by Melinda Myers

Keep gardening longer with less muscle strain and fatigue with these pain-free gardening techniques. You’ll not only keep your garden looking its best but also make it a more enjoyable experience.

Keep tools handy to reduce the number of trips from the garden back to your garage or shed. A garden tool bag or bucket with a wrap-around tool organizer works well for small hand tools. Purchase a mobile garden tool caddy or convert a discarded wheeled golf bag, shopping cart, or wheeled trash bin into a tool caddy for long-handled tools. These make it easier to keep them handy as you move from garden to garden.

Store small tools right in the garden. Install an old mailbox in your garden filled with your favorite small hand tools and gloves. Then add a little paint or cover it with a mailbox planter or vine to make it an attractive and functional part of your landscape.

Keep tools clean and sharp. Regular maintenance will extend their life and improve their efficiency. It can also help reduce the risk of spreading disease.

Invest in ergonomic tools when replacement or new tools are needed. They have larger and softer handles for easier, less stressful gripping. Many are designed for the proper positioning of your body to reduce joint stress and fatigue. Longer handles extend your reach and help you retain good posture. Consider purchasing ratchet-type pruners designed to give you more cutting power with less effort.

Use wagons, carts, or old snow saucer-type sleds for moving heavy items to the garden. You’ll need to make fewer trips, reduce muscle strain, and save energy when moving mulch, potted plants, and other items.

Divide heavy loads into smaller increments. You may need to make more trips, but it will be easier on your back and knees.

When shoveling, be sure to stand upright and take small scoops. Remember to pivot your body rather than twisting when emptying the load. Switch sides and take frequent breaks to reduce the risk of muscle strain, and fatigue.

Protect your knees with kneelers or wrap-around kneepads. No matter your age or physical ability you will benefit now and in the future by protecting your joints when gardening. These gardening accessories also reduce the pain and pressure on your joints. Kneelers with built-in handles make moving up and down easier, allowing you to garden longer.

Include a pair of safety glasses in your tool caddy. It is too easy to end up with a stick in the eye when pruning and working around trees and shrubs.

Take time to warm up before digging in. Gentle backbends and lunges are great ways to engage your muscles. Adjust your gardening activities to the weather. If it’s cold, try waiting for the weather to warm. If you are stiff in the morning, try gardening a bit later in the day.

Garden for shorter periods and try to take breaks every 15 to 20 minutes. Consider adding a few benches to the landscape to encourage you to sit, relax and enjoy your handiwork.

Wear gloves to protect your hands from cuts and bruises. Gloves also keep your hands warm and provide support as you dig, pluck and prune. Find a good-looking comfortable pair that you are likely to wear.

Protect your eyes and skin from sun damage. Wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. You’ll avoid sunburns and protect your skin from long-term damage. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water as you garden.

Including these strategies in your gardening efforts can make gardening even more beneficial and enjoyable.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

by Melinda Myers

Growing dahlias is a must for anyone who loves cutting and arranging flowers. But there are hundreds of beautiful dahlia varieties to choose from and that can be overwhelming. To make the selection process easier, choose compatible colors that will look good together in the garden and in arrangements.

The combination of peach and burgundy is both striking and sophisticated. Peach-colored flowers add a fresh and soothing feel to the garden. Dahlia American Dawn is a blend of peach, mango, and papaya with plum-purple highlights. Good partners include other varieties in the same warm, sunset tones, such as dinnerplate dahlia Belle of Barmera, decorative dahlia Great Silence and ball dahlia Maarn.

Planting dahlias in a perennial garden ensures non-stop color from July into October. The fluttering, melon-colored blooms of HS Date work particularly well, due to this variety’s maroon foliage and open growth habit. Complete your peach and burgundy theme with the dark-hued flowers of Rip City. These large, velvety flowers are almost black in the center and soften to wine-red toward the petal edges. Add ball dahlia Jowey Mirella for blooms that are smaller in size yet equally striking.

