Reduce, Reuse and Recyle in a Different Way.

After planting my new Pinky Winky hydrangea, I decided to come in out of the heat on the first day of August and write about something that is totally removed from gardening. So please bare with me while I share my recent recycling project.

Late in May, I started looking locally to adopt a dog from one of our local shelters. Chance, my beloved dog passed away mid May of 2007. (See my May 2007 tribute). He was a wonderful dog, with a love and zest for life. And through the cancer, diabetes, pneumonia, daily medicines and shots, he never gave up his will to live. For one year, my husband, father and I mourned his passing. The emptiness was overwhelming. For the first time in our lives, we were without a dog. I felt that it was now time to honor his memory and give another animal the kind of life he experienced. I started searching for a full pedigree Rhodesian Ridgeback because Chance was mostly Rhody and a superb dog. But after much rethinking, I decided that many of these dogs always get homes, while so many other dogs are in need of homes. I found that a good majority of the dogs are listed on http://petfinder.com/. Many are full pedigree dogs and many are mixed breeds. Thus began my hours upon hours of early morning and late night searching for my new dog.

My experience was an eye opener to the tragedy that is going on in America today. Pets being discarded as if they were nothing more than a piece of worn out furniture that is tossed to the curb for the local waste management vehicle to come along and haul it to the dump. I wish I could have adopted a dozen, but in reality I can only have one and hopefully two. The stories are basically the same. No time, moving and can’t take it with us;...too big, ....too loud, not good with kids, in foreclosure, etc. Some give no reason for surrendering the dog. The really sad cases aside from those that are dumped or abused, are the older pets. How heartbreaking to see an 11 or 12 year old dog being sent to a shelter after living out most of its life with one family. Their only fault is the fact that they are old.

During my search I attempted to adopt several dogs, three were under adoption agreements, three suffered some serious issues with separation and socialization, and the last one was kept by the foster because she became attached to her after having her in her care for a few weeks. One shelter almost seemed like it did not care if her dogs were adopted or not. But most of the rescue organizations were very helpful and caring. I understand now why they scrutinize their perspective owners. They want these already fragile creatures to go to a home that will no longer put them through more turmoil and stress.

Although I applied for adoption at several different rescue groups throughout Ohio and PA, I kept coming back to a group in central Ohio called “Stop the Suffering”. I found that they always went out of their way to help a person find the right pet. Lynn Aronson, a rescue worker that find homes for these animals, told me about a dog she was getting from another shelter. I kept hearing wonderful things about a sweet black fur ball.

Java landed up in the Fulton County Pound. She was picked up as a stray. When Nancy Wolfe a rescuer from Northwest Ohio Siberian Rescue went in to save a husky; the warden told her that he had a dog that he thought had a wonderful temperament. (Just the word "warden" sends shivers up my spine. It conjures up visions of a person overseeing a cell block of cats and dogs waiting on death row for their unknowing execution.) The warden went on and on about how he picked up this dog and that she rode all day in the front seat of his truck while he went around and picked up strays. He showed the dog to Nancy and said that if she did not take her, he was going to put her down at 3 PM because he did not want to come back in over the weekend to feed her. So Nancy, going on her instincts, pulled Java from the hands of death one short hour before her execution and took her and a husky back to her home.

Java spent the next few weeks living in a sled dog house with Nancy’s own Huskies and other rescue dogs. It was apparent to Nancy that this dog must have been someone’s house pet because of the characteristics and behaviors she exhibited. Did the owner fail to look in the right place for her or did they truly not care what happened to her? From there, Java went to Stop the Suffering, where she was placed in the care of Shelly, another volunteer. Shelly owns a farm and also shelters many dogs and cats. In fact she houses most of the cats that are rescued by Stop the Suffering, as well as some of the older dogs that no one seems to want. Shelly has a soft spot for the seniors. Java went to live on Shelly’s farm for a little over the week and she continued to display a wonderful disposition.

On Monday, July 28, Deb McDonald, another volunteer at S.T.S., picked up Java for us and drove her an hour from Columbus to Cambridge, Ohio so that my husband and I could cut our drive time down to two hours both ways. Java slept the entire ride back to Pittsburgh and had immediately settled into life at our home. One would never know that she has only been with a few days because she has adapted very well. Surprisely, resiliency is one of the attributes of rescue dogs.

