My Garden in a Box!

Container gardening is the most ideal suburban way to have fresh vegetables at your fingertips. Its super easy and a wonderful way to burn off a long day or teach children about healthy alternatives to eating. If you lack space or maybe your property is loaded with trees, container gardens are versatile and beautiful. Only the imagination limits what your gardens can be grown in, but remember that some are better than others. Remember to use pots that are light in color so that roots will not burn. Also any wood products need to be non-treated wood and thus will rot sooner than later.(may only last a growing season or two) Terra Cotta pots will dry out faster than typical pots and ceramics will need to drilled on the bottom to allow ample drainage. Whatever you decide make sure they drain well and are up off the ground just enough that they don't stand in water. Potted gardens will require a bit more attention to those in the ground due to the fact that they will dry out a bit more quickly and may need pruning every now and then to maintain space requirements and/or aesthetic appearances. But remember that typical soil born pathogens such as disease and some insects will be less likely. Fertilizer is essential to healthy gardens and can come from a multitude of places. Compost is a wonderful additive to your potting mix. Fish emulsions and compost tea are excellent choices. I use Monty's outdoor organic fertilizer or a soybean based fertilizer called Daniels. Just remember to use a liquid fertilizer, granular fertilizers will waste as they wash through the pots with daily watering's. Leave a couple of inches from the top of the pot with your soil mix to help contain moisture and your soil. These gardens can start from inside the house and be moved outside once the warmer days approach. You can start from seed or plants that have already been started. Your local garden stores should have biodegradable pots designed for seed starting or just use an old cake pan. For you real go-getters out there, you can make your own from newspaper, again GREAT activity for kids (www.ehow.com/video_1745_create-seed-starting.html). DO NOT OVER WATER SEEDS! Give light through windows. Transplanting is easy and the kids love the process of seeds to plants to table, so do I.
Here are a couple of ideas and tips for pot sizes and plants.
1) Summer Salad Mix- Tomato, Chives, Parsley and Cucumber can be grown together. Same sun and water requirements. Planter or Box at least 5 gal.
2)Herb Gardens- Your typical herbs will grow fine together and will produce ample for a family.
Planter or Box 4ft x 4ft x 8in.
3)Broccoli - 2 gal-1 plant
4)Eggplant-5 gal-1 plant (Grilled with Greek seasoning=love at first bite)
5)Green Beans-2 gal-plant 3 in. apart
6)Squash-5 gal-1 plant
7) Spinach-1 gal- 2 plants
8)Leaf Lettuce-1 gal- 2 plants
9)Green Onion-1 gal- 5 plants
10)Carrots-1 gal- 3 plants- (remember depth on this one!) 2 inches longer than actual growth.

Why cure the problem when you can prevent it?

Happy 2010! Time sure flies by and that's why I thought I would write on the importance of insect prevention. You may not know this, but insects have already begun preparing for the warmer months by laying their eggs. Once the temperature is right these eggs will hatch and begin feeding on your trees and shrubs. Once this process begins it will be quite complicated and expensive to control. Most products that are available to control insects that have hatched are not organic and can take multiple applications. Why not stop the problem before it begins? Horticultural oils are not considered "organic" but are very safe and effective ways to control overwintering insects. The oils are very people friendly, pet friendly and plant friendly. This product is highly effective on overwintering eggs, scale, aphids and mites among other pest. I do not recommend using this product however except in cooler temps in the south due to plant tolerance. Once temperatures and humidity levels begin to rise, a lot of plants will tend to burn and have negative reactions. Other pest controls that are not as environmentally friendly will be used at this time. Taking curative routes can cause a multitude of mishaps including loss of plant foliage, irreparable plant damage and even plant replacements. It can prove to be very unsightly and expensive. Prevention, not curative is absolutely the answer to a beautiful and safer outdoor living environment!

Some Green Ideas for Your Old Christmas Trees!

There is no need in just chunking that tree into the landfill. Those trees provided us with many of our natural needs while alive and it can be just as use full dead. That is unless you buy a live tree to begin with. Live trees are a bit more expensive up front but can make a nice addition to your home or you can donate to a community or landscape in need. Think about it! Now back to the old trees whoms lives were sacrificed for our enjoyment.
1) Habitats for wildlife! Two or three in a pond or lake makes a wonderful home for fish. Strip all the limbs but a couple to hang bird feeders or leave the limbs and add food for squirrels.
2) Make firewood! The small limbs and bark make fantastic kindling. Strip off needles or at least as many as you can first. The wood makes fantastic fire wood and makes the house smell great.(pine)
3) Make a habitat for vine climbing plants! eg Clematis or Morning Glory. Just sink the trunk in the ground and the rest is left to your imagination. You can leave all the limbs or just some and let the vines do their thing.
4) Make art! Sink the trunk in ground after stripping some lower limbs and add different colored bottles on the limbs. Very fly!
5) Walking Stick! Hell it's cold outside and you got nothing better to do with your God given talents, so put them to use. Strip all the limbs, whittle a little bit(a lot) and sand to perfection. The wood is beautiful and can be stained or left alone.
6) Mulch! Look up the nearest county dump/mulch yard. Most of these places will let you dump your tree for free and you can come back in spring and buy back your tree, as mulch!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! God Bless!
If any of you take it upon yourselves to attempt these, please share the results!(unless its mulch!)
Penn Mattison

The best green part of Christmas...

Since winter isn't the time to think about green lawns...let's talk about green trees. Here are a few fun facts about the traditions behind Christmas trees:

Roman Times

• The Christmas tree is thought to predate Christianity by centuries. Ancient Romans decorated trees with bits of metal during their winter festival. It is thought December 25th was chosen as the birth of Jesus Christ to overtake the pagan holiday (after all, shepherds did not tend flock in the dead of winter!).

Middle Ages

• During the Middle Ages, evergreen trees were decorated with apples and called the Paradise tree to celebrate the feast of Adam and Eve and held on the 24th of December.

1500's

• The "traditional" Christmas tree appeared in the 1500's in Germany. They were sold in markets and set up in homes without any ornaments or decorations.

1600's

• Trees at this time were decorated with paper roses, candies, nuts, apples and red paper.
• Tinsel was made out of real silver, however tarnished quickly with the mixture of candlelight, which was used on the trees at that time.

1700's

• Decorations at this were carefully quilted snowflakes and stars, sewing little pockets for secret gifts and sugared almonds.
• Silver tinsel was imported from Germany as well as small beaded decorations.
• Candles were placed in wooden hoops for safety.

1800's

• Along with many handmade ornaments, glass became popular at this time.
• One's social and financial status could be defined by how many glass ornaments were on your tree.

1900's

• During WWI in Europe it was illegal to cut down an evergreen, most families hid away their heirloom ornaments in precious metal boxes to keep them safe.
• The first National American Christmas tree was light at the Whit House in 1923 by President Coolidge.
• Trees became popular again after WWII.
• Trees changed in the '60s with the revolution of plastics; Silver aluminum tree were everywhere, including a revolving multi colored light which allowed the tree to shine in different colors, no decorations were needed for these "hip" trees

Sidenote: Nicoles' dad still has his grandmother's original silver aluminum tree in mint condition, it is a true family heirloom!

Happy Holidays to ALL