Strange but true...

No, it’s not a plant from the movie Avatar, it’s for real. Amorphophallus titanum, a native of Sumatra, is a fascinating plant that can grow up to nine feet tall. Luckily, it only blooms sporadically, as it emits a putrid scent—aptly, named the ‘corpse flower.’ Take a look at the video at www.ubcbotanicalgarden. org/potd/2009/01/amorphophallus_titanum_1.php.

Week by week

I am taking photos of my front garden every week. I started in February after a fresh snow, missed a few weeks and started again. We’ll see how long I will keep up with it.

Photo 1: Feb.9,2010

Photo 2: March 14, 2010

Photo 3: March 21, 2010

Photo 4: March 28, 2010

Photo 5: April 4, 2010

(Photos begin from bottom to top)

Easter Greetings

It’s a beautiful Easter Sunday in the Midwest—supposedly, the weather hasn’t been this nice on this date since 1998. With the 80 temps this past week, I roamed the yard to see what was blooming: purple and white crocus are almost finished, yellow-gold daffodils are at their peak, forsythia on the south side of the house are screaming yellow perfection, bloodroot has emerged and started to open its white petals and purple Greek windflowers are scattered throughout the beds. How long we seem to wait and how quickly it all happens... the new show has just begun. Try to enjoy each day. Happy Spring!

What’s growing in your garden?

Right: The rabbit guards the new growth of Ligularia.

Yellow is a Cheerful Color Trend for 2010

Yellow is bursting out of the gate as the hot color this year for inside the home, as well as in the garden. This cheerful hue can range from creamy-white butter to spicy saffron tones with endless shades in between. It’s the kind of color that, simply, makes you happy. An exuberant patch of lanky, gold sunflowers can put a smile on your face every time. So, you’ll be planting some sunshine this spring when you give these winners a try.

Gaillardia, ‘Mesa Queen’: The blanket flower is recommended for its drought-hardy, daisy-like flower. The 20-inch tall ‘Mesa Queen’ was chosen as a 2010 Flower Award Winner for its cheerful, yellow blooms that continue to bloom all summer. As an extra, bees and butterflies are attracted to it, too.

Echinacea ‘Mango Meadowbright’: A glowing-yellow addition to the coneflower family boldly separates itself with its narrow petals and sassy new color from its pinky-purple cousins. Grow some fireworks in your summer garden!

Hosta, ‘Dawn’s Early Light’: Bright, yellow leaves can be just as exciting as flowers—and foliage lasts longer. Heavily, textured hosta leaves emerge as gold in spring and change to chartreuse in the summer—an excellent way to brighten up a shady area.

Clematis, ‘Guernsey Cream’: Pale yellow petals combine with a dark, yellow center for a more subtle appearance. Blooms cover a compact, 6-8 ft. vining plant in late spring to early summer.

‘Golden Bowl’ tree peony: These huge flowers point to why tree peonies became the favorites of the Greek gods and Japanese emperors. ‘Golden Bowl’ is a royal expression of sunny-yellow with its papery petals and fluffy, gold-red anthers. Its blooms are the ‘event’ of the mid-spring garden.

Appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times GreenHouse issue: February 4, 2010

Eat Your Colors

Plant a colorful vegetable garden and you’ll be healthier for it.

Cauliflower ‘Graffiti’— Large plants showcase bright, purple heads of cauliflower wrapped in dark-purple leaves. They look amazing in the vegetable garden as well as on the plate. The heads keep most of their color when cooked. Try microwaving it to make it even easier to eat healthy.

Sweet Pepper, ‘Thor’

This 12-inch variety matures in 70 days turning from green to chartreuse and then to red—ready for picking. Perfect size for roasting or stuffing.

Available through John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds

www.kitchengardenseeds.com

(860)567-6086

Edible Flowers

Nasturtium ‘Empress of India’—Petals are crimson-scarlet with a sweet, peppery flavor. Plants climb or sprawl from 12” to 18”. They are extremely easy to grow in full or filtered sunlight. Sow directly in garden after the last frost date.

Seeds are available at:

Pasquesi Home and Gardens

(847)615-2700

Johnny Jump Ups (Viola tricolor) —The flowers have violet petals with yellow and white markings and a wintergreen flavor. These dainty flowers look beautiful on cakes or desserts or freeze petals inside ice cubes for summer drinks.

Renee’s Garden

www.reneesgarden.com

(888)880-7228

‘Barely-any-calories‘ Salad Greens

Baby Mesclun Salad, ‘Paris Market Mix’—This seed mix will provide you with an imported mesclun mix of baby lettuces, mild chicory and endive, with a touch of scented chervil and nutty arugula. Perfect with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Container Lettuce

‘Sweetie Baby Romaine’—Lettuce leaves are compact and juicy with a sweet flavor. They are long lasing, slow to bolt and heat tolerant.

Available at:

The Cook’s Garden

www.cooksgarden.com

(800)457-9703

Squash, ‘Gourmet Gold— Cheery-yellow squash offers plenty of Vitamin C. Plants produce top-quality fruits and the leaves stay big, green and attractive in the garden. It is new for 2010.

Beans, Tri-color Mix—Three colors of beans keep coming all summer and through fall. Pack includes green Italian Romano; yellow Gold Bacau (Romania) and purple heirloom Trionfo Violetto (Italy). You’ll have plenty to share with family and friends.

Appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times GreenHouse issue: January 21, 2010

Spring is whispering its arrival this month

“There’s one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor’s.”

That might be the only comfort at this point in March. Mountains of snow still peak at the end of my driveway and continue in a ridge up to the garage. The temperatures are rising but it is hard to imagine that this amount of snow will ever give way to a green lawn with dandelions anytime soon.

However, if you look closely at the swelling flower buds on the shrubs and trees, spring is working behind the scenes. Maybe it won’t be so long after all.

Daisies?

It is December 22nd. Snow covered the yard—twice today. We shoveled twice. I baked two Swedish coffeecakes. I fed my two cats. I drank 2 cups of coffee.

However, I only have one daisy, still left from the garden—believe it or not. I couldn’t, so I took a picture of it to remember that I still had a daisy flower at Christmas time. The plants themselves are frozen or look it—as they poke their broken stems through the snow drift... and I pile more snow on their heads.

As I downloaded my camera, I came across photos taken of my garden and others last spring and summer and fall. How come I didn’t see the beauty as clearly as I do right now? Did I need the combination of Christmas lights and green, lush plantings to appreciate either of them? Enough said...I will post some of them later. The daisy is the miracle right now.