“Penstemons will create a grand floral finale for your autumn garden - Daily Mail” plus 4 more |
- Penstemons will create a grand floral finale for your autumn garden - Daily Mail
- Consumers enjoy the Lakeside view but visit Home Depot the most - InternetRetailer.com
- Nurturing the beneficial bugs in your garden - Contra Costa Times
- Making the most of it - Topeka Capital-Journal
- Keep vegetable garden going with cool-season crops - Seattle Post Intelligencer
| Penstemons will create a grand floral finale for your autumn garden - Daily Mail Posted: 02 Oct 2009 05:03 PM PDT By Monty Don Some plants wait for the very tail-end of summer to put on a stunning display - and penstemons are the most delightful of all, says Monty Don. Although most foliage is looking frayed at the edges and distinctly tired, it always delights me anew how much floral colour is in the garden as we enter October, and how good a mixed border can still look, even though summer is a rapidly receding memory. It is the time of year when all the intense colours take command of the border, with oranges, russets, crimsons, deep purples and splashes of yellow catching the low autumnal sun and reflecting it back, making the garden as rich as a cardinal's processional robe. It is surprising how many of these plants come from America; rudbeckias, Heleniums, Evening Primrose, Lobelia cardinalis, Lysimachia ciliata, sunflowers, dahlias, Michaelmas Daisies - all were introduced from the New World.  Floral finale: Penstemons have wonderful rich plum colours but they also are available in pastel shades that add a freshness and feminine touch to the autumnal garden Against all these strong American flowers there is another from that side of the Atlantic which has a wider range of colour in this season: the penstemon. Penstemons have wonderful rich plum colours but they also are available in pastel shades that add a freshness and feminine touch to the autumnal garden, which is the first thing that ebbs away as summer fades. Most colours can be found in a penstemon although, despite all the 'blue' prefixes in the names of cultivars such as 'Heavenly Blue' or 'Blue Spring', few can truly be described as blue. But there are a number that are, to all intents and purposes, white and many that play around with all the possibilities of pink as it drifts into rosy red or the other way towards lilac and mauve. DID YOU KNOW? Penstemons can be grown from seed in early spring in heated conditions and planted out in early summer, although they are unlikely to come true to the parent plant I confess that the more frilly pink colours that penstemons can produce are not my own favourites and personally I love the plum tones in 'Garnet', 'Blackbird', 'Midnight', or 'Raven', and the purple stems of 'Russian River' or the purple flowers of 'Papal Purple'. There are also some good reds, like 'Flame', 'Red Ace', 'Chester Scarlet', 'Pensham Raspberry Ice' and the species penstemon, P. barbatus 'Coccineus'. Whatever shade of penstemon you fancy, the great thing about them is that they are strong and bright without edging into garishness. This means that they fit in with almost any style of gardening. Penstemons are the sort of plant that, once you have grown one, seems an integral part of the garden without ever being the star. Their appeal is gentle and seductive - an integral thread weaving through the floral tapestry without ever being a soloist. They will produce these lovely flowers from mid-summer right through to the first frosts of November in one uninterrupted wave of colour if you regularly remove spent flower spikes as they start to fade. Be ruthless about this as the more often you cut, the more flowers they will produce. There are as many as 270 species of penstemon, all originating from North America. Dr John Mitchell made the first scientific record of it in 1748 in Virginia, where the native Americans used the root as a cure for toothache. TAKING PENSTEMON CUTTINGS Penstemons do not like our cold, wet winters and often do not make it through to spring. One way to help them is to leave the top growth uncut all winter to provide a layer of protection, which can then be tidied in spring. But by far the best way to keep them going is from cuttings, which are exceptionally easy to take. As a rule, September is the ideal month to take cuttings, although I often do it successfully right to the end of October. These will quickly form roots and then start growing