These plants like it wet.
August 24th, 2009
It’s been a rainy August and the soil is often mushy.
If you have natural wet spots in your yard, take advantage of those “microclimates” and put in perennials that like “wet feet.”
Perennials for moist sites include:
Milkweed
Butterfly weed
Astilbe (needs shade, too)
Marsh marigold
Bellflower
Tickseed, or coreopsis
Bleeding heart
Foxglove
Joe-Pye weed
Hardy sunflower
Hostas
Louisisana iris
Yellow flag iris
Cardinal flower
Virginia bluebells
Bee balm
Virginia bluebells
Solomon’s seal
Black-eyed Susan
Foam flower
Ironweed
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Need something for shady spot?
August 21st, 2009
Despite what many believe, there are numerous flowers for shady spots, especially in the ground cover category.
“Meehans Mint,” pictured here in flowering form, is one of those, according to Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm & Gardens in Renick, W.Va. Botanically speaking, Meehania cordata is a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint family.
Easy to propagage by stem cuttings and division, the mint is cold hardy to Zone 4, maybe even 3, he says. Unlike most mints, this one is not invasive or even aggressive, he assures us from his own testing.
You can buy the mint from Barry at www.sunfarm.com or call 304-497-2208.
Other shade-loving groundcovers include:*
Ajuga, also gorgeous for its spring-time purple flowers and anytime eye-catching foliage. I’ve grown this ground cover many times in many yards and adore its pleasing personality. It likes moist, but not wet, rich soil.
* Liriope, a grass-like groundcover that grows in sun or shade. It features white or purple flower spikes. Cut it down before new growth emerges in March. There are clumping and spreading varieties; opt for the clumping type for less invasiveness.
* Lily-of-the-valley for its bell-shaped clusters of delicate flowers and its upward growth habit. Over time lily-of-the-valley can become a little troublesome but give it room to spread and grow and both of you will be happy.
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Lovin’ our Bermuda lawn.
August 20th, 2009
When Ken and I decided to put in a warm-season Bermuda lawn three years ago, we worried how we would like it. We’ve always been cool-season fesuce lawn lovers but the Bermuda pleases us beyond expectations.
We sodded with Tifway Bermuda, a hybrid that looks more like a lawn turf and less like wild Bermuda. It’s drought-tolerant, and loves the heat, sun and humidity in southeastern Virginia.
So far, keeping the Bermuda out of our flower and shrub beds has been no major problem. I do a weekly weed patrol, pulling out stragglers while I walk. Ken routinely uses Black & Decker Grasshog trimmers to keep the edges crisp and neat.
And, we don’t mind the brown lawn in winter.
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Plant fall veggie garden in August
August 17th, 2009
While much of the country is just now beginning to enjoy the summer harvest, many gardeners are quickly realizing that time is running out to plant fall crops.
“August and September are ideal months for planting vegetables for fall harvest,” says George Ball, chairman of W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
“But because these months also coincide with the summer yield, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the harvest, forgetting to plant fall crops in time to reach full maturity before the threat of frost.”
“With proper planning,” Ball says, “the turn-around time for fall produce can be as early as 60 days or less.”
For those caught up in the race to the “cool season kitchen garden” finish line, Burpee offers advice for late planting using an easy to follow process Burpee calls F.A.L.L.
(F) Find Out How Much Time You Have
“Start with some basic planning and research,” says Ball. Begin by determining the anticipated frost date in your locale. From there, refer to a calendar to determine precisely how many days you have left before the first frost is expected to hit and the date you expect to have your vegetable garden planted.
(A) Add Early Maturing Varieties to Your List
Gardeners who have assessed the amount of time between the day they will plant their fall crops and the number of days until the anticipated first frost, can now begin researching and compiling a list of vegetable candidates for their fall garden.
“You’ll want to select varieties that will reach maturity before frost is expected to occur,” says Ball. Thanks to research and breeding, there are an array of quick maturing lettuces and vegetables available today. “Spinach Baby’s Leaf Hybrid, for example reach maturity for salads in just thirty days,” says Ball.
(L) Leave a Margin for Error
Because weather is unpredictable, Ball advises leaving some margin for error.
“The calendar may tell you that you have a full 65 days before the first frost is expected to hit. But because frost dates are only averages, it is best to be prepared for that worst case scenario — cold weather arriving earlier than anticipated.”
Ball says that there are a few ways gardeners can prepare for unexpected spells of cold weather.
“Give yourself a bit of leeway. If the anticipated frost date is 65 days away, try to limit the number of varieties you select to just a few that take a full 60 or 65 days to mature,” says Ball. “Opt to include mostly varieties with an expected maturity date one week prior to the anticipated frost date.”
