Crimson Glory Antique Rose

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Jay White

A cloeup of the antique rose "Crimson Glory" in my front bed

When we bought our house it was almost devoid of ornamental plantings. The previous owner must not have been much of a gardener. However, he did leave behind a truly remarkable and beautiful rose called Climbing Crimson Glory.

A couple of months ago I did an article for Texas Gardener about how drought resistant antique roses have proven to be. As you will see in the attached pictures, Crimson Glory is a testament to their durability. Not only did this rose survive last year’s drought, it has produced more flowers this year than ever before. AND … it did all of this in spite of the fact that I had just dug it up and moved it in March of last year. Now that is durable!

Crimson Glory is not a true climber. It is what some call a “mannerly climber”. It has fairly thick canes that can be 12’ to 15’ long. Instead of wrapping around an arbor, this rose is best tied along the top of a fence. And that is exactly why I moved it. It had been in front of our porch for about ten years. However, last spring, I built a picket fence. I knew this rose would be the perfect choice to put in front of the new white fence. As you can see, it loves its new location and does not seem to mind that I ripped it out a place that it was pretty happy in.

The deep red color and lemon-y scent makes Crimson Glory my favorite rose in my garden

According to Mike Shoup (owner of The Antique Rose Emporium), both Crimson Glory and Climbing Crimson Glory are a great choice for anyone that wants a rose that “looks and smells like a rose is supposed to”. With its deep red, velvety petals and bright yellow stamens, Climbing Glory will be a stand out in any garden. Plus it’s beautiful, lemony scent makes it the perfect addition to those romantic, hand cut bouquets that can only come from a home garden.

Don't the deep red flowers look levely against the white picket fence?

If you have avoided roses in the past because they require so much pruning and spraying, give antique varieties a try. These roses require less maintenance and trimming than modern hybrids. They thrive in full sun and can with stand the worst drought in Texas history. All they ask from you is about an inch of water per week and two good mulching a year with a high quality, finished compost. Give them a try and I am certain you will be as impressed with their performance as this old gardener!

How and When to Harvest Bulbs

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Jay White

A couple of weekends ago several of my friends from A&M met me at my “bulb honey hole” for a little “bulb rustling”. I have written about my bulb “honey hole” before. It is an abandoned home site that was tended by an incredible gardener for 80 plus years. For a long time I was reluctant to share. However, I have now harvested so many bulbs for my own gardens that I felt it would be great to let a few of my buddies in on my secret.

The Bulb Hunters. From left: Mengmeng Gu, Cynthia Mueller, Sally White, Me, Michal Hall, Charlie Hall, Karin Wallace, Russ Wallace

Karin and Russ Wallace, Mengmeng Gu, Charlie and MiChal Hall, and Cynthia Mueller joined Sally and I for a very fun filled morning of digging in the dirt. Like I mentioned before, this homestead was tended by an incredible gardener for some 80 plus years. Because of her work, the soil in the yard is the most perfect organic, rich, sandy loam I have ever seen. This rich, sandy loam has allowed the bulbs that were planted many years ago to thrive and divide with abandon. Because of this, there are now enough Italicus narcissus (Narcissus tazetta, “Italicus”), Red Oxbloods (Rhodophialia bifida)and Bulbispermum crinums (Crinum bulbispermum) to stock several nurseries.

When harvesting bulbs, it is fairly important to be aware of when they bloom. Almost all bulbs flower at a certain time and then send up their foliage after the flowers fade. This foliage is very important as it is what is gathering the sunlight that the bulbs need to make the carbohydrate storage that the flowers will need during bloom season. Due to this, the foliage needs to stay in place until it browns.

Me, Mengmeng and Russ harvesting Oxbloods

Each of the bulbs we were harvesting bloom at different times. If we were completely reliant on the calendar, our weekend of March 31 was really only the “optimal time” to harvest the Oxbloods. Since they bloomed in early fall, their foliage has been “bulking up” their bulbs for the past six months. Because of this, the oxbloods can be dug and have their tops removed immediately. You can then dry them a little in the sun and store them in a cool dark place for later planting.

