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May
1, 2002
Delightfully
Drippy...
Well it's Wednesday and it is a good day to be inside at the
computer. I would be rather taking a nap since I can't be
in the garden but someone has got to write this editorial.
I love these lazy spring days. Don't get me wrong, I prefer
it to be sunny and warm but it is nice to have an occasional
drippy day to get caught up on things I have been putting off.
I am sure Kevin would agree with me. I tend to let the
inside of the house become a bit unorganized. It is too
hard for me to think about cleaning and picking up inside when I
could be cleaning up and planting outside. It is easy for
me to prioritize this time of the year. Garden first, house
second, laundry third. Sometimes laundry has to be moved up
the ladder especially when family members are complaining about
not having anything to wear. Life is full of tough
decisions!
The
Sweet Onion is gearing up for their 1st Annual Garden
& Music Fest this Sunday May 5th from 12:30 - 5:00 PM.
This is a great time to visit The Sweet Onion and stock up on all
of your spring planting needs. There will be a lot of fun
activities, live music, barbecue, and great giveaways so bring
the whole family. Kevin, the kids and I will be there for a
while starting about 12:30. We look forward to seeing you
there.
Also on
Sunday, tune in to WDAF
61 Country Radio at 7:00 AM and listen to yours truly as I
join the Gard'n-Wise Guys for an hour of fun and informative
garden talk.
Mark Saturday May 11th on your calendar for The
Kelly Gallery's "Gardens In Bloom" party from 10 AM
- 3 PM. The Barn will be filled with new, affordable garden
ornaments and home decorations. The highlight of this party
will be the fantastic gardens. You've got to come walk the
serene paths of The Kelly Gallery's gardens. KCTV
Channel 5 will be on location and we will be talking about
the perfect gift for Mom so make sure you join us!
~
Shelly
Showers For
Flowers...
April has lived up to it's traditional billing and graced us with much needed
showers. Hopefully we will continue to get the inch of rain
per week that our gardens need. Unfortunately most years
bring us long periods of dry, hot weather requiring diligent
watering to keep our flowers looking their best.
If staying on
top of watering isn't your idea of a good time you can always
choose your flowers accordingly. A drought-tolerant flower
garden should include the following:
Annuals
|
Burning
Bush, Kochia |
Gazania,
Gazania |
Creeping
Zinnia, Sanvitalia |
Mexican
Sunflower, Tithonia |
Dusty
Miller, Senecio |
Rose
Moss, Portulaca |
Four
O'Clock, Mirabilis |
Salvia,
Salvia farinacea |
Perennials
|
Black-eyed
Susan, Rudbeckia |
Iris,
Iris |
Blanket
Flower, Gaillardia |
Sage,
Salvia |
Butterfly
Flower, Asclepias |
Sedum |
Gayfeather,
Liatris |
Tickseed,
Coreopsis |
For a more
complete list of drought-tolerant flowers that grow well in the
Kansas City area click here.
Time For
Tomatoes?
Before you get too eager about planting remember that tomatoes are a warm-loving crop and don't
begin to develop roots or establish themselves until soil
temperatures are a fairly consistent 55°F. Tomatoes planted
earlier may 'survive' but won't thrive until warmer weather
develops. Later planted tomatoes will catch up with earlier ones
every time.
Also, remember that tomato plants need to be young,
short and stocky to transplant well. Tall, overgrown, or plants
with heavy blooms or fruit not only don't transplant well but
research has shown they never reach the productivity of those
transplanted from smaller plants. The old technique of 'burying'
part of the long stem below ground doesn't help much - if any.
It does prevent the plant from blowing or whipping in the wind
but does not compensate for planting an overgrown plant.
Source
Ants In
Your...
Not your pants, but your peonies! If you have
peonies you no doubt have noticed a proliferation of ants
scurrying to and fro across the flower buds (photo).
Those ants are the source of many "old gardener's
tales" that have been handed down over the ages.
Here's the deal: The ants are there because of the
nectar-like substance secreted by the peony. Chances are
that the ants you see on your peonies are already living in your
garden - the peonies just draw them out of the soil and make them
more visible. In other words, peonies are not increasing
your local ant population (which creepily number in the hundreds
of thousands or more). Some say that the ants actually help
peonies bloom. Most experts disagree but since they do no
harm it's best to just let them enjoy your peonies as much as you
do.
Sow,
Sow, You Say...
Savvygardeners all across the metro will be out this weekend
buying bedding plants, vegetable seedlings, and all manner of
transplants for the garden. Keep in mind that some plants
actually prefer to have their seeds sown directly in the garden.
- Among
vegetables these include: beans, beets, carrots, celery, peas,
squash, and turnips.
- Among flowers: alyssum, aster, bachelor's button, cosmos, marigold,
morning glory, sunflower, sweet pea, and zinnia.
Buy the
seeds, read the directions, watch them grow!
Ugh,
Slugs...
There's
nothing quite as refreshing as the feeling of walking barefoot on
a dew-covered lawn first thing in the morning. Nothing will ruin
that feeling faster than stepping on a big ol' slimy slug.
Aesthetically these guys have no redeeming properties at all.
They can wreak havoc on your garden as well. Young slugs
will damage your plants by rasping away the surface of plant
leaves for food. These guys can eat 30 to 40 times their
weight every day! The adults chew holes in leaves and leave
slime trails on your precious plants. If you don't already
have a favorite and effective way to control slugs try these
tricks:
- Slugs like
the dark and damp. Place a board over damp ground for a
hiding place during the day. Check each morning and destroy
any slugs that have gathered on the bottom of the board.
- Slugs are
attracted to and drown in shallow dishes containing beer. Set
the top edges of the dish at ground level and cover loosely
with a board so slugs can easily get into the mixture.
- If you don't
like the idea of killing slugs you can try physical barriers,
Slugs will not cross rough surfaces. Sprinkle
ashes or special slug barriers around the perimeter of the
garden. Stay on top of this method however.
If rain, wind, or anything else sweeps the barrier away you
can count on the slugs exploiting the breach in your defenses.
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
It's time to get serious about planting. The chance of
a rogue frost is close to zero, soil temperatures are on the
rise, and we're all just itchin' to get planting. Just in
time our Hotline experts weigh in on smart plant selection and
purchasing in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
More
Growin', More Mowin'...
Most of
us have fallen into the habit of mowing the lawn every week.
This time of year however the grass is growing so fast that you
probably need to mow it a bit more often. Remember that you
don't want to cut off more than 1/3 of the height of the grass in
any single mowing. In our yard that means mowing twice per
week. It won't last long and the extra investment in time
will yield a healthier more durable lawn when the summer heat
sets in.
Finally... "If
it's drama that you sigh for,
plant a garden and you'll get it
You will know the thrill of battle
fighting foes that will beset it
If you long for entertainment and
for pageantry most glowing,
Plant a garden and this summer spend
your time with green things growing." ~
Edward A. Guest, Plant a Garden |
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