P Allen Smith

A few Saturdays ago, I attended a seminar in the Chicago area sponsored by Proven Winners. It was aimed at the consumer (that's you) and

P Allen Smith was one of the speakers - see picture! We've been attending Proven Winners seminars for growers for several years now, so when they offered one for the public, I thought I'd better go and see if they're telling you the same things they're telling us. They are.

It must be Spring if . . .

I'm sure you all have been out hunting for little green shoots in your gardens by now. The Daffodils and Tulips are peeking out of the earth, and many summer Perennials are showing signs of life. I love to see the first Robin, but my favorite early spring return is the Red-winged Blackbird. I remember it's song from years ago when one perched on a branch just outside my bedroom window and woke me up each morning.

The Last Week of February

I'm always glad when February is over - to me, it is the last month of winter. Even though March can still be cold and (heaven forbid) snowy, it holds the promise of spring. Let's all hope we have spring this year. If you remember, last year it rained for six weeks starting in May!

Plant of the week:

Tetrastigma

(Chestnut Vine)

In the Genus of about 90 species of evergreen and deciduous tendril climbers Tetrastigma is found in tropical woodland from Indonesia and Malaysia to north Australia. It is the giant of the vines group. Each leaf measures more than 1ft. across when mature - the 3-5 leaflets which make up each leaf are glossy and saw-edged.

They are diamond shaped, toothed, shiny, dark green above and yellowish brown and hairy beneath.

Because Tetrastigma grows below the canopy in the tropical rainforest, it requires bright, indirect light and humidity.

We have three of these wonderful hanging vines which we enjoy in our screen porch each summer. Because they are tropical (zone 11), they must be wintered indoors. We grow ours in 12" hanging baskets which are easily brought in and wintered in our indoor planter. They require nothing special to thrive. Water with dilute fertilizer during the summer months and water sparingly throughout the winter.

WEEKLY UP-DATE

I see that it's been a long, long time since I posted anything of interest.

I am going to be more attentive to my blog putting up something new and of interest every week. These are the topics I will change or update each week.

If there is a topic, plant problem, etc. that you would like me to address, please let me know and I will do what I can to help you.

* Plant Of The Week

name, picture, care instructions, best use of the plant

* What To Do In The Garden This Week

there's always something to do that's garden related - every week of the year

* Link Of The Week

a new link that takes you to another site of interest

* Calendar Update

upcoming events, trips, workshops

Check back on Monday -

my plan is to work on the blog over the weekend and have it available by Monday each week.

If I don't, and you catch me, I will send you a 5$ gift certificate to use in our store at your convenience.