New Year Prayer

Dear God, It is a new year on this earth. I want to begin the year with praise and thankfulness to you. I want to recommit myself to you; to do your good will; to follow your word and the guidance of your Holy Spirit. I want to draw closer to you in word, thought, and deed. I want to have an attitude of gratitude, a smile on my face and in my voice, and energy to do whatever task or ministry you want me to do. Please continue to provide my every need, as only you can do. Please bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Please give me wisdom, knowledge, desire, and power to go forth and live for you to make a difference in the lives of those around me and to glorify you. Please bless my coming and my going and open my mouth to speak words of truth and love. Thank you, God. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Pruning Flowering Shrubs

Rules of Thumb for Pruning Flowering Shrubs

Pruning is a source of confusion and worry to many gardeners.  How and when to prune are two of the most common questions asked of gardening experts.  Luckily a few simple guidelines provide good advice for growing most types of flowering shrubs.

Rule of Thumb Number One: Don’t Prune.  Many gardeners labor under the belief that they must prune regularly to keep their shrubs in good condition.  Not true.  Most shrubs need only one significant pruning session a year and many don’t even need that.  Pruning common shrubs like lilacs, forsythia and burning bush into tight mounds is not only unnecessary but isn’t that great for the plants, either.  Many flowering shrubs will look their best when allowed to grow in their natural form or habit.  Frequent shearing encourages lots of surface branching, possibly resulting in an unhealthy structure and reduced flowering.  If you really want a tightly sheared look in your garden, choose a plant that is suited to it, such as boxwood. 

Rule of Thumb Number Two: Prune Spring Flowering Shrubs After Flowering. 
Plants that bloom in early spring usually produce their flower buds the year before.  The buds over-winter on the previous year’s growth and open in spring.  If you prune these spring bloomers in fall or winter you’ll remove the flower buds and won’t have flowers that year.  The plants will be ok, but you’ll miss a year of blooms.  Most of these plants don’t need heavy pruning every year, just some selective thinning of branches to give them a nice shape. 

Rule of Thumb Number Three: Prune Summer Flowering Shrubs In Late Winter or Early Spring.
Many summer flowering shrubs bloom on the current year’s growth.  Pruning them back in later winter encourages them to produce lots of new growth that summer and will result in more flowers.  Don’t be afraid to cut fast growing plants, such as buddleia or caryopteris, down to as little as 10-12” tall.  The exception to this rule is Hydrangeas.  See Rule Number Four for more on that. 

Rule of Thumb Number Four: Hydrangeas.  Hydrangeas alone account for at least half the pruning questions in gardening advice forums.  Some bloom on ‘old wood’ (see Rule Number Two) while others bloom on ‘new wood’ (Rule Number Three.)  You’ll need to identify what kind of hydrangea you have and follow the appropriate rule. Hydrangea macrophylla, the ones with big blue or pink flowers, and Hydrangea quercifolia, oakleaf hydrangeas, both bloom on old wood.  The little pruning they need should be done immediately after flowering.  Hydrangea paniculata, which have white, conical flowers, and Hydrangea arborescens, such as ‘Annabelle’, bloom on new wood.  They’ll produce better flowers if cut back in late winter.

Rule of Thumb Number Five: It’s OK to Trim Anytime.  Really. 
Gardeners are often confronted with stray shoots and branches in late summer and worry about removing them.  Go ahead and cut them back.  The plant won’t be damaged by removing a branch or two.      

In summary, relax.  Your landscape plants don’t need as much pruning as you may think.  If you’d rather go to the beach than shear back your landscape plants, go right ahead.  The only potentially tricky part of pruning is determining when to trim a particular plant.  For a quick review, prune summer bloomers in late winter and spring bloomers right after flowering – just check the hydrangea rule before you trim them.  Stray or broken branches can be trimmed back any time.  If you do make a mistake, plants are very forgiving.  You may miss a season of flowers but the plant will recover for the next year.

Planting in September from Blums Almanac

from Blumsalmanac.com

Gardening - September 2011

Best Days To:

Plant above ground crops:	1-3, 7, 8, 27-30
Plant root crops:	12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22
Plant flowers:	1, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28
Transplant:	1, 2, 3, 27, 28, 29, 30
Seed beds:	2, 3, 20, 21, 22, 29, 30
Prune:	To encourage growth: 12, 13, 20, 21, 22 To discourage growth: 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11
Apply chemical fertilizer:	2, 3, 29, 30
Apply organic fertilizer:	12, 13, 20, 21, 22
Destroy weeds:	18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26
Harvest Crops:	14, 15

Anyone Can Garden

from monrovia.com

gardening how-to

Gardening can be quite easy, if you follow a few basics principles. And we're here to help. First, select the right plants for your climate and sun needs. Simply plant them in rich soil, give them the water and nutrients they need, and you'll soon be on your way to a beautiful and healthy garden. Keep an eye out for pests and disease, and don't be afraid of a little pruning to encourage flowering and lush foliage.

gardening basics

What's in a label

Your owner's manual for each individual plant

Soil Condition

Rich, healthy soil means lush, beautiful plants

Plant Selection

How to choose the perfect plants for your garden

Plant Nutrition

Everyone needs to eat... plants, too!

Watering

Too much...too little? How to water just enough.

Pruning

Tips on when to prune and how much to trim

Plant Health

Read this before you reach for the pesticides

Zones

Success in the garden starts with knowing your zone

No fear

A friend sent me this today:

Success comes from having dreams that are bigger than your fears. Terry Litwiller.

