BEMIDJI — After the summer we’ve had — with hot temps and little rain — we should still depend on these time-honored tips from the Minnesota Extension Service to prepare for our Minnesota winter.

Empty and clean outdoor containers of flowers or vegetables once the plants are no longer attractive or productive. Outdoor freezing and thawing cycles can crack or break almost any type of pot, especially if there’s soil in it. Add the soil to a compost pile or spread it around gardens. Once they’re clean and dry, store containers in a protected place such as a garage, basement or garden shed. I don’t always do this but I do tip my pots and get the soil to dislodge so the pots are less likely to crack over the winter. Likely the deep leaf mulch protects them from cracking.

Continue to mow the lawn as needed and rake fallen leaves so grass doesn’t mat down, which encourages snow mold to develop. Grass continues to grow and likes to see the sunlight. If the leaves are too deep, run a power mower over them several times. This chips them into little pieces that filter harmlessly through the grass to the soil, recycling a small amount of nutrients as they break down. Otherwise, use the leaves as mulch to protect bulbs and flowering perennials, or compost them.

Visit your local garden center to choose flowering bulbs to plant for spring display. Plant bulbs early in October if you haven’t already put them in the ground. Water them well every week to 10 days unless we get good rainfall. They need to develop roots before the soil freezes in order to come through winter in good condition. Once the soil surface freezes, often early October in our area, apply several inches of mulch to help prevent fluctuating soil temps and premature spring growth. Occasionally, different resources offer conflicting information about zone hardiness. A tulip rated Zone 3 in one reference and Zone 4 in another may be successful if planted in a microclimate with well-drained soil and straw mulch. So take a chance on it — you may have a pleasant surprise come spring.

Above all, at this time of year, enjoy your harvest, enjoy some rest from garden chores and enjoy planning for next year’s garden. To learn about more current information to help you with your fall gardening, check out this bimonthly University of Minnesota Extension website:

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/efans/ygnews/

Think about purchasing a University of Minnesota Extension calendar for 2014: it will have lots of gardening tips and other information on horticulture in Minnesota. It is great for keeping records of rain and snowfall, temperatures and when you planted and harvested.

 

To find specific reliable information about gardening and other horticultural topics, go to the University of Minnesota Extension website

 

www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/

Local master gardeners will also answer your gardening questions via a voicemail service. Call 444-7916, leaving your phone number, name and the nature of your question. A volunteer master gardener will give you a call.

 

Have you been longing to get your hands dirty? Well, there really is no better time to start now Spring has arrived. Whether you’re playing farmer to your own veggie patch or growing your own herbs, it is immensely satisfying! You’ll be a proud parent watching them grow as you feed and water them, and you’ll save a bundle by avoiding store-bought picks that quickly die in a day or two. And because everything tastes that little bit better with herbs, there’s no reason not get started. Come on in for 10 easy-to-grow herbs and planting tips for your green thumb.

Our friends at the Good Earth Garden Center at 15601 Cantrell Road in Little Rock have some advice to get your garden started and how to transition seamlessly.

From Good Earth horticulturist Jennifer Gibson:

1. Having healthy soil is the foundation for any garden. Good soil is the foundation for all plantings, including vegetable and herb gardens.  Many Arkansans struggle with heavy clay soils or the other extreme, sandy soils.  Neither one is optimal and both will benefit from adding several different kinds of compost — earthworm castings, peat moss, organic compost, vermiculite — as well as quality potting soil. In clay soils, also add some garden sand.  This will increase air circulation and water drainage of the soil.  
2. Keep garden elevated. It can be easier and more convenient to manage when the garden is up higher, so consider adding a raised garden or planting in containers. A container needs to be insulated from the cold weather so thin-walled plastic pots, concrete, heavy glazed pottery or whiskey barrels won’t work. Also, make sure the container has good drainage. Add several inches of drainage rock, then some weed fabric, which will keep the soil from washing down into the rock, and add quality potting soil, earthworm castings and some compost.  
3. There are plenty of herbs and veggies ideal for fall growing. Rosemary is a great option because it is evergreen and looks wonderful with pansies or violas planted around it.  Add in some ornamental or edible cool-season greens like cabbage, lettuce or kale and you will have a beautiful and tasty planter to harvest from. The pansy blooms are even edible and are a beautiful addition to salads. There is still time to start a garden by seed too. One good tip is to soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before planting. This will greatly reduce the germination time — the time it takes for the seed to sprout.  Radishes, broccoli, spinach and all sorts of veggies are available by seed.  Cilantro and parsley prefer cooler temperatures, so now is a great time to plant them either as transplants or by seed.
4. Trimming is just the trick. Summer can be hard on herbs, but often times if the herbs get a good trim, they will sprout out with new growth and give you another season. Mint is a great late-season reviver and can be perennial, too, depending on the weather. Don’t stop watering just because the nights are a little cooler; daytime temperatures are still high and small seedlings dry out fast. Plants do not like to freeze dry, so water well before severely cold weather unless there has been rain.
5. Fertilizer is the key to a healthy garden. When planting small seedlings, use a good starter fertilizer, such as Bio-Tone Starter Plus, which contains beneficial bacteria, humates and mycorrhizae for fast root establishment. Feed regularly with an organic fertilizer, such as Espoma Garden-Tone, and bi-weekly with a liquid fertilizer like LadyBug Natural Products John’s Recipe.  All of these are natural and formulated for optimum utilization by the plant.  

