“Home & Garden Market - Dallas Observer” plus 4 more |
- Home & Garden Market - Dallas Observer
- Home & Garden calendar - Chattanooga Times Free Press
- Bring garden inside - Topeka Capital-Journal
- September Yard & Garden Chores for Zone 4 - Sioux City Journal
- Flower bulbs make a 'box lunch' for garden pests - NWITimes.com
| Home & Garden Market - Dallas Observer Posted: 04 Sep 2009 10:09 PM PDT Date/Time:Fri., September 11, 2:00pm-8:00pm, Sat., September 12, 10:00am-8:00pm, Sun., September 13, 11:00am-6:00pmPrice: $9, free for children under 12Contact Info: 800-654-1480 | Event WebsiteThe Market's So Good Right Now
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| Home & Garden calendar - Chattanooga Times Free Press Posted: 04 Sep 2009 09:04 PM PDT [fivefilters.org: unable to retrieve full-text content] * TODAY: Chattanooga Regional Hosta Society meeting, 1 p.m. at East Ridge Community Center. Auction of hostas and other plants. Visitors welcome. Contact: Shirley McMasters, 344-5876. * TUESDAY: Chattanooga Herbies meeting. Learn about growing and ... This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bring garden inside - Topeka Capital-Journal Posted: 04 Sep 2009 10:01 PM PDT You know there is something to celebrate when an expensive bouquet of flowers arrives. Time and tradition have taught us this. But why wait until someone else sends you flowers? Why not plant your own cut flower garden and treat yourself to a particular luxury every day all summer long? Most of us have enjoyed selecting wonderful foods from our vegetable gardens, taking them straight to the kitchen and savoring them with family and friends. Let's do this same thing with our beautiful flowers. I feel really special with fresh flowers on my table or counter, even in my bathroom. It's a treat to smell their enticing fragrances and marvel at their beauty. The problem would seem to be that picking flowers from the garden reduces the number of blooms in the yard. The solution, then, is to cultivate a separate garden just for cut flowers. Then you can have your flowers and pick them, too. When filling your cutting garden with flowers you love and that work well as cut flowers, include foliage plants for the "green" part. Consider making it a part of your vegetable garden or another sunny well drained spot on the side of the house or behind the garage. If you don't have extra space, plant extra plants in the space you do have. Be careful not to overcrowd. A cutting garden doesn't have to have a pretty design. It is utilitarian. Plant the flowers in rows with easy access. You can even plant in succession to get blooms all summer long. These gardens are much easier to maintain and require much less attention that ornamental beds. As in the vegetable garden, make widely spaced rows that allow you to move through easily to plant, thin, fertilize, deadhead and harvest. Prepare the soil like any other garden. Add compost and a slow-acting fertilizer. Periodic liquid fertilizer applications on the foliage will help boost the energy of certain heavy blooming plants during peak season. Group flower types for efficient use of space and ease of harvest. Cluster plants with the same cultural requirements (i.e. water, sun, drainage). Plant so the tall types don't shade the shorter ones. Picking blossoms regularly will encourage new blooms on annuals. Deadheading faded blooms will keep plants from forming seeds, which slows flower production. As soon as the blossoms from one crop of flowers have been cut and the plants are basically done, pull them and plant new ones. Example, follow early season pansies with summer marigolds or zinnias. Flower arrangements are composed typically of "line," "mass" and "filler" flowers and greens. Line flowers are long and somewhat thin. They are used to set the shape of the arrangement. Flowers like snapdragons, gladiolus, and liatris are line flowers. Asters, marigolds, zinnias, and daisies would be examples of mass flowers. They make up the mass of the arrangement. Filler flowers can be baby's breath, goldenrod, heather, Russian sage; anything light and airy can fill space. Greens frame the arrangements and give background. Ferns, ivies, shrubs and tree branches work well for this. Don't overlook fruits and vegetables. They can be used to create interesting focal points. Care and handling Early morning or late evening is the best time to cut flowers. This is when they are full of water. Never pick them in the heat of the day. Use a sharp knife or pruners to cut the flowers. Scissors can crush the stems and make water take-up difficult or impossible. Place cut flowers in a pale of water you have taken with you into the garden. Recut stems 1 or 2 inches or more when you place them in an arrangement or vase. Cutting on a slant was once thought to be beneficial. Texas A&M University research has shown that it make no difference. Also, cutting stems underwater is only necessary for roses. Water in the vase should be about 100 degrees. Flowers will absorb warm water much faster than cold. The more water they take in, the longer they will last. Remove any leaves that will be under water and any foliage that makes for overcrowding above the vase. Add a commercial preservative. This will slow bacterial growth in the water that will prevent water up-take. It also provides food for the flowers. Don't bother with aspirin and pennies. Research shows they don't work. Growing your own makes sense in this economy. Flowers make wonderful gifts for any occasion (even sad ones). You don't have to be a great flower arranger - just wrap up a colorful bundle with a pretty ribbon and attach an appropriate card. Jamie Hancock is a horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| September Yard & Garden Chores for Zone 4 - Sioux City Journal Posted: 04 Sep 2009 10:44 PM PDT
