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Articles from Francis Rosenfeld | Selfgrowth.com
- The Three Years Rule - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldThe peonies would have bloomed by now, the buds have been ready to burst for more than a week, but it is so unseasonably cold, weird May weather! Temperatures in the fifties, I almost have to question the wisdom of moving the basil outside, it looks miserable. Peonies are the object lesson ...
Views: 581 - What's an Eggplant Worth? - by Submitted on Jun 11, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI’ve been growing vegetables in my little garden for over ten years, and one may wonder what is the benefit of waiting four whole months to get an eggplant when there is a whole stand of them at the grocery store all the time, even in the middle of winter. What happens is that every year, ...
Views: 489 - Rose Geranium Oil - by Submitted on Jun 04, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldRose geranium essential oil has been a staple ingredient for perfumery and skin care for a very long time. Just like its regular counterpart, the rose oil, it is very useful for mature skin, because it moisturizes it and helps restore its elasticity. There are many benefits associated with the ...
Views: 505 - Beautiful Flowers to Grow in the Shade - by Submitted on May 29, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldThe shade border rests at the end of summer, when it gets too warm and too dry for its taste. Since last summer was cool and rainy, the plants maintained the exuberant growth of early spring. The hostas were lush and full, the begonias were in full bloom and the toad lilies doubled in ...
Views: 545 - Magic Beans - by Submitted on May 21, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI plant scarlet runner beans for their flowers - all the beauty of sweet peas with none of the high maintenance. Of course they are not fragrant, but nothing in this life is perfect. If you plant them as a crop, and during favorable years they do produce, don’t pick them green, you are not ...
Views: 558 - Herbs for Clay Soils - by Submitted on May 13, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI know gardening wisdom says that most herbs thrive in poor soils, category that always includes clay for some reason, but in my experience that is not true. Many ‘poor soil’ herbs can’t be bothered to last a whole season in clay, not to mention come back the following year. For instance, ...
Views: 574 - About Growing Tomatoes - by Submitted on May 07, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldThe temperatures heated up, the tomatoes started performing. Tomato plants don’t mind hot weather and will keep their composure even when more heat sensitive vegetables wilt pitifully, but they will not set fruit if the temperatures are above 85 to 90 degrees during the day or 75 at night. ...
Views: 596 - Tips for Successful Herb Gardening - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldHerbs are not demanding plants, but some rules must be followed when growing them in order to ensure their success. There are two kinds of herbs: those that adapted to the wind swept, sunny and dry cliffs of the Mediterranean shores, like rosemary, basil, thyme, sage, lavender, calendula and ...
Views: 597 - Perennial Gardens - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldA perennial garden is an aggregate entity, not a discrete collection of plants. There is a surprising amount of inter-dependency that needs to develop between the neighboring plants, an adjustment that takes years and happens mostly underground. By the time a perennial garden gets fully ...
Views: 569 - Tulips? Yes, please! - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI always plant tulips. I’ve had beautiful ruffled pink ones, and fringed parrot ones, standard, double, lily flowering, you name it, I’ve tried them. I rarely see any in my garden. They don’t like the soil or the light levels, or something, or maybe they get eaten over the winter, who knows? ...
Views: 601 - Perennial Gardens - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldA perennial garden is an aggregate entity, not a discrete collection of plants. There is a surprising amount of interdependency that needs to develop between the neighboring plants, an adjustment that takes years and happens mostly underground. By the time a perennial garden gets fully ...
Views: 499(1 vote) - My Vegetable Garden - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldEvery year I’m looking forward to planting the miniature vegetable garden. I know this defies logic, given the amount of space I have available for it, but if I listened to logic I wouldn’t have ventured into gardening at all. It features the same plants every year: tomatoes, bell peppers, ...
Views: 541(1 vote) - Very Early Violets - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldThe blooming violets are such a wonderful surprise, especially after last week’s arctic blast. They are very resilient plants, violets, a feature that delights at the beginning of spring and exasperates in the middle of summer, when they greedily take over the flower beds. They have a lot of ...
Views: 499 - The Gardening Year - by Submitted on Mar 19, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI was browsing through past years’ gardening articles and I got overtaken by this feeling of certainty and permanence. It is extraordinary how consistent nature’s cycles are, almost down to day for the first bloom, the last frost, the unavoidable late freeze. Keeping a gardening journal ...
Views: 519 - Plants that Bring Luck - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldIt seems fitting, on Saint Patrick's Day, to make a list of plants that bring luck, you know, just in case. Let’s start with the classics: lavender and roses. No garden should be without them - lavender for luck, roses for love. Honesty and sage attract prosperity to the household. It is said ...
Views: 556 - Potted Basil - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI always have a few pots of herbs on the balcony, which get to bask in the sunshine all summer long. Contrary to my expectations, herbs are not the kind of care free plants that will forgive you if you forget to water them, not even the drought friendly rosemary. They may require a little ...
