Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
100% GARDENING
ClematisSECRETS TO
7 BOUNTIFUL
BLOOMS
Page 12
PLUS:
BEFORE & AFTER
A WATER GARDEN OASIS
Page 8
GARDEN GATE’S
TOP 10 PLANTS
THAT LOVE CLAY
Page 20
NO-FEAR
ROSE PRUNING
Page 26
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®
®
W
Donald B. Peschke elcome to Garden Gate! Who among us hasn’t
coveted a neighbor’s arbor bejeweled with
CORPORATE
Corporate Vice Presidents: Mary R. Scheve, Douglas L. Hicks • Creative Director:
clematis blooms or dreamed about having our
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ager: Gordon C. Gaippe • Multi Media Art Director: Eugene Pedersen • Web own rose garden? If this sounds familiar, you’ll want to
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will show you everything you need to know to have gor-
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geous clematis in your own garden. It all starts with
Manager: Brian VanHeuverswyn • Elec. Pub. Director: Douglas M. Lidster •
Systems Administrator: Cris Schwanebeck • PC Maintenance Technician: Robert knowing which pruning group your clematis falls into.
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Sound complicated? It won’t be after you read our story.
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FULFILLMENT
Then on p. 26 you’ll find out that pruning roses isn’t as
Operations Director: Bob Baker • Customer Service Mgr.: Jennie Enos • Senior
Customer Service Reps: Anna Cox, April Revell, Deborah Rich, Valerie Jo Riley,
“thorny” an issue as you may think!
Tammy Truckenbrod • Customer Service Reps: Kim Harlan, Tara Benshoof, Katherine
Parker • Merchandise Buyer: Linda Jones • Assistant Buyer: Nancy Downey • Another common problem gardeners face is clay soil.
Warehouse Mgr.: Nancy Johnson • Fulfillment: Sylvia Carey, Kim Freauff, Stephen
Griffin If you’re thinking of tackling a clay area, you won’t want
CIRCULATION to miss this issue’s Top Picks article on p. 20. In it we
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Wayde J. Klingbeil • Circulation Marketing Analyst: Patrick A. Walsh • Circulation
Manager: Steph Forinash • Renewal Manager: Paige Rogers • Fulfillment Manager:
share our list of 10 plants guaranteed to thrive in even
Suzanne Hejkal • Circulation Marketing Associate: Christine Forret • Strategic
Business Analyst: Kris Schlemmer • Senior Graphic Designer: Robin Friend the stickiest soil.
Have you ever noticed how the best advice comes
from fellow gardeners? We think so, too. That’s why we
like to pass along our readers’ great ideas to one another.
Be sure to read on p. 32 how one reader designed several
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contents
in every issue features
AT HOME GARDENER ON THE COVER
Clematis ....................12
12
adrian bloom
on conifers..........................6 Learn how to prune the “queen of
the vines,” as well as other
BEFORE & AFTER secrets to growing perfect
a water garden oasis ..........8 clematis. ONLINE
www.punchapaadam.com
readertips
Divide hosta
with a bulb
“Genius is 1 percent inspiration and ware stores), then he planter.
•
99 percent perspiration.” The same is true used a fine nail to poke
Thomas Edison of gardening, but a moment small holes down the
of inspiration can save hours length of the hose. Now
of perspiration! Tell us about he’s got a handy (and
your inspirations that save you free!) soaker hose. chemical released by the Slide the
division
time, effort or money. Mail lavender won’t kill into a
your tip to Garden Gate Tips, Cleaner algae already growing, precut hole.
2200 Grand Ave., Des birdbaths but it does prevent new
Moines, IA 50312, or e-mail Margaret Juler, California growth from starting.
gardengate@gardengatemag. Margaret has a tech-
com. We’ll consider publishing nique her English grand- Cut to fit
your tip in one or more of our mother taught her years Judy Stahley, South Dakota
works, and we’ll pay you $25 ago to keep slimy green Judy has come up with
if we use your tip. Please algae from growing in a great way to save time
include your name, address her birdbath. and energy when she’s
and daytime phone number. She starts with a dividing her hostas in year for hostas, but
clean birdbath and fills the fall. it’s best done in fall
it with fresh water. First she uses a small when the plants are
New life for an Then Margaret binds bulb planter to dig going dormant.
old hose six to eight stems of holes where she wants You do lose some of
Jim Allen, California lavender flowers her transplants. Then the foliage when you
When Jim replaced his together with a daylily she removes a small make the cuts in the
garden hose, he thought leaf and lays the bundle amount of soil around root. But whenever you
he ought to be able to in the water. a mature hosta to decide to divide them,
use the old one some- One bundle of expose the root. She both mother and baby
how in the garden, even lavender will keep the selects a section that plants do well because
though it had a few water algae-free for two has some sprouting they’re not exposed to
cracks in it. He attached or three weeks. During “eyes,” or leaf buds, the stress of being dug
a cap to seal the end of hot weather, she removes the fading up and manhandled
the hose (available at replaces the bundles foliage and slices the into their new homes.
garden centers or hard- more frequently. The root with a twist of the
bulb planter. Disinfect pruners
Because Judy cuts with no drips
QUICK TIP Leave your clogs at the door them with the same Earl Simmons, Maryland
Elaine Cooper, Iowa tool, the root core fits Sterilizing your pruners
perfectly into its between cuts is an
Garden clogs are wonderful outside, but it’s amazing the way they planting hole. The important way to keep
carry mud inside. Elaine came up with a way to keep her clogs handy whole process takes less your plants healthy and
and ready to use, without having to find a place to stash them indoors. than 30 seconds per disease-free. Most
She pounded 1-in.-diameter dowel rods into the plant. With the divi- people use a jar of
ground beside her steps. When she’s sions safely in place, bleach and water, but
ready to go in, she slips off her clogs she simply repacks the Earl found an easier
and hangs them toes-up on the soil around them and way. He uses Clorox®
dowels to keep them dry inside. around the mother disinfectant wipes to
And when she wants to do a little plant’s exposed roots. clean his pruners
gardening, she steps out on the Judy says this divi- between cuts — no
porch and her clogs are right there sion technique can more messy jars or
waiting for her. be used any time of drips on his clothing.