strongly in spring to provide a mature plant ready for the border by late spring. Some plants will provide many more non-flowering shoots than others but be aware that this characteristic will be repeated by the offspring that you propagate, so is not necessarily a virtue. Go for the plants with the flowers you like best and start looking for cutting material from mid-summer onwards. * Non-flowering tip cuttings of about 10-12.5cm (4-5in) long should be taken and trimmed with a sharp knife to just below a leaf node. Gently remove the bottom two leaves and trim the top and side leaves by up to one-third. * Use a well-drained compost. I mix ordinary potting compost with an equal volume of grit. Up to five cuttings can be inserted into a 9cm (3.5in) pot, or modular trays can be used for larger quantities. After rooting they can be left undisturbed over winter or individually potted on. * Rooted cuttings of penstemons need frost-free conditions during winter, but can otherwise be grown with little or no warmth and should be kept as cool as practical, with good ventilation. They belong to the foxglove family (Scrophulariaceae), which includes common garden favourites such as snapdragons, Nemesia and Paulownia, and if you look into a penstemon flower you can see the family resemblance. Most penstemons prefer alkaline soil, although quite a few species will tolerate acidity and P. purpusii prefers it, only tolerating a neutral pH. None needs particularly rich soil and species such as P. hartwegii, P. barbatus and P. pinifolius will thrive in poor soil as long as it is well drained. Growing plants with such gorgeous flowers under a harsh regime can be counter intuitive but it is important to resist the temptation to feed them as this will only encourage lush, sappy growth without any extra flowers and, in consequence, they will be less likely to withstand wind, rain or cold. They are tough plants. If you have heavy soil, then dig in plenty of horticultural grit before planting. If you have poor, chalky soil, penstemons are ideal as they will not only ignore the low fertility but also like the high alkalinity, although as a rule, the quicker the plant begins to grow away after planting, the sooner and more intense the flowering will be, so a bit of encouragement with some compost incorporated into the planting area will only do good. All flower best in an open, sunny position but many will tolerate some shade, and P. oliganthus will even appreciate it. Many have a reputation for not being fully hardy, although the narrower the leaf, the hardier the plant. Also, the wetter the soil is in winter, the less tolerant to cold the plant will be. This is where good drainage is vital. Many of the larger Mexican species and all of the European hybrids are sub-shrubs, and if their top growth does come through winter unscathed, this can be left uncut to create a larger, shrubby plant with a good display of flowers appearing as early as June. Most penstemons are drought resistant but these European hybrids (which derive from the Mexican species) do benefit from irrigation in dry weather. Penstemons are pretty robust but can be bothered by eelworms. The Chrysanthemum eelworm (Aphelenchoides ritzemabosi) is the culprit, and it is also partial to dahlias, verbenas, asters and phlox amongst other plants. Symptoms first appear at the base of the plant with yellow blotching turning to brown and leaves dying and dropping off. Infestation in a young plant will prevent flowering and will kill the plant within a couple of months. Lift any afflicted plants, burn them, and do not replant with penstemons until the following spring. The eelworm will die in bare soil after about three months. Dig the ground deeply before replanting. Share this article: This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Consumers enjoy the Lakeside view but visit Home Depot the most - InternetRetailer.com Posted: 02 Oct 2009 02:12 PM PDT Home goods e-retailer Lakeside.com attracted waves of new shoppers in August. It posted a 136% increase in visitors for the month compared to a year earlier, Nielsen Online reports. However, the Home Depots e-commerce site attracted the most consumers among home and garden online retailers. Nearly 13 million shoppers came to its retail site during the month, up 3% from a year earlier. Here are the top home and garden retail web sites in August, with unique visitors in millions this year and last and the percentage change.