Master Gardener With fall approaching, cooler temperatures entice us to finish up those last minute gardening chores before it becomes too cold. Lawns can be prepared now for next spring. September is the perfect month to reseed and fertilize bare spots in the lawn, or completely renovate the lawn. This will give the new roots plenty of time to become established before winter. Controlling dandelions and other perennial weeds is also a job best done in the fall, not the spring. Dethatching and aerating the lawn, if the soil is compacted, will allow the soil to drain better and give the roots much needed oxygen. Out in the orchard, it's time to harvest apples and store them in a cool place. As for other trees, this is the best time to plant dormant evergreen trees and shrubs. Young trees should be staked to prevent the roots from being pulled by fall and winter winds. If you have well-established coniferous trees, check for tip damage on new growth. If the tips have been mutilated by borers or otherwise damaged, remove them and establish a new leader by forcing a new side shoot into an upright position. Nurserymen do not recommend planting redbud, ginkgo, weeping willow, tulip trees or oak trees in the fall. They do best if started in the spring. If you want to try anyway, cover the ground around your new tree with a 4-inch mulch blanket. In the vegetable garden it's time to plant garlic. By now most of our onions are ready for harvest. Break them at the necks. This will speed the final ripening process. Loosen the soil to encourage drying, and after a few days turn them up and let them cure on dry ground or place them on a mesh screen to allow air circulation around them. Always handle onions very carefully to prevent bruising, which will cause rotting. If you have unripe tomatoes still on the vine and frost is fast approaching, pull out the vines by the roots and hang them upside in a cool, dark place. Transplant rhubarb, strawberries and raspberries well before the first light frost to allow better root development. Rhubarb and strawberries deplete the soil of nutrients in a short time, so find new locations for them every three years. If you're not moving these plants this year, mulch them to protect them from winter heaving. Compost should be watered during dry periods so that it stays active. Clean up all of your gardening tools. Have pruners, mower blades and shears sharpened now, so that they will be ready first thing come spring. If you have a garden pool that is less than four feet deep, you should drain it to avoid freezing. Hardy as well as non-hardy water lilies can be stored indoors at 50 degrees F in moist sand that is not allowed to dry out. The basement is an ideal place to store these. Houseplants that were growing outside should be prepared to be brought back inside. Gather them all and place them in a shady area for a few days to ready them for reduced light inside. Look them over for any signs of insects and prune and repot any that may need it. Wash them thoroughly to get rid of insects and eggs. Once you have the plants placed inside, they may display some browning and dropping of leaves due to the change in light conditions, which can be prevented by putting them under a grow light. Lower humidity found in most homes can also be a factor. Carefully dig gladiola, dahlia and tuberous begonia bulbs leaving the foliage on. Put the bulbs in an airy, protected area for two to three weeks. Using a sharp knife cut the foliage off at the point where the foliage emerges from the bulb. Begonia stems should be allowed to dry until they are brittle and can be broken off from the bulbs. Prepare rose bushes for winter. Apply fungicide one last time to susceptible varieties. Prune dead or damaged branches and cut off any old flowers. Using topsoil or mulch, mound the bush and cut canes back to six to twelve inches. To completely protect the bush, you can cover it using a bushel basket. Perennials that are overcrowded or are growing in a ring shape with the center portion missing, should be divided now. Dig them up and split them using a shovel or saw. Find new spots in your garden or give them away to friends or neighbors. Plants moved now will have up to two months to settle in and spread their roots before they go dormant. Plus another two months' jump on next year's April transplants, because their roots will start growing again as early as February. The size of a perennial's root system pretty much dictates its size aboveground so the plant you put in next April will not, for at least a season, much overshadow an area the size of the pot it came in. But put the same plant in the ground now and the diameter of its rootsand consequently next year's plant-could double that. The flip side is that any perennial weeds left in the garden now will have the same root growth, so even though weeding this time of year seems like a waste of time, it's really best to get your garden as weed-free as you can in the fall. Refresh perennial beds with compost, topped with new mulch. Now is a good time to shop for perennial and small-sized shrubs to beautify bare spots in your garden beds. You may find some great bargains this time of year. Cut back hostas after they've dried up, but you may wish to leave your other perennials uncut through winter to enjoy their shapes and colors as they contrast against winter snows. Plant spring-blooming bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips and crocus. Set out bareroot peonies. September is the traditional month for planting new peonies or digging and dividing old peonies. Clean bird feeders and bird baths and restock the feeders. Collect and dry seeds from annuals for use next year or for swapping with friends and neighbors. Place the seeds in a labeled paper bag and place them in a cool, dry place over the winter. There are some tasks that are better left until spring. Divide asters in the spring. Don't prune roses, shrubs or trees now, since they are apt to have new growth that will die when the weather turns cold. Don't fertilize gardens or trees now, either, to avoid pushing tender new growth at the end of the season. Wait until spring to buy and plant shallow-rooted plants such as coral bells and strawberries, bleeding heart, columbine, Japanese anemone, Lenten rose (Hellebore) and Shasta daisy, as well as roses. For questions or more information, call ISU Extension, Woodbury County at (712) 276-2157 or email {M7mimishan@iastate.edu.
