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Randy's Lakeview 
Nursery & Bulk Supercenter

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

 

 

 

 

The Kelly Gallery

 

 

May 12, 2004

Transition Time...
It is hard to believe that all of my roses are in bloom. With the temperatures really warming up, all of my sun loving flowers are starting to flourish. Bad news for the flowers in my garden that prefer cooler temperatures. In fact the pansies I planted in March are being replaced with coleus and million bells, a couple of my favorites. It is transition time in the garden. I always try to plant according to season. Spring is easy because you can plant bulbs in the fall. Summer planting is the most colorful and the most work. There are always new perennials to plant. Annual after annual is planted in the garden, pots and anywhere else that might need a splash of color. It takes time, but boy is it worth it. Once fall arrives mums and pansies will grace the landscape trying to maintain color in the garden until the first bitter frost. Have I convinced you that it is possible to garden year-round?

I spent Mother's Day in the garden planting our newly purchased plants from Randy's Lakeview Nursery & Bulk Supercenter. The whole family was kind enough to let me wander around without too many interruptions. What a treat! It was fun to talk with the staff and ask questions. They were very helpful and, as always, we came home with several terrific plants, some of which are still waiting patiently to find a home in one of our gardens.

The Peony Festival has begun at Bannister Garden Center. Let me just say that if peonies are what you like, Bannister Garden Center is the place to go. You'll find over 80 varieties on display and more than 140 varieties potted for spring sale. Owners Tony & Neva Mistretta have been growing peonies for over 37 years. Right now, with any purchase of a peony you may enter a drawing for a garden treasure. A $115.00 value to be redeemed this fall. Are you feeling lucky?

The weather continues to be a bit warmer than I would like. It is too soon to have temperatures in the high 80's. It sounds like we might get a break just in time for the weekend. Temperatures back into the 70's. Perfect gardening weather!

~ Shelly  

It's Not Too Late!
Do you feel like spring is slipping away from you?  Just a few weeks ago it seemed like we had all the time in the world to plant.  But soggy soils and hectic schedules seem to make prime planting time slip away.  Don't panic!  There's still plenty to do.  In fact if you hurry you can still sneak in the following: lettuce, onions, spinach, beets, chard, carrots, parsnips, radishes, turnips, shallots, chives and parsley.

Bonus!  Now that soil temperatures are up it's also a great time to get your tomatoes and peppers in the ground if you haven't already done so.

Tastier Tomatoes...
When selecting tomato transplants, choose healthy plants without any blooms. If the tomato plants have blooms or, worse, fruit before you transplant, pinch off the flowers or fruit. If tomatoes set fruit before the plant gets large enough - that is, produces enough leaves - the fruit is small and tasteless. Removing flowers or premature fruit allows the plant to produce more leaves that will make larger tomatoes throughout the growing season. The formula for successful tomato production is quite simple: Healthy leaves equal tasty fruit.

Source

West Nile Returns...
As the weather warms you will no doubt see an increase in mosquito activity.  West Nile Virus is sure to be a hot topic again this year.  Some suggestions for reducing mosquito populations and your chances of mosquito bites:

  • Eliminate standing water in pots, containers, gutters and similar receptacles.
  •  Stir ornamental pools and water gardens or stock them with mosquito-eating fish.
  • Use landscaping to eliminate standing water on your property.
  • Wear light-colored clothing. Wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are most active.

Source

 


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In? Out? It Depends...
Don't rush to move your indoor plants back outdoors during these fickle days of spring.  Wait until the weather has settled and nights are no longer cold.  While it seems warm right now nighttime temperatures below 60°F can injure some tropical plants such as philodendron, weeping fig, and palms.  We've seen those temperatures this week.

On the other hand, some indoor plants are more subtropical in nature and benefit from the chilly days of spring as long as they don't sustain a heavy frost (which isn't going to happen).  Citrus, gardenias, cyclamen, and geraniums are some of the subtropical plants that can be out earlier than truly tropical plants.

A Fungus Among Us...
Don't be surprised if you head outside and find a yard full of mushrooms.  Where do these things come from?   Although wild mushrooms tend to make their appearance just about any time in woodlands they're more likely to appear in lawns following several days of wet weather which have been preceded by weeks of dry weather.  We've got plenty in our front yard
(photos).

Mushrooms are specialized types of fungi that are important as decay microorganisms, aiding in the breakdown of logs, leaves, fallen branches, and other organic debris.  This important role of mushrooms results in recycling of essential nutrients.  In the vast majority of cases mushrooms are not parasitic on lawn grass and won't cause any disease problems.  Just wait for a prolonged change in the weather and they will wither and disappear providing additional organic matter to your soil.

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
A cool, moist spring often gives way to sudden increases in temperature, and before we know it, summer is upon us. The combination of heat and lingering humidity provides ideal conditions for the growth of fungus and fungal diseases of turf, vegetables, ornamentals, shrubs and trees.  It's not just mushrooms!  Look out for fungal diseases as well.  You'll learn more in this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Time To Feed Turf...
Turfgrass growth is beginning to slow and it's time to consider fertilizing your lawn. Applying fertilizer now should not increase vertical growth dramatically as long as moderate rates of nitrogen are used and will help your lawn retain it’s color and health. Apply .75 to 1 lbs. N/1000 sq. ft. with a product that contains 50% or more slow release fertilizer. Try to schedule the application prior to a rain or irrigate following application to move the fertilizers off the leaf blade. If fertilizer was applied with a preemergence herbicide earlier in the spring, a fertilizer application is not needed yet.

Source

Finally...
"Gardeners , like everyone else, live second by second and minute by minute. What we see at one particular moment is then and there before us. But there is a second way of seeing. Seeing with the eye of memory, not the eye of our anatomy, calls up days and seasons past and years gone by."

~ Allen Lacy, The Gardener's Eye

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