Xylem & Phloem

It is with mixed emotions that I announce my upcoming plans to leave my home in Dallas and move south to Port Aransas. Though I am sad to leave behind the home and garden that I love so dearly, I am overjoyed to be starting a new chapter with the special person in my life. BUT HAVE NO FEAR! Xylem & Phloem will not be left behind! This blog will certainly gain new life from my experiences tackling a new gardening climate -- just blocks from the beach no less!

This is a wonderful time in my life, so full of opportunity. In a few weeks, I will be graduating from Southern Methodist University with a Masters degree in Business Administration. The past two years, I have struggled to find my place among students that are determined to climb the corporate ladder. For me, getting an MBA has never once been about landing the perfect job or securing a big salary. Many classmates talk about dreams of driving fancy cars, owning big mansions, and leading Fortune 500 companies. But my aspirations are far more basic. For me, going to business school was not about getting a prestigious degree. It was about acquiring the tools that will help me create a business that makes a difference and that makes me happy. Perhaps it will be a gardening business. Or maybe a non-profit. Whatever form my entrepreneurial aspirations take, I will always be grounded by my love for gardening and tending the land. When you garden, nothing is more awe-inspiring than the evolution of one tiny seed into a magnificent, blossom-laden plant. No Bentley, or mansion, or corner office will ever satisfy me as much as digging my hands into the earth come springtime. For this, for my love of gardening, I am so very grateful.

So please join me as I embark on a very exciting new adventure. I can't wait to share my coastal gardening experiences with you!

Callie 

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Photo Source: Stoke's Tropicals 

I am hyperfocused on blooms these days... Perhaps all the spring pollen is going to my head!

If you are like me, you have several bromeliads lying around the house without any dramatic blooms on them. I want to get those suckers blooming, so I did a little research that I would love to share with you. Check out some of these hints:

1. To encourage blooms, an HGTV article suggests placing the plant inside a paper bag with an apple for three or four days. Apparently, the ethylene gas will force the bromeliads to form a flower bud.

2. The same HGTV article also suggests hiking up indoor heat to 75 degrees.

3.  Bromeliad Society International proposes adding Epsom salts to the plant to help promote growth and encourage blooms.

4. BSI also reminds us that 99% of bromeliads only bloom once.

Looking for a good online source for bromeliads? Try Stoke's Tropicals. 

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Are you disappointed year after year by your hydrangea's poor blooming? There could be a number of reasons why your hydrangea is covered in green foliage with no blooms in sight. Here are some tips to keep your hydrangeas happy, healthy, and full of magazine-worthy blossoms:

1. DON'T PRUNE! I know that many of you are tempted to cut back your hydrangeas once the flowers and foliage dies back in late fall and winter. Any pruning, however, threatens your plant's ability to create blossoms during the following spring. Most heirloom and classic varieties of hydrangeas only bloom on the previous year's growth. Let me explain: each year hydrangeas develop new branches. These new branches, however, will not create flower buds until the NEXT season.

Here is a photo of one of my hydrangeas. See the new buds? These buds are growing on last year's growth.

If you cut back your hydrangeas, you are cutting off any chance for blossoms the next year. If you feel the need to prune, only snip off dead flowerheads or old, dead canes that do not show signs of budding come spring.

Continue reading "Keep Hydrangeas Blooming Year After Year" »

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I imagine many of you have heard about the problem of our diminishing worldwide bee population thought to be a result of global warming. As gardeners, we all know the important role that bees play in a garden's harmonious eco-system, and now there is a way for us to contribute to the creation of the first real map of the state of bees across the nation. For more information about the National Bee Survey and ways to participate, check out this blog entry on OrlandoSentinel.com, or visit http://www.greatsunflower.org.

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A few days ago, I mentioned my obsession with a great website called PerpetualKid.com. Now that my shipment of goodies has arrived, I have another reason to completely adore this company...

Continue reading "Another reason why PerpetualKid.com rocks" »

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Longing for a bumper crop of fresh, juicy tomatoes this summer? Here are a few tips that I have found helpful:

1. Birds eating tomatoes? It's not the tomatoes they're after. Most birds peck at tomatoes because they are thirsty, NOT hungry. Provide a source of water for birds, whether it be a small fountain or a birdbath, and the birds will occupy themselves with the water, not your tomatoes.

2. Tomato seeds like it hot. According to propagation manuals, tomato seeds germinate best at 85 degrees (F). Try starting seeds indoors with a plant heating mat (mats are available at garden centers and at Amazon.com). If you prefer starting seeds in the garden, invest in a soil thermometer and wait to plant seeds until the soil has heated up to at least 60 degrees (F).

3. Companion plant for insect control and better plant health. Famed advocate of biodiversity John Jeavons writes, "Like people in relationships, certain plants like and dislike eachother." Create biodiversity in your own garden and control pests organically by planting your tomatoes alongside chives, onions, parsley, asparagus, marigolds, nasturtiums and carrots. Keep tomatoes away from kohlrabi, potatoes, fennel and cabbage.

Continue reading "Tomato Tips" »

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Dallas Morning News

Plant swapping rewards go beyond budget 

Garden stools that will knock you off your feet 

Garden Rant

Stop the mulch madness!  

San Francisco Chronicle

Shearing shrubs makes them shapely, at a cost 

Plenty of ideas blooming after garden show

Dirt by Amy Stewart

Sam's Club sells fair trade flowers 

New York Times

In the garden: A sisterly rivalry leads directly to pies 

Garden Q&A: A hibiscus, far from home 

May Dreams Gardens

Notorious Nightshades: A guest post by Susan Whittig Albert 

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Green gardening: Lilac leaves indicate pea planting time

To do list - time is running out to plant tomato seeds 

Austin-American Statesman

Gardening workshops offer expert advice 

March outside and plant tomatoes for a bountiful summer harvest

San Antonio Express News

Neil Sperry: Best garden hose is ultra-flexible 

Garden is seeking the tops in treehouses 

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