The Amaryllis is a Winter Beauty

There are many choices for growing flowers in the winter, such as crocus, hyacinth, paperwhite narcissus, and tulips. These bulbs, which are widely available at garden centers and through catalogs, are easy to grow. Among these many choices, my preference is the amaryllis. It is a reliable plant to grow indoors, with large and attractive blooms. Winter is the very time when we need their colorful flowers and green foliage in our lives. I have tried many different types of amaryllis bulbs over the years, all with pleasing results.

Plant Amaryllis Bulbs In October for December Blooms

You begin by planting the amaryllis bulb in a pot, or buying one that is already potted. Next, place the potted bulb in a sunny location and water occasionally. Once planted, the bulb starts a growing process that can last up to ten weeks before it produces a bloom. So, if you want colorful flowers for December, be sure to plant the bulb in October.

At first, the amaryllis bulb will not appear responsive. After a few weeks, however, small green shoots will emerge. Then the growth becomes rapid. Shoots become taller every day. In a few weeks, a single large bud will appear and then another. Soon there will be a cluster of several blooms. I always get excited at this stage, anticipating how many blossoms the plant will produce. Some amaryllis bulbs even grow two stalks, each with multiple large blooms. In planning my winter amaryllis "garden," I stagger potting the bulbs so that when one is finished blooming, another is ready to produce.

The amaryllis is native to regions in Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. The name amaryllis originates from the Greek word amrysso, meaning "to sparkle." The magnificent blooms certainly do sparkle with their vibrant colors and perfect symmetry!

The Amaryllis Can Rebloom

The amaryllis is a perennial, so it will rebloom if you follow a few simple steps. Once the blooms fade, cut them off and continue to water and fertilize the plant. The long leaves will continue to grow and send nourishment back to the bulb. In the spring, plant the bulb outside in full sun and well-drained soil. In the fall, move the bulb indoors to a cool, dark place so it can become dormant for approximately eight weeks. Now you are ready to place the bulb in a sunny location indoors where it can start the growing process again.

Last spring I planted several amaryllis bulbs outside. Some bloomed again in their new setting during the summer. Since the winter is fairly mild and short here in Western North Carolina, I plan to keep these bulbs outside this winter to see how they do. If our winter is mild this year, they might survive with a layer of mulch to protect them.

I have had impressive results with theses types of amaryllis: Monaco, Candy Floss, Marilyn, Apple Blossom, Picotee, and Red Lion. Long after my outdoor plants have died for the season, I always look forward to colorful amaryllis blooms. The sight of these large flowers on a cold, dreary day is uplifting throughout the winter months.

This article appears in The Laurel of Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily!

November in the Mountains

The month of November fascinates me. It is the time of transition from fall to winter, revealing hints of what is to come with cold nights and a barren landscape, but also showing us the best of fall with warm Indian summer days. I enjoy that duality. The mountains of Western North Carolina are majestic in November. The sun sits low on the horizon, casting dramatic shadows on the mountains from the clouds above.

November comes from the Latin novem, meaning "nine," because it was the ninth month in the Roman calendar. Later, as the Julian and Gregorian calendars added January and February, November retained its name even though it became the eleventh month. November has also been known as the time of the "Snow Moon" and the "Moon of the Falling Leaves."

The Killing Frost in November

In November, my garden beds are almost bare except for plants like Rainbow Chard that enjoy the cold. A killing frost usually occurs in late October or early November. Many plants in my garden bear the brunt of this frost. Annuals such as sunpatiens, zinnias and tithonias, which have the most colorful flowers, turn brown overnight. These plants are my pride and joy, as I have nurtured them from early spring. In one night their season ends abruptly. It is always a shock when this happens, even though I have experienced this before. Once these plants die I cut them down and gather them for the compost pile. Accepting that this will happen helps me appreciate their short, vibrant season each spring and summer.

Weeding continues in the fall, but at this point most of the autumn chores are done. After the intense colors of October, the subdued landscape of November is alluring. There is a mystery in the air as winter and its accompanying darkness approach. Shadows lengthen and the late afternoon light becomes dramatic. This is the time to slow down and contemplate our lives and our own mysteries.

A Fleeting Autumn Landscape

Like the trees and the earth, we are also changing and moving toward our next season. November is symbolic of our progression. The fleeting autumn landscape, with dying plants and bare branches, reminds us to let go of the things we love, starting with the plants we have nurtured for months. I accept this impermanence as winter comes to the mountains.

