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Past Shows:

Show #49
American
Beech
This tree has Persistent Leaves, they stay on
the tree until the new leaves come out in the spring. This
tree provides a great screen year round. It's a native plant
to this part of the country, has cream colored leaves in
winter. It is a huge tree, can be 30 or 40 feet tall and
thrives in the shade. It's an under story tree, thus needs
something over the top of it to thrive, has a course textured
leaf and produces nuts.
Bulbs
Bulbs create change in our gardens and create a bold display.
Tulips are a bulb and in some parts of the world are considered
a perennial, meaning they will come back year after year.
In the South we need to treat Tulips like Annuals, plant
them in the fall, enjoy them in the spring and dig them
up afterwards. Daffodils, are a great perennial and should
come back year after year. To encourage them we need to
feed them bone meal and give them an organic fertilizer
(something with a high middle number - like 5-10-5). This
will encourage flowers and roots to grow. Cut the blooms
at the base. Never cut back their foliage before it dies
because this allows the plant to photosynthesize and retain
the energy it lost when blooming. Use bulbs, they make a
bold display and encourage change in your garden.
Bulb Planting
Stooping to plant bulbs can be a chore. Use a
portable drill with a bulb augur, it's a simple way to dig
a hole for a bulb. You can make it as deep as you like and
widen the hole by making another hole next to the first.
If clay soil, go back and forth so you don't have a glaze
effect. Drill down about two times the diameter of the bulb,
place the bulb then cover with soil. It's easy, fun and
fast.
Winter
Daphne
A
great winter plant is Winter Daphne. It's fragrant, beautiful
and doesn't need a lot of care. You'll find varieties with
pink or cream blooms and you'll find them with variegated
leaves. They like dry, shady areas with good drainage. When
planting use some pine bark mix in the soil or gritty stones.
It's a great plant for the winter garden in the south.
Edgeworthia
It
is a deciduous plant, it has no leaves but does have bloom
pods - clusters. These develop in late summer and last all
winter. The blooms are yellow and have a nice fragrance.
When the plant grows it splits into three branches, then
again into three. If you're looking for something different,
something that blooms in winter look at Edgeworthia, also
known as Rice Paper Plant.
Fescue
If you're looking for a grass for a shady location,
look at Rebel 3 Fescue. Apply one pound of Nitrogen per
thousand square feet and one or two pounds of seed in the
cool time of the year (early spring or fall). Cut it tall
in the summertime. During hot summer months it may die out.
For a situation where you've got really deep shade probably
nothing will do well, if you've got high shade or light
shade, Fescue's the way to go in the South.
Hiding Sprinkler Heads
Philip Jenkins, in order to hide his sprinklers
or to get them over different objects, has decided to hide
his sprinkler heads in unusual locations. He has put them
in birdhouses, urns, columns. It is functional, yet attractive.
Look Inside The Pot
Often time when we buy a plant we look at the flowers, foliage
etc. We would be better served to look at the stem taper
- the size of the stem at the base of the plant compared
to the size as it moves up the plant. If it is thicker at
the base of the plant it indicates there is a lot of energy
stored at the base of the plant. Another place to look is
the stem root interface. That is just below the soil surface,
there should be plenty of roots coming out of the base of
the plant, right below the main stem. Also check out the
roots and root hairs. there should be an enormous number
of white, crisp, healthy roots at the base of the plant.
Take the plant out of the pot and look at things you normally
don't see.
Rosemary
If you're looking for something different look
at Rosemary. It has been used in kitchens for years, it
has a great aroma but it also has beautiful grey-green foliage.
It has a fine texture, plays well against coarse textured
plants and plants with large, shiny leaves. Put Rosemary
in well drained soil and make sure it has full sun. Put
it along corridors or along walkways. It will be a nice
addition to your yard and garden.
Birdhouses
Providing
food and water for your birds will keep them coming to your
property. If you want them to stick around for a while,
provide lodging as well. Birdhouses can be utilitarian,
interesting or whimsical. In selecting a birdhouse decide
which of these you want. If functional, small birds like
Chickadees and Nuthatches prefer an entry hole about 1 &1/8
inches across, medium sized birds, like Swallows need a
nest box 1 & 1/2 inches across, White Brested Nut Hatches
need 1& 1/4 inches and larger birds such as Flickers
require 2 & 1/2 inch entry holes. Bluebirds like houses
about 6 inches wide and about 6 inches deep and a bright
blue color. It's best if the birdhouse faces East or South,
if it faces West it will get hot in the afternoon, which
is deadly for baby birds.
Pruning
If
you want maximum flowers, pruning at the proper time makes
a difference. For a Flowering Crabapple now is a good time
to prune. We must pay attention to the desired form of a
tree and to the desired boundaries for the tree. Then prune
accordingly. Another consideration is branches that cross
one another, thus rub against each other damaging the bark.
Remove one limb in this case. Suckers should be removed.
Open the tree up allowing sunlight and air inside. Cut close
to the base without cutting the main trunk. Prune beneath
a bud, thus saving that growth. Pruning is not something
to fear or avoid, it is good for the tree.
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FEATURED ARTICLE
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