What’s Growing On In: Montana

June 4, 2017June 4, 2017 / Earth and Oils / 3 Comments

Happy June, everyone! Life has been full and busy, which has lead me to get behind on posting. But, have no fear, I have been very busy preparing my gardens now, so I can relax and enjoy the summer time, and blog about them!

I wanted to take a minute and write about my travels this year. In April, our little family went on a spring break trip to Montana. Yes, you heard it right, Montana. We stayed in Kalispell, Montana and visited Glacier National Park where we did some exploring and wandering. We also did some hiking in Lone Pine State Park. I really recommend trying to make this a future trip for anyone. In fact, we didn’t get to see it all due to the snow, and plan on visiting again.

From the top of Kalispell, Montana and a view of the Northern Rockies.

We traveled on the famous Going to the Sun Road, but unfortunately only about 12 of over 50 miles of it were open. It takes all summer to plow out that road!

Now, while most people went South to Florida, or the Carolinas, we decided to head out West, where in fact it was snowing while we were out there. But, it was definitely worth it!

So, I thought I would give you a little background on gardening in Montana, and what a great destination this is to travel to yourself some day!

Kalispell, Montana

Hardiness Zone(s): Zone 5a, primary, but go to the mountains close by and it’s one 3a.
Since it’s the Northern Rockies, you would have to wait a tad longer to start planting fruits, veggies and plants. Average time to put things in the ground is June-July.
The flora and fauna in the alpine environment is amazing. I took a lot of pictures of stuff you just don’t find around Buffalo!

Gigantic Cedar Trees on the edge of a very foggy Lake MacDonald.

A small hair lichen, one of many different kinds that grows on trees in alpine environments. I hope I have ID’d it right!!

This, I believe is called Green Old Man’s Beard lichen, that hang from the trees in Montana!

So, I thought I would give you a glimpse of our trip and introduce you to some new-to-me botanicals that you only find in the mountains. I love going to different regions of the country and learning about not only the vegetation and wildlife, but the culture as well.

The Hedgerow: The Benefits are the Birds.

January 28, 2017January 28, 2017 / Earth and Oils / 7 Comments

It’s hard to believe it’s the end of January already!! While at my house, we have not had any snow for the whole month, but a lot of rain, freezing and mild! The weather has not allowed me to go out and do any skiing or snowshoeing, so I have been inside making plans to give some rooms in my house a new coat of paint. It’s funny, when I moved in nine years ago, I was young and had no clue how to decorate and put things together in a home, and now I am finally getting an idea of what I like and want!!

Well, the same goes for your landscape as well! And one of the things you should consider for your landscape, if you can, is a hedgerow.

What is a hedgerow?

A hedgerow are bushes/trees grown closely together to make a wall or border of sorts.I love the idea of having a natural fence, rather than the chain link fence I have in the back yard now. I have seen hedegrows from everything including forsythia to traditional boxwood.

My hedgerow in the front yard, to be honest, has been a source of contention between my husband and I since we moved in! He wants to rip it out, but I like that we have the hedgerow in the front because of the security it gives. The sidewalk is right on the other side of this hedgerow. I like my privacy!

This is a picture I posted over the fall that showed I am planting tulips in front of my hedgerow.

Hedgerows are very elegant, but they are also very important for animal life. Especially in the winter. They protect the birds, who like to seek cover from predators and perch there during the coldest months of the year. And if you are like me, and have a bird feeder on your front porch, they especially like to sit in there and wait to get their food!

My hedgerow looking bare from my front porch.

So, as your home landscape evolves, and you are looking to put up a fence but would like something more natural, please consider a hedgerow. My best advice to you when considering making one, if you are on a budget, is to wait until late summer/early fall, because that’s when all the spring nursery stock in on sale and you can save a bundle.

Do you have a hedgerow? Tell me about it!

