It snowed and iced last week and the radio today promises another bad storm tomorow. It has been a very very long winter so I was more than usually eager to find flowers and dream of spring.
The Amherst Orchid Society provided the perfect antidote, an exhibition and sale of hundreds of fabulous orchids from the big corsage type cattleyas, all ruffle and frou frou to airy dendrobiums to the elegant phalaenopsis, which is my favorite, and not just because it is billed as about the easiest to grow on a windowsill. The photo is of Phalaenopsis Taisuco Peace ‘Barbara’. I’m also a sucker for pink.
Which is not to say that I can’t appreciate other orchid families like the dendrobiums and this Dendrobium Jesmon Gem. This is a substantial plant with sprays of little white flowers.
Since orchids are famous for having no scent I couldn’t help being surprised by the sight of several orchid on exhibit with big signs saying Smell Me. I had to take the fragrance on faith because I am just getting over a cold and the old sniffer is not in good working order, but others seemed most appreciative.
The orchid show was mobbed, and I was fascinated to see so many people discussing the various plants knowledgeably, and the crowds at the vendor booths were extremely energetic, some settling for tiny plants, others snapping up showy specimens, and others stopping to stock up on news pots and potting mediums, fir bark and sphagnum moss. There was enormous energy in the hall and I realized, once again, that my experience with home gardeners and their vegetable and perennial gardens, is just one subset of a very large gardening world.
The lunar eclipse was very clear up here on our Massachusetts hill. We have perfect conditions for star – and moon – gazing because there is no light pollution. The skies are dark, but brilliant with a splash of the Milky Way and the host of heroes and gods from the Greek and Roman mythologies including Selene, the goddess of the moon whose chariot is pulled by two white cows whose horns are symbols of the crescent moon.
Of course, the moon is important to gardeners because of the effect the phases of the moon have on planting practices. Very simply, plants that fruit abover the ground like beans should be planted when the moon’s light is increasing, from new to the full. this year the best time to plant beans is between June 3 to 15. I can always count on the Old Farmer’s Almanac to lay out the lunar cycles and best planting dates.
Flowering bulbs and vegetables that grow underground should be planted during the dark of the moon, from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. Therefore beets should be planted betweem May 25 and June 2. Those old farmers know you have to allow for plants that can go in early when the soil is cool, and those that need more warmth and they include that info in their charts.
I confess that while fascinated by this theory I have never given it a try, much less a scientific trial, but it is often in mind as one of those Someday Projects.
If you want to see fabulous photos of the eclipse I recommend you high yourself to Greenbow.
William Cullina, director of horticultural research at New England Wildflower Society’s Garden in the Woods in Framingham has just come out with the third book in his Native trilogy. This is an excellent reference book, but one that is so charming that it make frequent dips into it irresistible. The helpful and copious color photographs, many taken by Cullina himself, are easy to use and easy on the eye.
From Emerald Carpet to Amber Wave: Serene and Sensuous Plants for the Garden, the subtitle to Native Ferns, Moss and Grasses tells you expect more than a guide book to native plants. Cullina’s goal is to have the reader ‘know these plants in all their subtlety and charm . . . ferns, mosses and grasses bring a level of refinement and sophistication to the landscape unmatched by any flowers. Like the fine architectural details on some buildings, they demonstrate an attention to quality that elevates any garden beyond the ordinary.” And he succeeds.
Cullina chooses native plants that are suitable for the cultivated garden, and then gives you all the information you need to choose varieties for your climate and garden, and grow and propagate them successfully. I liked the fact that he also tells the readers which varieties are easy or harder to grow. This is important if you are timid (like me) about trying an entirely new family of plants.
During our two years living in China I developed an appreciation for the green garden, and this book goes a long way in offering ways to create such a serene and sophisticated space.
This book is a welcome addition to my home library. The publisher is Houghton Mifflin. The cost is $40.
Two days late and a photo short, but my abutilon or parlor maple is the only things blooming in the house at this point. I’m using last month’s photo, but there is no substantial difference. That is one of the benefits of the abutilon; it is always in bloom. I have enjoyed the health and vigor of this plant which is undeterred by nights that routinely dip below 50 degrees. We live on a windy New England hill and I require a cold bedroom for sleeping.
I had hope an old cyclamen which I think is setting a few buds would be in bloom, but alas it was not to be. What will March bring?
Farmers are getting ready for sugaring season. That means there is hope of sunny days with temperatures routinely above freezing arriving soon. I have to say that according to my records we only had a couple of days where temperatures dipped below Zero, so aside from all the ice I shouldn’t be complaining too much.
