Monday, May 7, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Time to Plant
THINGS TO DO:
Plant. Now that it looks as though danger of frost has passed, at least for us in Silver City, it is time to plant everything. The 10-day weather forecast is predicting nighttime temperatures in the upper 40's to low 50's which is perfect tomato weather. We are packed full with weekly deliveries of bedding plants including annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, herbs and vegetables. The nursery also just received a truckload of fruit & shade trees and our beautiful Weeks roses. We have a good variety of trees that do really well in our area and of course we are having our annual ROSE SALE! ALL ROSES ARE 10% OFF THROUGH MOTHER'S DAY! There are several new varieties like the red with yellow reverse 'Ketchup & Mustard', pure white 'Sugar Moon' and 'Julia Child' with, you guessed it, butter yellow blooms.
Keep it simple. With the internet and gardening books come way too much information on building soil. As I have written in the past we believe in keeping all things gardening simple. Whether you are talking about fertilizing, insect control or building your soil the less complicated the better. So if you are planting something in the ground simply mix 1/3 to 1/2 Back to Earth Compost or your homemade compost to your native soil. This goes for a tree, a vegetable garden or a perennial bed. If you are planting in pots use Uni-Gro Potting Soil. It is a complete soil that should be used without the addition of anything. You should never mix potting soil into the native soil as it often contains peat moss which tends to compact our soil not to mention it is about twice the price of compost. So there it is: Ground = Back to Earth Compost, Pots = Uni-Gro Potting Soil. No lasagna, no 5 kinds of compost just 2 simple products.
Thanks. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed to our blog. The winners of our giveaway have been notified and I am sorry if it wasn't you but you will receive some good gardening tips for our area and get the inside scoop on all of our new arrivals and sales.
PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Erysimum. The Wallflower is a great perennial for the high desert. Not only is it drought tolerant, evergreen and deer resistant but it blooms profusely all summer long. We are growing 'Fragrant Star' this year and it will form an 18" by 24" mound of cream and green variegated foliage. The mauve buds open to fragrant yellow 1 " flowers. It is a zone 7 plant or hardy to 0 degrees. We also carry the very popular 'Bowles Mauve'. This perennial has all the favorable traits of a Wallflower but with gray-green foliage and mauve blooms on a plant that reaches 2' by 2'. It is slightly more cold hardy than the 'Fragrant Star' at a zone 6 or -10.
Plant. Now that it looks as though danger of frost has passed, at least for us in Silver City, it is time to plant everything. The 10-day weather forecast is predicting nighttime temperatures in the upper 40's to low 50's which is perfect tomato weather. We are packed full with weekly deliveries of bedding plants including annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, herbs and vegetables. The nursery also just received a truckload of fruit & shade trees and our beautiful Weeks roses. We have a good variety of trees that do really well in our area and of course we are having our annual ROSE SALE! ALL ROSES ARE 10% OFF THROUGH MOTHER'S DAY! There are several new varieties like the red with yellow reverse 'Ketchup & Mustard', pure white 'Sugar Moon' and 'Julia Child' with, you guessed it, butter yellow blooms.
Keep it simple. With the internet and gardening books come way too much information on building soil. As I have written in the past we believe in keeping all things gardening simple. Whether you are talking about fertilizing, insect control or building your soil the less complicated the better. So if you are planting something in the ground simply mix 1/3 to 1/2 Back to Earth Compost or your homemade compost to your native soil. This goes for a tree, a vegetable garden or a perennial bed. If you are planting in pots use Uni-Gro Potting Soil. It is a complete soil that should be used without the addition of anything. You should never mix potting soil into the native soil as it often contains peat moss which tends to compact our soil not to mention it is about twice the price of compost. So there it is: Ground = Back to Earth Compost, Pots = Uni-Gro Potting Soil. No lasagna, no 5 kinds of compost just 2 simple products.
Thanks. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed to our blog. The winners of our giveaway have been notified and I am sorry if it wasn't you but you will receive some good gardening tips for our area and get the inside scoop on all of our new arrivals and sales.
PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Erysimum. The Wallflower is a great perennial for the high desert. Not only is it drought tolerant, evergreen and deer resistant but it blooms profusely all summer long. We are growing 'Fragrant Star' this year and it will form an 18" by 24" mound of cream and green variegated foliage. The mauve buds open to fragrant yellow 1 " flowers. It is a zone 7 plant or hardy to 0 degrees. We also carry the very popular 'Bowles Mauve'. This perennial has all the favorable traits of a Wallflower but with gray-green foliage and mauve blooms on a plant that reaches 2' by 2'. It is slightly more cold hardy than the 'Fragrant Star' at a zone 6 or -10.
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| Erysimum 'Fragrant Star' |
Sunday, April 1, 2012
April 2012
THINGS TO DO:
Attract Hummingbirds to your yard. Hummingbirds are colorful, fun to watch and help control the insect population. One of the easiest ways to attract these tiny creatures to your yard is to plant flowering trees, perennials and shrubs as a food source for them. Hummingbirds love long, tubular or bell-shaped flowers. The best trees with this kind of flower are Redbud (Cercis), Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) and Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) which is also very drought tolerant. Shrubs include Abelia, Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles), Cotoneaster, Hibiscus, Lavender (Lavandula), Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Currant (Ribes), Rosemary (Rosmarinus), Elderberry (Sambucus) and Lilac (Syringa). Plant them near a patio or other sitting area for a close up view. Favorite vines are Trumpet Vine (Campsis) and Honeysuckle (Lonicera). Inviting, colorful perennials would be Agastache, Hollyhock (Alcea), Columbine (Aquilegia), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias), Delphinium, Foxglove (Digitalis), Gladiola, Coral Bells (Heuchera), Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia), Lobelia, Lupine (Lupinus), Bee Balm (Monarda), Geranium (Pelargonium), Penstemon, Sage (Salvia) and Veronica. Plant any of these in your landscape, water when needed and sit back and watch the show this summer.
Plant cool season veggies. Since our average last frost date is May 1st it is a little early yet to plant tomatoes, peppers, squash and other warm season vegetables without protection but it is just the right time to plant broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and all of the cool season vegetables. We have a lot of these vegetables in plants and seeds now. If you haven't already done so improve your vegetable garden with Back to Earth Compost, Composted Manure and Bone Meal before you plant and fertilize regularly with Fox Farm granular or liquid fertilizers.
Mulch, mulch, mulch. I write about mulching quite often because it is so important. Mulching conserves moisture which is very important with our spring winds kicking up. It also helps maintain an even soil temperature. Your plants roots will really appreciate this when it is 80 degrees one day and down to 25 two nights later. Applying a 6-8" layer of mulch around your fruit trees is the only real way to keep the soil temperature cool and slow down (notice I didn't say prevent) premature flowering in spring. So just do it! Mulch everything, all of the time and your plants will thank you for it.
PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Salvia nemorosa 'May Night'. Salvia is the largest genus of the mint family, is often referred to as sage and contains 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials and annuals. All have tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies and are resistant to deer and rabbits. 'May Night' falls into the herbaceous perennial category and has rough, lance-shaped 4" leaves that form a low rosette up to a foot wide. Its long, dense flower spikes bloom violet-purple in early summer and will continue if kept deadheaded. This plant will reach 18" tall and should be spaced 18-24" apart since they do tend to spread. It would do well planted in a container, in a perennial bed or along a walkway and would make a good companion of the yellow flowered Coreopsis and Paprika or Moonshine Yarrow. This perennial is drought tolerant once established and very cold hardy to minus 30.
