Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

On a trip to my local big box DIY store yesterday, it was obvious that spring fever has infected the general public in full force! It simply was not possible to count the number of tomato and pepper plants being carted off by over eager home gardeners. People, people, people! I really do get all the excitement when we get an ‘early spring’, but here are some things you should know about planting veggies, especially the warm weather crops this early:

Tomatoes and peppers require very warm soil and air temperatures for proper establishment and growth. When planted in cool soils, they become weak and very susceptible to a host of diseases. They are permanently stunted and will not reach their full potential when bearing fruit. The taste and heat of many peppers are greatly impacted by temperature as well. Nighttime air temperatures below 55° dramatically reduce the number of flower buds set by both tomatoes and peppers. The soil needs to consistently be about 70°, 4 inches down from the top, before you plant warm season vegetables or flowers. Lower soil temperatures (we are averaging about 62 degrees in the Kansas City metro area) are certain to bring trouble. You may think you are getting ahead, but in fact, you are setting back your garden’s overall health and productivity.

One part of my job as a horticulturist and Greenhouse Production Manager is to grow the right plant for the right place at the right time. When it come to young plants for our garden center, this means selecting the ones that naturally do well for the average gardener in our region, and growing them in such a way to help the gardener have the best possible outcome. I am very fortunate to work for a company that is not pressured to force things to the retail market just because the customer would buy it if it were there. I could plant an early enough crop to sell you twice as many as you should have to plant, but success for both of us is much more rewarding, don’t you think?

Be patient! Wait to buy and plant your tomatoes and peppers (and most other veggies) until at least the first week of May. Buy plants that are healthy and vigorous. I know its tempting to buy early, but oftentimes, in order to have plants that LOOK retail ready this early, growers will use a high nitrogen fertilizer, which makes for a lot of vegetative growth (lots of big leaves) but results in lower fruit yield. By waiting for plants that are allowed to gain size and maturity under low nitrogen fertilization, you will have a stronger, better yielding plant in the garden. A responsible independent garden center that produces its own young vegetable plants rather than importing them from outside your region will encourage you to do the right thing and hold off just a little longer. My team and I am very eager to get our huge 1 gallon tomato plants and gorgeous peppers out to our faithful customers along with all the other summer veggies. There is no need to fuss with fancy contraptions to warm up your plants or try to keep plastic over your soil to get it to the desired temperature sooner. Let your local plant producers do that for you! Patience will reward you and so will your garden.

Bacon Tomato WHAT?

From the time I was big enough to pull a chair up to the kitchen counter, I have loved cooking and baking. Maybe it is my creative nature or simple rebellion … or a blend of the two, but I have never been good at sticking to a recipe. I read a recipe and can tell right away if it will be something tasty or if I need to embellish it. I read cookbooks like other folks read a good mystery novel. This has led to my family often arriving to the table for the evening meal and asking “What are we having tonight?” to which I reply, “Dinner! If you like it, we can name it and keep it.” Thankfully, my family loves a good food adventure!

About four years ago, our garden was turning out a shocking number of tomatoes and I needed a creative way to cook them up. We had guests coming for dinner and as is often the case, I had not been to the store for quite some time. Breezing through some cooking magazines and cookbooks it came to me! BACON TOMATO PIE! Three things I love! What could be better? As the day drew near for our guests to visit, my husband asked if I had something in mind to serve. My idea was greeted with far more suspicion than enthusiasm, but that didn’t dampen my creative spirit one bit. It is with great pleasure that I tell you that my Bacon Tomato Pie was not only a huge hit with our guests, but is now one of our favorite meals!

Here is my version of Bacon Tomato Pie:

INGREDIENTS

1  9 inch deep dish pie crust – unbaked

FILLING:

4  large tomatoes sliced thin
1  cup red onion sliced thin
½  pound thick sliced bacon – cooked till crisp and crumbled
½  cup fresh basil leaves chopped or torn small
1  teaspoon dried Oregano or 1 TBSP fresh Oregano chopped fine
½  teaspoon Garlic Powder

TOPPING:

2  cups shredded cheese – I like Sharp Cheddar. Use your favorite!
¼  cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place tomato slices on several layers of paper toweling to remove excess moisture. Allow about 10 minutes on each side for this process. In large skillet, cook bacon till crisp. Remove from skillet and drain on absorbent toweling. Reserve 1 TBSP drippings. Over medium heat, sauté red onion slices until caramelized and soft. Drain well. Add crumbled bacon, oregano and garlic powder to the onions and mix. In the pie shell, layer the bacon mixture, cover with a single layer of tomato slices, top with half the basil and repeat.