Charlie Hall and Karin Wallace harvesting Italicus narcissus

Since the narcissus just bloomed in January, they need to have about half of their tops removed and then be replanted as soon as possible. The remaining “tops” will allow them to continue the photosynthesis required for their January bloom. If the bulbs do not get enough carbs stored up, they may not bloom the first year after transplanting. That is ok. Just keep watering them and wait until the following season.

Karin and Russ Wallace show off a massive crinum bulb

Crinums (especially bulbispermum) are kind of a different animal. Bulbispermum can bloom at anytime. The varieties here usually bloom for me about three times a year. My good friend Dr. Bill Welch likes to say that as far as he knows, no crinum has ever died. This is a very appropriate statement when it comes to this very durable bulb. Because of their durability, they can be harvested about anytime. Just cut their foliage in half and replant within a week or so and they will be fine. Crinum bulbispermum is native to southern Africa. They like wet, marshy areas but they can also withstand drought. Like all bulbs, they prefer a loose, well drained soil but they grow very well in clay. Basically, they will grow anywhere. If you are looking for a bullet proof plant, then this is it. There are several colorations of this family of crinum. The ones on this homestead are either almost pure white or red and white stripped. The stripped variety is often called “milk and wine” crinums.

A "milk and wine" crinum from my "honey hole"

All and all, it was a perfect day. The weather was great, the soil was loose and the mood was bright. All of my friends got a whole bunch of wonderful bulbs and Sally and got a great memory of horticultural fun shared with people we love. Thanks to all of my friends for a wonderful day!

Mutant Bluebonnet-Fasciation

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Jay White

Below you will find a picture of the most incredible and unusual bluebonnet that I have ever seen. My best friend, Johnny Pickle, found this on his place just outside of Bellville,Texas. It is the most unusual plant thing I have ever seen. Now I know that bluebonnets often mutate. I have seen pure white ones. A “maroon” mutation is what allowed my friends at A&M to create the maroon and white variety. However, this one is not a color mutation. I don’t even know how to describe this. It looks like about ten stems fused together that then created one massive flower head. Truly incredible!

Incredible mutant bluebonnet on a ranch near Bellville, Texas

MYSTERY SOLVED- After writing this post, I sent the picture out to my friends in Extension at A&M According to my friends Cynthia Mueller and Doug Welsh, this is rare but not unheard of. In fact, this is the second photo like this they have seen this year. This bluebonnet is suffering from a condition called fasciation. Fasciation is literally translated to mean “bundling”. Fasciation is caused by some sort of stress like physical damage, hormonal imbalance, virus, bacteria, insects or drought. Now we had plenty of drought last year and that is probably what caused this.

Fasciation is very common in Celosia (cock’s comb) and those blooms are highly sought after. Since fasciation is not a genetic mutation, you cannot save these seeds and plan on getting the same thing next year.

Planting the 2012 Spring Potager

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Jay White

March 15 is the ultimate go date in the Zone 9 garden. At this point there is an almost 0% chance of a freeze. Because of this you can now plant just about everything. I have to admit, I am a little behind the curve this year. The rain, while much needed and much appreciated, has seemed to come at times that have interfered with my time off. Who would believe that after last’s year’s drought, I would be delayed in my planting by rain?

A "found" Cherokee rose that I propogated from cuttings now spills over the fence of my potager

As soon as it dries up a little, I am going to plant the potager. I love selecting and designing with the plants that are going to go into the potager. Each year I replant it gets a little easier. I learn which plants do well and I also figure out their size and scale when mature.

A lot of my outside beds are now filled with perennials. I have lots of salvia, roses and dianthus. I also have lots of herbs like rosemary and Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida). There are also Egyptian Walking Onions, larkspur and hollyhocks. The only thing that will need to be pulled this spring is the garlic. In the open spaces in these outside beds I am going to plant several herbs. On a recent visit to Texas Specialty Cut Flowers, my wife bought several varieties of peppers. I have also grown some pimento peppers and Napoleon Sweet Bell peppers from seed. These will go toward the back of the beds with a few varieties of basil that we have saved from seed. Along the front, we will be planting parsley, oregano, lavender and thyme.

