Offering your kids the chance to plant their own fruits, vegetables and flowers. Picture: Thinkstock
Source: Supplied

IT’S the start of the school holidays, which means the battle for keeping your kids entertained had begun!

So in order to tear them away from their X-Box and into the great outdoors, here are five sneaky suggestions for getting your children outside from garden guru Andrew Dawson.

What’s on these holidays?

1. Designate a part of the backyard as a kids’ zone. By incorporating water, sand, dirt and other items like sticks, pine cones and rocks you allow the kids to create their own play and keep themselves entertained for hours.

2. Encourage the kids to get outside and help with spring cleaning the garden by offering them the chance to plant their own fruits, vegetables and flowers. Let them choose their own plants, but guide them to things that are colourful and easy and quick to grow.

3. Offer them their own set of tools – many outlets like STIHL now sell pint-sized versions of their tools specifically for kids. That way they have their own gear and will be more excited to get in the garden.

4. Keep toys and sports gear in easy-to-find spots. Tennis rackets that are hidden at the back of the shed amongst all the rusty tools do not make the task of encouraging kids to get outside easier. Store them in a cupboard near the back/front door so kids can grab them on the way out.

5. Trampolines are a must because kids love them and they are great for encouraging them to get outside and get active. If you’re concerned about safety then consider burying them in the ground which makes them much safer and more discreet.

Kids’ craft activities

Of course, spring time means outdoor entertaining time, so there’s always the opportunity for your kids to earn a bit of pocket money weeding around pavers and repainting your outdoor furniture sets!

September 23, 2012

As fall approaches, now is the time to start preparing your landscape for the upcoming cooler weather, according to the Santa Rosa extension service.

Flowers

• Cut back, and remove old flower stalks from flowering annuals and re-fertilize in order to obtain one more color before cool weather.
• Prepare beds for the planting of cool season annuals next month. Some plants to establish for fall, winter and early spring include: pansy, petunia, snapdragon, larkspur, stocks, statice, bachelor button, calendula, cleome, alyssum, marigolds, verbena, dianthus and candytuft.
• Divide perennials such as Shasta daisy, canna, amaryllis, daylily, coneflower, violets, and ornamental grasses like mondo grass and liriope.
• Cut strong stems of roses to encourage new growth for final flush of the year.
• Find a local source, or order wildflower seeds for fall planting. Be certain to choose a mixture that is specifically for the south. Prepare the area, but wait until November to seed them.

Trees and Shrubs

• Last month to fertilize woody ornamental shrubs in the landscape.
• No pruning unless it’s absolutely necessary. This is probably the worst time of year to do major pruning of shrubs. Late summer/fall pruning can stimulate tender growth that might be damaged by low winter temperatures.
• Plant woody ornamentals, including trees, shrubs, vines and ground covers during the fall and early winter. They respond well to planting late in the year because our relatively mild winters allow for root growth. Fall planted shrubs, for example, are well on their way toward having their roots established before hot weather arrives next spring.
• Select crape myrtles while in bloom.
• Examine the small twigs on the outer canopy of hardwood trees for black twig borer damage. Remove and destroy infested twigs.
• Pine needles fall during September and October. Rake and use them in the vegetable and flower garden as well as in shrub beds. Pine needles make excellent mulch. Apply generously to obtain a depth of 2 to 3 inches on the soil surface after they have settled.
• Mature palms should receive an application of granular fertilizer. Use a special palm fertilizer that has an 8-2-12 +4Mg (magnesium) with micronutrients formulation. Apply one pound of fertilizer per 100 sqft of canopy area or landscape area.

Vegetable Garden

• Prepare the soil now, allowing about 3 weeks between the incorporation of amendments and planting. In September sow seeds of beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, endive, escarole, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, radishes and turnips.
• Last planting of beans (bush, lima and pole), cucumbers and summer squash
• Clean out the spring/summer vegetable garden once plants have stopped producing. Remove any that are known to have been diseased or heavily insect infested during the previous season.

Lawns

• Check the lawn weekly and watch for lawn pests. Check for chinch bugs and sod webworms in St. Augustine, spittlebugs and sod webworms in centipedegrass and mole cricket damage in all grasses
• Last month to fertilize bahiagrass, bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass using a complete fertilizer applied at 1.0 lb nitrogen per 1000 square feet containing 50% soluble and 50% slow-release nitrogen.

Comments

PHS Fall Garden Festival

From the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Facebook page. 