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| Flower bulbs make a 'box lunch' for garden pests - NWITimes.com Posted: 04 Sep 2009 09:47 PM PDT Bulbs are perfect, self-contained packages for gardeners. They're equipped with everything necessary to make flowers grow and bloom. Problem is, that makes them a prize for predators, too. "The perfect lunch box," said Leonard Perry, an extension professor with the University of Vermont. "Put them in the ground this fall and I guarantee you the plant pests will come." But there are ways to minimize animal damage, and it begins by not underestimating your enemies. Squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, deer, mice, voles, moles and the many other critters that feast on flower bulbs are crafty. Observant, too. "Just the fact you're disturbing the earth is a tip-off," Perry said. "These guys are curious. They'll know something is going on and come to investigate. Once they discover the newly planted bulbs, they'll assume it's food for getting them through winter and there you go. So much for any spring flower displays." Deer and rabbits like grazing on the tender stems as they surface in early spring. Squirrels, chipmunks, voles and moles, among others, often dine underground. That requires designing a bulb defense in layers. Here are some proven deterrents. For best results, use them in combination: * Pest-resistant bulbs. Tulips are deer magnets but other, less appetizing bulbs are ignored, said Becky Heath, co-owner of Brent and Becky's Bulbs in Gloucester, Va. "In populated areas, where hunting is dangerous and there are no natural predators, deer have become brazen, going right up to the front door to eat something in a pot on a porch," she said. "Choose plants that either taste bad or are (naturally) poisonous." Inter-planting daffodils or alliums, both deer-resistant bulbs, among the more delectable tulips also can be effective. * Fencing, wire covers, cages and other barriers. Voles, moles and chipmunks are notorious for tunneling their way to bulbs, shrubs and tree roots. "Put a wire mesh cage around them when you plant," Perry said. Fencing is expensive but it will keep deer out of the garden. Build them at least 7 feet high, however, since deer are excellent jumpers. An electric fence is another garden option. * Unpleasant smells and flavors. "We put bulbs in a plastic bucket and spray them with something that tastes nasty (but) that's not necessarily poisonous," Heath said. "Let the spray dry and then plant the bulbs. For insurance, we often spray the ground when the new shoots begin to emerge." Many such repellents are sold and most come with strict guidelines for their use. "We usually get people to check with their local extension agent to see what's allowed in each area," Heath said. * Lights, sprinklers and barking dogs. Motion detectors attached to water sprinklers and spotlights can be effective. "A tethered dog often works," Perry said. "But it doesn't take long for deer to learn the length of the tether and ignore it." Other ideas: Try planting closer to the house or giving bulb-eating animals a distant, alternative garden of their own. Shooting and poisons are the ultimate sanctions, but both come with safety concerns: Both risk injury or damage beyond the intended target. "I don't like using poisons even if you don't have kids or pets," Perry said. "They can work their way into the food chain and get into edibles. I'd much rather use biological controls such as burying bulbs with something unappetizing like ground up shells." Trapping is yet another alternative, although many communities have rules against relocating wild critters. Check with city hall before making any moves. Successfully controlling animal pests around the yard will depend on your timing, methods and resolve. Be aware that what may have worked previously for you or a neighbor may not work again. "Use a few different things in different areas to stay ahead of the game," Perry said. Some flower bulbs are downright unsavory to pests By The Associated Press One of the best defenses against bulb-eating animals is mixing the bitter with the sweet: harsh-tasting alliums and daffodils, for example, intermingled with beds of predator-magnet tulips. Here is a more extensive list of proven pest-resistant bulbs, courtesy of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center. All rank high on beauty and low on pest appeal, the center said. * Allium, or ornamental onion. Blooms early spring to late summer. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-8. * Chionodoxa or glory of the snow. Blooms late winter, early spring. Zones 4-8. * Crocus. Blooms late winter, early spring. Zones 4-8. * Eranthis or winter aconite, a member of the buttercup family. Blooms late winter, early spring. Zones 4-7. * Fritillaria or mission bells. Blooms mid- to late spring, depending upon variety. Zones 4-8. * Galanthus or snowdrop. Blooms late winter, early spring. Zones 4-8. * Hyacinthoides or bluebell. Blooms late spring. Zones 4-10. * Hyacinthus or hyacinth. Blooms mid-spring. Zones 4-8. * Muscari or grape hyacinth. Blooms mid- to late spring, depending upon variety. Zones 4-9. * Narcissus, more commonly known as daffodil. Blooms early to late spring, depending upon variety. Zones 4-11. * Oxalis or wood sorel. Blooms mid-spring to fall, depending upon variety. Hardy in zones 7-10.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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