joene's garden » GOOPs-Gardening Oops

Misjudged collaboration causes an NWF GOOPs

joenesgarden — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I've made a lot of gardening oops – GOOPs for short - over the decades. I've placed plants into unpleasing combinations, forgotten where I planted bulbs, and neglected to deadhead prolific self-seeding perennials. I fess up to these GOOPs here on the first of each month hoping that, by sharing my mis-steps, other gardeners may avoid doing the same. My GOOPs may wreak havoc on my discerning eye, my gardening budget, or my gardening time but my faux pas don't hold a candle to the the pile of sewage the National Wildlife Federation stepped into when it announced collaboration between it and Scotts Miracle-Gro.

That the NWF, a much-followed wildlife habitat and wildlife protecting organization, was joining forces with Scotts Miracle-Gro, a dealer of lawn and garden chemicals, caused much of the garden writing world to scream a collective «What the … huh!» The NWF was dancing with the devil. This did not sit well to those who followed wildlife-friendly recommendations made by NWF or developed NWF-certified Wildlife Habitats using organic, environmentally sound garden and land care practices.

Go to the NWF website. It oozes nature. It boasts «working for wildlife» in programs to bring bison back and protect otters. It claims «victory for wildlife» in helping stop the Keystone Tar Sands pipeline. It claims donation money is «Inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.»

So why consort with Scotts Miracle-Gro, a company reporting $3 billion in worldwide sales from their products branded under the names Scotts, Miracle-Gro, and Ortho, and as sole North American and European marketer of Monsanto's Round-Up? The NWF claimed money from Scotts would support a shared vision … to encourage children and families to spend more time outdoors. NWF suggested their cozy relationship with Scotts might influence Scotts to change some of its chemical-pushing ways.

I may be skeptical here but I suspect, as many do, that Scotts has a $3 billion reason to not change it's chemical-pushing ways.

A 'Scotts' lawn would never look like this …

filled with violets and other non-grass greenery.

With no intention of ignoring the hypocrisy of the NWF taking money dangled in front of them by Scotts, garden writers responded with blog posts, tweets, Facebook comments, emails, petitions and phone calls castigating the NWF for this misguided collaboration. They questioned how the NWF could expect to maintain any credibility as a protector and promoter of environmentally sound wildlife habitats while taking money from a company that makes its money on the very chemicals believed to harm wildlife and soil-life.

Read some of these posts yourself at:

Your Small Kitchen Garden
A Garden of Possibilities
or, for a compilation of many posts on this subject, head to Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens

In the midst of all this Scotts was fined $4.5 million for distributing wild birdseed coated with chemicals toxic to birds. Does this sound like a company bent on protecting wildlife, or just its own bottom line.

Well, in yet another example of people joining voices to express outrage over the actions of an organization, a company, or a government, collective fury and indignation worked. On January 29, 2012, the NWF announced its turn-around.

The NWF had a «Good job, Brownie» moment. They committed a monster GOOPs, then thankfully saw their blunder.

I don't see a GOOPs of this monster proportion in my future or yours so next month I plan to resume my relatively minor GOOPs tales. In the meantime, tell me about a GOOPs you've made. Either share it in a comment below or post it on your blog and leave a teaser-link below.

Let's help each other … let's garden thoughtfully …

Categories: GOOPs-Gardening Oops, Newsy Items.
Tags: gardening in Connecticut, gardening oops - GOOPs, National Wildlife Federation and Scotts Miracle-Gro.

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Re-GOOPs: a review of 2011’s gardening-oops

joenesgarden — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Welcome to January 1, 2012. The first of each month is confessional time. Time to fess up to a gardening blunder, or gardening oops. GOOPs for short. I share one of my gardening mis-steps and hope you'll do the same.

This is Re-GOOPs month, when I look back at some of the GOOPs from last year.

The GOOPs that drew the most comments is from June 2011. I described how the landscape fabric we installed, as directed by the block manufacturer, while building a retaining wall planting bed became blocked with fine soil silt. It hinders drainage to the point of making the bed virtually unplantable (new word?) during rainy springs/summers. Most of the comments to this post mentioned similar and other landscape fabric issues. I even had a manufacturer suggest we had installed the landscape fabric incorrectly …. we didn't.