Attract Hummingbirds to your yard. Hummingbirds are colorful, fun to watch and help control the insect population. One of the easiest ways to attract these tiny creatures to your yard is to plant flowering trees, perennials and shrubs as a food source for them. Hummingbirds love long, tubular or bell-shaped flowers. The best trees with this kind of flower are Redbud (Cercis), Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) and Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) which is also very drought tolerant. Shrubs include Abelia, Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles), Cotoneaster, Hibiscus, Lavender (Lavandula), Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Currant (Ribes), Rosemary (Rosmarinus), Elderberry (Sambucus) and Lilac (Syringa). Plant them near a patio or other sitting area for a close up view. Favorite vines are Trumpet Vine (Campsis) and Honeysuckle (Lonicera). Inviting, colorful perennials would be Agastache, Hollyhock (Alcea), Columbine (Aquilegia), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias), Delphinium, Foxglove (Digitalis), Gladiola, Coral Bells (Heuchera), Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia), Lobelia, Lupine (Lupinus), Bee Balm (Monarda), Geranium (Pelargonium), Penstemon, Sage (Salvia) and Veronica. Plant any of these in your landscape, water when needed and sit back and watch the show this summer.
Plant cool season veggies. Since our average last frost date is May 1st it is a little early yet to plant tomatoes, peppers, squash and other warm season vegetables without protection but it is just the right time to plant broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and all of the cool season vegetables. We have a lot of these vegetables in plants and seeds now. If you haven't already done so improve your vegetable garden with Back to Earth Compost, Composted Manure and Bone Meal before you plant and fertilize regularly with Fox Farm granular or liquid fertilizers.
Mulch, mulch, mulch. I write about mulching quite often because it is so important. Mulching conserves moisture which is very important with our spring winds kicking up. It also helps maintain an even soil temperature. Your plants roots will really appreciate this when it is 80 degrees one day and down to 25 two nights later. Applying a 6-8" layer of mulch around your fruit trees is the only real way to keep the soil temperature cool and slow down (notice I didn't say prevent) premature flowering in spring. So just do it! Mulch everything, all of the time and your plants will thank you for it.
PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Salvia nemorosa 'May Night'. Salvia is the largest genus of the mint family, is often referred to as sage and contains 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials and annuals. All have tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies and are resistant to deer and rabbits. 'May Night' falls into the herbaceous perennial category and has rough, lance-shaped 4" leaves that form a low rosette up to a foot wide. Its long, dense flower spikes bloom violet-purple in early summer and will continue if kept deadheaded. This plant will reach 18" tall and should be spaced 18-24" apart since they do tend to spread. It would do well planted in a container, in a perennial bed or along a walkway and would make a good companion of the yellow flowered Coreopsis and Paprika or Moonshine Yarrow. This perennial is drought tolerant once established and very cold hardy to minus 30.
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| Not a very good photo of Salvia nemorosa 'May Night' |
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Givewawy, New Space, Fox Farm and Opening!
GIVEAWAY! We are giving away a $25.00 gift certificate and a Fox Farm gift bag to 2 lucky subscribers. All you have to do is subscribe to our blog before May 1st, 2012 and you will automatically be entered to win. Those of you who have already subscribed will also be entered. Just go to the 'subscribe via email' box at the right, enter your email address and hit 'Subscribe'. You will receive an email confirmation from FeedBurner that you have to reply to in order to activate your subscription. So keep an eye out for that email, it may end up in your spam. That's all you have to do and you will not be bothered by any other emails, just when we post something new. This is a great way to find out about new arrivals, any sales we are having and get good basic gardening advice for the high desert. Besides YOU COULD WIN!!! The random drawing will take place May 1st, 2012 and you will be notified by email if you are the lucky winner.
NEW SPACE! In case you haven't heard we have expanded into the warehouse (affectionately referred to as the 'Sow's Ear') behind Aunt Judy's Attic that was once occupied by the Furniture Gallery warehouse. When it became available we jumped at the chance to supply our customers with the products you have been asking for. So here is a short list of some of the new items:
OPENING! We are open for the 2012 season and packed full of plants. We have trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and vegetables all grown right here in New Mexico. We are located at 1950 Hwy. 180 E., behind Aunt Judy's Attic in Silver City, NM and are open Tuesday- Saturday, 9-5. So come in and take a look at all of our inventory.
