Michigan Bulb's Christmas Specials

Michigan Bulb is offering up to 50% off regular prices on holiday plants and bulbs. Place your order now so they will arrive in time for Christmas. Offer Expires: 12/15/07.


Potted Amaryllis, Twinkle Twinkle Holiday Star
1 Bulb $9.99 (Normally 19.99)
3 Bulbs $19.99 (Normally 39.99)
Click Here for More Selection of Amaryllis Kits



White Azaleas
6-inch Pot $21.99 (Normally 39.99)
Pink Azaleas
4-inch Pot $13.99 (Normally 24.99)
6-inch Pot $21.99 (Normally 39.99)
Other Azaleas



Mini Alberta Spruce Christmas Tree $24.99 (Normally 39.99)
Tree is 18 to 22"tall and is set in a 1-gallon-foil-wrapped container. There is a choice between 2 decoration motifs.



Kris Kringle Tulips $9.99 (Normally 19.99)
Set of 6 bulbs are potted in a 6" container wrapped in green foil will arrive already sprouted and will bloom in just a few weeks.

For more 50% off Holiday Bulbs click here.

Vacation Watering Tips for Potted Plants

One Week Vacation
Most of my plants are in unglazed terracotta pots so water evaporates quickly. I normally have to water my plants daily during our hot, dry summers. I once unexpectedly had to leave my plants alone for a week during the summer, which is pretty much a death sentence to a container garden. I didn't have time to work out a drip system so I moved all of my plants to a shady area of my patio, watered them thoroughly, and wrapped them in plastic bags. I was pleasantly surprised to find all of my plants alive and in good condition. Not only were they all alive, but one of my lilies had bloomed.

Plastic Bag Wrapping Method (Recap):

Materials:

• Plastic Bags. I used the kind that stores use to bag your purchases. Just make sure there are no holes in the bags.

Instructions:

1. Move the plants to the shadier side of your apartment patio/balcony.
   
2. Just before you leave, water the plants thoroughly (i.e., until water begins to drip from the bottom of the container).
3. Wrap each pot in plastic bags to prevent water from evaporating. Just set the pot in the bag and then tie the bag around the base of the plant. Try to tie the bag as close as possible to the trunk or stem of the plant. As water rises it will hit the plastic ceiling, and drip back down to the plant. Just make sure there are no holes in the bags you use.

Three Week Vacation
It is chilly and humid now so there will be less evaporation. Some of my plants are dormant now so they will not be needing as much water as they did during the summer. However, I do not believe my plants will be able to sustain themselves for 3 weeks on the wrapping method alone. I'm going to combine the wrapping method with a drip system for my large potted plants. Then I'm going to have a friend care for the bulk of my seedlings. I will use some of my duplicate seedlings to see if they survive the 3 weeks in a green house system I have in mind for them. I'll report my findings in January. Happy Holidays Everyone!

UPDATE: My experiment worked! Click Here to learn how you can make your own Container Watering System.

Free Garden Diary

What is a Garden Diary or Garden Journal?
A garden diary is a book where you can write down your thoughts and observations of your garden. In my garden journal, I track the progress of my plants, and I keep a detailed account of my gardening experiments. I make note of signs of distress (e.g., disease, pests, etc.), treatment and solutions to plant problems, response to certain water/light conditions, plant pairings, first blooms, fruit sizes, etc.

Download Your Free Garden Diary.
You can transform a 3-ring binder into a personalized Garden Diary by slipping one of the Cover Pages I provided you (or you can use one of your own) into the plastic sleeve on the front of the binder. I designed the diary pages so that you can easily update your garden journal. Just simply print pages as you need them and slip them in the appropriate place in the binder.

If you're thinking about making this as a gift or would just like to liven up your own book, you can:
(1) Print the journal pages on colored paper or 8.5" x 11" stationary sheets that are sold at craft stores, or
(2) Create a "book" by (a) printing the cover on thick craft paper or print the cover on thick photo paper, and (b) use a 3-ring hole puncher to punch holes in all papers and cover page, bind pages together with brads, and then cover brads with a pretty ribbon.

To get your Free Garden Diary, download the files by clicking on the links below.

• Cover (Option 1).pdf
• Cover (Option 2).pdf
• Plant ID (With Photo Insert Option).pdf
• Plant ID (No Photo Insert Option).pdf
• Journal Log (Date Format: dd/mm/yyyy).pdf
• Journal Log (Date Format: __________).pdf
• Summary of Problems & Remedies.pdf

If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download a Free Acrobat Viewer here.