all my friends are flowers

Succulent Container Gardens at Disneyland

2013-07-01T20:35:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago I was at the happiest place on earth. We traveled to Disneyland with my parents, five siblings, and niece. It had been over three years since we'd all been on vacation together, and it was a blast. Disneyland is magical, there's no question about that. I believe part of the magic comes from attention to detail, specifically in their planting.

At the entrance of Frontier Land there's a fantastic Mexican restaurant, Rancho de Zocalo. It's decorated with Spanish flair, overflowing with succulents. I took a few shots of my favorites, with more to come soon.

Aeoniums, like the one above, became one of my favorite plants while I lived in Spain. They're extremely easy to propagate. Just pinch of a "flower" and place it in water. It will sprout roots within two weeks.

Unlike popular container plantings, succulents aren't known for their flowers. The variation comes from texture and color of foliage. A wide variety of aloes, jades, and echeverias make for an eye-stopping container.

Container Gardens at Gardener Villiage

2013-06-01T10:28:00.000-06:00

I have a May birthday. But even better than having a birthday during the month that the official growing season starts in Utah, I have an end of May birthday. This means that the wisteria is blooming, calibrachoa and potato vine are starting to creep down the sides of planted containers, and lilacs have just stopped blooming but viburnums are still going strong.

When I was growing up anticipation of my birthday was always coupled with that of the end of the school year. Now that I am relatively "grown up" and I teach school the excitement of the end of the school year is even more intensified even more. This might be because this was my very first year teaching high school. or maybe because I'm leaving for Disneyland the first of June. I'm guessing a combination of both. Which, lets be honest, do not sound like things that a normal 23 year old is excited about on their birthday. But hey, that's just how much I love Disneyland.

My birthday hit the ultimate climax this year though. The best part of my birthday occurring the end of May is that sometimes, when the stars align just right, the celebratory day falls on Labor Day. It's like my own personal holiday. A day when schools shut down and businesses close so that my family can be completely freed up to eat cake and blow out candles with me.

2013 just happened to be a Labor Day/birthday combo. On top of the whole end of the school year and going to Disneyland excitement, I got to add a 90th birthday celebration for my grandmother {whose birthday I was born on and whose name I share}.

Now for how this post ties back in any way to gardening. Before I blew out my candles, my husband took me up to Salt Lake to one of my very favorite places to wander, Gardener Village. The village consists of a bunch of century old homes transplanted to one location and converted to tiny boutique shops. I think charming is the perfect word that describes the window boxes, winding brick paths, covered bridges, and ponds. It makes me feel like I've stepped back in time. Container gardens are one of my favorite parts of landscaping so I thought I'd snap a few pictures of what they're growing this year at the village.

How to Grow Dahlias

2013-05-19T09:10:00.002-06:00

Its been a while. Between attending night classes to get my teaching license and trying to wrap up my first year teaching high school its been a little bit hectic. But school is out in a week and a half so there are no more excuses.

I'm going to write about something I've been meaning to write since last summer: Dahlias. I had a childhood friend whose mother grew fantastic dahlias under their bay window. The blossoms ranged in color from bright pink to fiery orange. Some blooms were small, others spanned about eight inches across. Time passed and I had mostly forgotten about this vibrant, flowering tuber until a trip to the Madrid Botanical Gardens.

Dahlia bulbs can be purchased from about April to May. Its best to plant them when temperatures are consistently 60 degrees or so. Plant the tubers horizontally in the soil about 6" under. Dahlias spread about two feet so make sure that you're spacing the tubers 48" from each other. Once the Dahlias have started to sprout and grow, pinch back terminal buds for fuller, bushier plants.

*Remember that Dahlia tubers are not perennial. Make sure to dig up the tubers after the first hard frost and store them in a cool dark place {such as a shoebox in the garage} with a some moist sawdust until next spring.

