Gardener

Ireland is a land of such beauty that to
not enjoy it is to leave your life
incomplete. Ireland is just that nice.
Having been over to the Emerald Isle
several times, I know all too well the
many memorable sights that bless this
ancient, captivating land. And maybe it is
time that you, too, succumb to the beauty
of Ireland and think about making your
own memories. I can help make that
happen. If you are interested in a trip to
Ireland, please feel free to contact me by
email at: lajackson1@gmail.com to find
out when the next "adventure" will be. If
you are part of a group that wants to
venture to the this grand land, contact
me about special group rates and the
dates your party (And I guarantee it will
be a party!) would like to go. If you need
more incentives for a trip, click here to
see what awaits you.

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

Did you receive an amaryllis
for Christmas? Don't be temp-
ted to "baby" the bulb by put-
ting it in a large pot. Amaryllis
blooms best in tight quarters,
so use a pot that only provides
about an inch of space from
the bulb to the sides of the
container.

* If you are growing plants indoors under fluorescent
lamps, keep the lights shining brightly by dusting the tubes
once a month and replacing any lights that are over two
years old.
* Thinking about growing plants indoors under fluorescent
lights? Consider a setup that uses 4-foot tubes-generally
the cheapest fluorescents available at about a dollar a tube.
Also, mix "cool" white tubes with "warm" white ones to
provide a wider light spectrum for plants.
* Have those soil tests been done yet? The more you know
about your growing ground now, the better you will be able
to tend to your plants' needs during the growing seasons.
* Autumn is but a memory now, but still be vigilant about
keeping fallen tree leaves off the lawn to prevent them from
becoming matted down and suffocating the grass.
* Warm days followed by bitterly cold nights could lead to a
condition known as ground heaving, which can expose bulbs
and plant roots. To help prevent this, apply a light, 2- to
3-inch winter mulch in the plant beds.
* Still haven't planted all those bulbs you bought last fall?
This has been a weird, warm end of the year, so go ahead
and plant any leftover bulbs with confidence.
* If you need to use guy wires to keep new trees straight,
slip a piece of old hose onto the wire and place it where the
wire comes into contact with the tree to prevent the wire
from cutting into the plant.
* Notice how ornamental grasses add structure and interest
to the garden now and plan to plant more for the winter
garden in the future.
* Now is parsley planting time. The seeds need the winter's
cold to properly germinate, but even then, they are
notoriously slow at sprouting. Speed the process up a bit by
soaking them overnight in water before planting them in the
garden.
* It is certainly not too late to be ordering plants and seeds
from catalogs in time for the spring growing season!
* When picking out vegetable and ornamental plants for this
year's garden, consider not only disease- and
insect-resistant cultivars but also drought-tolerant
selections.
* If you had trouble with aphids, scale, mealy bugs or mites
last year on fruit trees or roses, now is a good time to cut
down on the populations of next spring and summer. Apply
a dormant oil to plants during a period when the
temperature is forecast to be above 40°F (and below 85°F)
for at least 48 hours. This oil will also smother insects on
other plants, but read the label first before applying.
* Yes, there can be a drought during the winter. That is why
it is a good idea to maintain mulches through the cold
months and water newly established plants regularly if the
rains don't come. Also, evergreens will lose less water if an
antitranspirant spray such as Wilt-Pruf is applied during the
cold, dry times.
* Pecan trees producing bumper crops every other year?
They need fertilizer. Add nutrients now for a better crop of
nuts later. A general recommendation is four pounds of
8-8-8 or 10-10-10 per inch of trunk diameter scattered
around the drip line of each tree.
* Winter-blooming camellias (Camellia japonica) should
really start to show off this month, but after the show,
there is a job to do. Be sure to rake up and dispose of any
spent flowers that have fallen underneath the bush to help
discourage camellia petal blight.
* Is your winter landscape looking too brown, too gray, too
dull? Liven it up a bit by applying brightly colored spray
paints to dried grass stems and empty seed pods.
* Speaking of winter color, stop by your local garden center,
botanical garden or arboretum to see how conifers are
lighting up the landscape naturally with various shades of
green, gold, burgundy, copper and bronze.
ter in the birdbath at least once a week.

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.