Hope you are doing well and that your garden has given you much joy this year.
Welcome to my garden blog. Within the blog, I’ll be writing about my seven gardens and how I take care of them. As a master gardener of 35 years, I’m exacting and particular about the gardens I tend. I’m hoping there will be some good ideas within the blog that you can incorporate within your own garden.
The first big news from PT’s Garden: I have discovered a secret to protecting my flowers from critters who want to damage the plants. Now it is time to share the exciting news with you:
Drum roll, please.
The official launch of the Plant Patron®: 15 November 2020
If you are reading this blog, then the new website has launched successfully…introducing The Plant Patron™.
The Plant Patron®: the new environmentally safe and humane way to protect your flowers, bushes and other valuable plants.
I invented the Plant Patron® because I grew tired of having my precious plants damaged by rabbits and other wild critters. We all know a big part of the success of a plant is the hole in which the plant is placed. After painstakingly digging a nice hole to fit the plant, applying root care solution, then finally placing the plant into the new hole, it is an amazing feeling to place the soil around the new plant roots, then giving the plant a good drink of water. (Make sure there are no air pockets around you root system.)
The following morning, there are few things more frustrating and angering, than checking on your new planting, only to discover the plant has been dug up by a wild animal. The roots you have carefully placed…are upside down, facing the sky. The hole you spent so much time and effort digging out…is empty.
Make no mistake. When a newly plant is forcefully disturbed in this way, it places stress on the young root system. If you can replant within hours, often the plant can be saved. If you cannot get to the plant right away, it places the plant under more stress. If you cannot replant for a few days, place the plant in a bucket of water. Be sure that only the root system is covered with tepid water. The plant should be fine this way for a few days. As soon as you can get the plant back to the soil, the better it is for the survival of the plant.
Unfortunately, I’ve had this very thing happen many times. I grew so frustrated with having to replant over and over again, that something different had to be done.
The answer: Plant Patron®.
Our brand is the only plant protection device that humanely protects plants, while allowing them to grow through and withstand environmental elements for many years.
An early version of the Plant Patron® has been used in my gardens for thirty-five years. After moving to the country in 2013, we learned the reality of living within nature. Living the country life brings with it all of the wild animals that also live in the rural setting: rabbits, skunks, deer, raccoons. We even spotted a rare fisher this past summer.
One caveat of living in the country is respecting the animals who were here before us. I didn’t want to harm the wild animals, but I also did not want them damaging my plants and flowers.
Hence, Plant Patron® was born. Since testing the Plant Patron® throughout my gardens, I’ve not had one plant damaged by wild animals. I have different colors of Plant Patron® in different beds, which helps to remind me of where different plants are bedded.
With the Plant Patron™ in place, I have peace of mind that my plants will live safely in their new home in the soil until morning, allowing the root system to begin to establish itself, resulting in a strong, beautiful plant. Each additional day the root system is protected in the soil…adds to the overall strength and longevity of the plant.
Throughout this website (www.ptsgarden.com), you will see how the Plant Patron™ works. All of the flowers pictured on the website are my own gardens. Many of the flowers look the way they do because they were protected from the beginning by the early version of The Plant Patron®.
My precious hubby will tell you that he is relieved to see me come in from gardening and not be upset that my plants were damaged.
The Plant Patron® is a new version of plant protection—in a word, a new ‘mousetrap for the garden’.
I like to call the Plant Patron® the ‘well-mannered workhorse of the garden’. It works for you quietly, consistently, effectively and securely, in a very nice way.
Want to surprise the special gardener on your list? The Plant Patron® is a perfect gift, in their favorite color(s).
Click ‘Order Now’ at the top of the website page to place your order today.
The Plant Patron® is proudly made in the USA of heavy gauge steel, powdered coated in your favorite color for long lasting service to your garden.
You are invited to send us photos of your garden using the Plant Patron® for possible use on the website. Send photos to: pt@ptsgarden.com
Critter Woes and a Way to Solve Them Humanely
Thank you very much. Happy Gardening to you.
Garden tasks: Fall
We live in the Midwest, where the weather can turn on a dime. We had Deracho in August (which flattened many of my beds and destroyed our patio furniture), record snow in October, then November dawned with 70-degree temperatures.
With the variability in weather, tending the gardens becomes a test of patience and perseverance. I always winterize my gardens in the fall, which makes them easier to open up in the spring. If one is lucky enough to catch a warm, later summer day, this is even better.
Following are some Fall Garden Tasks for you to consider:
Cut back your perennials. This will allow more of the energy of the plant to go to the root system, strengthening the plant overall. I cut back my coneflowers to about four inches, then place the seeded heads in the meadow. Over the years the seed heads in the meadow have naturalized and bloomed the following spring. Seeing the coneflowers swaying in the breeze of the meadow is a wonderful sight.
Becky Daisies: trim back to 5-6 inches. The Becky’s sturdy stems are very attractive with a snow covering. By trimming them back, the root system will allow the Becky to spread out in its growth, looking towards a cheerful daisy bouquet in summer.
Roses: trim back roses to the main canes. Cover with a Plant Patron® to give the rose an artful look for winter.
Daylilies: remove the spent stems of the daylily. When it is time, the stem will be brown and should pull easily out of the flower. If the stem does not pull out easily, then it needs more time to do its work before being removed. Let the leaves of the daylily die down naturally. Leave them in place, providing a nice ‘blanket’ for the plant over the winter months.
Hostas: once the beautiful hosta flowers have completed their blooming, the sturdy stem is still in place. For fall cleanup, cut the stem below the line of the hosta leaves. Leave the hosta leaves in place for winter. The leaves will die down, providing a lovely winter coat for the cold months.
Keep a garden notebook. Make note of changes you want to make for next year’s garden, plants you need to order, etc. Are there any empty spots in your beds that need to be filled? Plants that need to be replaced? Write it down.
Cover your Plant Patron® with holiday lights. Attach the lights to a timer so the lights go on at dusk and turn on at dawn. Then you never have to go out in the cold once the lights are set up. This makes a cheerful statement during dark winter evenings. [And how cheerful it must be for the plant inside. 😊]
We’ve taken a photo of our Plant Patron® with holiday lights. See the photo on the website.
Clean your garden tools. Many of my garden tools are old and very special to me. I prefer a strong, balanced tool, and most of my tools are balanced, making them easier to use.
- Using baby oil (yes, baby oil) and a soft cloth, spread baby oil on the wooden handles of your garden tools (rake, hoe, weeder, etc.). The baby oil will nourish the wood and give the wood a nice sheen.
- Clean all of the soil off your tools. Use a paper towel to wipe off the soil. Do not use water. It is difficult to remove all remaining water, which may set up to rust on your tool. Then use a lubricant product to spray on the steel part of your tool. Wipe off any excess lubricant with a paper towel.
- Hang/store your tools in dry, safe place, away from the weather elements.
- When it is time to bring out your tools in the spring, the tools will be ‘at the ready’ for your spring garden tasks.
Take care of your garden tools, and they will take care of you.
Until next time, happy gardening to you.
Let’s plant on together. 😊
With kind regards,
PT