How to Take Care of Your Air Plant- Tillandsia

2013-03-20T13:03:00.000-06:00

All through high school and into college I worked at a beautiful garden center. The owner's sister managed the greenhouse. I spent countless hours learning how to properly water hydrangeas, and trim angel vine toparies. Upon return from a buying trip in California, she brought me an air plant and a 100 year old chunck of grape wood to display it on. Sadly, my air plant wasnt long lived. Because it requires so little care, air plants can be easily forgotten. The waterings were so infrequent that I missed them all together, and it was up on an obscure shelf where the air plant easily went unoticed.

Fast forward to last weekend. I got my hands on a beautiful piece of cholla cactus with the idea of decorating my coffee table. I thought back to Christine and my 100 year old grape wood and decided to give another air plant a try. I drove up to Cactus and Tropicals, a nursery that specializes in houseplants, to purchase the perfect Tillandsia. With the hopes of keeping this air plant alive, I've researched Tillandsia and its care requirements.

So... air plants or Tillandsia grow the best in humid environments. Now my apartment in Orem, UT is anything but humid. The good news is that humidity can be falsified. By lightly misting the air plant once or twice a week, or soaking it in a bowl of water every two weeks, the plant can survivie in drier climates.

Tillandsias prefer bright, filtered light. Direct light from window sills are is a definite no. Instead try place your plant a few feet away from a bright window.

Because air plants survive without soil, they can be attached to pretty much anything. Branches of driftwood, cholla cactus, manzanita, or grape wood are great decorative options. You can also use sea shells, rock, or glass terrariums. Air plants can be mounted using a non water soluable glue or silicone caulk.

Patience. . . .

2013-03-01T09:16:00.002-07:00

Snow still wraps itself tightly around the perimeter of my yard forming a barrier that thwarts the hopeful bulbs patiently waiting their turn to peek through snowy boundaries and test the cool temperatures of Spring. The border hold me at bay like a child waiting for a turn at a pinata.

I hear that temperatures will soar by Saturday and I've mentioned to my children that Saturday will be a yard work day. I think the threat is just real enough that they may be hoping for one last snow storm --nothing too big -just something that will be a bit of a deterrent for a mom who is anxious get started in the yard.

Online Plant Catalogs

2013-02-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

I love shopping at my local garden center. Supporting my community’s economy is just one benefit of this style of shopping. The other reason is much more selfish. When I venture to my favorite garden center I get to wander through displays of arborvitaes and knock out roses. I never make a quick trip to my favorite nursery, I’ll spend an hour or more meandering down the rows of perennials, looking at wave petunias and listening to the babbling of fountains. A purchase as simple as a packet of seeds or a bag of planting mix turns into a quest for design inspiration as a stroll, very slowly, towards the cash register.

But…. If you, like me, are living in a climate where nurseries are not open year round you can run into some problems. Lack of seeds to start in March, or limited stock and supply when garden centers emerge from hibernation in early spring can be frustrating. There is a solution. Join me on a walk through a virtual nursery open 365 days a year 24/7. Welcome to the world of Burpee.

I check my mailbox religiously this time of year for the Burpee catalog, but there is really no need to wait. Their website is more interactive, informative, and easy to use. At www.burpee.com you can browse through their offerings of vegetables, flowers, perennials, herbs, and fruit. They even offer organics and heirloom varieties. Under each of these categories you’ll find new plant varieties, some Burpee exclusives that you’ll only find on their site or in their catalog. This year I’m looking forward to trying…..

On Deck Corn

Shooting Stars Eggplant

Ava Agastache

Sante Shasta Daisy

Burpee offers both seeds and started plants, giving you either the satisfaction of beginning your own garden, or a jump start on the season. I’ve never had many concerns with ordering seed online. I’ve known that when the seed arrived I could plant them at my leisure. Growing plants were an entirely different matter. I worried about trying to time my order and shipping with appropriate planting times for my zone. Burpee takes away all of those worries and concerns. They delay shipping for your products until the appropriate planting time for your zone.

Log on to Burpee.com, take a walk through the veggies and meander through the perennials. I’m sure you’ll find inspiration, just like in your favorite garden center. The only thing missing will be the smell of honeysuckle, the crunch of gravel, and the sound of fountains.

