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September
25, 2002 |
|
An
Autumn to Enjoy...
How about this weather? I am so motivated by these cool
mornings and warm afternoons. In past years we have not
always been so lucky to receive a period of splendid fall
weather. Sometimes the chill of winter hits us before we
are ready. I am not quite sure however that it gets any
better that what we've had for the last two weeks. It is so
great to throw on a sweatshirt in the morning and then peel it
off later in the day because the temperature is perfectly warm.
Weather to enjoy, for planting or just being outside.
So is anyone else dealing with early leaf drop like we are?
Of course it is to be expected due to the lack of rainfall but I
have busily been raking for the last week. It could be a
long fall when it comes to staying on top of these leaves.
I am somewhat annoyed by the leaves falling on the lawn and in
the garden. They have a way of making thinks look a little
messy. Kevin will tell you that I will spend several hours
making sure that all leaves are picked up and put in their
proper place. I have even been known to walk around and
pick up the smaller leaves that are stuck in the blades of grass.
Now you know what I do with all of my extra time.
Kevin and I are excited to tell you about a new section of our
website. Now you can send Savvygardener.com "postcards"
to family and friends. Kevin has put together some terrific
photos that he has taken from our gardens and other places around
Kansas City. We will be adding many more photos as time
goes by. I hope you enjoy this new area and use it
frequently. What a great way to send a special someone a
special e-card! Enjoy!
Rain? Hope to get some soon!
~
Shelly
The
Gardener's Workout...
Have you ever noticed how fit Savvygardeners look? It's
because gardening is such great exercise! Need proof?
Well, Dr. Mark Kantor at the University of Maryland College of
Agriculture & Natural Resources has published an article that
defines the amount of calories burned doing various
activities. It turns out that gardening (see below) can
really burn the calories.
|
Calories
burned during each 10 minutes
of various gardening activities |
 |
Body Weight
|
| Activity |
125
Pounds |
175
Pounds |
250
Pounds |
| Light gardening |
30 |
42 |
59 |
| Weeding garden |
49 |
68 |
98 |
| Mowing grass (power) |
34 |
47 |
67 |
| Mowing grass (manual) |
38 |
52 |
74 |
Source
Totally
Tulips (Part 3)...
If you enjoy the thought of continuously blooming tulips in your
spring garden you will need to round out the early and middle
bloomers (discussed in the previous two issues) with some of
these later blooming varieties:
- Single
Late Tulips incorporate the former Darwin, cottage, and
breeder tulips. Along with the Darwin hybrid tulips,
they are some of the tallest tulips. Flowers are borne
on stems up to 30 inches tall and available in a wide range of
colors.
- Double
Late Tulips are often referred to as peony-flowered
tulips. The many-petaled flowers are borne on 12 to 20
inch stems. Plant double late tulips in protected
locations as the large flowers can be damaged by rain and
strong winds.
- Viridiflora
Tulips produce long-lasting flowers which have prominent
green markings on their petals. The unusual flower
characteristics make it a novelty item in the garden.
- Lily-flowering
Tulips have long pointed petals which arch outward, the
flowers somewhat resembling a lily. Flower colors
include white, pink, red, yellow, and purple. Several
varieties have petals edged or feathered in contrasting
colors. Plants grow to a height of 20 to 30 inches.
- Fringed
Tulips have flowers with elegant fringed petals. Many
varieties are mutants of single late tulips. Also known
as "crispa tulips."
- Rembrandt
Tulips produce striped or "broken" blooms. The
white, yellow, or red petals are striped with red, bronze, or
purple. These types were bought for huge sums during the
"tulip mania" in Holland in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. The unusual markings were actually
caused by a virus. Due to the virus, the original
Rembrandt tulips are no longer sold. However, there are
several modern, virus-free Rembrandt tulips available.
- Multi-flowering
Tulips produce 3 to 7 blooms per stem. The main stem
of multi-flowering tulips branches into secondary stems.
Each secondary stem produces a flower. The flower on the
main stem is slightly larger than those on the secondary
stems. Many of the multi-flowering cultivars belong to
the single late tulip class. These tulips are 14- to
20-inch-tall plants which bloom late in the season.
Several varieties are multi-flowering Greigii tulips which are
8 to 12 inches tall and early blooming.
Next week, Species
Tulips...
Source
Garlic
Lovers Get Ready!
Garlic needs to be in the ground at least one month before
the soil freezes so now through mid-October is the ideal time for
planting. Start by planting the small cloves that are
divisions of the large bulb. The larger the clove, the
larger the size of the mature bulb at harvest. Do not
divide the bulb until immediately before planting. Although
some people have had good luck planting the garlic from the
grocery store, seedstock from a nursery or via mail-order is
recommended.
Garlic
needs a full-sun site with loose soil rich in organic matter.
Adding compost to the bed is usually a good idea. Plant the
cloves (with their pointy sides up) three to five inches apart at
a depth of two to three inches. Add a light layer of mulch.
Allow 18 to 30 inches between rows or plant five inches apart in
all directions if you're using raised beds. Next
spring the garlic will push through the soil and mulch.
We'll wait until then to complete the directions through harvest.
Nuisance
of the Week - Natural Needle Drop on Pines
We are starting to see very noticeable natural needle drop on
some pines. This is a process where 2- to 4-year-old
interior needles turn yellow, then brown, and eventually drop
off. Those who aren't familiar with this process often are
concerned about the health of the tree. This is a natural
phenomenon that occurs every year and does not hurt the
tree. However, some years it is much more noticeable than
others. Be sure to check that only the older needles are
affected - the needles on the tips of the branches should look
fine - and that there is no spotting or banding on the needles
that are turning yellow. If spotting or banding is noted,
take a sample into your local county extension office for
diagnosis.
Photo
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
In the last of this series of articles about bulbs our
experts explore the ways that bulbs can become great
houseplants. You'll be surprised the choices you
have! Find out in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
The
Right Tree In The Right Place...
After last winter's damaging ice storms there are a lot of
area gardeners replacing trees this fall. Just in time to
help you out a group of some of the area's best known companies
have created The
Right Tree in the Right Place - a website devoted to, well,
the name says it all.
Finally...
"Autumn
is a season followed immediately by looking forward to Spring." ~
Author Unknown |
|
