More Gifts for Gardeners

Gardeners are a giving group. As the growing season progresses, we're more than willing to share our flowers, produce, seeds, and advice to anyone willing to partake. We give our time, labor, and effort to build gardens and grow plants of every type. After giving so much during the growing season, it's nice to receive thoughtful gifts during the holiday season.

In my previous article I discussed some of the simple items and tools that many gardeners might like to receive. There are many other potential gifts for the gardener in your life and today I propose a few more.

Two gift ideas top the list and are quite obvious, as I was reminded when the last article was published. Plants and seeds are the basic ingredients that make what we do possible. They're the foundation of the garden and few gardeners would refuse them. The hardest part is trying to figure out what to give.

The easiest way to do give green is with a gift card or gift certificate from a local nursery. Many gardeners go over budget at planting time because there's always another plant they'd like to try. Being able to make those purchases without budgetary concerns is a great gift.

While I'm not a fan of gift cards normally, I recommend this method because gardeners can be picky about their plants. A plant given with the best intention may not be appropriate for our specific gardens. While orchids are beautiful, I don't have the facilities to grow them properly and while the gift of a live plant would be appreciated, the plant would begin a lingering death as soon as I touched it. Many other plants that can be purchased from catalogs won't survive my dry, hot summers or harsh winters. For gardeners like me a gift certificate makes more sense.

Seeds are a better option than live plants at Christmas because there are many more to choose from and they won't die before it's time to sow. I recommend Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.rareseeds.com) and Territorial Seed Company (www.territorialseed.com) as good online sources. Take the time to determine if the plant that comes from the seed will survive in your region before buying. For the best success, select seeds that you know your gardener already grows.

There are many sources for ordering seeds and plants

Another basic, yet great, gift is a book about gardening. I have a pretty substantial gardening library, but there are always new books coming out with new ideas and techniques and I'm always willing to learn more. If your gardener has expressed interest in a particular type of gardening, find a book on that subject. Lasagna gardening, square-foot gardening, hydroponic gardening, roof gardening, container gardening, and bio-dynamic gardening are just a few of the topics that would be new to even experienced gardeners.

There are many great reference books that should be part of every gardener's library. Here are a few: "A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants" from the American Horticultural Society; "National Garden Book" from Sunset Magazine; "The Practical Gardener's Encyclopedia" from Fog City Press; Reader's Digest "Illustrated Guide to Gardening". These are just a few of the books that I reference regularly.

For a flower gardener interested in beginning to grow vegetables, buy a book on vegetable gardening. For a vegetable gardener buy a book about flowers. For all gardeners, buy a thorough book on composting. I'd suggest you take a look at the books they already read and enjoy for an idea of appropriate subjects, and so you don't duplicate any.

Magazine subscriptions are another nice option for readers. I subscribe to eight different magazines and go to the library to regularly read the ones I don't get. I prefer sitting in my own chair, in my own house, when I settle in to read and look at the great garden photos so a subscription is better for me. One of my favorites is "Garden Gate"; it's well written and always has information appropriate to my gardens. Another good mag is "Horticulture"; the photos are amazing, though most of the articles are written for gardeners who don't live in the mountains. For Western gardeners, "Sunset" focuses their gardening articles to regional specifics, though gardening is just one part of the magazine that also includes sections on travel and cooking.

"Gardening How-To" magazine is a nice resource for gardeners, particularly new gardeners. It is written for the entire U.S. with some region-specific information. It's produced by the National Home Gardening Club, of which I am a lifetime member. Membership in the club includes the magazine and access to their very informative website. The gift of membership might be a good idea. Check them out at www.gardeningclub.com.

While I proposed garden art in the last article I neglected to mention the most basic decorative garden component. Pots and planters are readily available year-round and easily used by gardeners. A pot that is brightly-colored, uniquely-crafted, or over-sized can look great as a garden focal point. Pots can be moved around by the gardener until they find the proper home and there are always enough plants to fill them. Even if your gift ends up in a hidden garden corner you can expect that it will be used.

The pot is what makes this garden art unique

If your gardener is a social animal or you would prefer they leave the house occasionally, consider giving the gift of club membership. Many cities have gardening clubs and they usually have a membership fee. Sign your gardener up. Locally we have an Iris Society, a Rose Society, and a Horticultural Arts Society. There are neighborhood garden groups. There are volunteer gardening groups for schools and churches. Do a little research and see if there's a group, club, or society that matches your gardeners strengths.

While I could spend a great deal of time listing the great power tools that I'd love to own or the large structures I'd love to build, every gardener is different and my desires may not be ideal when it comes to your gift purchases. Take a look at your gardener for the best gift ideas. If he's always complaining about his torn jeans, buy him a new pair. If she keeps harping about the weeds or an area that needs to be cleared to make a garden bed, give the gift of your time in the garden.

The best gardening gifts are the ones that come from the heart. Taking a little time to ensure your gift matches what your gardener needs will make your efforts memorable and welcomed. While the tools are nice, the books are good, and the seeds will grow, it truly is the thought that counts.

For other gift ideas and many gardening videos check out my video channel:
https://www.youtube.com/gardenerscott

Link to:

National Home Gardening Club
Baker Creek heirloom Seeds
Territorial Seed Company

Gardeners are a giving group. As the growing season progresses, we're more than willing to share our flowers, produce, seeds, and advice to anyone willing to partake. We give our time, labor, and effort to build gardens and grow plants of every type. After giving so much during the growing season, it's nice to receive thoughtful gifts during the holiday season.

In my previous article I discussed some of the simple items and tools that many gardeners might like to receive. There are many other potential gifts for the gardener in your life and today I propose a few more.

Two gift ideas top the list and are quite obvious, as I was reminded when the last article was published. Plants and seeds are the basic ingredients that make what we do possible. They're the foundation of the garden and few gardeners would refuse them. The hardest part is trying to figure out what to give.

The easiest way to do give green is with a gift card or gift certificate from a local nursery. Many gardeners go over budget at planting time because there's always another plant they'd like to try. Being able to make those purchases without budgetary concerns is a great gift.

While I'm not a fan of gift cards normally, I recommend this method because gardeners can be picky about their plants. A plant given with the best intention may not be appropriate for our specific gardens. While orchids are beautiful, I don't have the facilities to grow them properly and while the gift of a live plant would be appreciated, the plant would begin a lingering death as soon as I touched it. Many other plants that can be purchased from catalogs won't survive my dry, hot summers or harsh winters. For gardeners like me a gift certificate makes more sense.

Seeds are a better option than live plants at Christmas because there are many more to choose from and they won't die before it's time to sow. I recommend Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.rareseeds.com) and Territorial Seed Company (www.territorialseed.com) as good online sources. Take the time to determine if the plant that comes from the seed will survive in your region before buying. For the best success, select seeds that you know your gardener already grows.

There are many sources for ordering seeds and plants

Another basic, yet great, gift is a book about gardening. I have a pretty substantial gardening library, but there are always new books coming out with new ideas and techniques and I'm always willing to learn more. If your gardener has expressed interest in a particular type of gardening, find a book on that subject. Lasagna gardening, square-foot gardening, hydroponic gardening, roof gardening, container gardening, and bio-dynamic gardening are just a few of the topics that would be new to even experienced gardeners.

There are many great reference books that should be part of every gardener's library. Here are a few: "A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants" from the American Horticultural Society; "National Garden Book" from Sunset Magazine; "The Practical Gardener's Encyclopedia" from Fog City Press; Reader's Digest "Illustrated Guide to Gardening". These are just a few of the books that I reference regularly.

For a flower gardener interested in beginning to grow vegetables, buy a book on vegetable gardening. For a vegetable gardener buy a book about flowers. For all gardeners, buy a thorough book on composting. I'd suggest you take a look at the books they already read and enjoy for an idea of appropriate subjects, and so you don't duplicate any.

Magazine subscriptions are another nice option for readers. I subscribe to eight different magazines and go to the library to regularly read the ones I don't get. I prefer sitting in my own chair, in my own house, when I settle in to read and look at the great garden photos so a subscription is better for me. One of my favorites is "Garden Gate"; it's well written and always has information appropriate to my gardens. Another good mag is "Horticulture"; the photos are amazing, though most of the articles are written for gardeners who don't live in the mountains. For Western gardeners, "Sunset" focuses their gardening articles to regional specifics, though gardening is just one part of the magazine that also includes sections on travel and cooking.