By length of visit, the top home and garden shopping sites in August (hours:minutes:seconds), according to Nielsen Online, were:
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| Nurturing the beneficial bugs in your garden - Contra Costa Times Posted: 02 Oct 2009 02:04 PM PDT     If you cringe when you encounter insects in the garden — or spot their eggs or larvae — it's time to reconsider that reaction. There are many bugs we should learn to love for the great work they do for us. More than 90 percent of garden insects are called "beneficials" because they pollinate plants, improve soil and eat the so-called bad bugs (such as destructive aphids). Here's a guide to recognizing some beneficial bugs in all their life cycles. Ladybugs A favorite predator that most of us recognize in its adult form is the convergent lady beetle (ladybug). Larvae, like the adult form, have insatiable appetites for aphids, so it is important to identify and preserve all of the stages of its life cycle. Lady beetle larvae are blackish with orange spots; they have long legs and elongated bodies that resemble tiny alligators. Eggs are oblong and yellow and are laid in groups on leaves and stems near concentrated populations of aphids. Lacewings Green lacewings prey on a wide variety of insects. Adults have four translucent wings, golden eyes and green bodies, and they feed on honeydew, nectar and pollen. The larvae, which look like tiny alligators, are pale with dark markings. They can consume as many as 1,000 aphids per day. They also attack mealybugs, mites, whiteflies and small caterpillars. Eggs are green when laid and darken before hatching.Syrphid flies Adult syrphid flies feed on nectar and pollen and are often called hover flies because of their pastime of continually hovering above the flowers. With black-and-yellow bands across their abdomen, they are frequently confused with honeybees; however, syrphid flies do not sting. The whitish-to-gray oblong eggs are laid near or within aphid colonies. The maggot-shaped larvae are the most important aphid predators in all types of gardens. Some gory details Most beneficial insects are either predators or parasitoids. Predators attack, kill and feed on many other bugs over the course of their lifetime. Parasitoids live in or on a host bug for part of its life cycle and generally kill the unfortunate victim. More garden friends There are several families of parasitoid wasps. The non-stinging wasps lay their eggs on or in the eggs, larvae, pupae or adults of other insects. The emerging larvae become predators of their host. Parasitic wasps have been used to help control aphids, fruit flies, mealybugs, thrips, codling moths and psyllids in both backyard and commercial orchards. And don't forget about spiders. Because they are extremely capable hunters, some experts consider them to be the most beneficial of all our "creepy-crawlies." Do's and don'ts Do: introduce to your garden the "insectary" plants that will help attract and retain these and many other warriors beneficial to your garden. Good options that provide nectar and pollen are alyssum, buckwheat, California aster, ceanothus, coreopsis, cosmos, dill, Queen Anne's lace, rudbeckia, sunflowers and yarrow. Don't: use pesticides if you can avoid it. Unfortunately, they kill the good bugs along with the bad. If you must use a pesticide, use one formulated for the specific pest you are going after. Many infestations can be controlled by simply using strong blasts of water from your garden hose to knock down the population.Learning more Many beneficial insects are available for purchase. For tips on necessary preparation and successful release, go to www.rinconvitova.com. For more information on beneficial insects and great photographs to help you identify them, go to www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/index.html. Rebecca Jepsen is a Master Gardener.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Making the most of it - Topeka Capital-Journal Posted: 02 Oct 2009 10:04 PM PDT Older homes tend to require a lot of work. Rick and Mary Groyon, for instance, recently finished reclaiming the basement of their College Hill home at 1611 S.W. Jewell. "Our walls were caving in," Mary Groyon said. The original concrete floor was only 1/2 inch thick, so it cracked easily, and water came up from underneath, too. Now they have 4 inches of reinforced concrete under their feet. Along with the laundry room, the basement has a family room, an exercise area, a work bench and with a wall full of tools and a corner set aside for Mary's scrapbooking. Their handiwork will be on display next weekend during the College Hill Historic Homes Tour. Four other houses also will be open, including 1277 S.W. Jewell, where Phil and Kari Herr had a different experience when it came to home improvements. "When we moved in, all we had to do was the fun stuff," Kari Herr said. "The only thing we've done is bought a gallon of paint." Not for the walls - for the furniture. One of the pieces that got the brush was a hutch in the dining room that displays heirloom dishes from Phil Herr's family. Kari Herr prefers a gloss paint, saying it's easier to clean and is more durable for the furniture surfaces. The Herrs have had their home for 25 years. The biggest job was the kitchen, which was a small galley with a collection of small