"Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower." John Harrigan It is that time. The seed catalogs are starting to arrive in the mail. We are starting to get out the pencil and paper to start our draft of what to plant where in the garden this season. Something to think about in that planning is winter. What do you want to look out at during the winter months? Each season I plant sunflowers and zinnias, I leave them in the garden during the winter for the birds and other critters surviving the winter. I also enjoy looking out at what the snow has created on the plants. As we wait for spring.. let us enjoy the beauty of winter in our gardens. Watching the birds eat the seeds, woodpeckers peck on our stems of the sunflowers and those bunnies who all of a sudden are cute. If you had a real Christmas tree this season, think about placing it in the garden for a touch of color, protection and place to feed the wildlife in your yard. Photos and text .. by NCMGV ~ Carla TePaske
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The National Garden Bureau, the non-profit, marketing arm of the gardening industry, is touting compact veggie gardening for folks with limited space or a desire to make gardening more convenient to those of us who are aging or wanting their produce closer to the backdoor.
Compact varieties grow well in pots or planters, and can function as both ornamentals and food producers. Look for both sweet and spicy peppers in dazzling colors to dress up any pot, cherry as well as full-size tomatoes, compact zucchini and summer squash, and potatoes. Of course herbs and lettuces are also wonderful grown in pots close to the kitchen where they will be easily accessed all summer long. Pretty n Sweet is and good ornamental sweet pepper with small, plump, thick-walled fruits great for snacking and chopping into salads or sautes. Harvest these green, yellow, orange, red or purple. Alter Ego is a nice ornamental edible hot pepper with beautifully colored fruit that will dress up any patio pot with colors ranging from yellow to deep red and purple. A couple of varieties of cherry tomatoes that grow well in patio pots are Sweet N Neat and Cherry Fountain. And for a full-size beefsteak that grow well in pots try Better Bush and PInk-a-licious. These may still need some support in the pot when laden with fruit. Pantheon is a compact zucchini squash with great flavor. Or try Spineless Perfection. For more information on these and other varieties as well as growing tips, check out https://ngb.org/2019/12/30/compact-vegetable/ Article by Pam Davies MG volunteer Photos by National Garden Bureau Garden catalogs can only inspire so much inspiration. Plan to come to local events to connect with fellow gardeners while learning more about gardening. Scheduling is underway and a few dates are confirmed. Mark these on your calendar and come back often as more programs are added through the year and go to our Calendar page for additional information.
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