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25 Secrets every gardener should know - Part 2 |
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Part 2 continues where Part 1 left off. We start here with Tip 14
14. Spur strawberries by rooting plant runners. All types of produce more fruit if runners are clipped allowing them to produce no more than three daughter plants each summer. When runners produce dauther plants, place them - still attached to the mother plant - into a small pot filled with soil When the daughters grow enough roots, simply clip them off the runner. Give the new plant away or start a new strawberry bed.
15. Safeguard compost from contamination. Avoid adding feces from dogs, cats, or pigs to your compost pile because it can carry harmful patogens that can transfer to vegetables grown from that compost. But it is OK to use horse or cow manure that has been aged at least on year.
16. Eat your flowers! Learn which ones are safe to eat and only choose organically grown petals. Nasturtium blooms add a peppery flaor to salads, minced snapdragon petals lend a confetti color to butter, and pea flavor tulips make a beautiful edible cup for tuna or chicken salad. Remember to remove the pollen-laden bitter pistils and stamens inside.
17. Help birds build nests by providing narrow grasses, fine strips of bark, thistle, burlap, or milkweed. Stuff a mesh onion bag with pieces of yarn 8" long or shorter, hair, feathers, or small twigs and hang it in a spot protected from rain and cats.
18. Make your own fertilizer. Collect leaves of comfrey and stuff them into a bucket. Compress the leaves with a brick or rock, cover the bucket and let the leaves decompose for 6 weeks. The result will be a black liquid that looks like motor oil butis a godsend for plants because it is high in potassium and nitrogen. Dilute with water (one part of the liqid comfrey to 15 parts water) and use the mix when watering plants, or spray it directly on leaves.
19. Plant annual geraniums in clay pots or planters, which tend to dry out faster than other types of plant containers. This is a good thing because annual geraniums need to throughly dry out between watering periods. For most other annuals, use ceramic, poly resin, concrete pots with saucers to retain moisture.
20. Design high impact containers with monochromatic color schemes. Stock with one color per  pot, adding interest by filling companion pots with plants that have a related hue by different shape or texture. If you are unsure, group plants together in your shopping cart before buying to see how they look together; cool and warm tones of the same color sometimes don't blend.
21. Use your ingenuity wthen mixing up solutions to keep deer away. Deer learn quickly, so switch products frequently to keep them guessing. Try garlic spray, predator urine, and commercial deer repellents. All will work - for a while. Reapply often. The best solution may be to place motion-activiated sprinklers in the garden. Deer never get used to being hit with a sudden blast of water.
22. Preserve fresh herbs for soups and stews. Fill an ice cube tray with chopped herbs, top with water, and freeze. When the cubes are solid, move them to a plastic freezer bag. Use as needed.
23. Till soil sparingly. Mechanical tilling is fine for a new bed or one that is heavily compacted. But continual grinding, year after year, will disrupt the soil structure, turining it into a powder that won't hold moisture. Till sparingly and be sure to augment annually with leaves.
24. Shake out the salt. Epsom salt can be an ally in the garden when scratched into the soil The salt's magnesium and sulfer help germination and flowering while improving the uptake of phosphorus and nitrogen.
25. Sharpen your edge by using the proper eding technique. Make a vertical cut with a flat-edge spade along the outside line of your bed. After making the vertical cut, move to the other side of the bed. About 3" away from the outside edge, angle the spade to about 45 degrees and cut to the bottom of the vertical-edge side. Shake off excess soil, then toss the remainder into a compost pile. Mulch to the edge of the inside cut. The edges keep the lawn at bay for about a year.We hope you liked these tips. If you would like to share any of the great tips we know you have then just email us and we will be happy to publish them. email: info@arizonapottery.com
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By Pam Brooks
Post Last Updated: 1/14/2013 3:44:39 PM |
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25 Secrets every gardener should know - Part 1 |
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You can never have enough tips. Here are 25 that are really good!
Starting here we have Tip 1 thru Tip 13
1. Check for slugs at night. Because slugs and snails need constant moisture, they avoid direct sunlight and beome more active at night, when they feed on hostas and other plants. So scout in the dark and use a flashlight. Collect the pests by hand and drop them into a bucket of soapy water.
