In the Woods

fall leaves north east georgia — My backyard woods- Fall 2016

Henry David Thoreau

wrote the following in the “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” section of Walden. The first time I read Walden, just a few years ago, I was surprised by the content. The text is full of deep philosophical wisdom, and actual practical gardening advice and data. This quote resonates powerfully with me. Thoreau’s reasons for gardening and writing seem similar to mine. He too sees how living closely with nature can allow people to experience life to the fullest.

” I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, … “

Project Gutenberg is an incredible resource for free texts, and they have the full text of Walden.

I am including a link to one of my favorite pieces I’ve written which is titled

Growing an Essay

It is inspired by Thoreau and Walden, and is written as a New York Times Draft style essay.

January 23, 2017September 16, 2021

Indoor Organic Herb Garden

Problem: need for herbs during winter

Another major problem this “winter” is the temps have been a balmy 70 degrees all January.

Solution: Indoor Herb Garden!

Parsley, sweet Basil, Peppermint, Thyme, Lemon Balm, Indoor Herb Garden GA, Zone 7b — Parsley x2, Sweet Basil, Peppermint, Thyme, & Lemon Balm

I brought them inside despite the crazy warm temps, thinking we would have a freeze months ago, but no. The photo below was just for pretty factor the day I brought the first few inside, just before Thanksgiving. They are now growing on a north facing windowsill (with no direct sun).

organicgarden herbs- peppermint, basil, & parsley brought inside for the winter in Ga Zone 7b — Peppermint, Sweet Basil, Lemon-Lime Basil, &Parsley

Herbs add flavor to all kinds of foods and drinks, and as a bonus are known for their medicinal properties. The parsley below was delicious in this chimichurri steak recipe.

Parsley is not the most flavorful herb, but adds a unique and understated flavor when combined with other ingredients.

organic Parsley harvested from raised beds in Ga Zone 7b in mid Nov 2016 — Parsley harvest from the raised beds in mid Nov

I am working on a post about the Garlic and Onions I planted in the raised beds. We use so much of both that I knew I must grow some this year. I am experimenting with winter gardening for the first time in the raised beds. We are fortunate to have many warm months to garden here in Georgia. However, I hope we get a little winter here soon.

November 10, 2016September 16, 2021

Gibbs Gardens Daffodils

I waited for several years to visit Gibbs Gardens when the spring daffodils were blooming. March 26, 2016 was closer to the end of the season, but there were plentiful daffodils and other blooming plants to enjoy. Gibbs Gardens, located in Ball Ground, Georgia, has one of the largest daffodil gardens in the world.

gazebo & daffodils at gibbs gardens — Gibbs Gardens

Daffodils appear on my blog often, and I’m excited to finally share the pics of the gardens. It softly rained from time to time that day. The white cherry blossoms and the Japanese garden were stunning. The stroll through the gardens and forest felt magical.

plants from Gibbs Gardens — What is this plant? Some type of Euphorbia I think.

side of pond Japanese Garden — Japanese Gardens – the largest in the Nation!

cypress stairstep over pond — Japanese Gardens – the largest in the Nation!

Snowy White Cherry Blossoms — Cherry Tree

I’m currently digging & transplanting crowded daffodil bulbs in my yard, spacing them out, & hoping they will bloom next spring. I have a post in the works about that process.

November 2, 2016September 16, 2021

Growing Bearded Iris in Georgia

This Bearded Iris traveled a long way to get here, and bloomed the first year after transplant! The season grew so busy this year, that I didn’t get these pics posted this Spring. My friend in Raleigh dug up two paper grocery bags brimming with iris rhizomes last year from her garden.

I brought them home, and planted a few groups in different sunny spots. Walter Reeves’ website walterreeves.com discuses when and how to divide iris rhizomes. I also found the American Iris Society’s detailed instructions about how to plant and grow iris very helpful.

The only one that bloomed this year was this regally dark and majestic purple beauty. I posted in the past about my Dutch Iris -which is planted in the same area. They are similar, but the bearded iris is larger, has more frilly flowers, and more striking foliage. The American Meadows All About Irises page contains helpful info about the kinds of irises, their histories, and how to purchase and grow them. I am so happy to have them growing here. As a bonus, the deer and squirrels don’t seem to find them tasty.

October 31, 2016September 16, 2021

5 Steps to a Raised, Organic Garden Bed

Step #1-Find a spot with good sun. 5-8 hours per day. Mostly level with slight drainage slope. Southwest or South facing is usually good.

I built my first raised garden bed back in 2013. I needed a second bed this year because I started so many seeds, and I was ready to expand my garden. I completed the construction of the second bed in June finally-thanks to a lot of help from my wonderful husband. He did a lot of the hard work this time because I was recovering from surgery.

Step #2- Get materials, Construct, & Fill the Bed –

Materials needed– untreated wood, corner stakes, screws and drill, hammer

I refilled last year’s bed back in late April because it had settled and lost volume. I used some of my own compost from the Earth Machine, and I supplemented with organic mushroom compost and organic pine bark soil conditioner.

The Rosemary, Lavender, Peppermint, and Oregano survived the winter!