By Carol Stocker

Frances Mendelson Tenenbaum, for many year’s the nation’s leading garden book editor, died Sept. 24 at age 94, in Cambridge after a series of illnesses.

When the Garden Writers Association cited the 25 most significant garden books of the last 25 years, they included four edited by Frances Tenenbaum at Houghton Mifflin. “Before Frances, the only garden writers known in America were British,” said Sara Hobel, director of the New York Horticultural Society which honored her in 2011. Our library is full of her books.”

As both an author and editor she was prescient and anticipated several trends, including the interest in the history of American garden landscapes with her popular reprinting of antique American garden books. The first and best in the series was “An Island Garden,” illustrated by famed American impressionist Childe Hassum’s delicate watercolors and written in 1894 by forgotten poet Celia Thaxton, who lived and gardened on the Appledore Island off the New Hampshire coast and was a friend of Hassum. Tenenbaum also helped rediscover Vermont children’s book author and gardener Tasha Tudor late in her life with the picture book “Tasha Tudor’s Garden,” which became an industry phehnomenon.

In 1973, Tenenbaum wrote, and her daughter Jane illustrated, “Gardening with Wild Flowers,” just before the importance of native plants and prairie gardens was about to be recognized. In 1980, she co-wrote “Diet Against Disease,” with Alice Martin, discussing the link between diet and health. In 1979, her book “Over 55 Is Not Illegal” was about staying active as the years advanced.

Her own life began its most influential chapter at age 55 when she she spotted the growing interest in gardening and became a garden book editor at Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston. She resurrected “Taylor’s Encyclopedia of Garden Plants” and turned it into a long series of authoritative, illustrated garden books for American gardeners which set a standard in the industry. In 1995, she edited “Noah’s Garden,” about plants that could heal the environment. Late in her life, she edited “The Secret Gardens of Cambridge,” designed by her daughter, Jane, and “Taylor’s Encyclopedia of Garden Plants,” under her own imprint at Houghton Mifflin.

Stubborn, witty, charming, curious, acerbic and generous to a fault, she had many friends, including many of her authors, some of which, including the great garden writer and Washington Post columnist Henry Mitchell, would camp out on her Cambridge sofa when in town.

Tenenbaum was also a dedicated island gardener herself at her summer home on Martha’s Vineyard, as well as a bridge player and bird-watcher. Her sense of humor extended to her titles: “Nothing Grows for Me: A Brown-thumb’s Guide to House Plants.”

Frances Judith Mendelson was born in New York City in 1919, to Regina Muskatenblut Mendelson and Emanuel Mendelson, who made his living in clothing manufacturing. Frances grew up on the South Shore of Long Island, and received a B.A. from the University of Michigan circa 1939 and later a masters in journalism from Columbia University. During World War II, she wrote for the New York Herald Tribune. In 1943, she married Frank Tenenbaum, a fellow native of Long Island, who spent the war in the Signal Corps in the South Pacific.

Living in Great Neck, NY (1950-1973), Frances wrote and edited for a variety of magazines, newspapers, and book publishers. In 1963, the Tenenbaums began vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard. After Frank died suddenly in 1972, Frances moved to Cambridge, Mass., where she lived the rest of her life.

She invented her dream job as acquisition editor for non-fiction, at Houghton Mifflin, and soon acquired the books, “Escape from Sobibor” and “The Killing of Karen Silkwood.” The daughter of a gifted gardener, she began to specialize in garden books with a personal voice, including Mitchell’s crotchety charmer “One Man’s Garden.”