2. Shop for bargains on bleeding hearts when they normally go dormant in early summer.  Garden centers may lower the price on a plant that apprears to be dying - although it isn't. If you are bargain hunting for other perennials, slip the root ball out of the pot; healthy roots will be firm and colored white or tan. If you see dark brown, rotted or withered roots, don't buy them. Use your fingernail to lightly scratch the surface of a woodly plant, a light green color just under the bark means it's likely to be fine.
3. Start the entertainment. Butterflies are fascinating to watch - and so easy to lure into the garden. Simply include plants that attract female butterflies to lay thier eggs where the larvae and caterpillars can feed. Black swallowtails prefer dill, parsley, and carrots. Monarchs like milkweed and butterfly weed. Painted ladies lay eggs on daisies and hollyhocks. All these plants grow in full sun, which butterflies also need to warm their cold bodies. Also include a shallow saucer filled with a muddy puddle.
4. Wipe your hands of it. To distribute soil over seedbeds gently and evenly, rub your hands together to sift the soil. Using your hands helps break up large clods of soil and tops the seeds with just enough soil tohelp them germinate. The smaller and finer the seed, the finer the layer of soil needed.
5. Get new shrubs for free. Take a 6" cutting from easy-to-root plants, such as willow, poplar, privet, rose, redtwig, dogwood, English ivy and creeping juniper. Dip the cut end into a rooting hormome and push it into a pot of moist potting mix. Cover with a plastic bag punched with holes that allow the plant to breathe. Place the container in an area where it receives light but no direct sun. Keep moist but not drenched. Plants should root in about 6 weeks.
6. Help plants cope in heat. When the heat rises for extended periods of time, stop pruning and fertilizing everything but container plants. Plats cope with the heat by going into a virtual state of dormancy. Don't make it harder for them by fertilizing or pruning, both of which encourage fresh grown when plants can least afford to make the effort.
7. Clean salt off clay pots. Clay pots are notorious for ugly salt despoists and other debris that can harbor diseases or dehydrate stems resting on them. To clean off the salt, mix a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Let pots soak for 10 minutes, then place in a solution of dish detergent and water. Scrub with a wire bristle brush to remove mineral deposits and other debris. Rinse thoroughly and soak pots in a bucket of clean water till ready to use.
8. Recycle an old hose by making a soaker hose. Simply drill tiny holes 1 to 2 inches apart on one side. Attach one end to a water spigot and cap the other. Turn the water to a low flow for a half hour one or twice a week. Add a timer for auto watering. Keep the hose out of sight by covering it with mulch.
9. Wait before mulching. Allow soil to warm up and dry out a bit before mulching in spring. Fluff up existing mulch before adding more so it doesn't form a hard surface that deflects water. Avoid creating a volcano of mulch around plants. Strive instead for a donut effect, where the area closest to the trunk is free of mulch. Trees benefit from mulch spread to the drip line.
10. Ensure peony blooms. Peonies are among the easiest plants to grow but many gardeners miss out on the flowering. Plant peonies where they will receive at least 6 hrs of sunlight every day. Wait to cut peony foliage until after the first frost so leaves have the opportunity to return food reserves to the roots for next year's blooms.
11. Keep cucumbers sweet with regular watering. Most vine crops, such as cukes, melons,  squash, and gourds, need at least 1" fo water every week. But stop watering cantaloupes 8 to 10 days before you expect to harvest them. Dry soil causes the plant to develop the sugars that give melons their best flavor.
12. Time your tomatoes so you can either harvest them all at once or in continuous smaller batches.
13. Add offseason plants. When shoppping for plants in spring, add out-of-season stalwarts such as aster, chrysanthemum, and goldnrod. They may look boring in your cart at the checkout, but in a few months you'll be glad you have them to beef up yoru autumn landscape.
For tips 14 thru 25 refer to the next blog entry.
