August
22, 2001
Puppy
Love...
I just had to have a puppy. So instead of just three
kids, a garden, a house and three cats I now have added a puppy
to the already chaotic life I lead. Bear with me while I
throw myself my very own pity party. The boys and I were
out walking Sam Parker on Tuesday morning and it was like a three-ring circus. The boys of course had to ride their big-wheel
bikes. That would not normally be such a problem but Jake
seems to make it half way up the block and then needs me to
either carry him or the bike. Now keep in mind that I have
Sam Parker on a leash and in the other hand I am carrying the
handy dandy poop picker-upper (nothing too fancy in our
house, just a plastic bag and sand shovel.) So we head out
for our big walk around the block. Once out of the driveway
the dog from down the street (whose name happens to be Elvis)
shows up and decides that he is going on the walk with us.
Elvis is a very large black Labrador with a mind of his own and
his owners find it very difficult to keep an eye on him.
Well I must say that Sam Parker was absolutely delighted that
Elvis wanted to join us. Of course they were busy doing the
dog thing and it was very difficult to keep Sam Parker out from
under foot of Elvis. I kept telling Elvis to go home but he
listens sort of like my kids. You know, they look at you
like they're listening and then they do whatever they want.
After resigning to the fact that Elvis would be a member of our
caravan we continued at a very slow pace. This is where is
gets really good. Heading around the corner, Sam Parker
discovers a baby squirrel on the ground. As you know I am not a
squirrel lover but he was really cute and my great fear was that Sam Parker
would have this baby squirrel for lunch! I am
sure you are following this scene now because once Sam Parker
spied this squirrel so did Elvis. Here I am, this grown
woman being pulled along by a little beagle all the while screaming like a
mad woman at Elvis. "Don't touch that squirrel!"
My older son Noah took Sam Parker so I could divert Elvis.
The good news is that the squirrel lived to tell the story.
A pretty interesting sight for the neighbors I am sure! Oh,
one other element I forgot to mention. It was one of the hottest
days this year so we were all a little tired, hot and irritable
after our amble around the block. Sounds like fun doesn't
it?
I have been
watering like a mad woman and I am deathly afraid of what my
water bill is going to be. The half-inch we received last
week was wonderful but we could use some more moisture soon -
like today. Wasn't last week's weather fantastic?
Wow, what a nice reprieve. It looks as if the heat is here
once again and we can be found at the pool or inside. Is
anyone else feeling my pain?
Join us and
fellow gardeners this Saturday for a Gardener's
Gathering in Prairie Village, Kansas. It's a full day of lawn
and gardening fun, information, exhibits and demonstrations for
the entire family. It's also free! See you there...
~
Shelly
They
Test So We Can Rest...
K-State
Research & Extension is such a tremendous resource.
For instance, they spend a great deal of time and energy
determining which grasses are best for our lawns. A
good cool-season lawn turf in our area starts with good species
selection. Around here it boils down to two choices: tall
fescue or Kentucky bluegrass. Both do well in fall and
spring, but tall fescue is the best-adapted cool-season grass for
year-round lawn use. Although K-31 has been planted for
many years, the newer turf-type cultivars far surpass it in
quality. Turf-type tall fescues are denser, finer-textured,
darker green and not as prone to "clumping."
Their
recommendations come from the most recent national tall fescue
trial. This trial included the newest varieties, some
holdovers from the 1992 trial, and some old standards such as
K-31 for purposes of comparison. Based on performance in
Kansas, the top varieties from this past year included:
Airlie |
Arid 3 |
Bonsai
2000 |
Bravo |
Durana |
Dynasty |
Falcon
2 |
Glen
Eagle |
Jaguar
3 |
Masterpiece |
Millennium |
Mustang
II |
Plantation |
Rembrandt |
Scorpio |
Shenandoah
II |
Southern
Choice |
TF
66 |
Watchdog |
|
In spite of there being preferred varieties, it
is still better to use a blend of multiple varieties to take
advantage of each of their strengths and better manage your
risk. Fortunately many commercial blends use KSU variety
trials as the basis for what varieties they contain.
Some
additional food for thought: while differences among the best
turf-type tall fescues are often rather subtle, there is a
tremendous difference between the turf-types and K-31. K-31
seed is popular for its price and availability but keep an eye
out for weed seed contamination. Seed bags are required to
provide this information, so being an informed and judicious
consumer can help save headaches later on, particularly with the
perennial weed orchardgrass, a common seed contaminant that
cannot be selectively removed from tall fescue.
Source
Garden
Toppers...
If you have a vegetable or annual garden that is normally empty
in the fall and through winter you should consider planting a green
manure crop there at the end of this growing season.
The name green manure is given to any crop which is grown only to
be tilled back into the soil. As it rots, the nutrients in
the crop foliage and roots will be taken up by the next crop
planted in the same place. Green manures from the legume
family, such as peas, beans, and clovers, have an added bonus -
nitrogen-fixing bacteria living around their roots can draw
nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form the plant can
absorb. This nitrogen will then be available to subsequent
crops.
Green
manures also act as "cover crops" protecting the soil
from compaction and erosion caused by wind and rain, and also
reducing the extent that weeds take over on bare soil.
Simple
Slug Solution...
Are slugs still driving you crazy? Here is a
quick-and-easy method for reducing your slug population without
having to make direct contact with the slimy critters. Simply put out
squares of cardboard in your garden each night. In the
morning, pick them up, and if there are any slugs clinging to the
underside, discard the whole square in a trash bag. The
number and size of the squares depend on the size of your garden
and how heavy the infestation of slugs.
Source
Well
Rooted Evergreens...
Early fall is a good time to plant a balled and burlapped
(B&B) evergreen tree. The key here is
"early". Because evergreens transpire (lose
moisture) throughout the winter months, fall planting of B&B
evergreens should be done in September to allow time for the
roots to become established before the ground freezes. The
trick is to make sure your newly planted evergreen has enough
moisture in its roots to weather some dry spells when the ground
may be frozen.
Another
consideration - If you leave the cloth burlap around the roots do
not leave any sticking above the ground as it may wick away
moisture and dry out the root ball. After planting, mulch
around the plant to a depth of 2-4 inches.
source
The Sunflower
Shake...
You don't have to be a Kansas Savvygardener to appreciate the
beauty of sunflowers. For those of you who want to harvest
your sunflower seeds and don't know when they're ready just look
for these tell-tale signs:
- The
flower's head is droopy and faces the ground.
- Most of
the petals have fallen off.
- The birds
are starting to enjoy the seeds.
Gently
shake the head of the flower and the seeds will fall off.
Store them in a nice dry place for planting next spring!
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
Oak Wilt. Real problem or really over-hyped? Find
out in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Logical
Landscaping...
If you
have big landscaping plans for this fall it's time to start
making decisions on which plants you will purchase and where they
will be placed. As you do your shopping try to imagine how
long you will live in your current home. The average
American family moves every five years. If you think you
might be among those moving within five years consider
buying the biggest plants you can afford. If you buy small
you won't be around to fully appreciate your garden when it
finally matures.
Finally... "He
stood beside a cottage lone
And listened to a lute,
One summer's eve, when the breeze was gone,
And the nightingale was mute." ~
Thomas K. Hervey, 1799-1859, The Devil's Progress |