Zinnias Create a Festival of Color

Zinnias offer a rich variety of  pastels to brighten your garden. I started my zinnias from seed this year. A friend from Toastmasters gave me some Giant Zinnia seed and some Lilliput (small) Zinnias. These were seeds that she grew from heirloom plants; the varieties that produce true seed. Many hybrid seeds will not produce seeds that mimic the original flower. So it was a treat to be able to germinate these seeds.

The beauty of Zinnias is that you can cut your best blooms and create  a gorgeous bouquet for your loved ones.   The blooms last a long time, and they look just as attractive in an artistic vase (an expensive cut glass variety) or in a more plain vase that you would be willing to give away when you share a bouquet with a neighbor or friend. My wife Nancy keeps the bouquets at their peak by removing blooms that have lost their pizazz and by adding new ones, periodically.

The bouquet shown below highlight the wonderful variety of colors and illustrate the interesting geometry of the bloom itself. The symmetry in the concentric circles creates a unique artistic flair. When you place the vase on an interesting table cloth a composition is created which adds to the simple enjoyment you can experience, day after day while the bloom holds up.  The height  of your zinnia flowers will depend greatly on the nutrients in

your soil. If you have a composted soil you can get blooms up to five feet tall. If your soil is average or

below average expect zinnias about two feet tall. Zinnias are perfect for the back row in your garden, and serve as a perfect backdrop for smaller flowers such as impatiens or snap dragons.

Zinnias will continue to bloom in the garden all summer, until the weather changes. I watered mine regularly during the dry and hot weather we had this summer. They droop easily in the heat of the day, but a little droopiness is better than over watering. They recover from 'heat stroke' quickly, so don't panic at the site of wilting leaves.

Finally, zinnias are very photogenic if you have a knack for taking pictures. They are a great subject for an 8 x 10   enlargement that you can place in a rustic frame. Add a professional touch by placing a border around the photo. If you are really creative zinnias make a great front cover on a hand-crafted greeting card.  Make your own picture card by going to my web site:  www.sendoutcards.com/achieveandgrow to send up to three free greeting cards. Do the walk through to learn how to create and send a real card by using this online system. It is user friendly and fairly intuitive. If you like the service let me know. 

The bouquets shown above and to the left produce a wonderful festival of color.  Also notice  the interesting geometry of the bloom itself. The symmetry in the concentric circles is artistic and aesthetic in its own right.  When you place the vase on an interesting table cloth a composition is created which adds to the simple enjoyment you can experience, day after day after day  while the blooms hold up. If you have not yet grown zinnias in your garden give them a try next year. They are sure to add a new excitement to your gardening experience.  See you in the Garden!     

  

Deegan in the Garden: Lemon Boy Tomatoes yield Sunny Taste

Deegan in the Garden: Lemon Boy Tomatoes yield Sunny Taste

Lemon Boy Tomatoes yield Sunny Taste

My foray into new tomato territory this year was well rewarded. Lemon Boy yielded a wonderfully shaped round tomato, with bright yellow skin, smooth in texture and marvelous in taste. I honestly feel the taste surpasses some of the heirloom tomatoes. Rich flavor, juicy and meaty. It is everything you want in that fresh tomato taste on your summer BLT's.

I must confess I bought my plants at Kollman's Greenhouse; planted some in my garden and some in a large flower pot. My tomatoes as a rule, do better in the garden where the moisture is more constant. But this year I put one of my Lemon Boys on the landing of my stairway leading to the deck. Because of the partial shade, I was able to hold the moisture pretty evenly and the modest sunlight produced slower growth and I was happy with the fruit.

The second picture includes a simple model of a Canadian Loon and a Lemon Boy tomato. It is fitting that these two are companions in this shot. They both represent nature at its best. What is more beautiful than the a serenading loon at dusk or dawn? And what is more beautiful than a brightly colored fruit, that is fresh, ripe, and scrumptious to eat. The "Good life" is all around us if we have eyes to see it, ears to hear it and palate to taste it. How can anyone enjoy a full life without the fruit that comes from your own garden. See you in the Garden.

Red Ripe Cherry Tomatoes

There are an abundance of cherry tomatoes this time of year. I have a jumbo cherry tomato plant in a large pot on my deck and cherry tomatoes at the Church Garden. They are so delicious. We eat them daily, in salads, or just cut in half and lightly salted. Mmmm. Good! Nancy likes to share with her friends at the Pre School. They love them down there. I also planted some yellow cherry tomatoes that are acid free, yet very tasty. No summer garden is complete without Red Ripe Cherry Tomatoes.

Tips for when to pick. You really have to pick cherry tomatoes when they are orange. If you wait until they are red on the vine you will find they tend to burst. Pick them when they are orange and then let them ripen on a plate in indirect light; not sun-light. Within a day or two they are ready to eat.

To enlarge the photo click on the above picture

A Bowl of Sweet Green Peppers

I started sweet green peppers from seed this year, indoors, and as is traditional they are slow growers. Yet, because of my rich soil and frequent watering, we are having a great harvest. The fruit looks so rich in color, and healthy in general appearance. We have been making Stuffed Green Peppers like crazy and have two batches frozen and have had two meals of stuffed peppers.

Nancy makes extra sauce to pour over the rice and hamburger filling. Nancy admonishes me not to let them grow too large as the skin gets a little tougher. We seem to have found the happy balance. The peppers in the picture are just the right size.

Nancy's Deep Blue Morning Glories

It seemed Nancy's morning glories took forever to grow up the trellis this year. I started the seedlings as usual and transplanted them to flower boxes. The soil was probably too porous as we had to water nearly twice each day to keep moisture present. It was common to see the leaves wilt and yellow throughout the summer.

In late August they finally started blooming. They are truly glorious to look at. Nancy has about five Morning Glories blooming each morning. They are best to view in the early morning when the dew is present.

Sunflowers at the Church Garden

The Sunflower in this picture was started by seed this May by children in the Gardening for God program, in lieu of Vacation Bible School. I absolutely could not believe how tall the church garden Sunflowers grew. It was our first year of the new garden, and the soil seemed heavy with clay. I worked closely with Ellen Ackerman, the sponsor of the Gardening with God program at Rejoice Lutheran Church this spring and summer. The picture you see is a close up of about a 12 foot tall Sunflower. Gorgeous. The perimiter of this bloom is at least 12 inches. The kids watered weekly and Ellen and I took turns watering as the garden needed it. Since we had a drought a good deal of the summer, we had to water frequently. We hauled containers of water up the hill from the church spigot. This was easier than dragging a hose across the parking lot regularly. What a joy to see these blooms. Soon the birds will feast on the Sunflower seeds.