Views: 588 - Caring for Lavender - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldSince plant foliage usually doesn't come in this hue, even for the namesake plant itself, and this is the first time lavender came out of winter looking alive, I didn't know if it was old growth I should prune or evergreen growth I should leave alone, so I looked up lavender care ...
Views: 596 - Bells of Ireland - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldHave you ever had this sinking feeling, when you want to try a plant you’ve never grown before, and you look at the beautiful photos on the seed packet, that there is absolutely no way this botanical wonder will ever grow in your garden? I’m not one to dismiss instinct, it is usually based ...
Views: 597 - Perennial Paradox - by Submitted on Feb 12, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldGrowing a perennial garden presents one with the weird predicament of having to work around the clock without actually planting anything. In a perennial garden, everything revolves around maintenance. Here are a few challenges. The perennial flower bed can’t be tilled, because most of its ...
Views: 873 - About Bulbs - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI could never resist a hyacinth. I always plant some in the fall, of course, and am sure the squirrels and rabbits really appreciate my efforts, so every year I end up replenishing the fall bulb supply with full grown winter plants, which spend a few weeks of pampered bloom indoors and are then ...
Views: 641 - Winter Blossoms - by Submitted on Jan 29, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI wasn’t sure if I should go out into the garden and attempt to take pictures, ‘cause what are you gonna find in this climate in the middle of winter, but then I remembered the hellebores. What glorious plants they are, evergreen and blooming in January as if weather is not one of their ...
Views: 501 - Planning for Spring - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldUsually by this time I’m already overtaken by cabin fever and dreaming of beautiful summer days, but this year, with the exception of a few days of brutal cold at the beginning of the month, it seems weather forgot winter exists. I hesitate to mention this because I don’t want to jinx it; ...
Views: 527 - Sweet Alabama - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldEven a few climate zones change the landscape completely. The gardener finds himself surrounded by a different world of flowers unknown and enduring greenery. Despite the temporary chill the flora of Alabama maintained its subtropical resilience, attuned to the fact that temperatures close to ...
Views: 447 - Eighteen and Snowing - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI woke up this morning to a wispy snow flurry, the thin and icy kind that comes about when temperatures drop too low. Eighteen degrees, to be precise. It settled, unsure, in a thin, powdery layer that still lets the ground show through. I almost hesitated to disturb the pristine cover when I ...
Views: 561 - 8degF - by Submitted on Jan 02, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldUsually the feast of St. John brings the coldest day of the year, but this time arctic weather was delayed for two weeks. I cozy up indoors with a hot cup of herbal tea and dreamy gardening books as the thermometer indicates 8 degrees Fahrenheit outside. No matter how enthusiastic one is ...
Views: 697 - Misconceptions about Spring Bulbs - by Submitted on Dec 29, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldAnd here I thought that crocuses didn’t like my garden! To be fair, I never tried the yellow ones before, but I also thought the lack of acidity in the soil didn’t agree with them. Apparently I was wrong. I’ll take the opportunity to clear up a few misconceptions about spring bulbs. Shade ...
Views: 526 - Time for a Little Winter Pampering - by Submitted on Dec 25, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldOne of the best things about winter is that one doesn’t feel guilty about indulging in a little pampering. After all, the weather is god-awful, there isn’t a lot of activity in the garden, and dry winter skin gives one every justification for a well needed home spa session. There is a lot ...
Views: 522 - Spring Bulbs - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldThe bulbs I plant in the fall sometimes don’t make it through the winter, but the potted bulbs I get from the grocery store in January always do. I finally figured out that happens because bulbs with fully grown foliage usually get planted at the required depth. Most of the hyacinths that ...
Views: 618 - Roasting Marshmallows - by Submitted on Dec 12, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldMy son had to stay home from school. Since the reason was a tummy ache he was required to rest for the day and not engage in his regular activities, all of which involve some kind of computerized device. After a long drawn discussion about being unfairly deprived of the activities he had been ...
Views: 562 - Good Soil, Naturally - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldAlthough I am an enthusiastic advocate of natural gardening, I wasn’t much of a fan of composting until I procrastinated one fall and left a sizable pile of leaves and stems out on a concrete slab, thinking that I would clean it up in spring. When spring arrived, to my surprise, everything but ...
Views: 602 - Lilies - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldMy Triumphator lilies bloom for only a few days at the height of summer, and I often miss their splendid flowers altogether, busy with other things, but some days the morning garden is blessed with a light that looks simply surreal. That being said, the most common lily varieties are almost ...
Views: 623 - Things to Do in the Fall - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldIf only a little late in the season, here are a few things for the fall gardener’s schedule. I haven’t even started most of mine yet, sadly. Mid-fall is the best time to move, divide or plant spring and summer blooming perennials. Fall perennials can be moved and divided at this time too, if ...
Views: 619 - Fall Schedule - by Submitted on Nov 15, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldIf only a little late in the season, here are a few things for the fall gardener’s schedule. I haven’t even started most of mine yet, sadly. Mid-fall is the best time to move, divide or plant spring and summer blooming perennials. Fall perennials can be moved and divided at this time too, if ...
