OK, you've made your plant selections, carefully chose the right spot, gently planted, mulched, fertilized and watered and ........ NOTHING'S HAPPENING!!
Yes, this can be very frustrating, but unfortunately, there's nothing more we can do except to wait until the evening temperatures warm up. Plants do most of their growing overnight, just as our bodies replenish while we sleep. And even though Sunday will be June 1, we're again having a cold spring (I know, we'll all be complaining soon enough when the average temp is 90 degrees). As long as everything stays green, continue to water and, eventually when the temp goes up, things will grow!
And while you're waiting, take advantage of the many sales being offered now that the May rush for planting is over. There's plenty of surplus at nurseries, greenhouses and garden centers so go ahead and check it out. This is the time to get that certain plant you weren't sure would do well in your garden, now that it's discounted.
Today begins Glick's Greenhouses (in Oley) sale. 3-, 4- and 6-packs of flowers and veggies will be half price. Hanging baskets, one-quart perennials and wave petunia's will all be discounted as well until June 30.
And if you go, take the time to cross the street and check out Manatawny Creek Daylillies. They have the finest and most diverse selection of daylillies you've ever seen. And the prices are right too, depending on whether or not it is a registered plant. I bought six different varieties there over the last two years and they've thrived. And the colors are fantastic. Some are even proven show winners!

This weekend I hope to get around to some much needed pond maintenance. I'm starting to have an algae problem, and we still need to install the new waterfall. I also plan to get my Earth Boxes planted as well --- what are Earth Boxes you ask? Well, you'll have to wait until next week to find out ...

With the rising cost of gas, food and everything else, "Staycation" is quickly becoming the buzz word for Summer 2008.
A Staycation is defined as a vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.
And it doesn’t have to feel like you’re not getting away if you take the time to create your own backyard oasis.
For many of us, gardening provides an escape from the daily stresses in our lives. To make your garden even more of a retreat, you can create a backyard oasis within your garden – a place to get away from the rest of the world to read, sketch, cook-out, relax or just contemplate the beauty around you.
To create a backyard oasis, you don’t need a lot of space. In fact, the smaller and more intimate, the better. Even a tiny patio near your back door will work if it is shielded from neighbors or a view from the street.
My own oasis is just outside the sliding glass doors off our sunroom (which is an oasis in itself). It’s just a brick patio with a table, chairs and a couple of resin rockers.
Five years ago, it was the view from this patio/sunroom that served as the inspiration for the gardening paths and pond that now provide a great place to get away from it all.
Once you’ve decide on your oasis location, use the following suggestions to define a garden getaway that offers both comfort and privacy.
Add plants for privacy, especially ornamental grasses. They grow tall and provide a great natural privacy screen. Also add pots of plants. The colors and scents can provide relaxing stimulation.
If you really want to go all out, try adding shrubs or hedges. Although it might take a few years for everything to grow in. That's why I opt for the grasses, they grow fast and are virtually maintenance free. (It's really hard to kill grass.)
When it's time to select seating for your private space, it's all about comfort! That Parisian bistro chair may look charming, but if it isn't comfortable, you won't use it. How about a hammock? Nothing says relaxation more than that (as long as you can get in and out of it.) Swings and rockers also do a nice job of providing comfortable seating for your oasis.
And don't worry about making a big design statement -- if it makes you happy, it's perfect. So go out and create your backyard oasis, it'll make that staycation all the more enjoyable (and you won't have to use any gas to get there)!

