Even though I was out of town all week I was still able to round up some plants for the garden. I am trying to comply with my 2010 challenge to learn more about sustainable gardening, spend less by using seeds and p
ropagation techniques and to recycle the things I have on hand whenever possible.I was able to take some cuttings from some plants that I liked to add to my garden.
One was a Kalanchoe that had bright red flowers. I have two of these succulents already a light orange and a dark orange .
The other cutting is from a plant I am not familiar with.
It was still growing strong last week in 20 degree temperatures up North so I have to figure its a pretty tough plant.
Here is a picture from last May of the donor plant in bloom.
I am sure that some one will recognise this plant and tell me what it is. I had my eye on it for awhile and finally got some cuttings from it for my garden.
These guys are Park's Sweet success Cucumbers that I started from seed from the 5Th of this month.
They are replacing the Tomatoes that had been in the five gallon container.
I'm hoping to start some seeds a couple each week so that I can get a continuous crop of the cucumbers up into the summer.
These Sweet Success seeds are hybrids and I plan to start some organic heirloom Cucumber seeds after the hybrid seeds are used up.
Some more of the old seeds that I am starting have sprouted. These are mixed Zinnia plants that I am going to plant around the garden. I have a lot of the Zinnia seeds so I can start several more of them every week also.
The hardest part of changing to organic sustainable gardening is the attitude part. The challenge helps me to set some goals and helps to keep me honest about the methods I use. I really want to move away from the average garden center garden and plants grown by the nursery. Not that there is anything wrong with that it's just you don't learn much .
It's a lot harder to plan ahead and propagate your own plants than to buy them already half grown. The reward is that you learn and at some point I suspect no longer need the garden center. Not to say I am anywhere near that point but I am slowly inching closer. I have found lots of gardeners who will help and share their experiences and techniques if you are willing to ask.
It is a process that is taking a lot longer than I suspected. But there is a lot of forgotten information out there to be learned . Small steps to becoming less dependent and more self sufficient.
I suspect in times past folks knew how to garden organically and grow their own food and garden. Else wise they would have starved. The best part is that it is kind of fun to learn and empower oneself.
---sanddune---
I don't know what your unnamed plant is,either, but i love it! Good for you on growing plants from seeds. I haven't done this much, because it's so easy just to buy the little seedlings ready to go into the garden. But I'm going to try!
ReplyDeleteI am on the same quest in Orlando so I am cheering for you. I've read alot about organic gardening in the past year and the one important factor that is always stressed is the importance of good organic soil to produce good healthy organic plants and flowers. You do not have to use "products" to garden organically but when I do for fertilizing and pest control, I've had success with products found at www.thehappygardener.info. Organic gardening is wonderfully infectious--I wish you much success
ReplyDeleteI love kalanchoe, and have found it really easy to propagate. There is a huge feeling of success when I grow a plant from a cutting or seeds. Buying something from a nursery is not the same, I agree. I am also growing organically, and was digging over the weekend and couldnt believe the amount of lovely worms I found! I like your idea of staggering the plantings.
ReplyDeleteDeborah,
ReplyDeleteI find starting seeds to be great fun and have started collecting heirloom seeds. There are lots of seed exchanges where gardeners trade seeds for the cost of a stamp. I still don't know what the mystery plant is but it is really neat when in bloom.
Meryl, Thanks for stopping by and for the encouragement. Best of luck for you and your garden.
Gillian,
The Kalanchoe are in bloom here and putting on quite the show. If you are finding lots of worms you have to be doing something good and improving your soil. I am trying but it takes time to turn sand into good soil and a lot of homemade compost. I stagger the plantings out because most of my seeds are hybrids. They are made to harvest around a certain number of days. So to get a continuous harvest you have to start them staggered. After my hybrids are used up I plan to replace them with heirloom seeds passed down from several generations. These seeds can be harvested and reused to get the same plant time after time.
Your pretty pink blooming plant is a Brazilian Plume 'Pink Flamingo'...mine didn't miss a beat this winter...you can't beat it!
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteI think you are right. Hope the cutting takes and it will grow here in the heat of summer. I knew someone would recognize the plant, Thanks and by the way I have been enjoying your Orchid pictures on your blog site.