"Gardening How-To" magazine is a nice resource for gardeners, particularly new gardeners. It is written for the entire U.S. with some region-specific information. It's produced by the National Home Gardening Club, of which I am a lifetime member. Membership in the club includes the magazine and access to their very informative website. The gift of membership might be a good idea. Check them out at www.gardeningclub.com.

While I proposed garden art in the last article I neglected to mention the most basic decorative garden component. Pots and planters are readily available year-round and easily used by gardeners. A pot that is brightly-colored, uniquely-crafted, or over-sized can look great as a garden focal point. Pots can be moved around by the gardener until they find the proper home and there are always enough plants to fill them. Even if your gift ends up in a hidden garden corner you can expect that it will be used.

The pot is what makes this garden art unique

If your gardener is a social animal or you would prefer they leave the house occasionally, consider giving the gift of club membership. Many cities have gardening clubs and they usually have a membership fee. Sign your gardener up. Locally we have an Iris Society, a Rose Society, and a Horticultural Arts Society. There are neighborhood garden groups. There are volunteer gardening groups for schools and churches. Do a little research and see if there's a group, club, or society that matches your gardeners strengths.

While I could spend a great deal of time listing the great power tools that I'd love to own or the large structures I'd love to build, every gardener is different and my desires may not be ideal when it comes to your gift purchases. Take a look at your gardener for the best gift ideas. If he's always complaining about his torn jeans, buy him a new pair. If she keeps harping about the weeds or an area that needs to be cleared to make a garden bed, give the gift of your time in the garden.

The best gardening gifts are the ones that come from the heart. Taking a little time to ensure your gift matches what your gardener needs will make your efforts memorable and welcomed. While the tools are nice, the books are good, and the seeds will grow, it truly is the thought that counts.

For other gift ideas and many gardening videos check out my video channel:
https://www.youtube.com/gardenerscott

Link to:

National Home Gardening Club
Baker Creek heirloom Seeds
Territorial Seed Company

Gifts for Gardeners

Gardeners are pretty easy to please. We find enjoyment in getting our hands dirty and find that the simplicity of nature can be quite beautiful. While there will always be an expensive plant or tool that we drool over, inexpensive and thoughtful gifts are usually very welcome.

For those looking for a gift for a gardener friend or family member, the following suggestions should help you make a wise decision. Be aware that a good gift doesn't need to cost much and each gardener's personal tastes and gardening methods should be taken into consideration when choosing. There are some snobby gardeners out there, but most of us aren't.

At the top of my list is a good hat. Granted, we can be vain and picky about our wardrobe and selecting the perfect headgear is important, but if your gardener doesn't wear a hat they should. The sun can be very damaging and my own skin cancer attests to the worst-case scenario. A wide-brim hat needs to be on every gardener's head. A gifted hat can change the way they garden and could save their life.

My favorite gardening hat

On a lighter note, the gift I always look for in my Christmas stocking is a nice pair of leather gloves. While I enjoy the feel of warm soil on my fingers, I wear gloves for most of my gardening tasks. Digging, weeding, constructing, and clearing brush are all tasks that are made easier while wearing gloves. I will buy a three-pack of cheap cloth or cloth-leather gloves for a few bucks, but laying down a couple sawbucks for a nice leather pair doesn't happen often. When I have a good set I'll use them until they're worn out. That's why I hope for a new pair at Christmas each year.

These gloves have seen better days

My shed and garage are filled with garden tools, but most of them are still the ones I bought when I first began gardening years ago. And back then I didn't really know what I was doing so cheap tools seemed a good choice. I still make do with hand tools that have broken handles, bent spines, or dull edges. It makes sense to buy new ones, but that's too much effort. A gift isn't any effort at all.

Pruners are a good example of a tool that many gardeners need upgraded. There are many wonderful hand pruners that are ergonomically designed with cushioned handles. Deadheading and small pruning chores are easier when the tool is comfortable. A little information about a gardener's personal preference can help when choosing hand pruners. There are basically two kinds: bypass and anvil. While each type has its purpose and usefulness, some gardeners have a clear preference. For pruning live plants, I prefer bypass pruners because I think anvil pruners can damage plant stalks and stems. Luckily many stores sell hand pruners with both types packaged together.

Bypass pruners with uncomfortable handles

Trowels are another common gardening tool that may need an upgrade. A good quality hand trowel can last a lifetime, but few of us have one. I have different trowels and they all have problems. My favorite, with a nice, wide, padded handle, was discovered by Lily the Lab when she was a puppy; the handle is now chewed up. On another, the wood handle has separated from the metal blade and I spend as much time sticking the two pieces together as I do digging in the soil. A sturdy, ergonomic trowel would be nice to have. There are skinny trowels and wide trowels and they all have a use.

Trowels are a must have

I discovered a wonderful weeder years ago and remarkably I'm the only gardener I know who owns one. It's a stirrup hoe, also called a Hula Hoe. It's amazingly easy to use and removes small weeds below the soil surface. Every year I use it when weeds begin to sprout. It eliminates most of them before they become a problem. It's a tool I think every gardener should own.

A stirrup hoe is great

Another nice tool is a dandelion weeder. It has a forked tongue on a long, narrow spine designed to dig along the root of dandelions and pull out the entire plant. It works. You can find them with handles long enough to use while standing, but I prefer the hand-size ones. They are great for dandelions and many other long-rooted weeds. Every gardener should have one.

Dandelion weeders work well

Many other garden items are nice to have, but seldom purchased by the gardener. I'm always in need of plant markers. Galvanized metal ones with zinc or copper nameplates are very attractive, but I haven't purchased many because they're a bit extravagant. I own a few, but find myself using cheap aluminum or plastic ones. If I had more of the fancy ones I'd use them.

Cheap plant tags don't always look good

Plant ties are similar. A twist of twine is all that's needed to hold a plant to a stake, but I recently saw Velcro plant ties. They're reusable, strong, and a great idea. For a gardener who wants a fancier plant tie than twine, Velcro could be the answer.

The simplest items can be the most useful. I never seem to have enough staples in my garden. I'm talking about the galvanized metal staples that are six or eight inches long. I use them to hold bird netting, soaker hoses, and plastic row covers in place. By the end of the season many of them "just disappear." Very inexpensive, they're a wonderful stocking stuffer.

Good staples are hard to find

I tend to think that a gardener can't have too many bird feeders. While some gardeners don't want birds in their garden, I do. I have hummingbird feeders, and suet feeders, and seed feeders. Especially in winter, birds can use the thoughtfulness of a gardener who supplies free food. Bird feeders can be simple or fancy and in all cases can be a nice gift.

Decorative bird feeders look nice

I love garden art, and I do think that is one thing there can be too much of in a garden. But a few tasteful pieces can be fun and add character to a garden. Last year my wife got me a nice, welded iron, tricycle plant stand. It blends nicely with the other scattered pieces of art in my landscape and I think of her every time I see it.

A welcome gift

There are many catalogs and stores brimming over with wonderful gift ideas for gardeners, but it’s often hard to choose the right gift. The suggestions above are just some of the useful garden items that make my gardening experience better and can make your holiday shopping easier. Gardeners aren't hard to buy for and we'll accept anything useful in the garden.

Gardeners are pretty easy to please. We find enjoyment in getting our hands dirty and find that the simplicity of nature can be quite beautiful. While there will always be an expensive plant or tool that we drool over, inexpensive and thoughtful gifts are usually very welcome.

For those looking for a gift for a gardener friend or family member, the following suggestions should help you make a wise decision. Be aware that a good gift doesn't need to cost much and each gardener's personal tastes and gardening methods should be taken into consideration when choosing. There are some snobby gardeners out there, but most of us aren't.

At the top of my list is a good hat. Granted, we can be vain and picky about our wardrobe and selecting the perfect headgear is important, but if your gardener doesn't wear a hat they should. The sun can be very damaging and my own skin cancer attests to the worst-case scenario. A wide-brim hat needs to be on every gardener's head. A gifted hat can change the way they garden and could save their life.

My favorite gardening hat

On a lighter note, the gift I always look for in my Christmas stocking is a nice pair of leather gloves. While I enjoy the feel of warm soil on my fingers, I wear gloves for most of my gardening tasks. Digging, weeding, constructing, and clearing brush are all tasks that are made easier while wearing gloves. I will buy a three-pack of cheap cloth or cloth-leather gloves for a few bucks, but laying down a couple sawbucks for a nice leather pair doesn't happen often. When I have a good set I'll use them until they're worn out. That's why I hope for a new pair at Christmas each year.

