The designs were done in giant corregated steel containers of the type they might load on ships, stacked side-by-side and on top of one another. Around the containers were cement blocks used as planters.

In one of the containers sitting precariously overhead the plants appeared to be floating weightlessly.

In another, a delivery of white flowers seems to have been knocked around badly during shipping.

There is nothing like the Philly Flower Show to make you think you don't have a creative bone in your body....

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Flower Shows
        

Tiny vases were suspended on transparent guide wires and the flowers and the water in each vase, of different colors, depicted the Earth from the top of the mountains (white flowers: snow) sloping down to the ocean (bright blue flowers.)

The message seemed to be that the majesty of the Earth, from mountain tops to ocean shores, contrasts sharply with its fragility, represented by the tiny vases, the guide wires and the small flowers.

I might be making this up, but that is what the display said to me.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Flower Shows
        

I was there for what I would describe as the "soft opening" of the Philadelphia International Flower Show Saturday.

It was supposed to be a "media day," but there was a substantial crowd and, with the shrinking of the newspaper industry, I am pretty sure they were not all reporters.

The bad news is, we only had three hours at the show and you need more time than that to see everything. The good news is, the Marketplace was in full swing and shopping happened!!!!

I have some thoughts about the show, and I will share those in upcoming posts. But if you'd like to see my pictures (OK, I'm no pro), you can go to my Flickr account.

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Flower Shows
        

Garden art has made its way indoors!

The American Craft Council added a new category for its show this weekend at Baltimore's Convention Center: garden art.

Among the offerings are hand-woven outdoor rugs, metal sculpture, furniture, stoneware and fabric art inspired by nature.

"We're always looking out for designated categories of work that might peak the interest of our attendees," said spokeswoman Bernadette Boyle. "Many people only think of craft as something to adorn their bodies or the inside of their homes."

If you go, check out the work of Woodbine's Ed Kidera, who uses recycled oxygen cylinders and fire extinquishers to make his wonderful garden balles.

The other artists to look for are Joyce Barker-Schwartz, Sara Drower, Fumihiko Mochizuki, David Sleightholm and Virginia McKinney.

The show runs Friday 10-9, Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 10-6. Tickets are $15 for one day, $25 for two days and $30 for three days, but are discounted to $6 after 6 p.m. Friday. 

Posted by Susan Reimer at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden art
        

Here's a look at the garden happenings this weekend.

Me? I will be at the Philadelphia Flower Show Saturday for the media preview (try not to be bitter) and at the Pennsylvania Garden Expo in Harrisburg Sunday. I will be posting about both here on Garden Variety, and putting up pictures, too

Valley View Farms, Cockeysville

Growing Fruits and Berries, Saturday, 9:00 a.m.: Add fruits and berries to your kitchen garden. Terry Freed of Eastern Shore Nurseries shares his expertise about growing blueberries, apples, pears, peaches, blackberries and more.

Q & A with a Certified Tree Expert, Saturday, 11 a.m. Brian Rhoten of Bartlett Tree Experts returns this year to field frequently asked questions about trees in your landscape.

Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville.

How to Make  a Hypertufa Planter ($45)  Saturday, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Build fascinating, stone-like containers that look hundreds of years old in a style reminiscent of a Victorian garden.  They’re lightweight and provide great drainage.

Spring-Blooming Trees and Shrubs  ($5) Sunday, at noon.  Lisa Winters will show you the prettiest spring blooming trees and shrubs and reveal the best way to incorporate them into your landscape.

Opening and Maintaining your Pond ($5). Sunday at 2 p.m.  Watergardening specialist David Kemon will answer all of your questions to help you to get your pond ready for spring.

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Doug Kapustin

Cylburn Arboretum, Greenspring Ave., Baltimore:

Pruning Workshop Series: shrubs and small tree renovation. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. Contact nancy.hill@cylburnassociation.org

Other events:

Basic Fruit Tree Care. Baltimore Montessori. 1600 Guilford Ave.  Come to see this new school orchard and learn some techniques to grow fruit trees in your own garden!  Free for Community Greening members and $5 for non-members.  For more info and to RSVP (strongly suggested) contact: community.greening@parksandpeople.org or 410.448.5663 x128.

Is There Hope For The Bay? Brunch and Panel Discussion. Baltimore Museum of Industry. 1415 Key Highway. EPA leader, authors of two Chesapeake Bay watershed books, principal of Restore Capital and others share their experiences on the state and federal levels while uncovering ways citizens may help revitalize local waterways.  More info: bgw@baltimoregreenworks.com, 410-952-0334.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden events
        

Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville is planning a bus trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show on Tuesday, March 2.