Posted: Thursday, September 20, 2012 2:24 pm
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Updated: 3:02 pm, Thu Sep 20, 2012.

The PHS Fall Garden Festival is this Saturday

Eddie Gribbin

Calkins Media, Inc.

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0 comments

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is presenting the 2012 Fall Garden Festival.

Come enjoy music, plants, workshops, gardening tips, children’s activities, and food at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

There will also be harvest time contest that includes “Garden Giants,” in which growers will enter their best looking tomatoes, pumpkins and fruits. Another contest, “Garden Bounty,” will judge arrangements of fall flowers and produce.

Admission is free and the Navy Yard is located at 4801 S. Broad St., Philadelphia. 

ABC’s “The Chew” co-hosts Carla Hall and Daphne Oz will be there with live demonstrations, giveaways, and a QA.

For more information about the festival, go here.

© 2012 phillyburbs.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Thursday, September 20, 2012 2:24 pm.

Updated: 3:02 pm.

George WeigelColonial gardeners paid more attention to environmental cues to help them get their vegetables from garden to table.

   After tussling through another season trying to grow a decent patch of vegetables, I wonder how people managed this in the days before Miracle Gro and garden sprinklers.

   Here we’ve got an arsenal of modern gizmos and concoctions, yet it’s still not easy to bring a back-yard crop from seed to table.

   How did our foregardeners do it?

   How did we not starve to death generations ago?

   How did the human species not lose out to cabbageworms and groundhogs?

   The answers lie in a fascinating new book by Wesley Greene, founder of Colonial Williamsburg’s Colonial Garden and Plant Nursery.

   Greene has spent 30 years researching historic plants, tools and gardening techniques, and he’s laid out age-old secrets in “Vegetable Gardening the Colonial Williamsburg Way” (Rodale, 2012, $30 hardcover).

   What hit home most to me is that Colonial gardeners went about things in a smarter, more understanding way than we do.

   Not because they were smarter or more understanding – it was because they had no other choice.

George WeigelWesley Greene’s new book on “Vegetable Gardening the Colonial Williamsburg Way.”

   We’re trained to buy products when things go wrong.

   They had to use their wits and whatever solutions they could improvise.

   A good example is the issue of beating bugs to the vegetable feast.

   We’re so accustomed to sprays that we wonder how anyone could possibly grow cucumbers without spraying for cucumber beetles or squash without spraying for squash bugs and vine borers. Certainly the Colonists didn’t have carbaryl or permethrin.

   In defense of us, Colonial gardeners didn’t have nearly the variety of bugs that we do – potato beetles, cabbageworms and Japanese beetles in particular. Those came along later.

   One big difference, though, is that they had much more tolerance for imperfection than we do.

   Let a codling moth make one mark on an apple and we consider it ruined.

   The Colonial gardener, on the other hand, cut out damaged parts and ate the rest.

   They also did a lot more monitoring and hand-picking of bugs than we do. Again, in defense of us, they had time that wasn’t chewed up on Facebook, fixing the cell phone and keeping tabs on college football polls.

   When things got out of hand, they turned to improvised solutions.

   They found that a dousing of lime water killed aphids, that sprinkling ashes on damp squash leaves kept the squash bugs at bay and that laying a board on the ground was great for collecting slugs after a night munching the lettuce.

   It’s not that the Colonists wouldn’t have loved to get their hands on a bottle of diazinon if given half a chance, says Greene.

   “The 18^th-century gardener was an organic one without any interest in being one,” he writes. “The common philosophy was to kill anything that hopped, wiggled or flew, but the Colonists just weren’t very good at it.”

   They also spent a lot more time watching the weather and other environmental cues for ways to not only outsmart bugs but to get the longest-lasting and best-performing crops.

   A favorite technique was to match an observation with a planting or cultivation rule.

   For example, Colonial Virginia gardeners figured out that they got their best carrots when seed was planted when the daffodils bloomed, then again when the dogwoods and lilacs bloomed, then in late summer when the phlox and asters bloomed.

   They knew it was time to harvest new potatoes when the potato plants started flowering.

   They knew turnips worked best as a fall crop, and that you could help summer-sowed cabbage by shading their south and west sides with cut evergreen boughs.

   John Randolph considered “collyflower” so finicky that he said you had to plant it exactly on April 12 for a summer crop and Sept. 12 for a fall crop.

   This approach actually has basis in science because bug arrival, disease outbreaks, flowering times and such are all interdependent on the same environmental vagaries. There’s a field called “plant phenology” that studies the connections.