OK, right now I'm just counting down the hours till the holiday weekend! But earlier this morning I prepared for one of my yearly gardening rituals. I got up earlier than usual, got the camouflage tarp out of the shed, moved the SUV and parked in the street, all in anticipation of the mulch delivery!
Yes, that's how I'll be spending my 3-day weekend -- mulching all the planting beds. It's not as tedious as it may sound, I actually like mulching my gardens (and it's something the whole family can help with). It's the final step (for me anyway) in ensuring that this year's crop of flowers, shrubs and veggies will be well taken care of thru the summer months. All that's left really (besides spraying the micro-nutrients) is watering.
Mulching can be one of the most beneficial things you can do for your soil and your plants. If you have not considered mulching your garden in the past, you may want to reconsider.
Mulches are a labor saving device for the gardener. A layer of mulch will help prevent the germination of many weed seeds, reducing the need for cultivation or the use of herbicides. Mulches also help moderate the soil temperature and retain moisture during dry weather, reducing the need for watering. Mulches protect the soil from the impact of raindrops that can cause crusting. Crusting can prevent the germination of seedlings.
Some gardeners mulch in early spring before perennials start coming up. I prefer to wait until I've already planted new perennials and annuals because I don't like digging thru the mulch to plant. It's hard to get all the dirt back under the mulch, leaving a sloppy look, rather than the sharp, neat look that newly mulched beds have.
Mulch comes in different colors ranging from orange-red to deep black. We prefer the black. I like the rich look it gives in contrast with the colorful flowers.
And, if there's any time left after mulching, I'm really late getting my "outdoor room" together. Commonly known as the back patio, our "outdoor room" provides a nice relaxing place by the pond for viewing the rewards of all our hard work. So I'll be cleaning the outdoor furniture, power-washing the siding, finishing my patio pots and hoping to still have enough time for my date with Indiana Jones!

In the meantime, enjoy the photo above of our first waterlilly flower this year. It opened up on Sunday and is still holding its bloom! Also, here's a little updated photo on those seeds I planted a couple weeks ago. Looks like I'll have to get them in the ground before mulching -- so much to do!! Have a Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Coming up next, I'll give some tips on enjoying a "Staycation" this summer.

While walking through my gardens this week, I was pleasantly surprised to see the first blooms of two of my Clematis vines starting to open. I have four different varieties of this aristocratic vine in my gardens, two along the stone path and two more climbing an arbor in the back of my yard.
Clematis are among the most spectacular flowering vines, and within the wide range of colors, bloom times, and bloom sizes, there's a cultivar that's perfect for your garden.
Here are a few tips:
Most Clematis need at least six hours of sun each day to flower well.
The roots require cool tempeartures, so add 2-3 inches of organic mulch to reduce soil temperature and limit soil moisture loss.
And, perhaps most important, clematis climb by twining, so they need something to wrap themselves around, such as latticework or wire. Provide a support as tall as the vine's mature height. We have iron lattice that's about 4-ft. high that allows our clematis on the path to reach the top of our split rail fence and then it trails along it. I also run twine up the backside of our shed, so the Clematis can climb up and provide a wall of flowers.
"To prune or not to prune," is the most often asked question, regarding Clematis. It should be noted that incorrect pruning will never bring an early death to the clematis. At worst an inappropriate pruning will only delay flowering. Furthermore, if all varieties were left unpruned they would all flower very well.
I've been told that cutting the spent blooms off will promote more flowers. I have yet to test this theory, perhaps this year. Generally, I don't cut the vine back to the ground in the fall, but I do give it a good trim. I wait until late winter/early spring, when the first new leaves start to grow. Then I cut them back to about 6-8 inches from the ground.
But cutting/trimming the plant during blooming season won't necessarily hurt it at all. Sometimes you just want to keep it neat.
You don't have to spend a fortune for this splendid plant either. However, if you buy one that's not as established, but cheaper in price, it may take a few years to reach full blooming status. Our first two Clematis (the ones on the path) cost $29.99 each (5 yrs. ago) at Waterloo Gardens in Exton. While that may seem steep, as you can see in the photos provided, these were well worth the price.
Our other two Clematis were acquired from Cottage Farms via QVC. And while they look nice now (though not as spectacular as the others), it has taken four years to get there.
So, in essence, you get what you pay for.
And, I do recommend a trip to Waterloo Gardens in either of their locations (Exton or Devon). The place is absolutely fabulous! It's like an amusement park for gardeners. The displays are out-of-this-world and you can get quite an education there as well. Take the trip, you won't be sorry. (No one said you have to spend a fortune ... except on gas!)
Or you can check it out first online at http://www.waterloogardens.com/

And just a reminder that the Oley Valley Perennials Open House and Sale starts tomorrow at 9 a.m. at 675 Covered Bridge Road in scenic Oley. Also from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and June 6-7 and 20-21. If you go, make sure you get on their mailing list! More directions are available on this past Monday's (5/19) blog entry.

