Each year, Keep Peoria Beautiful salutes the exceptional effort of homeowners and neighborhood associations with a prestigious Iris Award.

The awards are presented for outstanding landscaping and beautification of homes, gardens and neighborhoods. Applicants are judged for their overall appearance including lawns and gardens, landscaping, and site enhancements.

The 2012 Iris Award winners were announced and recognized Tuesday at the Peoria City Council meeting. Certificates were presented and each winning homeowner and neighborhood was awarded a special Keep Peoria Beautiful yard sign to display on their property. The 2012 Iris Award winners are:

1. Bill and Barbara Bedford, 828 W. South Forest Trail. This home has a large shady yard full of beautiful colors and textures. Hostas and plume poppy fill sweeping beds under mature oak trees. A white picket fence provides a backdrop to colorful perennials, while a pergola-covered gate leads to the backyard.

2. Lorraine B. Carter, 1804 W. Martin St. Her home has cheerful yellow siding and is framed by neatly trimmed shrubs. Colorful pots of annuals frame the door and line the sidewalk.

3. Cathie Crawford, 512 E. High Point Road. Crawford has made the most of her relatively small front planting area. Every inch overflows with beautiful shrubs, grasses and perennials. A lovely Oakleaf hydrangea frames the front door and inviting benches and pottery accent the plantings. Bold foliage plays off blue evergreens and airy grasses. Unique varieties make this garden a plant-lover’s paradise.

4. Jerry and Marie Hoerr, 306 E. Glen Ave. The large sweeping lawn contains unique vignettes of plants and decorations. Bird feeders, soothing fountains, and a plant palette full of texture and color make this an oasis in the city.

5. Richard Kangas, 1625 N. Bigelow St. His home is a bright spot in one of Peoria’s older neighborhoods. Dense plantings fill the yard and surround a large assortment of bird feeders and porch plants add a welcoming touch.

6. Doug Kirk, 3814 N. University St. His home provides a visual treat to motorists stopped at the busy intersection of University Street and War Memorial Drive. Pottery and planters filled with tropicals help capitalize on the small space. Cannas and coleus add color and bold foliage, while sweet potato vines drape over the porch railings.

7. Catherine Lewis, 827 W. Russell St. Her home is full of color and whimsy. The small front yard is edged with white fencing. Potted annuals frame the front porch, while unique sculptures catch the eye. Flowers in bright yellows, reds and oranges complement the house.

8. Jo Anne Richardson, 247 E. High Point Road. Layers of annuals and perennials combine to create a season-long display of color. While strategically placed garden art adds a touch of humor.

9. Ernesto and Catherina Salgado, 2407 N. Maryland St. This house has a shady side yard full of hostas, colorful annuals, and is accented with a fountain and statuary. Along the driveway and front porch, pots of many shapes and sizes contain delicate Japanese maples, artfully trimmed topiary, or colorful combinations of annuals and tropicals. They all add up to create a beautiful scene.

10. Williamsburg Neighborhood Association, Mike Bima, President. The Williamsburg Neighborhood Association has created a beautiful community with a cohesive look. Red brick sidewalks curve along the shady streets, lined with colonial-inspired brick homes and streetlights. Each front yard is lined with a split-rail fence, while the homes are surrounded by mature trees, rolling ravines and dense woods.

COASTAL BEND —
GARDEN TALKS AT GILL: Gill Landscape Nursery, 2810 Airline Road, will host the fall 2012 garden talks beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday with “Prunning Trimming in Fall” with James Gill. “Fall Vegetable Gardening” with Chuck Sodek, 10:15 a.m.; “Making Good Soil,” 1:30 to 2 p.m. with Steven Akers and “Lawn Care for Fall” with James Gill, 3 to 3:30 p.m. Free. Other classes include: Sept. 22: 10 a.m., landscaping with edibles with Phillip Elbert; Sept. 29: 10 a.m., growing and using herbs with Mary Dunford; Oct. 6: 10 a.m., organic gardening with Andy Chidester; Oct. 13: 10 a.m., container gardening with Merlien Wilder. Information: 992-9674.

HERBS FOR FALL AND WINTER: Carol Krank will discuss herbs for fall and winter at 2 p.m. Sunday at Turner’s Gardenland, 6503 S. Padre Island Drive. Free. Information: 991-9002.

