One summer when I was in college I tried my hand at gardening. I have to admit that I don’t exactly have a green thumb, but I worked hard to nurture my little garden and watched in excitement as my flowers blossomed.

My dog at the time, Bella, must have been watching in excitement, too. In her eyes, she finally had the perfect spot to bury her bone.

I can look back on that scenario now and laugh, but at the time it was a little frustrating to see all of my hard work dug up by the paws of my dog. Now that summer is upon us again and seasonal gardens are sprouting up, I thought I would offer some tips on protecting your plants and your pets.

Do your research: Before you even consider planting a garden, it’s important to keep in mind that many plants and pesticides are dangerous and even deadly to our pets. Toxic plants include daffodils, lilies (especially for cats), yews, laurels, laburnum, azaleas, foxglove, philodendrons and rhubarb, garlic, onions, chives, grapes and tomato plant leaves. I recommend checking the ASPCA website before getting started on your garden. They offer an in-depth list of toxic and non-toxic plants and include photos to make identification easier.

Certain landscapes also pose dangers to our pets. Avoid cocoa mulch, which contains the toxic element also present in chocolate, and be careful with rocks and mulch, which can become stuck in your dog’s digestive tract if ingested and can be hard on your pup’s paws.

Pesticide-free zone: Use fertilizers and pesticides as sparingly as possible and consider using natural ways to fight pests and weeds. If you do use chemicals, keep your pets away from the area altogether.

Sturdy plants: I learned the hard way that dogs are good at tearing up new plants. Larger plants are sturdier and less likely to be disturbed. Some attractive, sturdy plants include peony, creeping phlox, verbena, coneflower, black-eyed Susans, Shasta daisy, Liriope, Russian sage, Mexican primrose, serviceberry, ninebark, mock orange, dogwood, lilac, pine, butterfly bush and quince.

Thorned bushes will discourage some dogs, but be careful not to plant varieties with long, sharp points.

If you prefer smaller plants, try using a tomato cage or something similar to protect them. Pieces of driftwood are a great natural option for keeping your dog away from planted areas.

Give your pets a space of their own: Create a path in your garden so your dog doesn’t have to run through your sensitive plant beds. Use soil rather than mulch or gravel, since dogs see loose materials as the perfect place for digging.

With some research and planning, you can have a safe, beautiful garden that you and your pets can enjoy. Happy gardening!

Russian sage is in all its glory in summer.  It is so happy in mountain landscapes it can get out of control sometimes, or difficult to maintain. The violet color can be overdone in a neighborhood as well.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the easy care and bright look, but we have some new choices that combine will as a companion plant, or a replacement outright without the suckers and sage seed popping up.  The new “Heatwave Hyssop” is an excellent alternative.

Heatwave Hyssop – Spicy licorice-scented foliage attracts humans and hummerbirds alike.  This hardy color option is a breakthrough with eye-catching lavender pink flowers that hoover over the aromatic green foliage.  A knee high show off and perfect for landscape hotspots for years of summer long color to come.  It is one of those heat loving perennial you will only find at Garden Centers when the temperature reach the 90 degree mark. Hyssop loves being planted in the summer. 

Unlike glyphosates such as ‘KleenUp’, ‘Roundup’ and ‘Weed Beater Ultra’, weed preventers keep seeds from ever emerging. However, timing is everything when using weed preventers as they must be applied before the weeds start to grow.  These products dramatically cut back on weeds without affecting the desired plants in a landscape.

Weed Beater Complete – With the start of the rainy season weeds have begun their summer migration into the yard.  Weed Beater Complete is one of those magic new products that combine several laboring yard tasking into one application.  This unique product provides both pre-emergent and post-emergent control of both grassy and broadleaf weeds into one product and works amazingly well on our native weeds.  Administered granularly through a hand spreader, like any fertilizer the systematic action is absorbed into the leaves down to the roots where it inhibits cell division and disrupts photosynthesis.  Then it keeps weed seed from emerging thereafter. Definitely a time saver if you have weeds already up in the landscape that dramatically reduces weeds that will come up in the yard later.

