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Beppi Crosariol’s tips for garden tipples

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I recently spent a fine weekend getting up close and personal with a quarter tonne of bovine manure. Friends call me a farmer because I do business in bulk and grow from seed. One year, I tended more than 160 heirloom-tomato plants, though I’ve since scaled back on the vines to create more room for carefree crops, such as eggplants and beets.

If I could keep a cow, I would, because a pile of moist dung does not balance well on my bicycle. So, I’m grateful for Avis. And I’m grateful that the company waived its standard $100 cleaning penalty for soiled returns. This brings me to a principal rule of city farming: Use a rental vehicle for the manure.

Every grower, regardless of talent, has advice for neighbours. Ever notice? I’ll spare you the compost and sphagnum tips because you’ll find more dependable injunctions elsewhere in this section. But I can offer two gardening-related wine thoughts, neither a bum steer.

One: Invest in plastic glassware – tacky, perhaps, but the alternative is a patio tiled with broken glass. I like Govino tumblers, which taper toward the rim to amplify aromas and are moulded with an indentation for a less-slippery grip.

And two: Give due consideration to aromatic white varieties, such as riesling, sauvignon blanc, gewurztraminer and muscat. The punchy fruit and floral-herbal notes are able to cut through outdoor aromas better than other wines, be those scents from lilac blooms or a trunkload of manure.

Joie Farm A Noble Blend 2012 (British Columbia)

SCORE: 90 PRICE: $23.89 in B.C.

This is an unusual blend of gewurztraminer, riesling, pinot blanc, pinot auxerrois, schoenburger and muscat. It’s off-dry yet delectably crisp on the finish, with lychee, tropical-fruit and honey characters amped up by spice.It reminds me of Chloé perfume. joiefarm.com

Sokol Blosser Evolution White (Oregon)

SCORE: 88 PRICE: $16.95

Estate co-president Alison Sokol Blosser recently told me the winery’s inside nickname for this wine is “Conundrum Unplugged.” It’s a reference to Caymus Conundrum, the Napa blend that opened the floodgates for multi-grape, off-dry whites in North America. Unplugged? She means unoaked, as in fresh and pure. Made from nine varieties, including pinot gris, muller-thurgau and riesling, it’s smooth, with notes of peach, guava and melon. At just 12-per-cent alcohol, it’s a thirsty gardener’s delight. $19.99 in B.C., $21.20 in Que., $24.99 in N.B., $24.95 in PEI.

Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (New Zealand)

SCORE: 88 PRICE: $16.45

A leading New Zealand brand, this delivers sweet grapefruit, lemonade and a hint of chalk. It is made for outdoor imbibing. $18.99 in B.C., $19.99 in Sask., $19.99 in N.B., $19.99 in N.S., $18.99 in Nfld., $19.35 in PEI.

Brumont Gros Manseng-Sauvignon Côtes de Gascogne 2012 (France)

SCORE: 87 PRICE: $12.70

Here’s a light, dry white that leads with the gros manseng grape’s uncanny flavours of apricot and peach, subtly framed by herbaceous sauvignon blanc. $13.35 in Que., $11.50 in N.B., $15.29 in N.S., $14.95 in PEI.

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Garden Tips: Peonies need room to grow

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One of my first gardening memories is helping my grandmother cut peonies. When I close my eyes I can see those pretty rosy pink, blowsy flowers and smell their sweet fragrance.

Peonies are an old garden flower. Native to Asia, they have been cultivated as ornamentals for more than 2,500 years in China and since the eighth century in Japan. They came to North America in the 1850s via Europe.

In the “old” days, most American gardeners like my grandmother grew three types of peonies: white, pink and red, all with double flowers. Of course these were the most common varieties planted in home gardens. The diversity of peonies readily available to gardeners today is much greater, thanks to plant breeders.

Today’s peonies come in white, pink, red, burgundy, lavender, coral and even yellow. Gardeners can find different garden peony (Paeonia lactifora) varieties. The varieties are classified based on their flower types, which includes singles, semi-doubles, doubles, Japanese and anemone.

Peonies do best planted in a site with well-drained soil and where they’ll receive full sun. Plants should be located where they are protected from the wind and forceful irrigation sprinklers. The tubers usually are planted in the fall, but early spring planting also can be successful, as long as the tubers still are dormant. Before planting, work the soil up to a depth of 12 inches, mixing some organic matter in with the soil at the same time.

When ready to plant, dig a hole wide enough and deep enough to accommodate the tubers. Good quality tubers have three to five “eyes” or pink buds. In the fall, you should be able to find some tubers at local nurseries, but specialty nurseries like the Peony Farm (Ilovepeonies.com) in Sequim have a wider selection of varieties.

