Sheila's Corner Garden Oasis
In all things of nature there is something marvelous. ~Aristotle
 JANUARY - Check houseplants for bugs, especially if you had a live Christmas tree. Repot houseplants that are rootbound or have much salts on them.
FEBRUARY - Garden catalogs can be ordered. Most catalogs are free and can be orderd online, see the links below. Gardening magazines are now on the stands. If you do not already have one, invest in a Garden Journal. Mine spans several years.
MARCH - Buy some poppy seeds, annuals. Put them in some sand and broadcast them into your perennial bed. There will be pretty colors of poppies arrive in the spring. They should be sown now, even over the snow.
They will reseed themselves and come back the following year. After a few years you might have to reseed.
APRIL - It is time to uncover the roses and trim them. After they are cut and to discourage rose borers, I use Elmers glue on the trimmed cane ends. Spring flowers will be getting ready to bloom. I like to plant pansies early.
They do need to be hardened off it they have been grown in a greenhouse. Plant them in pots and then take the pots indoors in the evening, until the plants are acclimated to the cold evenings. Clean up flower beds and plan for May plant purchases.
MAY - Go to garden centers for the annuals. Every year a group of 4 of us go to a special garden center together and have a nice lunch afterwards. We come home loaded with plants. It is time to plant new varieties of annuals. Plant seeds.
JUNE - Check the roses and spray if necessary. Systemic control is good.
JULY - Enjoy your gardens, and try to keep up with the weeds. Extra watering may be necessary. Plan lunches/desserts and gatherings around your garden areas, share your garden views with your friends.
AUGUST - Be sure to water and weed. Begin to harvest the basil and parsley to dry, the plants can handle the pruning.
SEPTEMBER - Fall flowering varieties will begin to flower, water, some pots may be root bound and need more frequent watering. Pots of mums are usually available at stores.
OCTOBER - Begin to bring in house plants, be sure to wash them and spray if neccesary. Begin to cut down unruly perennials, but leave seeds for wildlife.
NOVEMBER - Prepare dried arrangements, of plants you may have dried from your garden.
DECEMBER - Holidays take precidence, do not forget the houseplants. They need care but be sure not to over-water. This can be difficult because the furnace is on and the temptation is to water, but be sure the plant needs it. Overwatering can kill too.
- BASIL (genus Ocimum) - 2003 HERB OF THE YEAR
 Last summer I grew the best basil - Ocimum basilicum "Genovese" - it was delicious fresh and dried very well. I am still using it as a dried herb this winter. It is great for Italian pesto and other pasta dishes.
It has sweet, extra-large leaves. I was thilled to see BASIL, Ocimum basilicum L.
was declared the herb of the year. Basil is an annual herb. I grew mine in a pot on the patio. It prefers full sun.
The basil leaves can be used fresh, crushed, or dried. The leaves are strongly aromatic are named by their different scents.
Selected basils from seed are:
Sweet basils: Sweet, Genovese, Large-leaf, Mammoth
Purple foliage basils: Dark Opal, Purple Ruffles
Lemon basils: Lemon-Scented, Lemon, Sweet Dani
Others: Cinnamon basil, Spicy Bush, Camphor, Anise, Licorice
- GARLIC (species Allium sativum) - 2004 HERB OF THE YEAR
 Garlic is one of the oldest known cultivated plants. Garlic is planted in the fall, usually the month of October. The stems will form heads called "scapes" which when cut off will allow all the energy to go into growing a bulb. The scapes can be crushed and used as garlic in dishes. They have a milder garlic taste.
Harvest your garlic when the garlic stems start drying out. Dig up the garlic bulbs, wash and trim off the roots. You can tie the bulbs in bundles and hang them in a cool, dark place for a few weeks. Store the garlic bulbs in a cool, dry place.
- OREGANO (species Origanum) - 2005 HERB OF THE YEAR
 The name Oregano comes from the Greek word oros which means mountain and and ganos which means Joy.
It is used in many Italian and Mediterranean dishes. The most familiar variety in the kitchen is Origanum vulgare. Cooks prefer it dried rather than fresh. - There are several Oregano varieties:
Greek Oregano, Pot Marjoram, Dittany of Crete,
Sweet Marjoram, Italian Oregano, Wild Marjoram, Syrian Oregano
- PELARGONIUMS (Scented Geraniums)- 2006 HERB OF THE YEAR
 Scented Geraniums are pretty in the garden and great to smell. Most scented geraniums are only hardy to about 20 degrees F (-5 degress C). Some have colorful fowers during the summer
but it is their foliage for which they are best known. The leaves can be harvested and used fresh or dried. They are used in jellies, stuffings, teas and vinegars. The leaves make nice additions to potpourris
- There are several Pelargonium varieties:
Rose (Pelargonium graveolens), Peppermint (Pelargonium tomentosum), Lime-scented(Pelargonium nervosum), Apple-scented(Pelargonium odoratissimum), Lemon-scented(Pelargonium crispum), Coconut-scented (Pelargonium grossularioides), Nutmeg(Pelargonium fragrans), Orange, Prince of Orange(Pelargonium crispum), apricot M. Ninon(Pelargonium scabrum), Almond-scented, (Pretty Polly)
- LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis)) - 2007 HERB OF THE YEAR
 The name Lemon Balm comes from the strongly lemon-scented foliage.
