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
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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

It's peony planting time! Remember
the crowns should be set no more
than 2 inches below ground. Any
deeper and they probably won't
bloom. Also, for better luck in the
flower power department, look for
some of the older varieties of peonies
to grow, such as 'Festiva Maxima',
'Sarah Bernhardt', 'Felix Crousse'
and 'Mons. Jules Elie'. These peonies
tend to need less of a winter chill in
order to develop beaucoup blooms
for next year.

* Now is not too soon to be looking for bargains at nurseries as they
begin to clear their plant shelves for the season. Just remember any
reduced price plants will more than likely be pot-bound, so be sure to
thoroughly loosen the root balls before planting.

* While shopping for plants, if possible, examine the roots. Light colored
roots are the sign of a healthy plant, while a dark brown color is
indicative of a damaged root system, and getting the plant to survive
could be a challenge.

* Fat, striped caterpillars on dill, parsley and fennel could be evident
now. But don't be too quick to destroy them, as they are young Eastern
black swallowtails preparing for the winter ahead.

* Azaleas and camellias are setting blooms now for next year, so, for the
best flower show, be sure they are kept watered through any dry times
this fall.

* If you haven't separated your lily-of-the-valley or perennial phlox in
the last three years, now is a good time to do it.

* Chrysanthemums will be coming into their fall glory soon. For a
maximum bloom show, lightly fertilize the plants every two weeks with a
water-soluble fertilizer.

* For a better display from hellebores this winter and next spring, apply
a time-release fertilizer around them now.

* Time for trading. Such pretty plants as daylilies, Siberian iris, hostas
and peonies can now be divided and swapped with other gardeners.

* Move houseplants inside for the fall and winter before nighttime
temperatures fall into the 50s. Check the plants carefully for any insect
pests or their eggs that might be hiding in the foliage. Also, repot any
plants that have become root-bound.

* Set plant markers beside herbaceous perennials before they die back
in the coming cold. This will help prevent them from being dug up during
the "spring fever" planting season next year.

* The beginning of the month is not too late to plant cool-season
vegetables such as kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, onions, mustard and
radishes. If these plants are going in where summer crops were, turn
over the dirt in the area and mix in generous amounts of compost to get
the soil back in shape to support maximum growth from the new plants.

* Any planting pots that are going to be stored away for the winter
should be thoroughly washed first in a solution of one part bleach and
ten parts water to help prevent fungus and disease problems next
spring.

* If your cool-season fescue or Kentucky bluegrass lawn looks a little
thin, the first part of this month is the prime time to reseed. Remember
to water the lawn regularly after seeding if the rains don't come. Also, if
the lawn is exposed to midday to afternoon sun, it wouldn't be a bad
idea to protect the young, developing seedlings from the heat of the day
with a light covering of hay mulch.

* Established cool-season lawns that don't need reseeding will still
benefit from a fertilizing of one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet
by the middle of this month.

* Warm-season grasses such as Bermuda, zoysia and St. Augustine will
also respond well to being fertilized earlier this month, but at the
reduced rate of 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet.

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.