*all photos from www.burpee.com

The Resurrection Fern

2013-01-24T09:23:00.002-07:00

I love houseplants in the winter. There's something about greenery indoors in the middle of a bleak January that eases my cabin feaver. Many housplants {especially ferns} help purify and clean the indoor air. Clean air is hard to come by this week due to the Utah Valley inversion. When I look out my window at the hazy smog I feel some comfort in the fact that I have a few housplants working to rid my air of the toxins creeping in from outside. Yes, I love housplants in the winter, but my love for housplants is seasonal.

I can't stand having houseplants in the summer. When the garden is producing delicious leafy things, when the perennials are in full blossom, and the patio containers have verbena trickling down their sides I have little tolerance for indoor plants. This might seem ungrateful, considering all they did for me over the winter, but its the turth. My plants indoors can feel neglected since I'm spending most my time outside deadheading and fertilizing. So I usually gather up all my housplants and move them to the shadier parts of my yard. The lucky survivors of a few cool september nights have the luxury of being invited back in for the winter {providing they bring no insects or pests with them}.

There is another solution for my seasonal need for indoor green. How about a plant you can kill near the end of March when the tulips begin to bloom and revive in October when you've trimmed your last perennial to the ground. Impossible you say? Let me introduce you to the resurrection fern.

This fern, native to the southeastern United States and Africa, is a remarkable little plant. Its name is derived from its ability to survive very long periods of drought. This fern is an epiphyte or an air plant, which means it gets nutrients and water from the air. You can set them in a dish of water and within minutes they'll start to open their fronds and turn green. A constant supply of water will keep them happy and thriving. As their water supply dries out they begin to curl and turn brown once again.

I like to keep mine on my coffee table. There's no conversation piece like a plant that cant be killed. During the summer months I store it carfully in a dry, dark place and bring it out agian in winter for some air-purifying greenery.

I found mine at a local specialty nursery, Cactus and Tropicals in Salt Lake City, but you can also order them online. You can also find them on Amazon sold in different sizes and varieties.

Early Blooming Spring Perennials

2013-01-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

The holidays are finally over. I dont know what it is, but leading up to Christmas I can't get enough snow. I think that chilly days are festive and that evergreens look majestic next to skeleton-like maples. But come the 26th the Christmas tree cant come down fast enough and I rush to my mailbox every afternoon to see if the Burpee catalog has arrived. My feelings about snow go from festive to tolerant, as I remind myself that the snow showers of January and February provide for luschious July gardens.

In anticipation for a spring that will come, I've compiled a few of my early spring favorites. These are the resiliant few that can withstand the sometimes frigid Utah spring nights. I've put them outdoors in early March and had great success {as well as much needed outdoor color}. A word of warning: although the plants themselves can withstand very cool tempuratures, night time frosts can damage the colorful blossoms. By covering blooms with a frost cloth, towel, or sheet, you can keep the frost from settling on the blooms.

All My Friends are Flowers

Favorite Hardy Early Blooming Perennials

1) Bellis or English Daisy {Bellis perennis}

picture found here

This daisy comes in solid or mixed colors and works well in containers or beds.

USDA Zones: 4-8
Height: 6-12''
Width: 6''
Sun: Full Sun
Bloom Time: early-mid spring, early-mid fall

2) Rockfoil {Saxifraga x arendsii}

picture found here

USDA Zones: 4-8
Height: 6-8''
Width: 6-9''
Sun: Full Sun
Bloom Time: early-mid spring

3) English Primrose {Primula vulgaris}

picture found here

USDA Zones: 3-9
Height: 6-8''
Width: 6-9''
Sun: Full Sun
Bloom Time: early-mid spring

Looking for more early spring color? Click on a picture below to check out other All My Friends favorites!