Salvia and daiseys in last years potager

The center beds are going to be all for vegetables. The look of the triangular beds will not change dramatically. As a “spiller”, I will replace the spinach and lettuce with Contender Bush beans. Beans are a pretty quick crop so when they fade around June 1, I will pull them up and replant with purple hulled black-eyed peas. For my “filler” I will divide the shallots that are there now and leave a few behind the beans so they can divide for replanting in the fall. Finally, I will plant Black From Tula heirloom tomatoes that I have grown from seed as my “thriller” on the trellises in the center of the beds.

The last bed in the potager is the center diamond shaped bed. Right now it is full of byzantine gladiolus. Once these bloom and fade I will plant a lovely red okra. The okra needs to be planted in June anyway so this work out well for me. I selected okra for this bed because it grows a pretty, nice, tall and structural plant. Okra is in the hibiscus family. Because of this, it produces very large and lovely flowers that look just like hibiscus.

The hibiscus like flowers of okra

Right now is a great time to be outside. The martins have returned, the bluebonnets are in full bloom and the fruit trees are in bud. Why not get outside this week and plant your garden? Below is a list of some of the veggies that you can plant now.

2012 Bluebonnet Season is Here!

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Jay White

Once again, I am pleased to announce that bluebonnet season is here. Below is a pic of the first one to bloom in our yard. It will be interesting to see how well they do this year. Because of last years drought, I was initially afraid that it was going to be a bad year. However, the January and February rains may have come just in time.

Photo by Sally White

In my own yard, we have knee high foliage around the trees. That is because we were pouring the water to those trees to keep them alive last summer and fall. Until about a month ago I thought the bluebonnets under the trees were going to be all we got at the White House. However, with the help of the winter rain, the rest of my yard is now covered in foliage that is about 6″ tall.

If you live more than 100 miles north of Houston, your bluebonnets probably look like this now. Photo by Sally White

Like everything else, bluebonnets bloom at different times based on their latitude. If you live within 50 miles of Houston, you are already seeing the highways show color. If you live further north than that, your blooms will come in a week or two. BTW, you want to hear an interesting horticultural fact about why bluebonnets in particular, and wildflowers in general, bloom along the highways before they do in your yard? It’s because of the pollution produced by the cars. One of the major components of car exhaust is ozone (chemical symbol O3). Ozone is a colorless, odorless gas that causes plants to grow faster and bloom sooner. That’s why blueboonets always bloom first along the road. Now before you get too excited thinking “WOW! This is a cool side effect of pollution”, remember ozone works on ALL plants. Things like dandelions and ragweed will also grow faster and bloom sooner under its effects.

So, based on the bluebonnets in my yard, I am happy to announce that once again it is time to load up the family and the camera and head out into the country for some more bluebonnet pictures. In spite of last year’s drought, the recent rains make me confident that this will be another great year for you take hundreds of pictures of your kids nestled among the big, beautiful mounds of blue that are supplied to us by the best state flower in the country!

If you want to learn more about the history and botany of bluebonnets, check out last years post at https://masterofhort.com/2011/03/bluebonnet-season-is-here/

“A Year in Flowers” by Debra Prinzing

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Jay White

This is the second post on MOH by a guest blogger. This one is by another of my incredibly smart, talented and beautiful daughters. Whitney White is an incredibly talented floral designer in Dallas, Texas. She is currently employed by “Bows and Arrows”. Bows and Arrows is a truly awesome design shop in downtown Dallas. Their awesomeness was recently recognized when they were named the Best Florist in Dallas. Their work is often featured in Martha Stewart and Style Me Pretty as well as in countless other local, state and national blogs and publications.

