Jan 29th 2009 Vegetable gardening
While we may be feeling the pinch of a tough economy, we can turn to gardening for comfort, pride, and lunch! Gardening can feed the spirit and replace negative energy with positive vibes. It is not only rewarding, but if we incorporate gorgeous veggies, right into our existing ornamental gardens it can help put fresh organic food on the table. Don’t worry if you don’t have room or the desire for an entirely separate vegetable garden. And don’t give up beauty for function. Numerous vegetable are also highly ornamental and fit nicely into our mixed gardens right among our beloved perennials and shrubs. They can also be used in containers in company with colorful annuals. Now during the winter you can begin planning your garden for next year. Select plants that will not require chemicals for pest or disease control and rely on organics to feed the soil rather than using synthetic chemicals. Look for vegetables with outstanding foliage color, texture, and or form. Some of my favorites include: Redbor Kale (Brassica oleracea Redbor Hybrid) this gorgeous kale can reach 2’ in height and has amazing finely-curled red-violet leaves which are not only a designer’s dream (photo) they are also sweet and tender. I’ve used it in combination with Perilla f. ‘Magilla’. Bull’s Blood Beet (Beta vulgaris ‘Bull’s Blood’) a beautiful beet reaching about 12-15” that I’ve adored using in mixed gardens. 
’s particularly nice with, the also edible peppery, soft yellow flowers of Moonlight Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus ‘Moonlight’). Bull’s Blood beet bears deep reddish-purple leaves that are very sweet and delicious and the young leaves look incredible in salads. Of course it produces an edible globose “beet” as well! Red/Ruby Orach or Mountain Spinach (Atriplex hortensis) grown since the 19th century, can reach 4-6’ tall or more and makes a nice vertical accent among tall perennials like giant coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima). The zesty flavored leaves can be used like spinach although plants tolerate heat and cold temperatures better than spinach. Red Orach is an annual but plants can reseed and come back for many years. Dark Lolla Rossa Lettuce (Lactuca sativa varieties) this brilliant deep red ruffles lettuce looks as stunning in the garden as it does on the plate. There are so many attractive varieties of lettuce to tuck in among your perennials from speckled to oak leaf forms be creative and have fun. And if you are looking for a striking unusual edible vine that blends nicely on any decorative arbor, trellis or obelisk go for Red Malabar Spinach (Basella rubra). This again is not a true spinach but a cool looking heat –loving Asian vine with red stems and tasty, succulent leaves for stir-fries or salads. Don’t forget some of our prettiest flowers are also edible and add an amazing flourish to any dish. There are also some striking herbs for our ornamental gardens. Let me know if you would like me to write about these plants in future blogs. In the meantime, enjoy all the beauty, as well as mental, physical and emotional benefits of gardening , while also providing delicious organic food for yourself and your family.
Sources: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds www.rareseeds.com Kitchen Garden Seeds www.kitchengardenseeds.com Seeds Of Change www.seedsofchange.com Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply www.growOrganic.com
Tags: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, beautiful vegetables, Dark Lolla Rossa Lettuce, giant coneflower, Kitchen Garden Seeds, Organic gardening, ornamental vegetables, Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden, recession, Red Malabar Spinach, Seeds of Change
Jan 20th 2009 News
It was fun to be a guest on Garden Gossip Home & Garden Radio on January 24, 2009. The hosts are Nancy J. Reid & Lisa D. Smith, BigBlendMagazine.com editors. You can read the article on their website about my new book and listen to my interview segment by clicking on the Garden Gossip button on the right or this link.
Tags: Big Blend Magazine, BigBlendMagazine.com; Garden Gossip; Tracy Disabato-A, Blogtalk Radio, Eco, high-impact plants, Home & Garden Radio, Radio
Jan 18th 2009 Books
Accomplishments are really only rendered special when they can be shared with those you love. I had the fortune of being surrounded by some of my dearest friends as we celebrated the release of my newest book. It was cold and snowy outside but spring was in our hearts as we laughed, sipped tea by the fire, munched cookies and talked about plants, flowers, family, dogs, and of course…more plants. These are the times that make our memories. Thank you to my friends and family for their support and enthusiasm, of not only this, but of all my small feats.
(L-R) Virginia Oswald, Janet Lehr, Karen Richards, Deb Goff, Nanette Welch, Kathy Cox, Gail Duris and my four-legged darling…Sasha xo
Tags: 50 High-Impact Low-Care Garden Plants
Jan 17th 2009 Miscellaneous
It was great fun to spend time recently with legendary Columbus Garden Expert, Tom McNutt on WCMH TV NBC4i.com to discuss 50 High-Impact, Low-Care Plants. Visits with Tom are always enjoyable.
