Gaston Alive Magazine » Gardening

In the Garden with Cindy

w.burkett — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:51:48 +0000

In September, we gardeners can experience one of the most stimulating times of year. There are fewer bugs so the gardener can have spotless green beans for cooking as the French do it with just a blanching and served with a mustard dressing and almonds. There are the cool-weather crops that flourish in the fall such as lettuce and spinach that would normally bolt during the hot weather. There’s the lovely broccoli that will charm you in a luscious soup with cheese. The extreme heat is almost gone and we can truly breathe. Certainly not the least factor, all this bounty is framed by a great backdrop of fall color in the leaves. Garden and painter friends of mine often boast of our good fortune to have the wide changes of season, especially those coming from the “mono-climates” in some states.

Yes fall is an exciting time and one of great productivity. Many gardeners (and their friends) do a fall display in September but I prefer to wait until October as we herald the coming of the great pumpkins we find in this area and our mountain region. I’ve had it with my summer annuals and pluck them out like the offending hairs in a model’s eyebrow. The exception to this rule is the lovely sun and shade coleus. This year mine are deep reds, oranges, and greens–a perfect component of the fall display. Just make sure the coleus have plenty of water. Good rose care will prompt a fall “last hurrah” with my English roses. I dead-headed the roses and provided a time release fertilizer in August in anticipation of this yearly event. I’m looking forward to the yellow of “Graham Thomas“, the red of “William Shakespeare“, the delicate pink of “The Pilgrim”, and the creamy apricot of “Abraham Darby” with its special scent of melon and lemon.

Another component of September is the coming of the local fairs. The Cleveland County Fair is close enough for Gaston County residents to visit with just a short drive. This is an old fashioned fair complete with vegetable and fruit competitions in both canned and fresh categories. I start saving calories in early September since the smells of “Fair Food” tempt the most Spartan dieter. There’s barbequed pork prepared with red sauce and pink slaw, funnel cakes with fruit and chocolate syrup, cotton candy, candied apples, corn dogs, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, Philly steak sandwiches, and my favorite, Italian sausage with a savory topping of grilled onions and peppers. Yes, I remember my goal to eat more healthily, but come on, it’s the fair! The fair also features livestock such as cows, pigs, goats, emus, ducks, and those strange little chickens with puffs of feathers standing up like crests on their heads and feathered feet. Don’t forget the art competitions for both adults and children, and the many craft displays and competitions. Dare to venture to the many “rides” available.

Time and space prohibit more elaborate descriptions of September in out area but suffice it to say you can get the best weather and many occasions for enjoying the pleasures that gardening can bring. The days are getting shorter, so maximize your afternoons outside. Take a walk in the early morning and get a little “preview” of that revitalizing nip of cool air. Most of all, enjoy this season and the delicious food of the fall garden, then, if you’re game, make a trip to the fair.

In the Garden with Cindy

w.burkett — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:46:55 +0000

August can be a trial for the gardener, especially when high temperatures and lack of rain precedes it in July. Many of my gardener friends have watched their flowers and vegetables grow brown and brittle this year. It’s just not fun to sweat, get faint from the heat, and still not reap an adequate reward for our money and time.

Fortunately, if we are industrious and wise we can orchestrate a “last hurrah” in the garden for this fall. My roses have experienced both my neglect and the hot, dry weather. I’ve promised them renewed dedication in the form of more water, dead-heading, and fertilizer. I’m most excited at the prospect of planting late summer-early fall vegetables. In an attempt to eat more healthily, I’ve explored new ways to eat vegetables I disliked as a child. Dark, leafy greens I now blanch and stir-fry with olive oil and garlic and top with parmesan cheese. I’m going to purchase Savoy cabbage plants, broccoli, bright yellow and orange kale plants at a local garden center. I plan to plant these after August 15. I will also consider planting new container gardens on my deck since a couple of mine dried up in the relentless hot summer. These I’ll just plan this month and plant in the fall, probably in time for the September column. Several older gardener friends have told me that they plan to plant collard and turnips this year late in August in order to harvest both the greens and the turnips well into winter.

