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April 16, 2003

April Showers, Blooming Flowers...
Mother Nature blessed us with a fine spring rain today!  How exciting it was to sit inside and watch the rain fall so slowly. We received a ½ inch here in Westwood and it sounds as if we might get some more later this weekend.   Hopefully the rain will come early on in the weekend so as not to spoil any Easter plans.  I sure am picky.  I want it to rain but only when it is convenient and don't have any planned outside activities.  

I am happy to say that the bulbs we planted last fall are magnificent!  We are getting to reap the rewards of our hard labor last autumn.  I remember all of the time Kevin and I spent on our knees thinking that we would never finish with all of the planting.  We tried some smaller tulips this year and I must say that they are the cutest.  They are about 12" tall, orange with yellow tips (photos next week).  We have never planted any of the smaller varieties before and I must say that I am enjoying them immensely.  If I were a bit more savvy I would tell you the variety but my memory fails me.  I remember putting the tag somewhere, (I thought in my gardening journal) of course it is nowhere to be found.  I just hate it when that happens!

Make sure to join us Saturday, April 26th at The Kelly Gallery for their Spring event.  The hours are 10 AM - 2 PM.  Come and tour Kelly's gardens, find that perfect something for the home or garden or better yet, get a jump on purchasing Mother's Day gifts!  We'll see you there!

~ Shelly  

Debutante Party for Transplants...
For Savvygardeners who were able to successfully start some flowers or vegetables indoors from seed it may be time to plan their "coming out" party.  Based on your plant's cold tolerance you will need to pick the date when you plan to permanently relocate it outdoors.  Tomatoes for instance are not friends with cool weather and really need soil temperatures at 60° and above to do well. 

Once you've picked the magic date (and there may be as many dates as there are plants) plan a "hardening off" schedule.  Remember these plants have had the benefit of consistent temperatures, regular light, and no wind in the comfort of your home.  It's a different world out there in the wild and wooly garden. 

About two weeks before permanent relocation you should stop fertilizing and place your plants outdoors for an hour or two.  Each day increase the time outdoors by an hour.  (I know this is impossible for working gardeners, just do your best.)  The trick is to acclimate your plants to the bright sun, wind, and varying temperatures gradually.  Don't panic if they look a little wilty during this process - they're going through a bit of shock. 

Once they're in the ground give them some starter fertilizer and begin a regular water and fertilizer routine.

Made In The Shade...
We are always amazed at the response from other gardeners when we tell them we live in Westwood.  "You're so lucky to have so much shade!" is a common response.  From our vantage point however the shade is one more obstacle to having the gardens we dream about.  The grass is always greener I guess.  

Several years ago we converted the shadiest part of our property from struggling lawn to hopeful shade garden.  It's looking much better, thank you.  If you have a shady spot in need of a makeover check out our most recent feature Gardening in the ShadeJust about everything you need to know about shade gardening is there.

 

Just Like Starting Over...
This time of year we are asked by many gardeners why their forsythia or lilacs look so bad.  Many claim that some of their flowering branches look great while other branches of the same plant have virtually no flowers at all.  This is actually a very common problem with forsythia, lilacs and other flowering shrubs.  Basically they have become too "woody" and need rejuvenation.  Simply cut the tired branches to a point just above ground level.  Next year's growth will include many more flowers.  

To stay on top of this process Savvygardeners will rejuvenate one-third of the flowering shrub every year.  That way none of the branches are ever any older than three years.

 


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Circular Logic...
A popular and effective way to prevent disease in the vegetable garden is called crop rotation.  By rotating the location of vegetable plantings within the garden each season you can greatly reduce the likelihood of soil-borne disease.  This method works best when you rotate crop families from place to place and the rotation includes at least three families.  The effectiveness of crop rotation is diminished when the total gardening area is quite small.  Just do your best!  Here's a list of the most common home garden vegetables and their associated families:

Family Family Members
Alliaceae Chive, garlic, leek, onion, shallot
Apiaceae Carrot, celery, parsley, parsnip
Asteraceae Endive, lettuce
Brassicaceae Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, radish, rutabaga, turnip
Chenopodiaceae Beet, Swiss chard, spinach
Convolvulaceae Sweet potato
Curcurbitaceae Cucumber, gourd, melons, pumpkin, squash
Fabaceae Lima bean, pea, snap bean, soy bean
Malvaceae Okra
Poaceae Corn
Solanaceae Eggplant, pepper, potato, tomato

Longer Life for Lilies...
No doubt many of you will receive a lily or two (or more) for Easter.  Unfortunately the lily doesn't survive as a houseplant, but it can be transplanted outdoors where it may bloom again this year. 

Find a sunny spot in the garden to plant the bulb.  Remove the plant from its container and loosen the roots.  Plant the bulb a few inches deeper than it was in the container and cover it with soil.  Water thoroughly and fertilize with an all-purpose garden fertilizer.  For the remainder of the season water and fertilize as you would your other garden plantings.  Don't be alarmed when the top withers and dies.  New shoots will emerge and may flower in July or August. 

Understand that lilies are not normally winter-hardy in the greater Kansas City area (last winter would probably have been a welcome exception).  To improve your chances for success, mulch them with 4 inches of straw or leaves in the fall.  With luck you will have new flowers again next June!

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Just to be sure that our recent warm (even hot) weather doesn't make us complacent, the 30-year records show that even on April 24, there's still a 5% chance of 28º F. weather.  Your patience in holding off on planting tender annuals until early May will be rewarded.  More late frost and early spring tips are in this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Two Blades Are Better Than One...
No matter how good your mower is the quality of the cut comes down to the sharpness of its blade.  If you're like most people you never get around to sharpening the blade during the spring and summer cutting season.  Probably because you don't want the mower out of service while the blade is sharpened.  We solve that problem by keeping two mower blades.  That way a well sharpened second blade is always ready to be swapped into service.

Finally...
"Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life."

~ John Updike, Author

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