Robotic Gutter Cleaner?

Money Magazine featured this product in its latest issue: A robot that cleans your gutters. Climb a ladder and insert the robot, then use your remote control to clean dirt, leaves and sludge out of the gutter. You can watch a video of the robot in action here.

Is it a gimmick, or does it really work?

You can read the Consumer Reports review here. I may have to wait for robot 2.0, but if you have patience and get a rush from new technology, you may beg to differ.

Have any of you tried this product? It is manufactured by iRobot.

Christmas Trees Day 4 - Colorado Blue Spruce

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Are you headed out to get your Christmas Tree? This week I am showcasing a few of the favorites.

Today's variety is the Colorado Blue Spruce, Christmas Tree of the Presidents (seriously, one was planted in 1978 as the official living White House Lawn Christmas tree). Because they can be bought balled and burlapped, and then planted after the holidays, Blue Spruce have enjoyed an increase in popularity as a Christmas tree species.

Photo from Balsam Creek Lane Tree Farm

The tree is symmetrical with attractive dark green to powdery blue foliage. (The needles take on a silver hue depending on the tree.) Needle retention is among the best for the spruces. Once planted, blue spruces are slow growing, though they are long lived.

BONUS tree.

Photo from Delaware Christmas Tree Growers Association

I would be remiss if I did not tell you Tom's favorite tree (and, as a result, the species we decorate from year to year) - the Eastern White Pine. White Pine needles are long, soft and range in color from bluish-green to silvery green. Needle retention is good to excellent, but the trees' flexible branches make heavy ornaments a no-go. The tree has little to no aroma, which may result in fewer allergy problems for humans. (They are very lovely.)

Frasir Fir
Scotch Pine
Eastern Redcedar

Christmas Trees Day 3 - Eastern Red Cedar

Happy Thanksgiving! Now that the turkey has been carved, Christmas tree sales will be ramping up. If you are planning on decorating a live tree this year, there are many varieties available for purchase. I am showcasing a few this week. Today's variety is the Eastern Redcedar.

Photo from Eastern NC Christmas Tree Growers' Association

The Eastern Redcedar is not a true cedar, but rather a juniper. The branches of young trees are compact and form a pyramidal crown. The fragrant leaves are a dark shiny green, although sharp and prickly.

Due to their natural, conical shape and ready supply, Eastern Redcedars were the most popular Christmas tree in the South prior to the availability of plantation grown Christmas trees. Redcedars remain a regional favorite in the South today, although they are mainly available only at cut and carry tree farms.

Fraser Fir
Scotch Pine

Christmas Trees Day 2 - Scotch (Scots) Pine

Thanksgiving is upon us, which means Christmas tree sales will be ramping up in the near future. If you are planning on decorating a live tree this year, there are many varieties available for purchase. This week I am showcasing a few of the favorites.

Photo from Mathisen Tree Farms

Scotch Pines are native to Asia and Europe and were brought to North America by European settlers. They have been cultivated in the eastern United States and Canada. The tree can grow at many different elevations under many different conditions and as a result has been widely planted. (The trees do not perform as well in North America as they do in their native habitats, however.)

Scotch Pines have dark green foliage and stiff branches, making them ideal for both light and heavy ornaments. The species boasts excellent needle retention, even when dry and has no problem holding its needles for the 3-4 week Christmas cycle. It is probably the most commonly used Christmas Tree in the United States.

Fraser Fir

Christmas Trees Day 1 - Fraser Fir

Thanksgiving is Thursday, which means Christmas tree sales will be ramping up in the near future. If you are planning on decorating a live* tree this year, there are many varieties available for purchase. I will spend the rest of the week showcasing a few.

The most popular variety is the Fraser Fir. This jewel of the southern Appalachian Mountains is named for John Fraser (1750-1811), a Scot botanist who explored the area in the late 18th century. The trees closely resemble Balsam Firs, although they grow in distinct geographical areas that do not overlap - this leads arborists to believe they were once a single species.

Photo from Green Acres

Fraser Firs are uniformly pyramidal and have flattened, dark green needles. These characteristics, combined with the Fraser's compact form, pleasant scent and ship-ability make it the most popular Christmas tree species. (It requires 7-10 years in the field to produce a 6-7 foot tree.) The tree has excellent needle retention.

*The trees are not actually alive, so why do we refer to them as "live" trees?

Acorn Production Varies From Year to Year

Have acorns been raining down from your Oak tree this year? I was visiting a friend's house the other day, and acorns seemed to be raining down from their tree. Every few seconds you could hear one drop.

Acorn crops are not constant. One year, like this one for my friend, you may have a bumper crop with more acorns than you can handle. Other years, you may have a difficult time finding any acorns.

The factors determining how many acorns are produced in a given year are not completely understood. Weather at the time of flowering is likely an important factor, however, there may also be internal systems in place that dictate how many acorns develop from year to year. For instance, following a lite year, there may be a heavier year, because the tree had extra energy to expend in the second year.

Whatever the reasons one thing is for sure, if you felt like you had an overabundance of acorns this year (or not enough), next year will surely be different.

2009 Fall Color = Spectacular

The drama of fall leaf color plays out as, well, a drama. Mother Nature can giveth and taketh away when it comes to fall leaf displays. Too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold? All of these factors come into play when you are talking about leaf changes.

This year, M.N. dazzled us. That's right, I said it, dazzled.

Were you as impressed?

Dusty Miller

This plant is nearing the end of its existence, but how intriguing is that foliage?

Dusty Miller is a great plant to grow for foliage. It will grow well into the fall, and I think it would look great paired with succulents or pastel annuals.