To use the bed last season I dug out some of the soil so large clay pots would rest on the fabric layer. I filled the pots with new soil and planted them with hot peppers, cherry tomatoes and eggplant.

Trailing nasturtium seeds and coleus seedlings went into the remaining soil surrounding the sunken pots.

I promised, back in June, to report whether my scheme worked.

The hot peppers thrived, the tomatoes did okay, and the eggplant was not happy.

I planted bush and pole beans between a couple of pots at the far end but, with such a wet growing season, the soil remained too moist for the beans to really thrive.

The nasturtiums and coleus, however, had a banner year.

No aphids … not one.

The nasturtiums went wild, they never had a mid-summer slump, and the coleus grew mighty tall and bushy right up to first frost.

Eventually I plan to remove all the soil from this bed. I'm on the lookout for decorative planters that will fit the space and style of the surrounding block. The planters, which I'll fill seasonally, will sit in the raised bed on top of and within decorative stone. The stone will facilitate drainage and the planters will add seasonal interest and break up the visual impact of the long, narrow bed. I can also add other interesting accents – think cool rocks, shells, candles – at my whim. The new design is still germinating in my idea seed bank but, in the meantime, the sunken clay pots work as a temporary planting solution.

My GOOPs tale of voles eating crocus bulbs and deer nibbling on crocus and Tete-a-tete narcissi garnered a number of sympathetic comments. I think the photos of bright, cheery blooms followed by shots of stubby green leftovers helped in the sympathy department. Isn't this sad?

My solution for the narcissi is to cover newly emerging shoots with upside-down apple baskets each night and to keep a sharp eye out for marauding deer during daylight. For the crocus issue I've taken the advice from Nell Jean at Seedscatterer. I planted tommies (Crocus tommasinianus Ruby Giant and Barr's Purple).

I won't know till spring whether voles left the tommies alone. Keeping fingers crossed and praying to the bulb gods.

The last Re-GOOPs for today is Don't count your tomatoes … a gardening oops. It's another tale, and another sad photo, of creature damage. This time from those cute, fast-moving, devilish chipmunks.

They have superb ripe-tomato radar. The only way for me to beat them to the fruit was to pick before the tomatoes were totally ripe and let them finish ripening on a windowsill. So far the chipmunks haven't figured out how to get into my kitchen. Keeping fingers crossed and praying to the fox gods.

Looking back reminded … though I didn't really need it … that weather had a huge impact in 2011. Three GOOPs posts - February, March and November - involved snow and I hurricane/tropical storm Irene prevented a GOOPs post on September 1 (no power for seven days).

I suspect 2012's GOOPs will also involve weather and creatures and creatures and weather. At least that gives me the chance to blame something besides my own actions.

I hope you'll join the GOOPs party this year. If you are REALLY gardening then you must have made a GOOPs or two.

Either add your GOOPs tale in a comment below or post your GOOPs on your blog and leave a teaser in a comment below.

Happy New Year. Garden thoughtfully.

Categories: Bulbs, Edibles, Gardening, General, GOOPs-Gardening Oops.
Tags: Bulbs, creature damage, gardening in Connecticut, gardening oops - GOOPs, landscape fabric, tomatoes.

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Connecticut gardening plans and reflections

joenesgarden — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:19:20 +0000

It's the end of the year and nearly the beginning of the next. Time to reflect on time passed and make future plans.

First the future plans.

I spent some time this morning noting garden-related events in my 2012 calendar. Winter and early spring are wonderful months to expand gardening smarts and unearth gardening inspiration. Much discovery can come from books, here's some of my recommendations, but sometimes you just need to venture out to see and hear from gardening aficionados. Fortunately, there's no shortage of garden talks, presentations, symposia, meetings, conferences and shows to get the house-bound gardener's creative sap flowing.

The Connecticut Gardener website offers a regularly updated list of gardening events planned from early January onward at sites all over Connecticut. Check them out early since many talks and classes have pre-registration deadlines. Current listings cover January through March.

Those interested in organic land care and organic farming and gardening should regularly check the events page of CTNOFA (Connecticut's chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association). Also check out the educational reading material available via CTNOFA's resources for gardeners link (on the website's left sidebar) and the Homeowner's Corner links (right sidebar) at the Organic Land Care website.

