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Resolution Time

9/1/2019

4 Comments

 
Happy New Year every one!  Kathy and I are excited for the third year of Plant Wisdom Garden Center.  Last year, in spite of many challenges(late freezes, rain, ice, and heat), we saw a lot of familiar faces, friends, and newcomers.  We are so happy to be here again and hoping for our best year yet!  We have some fun and interesting classes planned, exciting new plants, and the same outstanding hardy plants you’ve come to expect from Plant Wisdom.
For many of us, this is resolution season.  It may be to get outside more, stop sitting around, eat better, or lose weight.  Well, this may not be the best month to get in the gardens, there are things to do.  There’s still time to plant spring bulbs, like tulips, daffodils, or alliums.   January is also a good time to get some pruning done on trees, shrubs, and woody perennials.  Doing so now allows one to see the structure of the plant better than when its covered in leaves.  Look first for any broken branches, then anything crossing or crowded branches. Once all of those are removed, step back and look at the over all shape of the plant.

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Doing these is a great way to accomplish some of your New Year Resolutions.  Just half an hour gardening can burn up to 300 calories.   Mycobacterium vaccae, that’s a bacteria and it’s in your soil.  A walk through your yard, and it will be on your shoes.   This bacteria was found about 10 years ago and used to boost the immune system of cancer patients.  As a side effect, the oncologists found that the mood of the treated patients improved drastically.  Not to mention all the tasty herbs, fruits, and vegetables your garden can give you! 

     So get out there and dig in the garden, your body and mind will thank you!

- Alex Wisdom

4 Comments

July To-Do List

5/7/2017

0 Comments

 
Well, the Fourth is over. Time to clean up the firework debris and enjoy some garden time while is still enjoyable outside. Here are a few to-dos to make everything easier.

Cut back spring annuals

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A lot of the pretty mixed pots and hanging baskets from spring may be starting to look a little thread bare.  Root space is getting tight and there was that one week we forgot to water that one pot.  Now is a great time to cut back those spring annuals.  Cut out any dead stems and give the leggy stems a good whack.  Give the rest a little cut to make it all look symmetrical.  Apply a small does of Colorstar Fertilizer, water, and enjoy a lovely beverage on your porch!



Clean/Dust your porch light

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While your there, clean your porch lights and other outdoor lighting. We have a month before august hits and renders outdoor living impossible. Spending a few minutes cleaning your lighting will make your outdoor living area more welcoming during the last few cool nights of summer.  Not only will lighting highlight your plants in the evening so we can enjoy them, but a well kept yard and adequate lighting are the two most effective things that can be done to prevent crime in our neighborhoods!


Adjust your sprinkler system and watering habits

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The past few weeks we have seen some good rain, but that won’t last. It’s a great time to check your sprinkler system, drip hoses, timers and such for proper watering.  Place a cake pan in your yard and time your sprinkler to run as long as it takes to fill that up to one inch.  That’s how long your system needs to run PER WEEK!  We recommend twice a week, so half inch per run. Garden beds need about that much, but once a week is usually enough!  Specimen plantings that are not well suited to Oklahoma weather need to be dealt with as needed.  Potted plants most likely need to be watered once a day.  No matter what it is, morning is the best time to water.  Wet plants during warm nights are begging to be attacked by bugs, fungi, and viruses!

Re-apply compost

Redressing your beds and pots with a thin layer of compost will help retain moisture throughout the day, and replace organic material the plant has utilized during the spring.

Pinch bag worms

Pinch bag worms on evergreens before the infestation gets out of control.  Also, spray web worms in trees with a high pressure spray.  Once the webs are torn open, the birds will feast! It is very satisfying!

Add natives!

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If you have any dead spots or something isn't filling in the way you hoped, consider adding native plants. Most native plants are just now starting to bloom and will continue to thumb their noses(petals?) at the heat and drought! Not to mention the benefits of bringing in native wildlife.


Add a bird/bee bath

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You could also use those spots or add a bird/bee bath. Any bird bath will work, but add rocks. This will give bees and butterflies a spot to land and get a drink.


