Humble Abodes

How about creating some homes and habitats for the creatures that literally help your garden grow?

Bird Houses
Bird houses add instant charm to any yard and come in just about any style (and price range) to fit your fancy. Or, you can always build your own, if you're feeling crafty. Bird houses also play a role in bird conservation, particularly in urban areas where there are fewer natural places to nest. But, not all bird houses are created equal. Certain houses attract certain types of birds, so if you want to woo a particular species, do your research.

Mason Bees
Mason bees are solitary, workaholic pollinators and rarely sting. Since they live sans roommates (meaning, they don't create colonies or hives with others), give them a comfy place to call home. I love this idea from Martha Stewart on how to create a simple home for Mason bees out of bamboo sticks.

Bat Houses
Unfortunately, bat populations are diminishing due to declining habitats. Sure, many of us cringe at the thought of creating environments to attract bats, but hear me out. Bats eat mad amounts of mosquitoes, moths and other troublesome insects. A single bat can eat anywhere from 2,000-6,000 insects per night. For all you vegetable gardeners, this is another great means of organic pest control. And, if you give them a proper home, the less likely they are to squat in yours.

Check out this site for more fun facts about bats, and the right way to purchase and install a bat house.

















Top left: Martha Stewart's bamboo mason bee home. Middle left: Chic bird houses from Romence Gardens. Bottom left: Crate and Barrel's driftwood bird house. Middle: Victorian bat house from Best Nest. Right: Anthropolgie's ultra-modern bird house selection.

Garden Pick-Me-Up

Someone at work is collecting coffee grounds for their garden. How do I know this? Well, my super sleuth skills have honed in on the plastic container on top of the coffee maker with a label that says “coffee grounds.” If they are not for their garden, what else would they be for?

Actually, there are quite a few uses for spent coffee grounds—odor absorber, abrasive scouring and cleaning agent, skin exfoliant, and yes, cellulite reducer.

But, coffee grounds are best used in the garden. Here’s the why and how:

• They are a compost pile wonder. Just toss in, filter and all (teabags, too!) Consider them “green” not “brown” material (even though, yes, they are in fact brown), but they are full of nitrogen, which essential for plant growth. 
• Create a natural fertilizer by applying grounds directly to beds and working into the soil. Plants that prefer more acidic soil, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, roses and even fruit trees will particularly develop a caffeine addiction. Or, use this recipe to create a fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Dilute coffee grounds with water at a rate of ½ lb coffee to 5 gallons of water. Mix and spray!
• Rumor has it that grounds repel slugs, snails and ants. Chemical-free pest control!
• Use as a mulch in beds or containers.
• Amend your soil (pre or post planting) to improve the texture and pH, and attract worms.

So, stock up because whether you use your own, collect from the office or visit your local Starbucks, you really can’t have too much. (Note: I’m not entirely sure, but I think you can still go to Starbucks and take as much as you can carry. I’m sure any local coffee house would give away grounds for a good cause. Ask around!)

I’m not going to get into all the facts and figures about coffee ground waste in landfills. Just check out this page, which gets into the science, and sustainable and social causes behind grounds.

Creeping Charlie, You're Dead to Me!

I say in my best Tony Soprano voice...

I'm waging a war against Creeping Charlie, a formidable landscape enemy.

Creeping Charlie is an invasive ground cover that is part of the ivy family. It crowds out the grass, it's rhizomes make it quick to spread, and it's really tough to completely eliminate. And, if you hear someone say it only likes damp, shady areas, they're liars, because the majority of my yard is in full sun. And, the majority of my yard happens to be Charlie.

I'm taking back what's mine through force (and extreme measures, if necessary). I have my arsenal planned, and while nukes aren't an option (although, I have heard of people using a blow torch), being vigilant tends to be the best strategy. Hit hard, hit often, in the fall and after it flowers in the spring for best control. Yes, control. The success stories of those who have actually eradicated Charlie are few and far between.

A great lawn is the foundation for any great landscape. And, I want to be able to run barefoot through my own backyard. If it takes a persistent herbicidal cocktail, so be it.

If you think I'm exaggerating, check out this string of Charlie woes, treatments and results.

Spring Around Town

Even though May is prime time for prepping and planting, be sure to break out of your backyard to take advantage of these classes and events that are right in ... your own backyard!