The bus leaves from Homestead at 9 a.m., costs $65, includes an admission ticket and a light snack.

Passengers will have from 12:30 to 6 p.m. at the show.

Register at Customer Service or by calling 410.798.5000.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Flower Shows
        

Thanks to my friend, photographer Danielle Bradley, for sharing this with me.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden inspirations
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Kenneth K. Lam

The snow is melting, slowly, around my house in Annapolis and the damage to my foundation plantings is beginning to reveal itself.

And it isn't pretty.

The fothergilla gardenii across the front of my house has been crushed and broken. If the snow hadn't been 40 inches deep, I might have been able to get to them with a broom and brush most of it off.

But by the time I could make my way across the yard, the snow had turned crusty and icy and I was worried that I'd do more harm than good.

Laura Mathews, a Pennsylvania gardener and photographer and the spirit behind the community garden blog Punk Rock Gardens, has posted pruning advice from arborist Jon Schach, who says some of our shrubs can be revived and some can't. And some make take pruning that we aren't skilled enough to do.

"For other woody plants damaged but salvageable, you may just need to take a breath, get over the loss of aesthetic, and deal with it," he writes.

Read on for more of his advice.

In addition, Cylburn Arboretum on Greenspring Avenue in Baltimore holds free workshops on pruning trees and shrubs. There is one Saturday from 9-2. For more information, e-mail nancy.hill@cylburnassociation.org

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Weather
        

We've been talking about planting vegetable gardens in raised beds here on Garden Variety and I guess I thought you would build them of wood.

Maybe not.

Gardener's Supply catalog has, new this year, raised beds made from strips of galvanized sheet metal.

Since farmers use the material for watering troughs and outbuildings, it makes sense to use it to form the sides of raised beds.

Photo courtesy of Gardener's Supply

The steel beds some in two sizes, 3 feet by 3 feet for $65 and 3 feet by 6 feet for $100.

The beds are 10 inches deep, which is pretty generous, and no tools are required to assemble them.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: From the catalogs
        

Baltimore Sun photographer Algerina Perna traveled to Valley View Farms in Cockeysville to capture the colors of the spring that eludes us.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Wordless Wednesday
        

It looks like the recession has come home to roost in the greenhouse.

The Associated Press is reporting that the nursery and landscape industry is suffering across the country, primarily because of drastically fewer housing and commercial building starts during the lingering recession. After all, you need to plant after you build.

Those industries are also suffering because their products are perceived as luxury items, because of high transportation fuel costs and because business loans are harder to come by, especially for a business as highly marginalized as a greenhouse.

Not all the news is bad, according to the AP. Sales of edibles - vegetables, fruit trees and berries - did not fall nearly as far.

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Kenneth K. Lam 2002

Posted by Susan Reimer at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden news
        

I've been working this week on a package of stories for Friday's LIVE section of the Baltimore Sun on the Philadelphia Flower Show, and that's kept me pretty busy.

(The Show opens Sunday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia and continues through March 7.)

The stories include information on driving, parking and ticket costs and a preview of the show. (It is kind of hard to write about something you haven't seen from a description provided by someone else who hasn't seen it! The show takes only days to stage.)

The Philly Flower Show is the most ambitious indoor garden show in the world and it covers 10 acres inside the  Convention Center. That's a lot of ground to cover, so here are some tips for the Flower Show visitors.

And finally, the Flower Show Web site has all the information you need, and more. You can even purchase your tickets on line. Go to theflowershow.com.

(Note: I didn't get to include these tips in the LIVE package on the show. Only Garden Variety readers will see them!)

• The best time for viewing the show is after 3 p.m. on weekdays. Weekends and mornings can be pretty crowded. More than a quarter-million visitors are expected during the eight days of the show. If you have enough money, you can spring for a private early morning guided tour of the show -- before it opens.
• Wear comfortable shoes and light clothing. There is a coat check service - use it. It is warm, humid and crowded in the show. You won't need a coat inside. And the show covers 10 acres. That's a lot of walking.
• Take paper, pen and camera to record plant names and groupings, landscape ideas and advice from experts. A backpack instead of a purse will leave your hands free.
• Pick up a map of the show floor and a schedule of lectures and demonstrations so you can plan your day. If you go in a group, make plans to meet if you get separated. A good place is PNC Park, which has a message board, seats and should be near bathrooms and water fountains.
• There are lots of options for food and many of them are on the show floor. But my friend Lisette and I drove from Annapolis and ate an early lunch at a wonderful restaurant in nearby Chinatown on year, and that kept us for the day. When Betsy and I went with her husband (miracle of miracles), we found a cheese-steak place first and then went to the show. You can always get your hand stamped for re-entry and take a break to get something to eat. The Reading Terminal Market across the street resembles Baltimore's Lexington Market with lots of choices, but it can be very crowded.
• One of these years, I am going to make reservations and take a break in the Flower Show Tea Room. Beautiful music and, of course, beautiful flowers, petit sandwiches and desserts and nice hot tea! There are two seatings daily, 12:30 - 2:00 pm and 3:45 - 5:15 pm, tickets are $28 each, plus a same-day Flower Show ticket. Go to theflowershow.com to make reservations.
• Make the Marketplace your lost stop so you don't have to carry your purchases around the show. If you plan on doing a lot of shopping, you might want to bring some bags of your own!
• Finally, it is going to take you at least four hours to do the show justice. More if you have the energy. But of course you do! Gardeners have LOTS of stamina.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Flower Shows
        

