Cacti!

We've got action!!! 

The cacti seeds have been in the soil for less than 6 full days, and we are seeing a little green! 

We have 4 of these little guys up!

Hopefully we will have more to report as the week progresses!

Cacti from seed

Today I planted cacti...from seed! This is a brand new experiment to me. I am used to starting all the regular stuff from seed (herbs, veggies, flowers), but I have never tried cacti. The package says it should take 14-21 for them to germinate! A great practice for my patience. Here's what I did:

Gathered up all planting paraphernalia...

Mixed some sand into my potting mix (I used Vital Earth's Organic Manna Mix potting soil with regular sand)...

Then added some water to mix just until thoroughly moist (do not skip this step, it makes it SO much easier in the end)...

I filled up my containers, then planted the seeds! After they were all planted, I thoroughly sprayed them down with water and covered the whole tray with a clear grow dome.

They are now sitting on top of a heat mat under a grow light! 

I hope to report a success! We will know in 14-21 days! :)

~Laura

Daily Inspiration: Hops!

The hops are in their full glory right now! 

I have a garden space out at my parents country home where I grow my corn, potatoes, vine crops and onions. The fence surrounding it is COVERED in hops. 

Dad will be able to brew up quite a few pints with the hop crop this year (that is, unless mom and I get to them first--wouldn't they look gorgeous in a fall wreath?)!

~Laura

Daily Inspiration

I really do need to find a place for a Caryopteris in my garden! Of course, I usually want one of everything that we unload off of the delivery trucks, but sometimes I wonder how I have made it so many years missing something this pretty! The promise of cooler temperatures for this next week is giving me a little more oomph to do a few new projects outside: plant a few things for late summer/fall color, freshen up a few pots and windowboxes, stake up my tall grasses and Joe Pye weed, spray for spider mites & powdery mildew, and maybe I will even edge the lawn! I hope that you are beginning to feel re-inspired to get back out in the garden again! 

Daily Inspiration: Siberian Blues!

I love the 'Siberian Blues' Dianthus! I have a small drift of them in the full sun along one of my pathways. They bloom almost nonstop and require little care. As an excited gardener, I just seem to end up with quite a few 'special care' plants, but I definitely can't handle a whole yard full of them which makes me appreciate these Dianthus all the more! Get some for your garden!!!

~Laura

Daily Inspiration: Fall Wreaths!

It's wreath-making time down here at Andrews! We have had fun gathering up all our wreath-making goodies over the past couple weeks from obliging ditches, fields, roadsides, and our own gardens (i.e. we scrounge around looking for dead and/or dying things that others would pass over. We even have a few friends and customers call us when they have a particularly pretty crop of grass seed heads, tree pods, or pine cones). We like to amp them up even more with a few feathers, moss, burlap, and some spray paint!

We have several wreaths already made up in the store, you can custom order one, or we can show you how to make you own! 

If you would like to make your own, please call ahead so we can be sure to be ready for you (541-889-9109)! Remember to bring your gloves, hand clippers, paddle wire, and a wreath form (supplies are also available for purchase in the store)! You can also bring along any cuttings from your own garden that you think would be pretty in a wreath! We LOVE new ideas!

~Laura

Compost Update!

We are now at day 25 and it looks as though the traditional compost (right) is catching up with the worm compost! We are going to plant these pumpkin starts out into a raised bed which we will amend with our composts later on this week. It's been a fun project! 

~Laura