Building on her own experience in the garden at Martha’s Vineyard, she wrote her last book, “Gardening at the Shore,” in 2006.

Tenenbaum received many awards and honors, including the 1999 Horticultural Communication Award, from the American Horticultural Society, the 2000 Gold medal, from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. In 2004 she entered into the Garden Writers Association Hall of Fame.

She will be buried at Abel’s Hill Cemetery, on Martha’s Vineyard. Frances Tenenbaum is survived by her daughter, Jane, a book designer in Cambridge, Mass., her son, David, a science writer in Madison, Wis., daughter-in-law Meg Wise, and grandsons Alexander and Joshua Tenenbaum.

Garden Club offers fall lawn care tips

Written by Margaret Moore

Saturday, September 28, 2013 03:00 pm

Garden Club

The Brigantine Garden Club’s Appreciation Gathering was beautiful. Fifty volunteers had a wonderful time catching up with friends and enjoyed a delicious meal at the Links. Thanks to Fran Streeper, who made all the arrangements and thank-you gifts.

The winner of the Club Cup for this year was Phylis Glomb, who has done an outstanding job with the North End bed tenders and was instrumental in getting us much-needed funding from the Elks.

Special commendations were given to Judy Harding for her hard work as memorial tree chair, hospitality chair and recording secretary and to Debi Ples for her perseverance as liaison to the city. The club also acknowledged the retiring of Treasurer Joyce Hall, who has kept the club in the green and seen that everyone got their checks on time.

The club is still taking orders for new leaves on the memorial tree and now that the library is reopened arrangements are being made to have the tree reinstalled. It is a unique and lasting way to remember a special person, date or occasion such as an anniversary, wedding or to memorialize a lost loved one. Leaves are $50.

Garden Tip: Fall is the time for overseeding lawns, but you must remember to use the proper seed followed by a late fall slow-release fertilizer for seeded areas. Many people also put down lime, but if you aren’t sure it is needed, always ask a professional. 

Our resident master gardener recommends calling the Rutgers Help line at (609) 625-0056 for any information or questions you may have pertaining to your lawns and gardens. It is available 9a.m.-noon Monday through Friday online at http://www.rutgers-atlantic.org/garden/ask_mg.asp.

Don’t forget to keep up on club activities on the Facebook site set up by Linda Mantello. It is known as Brigantine Garden Club. Go online to see pictures of the gathering and gardens and get information.

Linda is also looking for volunteers to help with the planting of dune grass in October. She will have more info for us at our last meeting on Oct. 7.

Anyone interested in gardening, whether active or passive, can become a member of the club. It is very easy and all are welcome in making Brigantine a beautiful place to live and visit. To start, just come to a meeting. There are no dues, meet once a month, March through October and the only requirement is that you attend four meetings a year. Since our last meeting is coming up, you have the winter to think about joining. 

The informational answering machine number is (609) 266-3685. The club exists on the generosity of others and all donations are appreciated. They may be sent to the Brigantine Garden Club, P.O. Box 53, Brigantine, N.J. 08203.

The club would like to thank all those who have supported us with donations this year. It has been greatly appreciated and put to good use. 

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The chemical numbers you’re referring to is the fertilizer ratio, a designation on all fertilizers. Its three numbers stand for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, always in that order–often called “the N-P-K.” Both nitrogen and phosphorus are the big polluting nutrients harming the Bay. Because phosphorus levels in most Maryland soils are adequate, it will no longer be automatically included in lawn fertilizers (and appear as a zero in the ratio), but can be applied if a soil test shows it’s needed. Nitrogen can be applied yearly in the proper amounts.

See our publication “How to Fertilize Your Lawn Responsibly” for simple fertilizer charts of what, when, and how much.

Is there is really such thing as a book worm? Some old books in our book case are chewed right through cover to cover.

Termites love books, and magazines, and newspapers, but they aren’t reading. Good to know as we accumulate paper products for recycling. Paper, including cardboard, is wood pulp in another form and provides nourishment for termites. See how to identify a termite and what to do for termite control in both our Plant Diagnostic or the Publication section, under Pest Control, on our HGIC website.

University of Maryland Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center offers free gardening and pest information. Call 800-342-2507 or send a question to the website at extension.umd.edu/hgic.