For my reflection, check back on January 1, 2012. The first of each month is GOOPs Day - GOOPs stands for Gardening Oops. I confess some of my gardening mistakes or mis-steps in hopes of preventing others from walking the same path.

GOOPs is an open party, anyone can join. So if you have a gardening blunder you're willing to bone up to, resolve now to share your faux pas with me and other GOOPs participants on the first of each month.

Until then, one more look back at my version of Clement Clarke Moore's classic Christmas poem, originally published last January.

'Tis Days After Christmas, What To Do With the Tree

By Joene Hendry, in honor of Clement Clarke Moore

'Tis days after Christmas and still in the house
Stands a tree in the corner that no longer sprouts.
Stockings unhung, now the chimney is bare
And the tree needs undecorating and disposal, but where?

The children are busy outside with their sleds,
Or elsewhere with I-Tunes blaring through their heads,
While parents reach gently, avoiding tree sap,
To store each ornament for its long summer's nap.

The blizzard has passed, the winds have diminished
And outside there's still snow shoveling to finish.
Yet the tree must come down, its lights cease to flash,
But what can one do besides throw it in the trash?

With sun reflecting brightly off newly drifted snow
That shines from outside the living room window,
New visions pop into your head and you cheer,
«We don't have to make our tree disappear.»

We can use it outside near where winter birds feed
And decorate it anew with suet and seed
So chickadees and titmouse and juncos can roost
While other feathered friends seek their seed-eating boost.

Our tree could block the unlikable view
Of the propane tank or trash can or generator that's new.
We could make it a surrogate, in a landscape hollow,
To illustrate the look of a new shrub to follow.

We could cut off boughs and place in a mound
Over perennials firmly frozen in the ground
To prevent them from sprouting up too fast
When early spring temperatures rise with a blast.

Then the branches, when taken from atop growing shoots,
Can head to the compost to give it a boost.
And the trunk doesn't have to give up the ghost
If we use it next spring as a birdhouse post.

Our Christmas tree doesn't need to end its use
In a brush pile or as municipal refuse.
We'll set an example. We'll use every part.
Let's make tree recycling a post-holiday art.

Garden thoughtfully and stay safe.

Categories: Conferences/Shows, GOOPs-Gardening Oops, Seasons.
Tags: Connecticut Gardener, gardening events, gardening in Connecticut, GOOPs Day, repurposed Christmas trees, The Connecticut Horticulture Society.

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Reluctant Membership: A Gardening Oops

joenesgarden — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

I'm a reluctant joiner… a characteristic that prevents me from jumping onto some fly-by-night bandwagon. But my hesitancy to join groups – I have many excuses: too chummy, too cliquey, no time - kept me from sending membership dues to a valuable organization. This is my December 2011 GOOPs, my Gardening Oops, when I confess/share a mistake, an oversight, or a general faux pas I've made in my gardening life. There are many. This link to previous GOOPs posts proves it.

I share my GOOPs to prevent you from walking in my mis-steps or … to offer some camaraderie if you've already muddied your gardening shoes on the same path. Then I offer you a chance to share a GOOPs you've made, if you are willing and comfortable enough in your gardening skin to confess a blunder.

First, my GOOPs.

What's the valuable organization that took me too long to join? The Connecticut Horticultural Society (CHS). After being a member for just a few months I wonder why I waited to join.

The mission of the Connecticut Horticultural Society is education. CHS's goal is to encourage enjoyment, appreciation and understanding of plants and the art and science of growing and living with plants and their/our environment. They do so through newsletters, presentations and programs during regular meetings (open to the public for a small donation), and separate educational events, garden tours and an annual symposium.

At the first regular meeting I attended, Margaret Roach (learn more about Margaret through her wonderful blog, A Way to Garden) humorously and thoughtfully discussed and shared photos of her 365-day garden. If you get a chance to see Margaret speak, don't pass it up. I even purchased her book, and I shall have some peace there, at the meeting. Love the book and super enjoyed listening to Margaret describe her gardening life. There are many days, Margaret, I would love to walk in your boots.