(I have also seen some gorgeous potted peonies available at local nurseries this spring. These are planted like other potted perennials, just make sure they are not planted too deep.)

After digging the hole, position the tuber so that the eyes are no more than 2 inches below the surface. Because the tuber may settle deeper in the soil after you water, you should gently firm the soil around the tuber as you plant it. If the eyes end up deeper than 2 inches deep, you may get a peony plant that doesn’t bloom! However, it can take two or three years before a new plant provides you with a display of flowers, so don’t get discouraged if yours doesn’t bloom the first spring after planting.

When planting, be sure your peony has enough room to grow. A space 3 to 4 feet wide will give it enough room to grow and allow good air circulation. Peonies do not need or do well with frequent dividing. Many do well in the same spot for 20 years or more!

After planting, peonies are a low-maintenance perennial. Keep the soil slightly moist with regular irrigation and fertilize once a year with slow-release garden fertilizer if needed. Possible pest problems are powdery mildew and thrips.

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

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Gardening Tips From An Expert

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BY HEATHER KRAWCHUK

With the long weekend just a day away, planting flowers and gardens is on many peoples’ minds. Paul Bongers of The Country Basket Garden Centre took some time to talk about preparing your gardens and flower beds.

Paul said that the May 24th weekend is the general rule of thumb to get everything planted, but that some people try to rush it and end up losing plants. Others believe that gardens should be put in following the last full moon of May, while some think that it is after the last frost. “The problem with waiting until after the last frost is that nobody knows the answer as to when the last frost will come,” said Paul.

With the incredibly warm temperatures last week, Paul wasn’t surprised to see many people out buying plants. The problem with that, he said, is that people weren’t anticipating the frost which came this week. While some plants are hardier and can stand up to frost (pansies, cabbage and onions are just a few examples), most are not able to endure it.

Basil, peppers, begonias and other similar types of plants are very susceptible to the cold. Paul said that if you’ve planted your basil in the last two weeks that there’s a high likelihood that it will need to be planted again; the frost is too much for basil to handle.

If you have your pepper and tomato plants purchased already, Paul cautions that they should be kept inside and protected from the frost until the end of May or even until the first week of June. He said, “The biggest problem is that people plant on their schedule, not on the plants’ schedule.”

Another good tip that Paul shared was about perennials. “Just because perennials come back every year doesn’t mean that they can be planted at any time of the year,” he stated. No need to worry if you’ve already purchased perennials or other plants that don’t do well in frost, though. Even keeping them in the garage for another week overnight should protect them until it’s time to plant.

Paul also stresses the importance of fertilizing the soil that you’ll be using for flowers or vegetables. “One of the best things to help you be most successful is to use a good plant fertilizer. The number one thing that you can do in the spring to have success with your plants all summer is to fertilize your soil.” Paul recommends a fertilizer with a high middle number, such as 10-52-10.

The Country Basket Garden Centre grows and sells thousands of plants. They have ten green houses and offer, “a wide assortment of annuals, perennials, herbs, roses, vegetables, garden mums, Easter lilies, poinsettias, trees, and shrubs.” They also feature a full service Flower Boutique.

One of the best things about turning to a garden centre like The Country Basket is that they have experts on hand who are able to take the time to fully explain the requirements for any plant that you are purchasing. While some people shy away from buying plants at a garden centre due to the cost, it can actually be more costly in the long run to buy plants from places like grocery stores. This is because those plants are not cared for by experts and there are no experts on hand to advise you of their care.

Paul is excited about the stock that The Country Basket Garden Centre has. He said, “We have tons of new stuff this year – tropical plants, dahlias in a variety of colors, a new series of trailing petunias (including different colors and sizes), the list goes on and on.”

The garden centre is also excited to be selling lobularia this year – it is a “super plant” that grows in virtually any condition. You can plant it now and it will last into October, is what Paul said.

For more information about The Country Basket Garden Centre, you can visit their website at http://www.countrybasketniagara.com/. Do you have any tips or advice about gardening? We’d love to hear them, so please leave them in the comment section below!

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Sell My Property Tips: Getting the most from your garden

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If you’re selling your property in the Spring or Summer seasons, one thing that buyers will be looking for in the sun is a garden.

Your own private patch of grass out the back may not seem like a priority, especially with work and other commitments taking up your time, but a garden can be a big factor in your property’s appeal. For a family, for example, it could be the one big difference between clicking on a listing and scrolling down to the next.

But how can make sure people fall in love with your lawn? Sell My Property offers eight steps to get the most from your garden:

Get your timing right

If you have a garden, Spring is the best time to sell your home. The warm weather and positive vibes will be encouraging buyers to start their house hunt afresh – so you should be ready for them. Choosing bulbs that will flower in succession are a great way to maximise the colour from your garden.

