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From the Archives
Archive for January, 2008
Growing Pains, and a New Focus for ITGO
In the Garden Online is officially a toddler. The site is three years old now, with the blog being an unruly 18-month-old. This site and I have grown together. In the beginning, ITGO was a place to practice garden writing, a place to prove to myself that I could write about doing what I love. It started getting visitors much sooner than I expected it to. It started getting linked to, and written about, and Stumbled. I started to blog, found a bunch of kindred spirits who became friends, and started the Mousies to celebrate the community I’ve come to love so much. In the meantime, I’ve realized that there’s all kinds of writing out there, and plenty of people who will pay well for someone to create content for them. Since ITGO launched, I’ve become what was nothing more than a dream back then: a full-time freelance writer, making an income that matches what I used to make working 9 to 5. More often now than ever, I end up neglecting this site. Not because I don’t have the time—I make the time, but spend it staring at my laptop screen wondering where all of this is going. I feel like I’m at a crossroads with ITGO, and nothing can move forward until I figure out where I’m going. Otherwise, I’m just spending my time here wandering aimlessly, filling space just so I can at least say that I’m still actively blogging.
The fact of the matter is that that just isn’t good enough. This blog, this website, and the Mousies are nothing more or less than labors of love for me. I don’t make any money here. None of this is ever going to make me famous. What it comes down to is joy. Every time I get an email or a comment from someone saying “thanks, this helped me,” I am happy. The idea that this site is useful to someone, and maybe makes gardening easier and more relaxing, is what gets me going. Aimless posts written so I can say that I posted are not useful to anyone.
The website started with a very simple idea: provide content to help gardeners in Michigan and the rest of the region grow gardens that are good for the Earth and good for the gardener. As simple ideas generally are, it’s also a good idea. And in the last three years, and the growing pains that accompanied them, the focus was lost. The less focused this blog and site have become, the less happy I’ve been with them.
So, from here on out, regular readers will start to see a change in the content here. Blog posts will actually have a point, specifically one that is useful for Michigan gardeners (and others throughout the region). It’s going to read less like my personal journal and more like what it was intended to be: a resource for other gardeners. You’ll start to see more about gardening events around Michigan; more about Michigan nurseries and gardens. Does this mean my participation in things like Bloom Day or the Gardenbloggers Book Club are a thing of the past? Of course not. What it means is that from now on, every post will be written with one question in mind: Is this useful?
My hope is that my friends who have been reading for the past year and a half will find that they enjoy this new direction and will still enjoy visiting and commenting. I also hope that any new visitors who end up here will decide that there is something of merit here, something worth coming back for.
Nothing else will be changing. I’m still as gardenblog-addicted as ever. I’ll still be around, and I’ll still be commenting and reading everyone else’s blogs. The gardenblogging community has been a huge inspiration for me as I’ve been trying to figure out what to do here. You all have so many different styles of blogs, styles of writing and posting, and each one of them works wonderfully for you. This is just my way of finding a way that is personally satisfying for me. I look forward to looking at my blog and not wondering “why did I bother writing that?”
So, my toddler blog is growing up, and it’s required some growing up from me as well. I’m looking forward to the next stage of the ITGO journey.
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Zen and the Art of WinterSowing
Good Morning, friends!
It’s snowing as I write this. The evergreens outside my window never look prettier than when their branches are dusted with freshly fallen snow. There’s also nothing quite as pretty as milk jugs lined up on my potting bench, sleeping happily beneath a blanket of snow. I’m happy we’re not in for a thaw anytime soon! I sowed at the end of our little January heat wave last weekend, and hopefully the timing will work out right. Wintersowing has definitely helped with the cabin fever I always get around this time of year. Spring still seems so far away, and the whirlwind of the holidays is over. Seeing all of those milk jugs and deli containers lined up under their pristine blanket of snow gives me a weird sense of accomplishment. Why, I don’t know. All I did was toss soil and seeds into plastic containers. Maybe it’s the sheer volume of containers. My 36 containers of perennials pale in comparison to the hundreds that some wintersowers plant, but it definitely surpasses the number of seeds I would be able to start under lights!