Fiddle Me This: The Fiddle Leaf Fig

July 7, 2016July 8, 2016 / Earth and Oils / 2 Comments

Happy July! It has been so hot and dry in my little part of the world, we have been super busy watering flowers. I have to admit, they don’t have the luster and color that they have had in the past, so my next post will be a “What’s in my garden” post. I am giving them a little more time to “pop”.

I hope everyone (in the USA, that is) had a wonderful July 4th! The weather was hot, and we had a great time!

I have been working overtime trying to water everything. I really have to concentrate on my containers, which include my window boxes. I have also been tending to my indoor plants as well. They seem to really be getting drier than usual for this summer. When I am not looking for plants to put in my garden, I am looking for plants to put in every window of my little house!

I have been reading all about this hot new, trendy houseplant called the fiddle leaf fig. Of course, it piqued my curiosity, and I had to buy one. Well, I actually bought two.

What is a fiddle leaf fig?

It originates from West Africa. It has these beautiful paddle-shaped leaves that really make it a showstopper houseplant.

It is very easy to maintain. It needs bright, indirect sunlight.
Water once a week, or when it is dry on the top. Do not over water.
You can spritz it with water to get the little dirt marks off. As you can see above, mine needs to be cleaned!

My small fiddle leaf that is right at home in a galvanized pail on my enclosed patio.

One thing about them is that they are very hard to come by, and can be very pricey. Because of their beautiful, dramatic, yet elegant look, the world is in love with fiddle leaf figs.

I have read a lot of stuff about them, but when I went to the nursery to get the scoop on these fantastic plants, they told me they were very easy to care for. There are tons of articles out there that painstakingly tell you how complicated they are to care for, but the truth is, so far so good. I heard they were slow growers, but to my surprise, my big fiddle leaf in the dining room is already growing, just two weeks at my house!

So, I highly recommend this plant to your houseplant collection if:

You have bright, indirect sunlight
Keep the temps between 65-75 degrees farenheit (18-23 degrees celsius)
You are able to water it once a week, but never soak it

I love the plants that I got, and you can get them at Home Depot if you don’t want to go to a nursery. I am constantly adding plants around my house, and this decision was one I was very happy I made!

Dare to Be Different: Unique Blooms for your Garden

March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 / Earth and Oils / 3 Comments

Spring is here!! Even though it’s 10 days away, I am loving the warm weather we are getting in my neck of the woods. Winter has never really felt long weather-wise, but I have been a little distracted with other things that have kept me away from really thinking about what I wanted to do for the garden this year.

With beautiful signs like this, you can’t help but get excited for this coming growing season.

So, I am now making my list of new plants I would like to get this year. It’s so hard because year after year, you visit the same greenhouse or lawn center and you see the same type of plants every year. How about something a little different?

Do not be afraid to add unusual plants to your landscape.

Where do I find “different” plants if they are not at my local nursery?

Research — read magazines, look at plant catalogs or do some good old fashioned surfing on the internet (it really sounds funny to me to say that).
Ask your local nursery. They may direct you towards a place to find them, or they may be able to special order them for you.

What is considered “unique”?

I am not talking about some ultra exotic plant from the jungle, but plants that you don’t see often and bring huge satisfaction and value to your landscape. Here are some plants that I have been looking to plant this year:

Witch Hazel

Source: whiteflowerfarm.com

This is my main plant I would like to purchase this year. It’s a beautiful small tree/shrub that blooms in the winter– yes, that’s right, the winter. This is something you don’t always see a part of your neighbor’s landscape. Consider this beauty to brighten up those long winter days.

2. Ruby Teardrops Spruce

Source: coniferkingdom.com

Ok, I am really loving this beautiful spruce, but I am not sure where it would go in my yard. I really have to rethink the layout of my “spread”, but I am pretty sure this stunning specimen will be worth the extra work. This is definitely for the conifer lover, or some one who just wants to add a little pop next to the other more common conifers you have on your property.

3. Peonies

Source: whiteflowerfarm.com

I described in a past post that I had planted some peonies in tribute to my grandmother.This is a new variety of peony that would really get people asking some questions. You don’t often see a yellow peony, but this is definitely worth taking into consideration, just to keep people guessing as to what it was!