For another eye-catching color combination, narrow your selection to dahlias with purple and hot-pink flowers. Historically, purple was associated with royalty, spirituality, and knowledge. While pastel purple evokes a sense of calm and serenity, deeper tones add drama and excitement. Dinnerplate dahlia Lilac Time is an heirloom variety with fluffy, lavender blooms that can measure eight to ten inches across. Be sure to also include flowers in juicy grape and violet hues such as dahlias Thomas Edison, Cartouche and Purple Taiheijo.

Complement these moody purples with vivid pink dahlias. Burlesca is a cute little pompon dahlia with tightly rolled petals that reveal hints of peach, burgundy and violet. Fascination’s rose-pink, semi-double flowers contrast beautifully with the plant’s dark foliage and the blossoms are irresistible to bees and butterflies. Ball dahlia Rocco is an all-star variety that is long lasting in both garden and vase.

If you prefer pastels to brights, choose dahlias in shades of pale yellow, soft pink and cream. The enormous flowers of dinnerplate dahlia Café au Lait are a must. Complement them with ball dahlias such as peachy Linda’s Baby or buttery Boom Boom yellow. Decorative dahlia Fluffles has taffy-pink petals that fade to white, while Milena Fleur’s are a mélange of pink, peach and pale butterscotch.

When you start with flowers in compatible colors, designing floral arrangements becomes so much easier. You’ll have all you need to quickly create a centerpiece for any gathering, an impressive bouquet for your own home, or an informal handful of blooms to share with friends.

For more tips about cut flowers, read the Longfield Gardens article How to Design a Cutting Gar­den (www.longfield-gar­dens.com).

Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Longfield Gardens for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

by Emily Cates

How to enjoy an abundant harvest without wasting it

Does this sound familiar? The intentions were innocent, artfully combined, and dutifully cared for: A few rows of fine, well-prepared garden soil, a few wheel barrelfuls of rich compost, a few packets of seeds, and the gentle stream of water from the watering can; The delicate seedlings, under the watchful eye and loving shadow of the gardener, became strong and thrived. Suddenly, it happened! The veggies decided to proliferate. The zucchini are ballooning into baseball bats, the beans barreling headlong into full production, and the plums are breaking branches. Tomato plants are tumbling onto the ground from the weight of their full fruitage. The climbing squash and cucumber vines, in attempts to grow heavenward, are engulfing every plant and tree in their paths. As the gardener strolls into the garden to check on everything and discovers the profusion, shrieks of nervous delight are heard throughout the land!

In cases like this, timing is everything. The peak of perfection of perishable produce is the point at which procrastination will result in poor results. Wait another day, and the garden treasures will be apt to become garden trash. In other words, start cooking! Not a chef? Not a problem. Preserving the harvest need not be complicated, and, in the company of dear friends and family, it can be a highly anticipated event worth looking forward to. The following are a few suggestions that, hopefully, will help dig you out of that looming mountain of delicious produce begging to be used up in a dignified manner of culinary adventure. This time let’s take a quick look at fruit sauces.

What a delightful dilemma to be overrun with fruit! Fruit sauces and butters can be made with just one ingredient or a mixture of what’s on hand. (My favorite sauce is made from Purple Heart plums. If you know of another plum that even compares, please let me know!) Blackberries, elderberries, blueberries, grapes, and other berries that ripen the same time as apples, pears, peaches, and plums are oftentimes a winning combo.