A walk through the lush tropical room at the Baltimore Conservatory in Druid Hill Park, with its towering bananas, provides a warm remedy for your winter doldrums.

Bananas are commonly referred to as trees but are actually classified as an herbaceous plant of the Musaceae family, a group of treelike tropical herbs that are native to Asia.

Large green leaves grow in a spiral stalk giving the impression of a “woody” tree that forms a long stem containing both male and female flowers.

The male flowers grow into a large purple bract while the female clusters grow into fruit with tiers known as hands. Individual bananas are called fingers. There can be up to 20 hands on a single bunch weighing up to nearly 50 pounds. 

 The word banana comes from the Arabic banan, which means "finger." On the tree fruit can take up to 150 days to ripen.

Photo credit: Michael Lemmon

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Flowers
        

Dear Garden Variety Readers,

I am not dead, ill or being rude.

If you find that your comments are not posted in a timely fashion this weekend, do not be discouraged.

My laptop has been removed from my steely grip to be repaired, and I might be a week without it.

And I thought cell phone withdrawal would be tough! 

For a blogger, who might be inspired to write a post early in the morning, late at night or in between, a laptop computer is essential.

But, in gardening terms, laptops are not particularlyl hardy in any zone, and mine needs the attention of an expert.

So does my garden, but that's another story.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden blogs
        

Square-foot gardening, the inspiration of Mel Bartholomew, is the way to go for all gardeners, I think, but especially beginners.

The civil engineer-turned-gardener came up with the space-saving idea of dividing a raised bed into square-foot grids and planting in each grid.  There is ease as well as increased productivity in his method.

He has written two books and established a Web site to explain his method, and now Bartholomew has published a square-foot cookbook to go with his square-foot gardening book: "All New Square Foot Gardening Cookbook."

I have three copies of his new cookbook and I'd love to share. I will randomly select from among those posting comments and send out the books. Get typing!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Garden books
        

The snowstorms of the past couple of weeks may mean schedule changes for weekend garden events. As always, it is best to check before you go!

At Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville. Call for 410-798-500 to register

Gene’s Tip: Gardening with Organics ($5)  Saturday, 10 a.m. Gene Sumi talks about the best way to achieve great results in the garden without the use of chemicals.

Practical and Creative Uses for Groundcovers ($5) Saturday, noon.  Shake things up in your yard with groundcovers from Stepables.

Yoga: Back Care for the Avid Gardener ($15). Saturday 2 p.m. Learn practical strengthening and stretching poses to generate a strong, dependable back for gardening chores.  Wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat.

Spring Bulbs ($5) Sunday, noon.  Betsy Winters explains bulb care.

Flower Arranging 101 ($5) Sunday, 2 p.m.  Floral design experts show how to add the finishing touch to your home or event by creating your own fresh floral decor with easy-to-find supplies. 

At Valley View Farms in Cockeysville.

How to Grow Fresh Air! Saturday, 9 a.m., Houseplants are nature’s best air filters for the indoors. Carrie Engel will talk about the many benefits of houseplants and discuss easy tips to keep them healthy and growing.

Easy Terrarium Gardens. Saturday 11 a.m., Plant specialists will help you create a terrarium that requires minimal care. Participants will receive a glass vessel, charcoal, potting soil, moss and plants for each project. Cost: $25.00

At Behnke Nurseries, Beltsville.

Creating a Houseplant Container Garden with Randy Best, Saturday, 1 p.m. Fee $25.

At Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore

Pruning workshop, 9 to 2 p.m., Free workshop about shrubs and small tree renovation. Contact nancy.hill@cylburnassociation.org

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden events
        

Faithful readers of The Baltimore Sun are going to wonder what happened to my gardening column when they open their newspapers this morning.

The bad news is, the garden column went away as part of a redesign of the paper.

The good news is, I am part of that redesign as the columnist for the new Thursday Features section. You can find me in my favorite place: the cover.