And finally…what I believe will be the tribute plant to my recently passed grandmother:

4. Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, also known as Corkscrew Hazel

Source: halesia.nl

Another family member of the hazel family, the contorted branches of this specimen also have some of the most eye-catching blooms on it. Talk about winter interest– the branches on this shrub will make a great talking piece for anybody who passes through your property! Different and beautiful– exactly what my grandmother Joyce was. I don’t think anything else would fit as good!

All of these plants are not cheap– most average around $35 per plant. I understand completely that landscaping does cost a lot of money, and I have written posts in the past about gardening on a budget. Well, as my learning and interest have grown with gardening, I really do believe that plants and shrubs and trees are a tremendous investment for much more than the obvious reasons. It truly is an investment that “grows”. The pure joy and satisfaction I get from investing in a few of these more expensive plants every year are worth much more than a manicure or pedicure to me. As long as you budget and plan for a couple of more pricey plants with your discount finds (trust me, this is where I make my haul every year), it actually ends up evening out.

Gardening on a budget is great, I still buy seeds and the half dead plants at the end of the season. But, sometimes you need to splurge. So, how about passing up that fantastic pair of shoes for a great new tree just one time? You won’t feel so bad when the weather warms up and you see the fruits of your labor.

Happy early spring, and happy plant shopping!

Consider This: Ferns

January 29, 2016January 29, 2016 / Earth and Oils / 7 Comments

Too much time has gone by without a post– these new working hours do not leave much time for me to formulate a decent blog post!

Currently, I have been waiting for a seed catalog I requested– Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I just recently heard about it through Twitter from my fellow gardening friends. I heard it is a great catalog and I can’t wait to get my hands on it! My husband’s co-worker gave me a couple of seed packets and I would like to look for some others. I have to admit, this winter feels like it is going much faster, given the fact we have not received nearly the snow or have had to deal with the sub-zero temperatures that made last year’s winter so darn long.

So, as I sat at work yesterday, an idea came to me. I thought I would start a new mini- series that would lead up to the upcoming growing season– I call it “Consider This”. Giving a little snapshot of certain plants/flowers/shrubs/trees that you should consider planting in your garden and/or yard if you are able to! I won’t do it every week, but as I go along I will pick out a few different botanicals that should be given some serious consideration to your landscape.

My first plant I am going to highlight are ferns. I LOVE ferns. I try to get my hands on as many varieties of ferns as I can. The simple, elegant beauty that comes from these plants cannot be emphasized enough.

Here are some quick facts about Ferns:

They are one of the oldest living plants still alive on our planet. They literally have not changed for over a million years.
Ferns came be as small as 2 to 3 feet high, or other varieties are actual fern trees.
Their leaves are called fronds. If you want to see a beautiful sight, watch a fern start growing and unfurling it’s beautiful fronds.

20150509_081305

Ferns reproduce by spores and not leaves. I remember freaking out as I looking under the leaves of my autumn fern and saw all these brown spots. I thought it was dying, when, it was actually growing!
You can harvest the tender little fronds of an ostrich fern just after it sprouts from the ground and eat them. They are called fiddleheads.

Ferns are a woodland plant, so they thrive in shade. There are several different kinds, as I have stated above. I will give you the list of the ones I have collected over the past few years:

Ostrich Fern– most common fern that is readily available. You find this one most of the time in the forest.
Maidenhair fern — very delicate fern with contrasting black stems.

Maidenhair Fern

Japanese Painted Fern — beautiful fern that has white fronds and reddish stems.

Japanese Painted Fern

Ghost Fern — gorgeous silver fern that when established, grows rapidly.
American Lady Fern — this fern was very popular during the Victorian Era. Beautiful, curly fronds with reddish/orange stems.

American Lady Fern

Cinnamon Fern — my favorite fern, by far. The fronds in the middle grow to look like “cinnamon sticks”, hence the name.

