April 2015 - The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

An open letter to my brother in law

Posted on April 29, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family .

Dear “brother-in-law” (name removed to protect the innocent):

I hope you realize what you have stepped into. Things will be dramatically different from here on out. Life as you know it, or knew it, is gone. And it all changed the moment you sent me this text (verbatim):

“Thanks for the Panicum tip. Thoughts on either Karl Foerster or Fountain Grass?”

Sigh.

I’ve been waiting for this day for a long ass time.

You are no longer just my BIL, you are part of something much bigger now. A secret society of sorts, one in which we duck out during family functions and all I have to say to you is “Rots” (more on that later) and we both know exactly what we are talking about. The first rule of Grass Club is that you don’t talk about Grass Club. Grass is no longer what you cut once a week in spring and summer. It goes much, much deeper.

The fact that you live a stone’s throw from my humble country abode makes a lot of sense now. Fate brought you here. For too long it was just me and my silly named grasses. Now I have a neighbor who gets it.

Remember that movie “What About Bob”? I’ll be a kinder and safer version of that lunatic. Just don’t be surprised if I’m peeking in your window looking for a chance to talk about cool season vs. warm season grasses.

In fact, I’ve already taken the liberty of sharing my massive grass collection with you. You don’t know it yet, but one of the Panicum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ I had set aside two years ago with the optimism that I could give it to someone in the future …

… is now in your possession.

You are most welcome. And by the way, it is known among us grassophiles as “Rots”. This is what she looks like in all her glory in July.

You know, you remind me of a young me. Just dipping your toes into the world of plants but with a desire for information and an interest to know more than the common folk. And since you’ve been saving me from myself by acting as our handyman for the better part of 19 years now (and your 4 year old son helped me lay tile last week), consider what I’m about to tell you as small payback for your generosity.

Here are 5 things that will happen to you over the next 6 months. It will be confusing and exhilarating at the same time but just allow it to wash over you.

1. Odd numbers. While secretly planting your grass I noticed two Salvia planted nearby. Soon you will learn the mistake of your ways and make it three. And you will look at everything in the world in terms of odds and evens and realize odds always feels better.

2. You may like the look of mulch now but soon you will see your young plants fill in and want to add as many more as possible. You’ll also soon realize more plants equals fewer weeds and THAT is the only real solution to combating the weeds.

3. You will realize flowers are fleeting and that there will be a need to focus more on foliage. I will smile like a proud parent when you ask me about Bugbane.

4. Our conditions suck, like big time. You will fail with many plants and I will let you do it. It is part of the learning process and a vital step to becoming a true gardener. It will eventually lead you down the path to native plants. I predict by 2017 you will have at least one Amsonia in your garden (or sooner if the plant fairy pays a visit one night).

5. This one will excite and frustrate. Like myself, you have a large property here in the NJ countryside. There is always room for another garden bed. Dreams of sweeping curves and borders will dance in your head. Embrace it. It stimulates the mind and leads to killer forearms.

I hope this letter finds you well and I hope you truly are a convert. It is magical and I’ve got a ton of plants with your name on it.

Good times.

P.S. – I hope you’re cool with me sharing your garden now and in the future with millions of readers all over the world.

Spring has sprung

Posted on April 27, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Bulbs, Spring .

Ames product review and giveaway

Posted on April 22, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Giveaways .

Ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be awesome.

I was extremely fortunate to be contacted by Ames, the legendary garden tool company, about providing a tool giveaway this spring. To say I was all jacked up is an understatement.

Over the years I’ve often been approached by companies looking for me to pimp their product. I’ve made it a point to be ultra selective along the way. I could write a fascinating post about all that I’ve turned down.

But when something like this comes along, you raise both hands and say “yes please”. And not only do I get a chance to review and use these tools, but I get a chance to give these away to one of you as well. That is known as a win,win, win.

So without further ado, here is the “New Homeowner Collection” from Ames I’ll be giving away today:

This collection has everything the new homeowner/gardener needs to complete all of the basic gardening tasks.

But before I get to the specifics of the contest, I want to share my thoughts on each of these tools as I have had a chance to take them all for a test drive. So let’s walk through each of the six items one by one.

Collector Series Steel Handle 26 in. Poly Leaf Rake

This rake features an innovative head and large basket design to help gather more leaves in less time. With its unique design, all tines are in contact with the ground at one time, so leaves are collected quickly and efficiently.