GENERAL MEETING: Master Gardener general meeting is at noon Tuesday at the Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely Drive. Stephanie Martin and Betty Rogers will discuss “Herbs: Preserving Using.” Free. Information: 814-7776.

BROMELIAD SOCIETY: The Bromeliad Society will have a round-table discussion on “Identifying Bromeliads” at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely Drive. Free. Information: 549-8110.

BIRDS OF PREY: Local naturalist and Hawk Watch education coordinator Beth Hoekje lectures on identifying common birds of prey at the “Introduction to Hawks Raptors” seminar, from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 22 at South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center, 8545 S. Staples St. Cost: $8; free/members. Information/reservations: 852-2100.

FLOWER GARDENING: Carol Krank will discuss fall flower gardening at 2 p.m. Sept. 23 at Turner’s Gardenland, 6503 S. Padre Island Drive. Free. Information: 991-9002.

GARDEN CLUB: First Presbyterian Church Garden Club meets at 9:45 a.m. in Kleberg Hall, 430 S. Carancahua St. Meetings are open to members and nonmembers. Sept: 25: Marion Muenzenberger, Carl’s Fine Flowers, “Create New Arrangements from Old;” Oct. 23: Don and Rhoda Poenisch, Native Plant Society, “Easy to Grow Native Plants;” Nov. 27: Carol Krank, Turner’s Gardenland, “Butterfly Gardens;” Jan. 22: Michael Womack, “Best Shade Trees for Corpus Christi;” Feb. 26: Kathy Hubner, Gill’s Nursery, “Plants for Shady Areas;” March 26: Susan Matthews, “Preparing the Easter Cross;” May 28: Induction of officers and salad luncheon at 11:30. Information: 884-4057.

HERBS IN SOUTH TEXAS: The seminar “Growing Herbs in South Texas” is from 10 to noon Oct. 6 at the South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center, 8545 S. Staples St. Nueces Master Gardener and Turner’s Gardenland certified nursery professional Carol Krank reveals her recommended herb varieties and growing tips for successful herb gardening and harvesting. Cost: $8. Information: 852-2100.

BAY GARDENS: The Corpus Christi Area Garden Council Inc. will host the fall garden tour, “Gardens Around the Bay” from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 21. Tickets are $10 and are available at Turner’s Gardenland, Gill Landscape Nursery, Green’s and Thing’s and garden club members. Three gardens in Corpus Christi and two in Portland will be featured, plus admission to South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center. Information: 991-5375 or bwhitt33@swbell.net

ASK THE GARDEN PRO

QUESTION: I noticed that my mesquite tree has turned gray. Can you please help me save this beautiful tree?

ANSWER: Your mesquite tree has powdery mildew. It is a common occurrence in late summer and early fall on this tree, with little damage to the tree other than the unusual appearance. The good news is that you don’t have to do anything for your mesquite tree. The leaves will drop in the winter and new leaves next spring will be free of the fungus. However, you need to be on the lookout in other plants in your landscape and garden to prevent powdery mildew from harming other susceptible plants. This fungus may affect roses, zinnias, and some vegetables including squash, cucumbers, beans and tomatoes. Treatment with an approved fungicide is warranted.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Nutrients and water are taken up better by shrubs and trees if applied to the extended root area, not right up against the trunk.

– Karen Easton

There is a touch of fall in the air as brisk breezes abruptly whisked away a few days of muggy summertime warmth and humidity creating a sense of urgency to perform a wide array of landscaping activities. Although this past spring offered unprecedented warmth and phenomenal growing conditions, typical New England springs often feature cold, soggy soils and unpredictable weather conditions that pose many challenges for homeowners with lengthy lists of gardening chores. The warm days and cool evenings of September offer an ideal opportunity to get a head start on many of these gardening projects, while warm, workable soils and reliable moisture make the fall season often the best time to renovate lawns, prepare new gardens, divide and transplant perennials, and plant bulbs, trees, and shrubs.

My first priority each September is to stroll through the landscape with my notebook and camera to document the fall garden while critically viewing and analyzing my lawn, gardens, and shrubbery. I try to imagine an ideal world with unlimited time, energy, and resources to perfect my surroundings. Digital images are snapped of my perennial borders to remind me of the mature size of my perennials at season’s end to avoid over-planting during the spring season when there appears to be so much empty space between the plants.