One gardener told me his summer garden was not enjoyable but harvesting vegetables in the cool fall air reminded him of spring. As an avid spring fan I hope to revel in this experience instead of my usual mild case of the blues I suffer in the fall. I’m also excited over a renewed passion I’ve developed this summer when I was avoiding the heat–oil painting. This interest grew as a direct result of my interest in gardening and identifying plants. I would often sketch new plants I’ve grown as a recording method in my garden journal. I think gardeners would make excellent painters as they are so attuned to the structure and colors of stems, leaves, flowers and fruit. Botanical prints have long been regular elements in the homes of gardeners, as they attempt to express themselves with a subject matter dear to their hearts and minds. A trip to the garden or farmers’ market is an excellent way of procuring subject matter for a still life of fruits and vegetables. For those of you that might be interested in trying your hand at this garden-related activity, art societies are great sources of learning and social interaction. We are fortunate to have active ones in both Gaston and Cleveland. I belong to one in Kings Mountain and plan to spend time at the art center at the Depot when the days are too dark and cold for gardening.

I urge you to enjoy and enrich your life by planting or painting a late summer-early fall garden. Gardening books are great sources for both endeavors. Revel in the harvest of late summer and get ready to prolong the joy of gardening into the fall.

In the Garden with Cindy-Fresh Vegetables and Herbs

w.burkett — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:14:56 +0000

Near my home in Kings Mountain there’s a vegetable garden that reflects days gone by. In July, you can see the full spectrum of the southern food garden–tomatoes tied carefully to posts, cabbage plants sprinkled with “Sevin dust” to prevent worms, squash, green beans, blooming okra, cucumbers, peppers, cantaloupes and watermelons with small fruit growing slowly, and corn, standing proud and tall. The elderly couple who plants this masterpiece is often seen in the garden, either hoeing or using a small garden tiller. There are simply no weeds, no grass in the furrows between the rows of plants. Twine is stretched across the garden with foil pie pans tied every few inches to scare away the robbing crows.

Both gardeners are bent by age and labor but the enthusiasm with which they plant, tend, and harvest their garden brightens their eyes and attitudes. I’ve gone by their garden several days each week and every time I’m more mesmerized by the product of years of experience and pure hard work. This couple’s work ethic inspires me and helps me leave the sanctuary of my air-conditioned house and go outside to sweat and tend my garden. July is not my favorite month to garden, especially with the dry, hot days we’re experiencing this year. I’m wishing I could invest in an irrigation system to make my watering of the containers and gardens easier. For now, I’ll continue to grumble and use garden hoses.

Yes, watering is a challenge in my container gardens. My herbs in pots wilt down every other afternoon, especially the basil. However, the benefits I gain from my herbs far outweigh the effort I extend. Fresh vegetables flavored with herbs are a strong incentive and since I’m (like everyone else) attempting to eat more healthily, herbs often take the place of fats and salt. Instead of battering and frying squash and zucchini, I chop them up in sticks and rounds, along with sweet onions, peppers, minced garlic, and tomatoes and stir-fry them with small amounts of basil and olive oil. I then sprinkle the dish with parmesan cheese. Another one of my favorite summer dishes, is to chop up cucumbers and sweet onions and make a thin dressing of fat-free unsweetened yogurt and vinegar, favored with a little dill. My friends enjoy the new Yukon gold or fresh red potatoes cooked in a sauce of parsley or dill with a small amount of butter and fat free sour cream and garlic.

Not all of us have the time, resources, and health to make a large garden but I hope you participate in the joy of gardening even in a small container garden on a porch or deck. If this a too much for you, go to the farmer’s market and purchase some fresh vegetables and herbs. As the saying goes, “hey, you gotta eat!” so why not eat well and do something good for your body and soul.

In the Garden with Cindy

w.burkett — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:43:42 +0000

In the Garden with Cindy

June is my birthday month and one of my favorite times of the year. There is so much life in the garden filled with color, texture, odor and taste that is difficult for this writer to choose a single topic. Because of this dilemma of unlimited subject potential and the limits of time and print space I’ve decided to do a column of answers to frequent questions I am often asked this time of year.

The first set of questions deals with the darling of the southern vegetable garden–tomatoes. The eating of the first tomato is an event–a zealously and jealously guarded secret feast usually reserved for the gardener himself or herself. Classic tomato sandwiches are made with Merita home style bread, spread liberally on both pieces of bread with Duke’s mayonnaise, salted and peppered with two thinly sliced pieces of ripe tomato. The sandwich is gently smashed together and eaten quickly over the sink to catch the tomato drippings. Many questions must be answered before this climatic experience.

