Memories of Colder Weather

This just seems so out of whack.  April 6 and we will hit a record high, and just a few weeks ago it seemed that the snow would never go away.  The transition happened so quickly that I didn't get a chance to post a couple of nature photos that I took during the snowy season.  A snow cover gives the landscape a different perspective and this past late winter I noticed things that have probably been right in front of my eyes all along.

I saw more wild turkeys this winter than ever, and in so many different places.  Often times there would be two or three, but sometimes I would see a flock of 15 or more.  They are a beautiful sight anytime of the year, but especially in the winter when the landscape needs a bit of excitement.

The other animal I saw more frequently this winter was a black squirrel.  I noticed them when we first moved here 25 years ago, but during the dog years, the squirrels kept their distance.  I had read recently that squirrels live on average for four years, so I figured our black squirrel was long gone.  It was a very pleasant surprise to look out at the bird feeders one day and see this black squirrel feeding on the ground.  The picture quality isn't great, but squirrels do tend to run away fast when you open the door.

These next few weeks will be super busy as gardening season kicks in to full force.  My nursery opens officially on April 16.  The next garden show is at Hendricks County on April 10 from 9-4.  Daffodil season is going quickly which means that we will be able to dig and divide earlier than usual.  Remeber to wait six weeks after bloom before cutting back the foliage.  And pace yourself in the garden.  It's only April 6.  We could still have more snow, but let's hope for June tomatoes instead.

There's More to Butler than Basketball

We generally root for our alma maters while they are winning, but when they get eliminated from the NCAA tournaments we root for another conference or state team that may still be in the show.  Since Purdue lost to Duke, my loyalties could go to Michigan State since they are a Big Ten team, but who can resist Butler.  They are just such a nice group of kids and they truly represent what is good about the college experience.

And Butler is a great school, too, from the academic standpoint.  Our Indiana Daffodil Society was fortunate enough to have an associate professor from Butler as our speaker this past Saturday.  Dr. Shelley Etnier, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, just so happened to do a grad student research project on the biomechanics of the daffodil.  (Read the story by Adam Summers citing Dr. Etnier and Dr. Steven Vogel's research, or if you want the actual article published in the American Journal of Botany go to this link for the first page.  You'll have to pay to get the whole article, though.) 

Daffodils have been observed to turn away form the wind and bow down in a way that is unique to their genus.  Drs. Etnier and Vogel found this characteristic interesting and developed a project to study just what happens to the structure of the stem when subjected to wind.  Pretty heady stuff for a group of daffodil enthusiasts, but very fascinating.

If daffodils are your thing and you are in the Indianapolis area, be sure to visit Holliday Park on April 14 from 2-5 pm or April 15 from 9-noon to see the daffodil exhibition.  These are not your grandmother's daffodils on display although the historics do make up a nice section of the exhibit.  Most people are amazed by the variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

Tea Time for Master Gardeners

Master Gardeners ask the darndest questions and at last night's training class I got a good one that got me to thinking.  Can we grow tea plants here in Indiana?  I had never thought about that.  We wondered whether it was even legal or if there were some sort of USDA restrictions on the plant.

Well, it turns out that Camellia sinensis var. sinensis is grown in the US and people can grow their own tea.  The plant is hardy in Zones 7-9 which rules out outdoor planting, but not growing it as a container or houseplant.  After reading the cultural info, I suspect that an indoor tea growing experience will be riddled with pests and diseases, but what's the fun in not trying.  An excellent page with cultural information from the University of Florida Extension is a good place to start.  After reading I decided that it would be best to start from cuttings rather than seed for a container grown plant due to the root structure.  A potted specimen could be treated in the same way as other tropicals that we grow outdoors during the summer, then bring in for the winter.  Or it could be grown exclusively in a sunroom or attached greenhouse setting in the home.  Just be mindful of it's minimum and maximum temperature requirements and watch out for those pesky spider mites.

There are probably some online sources for cuttings, but since Camellia sinensis is sold as an ornamental plant in Zone 7 and up areas, a trip to a nursery might be the easiest way to go.  For those who want a real challenge there were several sites with seed for sale.  I didn't follow any of them to get the details, but I do know that seed is viable for only a short period of time.

A quick reminder for those of you who do plant research online.  I always recommend using the university websites as your first line of accurate information.  Those are the .edu sites.  My next resource is sites maintained by the societies or organizations supporting a particular species which are typically .org sites.  When considering information from a commercial or .com site you should always cross reference with a .edu or .org.

The University of Delaware page about Camellia sinensis was also good information.  And even Purdue University has a technical paper about the plant.  So there you go brave, young Master Gardeners is Zone 5.  Your challenge is before you.  I'll be over for tea this afternoon.