Although Java was a very appropriate name for our dog because of her coffee colored coat, we decided that it was a more of a masculine name for a girl. After much consideration and debating, I attempted to come up with what I felt would be a good name for her. Java is now called “Merit” because she is one worthy of being saved. Her name suits her well because this is a dog that should never have ended up in a county pound waiting for her execution. She was someone’s pet, a house dog that was taught numerous commands, housebroken, obedient and apparently loved.

Merit has brought so much love to our home in the short while she has been with us. We are getting to know her quirks and she is getting the feel for her new home. She loves to ride in a car…no wonder she was good for the warden. She enjoys giving kisses and loves to be scratched or her belly rubbed. She can sit, lay down, sit up, give paw, stay, guess which hand has a hidden treat by tapping it with her paw and snatch a dog treat off of her nose. She does not beg food, jump up or get on the furniture. She loves going for her walks and she wants to be where her people are going to be. She is a gift from heaven…the perfect dog. She loves everyone she meets and she is the sparkle in my 84 year old dad’s eye. I watch how she makes him light up when she is in his presence. I shutter to think that such a sweet creature almost had her life taken from her. She is now in her fifth location in over two months and through it all she is a trusting and loving creature. I am so blessed to have her be a part of our family. She is currently dealing with separation anxiety. This is a common issue with rescue dogs…particularly those that have been abandoned, surrendered or lost. But with time, I am sure that Merit will realize that she is safe, and that she is now in her forever home. And after only a few days, we can not imagine life without her.

So forgive me as Iveer far left from my gardening thoughts and encourage each one that reads this story, to think carefully before taking on a pet. It is not one that should be taken lightly and it one that should be made with the intent of a life long commitment. Having your pet spayed or neutered is the second most important step you take when adopting a new dog or cat. Every single day, thousands of dogs, puppies, cats and kittens are being put to sleep. If you don't believe me, read the true story about Sam. Make sure you have a tissue or two before you start. http://www.lyonsdenrescue.com/id38.html

May I encourage you to find it in your heart to consider adopting a dog from a shelter. They are so deserving of a second, third or even fourth chance. By doing so, you reduce the chance of wonderful cat or dog like Merit being put to death. By doing so you are giving an animal new purpose and recycling it for better life. My thanks to all those that aided in the rescue of Merit and all those that have dedicated their lives to rescue work. They spend endless hours volunteering their time, services and money to seeing that these animals find forever homes.

One of the volunteer rescuers that I worked with at S.T.S., signs off on all her emails with the following quote. I think it says it all.

“If you save one dog, you won’t change the world;

but you will change the world for that one dog.”

Reduce, reuse and recycle....a rescue animal. The rewards are unmeasurable!

For more information about pets and the mentioned shelters, please visit these sites.
Petfinder http://petfinder.com/
Northwest Ohio Siberian Rescue http://members.petfinder.org/~OH94/
Stop the Suffering http://www.stopthesuffering.org/

Animal Friends of Pittsburgh www.thinkingoutsidethecage.org/

It's raining lilies!

It's raining lilies, thanks to cooler temps and an abundant amount of rain fall. The lilies have been putting off a spectacular show.

Deer Loving Planters

When I removed chubby a few weeks ago, I started preparing a new garden bed in his place. I observed an opportunity to show off my curving stairway which in the past was hidden from view. I dug out some pots in my work area and filled them with a good mix of soil, leaf compost and well rotted manure; headed off to the local nurseries to find some interesting selections. I planted a number of different plants but I found out that the deer seem to be passing on most species and chowing down on the new flowers on the Gerbera. They like both cultivars. Out comes scarecrow number five. Tonight they will be getting a surprise when they go to feast on the last remaining flower.

"Chance of rain; no punch backs!"

Like many parts of the country, Pittsburgh is getting its fair share of rainfall this year. It has rained at least five out of seven days for the past several weeks. Needless to say, it has severely hindered my efforts to complete one new garden bed that I started weeks ago. And the location for my new rain garden is currently under water.

My husband and I have a new game we play, like the one my students and I play while wait for their bus to arrive. (I am one of the bus monitors at my school, and like the post man goes outside each morning and afternoon to make sure our precious cargo gets home safely.) My motto: "Neither sleet, hail, rain or snow, will stop us from getting those buses loaded." And of course my partner in crime and I must be out making sure that it happens. Without fail, we arm ourselves for whatever the elements are throwing at us.

My teammate, was like a green gardener; eager to be a part of the action, but lacking much of the necessary equipment. So, me being the more experienced one, took her under my wing. She now wears silk, long underwear under her slacks in the winter. I've introduced her to 180's and ear bags...gifts of the holidays. She now has a face shield, insulated gloves and goretex jacket. She wears waterproof muckers and is understands the thermal qualities of a down jacket.