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pest watch
Japanese beetle
Popillia japonica
IDENTIFICATION
Metallic green bodies
with white tufts of hair
and bronze outer wings Adult beetle
Kitchen recycling Finger tip make ½-in.-long Japanese 1/ in. long
2
Hazel Benwel, Idaho Ruchelle Gee, beetles hard to miss. But if you
Hazel was looking for South Carolina don’t notice the insect, you’ll notice the
an easy way to label the Much as we love damage. Japanese beetles skeletonize leaves,
plants in her Idaho gardening, there’s no eating the tissue between the veins, on a wide
garden so she wouldn’t denying it’s hard on range of ornamental plants. Roses, birch, plum,
forget a variety name or the hands. Here’s one apricot, cherry, apple, crabapple and peach trees
a color when it wasn’t way to keep your mani- are favorite snacks. Damaged leaves often look
in bloom. She discov- cure looking as nice as almost lacy, and soon wilt and die. Adult beetles
ered that disposable your garden does. are most common in spring and early summer as
plastic knives make Ruchelle tucks half a they feed. During this time, the females burrow into
good plant labels when cotton ball into the tips the ground where they lay eggs.
she uses a permanent of her glove fingers After the eggs hatch, the larvae do a different
marker to write on the before she puts them kind of damage. The 1-in.-long white grubs often live
handle. They’re weath- on, which adds a little under turfgrass, feeding on the roots. A heavy infesta-
erproof and last for sev- extra protection for tion can kill sections of lawn, which you can pull
eral years, and the ser- nails and cuticles. The back like carpet to see the grubs underneath. Moles,
ration on the blades cotton can stay in the raccoons and birds like to feed on the grubs.
makes them easy to gloves for several work The larvae overwinter several inches under-
stick into the ground by sessions before it needs ground. They pupate in the spring and emerge as
each plant. to be replaced. adults in spring or early summer.
Japanese beetles do their damage in the
Northeast and Midwest, as far west as Iowa and
as far south as Alabama, and in southeastern
Canada. They show up occasionally in plant ship-
ments to the West Coast.
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at home gardener
“You need to prune to keep conifers under control — especially in a small garden.”
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(1) The first step in pruning this spreading ‘Prostrata’ spruce (Picea pun- (2) Next, shorten the longest side branches. The spruce looks
gens) is cutting back the branches that are forming leaders. “reasonably natural” and new growth will quickly cover the cuts.
sonably natural” pruning to a before new growth stretches, is a most recent book, “Gardening
formal style. good time. That way the new with Conifers,” or take a
To get an idea of what he foliage will cover up where virtual tour of his garden,
means, take a look at photo 1. you’ve cut so you’re not left all Foggy Bottom, at www.
This is a conifer that has begun season with a plant that looks as bressinghamgardens.com. To
to outgrow its place in the if it just had a haircut. learn about conifers that grow
garden. Rather than removing it,
Adrian is cutting it back.
As you can see, this is not a
2 Pine, spruce and fir are best
pruned just as new tips, the
candles, begin to stretch in
best in your region, visit the
American Conifer Society at
www.conifersociety.org or call
light pruning — just look at the spring. All you need to do is nip 410-721-6611.
piles of branches left on the back the shoots before the new Adrian hopes that more
ground in photo 2. And the needles form. Americans will find ways to add
shrub still has a natural-looking When you prune a conifer, these colorful and easy-to-care-
form, but now it fits better in its never cut it back to a point on for “missing ingredients” into
surroundings. the stem where there’s no foliage their gardens. ®
Just when the new growth left. If you do, some, such as yew — Jim Childs
begins to stretch is a good time and hemlock, will leaf out
to do a dramatic pruning like again. But most won’t, and
this. The new growth that’s left you’ll be left with lots of WANT MORE?
on the plant will grow and bare stubs.
cover up the pruning cuts. There’s a conifer for Adrian Bloom’s latest book,
Timing is important when almost any landscaping sit- “Gardening with Conifers”
PHOTOS: © Richard Bloom
pruning conifers. Spring is a uation. They can be mixed is full of information he’s
good time to prune many of into perennial gardens or gathered from more
them. But within that, some foundation plantings. than 35 years of
recover best if you prune before Some make wonderful growing them. It’s
new growth starts, and others hedges, shrub borders and available from
do best if you prune just as the even specimen plants. online book sellers or local
new growth is starting: Want to learn even book stores, selling for $39.95
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before&after
a water T his gardener’s dream was a backyard aquatic
paradise — a place to relax, surrounded by
ponds filled with swaying reeds and cattails. A
sparkling waterfall would fill the air with the sound
garden oasis of splashing water, and fish would play beneath the
fragrant, floating water lilies. Step into this garden
and find out how the dream became a reality.
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STARTING SMALL This gorgeous backyard garden who are bitten by the “water bug,” this gardener
started five years ago as a featureless expanse of discovered the fabulous forms, sizes and colors
lawn that sloped away from the house. The first that water plants could bring to her garden. She
year, there was only one pond, in the inset, realized that one pond just wasn’t going to be
installed at the yard’s lowest point. It showed off enough. Over a period of several years, she
a patch of surface-floating water lilies you could installed five more ponds. As you can see, the
see from the house. But then, like so many folks garden has really taken shape.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
The ponds are made from high-
strength commercial stock-
watering tanks in various shapes
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3-sq.-ft. barrel 64-sq.-ft. fish pond
Water hyacinth Hardy water lily Nymphaea ‘Virginalis’
Eichhornia crassipes N. ‘Odorata Sulphurea Grandiflora’
N. ‘Fire Crest’
Japanese dwarf cattail Typha minima
before&after continued
Pcomplex
onds are dynamic systems and must be kept bal-
anced to stay healthy. There have to be enough
plants to use up nutrients in the water or
simple algae will run rampant. It’s the same for sun-
light. About 50 percent of a pond’s surface should
be covered with floating foliage of some kind to
block out light and keep algae in check. If you’re
supporting fish, floating plants will give them
shelter from the sun and a place to hide from
predators. In the plan at right, floating water lilies
grow mostly in the large, round ponds with lots of
surface area. The tall spike rushes and cattails are
vertical punctuations popping up from the smaller
ponds. Marginal plants, such as iris, arrowhead
and sweet flag, nestle along pond edges.