First, how do I plant a tomato? I plant tomatoes in both containers and in garden soil amended with compost and lime and with an application of Blossom-end rot preventative (sold in hardware stores in a bright yellow and red bag). If the transplant is tall, plant it horizontally, with all but the top 6 inches of leaves stripped down to the root and the top of the plant exposed to the air with the leaves. The reason for this is that roots will form along the horizontal length of the stem. Immediately, hammer a stake behind the plant, avoiding the long stem beneath the soil. As the tomato grows, take a nice soft hemp twine and tie the tomato loosely to the stake making a figure-eight knot at each six inches of stem. For my container gardens, I use good potting soil with a sparring amount of Blossom-end rot preventative and place the pots on my deck or at the base of the deck posts and use the posts to stake the tomatoes.

Next question: What in Hades is that fat green worm eating my tomato plants and why is it covered with ugly white larvae? That is a hornworm eating the tomato foliage and they will also eat peppers and eggplants. The yucky larvae are from a wasp that lays its eggs in the caterpillar and when the eggs hatch the caterpillar feast on the yummy green stuff inside the caterpillar as larvae. Pick these caterpillars off as soon as you notice them, I’m really grossed-out by the larvae so I use tweezers with long handles.

The next question is also dealing with garden pests: What has sucked the life from my squash plants, making their leaves wilt, and is there a cure? Oh no, this could be the evil vine borers! These are wrinkled, fat, white caterpillars with dark heads, about one inch long. Vine borers tunnel their way into squash plant stems and remain there, feeding as they move along. Signs of infestation include small entry holes near the base of the vine, greenish sawdust-like bug poop on the ground, and sudden wilting of the vine. It’s necessary to find the creature and destroy it by using a knife to slit the vine at the base and approach the wilted leaf in strokes. Don’t compost the affected stem and leaf–there could be more borers. A common deterrent is to sprinkle black pepper on the soil near the base of the plant, repelling the egg-laying moths.

The next question: How do I dead-head my petunias without removing buds of future blooms? This is a common question because the spent blossoms and petunia buds look very much alike. However, the spent blossoms are floppy like a popped balloon, while the buds are tight and turgid. Also the spent blossoms have a hard ball at the base that will eventually become seeds and stop the continued flowering of the plant, so pinch off the spent blossom below the ball of seeds.

I could go on for hours answering questions but as I explained, there are space limitations. If you have a question concerning gardening, please contact the Master Gardener line at the Extension service in Dallas (704-922-2124 or 704-922-0301). Have a wonderful June and get out there and plant, tend, and harvest your vegetables, herbs, and flowers!

Springtime in the Garden

w.burkett — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:18:20 +0000

In the Garden with Cindy

The smell and taste of onion and garlic chives in my cream cheese turn my whole wheat bagel into a treat. For lunch I’ll have a salad of fresh butter crunch lettuce, spring onions, sliced radishes, boiled eggs, feta cheese and crisp bacon.

I pick a new branch of lavender and complete a bouquet—the smells and sight of these lovely blooms and tender green leaves transport me to times in the past and recent experiences in the garden. My vegetables, the summer squash, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, all suffer from shock since being transplanted but I have faith that they will recover, especially with a healthy dose of liquid plant food and water. Some mornings, very early, I go to my garden and pull or hoe out weeds until the sweat and sun drive me into the shade garden. There I divide and replant hostas and daylilies until I’m exhausted. Gardens, like children, grow best when well-tended, so I am pushing myself to put down landscape fabric and mulch to subdue those wretched weeds and grasses and to conserve moisture.

True, there is much to be done in May, but all the rewards in taste, sight, and smell are a strong incentive. I love making my container gardens on my deck. This year I’ve already planted broccoli in two long narrow planters. I’ve also planted several pots of basil, lemon thyme, parsley, and sage in containers to supplement my small herb garden to the side of the deck which contains more parsley, chives, oregano, dill and rosemary. I plan to put two pots of small salad tomatoes on the sunny side of the deck. As for flowers, I’ve already planted two planters of purple and pink “Wave” petunias and attached them to the top railing of the deck. I plan to have the usual pots of plants dripping with plants, cascading down the deck steps. In these I will plant sweet potato vines in bright colors and sun coleuses with yellow, burgundy, purple and reddish orange colors to contrast with the lovely hues of “Million Bells” petunias.

Yes, to be alive in the springtime is to be dazzled by the diverse colors and forms of plants. Garden friends of mine have described this feeling of being driven to plant and weed as “Plant Fever” and I am a victim of this disease. I am truly humbled by all I see and this reminds me of the following song I learned as a small child in bible school:

Oh, who can make a flower? I’m sure I can’t, can you? Oh, who can make a flower? No one but God, ’tis true.