Well, I'm a little late this year, but better late than never.
I'm referring to my Giant Elephant Ear bulbs. I just put them in the ground yesterday. They're supposed to be planted after threat of frost has passed, so with the way things were this past week, I don't think I'm too far off the mark.
Pictured here from last summer (with Lexie), Elephant Ear plants are a big, leafy member of the Caladium family. And I'm talking BIG, leaves as big as an elephant's ear, hence the name. And the colorful leaves have a shape resembling an elephant's ear, too.
Gardeners are fascinated by this big-leaved plant that grows 3-5 ft. tall. Originating in tropical and sub-tropical areas, they love sunshine, heat and high humidity. They are easy to grow and will grow in sun or shade. However, I found out last year that they don't grow nearly as well or as high in shaded areas. I primarily bought them for shade, because that's what the ticket on them said they liked, only to find the one single bulb that got sun was absolutely spectacular, as seen here.
Elephant Ears are grown from tuberous bulbs, resembling some kind of prehistoric egg. In our Zone (6), after the plants have died back in the fall, the bulbs must be dug up. Clean and store them in a cool, dark area until planting the following spring.
They can also be grown in large, heavy pots for ease in storing. Pots must be heavy to shoulder the weight of the huge leaves. I absolutely love them! I got my bulbs at Home Depot last spring. They cost $5 per bulb, but they were worth it!

Also don't overlook their close cousin the Black Taro bulb. I like to grow it every year in the pond. This is the first year that I was actually able to winter-over the bulb indoors. Good thing too, because as you can see here, it was awesome last year!

Note: These plants can be poisonous to children and pets. However, the Black Taro doesn't harm the fish.

Up next, our good friend, the Clematis!

Today, I thought I'd let you in on a little secret of mine ... maybe some of you already know about it.

It's called Spray-N-Grow Micronutrient Concentrate and what a difference it makes in the garden!

Actually, it wasn't until my mom pointed out earlier this season, that I even realized the difference. She had bought me some of this product about three years ago, when I was still just starting out with my gardening obsession. She had seen it on QVC and couldn't wait to tell me all about how it enhances flowers, vegetable plants and even shrubs. I said Ok, I'd try it, and proceeded that first summer to regularly apply it once a week.

Well, you can judge by the photos yourself -- the first one is WITH Spray-N-Grow and the second is from last summer, when I decided to switch to Miracle-Gro's new spray nozzle/bottle combination.



Check out the difference in the impatiens. I just figured it was because last year was so poor with rainfall, but Mom pointed out around August that maybe it was because I'd switched to something else. And Mother always knows best!

That was good enough for me! We went to qvc.com immediately and ordered a new batch of Spray-N-Grow! And I highly recommend it.

All you do is mix one ounce of solution in one gallon of warm water; let stand for 15 minutes or until the liquid turns a tannish/amber color, then spray plants. Make sure you mix only enough to apply to plants within 4-6 hours. It's organic and nontoxic.

I use a 32-oz. plastic spray bottle and add 2 tsps. of Spray-N-Grow. You can apply as little as once a month or once a week for biggest results (I apply once a week).

It cost about $25 for a 20-oz. bottle, $19.48 plus $5.22 shipping/handling (and don't forget tax for PA residents).


A couple of other little tips: For those of you, like me, who might have trouble with weeds/grass coming up through garden paths, brick patios or walkways -- instead of buying expensive weed killer, just use vinegar. Yes, plain old white vinegar. You can put it in a spray bottle (not the same one you use for Spray-N-Grow!) or just pour it from the bottle. In a day or two, the weeds/grass will dry up and die.

And for all the little critters who like to taste all our new plantings -- cayenne pepper! It works great and you can usually buy it at the dollar store. Just sprinkle on the plant or on the ground around it. Once they get a taste of that, they won't come back!


And, for those of you who wanted to look online for directions to the Oley Valley Perennials' Open House Sales, the correct address is 675 Covered Bridge Road, Oley, PA 19547. See you there!