Whitney recently spent a Saturday with best selling author Debra Prinzing. Debra is a true Master of Horticulture. Not only is she a very accomplished author, she finds time to support other garden writers by serving as the current President of the Garden Writer’s Association. Below is my daughter’s account of a day that was truly life changing to her.

Debra Prinzing with her team in Dallas. On the left is Joy Ijams, Education Director at the Dallas Arboretum. Debra Prinzing holds the bucket. Next to Debra is Cynthia Alexander of Quarry Farms. She grew and provided most of the floral material we used in the class. And finally there is me!

This past weekend I got to meet one of my heroes. Debra Prinzing (http://www.debraprinzing.com/) is a pioneer and advocate for the “locally grown and sustainable fresh flower market”. As a floral designer that dreams of one day owning my own business that creates the finest floral designs using locally grown fresh cut flowers, hearing Debra speak about this movement was truly a rewarding experience. Debra is highly respected author and expert in the locally and sustainably grown fresh cut flower movement. Her latest book, “The 50 Mile Bouquet: Seasonal, Local and Sustainable Flowers” visits with many of the pioneers that are redefining the way the American public buys flowers. By growing seasonal crops that are appropriate for the region in an ecologically sustainable way and then selling them locally (often the same day they are harvested), these pioneers are reinventing an industry that has traditionally relied on homogenous product grown overseas at great cost to the environment.

A slightly fuzzy pic of an arrangement I made for my Dad with only things from his yard. How local is that?

I attended Debra’s lecture entitled “A Year in Flowers” at the Dallas Arboretum. During this talk, she encouraged people to rethink the way they look at floral bouquets. Her lecture encouraged us to ask the following questions when buying or making a fresh bouquet for our home, office or event.

1. Must a bouquet always contain flowers?

2. Why not use many stems of one kind of flower?

3. Is the arrangement full of life?

4. Does it shine at the end of its blooming season?

5. Is it fleeting?

6. Does it borrow from the orchard?

Debra’s mantra is “Buy flowers in season, locally and often”. This was a common thread throughout her lecture. “A Year in Flowers” educates participants on what she calls the “field to vase movement”. The “field to vase” philosophy states that environmentalism and ethical buying choices should apply as much to the floral world as it does to the food movement. Just because we are not eating the flowers (at least I hope not) we should still be concerned with the chemicals we are bringing into our homes and dispensing to our loved ones. Besides, buying from your local flower farmer is not just good for you; it is also good for the environment. Local growers care about more than producing the highest quality flowers at the lowest possible cost. They want to do this while still caring for the earth. Because of these, the flowers they grow have been produced with a lot of love and very few, if any, chemicals. Their organic methods ensure that when the time comes for them to allow the next generation to produce flowers, the earth will actually be in better shape than when they started.

Another local arrangement I made for my Dad

After the lecture, Debra gave a demonstration on how to build beautiful bouquets using locally grown floral products. You cannot imagine how thrilled I was when Debra asked me to stay and be her assistant in this demonstration.

Debra discussed many of the benefits that come from buying your flowers from local producers. First, you can develop a relationship with the grower. This relationship allows you to see the face of the farmer you are supporting in every daffodil. You can smell the generations of care in every garden rose and you can appreciate the bounty of the seasons when you see blooming branches at the first of spring. On more than one occasion an elderly man or woman has wandered into my work place to ask me why roses don’t smell any more. This is depressing. Most flowers don’t smell good anymore because they are grown by people in lands far away that don’t care how they smell. They only care about how well they ship from where they are to the U.S. While it may sound simple, the ability to actually stick your nose in a flower and smell it the way it is supposed is a huge reason to buy local!

You can order Debra's new book by clicking on the link in the sidebar of this blog

What is a florist anyway?

One point that Debra made during the presentation is that a florist used to be someone who raised their own plants and flowers for the arranging. Wouldn’t it be nice if that were a rule for being a florist now? If the floral designers and florists of today acted like they did in the past, we would live in a much prettier place and takes much less of a toll on mother earth. This is why I am now completely enamored with “My Luscious Backyard”, a Toronto based florist (in every sense of the word) who plants and maintains urban flower gardens in other people’s back yards. It doesn’t get any better than that folks. This lady even bicycles her deliveries (Learn more about “My Lucious Backyard” at http://www.mylusciousbackyard.ca/about.php ).

