Gardening 101

As the days lengthen and the cold chill of evening is replaced with balmy nights, spring is unfolding all around us. Area nurseries, greenhouses, and garden centers are rapidly overflowing with sherbet-colored petunias, shockingly vibrant begonias, gracefully swaying geraniums. Ah, to plant a garden! Utter bliss, or . . . Anxiety!
If you don't know a daffodil from a dandelion . . . if the idea of spending a day looking at palms makes yours sweat . . . if you would rather get a root canal than root an ivy, then this week's article is for you!
First off, you need to understand that you aren't alone. Plenty of people know next to nothing about gardening. Even expert gardeners had to start somewhere. So, be not ashamed, and take this crash course in how to begin a garden.
When making your first visit to purchase plants, it is a good idea to know a little about the area you want to plant. Does it get much sun? Exposure to 8 hours a day is considered "full sun," while 4 hours is "part sun." If it isn't getting any direct sun, consider it shade.
How is the soil? Plants tend to do best in well-drained soil. Consider amendments if you have too much moisture. You can run this little test. Pick up a handful of soil and squeeze it. If it forms a big wet ball, it has too much moisture. If it stays a pile of soil it has too little moisture, but if it forms a loose ball it is just right.
Remember to start small! You will be amazed at how many plants it takes to fill a bed. It is better to have a full small garden than a sparse big one. Unless you have unlimited funds, a large garden can be very expensive. A good size for your first garden is 10 feet by 10 feet.
Plants at nurseries are divided into basic groups. Annuals are flowers that, for the most part, bloom all summer. They come in beautiful shades and are inexpensive. They will be labeled with a tag that tells you how much sun they need. The downside of annuals is that they last only one season. They are not; therefore, a good idea if you are starting from scratch and have no foundation plants around your house. They are good for places where you need bursts of color in small areas.
If you need a foundation planting, you will want to spend most of your money on perennials. These plants generally bloom only once during the season…although some, like roses, may bloom all summer. The good thing is they will keep coming back year after year, so they are a good investment. The thing to remember when choosing perennials is the "Rule of Three." Most plants look better when planted in odd numbers. Start out with three of one type . . . three azaleas, for example. If you want to add hydrangea, add three of those, or else five. Roses especially look good when they are planted in groups. Just make sure they aren't so close together they don't have good air circulation (this can lead to many diseases). When I budget for plants, I try to spend about 75% on perennials and 25% on annuals or other plants. In no time, you will have built up an impressive display.
Vegetables can be planted in a bed, or even in containers. Keep in mind that many vegetables need lots of room. My first foray into pumpkins ended in disaster as they filled not only my garden, but also my yard, and eventually my unhappy neighbor's yard! Other space hoggers are zucchini, melons, and cucumbers. Once again, think small. What you think are six measly tomato plants will, if grown properly, give you enough tomatoes for your family and half the families on your block.
Your main concerns when putting in new plants are sunlight, water, and soil. Check what type of sunlight your plants need. For example, don't plant hostas where they will receive bright sun for eight hours a day and think they will probably be alright. They won't. Put in the right plants and save yourself some grief. When it comes to moisture requirements, a good rule of thumb is that plants need about an inch of water a week. There is a range, or course. Some plants like to be drier; some, like roses, don't like getting their leaves wet. Rain gauges are cheap and will tell you if you need to go out and water. As for soil, take the time to have it tested. Locally, Penn State Cooperative Extension can tell you if you need to add nutrients or amendments to your soil.
The best advice I can give new gardeners is: don't be ashamed to ask questions, be willing to try new plants, and, above all, don't let a few failures deter you. I once fertilized a carefully-sown and tended vegetable bed only to find it all dead the next day. Every single plant . . . dead! I had put the fertilizer directly on the plants and burned the whole lot up! If I had given up that day, I would have lost out on what has become a life-long passion. So be not afraid, good gardener. Go forth and reap many rewards! And if you end up with extra tomatoes…I have enough, thanks.
--Amy Henschel is a Penn State Master Gardener from Union County.

Mystery and Magic in the Garden

As springtime is almost upon us, now is the time to consider what type of garden to plant. The possibilities are endless . . . woodland gardens, English cottage gardens, vegetable gardens, perennial gardens. The list goes on and on. When I visit the local nurseries, my eyes are almost always larger than my wallet. For this reason, it isn't a bad idea to have a plan for your garden already laid out before you go. You might want to consider a garden "theme" for this year's space.

One of the most unusual garden themes to explore is a "midnight" or "moon" garden. These gardens consist of mostly white flowers, which, while pretty in the daytime are truly spectacular at night in the moonlight. As an added bonus, plant flowers that are blooming or fragrant at night. Add some lit votive candles, a space for a small table and chairs and you have a mystical nighttime retreat.