These gloves have seen better days

My shed and garage are filled with garden tools, but most of them are still the ones I bought when I first began gardening years ago. And back then I didn't really know what I was doing so cheap tools seemed a good choice. I still make do with hand tools that have broken handles, bent spines, or dull edges. It makes sense to buy new ones, but that's too much effort. A gift isn't any effort at all.

Pruners are a good example of a tool that many gardeners need upgraded. There are many wonderful hand pruners that are ergonomically designed with cushioned handles. Deadheading and small pruning chores are easier when the tool is comfortable. A little information about a gardener's personal preference can help when choosing hand pruners. There are basically two kinds: bypass and anvil. While each type has its purpose and usefulness, some gardeners have a clear preference. For pruning live plants, I prefer bypass pruners because I think anvil pruners can damage plant stalks and stems. Luckily many stores sell hand pruners with both types packaged together.

Bypass pruners with uncomfortable handles

Trowels are another common gardening tool that may need an upgrade. A good quality hand trowel can last a lifetime, but few of us have one. I have different trowels and they all have problems. My favorite, with a nice, wide, padded handle, was discovered by Lily the Lab when she was a puppy; the handle is now chewed up. On another, the wood handle has separated from the metal blade and I spend as much time sticking the two pieces together as I do digging in the soil. A sturdy, ergonomic trowel would be nice to have. There are skinny trowels and wide trowels and they all have a use.

Trowels are a must have

I discovered a wonderful weeder years ago and remarkably I'm the only gardener I know who owns one. It's a stirrup hoe, also called a Hula Hoe. It's amazingly easy to use and removes small weeds below the soil surface. Every year I use it when weeds begin to sprout. It eliminates most of them before they become a problem. It's a tool I think every gardener should own.

A stirrup hoe is great

Another nice tool is a dandelion weeder. It has a forked tongue on a long, narrow spine designed to dig along the root of dandelions and pull out the entire plant. It works. You can find them with handles long enough to use while standing, but I prefer the hand-size ones. They are great for dandelions and many other long-rooted weeds. Every gardener should have one.

Dandelion weeders work well

Many other garden items are nice to have, but seldom purchased by the gardener. I'm always in need of plant markers. Galvanized metal ones with zinc or copper nameplates are very attractive, but I haven't purchased many because they're a bit extravagant. I own a few, but find myself using cheap aluminum or plastic ones. If I had more of the fancy ones I'd use them.

Cheap plant tags don't always look good

Plant ties are similar. A twist of twine is all that's needed to hold a plant to a stake, but I recently saw Velcro plant ties. They're reusable, strong, and a great idea. For a gardener who wants a fancier plant tie than twine, Velcro could be the answer.

The simplest items can be the most useful. I never seem to have enough staples in my garden. I'm talking about the galvanized metal staples that are six or eight inches long. I use them to hold bird netting, soaker hoses, and plastic row covers in place. By the end of the season many of them "just disappear." Very inexpensive, they're a wonderful stocking stuffer.

Good staples are hard to find

I tend to think that a gardener can't have too many bird feeders. While some gardeners don't want birds in their garden, I do. I have hummingbird feeders, and suet feeders, and seed feeders. Especially in winter, birds can use the thoughtfulness of a gardener who supplies free food. Bird feeders can be simple or fancy and in all cases can be a nice gift.

Decorative bird feeders look nice

I love garden art, and I do think that is one thing there can be too much of in a garden. But a few tasteful pieces can be fun and add character to a garden. Last year my wife got me a nice, welded iron, tricycle plant stand. It blends nicely with the other scattered pieces of art in my landscape and I think of her every time I see it.

A welcome gift

There are many catalogs and stores brimming over with wonderful gift ideas for gardeners, but it’s often hard to choose the right gift. The suggestions above are just some of the useful garden items that make my gardening experience better and can make your holiday shopping easier. Gardeners aren't hard to buy for and we'll accept anything useful in the garden.

Recycle Wine Bottles with a Garden Border

It's easy to recycle wine bottles in the garden. I pondered about the best way to combine two things that I enjoy... gardening and wine. Creating a garden border with the empty bottles is a great way to recycle and create a unique visual accent.

My wine bottle border

My wife and I share a bottle of wine on our Friday date nights and I save the bottles. The empties multiplied in boxes stowed in a shed while I decided on the best way to recycle them and after a few years the wine bottles needed to be used before we were overrun by glass. Many bottles can make a long garden border and I have a big garden.

A wine bottle border is long-lasting, colorful, distinctive, sturdy, and can even repel gophers and moles (more on that in a minute).

The process is easy: dig a hole and put in the bottle. Digging a trench makes the process a little faster and more uniform as you place the bottles side by side. Digging individual holes adds a slightly more random look.

Placing bottles before burying

Wine bottles come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes. Depending on which wine you drink you may have many similar bottles or many different bottles. Wine bottle borders can reflect your personal tastes in wine and gardening. Using the same kind of bottles can make a border of consistent and vibrant color. A more eclectic design comes when you mix shapes, sizes, and colors.

There are no rules when creating recycled art in the garden. Burying the bottles with the bottle top in the hole and the bottle bottom above the soil allows the widest part of the bottle to define the border. Placing the bottles with the open end up creates a slender profile. Mixing the orientation combines both aspects.

Burying the wine bottles with the open end facing up can even repel burrowing creatures. The concept is that when wind blows over the bottle top it creates a tone, like the music from a jug band. This creates noise that vibrates through the soil. The theory is that this random annoyance repels animals sensitive to sound, namely gophers and moles. I'm not aware of any studies on wine bottles repelling animals, but the idea seems plausible.

My gopher-deterring border

I've buried hardware cloth beneath the fence around my garden in an effort to keep gophers out. If weird soil noises keep any brave gophers from exploring weaknesses in the buried metal fence, I'm all for it.

Removing the label beforehand makes for a cleaner look. Soak the bottle in water to loosen the label. Some labels only need a few minutes in water while others need hours. Some labels are plasticized and come off in one piece, others need to be scraped with a knife or thumbnail to remove the paper and glue. It's not hard work but it may take a little time. I placed a number of bottles in a large bucket filled with water to hasten the process.

Bottles ready to soak

When deciding on creating a wine bottle garden border keep in mind that the bottles are made of glass and broken glass is not a good soil amendment. Consider placing the bottles in an area that is not exposed to activities that could break them.

Spots that border the lawn and could interact with lawn mowers and trimmers pose possible breakage. Spots that border walkways raise potential of someone kicking or tripping over the bottles. Spots that border children's play areas pose risk for the kids.

I've placed some of my bottles in a border around my perennial vegetable bed, the asparagus and rhubarb. That bed isn't tilled and the soil isn't disturbed so the bottles are safe from potential damage. It also sets that bed apart from the rest of the garden, defining its uniqueness.

The perennial bed border

Other bottles can be used to make a garden border, but they may be more susceptible to breakage. Wine bottles are thicker than most beverage containers and can handle great pressure. Beer bottles can look great as a border, but they're made with much thinner glass and can break when exposed to sun, wind, and hail. Plastic bottles won't hold up to weather and don't look nearly as good either.

So if you have a lot of wine bottles or have the potential to collect a lot of wine bottles, consider making a garden border. You'll probably be the first in your neighborhood to have one.

It's easy to recycle wine bottles in the garden. I pondered about the best way to combine two things that I enjoy... gardening and wine. Creating a garden border with the empty bottles is a great way to recycle and create a unique visual accent.

My wine bottle border

My wife and I share a bottle of wine on our Friday date nights and I save the bottles. The empties multiplied in boxes stowed in a shed while I decided on the best way to recycle them and after a few years the wine bottles needed to be used before we were overrun by glass. Many bottles can make a long garden border and I have a big garden.

A wine bottle border is long-lasting, colorful, distinctive, sturdy, and can even repel gophers and moles (more on that in a minute).

The process is easy: dig a hole and put in the bottle. Digging a trench makes the process a little faster and more uniform as you place the bottles side by side. Digging individual holes adds a slightly more random look.

Placing bottles before burying

Wine bottles come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes. Depending on which wine you drink you may have many similar bottles or many different bottles. Wine bottle borders can reflect your personal tastes in wine and gardening. Using the same kind of bottles can make a border of consistent and vibrant color. A more eclectic design comes when you mix shapes, sizes, and colors.