Seeing that our school is on top of a hill, we can count on wind chills and rain that blows horizontally. It is important to make sure that the derriere has sufficient coverage or else our students will think we didn't make to the bathroom in time. She is now armed with the biggest dang umbrella money can buy. It covers all body parts and is resistant to gail force winds up to 65 mph. (If we get higher winds than that, we won't be standing there to find out if it works.) "Ah grasshopper, you have learned well." She asked me how I learned so much about the weather and I told her that I was a girl scout and I am a gardener. "Be prepared or be miserable." But I digress.

Back to the game. Aside from the weather, we often must find ways to entertain our students in order to keep them from getting restless. Sometimes I raffle off a pencil or gel pen to the person who comes closest to guessing when their bus will arrive. Some times we spy a parent driving a VW bug. When a person spies a VW bug, that person must yell out the color of the VW and say "(color of vehicle) punch buggy, no punch backs", and immediately punch the closest person in arm. If you don't yell, no punch backs, you will get punched over and over again. Honest, it is not child abuse. (I am the one who is usually abused.)

My husband and I are playing the rain version of the game with our neighbors and family. We call out "Chance of rain, no punch backs!" and hit the person softly in the arm. It is helping me keep my sanity and have fun in the process. So arm yourself for the elements because a little rain (or a lot for that matter), never stopped a gardener from gardening. When you are out there dodging rain drops, remember; "Chance of rain" and don't punch your significant other too hard.
Have a happy Fourth of July!

Sorry, my lawn is not perfect and I am proud of it!

I moved into my current address five years ago. It is small lot by some standards. But for me it is feels down right spacious compared to where I lived most of my life. When I moved in, I saw it as a vacant canvas. I could see the potential in the too few garden beds and the lack there of any existing plant life. And of course there was the issue of the lawn. I can still hear the home inspector saying that with a year or two of lawn care treatments, the lawn would look as good as my neighbors. A few years later and my lawn still does not look as good as my neighbors.

I never was obsessive compulsive about my lawn care as some people tend to be. After all, grass is just another form of ground cover. I have always set my sites on establishing my garden beds. I figured I would be cutting out much of the lawn, so why spend time trying to improve something that would eventually disappear. But as time went on, I found myself apologizing to people every time they complimented me on my yard. Deep down, I wondered if they were saying, "Now if only she could get her lawn looking good". Was I being sucked into "the perfect lawn" vortex that so many men and some women have been caught up in? I had to take a step back and re-examine my increased fixation about having a better looking lawn.

I have no one to blame but myself and the former owners for the way my lawn looks. I did not run out to the big box store and grab a boat load of pesticides and fertilizers. The former neighbors had young children and did not want to put chemicals down on the lawn. I honestly can not blame them for it. But they did little or nothing to help the lawn survive. The first year, my lawn was made up of mostly moss. I can say that had it not been for the green color of the moss, my lawn would have looked like the fenced in area of a dog run. It was obvious that it was hurting in the desired pH department. The second year, I started putting compost tea on the grass. I knew of all the wonderful benefits of compost tea and started reading into the real science behind making it. So I got me a compost tea brewer and started brewing up the stuff. I did that for the next two years. I also started removing the dandelions and other noxious weeds when they appeared. Last summer I spent an hour each day, tediously removing ground ivy as I watched it making a bee line for my neighbors lush and perfectly weedless lawn. The results are still out on this issue because much of my efforts have been reduced due to an extremely wet spring. I am still making a stand at the borders.

Despite the fact that my lawn still looked pathetic, I refused to dump fertilizers and weed killing chemicals on it. Instead I started two years ago by applying corn gluten. Now corn gluten is not 100 percent full proof but it does work to halt the production of new weed seeds from developing . You do have to wait at least six weeks before putting down new grass seed or for that matter any kind of seed. Corn gluten should also be applied in early spring to prevent crab grass. A good rule of thumb is to put it down when the forsythia blooms. I saw little results the first year, but there was definitely a decrease in weeds the second year. One also needs to remove weeds that are already established because corn gluten does not work on existing weeds.