Some night-scented plants are gas plant (Dictamnus albus), lady-of-the-night, also known as Franciscan nightshade (Brunfelsia americana),a shrub like plant with tubular white shaped flowers, fairy lily (Zephyranthes drummondii), or some different varieties of white gladiolus. Gladiolus tristis 'concolor' is one white variety.

Some commonly found white plants are cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), nicotiana (Nicotiana alata) which is actually a flowering tobacco plant, but is much more beautiful than its name would imply. There are white varieties of petunias, daffodils, asters, chrysanthemums (make sure you buy the winter hardy variety), and one of my favorites-- delphinium. Most people think of delphiniums as a blue flower, but there are white varieties too such as 'Galahad' or 'Innocence.' Delphiniums grow quite tall so they are good as background plants in a border garden. And, of course, no "moon garden" would be complete without moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum syn. Ipomoea alba). Moonflowers are a vigorous vine that can grow up to 20 feet in rich soil. They have a fragrant trumpet-shaped flower up to 6 inches across that open at night. It would be perfect to trail up a lamppost or other illuminated object and will really stand out in a nighttime space.

If you have small children, add some whimsy to your midnight garden. You can call it a "Harry Potter garden" and add some fast-growing pumpkin vines that kids can crawl through. Choose a small white type of pumpkin such as the variety Spooktacular and this will add scary shapes and shadows. As any fan of Harry knows, the Weasley's garden was infested with nasty garden gnomes, so be sure to add a few of those tucked here and there. A gazing ball in the center of this garden evokes images of Dumbledore, wizards, and witchery.

If you don't have children (or, like me you would just like to get away from them once in awhile) create a secret midnight garden. These are ideally small private enclaves with a light source such as a tiki torch, outdoor path lighting, or for something really spectacular, a stone wall that has niches you could fill with small lit votives. Just make sure you blow them all out when you are ready to leave. Secret gardens can have the white flower varieties named above, or something silvery like Dusty Miller. Ferns and mosses are good choices since this garden is meant to be concealed and, therefore, will not get direct sunlight. Hostas, begonias, and even white impatiens will do well in a shady retreat. Remember to include a comfortable place to sit, and some citronella candles to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Then settle in and enjoy the nighttime quiet and fragrance of your secret midnight space.

I hope these ideas inspire you to create some type of themed garden space this spring. If you do chose to plant a midnight garden you can look forward to many magical summer evenings exploring your new space. Gardens are a totally different experience at night. Remember that gardening is a creative process. Don't be afraid to mix and match plants and textures. Don't let the Latin names of plants intimidate you either. Most varieties in local nurseries are easy to grow as long as you give them enough water and the proper exposure to sunlight. If you have innovative ideas for themed type gardens, or if you have planted and enjoyed a midnight garden, I would love to hear from you. Please email me at kahensch@yahoo.com and share what has been successful for you. See you in the garden!

--Amy Henschel is a Penn State Master Gardener from Union County.

