The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com for March 2006

In This Issue:
* Featured Website: The Garden Grapevine
* Featured Flower: Daisy
* Featured Vegetable: Peppers
* Featured Herb: Chives
* Garden Folklore: Garden Gnomes
* Garden News: 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year
* Garden Wisdom: Spring Garden Supply Inventory
* Garden Bargains: Save on Spring Offers!
* Garden Blog: Moosey�s Country Garden

Greetings fellow gardeners and a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers!

It won�t be long before spring comes knocking at the door. As the trees wake from their winter slumber, the delicate breath of warm breezes circle all around the colorful burst of flowers. It is this intoxicating picture of spring that has me longing for my favorite season.

To kick off the new spring gardening season we have some helpful websites and information for you this month. Our featured web site, The Garden Grapevine, has some great garden information for the picking. Learn more about growing daisies and the ever-popular peppers, as well as the many uses of chives. You�ll be intrigued by the mysterious garden gnome, delighted with the 2006 Perennial of the Year and totally entertained by this month�s garden blog. And don�t miss the pictures of spring in my zone 9 garden!

I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter and that it contains some helpful gardening information. Drop me a line anytime you like with requests for future information or just to say hi and let me know what's growing in your garden.

Susan

"Anyone who has a bulb has spring." - Anonymous

FEATURED WEBSITE: The Garden Grapevine
This simple, no-frills website offers gardeners plenty of good basic gardening information. You will find a lengthy list of articles on growing plants, garden tips and tricks that include how to create your own fruit-fly traps and manure tea. There is also plenty of do it yourself, money-saving garden projects. The birds in your garden will love the bird bath sauna and the bottom heater plans will help seeds sprout quicker. Click here to visit The Garden Grapevine.

FEATURED FLOWER: Daisy
What flower better represents the freshness of spring than the Daisy (Asteraceae). With over 1500 genera and 23,000 species it�s probably the largest family of flowering plants according to Daisy Paradise website. For information on growing daisies see their A to Z menu at the top of their homepage. Click here to visit Daisy Paradise.

FEATURED VEGETABLE: Peppers
Peppers are one of the most popular vegetables grown by the home gardener. It�s not surprising since they are so easy to grow and contain high levels of vitamins and antioxidants. Click here for information on growing peppers by Steve Aegerter, Colorado Master Gardener at the Colorado State University Coop Extension.

FEATURED HERB: Chives
Delicate lavender flowers make the chive plant (Allium schoenoprasum) a popular plant for the garden. Used as borders or grown in containers, it is the smallest member of the onion family and imparts a flavorful taste to breads, salads and dips. Click here for information on growing chives by the University of Minnesota Cooperative Extension.

Gardening With the Moon
Full Moon � March 14th
New Moon � March 29th

PLANTING DATES:
Flowers & Above Ground Vegetables: February 28 � March 14
Flower Bulbs & Root Vegetables: March 15 � March 28

GARDEN FOLKLORE: Garden Gnomes
It has always been considered good luck to have a gnome in the garden. These adorable wee men were first discovered in Germany in the 1800�s. Today they are experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

These demur bearded stocky gentlemen add a bit of charm to a garden, as well as a mysterious note. But place one in your yard with care as these �gentle woodland creatures� are often kidnapped and held for ransom. Click here to read more about garden gnomes.
Purchase this adorable garden gnome from Lillian Vernon and bring a little luck of the wee people to your garden. Click here to purchase these garden gnomes (now on sale) for your garden.

GARDEN NEWS: 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year
Dianthus gratianopolitanus (�feuerhexe� Firewitch) has been designated the 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year by The Perennial Plant Association. Cheddar pink is the common name for this purplish-pink, fragrant dianthus. According to the Association �it is excellent as a border edger, as a rock garden plant or as a ground cover on a sunny slope. Click here for information and to view the 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year.

�I ask not for a larger garden, but for finer seeds.�

� Russel Herman Conwell

GARDEN WISDOM: Pre-spring GardeningTips
Spring is right around the corner and now is the time to organize and take inventory of your garden tools and supplies. Start by separating chemicals and placing them in a safe location out of the reach of children. Whenever possible replace toxic chemicals with earth-friendly products.

Use baskets, extra flower pots and plastic food containers to store garden tools, seed packets and supplies in. Store potting soil and orchid bark in plastic storage containers. As you organize and dispose of unneeded items, make a list of the supplies you will need for this year�s garden and order now to ensure delivery by springtime. Click here for Spring Gardening Sale on now at Yardiac.com.

GARDEN BARGAINS ONLINE: Save on Garden Supplies & Products
Free Shipping, spring sales and discounts on plants, seeds, tools and supplies now at Garden Bargains Online. Click here for the latest special offers, sales & discounts at Garden Bargains Online.

GARDEN BLOG: Moosey�s Country Garden
I must offer a warning to you before you visit MOOSEY�S COUNTRY GARDEN journal. Her journal is so large (since 1997) that you will want to make sure to schedule a block of time to sit down and enjoy this New Zealand�s gardener�s experiences. Her blog contains a treasure trove of beautiful photos to enjoy. She is a true country gardener who�s blog has gained popularity around the world. Click here to visit Moosey�s Country Garden.

FROM MY GARDEN: Simply Susan!
I have now taken to the cultivation of my own garden blog. Please visit Simply Susan! to see what�s happening in my zone 9 garden and please be sure to leave your footprints by posting a comment. I would love to hear from you! Click here to visit Simply Susan!

To create your own free garden blog visit LiveJournal.com.

Click here to see what�s new at iloveplants.com

�That God once loved a garden we learn in Holy Writ, and seeing gardens in the spring I well can credit it.� - Winifred Letts