Another thing I learned in Debra’s lecture was how bad Oasis flower foam is for the environment. I had no idea up until this lecture that Oasis (floral foam) is plastic based. Because of this, it never completely decomposes in a landfill. This is big news since I use it almost every day and have been using it for almost a decade. Great…..

But lucky for all of us, Debra has gathered tips of the trade from all over to use in place of Oasis. This video shows most of the techniques she demonstrated to us in the class this weekend (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLKacMtjJUY). I was happy to be sent home with the left over wood fibers to play with in my own designs.

The 50 Mile Bouquet

“My Luscious Back Yard” is one of the many talented and forward thinking florists Debra highlights in her newest book, “The 50 Mile Bouquet: Discovering the World of Local, Seasonal, Sustainable Flowers”. Debra teamed up with photographer David Perry to showcase some of the nation’s hard working ladies and gents in the flower farm industry that are dedicated to producing the most gorgeous hand grown, handpicked, flowers you have ever seen. The book comes out April 1^st. I haven’t been this excited for a book release since the last Harry Potter novel had its midnight debut.

I truly love Debra Prinzing. She is so sweet and so very, very talented. It was a huge thrill for me when she called me “friend” when introducing me to the class. I will always treasure that moment. Even though we had just met, her open and gracious personality allowed us to become fast friends. This simple act sums up my entire impression of Debra: utterly genuine and full of gumption. Debra is a woman with a passion for farmers, the environment and an eye for design. She is destined to be the face of the field to vase movement just like she is already the face of smart garden design. Even with her vast repertoire of knowledge and publications, she is so down to earth. I truly look forward to working with Debra again and hope that you will use your voice to demand locally grown flowers. Go local!

TEXAS LIVE Magazine

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Jay White

I am very proud to announce that I have joined the team of the very talented writers, photographers and editors that bring you TEXAS LIVE magazine. I will be doing a regular garden column that focuses on the organic growing tips that will allow you to grow the best plants possible in the very tough and unpredictable Texas climate. My first article explains the “hows” and “whys” of soil preparation. It also includes suggested planting times for the most commonly grown flowers, veggies, perennials, fruit trees and berries in the state.

TEXAS LIVE is an incredibly beautiful and informative magazine that covers the very best of “All Things Texan.” My wife and I devour every issue. We particularly love the Home and Garden section (no surprise there). Each month, this section allows us to peek inside some truly amazing “country homes” that have been decorated by some very talented Texas designers. Since Sally and I have been remodeling our own “country house” for the past five years each of these featured homes are an invaluable source of ideas and inspiration.

This month's issue of TEXAS LIVE features "Farmhouse Round Top". This is one of the beautiful guest rooms remodeled and styled by Beverly and Mike Corte.

When we are not gardening, remodeling or decorating we love to travel. If we get the chance to run away for a few days we can count on TEXAS LIVE to tell us where to go, what to see, where to shop, where to stay and what to eat once we get there.

The “LIVE” part of the TEXAS LIVE name is actually an acronym that stands for Luxurious, Informative, Vibrant, and Entertaining. Those four words perfectly capture the essence of this beautiful and entertaining magazine. You can find TEXAS LIVE in many of the businesses that are featured in its pages. You can also buy it at your local HEB, Super WalMart, Books a Million, Barnes and Noble, and the Austin airport. The magazine usually sells out on newsstands, so go ahead and subscribe to ensure that you don’t miss a single issue.

The writers at TEXAS LIVE are dedicated to finding the best of everything that Texas has to offer. However, since Texas is a really big place it is impossible to for this small group of dedicated reporters to find and report on all that is wonderful in the greatest state in the America. So, if you have an idea for a story, or you would like to contribute, feel free to drop them a line. They are always looking for new story ideas, writers, and photographers.