I will be writing the kinds of columns I have written for 17 years - about my life as a wife and working mother of (now adult) children. Coincidentally, the column returns on my son's 26th birthday.

Photo: Gary, Susan, Jessie, Joe and Joe's wife, Brooke

I am disappointed there is no spot for the garden column in the new section. I am no expert but I enjoyed writing it and I learned so much from interviewing people who are experts. I am hoping you will find the gardening encouragement you need here at Garden Variety.

Going forward, I will be talking out of both sides of my mouth, as it were. On Mondays in the editorial section of The Sun, I will be talking politics. On Thursdays, I will be talking family.

And I will be here every day on Garden Variety! Join me!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Gardening
        

No. She planted a "grass slipper." Two of them.

Thanks to Sandra Adams-Doyle of Johns Hopkins University, who sent us this photo. She said she couldn't remember what grass looked like, so she planted some in a pair of shoes "that have no business in 30 inches of snow."

They sit now on a desk in her office, where they are no doubt brightening the days of everyone who walks by - who walks buy in snow boots.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Garden humor
        

Do you want to know more about me but were afraid to ask?

Brad, from Container Gardening for You, did an interview with me, and this is the result.

He's also done interviews with Kerry Michaels, who writes about container gardening, Mel Bartholomew, who came up with square-foot-gardening, and Allan Becker, a perennial garden designer and blogger.

And those interviews are waaaayyyy better than mine!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden blogs
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Barbara Haddock Taylor

Photo credits: Baltimore Sun/Jed Kirschbaum

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Jed Kirschbaum

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Wordless Wednesday
        

Gardening is like childbirth.

You forget how much it hurts until it is time to do it again.

Those of us who are still suffering the after effects of snow-shoveling are getting a glimpse into the future.

In a couple of months, we are going to be that sore again after doing the spring clean-up, pruning, planting and mulching.

As if to nip the pain in the bud, Homestead Gardens is offering a yoga workshop this weekend for people with gardening related back issues. (I will have a full list of weekend garden events Thursday.)

What gardeners seems to conveniently forget, along with how much work there is to be done, is that they are also a year older!

Here are some ideas to help you prepare for the endurance test that is spring clean-up.

Hit the gym. If you haven't done anything as physical as gardening can be since September, it makes sense to do some aerobic and weight-training exercises in these weeks before the season begins. Give your arms, shoulders, hips and legs, let alone your back, a chance to wake up slowly. Aerobic activity, like a stationary bike or a stair climber, will increase your stamina.

Quit while you are ahead. Gardeners add another chore and another chore and another chore until they have worn themselves out. Break your spring tasks into bite-sized pieces, write them down, and do a few at a time - not all of them at once.

Drink plenty of water, and then bathe in it. Even if you are not hot and thirsty, you will need plenty of hydration. It keeps the muscles from cramping. After you are done in the garden (but before you have done too much) draw a warm bath and dissolved about a cup of epsom salts in it. Soak for 20 minutes, towel off lightly and then rest in a loose robe for 20 minutes.

Wear a watch. Pace yourself with perhaps an hour in the garden the first couple of times, gradually increasing it, but staying under two hours. (This, from somebody who looks up and sees that it has been five hours!)

Smell the roses. Remember why it is you like to be out in the garden. Sit down on the deck or the porch steps and take in its beauty. Keep a notebook handy to list chores and ideas. Promise yourself you won't go back to work until you have polished off that bottle of water.

Hire a kid. You don't have to do everything yourself for it to be your garden. Find a willing teen-ager and ask for help bagging debris or carrying bags of mulch around. It will cost you a few bucks, but you may be planting the seeds of a future gardener. And we all benefit from spending time with members of another generation.

And remember, this isn't a race.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Gardening
        

Hellebores have always been the saving grace of the February garden for me.

You have to love a flower with the spunk to bloom in defiance of winter.

 A couple of years ago, I wrote a story on hellebores and their biggest champion, David Culp, after it had been awarded a long overdue Plant of the Year in 2005 by the Perennial Plant Association.

As always happens when I write a garden story for The Baltimore Sun, I spend money on my topic, and I bought hellebores.

Eight, to be exact. And I dotted my garden with them so that no corner would be unrelieved by their dark leaves and delicate cup-like flowers.

Hellebores are native to Asia and eastern Europe. They were documented in literature over a thousand years before the time of Christ.

But modern hybrids bloom in a spectrum of colors, from the traditional white and creamy pale green and yellow, to newer red, violet and blue hues. There is even a near-black hybrid and I bought one of those, too.

But my hellebores are buried under about four feet of Mid-Atlantic snow and ice right now, and I worry that they may be crushed by the weight of it all.