Please take time to plant even a small container of flowers this spring. Better yet, help a small child plant some flowers—the time you spend will be rewarded in planting the “gardening seed” in that child. That is our highest goal, our greatest contribution, to pave the way for another generation of gardeners. If we can do that we’ve given the Earth a brighter future.

In The Garden with Cindy

w.burkett — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:17:43 +0000

In the Garden with Cindy

As a Master Gardener, I have many opportunities to help many organizations and individuals. Very often these experiences result in a greater gift to me than the effort I’ve given to the particular group. Such has been the experience with my work with Holy Angels’ horticultural therapy program. After all, spending time in a greenhouse in February cannot be compared the cold weather we’ve suffered through this winter.

The horticulture therapy program at Holy Angels was started with the building of a greenhouse on September 30, 2000. Original funding of this project included Auto Carolinas Chapter, Gaston Christian School, Knights of Columbus, Pilot, Harley Owners of Gaston County, and Power of the Past Tractor Club. In fact the Power of the Past Tractor has sold tickets each year for the chance to win a refurbished antique tractor and this year appeared at the Southern Spring Show with the “Angel Tractor” to provide funds to the Holy Angels program.

If you haven’t been in this area for long, you may not know that Holy Angels provides care and enrichment for individuals with mental and physical disabilities. These individuals are often medically fragile and require constant attention from highly qualified care takers. Horticulture therapy provides the residents with a different venue and sensory experiences only to be gotten through interaction with plants. Residents participant according to the level of activity each can experience. Sometimes the residents participate through a “hand over hand” method, having the care takers place their hands over the resident’s to fill pots with soil and add plants to each. Other sensory experience may include smelling herbs as they are transplanted or to touch and hear the bubbling water of the fish pond in the greenhouse.

Gaye Dimmick is the person supervising the horticultural therapy at Holy Angels. She explained that residents are a part of the whole process of the gardens from the transplanting of seedlings to the planting of the plants in the square foot garden system to harvesting the plants, and on to the serving of the vegetables at the Cherub Restaurant on main street in Belmont. Extra produce goes to other group homes in the area so there is no waste.

The square foot garden is in its third season of operation and have just this year installed the “Green Waves” water management system. This is a timed system whose purpose is to use water efficiently through a series of emissions.

In talking with Sister Nancy, Public Relations Director, and Gaye Dimmick I become aware that the connection between the residents of Holy Angels and plants is greater than just the mere exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen gases. As all gardeners, these individuals at Holy Angels love the smell of soil and fragrance of herbs and vegetables.
Each person places that small plant into the “good earth” and waits for the harvest in the form of a ripe red tomato to be picked and eaten with joy.

Holy Angels is holding their plant sale, open to the public on May 6 and 7, 2010. Proceeds from this sale go back into the horticultural therapy program. The Master Gardeners Group in Gaston County and the herbal garden group, Rosemary and Thyme have been busily transplanting hundreds of plants into pots to sell at the this plant sale so I can attest to the vigor and variety of the plants available. The Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale is the week before on Saturday, May 1, 2010 and any left over plants (if any are left!) will be donated to Holy Angels Plant Sale

As usual, arrive early at these plants sales (8:00 am) to get your pick of the varieties available. Purchasing plants at these two sales is a perfect way to begin adding flowers, vegetables, and herbs to your own garden at a reduced price and support these worthy causes which provide such a positive impact on our community. Please go buy some plants at both of these plant sales and feel the sunshine of spring both on your face and your heart.

The Busy Gardener…

w.burkett — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:34:22 +0000

In the Garden with Cindy

March is finally here and with the truly wretched winter we’ve had all gardeners I know are feeling a surge of hope and anticipation. I’m fortunate to have access to an active greenhouse so I’ve been soaking up the warmth generated by the sun and the heating system. I’ve also planted hundreds of seed in tiny flats to begin germination. I’ve separated the resulting seedlings with surgical gloves on my hands in an attempt to avoid crushing them with clumsy gardening gloves. At this time of year even experienced gardener’s hearts are filled with wonder over the potential of a tiny seed. Just to ponder over the tiny roma tomato plants barely two inches tall producing luscious fruit to bring pasta to life is to marvel over the promise and reward for hard work.

