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Vegetables to plant in April include cantaloupe, collards, corn, cucumber, cucuzza, cushaw, honeydew, lima beans, luffa, Malabar spinach, mirliton (plant sprouted fruit), okra, pumpkin, snap beans, Southern peas, squashes, sweet potato (plant rooted cuttings), Swiss chard and watermelon. Plant transplants of tomato, peppers and eggplant.
Posted: Friday, April 4, 2014 1:08 pm
The Daily Herald, Roanoke Rapids, NC
Sunday through April 12 is National Volunteer Week. I would like to take this time to recognize the group of volunteers I work most closely with: The Roanoke Valley Master Gardeners, for all the time, effort and knowledge they have donated to Halifax County over the past year. The Master Gardeners are a group of volunteers who, after a period of training through the Halifax County Extension Service, donate their expertise to the community in the form of volunteer projects.
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Friday, April 4, 2014 1:08 pm.
2 hours ago | Mobile Reader | Print
For gardeners who are just getting into gardening as well as those finding themselves having to replant after last year’s brutal winter, there are plenty of new plants to consider this year. However, local experts say the basics of setting up a garden that will last for years comes down to good planning.
Both Jennifer Osburn, owner of Martin’s Nursery in Luling, and Henry Hunter, general manager and horticulturist for Banting’s Nursery in Bridge City, said gardeners should be sure to check out information provided by the LSU AgCenter both online and in their local office located at 1313 Paul Maillard Road in Luling.
“They keep really good track of new and up and coming plants and they deem some of them ‘Louisiana Super Plants’ for which they have done all of the work. They have tested them out and made sure they are going to grow here. That is the first resource to tap,” Osburn said.
Before setting out to build a great garden, Hunter said there are a few things every gardener needs to know.
“Whenever you are starting you are going to get what you put into it. I would suggest starting off with a good soil quality,” he said. “You can work with soil to improve it. The LSU AgCenter can give you a soil test.”
Next, a gardener needs to plan their planting and map out the shape of what they hope their garden will look like once it is fully grown.
Osburn said a gardener must determine the concept behind their garden.
“The thing to determine in your home garden is do you want your plants to be annual or do you want them to be perennial?” she said. “Perennials are things that come back year after year and annuals are plants that you plant annually. In Louisiana we could say we have two seasons, a warm season and a cool season. So in Louisiana, you’d have two plantings for annuals, warm and cool. That’s what you have to determine in your own garden.”
Osburn said there are many options when considering new plantings.
“Things that are perennial here in Louisiana are lantanas, blue days, Mexican heather, which all good blooming plants that usually come back year after year. Some examples of annuals would be petunias, periwinkle or impatiens depending on how cold we get,” she said.
However, Osburn said the annuals available at local nurseries vary from week to week.
“There are many, many to choose from, and it all depends too on what week you go to the nursery. For instance, now I don’t have everything just yet because it is still not warm enough for some of these things to have sprouted out. So if you came to the nursery today you would find Louisiana phlox for instance, you would find delphinium, but if you come in three weeks those things will be finished,” she said
For gardeners who are planting for the first time or coming back from the cold winter, Osburn encourages them to build the garden with a foundation of evergreen plants that will last through cold winters and then fill the holes in with annuals, whose life cycle is only one season.
“Set up a foundation. I’d suggest three or four plants to set up a foundation planting. Indian hawthorn, loropetalum, amelias, azaleas, something like that for instance and then leave pockets in the bed for annual color,” she said. “Leave areas open for annuals, but definitely set up an evergreen foundation.”
This year Hunter said new plants are being recommended, especially due to the historically cold winter, and should become more popular with local gardeners.
“Especially after this winter people are going towards things that are evergreen and hearty,” he said. “People are leaning more towards azalea, camellia, Indian hawthorns and hydrangeas. For their landscapes people are still doing tropical things, but maybe it is a better idea to do tropical plants in planters so you can bring them inside when it gets cold.”
Gardeners should also take into account the placement of plants. Hunter said researching growth patterns of each plant will provide gardeners with a good idea of how the plants should be arranged in the bed.
“Of course tiers are going to be the best way to go. They need to be arranged by height, you don’t want anything growing taller in the front than something that is going to grow smaller in the back,” he said. “Pay attention to growth pattern as well as the sun and light requirements.”
In addition to selecting the proper plants and arranging them, gardeners should also keep in mind garden bed preparation and maintenance.
