Gardening With Confidence™

GARDENING WITH CONFIDENCE™

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

September Maintenance Guide

Helen's Haven Summer - Mixed Bed

INTRO
September delights. With the dog days of summer behind us, September opens with cooler air creating a fresh scent and a sense of excitement.  The source of this excitement may be for no other reason than it being bearable enough to be out of doors once again.

Here’s some September Inspiration in case you need it.
BULBS

• Hopefully, bulb selection was already done while the selection was good.   Buy what you fancy while they are available. Avoid mushy, soft, moldy bulbs; buy from a reputable supplier.  And it is good to know that bigger IS better.
• October is a better time for planting, but purchase in September while the selection is best.
• Plant fall-blooming bulbs, such as autumn crocus.

HERBS

• Continue to harvest basil and use for cooking. Continue to pinch back flowers.

ANNUALS

• Sowing seeds of California, Iceland, and Shirley poppies, sweet alyssum, and larkspur this fall for spring color and fun.
• If your Zinnia’s have powdery mildew, they will come out soon, as such, no need to worry about them.  Next year, look for mildew-resistant strains.

PERENNIALS

• Towards the end of the month, as the weather cools, the best time to plant and divide  perennials begins.

TREES AND SHRUBS

• Our native Dogwood is a fantastic four-season tree making it a choice for all those zoned to have one.   As the leaves turn from green to red, excitement ensures.

ROSES

• Roses make a big comeback in September and October.  Be sure to stop fertilizing your roses 6 weeks before the last expected frost. In Raleigh, we have a 90% chance of a frost by Halloween. Therefore, stop fertilizing by mid-September. If you have rose varieties with nice hips, this is also a good time to stop deadheading to allow the hips to remain. To tidy up your rose garden, remove the pedals by hand. Letting the hips to grow to signal the rose to go into dormancy.

PESTS
Watch where you reach.  Black widow spiders are plentiful.

Black widow spider

SEEDS

• Save seeds for planting next year or let plants self sow. Also consider leaving seed heads on the plants for the wildlife to enjoy.

WATER
September and October tend to be dry months, unless we have a hurricane.  Plan to water any new plantings, including bulbs.

WILDLIFE
Don’t be to tidy in cleaning up the garden and deadheading.  The wildlife will enjoy the seed.
Encourage pollinating insects in your garden, such as bees and butterflies, by providing them a tasty treat.  This fall, plan to plant nectar-rich plants.  Nectar, the sugar-rich liquid many flowering plants produce, sustains bees and butterflies.

For the Bees: Add clover, cotoneaster, golden rod, heliotrope, Eupatorium cannabium, Lunaria annua, love-in-mist, asters, and Echium vulgare.

For the Butterflies: Alyssum, Ajuga reptans, Iberis amara, catmint, echinops, verbena rigida, Rededa ororate, Joe-Pye weed.
Did you know:

• 80% of the world’s food crops need a pollinator at some stage in their life cycle; many require multiple visits.
• Stick with the species.   Many double flowers are usually sterile with no value to insects. The petals of the second flower replaced the anthers and nectarines leaving the plant unable to be fertilized.
• Many pollinating insects ingest protein-rich pollen before they can breed and some use pollen to feed their young.
• Plant in en masse making the plants easier to find through grouped color and scent.

David and Lara Rose putting up a screech owl box

Helen  Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™.

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Like Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Please visit my other blogs:

Beautiful Wildlife Garden

AND

Tarheel Gardening – your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

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GARDENING WITH CONFIDENCE™

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

July Garden Maintenance Guide

INTRO

July is your reward to many months of gardening efforts.  Whether you vacate to see what the rest of the gardening world is doing or staycate to reap your rewards with fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, either way, now is the time to put down your trowel to travel and tour!