A Season for Herbs- Growing herbs indoors

2012-12-06T17:01:00.002-07:00

Is there anything better than fresh herbs? I feel rather domestic every time I snip off a leaf or two and add it to a simmering pot of something delicious. The best part about herbs is the fact that they can be as happy indoors during the bleak wintery months as they are during the sultry summer. Make an indoor herb garden as a perfect gift for a fellow gardener {or cooking enthusiast} or make one for yourself to brighten up your kitchen until the tulips start to bloom and we're back to work outdoors.

Step one for the perfect indoor herb garden is finding the perfect container. The first qualification for us was the adorableness of the container itself. We found this rustic Agrarian box at Williams-Sonoma {check it out on our Gifts for the Gardener pinterest board here}. A container depth of at least 6'' is required for healthy rooting. We know that the regular watering will break down the wood overtime, but since the box will be inside with relief from all the elements it should last a few years.

Finding potted herbs in the dead of winter can be a challenge. We've had success at our local high-end garden center as well as the organic grocery store. We also divided the parsley plant that has been roughing it outside in the garden. Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano made the cut for our container{we're still on the hunt for a decent basil plant, so we left a space in our box}.

We weren't willing to drill holes in our Agrarian box, so we came up with an alternative form of drainage. By placing medium sized pebbles in the bottom two inches of our container, then covering them with a porous material, we keep the majority of our dirt from sifting to the bottom. We used no-slip matting {the stuff you put under rugs and what not} for our rock covering. The small holes will allow the water to drain through while still holding the soil in place.

Remember that since there are no drainage holes, over-watering will cause water to pool in the bottom of the container, drowning the roots of your herbs and smelling awful The idea here is to water in smaller increments so that the soil is moist, not wet.

Make sure to use a high quality soil, we love Fertilome's High Performance Blend. A good soil will help keep your herbs moist, reduce waterings, and allow for healthy root growth. As you plant your herbs, gently massage the roots of plants that are a little too root bound, like the rosemary pictured below.

Fleur de Jour- Rohan Obelisk Beech {Fagus sylvatica 'Rohan Obelisk'}

2012-12-04T07:56:00.001-07:00

I have a thing for beech trees. They are functional and unique and I love incorporating them into my landscape design work. The tree featured today is one that I’m currently adding to a design, the Rohan Obelisk Beech {Fagus sylvatica ‘Rohan Obelisk’}. I’m drawing them in on either side of the entryway. The tall columnar growth habit hints at formality while the bold, dark purple foliage adds a bit of visual interest. Beech trees are fairly slow growing, so reaching that 30’ height could take a while. If you’re hoping for a more established look, consider having your local garden center special order a large 25 gallon or 2’’ caliper tree.

USDA Zones: 4-7

Height: 25-30’
Width: a slim 15’ {perfect for urban landscapes
Light Requirement: Full Sun {at least 4 hours direct}
Soil Requirements: well-drained soil, doesn’t like to be soggy or wet
Water Requirements: regular watering

image from Oakland Nursery

Gifts for the Gardener- Our Christmas Wish List!

2012-11-29T06:42:00.001-07:00

Its that time of year when we put down our trowels in favor of ribbon and wrapping paper. As the old addage says, its better to give than to recieve, but all the same we've compiled a Gifts for the Gardener wish list full of things we love {and might just give to ourselves}. You can check out all of our favorite gifts, as well as find the links for the items below, here on our Pinterest Gifts for the Gardener board. Stay tuned and check the board often as we'll be adding our favorites to it all december long.

Oh Deer

2012-11-12T13:08:00.002-07:00

I'm currently working on a residential design for a client with three exciting challenges: deer, wind, and steep slopes. The property is located in the foothills, and is surrounded by plenty of native vegetation. Our goal is to create a harmonious, balanced design that helps to separate the house from the surrounding wilderness. Here are a few of the plants we've talked about incorporating into the landscape.

Hicks Yew

Taxus x media 'Hicksii

Height: 10-12'

Width: 3-4'

partial to full sun

image here

Evergreens work to add foundation and year round color to a landscape. A hedged yew would add increased formality along with wind resistance. When planted at the edge of a steep slope they provide security.