They call the hellebore the "Lenten Rose," because that is the time of year in which it blooms. But they keep blooming until June in my garden, so there is some hope that I might see them.

 The hellebore has one more charmingly resilient quality. The flowers face the ground and so you have to lift them up to see their faces. Why?

So the blooms are not broken by falling snow.

"The hellebore is queen of the winter garden," said Culp. "And theperfect cure for cabin fever."

Photo credit: file art

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Flowers
        

Photo of Dendrobium Lindleyi courtesy of the U.S. Botanic Garden and Conservatory

There is a way to escape this Mid-Altantic winter and travel into exotica without purchasing a plane ticket.

The U.S. Botanic Garden, located at a subway stop in Washington, D.C., has some of its 5,000 orchid specimens on display from now until April 11.

There is more than just precious flowers in this show.

The Botanic Garden, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution Horticultural Services Division, has created a "Cultural Odyssey" to help us understand the role orchids have played in the arts, literature, exploration, jewelry and commerce.

The show features a creature and a living wall, both made entirely of orchids.

The U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends and holidays. There is no charge.  You can take the Metrorail Blue or Orange line to the Federal Center SW or Capital South stations,

Need more to inspire you to visit these amazing flowers?

• *With approximately 25,000 species, orchids are one of the largest plant families in the world.
• *You can find orchids almost everywhere. Although they’re most prominent in tropical regions, they’re even found above the Arctic Circle in Greenland.
• *Orchid seeds are extremely tiny; a single seed capsule may contain 1,500 to 3,000 seeds.
• *Unlike most seeds, orchid seeds are too small to store their own food. In nature, the food is provided by a fungus, which must be present for the seeds to develop.
• *Many people believe that orchids are parasites, but that is a misconception. Orchids fall into three groups, those that grow in soil, those that grow in rocks and those that grow on other plants, or epiphytes. These plants need to grow above the ground to get enough sunlight, moisture and nutrients.
• New orchids are shown every week, as others go out of bloom. If you come every week, you’ll never see the same show twice.
• *Also on display, a timeline of orchid stamps and their history, orchid ties, glass, flatware, art, collectibles and awards.

  Photo of Anguloa Virginalis courtesy of the U.S. Botanic Garden and Conservatory

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

A Rutgers study once reported that 100 percent of women presented with flowers broke into a smile, while only 77 percent of women presented with a pillar candle did so.

Kathy Purdy, who blogs at Cold Climate Gardening, recounts this study and says she understands why. Flowers make her so "disproportionately happy" that she would gladly spend grocery money on them.

But she also refers to the work of garden author Amy Stewart, who wrote "Flower Confidential," an examination of the cut flower industry and, as part of it, the exploitation of people all over the world so that Americans can have their pesticide-laden, fragrance free flowers.

It appears those roses costs more than we know.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Floral arrangements
        

Photo credit: Associated Press

If you received a bouquet of red roses for Valentine's Day, your sweetheart may be a little short on imagination.

Something like 187 million roses were sold on Valentine's Day 2009, and if it sales were any less this year, it is certainly because of the snow.

And, according to some estimates, red roses account for almost half of all Valentine's Day flower purchases.

If you'd like that bouquet to last a while, here are some tips from the floral industry.

If the flowers arrived in a box or a celophane bouquet, re-cut the tips of the stems before you put them in water. Also, remove any leaves that might be covered by water to reduce bacterial growth.

Use the floral preservative that undoubtedly came with the flowers. But change the water every two or three days. The chlorine in the fresh water will kill off the bacteria, too. Consider recutting the stems to allow for more water update.

If your flowers wilt severely, there are a couple of ways to try to bring them back.

Wrap each stem in newspaper and put it back in fresh water. The newspaper will help the flower stand up straight while it absorbs more water.

Or, immerse the entire flower in a water for 30 minutes, allowing it to lie flat.

Keep your bouquet in a cool spot, but out of a cold draft and out of direct sunlight.

Then politely mention to your sweetheart that gems last longer than roses!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Floral arrangements
        

Neomarica Gracilis

Neomarica Gracilis or Walking Iris is a tropical perennial with a white and lavender bloom that can grow up to 3 feet tall. And it is blooming right now at Baltimore's Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park.

Named because it will bend over and root where it touches the ground, it gives the impression of literally "walking" in your garden.

Also commonly known as the Apostle plant because of a belief that it will only bloom after it has developed 12 leaves. Flowers usually last for one day and then will close and rest, opening again in a few days.

Native to Brazil it will grow best in Zone 9 or warmer. Easy to maintain, it likes partial shade with regular watering and well-drained soil. It can also do well in containers and hanging baskets.