For the topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to form soft dough. Drop by spoonful on to the top layer of the pie. Use a damp spatula to spread the cheese mixture over evenly over the top of the pie.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes on the center rack in the oven. After 30 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Serve warm with a generous salad.

Season’s Change

Even though the weather has been shouting spring for the past few weeks in our part of the country, Easter is one of our clear signs that spring is well under way and we have finally made the change away from winter. Easter signifies a time of new life, things hidden now found and hope. This time of year reminds me that life is a process. We, and all that is around us, are ever changing. Some things fade away, new things start.

Five years ago, my husband and I began a new journey in a new home with a huge yard. I was within a few short weeks of receiving my Horticultural Science degree and having so much room to plant was thrilling to me. Fortunately, my husband’s passion for gardening is a great match for mine. We certainly had our work cut out for us. Our suburban lot measured out just short of 1/3 acre and came with 1 dwarf lilac bush and seven day lilies. That’s it! The selling point of the house for us was likely the deterrent other potential buyers. In the vast back yard, was a 20’x45’ raised garden bed, surrounded by deteriorating railroad ties and filled chest high with weeds. Where others saw barren space and weeds, we saw a black canvas and treasures! Thus, began the Garden of Eatin’.

For five years we have planted and harvested a wonderful garden, but we shared a vision for something a little different. This spring, we have torn down all that once was the Garden of Eatin’ in order to create a more usable and aesthetic space that better suited our needs. It has been a long process involving over 11,000 pounds of concrete block (320 individual pieces), hours of painstaking care to level them and set them in place, measure and square up each new bed. Now comes the process of putting the soil that once occupied the old garden space back in to the new raised bed. We have 2 of the 7 filled now.

With all that fresh earth calling to me, I had to get out and stick my hands in that soft, loamy soil! My daughter Rachel and I took a break from the Easter festivities to plant about 100 sugar snap pea seeds. Yummy Pea Shoot salad is only a couple of weeks away!

Here are some pictures of the progress. Follow along and see all the beautiful things that are Growing a Good Life in the Garden of Eatin’!

                 

Much like our garden, with time, we find things in our lives that have been there for years. However, they no longer serve us well and change is needed. Before that change can take place and be complete, it often means we have to separate and remove ourselves from what we know and find familiar. The entire foundation has to come down and at times, it looks like nothing about life will seem the same. When you find yourself in such a place, remember Easter! Remember to have hope! New life often comes through pain and dark times. When the new thing finally comes to light, we wonder why we waited so long and fought the change!

SOUL FOOD

From time to time, I will break away from my normal blogs that deal with my professional insights as a Horticulturist, Designer, Gardener and Cook to share some things that are just from my heart. These segments will be titled SOUL FOOD. Of all the tips and knowledge I can share, these tidbits may be the most important of all. I hope you enjoy these truths and find them helpful. This is at the very center of who I am and all I do. The best lessons I have learned on Growing A Good Life have come from 2 sources; The Bible and the earth. It seems that what I observe in nature, especially in the garden, gives me a tangible explanation of the truths I find in God’s word. Because of my work as a Greenhouse Production Manager, I witness new life springing forth where there was once nothing on a daily basis. Hope and faith flourish when miracles are so readily found. When life races along at a crazy pace, I find myself feeling worn down, empty and lifeless. Joy seems far away and my focus is inward. If I allow those conditions to continue, I quickly move from an inward focus to completely self-centered and isolated. A good dose of truth is the best way to break out of most any funk and get back to a vibrant life where I can share out of the abundance of what God has done for me. The truth found in John 12: 24-25 says

“Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.”

Just like a seed needs some time tucked away, quiet and still, we need time to be quiet and still. A seed is created with a precise store of vital nutrition to give it the energy to come to a full, vigorous and fruitful life. It is activated when the seed makes contact with the earth and water. In the same way, when we draw away from the over packed pace of life and make space to take in the wisdom of God’s Word, make contact with Him in prayer and allow time to listen for His voice, we gain the strength we need to truly live and thrive and bear the fruit of His love for the benefit of those around us. As the weather warms and the days grow longer, it is natural to find ourselves getting busier. Be sure you take some time to observe the lessons we are shown in the world around us that God’s Word shows us to be true. Make time to draw away, be still, nourish your spirit, listen, grow and produce. It will certainly result in a Good Life!