National Public Gardens Day, May 6
Tomorrow is National Public Gardens Day (and, it is actually every Friday before Mother's Day). Public gardens offer a variety of learning opportunities, including water conservation methods, landscape design, native plants, seasonal and geographic considerations, gardening techniques, and the collective knowledge of those who work and volunteer there. Maybe you're heard of a little place called Frederik Meijer Gardens?

Holland Tulip Time Festival, May 7-14
I'd be lying if I said I had an interest in Dutch heritage (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) But, I wouldn't mind seeing hundreds of thousands of tulips in bloom. If you are interested in all of the festivities, check out the Tulip Time website.

Local Gardening Classes
I'm a big fan of the the Romence Gardens Coaching Series. Every Saturday at 9:45 a.m., Romence offers a class taught by one of their "coaches"--either a seasoned employee or an outside expert. Subjects include lawn care, flowering shrubs, vegetables, composting, container gardening and hanging baskets. Check their website for upcoming classes. Saturday's class is all about caring for hanging baskets. Romence is also planning "R Big Day" on May 21, more details coming soon.

Pretty and Practical Gifts for Mom

It's not to late to get Mom something she'll covet for Mother's Day.
Need ideas? Here are some of my top picks.

You can never go wrong with a great flowering shrub that blooms all summer long and grows back year after year. Last year, I got my mom the Proven Winners Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea. It's hardy, it's pink and $1 from each purchase will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. But, don't stop at hydrangeas. There are so many shrub options to choose from, including butterfly bush varieties, rose of Sharon, spirea and more. Check out Proven Winners for more shrub ideas or visit your local garden center.

Dirt Couture is probably my new favorite site, with for gifts for moms, friends or yourself. (Remember Father's Day is right around the corner, too!) This site offers a variety of handmade gifts for the garden, the home, organic vegetables and gift cards. Several items also offer free shipping. Some of my faves include the Good Egg Salt Cellar, the Canning Jar Chandelier and the Trook!

Every good woman should have her very own set of gardening tools. And yes, they should be pink. Bond MFG is teaming up with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to bring you this pink gift set including bag, bypass pruner, pruning sheers, trowel and cultivator (with ergonomic grip!)

Yes, you may have noticed a theme. Breast cancer has affected too many family members and friends. So, get great gifts while supporting great causes. Happy Mother's Day!

Left: Pink 5-piece garden tool gift set, available at Amazon.
Top right: Proven Winners Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea
Bottom right: Tree of Life Necklace from Dirt Couture

The Case of the No-Bloom Daffodils

Over the weekend, I received my first reader question. Heather from Farmington Hills asked, "Why for two years in a row now, have my daffodils only been producing foliage and no flowers?"

While we believe our spring bulbs will tend to produce season after season, they will run their course over time. The key to keeping that full and replenished look, is to add fresh bulbs to the mix every fall or every other fall.

However, I know this is not Heather's situation. Her bulbs are only two years old. So here are a few scenarios and solutions.

1. The bulbs themselves may have been too small at planting to produce flowers. With bulbs, bigger is better. Bulbs do get bigger over time, so there is still a possibility that they may bloom...Eventually. Have patience, if you feel compelled to wait it out.

2. Try some fertilizer. Sometimes bulbs just need a little bit of encouragement. But, be careful not to overfertilize. Too much nitrogen will perpetuate the same problem--too many leaves, no flowers. Never use lawn fertilizer.

3. Sometimes bulbs are just particular about their environment. Is it too shady? Are there adjacent plants that are competing for sun and nutrients? What is the soil like? Take my daffodils for example. Mine (photo left) have just about had their fill, and yet my neighbors to the south (photo right) and the west are still in full bloom. Go figure.

4. Hate to say it, but sometimes you just get duds. And unfortunately, there's no remedy for a bad bulb, except to try, try again, with new bulbs, of course.

My two cents, wait until fall to replant some new bulbs. Now is the time to start focusing on summer flowering shrubs and perennials.

One more important note about bulbs while we're on the subject. Once blooms are spent, don't get too eager to cut back the leaves. As unsightly as they may become, the leaves take in the sun, which then feeds the bulb for the next season. Love daffodils?