Notice to pet owners - this beauty is poisonous if ingested.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden photography
        

Happy Valentine's Day to all the gardeners buried in snow!

With the help of my blogging friends, I will try to make this day "rosey" for your.

A big Valentine's Day kiss to Debra Lee Baldwin at Gardening Gone Wild, who managed to find hearts everywhere in the garden.

Rosemary Beck, at Content in a Cottage, found hearts everywhere she looked, too.

And my heart beats for Teresa O'Connor at Seasonal Wisdom, who does such a wonderful job of tracing the folklore of our holidays.

And to my new BBF (best blogging friend) Kerry Michaels, who writes about container gardening, for her beautiful "virtual" bouquet.

Photo courtesy of Flickr/macropoulos

And this rock solid Valentine heart from Layanee DeMerchant at Ledge and Gardens.

There is plenty of Valentine red over at A Caribbean Garden.

Finally, Garden Variety readers, don't lose "heart." Valentine's Day means February is half over and when March comes, we will surely be back in our gardens!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Garden gifts
        

Juniper tree damaged at Cylburn Mansion in Baltimore. Photo by Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun

The people behind the plants at Maryland's public gardens crossed their fingers when the storm predictions grew and grew last week.

It is hard to prepare 200 acres, most of it woodlands, to withstand the snow and the wind that were predicted.

When the sun came out, the horticulturists did, too. And what they found broke their collective hearts.

Hundred-old-boxwoods at Cylburn Arboretum bent and broken under the weight of the storm. Hollies and cypress uprooted or broken in half at the Paca House in Annapolis, London Town in Edgewater. A holly split and an American pine uprooted at London Town Public House and Gardens in Anne Arundel County

And, as you might imagine, there isn't much money in the kitty these days for heavy-duty pruning and replanting that will be necessary

Here is a look at more of the damage.

The 100-year-old boxwoods are bent and buried under the snow. Photo by Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun

The hedges in the Paca Garden are buried. Photo credit: Mollie Ridout/Annapolis Historical Association.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Weather
        

Ann Wallace Riefe sends these photos of snowstorm damage in her backyard in Annapolis.

And yes, that's a stand of bamboo.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Weather
        

My nephew Rudi, who lives on the Virginia side of Washington, sends this picture of a hardwood tree downed in the storm.

Most of what we have been seeing has been evergreen trees whose wide branches can't handle the weight.

Thanks Rudi. And call your mother!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Weather
        

Amy Kriston's 10-foot cedar, after the second round of snow storms.

That same cedar, after the first round.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Weather
        

Mary Felter of Annapolis gives us this view of a leland cypress she is pretty sure she has lost!

"This is the second leland cypress tree we have lost. It was ffected by the Feb. 6-7 storm. I haven't even taken a photo yet of the ones at the end of the row that went down Wednesday, and we lost one in the Dec. storm. Sad - and expensive."

Posted by Susan Reimer at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Weather
        

I feel like I am in "The Lord of the Rings," traveling among the Ents, the humanoid trees who had such old, sad tales to tell.

Here is some of what I have seen.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Weather
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

We should have wrapped.

We should have pruned.

But we didn't do either one, and now we are in trouble.

We've been talking this week about snow damage to trees, shrubs and ornamentals. And the frustration of professionals trying to get to damaged trees before they fall on cars, houses and power lines.

We haven't had snow like this in Maryland since they started keeping records somewhere in the 1800s, so I think we can be forgiven for not planning better.

It seems clear that we all should have staked our delicate conifers and then wrapped them in burlap. We should have done the same for our shrubs and ornamentals. I don't know if my hydrangeas will ever be the same.

When it comes to our hollies, magnolias and giant evergreens, we should have done some judicious pruning to stabilize the strength of the trees and to remove branches that were just hanging out there, inviting trouble.

Yeah, well, we didn't do any of those things. And now the birds are coming home to roost...well, maybe not in any of THOSE trees.

When you go out to assess the damage, take a picture and send it to Garden Variety at susan.reimer@baltsun.com.

We will put them up for all to see, and share in your pain and disappointment. After all, misery loves company.

In the meantime, do what you can with a broom. Brush as much of the snow off as you can.

(That may work for my Nellie Stevens holly, but I can't even see where my shrubs were.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Weather
        

Susan Harris, who blogs for Homestead Gardens, the lawn and garden center in Davidsonville, takes us on a tour of gardens, and garden blogs, from around the world. And she includes a link to help you find garden blogs right here in the old US of A.

Freda Cameron, a garden and travel writer, takes us on a tour of her garden, with its wonderful fences and gates on her blog, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Check out her previous posts to see the gardens she has toured during her travels.