I’m also busy in my own rose garden pruning back dead and damaged canes from my collection of English and old roses. I’m careful to remember which roses bloom on old wood as to prevent the Dreaded Spring of No Roses I’ve experienced in the past. I’ve planned and planted romantic sounding annuals like “love in the mist” and “love lies bleeding” for my rose garden. I’m also going to plant some “zebrina” named for their multitude of purple striped flowers on heavy sprays of stalks. However, I don’t want a “prissy” little rose garden, I also plan to have zinnias in the bright colors of purple, scarlet, pink, and even a gorgeous shade of green, named “envy”. My irises have once again multiplied along with the tiny beginning blades of leaves from my day lilies. Every day I check my gardens to see what miracles are presenting themselves despite the sometimes cruel winds of March.

Right now my daffodils are blooming intense yellow amid the hundreds of grape hyacinths that were planted by the gardener who had my bungalow before me. I often think of her in the spring as I discover the sedums she planted that have endured beyond the confines of her own human life. I take these plants as gifts from her and I can’t help but to find a metaphor for my own life. I’m currently helping the Art Center in my hometown design a garden of native plants. Since the building once was a train depot, we thought we would take a cue from the plants that were already thriving on the sides of the rail road tracks and plant some of these in our native plant garden. Though this seems to be an arduous task to change out the tired old shrubs that were planted long ago for native plants, I think of this as a legacy for the future, it’s very reassuring to know I have left a garden for the next generation to enjoy. It’s a way of giving back the gifts of plants that have been left for me to enjoy. Do yourself a favor and volunteer to help with a public garden such as Daniel Stowe or any of the offerings in communities and churches. Plants are truly the gifts that keep on giving.

In The Garden With Cindy…

w.burkett — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:08:33 +0000

It’s February and once again many small miracles are happening just under the surface of the soil. Daffodils are already pushing through the dirt and beginning to show off their buds. Winter hardy succulents are emerging as tiny miniatures of their former selves, ready to spring forth with new growth. My birdbaths that I planted in the fall with succulents are emerging with the promise of a new year. My hellebores or Lenten Roses are right on schedule, plump buds seeking the sun with shinny green leaves along side.

Every year I plan a new project for my little gardens and this year I hope to develop a better butterfly garden and decided that February would be a good time to remind all my fellow gardeners of the pleasure that butterflies give to a garden. Butterflies are like living ornaments or jewels that flutter down to sip nectar from the flowers.

First I’ve researched some fun butterflies facts. If you want to impress your friends, start referring to butterflies as “leps”, short for lepidoptera, the Greek word coined by Aristotle meaning scaled wings. Surprisingly, Alaska has 78 species of leps compared to 17 species living in Hawaii. Reason being is that leps follow their favorite plants along coastlines, mountain ranges and river valleys while leps have a “hit or miss” journey over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. A butterfly’s feet contain taste buds so when they touch nectar plants, the proboscis uncoils its two long tubes to sip nectar. The lep enthusiast handles a butterfly by grasping it by the wings just above the body and as close as possible to its shoulders. Make sure your hands are dry to avoid loss of scales. If the lep struggles too hard, turn it upside down to induce a calming effect. .

In my butterfly garden, I will have to choose both nectar plants for the mature flyers and host plants for egg laying and for feeding the caterpillars. In choosing flowers, colors matter. Yellow and purple are best, followed by white, then blue, then red. The following are some great plants for nectar feeders: Joe-Pye weed, butterfly bush, fire bush, heliotrope, lantana, pentas, asters, purple coneflowers, and cosmos. Host plants include the following: carrot, dill fennel, parsley, passionflowers, milkweed, and pipevine, I compared websites and several books to compile these lists as those deemed best for the southeast. Another bit of information all sources agreed was the need to have something blooming through out the year to keep your winged beauties in your garden space up until the time for laying of eggs.

I urge each interested gardener to plan his or her on graph paper to help allow for space for each of the plant selections. Buy seeds for annuals early and plant inside to get a jump start and buy perennial plants to have flowering plants the first year. To create a watering area, purchase a shallow saucer and fill it with stones or gravel—fill the dish with a small amount of water. The butterflies will rest on the stones and sip water from the spaces between.

I hope each of you enjoy planning your butterfly gardens as much as I have. The afternoons I drew out my garden was a pleasant way to divert my attention from the cold and bleak days of February.

In The Garden With Cindy…

w.burkett — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:22:14 +0000

It’s January and we are soon to experience longer days and shorter nights. Mother Nature has been generous with precipitation so my hellebores or Lenten and Christmas roses are in good form and the fleshy buds are beginning to swell in preparation to bloom. Instead of specific resolutions, this year I plan to garden more mindfully—to plan more and enjoy gardening in the current moment. Most good gardens owe their beauty and efficiency to proper planning. I love the process of planting so much that often my planning is more of a fleeting thought as I plop a new plant into its new home. Such impulsive planting leads to regrets and replanting. Much time, aggravation, and physical work is incurred when a minute or two of planning could have resulted in the completion of a satisfying task.

