June
13, 2001
Shop 'Til
You Drop...
I went on a shopping spree a couple of weeks ago at The
Kelly Gallery. On their property Kelly Daniels and her husband Mark
operate The
Barn a barn-like structure that's just filled with terrific
accents for the home and garden. My friend Tracy and I went
together and she was delighted with the selection and even more
so by the prices. Kelly has an eye for "architectural
looking" pieces that are simply beautiful! I could
wander around inside the barn for hours looking and dreaming
about all of the pieces that would look terrific in my home and
garden. If you haven't had a chance to get out there don't
despair! Kelly and Mark are hosting "The Garden's Are
Peaking", a gathering for Savvygardeners, Friday June 22nd
from 6-8 PM. Once again Kevin and I will be present to
enjoy the Daniel's gardens in the light of the early
evening. It's free but they do ask that you RSVP...
Andrea
Neumann, proprietor of The
Sweet Onion just received a shipment of southern cast iron
pieces. The selection includes large trellises made from
old wire beds, southern style cast iron balcony pieces, tables
and chairs. What a find! Make sure you visit the Specials
page of The
Sweet Onion's website this week. Andrea is literally
giving plants away!
I wish it
would rain. Did I say that? After last week I could
have gone forty days and forty nights without seeing another
drop. The heat and wind however are taking a toll on my
plants and my spirit. Make sure you are giving everything a
good soaking until those rain drops reappear.
~
Shelly
Tomato
Temptations...
Anxious tomato lovers (like me) need to resist the temptation
of over-fertilizing our tomatoes too early. You just want them to
grow, grow, grow don't you? Well, it's best to wait until the
first signs of fruit appear before really applying that
fertilizer. This will help ensure a stronger more productive
tomato plant.
Dividing
Daylilies...
One of the reasons we love daylilies is their fuss-free
nature. Generally they don't need to
be divided as often as many other perennials. However if you
want to increase the number of your favorite cultivars you may want to
divide them once in a while. Savvygardeners should be able to get four new plants from a healthy, 4-year
old daylily. Divide them immediately after flowering, and
replant them right away.
Boil,
Boil, Weeds In Trouble...
If you can't stand the idea of using chemical herbicides to
rid your driveway and sidewalk of weeds and grass try some
boiling water. Pour it directly on any plants you wish to
eradicate. Please note that this alternative to chemicals
is not exactly without its own risks. Hot water is dangerous
in its own right and must be handled carefully. Make sure
you don't spill any on the plants you want keep either!
Turf Tips by
Chris Karcher...
This week Chris introduces Savvygardeners to Grasscycling -
the practice of leaving clippings on the lawn after it's
mowed. This is an easy and effective way to maintain a
healthy lawn. It recycles any fertilizer that was taken up
by the lawn, as well as saves you the time and effort required to
bag and dispose of the clippings, thus removing the undue burden
placed on the landfills. Chris debunks the myths and gives
you the facts about grasscycling in this month's Turf
Tips.
Is That
A Volcano In Your Garden?
When mulching try to avoid creating "mulch
volcanoes" at the base of your trees. It is quite
common to see trees mulched in this manner - a ring of mulch that
gets progressively deeper as it approaches the trunk. While
this is better than no mulch at all, Chris Starbuck at University
of Missouri Extension advises us that there are some real
problems to consider:
- When mulch is placed more
than about 4 inches deep, roots tend to "migrate" up
into the mulch during rainy periods or when the area is
irrigated. Then, when drought conditions occur, the
plant may come under severe stress because many of its roots
are growing in a material with much less water holding
capacity than real soil.
- The surfaces of the mulch
volcanoes can become hydrophobic due to fungal activity and
will act as very effective umbrellas, shedding water to the
surrounding turf. This could easily kill a young tree by
depriving it of much needed water.
- Other possible problems
with mulch volcanoes are promotion of fungal canker diseases by
constant moisture around the lower trunk, stress from poor gas
exchange by the cells in the bark and damage from rodents that
may make take up residence in the volcano.
Source
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gardening friends deserve Savvygardener.com!
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What's
Hot On The Hotline...
Rain and its effects on lawns and gardens made the top of the
topics this week. We certainly have had more than our share
over the last month or so. Find out what the implications
are for your yard and garden in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Dialed
In...
Are you using a sundial as a garden ornament? Well,
don't just use it as a pretty decoration. Set it up to tell
time also! This Friday, June 15 is the magical date on
which sundials should be set. Simply place it so the shadow
falls on the twelve o'clock position at exactly noon. If
Friday is out of the question you can wait until Noon Saturday
and accept a little error.
Finally... "On
this June day the buds in my garden are almost as enchanting as
the open flowers. Things in bud bring, in the heat of a
June noontide, the recollection of the loveliest days of the year
- those days of May when all is suggested, nothing yet fulfilled." ~
Francis King |