Radishes – The Perfect “Prepper” Plant

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Jay White

Yesterday I harvested a big bunch of radishes. My wife usually gets excited when I bring things in from the garden. However, radishes are an exception. You see, she is a radish hater. I have found that she is not alone. If I ever have anything left over from the garden I generally have a list of people that are ready to take it. Not so with radishes. Seems like the world is full of two types of people: those that love radishes and those that don’t.

A very lovely bunch of radishes from the fall potager. Photo by my lovely wife

I am proud to say that I am a radish lover. I love how easy they are to grow and I love the way they taste. I love the way their crispy texture and pungent flesh add a spicy little surprise to my salad. I love to pour a mound of salt into the palm of my hand and dip raw radishes directly into it just like I did with my dad when I was little. Heck, I even like radishes for breakfast! One of my favorite breakfasts consists of a boiled egg, a big slice of sharp cheddar cheese and a handful of French Breakfast radishes.

As much as I love radishes, I will be the first to admit their uses are somewhat limited. Google up radish recipes and you will not get too many interesting results. I discovered this fact while trying to figure out what do with my latest harvest. This lack of results got me to thinking. What could I come up with to elevate the status of the lowly radish? Something that is this easy to grow, tasty and good for you should be more celebrated. Then it hit me. Radishes posses a ton of traits that make them the perfect plant for “preppers”.

Every part of the radish is edible, even the greens. Photo by Sally White

Are you familiar with the “prepper” movement? “Preppers are people that believe there is a very high probability that something really bad is going to happen to the U.S. in the near future. Whatever this really bad thing is (asteroid, nuclear attack, economic collapse), it is going to be bad enough that it will force all of us that want to survive to be a whole lot more self reliant. In order to be prepared for “the undefined really bad thing that is most likely going to happen sometime”, preppers do things like stock pile food, water and seeds to ensure their families can survive the rough times.

If you are a “prepper”, I believe radish seeds should be a pretty important part of your initial survival kit. Below are three really good reasons why I believe radishes are the perfect “prepper” plant:

1. Easy to Grow – Radishes are so fool proof that I truly believe their seeds have a 100% germination rate regardless of variety. To grow radishes simply place the seeds about 2” apart in a sunny location and cover with about ¼” of soil. Water in and keep moist until germination. After germination, continue to apply about 1” of water per week. The plants will go from seed to plate in as few as 30 days.

One quick note, radishes are generally a cool season crop. Most of the short cycle radishes will not grow during the hottest times of the year.

2. Nutritious – Every part of the radish is edible and every part is good for you. Radishes can go from seed to seedling in 10 to 15 days and then to full grown root with edible top in two more weeks. The “greens” and roots are high in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), folic acid, potassium, vitamin B6 and calcium. With their high germination rates, rapid growth rates and high nutritional content, radishes will allow you to quickly supplement your food stores with fresh greens and veggies.

3. Storage – Since radishes are root crops they can be stored in root cellars for very long periods of time. The ascorbic acid in them is not depleted in storage and will fend off scurvy just as well as citrus. Radishes can also be pickled to further extend their shelf life.

So there you go! Radishes are tasty, healthy and versatile. Their ease of cultivation and rapid growth rate make them a great plant to have with you if you need to quickly be able to start feeding yourself and your family. I hope preppers every where take my advice and finally give the lowly radish some much deserved respect!

A mature radish next to radish foliage ten days after planting. These young sprouts are very tasty and very nutritious

Growing Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis )

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Jay White

Asparagus is an extremely long lived perennial. A friend of a friend has a bed that has been producing for 36 years! Now that is an extremely long time but it is not uncommon to find beds that have been in production for over 20 years. Asparagus is tough, reliable, attractive and a joy to eat. So, if I am going to grow it, I am going to have to make a long term commitment to it.

I have never grown asparagus before. But since my wife and I love it so, we have decided now is the time to get started. Like most of you, if I don’t know how to grow something I do research. I have been reading about how to grow asparagus for over year. However, all of the research in the world is no substitute for having an actual expert to talk with. I am lucky enough to be very close friends with an outstanding asparagus expert and grower.