Don't worry about your tomatoes

It has been relatively cool, so tomatoes should still be producing.  But as temps climb over the mid 90’s, tomato pollen stops being viable.  This can be helped by shaking the plant early in the morning, before it gets too hot.  At a certain point, you will have flowers, but not fruit.  Don’t worry, keep the plant healthy with compost and water.  Once temperatures drop, production will return.

Relax!

Relax! There isn’t a whole lot that can be planted right now, so enjoy your spring labors and start planning for fall.
July 22nd is National Hammock Day! So go get one and relax!


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--Alex Wisdom
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Conifers and Evergreens for Container Gardening

21/10/2016

1 Comment

 
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Succulents are all the rage right now, and they have been for a while.  It’s easy to see why.  They are low maintenance, interesting and colorful without flowers, making an arrangement attractive throughout the season.  Most come from extremely harsh climates, so bringing them here they almost grow too easily.  They can be planted in a trough or bowl for a mixed arrangement, planted in small individual pots that can be rearranged on the fly, or planted singly to use as a specimen.  They need full sun to stay healthy and vibrant, but usually this is not a problem in Oklahoma...until winter.  Most succulents are tropical or at least not pot-hardy here.

Conifers(and some evergreens), however, meet all of these requirements including that critical one.  They are evergreen, cold hardy, and for the most part, pot hardy, meaning they can be left outside all winter.  Something that can’t be done with most succulents.  But the best part is that they look great all year.  We carry a line of evergreens and hollies that are either dwarf or extremely slow growing, which means they only out grow a pot every 5+ years or so.
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Rock Garden Holly

This hybrid Holly has shiny dark green leaves that are bronze when they emerge in the spring and during the growing season.  It’s mature size is only a foot tall and wide, so it’s perfect in a mixed pot or as a specimen or even a small bonsai.  The red berries in fall and winter make it ideal for decorating for the holidays!

Goshiki False Holly

This will grow into a larger shrub, about 5-6 feet tall and wide but responds well to shearing.  It has a holly-like leaf that is variegated, changing from pinks to copper to yellow as the seasons progress, giving it renewed interest all year.  It only grows three to six inches a year, but eventually, it will need a large pot or a home in your garden.
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Wilma Monterey Cypress

This beauty has a soft, fine texture with a narrow, upright habit.  Another one that will get large (12’ tall X 4’ across).  This will do better solo in a pot or straight in the ground.  Its golden color is highlighted by cinnamon colored bark and lemon scented foliage.

Whipcord Red Cedar

This is for the fans of Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons.  You can almost hear the low grumbling as his plans are being thwarted by Bart.  Whipcords only get three to four feet across in the garden or pot and develop a lovely bronze color in winter.  Just watch out for the rakes as you plant it!


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Jean’s Dilly Alberta Spruce

Similar to the typical dwarf Alberta Spruce but much more compact.  Growing only a couple inches a year, it will max out at three feet tall and about a foot wide.  Perfect for a mixed conifer bowl or collection of pots.

Upright Mugo Pine

Slow-growing, upright mugo with attractive cones.

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Valley Cushion Mugo Pine

An extremely hardy, low-growing Mugo - less than a foot tall and four feet across, with a growth rate of three to five inches a year.  New buds are a rusty red that contrasts with the dark green foliage.

These are just a few of the conifers we have, and I hope I have given you an idea for a different kind of arrangement. In containers or in beds, hollies and conifers can create a garden unlike anyone else on your block. So think out side of the annual, perennial, hedge, and succulent boxes and come check out our selection. Below is a link to the web page of the nursery from which we get most of our conifers and evergreens. It has lots of great information as well as pictures of the full grown plants and ideas for arrangements.

http://www.iselinursery.com/fanciful-gardens/
http://www.iselinursery.com/colorful-conifers/
http://www.iselinursery.com/container-gardens-alternative-for-small-spaces/

Alex Wisdom

Plant nerd since grade school.

1 Comment

    Authors

    Kathy and Alex have combined experience of over 25 years, and offer their expertise here.

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  • PWGC Home
  • Plant Inventory
    • Edible Plants
    • Perennials
    • Tropicals
    • Annuals
  • Events
  • About Us
  • Plant Profiles
  • Gallery
  • Seeds
  • Online Shoping