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By Pam Brooks
Post Last Updated: 1/14/2013 3:43:56 PM |
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Winning Window Boxes. |
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It is so easy to take a simple looking home front and turn it into a stunning display of color  and beauty. Window box planters are the easiest way to add some pizzaz to your home area, where you may have large window areas. Large windows both tall and wide offer the greatest possibilities for climbers scrambling all the way up the sides, tall bushy plants inside these, curbing down to ever smaller things, and possibly a few more medium height plants for added variety.
This shingled house featured a row of windows with only a narrow strip of planting area below. Windowboxes of red petunias, and a group of pots surrounding a large dracaena, well-potted geraniums on the steps, and more on the porch add much needed life, soft lines, and color.
Trailing plants - Trailers are just as vital, spilling out of the box and cascading downward to add further depth to the display. They add an exotic touch and help to balance the feature, offsetting the height of the taller plants and climbers above.
 Speaking of climbers and trailers, it's interesting to experiment with mixed plantings for unusual effects. For example, two different types of climbing plants may be placed close together to scramble up through one another. Perhaps an ivy with handsome glossy foliage, an a sweet pea to twine up through this, the flowers peeping out from amongst the ivy leaves. Or in a permanent planting of evergreens, you could use two different types of ivy, one with dark green leaves and the other a golden or silver variegated variety; or one large-leaved and the other with small leaves. Remember that ivies can be used both as climbers and as trailers.
The snow is not the only reason this house looks gloomy. A few months later burgundy shutters, and a window box brimming with variegated ivy, spiky dracaena, lpomoea 'Blackie' and Mexican hair grass warm up the scene for a look with a lot more curb appeal.
Think out side the "window" box when it comes to creating a lively display. Ask yourself if you were walking by the house what do you think would look great? Then ask yourself if you were sitting inside the house looking out what would you like to see? Make sure that all your hard work and effort can be enjoyed from both views.
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By Pam Brooks
Post Last Updated: 1/14/2013 3:43:23 PM |
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Steps to improve your indoor gardening skills. |
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 Purchase healthy, bug free plants: Be picky. A houseplant at a garden center should look its very best, not like it's on its last leg. If you gently squeeze the sides of a plastic pot and the soil appears wet like a sponge, look carefully because you will probably see fungus gnats. Also, if you gently thump the side of a container, you might see a whitefly cloud rise out of the soil. Avoid buying these plants and introducing their problems into your home.
Keep a holding room: When you bring home a new plants, isolate it in a room away from other houseplants for up to a month to make sure it's bug and disease free.
Don't overuse fertilizer: Provide plant food monthly only during spring and summer, and use a diluted 20-20-20 fertilizer. Remember: Fertilizer makes plants bigger; to much of it can make plants quickly outgrow their pots.
Upgrade pots judiciously: Only when a plant's roots have outgrown its pots does it need to  be bumped up to a bigger container. Change pots conservatively because many plants, like succulents and cacti, prefer to be a bit root bound.
Don't underwater, and don't overwater: Plants only need water when they're dry - unless the plant tag specifies otherwise. To water, fill the container from the top layer of soil to the brim until water comes out the drainage holes in the bottom. Wait for about half an hour for the plant to drink what it needs. Remove excess water from the saucer with a turkey baster.
Rejuvenate tropicals with spa days: Most houseplants are tropicals and enjoy humidity. Treat them to a spa day by relocating them - one or two at a time - to a steamy bathroom.
 Use flags for plant sitters: When you go away on vacation, place a flag in the pots of plants that need special attention, such as extra water. This will let your guest waterer know which plants to keep a careful eye on.
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By Pam Brooks
Post Last Updated: 1/14/2013 3:42:50 PM |
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A Childs Play. |
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There are few things kids love more than digging their hands into the earth, watching flowers bloom and spending some up-close and personal time with nature's abundant creppy crawlers.
 Take a look at your garden inventory: Are all your garden tools adult size and to dangerous form small inexperienced hands? Then create a "Kid Zone" of garden items that your little ones can play with. Offer your children something different than the latest Barbie doll or video game.