(L) Learn for Next Season
“Gardening is very much a process of trial and error, but perfecting our skills is what keeps us gardeners interested in the hobby,” says Ball. “With that said, the final step is to take note of what you learned from this year’s garden when planning and planting next year’s plot,” he says.
“Make note of this year’s planting and harvest dates to determine if you should plant earlier or harvest later next year. Monitor your garden’s progress by watching how the plants respond to the changing way light and wind affect the garden as trees lose their leaves and as the days become shorter and the nights become colder.”
For more on Burpee, visit www.burpee.com
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USDA pushes gardens.
August 17th, 2009
The U.S. Department of Agriculture continues to put an emphasis on gardening this year. They just installed a roof-top garden on their Economic Research Service building as yet another part of the People’s Garden Initiative … http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/?navid=PEOPLES_GARDEN … where they build community gardens to set an example of environmentally friendly, sustainable landscapes, according to an industry e-newsletter.
To add to that, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack proclaimed Aug. 23-29 as National Community Gardening Week.
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Perk up tired flowers.
August 17th, 2009
Summer annuals like petunias, coleus and geraniums can look a little tired this time of year.
To lift their spirits and encourage new flowers for fall, use small hand pruners to give them a little “haircut.”
Remove the old blooms on geraniums for continued flower production.
Cut petunias back a little bit more, removing some of their foliage.
Feed lightly with Miracle-Gro or a time-release granular fertilizer made for flowers and watch the new show begin!
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Get free dogwoods.
August 17th, 2009
Join the National Arbor Day Foundation and get 10 free white-flowering dogwoods for fall planting.
A membership contribution is $10. White-flowering dogwoods feature spring flowers, scarlet red fall foliage and ripe red berries that songbirds adore.
Join at www.arborday.org.
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Oh, no, the mosquitoes are coming!
August 14th, 2009
All the recent rain we’ve had in Hampton Roads means there will be lots of mosquitoes this and next month.
To prevent those pests from nibbling on you, keep these tips in mind:
* Wear light-colored clothing because dark colors attract mosquitoes.
* Empty any standing water, even as little as a half inch, from pots, tires, buckets, wading pools … anything that can hold a thimble full of water. Mosquito larvae needs little water for breeding.
* If you have a covered porch with no screening, install outdoor ceiling fans to keep flying pests away from you while you relax there.
* Change the water in your bird bath and outdoor pet bowls often; mosquito larvae breeds best in standing water.
* Use insect repellents when you are going to be outdoors any length of time but keep them away from eyes, noses and mouths. DEET is considered the most effective ingredient in a repellent.
NOT INTO DEET?
If you’re concerned about using DEET, try a DEET-free alternative like Tender Corporation’s DEET-Free Natrapel 8 hour. Containing 20 percent of the active ingredient Picaridin – which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization – Natrapel 8 hour’ s formula is proven as effective as DEET, providing 8 hours of protection from biting and stinging insects. But, unlike DEET-based repellents, Natrapel® 8 hour is gear safe, meaning it won’t melt your fishing line, sunglasses, camera lens or other pricey plastics.
Learn more about Natrapel and After Bite … an excellent soothing agent for bee and other insect stings … at www.tendercorp.com.
I use After Bite whenever I’m in the garden and something annoying bites me … insects like black flies, mosquitoes or even spiders. It costs less than $5 and can be found at Wal-Mart and drug stores like Rite-Aid and Walgreens. I keep one in my garden shed and one in the car in case I visit a garden and need it right away.
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Tires made from trees?
August 13th, 2009
Your vehicle may soon drive on tires made partly from trees.
That development could cost less, perform better and save on fuel and energy, according to a ScienceDaily report at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721122846.htm
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered that microcrystalline cellulose, a program easily made from plant fibers, could partially replace silica as a reinforcing filler in the manufacturing of rubber tires, according to an e-newsletter from Project: Green Industry.
The process may also decreate the energy needed to produce the tire, reduce costs and better resist heat buildup.
Mother Nature will love it because it will help fight global warming …. just as long as we grow special crops for the plant fibers and don’t raid precious specimens, is my take on it. What do you think?
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Harvest and preserve your herbs.
August 11th, 2009
Late summer is when you want to harvest and preserve herbs for use later in the season.
An easy way is to snip and freeze herbs in ice cube trays filled with water. Once the cubes freeze, remove them and store the herb-filled cubes in plastic bags in your freezer.
When you make soups and stews, even spahgetti sauce, later this year, just toss a few herb-filled cubes in your dish while it cooks. Presto, you have instant fresh spices in your special dish!
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