Light exposure in all gardens is also recorded several times during the day as the availability of sunlight changes each year as trees and shrubs mature affecting the performance of many plants. Some sun-loving perennials may require relocation to brighter locales to ensure better performance, although thinning-out or limbing-up trees may resolve low light issues. Light pruning of some trees and shrubs will be done this fall, but major pruning of trees will be performed in early spring when their architecture is easier to view. Transplanting of deciduous trees and shrubs will be delayed until their leaves drop later this season. 

My notebook quickly fills with long lists of changes to be made, trees and shrubs that require pruning, and perennials that should be divided, transplanted, or eliminated. Once my initial list is generated, I attempt to prioritize the projects knowing that the list will continue to grow exponentially each time I walk through the garden.

High on the priority list is caring for my tender plants. Although frosts are unlikely until October, innumerable tropical plants, houseplants, and annuals are sensitive to temperatures even in the forties. Coleus plants are particularly vulnerable to cool temperatures and during the coming week, I plan to take tip cuttings from these colorful annuals, dip them in rooting powder and insert them into pots of perlite. In a few weeks, rooted cuttings will be transplanted into containers of potting soil and grown in a warm, bright location through the winter months. Houseplants that enjoyed the summer outdoors should be gradually acclimated to the lower light conditions they will encounter in your home environment. Even houseplants that spent the summer in the shade received much brighter light than they are likely to find indoors. If these plants can be moved into a sunroom or porch prior to the threat of frost, the gradual reduction in light will be less of a shock, although nearly all plants experience some leaf-drop or dieback as they adjust to lower light and humidity in our dry, heated indoor spaces.

Before bringing any plant indoors, closely inspect cuttings and houseplants for pests. Somehow insects seem to know which plants are destined for a warm, cozy winter indoors. Many often go unnoticed for weeks while sucking the vitality out of our plants. Although no insects may be readily observed, eggs laid on the foliage may hatch once the plants are brought into warmer environments. One or two applications of a light horticultural oil spray, a safe, odorless pesticide that works by suffocation, will eliminate a large percentage of the typical intruders including aphids, scale, mealy bugs, white flies, and spider mites. For long-term systemic insect control, consider spraying with Bayer Rose and Flower. Be sure to check the drainage holes of the containers for sow bugs, worms, and slugs or you may discover them crawling across the floors of your home.

September is the preferred time of year to install or renovate lawns. Warm soil temperatures facilitate the prompt germination of grass seed without interference from a profusion of weed seed sprouts and Mother Nature usually assists with the important task of providing consistent moisture. This is an ideal time to treat persistent weeds, patch bare spots, remove thatch, aerate, overseed, spread lime, and fertilize. Established lawns tend to develop thatch, an interwoven layer of dead grass plants (not grass clippings) between the soil and green growth. A thin layer of thatch helps conserve moisture and nutrients, but when thatch exceeds a half inch, it reduces the ability of grass plants to secure moisture and nutrients. Vigorous raking may remove light thatch, but a large or neglected lawn may require heavier equipment to extricate a dense layer of matted dead grass plants. Older lawns also benefit from core aeration, especially in areas compacted by heavy traffic.

Weeding gardens should also be a priority, especially the removal of seed-laden intruders like crabgrass. The soft, damp earth offers an ideal opportunity to extricate tap-rooted dandelion and pokeweed sprouts and other misplaced wildflowers lurking beneath the drooping foliage of declining perennials where they are secretly dispersing their seeds. A few minutes each day will save hours of weeding next spring.

As dusk approached on a cool, crisp September eve, heaps of weeds and crabgrass quickly filled my tarp, dramatically improving the overall appearance of the garden and providing a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

Suzanne Mahler is an avid gardener, photographer and lecturer who has been developing the 1.5-acre property surrounding her home in Hanover for more than 30 years. Her weekly gardening column Green Thumbs Up has appeared in GateHouse Media New England newspapers for more than a decade. She is a member of two local garden clubs, past president of the New England Daylily Society, and an overseer for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and she is employed at two garden centers.