Plant of the Week

Feather Reed Grass ‘Karl Foerster’

Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’

Named the 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year, ornamental grass Karl Foerster provides three generous seasons of interest. Sturdy green blades emerge early from winter dormancy, growing 2-3-feet tall. Feathery and purplish inflorescences (flower stalks) shoot up high in summer, moving gracefully in breezes. By August, they become narrow and tan, making a strong vertical statement. Effective as single specimens or in masses, Karl Foerster grows best in well-drained, moist soil but adapts to heavier clay soils and drier sites. Plant in sun to prevent inflorescences from flopping. Cut the clump back to about 6 inches in late winter or early spring before new growth. — Debra Ricigliano

No matter the weather outside, Emily Dickinson (no relation to the poet!) can always add fresh-from-the-garden herbs to her home-cooked meals. If she wants a sprig of rosemary for spaghetti sauce or a bunch of basil for pesto, she simply snips just the right amount from her kitchen herb garden.

“I love to cook, so I grow herbs indoors,” says the architect who lives with her husband in a row house in Washington, DC. She grows tasty selections such as basil, rosemary, sage, mint, thyme, and chives on her kitchen windowsill.

“I like having the herbs in the kitchen, so I can easily throw them in while I’m cooking,” says Dickinson. “And since I’m typically cooking for two, I like the convenience of being able to harvest only what I need.”

If you want to enjoy a continuous supply of garden-fresh herbs in your own kitchen, keep these tips in mind.

1. Choose plants carefully. Opt for small-leaved herb varieties when possible, as they do the best indoors. In basil, for instance, you’ll find Fino verde, which has half-inch leaves. Some herbs naturally have small foliage, like oregano.

Buy established herb plants in the nursery or via mail-order, or grow your own from seeds or cuttings. Dickinson grows her basil year-round by periodically letting older plants go to seed and then scattering the seeds in the pot. To grow mint, she roots clippings.

Start herbs from seed in a soil-less potting mix in a warm location. Hasten germination and get the plants off to a good start by growing them on a seedling heat mat. Once the herbs reach two inches high, take them off the heat and repot them in regular potting soil.

2. Provide plenty of light. Most herbs grow best in a bright location, such as near an unobstructed southern window. Eastern and northern windows can also work, if you provide supplemental light from full-spectrum lighting. Western windows receive afternoon sun, but get warm and may burn foliage, especially in the summer months.

If your kitchen is windowless, grow herbs in a hydroponic growing system that comes with its own special lighting.

3. Ensure air-circulation and cool conditions. Herbs grown in stuffy, warm rooms attract pests like scale insects and mealybugs, and they grow weak and spindly.

“Herbs don’t like it warm in winter, even if you do, so place them in cool areas, such as on windowsills,” says Denise Schreiber, greenhouse manager for Allegheny County Parks in Pittsburgh and author of Eat Your Roses. “Air circulation is also necessary,” she says. “Locate the herbs near an overhead fan or in an area of the kitchen that receives air movement from another room.” Cracking windows open occasionally also helps.

4. Watch watering. Avoid overwatering your indoor herb garden or letting pots sit in trays of water, as soggy soil will quickly lead to root rot. Water when the first inch of soil dries out.

5. Rotate often. Leggy, weak growth is a common problem with indoor herbs. Help ensure they grow straight and strong by rotating the plants once a week so that all sides receive adequate light.

6. Fertilize monthly. Keep your herbs growing healthy and strong by feeding them on a regular basis with a half-strength solution of a well-balanced, liquid fertilizer, such as a 15-15-15.

7. Prune regularly. Fortunately for your cooking, herbs require frequent pinching for the plants to stay bushy and healthy, so make sure to prune often. The more you pinch, the more the herbs will grow, and the tastier your cooking will be.

Some of you may know that I rave about the super performance of the Wave line of petunias. The Waves still are great, but there are many more petunias that could match and maybe even surpass them.

I am enthralled by the mini-petunias, also known as milliflora petunias. These are petunias with small, petite flowers about 1.5 inches in diameter. I tried two of Proven Winners’ Charm series of mini-petunias in my containers this year. I was astounded at the mass of color these little charmers provided. Pink Charm grows 10 inches tall with a trailing habit up to 48 inches long. The soft pink flowers have white throats and cover the plants with a mass of color. The Charm series is heat and drought tolerant and also includes Sangria Charm with rosy purple flowers, Indigo Charm with purple flowers, and Watermelon Charm with red flowers.

New this year to the Proven Winners’ Supertunia line is Picasso In Pink, joining Pretty Much Picasso already on the market. Both these petunias have a striking chartreuse edge around the flowers, but the new Picasso in Pink is more compact and less vigorous with a more mounded habit.