Ponds have to hold up under some tough condi-
tions — direct sun, water pressure and a few
inevitable kicks and dings. So use high-density
molded-resin stock-watering tanks, available from
farm and ranch supply stores. They’re practically
indestructible. The tanks come in different shapes
and sizes, but make sure they’re at least 24 inches
deep so they can accommodate the needs of various
water plants. See the Quick Tip below for which
plants to use and how deeply to plant them. ®
— Glen O. Seibert
QUICK TIP
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8-sq.-ft. oblong pond 28-sq.-ft. round pond
Cattail Typha angustifolia Tropical water lily Nymphaea ‘James Brydon’
Spike rush Eleocharis dulcis Hardy water lily Nymphaea ‘Vesuve’,
Arrowhead Sagittaria australis ‘Silk Stockings’ N. odorata, N. ‘Fire Crest’
Arbor/seat
• Fence
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7 secrets to beautiful blossoms
Clematis
T
here’s nothing more spectac- was still in January, so the new growth
ular than a clematis in full couldn’t take the return to winter, and
bloom. Who doesn’t dream of the plant died. No matter where you
trellises covered with vibrant-red or live, it’s best to let your clematis stay
rich-purple flowers in late spring? Even unpruned and dormant until spring.
as the blooms fade, they leave spidery Before you start cutting, you’ll need
seedheads. And fall just wouldn’t be to know which pruning group your
perfect without sweet autumn clematis’ clematis is in: A, B or C (sometimes
intoxicating fragrance. called 1, 2 or 3). When you buy a plant,
But how do you get your clematis the tag will often tell you which group
to grow as lush and beautiful as those it’s in. But if it doesn’t or you can’t
you’ll see on the next few pages? If remember, just watch it for a year. First
you’ve grown clematis, you know that pay attention to when it blooms.
pruning can be puzzling. Should you Second, notice whether it blooms
cut the stems to the ground each year on woody stems that grew last
or just clean the plant up a bit? year and then survived the winter
The fact is, your clematis will sur- (old wood) or green, flexible stems
vive, and even bloom, with no pruning. that came from a main stem this
But with the right pruning, it’ll grow year (new wood). Once you know
and bloom more vigorously. And let’s this information, you can usually
face it: We grow clematis mostly for put your clematis into group A, B
colorful flowers. Why else would you or C. On the pages that follow, I’ll
grow ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ at left? help you do that and then show
PRUNING POINTERS So, how do you you how to prune each group.
prune a clematis? Timing is impor-
tant: Don’t prune in the fall. I learned CLEMATIS SPP.
this the hard way when I cut a sweet Clematis
autumn clematis down in fall, thinking
PHOTO LOCATION: Chicago Botanic Garden
6- to 20-foot-tall vine,
I’d save time in spring. However, I 3 feet or more wide
only encouraged the plant to emerge White, pink, red, blue, purple
from dormancy at the first sign of and yellow flowers
warm weather. The problem was, this Blooms early spring to fall
Full sun to part shade
(1) ’Madame Julia Correvon’ is a group C Moist, well-drained soil
‘Comtesse de
clematis. To get the most flowers, prune it to Sometimes bothered by clematis wilt Bouchaud’
the ground each spring. Cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
Heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 3
13
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GROUP C CLEMATIS
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(4) ‘Jackmanii’ is one of the oldest cultivars and arguably the most popular
clematis because of its lush crop of flowers and rich color.
is is one of the tallest, at around 20 feet. You’ll the flowers are smaller and sparser than those of
need to give this plant a large structure to climb plants growing in more sun.
on. Otherwise, you may find it twining its way Flower sizes in group C vary greatly. ‘Betty
into surrounding plants. However, photo 3 shows Corning’s’ nodding pale-blue flowers are about
this vine in another use — as a ground cover. If 1 inch across. ‘Jackmanii’ in photo 4 falls in the
you leave it on the ground, you might find that middle with 4-inch blooms. ‘Crimson Star’ and
some of the stems take root where they touch the purple ‘Lady Betty Balfour’ are at the other end
ground and you end up with a few extra plants of the range with 6- to 7-inch-diameter flowers.
to share. Any group C cultivar can be used as a WHAT DO YOU HAVE? If you’re not sure, leave
PHOTO: Deborah Gruca (2) GARDEN DESIGN: Sandra H. Branam (3)
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(5) ’Multi Blue’ is a
newer group B
clematis that blooms
double on both old
and new wood.
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GROUP B CLEMATIS
(6) ‘Bee’s Jubilee’ grows great in full sun or part shade. As with most clematis, (7) ‘Henryi’, a large-flowered, 8- to 10-ft.-tall clematis,
part shade will keep the vibrant colors from fading as quickly. is the perfect size for a sturdy trellis.
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GROUP A CLEMATIS
(8) Clematis armandii is a 10- to 15-ft.-tall group A (9) Dark-pink ‘Superba’ and pale-pink ‘Tetrarose’ bloom at the same time as
species with fragrant white flowers in spring. pale-yellow ‘Lutea’ banksian rose, and both require only minimal pruning.
