Spring Gardening Tips

 

I know it's not quite Spring yet, but it'll be here before you know it, so I thought I'd share some ideas to help you get ready.

1. Spring is a great time to find out the Ph of your soil.  You can get a Ph testing kit from your local garden center.  If you know your Ph, it'll make it easier to know which plants to choose for your soil, or what additives you might need to grow the plants you desire.

2. If you haven't already done so, remove the dead growth of perennials and grasses.  I usually do this in the fall, but there are several gardeners who prefer to wait until the spring.

3. Apply a general fertilizer to prepare the soil for the planting you'll be doing.

4. Get rid of any weeds that might be starting to grow.  I know where I live, it's been a really mild winter, so I was out there weeding in January!

5.  Spring is a good time to mulch.  The soil is usually moist, so mulch will help trap that moisture and make it nice for your plants.  Be generous with your mulch.  I'd say 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep is good.

6.  If you didn't divide clumps of perennials in the fall, do it in the spring.

7. Lastly, edge your garden borders.  Make sure grass isn't growing into it, and if you're using stone borders, make sure they look neat and tidy.

Charles Towne Landing Gardens

 

Charles Towne Landing Gardens are located in Charleston, South Carolina. This is the original site of Charleston, where settlers first landed. It is now a state park that contains a zoo, freshwater lagoon, 80 acres of English park gardens, trails, and a 1670 Experimental Crop Garden.

The zoo is home to the animals the original settlers encountered, including pumas, bison, alligators, black bears, otters, bobcats, and wolves. The Experimental Crop Garden (which is what will be growing in the above picture later in the season), includes indigo, rice, sugar cane, and cotton.

There's another interesting thing to see on the grounds:  The Adventure - a life-size replica of a typical trading ship docked on Old Town Creek.

 The park is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  

Adding Plants In Your House

COVID-19 has kept a lot of us indoors. Because of this, there has been a growing interest in finding ways to bring plants inside. Plants give us a sense of calm. They rejuvenate us and lift our spirits. Here are some ideas for how you might bring plants into your space.

1. Display plants on picture shelves. Find different types—grassy ones, cascading vines, ones with interesting leaves— to create a pleasing visual effect. Select containers that complement each other.

2. Make a terrarium. This is a low-maintenance option for people who don't feel they have a green thumb. You can make them yourself. There are plenty of online instructions on how to do this, or you can buy one. 

3. Grow herbs indoors. If you have some space in the kitchen, you can grow them on your windowsill. If you want to get fancy, you can buy indoor herb garden kits. It's always nice to have fresh cooking herbs within easy reach.

4.  If you don't have a lot of space, consider hanging planters. 

 5. Put humidity-loving plants in the bathroom.

These are just a few ideas. With a little creativity, you can have a peaceful oasis right in your own home. 

Do you have live plants in your home? If so, where do you have them? 

Jardin des Tuileries

 

The Jardin des Tuileries, located in Paris, France, is one of the most visited gardens in Paris, due to its location between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde.  It was created by Catherine de Medicis in 1564 and was opened to the public in 1667.

It is known for its ornamental ponds, terraces, and collection of bronze figures by Aristide Maillol.  In addition to the beautiful perennial flowers, the garden is home to 20 species of trees, including Mulberry and Judas trees.

The garden is open daily in April - August from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and in September  - March from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM.  Admission is free.

Katsura Imperial Villa Garden

 

Today's garden is one from Japan.  It's the Katsura Imperial Villa in western Kyoto, Japan.  Completed in 1645, it is the residence of the Katsura family, who are members of Japan's Imperial Family.

Seeing this place is not easy.  You must make reservations for a limited number of tours that are given by the Imperial Household Agency.  The tours last about one hour and are in Japanese.  You don't speak Japanese?  That's okay.  You can get an English audio guide.  They are very strict about following the rules - you must stay with the group on the path, and you are only allowed to take pictures at designated areas.

That said, the garden is really lovely.  Visitors will see a pond, bamboo, four tea houses, and a lovely arched wooden bridge called a "Dobashi."

The agency is open Monday - Friday from 8:45 - 12:00  and 1:00- 5:00 PM.  Tours are held during these times, but you may be able to get a Saturday tour.  No tours are ever given on Sunday, and I would venture to guess that no tours are being held during the COVID pandemic.

Before I go, I would like to let you know about the release of my latest book, Bubba and Squirt's Mayan Adventure.  I'm on tour with MC Tours for the month of September and October. If you would like to follow along and have a chance to win an autographed copy, you can go here.

Garden of Cosmic Speculation and Latin Flavors Blog Hop Sign Up

 

Don't you just love the name of this garden?  This is definitely a one-of-a-kind garden.  I've never seen anything else like it in all of my travels.  The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is located in Dumfries, Scotland.  It covers thirty acres and was built in 1989 by Charles Jencks, an internationally acclaimed architectural critic and designer.  The garden is actually his own private garden.  It is open to the public only once a year (usually in May).  If you want to see this place, you'll have to do a little planning (and get there really early when it does open, because the traffic jams are ridiculous).

The garden was designed to provide thought (speculation) about the nature of things.  It was inspired by science and mathematics, with themes like Black Holes, Fractals, and DNA helixes.

Plants are not the big feature here.  There are a couple of man-made dragon lakes. Mostly what you'll see are a lot of steel structures and symmetry.  The garden begins at the base of steps leading down from the original eighteenth-century manor house.  You'll see a Sense of Touch garden, where a metal hand waves back and forth, beckoning visitors to come to check it out.  You'll see a steel DNA helix and a Heaven-Hell primeval wilderness garden with a beautiful red arched bridge

 The snail mound allows you to explore the Fibonacci Sequence of numbers that make up the shell.

Before I go, I'd like to tell you about the Latin Flavors Blog Hop I'm hosting:

When:  September 14-18

Where:  Your Blog

On September 15th, my new book, Bubba and Squirt's Mayan Adventure, will be released. To help get the word out, I'm having a blog hop. It's called, "Latin Flavors."

In the book, Bubba and Squirt try a couple of Latin dishes. I thought it might be fun to share recipes of food from Mexico and Central America.

Here's what participants will do:

1. Share a favorite "Latin Flavor" recipe

2. Include information about my book in the post. I will provide all of that and send it to you a week before the blog hop.

If you'd like to participate, please sign up on the Linky List.

Thank you!

Villa d'Esta

If you like fountains, the gardens at the Villa d'Este, in Tivoli, Italy, are a must-see.  The gardens are on the grounds of the former residence of Cardinal Ippolito d'Este.  They were built in 1572.  Today, this garden is part of the UNESCO world heritage list.

The garden is organized in terraces and steps.  Visitors will see numerous fountains, grottos, and ponds.  The Neptune fountain, pictured at the top, is the largest and most spectacular fountain.  There's also an organ fountain, which, yes, plays organ music with the sounds of the falling water.  If you'd like to hear it, the first playing is at 10:30 every day, and then it occurs every two hours.

The garden is open daily from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM.  Admission is 10 euros for adults.