The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal are pleased to offer adults, ages 18 and older, a series of landscaping classes this fall at Trailside Nature Science Center in Mountainside. The Trailside Museum Association is sponsoring these classes from 11:00 a.m. to noon on three Saturdays: October 13 (Planting Bulbs); October 27 (Deer Resistant Plants); and November 3 (Creating a Natural Wildlife Garden). Pre-registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcomed as space permits. There is no fee for these classes but donations are appreciated.

 “These landscaping classes will provide residents with knowledge and skills to grow and maintain beautiful gardens,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “The Board of Chosen Freeholders appreciates the Trailside Museum Association’s sponsorship of these landscaping classes, as well as their ongoing support and commitment to Trailside.”

Bryan Lowe, horticulture consultant for HortSeminarsNJ, and a certified rain garden installer, will present an informative series of landscaping lectures. On Saturday, Oct. 13, learn which bulbs are available in the season; which do well in our area and are deer resistant; and find out how to plant, care for and maintain your bulbs. 

The topic of discussion on Saturday, Oct. 27 is deer-resistant plants. You’ll learn what plants are not attractive to deer, and what techniques work to deter deer. On Saturday, Nov. 3 the class will examine the proper design for creating a backyard corner for attracting birds, as well as a landscape dedicated to providing food and shelter for our animal friends. The class will offer a chance to explore Trailside’s wildlife habitat.         

 The Trailside Museum Association, sponsor of this landscaping series of programs, is dedicated to assisting Trailside staff in their ongoing efforts to educate people in all aspects of nature, science and conservation by assisting with funding, volunteering and advocacy. 

For information about the landscaping classes or information about any other programs or upcoming events, call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside Nature Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

 

Some azaleas to tempt you.

THERE are heaps of things to do in our garden at this time, and not the least is the simple rule: if it flowers in spring, prune immediately after it finishes.

That should be followed by a good dose of fertiliser to encourage new growth and have your garden looking just beautiful.

The new Yates Uplift plant food, made from organic ingredients including seaweed, is ideal for this, so try it and watch those plants respond.

This liquid fertiliser promotes healthy growth, and the easy-pour bottle makes it a simple job to apply regularly.

Yates have a good promotion at present, which means when you buy your new Yates Uplift, you can go online to www.yates.com.au and claim two free packets of their top value seeds.

 

More Blooming Beauties

Amost without fail, when you mention azaleas to garden

lovers, they react with enthusiasm.

This time of year provides lots of pleasure for us, with gardens brimming over with so many different colours, forms and sizes of these beauties, and not only in gardens but in pots.

There are varieties suitable for

hedges, garden bed features, pot culture, some low growers perfect for borders or hanging baskets and hosts more.

Simply ensure you select the colour and ultimate size it will grow for your chosen position and whether it’s suitable for sun or shade.

If you are considering planting some in your garden, they need slightly acidic, well-drained soil containing plenty of organic material that can be kept moist but not wet.

The older varieties save their energy to flower well in the spring, while newer forms known as azalea encore flower in the autumn, then continue to bloom through winter into spring.

These are free flowering with a very broad colour range, attractive evergreen foliage, grow well in sun or shade, and are heat tolerant.

Incidentally, azaleas are not difficult to grow, see the many beautiful ones growing along roadsides!

 

To read more lifestyle stories

COASTAL BEND —
GARDEN TALKS AT GILL: Gill Landscape Nursery, 2810 Airline Road, will host the fall 2012 garden talks beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday: landscaping with edibles with Phillip Elbert; Sept. 29: 10 a.m., growing and using herbs with Mary Dunford; Oct. 6: 10 a.m., organic gardening with Andy Chidester; Oct. 13:10 a.m., container gardening with Merlien Wilder. Information: 992-9674.

BIRDS OF PREY: Local naturalist and Hawk Watch education coordinator Beth Hoekje lectures on identifying common birds of prey at the “Introduction to Hawks Raptors” seminar, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center, 8545 S. Staples St. Cost: $8; free/members. Information/reservations: 852-2100.

FLOWER GARDENING: Carol Krank will discuss fall flower gardening at 2 p.m. Sunday at Turner’s Gardenland, 6503 S. Padre Island Drive. Free. Information: 991-9002.