   Greene’s book shows us how clever our foregardeners were in solving problems.

   Instead of buying heat mats, they speeded seed germination by shoveling manure under the soil in “hot beds.”

George WeigelThis Colonial Williamsburg garden shows how early gardeners used oiled paper to protect their vegetable plants from cold nights.

   Instead of buying $20 packs of spun-bonded polyester fabric to protect crops from frost, they covered their plants with oiled paper.

   Instead of buying cages and trellises to support their peas, tomatoes and broad beans, they used branch prunings and made 2-foot-tall “tables” out of interwoven sticks.

   And instead of buying the latest hybrid or genetically modified seed variety, they watched for even minute genetic improvements and saved the seed from that particular pod or fruit.

   Imagine that… thinking your way to a better garden.

   Maybe those people weren’t so archaic after all.

George Weigel Garden Tip of the Week: Trouble With Tomatoes
It’s getting harder and harder to grow a decent crop of tomatoes, what with all the diseases floating around and this year’s bake-oven of a summer that was just too hot for good pollination.Video by: Christine Baker, The Patriot-News 
Watch video

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Start with a list of everything you have and apply the principles of re-use, recycle and reduce.

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• Oriental accents in serene home       
  

Tips from the Wellness Group to spruce up your home this spring:

* Start with a list of everything you have and apply the principles of re-use, recycle and reduce.

* Upcycle – before you throw or give everything away, see if there is anything you can upcycle. Paint a grotty table a different colour and give it a new lease on life.

* Use toxin-free, eco-friendly paint to change the colour of a chair or cover a sofa with organic cotton upholstery fabric. Paint an old suitcase, mount it on the wall and use it to store towels and linen.

* Use an old chest of drawers in the garden. Open each successive drawer a little further than the one above; fill it with soil and grow plants.

* Have a vision. Redecorating can have a profound effect on your well-being. Visualise exactly what type of space you want to create, find references in magazines and collect them in a file.

* Bear in mind that an all-white, beautiful space may look appealing in a magazine but may be too sterile for your personality. Don’t forget to visualise yourself in the space.

* Make a lounge cosier with some throws or a giant floor cushion. Accent a boring wall with an interesting art piece. Paint one wall a different colour.

* Change from curtains to blinds.

* Clear some space. Getting rid of unnecessary items creates a wonderful feeling of lightness that can be extremely liberating. Give to charity, sell or recycle.

NEW STORE

A new home living store, Wellness Green Living, aims to provide for Cape Town’s eco-conscious shoppers.

The new generation of eco-consumers scrutinises products, looking at sustainability, environmental impact and health implications, the store’s marketing director, Sean Gomes, says.

The Wellness Green Living store is part of the Wellness Warehouse and can be found in the Lifestyle on Kloof Centre.

It sells decor items, household goods, children’s items, green gifts, energy-saving tools, green gadgets and urban-gardening products. – Weekend Argus

Get our new, free Lifestyle newsletter – subscribe here…

Growing with Master Gardeners Conference: All-day educational program for environmentalists and gardeners of all levels. With keynote speakers, classes, shopping and lunch. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. University of Michigan Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen, Dearborn. $40. Material fee for hands-on classes not included in registration fee. Download online registration and submit with payment. Space is limited. 734-768-6860. www.mgawc.org.

Yardeners of St. Clair Shores Fall Plant Exchange: Tailgate party in the parking lot. Please label all plants. 9-11 a.m. Sat. St. Clair Shores Public Library, 22500 E. Eleven Mile, St. Clair Shores. 586-415-7110.

Michigan State African Violet Society Semiannual Display and Sale: Free seminar at 11:30 a.m. Experts will be on hand all day to provide growing tips. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro, Ann Arbor. Free. Recently installed parking meters charge $1.20 an hour with a max of $5 per day. LynnAllen0413@comcast.net .

Planting Spring-Flowering Bulbs: The variety of bulbs and tips on proper planting techniques and care will be discussed. 10 a.m. Sat. English Gardens. Free. www.englishgardens.com.

• 7345 Grand River, Brighton. 810-534-5059.

• 4901 Coolidge, Royal Oak. 248-280-9500.

• 6370 Orchard Lake, West Bloomfield. 248-851-7506.

• 22650 Ford, Dearborn Heights. 313-278-4433.

• 44850 Garfield, Clinton Twp. 586-286-6100.

• 155 N. Maple, Ann Arbor. 734-332-7900.

