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Seeds Indoors
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Shrub Pruning Calendar
~ Pruning Clematis 
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~ Drought-Tolerant Flowers for KC
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~ When to Divide Perennials
~ Dividing Spring Blooming Perennials
~ Forcing Bulbs Indoors
~ Overseeding A Lawn
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~ Pruning Shrubs
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The Kelly Gallery

 

 

Randy's Lakeview 
Nursery & Bulk Supercenter

The one-stop-shop for
all your landscaping and gardening needs...
www.rlnbulksupercenter.com

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April 21, 2004

We're Growing Now...
How about that rain we had on Tuesday? A real gullywasher at times but wasn't it great to have a good soaking rain? I am sure that your plants are as happy as mine. I hope this spring weather sticks around a bit longer. Now that the daffodils are gone and most of my tulips (thanks to the heat we had last weekend) all of my other perennials are really thriving with these mild days and cool nights. Nothing to complain about here - just great gardening weather!

How about a widow or door screen that just disappears? Our new sponsor, The Remodeling Center located in Lee's Summit is the premiere distributor of a product called Phantom Screens. I was very impressed by the aesthetic look and quality of this product. What a great way to add a new look to any home. Their slogan is "Seeing is Believing" so make sure to take a look.

You won't want to miss out on the Savvygardener Party this Saturday, April 24th at The Kelly Gallery. Kelly Daniels is well known for her beautiful photographs taken in and around her gardens. The gardens are spectacular so join me from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. You may come to just tour the gardens or you might be tempted to spend some money in Kelly's retail store The Barn - the perfect place to find garden and home decor. Hope to see you there!

A special thanks to all of you who sent notes of encouragement to me about last week's troubling incident. I am so lucky to have so many great gardening friends!

~ Shelly  

Bulb Boosters...
Depending on micro-climates, planting depth, and variety your spring bulbs are at various stages of growth right now.  Our daffodils are done and our tulips are nearly done, but we continue to see great displays in progress all over town.  What you do with the plants after the flowers are spent is crucial to next year's growth.  Bulbs use their foliage to acquire and transport nutrients necessary for future growth.  If you cut or remove the foliage too early you will starve the bulb and consequently reduce its chances for strong growth next spring.  Cut the stems back as you would if you were cutting them for a vase.  Leave the foliage alone until it has withered on its own.  Only then should you clear it from the garden.

Clematis Wilt...
The most serious disease of clematis is commonly called clematis wilt - a stem rot/leaf spot disease caused by the fungus, Ascochyta clematidina, which mainly affects large‑flowered clematis hybrids. The symptoms are very defining and include sudden stem collapse, often just as the flower buds are about to open. Within just a few days the stems and its leaves turn black. Leaf veins often develop a purple coloration. One or more stems of the diseased plant may be affected or all aboveground parts of the plant can be killed down to just below the soil level.

Often, an affected plant will recover after a year or two.  Of course, prevention is the best medicine.  Here's how:

  1. Choose a favorable planting site with 6 or more hours of sun daily, rich, well‑drained soil with pH about 7.0, and be relatively open to ensure good air circulation.
  2. Select the most resistant plants. Species clematis and/or small‑flowered hybrids seem to be more resistant than large-flowered forms.
  3. Keep the clematis area free of plant debris on a year‑round basis. Take special care to avoid injury to stem and roots since the wilt fungus requires a wound to begin its deadly work.
  4. Avoid damaging the roots. Do not cultivate the soil around clematis plants and maintain good mulch.
  5. Give good culture. Maintain good growing conditions to keep all clematis plants as stress‑free as possible.
  6. In the event that plants become infected, cut diseased stems just below ground level and destroy them. Spray any remaining, healthy parts of the plant and surrounding soil with a protective fungicide such as myclobutanil.

Source

Growing Groundcovers...
You can trim pachysandra and other low groundcovers by mowing them with your lawnmower.  Set the mowing height at around three to four inches. This will thicken the groundcover and help prevent weeds. Be sure to remove the clippings by gently raking. Boston ivy, English ivy, purple winter creeper, and cranberry cotoneaster all benefit from springtime trimming.

Source

 


Phantom Screens
The Screen That Disappears

The Retractable Screening Solution
for Doors, Windows & Porches
Seeing is Believing!

See For Yourself!
 
 

 

Dog Days Indeed...
According to scientists at Purdue University, exposure to herbicide-treated lawns and gardens increases the risk of bladder cancer in Scottish terriers, a discovery that could lead to new knowledge about human susceptibility to the disease. A team of veterinary researchers including Lawrence T. Glickman has found an association between risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Scottish terriers and the dogs' exposure to chemicals found in lawn treatments.

The study, based on a survey of dog owners whose pets had recently contracted the disease, may be useful not only for its revelation of potentially carcinogenic substances in our environment, but also because studying the breed may help physicians pinpoint genes in humans that signal susceptibility to bladder cancer. 

Source

A Clean Break...
Speaking of peat pots... When transplanting flowers and veggies to the garden make sure you break off the rims of your peat pots just below ground level.  Any portion of the peat pot sticking up above the soil surface will wick away moisture and deprive your plants of much needed water.  That would be a shame considering how hard you worked getting them this far!
 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Spring is definitely here and there's so much to do.  Among other things is the care of clematis in the garden.  We are lucky that our hotline experts are also experts in this quintessential garden beauty.  Get those clematis growing in this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Dealing With Dandelions...
We're getting lots of e-mail asking about weeds (especially dandelions) in lawns.  Keep in mind two things:

  • Dense healthy turf is the most effective weed control. Proper mowing, fertilization, and irrigation will go a long way in controlling weeds.
  • Fall is the best time to control weeds.

That being said you can spot-apply broad spectrum herbicides to lawn weeds.  These can include traditional chemicals or alternatives like Bradfield's Horticultural Vinegar.  Either way, be careful where you spray.  Drifting herbicides are going to damage or kill the plants they touch.

Finally...
"They know, they just know where to grow, how to dupe you, and how to camouflage themselves among the perfectly respectable plants, they just know, and therefore, I've concluded weeds must have brains."

~ Dianne Benson, Author

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