There are no rules when creating recycled art in the garden. Burying the bottles with the bottle top in the hole and the bottle bottom above the soil allows the widest part of the bottle to define the border. Placing the bottles with the open end up creates a slender profile. Mixing the orientation combines both aspects.

Burying the wine bottles with the open end facing up can even repel burrowing creatures. The concept is that when wind blows over the bottle top it creates a tone, like the music from a jug band. This creates noise that vibrates through the soil. The theory is that this random annoyance repels animals sensitive to sound, namely gophers and moles. I'm not aware of any studies on wine bottles repelling animals, but the idea seems plausible.

My gopher-deterring border

I've buried hardware cloth beneath the fence around my garden in an effort to keep gophers out. If weird soil noises keep any brave gophers from exploring weaknesses in the buried metal fence, I'm all for it.

Removing the label beforehand makes for a cleaner look. Soak the bottle in water to loosen the label. Some labels only need a few minutes in water while others need hours. Some labels are plasticized and come off in one piece, others need to be scraped with a knife or thumbnail to remove the paper and glue. It's not hard work but it may take a little time. I placed a number of bottles in a large bucket filled with water to hasten the process.

Bottles ready to soak

When deciding on creating a wine bottle garden border keep in mind that the bottles are made of glass and broken glass is not a good soil amendment. Consider placing the bottles in an area that is not exposed to activities that could break them.

Spots that border the lawn and could interact with lawn mowers and trimmers pose possible breakage. Spots that border walkways raise potential of someone kicking or tripping over the bottles. Spots that border children's play areas pose risk for the kids.

I've placed some of my bottles in a border around my perennial vegetable bed, the asparagus and rhubarb. That bed isn't tilled and the soil isn't disturbed so the bottles are safe from potential damage. It also sets that bed apart from the rest of the garden, defining its uniqueness.

The perennial bed border

Other bottles can be used to make a garden border, but they may be more susceptible to breakage. Wine bottles are thicker than most beverage containers and can handle great pressure. Beer bottles can look great as a border, but they're made with much thinner glass and can break when exposed to sun, wind, and hail. Plastic bottles won't hold up to weather and don't look nearly as good either.

So if you have a lot of wine bottles or have the potential to collect a lot of wine bottles, consider making a garden border. You'll probably be the first in your neighborhood to have one.

How to Make Seed Balls From Recycled Paper

Making seed balls is a great garden project for gardeners of all ages. A seed ball is a small object that packs seeds together with a growing medium for planting. The concept is accredited to Masanobu Fukuoko, a Japanese farmer and philosopher who developed the basic formula of mixing clay with humus or compost, and seeds. The balls can be sown in a "natural farming" method where soil tilling isn't necessary. The seed balls are thrown or laid on the soil and nature's rains dissolve them to reveal and germinate the seeds.

Last week I wrote about "seed bombs" and how to make them. Seed bombs are essentially seed balls with a sometimes nefarious purpose. The clay and compost balls are tossed into vacant city lots or barren fields and flowers and grasses sprout depending on the seed in the seed bomb.

For a more aesthetic seed ball, a family gardening project, and a fun gift idea, consider making seed balls from recycled paper. Instead of clay and compost, paper holds the seeds together in the ball.

Heart-shaped seed balls

When water is added to paper it can be pulverized to a pulp. Seed is mixed with the paper pulp and turned into seed balls. These seed balls can be formed into many different shapes and made in many different colors.

To make the pulp you'll need a blender or food processor. I recommend using one that is old and not regularly used for your meals. Inks in the paper will be transferred to the plastic and are hard to clean. I purchased a used food processor from Goodwill for a few dollars. It's now dedicated to the task of making seed balls.

The paper needs to be torn or shredded before adding to the blender. If you pack in a wad of paper and then add water you'll probably burn up the motor pretty quickly. Smaller paper pieces work better.

I began with four full sheets (four pages each) of newspaper and ran the newspaper through my paper shredder. I've also used shredded bills and junk mail to make seed balls. The shredded paper breaks apart easily in the blender when water is added.

Shredded paper before blending

Working in batches, put the torn or shredded paper in the blender and add water. I've found that soaking the paper in a tub of water before adding it to the blender helps it break apart easier. Even if it was soaked beforehand you'll still need to add water to the blender.

We're talking about a lot of water. The four sheets of newspaper required cups and cups of water. I tried measuring to develop a precise recipe but stopped after the first batch. A couple handfuls of shredded paper required more than two cups of water.

The paper needs to turn into a mushy mash. The blades of the blender or food processor will rip the paper into shreds only when it is overly saturated. If you don't use enough water you'll get a clump that just bounces around the blender or stays in one place, not breaking apart. Add more water as the blender is blending until you get the paper thoroughly disintegrated and a mushy pulp develops.

Blended pulp

Remove the pulp and set it in a bowl or put it into a colander to allow some of the water to drip out. Continue blending all your paper and water in small batches until all of it is pulp.

At this point try to remove a good part of the water by pressing the pulp with your hands. Discard the water or save it for another batch. With the pulp very damp, but not dripping water, transfer it to your mixing bowl.

Moist pulp

I added 1/4 cup of wildflower seeds to the entire pulpy mass that four sheets of newspaper produced. Using my hands I kneaded it all together like making bread dough. You want the seeds to be fully mixed into the paper pulp.

Adding seed

When it's all incorporated, takes small pieces of the mix and press them into molds, into cookie cutters, or form them with your hands into balls. I find that using small cookie cutters give you a greater variety of shapes to choose from. Keep adding the pulp and seed mixture until the mold is filled.

Pressing the pulp into the mold

The seed balls will need to dry so removing as much water as you can at this point will accelerate the entire process. Begin by compacting the paper as much as you can to force water out and then soak up the water with paper towels or newspaper. These blotting materials can be turned into more seed balls later on.

Blotting excess water

Gently remove the seed balls from your mold and let them dry for a few days. Removing them allows you to use the mold for the next batch and also give the seed balls exposed surface area for drying. They'll expand slightly in the process.

Silicone molds make removal easier

By using water tinted with a few drops of food coloring you can get seed balls of any color you like. You can also try shredding colored paper and mixing that with water. Varying the shapes and colors provides wonderful gift opportunities.

Tinted seed balls drying

While seed balls made with clay and compost can be thrown on the soil surface and will sprout, seed balls made with recycled paper work best when planted in pots beneath a thin layer of potting soil. The decorative shapes and colors make the planting a fun activity for kids.

Making seed balls with recycled paper works well on many levels. You reuse waste materials while adding fun to planting. It's not as messy as the clay seed balls can be and the finished products look better. The entire project takes just a few minutes and the paper seed balls can be stored for months before giving away or being planted.

If you're looking for a fun gardening project, try making recycled paper seed balls.


For more info, read "How to Make Seed Bombs."

Making seed balls is a great garden project for gardeners of all ages. A seed ball is a small object that packs seeds together with a growing medium for planting. The concept is accredited to Masanobu Fukuoko, a Japanese farmer and philosopher who developed the basic formula of mixing clay with humus or compost, and seeds. The balls can be sown in a "natural farming" method where soil tilling isn't necessary. The seed balls are thrown or laid on the soil and nature's rains dissolve them to reveal and germinate the seeds.

Last week I wrote about "seed bombs" and how to make them. Seed bombs are essentially seed balls with a sometimes nefarious purpose. The clay and compost balls are tossed into vacant city lots or barren fields and flowers and grasses sprout depending on the seed in the seed bomb.

For a more aesthetic seed ball, a family gardening project, and a fun gift idea, consider making seed balls from recycled paper. Instead of clay and compost, paper holds the seeds together in the ball.

Heart-shaped seed balls

When water is added to paper it can be pulverized to a pulp. Seed is mixed with the paper pulp and turned into seed balls. These seed balls can be formed into many different shapes and made in many different colors.

To make the pulp you'll need a blender or food processor. I recommend using one that is old and not regularly used for your meals. Inks in the paper will be transferred to the plastic and are hard to clean. I purchased a used food processor from Goodwill for a few dollars. It's now dedicated to the task of making seed balls.

The paper needs to be torn or shredded before adding to the blender. If you pack in a wad of paper and then add water you'll probably burn up the motor pretty quickly. Smaller paper pieces work better.

I began with four full sheets (four pages each) of newspaper and ran the newspaper through my paper shredder. I've also used shredded bills and junk mail to make seed balls. The shredded paper breaks apart easily in the blender when water is added.

