Compost Confidential

The Resiliency of Nature

I recently returned from a week in Miami, Florida, my latest assignment for three new television shows for Garden Smart.  I enjoy traveling to all the different cities and seeing the beautiful gardens, but this week was special.  From birth through college, Miami was my hometown.  And until this week, I hadn’t been back for 24 years! 

I credit the origin of my passion for gardening to the amazing growing environment south Florida provides.  My earliest memories include breaking off branches from my parents’ prized shrubs (because they were in the way of the secret fort I was building) and then recklessly sticking them in the ground to conceal the damage.

Much to my surprise, nearly every one of those mangled limbs rerooted.  This was fascinating to me and a big relief as well!  I was amazed and hooked for life.  Over time, my propagation skills were refined and my interest in growing any and everything became unstoppable.

Now having been away for so long, I tend to remember only the fertile, thriving paradise of my youth.  Yes, it is beautiful; warm, sunny and tropically lush. Yet I fail to recall the severe challenges to all things growing upon and after the arrival of the occasional hurricane.  This area has been hit hard by several major storms in the last few years.  The impact to the environment is still evident.

As I toured the gardens and observed my surroundings on this recent south Florida trip, what became vividly apparent, is the resiliency of nature.  Many trees that were blown to the ground and left for dead are now making a full recovery, albeit in a non-traditional form.  For example, palms that were blown horizontally in the high winds remain rooted in the ground and are now turning skyward at their crowns.

In other cases large portions of roots from other trees were ripped from the ground and exposed to the light and air. Those roots became shoots, which became new trunks and are now the primary growth, sprouting vigorous limbs and abundant leaves.

Majestic native oaks, the pride of south Florida, managed to remain standing in many cases, despite their total defoliation.   Today there is no evidence on these trees of the extreme stress placed upon them only a few years ago.

In other cases, limbs that were ripped from the trunks of large trees, such as mango and avocado, hide their wounds with calloused-over bark and a thick canopy of foliage, along with an impressive crop of ripening fruit.

Unfortunately, not everything growing fared so well.  The older and weaker trees could not stand up to the forces of nature.  But even in those cases, where trees toppled, new life sprung up from beneath.  Plants never known to exist in the area were making themselves apparent, now that the canopy above was open to more life-giving sunlight.

For a gardener, opportunities from adversity are learned early on.  It doesn’t take the evidence of a hurricane to make this known.  For others, it may be just this very sort of eye-opening experience to teach them and remind us that life goes on, especially in the resiliency of nature.

Bringing a whole new definition to “slow gardening”

My friend and popular gardening author, Felder Rushing coined a new phrase; “slow gardening”.  I   really enjoyed reading what he had to say about this topic.  After all, in this crazy time we live in, ‘slow’ seems to be a topic foreign to us, no matter what verb you put with it.

I thought about Felder and his new phrase a few days ago and several times since.  My new yard has taken the ‘slow gardening’ approach.  I have to admit, Felder suggests that this practice be deliberate, more of a conscience effort to step back, take a breath and relax while you actually ENJOY the garden.  Hummm…that’s a concept I’ll have to get used to.  Not the ‘enjoy’ part.  That’s no problem.  It’s the breathing part I struggle with!

Yes, I’m one of those guys who are always in a hurry to get it done.  I want the instant impact just like the rest of us.  However, in my gardening maturity, I’ve learned that it pays to take it slow.  Feel the land.  Let it grow on you for a while.  Observe your landscape for a full year while you process the cycles in your mind.  How’s that sound; are you buying it???

I hope so, because as much as I’m using it as an excuse as to why my garden and landscape is taking so long to get completed, it really is true at the same time.  I truly do look at the patterns of the sun, observe the foot traffic, imagine how I’d like it to be, etc. 

In this manner, I can design a truly functional and beautiful landscape.  I can think about what I want growing there and change my mind many times before actually committing my wallet and efforts to the purchase and the planting.  My design is really coming together nicely, albeit still in my head.

The front lawn is clearly a design in process.  Part of the yard is torn up, another part is marked with bright orange marking paint and yet another area stages many plants that will someday find a home.  Yes, it’s all coming together…slowly, very slowly.  Thanks Felder.
JL

For the complete account of Felder Rushing’s concept of ‘slow gardening’, click here.

