The Sacred Hearth

Calendula likes a full sun position, but doesn't like too much heatl. It will grow readily from seed and will reseed if allowed to do so in mild climates. Those who live in colder climates should gather the seeds in autumn and replant the following year. Seeds should be planted right in the garden as soon as the danger of frost has passed and barely covered. Thin to 12 inches apart. Although they are tolerant of poor soils, calendula prefers to be planted in a nice bed of compost and some mulch around its roots once it gets going in the summer.

They do well in pots and window boxes too. However, many people find their aroma to be too overpowering for indoors.

Calendula are attractive to aphids which makes them a good diversion plant for more delicate plants. They are also susceptible to mildew if it is too hot and humid. Use a soap spray to get rid of aphids and a gentle fungacide will take care of the mildew.

Joe Pye Weed can be grown from seed, plant six weeks before the last frost and cover lightly so that sunlight can reach the seeds. Keep moist.
Or it can be grown from cuttings.

Joe Pye Weed generally prefers full sun and moist soil. Some varieties such as E. purpureum can tolerate less moisture and part shade conditions.

Hawthorn is a deciduous tree that can grow in most temperate climates. It is tolerant of most soils, but prefers moist, alkaline soils.

Propagate from cloves. Garlic needs a cold period to trigger growth, so your cloves should be planted in the late fall. Plant the cloves with the pointed side up. Do not separate cloves from the bulb until just before you are ready to plant them, or they may dry out.

The young plants look like newly sprouted grass with a lovely garlic smell. These are great on potatoes and in salads. Store in a cool, dark and dry place.

Garlic prefers loose, rich, well-drained soil.

Pelargoniums are subtropical plants and are not frost hardy. Thus, they are usually treated as annuals in the garden or grown as house plants. Outdoor plants may be brought indoors in the fall and replanted again in the spring. They transplant well. There are many extremely fragrant varieties, (try Pelargonium graveolens) as well as some lovely trailing varieties that make attractive additions to the indoor garden.

Soil should be quick draining and high in organic matter and these plants should be fertilized monthly from early spring to early autumn, but do not need to be fertilized in the dark half of the year. Allow the soil to dry between waterings.

Pelagorniums can be propagated by cuttings. Simply clip off a bit of an existing plant, preferably a young shoot up 3 to 5 inches long, and put the end in moist sand or vermaculite. Keep the cutting in a warm, bright location and keep the vermaculite moist, but not wet. When a good root has formed you will not be able to easily pull the shoot straight up. It is now time to pot your new baby plant. Once it starts showing new growth, you can starti your fertilizing regimine.

If you prefer to start your plants by seed, you'll want to begin about February. Scrape the seeds with a nail file to stratify them and plant in flats about 1/8 inch deep. Keep it moist, but not wet and keep the temperature around 70 to 75 degrees farenheight. You should have baby pelagorniums in about two weeks. Make sure the babies get plenty of sunlight. You can transplant them when they are about an inch tall. Do not plant them outside until you have reliable daytime temperatures of at least 60 degrees. Cooler nights are okay.

Pelagorniums are hassled by various insects including aphids, tobacco worms, spider mites, slugs and caterpillars (but we like caterpillars). They are also susceptable to various funguses. Make sure that you've got good soil drainage and that your plants aren't overcrowded so there's good air circulation between them to minimize these problems.