But even if you’re not in the hot summer’s sun, don’t fret: just plant something else. Bedding plants will appear attractive in autumn, ensuring your back yard boosts your property’s appeal all year round.

 

Get the right flowers…

Flowers, great. But which ones? The right flowers can make a big difference to house hunters. Indeed, according a recent Homebase survey, roses are the most attractive flower to potential home buyers. If roses aren’t your thing, the survey’s other most popular flowers include: lavender, fuchsia, tulips, sweet peas, lilies, jasmine, geraniums, hydrangea and sunflowers.

 

… or grow your own veg

Vegetable gardens are increasingly popular among homeowners – it’s no coincidence that demand for allotments in the UK is on the up. So if you already have a vegetable patch in place, the chance to grow your own greens could appeal to the some of the more health-conscious, or cost-conscious, buyers.

 

Trim, snip and clip

Nobody likes a messy garden, so make sure yours is tidy. A quick trim around the garden, cutting the grass to a short length, will go a long way to keepings things smart. Snipping unruly hedges and clipping any wild branches will complete the effect.

 

Do-it-yourself

As well as the garden, don’t forget to pay attention to the things around it: fences, gates, chairs, doors. If anything needs to be fixed or oiled, a bit of DIY will create the best possible impression – and stop that annoying squeak that’s been driving you mad for years.

 

If it’s not green, give it a clean

Why stop at DIY? If your chairs are dirty, give them a wipe. If the patio door windows are grubby, give them a spray. Cleanliness on the inside is what counts when taking photos for a listing or organising a viewing: but it’s just as important outside.

 

Shed responsibility

If you have a shed, take responsibility for it: clear out any leaves, tidy any cables. If you want someone to love your home, it needs to feel loved. A tidy shed, complete with working door and clean windows, will avoid your garden looking ignored or neglected.

 

Keep it simple

All the above is very well and good, but remember what we said about time? No one wants to take on a huge responsibility. Extravagant borders or high-maintenance flower arrangements may deter as many people as they impress. So make sure your garden is simple as well as stunning.

 

For expert advice on how to sell your home and information on listing your property online, visit www.sellmyproperty.org

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Diarmuid Gavin’s tips on garden maintenence

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15 May 2013

He offers the following design tips to gardeners who want their garden to look good, whatever the weather:

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:: Keep the overall design simple. When you’re making a plan, use a few sweeping lines to lead the eye from the viewing point, which is often the kitchen window, right down to the back of your plot.

 

:: Turn your lawn into a welcoming green wide pathway, which almost acts as an arrow, drawing the eye or the visitor on a journey.

 

:: Keep the planting simple. Mass plant low-growing shrubs such as dwarf purple berberis for colour or clouds of Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’.

 

:: If your garden is extremely small, shaded or just damp, give up on a lawn altogether. It’s not going to repay any maintenance and you will spend years and fortunes bemoaning the brown patches and invasion of weeds and moss. Dig it up and replace it with a top quality artificial turf. This can be wonderful, a green carpet which always looks good, can be easily cleaned, allows rainwater and snow to drain away and doesn’t need cutting or feeding. For a top-of-the-range brand, try Easigrass.

 

:: Consider what your specimens will look like all year round, not only when covered in foliage or flower. If you’re planting a tree, why not try a multi-stemmed birch? When bare from October to April it still has a lovely sculptural shape. Enhance this through the evening by uplighting through the use of a spotlight at its base.

 

:: Pay attention to a few detailed areas. Surprise and delight by framing your front door with a wonderful display of massed colour in pots. For instance, a mass of flowering cyclamen crammed into a ‘long Tom’ terracotta urn looks special and draws attention from less well tended parts of the garden.

 

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Tips for keeping rabbits out of the garden this season

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Altons Garden Centre: Get tips from the country’s top gardeners at the 2013 …

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Altons Online Garden Centre

Fondly coined by Bill Clinton as ‘The Woodstock of the mind’, I would certainly encourage gardeners to learn as much as they can from this 10 day event.

Essec (PRWEB UK) 13 May 2013

A festival famed for bringing together some of the world’s most prolific writers starts on Thursday 23rd May 2013. The Telegraph Hay Festival is inviting some of the UK’s most renowned gardeners to share their tips and advice with the nation – as well as leading garden experts, Altons Online Garden Centre.

Established around a kitchen table back in 1987, the Telegraph Hay Festival has witnessed a number of established filmmakers, politicians, environmentalists and musicians exchange their knowledge and expertise with thousands of visitors at Brecon Beacons National Park – and since its growth, has expanded to cover a number of different topics including economics, science, music, poetry and gardening.