Lots of shovel turning later and …

Step #3- Decide & Plan what you will plant & where in the bed you will put the plants
Step #4- Plant herb and vegetable seeds and/or plants

The picture above is from mid May at planting time. Everything looked a little yellow here, but below is a photo from just recently. Everything took off and I have had the best garden year yet!

Step #5-Tend the beds by watering, removing pests, and harvesting throughout the season.

Enjoy the Harvest!

I am including a link to my Growing an Essay piece here. I find the connections and similarities between gardening and writing interesting.

July 25, 2016September 16, 2021

Summer Herb & Veggie Harvest

Just a few quick photos of the summer harvest from mid July. The organic raised beds are growing & producing nicely, & I’ve only picked off three tomato hornworms-minimal damage!

Lavandula angustifoliaLavender — Lavandula angustifolia
Lavender

Oregano, Peppermint, Thyme, Marjoram, Rosemary, Lemon Balm

I will post more details about the garden later. I also have a post in the works about the beautiful gardens at President Andrew Jackson’s home, The Hermitage, which is located in Nashville, TN. I was fortunate to go view the gardens there a few weeks ago.

April 8, 2016September 16, 2021

Seed Starting 2016!!!

Start with mini greenhouse, peat pellets, and water …

Wait a day or two before planting for the pods to lose a little moisture (leave the top off for evaporation). Agitate the soil, and bust open the tops of the pods. This gives the seeds more room, and looser growing medium.

Plant veggie and herb seeds! Or flowers, if you like. I started this batch of seeds in mid-to-late February. Most of them were leftover from last year. Some I harvested from last year’s plants-like the green beans. I also bought more seeds (& a couple tomato plants I couldn’t resist) from Cofer’s Home and Garden Showplace- my favorite garden center ever. More about that later.

I also started a second round of seeds a few weeks later. Some are the same as the first batch-like greens beans and tomatoes. I am experimenting with staggered planting times, so I can harvest throughout the long growing season here in Georgia.

Below are pics of the second round of seeds I planted.

They are just getting started in these pics from mid March. Many of the plants are now in the raised garden bed. *Fingers crossed for no late frost.* My next post will be about the repair, filling, and planting of my raised herb & veggie garden bed. The project was completed a few weeks ago with help from my sweet husband, and my friend Peggy, who was in town for a visit to Gibbs Gardens! I will also post some great pics of the Daffodil Festival at Gibbs in the next week or so.

March 2, 2016September 16, 2021

Transplanted Daffodil Bulbs

I dug up a closely crowded cluster of daffodil bulbs in the fall of 2014. After letting them dry out in the garage over the winter, I planted them in my “bulb bed” in the backyard which already contains Dutch Iris and Iris, in the early spring of 2015. They grew last year, but no blooms as expected.

2021-You can also plant them in the fall when you did them up. In fact, that is the way I do it now. Didn’t need to store them.

This year, blooms! Somewhat early, due in part to the warmer than average weather, and lots of rain. The heads are so heavy on this variety, they seem to have a hard time standing up straight.

The American Daffodil Society has a fantastic website and DaffSeek is an amazing identification tool. There are at least 25,000 different registered hybrids of daffodil! The photo below is a much smaller variety that is in desperate need of dividing. I will dig up some of the bulbs this fall and transplant them to other sites in the yard next year.

November 23, 2015September 16, 2021

Japanese Maple

Thoughtfully gifted from my father-in-law, at Christmas time a few years ago, this maple sizzles in the fall. This one soars to over 8 feet tall already, with more growing ahead.

Many varieties of Japenese Maple are found around the world.

This lovely tree thrives in USDA Zone 7b, in full sun facing southwest.

This one came from Gibbs Gardens-which is truly an incredible natural sanctuary located in Ball Ground, Georgia. There are over 220 acres of gardens! Prepare for your mind to be blown by the exquisiteness, which includes an authentic Japanese Garden.

November 6, 2015September 16, 2021

Growing Catnip from Seed

Cats Love Catnip!

Catnip, like Rosemary- and many other herbaceous plants- is a member of the mint family and has some special effects on cat’s brains.

This article from Scientific American.com discusses the chemical composition of the plant, and its well known properties.

I grew the catnip plant above from seed, and it came back for the last several years. This year it was scraggly & had some strange aphids, but I managed to harvest & dry some for the kitties.

I let this last sad, spindly stalk go to bloom, hoping it would make seeds for next year. I collected a dried seed stalk, and now there is a brown stub of a plant left, with a single green leaf left.

Aphids Love Catnip!?

You can see in the picture above some tiny aphid? creatures-not sure what they are. If anyone knows please respond to this post, I am curious what type of creature they are. They have furry butts & appear to be bizarre weirdos. They are on the stem below the blooms. The top of the plant is bent over sideways.

People Love Catnip!

Catnip is useful to humans- similar to other herbs, and is used in tea. This links to an article by a MNN writer which details, (in step number 5), the properties and chemicals involved in the human/catnip process.

Side Note on growing from seed- the following quote from botanical.com may argue against growing this plant from seed:

There is an old saying about this plant:

If you set it, the cats will eat it,
If you sow it, the cats don’t know it.

Hmm…I love old wives’ tales and folklore. There is often some scientific proof that the folk remedy or medicinal use is correct. Please respond anyone who has input on this topic. I would love to hear any reader’s thoughts on this.