Kid's tool sets, containing shovels, hoes, leaf rakes, aprons,  tote bags, garden gloves and tool boxes are specially designed to fit and appeal to a small child and make great gifts. They are safe and easy to use and will minimize any gardening "boo-boos."
Children with vivid imaginations and zest for life, will appreciate items such as paint a pot kits or bird houses to set up and  watch from a safe kitchen window.
 You parents and Grandparents love to pamper your kids and we know it. That is why we make such a fun selection of childrens kits and garden toys available year round. Holidays, Birthdays, Beginning of Summer, whatever the occasion to celebrate with fun child friendly items.
Remember - kids love to immitate their parents. Do you garden? Do  you get out in your yard and enjoy it for all of it's wonderful opportunities? If not then take this opportunity to start now! It is worth your time and effort. We promise!
If you are interested in purchasing any of the items show above - then go to our Gift Store.
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By Pam Brooks
Post Last Updated: 1/14/2013 3:42:09 PM |
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Blog Series - Fruit Trees & Berries in Pots Part 1 |
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 Growing your own fruit is really fun and rewarding. Nothing tastes better than homegrown fruit picked at peak ripeness. Imagine the pleasure of adding a handful of berries to your morning cereal or serving an apple pie made with home-grown fruit from the tree - potted on your deck. Don't forget that the fruiting plants add color and fragrance that can't be obtained from any other means. The fragrant flowers, attractive foliage, and beautiful fruit all add to the charm of growing your own plants in pots.
Many types of fruits and berries adapt nicely to growing in containers. Plant breeders continue to develop compact varieties especially suited to planters, and they have many advantages as well. Probably the most important point is the mobility that container planted trees provide. If frost threatens, you can move your fruit trees under cover for some protection. So, even though container fruit growing  takes a little more effort that flowers or veggies, the payoffs are well worth it.
Before you get started on this fun adventure - you need to learn a few fruit-gardening terms and concepts that will keep coming up. Most of the information contained in this entry and future entries in this series, will be about deciduous fruit trees (apple, peach etc....)
The Bee's Knees
Remember how pollen moves from the male part of the flower to the female part, fertilizing it, and causing fruit to grow? Well, some fruit trees, like peach, have compatible make & female flower parts on the same plant, which is called self-fruitful.
All this means is if you plant a peach tree by itself -it will produce fruit.
 Other fruits, including apple & blueberries, produce more quantity and better quality if they are cross-pollinated. This means they receive pollen from another variety. You can still grow one blueberry or apple plant and maybe get some fruit, but you get a lot more if a different variety grows nearby.
Pollinators carry pollen from flower to flower, even from one part of a flower to another part. They are usually bees, flies or other insects. We are sure you have plenty in your garden area. Even city dwellers have them flying around, especially if there are plants nearby. Planting a combination of flowers, veggies, and fruits makes your container garden a one-shop stopping place for our pollinating friends.
Most fruit trees have 2 parts: the rootstock and the scion.
The rootstock is the below grown portion of the plant. The scion is above ground. Why do you need to know this. Well, when nurseries grow fruit trees, the bud the scion variety onto the rootstock to take advantage of the best attributes of each plant. Obviously the scion produces great tasting fruit but a good rootstock can contribute qualities like adapting to specific soil types, hardiness, or size control.
If grown on their own roots, most fruit trees get huge. Much to big for any container. But, if grown on dwarfing rootstocks, the same trees become ideal for planters. Apples are easy and a normal apple dwarf rootstock can be reduced in size by 75%, just reaching 10 feet tall. We must say that not all fruits are available like this, so check with your local nursery for more information.
In our next entry on this series we will be discussing:
* Dwarfing fruit trees for containers.
* Selecting fruit plants that are container friendly.
* Basic planting & maintenance needs.
and more.
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By Pam Brooks
Post Last Updated: 1/14/2013 3:40:47 PM |
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Planting a Cool Pot. |
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Soaring summer temperatures can take a toll on many garden plants. But you can freshen your landscape's look practically instantly: Just combine crisp white blossoms with a shower of icy blue or silver foliage in a glazed container that is pale blue, celadon green or any other cooling shade.
