The PIGG Pin

My Pig Fire Pit at the Wilson County Fair

As requested, this is my Pig Fire Pit which Rick Wittrig made for me.  He literally makes them by hand, no stencils at all.  They are made from recycled metal so they are helpful to the environment.  Made from a heavy steel, I have carried mine all over town to many shows and places and haven’t had any hint of damage to it.

As you might have seen from my other post, he has made an entire world which will be displayed in the Olympics coming in Feb. 2010.  Incredibly awesome stuff.  Here is the link to the news report for the olympics  http://www.wsmv.com/sports/22284435/detail.html

His website is http://firepitart.com    Check it out, he can ship all over the United States.

Super Phosphate

In January or February, one thing you don’t want to forget to use, is Super Phosphate.

Super Phosphate is an inexpensive and effective source of Phosphorus where applications of Phosphorus are needed.  With it being quick acting, it helps to enhance growth and color, and helps to strengthen stems and increase blooms.

This product should be used on all Iris, Crape Myrtle, Lilacs, Peonies, Chrysanthemums and Dahlias.  Using on bulbs will increase a deeper color!

It is sold as a powder and is very simple to use.  Just mix several tablespoons full with soil when planting bulbs or small plants, or just sprinkle a light covering on the ground around existing plants and water in.

Not using SuperPhosphate could be the reason why your lilacs, hydrangeas or other blooming plants do not give you a show in the spring.  Don’t miss this window of opportunity to help your plants.

Let me know if you need help finding where to purchase SuperPhosphate.

Happy Blooms

Heuchera

I want to give you a simple suggestion on a perennial who will give you a gorgeous wintertime presence.  It comes in a variety of colors and new varieties are being developed each year.  The original ‘Purple Palace’ variety was perennial of the year in 1991 and has stayed in the top ten every year since then.  The plant we are obviously referring to is a Heuchera.  I sound it out like this… Hoo-ka-ra.  It sounds funny, but the more you say it the easier it is and can be a good conversation piece when talking ‘garden’ with other people.

Heuchera’s make great wintertime plants because they do not loose their leaves or die down to the ground during the winter.  This is a characteristic which is loved by all.  The Heuchera grow’s similar to a hosta or daylily in the respect that the clump just gets larger each year.  They will commonly create new plants from seed or multiply like a Black eyed Susan type plant.

Heuchera’s can be easily divided just like a hosta by gently digging up the plant and using a sharp knife to cut through the root system to make additional plants.  Just be respectful giving these plants away, as many of them have patents on them from the propagator and you ultimately are stealing from them by dividing to sell or give away.  Believe me when I say there are very few ‘rich’ plant people in the world!!!

Info on a Heuchera

• Height 10 in. to 22 in.
• Sun to Shade
• Clump Form
• Average moisture
• Bloom time, June thru Aug.

Find out more at http://www.piggplants.com/general/search

Happy Heucheras

A little extreme to be planting a tree!!

I have always said, and will continue to say forever, that wintertime is the best time to plant just about everything, but there is a question that always gets brought up, “Is the ground to wet?”  That is an excellent question and a very important one to keep asking yourself.  When the ground is too wet, it makes it very difficult to pack the soil in around the root ball during installation.

So is there a fix to the problem of the ground being to wet?  I believe there is, but it involves one extra step to the installation process.  If you plant a bush or tree in the really wet soil, you must pay close attention to how the soil packs back in around the roots.  Also, as the ground dries out, it shrinks some because of the lack of water.  The way to insure proper installation is, when the shrinkage occurs, take your shovel and foot back out to the plant and double check for any air holes around the root ball, or if the backfill dirt sank and you need to add a little more dirt to the top, then add more dirt.

Planting with moisture in the ground can dramatically increase survival of any plant because it lessens transplant shock.  Just be sure to double check your work and you should have a beautiful garden in the spring.

Happy Digging