I got a chance to talk to author and organic lawn care guru, Paul Tukey at a garden symposium and he told me that unless I had a good four to six inches of organic material built up on the lawn, all the compost tea in the world was not going to help because there was nothing for all the beneficial microbes to attach to and grow. (You can go to the Safe Lawn site listed below to see how he renovated the National Mall lawn in Washington, D.C. )

So last fall, I started flinging compost on the lawn, at the rate of about a one inch thickness. I am sure that my neighbors were saying ,"That crazy garden lady had flipped her lid. Now she is out there flinging dirt across her lawn." Guess what? I did it again this spring and I can honestly say that my lawn is looking better. I still have some weeds but I continue to mulch in my lawn clippings when I mow. My moss is gone, which probably means that my lawn pH is improving, and because I have been cutting higher, the grass is coming in thicker.

All this has taken me four years. I am sure some of you are thinking that four years is a long time to wait for good results, and you are correct in thinking so. But I can honestly say.... I like my not so perfect lawn and here are seven reasons why.

1. My yard has been certified as a wildlife habitat. I know that birds, bees and critters are not going to be harmed by pesticides. They can enjoy eating the clover and pollinating my flowers without any residual effects. Statistics shows that approximately 7 million birds die annually from pesticide exposure. Where pesticides are used, 60 - 90% of earthworms are killed. Earthworms are important for soil health. I am doing my part to protect and provide a safe habitat for lots of species of birds, beneficial insects and animals.

2. I can allow my niece, nephew and pets to roam on the grass without worrying that they are going to be exposed to all those chemicals. Did you know that a report by the National Academy of Sciences shows that the health of 1 in 7 people is negatively impacted in some form by lawn pesticides. Numerous studies link lawn chemicals to cancers and other long-term diseases. Several studies also link exposure to artificial lawn chemicals to an increased risk of cancer and other health problems in pets. Children are especially at risk for negative health consequences due to their size, physiological development and proximity to the ground. Studies from Yale University, Mt. Sinai Medical Center and several others point to children’s health risks associated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The average suburban lawn receives 10 times as much chemical pesticide per acre as farmland. Over 70 million tons of fertilizers and pesticides are applied to residential lawns and gardens annually.

3. I am helping to save the environment. All those chemicals flush out of the lawn, into the water tables and sewage systems and flow into our streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. According to a Long Island study, lawn run-off contributes to about 60 percent of contaminated ground water. And synthetic pesticides destroy beneficial organisms in a lawn's ecosystem. By deceasing the number of times I cut my lawn, I am helping to reduce greenhouse gases being produced from my mower exhaust fumes. Per hour of operation, a gas lawn mower emits 10-12 times as much hydrocarbon as a typical auto. A weed eater emits 21 times more and a leaf blower 34 times more.
Mulching your lawn clippings instead of bagging adds nitrogen to the soil and reduces yard waste in landfills. Eighteen percent of municipal solid waste is composed of yard waste.

4. My lawn is not becoming addicted...yes, a fertilizer junkie. The more synthetic chemicals that are applied, the more chemicals are required to maintain the lawn. Organic lawn care increases the build up of nutrients and beneficial organisms in the soil while reducing the need for lawn fertilizers. The lawn is better able to withstand drought, pest and other lawn problems. Synthetic fertilizers are a quick rush of nutrients to the lawn. They make the grass greener and grow faster. Faster growing lawns means more frequent cuttings. Organic products break down slower into the lawn, last longer and reduces the rapid lawn growth experienced by the use of synthetic products.

5. Reduced mowing means reducing risk of injury. NBC's Today show did a special piece on The Danger of Lawn Mowers. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25453506#25453506 Every year 8300 children under the age of 15 go to emergency rooms for lawn mower injuries. One quarter of them are under the age of five. Many years ago, my aunt got some of her shrubs caught in the blade of her gas powered mower. She did not shut off the machine, but instead reached down and attempted to pull them out. She permanently lost several fingers on one of her hands.
A John Hopkins Bloomsburg School of Health study found that nearly 80,000 people are treated each year for lawn mower injuries. The most common were strikes from debris, such as rocks or and branches being propelled by the lawn mower blades.

6. I am saving money. Who wouldn't want to save money. Especially if you knew that you were literally flushing all your efforts down the storm drain. Organic lawn products may be a bit more expensive, but you use less of them than the conventional fertilizers. Reduced mowing and watering means more money in your pocket. Thirty percent of water used on the East coast goes to watering lawns.

7. Green is in and I don't mean lawn. Going green is on a rise and more and more people are jumping on the green wagon. Doing something that is good for the environment, your health and your wallet is a good thing. Reduce, reuse and recycle never looked better for lawn care.