Cut back •
I f you have a clematis that doesn’t die back in
winter and blooms early in spring, it’s
probably a group A cultivar. This group only
you need to. Stop when you reach the spot
where there is green under the brown outer
layer of bark. That’s the point where it should
the tips. needs enough pruning to keep plants looking start to leaf out.
fresh and under control. Keep an eye on the plant for a few weeks.
Some of the most popular species in group A Sometimes, even though the stems are green,
include C. armandii, in photo 8, C. alpina, C. the buds are weak and may not have enough
macropetala and C. montana, like the pink energy to grow. You may have to cut some stems
‘Superba’ and ‘Tetrarose’ in photo 9. The flowers back further.
are often less than 2 inches across, but they more Any group A clematis that is not flowering well
than make up for their size in quantity. or has overgrown its spot probably is due for a
Since these clematis bloom in early spring on renovation pruning. After the vines flower, cut off
old wood (produced the previous season), wait almost all of the side branches, leaving only the
to do most of your pruning until after the main main vertical stems that fasten the plant to the
flowering has finished. Prune too early and you’ll trellis. However, don’t cut the plant back near the
Never
be cutting off the flower buds. ground like you would group C because you’ll
•
remove In zones 4 and 5, winters sometimes kill back ruin the form of the clematis and may even delay
main stems.
the tips of group A clematis. If that happens, next year’s bloom cycle. By the following spring,
you’ll need to do a bit of pruning earlier than the new growth that sprouts will have had time
normal. Wait for new leaf buds to sprout on the to mature and it’ll flower normally.
Pruning group A stems you suspect are Pruning your clematis the right way is the
Cut out damaged wood and any winter-damaged dead before you prune. first step to growing perfect clematis. On the
PHOTOS: © Ken Meyer (8&9)
stems as soon as you spot them. After the vines bloom, Then, starting at the top, next page, I’ll share six more tips that’ll help you
prune the stem tips to keep the vine in bounds with its cut the stems back in get your plants off to a great start.
support if you need to. Thin spots can be addressed stages. That way in the
ONLINE
now by pruning a few side branches near the thin area tangle of vines you won’t
and then directing new growth to fill in holes. cut off any more than More clematis
cultivars
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7 STEPS TO
CLEMATIS SUCCESS
•
•
•
4 in. of mulch Plant with two
cools the soil. sets of leaf
way for your type. Here are six more steps. Keep mulch
8 in. from the
stem.
•
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top
garden gate’s
10
clay-loving
plants
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Quamash 3 ft. Martagon lily 6 ft.
Camassia leichtlinii Lilium martagon
This North American Martagon lilies also bloom
native typically grows in just fine in shade. Indi-
the moist meadows of the vidual flowers are about 2
Cascade and Sierra moun- 2 ft. inches in diameter, but the 4 ft.
tain ranges. tall spires can have 50 buds
Plant the bulbs in fall in on one stem, taking several
groups of 15 or more to weeks to bloom from
get the best visual effect. bottom to top.
Set them 6 inches deep (to 1 ft. Colors range from crisp 2 ft.
the bottom of the bulb) white to orange to an
and 6 to 8 inches apart. almost-black burgundy-
Once they’re established, red. Some of them have a
don’t disturb the bulbs. spicy fragrance.
Clumps will expand slowly 0 You can plant potted 0
over time. You can start Type Hardy bulb plants anytime; bulbs are Type Hardy bulb
quamash from seeds, but best planted in the fall.
Size Up to 48 in. tall by Size 5 to 6 ft. tall by 1 ft. wide
it’ll be three or four years These slow-growing plants
12 to 15 in. wide Bloom Early to midsummer
before you get any blooms. can live in the same spot
The star-shaped flowers Bloom Midspring for years, eventually Soil Moist
open along the stem from Soil Fertile, slightly acid forming large clumps. If Light Full sun to part shade
the bottom up. Each stem Light Full sun to part shade you do have to move or
Pests None serious
is sturdy, and rarely will divide them, they may not
fall over on a wet or windy Pests None serious come up the first year, Hardiness
day. Flower colors range Hardiness especially if you divide in Cold: USDA zones 3 to 8
from clear or creamy white Cold: USDA zones 4 to 10 the spring. Be patient and Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1
to blue and purple. Heat: AHS zones 10 to 1 they’ll be back.
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top picks continued
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Bugleweed 4 in. Obedient plant 3 ft.
Ajuga reptans Physostegia virginiana
PHOTOS: ©Jerry Pavia (Joe-Pye weed, swordleaf inula) PHOTO LOCATION: Chicago Botanic Garden (obedient plant)
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top picks continued
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White ash 60 ft. Flowering currant 6 ft.
Fraxinus americana Ribes sanguineum
More than just a fast- April or May, depending
growing tree (1 to 2 feet where you live, brings clus-
per year), white ash has a ters of flowers hanging
lot of other things going for 40 ft. from the branches of this 4 ft.
it: Flexible and strong shade-loving shrub. The
wood that won’t break leaves have not yet fully
easily in a storm; thin expanded, so the flowers
PHOTO LOCATION: Chanticleer (flowering quince)
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Rose
No-fear
sharp blade and a flat surface,
which will crush the rose stems
instead of making a clean cut. If
Pruning
you’ve never sharpened your
pruners yourself, check out our
Online Extra, where we’ll show
you how.
To avoid spreading disease,
disinfect your pruners as you
work. A mixture of 1 part bleach
Let’s get started
W
ant your roses to have to 4 parts water is a good disin-
gorgeous flowers, a nice Before you make that first cut, fectant — dip your pruners into
shape and healthy foliage? you’ll need to have a few things it between cuts, and especially
Believe it or not, pruning is one of on hand. First, protect your skin between plants.
the key factors, even though roses with long sleeves and heavy You’ll also need something to
can be pretty forgiving. gloves that reach well past your seal the canes to keep rose cane
Pruning is one of the best things wrists. I leave my favorite thin borers out. There are lots of com-
you can do for your roses. You’re goatskin gloves inside and wear mercial sealers available, but a
opening up the center of the plant thicker pigskin ones when I work couple of drops of good old
to increase air circulation, leading on my roses. Elmer’s Glue-All® work just fine.
to healthier foliage. And you’re re- Another essential is a sharp In these photos I’ll show you a
moving dead and diseased wood. pair of bypass pruners. Why few basic pruning techniques.