Spring is Salad Season!

Nothing beats good homemade salad dressing on a fresh picked salad! This Sweet Onion Vinaigrette is the perfect complement to peppery spring greens such as arugula and baby mustard greens. Pick some fresh lettuce, spinach and other greens and toss up a fresh salad to go with your dinner! You are sure to have a new favorite dressing. It makes a great chicken marinade, too!

Sweet Onion Vinaigrette

1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds

In a food processor, finely mince the onion.  Add the next 5 ingredients and whirl until blended. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream and blend well. Stir in poppy seeds. Store the dressing in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

KC Live: 03/24/15 @ 10 am

Check out Kansas City Live tomorrow on Channel 41! I will be going over the best flowers to plant right now and some tips for keeping them looking great. Its a great opportunity to peek at some of the gorgeous flowers we are growing at Rosehill Gardens and delivering to our Garden Store in Martin City!

Tune in to KSHB Channel 41 (NBC) at 10 am for all the latest on what is going on in the Kansas City Area.

You Say Tomato

Who doesn’t love the rich summery taste of a good vine ripened tomato? With all the varieties available, how do you know the best one to plant for you needs? The first step is to know a little bit about the basic types of tomatoes, how they grow and how they are used.

Determinate vs. Indeterminate:

Tomatoes are grouped in to two basic categories. Bush types, which are referred to as Determinate and Vine types which are called Indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes stop growing when the top fruits set and ripen. The fruits will all ripen over a short period of time, usually about 2 weeks. Determinate types are great for canning and freezing because you will have a large yield all at one time. They do best staked or caged. Indeterminate vines grow all season and will produce fruits for a long period of time. If you are only growing a few plants for fresh eating, this is the way to go to ensure you have table ready tomatoes all season long. Indeterminate tomatoes often overwhelm most cages and will be easier to manage if well staked. Heavy bamboo poles 4 feet tall or more work very well. You should be able to easily find information on the plant tag or seed package to let you know if the plant you are considering is determinate or indeterminate.

Fruit size in another way to categorize tomatoes.

Cherry, Salad/saladette, and Slicers are the most common sizes:

Cherry tomatoes are a must in my opinion, especially if you have children! They lend themselves to fresh eating right from the vine and entice even picky eaters to try something new! My all-time favorite is Sungold, a bright orange small cherry tomato. It produces a very heavy crop of sweet tasting round fruits all summer long. If you are tight on space, you might try Red Robin. This tiny determinate dwarf plant will easily produce well for you in a pot on the porch or balcony.

Salad or Sauce tomatoes are often smaller fruits with a lot of meat to them. The seed capsules tend to be small and less pulpy than those found in Beefsteak or Slicer types. They are well suited for a wide range of uses such as fresh eating on a sandwich, in a salad, or in salsas and cooked sauces. They can be found in both determinate and indeterminate types. Early Girl, Homeslice, Jet Star, Roma VF and Celebrity are my top picks for full flavor and excellent performance in the garden and in recipes.

Slicers and Beefsteak tomatoes are the quintessential garden tomato! These are the tomatoes that family gardening traditions are made of! One yummy slice can cover an entire sandwich Fruits can often weigh 2 pounds or more. Many of the tried and true heirloom varieties fall in this category. Black Krim, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and my favorite, Mortgage Lifter, are wonderful heirloom tomatoes that offer great yields of very large fruits. There is a great story behind Mortgage Lifter…

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A man known to his community as “Radiator Charlie” was having a tough go of it in the depression era. With no experience, he successfully cross pollinated several types of tomatoes and created what we now call Mortgage Lifter. Radiator Charlie grew these 2-4 pound tomatoes and sold them, earning enough to pay of the mortgage on his auto repair shop at a time when most people were losing their homes and business to economic hardship.

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Mortgage Lifter has very few seeds, lots of meat and is one of the tastiest tomatoes you can grow. My other traditional favorites such as Balls Beefsteak and Burpee Big Boy are sure to please as well.