I probably could state lots of facts and statistics for establishing an organically grown lawn, but have provides some helpful and informative sites and books for you to read for yourself. Perhaps they will make you look at your lawn in a whole different way.

http://www.safelawns.org/index.cfm
http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_lawn_care.htm
http://www.organiclawncaretips.com/
http://www.neutonpower.com/ (Battery powered lawn mowers)

"Teaming with Microbes" by Jeff Lowenfels
"Organic Lawn Care Manual" by Paul Tukey
"Second Nature" by Michael Pollan
"American Green: The American Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn" by Ted Steinberg
"Grow Organic" by Doug Oster and Jessica Walliser

Yippee...I did it!

Yippee, I finally did it! I grew my first delphinium. Now, some of you out there are probably saying, big deal, so she grew her first delphinium. But, for me, it is a really big deal. You see, my sister has grown prize delphiniums for years. You could say that she has the delphinium green thumb. Her delphiniums are down right gorgeous. She can manage to keep them blooming right through our first frost and into November.

I don't have a particular fascination with delphiniums. I think delphiniums are a beautiful flowering plant, but I am not the type of gardener that wants to spend time protecting, nurturing and fussing over a single plant. I have far too many plants to care for. On the other hand, I have tried growing delphiniums from time to time, only to have them succumb. I finally came to the realization that delphiniums were not to be a staple in my garden, so I put the thoughts of growing them to rest,....until last year. Yes I did it again. I got sucked into buying three plants. They sat on my deck most of last summer. I guess I had some deep seated vision of their immediate death upon planting them. In the meantime, one of them did pass on to delphinium heaven. Ah, proof that the curse was still there. But as summer started to fade, two plants had managed to hang on in their original pots. Feeling bad that they survived the entire summer and guilty for not planting them, I marched off to my trellis garden and found two well protected spots. I watered and watched these two scrawny plants make it through the fall. I even put markers in to show where they were placed just to prove that they would not be there come spring.

Spring arrived and I walked around inspecting my beds to see what had and had not survived the winter. To my surprise, there appeared to be the two surviving delphiniums. But still, I did not get my hopes up. After all, I have been here before. But, this has been a great spring for plants. And the plants have been flourishing.

Last week I went away for the weekend and noted that one of the plants had a nice form of buds. But again, I still did not set myself up for disappointment because it had not yet opened. As I took my evening walk through my gardens last night to look for problems or see what was in bloom, there shining brightly was a beautiful pale blue delphinium. It even looked like it was well placed and belonged there. As I looked at that plant, I had to confess, it was a special moment for me to see something that had evaded me for so long, finally come into fruition. I was no longer a delphinium failure.

So why my fixation on delphiniums? I am sure every gardener has a story of some plant they really liked but for some reason, they had little or no success at growing it while a friend, relative or neighbor had it in fruitful abundance. So for me, you could say it was a case of plant envy. The more I saw my sister's delphiniums, the more I wanted to have one for myself. Well now, that I no longer feel like I am a delphinium failure, will I ever grow another delphinium? Who knows? For now, I am over my delphinium envy. At this point, I will just enjoy the victory and email these pictures to my sister.

Longwood Gardens

This past weekend, my husband and I went back East for a family wedding. After arriving at our hotel early Friday afternoon, we decided to take an late day tour of Longwood Gardens in Kenneth Square, PA. This was certainly not my first trip to Longwood, but rather my fourth in the past eight years. In fact, Longwood holds special sentimental memories for me, because it is where I met my husband for our first official date.

I have tried to get to Longwood at different times of the year to see how it looks throughout different growing seasons. But this trip was the first one that allowed me to enjoy the play of evening shadows in the garden. It also was one where I actually got to see the night fountain display. In the past the fountains had been limited or shut down due to drought conditions in the area.

If you have not been to Longwood, it is well worth the trip. Longwood is steeped in history. Over 200 hundred years ago, the land was once inhabited by Indians. In the 1700's, a Quaker family named Pierce (thus the name of Pierce Woods), purchased the property from William Penn. The farm was purchased in 1906 by Pierre du Pont, founders of the DuPont Chemical Company. DuPont purchased the farm to preserve the large trees. He had pretty much made it into what you see today. He had no real garden plan, but built the site piecemeal. (Sounds like my garden design method.)

As I walked among the woodland paths and the magnificent gardens with fountains and open air theatres, I tried to envision the lovely evening entertainment that took place during that era. It must have been a pretty spectacular site to see.You can learn more about Longwood Gardens by visiting: http://www.longwoodgardens.org/ (Note: Longwood is currently exhibiting Nature 's Tree Houses along with Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA, where you can see 17 structures. Learn more about Tyler Arboretum: http://www.tylerarboretum.org/totally_terrific_treehouses.htm