ONLINE Last, but definitely not least, prun- bypass? They work like scissors, They’ll come in handy whether
ing encourages new growth and with the blades slicing past each you’re doing a full-scale spring
Sharpening
pruners more and bigger flowers. other. Anvil pruners have one pruning or just deadheading.
(1) Make pruning cuts at a 45-degree angle about ¼ in. above an out- (2) The cane on the left is healthy while the one on the right is
ward-facing bud. Choosing buds that are headed away from the center of hollow, a sign of cane borers. Old stems may be hollow all the
the plant will keep your rose open in the middle, improving air circulation way to the ground, so go ahead and cut them back to the base.
among the leaves. As you’re pruning off winter damage, cut down to healthy pith.
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Deadheading keeps
reblooming roses going
strong all summer. You’ll
want to make deadheading
cuts right above five-leaflet
leaves that face outward.
That’s where the strong new
shoot emerges. I’ll snip off
everything above that as I’m
deadheading this rose.
•
•
Five-leaflet leaf
(3) It’s a good idea to seal cuts on bigger canes to keep out
insects that bore into rose canes. You don’t have to seal every
tiny deadheading snip, but if the cane is wider than about
1/ in., seal it with glue.
8
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4 SIMPLE TIPS
HOW TO PRUNE Let’s talk about roses should be planted deep
what to prune out of your roses. enough to cover the graft, so you
WHEN TO PRUNE The best In the illustration at right, you’ll may have to dig away a little soil.
time to prune roses that see a rose with areas marked Pruning principles are similar
bloom all summer is in early for pruning. for all roses, but I just showed
spring, before the leaf buds 1 Step back and look at your you the basics on a shrub rose,
open but after the danger of sev- rose before you start pruning. As which is a category that gener-
eral days of severe cold is past. you choose which canes to cut, ally needs only light pruning.
It’s OK to snip out a branch or a remember that you want to open They’re usually cold-hardy in
whole cane as needed during the up the center of the shrub for good USDA zone 5 or 6 without extra
summer, but don’t do extensive air circulation. That doesn’t mean protection, and are grown for
pruning late in the season. If you to cut all the canes out of the their overall appearance, not just
prune too late, the plant will pro- center, though! 2 Remove the flowers. In “Fine-tuning your
duce a lot of new growth that will crossing and rubbing canes — pruning,” find out how to use
be damaged by cold weather. those areas will create wounds these techniques on some other
Roses that only bloom once that could let in disease. 3 Cut popular rose categories.
usually bear their flowers on year- back blackened, winter-damaged Use these pruning tips and the
old wood. So prune these roses tips, trying to keep all the canes techniques on the first two pages
right after they bloom or you’ll about the same length. 4 Prune to get your roses in shape for a
be cutting off most of next year’s old canes back as close to the base beautiful summer. ®
flower buds. as possible. In colder climates, — Stephanie Polsley Bruner
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TAKE OFF TIPS Trim off •
3 any dry, blackened,
NO CROSSING ZONE
2 Remove these crossing, rub- winter-damaged
bing branches. You’ll reduce growth at the end of
the risk of damage to the the canes, looking for
plant and create a more an outward-facing bud.
open, appealing shape for
the rose bush.
•
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A weekend project in 5 simple steps
Sand-Cast a Birdbath
L ooking for a simple project with
lots of potential? Try this sand-
cast birdbath — it’s easy to
make, works with any large leaf and
can be finished a number of ways. For
unique garden accents scattered
through my garden. I use the sycamore
leaf as a small ground feeder.
As for concrete, even though it’s the
most expensive, I like Vinyl Patch by
MATERIALS
& TOOLS
Materials:
1 large leaf
a large birdbath like the one in the Quikrete®’. When it’s dry, its fine con- 1 40-lb. bag of sand
photo above, plants like rhubarb, gun- sistency preserves the leaf details clearly. 1 40-lb. bag of premixed concrete
nera or ‘Sum and Substance’ hosta Cheaper concretes are just as strong, 1 roll of plastic wrap
work best. This one’s rhubarb. but they look coarser. 1 gallon of concrete sealer,
You’re not limited to big leaves, Who’d have guessed that for less such as Thompson’s®
though. When I made this rhubarb than $25 and a few hours of work, Paint or concrete dye (if desired)
birdbath, I had a little leftover con- you could have such a unique garden Water
crete, so I used it on sycamore, datura ornament? Are you ready to make Tools:
and even small lantana leaves. They your own? Let’s get started. ® Bucket or mixing tray for concrete,
came out great! Now I have some — Sherri Ribbey trowel, scrub brush, paint brush
30 www.GardenGateMagazine.com
© 2004, August Home Publishing Company
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1
GETTING STARTED I make my ornaments at a
2
BRING IN THE LEAF Now lay the leaf face down
3
TIME FOR CONCRETE Pour the dry concrete into
table outside, but this project can be done on the on top of the sand like the one above. After I laid a mixing tray and add water until it’s the consis-
ground, too. Start by making a dome-shaped pile this leaf down, I needed to adjust the sand pile a tency of a thick brownie mix. (It took three quar-
of sand that’s big enough for the entire leaf to rest bit to make sure the leaf was fully supported. You ters of a 40-lb. bag for this leaf). Scoop some
on plus a couple of inches to spare. This rhubarb may need to do this, too. concrete onto the center of the leaf and begin
leaf used all of a 40-lb. bag of sand. Any type Many leaves wilt quickly, so wait to harvest working it toward the outer edges like I’m doing
will do. The sand pile will support the concrete- yours until you need it or keep it in a bucket of in the photo above. Make it about 3/4 in. thick in
covered leaf and create the shallow depression water until you’re ready. Cut the stem off close to the middle (or whatever it takes to cover the leaf
that holds the water. the base of the leaf. Check the plastic wrap to veins) and taper it to 1/4 in. at the edge.