Subsequent and future speaker presentations include shade gardening (Judith and Dick Tyler who created a wonderful garden on their wooded Virginia land), soil science (Thomas Rathier), sustainable lawns (Tom Christopher), planting natives (Larry Weaner), water gardening (Tim Jennings), sustainable solutions for garden pests (Nancy DuBrule-Clemente) and autumn plants (Stephanie Cohen).

But meetings may also include unexpected presentations. For instance, November meeting attendees learned tactics to save storm damaged trees from immediate demise and when storm damage is tree-fatal … a timely subject following the massive, state-wide tree and shrub damage caused by tropical storm Irene and the snow of the October Nor'easter.

The program meetings alone make membership worthwhile. But, in my best cheesy TV infomercial imitation, 'wait, there's more!' CHS sponsors garden-related trips, holds a plant auction, displays at the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show,

sponsors scholarships and maintains a lending library.

It only took attending a couple of meetings for CHS to turn my reluctance into enthusiasm. I'm already signed up for the CHS-sponsored movie night showing of A Chemical Reaction (December 6 at the Portland Library, pre-registration through CHS) and I look forward to seeing the line-up of gardening gurus at CHS's spring symposium (Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery, Kerry Ann Mendez of Perennially Yours, and horticultural educator and landscape designer Nan Sinton).

Why did I wait? This is my GOOPs.

No chiding needed, I've done ample self-scolding.

Are you, too, a reluctant joiner? Tell your tale in a comment below, or share a link to your GOOPs post – on this topic or any other – on your blog. Just be sure to leave a teaser in a comment below so we know how to find your GOOPs.

Garden thoughtfully and may my GOOPs not be yours.

Categories: Garden Blogs, GOOPs-Gardening Oops, Horticulture Groups.
Tags: Connecticut Horticultural Society, gardening oops - GOOPs.

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Snow-weighted shrubs often bounce back: a GOOPs lesson

joenesgarden — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:11:37 +0000

Here we are at the start of another month, the day I share a GOOPs – a Gardening Oops. I fess-up a gardening blunder of my own from my 30-plus years of trial-and-error gardening and give readers a chance to share a GOOPs saga.

This month's GOOPs revolves around angst and heavy snow.

Leading up to the October 29-30 Nor'easter snowstorm that still has thousands of my New England neighbors without electricity and heat, I heard lots of predictions of shrub and tree damage. In many cases these predictions were correct. Trees are snapped and split all over Connecticut and other New England states. Because we were fortunate enough to not lose power, I had time to focus more on the fact that normally upright shrubs rested near or on the ground. Shrubs like these bayberry were seriously weighted down by snow.

This dogwood tree (center of photo) had branches nearly touching the ground and a five-foot tall winterberry (foreground of photo) was reduced to a ground-level mound of branches.

I was convinced these sights meant I was in for some serious pruning chores. Lilac, laurel, boxwood, and ilex shrubs were similarly weighted down.

I used a broom to gently shake snow from bowed stems and branches. I supported each branch from the underside and carefully shook each free of its snow burden. Then I let the sun and warming temperatures do the rest.

By the next day most had recovered quite well.

Bayberry shrubs stood nearly as straight and tall as before the storm which means I can continue with my plan to prune them after their leaves drop.

The winterberry lost a few leaves and berries but generally looked as if nothing had happened. (It's lower branches are missing because of deer munching.)

The once droopy dogwood again stood tall, its maroon leaves offering stark contrast against the snow.

Lilac, mountain laurel, boxwood and ilex shrubs likewise recovered with little branch breakage.

Yes, some luck was involved. My shrubs mostly bowed rather than snapped under the weight of the snow. My GOOPs was not having faith that my shrubs would recover. I immediately expected the worst when I should have known better. Shrubs and trees are often more resilient than doting gardeners expect.

After witnessing many, many split trees and shrubs in surrounding yards I can't say I'll have less angst when the next heavy wet snowstorm hits. But next time I'll try to recall how well so many shrubs and trees bounce back.

Do you have a GOOPs, a gardening faux pas or blunder to share? Do so in the comments below or leave a teaser comment that directs us to your GOOPs on your blog.

Here's hoping my GOOPs do not become yours. Garden thoughtfully.

Categories: GOOPs-Gardening Oops.
Tags: gardening in Connecticut, October 2011 Nor'easter, snow-weighted shrubs.

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