Visit Isabel at Fennel and Fern, a very stylish garden blog from the United Kingdom, and see her collection of snowdrops, which should be emerging just about now across the pond.

And last but not least, join Debra Lee Baldwin for her search for Valentines in the garden.

And stay warm, Garden Variety readers. Buried somewhere under all this snow are seeds and shoots of spring.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden blogs
        

Photo credits: Baltimore Sun/Algerina Perna

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Kenneth Lam

Photo Credit: Baltimore Sun/Kim Hairston

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Wordless Wednesday
        

Trees bend, trees break, and when it snows like it has been in the Mid-Atlantic, they do more of both.

Arborists in Maryland are frustrated by the depth of the snow because it is keeping them out of the neighborhoods and properties where trees are down or breaking.

In the meantime, homeowners are being given this advice.

Using a broom, brush the snow off shrubs and evergreens -- as far up as you can reach. The weight of the snow will do the most damage to these plants, thought they are remarkably resilient.

Don't park your car under a tree that looks like it is in trouble. Even a rotted or dead branch can do a lot of damage when it falls.

If your house is threatened by a tree, call an arborist immediately.

Photo credits: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

My neighbor Betsy had parts of this pine tree come down in her yard (Think snow on the end of a fly-swatter and you get the idea.)

It missed the house, but took out part of the fence. She never like that fence anyway....

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Garden news
        

Photo credit: Michael Lemmon

February is cause to celebrate for the camellias are starting to bloom, adding a spectacular splash of color to the winter palette at the Baltimore Conservatory in Druid Hill Park.

Camellias are evergreen shrubs native to southern and eastern Asia and prized for their flowers of red, pink, and white.

Traditionally representing longevity and faithfulness in Asian culture, it has also become the official state flower of Alabama.

The genus was named after Georg Kamel, a Jesuit missionary and botanist stationed in the Philippines in the 17th century.

 This specimen, a Camellia japonica, can display blooms up to 5 inches in diameter and was donated to the conservatory by the late Zenobia Kendig, a local camellia enthusiast.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden photography
        

A fun trip with husband Gary Mihoces, sportswriter for USA Today, to Super Bowl 44 (free room, cheap flight home Sunday morning) seemed like a good idea at the time.

But 30 inches of snow in Baltimore closed BWI and Garden Variety has no flight home until the middle of the week!

Meanwhile back at home in Annapolis, the child who cooks with the herbs is holding her own...and she sends these pictures.

There is snowbound. And then there is snowbound....

Posted by Susan Reimer at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden photography
        

Tropicals, they say, are all the rage among Mid-Atlantic gardeners.

More and more varieties are making their way across the Mason-Dixon Line with the expectation that they will be able to withstand a Mid-Atlantic winter....Well, maybe not a Mid-Atlantic winter like the one we are having.

Anyway, Garden Variety is in Fort Lauderdale for the weekend (try not to hate me) where she witnessed a REAL deadheading job on some tropicals!

These workers were cutting off the browned fronds from palm trees. And as you can see it isn't an easy job.

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

Ladders are pressed up against the truck of the palm. Workers climb and hack off the fading greenery with machetes. If the tree is too high for ladder-climbing, the workers use these extension rod saw blades.

Carrying off the plant material requires a strong back.

But there is a reward waiting at the truck, where the fronds are chopped down, again with machetes, and coconuts are hacked open for a drink!

Truly. Tropical gardening is not for sissies.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden photography
        

The weather outside is frightful.

In the Mid-Atlantic, that is.

Garden Variety is in Florida for a couple of days, where this is what passes for a snow drift.

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

Posted by Susan Reimer at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden photography
        

With more than a foot of snow on deck for Maryland this weekend, it is possible these garden events will be cancelled or postponed.

Check with the event sites before you go!

Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville

Gene’s tips: Pruning 101 ($5)
Saturday, 10am
Gene Sumi provides an informative demonstration on when and how to prune. Dress warmly as this workshop is outside.

Orchids for Beginners ($35)
Saturday, 12pm
Orchid expert Dr. Clark Riley shares his insights into raising & nurturing these graceful flowers. Includes a take-home orchid.

Orchids for Fanatics ($35)
Saturday, at 2pm
Feed your orchid addiction with this seminar from Dr. Riley that will educate both collectors & fanatics. Includes a take-home orchid.

Herbs for Healthy Living ($5)
Sunday, at 12pm
Annuals Manager Kerry Kelley shows how organic herbs can be used in cooking & to soothe the soul through aromatherapy.

Winter Birding ($5)
Sunday, at 2pm Andy Brown of the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary in Calvert County shares his extensive birding knowledge.