When I got home from work on Friday, the postcard had just arrived! Yes folks, it's that time again - the Oley Valley Perennials' Annual Public Open House Sales!!!

For those of you who haven't been, this is one of the best perennial sales around! Tucked back off Covered Bridge Road in the scenic Oley Valley, is a beautiful farmhouse, barn and greenhouses beckoning everyone who has ever yearned for a green thumb.

Sometimes I refer to this place as Hosta Heaven, because I've never seen so many varieties of Hostas in one place. And, yes, I've bought my fair share of this versatile plant there. I also got all my ostrich ferns there.

There's also many varieties of daylillies, grasses and numerous other perennials all for great sale prices!! You simply must make the time to go! And for your convenience, this weekend is just the first weekend of the sale.

Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and also June 6-7 and June 20-21. And while you're there, make sure to get on the mailing list so you can get the postcard next year!

Ok, how to get there: from Rt. 422, take Rt. 662 north to Yellow House (Rt. 562), cross over and take the road to the right at the fork (Covered Bridge Road), go about a mile and look for a sign on the left; there'll be a driveway on the right, just turn in and you're there!

From Rt. 73, turn at the Pleasantville Diner onto Covered Bridge Road (south) and follow, past the turn for Glick's and look for the sign on the right hand side/driveway on the left.And as you go down the driveway, take time to look at all the beautiful hostas and ferns planted under the trees on the property. It's spectacular!

In other news, no, I didn't get the new waterfall installed on the pond over the weekend. Sunday was a complete wash-out, so now it's on the agenda for Memorial Day Weekend. Our own Brangelina (the fish) is still pregnant (I think), and Hank's returned! (Hank is the frog that inhabits our pond, more on him later).

I really stocked up on perennials this year. So much so, that I think I’ve just about cut my annual purchases in half. Here’s a few more new ones I want to share with you.

I have a shade garden across the far side of my backyard. The eastern half gets virtually no sun, just a little in the morning, and the western side gets about 2 hours of afternoon sun. So throughout these gardens I have Hostas, daylillies, bleeding hearts, irises, hydrangea, astibles, and every variety of coral bells I could find. That’s a LOT of green!

Sure, most of these things flower at some time during gardening season, but there’s still a lot of green foliage in between. So I wanted to jazz things up a bit.

Every year I get plenty of coleus to add color. I love coleus, but it’s only an annual in these parts. (I’ll get more into coleus on another date.) So I specifically looked for some perennials with variegated foliage and interesting colors to provide some contrast. Here’s what I found:

A light green and white leaf Calamint (pictured above). Specifically called Calamintha grandiflora “variegata,” it is a close cousin to the garden mint, but without the nasty spreading habit. This selection forms an upright, bushy mound of soft green leaves, splashed with creamy white. Pleasantly fragrant, its rosy-pink flowers are studded on short spikes among the leaves in mid summer. This will slowly spread to form a small patch. It is useful towards the front of the border (which is where I put it), or in a woodland setting among Hosta or ferns (perfect!). It’s also attractive to butterflies.

Next up is something called the Tasmanian Tiger or Spurge. A spectacular plant selected for its uniformly colored variegated foliage — leaves are grayish-green with clear white margins. Tall pale green stems support cream-white flowers with green bow-tie centers. It’s dependable color and texture looks great all season. A vigorous grower that tolerates heat and drought, it’s excellent for use in difficult spots where nothing else grows.

I also chose a flowering ground cover called Lithodora. Lithodora diffusa (specifically) is a hardy evergreen creeping ground cover originating in southern Europe and requiring only a little attention (Yay!). It can hug the ground very closely or mount upward to six inches or rarely as high as a foot. It spreads as a dark green mat that produces its first few bright azure blue flowers as early as March, but is really going to town blooming in May & June, continuing to bloom at intervals & less overtly up to Autumn's first frost. Check out that color!! Too cool, I had to have it!

Today we are getting some needed rain (Yes! I don’t have to water tonight), but Saturday and Sunday will be optimal for gardening, or ponding, which is what I’ll be doing.