Shredded paper before blending

Working in batches, put the torn or shredded paper in the blender and add water. I've found that soaking the paper in a tub of water before adding it to the blender helps it break apart easier. Even if it was soaked beforehand you'll still need to add water to the blender.

We're talking about a lot of water. The four sheets of newspaper required cups and cups of water. I tried measuring to develop a precise recipe but stopped after the first batch. A couple handfuls of shredded paper required more than two cups of water.

The paper needs to turn into a mushy mash. The blades of the blender or food processor will rip the paper into shreds only when it is overly saturated. If you don't use enough water you'll get a clump that just bounces around the blender or stays in one place, not breaking apart. Add more water as the blender is blending until you get the paper thoroughly disintegrated and a mushy pulp develops.

Blended pulp

Remove the pulp and set it in a bowl or put it into a colander to allow some of the water to drip out. Continue blending all your paper and water in small batches until all of it is pulp.

At this point try to remove a good part of the water by pressing the pulp with your hands. Discard the water or save it for another batch. With the pulp very damp, but not dripping water, transfer it to your mixing bowl.

Moist pulp

I added 1/4 cup of wildflower seeds to the entire pulpy mass that four sheets of newspaper produced. Using my hands I kneaded it all together like making bread dough. You want the seeds to be fully mixed into the paper pulp.

Adding seed

When it's all incorporated, takes small pieces of the mix and press them into molds, into cookie cutters, or form them with your hands into balls. I find that using small cookie cutters give you a greater variety of shapes to choose from. Keep adding the pulp and seed mixture until the mold is filled.

Pressing the pulp into the mold

The seed balls will need to dry so removing as much water as you can at this point will accelerate the entire process. Begin by compacting the paper as much as you can to force water out and then soak up the water with paper towels or newspaper. These blotting materials can be turned into more seed balls later on.

Blotting excess water

Gently remove the seed balls from your mold and let them dry for a few days. Removing them allows you to use the mold for the next batch and also give the seed balls exposed surface area for drying. They'll expand slightly in the process.

Silicone molds make removal easier

By using water tinted with a few drops of food coloring you can get seed balls of any color you like. You can also try shredding colored paper and mixing that with water. Varying the shapes and colors provides wonderful gift opportunities.

Tinted seed balls drying

While seed balls made with clay and compost can be thrown on the soil surface and will sprout, seed balls made with recycled paper work best when planted in pots beneath a thin layer of potting soil. The decorative shapes and colors make the planting a fun activity for kids.

Making seed balls with recycled paper works well on many levels. You reuse waste materials while adding fun to planting. It's not as messy as the clay seed balls can be and the finished products look better. The entire project takes just a few minutes and the paper seed balls can be stored for months before giving away or being planted.

If you're looking for a fun gardening project, try making recycled paper seed balls.


For more info, read "How to Make Seed Bombs."

How to Make Seed Bombs

As landscape armaments go, seed bombs are my weapon of choice. A popular tool in guerrilla gardening, they allow seeds to be sown in difficult-to-reach locations like vacant city lots and other barren, urban locations. While popularized on the internet as a method of adding life to blighted areas, seed bombs can also be a fun and interesting way to add plants to home gardens.

My homemade seed bombs

Seed bombs are nothing more than clay and another growing medium like compost or worm castings mixed together with seeds and water. Formed into a ball and dried, they can be tossed anywhere the thrower's arm can reach. Rain or irrigation cause the clay-based ball to dissolve into a blob where the seeds can germinate amid the compost and grow into vibrant plants.

Recipes vary but the most common one found on the web is:

Five parts clay
Three parts compost
One part seed
One to two parts water

My garden already has too much clay and my region is quite arid so I prefer a recipe that has more compost and less clay, closer to a 50-50 mix. Dry clay powder is combined with the compost and seed and water is added. Clay is the binder and as long as you use enough of it to hold the ball together just about any combination will work.

The choice of seed is completely personal. Wildflower mixes are popular but check the specific seed mix to make sure you're not introducing noxious weeds or invasive plants. Lettuce and salad seed mixes are a nice option, as are bombs concentrating on sunflowers or peas and beans.

The biggest problem I encountered in making seed bombs was finding the clay. Dry, powder, ceramic clay is preferred. You'll see "dry, red clay" mentioned often in recipes, but the color really doesn't matter. The problem comes in that few hobby stores and retail stores sell dry clay. Surprisingly, few ceramic supply stores sell it as well. My city of half a million people only has one ceramic outlet that offers it and a 50-pound bag is the smallest size available. For about twenty dollars I thought it was worth the price.

Moist clay can be purchased from nearly all hobby and ceramic stores. You can use this pre-mixed wet clay to make seed bombs but incorporating the compost and seeds thoroughly is more difficult. You also have to be careful because some of the hobby blends are designed to harden permanently when dry and they may not dissolve in the rain as desired. Use the powder if you can find it.

If you're making seed bombs for your own garden and your soil has a propensity for clay, you can use your own soil in the mix. No need to buy clay if you have your own already. I wouldn't recommend using your soil if you plan to share your seed bombs because you may inadvertently transfer your soil problems to another gardener.


Begin by measuring out the ingredients per your recipe. For these photos I used the 5-3-1 ratio mentioned above:  1 1/4 cups clay, 3/4 cup sifted compost, and 1/4 cup wildflower seeds.

The dry ingredients

Mix the dry ingredients completely to get the best and most even distribution of seed. Then add the water. I used two parts or 1/2 cup. Combine well with a spoon or your fingers.

The moist mixture

The easiest thing to do at this point is to roll the mixture into small balls between your hands. This can get messy. The size doesn't matter, though bigger balls will concentrate more seeds in a small area and the plants will have to compete with each other upon germination. This recipe made a baker's dozen of 1 1/2-inch wildflower seed bombs.

Making the balls

I like to flatten the balls to make little disks. The flatter shape helps keep the seed bombs from rolling away down my hilly landscape and  I think a flat piece will dissolve easier and more evenly than a ball when placed on open soil; with our limited rain every drop needs to count and a disk will catch more drops than a sphere. You can press the mixture into a mold if you want a certain shape.

Pressing to make a disk

Place the newly-formed, wet seed bombs in a safe place to dry. You can put them on a sheet of newspaper and it will absorb some of the moisture but I don't find that this accelerates drying much. After two days the seed bombs will be dry and ready to use. There's no need to use an oven. Just let them air dry.

Dry in two days

If you want to practice a little guerrilla gardening, take the seed bombs and toss them where you want new plants. Be aware that trespassing or littering laws may apply if you throw them on public land or property that isn't yours.

I suggest you take the seed bombs and toss them in areas of your own landscape where you want a random growth of new plants. For children, it's a fun game to toss the little marbles around. Left where they land they'll sprout when the water falls, either rain or from your sprinkler.

For a more controlled process the seed bombs become seed balls that can be placed in pots or specific garden rows. Planted just below the soil surface they'll germinate with normal garden watering. Like seed tape the seed balls help you control where your seeds go.

The entire process of making seed bombs is a good one for schools and gardening clubs. Make it a group activity. If you use a light-colored clay, add food coloring to color the balls. Package them and give as gifts. Have a bomb party and let your friends and family help plant a new garden bed.

Have fun with the whole thing. In gardening, bomb doesn't have to mean a dangerous weapon.

As landscape armaments go, seed bombs are my weapon of choice. A popular tool in guerrilla gardening, they allow seeds to be sown in difficult-to-reach locations like vacant city lots and other barren, urban locations. While popularized on the internet as a method of adding life to blighted areas, seed bombs can also be a fun and interesting way to add plants to home gardens.

My homemade seed bombs

Seed bombs are nothing more than clay and another growing medium like compost or worm castings mixed together with seeds and water. Formed into a ball and dried, they can be tossed anywhere the thrower's arm can reach. Rain or irrigation cause the clay-based ball to dissolve into a blob where the seeds can germinate amid the compost and grow into vibrant plants.

Recipes vary but the most common one found on the web is:

Five parts clay
Three parts compost
One part seed
One to two parts water

My garden already has too much clay and my region is quite arid so I prefer a recipe that has more compost and less clay, closer to a 50-50 mix. Dry clay powder is combined with the compost and seed and water is added. Clay is the binder and as long as you use enough of it to hold the ball together just about any combination will work.

The choice of seed is completely personal. Wildflower mixes are popular but check the specific seed mix to make sure you're not introducing noxious weeds or invasive plants. Lettuce and salad seed mixes are a nice option, as are bombs concentrating on sunflowers or peas and beans.

