Eileen's flower of the week: Nigella damascena, Love-in-a-mist.
(AKA Devil-In-The-Bush !?)
Eileen's shrub of the week: Ceanothus americanus, New Jersey Tea
BLOOMING IN JUNE (2008) RED SEEDHEADS JUNE (2012)
Aaron's Plant of the Week: Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora
It looks great in my yard right now!
Some Common Gardening Terms
Perennial - a plant that lives for more than one year. Usually refers to "herbaceous" perennials: plants with soft stems that die back to the ground in winter then return in spring.
Example: daylilies
Annual - a plant that lives for just one growing season. Some plants that are annuals in our climate are actually perennials in other climates, but they do not tolerate our cold winters.
Example: tomatoes
Deadhead - not a Grateful Dead Fan! - remove a flower after it has finished blooming, especially to remove it to the base of the flowering stem.
Example: Pelargoniums, aka annual Geranium; article from ABOUT.COM
Pinching - remove a stem back to a node, usually before it blooms, to promote a compact, bushy plant and later flowering.
Example: Chrysanthemums, Asters, Coleus; article from ABOUT.COM
Sidedress (fertilizer)- Add fertilizer to the soil near the base of a plant, usually during the growing season, especiallly if it's a plant known to use large amount of fertilizer (tomato), or a plant is showing signs of nutrient deficiency, such as yellowing. Sidedressing is also used to change the acidity/alkalinity of the soil for plants such as Hydrangeas and Blueberries.
Fertilizer Numbers - Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium: always in this order on the bag. These are called the "macronutrients" or "major nutrients" because plants won't do well without them. However, there are quite a few important nutrients, such as sulfur, iron, and magnesium that are not on the front of the bag, but may be the cause of a deficiency. Look for fertilizer that says it includes the "micronutrients." Soil that has been managed by adding lots of organic matter (well-aged compost is best) often does not need added nutrients.
Transplanting - is best learned by watching an experienced gardener. Good soil contact is the most important skill to learn, planting at a depth the plant will tolerate is also important.
Examples: Plants that will put out roots along the stem, such as sweet potatoes, coleus, and tomatoes are often planted deep in order to increase the size of the roots.
Peonies will not bloom as well if they are planted too deep.
Trees such as oaks, pines, sugar maples will have malformed root systems, fail to grow well, and will likely eventually die or fall over if planted too deep (which is much too common.)
Good videos seem hard to find! This is one of the better ones. The plant is much smaller than a typical tomato. This would actuallywork best for plants that are planted at the same depth they grow in the pot, unlike tomatoes, which can be planted very deeply.
Green Meadows West Prairie Walks
7 PM, Windsor Park playground parking lot.Turn right (east) off NW 86th Street onto Windsor Parkway and dead-end into the parking lot.
June 28, Thursday
July 10, Tuesday
July 23 Monday
Auguest 9 Thursday
August 29 Wednesday
Bring bottled water and mosquito repellent, depending on conditions. The walk is "easy" on a gently sloped, paved trail.
An Amorphophallus Update
a few weeks back Aaron recieved a voodoo lily (Amorphophallus konjac) corm from a friend. Its really starting to grow!
Renovating Strawberries, ISU Extension 6/13/2012
Davidsans Japanese Maples: Find The Perfect Japanese Maple
Imidacloprid drench on Linden, written before concerns about honeybees and imidaclopris were considered.
Tomato diseases and disorders
