A blueberry at a client’s house in HMB.

Beyond their amazing fruit, blueberry’s make wonderful landscape plants, potted or in the ground. This one shown has been in a large pot the whole year, and is very content. Watering and fertilizing are minimal and the exposure is part shade until 1, then sun the rest of the day. Blueberry’s thrive tolerate living under pine and euc trees, as the acidity is a natural fertilizer for them. Planted as a small hedge they make for gorgeous border plantings, far surpassing boxwood or viburnum tinus.

I got a prompt response from the kind people at Peet’s:

Hi Jenn,

800.999.2132 T
866.360.4908 F
webmail@peets.com

So I guess that means no trees are harmed in the making of this tea.

While gardening yesterday, I noticed the temperature seemed to change drastically within 30 min. It went from being fine and comfortable walking through Linda’s garden, clipping back miscanthus grass and the rouge mint – to me being absolutely cold, and realizing it really was Winter. Here are some of my cold little babies on the deck…

Frosty Pansies

More Cold Rudbeckia

The turkey has been ravaged. The pumpkins are moldy on your door step. And the garden looks like the other word for manure – it’s December!

Instead of a cut tree, consider a living Christmas tree this year.

Pros -

1. They are environmentally friendly.

2. They will not kill you in a fire.

3. They can be less expensive and can be used in your garden after the holidayz.

Cons -

1. You will need to enlist strong blokes to move the tree inside, as most are very heavy.

2. They usually do not have the same fragrance as cut trees – since most trees are heavily scented once they have been killed pruned.

I love these!!! How great… handmade from Fig & Fern via etsy.com

(more…)

We did some propagation this morning… a big word that means break off a plant and stick it in the dirt. Here’s how:

Grab some free plastic gallon pots from your local nursery… you really don’t have to ask, just find the nearest dumpster and dive! Then get the best soil you can find. This is a picture of a mix of 50% compost and 50% topsoil and nitro-infused redwood shavings.

Find an over grown plant… like my sedum here. You can easily pull succulents apart in small clumps and replant them into your pots. Don’t worry about being too fussy and careful, they will reproduce quickly with a fresh pot of soil and light but consistent water.

Taaaa daaaa! All done!

With an average amount of sun, these succulents will root about 40% of the pot within two months. No fertilizing. No drip irrigation. We just leave them alone and let them do their thang!