The biggest problem I encountered in making seed bombs was finding the clay. Dry, powder, ceramic clay is preferred. You'll see "dry, red clay" mentioned often in recipes, but the color really doesn't matter. The problem comes in that few hobby stores and retail stores sell dry clay. Surprisingly, few ceramic supply stores sell it as well. My city of half a million people only has one ceramic outlet that offers it and a 50-pound bag is the smallest size available. For about twenty dollars I thought it was worth the price.

Moist clay can be purchased from nearly all hobby and ceramic stores. You can use this pre-mixed wet clay to make seed bombs but incorporating the compost and seeds thoroughly is more difficult. You also have to be careful because some of the hobby blends are designed to harden permanently when dry and they may not dissolve in the rain as desired. Use the powder if you can find it.

If you're making seed bombs for your own garden and your soil has a propensity for clay, you can use your own soil in the mix. No need to buy clay if you have your own already. I wouldn't recommend using your soil if you plan to share your seed bombs because you may inadvertently transfer your soil problems to another gardener.


Begin by measuring out the ingredients per your recipe. For these photos I used the 5-3-1 ratio mentioned above:  1 1/4 cups clay, 3/4 cup sifted compost, and 1/4 cup wildflower seeds.

The dry ingredients

Mix the dry ingredients completely to get the best and most even distribution of seed. Then add the water. I used two parts or 1/2 cup. Combine well with a spoon or your fingers.

The moist mixture

The easiest thing to do at this point is to roll the mixture into small balls between your hands. This can get messy. The size doesn't matter, though bigger balls will concentrate more seeds in a small area and the plants will have to compete with each other upon germination. This recipe made a baker's dozen of 1 1/2-inch wildflower seed bombs.

Making the balls

I like to flatten the balls to make little disks. The flatter shape helps keep the seed bombs from rolling away down my hilly landscape and  I think a flat piece will dissolve easier and more evenly than a ball when placed on open soil; with our limited rain every drop needs to count and a disk will catch more drops than a sphere. You can press the mixture into a mold if you want a certain shape.

Pressing to make a disk

Place the newly-formed, wet seed bombs in a safe place to dry. You can put them on a sheet of newspaper and it will absorb some of the moisture but I don't find that this accelerates drying much. After two days the seed bombs will be dry and ready to use. There's no need to use an oven. Just let them air dry.

Dry in two days

If you want to practice a little guerrilla gardening, take the seed bombs and toss them where you want new plants. Be aware that trespassing or littering laws may apply if you throw them on public land or property that isn't yours.

I suggest you take the seed bombs and toss them in areas of your own landscape where you want a random growth of new plants. For children, it's a fun game to toss the little marbles around. Left where they land they'll sprout when the water falls, either rain or from your sprinkler.

For a more controlled process the seed bombs become seed balls that can be placed in pots or specific garden rows. Planted just below the soil surface they'll germinate with normal garden watering. Like seed tape the seed balls help you control where your seeds go.

The entire process of making seed bombs is a good one for schools and gardening clubs. Make it a group activity. If you use a light-colored clay, add food coloring to color the balls. Package them and give as gifts. Have a bomb party and let your friends and family help plant a new garden bed.

Have fun with the whole thing. In gardening, bomb doesn't have to mean a dangerous weapon.

Propagating Groundcovers

Growing groundcovers adds color and texture to your garden, at foot level. Propagating groundcovers is an easy way to increase their coverage. While I have some groundcovers interspersed among my flowers and will plant some as green manure in my vergetable beds, my favorite location for the versatile plants is in and among the paths and stone walkways in my landscape and as accent borders. Being a frugal gardener, I take advantage of their easy-going, easy-growing nature to add them to new areas at no additional cost.

The beauty of groundcovers

A groundcover is a plant that grows close to the ground en masse. They can be grown as an erosion control, as a mulch to help shade soil for other plants, or purely for their aesthetic value. I parlay those benefits into a perfect carpet to walk upon in garden pathways and at the edge of small slopes. Some of my garden paths are better suited for pine needles, or bark, or gravel, but for grand appearance few of those options match the appeal of groundcovers. They provide a wonderful visual and physical transition between different yard and garden spots.

Some of my favorite groundcovers are periwinkle, thyme, sedum, and veronica. I know that sounds quite broad, particularly when veronica offers almost 500 species alone, but it's intended to suggest that there are groundcovers for all landscapes and regions in all sizes, shapes, and colors. I use periwinkle, or vinca minor, to smother weeds at the base of my irises; I love the little violet flowers and almost evergreen foliage. Thymus lanuginosus, or woolly thyme, and sedum anglicum surround the flagstones leading into my backyard; they help keep the slight slope from eroding, require little water, and look spectacular, especially when their little flowers bloom. Veronica pectinata, or blue woolly speedwell, is a new addition along the sloped edges of my stone patio.

Groundcover around the stones

All of these groundcovers are very easy to grow and propagate. In most cases a simple cutting is all that's needed to start a plant growing in a new location. I prefer to get a jumpstart on the process by transplanting larger pieces of plants.

As most of these groundcovers grow, they'll add little roots along their expanding branches. Where a small stem, branch, or leaf touches the soil a root may develop. This helps the plant gain a larger foothold for increased growth and nutrient absorption.

By lifting up on the edge of an established plant and pulling back the branches and leaves you'll get to the spot where young roots have started anchoring new growth to the soil. With very little effort you can dig up a section of the plant and transplant it to a new location. The mother plant will continue to grow and send out new branches to cover the bare spot. The transplanted piece will begin growing soon because it already has roots in place. This saves time from taking a clipping and waiting for roots to develop.

I begin by determining what plant should be added to which new spot. In my stone walkway I intersperse thyme and sedum, but along the edge of my patio I'm focusing on Veronica pectinata, a plant first given me by my good friend Della. She has it covering a large, steep slope in her landscape where it presents a beautiful sea of green. The section I'm planting is smaller and not as steep, but I want the same seemless coverage the plant provides.

The veronica in place to begin

A mother plant is selected, one that is healthy and large enough to handle losing some of its growth. I lift up on the edges until I find a spot that is full of healthy, young growth and abundant roots.

Roots under the veronica

With a trowel I'll dig under the plant to access some of the older roots too and lift out a section of the plant, with soil included. With my other hand I'll gently separate the main plant from the removed piece. The branches and leaves of groundcovers often intertwine and you have to be careful not to crudely rip apart tender foliage.

Pulling out a section of the plant

The whole section is now ready for transplant to a new hole. Setting the piece into the ground and covering the roots with soil gets it ready for new growth. I'll also add extra soil on top of some of the branches near their tips. The increased soil contact should stimulate root growth in those areas, improving the plant's development. I'll also add soil back to the base of the mother plant to cover any exposed roots. A thorough watering of both plants completes the procedure.

By selectively removing pieces of strong plants and moving them to new spots, an even larger area can be covered. Both old plants and new plants will grow and spread and will eventually meet. The process can be continued indefinitely. I'm patiently waiting for my patio border to fill in and expect the entire area to be covered within two years.

The area of coverage is muliplied

Groundcovers are so easy to propagate that you may not need to buy any and still fill your landscape. Many of my gardener friends have cuttings and whole plants ready to give away in the spring when they clean their beds for the new season. It only takes one plant to lay the foundation for a much larger population of groundcover and you can probably find someone to give you that gift.

I tend to do much of my propagating in late summer. The heat and stress of the summer peak is over and the mother plants are as strong as they'll be. I can also see the bare spots that still need to be filled. Setting new transplants in place gives all of them opportunity to grow roots before winter sets in. Depending on their hardiness, I know I'll lose some over the cold months but when spring comes I'll have an increased number of plants beginning to grow. By the end of next summer, some of the transplants will be big enough to offer themselves for more propagation.

As with all plants, groundcovers do best when planted in the proper location. Once the right plant is in the right spot it will grow strong. Take advantage of that and let it spread with a little of your propagating knowledge.

Growing groundcovers adds color and texture to your garden, at foot level. Propagating groundcovers is an easy way to increase their coverage. While I have some groundcovers interspersed among my flowers and will plant some as green manure in my vergetable beds, my favorite location for the versatile plants is in and among the paths and stone walkways in my landscape and as accent borders. Being a frugal gardener, I take advantage of their easy-going, easy-growing nature to add them to new areas at no additional cost.