The Picassos aren’t the only line of petunias with green-edged flowers. Just coming on the market is the Kermit series from Westflowers. This line includes Baby, Piggy and Rose with unique pink and green flowers. They are touted as being abundantly floriferous and weather tolerant.

The Kermit petunias were bred by a German breeder who also has developed a line of petunias called Crazytunias. One of these is Black Mamba, a black petunia that is said to be one of the best black petunias available because the flowers don’t fade or develop stripes. Another Crazytunia is Cherry Cheesecake with an intense red and white candy cane star patterned flower.

It took a while for plant breeders to come up with some truly nice yellow petunias, but what about orange? Danziger just might have it with their Cascadias Indian Summer. It’s a vigorous semi-trailing petunia with blooms that open to yellow and then turn to a peachy orange.

First new colors and sizes in petunias and now there is a new shape too! Sparklers, the first star-shaped petunias, were introduced by Thompson Morgan. They recently introduced ‘Sparkler Mixed’ with star-shaped flowers with pointed petals and leaves. This mix contains flowers in pastel and jewel toned pinks and purple. The plants have a 12-inch tall mounding habit and a spread of 14 inches.

— Marianne C. Ophardt is a horticulturist for Washington State University Benton County Extension.

Even though it’s winter don’t overlook your strawberry beds or those other hardy plants that will cope admirably with the colder weather.

– Sow winter lettuces in a vacant greenhouse border.

– Dry off begonia and gloxinia tubers to rest them for the winter.

– Hoe regularly between vegetable rows to keep down weeds.

– Take cuttings of conifers, evergreen trees and shrubs and root them in a propagator.

– Sow sweet peas outdoors in a sheltered spot.

– Prepare the ground for fruit trees and bushes to be planted this autumn and order your chosen varieties now.

– Complete the planting of new strawberry beds.

– Remove dead leaves from brassicas and other crops.

– Protect the developing curds of cauliflowers by bending a few leaves over them.

– Raise the height of cut on the mower to around 2.5cm (1in) and reduce the frequency of mowing.

– Plant lily bulbs in borders or large pots.

Best of the Bunch – Hebe (Veronica)

These evergreen shrubs come in all sizes, but among the best are the ones which bring a burst of autumn colour, such as H.

‘Autumn Glory’, which grows to around 80cm (2ft) and bears spikes of deep purple flowers against a backdrop of shiny, oval leaves and looks great as a specimen shrub or hedge in a seaside garden. H. ‘Midsummer Beauty’ is another winner, producing lavender flowers from July to November.

Be warned though, the most attractive are often also the least hardy, so plant the slightly more susceptible varieties extra deeply, with at least four to five buds below soil level to revive the plant should frost injure the topgrowth.

Hebes prefer sun or light shade and should do well in any garden soil with reasonable drainage.

Even though it’s winter don’t overlook your strawberry beds or those other hardy plants that will cope admirably with the colder weather.

– Sow winter lettuces in a vacant greenhouse border.

– Dry off begonia and gloxinia tubers to rest them for the winter.

– Hoe regularly between vegetable rows to keep down weeds.

– Take cuttings of conifers, evergreen trees and shrubs and root them in a propagator.

– Sow sweet peas outdoors in a sheltered spot.

– Prepare the ground for fruit trees and bushes to be planted this autumn and order your chosen varieties now.

– Complete the planting of new strawberry beds.

– Remove dead leaves from brassicas and other crops.

– Protect the developing curds of cauliflowers by bending a few leaves over them.

– Raise the height of cut on the mower to around 2.5cm (1in) and reduce the frequency of mowing.

– Plant lily bulbs in borders or large pots.

Best of the Bunch – Hebe (Veronica)

These evergreen shrubs come in all sizes, but among the best are the ones which bring a burst of autumn colour, such as H.

‘Autumn Glory’, which grows to around 80cm (2ft) and bears spikes of deep purple flowers against a backdrop of shiny, oval leaves and looks great as a specimen shrub or hedge in a seaside garden. H. ‘Midsummer Beauty’ is another winner, producing lavender flowers from July to November.

Be warned though, the most attractive are often also the least hardy, so plant the slightly more susceptible varieties extra deeply, with at least four to five buds below soil level to revive the plant should frost injure the topgrowth.

Hebes prefer sun or light shade and should do well in any garden soil with reasonable drainage.