• 22501 Kelly, Eastpointe. 586-771-4200.

Gardening with Ornamental Grasses: Learn how grasses can enhance your sunny or shady gardens throughout the year. 10 a.m. Sat. Telly’s Greenhouse, 3301 John R, Troy. $5. Register online. 248-689-8735. www.tellys.com.

Invasive Plant Workday #2: Remove non-native invasive plants at the nature center. A great opportunity for community service hours and master gardener hours. Bring work gloves and water. 1 p.m. Sun. Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford, Dryden. 810-796-3200. www.sevenponds.org.

Metro Detroit Hosta Society: “Hybridizing for Young and Old” by American Hosta Society President Doug Bielstein. 7 p.m. Mon. First United Methodist Church, 1589 W. Maple, Birmingham. Guests welcome. Hgold2843@comcast.net.

Dill Wreath Workshop: Participants will wind a base of dill stems and prepare it for decorating with fresh herbs. With Judy Cornellier. 10 a.m. Sept. 29. Telly’s Greenhouse, 3301 John R, Troy. $15. Register online. 248-689-8735. www.tellys.com.

Basics of Landscape Design: Learn how to create an exceptional landscape with tips from professionals. 10 a.m. Sept. 29. English Gardens. Free. www.englishgardens.com.

• 7345 Grand River, Brighton. 810-534-5059.

• 6370 Orchard Lake, West Bloomfield. 248-851-7506.

• 4901 Coolidge, Royal Oak. 248-280-9500.

• 22650 Ford, Dearborn Heights. 313-278-4433.

• 44850 Garfield, Clinton Twp. 586-286-6100.

• 22501 Kelly, Eastpointe. 586-771-4200.

• 155 N. Maple, Ann Arbor. 734-332-7900.

Northville Novi Garden Club meeting: “Winterizing Your Garden” by Lisa Steinkopf. 6:30 p.m. social, 7 p.m. meeting Oct. 8. Northville Art House, 215 W. Cady, Northville. Membership: $25 single, $35 couple. Connie: 248-380-0500. http://gardenersnorthville-novi.org.

Ecological Volunteer Workday: Help collect native prairie grass seeds. Tools, gloves, water and snacks provided. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather. 3-5 p.m. Oct. 9. Oakwoods Metropark, 32911 Willow, New Boston. Free. Contact for more information and register by Oct. 8. Allison Esper: 810-227-2757, ext. 6086.

Troy Garden Club: “Trees for the Urban Landscaper,” with Mike Barger, owner of Mike’s Tree Surgeon. 11:45 a.m. check in, noon light lunch, 1 p.m. guest speaker Oct. 10. Big Beaver United Methodist Church, 3753 John R, Troy. Visitors welcome. $7 guest donation. Reservations. 248-879-7363. www.troygardenclubmi.com.

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Detroit Free Press

615 W. Lafayette, Detroit 48226

E-mail: events@freepress.com

Summer went by so fast. I feel, like others, that it just started.

Fall is a busy season for gardeners. We have to start cleaning up. I am already raking leaves, harvesting late veggies, and cutting the last blooms.

Now is the time to pull out all plants that are done and to get started with cold weather crops. II have a large amount of plants in terracotta pots. They have to be emptied and cleaned before you put them away for the winter. Tip: put newspaper in between each pot; this way, in spring they will come apart easily.

All the dirt from your pots should go into the compost. If you have a large spot like I do for your compost, put over ripe tomatoes, melons, squash, even peppers. You do not want them in the corner. Their seeds can sprout again next year.

The one thing I have learned over the years is that you should not put Morning Glory vines into the compost. I did that one year and had Morning Glory vines on everything. I love them on my back fence, but not in my garden! I know I have said it before, but put all the leaves you rake up in the compost.

I love figs, as many of you know. I just planted my last two fig trees this year. My friend Keith starts them from cuttings and gives them away. Well, in one of my books (after eating 50 or more figs this season), I read about a fruit beetle that will lay eggs on ripe figs. They are especially fond of the figs that have an ostiole or “open eye” on the end. They crawl into the fig from that hole and lay their eggs. This bug only likes ripe figs. So, harvest your figs as soon as they are ready. Now, I will leave the really ripe figs for the birds.

Someone asked me if they should prune back their lavender; yes, it is ok to prune it in early fall, but only enough to tidy up the plants. The right time is early spring. Cutting too late in the fall stresses the plant and often kills it.

Happy gardening!

To join The Lyndhurst Garden Club, please call 201-939-0033.