Hunter said doing the right things in the beginning of the planting process can save a gardener from doing a lot of work on the back end.
“Bed prep is where you want to start for sure,” he said. “After you get everything planted, mulch is the second most important thing. You really want to lay a heavy coating of mulch to keep those weeds down. That is the secret to being successful, doing it right the first time. That will keep from a lot of labor in June or July.”
Gardeners should also keep in mind that even hearty plants need to be cared for the first month or so before they can grow on their own.
“The first year you plant anything you are going to want to water every other day for the first couple of week and then once a week for the first couple of months and then you are on you own,” Hunter said. “You are going to have to take care of it for the first couple of months before you let it go. The key to success is not just planting, you need to follow up.”
April 3, 2014
The Port Arthur News
The Port Arthur News
Thu Apr 03, 2014, 05:50 PM CDT
GROVES —
The joy of gardening can be appreciated by people of all ages, just ask Jeanene Ebeling.
Ebeling, horticulture program assistant with Texas AM AgriLife Extension, met with upwards of 20 people at the Groves Public Library during an Adult Life Enrichment Series regarding gardening tips for seniors on Thursday.
Gilbert and Vera Lege of Groves went from the Groves Senior Citizens Center where they had lunch to the library across the street to learn helpful hints. The Lege’s have amaryllis flowers and bluebonnets plus some vegetables as well.
“I always have my Texas AM jalapeno,” Gilbert Lege said with a smile. “They’re mild.”
Pat Donnelly, who took home a basil grow kit as a door prize at the event, was pleased with the seminar.
“I loved it,” Donnelly said about the event.
Donnelly enjoys gardening and said she’s like to see more seminars such as the one of Thursday that deal with specifics on gardening and other topics.
Ebeling told the group that gardening enriches people physically, mentally and spiritually and increases a person’s physical activity.
And while aging can cause diminished physical strength due to arthritis or limited mobility there are still ways to enjoy gardening such as : gardening in five and 10 minute increments and work your way up to 30 minute increments if possible, utilizing an “enabling” garden which is elevated with raised bed so the gardener doesn’t have to bend over and using hanging plants and window sill herb gardens.
Vertical gardens such as growing beans and cucumbers along a fence or chicken coop wire is also a way for people to enjoy gardening and make sure you have a place to sit and rest if needed.
“If you can go and sit in the shade and check your plants you’re more likely to do that,” Ebeling said. “Plus you can avoid constant stooping and squatting.”
Gardening in the early morning or afternoon is a good way to avoid the heat of the day and she advised the group to wear lightweight comfortable clothing.
For more information on gardening or other such topics contact the AgriLife office at 1225 Pearl St., Suite 200 in Beaumont or call 835-8461.
The library’s Adult Life Enrichment Series will continue with The Art of Making Cheese on April 9. The class is limited to 20 participants.
Thursday, May 8 and 9 is a two-part class on Making Coiled Basketry and requires a $5 donation for material costs. Only 10 to 12 students will be scheduled.
Thursday, May 15 will be The Art of Making Wine.
For more information about the classes, call the library at 962-6281.
E-mail: mmeaux@panews.com
Twitter: MaryMeauxPANews
(Family Features) The benefits of having your own backyard vegetable garden are plentiful, and can include significant lifestyle impacts, such as healthier eating habits, money saving perks and more.
A Relaxing, Healthful Hobby
Looking for a hobby that allows you to contribute to the health of your family? Take up gardening. Beyond producing nutritious foods, it can help you teach your family about local agriculture, all while basking in the tranquility of the great outdoors. Though starting your own home garden can be intimidating, there are a few simple steps to get you started. Once developed, it can yield fruits and vegetables from early spring and into the fall.
1) Do Some Research
Find out what vegetables grow best in your area and when is the right time to plant and harvest. Many local university extension programs have this information readily available online. For each plant, consider the amount of water needed, how much sunlight is required and if it should be started from seed or a transplanted seedling.
2) Choose a Good Spot
Keep in mind vegetables need at least six hours of sun each day, so plant away from the shade of buildings, trees and shrubs. Planting close to your house may make you more likely to bring your harvest right into your kitchen, and will help you remember to weed and water. Including rain and irrigation, your garden needs at least one inch of water per week. Make sure you can easily access a water supply nearby. Some products, such as an Ames NeverLeak hose reel, provide convenient hose storage and can easily reach all parts of your yard. Be sure to choose a level area of your yard so when watering it will not pool in lower areas.
