Let's Plant a Freedom Garden!

Victory Garden by artist Paula Vaughn

Since Sept. 11, We two cats have been hearing about Freedom Gardens. They're planted in the spirit of World War II "Victory Gardens", which aimed to conserve food and strengthen the war effort.
Freedom Gardens are more about fostering spirit than food. But if there's any way for plants to express your patriotic spirit -- and offer of tribute to the victims of this tragedy -- this is it.
A red, white and blue motif is pretty easy to produce. There are many varieties of red white and blue flowers to choose from. Below are some of our favorites.

Red Flowers: pansies, salvia, poppies, red flax, zinnia, petunia, hydrangea

White Flowers: pansies, shasta daisy, alyssum, mums, petunia, hydrangea

Blue Flowers: pansies, lobelia, blue bells, blue flax, bachelor button, hydrangea

A way to create a Freedom Garden would be with annuals. Because they bloom all summer, the combinations are limited only by the gardener's imagination.
For spring planting , red and white impatiens along with blue salvia would work. The hard part is finding a flower that blooms deep blue. You could try veronica, lobelia 'Midnight Blue,' petunias, eustoma 'Forever Blue' and bachelor buttons.
At the end of the season, red, white and blue morning glories would put on quite a show.

Of course you don't have to plant a flag to call your plot a freedom garden. Maybe you could plant some extra vegetables and donate them to a food bank.

The America the Beautiful Fund is providing $1 million worth of flower, vegetable and herb seeds to plant Freedom Gardens all across America. People who want to sponsor or start a Freedom Garden in their community can receive a grant of anywhere from 100 to 1,000 seed packets. For more information, go to www.freeseeds.org or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to America the Beautiful Fund, Department 911, 1730 K St., NW, Suite 1002, Washington, D.C. 20006. Shipping and handling is $14.95 for the first 100 packets and $5 for each additional 100 packets.

A real Victory Garden

The Smithsonian Institution has built an authentic Victory Garden outside the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., as part of its "Within These Walls" exhibition. The garden, which was designed by the Horticulture Services Division based on a 1943 pamphlet, is filled with heirloom species and older varieties that were available to gardeners during the 1940s.

Whether you choose to go red, white, blue or none of the above, having a beautiful landscape with summer flowers will make you feel better and your yard look better, while showing your faith in the future and that God will bless America.

Your activity for July is to mew about Victory Gardens or a Freedom Garden which you intend to plant or have already planted. Maybe you just would like to mew about what freedom means to mew kitties. Mew to us, Shirley and Sophie by clicking on the mail button below. Don't forget to send in your pictures and biographies for our "Getting to Know You" page. Happy Fourth of July to all of you.

Oh, lest we forget... Yankee Gardener is offering roll out seeds to create this flag.
Instant Flower Garden - Seeded organic flower mats. Imagine a garden so easy you just roll it out, water it and watch it grow into a beautiful, pre-arranged flower bed of your choice. You can stop wishing, because the Instant Flower Garden by Creative Garden Concepts is going to change the way you look at gardening forever.