But what I really wanted to write about is the joy of actually planting the containers. I’ve wanted to write this entry since I read Gina’s wintersowing post, in which she mentioned that wintersowing wasn’t much fun. I know what she means. Last year was my first year, and I was both overwhelmed by the number of containers I needed, as well as the time it took to prep those containers. I managed to cut myself at least twice in the rush to get milk jugs prepped so I could get planting. By the time I got to the point of throwing seeds into the jugs, I was about ready to stop for the day. It wasn’t fun. It was plenty of fun seeing sprouts, and watching them grow, and eventually planting them into the garden and watching them thrive. But, for a garden-starved gardener, every phase of wintersowing should be enjoyable! Don’t we live for the scent of fresh soil, the feel of dirt under our nails? I was determined to make this year’s wintersowing more relaxing, more fun, and less stressful.
I did a few small things that made all the difference (isn’t that the way it usually works?) First, I started collecting containers back in October. Part of my Freshman wintersowing stress was trying to scrounge up enough containers. This eliminated that problem. I had plenty of jugs and containers for my perennials, with a few left over to do my annuals later on. Secondly, I washed and prepped each container as it came along. We’re used to washing out our milk jugs anyway for the recycling, so the washing part was nothing new. But I also made sure that I had a sharp pair of scissors in my kitchen drawer. As soon as a jug was washed, I’d whip out the scissors, cut it, vent it, and put it downstairs in my storage area. Why scissors? Because I had too many close calls with the utility knife last year! Some may find the thrill of danger fun, but I don’t 
I used the scissors to cut around the container, leaving a hinge on the handle-side of the jug. I started the hole by simply pinching one of the corners closed and using the scissors to start a small hole that I could then push my scissors into to start cutting. The drainage slits on the bottom and ventilation slits on the top were done with a serrated steak knife. I also bought all of my soil ahead of time, so I didn’t have to worry about running out. I kept all of my sowing supplies (plant markers, Sharpie, duct tape, seeds, my spreadsheet) in a small box so I would have everything together when I wanted to sow. I spent several hours in my kitchen, happily sowing seed, labeling containers, and listening to the radio. There was a sense of calm, an almost meditative feel to the process of sowing, labeling, and taping that left me feeling cheerful and replenished. The girls even got into the act! It was a vast difference from last year. It was fun instead of overwhelming, relaxing instead of stressful. Isn’t that what gardening’s supposed to be?
I know several of you have started your wintersowing as well. How close are you to being done? I have the perennials finished, but I’ll be doing annuals, herbs, and veggies starting in March. I guess I’m a little over halfway done.
Here’s hoping you’re enjoying whatever time you get playing in the dirt
Happy Gardening,
Colleen
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Latest Hubpages Article
It’s been a very long time since I contributed anything to Hubpages! They’ve been without a DIY Columnist for over two months, and have been nothing but nice about it. So nice to work for pleasant people Anyway, if anyone’s interested, my latest is up: How to Save Money on a Kitchen Remodel.
I’ll be back sometime this weekend with my list of annuals I plan to wintersow.
Have a great weekend!
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Garden Bloggers Spring Fling
This is one of the reasons we all love those Austin garden bloggers. I remember being envious when they blogged last year about getting to meet one another in person. Hanging out with my fellow garden bloggers sounds like a dream come true. In planning this year’s get-together, Pam from Digging had a brainstorm—why not invite all the garden bloggers to come down to Austin for a weekend of visiting, eating, touring gardens, and just generally getting to know each other outside of the blogosphere? So, the Garden Blogger Spring Fling was born, and the guest list has begun to grow. This is a fabulous opportunity to connect with other garden bloggers while visiting beautiful Austin, Texas. If you haven’t checked out the Spring Fling site yet, take a look!
Oh, and if you end up going, promise me you’ll take lots of photos and blog about every little detail when you get back. I won’t be able to go (too close to my due date) but I’ll be there in spirit!
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2008 Winter Sowing: Perennials
I promised, back before the Sarah drama and the birthday bash, that I’d do a post on what I’m winter sowing this year. Rather than doing one huge list, I’ll break it down into a couple of posts so I can write a little about why I picked the plants I did. Today, it’s about perennials.