Valley View Farms, Cockeysville

Bonsai: Soils, Fertilizers and Propagation
February 6, 9:00am Learn about soils, fertilizers, air-layering and other forms of propagation from Martha Meehan in today’s class. She’ll also discuss correcting roots through grafting.

Orchid Care and Repotting
February 6, 11:00am Jan Gannon of Valley View will demonstrate repotting an orchid. Bring your orchid and we will help you repot. There will be a small fee for Orchid Potting Mix.

Irvine Nature Center, Owings Mills

Family Nature Walk

Join one of our naturalists for a walk to see what is happening out on the trails! No fee for members, $2.00 non-members. Saturday, 12:00 to 12:45 p.m. Ages:  4 and older.

Family Movie Night

Join us for a fun evening for the whole family as we watch Disney's "A Bug's Life."  Drinks and popcorn provided! No Fee. Saturday, 6-8 p.m.

Is That Snake Venomous.

Can you tell if a snake is venomous or not?  Many people are confused about how to tell the difference.  Come learn the different clues and how to identify several common snakes in the area.  We will also get the chance to meet some of Irvine's resident non-venomous snakes. Sunday, 1-2 p.m.     

Behnke Nursery, Beltsville

 Saturday, February 6th - 10:00 a.m. - Joel Fry, the curator of Bartram's Garden in Philadelphia, lecturing on Bartram, his times, and the garden. (Note, John Bartram was the foremost colonial American botanist; he introduced hundreds of American plants to Europe).

Following this lecture, Mollie Ridout of the Paca House garden in Annapolis will lecture on that garden. This is a Colonial era garden, which had had a hotel built over it, and when the hotel was torn down the garden was reconstructed from archaeological evidence. The similarity/contrast between the two gardens should be fascinating.

Sponsored by the Four Seasons Garden Club. Fee $5

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Gardening classes
        

In the latest installment of "vegetable gardening for rookies," in The Baltimore Sun, I talk about growing vegetables in containers - the answer for gardeners with not much sun, not much space or too many critters.

In my garden column, Kerry Michaels, who writes about container gardening on About.com, talks about using just about any container -- including reuseable grocery bags -- to grow her vegetables.

Fern Richardson is the voice behind the Life on the Balcony blog and another expert on container gardening.

Here is her advice:

Photo credit: Kerry Michaels

"The great thing about growing vegetables in pots is that you can put them right next to your kitchen or back door, which makes harvesting the vegetables and herbs that you grow super convenient.

Growing a kitchen garden in pots allows you to baby your vegetables. You can give each plant the type of fertilizers it likes, the amount of water it wants, the type of soil, and so on.

The downside to growing vegetables in pots is that in warm weather, they dry out quickly and the soil can get pretty hot, which some vegetables don't like.

In areas that get most of their rain during the prime vegetable growing months, containers can become easily waterlogged and if the showers are particularly intense, the soil can be washed out of the pot all together. Using pebbles as a mulch or putting your pots under the eaves of your home can help prevent that from happening.

One trick that I really like is using water soluble fertilizers, like seaweed extract. It is so easy to mix the fertilizer right in your watering can and feed your plants as you water."

--Fern

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Vegetable gardening
        

Photo credits: Baltimore Sun/Barbara Haddock Taylor

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Wordless Wednesday
        

Groundhogs are no friend to the gardener, and that's certainly true of Punxsutawney Phil, who always manages to see his shadow. Six more weeks of winter is an eternity for the gardener.

German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will come early.

A group of goundhog keeps called The Inner Circle annually announces Phil's forecast at dawn on Gobbler's Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, with lots of pomp, circumstance and media attention.

This year, Phil was supposed to text and Twitter his prediction, but his hands must have been cold because those messages didn't appear until about two hours after he spotted his shadow.

Photo credit: Associated Press

If Phil's predictions are routine, his life isn't, and PETA is complaining.

PETA wants Phil replaced by a robotic groundhog. The group objects to the fact that he is on display at a local library and isn't able to hibernate. Add to that the squealing school children, the flashing cameras and the human handling and PETA is NOT happy.

PETA suggested that Phil isn't any happier, and that's why he keeps predicting six more weeks of winter every year.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden news
        

Garden Variety is lucky to have an extra copy of the new book, Grocery Gardening, to share with readers.

The book, a soup-to-nuts guide to growing, cooking and preserving your own fruits, vegetables and herbs, was produced in a social-networking collaboration among four garden and food bloggers who had never met, with contributions from their "friends" and "followers."

I wrote about the new book in my Gardening from the Couch post on Sunday, and I'd be glad to give away my extra copy of the book to someone randomly selected from the comments on Sunday and today!

Include your email address when you post, so I can reach you for your snail mail address if you are the winner. Don't worry, I won't share with anyone

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Garden books