Message from the midwest...

I'm in Chicago for the holidays. What a difference a couple of climate zones make. Not much is green here so for a garden fix I went to the local garden center & bought herbs. I found Thyme, Oregano, Italian (Flat) & Curley Parsley & a very cute Christmas tree topiary of Rosemary. All of these herbs will do well in my Mom's house if we don't use them all as we cook for the parties. She has a sunny (when it's out) spot that is close to the kitchen. We just have to remember to water the pots as needed. This time of year there isn't too much sun but the house is warm & dry so these small containers need to be checked every 3 days for dryness. So far we've cooked Rosemary potatoes, & Pasta with Parsley Pesto. Using these herbs is easier than remembering to pick them up at the grocery store.
Take care Judy

Where did Garden Time go?

I’m sure everyone is wondering where we went… Garden Time is taking a little break. We are a paid program and need to take off a couple of months to stay within our budget. Garden Time will be back on the 17th of March. It has been a great year and one full of pleasant surprises. The amount of support from the garden industry is incredible. Everyone loves the show. The viewers all love it as well. We have been at the top of the ratings since we started. I owe everyone a big ‘Thanks’. People can continue to come to the website as I will be updating it with new stories and videos. Of course, you can always get a hold of us by e-mail. We can still answer your garden questions for the winter months ahead.

Jeff
Garden Time
Owner/Producer

Winter Renewal

December. A dismal month and one of two or three to come for gardeners. But as I stroll throughout my gardens I wonder just how dismal it really is. Each of us has experienced the “down side” of life. Disappointments, heartache, frustrations. What do we do with those emotions? I have always equated my life with my gardens. So as I walk amongst the broken limbs, the brown and seemingly dead perennials, the lack of color, of vibrancy, of beauty, I realize that without this time of death, with out this time of sleep, solace and loneliness, I, like my garden would never feel the bounty of spring, the lackadaisical romance of summer, the fruition of fall. So, as I wonder thru this least favorite time of year, I do what I can. I stake young trees. I prune off the dead foliage, I cover the sleeping plants. Realizing that as with all things in life, winter is but a season. A necessary season and that from this dismal time comes the cacophony of a spring. The glory of new life. So hang on my friends. Do what you can to prepare; for only in effective preparation can one truly anticipate the greatness of the future seasons to come and guiltlessly reap the bounty of those seasons. My best to you all, William

Post Thanksgiving decorating

Since alot of rain is in the forecast for the next few days, I think I will work on a few indoor Christmas decorations. I'm picking up poinsettias and decorating my dining room table. I don't really use it for anything right now & it looks bare with the harvest decorations gone.
I think I will go for the traditional red or burgundy varieties. I'll let you know the ones I choose.
I have some gold meshy fabric, baskets & ceramic pots to make a nice display.
Do you have any centerpiece ideas?
In between rain squalls, I want to clip some of the Nandina(Heavenly
Bamboo) foliage & berries from my front yard. I will also pick up some cut pine & cedar. I love to make arrangements with these to bring in fragrance of the season. Nandina berries will last a long time indoors.
I'm also taking a cue from Carol Sprague at Garden Gallery Ironworks. She had great ideas on last week's show using evergreen boughs to decorate hanging baskets. I think with a little practice, my baskets will look just as nice!

Judy

November in the Garden

I don't like to cut back too many perennials at this time in my garden. But, I'm not a fastidious gardening. I do like to let the tops of the perennials decorate the Fall & Winter landscape.
The birds like to pick at the Coneflower (Echinacea) & Tickseed (Coreopsis) seed heads.
I also like the way the ornamental grass looks on a frosty morning. The frost crystals seem to glow if the sun is shining on them.
I do cut back & clean up the old Hosta foliage. If the leaves stay on, they just make slug motels for the Winter. It's best to stop that right away! (Don't forget to bait early in Spring).
I don't have a big garden so I don't see leaf raking as a huge chore. It's kind of a relaxing mindless task, like hand weeding.
I do save the non-diseased leaves to put on the raised beds as a 'Cover Crop'. I missed the window to plant a real cover crop but this will work as a substitute.


Judy

Welcome to Garden Time

Greetings,
I would like to welcome you to the Garden Time Blog. This forum will allow you to take a peek into the inner works of the Garden Time TV show. It is my hope to create more gardeners in the Northwest and do it in a fun and creative way. Both William and Judy will be occasional contributors to the site and will give their insight as well.
Thanks for joining us on this garden ride.

Jeff, Garden Time, Owner/Producer