GARDEN CLUB: First Presbyterian Church Garden Club meets at 9:45 a.m. in Kleberg Hall, 430 S. Carancahua St. Meetings are open to members and nonmembers. Tuesday: Marion Muenzenberger, Carl’s Fine Flowers, “Create New Arrangements from Old”; Oct. 23: Don and Rhoda Poenisch, Native Plant Society, “Easy to Grow Native Plants”; Nov. 27: Carol Krank, Turner’s Gardenland, “Butterfly Gardens”; Jan. 22: Michael Womack, “Best Shade Trees for Corpus Christi”; Feb. 26: Kathy Hubner, Gill’s Nursery, “Plants for Shady Areas”; March 26: Susan Matthews, “Preparing the Easter Cross”; May 28: Induction of officers and salad luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Information: 884-4057.

BONSAI MEETING: Bonsai Society meets at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely Drive. Mike Feduccia will talk about tropicals. Free. Information: 992-0009.

PLANT SALE: Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardens will have a fall plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 29 at the AM AgriLife Extension Service, 892 Airport Road, Rockport. Information: 361-790-0103.

WINTER VEGETABLES: Carol Krank will discuss “Winter Vegetables” at 2 p.m. Sept. 30 at Turner’s Gardenland, 6503 S. Padre Island Drive. Free. Information: 991-9002.

HERBS IN SOUTH TEXAS: The seminar “Growing Herbs in South Texas” is from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 6 at the South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center, 8545 S. Staples St. Nueces Master Gardener and Turner’s Gardenland certified nursery professional Carol Krank reveals her recommended herb varieties and growing tips for successful herb gardening and harvesting. Cost: $8. Information: 852-2100.

BAY GARDENS: The Corpus Christi Area Garden Council Inc. will host the fall garden tour, “Gardens Around the Bay” from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 21. Tickets are $10 and are available at Turner’s Gardenland, Gill Landscape Nursery, Green’s and Thing’s and garden club members. Three gardens in Corpus Christi and two in Portland will be featured, plus admission to South Texas Botanical Gardens Nature Center. Information: 991-5375 or bwhitt33@swbell.net

ASK THE GARDEN PRO

Q: What are the little white flowers that have been blooming along the roadside and in yards after last week’s rain?

A: Rainlilies are a native wildflower that emerges after most rains. The grasslike leaves are often hidden among other vegetation until it rains and the bulb produces a stalk with a single white flower with a pink tinge to the outside for several days after the precipitation. The most common color is white, but there are some pink, yellow, and even an orange form. If you like these flowers to adorn your yard, then you can propagate by seeds which appear shortly after they flower.

Michael Womack

TIP OF THE WEEK

Trim off faded flowers on crape myrtles to encourage later re-bloom. The more modern hybrids of the old-fashioned Lagerstroemia indica and L. faureii have larger, more conspicuous panicles of flowers, but these often tend to turn to heavy seedpods which discourage re-blooming later in the season. They can be cut off, where practical.

Rita Phillips

Leucanthemum (little angel) performs well.

WITH many Australians thoroughly enjoying the warmer weather, at the same time as praying for some rain, many gardens are in need of some attention to promote healthy growth, avoid the many problems that can spoil that growth, and start new projects.

So, let’s start with some preventative ideas to keep everything looking good and growing well.

 

Keeping pests away

Citrus trees can do with a good clean up at this time, so spray with PestOil to rid them of any remaining leafminers, which will also clean up scale and aphids.

Sucking insects cause so much damage to our otherwise healthy plants, so let’s stop them before they start.

We have found Confidor, both liquid and tablet forms, very effective in keeping aphids, azalea lace bug, mealybug, greenhouse thrips, hibiscus flower beetle, soft scale, sap-sucking bugs, psyllids and many more in their right place – out of our garden.

This is an excellent spot treatment for those pests, and into the bargain is perfect for indoor plants or those on the veranda or patio – and the aerosol container can be turned upside down to treat under the leaves and other awkward spaces, which is an enormous help, and as it has low toxicity is not hard on the good insects like ladybirds.

Whatever you do, don’t overlook the tablet form.