It's a warmer sunny day in Charlotte, NC, at an expected 51 degrees. The threat of yet another snowstorm yesterday has passed. As I see the green tips of the bulbs I have planted emerging from the Earth, I remember how God calls us to emerge from our fears and be successful for Him.

May you dream and be successful in your day!

Here are some garden tips from Danny Lipford for February:

February Lawn & Garden To-Do List

By: Julie Day
In categories: Gardening Basics, Lawn and Garden, Monthly To-Do Lists

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight,
If Candlemas Day be cloud and rain,
Then Winter will not come again
-Old English Proverb

February 2nd marks the official midpoint of winter, and on this day many cultures look to folklore and tradition for signs of the coming spring. Both Groundhog Day and Candlemas predict how long winter will last based on the weather on that day. If skies are clear, it’s taken as a sign that winter will remain for six more weeks while cloudy weather is believed to herald an early arrival of spring.

In mid-February, Zone 9 will be approaching the last frost of the season, and frost-free zones can look forward to all the chores that mark the beginning of the growing season. Watch the forecasts closely to protect new plants from surprise late frosts – February is known for unpredictable weather and seasonal indecision.

For the rest of us, February remains a winter month, with most plants either still dormant or just beginning to stir. Many of the chores from the January To-Do List can be continued along with the following items.

Trees and Shrubs

• Continue to protect tender trees and shrubs before a freeze.
• Prune roses as soon as the buds begin to swell.
• If your roses are winterized, leave them covered until all danger of hard frost has passed.
• Prune trees or shrubs that have been damaged by winter storms.
• Zones 7 and warmer can plant bare-root trees and shrubs, and zones 8 and higher can plant bare-root roses.

Perennials and Bulbs

• Check stored tender bulbs every two weeks, discarding any rotten ones. If they look withered, lightly mist the packing medium with water.
• Look for early bulb sprouts as a sign of spring!
• Prune Group B and C clematis vines, but don’t prune Group A since they bloom early on buds produced at the end of last season.
• Prune or mow ornamental grasses if desired.
• Zones 8 and warmer can start planting ornamental grasses while Zones 9 and higher can plant summer-flowering bulbs and perennials outdoors.

Annuals and Containers

• Continue protecting tender container plants from freezing temperatures, and don’t forget to water!
• Fertilize winter-blooming pansies with a bloom-boosting fertilizer.
• Plant poppy seeds by spreading the seeds on top of the last snow of the season.
• Zones 9 and warmer can plant spring annuals outdoors following the last frost.

Lawns

• Address growing weeds using a post-emergence herbicide.
• Apply pre-emergent crabgrass control when soil temperatures have reached 55° F for 4 or 5 consecutive days.
• Remember not to walk or drive on frozen grass!

Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

• Inspect stored fruits and vegetables and discard any that are spoiled.
• Fertilize winter vegetable plants if needed.
• If you haven’t already done so, prune dormant fruit trees and grape vines.
• Give your potted herbs a dose of nutrition by replacing the top inch of soil with fresh compost.
• If you haven’t already, apply dormant spray to fruit trees before new growth begins.
• If you’ve started plants in a cold frame, be sure to ventilate it on warm days.
• Zones 8 and higher can plant cool-season vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, and kale.

Houseplants

• Protect houseplants from drafts and cold temperatures, and make sure plants don’t touch cold window glass.
• Increase humidity around tropical plants.
• Water regularly, but less often, and reduce fertilization.
• Prune house plants if needed.
• Repot your holiday cactus if needed, but remember they like to be pot-bound.

Cleanup and Maintenance

• If the ground isn’t frozen, till your garden and work in amendments.
• Avoid using salt on frozen driveways and sidewalks – use sand, organic kitty litter, or sawdust instead.
• As you prune, look for brown praying mantis egg cases, and replace them gently back into the plant since praying mantises eat other garden pests.
• Do a late winter maintenance of all your garden tools. Sharpen blades, replace broken tools, repair handles, and oil moving parts to get ready for spring.
• Start up your power tools, such as your lawn mower, chainsaw, or weed trimmer. If needed, you can drop them off at the repair shop before the spring rush.
• Even during the winter, remember to water your plants. Cold air removes moisture from plants faster than they can absorb it, and newly planted trees and shrubs are particularly vulnerable.
• Go out on a nice day and turn your compost pile.
• Keep those bird feeders filled!
• Make out your garden calendar, including planting dates and seed germination times.
• Place orders for seeds, vegetables, and ornamental plants.
• Start seed flats indoors, in bright indirect light or under a grow-light, for spring planting outdoors.
• Valentine’s Day flower arrangements will stay fresher if kept out of strong sunlight.

Merry Christmas

** True Story of Rudolph**

A man named Robert L. May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly
sobbing. Bobs wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer. Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"

Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob. Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in.

Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob
and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined a make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again, Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.

Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.

Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there. The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946, Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either. Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph.

Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Fall Planting

Wow, it seems like fall will never arrive in Charlotte! We have had a few cool days and evenings but not much. Today was 80 degrees and as we planted one of our clients in our jeans we longed for shorts. If you are planning your fall pots and gardens, Rountree Plantation and Royal Gardens have some beautiful plant materials and planters. We are using many varieties of mums, pansies, violas, snapdragons, grasses, wirevine, creeping jenny, lemon sedum, rosemary, thyme, sage, to name just a few inspiring plants. Use orange, gourds, pumpkins, hay and cornstalks to celebrate the season. Get creative and pray for fall weather! Oh, and Happy Halloween!