Try using a sauce maker if there’s a lot of fruit, as it saves time and makes a smoother product. I like these contraptions because they make the job much easier, as there is no need to core, peel, or seed the fruit. To begin, wash away any dirt and cut out any bad spots. Then place the prepared fruit in a cooking pot and add some water if necessary. To preserve the character and nutrition of the sauce, I prefer not to overcook a pan of fruit- just enough to soften it for the sauce maker. Then pour the fruit into the sauce maker and crank the handle. The resulting sauce can be stored for short lengths of time in the fridge- or canned or frozen in jars for the long term. For a special treat, bake the sauce down into fruit butter or dry it into fruit leathers. The aroma in the kitchen will transport anyone within a nose’s distance to a land of scented bliss.

by Emily Cates

Well! I had intended, amongst the hustle and bustle of a busy life and chaos in the garden, to write on the next rainy day… which doesn’t help so much with a lack of rain. Anyways, here we are for a look at one of the most annoying problems – besides ticks – that I’ve ever had to deal with outdoors. Now, what could that possibly be? You guessed it, those blasted browntail moths and their cursed caterpillars!

Unless you live under a rock, or in a cave, or in your parents’ basement, you’re probably unwillingly familiar with these cantankerous characters. If you need an introduction, call 211 or look it up on here.

If you reside in or visit central Maine this time of year from April to late June, you, too, may have the miserable experience of disagreeable symptoms as a result of direct or airborne exposure to the tiny, poisonous hairs disturbed from a living or dead caterpillar, or molted caterpillar skins. Symptoms range from slight discomfort, to itchy red bumps in the area of exposure, or to an all-out inflammation extravaganza requiring medical assistance. Symptoms can last anywhere from a few hours (if you’re lucky), or weeks (if you’re like me and not so fortunate).

Yes, folks, I too have the measly rash. (It even looks like measles!) And I’ve had it continually for the past couple months. It’s almost like my senses have become dulled to the perpetual prickling on my skin. Never before has scraping my arms and neck with a butter knife and plastering myself with clay evoked such satisfaction.

I try to look at the bright side and count myself among the folks who do not have the breathing problems associated from being around these pests. Also, I’ve resolved never again to mow the lawn under my fruit trees wearing a tank top or short sleeves. Hat and gloves are a must!

Unfortunately, the best window of opportunity to eradicate the caterpillars by destroying their nests has slammed shut. December through April is the optimal time to check the tips of your oak and fruit trees for their silky webs, cut off any you find, and chuck those into a bucket of soapy water to soak overnight. Another flush of these happens in July, so another – albeit less optimal chance to get them – might present itself. Just be sure to wear long-sleeves, a hat, and possibly a face mask when working around trees since the hairs from the current crop of caterpillars are still a problem. Hairs remain toxic for up to three years!

During the night, the moths will be attracted to and drown in a soapy mixture of apple-scented dish soap in a bucket of water. Place the bucket as close as possible under a light.

So, what to do if exposed? There are tons of tips and tricks out there as this has become a serious community crisis affecting so many folks in our area. Unfortunately, there is no official specific treatment, but home remedies may help address the itching and swelling.

Everybody is different, so it’s important to find the safest individual solution if possible. Of course, it would be advisable to contact a trusted care provider immediately if symptoms are severe – especially when there is trouble breathing, swallowing, or swelling of the mouth, tongue, or throat.

That said, here are a few suggestions from my personal experience and others’. Please share your thoughts and suggestions with us!

As soon as possible after exposure, gently wash the area with plain soap and water. Unscented, natural soaps like Dr. Bronner’s and African black soap don’t contain fragrances or other added chemicals that can compound the problem in sensitive skin.

Resist the urge to scratch with fingernails, as this can make things worse. A clean body brush or similar utensil could be more effective.

Cosmetic-grade clay may help draw out the caterpillar hairs and their toxins.

Try a cool bath with baking soda.

Witch hazel – if it’s not sold out of the stores – can really help!

Now, wouldn’t it be great if someone could train cedar waxwings to eat these caterpillars rather than berries!

Do you have a remedy or want to share your experience dealing with the browntail moth caterpillar? Email Emily at emilycates@townline.org.

Anyone can do this!

Reprint from February 2015

by Emily Cates

Really? Now? YES! I’ll admit it’s hard to imagine a lush, productive garden when we’re up to our eyeballs in snow. But if we put our green thumbs to work, it just might be what we need to get us through.