The average yard will use about 2-3 bags of weed preventer, with each bag worth its weight in toil and sweat. Spend the energy and money now to prevent weeds and as the season progresses. You will be able to sit back and relax while thinking to yourself “That Mountain Gardener’s advice is near genius, and I was utterly brilliant to follow it!”

If your summer plants have not bloomed yet, their growth slow and colors pale, or you just want bigger shade trees and healthier natives, this is the time for a summer feeding.  Apply plant food in the landscape within the next 2-3 weeks.  I fertilized my own landscape just as this week’s rain hit; talk about perfect timing.  Many ask, “What did you feed your landscape with, Ken?” 

Three years in the making and WOW do plants love the taste.  I used a special formula created just for our mountain landscape.  Appropriately named “Ken’s All Purpose Plant Food”, this all-natural food is perfect on anything in the yard including roses, flowers, container gardens, lawns, trees, and shrubs.  Ken’s All Purpose is specific to our region, easy to use, difficult to make a mistake with, and a must for all our summer bloomers to look their best.

One bit of advice when using fertilizer, whether synthetic or all natural:  Don’t allow plant foods to rest on the foliage because the leaves can become spotted.  Shake the leaves or hose off any excess that may settle on them.  For lawns and flowers run the irrigation after applying their summer meal.  When feeding agaves and yuccas do not let granular foods remain in the hearts of these plants as they can be seriously damaged. 

The best placement of plant food is always at the outer edge of a plant’s drip line.  If you’re not sure where to put your food imagine that you are a tree; then fully extend your arms and envision placing most of the plant food in the area from your elbow out to your fingertips.  This comparable area under a plant is the location of most of the feeder roots, those fine root hairs able to pick up food and water.  Roots directly under the trunk of a plant are simply there to hold up the plant and support it and are unable to absorb plant food.  With properly placed and thoroughly watered-in plant food it won’t be long ‘til our gardens are filled with blossoms.

There just aren’t enough words in a weekly column, but we have a free garden clinic at 9:30 where the subject of weeds and bugs dive deep.  You are invited to this mornings clinic titled, “No Weeds, No Bugs, No Problems”.  Classes held in the middle of a greenhouse are inspirational and very fun, join us.  July 21 our Prescott clinic will be, “Vibrant Green Lawns to Life” held right here on the Garden Center grounds. 

Until next week, I’ll see you at the Garden Center.

 

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Agnesian HealthCare: Garden Walk in Fond du Lac features six private gardens, garden party and refreshments, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. July 15. $12. Information: (920) 926-4959.

Beaver Dam Area Arts Association: Secret Garden Tour, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 21. $10 advance; $12 at the door. Seippel Homestead Center for the Arts, 1605 N. Spring St., (920) 885-3635.

Boerner Botanical Gardens: Education classes and events, led by experts who offer hands-on experiences and useful tips. Registration required. 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners. (414) 525-5659.

Burlington Garden Center: Gardening, planting, and lawn care workshops and seminars; prices vary. 5205 Mormon Road, Burlington, (262) 763-2153.

Great Gardener’s Rummage. Aug. 4-31.

Daylily Society of Southeast Wisconsin: Self-guided driving tour of four gardens in Milwaukee County, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 21-22. Information: (262) 835-4235.

The Elegant Farmer: Enjoy an array of farm kitchen bakery, cheeses and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Open year round 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Highway ES and J, Mukwonago. (262) 363-6770.

Elmbrook Garden Club: Monthly meetings with guest speakers. New members welcome. Brookfield Library, 1900 N. Calhoun Road, Brookfield. (414) 578-2513.

Elm Grove Tour Le Jardin: Features six gardens as benefit for three local garden clubs, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 21. $8 advance; $10 day of tour. Tour starts at Sunset Playhouse, 800 Elm Grove Road, Elm Grove.

Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens: Education classes and events, led by experts who offer hands-on experiences and useful tips. Registration required. 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners. (414) 525-5659.

Discover Hidden Treasures Garden Walk “Gardens of the Future” with Melinda Myers, 6:30 p.m. July 25.

