Falling
For The Weather...
Of course I would be crazy if I didn't start this editorial
by talking about the weather. I was the last one to get out
of bed this morning and when I came downstairs the front door was
open and the fresh cool morning air was irresistible! I
decided that before I did anything, I was going to go out back on
the deck to drink in some more of that terrific fall feeling.
All of my senses were so stimulated and alive! The cool
breeze, the bright sunlight, the great smell in the air - does it
get any better than this? Add a little rain to the equation
and it becomes perfect. Rain, something I remember as wet,
soothing and great for the garden. Hopefully my memory will
soon be refreshed by an inch or two (preferably nice and slow as
opposed to a torrential downpour).
Fall is always such a special time. Since the weather has
taken a turn for the better, I have noticed that the neighborhood
has come back to life. Families out walking the dog,
children playing outside instead of inside and clusters of
neighbors gathering in the street to talk about the happenings in
their lives. Isn't it interesting to think that the change
of the weather can bring about a change in your community?
I hope that all of you Savvygardeners are out busy buying plants.
Take advantage of this time to create a new fresh look in your
garden by planting mums, asters or pansies. You will be
pleasantly surprised by how adding just a splash of fall color
will give you new inspiration to start creating again, not only
for fall but for next spring!
~
Shelly
Totally
Tulips (Part I)...
We published this four-part series two years ago and have brought
it back in response to reader request.
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...
Source
Happy
And Humming...
We've noticed a few hummingbirds loitering around the garden
lately. If
you've seen one recently chances are it was a Ruby-Throated
hummingbird heading off to the warmer climes of Mexico or Central America for the
season. Frankly, I don't blame them. It does get
awfully cold here in Kansas City.
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!
Squash
Harvest Hints...
Don't be too hasty in harvesting all your winter squash!
For longer keeping let winter squash stay on the vines as long as
possible. Wait until the vines die back or there is danger
of frost. Check by pressing with your thumbnail, if the
skin is easily broken they are not fully matured and may not keep
well.
When you
harvest leave two to three inches of stem on the squash.
Allow them to cure in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place for a
couple of weeks before placing them in storage. Also, never
wash your squash until just before using and never carry squash
or pumpkins by the stem.
Source
Nuisance
of the Week - Fall Webworm
Fall webworm feeds on almost all fruit, shade, and ornamental
trees except conifers. This insect is present more often on
trees that are not surrounded by other trees. The larvae
begin by constructing small webs near the ends of branches.
The insect will gradually increase the size of the web as the
need for food increases. Mature caterpillars are yellowish
with black and brown markings, and have many tufts of long
hair. As larvae mature, they crawl down the tree and spend
the winter as pupa in the leaf litter under the tree.
High
populations of fall webworm can completely defoliate host plants
but do not kill them. Pruning and destroying the infested
portions of branches is a common control practice while webs are
still small. Also, a stick or pole with a nail inserted
crosswise can be used to snag individual webs. Twisting the
pole after insertion will cause the web to wrap around the pole
where it can be removed and destroyed. Insecticides can
also be used for control but a commercial quality, high pressure
sprayer is needed to penetrate the webs. We are late enough
in the season that control is not needed to protect the health of
the tree.
Photos
Savvy
Seed Savers...
If you are growing "heirloom" flowers or vegetables
make sure you collect their seeds for planting next year and for
sharing with others. They need to be dry and should be
stored in an envelope or jar with some silica gel until next
spring. Don't bother saving the seeds of hybrids as they
won't be true to the parent plant.
Tell Your Friends About Savvygardener.com!
You
Could Win A $50 Gift Certificate
Details...
|
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
We mentioned tulips at the beginning of this newsletter but
there are of course many more bulbs and "bulb-like"
flowers that you'll want to plant this fall. Whether it's
bulbs, corms, rhizomes or tubers our hotline staffers have them
covered in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Fertilizer
Figures...
Savvygardeners with cool-season grasses (bluegrass, fescue,
and/or ryegrass) should plan on three applications of fertilizer
each year - one in spring and two in fall. Fall is the most
important time to fertilize as it really encourages strong root
growth resulting in healthier growth next spring. September
is a great month for the first fall application followed by
another in November.
You're
going to need about 1 to 1.5 pounds of Nitrogen per 1,000 square
feet of lawn. That's the amount of actual Nitrogen, not
fertilizer product. The amount of actual nitrogen in a
fertilizer product is indicated by the first digit of the N-P-K
number on the label of a fertilizer bag. The N-P-K number
indicates percentages by weight of the nutrients nitrogen (N),
phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). For example, a bag with
a N-P-K of 20-4-4 has 20 percent nitrogen. Therefore it
will take 5 pounds of this fertilizer to provide 1 pound of
actual nitrogen.
Finally... "Let
us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming
gardeners who make our souls blossom." ~
Marcel Proust, Author, 1871-1922 |