The beauty of groundcovers

A groundcover is a plant that grows close to the ground en masse. They can be grown as an erosion control, as a mulch to help shade soil for other plants, or purely for their aesthetic value. I parlay those benefits into a perfect carpet to walk upon in garden pathways and at the edge of small slopes. Some of my garden paths are better suited for pine needles, or bark, or gravel, but for grand appearance few of those options match the appeal of groundcovers. They provide a wonderful visual and physical transition between different yard and garden spots.

Some of my favorite groundcovers are periwinkle, thyme, sedum, and veronica. I know that sounds quite broad, particularly when veronica offers almost 500 species alone, but it's intended to suggest that there are groundcovers for all landscapes and regions in all sizes, shapes, and colors. I use periwinkle, or vinca minor, to smother weeds at the base of my irises; I love the little violet flowers and almost evergreen foliage. Thymus lanuginosus, or woolly thyme, and sedum anglicum surround the flagstones leading into my backyard; they help keep the slight slope from eroding, require little water, and look spectacular, especially when their little flowers bloom. Veronica pectinata, or blue woolly speedwell, is a new addition along the sloped edges of my stone patio.

Groundcover around the stones

All of these groundcovers are very easy to grow and propagate. In most cases a simple cutting is all that's needed to start a plant growing in a new location. I prefer to get a jumpstart on the process by transplanting larger pieces of plants.

As most of these groundcovers grow, they'll add little roots along their expanding branches. Where a small stem, branch, or leaf touches the soil a root may develop. This helps the plant gain a larger foothold for increased growth and nutrient absorption.

By lifting up on the edge of an established plant and pulling back the branches and leaves you'll get to the spot where young roots have started anchoring new growth to the soil. With very little effort you can dig up a section of the plant and transplant it to a new location. The mother plant will continue to grow and send out new branches to cover the bare spot. The transplanted piece will begin growing soon because it already has roots in place. This saves time from taking a clipping and waiting for roots to develop.

I begin by determining what plant should be added to which new spot. In my stone walkway I intersperse thyme and sedum, but along the edge of my patio I'm focusing on Veronica pectinata, a plant first given me by my good friend Della. She has it covering a large, steep slope in her landscape where it presents a beautiful sea of green. The section I'm planting is smaller and not as steep, but I want the same seemless coverage the plant provides.

The veronica in place to begin

A mother plant is selected, one that is healthy and large enough to handle losing some of its growth. I lift up on the edges until I find a spot that is full of healthy, young growth and abundant roots.

Roots under the veronica

With a trowel I'll dig under the plant to access some of the older roots too and lift out a section of the plant, with soil included. With my other hand I'll gently separate the main plant from the removed piece. The branches and leaves of groundcovers often intertwine and you have to be careful not to crudely rip apart tender foliage.

Pulling out a section of the plant

The whole section is now ready for transplant to a new hole. Setting the piece into the ground and covering the roots with soil gets it ready for new growth. I'll also add extra soil on top of some of the branches near their tips. The increased soil contact should stimulate root growth in those areas, improving the plant's development. I'll also add soil back to the base of the mother plant to cover any exposed roots. A thorough watering of both plants completes the procedure.

By selectively removing pieces of strong plants and moving them to new spots, an even larger area can be covered. Both old plants and new plants will grow and spread and will eventually meet. The process can be continued indefinitely. I'm patiently waiting for my patio border to fill in and expect the entire area to be covered within two years.

The area of coverage is muliplied

Groundcovers are so easy to propagate that you may not need to buy any and still fill your landscape. Many of my gardener friends have cuttings and whole plants ready to give away in the spring when they clean their beds for the new season. It only takes one plant to lay the foundation for a much larger population of groundcover and you can probably find someone to give you that gift.

I tend to do much of my propagating in late summer. The heat and stress of the summer peak is over and the mother plants are as strong as they'll be. I can also see the bare spots that still need to be filled. Setting new transplants in place gives all of them opportunity to grow roots before winter sets in. Depending on their hardiness, I know I'll lose some over the cold months but when spring comes I'll have an increased number of plants beginning to grow. By the end of next summer, some of the transplants will be big enough to offer themselves for more propagation.

As with all plants, groundcovers do best when planted in the proper location. Once the right plant is in the right spot it will grow strong. Take advantage of that and let it spread with a little of your propagating knowledge.

Using Seed Tapes

Seed tapes are strips of paper that have seeds embedded along their length at specific spacing, appropriate for precise planting. You can buy them in many gardening or seed catalogs and at many nurseries. Because the seeds are neatly laid out on the paper strip, all you have to do is place the tape in a furrow, cover it with soil, and water it like any other seed. It's an easy way to ensure your seeds go where you want them, with the spacing they require, and at a consistent depth.

Seed tapes are wonderful for plants that have specific planting distance requirements like beets, carrots, radishes, and onions. Planted and grown too close together, these vegetables can become stunted or misshapen. They're great for plants like lettuce, spinach, and chard that also have spacing needs. Seed tapes are designed to provide the necessary spacing with no need for thinning.

One of my favorite catalogs, Gardener's Supply Company, offers a number of effort-saving gardening tools and supplies. They sell three, five-and-a-half-feet long seed tapes for about five dollars (US). That's enough to plant two rows in a typical eight-feet-long planting bed. Assuming an average spacing of about three inches per seed, you should get about 70 plants per package. However, the selection of seed varieties is limited to just a few types.

If you're willing to spend the time and effort, you can make your own seed tape for a fraction of the cost, using recycled newspaper. You won't be limited by seed variety; you can choose any seed you like. And you can make them any length you desire.

Begin by cutting sheets of newspaper into strips about one-inch wide. The strips will be about two-feet long. You can use them at this length or paste or tape them together into longer strips like the ones that Gardener's Supply Company sells.

Take a tablespoon or two of white flour and mix it with an equal amount of water to make a smooth paste. Consistency isn't important; you just don't want it to be runny.










Using a toothpick, chopstick or similar-sized utensil, place small drops of the paste at regular intervals along the newspaper strip. The spacing you choose is dependent on the seed you've chosen. Check the seed packet for proper spacing.

Carefully drop a seed into each drop of paste. You can use the toothpick or utensil to gently push on the seed to embed it in the paste.

Label the strip so you know what seeds are on it. You can do this step before you place the paste if you want.

Set the strip in a location where it can dry for an hour or two without being disturbed.

When you're ready to plant, dig a furrow of the correct planting depth as stated on the seed packet and lay the strip in it. It isn't critical whether the newspaper is on the bottom or top because it won't hinder the growth of the seed when it's wet. I place it with the newspaper side down. Cover the strip with the appropriate depth of soil.

That's all there is to it. You now have a neat row of seeds ready to germinate and burst forth.

You can save a great deal of money by making seed tapes yourself. I purchased 250 beet seeds for $2.25, for an average cost of less than a penny per seed. The recycled newspaper and flour paste adds a few pennies to the overall project. Spacing them at three-inch intervals on a homemade seed tape, I can produce over 60 feet of beet seed tape for just over two dollars total cost. An equivalent length when purchased would be over $20.

Using seed tapes can be a good idea for very small seeds. When you sow on open soil, it can be difficult to see where the seeds land; you may miss the furrow completely. It can be tough getting the spacing right, so open sowing often requires using a lot of seeds and then thinning the plants because they end up too close together. Using seed tapes allows you to see exactly where the seeds are planted and ensures you have proper spacing, thereby limiting wasted seeds.

You usually don't need seed tapes for large seeds like squash, melon, and corn. For plants with large spacing requirements like tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers, seed tapes aren't necessary either.

Seed tapes can be very useful for mid-season and successive planting without disturbing plants already in the ground. You can place a length of seed tape in between rows of other plants during the summer. As the initial plants are harvested, the new ones from the tape are beginning their growth. Many cool season seeds are planted at intervals so you have continuous harvest later on. Placing a new seed tape of radishes or lettuce at two-week intervals can give you a steady harvest with little effort.

If you haven't used seed tapes before, think about adding them to your bag of tricks. You can buy them or make them. Either way, they are a perfect, no-waste method of sowing seeds.

Seed tapes are strips of paper that have seeds embedded along their length at specific spacing, appropriate for precise planting. You can buy them in many gardening or seed catalogs and at many nurseries. Because the seeds are neatly laid out on the paper strip, all you have to do is place the tape in a furrow, cover it with soil, and water it like any other seed. It's an easy way to ensure your seeds go where you want them, with the spacing they require, and at a consistent depth.