Red Twig Dogwood

Cornus alba 'Siberica'

Height: 7-9'

Width: 5'

part to full sun

images here & here

Dogwood is one of my favorites, which is probably why I mention it so often. I love the deep green foundation it provides when used as a backdrop for summer blooming perennials. But I love it even more during the winter and fall months as the leaves drop and the fiery red of new growth takes its turn in the spotlight.

Dwarf Cranberry

Viburnum opulus 'Nanum'

Height: 2-3'

Width: 2-3'

part to full sun

image here

Recently in my floral design classes we've been talking about texture. We've discussed how it can create a focal point or add emphasis. This characteristics of texture arent only limited to designs with fresh flowers, they can be incorporated and utlized in a garden setting as well. Thats what I love about this dwarf cranberry. I love the ruffled texture of this compact shrub. When used in mass plantings it will add visual contrast and varience.

Dwarf Burning Bush

Euonymous alatus compactus

Height: 6-8'

Width: 8-10'

image here

Another one of my favorites that I've mentioned recently. Bright fall colors will help to create a year round landscape.

Mops Mugo Pine

Pinus mugo 'Mops'

Height: 5'

Width: 5'

image here

I've come full circle with mugos, from complete dislike to an actual appreciation. About six years ago I talked my parents into pulling a mugo out of their front bay window {the one I've recently done a design for here}. It was a beast of a shrub, trying to spread eight or so feet across the bed. This experience instilled in me a disapproval of mugos, until I found the dwarfs. There are controllable varieties that max out at five feet like the Mops here. But they go even smaller. The Sherwood only reaches 24'' in width and height. Mugos are a great way to add structure.

Perennials

astilbe

coral bells

heleborus

cranesbill

2012-11-07T10:14:00.002-07:00

Missed Posts

2012-11-02T10:18:00.002-06:00

Between internet problems and winterizing the yard, we are a bit behind in our posts, but we will be back next week! Time to wrap up the hoses...

Fall Fertilizing

2012-10-24T12:53:00.001-06:00

I woke up this morning to a steady drizzle, the slushy kind that’s halfway between snow and rain. The mountains are covered in clouds and I’m sure that the rain down here in the valley has found success as snow up there. The weather combined with my case of the sniffles is a reminder that warm, sunny afternoons are behind us and we have a long, cold winter ahead.

Fall is the time to prep our gardens for an eventual spring. Planting tulips, pruning shrubs, and mulching perennials are a few important steps to ensure a successful spring. In addition to perking up planting beds, fall is a wonderful time to prepare your lawn for a quick green up in spring.

Heat, insects, and disease all take a toll on grass during the growing season. During the cool fall months, grass recovers from the stress of summer. After a late fall fertilization the grass is able to store carbohydrates. This stored energy in the stems and stolons helps promote shoot and root growth in the spring. Applying 1lb of Nitrogen for every 1000 square feet of lawn at the end of October or early November will increase this energy storage.

Quotable

2012-10-18T20:23:00.000-06:00

A Thousand Words. . .

2012-10-17T15:54:00.002-06:00

The Best Urban Evergreens

2012-10-15T11:11:00.001-06:00

My husband loves pine trees. They remind him of Christmas. He loves those huge 50' scotch pines that grow in city parks, near the library, and {tragically} in residential landscapes. He'll applaud a 30' wide blue spruce completely engulfing a 1/4 acre property. I am what you could call an anti-needled-evergreen person. I have been against these huge monsters my whole life. Although I definitely appreciate the beauty and majesty of these giants when in their natural and native habitats of the nearby mountains, I am completely opposed to their ultilization in the captivity of urban landscapes.

Yet through my study of garden design I have come to appreciate the structure that evergreens {both needled and broad leafed} add to a landscape. So now instead of being completely anti-needled-evergreen I am pro-residential-sized-evergreen. This has inspired a compromise between my pine tree loving husband and my need for balanced, harmonious design. Take a look at these urban garden friendly evegreens.

