I planted my Iceland poppies a bit later than I like to last year...I think I got them in the ground late November or early December. So I'd usually have poppies in bloom in February. But with the cold we've experienced perhaps they'd have started blooming late anyway. Here is the first bloom to pop open. It's it geoooorgeous?

Here's a photo of some Iceland poppies we have for sale at NHG...'Champagne Bubbles' mix...

These Seeds Look Like Little Sea Creatures

UPDATED 2024

One of the cool things about Calendula is that their seeds look like tiny little octopus tentacles! Or some other sort of sea creature. The other "cool" thing about Calendula is that it's a wonderful cool season annual herb - or short-lived perennial depending on your climate - that can be seeded in the fall for late winter and spring color. Here in Texas and similar warm climates, September and early October are good times to direct seed into the garden.

Calendula Seed
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

Calendula officinalis is also commonly referred to as pot marigold. But it's not in the same genus Tagetes as "real" marigolds. Pot marigold has many purported herbal medicinal uses which may, or may not, be efficacious. But many will make Calendula tea as an antioxidant.

Mostly, I plant it for it's beautiful bright orange flowers. There are a few color variations available. I like to throw seed in with my salad greens and borage for a bright beautiful combination. Plants will often reseed on their own.

If you don't already know about Mason Bees...you're going to want to! Mason bees are excellent pollinators, much more efficient than your average honey bees. While they don't make honey, like honey bees do, they can help you increase your yields of fruit, berries, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes and the like in your garden. They also don't sting, so that's a nice benefit if you happen to be allergic. The males hatch first and wait around for the females to hatch. Then the females hatch and mate with the males. Then, the males die. :( Ah well...their job is done! lol. The females then go about pollinating your garden for you. They lay their eggs in the tube then pack the ends to close them. Not only do we have some neat Mason bee houses at NHG, we also have the bees! They come as eggs, six per tube, and we're keeping them in our insect cooler. You can buy one or two tubes and insert them into your bee house. Very cool.

Ready to Build Your Own Veggie Beds?

Here is a question I received from Jocelyn:

"I have to start building my raised garden beds this week (mother-in-law in town to babysit while I build) – before I can get to the “Raised Beds” seminar this weekend at NHG. I was hoping you could help with a build question today! I am thinking of going in one of four directions. 1 x 12:

1. Cedar finished with AFM Safecoat Dynoseal (http://www.afmsafecoat.com/products.php?page=6#73)
2. Cedar unfinished
3. Regular lumber (the basic building lumber from Lowe’s) finished with AFM Safecoat Dynoseal
4. Regular lumber unfinished

How fast would unfinished wood deteriorate in our DFW weather? Is a sealer necessary? What type of lumber do you use and has it held up?

Jocelyn,"

Honestly, I would not personally use any sealer or treatment on the wood except perhaps Linseed Oil. Linseed oil is combustible so you you have to take care in using it, but it can be safely used on wood for veggie beds.

I built all of my beds with rough-cut untreated cedar. This is going to be the most naturally long lasting option. I also built my chicken coop out of the same material, untreated. I used 2 x 12’s instead of 1 x 12’s on my beds so they won’t bow as much and they’ll last much longer. About half of my beds are going on 6 years. They still look great and I wouldn’t expect that I’d need to replace any of these beds for another 5 or 6 years. Probably much longer to be honest. I used 4” coated deck screws to assemble them, with 4 x 4 corner posts for bracing. Here is how I build mine: raised beds

I would not use regular treated lumber, and unfinished regular lumber (pine) will disintegrate on you much more quickly.

Now, the rough-cut untreated cedar is going to cost you the most money. And the only place I’ve found it for the past few years was at Ivey Lumber in South Dallas. I’ve heard rumors that Lowes or Home Depot might be carrying it now, but they won’t do any cutting for you. Ivey will.

Second in longevity to the Cedar would be Redwood.

For soil recommendations you can go here: Raised bed soil mix

Cedar Raised Beds
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

There aren't many opportunities for treats on my restrictive diet. So when I came across this recipe for homemade ginger ale, and I realized that all the ingredients were not only things I'm allowed to eat, but I'm allowed to eat them on the same day... I had just had to make it of course! It sure is yummy...

• 2-3 tablespoons filtered water
• 1/3 cup peeled/chopped fresh ginger
• ¼-1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3-5 table \spoons honey
• 2-3 tablespoons agave nectar
• one pinch sea salt
• Club soda or sparkling water

First take the peeled chopped ginger and mix with 2-3 tablespoons filtered water in a blender or magic bullet type mixer. Pulse a few times and then blend on high speed until really smooth.

Then take some cheese cloth and place it over a strainer. Pour mixture onto cheesecloth/strainer into a small pitcher. Once the liquid has passed through, pull the corners of the cheesecloth together and press out all the juice into the pitcher.

Add the lemon juice, honey, nectar (or stevia) and salt together. Stir until completely mixed.

Pour about 1/4 of the mixture into a class with ice and fill glass with club soda or sparkling water. Top with lemon slice.

YUM...I can actually have some soda!

Lol...I'm sure spring will be back next week!

The veggie garden in the snow...

The gals huddled together inside their coop...poor Phyllis and Einstein and their poor wet dirty hair!

Cool Season Color

Iceland Poppies

As a horticulturist, and someone who is greatly passionate about plants, I’m often asked what my “favorite” plant or flower is. Usually, I just laugh. How could I pick just one? But this little corner of mine here in the e-newsletter is titled “My Favorite Things” so I do try to whittle down to the best of the best for you when I can. If you backed me into a corner and asked me “what is your favorite cool-season annual, or else…” I would be compelled to answer Iceland Poppy, or Papaver nudicaule.

What is not to love about this boreal beauty? On sunny days, light shines through the brightly colored, paper-thin petals creating a brilliant display in the garden. The flowers are even sweetly scented. Every part of the poppy plant from the silvery foliage to the unique furry flower buds, offers a bounty of interest. They are the perfect companion for other cool-season plantings such as parsley, kale, pansies and violas. In their natural state, Papaver nudicaule is usually found in shades of white and yellow. The recessive colors of orange, pink and red are brought out through selection and all colors are generally offered as a mixin the garden center.

Iceland poppies are technically a perennial, but only behave as such in the Northern most parts of the United States and into Canada. In our climate, Iceland Poppies should be treated as a cool season annual, or biennial if you will. In Texas, it’s best to plant Iceland Poppies in the fall, along with your pansies and violas. This allows them to put on a larger root system and thus a bigger spring show of blooms. Plants will bloom in the fall and until the first hard frost. Often, they will continue putting on blooms through the winter. Hard frosts will nip the blooms, but won’t hurt the plants. In spring, you’ll be rewarded with a burst of blooms in late February or early March, to accompany your tulips and daffodils. Plants will continue to flower until temperatures heat up in mid- to late-May.

Iceland Poppies don’t like the heat and will die off with the onset of summer. They are generally very easy to grow and don't require extra care. The one thing they don't appreciate is wet feet. Make sure your soil drains well and you don't provide too much extra irrigation in the winter months. Mulching plants with about 1-inch of expanded shale can help cut down on excess moisture around the root zone.

You can plant Iceland poppies right now and then again in October through November. I hope you enjoy these beauties in your garden as much as I do in mine!