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September 6, 2000
Making Time For A Make-Over...
The change in weather has really motivated us.  It's time to think about fall planting.  Kevin and I are making a list of things we want to buy and plant.  Funny, you would think the list would be getting shorter instead of longer.  No such luck here.  Not only is the list getting longer but more expensive.  We are currently shopping for trees (evergreens) and some shrubs.  We have been casually looking but the time has come to get serious.  It is also time for the lawn's fall make-over.  With the assistance of Ryan Lawn & Tree we will thin a shade tree, aerate, verticut and seed.  It makes me look forward to spring.  The lawn will look great and we will be rewarded with perennials making their return to the new garden.

Kevin and I are happy to introduce the Savvygardener.com Buyer's Guide.  The Buyer's Guide will be a place to access information about local nurseries, garden centers, lawn and landscape companies, tree care, irrigation and many others.  We hope you find it useful.  It's just getting started but look for lots of additions to it soon!

I encourage you to visit your local Earl May garden center.  They are receiving fall merchandise daily and everything looks fantastic.  Don't forget about Missouri Organic Recycling!  They offer great selections of soil blends, different varieties of mulch and many other products that will help you out with your fall make-over.

Enjoy this fall-like weather!  We are!

~ Shelly          

Totally Tulips (Part I)...
One of the best ways to keep your spring garden blooming is by planting bulbs that bloom at different times.  The possibilities are endless.  In fact you can plant only tulips if you like and still have staged blooms.  This week we focus on some of the earlier blooming tulips.  Look for these in your favorite catalogs and at local retailers:
  • Single Early Tulips are among the earliest tulips to bloom.  The flowers, available in a wide range of colors, are produced on strong, 10 to 18-inch-long stems.  The flowers of several varieties have a sweet fragrance.  Single early tulips are excellent for rock gardens, beds, and forcing.
  • Double Early Tulips produce semi-double to double, peony-like flowers.  The flowers, measuring up to 4 inches in diameter, are borne on strong, short stems.  The color range of double early tulips is smaller than for most other tulip classes.
  • Greigii Tulips are noted for their brightly-colored flowers and purple striped or mottled foliage.  Plant height varies from 8 to 12 inches.  Because of their short stature, Greigii tulips are excellent choices for borders or rock gardens.
  • Kaufmanniana Tulips are long-lived perennial tulips.  In sunlight, the flowers open fully.  The open flowers resemble a star or water lily.  Flower colors include white, yellow, pink, and intermediary colors.  The foliage is bluish green or chocolate brown striped.  Kaufmanniana tulips are small plants with an average height of 4 to 8 inches.  Their compact size makes them good choices for border edges and rock gardens.
  • Fosteriana Tulips produce some of the largest flowers of the genus.  They also perennialize well.  'Red Emperor' is a widely grown variety in this class.  Fosteriana tulips are sometimes referred to as emperor tulips.
  • Species Tulips include wild species, horticultural varieties, and hybrids.  Most are early blooming, short-statured plants.  Species tulips are available in a wide array of colors.  They perennialize well and are excellent plants for rock and heirloom gardens.

Next week, the "middle" bloomers...

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Shady Characters In the Lawn...
There's nothing quite as relaxing as sitting under a big shade tree with a lush carpet of soft grass beneath.  I wish!  Growing grass under shade trees isn't exactly child's play.  All too often the tree provides so much shade that the grass suffers.  What's a Savvygardener to do?  Here are some tips:
  • Thin the tree canopy by pruning lower branches to a height of 8 feet.  
  • Selective pruning in the upper limbs will also help sunlight filter through without sacrificing too much shade.
  • Avoid excess nitrogen fertilization.  Grasses in shade should receive no more than 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year, preferably in the fall.
  • Mow at 2 1/2 to 3 inches to allow maximum interception of available light.  Mow frequently enough to avoid scalping turf.  Decline of turf in the shade often begins after a single scalping episode.  Ouch!
  • Moisture demand in the shade is half to a third as much as in full sun.  Water only if wilt symptoms appear and then only in the early morning so that the grass has a chance to dry and therefore avoid some diseases.
  • Shaded turf will not recover well from wear.  Try to limit foot traffic.
  • Establish new areas, or renovate old ones, by planting shade mixes that contain 60% to 100% hard or Chewing’s fescue.  Use 4 to 6 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet.  Other acceptable seed mixture components are turf-type tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass.  Avoid shade mixes containing more than 25% perennial ryegrass.

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Happy and Humming...
We've noticed a few hummingbirds loitering around the garden lately.  Aren't they just the most amazing birds?  If you've seen one recently chances are it was a Ruby-Throated hummingbird migrating to Mexico or Central America for the season.  Frankly, I don't blame them.  It does get awfully cold here.  

They will return, as always, next April.  You stand a better chance of attracting them to your garden by planting shrubs that they love.  Try these:

  • Azaleas Rhododendron spp.
  • Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii
  • Flowering Quince Chaenomeles japonica
  • Honeysuckle Lonicera spp.
  • Weigela Weigela spp.

They'll be back before you know it!

 

The Great Divide...
Thank goodness the temperatures have fallen. There's work to be done!  Those perennials that seem to be bursting from their beds need some relief.  If they are done blooming for the year it's time to divide them.

You'll know your plants need to be divided if:

  • They are spreading beyond your desired range for them.
  • The flowers are not producing as well as in the past.
  • The center of the clump of of flowers is dying.
  • The lower areas of foliage are sickly.

For a quick but effective description of the dividing process you can read "Dividing Spring Blooming Perennials" in our Features section. 

 

Extending the Season...
If you haven't planted your fall crops yet you may be rewarded for having waited until now.  The ridiculously high recent temperatures would not have been kind to young plants.  Assuming the worst is behind us you should get your cool season crops in the ground as soon as possible.  Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and lettuce are good choices.  

The savviest of Savvygardeners will make use of a cold frame or hot bed when the temperatures really start to dip.  Want to know more about these season extenders?  We've got a great article just for you.

 

Root Burlap: Friend or Faux?
If you are planting a balled and burlapped (B&B) tree or shrub this fall pay close attention to the material of the "burlap".  Many B&B's are now sold with synthetic burlap that will not decompose in the ground.  If this plastic burlap remains around the roots the plant will become root-bound and and will not grow properly.  Since some of this new material closely resembles traditional cotton burlap you need to be careful.  If you have any doubt at all cut it away from the root ball once it's in place.

 

What's Hot On the Hotline...
Lawns and their condition top the list of Hotline inquiries this week.  After a prolonged period of drought and excessive heat, green lawns are few and far between!  Expert tips are in this week's Hotline...

 

Finally...
"The comfortable and comforting people are those who look upon the bright side of life; gathering its roses and sunshine and making the most that happens seem the best."

- Dorothy Dix - Journalist (1861-1951)

 

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