Godsell Farm and Garden: Tour of farm and produce gardens, 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. July 21. $5. S105-W15585 Loomis Drive, Muskego. (414) 425-2937.

Greenfield Beautification Committee: “Select Gardens of Greenfield” self-guided tour of five private landscapes, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 21. $10 advance; $12 day of event. Greenfield City Hall, 7325 W. Forest Home Ave., Greenfield, (414) 421-2213.

Hartford Lioness Garden Walk: Enjoy formal, small area, vegetable/flower gardens and some water features, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. July 21. $7 advance; $8 day of event. Gardens in Hartford and south of the city. Information: Maureen Konkel, (262) 673-7640.

Hawthorne Hill Farm: “Barn Rummage” weekend event features home décor, antique and vintage items, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 11-12. 16370 W. Small Road, New Berlin.

Hoard Historical Museum: Jefferson County Master Gardeners present “Designing and Creating Rain Gardens” with Beverly Dahl, 2 p.m. July 28. Free. 401 Whitewater Ave., Fort Atkinson. (920) 563-7769.

Interiorscapes: “Clean Air” Plant Sale, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 4, 5600 W. North Ave., (414) 871-7444.

Milwaukee County UW Extension Office: Horticultural Helpline will offer free, walk-in diagnosis and identification of plants and insects on Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. (through August 29). Building A, 9501 W. Watertown Plank Road, Wauwatosa. Information: (414) 256-4600.

North Point Lighthouse Garden: Master Gardeners provide free butterfly gardening tips, 1-2:30 p.m. July 21, 2650 N. Wahl Ave., (414) 332-6754.

Oconomowoc Women’s Club: Garden Tour of five area gardens, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 21. $10 advance; $12 day of tour. Information: (262) 567-8418.

Pringle Nature Center: Environmental education programs. Registration required. 9800 160th Ave., Bristol. (262) 857-8008.

Retzer Nature Center: Programs and classes with a focus on the natural world and sustainability. S14-W28167 Madison St., Waukesha. Information: (262) 896-8007.

Plant Tour Natural Community Identification. July 21.

Reading The Woods. Aug. 4.

Family Trail Rally. Aug. 11.

Rain Gardens Rain Barrels. Aug. 25.

Rotary Botanical Gardens: Home Garden Tour of seven gardens, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 21. $10 advance; $12 day of event. 1455 Palmer Drive, Janesville. Information: (608) 754-1779.

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center: Environmental education programs. 1111 E. Brown Deer Road, Bayside, (414) 352-2880.

Shady Lane Greenhouse: Open year-round, with seminars taught by area professionals for every level of gardener. W172-N7388 Shady Lane, Menomonee Falls. (262) 251-1660.

Shorewood 10 Garden Tour: Visit private gardens in Shorewood, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 28. $10. Tour starts at 4470 N. Lake Drive, Shorewood. Information: (414) 963-9695.

Sweet Water Organics: Tour the urban aquaponic farm, 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, noon on Sundays. Admission $10; children under 10 are free. No reservation necessary. Retail store sells fresh perch, produce and gardening supplies. 2151 S. Robinson St., (414) 489-0425.

Taliesin Preservation, Inc.: Frank Lloyd Wright’s private estate and specialty tours are offered through Oct. Advance reservations recommended. Wright Visitor Center, 5607 county Highway C, Spring Green, (877) 588-7900.

Wellspring Inc.: Certified organic farm and retreat center offering programs in wellness, ecology, gardening and the arts. 4382 Hickory Road, West Bend. (262) 675-6755.

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Alverno College Telesis: Professional and community education courses for women and men. 3400 S. 43rd St. (414) 382-6200.

Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion: Guided and self-guided tours of this Flemish Renaissance revival mansion are available year round. The Pabst Mansion features elaborately handcrafted woodwork, original wall coverings and furnishings, leaded glass and 19th-century artwork. Tour prices and hours are subject to change. 2000 W. Wisconsin Ave., (414) 931-0808.

Cedarburg Cultural Center: Architectural Treasures Tour, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 4; noon-4 p.m. Aug. 5. $13 advance; $15 day of tour. W62-N546 Washington Ave., Cedarburg, (262) 375-3676.