rooms adjacent to it. They removed the walls to create a much more usable space. "We've papered that kitchen four times," Kari Herr said. The most recent revision is the room used by their son, Patrick. The walls are painted a deep tone and decorated with Patrick's photographs. He has had a hand in decorating the yard, too, which is landscaped with all sorts of blooming plants. "Patrick works at Jackson's (Greenhouse), so that helps," Kari Herr said. Back at the Groyons, the exterior is as well-appointed as the interior, with drapes on each side of the front porch and a screened-in cedar deck on the back. Inside, the repairs made to the foundation to dry out the basement caused the walls on the first floor to crack, but the Groyons were able to repair them well enough that they could paint. "The secret is flat paint," Rick Groyon said. "You don't see the flaws." They removed the popcorn ceiling in the dining room but weren't all that pleased with the texturing that replaced it, so they left the other ceilings in the house intact. Removing the popcorn was difficult because it was on sheet rock rather than the original plaster, which is a harder surface and would be easier to scrape without causing damage. "I worked so long with vinegar and water trying to get all that glue off," Mary Groyon said. They also completely remodeled the downstairs bathroom. "I had to have a clawfoot tub," Mary Groyon said. Herr said she had been asked to be on the tour before and has worked as a docent in past years. "It's a fun, fun neighborhood," she said. Besides the annual homes tour, College Hill residents get together each year for a Fourth of July parade, and they have a neighborhood garden club. College Hill also has an ongoing recycling drive that has raised $10,000 over the past 20 years. Funds are used to upgrade Boswell Square Park. Lisa Sandmeyer can be reached at (785) 295-5619 or lisa.sandmeyer@cjonline.com.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Keep vegetable garden going with cool-season crops - Seattle Post Intelligencer Posted: 02 Oct 2009 01:07 PM PDT Planting a vegetable plot and keeping it productive is easy when you start small, keep the basics in mind and plant reliable varieties. It's getting a little late in the year but you may still be able to grow cool-season crops, like spinach, collards, garlic and kale. Use these tips — now or in the spring — to guide you toward a harvest of fresh vegetables that bring you good nutrition and a lower food bill: • Locate it properly. A sunny, well-drained spot close to a water faucet is ideal. Leafy greens tolerate some shade, but other crops want full sun daily. • Grow what you need. Avoid the urge to tear up your entire back yard for a vegetable garden; you may end up with more weeds than vegetables because you don't have the time to maintain it. Instead, consider a 10-by-10-foot garden. In many families, five to six crops is all that's needed. You can always expand next year. • Make it simple. Forget tilling and shoveling soil. The easiest vegetable garden is an above-ground design made with composite lumber-type boards; build the frames to hold soil 12 to 18 inches deep. Once the boards are installed, get a truckload of good topsoil delivered and fill it to the top of the boards. Water and allow soil to settle before planting. Vegetables are easy to harvest and weeding is minimal in this style vegetable gardening. • Amend your soil. Adding organic matter makes gardening so much easier because it improves everything, nutrients, moisture and results. • Grow what you will eat. Crops like mesclun, arugula and radishes give you instant salads for the dinner table. Greens like spinach can be sauteed and used as a pizza or pasta topping. Garlic adds gusto to lots of dishes. • No space for a ground garden? Large pots of compact vegetables easily get you enough for two. • Grow a little for someone else. Contact your local food bank or church to see if you can donate a few extra vegetables for people in need. Try these • Winterbor kale. This nutritious leafy green is a vigorous producer that endures winter easily, even in very cold climates. Cut the outer leaves so that the center continues growing. Space transplants about 12 inches apart
• Georgia collards. Another leafy green similar to kale, collards offer a larger, stronger, sweet cabbage-like flavor. Leaves taste best when young. Space transplants 36 inches apart. • Romaine lettuce. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, romaine is an especially good vegetable for overall health. Space transplants 18 inches apart. • Early Dividend broccoli. Popular, productive and easy to grow, this broccoli is high in fiber and calcium. Set transplants 18 inches apart • Mustard greens. Offering spicy hot leaves, this is a very fast-growing, nutritious vegetable. Mustard greens always taste sweeter when nipped by frost. Space plants 12 inches apart • Cabbage. Cabbage is especially high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, K and fiber. • Arugula. These fast-growing leafy greens are great for salads or gourmet recipes. This peppery-tasting green is a superfood for your bones. The leaves are "nutrient dense" and low in calories. They are especially high in vitamins A, C, and K.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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