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Page and Content copyright 2011 - 2012
Totally Tomatoes
334 W. Shroud St.
Randolph, Wi 53956
1-800-345-5977
www.totallytomato.com
Vermont Bean Seed Co.
334 W Shroud St.
Randolph, Wi 53956
www.vermontbean.com
www.egardenersplace.com
Territorial Seed Co.
P.O. Box 158
Cottage Grove,Oregon 97424-0061
800-626-0866
www.territorialseed.com
Johnny's Select Seeds
955Benton Ave
Winslow, Maine 04901-2601
877-564-6697
www.Johnnyseeds.com
Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co.
P.O. Box 4178
Greendale, Indiana 47025-4178
513-354-1491
www.Gurneys.com
Thompson & Morgan
P.O. Box 1308
Jackson, NJ 08527-0308
908-363-2225
www.tmseeds.com
Mostly Seeds.......
Mostly Bulbs and Plants.....
Dutch Gardens
P.O. Box 200
Adelphia, NJ 07710-0200
908-994-2250
www.dutchgardens.com
White Flower Farm
P.O. Box 50
Litchfield Ct. 06759-0050
800-503-9624
www.whiteflowerfarm.com
Bluestone Perinnials
7211 Middle Ridge Rd.
Madison, Ohio 44057
800-852-5243
www.bluestoneperinnials.com
Wayside Gardens
1 Garden Lane
Hodges, SC 29695-0001
800-845-1124
www.waysidegardens.com
In the northwest (not the coast) it is very dry this year. This type of weather is very hard on plants. It has been cold at night. Somewhere between 9 and 25 mostly, then sunny all or part of the day. The problem is that there is a lot of evaporation from the soil. So by and by everything gets very dry. The best way to combat this is to mulch everything with leaves. Push leaves up close to the stems of large bushes and as close as possible to herbacious plants that still have leaves. Cover all perinnials that have died down below the soil. This mulch should be applied after the ground is frozen. The leaves should be 5 to 12 inches thick. This should save the ground water from evaporation and keep you plants roots moist. Another benefit is that decomposition and worms will be busy turning the leaves into new soil.
The important thing about mulch is to remove it at the correct time in the spring. Avoid slimy molding leaves and too cold ground for plants to sprout by following these methods. When the night temperatures begin to rise above freezing pull the mulch away from the bases of the plants. If you know the location of your perinnials, make little openings so the crowns can get heat and sunlight.
Leave most of the leaves in place. Begin to pick them up and put them in your compost pile. Each week remove a few more. If a late frost turns up, pull the remaining leaves up close to the plants until the weather warms. Eventually remove all or most of the leaves to the compost pile. If you leave a light covering they are a good weed barrier and they will continue to add tilth to your soil.
In the compost the leaves need a little help decomposing. If you have a shredder run the leaves through it. Smaller pieces disintegrate faster. Add fresh manure and kitchen compost to speed up the composting action.
Mulch on the Hollyhocks
Light mulch on these Iris and Lambs Ears. You can see the green parts of the Iris and the Lambs Ears. The Lambs Ears are suseptable to rot and so they are not mulched very much.
These are last years or older catalogues. The new ones will undoubtably have a neww picture on the front!
This time of year I like to relax into winter. Seed catalogues start coming and I start dreaming of new plants for the garden. I keep my catalogues for at least a year until the new catalogues arrive. I use them for reference and read them over and over. I have learned a mountian of information in the long lul of winter drooling through many a seed and plant catalogue. So add these to your library to gaze at for reference, garden planning or a new vegetable for the vegi garden this year.
This year you might try some salsify or parsnip. A friend of mine grew some parsnips this year. He was storing them but the weather got too cold so he dried them in the house. They are so sweet that he eats them for snacks! Try different kinds of Snow Peas, green beans or dry beans. The lettuces and greens these days are a rainbow array, choose 5 or 6 to mix up in your salad rows. Experiment with different types of carrots to see which ones grow best in your area. One year I grew "Ox Hearts", they were amazing. The tops were 4 and 5 inches across, tapering to 6 and 7 inches long. Despite the size they were sweet and crunchy.
I also like to try 2 to 4 new flowers planted from seed, to see how they will do in my area. After several years the varietys you know and have tried are a books worth of knowledge. Besides you'll have a flower garden you hardly ever have to replant and you can try out some more finicky types.You will know just what vegetables grows in your soil and the ones that you love. All this and an abundance of food for a good portion of the year, or year round with a green house!
Here are some catalogue addresses that you may be interested in. Also check at you neighborhood garden center for local seeds from your area or state!
January 2012