ANNUALS

• Cut back summer annuals so they don’t become leggy.  A good time to do this is right before you go on vacation. You will be gone, thus missing the unsightliness of the haircut. This will help the plants look good through the fall.
• Petunias will benefit from a summer pinch.  By removing an inch or two from the ends of the stems throughout the summer, encourages branching, resulting in a bushier plant.
• Cleome, cosmos and zinnias, can still be planted or sown for continuous blooms ’til frost.

Cleome

• Bulb catalogues are arriving.  Many pages of many catalogues sitting in the table of my reading are dog eared.
• On my summer flowering bulb list are: Calla lily (Zantedeschia), canna, Crinum lily, Liatris (at least the one the bunny missed), Asiatic lily, Oriental lily, and tuberose.

Crinum

HERBS

• Harvest Provence lavender.  Cut stems, bundle, hang upside down and in a dark, dry place.  Within 2 weeks, the florets will easily fall from the stems.   To make lavender sugar, grind dried florets in a coffee grinder and mix with sugar.
• Cut back basil to keep from going to seed.  Don’t forget to use it!
• Keep oregano cut back to keep from going to seed.

PERENNIALS

• Continue to deadhead to tidy the garden and encourage more flowering.  There are many perennials grown for the wildlife so don’t be to tidy; ‘leave some seed heads.’ Not only will the birds enjoy the seed, you will enjoy watching them retrieve the seed.

• Perennials that benefit most from deadheading include bee-balm, black-eyed Susan, daylilies, coneflowers, salvia, Stoke’s aster, yarrow. Also Coreopsis will benefit from a shearing to encourage a second bloom.

• Garden centers may have reduced prices on earlier blooming perennials. A great opportunity to save some money, but this is not a good time to plant.   If you proceed, provide extra nurturing (and watering) until established.

• As a butterfly gardener, a purple coneflower is a staple in my Mixed Border.’Even if I was just gardening for the flowers, Echinacea purpurea would be at the top of my list of must have plants. ‘There is now a wide range of colors ‘ ‘Sunrise’, Sundown’, Twilight’, Harvest Moon’, Summer Sky’, ‘After Midnight’ and more. Sadly, the bunnies find all the colors tasty.

• Did you know there is no research showing that English Ivy climbing up your trees will actually harm the tree?   It is not one of my favorite looks and I encourage others to keep it from climbing.   If you want to remove it, cut it at the base and wait a year or so for it to die back before pulling it off; otherwise, removing it will harm the tree (taking bark with it.) When it climbs, the adult ivy forms.  Here is where it seeds and makes more ivy. If not able to climb, it will spread, but can more easily be kept in check.  Just keep an eye on it.

• Perennials

The first year they sleep

The second year they creep

The third year they leap

Author unknown

TREES AND SHRUBS

• This is not a good time for planting trees and shrubs.  If you find some good deals at the garden center, by all means purchase.  But wait until fall for planting.
• As the new growth emerges on your specimen conifer, candle-prune to maintain the shape.

ROSES

Pink Peace

• It’s Japanese beetle time!  They are attracted to the color.   To discourage this, keep the roses in the green whereby cutting your roses for our enjoyment indoors.  I hand pick Japanese beetles off the plant and drop into a bucket of soapy water.
• Water your roses deeply to encourage a deep root system.  At Helen’s Haven, I have the upper garden’s French drain empty here.  In effect, it’s a rain garden, but with supplemental watering in the absence of natural rainfall.  The hotter it is, the more water roses require.
• To reduce fungal disease such a black stop, avoid watering the leaves. Of course, there is nothing you can do to prevent this when a summer rain falls.
• Ensure the roses are mulched to help retain moisture.
• Prune climbers and ramblers that bloom once on last year’s growth. Thin out dead canes.

MULCH

• As you added annuals and perennials up to now, the spring mulch has no doubt been disturbed.  Now is a good time to do an abbreviated mulching to tidy up the disturbed areas. But of course, the best reason to do so is to retain moisture, particular for these new plantings until they are established.