My pond’s in need of great attention. I’ve been cleaning the filter daily and it’s time to vacuum out the sludge in the bottom. We’ll also be installing (or trying to install) a new waterfall this weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes.

And by the way, the “pregnant” fish – is still pregnant and hugging the bottom of the pond. I hope she lays those eggs soon, we’re referring to her as Brangelina at the moment …

I finally got over my Gardener's Block this past weekend and stopped marvelling at my purchases and started actually planting them!
I tried my best to start with the perennials. Afterall, they're the ones that will more or less occupy their spaces for a long time to come.
First off, my order from Breck's. Pictured first is the Little Blue Wonder Sea Holly. It's a smaller, bushier version of the original Blue Sea Holly, which I purchased from Michigan Bulb last year. While not much happened with the larger version last year, they are coming up really well so far this year.
Isn't the bloom interesting? Not only the extreme blue color, but the feathery petals really caught my attention too. Anyway, I thought I'd try the smaller version just to see which one I like better. It got a nice placement by the Lighthouse and is just starting to break the surface right now.
Next up is the Astilbe in Amethyst. I already have 3 Astilbe's in pink, red and white in my shade garden and couldn't resist this lavendar version. I've had great luck with these. The Astilbes provide a really nice follow-up to the Bleeding Hearts when they fade. Yes, another shade-loving plant that actually blooms!

And, finally, the Columbines. Described as "a beautiful plant with graceful flowers that are highly attractive to hummingbirds," Columbines will bloom from spring to early summer in our area. They average 1-3 ft. tall and about 1 ft. wide, do well in partial shade to full sun, and adapt to a variety of soil conditions.
I've never tried these before, but always liked their intricate-looking blooms. So instead of easing into it, I decided to go whole hog and get a bunch! My order consisted of the Giant Blue Barlow and a separate Giant Mix of six assorted Columbines. And if that weren't enough, I bought three more established Columbines at Glick's! One with a pretty pale yellow/pink bloom whose actual name escapes me and 2 William Guinness Columbines (pictured above) that feature a gorgeous dark purple bloom edged with white!
And speaking of hummingbirds -- we had our first tiny winged visitor Sunday afternoon. We spotted him on the patio tending to the unplanted annual Red Salvias! Remember, if you plant it, they will come ... take time to enjoy the wildlife that your garden attracts. Every garden provides an environmental habitat for something!

Bleeding hearts, my favorite spring flower, are currently in full bloom. The outstanding characteristic of this Japanese native is no doubt the shape of the flowers. As the plants' common name suggests, bleeding hearts bear heart-shaped flowers, from which a little "drop of blood" dangles at the bottom. Just look at it, isn't it beautiful?

Unfortunately, after its spring bloom is finished, the whole plant just dies back into the soil, not to be seen again until next spring. So enjoy it now, while it lasts!

Bleeding Hearts are herbaceous perennials and are hardy in Zones 3-9. That means it's perfect for our zone (6). This woodland plant usually reaches 2-3 ft. in height with a similar spread.The plant's flowers are either pink or white, and they appear in April or May. They love partial to full shade and well-drained soil.

This plant is a traditional favorite in shade gardens. Yes, a shade plant that actually blooms! To extend the foliage life, give bleeding hearts liberal doses of water after flowering. It's also a good idea to surround bleeding hearts with hostas and other shade-loving perennial flowers that will fill in those vacant spots during the summer. Bleeding hearts are striking enough to warrant their use as a focal point in the spring.

Starting tomorrow I'll let you in on what I'm planting for this summer's spectacular display!

Peonies in cages -- not as dramatic as it sounds. If any of you have peonies in your garden, you probably already know what I mean. But if not, here's a little info about one of Pennsylvania's favorite flowers.

