May Flowers,
No Showers...
It seems as if we have fallen into a dry pattern so be
prepared to water. The gardens and lawn need at least an inch of
water per week - so if Mother Nature is
not going to provide it for us then we need to stay on our toes
to keep our plants alive. The seven-day
forecast looks pretty bleak with the highest chance of rain at
30% - and that is late Sunday evening.
I would have to say the odds are not in our favor. The
temperatures have not been too hot but warm enough to make
everything a bit thirsty. I am already having to water most of my
pots twice a day. Once in the morning and again in the evening.
The beginning of a full-time job.
Don't
forget you still have time to get to
Bannister
Garden Center to choose from over 100 varieties of peonies to
plant. They have cut peonies to smell,
peony plants to purchase and a Peonies
Points Card
all waiting for you. What's great about the
Peonies Points
Card is that for every $100 you
spend they stamp your card and in the fall you receive a bare
root peony for free! So if you are contemplating peonies
Bannister Garden Center is the only place to go.
Another big
thanks to Belinda and Jan Olson for donating a $500
Family
Tree Nursery gift certificate to
help me raise money for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Deborah Reiman,
the winner of the gift certificate was thrilled
(photo).
The generosity and support from the community has been
overwhelming. Thanks to all of you!
~
Shelly
Mulch Matters...
Well, the unofficial start of summer is
this weekend (Memorial Day).
As the real thing sneaks up on Kansas
City gardeners we must prepare our gardens for the heat and
drought-like conditions that seem inevitable. Mulching your
garden is one of the best things you can do to help retain soil
moisture and keep weeds at bay.
Missouri Organic Recycling just
supplied us with lots of great mulch for our gardens.
Here are some common mulching materials and a few thoughts on
each:
- Bark
Mulches are very common and effective. They are available
as chips, chunks, nuggets or shredded. In addition to being
generally attractive bark mulches resist compaction quite well.
- Wood
Chips are also common, effective and economical. They can
deplete the soil of nitrogen however so additional fertilizing
may be required.
- Pine
Needles are especially good around acid loving plants like
azaleas and blueberries.
- Straw
is inexpensive and is often used in large vegetable gardens.
Make sure it is free of crop and weed seeds or you're just
making more work for yourself.
- Grass
Clippings should only be used after they have dried out
thoroughly. If the source lawn has weeds your mulched garden
will likely get them too. Not too
attractive.
- Rocks
can be attractive and effective but they don't provide any of
the decomposition benefits of organic mulches. Rock mulch in
direct sun can get quite hot causing problems for some tender
plants.
- Black
Plastic and Fabric aren't much to look at but they do keep
the weeds down.
As a
general rule mulching with anything is better than not
mulching at all. It's that effective.
For an
in-depth look at this important topic don't miss
All
About Mulch in our Features section.
Squirrel Damage To Trees...
People often wonder what clips the tips of branches off of trees.
Though twig girdlers can cause this type of damage, squirrels are
often the culprits. It is easy to tell the difference between
twig girdler damage and squirrel damage. Girdler damage looks
like a beaver has fed on the branch, leaving it smooth and cone
shaped. Squirrel damage is more tattered and cut at an angle. We
are not sure why squirrels do this though it may be to sharpen
and clean their teeth.
Source
Tell Me Why...
One of the most common questions we get asked is simply, "Why
won't my plant bloom?" Why indeed. There are often several
factors involved but most can be explained by one of the
following circumstances:
- Age
of Plant - Being too young or immature is a very common
reason that many trees do not flower. Plants need to reach a
certain level of maturity before they begin to flower each year
- Shade
- Lack of adequate light is another very common reason that
many types of plants do not flower. Plants may grow but not
flower in the shade.
- Cold
or Frost Injury - Cold weather may kill flower buds
or partially opened flowers. Plants that are not fully hardy
in our area are the most susceptible to this type of cold
injury.
-
Drought - Flowers or flower buds dry and drop off when
there is temporary lack of moisture in the plants.
-
Improper Pruning - Some plants bloom only on last year’s
wood. Pruning plants at the wrong time of the year can remove
the flower buds for next year’s blossoms. Many spring
flowering plants, such as azaleas begin setting next year’s
flower buds in the late spring. Pruning these plants in the
summer or fall may prevent flowering next year. Cutting back a
plant severely, such as with climbing roses, can remove all the
flowering wood.
-
Nutrient Imbalance - Too much nitrogen can cause plants to
produce primarily leaves and stems. The plant will be large
and usually very green and healthy but will have few or no
flowers.
Source
Is That Poison
Ivy?
Learning to
identify poison ivy is vital if you wish to avoid the rash that
accompanies exposure. Unfortunately, poison ivy can make
identification difficult because it occurs in three forms: an
erect woody shrub, a groundcover that creeps along the ground,
and a woody vine that will climb trees. When poison ivy climbs,
it forms numerous aerial roots that gives the vine the appearance
of a fuzzy rope. The leaves of poison ivy also vary. Though the
compound leaf always has three leaflets, the leaf margins may be
toothed, incised, lobed or smooth. The size of the leaves can
also vary though usually the middle leaflet is larger than the
other two. Also, the middle leaflet is the only one with a long
stalk; the other two are closely attached to the petiole (leaf
stem). The number of leaves gives rise to the saying: "Leaves of
three, let it be!" Poison ivy is often confused with Virginia
creeper. Virginia creeper, however, has five leaflets rather than
three.
Source
On Your Mark, Get Set,
Pinch...
No this isn't
a race but if you start pinching back aster, garden phlox and
mums now you're sure to win later! Pinching back the blooms will
encourage bushier plants with more flowers. After some of your
summer perennials have tired out and are no longer blooming these
plants will start to peak and will add that much needed color to
your garden. Soooo, no need to dust off the running shoes for
this race just limber up those thumbs and start pinching!
Are you a garden, lawn, or
landscape
professional looking for some
extra exposure?
We are
currently writing articles
on the following subjects and
may be able to use your
expertise.
~ Stump Removal
and Grinding
~ Fencing
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Contact Us!
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Tastier Herbs...
There are lots of good reasons to grow herbs. First on my
list is for cooking. Nothing compares to the taste of fresh
herbs added to your favorite dish. I used to buy pesto in a
jar. I thought it was good until I started making my own from
garden-fresh basil. There's no going back folks.
If cooking
is your goal make sure you do not fertilize your herbs too much.
The essential oils that provide flavor are more concentrated when
herbs are grown in moderately rich soil with just enough
fertilizer to keep them green. Too much fertilizer encourages
the plant to grow large but at the sacrifice of less flavor. To
get greater quantities without sacrificing quality simply grow
many more, albeit smaller, plants.
Take A Powder...
A white powdery film on your lawn is likely an outbreak of
powdery mildew. This fungal disease is favored by cool spring or
fall weather, and is common in shaded areas. Kentucky bluegrass
in shady areas is especially susceptible. High nitrogen levels
also favor disease development. Fortunately, while it is not
very attractive, powdery mildew rarely causes significant damage
to turf.
Finally... "Whatever is in any
way beautiful has its source of beauty in itself, and is complete
in itself; praise forms no part of it."
~ Marcus Aurelius |