I believe good gardening practices begin not in the soil but in the mind of the gardener. The next stage is to put the plan to paper—it’s much easier to draw out the garden plan on graphing paper and evaluate the options than to be in effect a mindless gopher digging holes with abandon. Sure, such planning requires patience, commitment, and effort but planning needs to be considered as important to the act of gardening as planting the seeds and setting the plants.

Gardening is nothing if it’s not considered a process—the plans made in the cold winter with good gardening books and those beautifully printed mail order catalogs can be as fun and rewarding as actually working in the soil. I really enjoy shopping online for specific plants and doing a little “window shopping” without the guilt of knowing trees were sacrificed to bring me a printed page. I have learned that it is important to read the descriptions for matching colors than to rely on the highly variable “screen colors”. Winter is also a great time to view instructive videos made possible by our state’s extension service and presented online. I find that the videos on pruning have been invaluable and a pleasure to view. Just search under a request such as “how to plant a fruit tree” or “how to prune roses” and the extension services of many states can be accessed. Just be careful to evaluate the information as it relates to the southeast region. Some to the measures necessary to protect plants in Maine are not necessary for our warmer climate.

Winter is also a great time to make some purchases of new garden books. The prices are great at this time of year and time spent on gardening in summer months can be spent reading in a comfortable chair and in front of a warm fire (or gas logs). Reading about gardening can revive the passion of gardening as we could possibly discover a new collection of plants. I fell in love with succulents after reading Gwen Moore Kelaidis’s book titled Hardy Succulents, and am currently reading Taylor’s Guide to Ornamental Grasses edited by Roger Holmes.

I hope all of you, gardeners and non-gardeners alike have a productive and positive New Year. Remember that a little gardening with your mind will save you over working your back and hands.

In the Garden

w.burkett — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:01:17 +0000

December is holiday time for many of us despite our differences in religion and culture. If you are a gardener or are buying gifts for gardeners; your gift could mean more than just an obligation; it could be a challenge to recycle, beautify your neighborhood, give someone hope or delight the senses.

The obvious choice for giving to gardeners is finding the perfect tool. Such a tool that becomes an extension of the hand is more personal. Rose gardeners will love to receive leather gloves that extend to the elbow protect hands and arms. Atlas makes a wonderful small gift for any gardener since they come in various sizes. Consider tools that are ergonomic—that is designed for the human body, especially the hands.
A quality sharp set of clippers or loppers can make a difficult job manageable and aid painful joints due to arthritis. I love my hand tools with plastic handles—digging is much easier and a lot less painful.

Another favorite of mine is the gift of a plant. Please research to make sure the person you’re giving the plant to is not allergic to it and that the plant is not poisonous to small children and pets. Think small, useful, or the unexpected. My favorite plant gift is bulbs because they renew the soul and provide a gift that lasts a period of time. I give amaryllis bulbs with a nice container and instructions for growing. Try “Apple Blossom “ for a beautiful bloom in the bleak mid-winter. Herbs are a welcome addition to a kitchen-themed gift. Often you can find rosemary plants trimmed into the shape of Christmas trees during the holidays. Combine this gift with a Master Gardener cookbook and you have a great gift for the aspiring chef. Give a fresh wreath for a special friend’s door—a busy mom will thank you for relieving her of the chore of decorating.

One year I received a compost bin and a bag of compost activator. It was the gift that has kept on giving since I just recently filled it full of fallen leaves. I also have a covered compose bucket that encourages me to collect my vegetable scrapes for the compost bin. Either item would make a great gift for a young couple with a new house since it could inspire the two to do their part to make for a cleaner and more beautiful environment.

Perhaps the very best gift a gardener could either give or receive is the gift of knowledge and time. Offer to rake an elderly or disabled person’s yard. Help a new or current homeowner design a theme garden such as a butterfly or hummingbird garden. Purchase a gardening book for that special gardener that will help him or her identify existing plants in the yard. A great resource is Allan M. Armitage’s book, Herbaceous Perennial Plants. Not only does this book offer a vast amount of information, it has great photographs.

I certainly hope all you gardeners and non-gardeners have a happy holiday season full of fellowship and hope for the upcoming year. May dreams of unusual plants, tools, and books “dance in your heads” the way sugar plums dance in the heads of children. Use the patience and inner reflection winter brings to make the world a kinder, more peaceful place.