In the photo above, I’m covering the com- make sure it extends a couple of inches beyond Once the leaf is covered with concrete, cover
pleted sand dome with plastic wrap to keep the the leaf’s edge. If the leaf you want to use has a it with plastic wrap. If it’s hot outdoors, put a piece
sand from sticking to any concrete that might leak hole or a tear, no problem. Just cut a piece from a of moist burlap over the plastic so the concrete
through or run over the edge of the leaf. different leaf and lay it over the hole as a patch. dries evenly. Give it at least 48 hours to dry.
BIRDBATH PEDESTAL
4
DRY AND CLEAN Now you can remove the top
5
PAINT YOUR LEAF To use your leaf as it is,
layer of plastic and turn your concrete leaf over. In just add a coat of concrete sealer, such as MAKE THIS SIMPLE MATCHING PEDESTAL.
my experience, if it hasn’t dried thoroughly, a Thompson’s® Water Seal® or Drylock®, for pro- We’ll show you how to raise your birdbath
chunk along the edge is the most likely part to tection. In the photo, I’m painting on several off the ground in our Online Extra.
break off as you pick it up. To be on the safe side, coats of a thin wash of acrylic paint. This ONLINE
have a friend help you turn it over or work your wash was about three drops of paint to two
hand through the sand and lift it from the center. cups of water. It dries quickly and you can
Peel off the second sheet of plastic wrap and begin another coat almost as soon as you
start pulling out the leaf. Most of it comes out finish the first. I’ve also used concrete dye,
easily, but as you can see in the photo, you may water color, oil and spray paint. In our Online • Gallery of colorful leaves.
have to scrub a bit. Extra, I’ll tell you more about painting and • Video: How to make a
Even though the concrete is dry, it needs to show you how these different products look. birdbath and pedestal.
cure for a week, so wait to paint or add the water. Finish your painted leaf with a coat of sealer.
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Designing beautiful
Garden
Rooms
W
ant a big look in a small space? Follow
these gardeners’ lead and you’ll have a back-
yard oasis filled with private getaways,
sweeping perennial beds and loads of color. All on a
typical, city-sized lot.
When Suzanne and Max Birdsall moved into their
Saratoga, New York, home in 1980, they knew the
yard could grow things: It had several grape arbors and
a huge vegetable garden. But they wanted seclusion
(and not so many grapes). So they took out some of
the grapes and put in a privacy fence. Over the years,
plant choice and bed design have created an even
greater sense of seclusion. And finishing touches, such
as the repetition of red in patio accessories, plants and
even the house color, create a unified look.
Resting places like the bench and the circle of
marble pavers, on which the birdbath sits, help define
some of the garden rooms. As with any garden, this
one isn’t static. The circle of pavers started out as a
straight path, but a middle-of-the-night “aha!”
moment prompted a redo the following morning.
And a garden room was created.
Finally, although you can’t tell by
looking at these photos of the
garden, it speaks to more than just
your visual sense: A gurgling water
garden and great-smelling roses, phlox
and herbs make it a soothing place to
visit. With all the seating areas, you
really can relax. Turn the page to find
out how to get this look in your garden.
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PRIVATE GETAWAYS
GARAGE
Patio covered by
W hat’s the secret to creating privacy and lots of
separate spaces in a backyard that’s only 50
feet wide and 80 feet deep? It starts with getting in
grape arbor
shape. And this has nothing to do with early morning
>
3
The 6-foot • • workouts (unless you mean edging and deadheading!).
•
>
privacy fence
and arborvitae NO STRAIGHT LINES A former country dweller,
2
SHED
hedge create
Brick patio Suzanne wanted more seclusion than most city lots
privacy.
offer. One of the most effective ways this garden cre-
•
Juniper arbor ates privacy is with large, sweeping beds. It may
Marble • seem counterintuitive, but breaking up the space
slab path Waterfall
Lavender bed • • and pond with lots of curving gardens actually makes this
HERB
GARDEN backyard seem larger. Why? You can’t make out
Metal arbor • the whole thing from any one spot. For example,
photo 1 was taken from the back porch. From there,
you can’t see the seating area in photo 2 or the brick
Bluestone patio • patio near the garage.
Suzanne says, “Curves soften things, and I like the
surprise factor when people round the corners and
say, ‘Oh!’.”
This garden started with a straight concrete path
h
pat
>
Br
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Tall plants, such as the red bee balm and white (2) Relax! Because of
Shasta daisies in photo 3, grow on a raised bed its proximity to the gur-
around the brick patio. This is another reason you gling water garden,
can’t see the patio from the back porch. this patio, shaded by
CREATE TRANSITIONS Steps, arbors, gates and pil- a grapevine-covered
lars mark garden room entrances and exits beauti- arbor, is a favorite
fully. The circular lavender bed rests in the middle of dining spot.
this backyard, with an arbor on either side of it to
mark its borders.
The living arbor in photo 3 marks the south end
of the herb garden. You can make your own juniper (3) Frame views
arbor by planting one of these upright shrubs on with hardscaping,
either side of a path. When the tallest tips reach high such as this recycled
enough to shade the path, tie them together. String iron fence and the
or flexible plant ties will probably be good enough juniper arbor near
at first, but eventually you’ll need wire. As the the herb garden.
junipers grow, prune off wayward branches that
stick straight up. If you find that the shrubs grow
too closely together, you can either prune them or
you can carefully dig them up and spread them
apart a bit.