On Valentine’s Day some girls get the kind of ice that is measured in karats, but the only ice up here in Heath is the kind that makes life difficult. The walk out to the henhouse might be better made with skates than boots.
With all the ice – albeit bright now today, my thoughts turn to the New England Spring Flower Show in Boston at the Bayside Exposition Center from March 8 – 16. Flowers! Greenery! That wonderful scent of growing things. Garden Ranter Amy Stewart will be there to talk about the Global Flower Industry, and Paul Tukey of People, Places and Plants Magazine and SafeLawns will be talking about lawns. What else! Tony Aven of Plant Delights Nursery will talk about Landscaping in Drifts of One. I think that is what I do. Of course, lots of other speakers, tours, and most of all plants. You can get full information at
http://www.masshort.org/. Or call 617-933-4923. This is a great show and I can’t wait.
Over the past 24 hours another five inches of snow has fallen already blanketed fields. The snow has fallen wet and deep, laying heavily on the pine trees, and even on each twiggy branch of the bent birches, like lace tutus on bowing ballerinas.
Snow began falling again this morning on my way home from church. The wind picked up, blowing snow across the road, and knocking it off the trees. Between the falling and blowing snow, and driving ever higher into the clouds, I was in complete whiteout. I slowed to try and keep the edge of the road in view – and then the snow would clear briefly and the beauty of the frosted roadside was briefly revealed. I was very glad to finally arrive home. That was about the longest seven miles I have ever driven.
The snow continued on and off all afternoon, blowing across the fields, catching in the snowbreak of pines, and drifting around the brush piles in the field. I never really understood the phrase that snow was a poor man’s fertilizer, but however it acts, it is clear the fields are well fertilized this year.
Out here in the country where most of us have to communte to work in our cars, the state of our roads in winter is of paramount importance. However we are not only commuters, most of us in Heath worry about the environment and are always seeking ways to live more lightly on our beautiful landscape.
This desire is not only felt individually. Last year and this the town is using a new method of ‘salting’ the roads to make them passable and safe. Our salt mixture is now a combination of rock salt, magnesium chloride, and molasses! Yes, molasses as in gingerbread.
The salt mixture is applied after consideration of the temperatures. When applied properly the snow and ice melts quickly leaving a clean road surface. At first some people feared the town was using excessive salt because the surface of the road is quite white when dry, but this is because the magnesium chloride sticks to the road surface instead of being washed away into our streams, and actually acts as a pre-treatment for the next snowfall.
And the molasses? It provides a coating to prevent the mix from adhering to the truck beds, and underbellies, and the undersides of all our cars as we drive along the paved roads. This mix is not used on our dirt roads because it would make them soft and muddy.
This mix is being used by the Massachusetts Highway Department in a variety of ways, on state highways like I-91 where it is used in a liquid form and on Route 2 where they leave out the molasses. There are several advantages. It is safe aruond animals and humans because it does nto affet skin, leather or carpets. No special handling equipment is needed.
It reduces the levels of sodium and chloride ion exposure to well, vegetation, and surface water. It also eliminates the need for sand, a major source of phosphorus contamination.
You can get alfalfa sprouts at every salad bar, and you can even buy them in little plastic boxes at the supermarket. If you spout seeds at home you can use a mix of flavorful seeds – radish, broccoli, clover, lentil and others inaddition to alfalfa.
I used to have some plastic screened lids that were intended to be used on canning jars for sprouting, but I have been told that in order to give sprouting seeds proper air cirulation they should be sprouted in a hemp bag. But jar or bag, seeds need to be soaked overnight first.
Well I had a mixture of seeds, but no hemp bag so I decided to put my soaked seeds in a nice old linen dish towel and gathered the ends together. I ran the seeds in the towel under the faucet two or three times a dayfor a good rinsing, and then set the towel to drain in my colander. Within 5 or 6 days I was ready to open the towel to the sun for a few hours to develop the green chlorophyll and take my first harvest.
A few sprout roots grew through the linen towel, but not enough to harm them – or the towel. With two towels, or bags, it is easy to keep up a rotating harvest system. A couple of teaspoons of seeds results in at least 2 cups of sprouts. When they have reached the size you like, you can remove them from the towel, give them a final rinse and drain them before putting them in the refrigerator where they will keep for a couple of days.
Sprouts are extremely nutritous, and a great addition to any salad or sandwich. Sprouting seeds are available at many health food stores. Don’t use seeds intended for planting. It’s nice to be able to bring in a harvest in February.
Plants | Pat February 25, 2008 | 
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