Ornamental Cabbage

LOVE it. Especially the pink/magenta center. And how it starts hum drum green on the outside and gradually gets more interesting as you move in. Who knew cabbage could have so much depth?

Snow is Falling

Snow is falling across Kansas today. What better time to celebrate Hollies - their bright red berries and dark green, waxy foliage looks stunning this time of year.

I am sure an artsy photographer would have done the plant more justice...but hopefully you get the idea.

While we are on the subject of "artsy" do any of you have plans for nature-inspired holiday decorations? E-mail your plans to tara patty at ryan lawn dot com.

Need ideas? Check out these birch bark vases, sweet gum ball place cards, and maple leaf "plates" (sprigs from a festive tree, pressed beneath a clear, glass plate).

Mow Fescue and Bluegrass short at Thanksgiving

Photo from Flickr

If you have a Fescue or Bluegrass lawn, be sure to mow it short (1 1/2 - 2 inches) around Thanksgiving. If it is still growing, mow it again before Christmas so that it overwinters at 1 1/2 - 2 inches.

These mowings ensure the lawn overwinters well.

Concerns about Mulch from Treated Trees

We use a lot of mulch at our house.

Mulch is definitely an added benefit to any landscape, but there are some uncertainties when it comes to knowing what mulch to use.

For instance: Is it okay to use mulch that is made from a tree that has been treated to protect it from disease or pest infestations?

The answer is yes. Plant protection products today are very selective. Your plants will not be harmed by coming into contact with mulch from a tree that may have been treated. (Furthermore, herbicides, which have the most potential to kill or harm plants, are not used on trees.)

Need A Gift for the Gardener in Your Life?

The holidays have officially started in Kansas City. (Christmas music has been airing on the radio since November 1. Are we the only city that does this???)

As such, I wanted to point you all to Etsy. A web-site of mostly homemade goods made by artisans across the globe. They have several gifts a gardener will love.

How about 10 seed flats? Easy to assemble and reusable from year to year.

Available at andrewsreclaimed

Not into starting plants from seed? Why not order one of these cute totes to carry your gardening tools from pot to pot. Pins + Paper is currently shipping in the U.S. for free. And for purchasing a project tote - a free gift. (Stocking Stuffer?)

From Pins + Paper

Of course, we all know this is what I would find under the tree:

From Rusty Rooster Fabrication & Design

Planning Your Spring Garden?

Scaevola 'Whirlwind Blue', a Prairie Star Selection
Photo from Cornell University

If you are already thinking about what to plant in your garden next year, head on over the the Prairie Star Flowers site for recommendations about the best plants to grow in our area.

From the Prairie Star site:

"The Prairie Star collection consists of annual flowers of great vigor and spectacular bloom throughout the entire summer growing season. To be included in the Prairie Star list an annual flower must perform at the highest level for a minimum of two years in the university bedding plant field research trials conducted by K-State scientist, Dr. Alan Stevens. Prairie Star annuals have the vigor to grow like crazy and bloom like crazy under lazy gardener care. It is the “WOW look at those flowers” list."

The list is extensive and varied. It's well worth the time it takes to go down the list.

Leeks, Yes Please

Photo from Flickr

I admit, sometimes I read through recipes and I am not familiar with some of the ingredients. I had heard of leeks before, of course, but had no idea how they tasted. What to do but pick some up at the supermarket and give them a try?

I picked up a few and brought them home. Luckily the recipe I was using gave a good description of how to prepare them. Cut the leafy top off, cut the remaining stock in half lengthwise, and then slice in 1/2 inch pieces. Easy enough. They smell similar to an onion, and when sliced they kind of fall apart. (The "stalk" is really tightly wound leaves, when sliced, these leaves separate.)

Leeks are big in Britain, and are a fairly hardy vegetable to grow as they have little to no pest or disease issues. However, they are cool-season crop and will take a lot of water and TLC to grow through one of our hot summers. For more information on growing leeks, click here.

My first attempt was a leek and bacon creamy risotto. It was a lot of work. And probably would have been very enjoyable, had I not substituted pork bacon for the much-less-flavorful turkey bacon.

Last night, I made a gnocchi casserole. I sauteed three leeks prepared as above, boiled the gnocchi and made a cheese sauce with milk, flour, a little butter and fontina and asiago cheese. The final step is to mix all the ingredients in a casserole dish and broil for 3-4 minutes. Then top with prosciutto. This was much better.

I will be cooking with leeks much more in the future. What new ingredients are you using in your kitchen?

Sea Oats

We have talked about turfgrasses and erosion before, but two weekends ago I was on the Gulf Coast and was able to witness this in practice one again.

Along the Gulf Coast a simple but important grass grows - Sea Oats. Sea Oats can tolerate the salty spray from the ocean and they have dense root systems. This makes them perfect for preventing erosion on beaches. The grass grows mostly on sand dunes and is a protected species in some areas. In fact, the sea oats we saw were completely fenced off and there were warning signs cautioning visitors against disturbing the plants.

All of that, for a Monocot.

And We're Back

Sorry for the delay of game, folks. I got a nasty bug last week and was down for the count. Now that I am back among the living, I would love to share some lawn and gardening tips with you.

Over the weekend, my husband raked the leaves at least three times. There are SO MANY and they just keep falling. For all of you who are in the same boat, keep with it. If you get tired of raking and bagging, you can always cheat a little at the end and mow over them. Just don't leave them on the grass, because this is a problem.

You can do it!

P.S. Haven't the trees been beautiful this year?!