VEGETABLE UNDERDOGS

The last column I wrote for "Green Thumb Corner" dealt with colorful vegetables. This time, I'd like to introduce you to a world of vegetables with which you might not be familiar. Think unusual. Think uncommon.
If a vegetable even hints at being obscure or out of the ordinary, the appeal rating, in my book, jumps right to the top. I've always been fascinated with things that are a little different, like those purple beans and striped tomatoes I mentioned last time.
Anyone who knows me would probably agree that I seek out the unusual and different. They would say, "yeah, just look at the guy she married, her jobs, her hobbies…"
All joking aside, I don't like boring, and anything that becomes too mundane or is like everything else, is--well--boring.
I'd seen "Andean Tubers" mentioned on an internet organic gardening discussion group, and thought they sounded pretty intriguing. When I went to Ireland last year, the organic farm where I stayed for several days served my son and me several varieties of Andean tubers. One was 'Yacon', also known as Bolivian sunroot. This tuber was peeled and eaten raw (but it could also be cooked). It was crunchy, sweet and extremely tasty, reminiscent of apples and watermelons kind of all rolled up into one. Another was 'Oca.' This was a smaller tuber, about the size of a "shooter" marble or a little bigger. It was boiled and eaten hot, though they can be eaten raw. Its flavor is hard to describe, but very unique and slightly tangy. I was very impressed with the 'Yacon', and this year my garden will be host to many 'Yacon' plants.
The last few years I've been growing Jerusalem artichokes (a.k.a. sunchokes) in my garden. These are not artichokes, nor are they from Jerusalem. Jerusalem artichokes are native to North America and are relatives of sunflowers. In fact, they look very much like sunflowers, but, unlike sunflowers, the tuberous roots are the edible portion of this plant. They are hardy perennials, and once you've planted them in your garden, they'll reward you year after year with tasty, water chestnut-like tubers. These can be eaten raw or cooked. If you like water chestnuts, you'll love Jerusalem artichokes! This year, I've ordered a red variety and a yellow variety of Jerusalem artichoke to add to my "perennial vegetable garden".
Chinese red noodle bean…now doesn't that sound interesting? This is one I simply must try this year. It's an 18 inch long, red-podded bean that keeps most of its color when cooked. It contains tiny red seeds, but this is an edible-podded bean, great for stir-fries.
Skirret. This sounds unusual, and indeed it is little-known today. At one time it was a common vegetable in the U.S., but its popularity gave way to that of parsnips, turnips, and carrots. The cluster of grayish, wrinkled roots that form from the crown of the plant are slightly sweet and a good addition to stews and soups.
Those of you who like to make stir fry should try "rat tailed radish". This is a radish that is grown not for its edible root like regular radishes, but for the seed pods. These are spicy and pungent, usually stir fried or served raw in salads.
I like the idea of eating a salad that contains no lettuce whatsoever. Again, in Ireland, my son and I were served a salad that consisted primarily of malva leaves. These were tender, tasty, and with an unusual texture. Other non-lettuce additions to salads could be edible chrysanthemum (shungiku), sorrel, arugula, corn salad (mache), purslane, amaranth and orach. The list is quite endless.
The number of vegetables that you've probably never heard of, let alone tasted, is huge I'm sure. I know there are dozens that I have no clue what they are or what they taste like. I've grown some "different" vegetables including ground chestnuts, Egyptian walking onions, and beetberry, but I'm anxious to try some I've never grown before, such as jicama, cardoon, sea kale, and edible bamboo.
While you're looking through your seed catalogs this winter, pause at the pages of some of those vegetables you've never tried before, and consider "adopting" one or more for your garden this year. The last thing we gardeners want to be is boring!

--Deb Lusby is a Penn State Master Gardener from Northumberland County.

Winter is for planning!

As I sit down to write this month's "Green Thumb Corner" column, it is anything but gardening weather outside. At this moment it is roughly 18oF and snowing heavily. It is hard to believe that anything will ever be growing in the garden again. But, I know that some dedicated planning during these wintry months will be rewarded with a well thought-out and thriving garden come May and June.
One of the projects I'd like to tackle this year is a raised bed flower and vegetable garden. There are many advantages to having a raised bed. One of the biggest is weed control. They also absorb water better and will tolerate fewer waterings as the area that is planted is so concentrated. They are a great way to have a garden if you have a limited amount of room, or you don't want to give up too much of your lawn. Plus, I think they just look better. You get a certain amount of satisfaction looking out at your beds and seeing them divided into neat little mounds or boxes.
There are several ways to create a raised bed, one being the French method of double digging the soil and piling mounds up in neat little squares. Double digging involves digging down roughly 3 feet and alternating turning the soil with some type of soil amendment such as mushroom soil, compost, or other form of organic matter. Then the topsoil is added to the bottom of the mound, and the bottom soil is added to the top. This will give your mounds a great dark brown color. Double digging certainly has advantages, namely that it aerates much of the topsoil and even some of the subsoil…the organic matter also creates very rich soil. The downside is the amount of work it takes to get this accomplished. Elsa Bakalar--no doubt a dedicated double digger--was quoted on a gardening web site, "You will hear a lot about something called double digging. It is said that it will double the life of your garden, but it may also halve the life of the gardener!"
If you take on double digging you will end up with several approximately square mounds in which to put your seeds or plants, surrounded by walking paths that can be covered with mulch or hay to keep out the weeds. You can also line these paths with fresh newsprint or black plastic and add soil or sand to the top.
The other way to have a raised bed involves creating what amounts to a bottomless wooden box, which you then fill with a good potting soil or organically rich soil. These boxes can be any shape or size, although keep in mind that it takes more soil to fill them than you would think. One fun idea is to plant tulip bulbs when you clear out your boxes in the fall…that way you will have great cutting flowers in the spring before you are ready to plant your vegetable garden. It is a box that does double duty!
If you have someone handy in your house you can build these boxes quite easily, although try not to use any treated lumber, especially if you are going to be growing vegetables that you will be eating. Untreated cedar, cypress, or redwood are the most naturally rot-resistant woods, but are fairly expensive. Rough-cut lumber from a local sawmill would be more economical. Black locust would be the most rot-resistant of our native wood species. If you are less handy, you can buy any size lengths of wood and look at garden and specialty shops for "couplers". These are little clips that will join the wood at the ends to create the boxes. If you are totally not handy at all, like me, you can just buy the boxes pre-made from garden catalogs or local home improvement stores. Once again, stay away from treated lumber; even heavy grade plastic will work. Since most untreated wood will last only a few years, you could try to extend the life of it by wrapping it in plastic sheeting. You may also use plastic wood-- a commercially available building material made by mixing recycled plastic with sawdust. For a very long-lasting raised bed, use bricks, cement blocks, or stone.
If you don't want to plant bulbs in the fall in your raised beds, it can be a good idea to plant a cover crop of rye grass to keep the soil from losing too many nutrients over the winter…. and don't forget to add lots of compost to the soil in the spring if you have chosen regular garden soil over mushroom soil or other amended potting soils.
So be a brave gardener and give raised bed gardening a try! If nothing else it can be fun to sit and plan things over a cup of cocoa and a stack of catalogs. Before long you will be happily picking your harvest of fresh vegetables and admiring your neat rows of garden boxes. You may never go back to regular gardening again!

