Garden Clippings
Season change brings out the best for gardeners
By RUTH DAVIES
Article published on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006  |
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| Photo by RUTH DAVIES |
| Broccoli starts small, but produces big. |
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Hear ye, Hear ye ... the plants are here. The nurseries have stocked up on all the seasonal pretty annuals and vegetables from which to choose. It’s time to plant, plant, plant. For us, this is gardening time.
One way to visualize your garden is to fill a shopping cart with pots of flowers and mix or match the colors and textures before you leave the store. Annuals can offer a dramatic spotlight of bold color or pastels will blend into the landscape. This year I’m into warm yellow and orange with an accent of blue. Thyme, basil and tomatoes are interspersed in the front landscape.
It’s hard to imagine that the little 2-inch starter plant of broccoli will grow up to 2 feet with multiple heads of sweet veggie. Early in the summer, I composted horse manure
directly in the vegetable-growing beds, but added Black Hen, composted poultry manure, when I planted the sets of collards, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Experience has taught me that there are little cutworms in the soil, so a toothpick planted right next to and snuggled up to the stem will prevent the worm from wrapping around and cutting the stem in two.
Lettuce, spinach and carrot seeds go in next to border the vegetable gardens.
Pruning can now take a back seat, as shrubs will not put out much growth for the next couple of months. Any stray growth can be removed and final shaping made.
The roses produced a few blooms during the summer, but now with the cooler temperatures, the flowers are more plentiful and larger. They need to be fertilized once a month.
On the subject of fertilizer, make sure all your citrus trees have been fertilized this month. As the temperatures cool, the lawn can be fertilized, also. Just be sure it’s watered in.
My suggestion is to buy plants now, as when they sit on the shelf, they get root-bound and have a harder time adjusting to your plot. A pepper plant or two blends perfectly in a landscape. Try it, you’ll like it.
Events for gardening enthusiasts
• The Florida West Coast Orchid Society will meet Thursday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m., at Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, with a speaker from H&R Orchids from Hawaii. A sale, raffle and refreshments will be included. An educational class starts at 7 p.m. Call 725-1719.
• The Upper Pinellas African Violet Society will have a show and sale on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13 and 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Cypress Meadows Community Church, 2180 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater. Members will answer questions on growing violets and other gesneriads; starter plants, leaves and supplies can be purchased. Call Phyllis King at 398-7450 or e-mail Glenn Shelton at shelgl@yahoo.com.
• The Ikebana International St. Petersburg Chapter will meet on Monday, Oct. 16, 1 p.m., at Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. A class on Japanese poetry, or Haiku, will be presented by Monique Noujaim. Call Monique at 510-2490.
• The Florida Herb Society will meet Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m., at the Clearwater Main Library, 100 N. Osceola Ave. Linda Nash Stevenson will speak about Important Herbs for Every Woman’s Life. Refreshments, herbal swaps and membership are at 6:30 p.m. Call Eleanor at 447-6305 or Gail at 393-3943.
• The Safety Harbor Garden Club will meet Wednesday, Oct. 18, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., at the library, 101 Second St. N. After the business meeting, members will carpool to the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.
• The Garden Club of St. Petersburg will have a plant sale on Saturday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Garden Center, 500 Sunset Drive S., St. Petersburg. A selection of garden “doo-dads” will be for sale. Call Sally Caulfield at 391-2526.
• A Butterfly Seminar will be offered Saturdays, Oct. 21 and Nov. 4, 10 to 11:30 a.m., in the Tropical Pavilion, at The Florida Botanical Gardens.
Learn about the lives and habits of butterflies and then learn how to create a habitat that will provide what the butterflies need. Bob Abben, master gardener and butterfly enthusiast, will present the two-part series. It is important to attend both sessions. The cost is $5 for material. Enrollment is limited to 20. Call 582-2673 to register.
Ruth Davies is a Pinellas County Master Gardener. Questions can be sent to her at editorial@TBNweekly.com.
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Article published on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006
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