Cedarburg Kuhefuss House Museum: Educational and historic public tours of 1849 home, 1:30-4 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, (through Aug. 25). Admission $3. W63-N627 Washington Ave., Cedarburg. (262) 375-3676.

Charles Allis Art Museum: The mansion holds Charles and Sarah Allis’ collection featuring 19th-century French and American paintings. The collection spans 2,000 years and includes original and antique furnishings. 1801 N. Prospect Ave., (414) 278-8295.

Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum: Tour the 1840s inn and learn what life was like in the 1800s. Open 1-4 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of each month (through Oct.). 1075 Pilgrim Pkwy, Brookfield.

Historic Milwaukee Inc.: A nonprofit educational organization, dedicated to increasing the public’s awareness of Milwaukee’s historical and architectural heritage, by providing walking tours throughout various neighborhoods of the city, guided bus tours, slide shows and lectures. (414) 277-7795.

Lowell Damon House: Colonial home open for visitors and tour groups throughout the year. 2107 Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa. (414) 273-8288.

North Point Lighthouse: View artifacts, artwork and photographs of old Lake Park and marine memorabilia in the Keeper’s Quarters. Volunteers are available during designated hours to provide information and limited guided tours, which allow visitors to climb to the top of the 74-foot tower. 2650 N. Wahl Ave. (414) 332-6754.

Old World Wisconsin: Tour historic buildings as interpreters depict life in 19th-century rural Wisconsin. W372-S9727 Highway 67, Eagle. (262) 594-6300.

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum: An Italian Renaissance-style villa that features fine and decorative arts dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries, and a formal garden cascading down to the lake level. 2220 N. Terrace Ave. (414) 271-3656.

Whether you’re just starting to plant or your garden is in full swing, check out these unique tips to help you grow better, healthier plants. These tips are eco-friendly, organic and mostly free!

1. Create a natural fertilizer by crushing up old eggshells in a food processor or blender. Sprinkle the shells into your garden to enrich the soil. Eggshells contain calcium that some plants like tomatoes and eggplants need to avoid rot. The extra calcium helps combat this.

Eggshells also combat slugs and other pests, as well.  For more tips on keeping slugs and bugs away from your plants, check out this post on TwinkleVanWinkle.com.

 

2. Keep weeds at bay with vinegar and salt. If you have a large area of weeds you’d like to get rid of, pour vinegar on the leaves and salt on the roots. Make sure to keep away from things you DON’T want killed. The salt will leave the soil dead for several months. It is a great way to kill plants in the fall and prepare an area for spring planting, however.

3. Layer old newspapers three or four layers deep onto areas where weeds are a problem. The paper will smother the plants and keep them from getting any of the sunlight they need to grow.

4. Try making your garden some tea. Chamomile tea is perfect for keeping bacteria and fungus at bay. Pour a cooled batch of chamomile tea onto the roots of plants to help keep veggies and flowers healthy.

 

5. Save the water after you boil vegetables, and even noodles. The leftover water is full of nutrients and vitamins that your plants will love to drink. Just let the water cool down before using it on plants.

For tips on growing great tomatoes, check out this post from last month.

6. Document your success as well as your failures. A gardening journal is the best way to make sure you remember the great things you’ve done, as well as helps to keep you from duplicating the mistakes the next growing season.

7. Give your plants some friends. Companion plants really can help grow your garden to its fullest potential. Fragrant herbs repel pests while nectar-rich plants, like sunflowers and zinnia, attract beneficial insects that help pollinate.

8. A well-placed soaker hose lets water seep slowly into the soil around your plants. This is a great way to get much-needed water to the roots on a steady schedule. Water your plants easily in the morning and evenings, avoiding midday sun. This method also helps your plants avoid bacteria and fungus that can appear from shock and spot watering.

For more watering tips, go to TwinkleVanWinkle.com and check out Twinkle’s 10 Watering Tips.

9. Give your plants support by tying them up to a stake, cage or even fencing. Use old pantyhose for the best way to camouflage the ties in the garden while giving them a little bit of flexibility with the stretchy material. Great way to recycle ripped or torn stockings as well!