Vanderwolf Pyramid Pine {Pinus flexilis 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid'

This long needled, densley branching pine is a perfect specimen or accent tree. The pyramidal growth habit for which it is named adds year round structure at an appropriate scale. In addition to its compact appearance, Vanderwolfs are both disease and insect resistant adding low maintenance to its list of desirable urban garden traits.

USDA Zones: 2-7
Height: 20-25'
Width: 10-15'
Exposure: Full Sun
Water Requirements: ocassional watering after establishment

Moerheim Blue Spruce {Picea pungens 'Moerheim'}

This spruce is the largest of my urban evergreen recommendations. But for those who love the silvery-blue of the blue spruce, this is a great replacement. Its 10-20' spread is more appropriate for residential gardens. Moerheim will work as a great as a screen to reduce noise from traffic, block wind, and increase the privacy of your garden.

USDA Zones: 2-8
Height: 25-30'
Width: 10-20'
Exposure: Full to partial sun
Water Requirements: weekly watering, more in extreme heat

Bosnian Pine {Pinus leucodermis}

Dense, ruffled branches of the Bosnian pine are fast growing, providing a more established appearance at a quicker rate. It thrives in dry, alkaline soils and makes a statement when planted singly.

USDA Zones: 4-8
Height: 20-25'
Width: 10'
Exposure: Full Sun
Water Requirements: regular watering until established

Weeping White Spruce {Picea glauca 'Pendula'}

This spruce is one of my favorites. Slim and trim, its perfect for any location in your garden where you need a little height but cant go very wide. Its narrow growth habit is perfect for planting right up against a house or fence. Use it on either side of a walkway or porch to add formality and structure. Plant in groupings of three for a manicured woodland garden.

USDA Zones: 2-9
Height: 20-25'
Width: 8-10'
Exposure: Full to part Sun
Water Requirements: moderate

Photos:
Vanderwolf
Moerheim
Bosnian
White

Burning Bush Design

2012-10-08T23:22:00.002-06:00

Burning bushes have always been a weakness of mine. Every autumn when they showcase their bright, bold color I wonder why I haven't planted one yet. My new favorite variety is the Pipsqueak burning bush. With a dwarf growing habit {5' is considered a dwarf for this Euonymous} it's perfect for residential gardens where a little pruning will keep it under control. As a gift for my mother, today I decided to design a planting bed that she could use for the area in front of her bay window. I've heard her talking about replanting this area for a while now. It's kind of funny--for all the designs I have drawn I had not drawn for her so...here you go mom, I hope you like your Pipsqueak burning bush and that you think of me every fall when the bright foliage starts showing off!

Photos:
monrovia.com
heuchera.com

Relax A Bit. . .

2012-10-07T20:14:00.005-06:00

I love this time of year. The air becomes crisp and the sun sets a bit earlier allowing me the pleasure of lighting the tiki torches in the yard and turning on the little outdoor lights that seem to twinkle as the branches sway in the canyon breeze. One of my favorite sights is making the bend towards home and seeing the lights on the side of the house through the garden gate. It beckons me to the backyard and urges me to forget chores that need attention. Often I ignore its pleading and tend to the children's homework and finishing up dinner dishes. But most evenings I try to find a moment or two to spend out back listening to the soft flowing water in the fountains. In years past my husband has told stories to the children as they stretched out on the trampoline looking at the stars. The backyard is our haven and has been the place of barbecue's, football dinners, teenage parties, sandcastles and beach ball volleyball. It's a place made and remade and has provided an arena to teach the children how to work. It's a place filled with hard work and laughter and most recently a place where my 13 year old plays with his dog. (That throws a whole new twist on the expectations for the yard.)

It's a great time of year. The hard work of grooming the yard is over, it's the time to relax and enjoy your efforts. Sit out back and look at the stars, lay in the hammock, play with the children or tell them a story as you gaze at the stars. Enjoy the haven you have created.

Happy Birthday Kate. . .