NEW SPACE! In case you haven't heard we have expanded into the warehouse (affectionately referred to as the 'Sow's Ear') behind Aunt Judy's Attic that was once occupied by the Furniture Gallery warehouse. When it became available we jumped at the chance to supply our customers with the products you have been asking for. So here is a short list of some of the new items:
- Redwood Trellises
- Rain Barrels
- More Pottery
- Garden Benches
- Oak Wine Barrels
- Plastic Pots
- Professional Grade Weed Barrier and Shade Cloth by the foot
- Yard & Wall Art from Jan Weisling's Pinos Altos Orchards & Gift Shop
- Much, Much More
OPENING! We are open for the 2012 season and packed full of plants. We have trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and vegetables all grown right here in New Mexico. We are located at 1950 Hwy. 180 E., behind Aunt Judy's Attic in Silver City, NM and are open Tuesday- Saturday, 9-5. So come in and take a look at all of our inventory.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
March 2012
THINGS TO DO:
Go to the Silver City Farmers' Market Home & Garden Expo. This is the second year for this event and it promises to be bigger and better than last year. Here is the link with all the information http://silvercityfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/2012/02/upcoming-events-march-3-scfm-annual.html. It is a great way to gather gardening ideas and support our local Farmers' Market at the same time.
Control insects on houseplants. If you have houseplants that you move indoors in the winter and outside to a shady spot in the summer I am sure you have noticed how insects seem to flourish indoors. Most insects love the warm, dry, still environment of a house. Be it a greenhouse or your house. Houseplants can be affected by a wide range of insects. Keeping them healthy by not overfertilizing or overwatering is one of the keys to preventing problems. Check them frequently for pests and you will be able to stop a problem before it gets out of hand. Be sure to check the undersides of the leaves and the leaf crotches since this is where trouble usually starts. Aphids are small tear-drop shaped sucking insects that can be green, black, reddish, yellow, wooly and cluster on the new growth. The leaves will look distorted. Wash aphids off with water or use Safer's Insecticidal Soap which will dry them up and kill them. Scale are also sucking insects. They gather on the leaves and branches and can be recognized by their hard, brown covering. This covering is waxy in nature and protects the insect inside which makes them hard to control with contact-kill insecticides. Your best form of attack is Horticultural Oil which will coat and smother them. Spider mites are another nasty sucker. They are microscopic and the first signs are dull, stippled leaves, webbing and the plants may be stunted. Misting your plants or spaying them with water in a kitchen sink or shower will help deter them since they prefer warm, dry conditions. Safer's Insecticidal Soap or Horticultural Oil are the best sprays for control. Mealybugs are of recognizable size but hard to detect because they cluster on leaf stems, branch crotches and roots. They have round, white, fuzzy looking bodies and can eventually kill a plant. For small infestations rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab will take care of it. For larger problems use Horticultural Oil. Whiteflies look just like their name implies. They are tiny, winged white insects that flutter above the plant when disturbed. They attach themselves to the undersides of the leaves and are one of the most difficult insects to eradicate. Be persistent. Alternating Horticultural Oil and Safer's Insecticidal Soap every other week is effective. Increase air circulation and wash leaves off with water. A homemade spray of 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap, 1 cup cooking oil, 1 cup rubbing alcohol and 1 quart of water can be used every 10 days. Don't forget the undersides of the leaves. All of these sucking insects excrete a shiny substance called honeydew. It is often the first sign of a problem and left unchecked can encourage the growth of Sooty Mold. This looks like soot covering the leaves and is more unattractive than it is dangerous. First control the insects that are creating the honeydew and then wash the sooty mold off with a damp cloth. Fungus Gnats are very active when conditions are moist and/or humid. They look like tiny flies and lay their eggs on top of the wet soil. They are more annoying than damaging. Most importantly let the surface of the soil dry out between waterings. Yellow Sticky Traps will catch the adults and Diatomaceous Earth will kill the eggs.
One more word of advice (I make mistakes so you don't have to); although a feather duster is a good way to clean your plants it is also a good vehicle for your pests to hitch a ride on. Always follow label directions when using any of these insecticides as some plants may be sensitive to certain oils and soaps. If it is possible when all danger of frost has passed, move your plants to a bright shady or part shade location away from of strong winds. This will allow natural predators to intervene.