If you are wondering what tomatoes I select to grow as a professional grower, here is my list:

• Tomato Balls Beefsteak – Indeterminate, large fruits
• Tomato Black Krim – Indeterminate, dark purple flesh, incredible flavor, late harvest
• Tomato Brandywine Pink – Indeterminate, pink flesh, low acid heirloom
• Tomato Brandywine Red – Indeterminate, red-pink flesh heirloom
• Tomato Burpee Big Boy – Indeterminate beefsteak type, bright red flesh, large fruits
• Tomato Celebrity – Determinate with a long harvest window, meaty red flesh, great for salsa!
• Tomato Cherokee Purple – Indeterminate purple flesh heirloom with large fruits, later harvest
• Tomato Early Girl – Indeterminate, very early producer of tasty medium size fruits, good flavor and few seeds
• Tomato Homeslice – Determinate, high yielding sweet fruits of medium size
• Tomato Indigo Ruby F1 – Indeterminate cherry with unique purple to blue shoulders on deep red fruits, nice size for a cherry
• Tomato Jet Star – Indeterminate, medium fruit with good meat for salsas, sauces and fresh eating
• Tomato Lemon Boy – Indeterminate, sweet yellow low acid fruits, nice medium size
• Tomato Mortgage Lifter – Indeterminate, 2-4 pound fruits, heirloom variety, few seeds, excellent flavor
• Tomato Red Robin – Determinate cherry type, very well suited for containers, very sweet mid-size cherry fruits with a 2-3 week harvest
• Tomato Roma VF – Determinate, the all time favorite sauce tomato, few seeds, firm meat and rich flavor
• Tomato Sungold – Indeterminate, High yield all summer of super sweet bright orange fruits
• Tomato Supersweet 100 – Indeterminate Cherry type, prolific small sweet red fruits

Check back next week for planting tips and recipes!

Top Tips and Picks for Cool Weather Planting

Does all this talk of warmer weather have you just itching to get out and plant something? There are plenty of plants that like the cool spring weather and will do just fine when planted in cool soil. However, not every plant will tolerate our upcoming conditions as well. I say “GET ON OUT THERE AND PLANT!” Just make good choices so you can “Grow a Good Life” of beautiful spring color and food.

Here are my top tips for cool weather planting:

Stick to containers and hanging baskets for blooming plants. The potting media in containers and baskets can warm much faster than the soil in the ground. They are also much easier to cover for protection or bring inside for shelter for the remaining cold snaps that are sure to happen! Cool weather veggies are fine in the ground.
The Right Plants. Plant selection is always the foundational key to success. Since we have no leaf cover from trees right now, consider your actual growing conditions. Its easy to think of a familiar area in our yard in terms of how it appears to us when we are most likely using that area—later in the spring and through the fall. Do a little research to be certain you can provide the conditions needed for the plants you want.

Give a little extra care. Because our weather conditions change so rapidly, early spring plantings may need a little extra attention.  Heavy Dew, frequent rain showers, bright sunny days all factor in to how plants use water. Be sure to physically check the moisture in the soil frequently. This will prevent over watering which will cause plants to rot.

Feed your plants. Most early spring flowering plants bloom very heavily. That requires a tremendous amount of energy. If you want your plants to give you championship performance, you need to give them the diet of a pro athlete! Use a balanced, water soluble fertilizer every third watering. (Look for the three numbers on the fertilizer to be very close to equal or the middle number to be the highest for best results)

Know your weather conditions. What does it mean when a plant can tolerate a light frost, or will die back from a hard freeze? A hard freeze occurs any time the outside temperature falls below 26 degrees F for 4 hours or more. There are plenty of good hourly temperature forecasts available on line. My favorite is local source is KSHB Action Weather. at http://www.kshb.com/weather. If you are outside the Kansas City area, try MyForecast.com. If there is a risk of cold temperatures, good protection must be provided for many “cold tolerant” plants. Move containers to the garage or other indoor area or cover will with a light sheet. Be sure to remove the sheet as soon as temperatures are out of the danger zone. For plants in the ground, it is a good idea to give a little support with some bamboo or wood stakes as you drape your covering material over the plants. Plastic will work, but if it is clear, it can cause some damage if there is bright sunlight and warmer temperatures will it remains on the plants.