Also, frequently on Mondays, I do satellite radio interviews with Mario Bosquez on “The Living Today Show” on Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio. Tune in and call in with all of your questions: The number is 646-313-6012. For updates on other media coverage, click on “Media” above or check the “Calendar” page.
Tags: gardening, Living Today, Mario Bosquez, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Tom McNutt, WCMH
Jan 15th 2009 Gardens
Are you feeling the chill of winter? It’s only 9 degrees this morning in Sunbury, Ohio and promises to be even colder the next couple days. Friend and collegue Dr. Rosemarie Rossetti, shared this link (//www.jamesfernandes.com/photos/2008/butchartlights/ ) with me l
ast evening. Butchart Gardens is one of the most spectacular gardens I’ve ever visited during the growing season. Who would have thought it would look so incredible with night lighting and snow? I hope this will inspire you to continue to enjoy your garden this time of year even if you can’t work in it. It’s a great time to see the play of forms in the space and just you may realize you need more evergreens to hold the design integrity throug the winter. Enjoy the images of Butchart, bundle up, and grab your cameras and tripods and try a bit of winter night photography in your garden!
Tags: Butchart Gardens, Dr. Rosemarie Rossetti, Hiddenhaven, Ohio, snow, Sunbury, Tracy DiSabato-Aust
Jan 12th 2009 Books,News
For a free sneak peek at 50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants click here.… You will be able to preview 25% of the book–going through the introduction to page 40 and enjoy some of the photographs. I hope this whets your appetite for more! Let others know about this link by simply clicking on the “Share This” button below. That button makes it convenient for you to easily email this article, bookmark it, post it to MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Help me spread the word on this new book, and let’s start getting ready for Spring!
Tags: Books, free, garden plants, sneak peek, Spring 2009 plants, sustainable garden, Tracy Disabat-Aust
Jan 9th 2009 Books
One of the great things about my new book is the low price. I’ve heard from a lot of people already who’ve told me that they are thrilled this book costs less than $12 at Amazon.com. Click here! The plants covered in the book include perennials, native plants, trees, and shrubs that are easy to grow, and because they are virtually indestructible, they are a great value. How about that….a book that is inexpensive and plants that are nearly impossible to kill…great way to save! Best of all, all of the plants I cover in the book adhere to my organic gardening approach and a lot can work in small space or container gardens. In this economy, we’re all trying to stretch our dollars, yet keep beauty in our lives. I wrote the new book to help you do that.
Tags: 50 High-Impact, budget, inexpensive plants, Native Plants, organic, Perennials, recession gardening, Shrubs, sustainable, Trees
Jan 7th 2009 Books,News
January 7, 2009: Announcing the release of 50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants: Tough-but-Beautiful Plants That Anyone Can Grow. Books start shipping today and should be available on-line and in bookstores very soon! In the coming weeks the proud parent (me) will be posting blogs featuring these sustainable, dynamic, easy care, plants perfect for everyone from the new gardener to the seasoned veteran. And they fit our busy lives like that perfect pair of gardening gloves. They provide all the “bling” without the “sting” of hours and hours of work. They possess most if not all of the following traits…
High Impact Traits
*Multi-season Interest
*Colorful Foliage
*Long-Lasting Bloom
*Outstanding Texture
*Architectural Form
Low-Maintenance Sustainable Traits
*Long-Lived
*Tolerate Heat and Humidity
*Cold-Hardy
*Deer Resistant
*Drought Tolerant
*Insect & Disease Resistance
*Minimal or No Deadheading
*No Heavy Fertilizing
*No Staking
*Infrequent or no Division for many years
*Infrequent or no Pruning
What else can we ask for?? So join in the celebration…Happy Birthday 50 High-Impact, Low-Care Plants!
Tags: 50 High-Impact, Books, Low-Care Garden Plants, sustainable, Tracy DiSabato-Aust, tracylive.com
Dec 25th 2008 Art
Art in the garden can function in many ways. One way is by creating a focal point or dominance. The Henry Moore’s at the New York Botanical Garden were an incredible example of this. Besides how a piece will function it’s also important to remember the proper scale of art to be effective in a space. The scale of these pieces were perfect with the vast scale of the gardens. (photo) See more about art in the garden in my book The Well-Designed Mixed Garden.
