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April 30, 2003 |
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Getting Going...
I have been finding it difficult to get out into the garden
these days. Not enough time!
Then of course there is the rain,
not that I am complaining, but you simply cannot work the soil
when it is too wet. So, believe
it or not I am still in the clean-up phase of spring gardening.
I am still removing the winter
blanket of mulched leaves and it seems
to be taking much longer than I had
remembered. I must say however
that I am still on schedule considering that I never plant too
many things before Mother's Day anyway.
The weather has made it very
tempting so we have purchased and planted a few things.
Slowly, (going on eight years
now) our yard and gardens
are finally coming together.
It is pretty exciting to see our
long term plan starting to come to fruition
(photos).
Of course there is always more to
do but for now we are pleased with the progress we have made.
Thanks to
all of you Savvygardener's who made The Kelly Gallery's Spring
Event a success. What a beautiful
day for touring Kelly's gardens and meandering through The Barn.
What a fabulous place!
It looks
like this great spring weather we have been having will be
hanging around for a few more days. A
nice day here, with a rainy day or two mixed in.
A perfect spring mix!
Could we possibly tire of seeing
everything so green?
Hey all of
you tomato lovers! We are putting
together our first annual Tastiest
Tomato contest to be held later
this summer. Stay tuned for more
details!
~
Shelly
Hydrangea
Helper...
Hydrangeas are wonderful. Especially
when they bloom. You're not alone if you are sometimes (or
often) frustrated by otherwise beautiful and healthy-looking
hydrangeas that just won't bloom. There
are reasons for this of course. Here are the likely ones:
- Improper
Pruning
Some bloom on old wood, some on new season's growth.
For example, the popular 'Annabelle'
varieties bloom on new growth and are
consequently best cut back hard in the early spring.
By contrast, the Bigleaf hydrangea will grow in
Kansas City but will not usually flower because
the flowers develop on old (last season's growth) wood.
Since flower buds lack the cold
hardiness of the foliage buds, they are often killed
by our cold winters.
- Too
Much Shade
While they will do all right in partial shade or full
sunlight, too much shade could keep them from flowering
- Too
Much Nitrogen
Fertilizing with high nitrogen fertilizers
will limit blooms. Try using a fertilizer with less
nitrogen "N" and more Phosphorous "P".
Source
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.
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.
Oh Say Can You Sow...
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!
What's Hot On The Hotline...
We receive frequent calls in the early spring from those who
would like to raise some vegetables of their own, but are limited
in space and the time they can devote to their garden.
A popular solution for many is raised bed gardening.
The smaller size and comparative
ease of associated gardening tasks add to the popularity.
With a little imagination, the
installation of raised beds can add attractiveness and variety to
your garden landscape. Read more 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 not ignored,
nature will cultivate in the gardener a sense of well-being and
peace. The gardener may find
deeper meaning in life by paying attention to the parables of the
garden. Nature teaches quiet
lessons to the gardener who chooses to live within the paradigm
of the garden." ~
Norman H. Hansen, The Worth of
Gardening |
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