My Favorite Cool Weather Plants:

Pansies– Nothing cheers me up from a case of the winter blues like the happy little faces of Pansies! I am a big fan of their sweet fragrance. The trailing types, somewhat newer to the market, are by far my favorites. In a container or basket, they spill and flow in a colorful cascade.  In the landscape bed they fill in like a carpet of color. Pansy “Cool Wave” series takes the cold and keeps blooming long in to the summer months, giving you plenty of time to enjoy them.  They often make a great comeback in the fall as well as overwintering.  For big bloom impact, the Delta series is my go to plant. Big, bold blooms, easy care, and reliability! That will always win my vote. Once we are passed St. Patrick’s day, I never worry about planting pansies. Even if the blooms get hit by the coldest of nights, they will bounce right back.

Dianthus– These tough beauties are related to carnations and most have that lovely spicy sweet fragrance. They stand up to the cold temperatures of early spring as well as the heat of the summer. This is another work horse that you are likely to see come back year after year in your garden beds. Excellent cold tolerance lets you plant with confidence as soon as you can work the soil.

Snapdragons– Whether you choose the new “Candy Showers” trailing series or the tried and true Montego series, Snapdragons are a sure bet for early spring planting. They easily move from spring in to summer and are likely to still be blooming late in to the fall. They do like to eat well, so be sure to feed them. You might see some damage to the blooms on very chilly nights.  A quick snip to remove the damaged areas and your Snapdragons will snap right back! Personally, I like to wait a bit longer to plant taller snapdragons like Rocket or Liberty, but they will not disappoint in the cool season garden or the summer garden. We have not had sufficient time to determine how well “Candy Showers” returns the following year, but we do know that Liberty makes a strong comeback in the garden bed for years to come.

Osteospermum– Large daisy style flowers in vivid colors over compact green foliage make this plant a wonderful addition in the cool season garden. Able to tolerate light frost, you will want to give some extra protection on the coldest of nights. These lovely bloomers are so worth the effort though!  My all time from the Zion series- Copper Amethyst. You just can beat the water color blend of the amethyst center of the petals to the rich, copper edges. There is nothing else like it!

Nemesia– With blooms similar to a Snapdragon and lacey foliage, Nemesia add great color and texture to planters and baskets.They can get a little too wet in the landscape bed, so be sure you know your conditions if you choose to put them in the ground.

Petunias and Calibrachoa– Yes, you read that right! While we often think of these as summer annuals, they actually tolerate light frost extremely well. I personally have had them take a hard freeze and bounce right back, but I don’t recommend you leave yours uncovered on the coldest of nights. Using either of these in your early spring plantings means a jump on your summer color as well! Just replace some of its cool weather companions with a few summer jewels and you are done!  Remember, Calibrachoa does not do well in the ground here. It is best used as a container plant.  Some are now bred to tolerate our soil and pH, but for the basic gardener, I recommend you steer clear of them in the ground and go for a Petunia instead.

Don’t Forget Your Veggies! Even if you are not a veggie gardener, mix some lettuces or a lovely red or green cabbage in to your containers.  They give wonderful texture and interest to any planter.  Lettuce can be grown easily in containers.  Loose leaf varieties allow for fresh harvesting of outer leaves while letting the plant continue to grow and produce. If you do plant a cool season veggie garden, try something new every season. Kohlrabi is a really unique looking plant with a great mild flavor somewhat like broccoli. It is very easy to grow and kids just love its ‘space ship” appearance. Peel, slice and eat it raw, shred it for slaw, chunk it in to a stir-fry, or add it to stew or roast. We love Kohlrabi and our dogs even like it as a treat!

I hope you are in a part of the country that is getting a big dose of spring over the next few days!  If you are, get out there a ‘Grow a Good Life’!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Gardening takes many forms and is best when it reflects the personality of the gardener. Some gardens are all about the “Try it, you’ll like it” approach, while others are meticulously researched, planned, diagrammed and executed.

I like a little of both! Often, my flower beds and containers are filled to overflowing with the latest offerings and things I have always wanted to try. But when it comes to my veggie garden, that is serious business! The Garden of Eatin’, as we have come to call our little plot, is a work horse of a space designed to provide us will all our favorites in quantities enough for fresh eating, preserving and sharing. I am not really focused on cutting our grocery bill, although I could never afford to buy as much minimally or unprocessed, organically grown food for what it costs me to grow it. My focus is on knowing our food source, what it is we eat and how it has been treated.