Tags: Art, Henry Moore, New York Botanical Garden; The Well-Designed Mixed Gar, Tracy DiSabato-Aust
Dec 22nd 2008 Art
I was moved to tears when long time friend and fellow gardener/artist, Janet George-Ward, surprised me with her hand crafted star garden ornament whose colors reflect the colors used in my garden and home. The card that accompanied the carefully packed box reads “When I was doing this new simple design, I thought of you—oh, dear! Not the simple aspect but my visualization of where this design would hang. I see it in a garden, hanging from a tree so that it swings with the breeze. As it swings and turns, the iridescent side shows shimmers of color and the mirror side reflects the garden. This is not a Christmas gift but rather a gift of friendship that happens to be sent during this holy season”. Her visualization comes to life, as shared here, with the star hanging outside my kitchen window in a large Japanese maple. May your spirit be touched by the simple gifts of friendship this season. (Janet George Ward is an outstanding artist who works in a variety of media for both garden and home—this image is of a stained glass window she made for our kitchen. She can be reached at [email protected])
Tags: Christmas; hand-crafted star ornament, Janet George-Ward
While we may be feeling the pinch of a tough economy, we can turn to gardening for comfort, pride, and lunch! Gardening can feed the spirit and replace negative energy with positive vibes. It is not only rewarding, but if we incorporate gorgeous veggies, right into our existing ornamental gardens it can help put fresh organic food on the table. Don’t worry if you don’t have room or the desire for an entirely separate vegetable garden. And don’t give up beauty for function. Numerous vegetable are also highly ornamental and fit nicely into our mixed gardens right among our beloved perennials and shrubs. They can also be used in containers in company with colorful annuals. Now during the winter you can begin planning your garden for next year. Select plants that will not require chemicals for pest or disease control and rely on organics to feed the soil rather than using synthetic chemicals. Look for vegetables with outstanding foliage color, texture, and or form. Some of my favorites include: Redbor Kale (Brassica oleracea Redbor Hybrid) this gorgeous kale can reach 2’ in height and has amazing finely-curled red-violet leaves which are not only a designer’s dream (photo) they are also sweet and tender. I’ve used it in combination with Perilla f. ‘Magilla’. Bull’s Blood Beet (Beta vulgaris ‘Bull’s Blood’) a beautiful beet reaching about 12-15” that I’ve adored using in mixed gardens. 
’s particularly nice with, the also edible peppery, soft yellow flowers of Moonlight Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus ‘Moonlight’). Bull’s Blood beet bears deep reddish-purple leaves that are very sweet and delicious and the young leaves look incredible in salads. Of course it produces an edible globose “beet” as well! Red/Ruby Orach or Mountain Spinach (Atriplex hortensis) grown since the 19th century, can reach 4-6’ tall or more and makes a nice vertical accent among tall perennials like giant coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima). The zesty flavored leaves can be used like spinach although plants tolerate heat and cold temperatures better than spinach. Red Orach is an annual but plants can reseed and come back for many years. Dark Lolla Rossa Lettuce (Lactuca sativa varieties) this brilliant deep red ruffles lettuce looks as stunning in the garden as it does on the plate. There are so many attractive varieties of lettuce to tuck in among your perennials from speckled to oak leaf forms be creative and have fun. And if you are looking for a striking unusual edible vine that blends nicely on any decorative arbor, trellis or obelisk go for Red Malabar Spinach (Basella rubra). This again is not a true spinach but a cool looking heat –loving Asian vine with red stems and tasty, succulent leaves for stir-fries or salads. Don’t forget some of our prettiest flowers are also edible and add an amazing flourish to any dish. There are also some striking herbs for our ornamental gardens. Let me know if you would like me to write about these plants in future blogs. In the meantime, enjoy all the beauty, as well as mental, physical and emotional benefits of gardening , while also providing delicious organic food for yourself and your family.
Accomplishments are really only rendered special when they can be shared with those you love. I had the fortune of being surrounded by some of my dearest friends as we celebrated the release of my newest book. It was cold and snowy outside but spring was in our hearts as we laughed, sipped tea by the fire, munched cookies and talked about plants, flowers, family, dogs, and of course…more plants. These are the times that make our memories. Thank you to my friends and family for their support and enthusiasm, of not only this, but of all my small feats.
Are you feeling the chill of winter? It’s only 9 degrees this morning in Sunbury, Ohio and promises to be even colder the next couple days. Friend and collegue Dr. Rosemarie Rossetti, shared this 
ast evening. Butchart Gardens is one of the most spectacular gardens I’ve ever visited during the growing season. Who would have thought it would look so incredible with night lighting and snow? I hope this will inspire you to continue to enjoy your garden this time of year even if you can’t work in it. It’s a great time to see the play of forms in the space and just you may realize you need more evergreens to hold the design integrity throug the winter. Enjoy the images of Butchart, bundle up, and grab your cameras and tripods and try a bit of winter night photography in your garden!
One of the great things about my new book is the low price. I’ve heard from a lot of people already who’ve told me that they are thrilled this book costs less than $12 at Amazon.com. 
High Impact Traits
Art in the garden can function in many ways. One way is by creating a focal point or dominance. The Henry Moore’s at the New York Botanical Garden were an incredible example of this. Besides how a piece will function it’s also important to remember the proper scale of art to be effective in a space. The scale of these pieces were perfect with the vast scale of the gardens. (photo) See more about art in the garden in my book 