Nature is a great teacher, showing us the stages of life. November unfolds as the month of beauty and loss, splendor and decay. The light fades and darkness dominates as the days become shorter. Yet we can find light in this season, knowing that the cycle of growth will resume in the spring. Gardeners in particular have faith in this because plants have spread their seeds and perennials will rise again as they always do.

Although the dying time, it is also the color time, the time when faith in the steadfastness of nature is surest... The seeds all have summer in them, some of them thousands of summers. — John Muir

This article appears in The Laurel of Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily.

Tending to Daily Garden Chores

Now that fall has begun, I have been reflecting on this year's growing season. One thing I learned is that daily garden chores matter. Weeding, pruning overgrown plants, cleaning out beds, watering when conditions are dry—the list goes on and on. All of these chores add up to a garden that is tended to and functioning well.

By October every year, I start to dismantle my garden to prepare for winter. I remove dead plants from their beds and put them into the compost bin. I cut back perennials such as peonies and hostas to remove the dead foliage. Fall is also the time for me to consider what plants did well during the growing season and make notes about them in my journal. Then I plant bulbs, such as daffodils, for next spring. Each season has its own chores to prepare for the upcoming season.

The Cycle of Garden Chores

I first learned about the cycle of garden chores when I had a plot in a community garden several years ago. During my time there, I saw varying results. One woman in particular started in the spring with great energy and attention, but after a short time, she lost interest. By August, she was not visiting her plot and her mature vegetables began to rot because she wasn't picking them.

Other gardeners paid meticulous attention to their plots with thoughtfully planned rows and handsome plants that they carefully watered. Over the summer these gardeners harvested abundant flowers and vegetables because they were there consistently tending to their plants. These plots were a pleasure to see.

This past summer I was away on vacation for eleven days, but after this short period of time I returned to see tremendous changes in my yard. The weeds had taken over in every area. I never knew that crabgrass could get so big, but there it was, sprawling everywhere! Tomato plants that were beginning to get tall when I left were enormous and tipping over their cages with the weight of the green tomatoes and foliage. Some sunflowers were bent over, in need of staking, because they had grown so much.

The Right Tools for the Job

As I worked on the garden after my vacation, I realized that I work at many garden chores almost every day throughout the year without much effort. It takes only a few minutes to weed one small area or to pick squashes that are ripe. On a dry day, it might take twenty minutes to pick up the hose or watering can and water some plants. For these chores, I rely on my garden tools, gloves and sturdy boots. Having the right tool for the job is essential in order to work quickly and effectively.

Successful gardening amounts to paying attention and following through with what needs to be done at any one time. Whatever we put our attention on will flourish, and a flourishing garden can give us much enjoyment.

This article appears in The Laurel of Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily!

Sunflower Delight

I find comfort in contemplating the sunflowers. - Vincent van Gogh

The sunflower is one of my favorite flowers. Known as Helianthus, this name is derived from the Greek word helios, meaning sun, and anthos, meaning flower. Every year I grow a variety of sunflowers. They are fascinating plants with their cheerful faces and many shapes and colors that delight people all over the world.

I enjoy watching the sunflowers grow and mature, reaching for the sky. As they create buds, they produce spiky green leaves called bracts that appear on the edge of the flower head. Slowly the petals of the flower open in the warm sun. Once the petals are open, they cover the bracts from the front. Then the flower show begins and it can last through August and into September.

Sunflowers are Inspirational

The story you learned as a child, that sunflowers follow the sun all day is true, but only for the young plants. Once the flower blooms, the plant will only face east. Because young sunflowers follow the sun, many cultures see them as symbolic of loyalty, faith, and spirituality. Also many people find the way that they stand tall and upright inspirational.

A few years ago I decided to collect seeds from a variety of sunflowers to experiment with different heights, colors, and size of bloom. Look at any garden catalog and you will get a sense of the great variety that is available. Their are many choices, from compact, smaller sunflowers to ones that grow over ten feet tall. Before you buy, be sure to read the seed packet carefully to understand how high a particular sunflower can grow.

Many Types of Sunflowers

I like to try different sizes, especially the tall varieties. The dilemma is choosing which ones to plant and where to plant them so they won't cast shade on other plants that need sun. As I discovered last summer, some sunflowers are extremely tall and tower over me. Last year, I measured my Heirloom Mammoth Greystripe sunflower after I took it down at the end of the growing season. I laid it on the ground and took out my tape measure. It was twelve feet tall! Another impressive sunflower is the Heirloom Titan, which I also grew to a measured height of twelve feet. With such tall plants, at some point I have to stake them for extra support.

