Welcome to The Yankee Gardener Blog. We will be bringing you gardening news and tips. Feel free to leave us comments and suggestions so we may make the blog a valuable resource for you.

As a child from a family of six children, I learned the importance of working in the garden and the responsibility of taking care of my section in the garden. One of the most important lessons I took away from that learning experience was that if you just put your mind to the chores that are given to you, you will be finished with them before you know it. It gives you a real sense of accomplishment to know you have done your part and helped out the other members of your family.

One day while working in the garden right along with my Dad, I ran into a problem and being a typical kid I immediately said that I could not overcome that problem. It was a very hot day and the sun was directly overhead and shade was a precious commodity. My Dad told me that I could handle the problem if I just gave it some thought. I tried giving the problem some thought but I had already convinced myself that I could not handle it so I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out how I might handle the problem. A short time later my Dad happened to look over and saw that I hadn’t taken care of the problem. He asked me why and again I stated that I could not figure out how to handle it.

It was time to sit down in the shade and have a refreshing cool drink so we went over to the edge of the garden and found a cool spot to sit down and enjoy some lemonade my sister had brought out to us. As we sat there my Dad asked me what I had thought about as far as being able to take care of the problem I was having and I told him I didn’t even know how to go about getting started thinking about the solution to the problem. At this point he said he would like to tell me a little story about my great-grandfather. I was thrilled to hear about him as I had always admired him. Dad proceeded to tell me about great granddad’s experience with gardening that had started back when he was a child and lasted right up until he was in his late 80′s. By the time he was 80 years old he had become semi-invalid but was still determined to work his garden. He absolutely loved the fresh food he got from the labor he put into his garden.

As we all know, weeds are a very pesky problem that any gardener faces. Controlling the weeds is a very important part of having a healthy garden. My great granddad knew this but was faced with the paramount problem of being unable to move about freely in his garden to handle the weed problems. Knowing that weeds just don’t go away because you wish them to, he had to figure out how he could attack the problem and be efficient at getting the weeds under control. As he gave the problem some thought, he figured out that if he took an old wooden kitchen chair out into the garden he could sit in the chair and take his garden hoe to control the weed problem. He then decided that if he lashed two hoe handles together, he could reach out further and not have to move as often. It was just a matter of problem solving and after hearing the story my Dad told me I gave my problem some more thought and was able to come up with a solution.

The old moral stating that where there is a will there is a way is so true. The very next time you run into a problem that you believe there is no way to solve it, try to remember the story here and use it to your advantage. Any problem can be solved if it is given enough thought.

John Rowe The Yankee Gardener

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My wife loves to see things clean, neat, and orderly. I have to say I agree with her. It shows how much you care about what is around you and what others think about you. This brings about a question. Can you do your spring cleanup to early? I would have to say as a life long resident of the extreme northeast that the answer to that question is a definite yes. The weather here is known for rapid changes. One day it can be 65 degrees and the very next day it can be 20 degrees and snowing. We also have some pretty fierce winds in the spring of the year. With all that being said I am hoping you can see where this is leading to.

Let’s say you go out and clean up all the damage from the winter snow, ice and wind storms on that wonderful early 65 degree day. The ground is probably still frozen making it easy to get out on the lawn and do some work. The very next day the temperature drops and the winds pick up and it begins to snow. Within a day or two you look out and it is like you never did any work in the yard at all. It is covered with broken tree branches and debris carelessly thrown from passing cars. You would probably wonder at that point if it was worth the time you spent cleaning up the previous day or so.

So you decide to wait a few weeks until you are sure the weather has finally taken a turn for the better and the strong spring winds have subsided. Now all that remains is for things to dry up so you can get out on the lawn and do the work of cleaning up. At this point the ground has thawed and the lawn is fairly soft. If you can get on the lawn without sinking in, it will be a good time to do some picking up. Clean up the old broken limbs and trash and remove and dead plants from the previous year. Any work like this is perfectly fine to do in the early part of the year. Don’t however be tempted to get out the rake and start raking your lawn of old leaves and dead grass right now. With the lawn being so soft and damp you endanger hurting the grass by putting a rake to it to early. You can actually pull the grass out by its roots and do much damage to your lawn.