The Garden of Eatin’ starts out on a large sheet of graph paper. Nearby is my carefully researched list of plants. Each one is selected for how I intend to use the crop it will produce, the growth habit for the space I have and the yield I need to reach my goals for preserved goods. Next up are the tools—a pencil with a good eraser, a straight edge ruler and a circle template so everything stays nice and tidy. A big cup of hot herbal tea and a snowy day are the perfect additions for a great planning session. Last but certainly not least, notes from last years garden. It is important to know where you have been to best know how to get where you are going next!

Our garden is going to consist of 7 raised beds this year. Each one is laid out on the graph paper and the crops are placed where they will do best. Consideration is given to what can be grown vertically and what would benefit from a bit of shade that those vertical plantings will offer.

Here is a quick rundown of what we will be feasting on from the Garden of Eatin’ this season:

• HERBS – Four types of basil, two types of rosemary and oregano, sage, dill, Italian parsley, chives, lemon grass and more.
• ROOT CROPS – icicle radishes, bunching onions, sweet yellow and red onions, carrots, turnips (We love the greens, too!)
• We will also grow a variety of lettuces, green, red and orange sweet bell peppers, jalapenos, habeneros, serranos, pablanos, Anaheim, ghost chillies, five varieties of tomatoes, tomatillos, green beans, sugar snap peas, zucchini, patty pan and yellow summer squash, acorn and spaghetti squash, miniature pumpkins, melons and strawberries.

How does your garden grow? Do you love to just try whatever comes to mind? Are you a gardener with a goal? However you approach gardening, make sure its a process you enjoy and that suits you!

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

There is that one moment that comes after the groundhog dashes your hopes of an early spring when you notice tulips and daffodils peeking up through the soil and your heart beats with expectancy once again. That glorious moment is normally followed by a wicked forecast of bitter cold, once again dashing your hopes on the salted sidewalk, crushing it with the blows of a snow shovel. Well, maybe that is a bit dramatic, but you get the picture. It is worrisome when we see those first few flowers reaching for sunlight and there is still so much winter left!

Plants really do want to live! They are very resilient and possess all sorts of amazing coping skills to ensure they grow a good life. So often, I learn the best life lessons from watching how plants live, survive and thrive! Let’s talk Tulips for just a moment. Every spring, I am filled with amazement when I see Tulips blooming … or any bulb for that matter. Sometime in the fall, you begin with this seemingly lifeless, onion-like object–you hide it deep in the soil and go away. Months later, life appears! At first just a small nub of a leaf tip at the surface of the warming soil is all that is seen. Suddenly, as if in the blink of an eye, all the evidence of a fully growing and living plant has made its way above ground. Then, the snow and frigid temperatures set back in. Don’t worry! Be Happy! Those first bits of leaves are gathering up the sunlight to nourish the sleepy bulb and provide a burst of energy to get its lovely bloom ready for its big debut. Even if there is quite a bit of leaf material above ground, your blooms are likely still tucked deep within the bulb and safe from harm. Some tip burn on the foliage is quite possible, but for all but very earliest of bloomers, our roller coaster weather is not as harmful as it seems.

There are a few good practices that will help you protect your bulbs in the winter months. As with any planting, mulching is very important. A 2-inch layer of mulch should be applied after planting in the fall or over areas with established bulbs. Its a good idea to re-mulch any areas that seem thin or showing signs of early growth, mid to late winter. There is no harm in covering newly sprouted leaf tips with a fresh layer of mulch to protect them. If the weather is particularly dry overall, an occasional watering is a good idea. Don’t water heavily, as that could possibly cause the bulbs to rot, but get some moisture down in the soil at least an inch or two deep during prolonged dry spells.

When you are taking in the beauty of spring bulbs this season, ponder on a few life lessons they offer us. Sometimes, our situation doesn’t really look all that great. We feel dried up, tired and less than beautiful. It seems we are going under. Take a lesson from the bulbs! Dive in to the situation. Grab hold of hope and stay close to your foundation. Rest a little and nourish your soul well. Reach for the light and the warmth that surrounds you. Accept that some days are just cold and gray, but your day is coming. Take peace in the knowledge that your present condition is not the end of the story, just a part of the journey. Soon, circumstances and conditions will change and you will discover you have the strength and ability to rise above the place you have been. There will still be very difficult days and some of them may leave scars that can’t be hidden. However, those scars pale in comparison to the beauty that is truly you.