A sunflower that was new for me last summer was the Shock-O-Lat, named because of its chocolate-colored petals with a striking thin yellow ring around the dark center. I loved this unusual looking sunflower. It grew six feet tall and produced abundant blooms for weeks.

In recent years I have become aware of the pollinators for my sunflowers. Scientists know that bees can see various colors, including including blue-green, violet and reddish colors such as yellow and orange. With their vivid colors, sunflowers attract honey bees, wild bees and hover flies, in addition to birds and butterflies. Bees are attracted to the warm, flat surface of sunflower’s center.

Sunflowers are important plants for the environment, offering food for insects and birds. All you need is an area in full sun and a little care to enjoy these stunning plants all summer.

This article appears in The Laurel of Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily!

Appreciating Tomatoes

"There is nothing better than picking up sun-warmed tomatoes and smelling them, feeling them and scrutinizing their shiny skins for imperfections, dreaming of ways to serve them.
— José Andrés

Have you ever walked into a garden and smelled the fragrance of tomato plants on a summer day? It is a magical sensory experience with the sunshine, the warmth and the smell of mature tomato plants.

August is the time when tomatoes are abundant and delicious. I get great satisfaction going into my garden and picking the ones that have just become ripe. While you can always buy tomatoes at a farmstand, home gardeners can easily grow their own, even in containers on a patio.

Growing tomatoes from seeds can be a long process. Some gardeners plant their seeds during the winter and carefully nurture them indoors until late May when they hope there will be no more frost. Others prefer the convenience of buying seedlings from a garden center. I like to plant seedlings outdoors in late April, knowing that if there is a frost I can protect the tender plants with row cover. By Memorial Day, the danger from frost is over and the seedlings start to produce yellow flowers.

Tomatoes Grow Fast in June

When June arrives my tomato plants look vigorous and get bigger by the day, with thicker stems and more leaves. At this point the yellow flowers start turning into small green tomatoes. The heat of July speeds their growth and the green fruit begins to turn orange or red, depending on the type. August, however, is the month we all anticipate when the tomatoes fully mature and develop the delicious taste that we love.

Every year, I search for different varieties of tomatoes to grow. But nothing beats the varieties that reliably produce the fruit I enjoy the most. Big Boy, Better Boy and Celebrity all grow well for me and have a flavor I love. In recent years, I have also grown Mountain Pride and Mountain Merit, which are bred especially for the Western North Carolina climate.

Cherry tomatoes are their own category. These small tomatoes, packed with flavor, grow easily and ripen as early as July. Some of my favorites are Sungold, Sun Sugar, Fantastico, Sweet Million and Super Sweet 100. Sweet is an accurate description for these candy-like orbs!

Different Types of Tomatoes

There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes throughout the world, each with different colors, sizes and flavors. Garden centers and catalogs are filled with a vast array of choices. There are determinate tomato plants, which grow smaller, and indeterminate plants, which grow much larger. Consider the space you have when choosing the type of tomatoes to grow. If you grow tomatoes in containers, for example, determinate plants are the ones to choose.

What matters most in your choice is how you like the taste. That's my criterion for any vegetable I grow. Next, consider how large the plant will get and if you have enough space. Finally, consider how you will serve your tomatoes. Most of the time I like them raw, combined with fresh basil that I grow. Tomatoes are one of the great joys of summer!

This article also appears in The Laurel of Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily!

Tithonias and Swallowtails

Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
- Hans Christian Anderson

One of the most exciting times in the summer is when the Mexican Sunflower, known as tithonia, blooms in July. This fast growing plant germinates quickly, produces hardy seedlings, and seems to double in size every day. After a few weeks it can reach five feet in height and be covered with vibrant orange blooms.

I plant tithonia seeds after Mother's Day and then watch them grow. At first the seedlings are tiny and need care. I water them when conditions are dry, and once they are about a foot tall, they are on their own. Tithonia loves heat and sun. Once the June heat begins, that is like fuel for them, and they grow rapidly. Suddenly the small seedlings are reaching for the sky, growing to a height of more than six feet and a width of more than four feet at maturity. By July, their vibrant orange blossoms attract many pollinators to my garden for the rest of the summer and into the early fall.