Marketing manager at Altons Garden Centre, James Oxley, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for any budding gardeners to get advice from the very best in the business – and what better place to be inspired than in the scenic Welsh borders. With insight from the likes of renowned landscape designer Sir Roy Strong plus renowned Herefordshire gardener, Monty Don, this event will surely stir up horticultural creativity for the green-fingered community.”

As the largest garden centre in Essex, Altons Garden Centre stocks a huge selection of stylish outdoor and garden products – including outdoor furniture, water features, garden machinery and plants. Horticultural enthusiasts can also join the Altons Gardening club, and receive exclusive offers and invitations to special events along with a one year’s subscription to a personal online plant inventory and garden diary service.

“In attendance will also be Ruth Brooks and Dave Goulson, along with the esteemed Professor Dianne Edwards from Cardiff University,” added Oxley.

“Fondly coined by Bill Clinton as ‘The Woodstock of the mind’, I would certainly encourage gardeners to learn as much as they can from this 10 day event. Taking place during the bank holiday weekend, this is a rare opportunity to mingle with some of the world’s brightest minds whilst enjoying what the festival has to offer.”

For horticulturalists unable to make the festival, gardeners can enjoy Altons Garden Centre’s spring edition of the 2013 Beautiful Gardens magazine – available to read online now. From Altons garden furniture sets to BBQ accessories, make the most of the May bank holiday weekend by visiting http://www.alton-gardencentre.co.uk or call 0845 838 8816 today.

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Gardening expert shares tips for decorative flower pots – ABC15.com (KNXV

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CINCINNATI – Sandra Hassman gets paid to play in the dirt. She specializes in creating decorative flower containers at Greenfield Plant Farm in Anderson Township.

She shared her list for perfect pots.

1. Start with a pot that has good drainage.

“You need drainage holes in the bottom and then you fill it up with a potting soil that’s good quality from your local garden center,” Hassman said.

That’s potting soil, not the heavier garden soil. 

2. Pick plants with a variety of heights, colors, and leaf shapes.

“You can choose something spiky for the middle, and that’s called the thriller. And then something moundy around that that’s called the filler, and then something that trails down the end of the container that’s called the spiller,” she explained.

3. Choose flowers that fit the location.

“If you’re going to use it in the sun, then you want to choose all plants that are for sun. Or if you’re going to use it for shade, pick the shade plants,” advised Hassman

For gardeners with a not-so-green-thumb, Hassman recommended these hardy plants: Cordyline Red Sister in the center as the thriller; billowy blooms such as the fragrant Heliotrope for the surround, or filler; and Creeping Jenny to slide down the side as the spiller.

You can save about $20 per pot by making your own instead of buying them.

Watch “The List” on ABC15 weekdays at 4:30 p.m.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Midday Fix: Garden planting tips from Chalet

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Chalet Landscape, Nursery Garden Center
3132 Lake Ave.
Wilmette
www.chaletnursery.com

Tony’s Tips:

Thinking about planting your favorite annual flower – impatiens – this year? Think again. A plague called downy mildew is wreaking havoc with impatiens in the Midwest, so buyer beware.

Choose from beautiful, hardy alternatives, like begonias, coleus or New Guinea impatiens.

For vegetable gardens, new varieties of tomatoes and peppers are available this year. Grafted tomato and pepper plants can result in double of the production in the same space.

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Grow Your Own in Farmington’s Community Garden, Plus More Tips for the …

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It’s Monday, and that means we’ve put together this list of things going on in Farmington-Farmington Hills to help make your week a little brighter, easier and more fun. For a full list of things to do this week, look at the Patch calendar of events.

1. Did you know

Register for the Chesley Street Community Garden. Grow your own fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables. 

2. For your information

The store will be completely remodeled this summer. In order for improvements to take place, dressbarn will close on Monday, May 13, with plans for a Grand Re-Opening, scheduled for Friday, August 16, according to the Downtown Farmington Facebook page.

3. Plan ahead

Summer day camp is just around corner. Sign up today to guarantee your child a spot this summer.

4. For your health

Botsford Hospital brings board-certified urologist Dr. Amy Brode to the May 16 “Walk with a Doc.” At this free community walk, Dr. Brode will tell you everything you want to know about bladder health.

    5. Last chance

    Time is running out to buy your tickets. Hear U-M play-by-play announcer and former football player Jim Brandstatter regale us with his exciting stories of U-M sports while also supporting a scholarship fund and enjoying a great dinner with fellow alumni and fans. Raffle for great prizes like a football signed by Coach Brady Hoke. Tickets on website.

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