Views: 545 - How to Make Strawberry Preserves - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldINGREDIENTS: (1) bowl of strawberries, (2) pounds of sugar, (3) cups of water, juice from one lemon. Soak the strawberries in ice water for an hour. Change the water a couple of times so that it stays ice cold. Strain them and drain them on a towel. After they are dry, place them in a heavy ...
Views: 686 - Caring for Bulbs During the Cold Season - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldWhen you plant bulbs, whether that happens in fall or spring, don’t forget to mix in a good measure of bone meal into the dirt, to help them set in and give them some food for the first year. Other than that, bulbs don’t need a lot of care. Because they are usually sprinkled among other ...
Views: 547 - Rose Care for the Winter - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldWhether rose pruning is best done in the fall or spring is a matter of preference. I usually leave it for spring, for some reason I feel the plants will fare better over the winter if they keep the growth from the previous year. If you do choose to prune before winter, do so, keeping in mind ...
Views: 593 - Waiting for Halloween - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldI got the candy, and the pumpkins, and the scary ghoul costumes, we're all set for trick or treat. The garden path decorated itself in expectation of little guests. Well, technically I was too idle to clean up the fallen leaves, but I recently renewed my committed to a positive outlook on life ...
Views: 588 - Bulbs for Summer and Fall - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldToad lilies are the last flowers of the year, at least in the garden. They start blooming mid-October, to keep company to the already brown seed heads of the sedums, and they stay in bloom until November, braving the first frosts. People tend to associate bulbs with spring, and ignore their ...
Views: 575 - Caring for Indoor Plants - by Submitted on Oct 02, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldPlants that grow in pots on the window sill like pretty much the same things as the ones cultivated in the garden: a good amount of natural light, sufficient water and a little bit of help in the form of fertilizer every now and then. That being said, indoor plants have their own set of needs ...
Views: 604 - Soil Types - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldAt the most basic level there are three types of soil: sand, loam and clay. Most soils are a combination of the three, in various proportions. Every soil type has qualities and defects. Sandy soils drain very well, they are easily tilled and provide optimal conditions for the development of ...
Views: 604 - Flowers for the Shade - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldAs if the garden was aware of the colors that flatter it most, it chose white for its shade blooms, a color that creates drama when set against the darkness of its shadows. Many gardeners, weary of more unsuccessful attempts that they can palate, usually resign themselves to a shade garden ...
Views: 618 - The Memory Herb - by Submitted on Sep 12, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldRosemary is the memory herb. This is both a fact and a metaphor: the smell of rosemary improves retention and concentration, and its stems were traditionally offered as tokens of devotion, especially between lovers who were driven apart. I don’t know if it works for memory and concentration, ...
Views: 575 - Mauve des Bois - by Submitted on Sep 04, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldIf you were wondering what the color mauve looks like, exactly, it's the color of French mallows. We know that because this flower, mauve des bois, gave the color its name. The flower has many other names, the oddest of which is cheeseweed, inspired by the tightly packed configuration of its ...
Views: 581 - All Summer's Glory - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldThere is a time around the middle of July when the garden looks absolutely resplendent. It feels like every flower is in bloom, competing for attention. The late spring blooms haven’t faded yet and the some of the late summer ones decide to show up early, so there is a surreal mix of seasons ...
Views: 585 - Fairy Circles - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldWhat an exciting find! I’ve heard about this phenomenon, but it is the first time I got to see it in person. It’s called a fairy circle, or ring, and there is a very simple scientific explanation for why it occurs. The spores of a mushroom extend radially around it and even though the center ...
Views: 599 - The Flowers of Fall - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldI'm always in awe of the energy that propels fall bloomers to spring forth flowers, often weeks or days before the first frost. There are so few of them, and understandably so. I'm not talking about the frost tender plants from warmer zones that act as annuals in cold climates, those whose ...
Views: 574 - More About Jack in the Pulpit - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldI can’t get over how beautiful these flowers are, and am so happy and proud to have them in my garden. Their eerie hooded flowers, decorated with elegant stripes that make them look like custom wrapping paper are, indeed, the packaging, called the spathe. The inflorescence, which contains male ...
Views: 576 - Magic Beans - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldIf I knew how much I would enjoy purple beans, I would only have planted those to begin with. Besides being an attractive feature in the garden, they taste better and are not stringy at all, which is a blessing. Of course the purple color turns green in the pot, but that's beside the ...
Views: 605 - A Few Things About Tomatoes - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldThe temperatures heated up, the tomatoes started performing. Tomato plants don’t mind hot weather and will keep their composure even when more heat sensitive vegetables wilt pitifully, but they will not set fruit if the temperatures are above 85 to 90 degrees during the day or 75 at night. ...
Views: 610 - Summer Night Rain - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldThe rain started right before midnight, with a soft, somewhat tentative thunder announcing it from afar, almost as if it was asking itself whether or not it had the right time. I listened to it for a while, reliving a memory. The sounds, the scents of rain, removed from sight, speak to the ...
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