10. When it gets down to it, your hands are the best and most effective weed deterrent. For small, intermittent weeds, a little elbow grease and some manual weed-pulling goes a long way. It’s a great way to commune with your garden and get down and dirty to investigate if there are any problems you may be overlooking.

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For more on gardening, tech geekery, food and music, check out twinklevanwinkle.com. Find Twinkle on Foodspotting, Tumblr and Twitter.

Twinkle VanWinkle ponders, creates and discovers cool stuff about music, movies, food, fashion and so forth. Her thoughtful writings and interactives give great advice about healthy food, cooking tips, DIY projects, fashion and more. She’ll teach you a thing or two about music as well. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

Thanks to an EPA grant received back in 2005, Blount
Countians can be part of an effort that not only seeks to protect our valuable natural resources but
gives us the best tips for gardening success.

Lisa Phipps, a master gardener, has teamed up
with the Soil Conservation District and the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service
to offer to the community “Ten Principles for Blount Friendly Gardening Practices.” The next in the
series will be held Aug. 4 at the Blount County Public Library.

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The program, said Phipps, is
a practical approach to helping homeowners meet their landscaping needs while also protecting
Tennessee’s 60,000 miles of streams.

The smart thing to do

“We are teaching
homeowners things they can do to be more sustainable,” she explained. “Things like cutting down on
use of pesticides, putting the right plants in the right place and mulching so you don’t have soil
erosion.”

The first workshop was held back in June and was completely filled up. There will
be the Aug. 4 one and then two more — Aug. 25 and Sept. 15.

The 10 principles also include
the importance of knowing your soil and how to water efficiently. Fertilizing appropriately,
attracting wildlife in your landscape, managing yard pests, recycling grass clippings and leaves
and reducing storm water runoff are key components in this program. Phipps said.

John
Wilson, UT Ag Extension agent for Blount County, has been a participant in this homeowner outreach
program for years. He said typically there will be newcomers to the area who want to learn the
best techniques and tips for growing, and those who’ve been here for years but they still feel
they have something to learn.

For Wilson and Phipps, it’s a way to get everybody thinking
about the important role we all play in global sustainability.

“We are blessed here with
water resources — natural resources in general but particularly our water resources, with our
streams, rivers and reservoirs,” Wilson said. “Water is critical.”

The threat is
real

The biggest threat to our water is from impervious surfaces. Runoff picks up
fertilizers, animal waste, pesticides and construction runoff and takes it into our water supply,
Wilson and Phipps explained. It originates from many sources but has the same negative
effect.

That’s why it’s important for people not to dump grass clippings and stuff like used
oil into storm drains, they stressed.

Blount County’s water source is Little River, which
originates in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Clingman’s Dome at over 6,600 feet in
elevation. It flows 60 miles through the cities of Townsend. Alcoa and Maryville as well as
portions of Blount, Knox and Sevier counties. The river supplies drinking water to over 100,000
residents in Blount County. The quality of the river degrades with increasing distance from the
national park.

The EPA grant that made this program possible has also been used for other
important projects in Blount County. One example is at Springbrook Park in Alcoa, where non-native
invasive plants have been removed. In their place are the native plants. The environmental design
lab at UT helped with this project.

Depending on what Blount County gardeners are interested
in, future topics for discussion during these gardening workshops might include things like
installing rain barrels, organic gardening and composting.

It’s important to hold these
community outreach programs, Phipps and Wilson said, so that new information can be taught and
reminders can be given on the delicate balance of nature.

The Little River that supplies all
of us with drinking water is one of the few remaining high quality rivers in East Tennessee. But,
it’s also considered threatened, according to the State of Tennessee. That’s because if current
trends continue, the river will be impaired due to increased development.

Everyone has to do
his/her part to keep our water safe, these two said.

Raised bed with mulch

Barb Larson, Kenosha County UW-Extension Horticulture Educator, and master gardener volunteers were on hand at the Prairie Springs Park earlier this afternoon.  Larson gave a presentation entitled, “Gardening in the Hot Weather.”  Larson explained how placing organic mulch around your plants keeps the moisture in, which is very helpful in this heat.  She prefers straight compost, as opposed to soil and compost mixtures, for raised beds because it is easy to work in, and plants grow well in it.

