Dear "Bloom" friends -
My husband, Kevin and I are lucky enough to have been married for 25 years this spring. I do mean lucky because we’ve raised four kids together AND weathered the ups/downs of my starting Sandy’s Back Porch. He has turned into Mr. Mom: chauffeuring, cooking and doing laundry - for all of which I am forever grateful! We decided to celebrate the occasion by doing some sight-seeing and having dinner in St. Louis.
My choice of places to see was, naturally, the Missouri Botanical Garden. He chose to see an exhibit at the Art Museum. Not my favorite place, but he willingly walked the gardens so I made the best of his pick. Fortunately for me, they have very comfy couches on the first floor of the Museum. After a little poking around, I parked myself and read while he walked the exhibits. We both enjoyed the much needed day of fun and capped it off at an Italian restaurant on the Hill.
So how does all this fit in with gardening you ask? Later in the evening I was watching a show on HGTV (this channel is soooo addictive) with the topic being “great gardening tools.” As I listened to the host describe in detail some of his favorites, I felt my heart starting to beat fast as I got excited about these very simple things.
Why, I asked myself, did the beautiful works of art and sculpture do nothing for me today, yet these tools thrill me so much. After a little thought I realized that, although the Art Museum holds many beautiful artifacts, only a few extremely talented people can create them. But, with a few basic tools, a small amount of knowledge and some sweat equity, anyone can learn to create and nurture their very own garden. There isn’t anything more exciting (at least in my mind) when you plant the “perfect partners” and end up with a stunning combination of colors and textures. Or, when you’ve babied a plant along for months and it’s finally covered in blooms. It’s the excitement of rescuing plants from a building that’s being demolished, or having a special friend share a plant that’s been in her family for a couple of generations. These are the kind of things that make gardening so personal and fulfilling for me.
With all the rain we’ve had and now the hot weather, it hasn’t always been easy laboring in the yard these days. But, when you take a step back, wash off your tools and clean up your boots, you can admire the beauty of all you hard work and know you were just born to garden!
Happy Gardening and Stay Hydrated!
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WATERING GUIDELINES FOR THE HOT, DRY DAYS OF SUMMER
FOR NEWLY PLANT TREES/SHRUBS
Follow this simple guideline for new plantings:
- Turn hose on to half strength
- Place on crown of plant
- Leave at base of plant for approx. 6 minutes for every 1 foot of height. Ie. A tree that is 4 ft tall will need to be watered for 24 minutes (6 minutes x 4) at least every 5-6 days during the summer.
- Water thirsty plants, like hydrangeas, viburnums, etc, may require to be watered a little more often, especially if they’re in a lot of sun.
If you haven’t watered enough and your plants’ leaves have some scorching, don’t panic, just water using this guidelines. Next spring they’ll come back strong as long as you water enough for the rest of the year. Keep in mind that these are general watering guidelines.
2004 West Blvd.
Belleville, IL 62221
(618) 235-2004
www.sandybackporch.com
We're less than 4 miles from I-64 & Greenmount Rd. off Carylyle/IL-161.
Click here for Directions.
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