PLANT OF TE MONTH:
Juniperus species (the dreaded Juniper). I was in the grocery store the other day talking to a long time customer and she was suffering terribly from allergies, specifically Juniper. There are many people here who have a sensitivity to this pollen. I have several friends who even plan their vacations around this season. Anyway this customer said that she couldn't understand why her fruit trees and flowers almost always succumb to frost but the Junipers never do. She thought that someone should hybridize the juniper so it would freeze. So anyone out there that can come up with an apricot-juniper cross, we'll be the first to buy stock!
Juniper plants range from ground covers to large trees and are either male or female or both. The males are the messy ones (huh) that produce all that pollen. The females are the ones you see with berries and no pollen. So if you are in the market for a juniper look for ones with berries since they will either be female and pollen free or male & female and therefore produce very little pollen. Unfortunately the juniper trees that cause most of the problems in our area are the native varieties One-Seed Juniper (Juniperus monosperma) and Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scpulorum) which is the source of many female cultivars. Two of these female varieties are 'Blue Haven' which will reach 20' tall and 10' wide and 'Skyrocket' that is columnar at 15' by 4'. Both are silvery blue, cold hardy and drought tolerant. We are growing two other Junipers this year. One is 'Sea Green' (Juniperus x pfitzeriana). It is fountain shaped, dark green and will reach 4' tall by 6' wide. The other is 'Blue Rug' (Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'). A very low grower, only 1-3" tall and 6-10' wide with steely blue foliage that turns purple in the winter. This Juniper is useful to stabilize embankments or in a rock garden. So there are ways to plant these diverse evergreens in your landscape without adding to the pollen count. Choose the right varieties or start studying plant genetics.
Go to the Silver City Farmers' Market Home & Garden Expo. This is the second year for this event and it promises to be bigger and better than last year. Here is the link with all the information http://silvercityfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/2012/02/upcoming-events-march-3-scfm-annual.html. It is a great way to gather gardening ideas and support our local Farmers' Market at the same time.
Control insects on houseplants. If you have houseplants that you move indoors in the winter and outside to a shady spot in the summer I am sure you have noticed how insects seem to flourish indoors. Most insects love the warm, dry, still environment of a house. Be it a greenhouse or your house. Houseplants can be affected by a wide range of insects. Keeping them healthy by not overfertilizing or overwatering is one of the keys to preventing problems. Check them frequently for pests and you will be able to stop a problem before it gets out of hand. Be sure to check the undersides of the leaves and the leaf crotches since this is where trouble usually starts. Aphids are small tear-drop shaped sucking insects that can be green, black, reddish, yellow, wooly and cluster on the new growth. The leaves will look distorted. Wash aphids off with water or use Safer's Insecticidal Soap which will dry them up and kill them. Scale are also sucking insects. They gather on the leaves and branches and can be recognized by their hard, brown covering. This covering is waxy in nature and protects the insect inside which makes them hard to control with contact-kill insecticides. Your best form of attack is Horticultural Oil which will coat and smother them. Spider mites are another nasty sucker. They are microscopic and the first signs are dull, stippled leaves, webbing and the plants may be stunted. Misting your plants or spaying them with water in a kitchen sink or shower will help deter them since they prefer warm, dry conditions. Safer's Insecticidal Soap or Horticultural Oil are the best sprays for control. Mealybugs are of recognizable size but hard to detect because they cluster on leaf stems, branch crotches and roots. They have round, white, fuzzy looking bodies and can eventually kill a plant. For small infestations rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab will take care of it. For larger problems use Horticultural Oil. Whiteflies look just like their name implies. They are tiny, winged white insects that flutter above the plant when disturbed. They attach themselves to the undersides of the leaves and are one of the most difficult insects to eradicate. Be persistent. Alternating Horticultural Oil and Safer's Insecticidal Soap every other week is effective. Increase air circulation and wash leaves off with water. A homemade spray of 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap, 1 cup cooking oil, 1 cup rubbing alcohol and 1 quart of water can be used every 10 days. Don't forget the undersides of the leaves. All of these sucking insects excrete a shiny substance called honeydew. It is often the first sign of a problem and left unchecked can encourage the growth of Sooty Mold. This looks like soot covering the leaves and is more unattractive than it is dangerous. First control the insects that are creating the honeydew and then wash the sooty mold off with a damp cloth. Fungus Gnats are very active when conditions are moist and/or humid. They look like tiny flies and lay their eggs on top of the wet soil. They are more annoying than damaging. Most importantly let the surface of the soil dry out between waterings. Yellow Sticky Traps will catch the adults and Diatomaceous Earth will kill the eggs.