Larson said that herbs are easy to grow, and require little to no fertilizer.  “In fact,” she said, “to ensure the most flavorful herbs, don’t fertilize.  The essential oils, which provide fragrance and flavor, will then be enhanced.”

One of the participants asked Larson about her thyme and cilantro which she had growing in pots on her deck.  Both died, even though she was watering them daily.  Larson asked her if they had full sun, and if they were in pots with holes at the bottom.  They were.  “The cilantro was more than likely done,” Larson said.  “If there were flowers and seeds, even though there was only one stalk, it would be done.  It is an annual.  It grows best in cool temperatures.  But, they can be replanted all the time.”  Larson thought the thyme might have been too wet.  “It is a Mediterranean plant.  It prefers a rocky garden.  If it gets too wet, the roots can rot.  The best check is to stick your finger in the soil.  If it’s moist, don’t water it.  And, basil likes a better quality soil.”

Another participant asked about straw, because hers had weeds growing out of it.  Larson said, “Ask for weed-free straw, and then keep your fingers crossed.  The thickness for mulch depends on the plants.  For vegetables and flowers, make the straw about 2 inches deep.  Leave a bit of area exposed around the plant.  If it’s right up against the plants, it will tend to rot.”

Daily watering of vegetables is not necessary.  Larson said she prefers “less frequent watering, but watering more deeply.  Water every two to three days, but make sure the water soaks in 4 to 6 inches into the soil.”

One of the ideas the other master gardeners tried this year was the use of floating row covers to keep bugs out of the garden.  These would be put around your garden as soon as you put the seeds in the ground.  But, for squash and cukes, for vegetables which are bee-pollinated, you would have to uncover them to let the bees in.  The flexible PVC tubes can be purchased at Menard’s.  Here is a picture of how this looks:

Raised bed with PVC hoops and floating row covers

Japanese beetles and flea beetles can damage your garden.  Larson said that LaCrosse is getting thousands of Japanese beetles.  Tiny holes are created by the flea beetles.  She recommends treating Japanese beetles as two separate insects:  grubs, or larvae, and the adults.  Adults can fly a mile and a half to five miles.  “Never use adult beetle traps; it just attracts more beetles. And, remember, not all grubs are Japanese beetles.  There are June beetles, too.  If you don’t have 10 to 12 grubs per square foot, it’s not enough damage to worry about.”

“Should we take the leaves off of brussel sprouts?”  “No,” said Larson.  “Leave them on.  Think about it.  The less leaves there are, the less photosynthesis can take place.  The less sugars are produced, etc.  We want the leaves to do the work.  Only take off the diseased or yellow leaves.”

Beans are really struggling this year, because of the hot temperatures.  “At night, the temperatures were greater than 70 degrees.  The flower buds drop off, and the pollen degrades in hot weather.  With the 100-degree temperatures during the day, the night-time temperatures stayed at 75 degrees or higher.  It’s an interesting phenomenon,” Larson said.

Larson showed the group the difference between the the male and females on the crook-neck squash plants.  The first flowers are the males.  These can be picked off first.  One of the master gardeners had the idea of making an A-frame trellis for the squash, cukes, and cantaloupe to grow on because of the windy area.  This will help support them better.  Here’s a picture of how that looks:

A-frame trellis

If you have questions about your lawn or garden, the master gardeners are available every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 am to 12 noon at the Kenosha County Center on the corner of Highways 45 and 50, in Bristol.  You can stop in and visit them.  Bring your questions or samples with you.

On Tuesday evenings, you can talk with the master gardens at the demonstration garden.  The area is located near the north baseball field, on the west side of Lake Andrea.

You can also call the Yard and Garden Helpline at (262) 857-1942.  Also, the master gardeners are available at the Harbor Market of Kenosha on Saturday mornings on the second and fourth Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm.

On-line resources are:  http://kenosha.uwex.edu, http://hort.uwex.edu, and http://learningstore.uwex.edu.