Fresh or dried leaves work well in fruit or vegetable salads and soups. This herb also enhances butter and cooked vegetables. A sprig in a teapot or a leaf in iced tea in the summer is refreshing.
Balm is native to the mountain regions of Southern Europe and was used as a sacred herb in the Temple of Diana.
The botanical name of Melissa is Latin for Bee because the bees love this plant for its nectar.
The Weather Channel
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners
who make our souls blossom.
-Marcel Proust
This is my hosta garden
Part of the fun of growing flowers is to bring them into your living area to enjoy and also to share with friends.
Here are some tips to preserve your fresh cut flowers from your garden
- Be sure to use a sharp knife to cut the stems because scissors can bruise
- Cut your flowers in the early part of the morning and submerged them in a bucket of
warm water that has foral preservative in it
- remove all the but uppermost leaves
- cut off dead or tight buds, they sap the strength from the flowers
- also use a floral preservative in the vases
- before arranging, cut the stems diagonally, this leaves more surface for the stem to take in water
- keep the flowers in a cool area and and refresh the water every 2-3 days
- 1 capful bleach, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 gallon warm water
This daylily is Little Winecup.
It will repeat blooms all summer, if the dead flowers are cleaned off.
Hidden Flowers Fun Quizz
- 1. An hour of the day______________
- 2. The placefor a kiss_____________
- 3. A dairy product and a drinking utensil________________
- 4. An amiable man_____________________
- 5. A title for the sun_________________
- 6. A pillar and a symble that rhymes with dine____________
- 7. A flower between mountains_____________________
- 8. A yellow stick___________________
- 9. What Cinderella might have put in the lost column_________
- 10. A dude and an animal_____________
- 11. A bird and a riding accessory_______________
- 12. A farewell sentiment___________________
- 13. A wild animal and a piece of outdoor wearing apparel_________
- 14. A part of an eye_________________
- 15. A wild animal and a part of his body_______________
- 16. Greek for love of self____________
- 17. A fruit and a bloom_________________
- 18. A color___________________
- 19. A month and a fruit_____________
- 20. A rooster and a grooming aid_____________
- 21. A name for a girl_________________
- 22. A wedding and a circle_______________
- 23. A minister in an elevated stage_____________
- 24. Sometimes the cause of death_______________
- 25. Named after a man with initials J.R.P.__________
 Gardening Links
Fritillary butterflies like the Gooseneck Loosestrife (primulaceae)This plant is a perennial from Japan and China. It blooms in mid to late summer and prefers full sun. They are pollinated by insects as can be seen with the butterfly. A planting of them in bloom resembles a gaggle of geese.
A small planting can become invasive because Gooseneck Loosestrife multiplies by runners under the soil. |
These shoppers are enjoying a beautiful spring display of pansies. Pansies are a must-have flower. There are now many new varieties that will bloom all summer. Many pansey varieties die-back during the hottest part of the growing season.
I pick pansies during the summer and dry them. They are very attractive in a potpourri. |
Choosing healthy plants is important. Look at the leaves and watch for insects(sometimes these appear as white spots or trails), many plant nurseries use insect and fungus spray so do not confuse the white on the leaves, if in doubt, ask. Watch for dead leaves on the plants around the rim or signs the pant has been allowed to dry out.
Choose plants that are appropriate for your area, shade or sun and size. This shopper has a sun coleus in hand and a cart full of pink geraniums. She is comparing colors for a basket. |
 
It is never too early to begin gardening. This is my garden helper, age 2 1/2 years.
She enjoys filling the pots with potting soil and even an occasional worm. She is sizing up the large flower pot and deciding what flowers would work best in this sunny location. It is important to consider how much sun or weather a pot will get
when deciding what plants to use. Sun and shade plants cannot be mixed in a pot.
My garden helper gets right into the process of filling the flower pot with potting soil(dirt). There are many good garden potting soils
available for purchase. I prefer the ones that have a slow release fertilizer in them. Be sure not to get too heavy a potting soil. Styrofoam peanuts, newspaper or
placing a large stone or brick inside the container can take up some of the room in the pot. This allows good drainage and also you need not use as much soil so the pot is not as heavy. |
AFRICAN VIOLETS - Saintpaulia or African violet's native habitat is Tanganyika territory.
For best results, the light intensity should be approximately 1,000 to 1,100 foot-candles for at least 7 hours per day.
The pot for standard plants should be 1/3 the size of the plant. For a semiminiature do not use pots greater than 2½ inches in order to keep the plants compact.
Soil but must be well drained.
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Supurb Herbs - basil
African Violet Society