Peonies are long-lived, perennial flowers that produce large flowers in the spring. Colors include black, coral, cream, crimson, pink, purple, rose, scarlet, white, and yellow. By planting early, mid-season, and late flowering cultivars, you can have peonies flowering for 6 to 8 weeks. Two types of peonies are grown in Pennsylvania: garden peonies (Paeonia valbiflora or Paeonia officinalis) and tree peonies (Paeonia suffruticosa). Garden peonies are herbaceous perennials (height 20 to 36 inches) grouped into five types according to flower shape: single, semidouble, double, Japanese, and anemone. Tree peonies produce large numbers of flowers on a shrub-like plant; the stems do not die back each year (but need to be placed indoors to survive Zone 6).

Enough info for ya? Well, if not, there's a whole lot more on the Internet, including a great web site for ordering all kinds of peony varieties -- www.peonies.net

Anyway, back to the cages. The flowers produced by peony plants, while striking, are also so huge and heavy that the stem usually can't handle the weight and the whole plant droops, with the flowers dragging on the ground. Not to appealing huh?

So, you need a peony cage to help support the huge blooms. I think I got mine at Boscov's a few years ago. It consists of a plastic coated wire hoop with three spikes dangling from it. The hoop unhooks to make it easier to wrap around the peony stems. After surrounding the stems, simply place the spikes into the ground and voila! -- Your peonies will stand up and look beautiful even in the hardest rain!

I also made another trip to Glick's Greenhouses over the weekend and they now have the sweet potato vine I told you about last week. It's called the "Ace of Spades" sweet potato vine (pictured here). Better get them soon, they were going fast!

Up next: My spring favorite -- Bleeding Hearts!

The Friends of Boone Area Library are selling flowers, primarily spring blooming bulbs, to help raise funds for the library. The library receives 45 percent of the proceeds. The sale ends May 16.

The bulbs or plants will be delivered to the buyer's address at the correct planting time, which is generally in the fall.For more information, contact the Boone Area Library at 129 N. Mill St., Birdsboro, or call 610-582-5666.

And speaking of bulbs, I've officially started my spring planting Wednesday night with some Agapanthus bulbs I received from Breck's in Holland. As pictured here, Agapanthus are beautiful bunches of lavendar flowers that bloom mid-summer. The plants get up to 3-ft. tall and will make a great focal point along my garden path. I've chosen to plant them in large ornamental pots because Aggies will not survive winter in Zone 6. They will have to be taken indoors in the fall, dried and saved for replanting the next spring. Aggies feature prominently in HGTV landscape shows (primarily filmed in California), and I've always wanted to try them. Wish me luck!

That reminds me, now's the time to get those Elephant Ear bulbs into the ground. Mother's Day is generally regarded in our area as the date we're free of any possible frost. And speaking of Mother's Day, go out and buy Mom some flowers/plants this weekend and give thanks to the lady who probably got you started gardening in the first place (I know mine did).

And remember, the best time to weed those planting beds is right after a good rain. Tomorrow should be perfect for this!

Next week I should have lots to share as I plan on doing a lot of gardening this weekend.

I was going to wait till tomorrow to put this in, but since it starts Friday, I figured the sooner you knew, the more you could plan to attend!

The Penn State Master Gardeners of Berks County will hold their spring plant sale on Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Berks County Ag Center, County Welfare Road, Bern Township.
Master gardeners will be on hand to offer information on soil preparation, planting techniques and plant care and answer questions on gardening and landscaping, with emphasis on appropriate plants for home gardeners particular sites.
Included in the sale will be vegetables, including dozens of heirloom varieties, plus herbs, native plants, ornamental grasses, perennials and woody ornamentals including flowering shrubs and some small trees.
For Mother's Day, the sale will offer hanging baskets and dish gardens of selected herbs.Sale proceeds will benefit Master Gardener volunteer projects throughout Berks County.

See you there!

Today I was all ready to tell you about how to care for your daffodils after they're done blooming. I was going to share Martha Stewart's braiding method that I've been using for a couple years that helps keep your garden looking nice while the daffodil foliage fades away. Or maybe the bend and tie method, sometimes made easier by just using rubberbands ...

I'm a little behind at home with my own daffs; I haven't taken the time to braid them yet so I don't have any current photos. So I went to the Internet to look for some usable photos to accompany this blog entry.

While searching "daffodil braided foliage," I came across a bunch of warnings about this technique. (So, Martha doesn't know everything afterall ...)

