 Endless Winter
Greetings!
Normally, I'm a pretty chipper person, but this year, the cold January weather and long stretch until spring has got me down.
I'm not alone. I just read an article about how depression rates spike in January, with January 24 being "the most depressed" day of the year. Conversely, the third week of June is "the happiest."
Unfortunately, flying to Cancun is not in my budget, so I'm turning to gardening to perk me up.
Last weekend I hit the florists shop and got some cute little butter-yellow primulas and tucked them into a planter to brighten my kitchen table. I added some green sheet moss over any bare spots of soil for an even springier effect.
There. Instant cheer for less than I'd pay for a round of on-the-beach fruity drinks.
Looking for other gardening ideas to make your winter day a bit brighter? Click here for 11 Ways to Fight the Winter Blues!
Spring is around the corner--promise! Veronica Lorson Fowler |
Would You Care For Some Salt With That Sidewalk?
I'm not a fan of salt on my drive or sidewalks, mainly because it's expensive and because it inevitably ends up tracked into the house, leaving a white residue all over my nice wood floors. Salt also is not good for plants. So if you must use it, use it sparingly, and avoid regular rock salt (sodium chloride) and instead look for calcium or magnesium chloride. Another alternative: Cheap clay kitty litter. Lighter and less abrasive than sand, it will add a little grip to stubborn icy patches.
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Success With Seeds
 If the seed catalogs are working, you're tempted to order some seeds to start this spring. Not a bad idea, but some seeds are far easier to start than others.
Click here for a listing of the easiest seeds. And click here for seed-starting tips I wish someone had filled me in on about 25 years ago, when I planted my first tray of seedlings.
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Advertisement
 Saturday, January 15, 2011
10:00 a.m.- noon
Garden for Your Life
Location: Doherty's Florist, Des Moines
The Iowa Garden Coach and Next Step Adventure
are sponsoring an experiential workshop to:
· Help you envision your dream garden
· Identify barriers to getting your ideal garden
· Help you begin a plan for achieving your goals
Please set aside the morning of January 15 for fun, partnership and creativity! Registration: $25. Visit www.iowagardencoach.com to register. Call 515-865-7483 with questions!
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Garden To-Do List
 Are you keeping an The Iowa Gardener Garden Journal? If so, click here for your January page!
Cut up your Christmas tree and use the boughs for mulch over tender plants. Or tuck the boughs into pots and window boxes. Pretty, and you'll save on a collection fee.
Make on-line and mail-order purchases early. Supplies of the most popular items tend to start running out in March or so, especially this year when vegetable gardening again promises to be hot.
Look at your houseplants. If they're struggling, it's probably time to pitch them. (A great excuse to buy a new one.) Otherwise, give them a good rinse, trim off brown or problem parts, and top off the soil with fresh potting soil.
Don't fertilize houseplants this month. With less daylight and therefore growth, they need less food.
Boost humidity around houseplants. They really need it this time of year. Misting has been shown to be ineffective, but a tray filled with pebbles and a quarter inch or so of water is. Also, turn up your humidifier.
Check on any forced bulbs in your fridge. Water to keep soil lightly moist, as needed. When shoots are ½ inch high, put them in the sunniest spot you have. Supplement with a grow light, if possible.
Check on any bulbs or corms. If you dug glads, tuberous begonias, and other tender bulbs up last fall, uncover and examine them. They should be firm and healthy looking. If they're shriveled or mildewed, pitch them.
Start seeds of slower-growing plants, such as parsley, onions, and some perennials. Don't start other seeds too early (check the packet). The vast majority of seeds should be started 6 to 8 weeks before your region's last average frost date-May 10 in southern Iowa; May 15 in northern Iowa. That means starting most seeds in roughly mid-March.
Know your USDA Zone so you can choose the right plants. Northern Iowa is roughly Zone 4, southern Iowa is roughly Zone 5. Click here for a detailed map.
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Garden Events
Saturday, Feb. 26
Think Spring Garden Seminar
Indianola
9 am-3 pm. Join Master Gardeners an Indianola Parks and Recreation for a day of outdoor decor ideas, tree care, growing grapes, pest control, and info on no-till gardens.
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Garden Quote
"I like these cold, gray winter days. Days like these let you savor a bad mood."
-- Bill Watterson,
cartoonist and creator of
'Calvin and Hobbes'
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