One more word of advice (I make mistakes so you don't have to); although a feather duster is a good way to clean your plants it is also a good vehicle for your pests to hitch a ride on. Always follow label directions when using any of these insecticides as some plants may be sensitive to certain oils and soaps. If it is possible when all danger of frost has passed, move your plants to a bright shady or part shade location away from of strong winds. This will allow natural predators to intervene.
PLANT OF TE MONTH:
Juniperus species (the dreaded Juniper). I was in the grocery store the other day talking to a long time customer and she was suffering terribly from allergies, specifically Juniper. There are many people here who have a sensitivity to this pollen. I have several friends who even plan their vacations around this season. Anyway this customer said that she couldn't understand why her fruit trees and flowers almost always succumb to frost but the Junipers never do. She thought that someone should hybridize the juniper so it would freeze. So anyone out there that can come up with an apricot-juniper cross, we'll be the first to buy stock!
Juniper plants range from ground covers to large trees and are either male or female or both. The males are the messy ones (huh) that produce all that pollen. The females are the ones you see with berries and no pollen. So if you are in the market for a juniper look for ones with berries since they will either be female and pollen free or male & female and therefore produce very little pollen. Unfortunately the juniper trees that cause most of the problems in our area are the native varieties One-Seed Juniper (Juniperus monosperma) and Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scpulorum) which is the source of many female cultivars. Two of these female varieties are 'Blue Haven' which will reach 20' tall and 10' wide and 'Skyrocket' that is columnar at 15' by 4'. Both are silvery blue, cold hardy and drought tolerant. We are growing two other Junipers this year. One is 'Sea Green' (Juniperus x pfitzeriana). It is fountain shaped, dark green and will reach 4' tall by 6' wide. The other is 'Blue Rug' (Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'). A very low grower, only 1-3" tall and 6-10' wide with steely blue foliage that turns purple in the winter. This Juniper is useful to stabilize embankments or in a rock garden. So there are ways to plant these diverse evergreens in your landscape without adding to the pollen count. Choose the right varieties or start studying plant genetics.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February 2012
THINGS TO DO:
Prune or Cut-Back Perennials. I have written previously about pruning trees, shrubs, vines and roses but February is the month to think about your perennials. Leaving them until now provides you with winter interest and provides overwintering birds with seed. Once you see some new growth coming from the base you know it is time to get started. Herbaceous perennials, those that die back in the winter, should be taken all the way to the ground and any dead or damaged leaves removed from the crown. The mulch that has been protecting them can be left until they start to grow more vigorously. If any of these perennials are overgrown and did not bloom well during their previous flowering season they may need to be divided. See "Divide Perennials" from March 2011. If you live in a colder area you will want to wait until the end of the month to do this.
Plan your vegetable garden. This is a good time to plan your spring/summer vegetable garden. If you will be planting cool season vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage you will want to start them indoors from seed now so that you can plant them out in mid to late March. Seed any warm season vegetables by the 1st of March for a May 1st planting. If you don't have the space, time, energy or inclination to start seeds indoors we will have vegetable plants when we open on March 27th as well as our 2012 Lake Valley and Pagano seeds. Think about mixing your vegetables with some herbs and flowers that will attract beneficial insects. We have a list of when to plant what and all of the amendments you need to get your garden off to a good start.
PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Buddleia davidii. Almost everyone loves the Butterfly Bush. A fast growing, low water, deciduous shrub with spike-like clusters of flowers summer through frost that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. What's not to like? It makes a quick screen or informal hedge and can be used as an anchor in a perennial bed or as an accent. The varieties include 'Black Knight' that has dark purple flowers and can reach 8' tall, 'Pink Delight' with light pink blooms and a shorter 6' height, 'Royal Red' also topping out at 6' with purple-red flowers and 'White Profusion' with, you guessed it, white blooms. There are also two relatively new varieties that we are growing. One is a Proven Winners cultivar called Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip'. It has the same fragrance and floriferous quality of its brothers but only reaches 2-2 1/2' tall and 2' wide and bears purple-blue flowers. The other is 'White Ball' which is also a dwarf growing to 3' by 3'. It has small white flowers and a compact rounded form. The petite size of these shrubs makes them perfect for containers, as a ground cover or in a small patio where a larger variety would be too overpowering. All of the Buddleia davidii Butterfly Bushes are cold hardy to USDA zone 5 or 20 degrees below zero. Since they bloom on new wood they should be pruned in the same way as Lilac and Forsythia in that you will remove 1/3 of the oldest woodiest growth to the ground each winter.
Prune or Cut-Back Perennials. I have written previously about pruning trees, shrubs, vines and roses but February is the month to think about your perennials. Leaving them until now provides you with winter interest and provides overwintering birds with seed. Once you see some new growth coming from the base you know it is time to get started. Herbaceous perennials, those that die back in the winter, should be taken all the way to the ground and any dead or damaged leaves removed from the crown. The mulch that has been protecting them can be left until they start to grow more vigorously. If any of these perennials are overgrown and did not bloom well during their previous flowering season they may need to be divided. See "Divide Perennials" from March 2011. If you live in a colder area you will want to wait until the end of the month to do this.
Plan your vegetable garden. This is a good time to plan your spring/summer vegetable garden. If you will be planting cool season vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage you will want to start them indoors from seed now so that you can plant them out in mid to late March. Seed any warm season vegetables by the 1st of March for a May 1st planting. If you don't have the space, time, energy or inclination to start seeds indoors we will have vegetable plants when we open on March 27th as well as our 2012 Lake Valley and Pagano seeds. Think about mixing your vegetables with some herbs and flowers that will attract beneficial insects. We have a list of when to plant what and all of the amendments you need to get your garden off to a good start.
PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Buddleia davidii. Almost everyone loves the Butterfly Bush. A fast growing, low water, deciduous shrub with spike-like clusters of flowers summer through frost that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. What's not to like? It makes a quick screen or informal hedge and can be used as an anchor in a perennial bed or as an accent. The varieties include 'Black Knight' that has dark purple flowers and can reach 8' tall, 'Pink Delight' with light pink blooms and a shorter 6' height, 'Royal Red' also topping out at 6' with purple-red flowers and 'White Profusion' with, you guessed it, white blooms. There are also two relatively new varieties that we are growing. One is a Proven Winners cultivar called Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip'. It has the same fragrance and floriferous quality of its brothers but only reaches 2-2 1/2' tall and 2' wide and bears purple-blue flowers. The other is 'White Ball' which is also a dwarf growing to 3' by 3'. It has small white flowers and a compact rounded form. The petite size of these shrubs makes them perfect for containers, as a ground cover or in a small patio where a larger variety would be too overpowering. All of the Buddleia davidii Butterfly Bushes are cold hardy to USDA zone 5 or 20 degrees below zero. Since they bloom on new wood they should be pruned in the same way as Lilac and Forsythia in that you will remove 1/3 of the oldest woodiest growth to the ground each winter.
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| Proven Winners, Buddleia Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip' |
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy 2012!
THINGS TO DO:
The main job for January is pruning. Here is the link that covers it pretty well from February 2011 "Pruning". Remember that you do not necessarily prune every tree or shrub every year. Look at them objectively and decide which ones need corrective pruning and which ones don't.