(WARNING! The next three paragraphs contain EXTREME nostalgia. If you are not interested in tales of high school romance and rebellion, feel free to skip to the growing section )

Bobby Mitchell and I have been friends for more years than either of us thought we would live. We became friends in Junior High and have stayed in touch ever since. In high school, I had a 1955 Chevy Pick Up. Every time Bobby got in that truck, something broke. When we were 15, Bobby convinced the head varsity cheerleader (she was a senior and he was a sophomore) to go “parking” with him. The problem was, he had neither car nor license. Somehow he talked me into driving them out in the country and then sitting on the tail gate while he and the cheerleader “made out” in the cab. For some reason, this sounded like really big fun so I agreed.

The quarterback and the cheerleader did a great job of steaming up the windows of my 55. I enjoyed my first “dip” of Copenhagen snuff (which turned out to be a really bad thing in hindsight) while they enjoyed each other. Since my dad worked the 3 to 11 shift I knew that if we got home before 11:30 no one would be the wiser. So at about 11:00 I broke them up. Once we defogged the windows we headed home. Everything was going great. We had won the football game, Bobby had “scored” and I picked up a really bad habit. The night could not have been better.

When you are 15 you don’t yet have the maturity to understand that when things are going this good, something has to go wrong. After dropping the cheerleader off we headed home. It was about 11:15 and we were only five minutes from home when the drive shaft literally fell out of the bottom of my truck! Needless to say the rest of the night was almost as memorable as the first part of the evening had been. My dad was not the least bit impressed with our performance that evening. In fact, he was so unimpressed that I didn’t get to drive my truck for a month. However, it was worth it. This was the first of many, many memorable experiences that Bobby and I shared in that old pick up.

Growing Asparagus – I visited Bobby last summer and was very impressed with his 70’ row of asparagus. When I told him I wanted to grow my own he was happy to share his experience with me.

Bobby recommends planting year old crowns. Since it takes three years to get asparagus from seed, these older roots allow you to enjoy asparagus in year two. To plant them, dig an 8″ to 12″ round hole (or trench) that is about 8” to 10” deep in full sun. Place your plants about a foot apart. Put two or three inches of high grade compost in the bottom of the hole. The compost should be slightly mounded in the center. Spread the roots of the crown out over the mound like an octopus. Once the roots are in place, cover lightly with compost and gently water in. Research has shown that if you plant asparagus too deep, your yields will be reduced so try and keep the crowns no more than 6″ below the soil level.

Keep the roots damp and in a few days the first little shoot will appear. As that sprout grows, slowly add soil and compost to the hole. Be careful not to completely cover it up. In the first year you can expect each crown to produce 2 to 5 sprouts. These early sprouts are small and delicate. Bobby recommends letting 3 sprouts grow above soil level before completely filling in around them. You may also want to stake these young shoots to make sure the wind doesn’t break them off. Once these three sprouts are a few inches above the soil line you can finish back filling the hole with a soil/compost mixture. Asparagus is a heavy feeder so do not scrimp on the compost. Tamp the soil in firmly to support your young sprouts.

A great picture that clearly shows how I prepared my beds and planted the crowns.

The first year the stalks will be pretty puny looking. Continuously weed your beds and apply about an inch of water per week. By the second year you will get a 3′ to 4′ tall plant with very attractive fern like foliage. Asparagus foliage is so thick that it shades out most of the weeds in the second year. In the first year, you can expect your roots to produce two to five shoots. In the second year that number will double. This is when you can begin to do a light harvest. By year three you can expect to have 25 to 30 sprouts per root system. After year two let the first couple of sprouts of the season grow up and grow foliage. You can start picking shoots after that. Once the mature plants start producing, the spears come pretty quickly. If you wait too long to cut don’t worry. Just let the stalk produce foliage. There will still be plenty of stalks to pick

The first spears of the year in Bobby’s garden. Photo by Bobby Mitchell

Asparagus start producing in early spring and can be harvested for four to six weeks. Do not over harvest. Make sure and leave enough canes to make a large, healthy plant. The foliage will feed the roots, which will in turn, store the food to put into shoot development next year. Once you stop harvesting, “mulch” or top dress your plants with three to six inches of compost. Top dress again in the fall. The foliage will last until first frost. You can prune throughout the year to control height. Once a frost hits them, cut the foliage off at the ground and apply more compost.

