Knockout Rose Tree

August 13th, 2011

For many many years roses were hybridized for fragrance, or hybridized for color, or for size. Things like hardiness and disease resistance were not as much of a concern. It is only recently that gardeners in general started worrying more about these more functional attributes. The “Knock Out” brand of rose is one such newer line that professes to be hardy and disease resistant.
I’ve been hearing about these for years, but never bought one. Then I got an offer from Brighter Blooms for a free plant (one of the benefits of being a garden blogger, you get swag). In particular they had a rose tree, and that really appealed to me.
A standard form plant is one in which a bush or weeping style plant has been either pruned, or more likely grafted, onto a standard (a trunk). Almost all weeping cherry trees sold are in fact standard form grafts, where a normal cherry is grown to the desired height, a weeping bud is grafted on, and then once it is established any regular cherry growth is pruned off.
So a rose tree isn’t a rose that genetically grows like a tree, it is just a rose shrub of one type of rose that has been grafted onto a strong trunk-like cane of another rose.
In anycase, to me the benefit of a standard form rose tree, was that it was easy to find room for it. I stuck it between two very large hardy hibiscus plants. The standard form provides height which provides separation. Had it been a normal shrub rose it would have been crowded by the hibiscus, it would have needed more room. In fact, if it had been a normal shrub, I would not have had room in my garden for it, anywhere. I’m really low on space, but the standard form allowed me to sneak it in there.


View the Original article

Red Hot Poker – Something not to grow, and bunnies.

background: url(http://www.gardeningblog.net/wp-content/plugins/review-site/images/star-empty.gif) no-repeat;width: 12px;height: 12px;display: block;float: left;

View the Original article

Do Not Buy a Plastic Greenhouse

February 25th, 2012

In 2010 I blogged about a new little greenhouse I had bought covered in plastic. I bought it at Lowes and was pretty happy with it, it allowed me to start seeds early outdoors (I have problems indoors due to a lack of a south facing window, kids, and cats).

I gave it a pretty good recommendation, I hereby rescind that. In 2011 during the summer, one year old, I noticed the plastic had started to fail at the top. I even kept it in the shade most of the time. By now the plastic is all but gone on top, so much for holding in heat and moisture eh.

View the Original article

First Flower of 2012

My first bloom of 2012 has surfaced. A crocus as normal, this time out by the road. Though a yellow crocus again.

It bloomed on the 10th, which is early.

In 2011 my first bloom, also a yellow crocus was the 15th. In 2010 it was on the 16th, in 2009, again a yellow crocus, it was on the 15th. In 2008, which had a really cold Spring it wasn’t until early April. That is the extent of my records.

So it portends a slightly longer growing season to have it come a week earlier than the recent norm this year. Should get better yields on my fruit trees and vines, if a late cold snap doesn’t freeze off the buds. That is always a risk with an early Spring. The trees get all excited and start flowering and then a freeze comes and kills all the buds, vastly reducing or eliminating the fruiting potential for many plants for a full year. But a warm Spring is a good thing, so long as it lasts.

View the Original article

Buzzed

How sweet they’ve been, the first days of Spring. Though March played with our sense of seasonal order, growling out like a temperamental lion, we harvested twenty pounds of honey this week; a sap of sweet, slow, amber translucence.

View the Original article

Split Pea Soup with Spicy Italian Sausage

Here's a hearty and fast Split Pea Soup Recipe - don't skimp on the ham...

I have used the traditional ham before and the canning process seems to leach the flavor out of the ham, leaving chunks of meat without any flavor to chew on.
I wanted to try something different. I like this a lot, DH thought it was too spicy.


2 lbs dried green split peas (rinse and pick out any strange looking peas)
10 cups water (I used part chicken stock)

Bring to a boil and while boiling cut into chunks

5 carrots
5 potatoes
3 spicy italian sausages (about 9 inches long each)

then add to the liquid

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp powdered garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper

I then added the cut carrots, potatoes and sausage to the boiling liquid
and waited for it to come back to a boil and ladled into 5 quart canning jars
added water to the jars to the fill line,and cooked at 11 lbs pressure for 90 minutes.

I took about and extra 20 minutes letting my canner get to 11 lbs.
When the timer went off I turned the burner off and waited until there was no
pressure left in the canner.
I had no liquid loss when I opened the canner to remove the jars.

In this recipe and almost any recipe you can add or take away veggies.
I tend to use whatever I have on hand and make liberal substitutions.

Any soup with meat needs 90 minutes for quarts and 70 for pints.Posted byCynat12:23 PM

View the Original article

Green Sauce for Soups, Dips etc.

Another quick and tasty recipe...

5 lbs tomatillos washed and cut into small hunks
2 lbs anaheim chili's roasted and prepared or 1 lg can roasted green chili
6 jalapenos chopped
3 large onions chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice or to taste
2 cups water
8 cloves garlic chopped
1 TBS Lawry's seasoned salt, or to taste
2 TBS Cumin or to taste

Bring all to a boil and boil covered on low for about 20 minutes.
I then took my stick mixer (immersion blender) and blended all.

Pour into jars, wipe rims and I pressured this at 11 lbs for 25 minutes.

This sauce may have to have some thickening before using. I will be using it as
a sauce for enchiladas and as a soup base. I really like the color and the flavor.
You can add tomatoes if you want as well. If you like spicier add more jalapenos
or a pinch of cayenne powder. I have made this using lime juice insted of lemon and
really liked it as well. The tomatillos keep this sauce mild. I shop at ethic markets and love it. My tomatillos were 3 lbs for a dollar.


View the Original article