Apply dormant spray. If you have had problems in the past with insects and diseases on your fruit and shade trees, shrubs or perennials now is the time to manage them with dormant spray. An application of horticultural oil will smother overwintering aphids of all kinds, scale, mealy bugs, whiteflies and spider mites as well as their eggs. It is also effective against the larvae of coddling moths which is the common apple worm. Lime sulphur spray will control powdery mildew, peach leaf curl, apple scab and twig borers. A copper fungicide can be used to keep leaf spot, peach leaf curl and shot hole fungus in check. Be sure to spray the entire plant including branch crotches where insects like to lay their eggs. Clean up any debris out to the drip line and spray the soil as well. Always follow label directions carefully on all of these products and choose a warm, calm day for best results.
Think about a community garden in your neighborhood. A friend of mine recently gave me a subscription to Organic Gardening. I hadn't read one in a while and had forgotten what a wonderfully informative magazine it is. To my surprise there is an article in this month's issue about our own Grant County and the great work that is being done here by The Volunteer Center of Grant County. The article is called "The Tale of Two Food Deserts". It is worth a look and should inspire everyone to do what they can to fill the hunger gap in our community. Whether it is starting a community garden where people donate time for produce, growing your own backyard garden and giving the surplus to the Food Pantry, supplying transportation for people in outlying areas to come and shop at their Farmers' Market or any other way you can think of to make healthy, nutritious food accessible to everyone in Grant County.
PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion'. We chose this variety of Beautyberry for its abundant violet fruit that lasts into winter making it a wild bird favorite. It is a graceful, moderate growing, deciduous shrub that will mature at 6 feet tall and wide. The arching branches are covered with small, tight clusters of lilac flowers in spring and the willow-like leaves are bronze-purple when new, mature to dark green and turn orange to purple in fall. It is cold hardy to USDA 5 or 20 degrees below zero and uses a moderate amount of water. Plant it as a foundation shrub or informal hedge.
The main job for January is pruning. Here is the link that covers it pretty well from February 2011 "Pruning". Remember that you do not necessarily prune every tree or shrub every year. Look at them objectively and decide which ones need corrective pruning and which ones don't.
Apply dormant spray. If you have had problems in the past with insects and diseases on your fruit and shade trees, shrubs or perennials now is the time to manage them with dormant spray. An application of horticultural oil will smother overwintering aphids of all kinds, scale, mealy bugs, whiteflies and spider mites as well as their eggs. It is also effective against the larvae of coddling moths which is the common apple worm. Lime sulphur spray will control powdery mildew, peach leaf curl, apple scab and twig borers. A copper fungicide can be used to keep leaf spot, peach leaf curl and shot hole fungus in check. Be sure to spray the entire plant including branch crotches where insects like to lay their eggs. Clean up any debris out to the drip line and spray the soil as well. Always follow label directions carefully on all of these products and choose a warm, calm day for best results.
Think about a community garden in your neighborhood. A friend of mine recently gave me a subscription to Organic Gardening. I hadn't read one in a while and had forgotten what a wonderfully informative magazine it is. To my surprise there is an article in this month's issue about our own Grant County and the great work that is being done here by The Volunteer Center of Grant County. The article is called "The Tale of Two Food Deserts". It is worth a look and should inspire everyone to do what they can to fill the hunger gap in our community. Whether it is starting a community garden where people donate time for produce, growing your own backyard garden and giving the surplus to the Food Pantry, supplying transportation for people in outlying areas to come and shop at their Farmers' Market or any other way you can think of to make healthy, nutritious food accessible to everyone in Grant County.
PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion'. We chose this variety of Beautyberry for its abundant violet fruit that lasts into winter making it a wild bird favorite. It is a graceful, moderate growing, deciduous shrub that will mature at 6 feet tall and wide. The arching branches are covered with small, tight clusters of lilac flowers in spring and the willow-like leaves are bronze-purple when new, mature to dark green and turn orange to purple in fall. It is cold hardy to USDA 5 or 20 degrees below zero and uses a moderate amount of water. Plant it as a foundation shrub or informal hedge.
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| Callicarpa bodinieri 'Profusion' |
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