Seed tapes are wonderful for plants that have specific planting distance requirements like beets, carrots, radishes, and onions. Planted and grown too close together, these vegetables can become stunted or misshapen. They're great for plants like lettuce, spinach, and chard that also have spacing needs. Seed tapes are designed to provide the necessary spacing with no need for thinning.

One of my favorite catalogs, Gardener's Supply Company, offers a number of effort-saving gardening tools and supplies. They sell three, five-and-a-half-feet long seed tapes for about five dollars (US). That's enough to plant two rows in a typical eight-feet-long planting bed. Assuming an average spacing of about three inches per seed, you should get about 70 plants per package. However, the selection of seed varieties is limited to just a few types.

If you're willing to spend the time and effort, you can make your own seed tape for a fraction of the cost, using recycled newspaper. You won't be limited by seed variety; you can choose any seed you like. And you can make them any length you desire.

Begin by cutting sheets of newspaper into strips about one-inch wide. The strips will be about two-feet long. You can use them at this length or paste or tape them together into longer strips like the ones that Gardener's Supply Company sells.

Take a tablespoon or two of white flour and mix it with an equal amount of water to make a smooth paste. Consistency isn't important; you just don't want it to be runny.










Using a toothpick, chopstick or similar-sized utensil, place small drops of the paste at regular intervals along the newspaper strip. The spacing you choose is dependent on the seed you've chosen. Check the seed packet for proper spacing.

Carefully drop a seed into each drop of paste. You can use the toothpick or utensil to gently push on the seed to embed it in the paste.

Label the strip so you know what seeds are on it. You can do this step before you place the paste if you want.

Set the strip in a location where it can dry for an hour or two without being disturbed.

When you're ready to plant, dig a furrow of the correct planting depth as stated on the seed packet and lay the strip in it. It isn't critical whether the newspaper is on the bottom or top because it won't hinder the growth of the seed when it's wet. I place it with the newspaper side down. Cover the strip with the appropriate depth of soil.

That's all there is to it. You now have a neat row of seeds ready to germinate and burst forth.

You can save a great deal of money by making seed tapes yourself. I purchased 250 beet seeds for $2.25, for an average cost of less than a penny per seed. The recycled newspaper and flour paste adds a few pennies to the overall project. Spacing them at three-inch intervals on a homemade seed tape, I can produce over 60 feet of beet seed tape for just over two dollars total cost. An equivalent length when purchased would be over $20.

Using seed tapes can be a good idea for very small seeds. When you sow on open soil, it can be difficult to see where the seeds land; you may miss the furrow completely. It can be tough getting the spacing right, so open sowing often requires using a lot of seeds and then thinning the plants because they end up too close together. Using seed tapes allows you to see exactly where the seeds are planted and ensures you have proper spacing, thereby limiting wasted seeds.

You usually don't need seed tapes for large seeds like squash, melon, and corn. For plants with large spacing requirements like tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers, seed tapes aren't necessary either.

Seed tapes can be very useful for mid-season and successive planting without disturbing plants already in the ground. You can place a length of seed tape in between rows of other plants during the summer. As the initial plants are harvested, the new ones from the tape are beginning their growth. Many cool season seeds are planted at intervals so you have continuous harvest later on. Placing a new seed tape of radishes or lettuce at two-week intervals can give you a steady harvest with little effort.

If you haven't used seed tapes before, think about adding them to your bag of tricks. You can buy them or make them. Either way, they are a perfect, no-waste method of sowing seeds.

Making Aluminum Can Plant Tags

Keeping track of plants can be difficult. Even after making a planting plan, I'll often walk through the garden and forget what I've planted where. It may be a symptom of age or a cluttered mind.  Whatever the reason, having a way to identify plants without relying on memory can be a beneficial part of a garden.

You can buy wood, plastic, and metal plant tags of every shape and size. I've tried many and am often disappointed. Writing on a plastic tag with a permanent marker sounds good, but every one I set out last year quickly faded in the sun and weather. Wooden markers seem to dry out or rot too quickly and metal ones are too expensive and can tarnish.

An easy option is to recycle a few of your aluminum cans and make your own durable tags that won't decay or lose the lettering. And they're practically free.

Start with any aluminum cans

Begin by cutting the ends off of an aluminum can. I use a utility knife, but scissors will work too. You'll have a cylinder. The edges aren't normally sharp enough to cut you, but any metal burs will prick your skin. Be careful to avoid minor injury.

Cut off the ends

With the ends off, make a straight cut through the cylinder and you'll have a sheet of aluminum that is printed on one side and bare metal on the other. It will retain the curved shape of the can so gently roll it into another cylinder in the opposite direction with the bare metal on the outside. This will help it achieve a flatter profile.

Rolling it inside out

Now cut the sheet into strips. You can make them any width. These will become your plant markers. If you want you can cut one end into a pointed shape, but it really isn't necessary; the finished marker will easily slide into the soil. If they still hold a curve, try rubbing them with a flat spoon or wooden handle to flatten them entirely.

On a piece of tissue paper, write the name of the plant. Be as plain or as flowery as you want to be. Turn the paper over so you see what the name looks like backwards. This is your template to creating the plant tag.

Take one of the aluminum strips and using the backward name as a guide write the backward lettering on the printed side of the can. An old ball point pen that doesn't write any more is perfect. You can use a sharp stick or a stenciling tool. The idea is to press the metal hard while you're writing.

Writing on the metal using the paper as a guide

Turn the aluminum strip over and you'll see the name popping out. That's your plant tag. At this point it's nothing fancy, but it will hold up to the weather and not fade. You can push them into the soil or tack them to the side of your wooden raised beds. You can even add paint or glitter if you choose.

My parsnip tag

There are other methods for making decorative tags, but this one is a fast, easy, inexpensive way to recycle waste and identify your plants. I don't make these tags to please others, but to help me remember what is what. This simple label makes me feel better about the memory I have left.

Marking my new seeds

To see more photos of the process as a slideshow, go to my website:

www.gardenerscott.com

Keeping track of plants can be difficult. Even after making a planting plan, I'll often walk through the garden and forget what I've planted where. It may be a symptom of age or a cluttered mind.  Whatever the reason, having a way to identify plants without relying on memory can be a beneficial part of a garden.

You can buy wood, plastic, and metal plant tags of every shape and size. I've tried many and am often disappointed. Writing on a plastic tag with a permanent marker sounds good, but every one I set out last year quickly faded in the sun and weather. Wooden markers seem to dry out or rot too quickly and metal ones are too expensive and can tarnish.

An easy option is to recycle a few of your aluminum cans and make your own durable tags that won't decay or lose the lettering. And they're practically free.

Start with any aluminum cans

Begin by cutting the ends off of an aluminum can. I use a utility knife, but scissors will work too. You'll have a cylinder. The edges aren't normally sharp enough to cut you, but any metal burs will prick your skin. Be careful to avoid minor injury.

Cut off the ends

With the ends off, make a straight cut through the cylinder and you'll have a sheet of aluminum that is printed on one side and bare metal on the other. It will retain the curved shape of the can so gently roll it into another cylinder in the opposite direction with the bare metal on the outside. This will help it achieve a flatter profile.

Rolling it inside out

Now cut the sheet into strips. You can make them any width. These will become your plant markers. If you want you can cut one end into a pointed shape, but it really isn't necessary; the finished marker will easily slide into the soil. If they still hold a curve, try rubbing them with a flat spoon or wooden handle to flatten them entirely.

On a piece of tissue paper, write the name of the plant. Be as plain or as flowery as you want to be. Turn the paper over so you see what the name looks like backwards. This is your template to creating the plant tag.

Take one of the aluminum strips and using the backward name as a guide write the backward lettering on the printed side of the can. An old ball point pen that doesn't write any more is perfect. You can use a sharp stick or a stenciling tool. The idea is to press the metal hard while you're writing.

Writing on the metal using the paper as a guide

Turn the aluminum strip over and you'll see the name popping out. That's your plant tag. At this point it's nothing fancy, but it will hold up to the weather and not fade. You can push them into the soil or tack them to the side of your wooden raised beds. You can even add paint or glitter if you choose.

My parsnip tag

There are other methods for making decorative tags, but this one is a fast, easy, inexpensive way to recycle waste and identify your plants. I don't make these tags to please others, but to help me remember what is what. This simple label makes me feel better about the memory I have left.

Marking my new seeds

To see more photos of the process as a slideshow, go to my website:

www.gardenerscott.com