These can be used to protect azaleas both in-ground or pots from azalea lace bug (up to six months), lillypillies from psyllids (four months), potted palms from mealybugs (six months), magnolias from scale (three months) and more.

 

Plant of the week

If you love daisies, the delightful leucanthemum (little angel) will fill a special sunny spot in your garden, producing hosts of its starry, golden centred white flowers from late winter through spring and summer.

Little Angel is a recent new improved form of the popular shasta daisy that we all enjoyed for so many years, due to their hardiness and easy growing.

They are perennials here, make excellent cut flowers, attract butterflies, love a sunny situation, make good borders, and grow very well in planter bowls that can be moved around the outdoor living areas.

 

To read more lifestyle stories

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Some designs can be realised within weeks from conception. These are satisfying because you can quickly see the results of your hard work.

These fast achievers are typical of urban sections with plenty of hard landscaping, but what of the slow achievers. Could be a case of the hare and tortoise?

Landscapes that mature over decades or longer do so slowly, but when they come of age they are well worth the wait. I am currently working on a rural property where we have planted more than 2000 trees to create a forest garden.

These trees are small but in time the plantings should replicate a wild woodland similar to those found in the eastern states of the USA. The deciduous plantings are a mixture of oaks, maples, birches, sweet gums (liquid ambers), beech, ash and a few others.

The concept behind this large scale design is to create shelter for the property. A number of more typical trees, like pines or gums, could have been used but where is the fun in that as perhaps more important than the shelter aspect is the way it looks.

The deciduous species listed above will provide a great mix of fall colours that can be viewed from above and below. This hillside planting should in due course be visible from the plains for all to enjoy from a distance but the longer term plan for this private forest is to put in tracks and huts as well as a babbling brook.

These large scale projects need more time than money and more love than skill and as such they can be initiated relatively quickly without the need for a large budget. As more and more trees get removed for vineyard it is good to see more permanent trees being planted to help offset this.

With this project being located on such an exposed and windy site I needed to specify some hardy pioneering species, like the oaks, that would provide some shelter for the less hardy species like the maples. The oaks are planted on the ridges and the maples and birches and sweet gums are on the sheltered lower slopes where they have a chance to get established.

The trees have all been planted in the very fertile topsoil and loess substrate that forms the dry Wither Hills. The trees have been dug into the slope with a lipped hole to catch any rain and to stop water running off down the hill. All the trees have been fertilised with a quality slow release fertiliser, mulched with thick bean straw, staked and enclosed with tree guards.

In a few years the trees will be worth looking at but for now it is the excitement of knowing what they will become as time passes.

Here is a example of what I hope they will look like further down the track when they bring immense joy to their owners. If you want to create an area of immense natural beauty then give this a thought.

– The Marlborough Express

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Leucanthemum (little angel) performs well.

WITH many Australians thoroughly enjoying the warmer weather, at the same time as praying for some rain, many gardens are in need of some attention to promote healthy growth, avoid the many problems that can spoil that growth, and start new projects.

So, let’s start with some preventative ideas to keep everything looking good and growing well.

 

Keeping pests away

Citrus trees can do with a good clean up at this time, so spray with PestOil to rid them of any remaining leafminers, which will also clean up scale and aphids.

Sucking insects cause so much damage to our otherwise healthy plants, so let’s stop them before they start.

We have found Confidor, both liquid and tablet forms, very effective in keeping aphids, azalea lace bug, mealybug, greenhouse thrips, hibiscus flower beetle, soft scale, sap-sucking bugs, psyllids and many more in their right place – out of our garden.

This is an excellent spot treatment for those pests, and into the bargain is perfect for indoor plants or those on the veranda or patio – and the aerosol container can be turned upside down to treat under the leaves and other awkward spaces, which is an enormous help, and as it has low toxicity is not hard on the good insects like ladybirds.

Whatever you do, don’t overlook the tablet form.

These can be used to protect azaleas both in-ground or pots from azalea lace bug (up to six months), lillypillies from psyllids (four months), potted palms from mealybugs (six months), magnolias from scale (three months) and more.

 

Plant of the week

If you love daisies, the delightful leucanthemum (little angel) will fill a special sunny spot in your garden, producing hosts of its starry, golden centred white flowers from late winter through spring and summer.

