This little bouquet measures about 8 inches tall and fits neatly into a coffee mug or small mason jar. It is loaded with mint for great fragrance making an all natural, chemical-free air freshener for your home. I will be selling dozens of these at the Kent Haymaker Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings and at the new NEOMED Farmer's Market on Wednesday's from 4:30 to 6:30. If you sign up for my July 8 Flower Fun event (see earlier post from June 22 for details) I will be sharing some of my flowers and my flower tips with you!
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Customers frequently ask me when buying bedding plants when is the best time to plant? Should they plant in the evening? Is it better to wait and plant on a cool or cloudy day? While it is true that very hot days and very bright sun can cause newly planted stock to collapse into wilted ghosts that are often unredeemable, I always answer these questions the same way: you can plant just about any time if you shade your plants and water them well. It is always best to plant as soon after buying as possible. When you remove plants from their containers for planting inspect the roots.Healthy roots are white so if you see black stringy roots cut them off with scissors. Then check to see if the entire root ball is hydrated all the way to the bottom. If not, set the plant in a shallow dish or tray of water for a several seconds until the planting medium appears completely wet. If the weather is hot or the soil where the plant is to be set is very dry, pour a little water into the hole then back fill soil around the roots. Then water well. Then shade the plant for at least one whole day. Two or days is better if the weather is very sunny. This can be done by setting an inverted flower pot over the plant. Other items that work well to shade plants are paper bags, thin pieces of cloth, or a mulch of leaves or straw. Do not use plastic bags since they will suffocate the plant and create an environment similar to a small hothouse. If using inverted black flower pots, be sure the pot is big enough so that the plant’s foliage will not touch the pot since black can get quite hot and burn the foliage. Larger plants may need several days of shading first with an opaque cover, then later with a cover that allows some light through. Mulching will help keep the soil moist, so mulch whenever possible. Small bedding plants will need daily watering for at least a week after planting. If weather is very warm and you have not mulched they will likely need to be watered more than once a day until they are well established. The reason that shading helps is that inside the leaves of the plant are cells that act as light receptors very much like solar panels, and like solar collectors they are flat. These cells can change their orientation to accommodate very bright or lower light conditions by changing their position so the broad, flat side is angled to reduce the effects of bright sun. However, they cannot reposition these receptors instantly: it takes a couple of days to make the adjustment. This is one of the main reasons experts recommend that plants be “hardened off” before planting outdoors by setting them in a sunny spot for just a couple hours their first day out of the greenhouse, and increasing the number of hours daily for a few days. If the plants have been in a greenhouse or a shaded environment their light receptors have oriented to a flatter position to gather maximum light. I often do not have the time and the patience to acclimate bedding stock this way. So I simply plant well hydrated plants and shade them for at least one day. If I get lucky and there is a cloudy or rainy day on the following day, I remove the shade covers. If very hot weather returns the day after that, I usually replace the shade covers for another day. Another advantage to having plants covered in this way is that it reminds me that the plant needs to watered frequently while it establishes its roots into the new soil. Shading also helps insure success when dividing and transplanting small shrubs or perennials, and small trees although transplanting larger plants is always best done in the cool seasons of early spring and early fall. Since transplanting is always a stress to a plant, shading eliminates one of the stressors and ensures more success. Since, I have started shading newly planted stock, I very rarely lose a plant. Join me for an evening of flower fun. You bring the vases, and I will bring a car load of my fresh-cut locally grown flowers. We will meet at Kent Social Services, 1066 South Water St. in Kent, Ohio at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8. I'll let you choose the flowers you like, make up to three bouquets to take with you, and share some of my flower growing and bouquet making tips. Cost is $16.00.* Pre-registration is required. Contact me at 330-297-8741 or [email protected]. Bring 3 vases, one tall and two short (mason jars or large coffee mugs will suffice.) *Crooked River TimeBank members can attend for $12.00 and 1 time bank credit.
Sweet Williams , daisies, dahlias and purple sage. Sweet Williams are in the dianthus family and share that great fragrance of carnations. Bouquets start at $2.50 for "Daisies and Mint." The farmers market is located at the corner of Franklin Ave. and Summit Rd. and lasts from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I will be at the Tallmadge Farmer's market beginning Thursday, June 12. See more info at www. haymakermarket.com and www.facebook.com/Tallmadg FarmersMarket
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AuthorBarbara Eaton, M.Ed. is a Master Gardener, a garden designer and an artist. She works as a professional gardener caring for the gardens of several regular clients. She is a published author, retired educator and a fool for flowers. Archives
January 2019
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