~ April 22, 2009 ~

At Least It's Not Snowing...
The weather has been a bit of a mixed bag so far this week. Blustery Monday, cool yesterday, and quite warm today. We received plenty of moisture over the weekend. My sister who lives in Denver said that they received 14 inches of snow between Friday night and Saturday. UGH! I can't even imagine. The thought of all that snow makes me thankful I live here and not in Denver :) I tried to console her but like us she has had it. It really was a long winter for everyone and now as everything is starting to green up I can only hope those cold, awful days are behind us.

Are Your Roses OK?
This is a good time to check your hybrid tea roses for any damage they might have suffered over our long winter. The extent of damage, if any at all, will vary based on where your roses are growing and what protection they were provided during the freeze periods. Take a look at the canes to inspect for damage:

• If the ends of canes are mushy cut them back to more normal growth.
• Brown canes should be scraped to determine whether the cambium is alive. If not, simply cut back the canes to live growth.
• Green canes are probably healthy and can be left alone.

Most hybrid teas are propagated by budding. If all the growth above the bud union is dead, the plant should be dug up and discarded. Plants grown on their own roots can be allowed to sprout from the base.

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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".

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Showers For Flowers...
April is certainly living up to it's traditional billing by gracing 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:

For a more complete list of drought-tolerant flowers that grow well in the Kansas City area follow this link.

Healthy Houseplants, Healthy Home...
Did you know that houseplants are making your home a healthier place? Over a decade ago NASA scientists discovered that plants are capable of removing volatile organic compounds (VOC's) from the air. The gases most often studied include formaldehyde, benzene, xylene,toluene, ammonia, acetone, methyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, and trichlorethylene. The plants listed below (in no particular order) are proven effective in this arena:

• Palms (Chrysalidocarpus, Rhapis, Chamaedorea, and Phoenix)
• Fern (Nephrolepis)
• Corn Plant and Dragon Tree (Dracaena)
• Rubber Plant and Weeping Fig (Ficus)
• English Ivy (Hedera)
• Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
• Florist Mum (Dendranthemum)
• Gerber Daisy (Gerbera)
• Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)
• Schefflera (Brassaia)
• Orchids (Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis)
• Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)
• Philodendron (Philodendron)
• Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium)
• Pothos (Epipremnum)
• Dwarf Banana (Musa)
• Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

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Do Not Disturb...
If you plan on growing vining fruits and vegetables like cucumber, cantaloupe, summer squash, and watermelon make sure you start the seeds indoors in peat pots. These vining plants don't appreciate having their roots disturbed and the peat pots make it possible to effectively transplant them.

Precipitation Estimation...
Here's a fact that's easy to remember: Most plants need 1 inch of water per week. But how can you be sure? The precipitation figures you hear on the local weather broadcasts may have little in common with what actually falls in your garden. A simple rain gauge is the answer. They are available for a couple of dollars at most hardware and garden stores and are perfectly adequate for the job. Placement is critical - make sure the rain gauge has an unobstructed "view" to the sky. For example, you don't want it under awnings or tree limbs.

More Growin', More Mowin'...
Most of us think of mowing the lawn as a weekly task. 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...
"Flowers changed the face of the planet. Without them, the world we know - even man himself - would never have existed."

~ Loren Eiseley