3) Clear the Area
Use your garden hose or a string to mark the area for proper placement of your garden. Use a sod lifter or garden spade, keeping the area level and removing as little topsoil as possible. Next, use a round point shovel, such as the True Temper True American Round-Point Shovel, to dig into the soil about 12 inches, breaking it up and removing clumps. To encourage proper drainage and escape light freezes in early spring and fall, construct a raised bed by creating a border with wood slats and filling in with soil.
4) Prepare the Soil
Use a rake to create a smooth finish and remove debris or stones on the surface. You may want to add manure, compost or soil additives to provide additional nutrients in the soil.
5) Plant Your Seeds
Determine if you will be starting your plants from seeds or transplanting small seedlings. Be sure to research how much room each plant will need and plot the layout of your garden. Dig V-shaped furrows using a warren hoe or the edge of a garden hoe. Carefully distribute the seeds in the furrows evenly and in accordance with the instructions on the seed packet. Cover the seeds and pat down gently, then water thoroughly.
Use this information for a fruitful harvest this gardening season. For more tips, visit www.AmesTrueTemper.com or www.Facebook.com/TrueTemperTools.
Photo: courtesy of Getty Images (Mother and Son)
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Posted: Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:30 pm
Winston-Salem Journal
Q: What is the difference between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs? Can both be grown in our area?
Answer: Culinary and medicinal are terms that refer to the end use of the herb after harvest. Culinary herbs are typically used in cooking. Some of the more popular commercially grown herbs that will grow well include cilantro, chives, dill, French tarragon, horseradish, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet basil and thyme. Medicinal herbs have been grown for hundreds of years as traditional medicines. Some of our modern medicines are derived from herbs or are manufactured in laboratories to mimic the botanical compounds found in medicinal herbs. Herbs such as American ginseng, black cohosh, bloodroot, purple coneflower, pale purple coneflower, narrow leaf purple coneflower, false unicorn, and goldenseal are examples of herbs grown for medicinal uses. Both culinary and medicinal herbs can be grown in our area. Each herb has specific conditions for growth. Research the herb you are interested in growing and set up a small test plot to see if you enjoy growing it. More information is available in the following leaflets from the Extension: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/herbs.pdf (culinary herbs) http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/specialty_crops/medherbs/1.htm (medicinal herbs).
Q: I have heard that using no-till practices is good for the soil. How do you grow vegetables in a no-till system?
Answer: No-till is an agricultural practice most often associated with agronomic or row crops such as soybeans, wheat and corn. It is a practice that can be used with vegetable crops under the right soil conditions. Our clay soil must be amended. Adding organic matter to the soil will help improve the structure, workability and water-holding capacity. A two-inch layer of compost added to the soil surface and then worked in to a depth of 4 to 6 inches works well. Raising your seed or planting beds in the garden is a good idea. Some growers construct permanent raised beds. Avoid walking on your seed/planting beds as compaction will destroy your hard work. Use of wheat straw mulch during the growing season helps to protect the soil from winds and pelting raindrops. There is the added benefit of turning the straw under as another source of organic matter at the end of the growing season. Once the soil structure has been improved, use hand tools to turn under and prepare your seed/planting beds. Tilling pulverizes soil particles, allowing water to evaporate more quickly. Tilling also disturbs soil microbes, the tiny livestock that is helping to promote nutrient uptake through healthy roots. Tilling exposes weeds from the dormant weed seedbed underneath the soil surface. Moving to no-till gardening is a transitional process and it may take some time and hard work. It may take as long as a season to move away from churning power equipment, but doing so will reduce your workload, save money on fuel and equipment, as well as reduce the noise pollution in the spring.
Mary Jac Brennan is the commercial horticulture agent for small farms and local food for the Forsyth Cooperative Extension. For information on home and gardening issues, contact the Forsyth Cooperative Extension office at extension@forsyth.cc or call (336) 703-2850.
Posted in
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Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:30 pm.
A medical centre in Milton Keynes is seeking inspiration from college students as it launches a competition to design a holistic garden.
Linford Wood Medical Centre, which opened at the end of last year, has joined forces with Moulton College to task students with creating plans that draw on the ethos of the centre and provide a calm and relaxing space for patients and their visitors.
In addition to providing a range of diagnostic and outpatient procedures, the centre offers an integrated oncology unit providing non-surgical cancer treatments including advanced image guided radiotherapy. The garden is adjacent to the chemotherapy unit which will be opened later this year.