The next presentation will take place next month on “Fall Crops.”

Keep scrolling down for additional pictures:

Dill

Beets

Pictured is Barb Larson (in the pink shirt at the left) and presentation participants.

 

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Steve Huddleston doesn’t fear unforgiving soil.

The north Texas horticulturist has faced down clay, drought and other garden threats to keep the Fort Worth, Texas, Botanic Garden flourishing for 18 years. He’ll share his expertise at a free lecture Wednesday in Shreveport.

“I’ve been in horticulture since the age of 3,” Huddleston said. “I used to work in the backyard. Dad gave me a little plot of ground to call my own. Even through high school, I worked in landscape jobs. I’ve always liked plants and designing with them.”

Shreveport master gardener Sue Crow sought out Huddleston because north Louisiana gardeners face similar soil and weather problems.

“He’s going to talk about plants that are easy to grow. One of our speakers last time talked about preserving rainwater,” Crow said. “We try to make gardening easy, because it’s really tough, it being so hot and dry.”

Three basic elements apply to designing a backyard or botanic garden: soil, climate and plant choice. Huddleston applies those principles at the 109-acre public garden and in his front yard.

He’s fond of native Texas plants, which are tough and drought tolerant. His personal garden includes red yucca, Turkish cap, buffalo grass and the only palm tree native to north central Texas.

“I put the sprinkler out sometimes but I’m not running an irrigation system,” Huddleston said.

His handiwork at the botanic garden involves a bit more work. During his tenure, workers made significant improvements to the Japanese garden and installed other beds. The property features 23 themed gardens, including the original rose garden built in 1934 as part of the Works Progress Administration.

“The rose garden is now on the National Register of Historic Places,” Huddleston said.

He’s also proud of less-flashy improvements like new parking lots and a $16 million wall on the garden’s western edge.

“We’ve also finalized a master plan, which is beautiful. We just need the money to implement it,” Huddleston said.

Connect with Melody Brumble on Twitter @mbrumble.

This article was provided by acting Interim City Manager Deborah Harrington.

One of the biggest sources of water pollution is runoff from landscaping and gardening activities. Soil, waste and chemicals residents use on Canyon Lake lawns and gardens can wind their way into the Lake and ultimately downstream to other areas, including Lake Elsinore.

“Urban runoff from our yards and gardens contains toxic chemicals that can pollute our waterways and harm aquatic life,” says City Councilwoman Nancy Horton, a clean water advocate. “It’s important that Canyon Lake residents know that anything used in the yard can travel through our streets, gutters and storm drains and end up polluting rivers, lakes and streams.”

Residents of Canyon Lake only have to look out their backyard to see the impact of urban runoff on water quality in the 383-acre Lake that serves as a drinking water reservoir for the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.

That’s why it is important that Canyon Lake residents do all they can to keep the streets, gutters and storm drains free of the chemicals and organic materials that affect water quality in the Lake.

It is critical that gardening products and waste water are kept out of the City’s drainage system.

City and water agency officials say residents can follow a few simple steps and precautions to ensure generations to come can enjoy the natural beauty of the Lake.

• Do not overwater lawns and gardens. To prevent unwanted runoff, use drip irrigation and soaker hoses.

• Never apply pesticides or fertilizers when rain is forecast.

• Do not rake or blow leaves, clippings or other plant waste into the street. Try composting or using the green waste containers provided by CRR.

• Cover piles of dirt or mulch being used in landscaping projects.

• Use a broom to clear debris from driveways and patios rather than water from a hose.

• Reduce watering requirements by planting low-maintenance native vegetation. Prevent erosion and soil runoff by using dense ground cover whenever possible. When possible, use non-chemical and natural alternatives to pesticides. Beneficial predator insects such as lady bugs can keep aphid populations down on roses, for example.

• Use a commercial car wash that treats or recycles its wastewater, or wash your car in your yard so the water soaks into the ground and does not drain into the street or storm drain.

• Be sure to park your car in the driveway on the days the street sweeper will be in your neighborhood. If the sweeper has to go around several cars on your street, it cannot do the job of cleaning debris from the curbs. The schedule appears periodically in The Friday Flyer.