Set the container in a high visibility area, such as on a patio or beside an entry. Then notice how the soothing palette mimics the sparkle and cool, watery blue of a swimming pool or water feature.
To create the planting pictured above, first select a great looking piece of pottery. Then choose four plants that combine well at your local nursery. A tall blue oat grass as an accent in the center, lower gorwers- mealycup sage ( Salvia Farinacea) and angelonia - to surround it, and a spiller ( Dichondra argentea "silver falls") to soften the pot's edge.
1. Place a small piece of fine wire screening in the bottom of the pot to cover the drain hole & keep soil from washing away.
2. Partially fill the container with loose, well draining potting soil so that the top of the 1 gallon plant sits below the rim of the pot. Lightly firm the soil to minimize settling.
3. Set the tallest plant, the blue oat grass, at the back of the container.
4. Set the remaining plants into the container, adding soil beneath their rootballs as necessary to raise them to the same soil level as the large plant. Add the salvia toward the back of the container beside the grass, the angelonia in front, and the dichondra near the edge so it trails over the pot's lip.
Simply stunning!
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By Pam Brooks
Post Last Updated: 1/14/2013 3:40:04 PM |
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5 Tips for success with tabletop containers |
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If the thought of seeing naked potting soil at the dining table doesn't sit well with you, consider topdressing your pot with inexpensive aquarium gravel, decorative river rocks, filbert nuts or glass beads. They all come in decorative colors and they will give table top containers a polished, finished look. These types of toppers wil all prevent soil from splashing onto the table when watering.
Don't be afraid to pack plants tightly to achieve a full or finished appearance in temporary centerpieces. Many plants can withstand the removal of much of the medium from around their roots for several days before showing signs of stress.
Color doesn't need to come exlusively from flowers; plenty of plants derive most or all of their color impact from leaves. Foliage plants provide a long lasting visual impact and are appreciated by guests sensitive to flower fragrances or pollen.
When it comes to adding pizzazz, think beyond potted plants. Consider including cut or silk flowers, fruit, branches, food, ribbons, candles, decorative rocks, moss, or whatever you like. All of these things can be easily removed as they fade or as your mood changes. Go with seasonal or holiday looks also. They are so easy to do!
All though you want your dining table centerpiece to draw attention, you do not want it to be an obstacle for your guests. To determine the right size for your table, follow these guidelines to help you create a conversation piece rather than an annoyance.
Make sure you have enough elbow room. To determine the maximum width and length of a dining table centerpiece, set the table fully, placing a dinner plate or large serving platter in the middle of the table. Then see how much space can be left around the center plate without crowding any of the serving pieces, stemware, and any other items above the plates. Mark the area with a string or something of a similar shape, and measure the area for the container's width & length.
Keep the height below eye level.
To determine the maximum height of a dining table piece, sit at the table with someone of average height sitting across from you. Stack items in the middle of the table until they reach the level of the other person's chin, then measure and record the height. Use the determined height as a guideline when composing your container.
Spruce up your outdoor dining and entertainment spaces with decorative planted centerpieces. Keep in mind the table elements and surroundings - such as furniture, carpets, walls, and decorative objects - and choose compatible colors that suit the occassion. Portable centerpieces are a great way to introduce  color and style to any table. Putting these pots together isn't hard but it does require some thoughtful planning. Design is important but so is functionality. The art of creating effective tabletop containers goes beyond providing potted plants with the right light, nutrients, and water. Practical considerations, such as how long you plan to showcase the container and where you intend to display it, play a role in helping.
Lastly, remember the "design police" probably won't be invited to sit at your table, but if they do show up, tell them you have they enjoy your creation.
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By Ray Rogers - Author of" Pots in the Garden"
Post Last Updated: 1/14/2013 3:39:18 PM |
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Gather all materials. You will need a stunning terracotta clay 
A simple planting can highlight and complement the beauty of a colorful or intricate container. There is no need for flashy or complicated looking plant materials, which can make the overall design appear chaotic. Sometimes simple is just plain better!