If you know me, I love my ornamental grasses as much as my children and it can be a nightmare trying to cut them all down (the grasses that is) to the ground in spring. The clean up is a long and arduous task and I’m still working on it as we speak.

This was the perfect opportunity to trial this rake for the grass clippings clean-up.

Typically with other rakes I find that half of the dead foliage is left behind with each stroke of the rake. Not with this one. It was an easy clean-up and I was immediately sold on the effectiveness of this rake.

Garden Spade

This Ames border spade is ideal for creating defined landscape borders and can also be used for digging and transplanting trees and shrubs.

I am terrible with creating nice and clean edgings on the borders of all of my garden beds. I am not a fan of using any type of material as I like the more natural look of bed spilling into lawn. I tend to treat the edgings as less of a priority and then sit back and kick myself when the beds look great but the edging looks sloppy.

No more I say. Time to attend to this task on a regular basis. Out came the new spade and the messy bed line shown below …

… became this with the greatest of ease. Seriously, it could not have been done with any less effort. The spade easily cut through the sod and withstood my massive boots and 6 ft. 3 in/220 lb frame.

Ergo Gel Grip Hand Trowel

The ergo gel grip hand trowel is used for planting, transplanting, weeding, moving, and smoothing soil. The trowel features an ergonomic handle design with a soft gel-grip insert that cushions the hand and provides maximum comfort. The blade is made of strong stainless steel for the most durability.

There is no tool I use more than a trowel. I am constantly ordering plants on the smaller size from online retailers and therefore spend a ton of time planting said plants. This would be the perfect timing for a test run as I just received a shipment of plants this week.

A sweet Sambucus ‘Lemony Lace’ was ready to be introduced to its new home (until I move it again).

It is quite common for me to come across rocks of all shapes and sizes when planting. I’ve even had to go to the emergency room after trying to remove one (long story). So wouldn’t you know it, there was a stone in my way while planting the Sambucus.

The trowel was strong enough to toss that rock aside like it was nothing and I must say, the gel grip felt awfully nice on my manly yet delicate hands. Planting was a piece of cake.

Ergo Gel Grip Hand Transplanter

The ergo gel grip hand transplanter is used for planting seeds and transplanting seedlings into planters or small beds. The tool head includes a measurement scale to guide you in creating depth levels for planting. The tool can also be used for dividing and transplanting perennials. The transplanter features an ergonomic handle design with a soft gel-grip insert that cushions the hand and provides maximum comfort. The blade is made of strong stainless steel for the most durability.

Yes to all of the above, but for me I knew right away what I would use it for most … weed removal. That pointy head is perfect for piercing the soil and “popping out” the millions of weeds I remove by hand each spring/summer.

In she went:

… and out popped the good old dandelion.

Sold!

16-Tine Welded Bow Rake

The Ames bow rake is designed to loosen and level soil. The 16 steel tines work hard to break up hard compacted soil or mulch and spread the material evenly. It is of good value to homeowners with smaller landscaping and gardening requirements.

One of my many spring tasks is to break up the existing mulch with a rake not only so it will look all pretty but to also allow for water to seep on through. So out came the rake …

… and the mulch was successfully and easily raked through.

I love the feel of this rake. Lightweight yet strong and seriously the best one I’ve ever used.

Long Wood Handle Round Point Shovel

This tool is durable and dependable to be utilized for general lawn and garden work. It is the most basic garden tool with a tempered steel blade suitable for digging, planting, cutting sod, and small roots.

I can’t count the number of ways I’ve already used this shovel but just know it feels indestructible. And that is good. I absolutely love the “comfort step” as seen below as it allowed me to really dig in when I was digging out an ornamental grass for division purposes.

This tool will not be leaving my side for the foreseeable future.

And yes ladies and gents, this entire collection can be yours. It is as simple as leaving a comment on this post. The comment can be about your excitement level for this contest, how much you love the spring, how my gardening skills are like no other or simply leave your name and say “I want in.”

Here are the Terms & Conditions:

The AMES Spring Tool Giveaway begins Wednesday April 22nd and ends 6:00 PM on Saturday May 2nd. AMES will send the winner the set of 6 tools listed above once the winner and winner’s shipping address are confirmed. The winner will be announced within 24 hours of the contest closure. Entrants must be 18 years or older and live in the United States. All methods of entry are 100% optional.