Are you wondering which methods and materials you should use? Well, it really depends on the imagination and creativity of the individual. Systems can be as unique and diverse as time, space, and expense allow- even involving minimum inputs made from salvaged or recycled materials. With just a few things in mind, starting seeds is easy and practically anyone can do it. Why not give it a try? Here’s how:

The first important component to a successful operation, whether large or small, is a clean, well-drained container that holds the substrate. Possible candidates could include free and abundant used yogurt cups from home or the recycling center. Wash them well and poke holes in the bottoms, label them, fill with planting medium, and they’re good to go! Plastic or cardboard milk cartons with the tops cut off are another possibility. Also, there is this handy dandy little tool called the “pot maker” which you can use to make pots out of plain newsprint. If expense is not an issue and the desire is aesthetic, go for the plastic flats and 6-packs and such found in seed catalogs and gardening centers. Seeds can be individually or collectively sown in smaller containers, but the resulting seedlings are easier to transplant if they are in flats or containers with a larger surface area.

The second ingredient to successful seedlings is the substrate. Always remember to use fresh, pest and disease-free planting medium, whether purchased or homemade. FEDCO and Johnny’s carry satisfactory seed starting mixes along with nifty items such as soil block makers, pots made from composted cow manure, and “seed discs” (for the horticulturally-challenged!).

The third part of the system that deserves consideration is light. This could be as simple as a sunny, south-facing windowsill, a shop light with full spectrum bulbs (found at Home Depot), or the luxury of a sun room or heated greenhouse. To prevent seedlings from becoming leggy once they’ve sprouted keep the containers as close to the lights as possible without burning the plants.

The fourth piece we want to scrutinize is an acceptable source of water. Watering with plain tap water is fine as long as it’s not chlorinated or from a softener system. Keep the seeds and seedlings moist, but not waterlogged. If necessary, additional draining holes in the container can be poked through or drilled.

The fifth factor of importance is the temperature. 80 degrees F and above are necessary for proper germination, so a heat mat or other source of warmth could be used in a cold room.

The sixth essential element is ensuring the seeds are viable. Using seeds that are fresh and stored in a cool, dry area will have a higher germination rate. If in doubt, pack a few into a damp paper towel, place into a zip lock bag, and store for several days in a warm place. Check daily for sprouts, keep moist, and observe. Sometimes it might be necessary to wait a week or two more, but after that I’d give up and buy new seed for sure.

The seventh module we’ll look at is what to plant. Long-season seedlings that seem to take forever and ever to get to a plant-able size from seed may be happiest and most productive when started early. The cast of characters starring in your grow system could include leeks, onions, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, long-season herbs, and perennial flowers.

The eighth constituent is when to plant. This involves finding out the recommended planting time frame. Check a seed packet or gardening book for planting instructions and you might find that the time to start the seeds for your favorite plant is now! (But not too early, unless you plan on transplanting into bigger and bigger pots later on as they grow- and using up more and more planting medium!) Personally, I prefer to start smaller, later-planted seedlings and let them catch up, as opposed to jumping the gun and ending up with oversized, pot-bound, sulking plants. I’ve even waited until a few weeks or so after the recommended planting time-frames and observed that the later plantings will oftentimes catch up with the earlier ones. I’ve noticed this to be especially so as the moon is increasing (when I try to start seeds), since it appears that a full moon has an affinity towards fertility and growth. The point? Starting seeds is a flexible endeavor and will accommodate a variety of schedules.

The ninth and final feature of a successful grow system involves nutrition. My favorite is fish-seaweed formulas, used as directed. Don’t worry about it until the first set of true leaves has formed and weekly thereafter.

Here’s hoping your seedlings are happy and healthy when the above needs are considered. Enjoy gardening now in the comfort and convenience of a warm room while the cold winter wind is whipping outside!