Once you’ve created these rooms, you’ll need a
way to unify them. We’ll cover that on the pages
that follow.
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CREATING A THEME
GARAGE
>
photo was taken
is another way to use repetition to create unity.
5
in the garden
There’s plenty of variety in the photo below, but you
>
> HOUSE
6
36 J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 4 / I S S U E 55 G A R D E N G AT E
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(5) On the back porch, red
cushions, awnings and
plants create a dramatic
place to entertain.
and there. These large leaves make great backdrops. charming wooden bench in the middle of the garden
For example, the usually rangy spiderwort pokes up to the secluded back porch in photo 5, a perfect
through the sturdy hosta plants for a nice combina- spot for entertaining, this garden has several patio
tion. This garden was all and seating areas.
shrubs and perennials until Finally, this garden makes Botanical
nine years ago. Now that the everything old new again: Names
three paperbark birches are From a no-longer-used swing-
Astilbe
larger, they block views and set turned into an arbor, to old Astilbe spp.
create garden rooms while paving bricks reused in patios Begonia
Begonia hybrids
taking up a surprisingly small and pathways, and vintage Daylily
amount of space and light. If wrought-iron fencing turned Hemerocallis hybrids
you’d like to plant some trees into trellises, there’s always a Hosta Hosta spp.
Paperbark birch
in your backyard without sac- use for good stuff. Twelve Betula papyrifera
rificing much sun or ground years ago, after some home Redbud
Cercis canadensis
moisture, try small, airy trees, renovations revealed a trea- Serviceberry
such as paperbark birch, ser- sure of beautiful blue paving Amelanchier spp.
viceberry or redbud. stones buried in their own Spiderwort
Tradescantia hybrids
Other plants you’ll see backyard, the Birdsalls decided
throughout this garden are to use these stones as the patio
daylilies, astilbes and ferns. under the wooden bench.
They’re all easy care and look Who knew you could do
good for long stretches. so much with a small city
PLENTY OF STOPPING PLACES backyard? Now you know
Once you’ve created curves to (6) Even the front porch gets in on the act, how to create a big look of
block some views, you need with red begonias dripping from a hanging your own. ®
places to stop. From the basket and window boxes. — Kristin Beane Sullivan
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GARDEN GATE’S
DESIGNCHALLENGE
TIP ONE: Pick a shady character
In a new development, it’s unusual to have any trees on your lot to
begin with. Yet trees look nice, and, planted in the right place, a tree
will save you money on heating and cooling your house. While it may
be tempting to plant a stately oak, consider something a bit faster
NEW HOME growing, and then splurge on the biggest specimen you can afford.
See “7 Great Front-Yard Shade Trees” below for a list of trees that
FRONT YARD grow quickly but not so much that they’re weak limbed.
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TIP THREE: Dress up an awkward space
For some reason, many new houses have “the narrows” — pint-sized
porches and awkward strips between the sidewalk and the garage. The
porch on this house isn’t large enough for much furniture, so we put a
single bench where you can sit down to take off your shoes. Let the far end
of the bench double as a plant stand.
Not sure what to do with the planting strip? Check out From the
Drawing Board on p. 40, where we give you the plan and plant list for
this garden as well as one suitable for our Southern readers.
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from the drawing board
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Container of annuals
•
E
H
Garage
J
K K L
L D
C
L
C
A
G G F
D
D
F F
B
H
I I
H H
J J
J
Porch
Sidewalk
J
J
B
I
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Container of annuals
H
Garage
A Southeastern welcome J
If you live in an area where the summers K K L
are blistering hot and the winters are L D
C
mild, like the American Southeast, this list L
is invaluable. Many of the plants listed C
A
G G F
here were chosen for tolerance of those
conditions. A few plants, like ‘Becky’
D
Shasta daisy, which is a very heat-tolerant D
F F
cultivar, and the fall-blooming anemone B
are carry overs from the original plan. H
You can even create your own custom I I
H
H
garden if you want to. Mix and match
J J
plants from both lists as long as the ones J
you choose are hardy for your USDA
Porch
42
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container recipe
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what’s new
www.GardenGateStore.com
Container Gardening
This new book by Paul Williams could change your perspective
on containers. A quick flip through the pages shows you plants and
plant combinations you may never have thought of. For example,
what do you think about ‘Plum Pudding’
coral bells with cape daisies? Or bur-
gundy flowering maple, licorice plant and
white petunias? You’ll find these, along
with many other combinations, in the
pages of Container Gardening. The prac-
tical details aren’t neglected, either.
There’s a plant directory with brief care
instructions and how-tos on designing
combinations, choosing containers and
growing plants in pots.
Container Gardening by Paul Williams
is published by Dorling Kindersley and is
available at your local or online book-
store. You can also buy it online at www.GardenGateStore.com.
Retail price is $25.
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did you know?
Deer-resistant plants
Although deer will eat anything when food is in
short supply, knowing what they usually pass by
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askgardengate
Pinch down the streaks
Save the They can hitch a ride in the leaves to smash
the borer.
hemlocks! on anything, so look for
P.P., Massachusetts adelgids in yards or the
woods, especially from •
Q My hemlocks have
little cocoons on
the undersides of the
March through June.
Insecticidal soap or
horticultural oil, Iris borer larva
Questions?
twigs and needles. applied in early April
Send them to Garden
What are they? and in June, can control
Gate Q&A, 2200
Grand Ave.,
Des Moines, IA
A You’re seeing the
woolly fuzz on the
bodies and egg masses
adelgids. Sprays like
imidacloprid can be
used for a heavy infesta-
•
50312, or e-mail us
of hemlock woolly tion. Contact a local 1 in.
at gardengate@
adelgids (Adelges arborist to find the best
gardengatemag.com.
tsugae), a serious pest way to treat yours.
