Tasha Greer of Weed Free Gardening and the Annual Geranium (pelargonium!)

Plant of the Week

Geraniums and marigolds are two of the very first ornamental plants of which I became aware. My family was not one of gardeners, so are there are few stories to conjure from my childhood, but I do remember that one of my mother’s sporadic attempts at the pursuit ended in tears when my father dutifully weeded a bed, as instructed, but removed all vegetation, including marigold seedlings. A sad but revealing chapter in their gardening life: marigolds are among the easiest seeds to germinate and recognize, and though germination had taken place, it was considered a herculean effort by my mother, only to be wiped out by what was probably a lack of interest on the part of my father. He had done what he was told to do! Still, it was a futile and frustrating event for both of them. No wonder they didn’t love to garden.

Our family home was old (1880) and charming with porches on most sides. Happily, interior and porch decor were strong suits for my mother. She sometimes added plants for accents and I do remember her fussing with geraniums (Pelargoniums) from time to time. As a younger woman she knew how to keep them tidy, but as related in the podcast this week, she did end up losing that skill (or interest) later in life.

The trick to keeping annual geraniums looking good has 3 steps:

Groom them weekly.
When removing any flower or leaf stalks, trace your fingers back to the main stalk and remove the entire stalk of the geranium.
Enjoy the process. Both the leaves and the flowers are aromatic, and removing the tatty (but good smelling) bits and leaving the good bits can be a weekly pleasure.

Guest:

Tasha Greer

Weed Free Gardening

Tasha Greer has written a book with a “magical thinking” title, but in “Weed Free Gardening” she deludes no one about the reality and omnipresence of “plants in the wrong place”. The magic is in understanding weeds better: what they are (and they may be different to different gardeners), how they come to be, and how they can be dealt with.

Tasha’s caption on Instagram: exploresimplestead
**I've said it before...but I want to make sure everyone knows that deadnettle is an amazing nature provided, easy to control, bee beneficial cover crop. (It's only a weed if you don't use it right!)**
Makes me feel better about not yanking all of my Lamium, which comes early enough in the spring that I am quite happy to see it and share it with early pollinators.

Because nature loves a vacuum, it’s always wise to understand what you are removing. Will an even more objectionable plant unpack its bags in the empty space?

At this stage in my gardening life, the list of plants that are subject to immediate eviction is short: poison ivy and invasive aliens are about it.

Many other plants, which are normally defined as weeds may remain rent free until I can upgrade to a desirable item that pays dividends in more beauty and interest.

You can buy Tasha’s book, “Weed Free Gardening; A Comprehensive and Organic Approach to Weed Management” here on my Amazon Storefront. Follow her on Instagram (@exploresimplestead) and on her blog and be aware that by using the blog name Simple Stead, she has removed enough fear in the concept of homesteading (honestly that Laura Ingalls Wilder thing has never been my idea of a good time) that we should have her back on the pod to discuss, right?

Coffee Time!

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Dixter Download

Great Dixter House and Gardens Symposium — This photo is from the Great Dixter website, so it isn’t our group, but this is the vibe.

I had thought I would go at it a bit at a time with imparting all that I learned during my week at Great Dixter, and so you heard me dip my toe in the water during Episode 69, covering the snack-able bits of 1. overview of the Symposium and 2. the day at the Chelsea Flower Show.

But like a good ship changing course to take advantage of a favorable wind, I got another opportunity to spend a zoom with Marianne Willburn, so listen next week for the fire hose of information that we can get to you all in one episode.

I was very happy on the day. This is Richard Mier’s Garden ‘With Love’ and I love it! Being away from the hoards for a few minutes isn’t bad either.

But here are two IMMEDIATE takeaways for you:

You should get on the waitlist for one of the Symposia right here if you like what you heard on Episode 69. I mean, access to those gardens, that Medieval manor house, and a teacher the likes of Fergus Garrett— gotta have all that.
Go to Chelsea Flower Show at least once in your life.
Once could be enough.