In Search of the “Best of the Must-haves” for 2008

As I write this entry, I’m on a flight returning from the National Hardware Show in Orlando Florida.  Hardware show you ask?  Well it just so happens that this is also the venue for the largest lawn and garden expo in America. 

Each year, any and every vendor that has anything to do with a lawn or gardening product is here.  Everything from a mom and pop inventor with a brand new product they’re trying to introduce, to Mega companies like Scott’s Miracle-Gro.

My observation of this show is that the theme was clearly ‘green” this year.  As expected, there were more organic or eco-friendly products than ever before.  That’s a great thing to see and clearly reflects a response to consumer demands. 

Although our eyes are always open, this show is the first place we come each year to seek out the next and newest candidates for the “joe gardener Best of the Must-haves (BOMH)”.  Some years are more productive than others.  Two years ago for example, the show proved to be a goldmine for great new products.  I left that show feeling like I had come upon many great prospects.

The problem with having a really great year is that the next year will likely not be as good.  I’ve learned that creating great new gardening products, ones truly unique and worthy of further scrutiny don’t come along every day.  In fact, they don’t come along very often at all.

That was the case last year.  I went to the Hardware Show in Las Vegas and was so disappointed with the lack of new, interesting products, I cut my trip short and came back the same day!  Discouraged, I found myself questioning how long I could keep up high standards for a great new lineup each year.  Thankfully, 2007 turned out to be a great year anyway in spite of a slow start.

This time, I did see a few potential candidates.  Of course it will take some deeper digging but at least I didn’t feel shut out.  I’d give you a hint as to what they are but I just can make any revelations yet. 

You might wonder what I look for when I go.  First, I’m looking for products I’ve never seen before.  This show even has a new product section that features the newest introductions.  I always get a sick feeling when I explore this section and don’t see anything impressive.  Especially because I always go here first.

The next step is to walk the floor, row by row.  This can be an intimidating task.  It’s a massive endeavor.  In fact, it’s difficult to see every booth in just one day, which is what I try to do.    I’m also looking for the products I’ve become aware of through trade journals, etc. but have yet to see first hand.  This is a chance for me meet the inventor or product rep and see and test drive the product.  It’s also the time I ask lots of questions.  On occasion, my interests are peaked and that product escalates as a possible candidate.  Most of the time however, I eliminate the product for good. 

My conclusion from now attending these shows for a number of years is that there are a lot of companies selling basically the same stuff, just with different wrappers.  It’s still a necessary step in the search for the next great product to tell you about.  I equate it to turning over a lot of stones to find that diamond.  But that’s what we do to bring you the best.  No shortcuts.  It’s a long process but we’ll keep looking.  I think we’re off to a good start for 2008.
JL

It’s Great to be Home when you have Gardening Fever

I can’t tell you how nice it is to have a chunk of days off the road and working from home.  This has been the longest number of consecutive days where I have not had to travel extensively and I love it. 

The timing certainly doesn’t hurt.  The gorgeous and pleasant spring days are forcing me to exercise all my self-control to stay focused on my business.  I still manage to find some time in the early morning hours and then again after dinner to piddle in the yard.

Unfortunately my yard and garden has been neglected for months, but only because of this absentee  gardener.  Now that I’m here for a few more days and spring is in full swing, I’ve been making quite a few trips to the nursery lately.  The plants are accumulating and being placed in groups as I decide where they’ll go. 

And there’s another reason for the delay in getting my plants in the ground.  I’m still looking for a reliable place for great soil.  I plan to have lots of planting beds and I want to amend the soil and build up the beds with plenty of rich, earthy compost.  The only problem is, in this small town, I’m having difficulty finding it.

This past Saturday I dove into my gardening projects with pent up energy and excitement.  I even got around to painting lines on my lawn with bright orange marking paint.  This helps define the separation between the grass and the beds and allows me to try out the new look before being fully committed.  It takes a bit of courage to give up a big part of your lawn to planting beds.  But this is not the first time I’ve traded turf for tulips and I’ve never regretted it.

This year will be the first time in a long while since I’ve had a full sun front yard and I intend to exploit the opportunity. This weekend I’ll start cutting into those lines I’ve painted on the grass and start to amend those beds.  The garden is starting to come to life, and not a moment too soon. 
JL