2012-10-05T01:00:00.000-06:00

How-to: Wooden Fall Pumpkins

2012-10-03T23:20:00.002-06:00

We don't claim to be crafty, but as promised here's the tutorial from yesterday's post...

Wooden Fall Pumpkins

When we say we don't "claim to be crafty" we mean that we had to laugh out loud when we made a "materials" list. The fact that we even own a small pair of pliers actually makes us a bit giddy. Now, we will confess that we have hopes of being crafty, so why not start with old wood you can find along the roadside? And let's face it, spray painting is a basic human gift right? (duct taping your shoes back together also qualifies as a basic human gift :)
These pumpkins are a super easy way to bring a little fall into your home. We're using them everywhere. Bigger sets are great for front porches {paired with hay bales & dried corn stalks}or try smaller sets in your living room.

Materials (Laughing)

old wood + smaller branches for the pumpkin stems

we used log rounds & 2x2's

sandpaper
orange spray paint
needle nose pliers
florist wire
wood glue

We decided to make a set of 3 pumpkins with a large, medium & small. We measured ours so that the smallest was 1/3 the size of the largest and the medium double the size of the smallest. Of course you can cut these by hand (argh) or you can find a neighbor with a nice big saw and trade cookies for cuts.

After the pieces are cut, sand down all surfaces. This removes most of the dirt from these old pieces of wood and smooths the surface for painting. For our square pumpkins, we sanded down all sharp edges as well as the corners a bit to give the wood a more rustic feel. This step also serves as a bit of an outline for the pumpkins, giving them dimension. Using an electric sander speeds things along, but regular sandpaper works just fine too... after all there are only so many plates of cookies to go around.

Spray paint the wood pieces on a sheet of newspaper. Remember to spray at a steady pace to avoid drips. The pumpkins might need one or two coats. Try to avoid a windy day or at least avoid spraying near other things that you do NOT want to be orange.

While the pumpkins are drying, make some curly-q pumpkin vines using pliers and the florist wire. Twisting the wire around a dowel or pencil makes for nice, tight, circular curls. Make sure to leave enough wire at the end so that it can be wrapped around the stem securely. (note the black paint on Lacey's thumb? That is a clue that we tried a little something with black paint and we were craftily unsuccessful)

Using wood glue, attach a small branch to the top of the pumpkin. Be patient, the glue takes a few hours to dry completely. (for those of you who are slightly impatient go ahead and warm up the hot glue) After the stem is glued to the pumpkin and has dried completely, don't be afraid to go over the edges and corners with a sander to expose the wood below. This will give the pumpkins a more rustic/antiquey feel. Attach your wire vines and voila--cute fall craft accomplished!

You just can't go wrong with old wood and spray paint. Didn't they turn out cute! Your turn.

A Thousand Words. . .

2012-10-02T21:54:00.000-06:00

check back tomorrow for a "how to" on making these pumpkins!

Crimson Spire Oak- Quercus robur x Q. alba 'Crimschmidt'

2012-10-01T15:40:00.001-06:00

Drought tolerant? Check. Fast growing? Check. Amazing fall color? Check

The Crimson Spire Oak {Quercus robur x Q. alba 'Crimschmidt'}has it all. Bred and produced by J. Frank Schmidt, this columnar tree is the perfect choice for the urban landscape. Crimson Spire combines the best of the English and White oaks to create columnar form, quick growth, and gorgeous reddish-orange fall color.

With a mature spread of just 15 feet, this oak is perfect for privacy screening or noise reduction. In just 20 years Crimson Spire can reach up to 45 feet tall, providing all its benefits in a timely manner.

Small or confined residential gardens can benefit from its slender shape, while still enjoying vibrant hues in fall, and deep greens all summer long.

USDA Zones: 4

Height: 30-45'

Width: 10-15'

Water Requirements: Moderate moisture just until established

Photo by: J. Frank Schmidt

A Flower is Worth a Thousand Words. . .

2012-09-26T07:36:00.002-06:00