A mature asparagus plant produces about ½ pound of asparagus per year. If you like it as much as we do, four to five plants per person should be adequate. There are several varieties of asparagus that do very well for us here. I am planting some New Jersey sterile (all male hybrids) and Mary Washington (a popular heirloom variety). The Jersey hybrids produce large, flavorful spears and will not spread. Mary Washington produces yellow flowers and red berries. The spears are very tasty. However, it spreads so you will have to do more “weeding” with this variety than you will with the all male hybrids.

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea)

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Jay White

In my opinion, if you are going to have a cottage garden, you have to have three plants: roses, larkspur and hollyhocks. While many other plants will fit nicely into the cottage plan, these three are what I believe most people picture when they close their eyes and imagine a cottage garden.

Hollyhocks, with their tall upright stalks and big showy flowers, are the perfect plant for the back of a bed or border. They come in a variety of colors and flower types (singles, semi-doubles and doubles) and will grow in just about any type of soil. Some people say that the plants with deep colored flowers prefer sandy soils while the pinks, whites and other lighter colors prefer a clay soil. So, wherever you live, there is a variety of this flower for you.

Here I am in May with three different varieties

Hollyhocks are members of the mallow family (Malvaceae). This family includes the shrub Althea (Rose of Sharon) and hibiscus. The flowers are edible and some folk remedies suggest making a tea out of them to treat “throat problems” and digestive issues (diarrhea). Hollyhocks have been popular with gardeners for centuries. They are believed to have originated in Asia but were brought to Europe by the 1400s. The English really took to them. In fact, the name hollyhock comes from the old English “Holyoke”. Maybe this is the reason that my grandmother grew them and I love them so. Since we are of good English stock I guess something in our genetics predisposes us to these lovely plants.

A volunteer hollyhock in my potager

Not all in my family have wonderful hollyhock memories. My Aunt Sarah loves to tell the story of how my Uncle Bubba pulled up a hollyhock and used it to give her a whipping. She still cannot look at a hollyhock without remembering what her brother did to her 70 years ago. According to my Aunt Sara, hollyhocks were not just for corporal punishment at my grandparent’s house. Evidently, my grandmother grew hollyhocks to hide their outhouse. Their tall structure (some varieties can get 8’ tall) did a great job of camouflaging a very necessary but often maligned out building.

I don’t grow hollyhocks to hide anything or punish anyone. I grow them simply because I love big showy plants that are easy to grow. Hollyhocks are planted in the late fall or early winter. They prefer full sun but can tolerate some light shade. They can also survive temps in the teens for short periods. The plant takes about six months from the time it first appears until it blooms. It is also a good re-seeder so once you get it established you will have it forever.

This lovely arrangement featuring hollyhocks was made by my daughter Whitney

Hollyhocks are pretty heavy feeders so they do best in a bed that is well worked with organic material. They are fairly drought tolerant but do require at least an inch of water per week to be fully productive. You should not overwater or water from above as they are extremely susceptible to rust. Rust is a very bad deal in the garden. If you see reddish, powdery spots on the leaves of your plants, you have rust. You can try and control it with a fungicide. However, this is not organic and not always effective. The best thing to do in my opinion is pull out the infected plants and burn them. It is also recommended that you not replant in the area where the rust infection was spotted for three years.

It is still not too late to plant hollyhocks from transplants. Many nurseries have them available now. Why not pick up a few this weekend and plant them in the back of your beds. These living antiques will instantly add charm to any bed and their tall form and beautiful flowers will delight you throughout the summer.