And that is it. You know you want in. Do it now.

Disclosure: I received free tools from AMES in exchange for writing a tool review and for the opportunity to give something back to my readers. Opinions expressed are 100% my own and are in no way influenced by AMES.

Spring plant growth

Posted on April 19, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Spring .

Another Sunday and another day spent out in the garden doing my best to clean things up so the new spring plant growth can be enjoyed by all. It might be tedious work but hot damn if I don’t love it.

I am feeling good about where things are at this point as all of the grasses have been cut down, all of the dead spring foliage has been removed and I now realize how awesome ~~I am~~ the garden will be looking in the near future.

Let’s take a look at the latest and greatest.

The Daffodil Season of Sunshine are in full bloom after being planted only last autumn. Daffodils truly are not only deer proof, but fool proof as well.

And there are other daffodils ready to bloom any day now.

Most of my container planted tulips are in full bloom. I’ve left some blooming in their containers outdoors.

And others are now chilling in a vase.

My lilac shrubs are starting to display their flower buds.

The boxwood shrubs are also blooming … which is kind of … whatever.

The delicious foliage of Geranium ‘Espresso’ has truly emerged.

And once again, I am way too excited just to see the new growth of Cimicifuga (Bugbane) ‘Pink Spire’. Lordy I hope this is the year they finally make their presence known.

Like I mentioned a few months ago, Veronica ‘Royal Candles’ is a consistent performer for me year to year and they are back for more once again.

All of the Astilbes have awaken and that always makes me happy.

I completely forgot about my Rhamnus (Buckthorn) ‘Fine Line’ until I noticed this “stick” with signs of life. Color me excited.

As I did last spring, I cut back about 1/3 of the branches on my Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Diablo’ after being pleased with the results last spring/summer. It put on a foliage show but remained in bounds.

And finally, the severely cut back Salix ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ is already showing major signs of life so all is good.

Spring photos

Posted on April 15, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Bulbs, Spring .

Too busy to write too much today. Those ornamental grasses aren’t going to cut themselves down.

But I’ll share some photos with you that have me all jazzed up with the extreme exception of the last one.

Poison ivy is already spreading its pretty little wings all over the garden and we need to nip this in the bud sooner than later. Time to bring in the poison ivy whisperer, my wife.

Enjoy.

Our weekend

Posted on April 13, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Family, Spring .

Now that was a solid weekend.

The weather finally cooperated and the softball season kicked off in style.

Later that night, a walk over the Delaware river for ice cream at sunset.

The first flower of the year revealed itself.

With others soon on their way.

Hours were spent outside cleaning up the garden, getting her ready for the season and obtaining a solid sunburn. It’s amazing what a little sunshine and warmer temps will do for the soul. I am one invigorated mo fo.

The clean up revealed more perennials letting me know they are on their merry way.

Most of the ornamental grasses were cut down albeit later than in years past because of the long winter/spring.

It was a chance to get down on the hands and knees and observe off season developments like with this Itea and its newly shedded bark.

What was a dead foliage playground has returned back to bare ground with only hints of plant life.

I even had a chance to do some garden analysis. This view is my newest obsession. This is what I see each day as I pull into my driveway. It is time to expand it further.

It looks OK in the summer.

But we’re ready to expand that bad boy. Take notice of the orange extension cord. We’ll soon be filling it all in with cardboard I’ve been hoarding all winter so we can kill that grass and plant more.

We made it out to our favorite pepper and tomato nursery, Cross Country Nursery, which is literally within walking distance from our house. The selection is off the hook so on our first run of the season we stocked up on poblanos, jalapenos, basil and a bunch of tomato plants. We will be back again in the near future.

Hell, I even brought in the cut branches of the Redtwig Dogwood and Dappled Willow because I’m like a totally kick ass interior decorator.

You know you are impressed.

It was all then topped off with a fresh grapefruit and tequila cocktail.

Good times.

Cleaning up the perennials

Posted on April 8, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Perennials, Spring .

It’s been rainy and cold for days now but there was work to be done out in the garden. Enough is enough. I’ve promised big things this year so every waking second is crucial. Even if it is was too wet to venture into the garden beds for fear of soil compaction, I could still take care of some important tasks.