Please include your
name, address and
of Eastern hemlocks Banishing borers pocapsae and Hetero-
(Tsuga canadensis) in N.S., Ohio rhabditis bacteriospora)
daytime phone number
in case we need to
the eastern and north- Crispy astilbe are just as good at
reach you. Because we
receive so many ques-
western United States
and southwestern
Canada. When the
S.T., Michigan
Q My astilbe foliage
turns brown in the
Q How can I get rid
of iris borers with-
out using pesticides?
controlling iris borers
as chemical pesticides
are. Stir them into
tions, we can’t answer
all of them, but we’ll
certainly contact you if
adelgids feed on sap,
they inject toxic saliva
summer even when I
water. Why? A To control iris borers
(Macronoctua
water and spray them
on the plants. The
we publish yours.
into new needles and
buds, causing the nee-
dles to dry out and fall
A There are a couple
of possibilities.
Astilbe does best in
onusta), destroy their
eggs by clearing away
leaf litter in fall. In
Beneficial Insect
Company (336-973-
8490) and Territorial
off. Adelgids can kill a morning sun and after- spring, pinch down the Seed Company (541-
mature tree in three or noon shade. Your telltale brown streaks on 942-9547) both carry
four years. plants could be getting leaves until you crush the nematodes.
a little too much sun. the larvae. If the
They may do better in a streaking reaches the
shadier spot. rhizome, dig up the rhi- Compost vs.
Astilbe also likes zomes and look for exit peat moss
moist soil. So even if holes. Cut away the A.K., Minnesota
you’re watering it as damage and soak the
often as the rest of
your garden, it might
still be drying out
rest in a 10-percent
bleach solution for a few
minutes to prevent soft
Q Which is a better
soil amendment —
compost or peat moss?
between waterings.
Spread a layer of mulch
around your plants,
rot and drown larvae.
Rinse the rhizomes and
let them dry for a day or
A Compost. It im-
proves soil texture
and adds nutrients.
and then water deeply two before replanting. Peat moss, or partly
and slowly. Two beneficial nema- decomposed sphagnum
It’s not uncommon todes (Steinernema car- moss, is not the best
• during a hot, dry
summer for astilbe
Borer exit Healthy rhizome
foliage to get a little hole
crispy around the edges.
After it flowers, you can •
Wooly adelgids on cut the entire plant back
underside of hemlock
twigs to encourage new, •
healthy looking growth Rotten •
from the base. area
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resources
CLEMATIS (P. 12)
MAIL-ORDER CATALOGS
Q I want to put up a
fence to create a
C.M., Kansas zinc and magnesium
piece that attracts the CONTAINER RECIPE (P. 43)
windbreak. What kind
of fence is best? Q We have extremely
hard water. I
mineral particles so
they don’t settle on MAIL-ORDER CATALOGS
A A good windbreak
fence should slow
the airflow down
haven’t been able to
find a recirculating
pump that will last, and
other parts of the
pump. Many new foun-
tain and pond pumps
Avant Gardens
www.avantgardensNE.com
508-998-8819 • Catalog $3
without blocking it I’d love to have a foun- are plastic, and the Ornamental oregano
completely. Solid fences tain in my garden. minerals in hard water Outsidepride.com, Inc.
can create a downdraft, What can I do? don’t corrode plastic as www.outsidepride.com
877-255-8470
where the airflow is
first pushed up, then
drawn down into a
A There are several
ways to deal with
hard water:
they do metal, although
they’ll still collect on
any rough surface.
Ruby grass (also called
Rhynchelytrum repens)
Park Seed
www.parkseed.com
800-845-3369 • Catalog free
Bloody sorrel
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notes from the test garden
dividing grape
hyacinths
Isn’t it a thrill when you realize that the little bulb you put in
the ground several years ago is now a healthy monster?
And it’s even more exciting when you see that not only is
your plant thriving, but it needs to be divided. That means
free plants, and that’s a phrase every gardener loves to hear.
More There are two main reasons for dividing bulbs. The first
bulbs you — most gardeners’ favorite — is to get more plants. Many
plants that grow from bulbs do form seeds, but it’s a slow
can divide
way to grow new plants, and you can’t be sure that the
Daffodil seedlings will be the same as the parent. It’s a lot easier and
Narcissus spp.
Glory-of-the-snow
quicker to divide the bulbs.
Chionodoxa luciliae The second reason to divide is to rejuvenate an over-
Netted iris crowded planting. As clumps of bulbs grow, they compete
Iris riticulata with each other for space, water and nutrients, which can
Snowdrops mean fewer flowers as they become overcrowded.
Galanthus spp.
Squill Scilla spp. True bulbs, such as grape hyacinths, are modified stems
that store food for the plant. They reproduce by offsets, little
bulbs at the base of each mother bulb. You can break the
new bulbs from the main clump to make more plants. I’ll
show you how to divide
grape hyacinths step by
step in the photos below
and in our Online Video.
These steps will work for
any true bulb.
It’s best to divide
hardy spring bulbs like
grape hyacinths in late
spring to midsummer. So
gather up your garden
fork, your gloves and
some bulb fertilizer, and
you’re all set to make
new plants! ®
(1) The best time to divide bulbs is when they’re (2) Break the clump apart. Be sure that part of the
ONLINE dormant or nearly dormant after they bloom. It’s basal plate, the flat spot on the bottom of each
easier while you can still see the foliage so you bulb, is included on each offset. You can plant
Dividing grape know where to dig. When you dig the clump, them all or just keep the biggest offsets.
hyacinths start far enough away that you don’t slice Dust the ones you want to replant with
through any bulbs.Gently shake the soil off the a fungicide powder from your local
clump so you can see what you’re doing. garden center.
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weed watch
Yellow nutsedge
Cyperus esculentus
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editor’schoice
12 in.
prairie smoke
8 in.
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“The sun is on fire
In the sky
And in its warmth
Flowers open
In the garden
And the butterfly
Flutters by.
Wings widespread
It stops to feed
Fertile Crescent Nursery
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