Maintaining the water quality in Canyon Lake is critical as water authorities try to stem the flow of nutrients and organic matter, which cause fish-killing algal blooms and detract from the overall health of the water.

The history of water runs deep in City of Canyon Lake, which is also known as Railroad Canyon Reservoir. The reservoir, created in 1928 with the construction of the Railroad Canyon Dam, has a storage capacity of 11,900 acre-feet and is owned and operated by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.

The reservoir is supplied by storm water runoff from the San Jacinto River and Salt Creek. Water from the reservoir feeds the Canyon Lake Water Treatment Plant, which provides approximately 10 percent of the domestic water supply in the Lake Elsinore/Canyon Lake area.

All of the homeowners can access the Lake for recreational uses. Personal watercraft such as Jet Skis, are prohibited. However, ski boats, fishing boats, row boats, paddle boats, sailboats, and kayaks, as well as wake-boarding, hydrofoiling and water-skiing are allowed.

For more information call 244-2955 or go to www.cityofcanyonlake.com.

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Written by Doug Oster

I’ve been getting e-mails and Facebook posts about watering and wanted to share them.

 

What I’ve done when I put in new shrubs, I put a paper towel roll core end on end beside the bush at ground level. Fill it with gravel, pebbles, whatever and then put the dirt in around the plant. Eventually the cardboard tube rots and you have a ”tube” of gravel, pebbles, whatever that will take rain water or hose water into the ground- Tom

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Dan Gill is extension horticulturist with the LSU Ag Center. He writes a weekly column and mailbag for The Times-Picayune. Here is this week’s installment:

Rusty Costanza/The Times-Picayune archivePruning satsuma branches now may cause more harm than what was done by the leaf miners.

I was out of town when my satsuma trees put out their June growth, and I missed the time to spray spinosad. Of course, the leaves are gnarled and look terrible. Will it hurt them if I cut the long new branches off? Also, now every tomato I harvest has a callous-like fungus and continues to rot as they ripen. Can I spray the tomatoes themselves while they are on the plant with Garden Safe Fungicide? The active ingredient is extract of neem oil. If not, is there anything I can do? There are still lots of nice green tomatoes on the plants.

Ireys

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish by cutting off the damaged satsuma tree branches. Removing the branches will not prevent additional growth that will occur later this summer and in early fall. Cutting back the branches will not make the tree healthier or more productive. Indeed, the leaf miners only attack and damage the leaves. The branches are still alive and healthy. Next year, those branches will produce healthy new growth, and they may even flower and set fruit. So, if you decide to prune off the branches, the only reason would be to make the tree look better to you. You would actually be damaging your tree more than the leaf miners did.

To your second question: We are beyond our prime tomato season at this point. The intense heat is reducing the quality of the tomatoes we get and causing more problems. Feel free to use the fungicide following label directions. Also consider ripening any tomatoes that start to turn whitish or pink indoors out of harm’s way. Harvest them, wash and dry them, and put them on your kitchen counter to ripen. There’s no need to put them in a window; light is not needed.

My river birch tree has been dropping dry crispy leaves all over my front yard. There are still plenty of green leaves on it, but I’m a bit concerned. It’s a large tree with a 24-inch diameter trunk that splits into two trunks about 2 feet up from the ground. I’ve always relied on nature to water this tree. Should I start using a sprinkler perhaps? It’s got a pretty wide canopy. I just don’t know how much drought this tree can handle.

Randall Vincent

River birches are native to the banks of rivers and streams. While they do not grow right down in the water the way bald cypresses do, their roots always have access to water. As a result, river birches are not very drought tolerant. They frequently drop leaves during extended dry weather such as our current dry spell. Use lawn sprinklers to thoroughly irrigate the area under and around the canopy of your tree. Do this once a week until you get a good rain in your area.

Send mail to:

Dan Gill, garden columnist

The Times-Picayune Living Section

3800 Howard Ave.

New Orleans 70125-1429

Send e-mail to dgill@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Please include a phone number.