Tithonias Attract Butterflies

The pollinator most attracted to this striking plant is the swallowtail butterfly. To me, tithonia and swallowtails are the most wonderful combination of plant and insect. They go together every summer in spectacular fashion. To see multiple butterflies fluttering through my backyard on a summer day is a thrill!

With their vibrant colors, markings and a wing span of three to five inches, swallowtails are stunning in their appearance. An adult swallowtail has a short life span of only around fourteen days, but it is prolific, producing up to three generations during the spring and summer. The name "swallowtail" comes from the pointed tips of the wings that resemble a swallow's tail.

At least two varieties of swallowtails are regular visitors to my garden. There is the Eastern Tiger, with black markings on yellow like a tiger's coat, and there is the distinctive Eastern Black, with its striking combination of blue, black and orange dots under the wings.

In recent years I have read articles about the "Leave the Leaves" movement, which refers to the practice of letting leaves stay on garden beds over the winter so that the butterfly eggs laid on the leaves can hatch in the spring. When we rake leaves into bags and send them to the landfill, the eggs go too, reducing the number of butterflies in our yards the next spring. A few years ago I began to let the leaves stay on my beds until early April when I started seeing butterflies in the yard. I am glad I did that after seeing butterflies emerge.

Colorful Blooms Bring Enjoyment

If you plant tithonia seeds, find a spot in full sun and be sure to allow plenty of space for them to grow. Each summer they will produce hundreds of orange blooms that will produce thousands of seeds in the fall. Birds will eat many seeds, but also seeds will fall to the ground and the tithonia will rise again the next spring. This is a dependable, self-seeding plant that doesn't need a lot of care. The colorful blooms and the pollinators they attract are guaranteed to bring much enjoyment to the home gardener.

This article also appears in The Laurel of Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily!

The Beauty of Vegetables

The first gatherings of the garden in May of salads, radishes and herbs made me feel like a mother about her baby—how could anything so beautiful be mine?
- Alice B. Toklas

I discovered the beauty of vegetables by growing them. For years I grew only flowers, but one day I decided to grow vegetables in order to see them in their natural state. Too many vegetables in the supermarket are cut up and wrapped; they are only a small part of the whole plant.

Growing vegetables from seeds is magical. A tiny seed contains an amazing amount of energy and potential. A small plot of dirt, carefully tended, can yield a bounty of attractive and nourishing plants. I observe their forms carefully as I perform my routine garden chores and appreciate their appearance as nature intends it.

Observe Vegetables in the Garden

Before I started growing vegetables, I had never seen an entire broccoli plant in a garden. The broccoli crown, the part we eat, emerges in the center of a majestic plant with silver green leaves that reach out in a circular pattern for about three feet. It looks like a miniature helicopter, ready to spin its leaves and levitate!

I discovered that cabbages have a rosebud shape with many curves and swirls in addition to impressive spreading leaves. While I think all cabbages are beautiful, certain varieties of red cabbages stand out, with lavender veins and pale blue leaves. Another fascinating cabbage is the Savoy, with its crinkly texture.

Swiss chard has large leaves with veins that can be either green or dark red. Lacinato kale, on the other hand, has long thin leaves and light veins. Squash has vines that stretch over the garden, reaching with their tendrils and showing off dozens of bright orange flowers. Sugar snap peas cling to the trellis, producing dozens of white flowers that turn into delicious pods. Lettuces start from tiny seeds and grow into plants with delicate leaves.

Brussels sprouts grow on tall stalks with large, curving leaves, not looking at all like the small round objects that we see in the supermarket. Okra produces yellow blooms that are similar to the hibiscus, which turn into pods that can be green or burgundy. Tomatoes come in many sizes, shapes and colors. The variety of vegetables is almost endless.

Notice the Details in Vegetables

Early morning and dusk are the two times of day when I like to observe my plants. I bend down low to get close to them. Their different shapes and sizes, their coloring and even the details of the veins in the leaves amaze me.

These observations, studying highlights and shadows, curves and shapes, have made me realize the perfection of nature's designs. That vegetables sustain us spiritually and nutritionally makes them special. As I eat the vegetables I grow, they burst with flavor, moisture and tenderness. My relationship with my garden and its bounty is reciprocal: I nourish my plants as they grow and in turn, they nourish me.

This article also appears in The Laurel of Asheville. Follow @TheObservantGardener on Instagram to see new garden photos daily!