Dutch Iris

My favorite flowers are Dutch Irises and now Dwarf Irises. I've always loved the deeply colored ones, and every year am adding a couple more to the shady front yard. Last spring I tried a mix of yellow, white and purple Dwarf Irises, which grew tall behind my rosemary and lavender. I've moved half of them to a sunnier location and just added this one to the mix: Dutch Iris, Miss Saigon. It is suppose to be under two feet tall, so I planted the bulbs amongst the daffodils and behind the yellow coreopsis. I can't wait for bloom time!

Last year at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum plant sale, I picked up several bearded irises that were a deep maroon. They were absolutely gorgeous. Sadly, my older black and blue bearded irises refused to bloom. Any ideas why? They are in partial shade for the morning, but get plenty afternoon sun.

More and more flowers

Flowers are quickly taking over my kitchen garden. I suppose that is okay. Many of them are spring blooming and will have died back before the summer growing season gets under way. This has now been planted out front for the summer!

A Shrew!

I found this by the deck steps this afternoon:

One of my students identified it as a Least Shrew, and based on the Smithsonian's list of shrew species, I think it could be either the Least Shrew or the Southern Short-tailed Shrew.

It is ironic that I should discover this the day after boasting of my garden's plethora of earth worms. The shrew's diet consists heavily of grubs, worms and beetles. Since they are mainly carnivorous, I don't need to be overly concerned about them in the garden, so long as herbivorous rodents don't find their tunnels and utilize them. I haven't seen any holes or tunnels yet. I suppose pest control is one benefit of having allowed the cat a little more freedom.

Signs your soil is healthy

Last summer when we dug up a new area for the vegetable garden, I decided to quit using pesticides on my vegetables. I had never used them heavily, but as I read about the potential damage to bees and nematodes, I couldn't see how hurting the things that pollinate the plants and the things that nourish the soil had any real benefit. I've also switched to mainly organic sources of nutrients as opposed to conventional chemical fertilizers. Composted manure and yard waste release nutrients over a longer period of time, decreasing the chance of burning up the soil. We also added a French tile drain to help with the wet, squishy areas. I won't claim to notice significant changes over just one year, but every time I dig, I find earthworms, and soil over this year has grown darker and fluffier as I've added compost and yard clippings. This spring and summer will be the true test.

So what are the signs of healthy soil?

• A strong presence of earth worms can indicate that you soil isn't overly acidic and that there is plenty of organics for them to feed on.
• Dark soil indicates an abundance of organic (carbon) materials.
• Reddish rather than blueish soil can indicate proper aeration. When soil remains saturated for long periods of time, the iron that gives soil its reddish color is leached away.
• Lack of standing water. Good drainage prevents anaerobic conditions and damage to roots.
• Abundant and diverse weeds indicate good growing conditions (and a looming battle!)
• Soil that you can easily sink your spade into shows that there is little compaction.  

One added benefit of eliminating chemicals in the garden is that I feel comfortable with my boys going barefoot and getting completely messy in the dirt!

Rainwater Cistern Pump Troubleshooting

Several months ago, we were bestowed a 500 gallon rainwater cistern with a submersible pump. The pump turns on when it senses pressure changes such as squeezing the hose nozzle. Several weeks back, it grew less and less responsive taking several minutes to turn on. These were the steps I went through to troubleshoot:

• Shake the hose
• Fling the hose on the ground
• Jump on the hose to squirt the remaining water out
• Unplug the pump and plug it back in
• Remove the spray nozzle to allow for unrestricted flow
• Detach the hose from the cistern valve and fully open the valve
• Take out the pump and check for clogs
• Plug the pump into a different outlet

I'm not sure what the ultimate fix was, but my guess is that the original outlet had some small debris partially shorting the circuit. There is also a chance that leaving the pump plugged in and having a slow leak at the hose to valve attachment prevented a proper pressure differential to trigger the on switch. Next time I'm at Lowes I'll have to get a fancier outlet cover.

Lettuce Germination

Lettuce may be one of the easiest crops to grow so long as it isn't planted too late in hot conditions that make it bolt. Several years ago I had a great crop of Romaine in a raised bed with ideal soil conditions. There was a rich blend of manure compost, peat moss, vermiculite and the existing soil. I started seeds in the early spring, watered regularly, and added tomato plants in to the bed in April which gave the lettuce shade by early summer. The crop lasted several weeks longer than it should have.

There was another year when I switched to in-ground beds that I couldn't get my lettuce to germinate. I scattered seed upon seed, and what did come up quickly died. It turned out that the soil was crusting over and the tiny seedlings were wilting. While the soil wasn't perfect, I learned that moisture was the real issue. I'd traveled a week and wasn't wasn't watering often. I learned from my contact at Logan's that a bed of lettuce really needs to be spritzed daily, if not twice a day, as sprouts are emerging. This doesn't require deep watering, just a good gently mist. Because the seeds are started on top of the soil or just barely covered, and the roots are so shallow, they can't access water in the soil unless it is damp on the surface.

If you are just starting out gardening an font have a schedule that allows for daily watering, it is probably best to start from transplants rather than seed. Flats of lettuce are very affordable and available at garden centers and farmers markets. I bought transplants of several choys in the late summer, and they are looking beautiful now in February.

Happy planting!

Sprouts

Each day I've been checking tiny little spouts, spritzing them with water and waiting for the last empty soil pods to show signs of life. Winter returned to Raleigh, North Carolina this week, thanks to Sir Walter Wally the Groundhog, so I've not been able to bask in the sun on the small brick patio in the garden. I'm hoping that winter remains kind to the small lettuce seedlings that are sprouting outside.

I've planted quite a variety already: English lavender, Italian oregano, Black Krim tomatoes, Costoluto tomatoes, purple and green tomatillos, purple and green artichokes, Farmer's Market blend lettuce, baby leaf spinach, baby butterhead lettuce, leeks, giant parsley, persimmon tomatoes, basil, Aunt Roby's German green tomatoes, red and pink tomatoes from last year's garden, Matt's Wild cherry tomatoes, Brandywine tomatoes, Mortgage Lifter tomatoes, French Merveille lettuce, Tapas peppers, pepperoncinis, jalapenos, sweet bell peppers, hibiscus, culinary sage, and blue potatoes that I saved from the summer crop. Already growing in the garden are kale, swiss chard, bok choy, pak choy, joi choy, scallions, onions, garlic, spinach, baby butterhead, romaine, red speckled lettuce (my lettuces have overwintered), arugula, and a variety of perennial herbs.

As evidenced by this extensive list that will only grow longer as spring approaches, I am slightly obsessed. My friend recently asked me if gardening saved me money. My reply, "Not on food, but definitely on therapy."

It is a chilly morning here, but should warm up some by the afternoon, so I'll try to sneak in some sun and pictures later.