Just take some time to survey the situation and try to decide whether you will do more harm than good by attacking your cleanup chores to soon. You have been the one maintaining your property for many years so nobody knows the property better than you do.

John Rowe The Yankee Gardener

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An Australian artist named Mea Souris invented the Down Under Pot. Mea’s formal training is in portrait style sculptures and architectural ceramics. With over 25 years in these fields, she has found that she needs to supply a growing export market with a unique product. She came up with the idea of the Down Under Pot. This plant pot (not to be confused with the upside down planting device seen on TV) is a totally ceramic pot with a heavy wire bail made right into the top of the pot as an aid to hang the pot with. Each pot is fired individually, therefore giving each pot a slightly different look even though they may be the same color. The pots come in many different colors, and also in terra-cotta.

Planting the Down Under Pot is actually very easy. You plant your flower in the opening of the pot and leave the pot as you would a normal pot for about 2 to 3 weeks. At that point the plant should be rooted firmly in your new Down Under Pot. At this point in time, you can then turn the pot over, and you’ll notice that the pot has a very heavy wire hanger made right into the top of the pot. This is what you will use to hang your pot from your desired hanger. You will want to make sure that you have a very sturdy hanger. These pots are not lightweight, they are ceramic and are fairly heavy.

You can also use these pots year-round and keep them in your home. Each pot has a small water well designed right into the rim. If you are going to use your pot inside, you may want to make sure that when you water your pot and plant that you put them over your sink to avoid spilling water on your floor. As soon as you have your plant adjusted to its new home in the pot, you’ll also see that you could take the Coco fiber out of the top and easily make it a double duty planter. By that we mean why not use that space to put something valuable like herbs in which you could then use your fresh herbs in your daily cooking.

The possibilities are endless. You will soon find yourself experimenting and finding fun new things to do with your Down Under Pot. Some of your neighbors and friends will wonder where you found these unique treasures. Thanks to Mea Souris we can all enjoy these unique pots. Please don’t confuse these pots with the upside down plastic bag style planters that you see on TV. Those planters are made for totally different purpose. The Down Under Pot was designed to be a showpiece and has style.

John Rowe The Yankee Gardener

http://www.theyankeegardener.com/

For more info on the Down Under Pots please follow this link http://www.theyankeegardener.com/downunderpots.html

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This is a great time to check out all your garden tools for wear and any problems they might have that can be repaired. There isn’t anything worse than getting excited about going out in the garden to get started and finding out your tools need help. Check the handles for cracks or splinters. Check the edges to make sure they are sharp and there are no nicks taken out of them. Your garden tools are very necessary for the health of your garden. A good tool in good condition can make your job easier in the garden. Go out to the tool shed today and check them out, polish them, and clean any rust off the tool surfaces. Happy Gardening!

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A healthy, bright green lawn is something that most homeowners want, the problem is it may be difficult to achieve. There are various factors, which affect the garden and lawns for many people. Maintaining a beautiful lawn will take some work. The rewards are tremulous such as playing outside and just a remarkable site to see. Having a beautiful lawn can be a huge plus for your home and we are going to show you how. Plants and animals love a healthy lawn and garden. The source of food, which the life cycle needs, will flourish under these conditions. We are going to explain several keys to having a great healthy lawn.

Grass is needed to keep pollutants to a minimum and the ability to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen. This natural process helps to clean the air for us as human beings here on earth. Not only will your garden and lawn look wonderful, you will be contributing positively to the environment. You don’t need a degree in lawn care management; just have an open mind towards the environment as well as nature. You need to have goals set for your actual lawn and stick to them. You do not want to overuse pesticides on your lawn. This in the long run can ruin your garden or lawn.

First, develop a health lawn program and definitely stick to it. Wherever you are locally you should determine which course of action is needed. Your soil is a top priority on your list, the selection of the grass type, kind of blades that you are using on your lawn, and the amount of water you are using on your lawn. Getting healthy soil requires tons of energy and effort. By having good soil, you are laying the foundation of a healthy lawn. Nutrients are needed to ensure healthy growth and development. Do some research on your soil and begin to understand what kind of soil you are dealing with. Different soils have different types of needs. Your lawn may need fertilizing done to it; it should be done at least once a year.