Cinnamon Fern

Autumn Fern — fronds are orange/red and bring color to your shade and woodland garden. This is by far my most hardy fern, and one of the most beautiful.

Autumn Fern

Yes, as I said above, this is just a snapshot of the many ferns that are available. I absolutely love ferns and have always wanted to do a post all about them. I hope to keep adding to my collection, as long as I have shade, I will keep buying them!

Thank you for taking the time to read this long post!

Houseplants, Part Two: The Common Ones

January 3, 2015 / Earth and Oils / 4 Comments

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful New Year! It’s a new year, and a new perspective on life! I am happy to say that I have already checked a few things off my list that I told myself I was going to do this year. One of those things includes a renewed sense of appreciation for fine art pieces:

My daughter’s picture of a kitty brightens my days in the cubicle…

Anyway, I am posting a day early because I will be going out-of-town to my parents tomorrow to FINALLY celebrate Christmas. With my daughter sick last week, and the weather horrible today, we had to scratch plans until tomorrow. And something tells me my work schedule is going to pick up pretty quickly this first week back, so, again, I am prioritizing.

I have spent more time inside than I have wanted to this past week. The weather has been so awful (bitter cold, wind, snow), I haven’t even entertained the thought of taking my workout outside. So, this has allowed me to prepare for my post this week on common houseplants! In fact, I watered them all today, and already have a couple of more in mind I would like to purchase.

With that being said, here are some common houseplants I have in my home that would be good for you.

1. Snake Plant— the snake plant is the best plant for forgetful people. It’s part of the succulent family and tolerates neglect. Snake plants love to be left alone. I water mine about once every two weeks. It doesn’t need a lot of light or water, and it grows just as well.

The Snake Plant is the non-plant person’s best friend! Low maintenance living decor!

2. Green Dracaena— can be recognized with white stripes on their leaves. They grow upright and need medium to bright light. I water mine once a week, and even a little more during the winter months. I purchased mine at a home improvement store and it done very well for me.

3. Pothos— This is probably the easiest to recognize. They have this beautiful marbled look on their leaves. I have about three of these. I have purchased all of them from my local grocery store. It’s a vine that is extremely low maintenance. There is no such thing as too little or too much light for this vine, it grows in any lighting condition you give it. I have had one of mine for at least 6 years, and in the early years when watering my plants was not high on my to-do list, my pathos weathered that ugly time and have flourished for me.

4. Philodendron — I also have a few of these, and they have a tendency to get confused with the above pathos. They too, are not fussy about light, and will grow through neglectful times. The philodendron has heart-shaped leaves, and my one also happens to be very long– about four feet. They are the number one most common plants in any indoor gardening setup.

5. Peace Lily — This was the first plant I got when we moved into our house. It’s been in my bedroom ever since. The Peace Lily gets these beautiful white flowers on them about once a year, and they too, are very tolerant of low light and low humidity.

6. Ivy— I believe this is English Ivy, but I have to still research it. This is actually part of the Ivy that grows outside. I took a shoot off two years ago and put it in water in the house. It has grown very well, surprisingly. Because the last time I purchased an Ivy, it died right away. Again, I was younger and didn’t pay much attention to my plants, so this could very well be the reason why it failed for me. Boston Ivies are the more common indoor Ivies, and they are hard to keep going, in my opinion. I still have to figure out how to keep them alive!

Some other plants to consider:

*Corn Plant— they resemble a corn-stalk and are very tolerant as well. I actually have one of these, but I didn’t get a chance to photograph it. They can take a beating and still keep going!

*Jade Plant— I really want a Jade Plant. They look very unique and grow very slowly into a tree. They love bright light!

There are still many other indoor plants that you can choose, but I just wanted to list the ones that are very common and easy to maintain. I also have some other interesting houseplants that I will talk about in a later post. For now, you have a good foundation on the basics of houseplants, the ones that are the easiest to find, and what will be good for you and your home!

The Bent Trowel

Adventures of a Gardener Learning and "Growing"!

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