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Things to Do in May's Garden |
Southeast Gardening with L.A. Jackson |
Another memorable excursion across The Big Pond to see the Great Gardens of Europe concluded on July 4, 2007, after nine days of fun, fascinating sights and certainly good company. I want to personally thank the adventurous crew of Southeast gardeners who made our jobs much easier. For a glimpse of some of the sights we saw on this grand trip, click here for images of our "Memories of Ireland." |
May, 2008 |
Greetings, Gardeners! Welcome to my garden world. As a Southeast garden editor, writer and lecturer for over 20 years, I have discovered that there is not only a lot to learn about plants in our region, but there is also certainly plenty of knowledge to share. So, in the true spirit of all that is green and growing, here is a Web site full of tips, information and updates that I hope will help make your garden just a little bit prettier, just a little bit more successful. If you have a particular question about gardening, I even have an "Ask L.A." page to help solve your problems. I update this site regularly, so don't forget to add it to your bookmarks! |
Designing a Container Garden Color, texture and flower form are the basic elements in designing a container garden. With color today, anything goes. Gone are the days when pink and scarlet clashed—today you can combine any colors you want in a pot or in a grouping. Texture is often best brought out by including foliage plants such as leather-leaved ferns, or asparagus sprengeri with its long lacy fronds. Let trailing plants spill over the edges of the containers to soften and de-formalize plantings. Some perennial ground covers offer interesting textures, and can be dug up and replanted in the garden in the fall when annuals have died back. Flower forms can be grouped into three basic shapes. Line forms like Salvia spendens or snapdragons are tall and spiky. Mass forms such as daisies, petunias or marigolds have many small or large flowers. Focus forms, such as African marigolds or a spectacular geranium plant, are characterized by large or distinctive flowers. One example of combining these forms would be a large container of red salvia (upright form and tall), pale blue petunias (round masses of flowers, medium height), and white alyssum (small, lacy flowers, low and trailing). Or use tall blue lavender for height, and white petunias and red creeping phlox for color. National Garden Bureau |
OK hydrangea lovers, let's go over it one more time: acid soil turns typical hydrangea blooms blue, while alkaline conditions will turn them pink. So, adding dried blood meal or any of the common garden sulfur com- pounds such as aluminum sul- fate or ferrous sulfate will low- er the soil's pH. Incorporating lime into the soil will increase the alkalinity. And for a quicker change of color, consider grow- ing your hydrangeas in large containers rather than in the garden. * Worried about sowing tiny, pinhead-sized seeds too thickly? Just mix them with sand,pour into an old salt shaker and shake, shake, shake the seeds into their proper place in the garden. * After the foliage has faded on naturalized spring-flowering bulbs is a good time to dig up and divide any clumps that have become overcrowded. One of the most obvious signs of overcrowding is a drop in flower production. * A shady porch or deck can be livened up with a container garden or hanging basket with such pretty plant material as begonias, ferns, impatiens and/or English ivy. * It is time for the bulbs of summer. Warm-season beauties such as acidanthera, caladiums, cannas, dahlias and gladioli can be planted now. * It is also a fine time for vines. Quick growing annual eye-catchers such as climbing spinach, hyacinth bean, moonflower, morning glory and black-eyed Susan vines can not only add vertical interest to a garden but can also provide a quick, all-natural screen. * It is now warm enough to plant dahlias. Since many cultivars tend to grow tall and become top-heavy, secure a support stake in the planting hole now so you won't disturb developing roots later. * Annuals such as zinnias, salvias and petunias can become long and lanky, but pinching the plants back when they are about 6 to 8 inches tall will encourage bushier growth. * Plants in the water garden have awakened by now. For best production from lilies and lotus, fertilize them about every three weeks, while marginals will benefit from added nutrients every five to six weeks. * The soil should be warm enough in the next few weeks to round out the vegetable garden with plantings of southern peas, okra, eggplant, hot and sweet peppers, lima beans and sweet potatoes. * As early-planted beans, peas, lettuce, cucumbers and summer squash mature and begin to produce crops, establish a regular harvesting schedule to keep the plants picked. This will encourage a larger, more extended yield. * Water is critical in the vegetable patch, but it is especially important to keep onions and cucumbers from drying out. If they aren't watered regularly, onions will not mature to their proper, plump size and cukes will develop a bitter taste. * Love radishes but hate the heat that builds up in them as the spring season grows long? Try planting a Daikon-type radish, which remains crisp and mild even as the summer starts to simmer. * Blossom-end rot prevention on tomatoes and peppers begins now. Keep the plants on a regular watering schedule and, at the end of the month, mulched to prevent them from becoming stressed and thus more susceptible to blossom-end rot. * Keep your basil bushy. Pinch it back now for more compact growth. * Want fresh, home-grown fruit that doesn't require thinning and constant spraying? Try blueberry bushes, which, by the way, can also be attractive ornamental additions to the landscape. * The early bird gets the strawberry. Berries keep best if they are harvested early in the day. To also help extend storage life, don't wash or de-stem the berries until you are ready to use them. * Tough plants for tough places such as parched, open areas and sun-baked hillsides include creeping juniper, ajuga and moss pink. * Slugs, snails and other soft-bodied invaders starting to suck on your young plants in the garden? Discourage them naturally by using light rings of ash from last winter's wood fires around any tender targets to keep these pests away. * Want a window box to show off flowering plants? Select wood over metal, as metal window boxes can easily overheat plants in the summer sun. Wooden boxes act as more of an insulator against harsh sunrays. Also, use light, reflective colors as opposed to darker, more heat-absorbing hues. * For the same reasons, if you want a fully functional birdhouse, choose a wooden one. Ornamental metal birdhouses should only be used as indoor decorations because they can quickly become small ovens in the summer sun-not exactly a hospitable environment for raising a young brood of fledglings! * By the middle to the end of this month, the soil should be warm enough in annual vegetable and flower beds to allow the addition of a 2 to 3-inch layer of organic mulch to protect root zones through the heat of the summer. |
Pesticide Safety Some pesticides are more dangerous than others. A clue to a pesticide's toxicity can be found on its label. If it is marked "Danger," it is a real potent punch. A "Warning" label, however, is not a s toxic to humans, but it still needs to be handled carefully. The safest pesticides are usually marked "Caution," but remember, they are still poisonous. Generally, a person would have to swallow an ounce to a quart of this type pesticide to be in serious trouble. (As compared to a slight taste of a "Danger" pesticide or one teaspoon to two tablespoons of a "Warning" pesticide.) Of course, swallowing smaller amounts of these chemicals will still cause problems, so keep the containers in a safe place when they are not in use. If you can't lock them up, place pesticides in a high, out-of-the-way place inaccessible to children. Also, if for some reason you don't put a pesticide back into its original bottle or bag, be sure to clearly mark the chemical's name on the outside of the new container. Before applying a pesticide that is unfamiliar to you, read the label thoroughly first. Not only will it tell you the proper way to apply the chemical, but it will normally tell you what to do in case a poisoning accidentally occurs. Some pesticides don't need to be swallowed to cause problems. Many can be harmful if they are splashed in the eyes or on the skin. Some are so dangerous that even the fumes will get you if you are not careful. So, the appropriate battle-gear to wear while using these chemicals is a long-sleeved shirt, long-legged pants, a hat and, for more dangerous pesticides, a respirator. Also, for both better concentration on your plants and safety's sake, don't spray or dust when it is windy. You could easily get more pesticide on you than on the problem you are trying to control. |