Dig This!

Looking out my window in the winter, I see a lot of brown and gloomy, especially if it's not a sunny bright day. This is when I appreciate the few evergreens that can be found in a Kansas landscape like Pine and Spruce , but I also wish I had planted more of what the garden experts call winter interest type of plantings. I often make a list to refer to when I can finally go to the nurseries in the early spring so next winter I have more color and interest. Here's what's on my shopping list for this next season: Quince, ( Chaenomeles), reminds me of my grandmothers and I love the colors. This plant is the dwarf double flower variety of flowering Quince. It attracts butterflies and is beautiful into the late winter and early spring depending on the planting zones. Warning though, the bush can look messy and they need constant pruning.  Give them full sun and lots of room, they get bigger than expected. Some varieties are very large with thorns and are used as privacy scr

We're all familiar this time of year with the bright red flower called Amaryllis. Amaryllis vittata hybrida   is commonly sold at Christmas time and usually comes in a see through type of gift box. Inside is a very large bulb with simple instructions on what to do to force the bulb to flower.  Just by occasionally adding water, in just a few short weeks, the results are a delightful striking display of color.  Need a Winter blah pick me up? Flowers may be enjoyed indoors from January until spring. Do a quick, fun, creative project. Grow bulbs in large or small containers for movable spots of color in your windows, a sun room, on your deck or patio.  Check out this Iowa State Extension Services site. It tells how many spring-flowering bulbs can be forced indoors during the winter months:    http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1999/10-8-1999/forcebulb.html.   Submitted by hutchgaudygardener.