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Mea Culpa...
I might as well start this week off with a big "I'M SORRY". Last
week I was more than confident that we
were safely past the
chance of another frost. Mother Nature proved me wrong yet
again. Like my good friend Jan Olson
says, "No one can predict the weather".
Hopefully our frost alert got to you in time and your garden
didn't suffer from Jack Frost's touch. The
current ten-day
weather outlook looks wet and cool. If there is another chance of
frost we will be sure to inform you by sending out another
frost alert. A service I hope you find beneficial.
Last
Saturday was a chilly, windy day but it was nice and warm inside
the boutique at
Audrie Seeley's Garden Center. So many adorable items to be
purchased. The boutique has a wide assortment of
items from local artists and craftsmen.
A place to leisurely browse around. Audrie's also has anything
you might need for the landscape. Keep this place in mind. Great
people and good stock. In our industry that's a great
combination! Thanks to all of you Savvygardener's who came out to
enjoy the festivities. A special thanks to a couple of devoted
readers who came all the way from Emporia and Iola. How fun it
was to meet you!
Even though
the weather has not been the best this week, we have made the
best of it with regard to getting things accomplished outside.
Our good friends from
Ryan Lawn &
Tree were here Tuesday cleaning up some old limbs left over
from the winter storms
(photos).
These guys are great. Not only are they certified
arborists (a big plus),
but they are very professional and just
great people. I can't think of a nicer group of people to work
with. So if you ever need someone to care for your trees or lawn
(like we do) give these guys a call.
Don't forget -
this weekend is your last chance to to qualify for the $500 gift
certificate from Family Tree Nursery with a donation of $50 or
more to The Breast Cancer Three-Day.
Don't wait - donate now!
~
Shelly
Prairie Star
Website...
Great news! The Prairie Star Flower
K-State Research and Extension program has its own website.
The Prairie Star collection consists of annual flowers of great
vigor and spectacular bloom throughout the entire summer growing
season. Most importantly they are tested and rated right here in
the Kansas City metro. That means that these annuals are
well suited for us. We've toured the K-State test gardens
and met many of the researchers. This is a great service
that no Savvygardener can pass up. Visit their new website
at
www.prairiestarflowers.com
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!
The Division Decision...
Division is a necessary chore in maintaining most
perennials. A few plants never like to be disturbed, and should
not be moved or divided; Aconitum, Baptisia, Dictamnus, Eryngium,
Helleborus, Limonium, and Papaver are good examples. Most others
will need division every three to four years or so. You'll know
it's time to divide when a dead center forms in the crown area
with a ring of plants around it; blooms are fewer and smaller; or
growth simply appears crowded.
A general
rule is to divide the plant in the non-bloom season. Midsummer
bloomers should be divided in spring when plant growth is two to
three inches in height. Fall bloomers are divided in late August
or early September when plants are semi-dormant and temperatures
are showing a cooling trend.
Use a spade
to dig the clump and cut off divisions. If you don't want to
divide an entire clump, divisions can be cut from the edge of a
clump using a spade and trowel. Some plants have tough, thick
root systems that are a challenge to divide. Hosta, Hemerocallis,
and Astilbe fall in this category so don't be discouraged if you
find the going a little tough.
Source
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
Aphids On Roses...
Our roses are growing like crazy.
This hasn't gone unnoticed by the aphids either. A quick
inspection this morning turned up more than a few of these pesky
pests
(photos)
living on our rose leaves. Luckily a good squirt of
insecticidal soap will take care of them. Just make sure
the solution makes direct contact with the aphids.
Showers For Flowers...
April took a long time to live up to
it's traditional billing and has finally
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.
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... "The sun was warm
but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March." ~
Robert Frost |
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