria vine has been found growing up old pecan trees that are no longer bearing pecans.  It seems that they now are just there to support the old vines with their beautiful purple flowers.  My husband was talking to one of the older farmers native to the area, and in his conversation about the land, he said, " I sure do hate that 'WISITERIA' vine; it will cover the barn, and my wife wants to plant it everywhere."  Well one day against the wishes of my husband, I decided to transplant a few sprigs of this beautiful vine.  He had built me a small white trellis, and I knew that this was the perfect plant.  It is very pretty in the Spring, but it is just a few years old, and is already stressing the small trellis.  I have to prune it two or three times a year to keep it tidy, and to keep my husband from saying, "I told you so."  I also planted some yellow jasmine (which is native to the area) next to the trellis; the purple and yellow are very pretty on a Spring morning.        A Few Things to Consider When Planting Wisteria, according to "The Southern Living Garden Book" Pruning and training are important for control of size and shape and for bloom production.  Let newly planted wisteria grow to establish framework you desire, either single-trunked or multi-trunked.  Remove stems that interfere with desired framework and pinch back side stems and long streamers.  For single-trunked form, rub off buds that develop on trunk.  For multiple trunks, select as many vigorous stems as you wish and let them develop; if plant has only one stem, pinch it back to encourage others to develop.  Remember that main stem will become good-sized trunk and that weight of mature vine is considerable.  Support structures should be sturdy and durable.  Do not allow Asian species to twine around and thereby damage railings, trellises, gutters, or small trees.     One of the pleasures of living in south Alabama is that you can travel the country roads and see many native plants.  It is so much fun to leave the interstate and take pictures of the wisteria vine when it is in bloom.  I hope you enjoy the following pictures that were made in Pike County on a Spring day.        2011-03-22T23:18:00+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/spring_is_coming/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/spring_is_coming/ It has been said that daffodils are the most popular hardy bulbs in the South, and often can be found at the site of an abandoned home or across fields (Alabama & Mississippi Gardener's Guide).  This must be true, for they can be seen growing along the sides of the roads and even in ditches.  One reason that daffodils are such popular flowers is because they seem to tell us that Spring is on its' way.  It is cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoons in south Alabama, and these temps give the daffodils the courage to poke their green stems through the oak leaves and pine straw that have kept them protected during the Winter.  Notice the brave bulb at  the bottom of the picture; he seems to be stronger than the old dead oak leaf.   ADVICE FOR GROWING BULBS *  Pick the right bulb for your site.  Most bulbs need full sun to bloom. * Prepare beds correctly at planting time.  *Most bulbs require good drainage, meaning they need to be in a site with sandy loam soil, on a slope, in a raised bed, or in a container. *Mix a commercial, slow release bulb food into the soil before planting and reapply every year or two. *Always remember to plant the bulbs tips up! *Buy new bulbs early. * Plant bulbs with the tips two or three times as deep as the bulbs are big around. *Mulch the bulbs in the Fall.  (Alabama & Mississippi Gardener's Guide) Bulbs just beginning to bloom. Daffodils need little care, other than a light feeding in the Fall.  Do not feed in the Spring.  Also, after the bulbs bloom do not cut the foliage.  Wait until the foliage has turned yellow before cutting.  A good way to make the beds look better during this time is to hide the foliage under the mulch.  Remember that deer do not like daffodils which is an extra plus for the nice Spring plant.    Daffodils" (1804) I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretch'd in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.   By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).   @import url(http://www.google.com/cse/api/branding.css); 2011-02-24T01:47:35+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/the_beautiful/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_03/the_beautiful/   The Beautiful Beech Tree In the Winter there are a few trees that hold their leaves; the beech tree is one of them.  When riding with my husband one afternoon near the swamp, we were impressed with these beautiful trees with their copper colored leaves.  The beech tree grows thoughout our forest, and when looking at the large trees, smaller trees can be seen that have come up from the roots. Since the beech tree is one of my favorite trees,  I have transplanted three of these wonderful trees near our house.  They seem to like their new locations, but my husband says you will never live to see them as a full grown trees.  I am sure that is true because I have read that they live to be 300 to 400 years old.  But that is what gardening is all about; just planting a tree, a bush or a perennial and watching it grow.  One has to be a gardener to understand.........   These are pictures of an old tree in the Swamp that was probably alive when the Indians lived here.   The old tree is too much tree for my camera.  The smaller trees are closer to the house on higher ground and have probably sprouted from the roots of older trees that were harvested.  The smallest tree is one that I planted,and it survived the hot, dry summer of 2010.  I will never see the full grown tree, but it is so much fun to watch it grow.  So if anyone ever gives you a sprout of a beech tree, plant it and watch it turn into a beautiful tree for all seasons.           2011-02-05T21:30:12+00:00