One of the tasks was to start cleaning up the perennials I could easily reach and removing all of their dead foliage from seasons past. Here is some of what I accomplished:

PHLOX

We started with the pink Phlox that looked like this.

And it was heart warming to see that they will be back again in 2015

And will soon look like this.

VERONICA

The numerous Veronica ‘Royal Candles’ were left as is for winter.

And each and every one of them fought of winter’s wrath and are ready to shine again.

Like this.

MONARDA

I enjoy the winter interest of spent Monarda (Bee Balm) blooms.

And those tough as nails sons of bitches are back …

… and willingly spreading wherever they please, even under this Clethra shrub.

The pungent smell on my fingers after cutting the Monarda down have me longing for the early summer.

GERANIUM

Current state of Geranium ‘Espresso’.

And tiny proof that it is back for more.

And “more” looks like this beauty.

LADY’S MANTLE

The ratty looking Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla Mollis) ..

… are now ready to strut their stuff.

… and light up those shady areas.

HEUCHERA

Good to see Heuchera ‘Blackout’ is rounding into form.

BUGBANE

Without a doubt, the perennial I am most excited to see perform this spring/summer is the Bugbane ‘Brunette’ (Cimicifuga). Two years in and I haven’t seen much but I am more than willing to remain patient for these beauties. I’m just psyched to see that it is back for a third spring and I’m convinced that the ladybug and earthworm below are signs of good luck.

Along with other endless tasks, I’ll continue to plug away at cleaning up the perennials out in the garden the next few days and hopefully we’ll see some true spring weather soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

John

Bulbs in containers

Posted on April 3, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Bulbs, Containers .

My soil drains poorly therefore my soil is almost always wet.

Most bulbs don’t like “always wet soil” therefore I struggle to grow bulbs.

I like bulbs in spring therefore I grow bulbs in containers.

A rather logical solution me thinks.

I tried growing tulips for a number of years when we first moved into our current home. I was out there each Fall digging to the proper depth, spacing them out accordingly and even feeding them a bit. And not once did I see a sign that any of them even thought about leafing out.

Even a dolt like me eventually figured out that they were rotting in the wet soil over the winter/spring. The daffodils and summer snowflakes have reliably come back year after year, but almost all other bulbs, including the tulips, have failed to thrive. Normally I would say “shit happens” or “it isn’t in the cards”, but my wife loved tulips and I needed to keep up the front that I was an all world gardener.

It didn’t take long to find the solution. A little bit of web research and I had my plan. Grow bulbs in containers where I could control the soil and ultimately, the drainage. Genius.

There were a few options on how to pull off growing bulbs in containers. I could bury the containers outdoors over winter. I could store the containers close against the foundation where they would stay warmer. I could store the containers inside my attached garage where it was warm enough to escape the brutal cold but cold enough for the bulbs to go through their appropriate cycle.

I opted for “garage” and haven’t looked back.

Seriously, it couldn’t be any easier. The bulbs are planted in your standard old potting soil at a shallower depth than is recommended on the package and are planted closer together than is suggested.

I cover the bulbs with more soil, water them a bit and that is it. They go into the garage not to be thought of again until spring. No watering or anything else needs to be done.

The first signs of growth appear in early March and by the time they are 2-3 inches in height, I move them outdoors. If there isn’t enough water from the spring rains, I’ll water them regularly. That is it. I just let them do their thing.

I had these by mid April last year.

Fast forward to this week and I realize I’ve completely forgotten about the four containers I had stowed in my garage. They were hidden out of view, which probably speaks volumes about the state of my garage organization. I immediately moved them outdoors, probably later than required as you can see by the amount of growth below.

Oh well, we’ll see how it goes.

If you want a lot more detail on growing bulbs in containers, I suggest you click here. Really good stuff.

I am incorporating one process improvement this season and that is doing a better job of acclimating the bulbs in containers to the sun. In years past, after I’ve moved them from the garage, I’ve stuck them immediately into full sun. This year, all of the containers have been placed in a shaded location for most of the day and will then bump up the sun exposure over the next few weeks.

Wish me luck!

The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Monthly Archives: April 2015

An open letter to my brother in law

Spring has sprung

Ames product review and giveaway

Spring plant growth

Spring photos

Our weekend

Cleaning up the perennials

Bulbs in containers

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