Little Angel is a recent new improved form of the popular shasta daisy that we all enjoyed for so many years, due to their hardiness and easy growing.

They are perennials here, make excellent cut flowers, attract butterflies, love a sunny situation, make good borders, and grow very well in planter bowls that can be moved around the outdoor living areas.

 

To read more lifestyle stories

Posted: Saturday, September 29, 2012 12:00 am
|


Updated: 10:01 pm, Fri Sep 28, 2012.

Around the House 09/29/12

0 comments

DECORATING NATURALLY: A class on decorating for fall and winter with natural materials found in your yard will be taught at 6 p.m. Thursday at The Potting Shed, 1717 Devney Drive, Altoona.

This free class will instruct participants on ways that garden and landscaping materials can be used in wreaths, door decorations and table centerpieces.

Call 715-831-4000 to register.

LEAVES IN LASAGNA: Phoenix Community Gardens is looking for bagged leaves for use in its efforts to begin a “lasagna garden” at the public garden site on Forest Street.

Small quantities of bagged leaves collected from your yard can be dropped off at the garden behind the white shed near the on-site composting area, garden organizers said. To donate large quantities of bagged leaves, call 920-680-5215 to make arrangements.

The garden group also is looking for a source of stray or hay.

A lasagna garden is created by layering hay, leaves, compost, cardboard and other organic materials to make a rich soil for planting.

SCARECROW DAYS: Down to Earth Garden Center, 6025 Arndt Lane, is providing straw for people who want to make their own scarecrow.

Straw will be available today, Oct. 6 and 13 at the garden center, south of Eau Claire off Highway 93, but attendees must bring their own clothes, boots and hats for their scarecrows.

Call 715-833-1234 for more details.

From staff reports

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Saturday, September 29, 2012 12:00 am.

Updated: 10:01 pm.

Jessica Damiano’s award-winning garden blog gets to the root of things.

© Ramon Gonzalez

This week I toured Chalet Nursery and Garden Center in Wilmette, Illinois. As part of the tour we visited a couple of gardens of their North Shore clients and I got to see how the well-to-do garden. While you and I may not be able to afford to have landscape architects and a landscaping crew on retainer, there’s no reason gardeners in the 99% can’t plant spectacular fall container gardens.

Tricks of the 1% Gardener

The first thing I noticed was the repetition of four easy-to-grow plants throughout the garden center and client gardens. They are (pictured above in ascending order) pansies, cabbage, chrysanthemums, and kale.

In the Chicago area cabbage and kale are staples of fall containers because they’re tough cool season crops and easily survive light frosts. Similarly, pansies–while usually planted in the spring–are also tough plants that can take some cold in the fall.

© Ramon Gonzalez

An example of the humble cabbage taking center stage in a fall-themed container garden.

The 1% Gardener Splurges on Perennials and Color

As a gardener in the 99%, using perennials in a container seems like a waste of money. Usually plants in containers are changed out throughout the season and most end up being composted come winter. But, as I mentioned in the post on 3 plants you can plant this fall, perennials can be planted in the garden up until just before the ground freezes.

Simply remove the perennials from the containers before the ground freezes and plant them in the garden to enjoy them for years to come.

© Ramon Gonzalez

In this container combination a yellow heuchera, ornamental grass, and purple chrysanthemum are combined with an ornamental pepper. The ornamental pepper can be brought indoors and treated as a houseplants (provided you have enough light) and used again the following year.

I saw many tender and tropical plants being used as temporary plants to add splashes of vibrant color. All of them could live for many years provided you protect them from cold temperatures. Planting the perennials and bringing in the tender plants in the winter will create a zero waste container garden.

Fall Container Garden Plant List

1. Kale
2. Ornamental peppers
3. Pansies
4. Violas
5. Cabbage
6. Chrysanthemums
7. Heucheras
8. Ornamental grasses
10. Ivy
11. Rudbekia
12. Celosia
13. Sedums

© Ramon Gonzalez

You may not have big, dramatic planters like this, but with this plant list you can visit your local garden center and occupy your garden this weekend on a budget. What are your go-to plants for fall container gardens?