According to Barbara Martin's garden tips on flowergardens.suite101.com, "You may hear or read suggestions for braiding the daffodil leaves or bundling them up with rubber bands and who knows what else, but it doesn't help the bulbs at all to do this and it is a lot of extra work for the gardener, too ... give yourself -- and your daffodils -- a break: Leave the leaves alone!"

"Daffodil foliage needs the sun to make and store energy this year for next year's flower. That concept is alien and hard to accept by some. However, if one follows the daffodil bulb growth, a dissected bulb clearly shows next year's flowers developed in this year's bulbs. It is for that reason that the theory of letting the folliage die backnaturally is so strongly defended," writes Clay Higgins on the same web site.

Easier said than done. I know, I know, who wants to look at those long green leaves now when it's time for all those pretty, colorful annuals? Well, I'm going to give it a shot this year, since it was an especially good year for my daffs! I want to do everything I can to ensure a good showing for next year, even though I had to move my double daffodils to make room for those dwarf rhodies I showed the other day.

Suggestions for "living with" the faded daffs include: Hiding the foliage with taller perennials and planting colorful annuals in front to take the eye away from all that green. At least it will save me some time not having to braid all that foliage this year.

Ok, you've heard of writer's block right? Well, I'm suffering from a case of gardener's block.

It's nothing severe, it seems to always strike this time of year. I'm sure some of you have suffered the same symptoms ... You've gone to your favorite greenhouse/nursery, perused the aisles for the perfect plants, made your selections, purchased the items, carefully drove home, unloaded your stock, placed them on the deck/patio and marveled at your score. Now comes the hard part -- exactly where to put everything!

I love when I first bring all my new plants in to their new home. I place all the containers on my back patio (this year, in the new greenhouse) and look at all the pretty colors. Then I sit and look at the various planting gardens and try to decide which goes where ... and that's when the "block" comes into play. So many new things to plant, so many open spaces, so many colors, perennials, annuals, seedlings --- AAAARRRGGHH!!

By rights, perennials should be the first to go in the dirt, since (with any luck) they'll occupy the same spot for years to come. Then the annuals, always making sure to plant up front because they provide the most color throughout the summer. Always try to take into account that perennials from prior years are just coming up now and some will get quite tall and block out the sun for the other plants. This is a hard one to remember, because a large empty spot may not be such a great place to put a plant that requires "full sun." Especially when the ornamental grasses are only about 2 feet tall right now and will go on to tower at about 8-12 feet, blocking the sun and any light rain from the new plant. (There's a reason you didn't plant anything there last year ...)

Oh well, I'm feeling overwhelmed right now, but I'll get thru it -- I always do. At least one thing's nice for now -- I can easily water everything right on the patio, it's all in one spot. I don't have to roll out the 150-ft. hose yet!

Anyway, the lovely little plant appearing in the blog today is the dwarf rhododendron I mentioned yesterday. Isn't it cute! I first saw it in my neighbors' yard and had to know where they got it. They got it from Lowe's about a month ago and, after checking for the last 3 weeks, I finally spotted some there last Saturday.

It's officially called a Purple Gem Rhododendron and it'll get about 2-ft. tall. It's described as having deep violet blooms mid-Spring to early-Summer with tiny, dense evergreen foliage and a low-mounded growth habit. It's an "excellent border plant," and enjoys morning sunlight.

Coming up: What to do with those faded daffodils and tulips.

Well, wasn't this past weekend just a gardener's dream? The weather was perfect, not too hot, breezy and even Saturday was overcast, which is great for planting. My Saturday was not spent planting -- but buying!

All the local nurseries and greenhouses had to have been packed, and I mean with customers, not just flowers!

My local greenhouse of choice, Glick's in Oley, had to have moved a lot of merchandise on Saturday -- and not just because of me. Actually, I was there making my purchases Thursday afternoon, Friday night and Saturday afternoon! There's always something else I absolutely have to have for a perfect garden display, and I guarantee you that Saturday was not my last trip...

I also made a trip to Lowe's and got a great little shrub that I'll tell you more about tomorrow. And I found a new variety of sweet potato vine at, of all places, Redner's Market in Douglassville! You never know where you're gonna find that new must-have plant!