--Amy Henschel is a Penn State Master Gardener from Union County.

A Bountiful Harvest

As I sit down to write this article it is a nippy 56 o F. outside. The leaves on several of my trees, while not dropping, are definitely turning. Fall, it seems, has arrived.
Fall makes me think of the harvest and reaping the rewards of a great vegetable garden. I don't have a vegetable garden this year. We recently moved into a new home and my husband and I have had our hands full just finding the yard and beating back the weeds. I miss my vegetable garden, especially this time of year. So, I got my vegetable garden "fix' by talking to Kristin Markley, owner of Sweet Meriam's Farm in Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania.
For those of you who don't know Ms. Markley or her husband, Nell Hanssen, they and the farm have a fascinating history. The farm has been operating since the early 1800's. Kristin's great-great-great-great grandfather, Adam Reager, founded the town of Beaver Springs. His daughter, Rachel Reager, married Phillip Markley and built the house (circa 1830) that is now part of the 150-acre farm. Kristin's grandmother, Meriam, aged 105, currently owns the land and Kristin and her husband farm 5 acres.
Sweet Meriam's farm is a CSA, or a Community Supported Agriculture project. This is a program where farmers allow a group of committed volunteers to work the farm in return for weekly supplies of vegetables and fruits, all organically grown. Currently about 40 families are a part of Kristin and Nell's CSA. For $600, you can buy a share of the produce for a season, which is approximately 22-23 weeks long. This comes boxed, once a week, and it is grown without pesticides. There is a fun element of surprise too as you never know what will be in your box, which is delivered to a convenient pick-up place by CSA members. As Kristin says, "it all depends on the weather--the amount of sun, rain, etc. --as to what will be in generous supply during any given week." A newsletter is provided to explain why for instance there are many tomatoes, but no beans. The boxes hold enough organic produce to feed an average family of 4 for the week.
Sweet Meriam's Farm also has a hands-on option. Depending on how many hours you can work on the farm, the price of the full share box is reduced. Those who can give 4 hours a week during the April-to-October growing season will pay nothing for their share of the vegetables and fruits.
As a struggling organic gardener myself, (yes, I have been known to spray some pesticides on my roses from time to time... don't tell anybody!) I was amazed at the amount of food grown without the use of chemicals. Kristin states that they do a lot of "companion planting" or planting groups together with plants that wildlife and/or insects do not like. She notes that most wild animals do not like onions or garlic so she plants a lot of those as companions. She also uses something called "Agri-fabric" or floating row covers. These covers allow rain and sunlight to get through, but protect the plants from wildlife and insects.
Kristin and Nell also utilize cover crops to keep nutrients in the soil. Cover crops are grasses, mostly winter rye and alfalfa in this case, that are planted in the fall to protect the bare earth from winter chill.
Ms. Markley likes to grow eggplant! She is not fond of carrots, however, as they can be labor intensive. One of the advantages of being in a CSA is that she has volunteers to grow them for her. This year, in spite of the wet weather, her tomatoes have done very well, but the cantaloupes and honeydew have suffered.
Most of the families in the Sweet Meriam's Farm CSA reside in Lewisburg, but it is open to anyone. Ard's Market in Mifflinburg also runs a CSA with produce grown organically on the farm of Matthew Shaffer of Sunbury. A full share through Ard's costs $425 for the season, which runs from May to October. There are currently 13 families participating.
So, as you look out over the last fruits and vegetables in your own garden this fall and begin thinking about next year's plans, consider joining a CSA. The whole family can spend time working on the farm, and, if nothing else, you will learn great organic gardening tips that can be used in your own plot. Consider planting a cover crop too…your soil will thank you for it in the spring.
By my own calculations, the Markley farm has been going strong for over 175 years. That's proof enough for me that they must be doing something right!

-- Amy Henschel is a Penn State Master Gardener from Union County.

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