The selection of your actual grass type is key. Climate affects your grass, so when choosing a type of grass make sure it can handle the surrounding climate. If your grass can’t handle that particular climate, well you will be quickly buying new grass again. You can always seek advice if you are not sure what type of grass to purchase. If you or someone else cuts your lawn, you may want to check the blades they are using. A tip is to mow it very high and use sharp blades. By doing these it allows your grass to be stronger and have a healthier root system. There is usually a chart that you can find to help you know what the best height of your grass blades should be. Lastly, do not water too often, as this could be deadly to your lawn. You don’t want shock your garden or lawn by doing this. If you follow all these tips, your garden or lawn should be in fine shape.

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Why bother with aroma therapy when you can spend you leisure time surrounded by the fragrance of a scented garden? A scented garden is delightful at any time, a wonderful place to relax on a comfortable garden bench, the scented garden can be therapeutic, but is also a fabulous place to entertain.

It is a well known fact that there are certain smells that trigger intense emotional reactions. Some scents are famous for their ability to create different moods, for example

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• Lemon – clears the mind.

• Mint – invigorating and uplifting.

• Lavender – very calming.

While few gardens have the climate for lemon trees, a

lemon scent can be experienced in many flowers, there are several lemon scented varieties of geranium and many lemon scented herbs, such as thyme.

Why Do Plants Smell?

Plants create an aroma by producing organic compounds on their surfaces. Fragrant flowers have perfume in glands on their petals to lure pollinators. Not all flowers have a lovely smell, in some plants it is the foliage that is scented. This comes from water repellent essential oils that are manufactured by glandular leaf hairs to repel leaf eating predators, mainly insects. Some plants exude a scent which is decidely undesirable, most noticeably the carnivorous plants, many of which smell like rotting flesh.

The first thing to do in a scented garden is to make coming up your path a pleasant experience. If you have a stone or flagstone path, plant creeping thyme between the flagstones, and lavender to edge the path. As you crush the thyme and brush past the lavender, they will release a glorious scent, both come in many colors and several different perfumes, thyme can smell of anything, from caraway to citrus and as a bonus of course can be used in grilling and in cooking.  Fill tubs or pots with scented geraniums and trailing, variegated ivies and put them near your front door. In the evening the scent will be heavenly.

Nothing is nicer than a garden filled with the spicy scent of Old Fashioned Roses. You can gather the petals to make pot pouri or rosewater, or even rose petal ice cream, and of course while in bloom they  are so beautiful to look at.

Use fragrant climbing shrubs like Honeysuckle or Jasmine on your fences, walls or on an arbor with a built in seat so that you can sit, surrounded by scent on a summers evening when the gardens’ perfume is at it’s height. Some of these shrubs and vines grow at a rate of knots and it won’t take long before you can’t even see a wall or fence.

Plant Evergreens to keep the garden looking good in the winter to so if you are looking for a flowering, wonderfully scented, evergreen shrub that will grow anywhere, look no further than Eleangus Ebingei, it has insignificant flowers and, grey green leaves that have a spectacular white underside, more than one of these and your garden will be full of the most glorious scent from August to November. Another is Helicrysum or the curry plant, with it’s distinctive scent, as well as the yellow Choisyas and don’t forget the Lavenders and Rosmarinus with it’s fragrant needle like leaves. Consider Casimine and the Mock Orange that smells like orange flowers, Nepeta or Catnip which not only smells good to cats but to us too. Monardo or Beebalm has scented foliage,  but can be invasive so plant in pots.  Perovskia or Russian Sage, is not a sage but has a sage like smell from all parts of the plant and Santolina too, these are all sweet smelling and a joy to have in your garden.

Growing plants for their visual appeal is only one small part of gardening. Why delight one sense when you can delight them all?

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• Scented Garden: Growing and Enjoying Palmarosa (Lemonade Recipe) (boisdejasmin.typepad.com)

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