Design of the centre was carefully and thoughtfully designed with patients in mind.
The medical centre’s manager, Stuart Southgate, said: “We wanted to create an environment which offered high tech and advanced treatments, but in a calm, environment.
“Patients want to have convenient access to treatment in a comfortable environment that doesn’t constantly remind them they are ill, but inspires a feeling of wellness. We want to extend this holistic approach beyond the building too, and decided to enlist the help of local horticulture and garden design students to come up with a plan for the garden.”
Linford Wood Medical Centre’s oncology patients have access to its Living Well suite which is run by Penny Brohn Cancer Care, a charity which uses a combination of physical, emotional and spiritual support to help people to ‘live well’ with cancer. Stuart added: “Penny Brohn’s national centre in Bristol has fantastic organic, sensory gardens which the students could seek inspiration from.”
Senior horticultural lecturer at Moulton College, Adrian Stockdale, said: “We were thrilled to get involved and enable our students to work with a real brief rather than just hypothetical ones. The garden area can be seen from various areas within the centre, and these viewpoints need to be considered. Combined with taking into account the needs of cancer patients makes this a challenging and very interesting project, and has got the students thinking outside of the box.”
Some of the students attended a site visit where they took measurements, pictures and gained an understanding of the centre’s ethos and its patients’ needs.
Robert Stratford, a first year student who lives in Fenny Stratford, said: “This is an exciting and interesting project. It is nice to bring health ideas into a garden design, which opens up all kinds of opportunities.”
Georgina Kirkpatrick, from Grange Farm, who is in her second year, added: “Personally, I see this garden as being an extension from the chemotherapy unit – and will do my best to bring the warmth, space and curvaceous interior into the garden space. It’ll be interesting to investigate plants that will offer the right colour and possibly even calming qualities.”
The judging panel will include representatives from Linford Wood Medical Centre, Cancer Partners UK which runs the centre, Penny Brohn Cancer Care, and Thomas Redding Garden Services in Newport Pagnell. The winning student will receive VIP tickets to attend the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in July.
5:30am Friday 4th April 2014 in News
By Robert Fisk, Chief Reporter
Garden designer Georgia Lindsay is in the final of a Grand Designs competition
Shakespeare said all the world’s a stage but for Georgia Lindsay it is more of a garden.
The 44-year-old, from Crystal Palace, originally trained in theatre design and is a mural artist and interior decorator.
But since 2010 she developed a passion for garden design and is now down to the final four in this year’s Grand Designs competition for her small city garden design.
She said: “Maximising a small space to create an interesting enjoyable place to relax is my forte.
“It is a family garden, where relaxation and play co-exist harmoniously.
“The garden has many sustainable, green features which is a strong ethos behind the Grand Designs image.
“I’m thrilled to be a finalist in this year’s competition.”
Carpinteria, CA (PRWEB) April 03, 2014
Eye of the Day Garden Design Center will be providing design assistance for the Suntory Flowers exhibit at the upcoming Ventura California Spring trials at the Ventura Botanical Gardens, to be held Saturday, April 5th to Thursday, April 10th. Eye of the Day will be providing its Fermob French outdoor furnishings, Francesco Del Re Italian pottery, and other European terracotta and glazed pottery vessels to showcase and highlight Suntory Flowers’ bright blossoms for an eye-popping exhibit, fit for any outdoor enthusiast.
The California Spring Trials is a week-long, industry-only event that is well known throughout California, as well as to businesses within the horticulture realm looking to display their latest plant varietals, as well as trending gardening tools and products. At the event, during which plant breeders, growers, and suppliers are in attendance, vendors are free to market themselves, as well as partake in learning about effective merchandising programs and packaging within the industry.
“We’re more than excited to work with the award-winning Suntory Flowers,” said Owner Brent Freitas, “because we’re able to collaborate with flower experts to create the most visually appealing designs and planting arrangements, suitable for our California weather. Suntory is known for its blue-toned carnations, and we’re known for our one-of-a-kind, colored garden pottery glazes… so we’re excited to come together to create vibrant, natural art for the outdoors.”
Suntory Flowers is also well known for its Surfinia line of flowers, which are a combination of deep red and white petunias; as well as its Sun Parasol line that has sold more than 16 million pots to gardening enthusiasts from around the world. In addition, Suntory was behind the first blue rose ever created in history, as well as the world’s only blue-toned carnation, which is sold with its vibrant streaks of color and delicate, fringed edges on special occasions.
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