Anyway, today's entry is all about making a new garden/flower bed. Last year, toward fall, I joined a national gardening club, and was sent a pack of Cutting Garden seeds as a Thank You. Since my beds are pretty packed with plants already, I decided that I had to create a new one. A cutting garden is just what it sounds like -- a garden that features flowers meant for cutting and displaying in vases indoors or outdoors.

So last fall (yes, that's right) I staked out an area in my side yard next to the gardening shed. This particular spot gets plenty of morning sun and will also make a nice view for my neighbors' kitchen/dining window. After attaching some chicken wire to the stakes, I gathered up some dead leaves and chopped them. If you don't have a leaf vacuum that will do this, you can always just put the leaves in your trash can and use an electric/gas lawn trimmer to chop them.

I placed five or six sheets of used newspapers on top of the grass and then covered it with about five inches of chopped leaves. It's important to do this in the fall because over the winter, hopefully, rain and/or snow will wet the leaves, help break them down and keep the grass from coming through.

OK, so it doesn't work perfectly (at least not for me). The grass has been starting to come thru, so yesterday I figured I'd better either clean up the whole mess or really make a garden of it. So I went up to the ole' compost bin and started pulling compost material off the top. And guess what I found underneath, way on the bottom -- I think it was some actual usable compost!! Finally! It only took two years, but I think it's ready. (I detailed my composting problems in a prior blog, it's in the archives if you're interested.)

Anyway, I put a good layer of the compost on top of the not-so-decayed leaves and then finished with a layer of topsoil. A few retaining wall blocks to hold it all in and voila, a new garden bed! Now it's all ready for the seeds -- I'll let you know how it goes!

Coming up tomorrow -- can't wait to show you my Dwarf Rhododendrons

Way back in March, I told my backyard pond story. If you missed it, you can find it in the archives. Today I'm going to get more into the story of my pond's primary inhabitants -- the fish.

Yes, I know I promo'd this yesterday as "Trouble in the Pond," and I'll get into that later. First a little background ...

We started out with a much smaller pond by buying a kit that included two plants and four fancy goldfish (Red Comets, to be exact). We added four more fish that first year -- fancy Shebunkins. Shebunkins are basically more colorful goldfish. They don't require additional care or specific water conditions like Koi, but they come in color combinations similar to the beautiful Japanese carp. Red, gold, silver, black, spreckled or paint, Shebunkins are every bit as beautiful, just not as expensive.

Anyway, the following year our fish gave us four babies that survived spawning season (the fish tend to eat their young, and since they give birth by the hundreds, this is not a bad thing). But before that, I went and bought four more, never thinking in a million years that they would breed!

So now we're up to 16 fish in a 240-gallon pond. (We upgraded to a bigger pond two years ago, because the fish were getting too big for our original pond.) Our biggest fish is almost a foot long from nose to tail tip (and since, she's so big and white, we call her "Moby"), and the other "original" fish are almost the same.

Well last summer, the fish got really busy in the new pond and as far as we can tell, we have about 30-32 fish now (it's hard to count accurately when they're all swimming around). Don't get me wrong, we totally enjoyed watching the tiny babies last year, especially at night. Our pond has three underwater lights, so at night we can spy on the fish and they don't really see us. When we first discovered them, they were only a few millimeters long. All survived the winter and are about 4-5 inches now.

This is all great, except having too many fish in a small pond is not good for them. We have to clean the filter twice as much (that's twice a week in prime summer months), because naturally, they make more waste. And, over the winter in January, I spotted a tiny white fish that must have been born sometime in December (isn't that against the rules of nature?), followed by the discovery just last month of a tiny black fish (the black ones are really hard to see) that was probably born the same time.

Now on to the Trouble in the Pond -- Just the other day I noticed one of our big white Comets (not Moby) looking particularly huge toward her tail section. I think she's pregnant!!! and it's only April (well, actually it's May as of today). In the past the fish waited at least until June to give birth, which means, this is just the first pregnancy of the season ...

I think I'll be having a fish sale this summer!