Some winter sowers choose to sow everything (perennials, veggies, herbs and annuals) right away. Others sow the perennials early on, usually in January, and wait with the veggies and annuals until March or April. Both camps swear by their success, so this is one of those things that every winter sower has to try out to see what works better for them. Last year, I had everything sowed by the end of February, and ended up with several empty containers where annuals and tomatoes should have sprouted. I attribute the loss to an unseasonably warm January and February, followed by some March and April freezes that zapped any growth those tender plants had put on. As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, I don’t handle any kind of loss well, and seedling loss is no different. This year, I’m going to sow my perennials, shrubs and trees in January, and save everything else until March or April (probably March—-April is a little close to the ol’ due date, and I don’t want to neglect sowing anything!)
I’m really excited about this year’s perennials. I’ll be sowing:
- Black Eyed Susans—just because they grow really well for me and I still have several spots that could use the long season of color that they provide.
- Blazing Stars (Liatris)–I want more of these for the butterfly garden, and I love the structure they give the garden in winter if you leave the seedheads.
- Asclepias ‘Cinderella’—the ‘Cinderella’ that I wintersowed last year never sprouted, but Kim had some luck with it so I’m going to try it again.
- Coneflowers: ‘Big Sky Sundown,’ ‘Doppelganger,’ ‘White Swan,’ and ‘Paradoxa’. Why? Because you can never have too many coneflowers
- Foxgloves, ‘Dropmore Yellow’ and some dark pink ones from a trade.
- Echinops. A few of the ones I WSed last year grew nicely this year, and I’m totally addicted to those blue flowers. I need more!
- Goldenrod—again, wanting to attract the beneficials to my garden.
- Hollyhocks, deep burgundy and mixed colors— I can’t get enough of these cottage garden beauties.
- Hosta: Sieboldiana, ‘Frances Williams,’ mixed—the ones I sowed last winter never sprouted, but with all the shade on my property, I need more hostas. Hopefully this will be a better year!
- Agastache ‘Golden Jubilee’—anise hyssop was one of my wsing success stories last year, and I’m looking forward to trying this variety.
- Japanese irises—a yellow and purple variety and a white and purple one. I don’t have any of these in my garden, so I’m looking forward to them.
- More swamp milkweed—for the butterfly garden
- Monarda ‘Blue Stocking’—another one that didn’t sprout for me last year. I have a few seeds left, so I’m giving them another shot.
- Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’–I got these free from Wintersown, so I’ll try them and see how it goes.
- Poppies, mixed. I love poppies, but all I have right now are the orange ones. It will be nice to see a color other than orange in May
- Salvia ‘Blue Bedder’—I wsed some of this last year and it went really well. It’s attractive to bees and butterflies, and grows well in partial shade. I have plenty of places for some more salvia in my garden!
- Sedum, mixed. I got these in a trade, and I’m looking forward to seeing what I get.
- Toad Lily. Another trade item. I am so excited about these! Another shade lover.
- Yarrow, ‘Parker’s’—This was another of my failed ws experiments from last year. I still have plenty of seed, so I’ll try again.
In addition to the above, I’m also winter sowing buddleia and vitex. I know I love buddleia, and they’re supposed to be easy to winter sow. I got the vitex in a trade, and I just want to try it out and see what happens.
There is one seed variety I have that I’m still on the fence about sowing, and I’m hoping my gardenblogging pals can advise me on this. I got it in a trade, and the trader called it “Honeyvine” AKA “Milkweed Vine.” She claimed it was great for attracting butterflies, so I sent for it. I did some research, and have come across conflicting reports. Everyone agrees that bees and butterflies love it, so that’s great. The problem is that some sites list it as a noxious/invasive weed and other claim that it can be a prolific reseeder, but it’s not to hard to keep in check. Some have likened it to bindweed in its difficulty to remove once it’s in your garden, but others have said it’s well behaved. I don’t want to plant anything I’m going to have to battle for years on out. I battle the bindweed enough as it is. But I’m wondering if this is like the morning glory issue—in warmer climates, mg’s can be a real problem, because they reseed so readily. Here in MI, I’ve never had them reseed, I’m guessing because it just gets too cold here. Does anyone have experience with honeyvine? If you do, please share! I’d really appreciate it. At this point, I’m thinking I won’t sow it unless someone tells me that they’ve grown it without too many issues. Better safe than sorry, eh?
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