WEEDS

• The best advice anyone can give you with regards to weeds, pull them when you see them.  Walk your garden often.  Enjoy the journey and pull a weed when you see it.  It keeps weeds in check and saves you from having to tackle a major problem latter.
• Like a grey hair, every weed you pull, three grow back or so it seems.

PESTS

• Bagworms abound! Bagworms can be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

WATER

As summer begins, so do summer vacations.  This also arises the need to have your garden looked after while you are gone!  When preparing to go on summer vacation, there are three main areas in the garden the elicit attention: Container gardens, plants in the garden not yet established, and plants in the established garden.

CONTAINER GARDENS

There is no need not to have container gardens just because you are going on vacation and don’t want to be bothered.  Why let a week or two away keep you from coming home to some nice plantings?  Here are some tips to caring for your container gardens and houseplants while you are on vacation.  These tips are for those with and without automatic irrigation systems.

• Bring houseplants outside under the cool of the porch or eves of the house.
• Get a neighbor kid to come over everyday to check on things and to water. Most pots will need watering everyday.
• Pool you pots together near a water source and out of the afternoon sun.
• Add extra mulch to the base of the plant.
• Add water lines to your containers from your irrigation system.
• Don’t have an irrigation system?  The garden centers and big box stores sell automatic systems that hook up to your spigot.  These systems are easy to install, include a timer to turn on the water a certain time(s) of the day and for a dialed in duration.

CARING FOR YET TO BE ESTABLISHED PLANTS IN THE BED OR BORDER

• The neighborhood kid or friend will be a big help while you are gone.  In the absence of automatic irrigation, caring for the garden while you are away is a little trickery.  For your convenience and to aid the person helping while you are gone, marking the plants yet to be established, thus needing additional attention, will be important. Clearly mark the plant with a survey flag. This will help remind you and your care giver who needs a drink while you are gone.

CARING FOR ESTABLISHED PLANTS IN THE BED OR BORDER

• Most established gardens should survive a week without watering. Most years, the concern is with container plants and plants that have yet to establish, both concerns are addressed above.

• Even in an established bed, some plants will require more attention than others.  One of the best ways to learn when you’re your garden needs watering is to identify an indicator plant. An indicator plant is usually one of your garden’s the thirsty-er plants.  For my garden, Helen;s Haven, it’s an Endless Summer Hydrangea.  If my indicator is looking thirsty (wilted) in the morning, it needs water.   As such, I would then direct the caregiver to water while I am away.  If not, then you should be good to go.   It should also be noted that this same plant may look wilted in the last afternoon, but this is not a true indication.   Have them check it again in the morning.  If not wilted, then it is fine

It is also a good idea before you leave to weed, deadhead, and water everything thoroughly.

WILDLIFE

• Continue to fill feeders, provide clean water daily, and refresh hummingbird feeders with fresh sugar water.

Formula for hummingbird nectar: 4 parts water, one part sugar.  Heat until the sugar is dissolved.   Once cooled, fill feeders.  Nectar can be stored in the refrigerator up to a week. Change the feeder nectar often, daily when temperatures reach the upper 80s.

7 Comments

1. 

   tina said

   June 25, 2009 @ 10:19 am \’b7 EditExcellent tips. I like the gray hair simile. It must be why I have so many:)

   When are you posting on your visit with Janet, Racquel and Les

2. 

   gardening with confidence said

   June 25, 2009 @ 11:15 am \’b7 EditHey Tina, with regards to weeds and gray hairs, maybe we should stop pulling them. How bad can it get? Never mind, I just had an imagine of weeds EVERYWHERE!

   I\’92ll post the visit with Janet, Racquel and Les during my Sunday puttering post. Since returning from my scouting trip, I am behind \’96 as in a big behind not even my big purse can hide! I have 3 deadlines waiting first!

   H.

3. 

   Racquel said

   June 25, 2009 @ 1:12 pm \’b7 EditWhat a great information post Helen. Thanks for all the tips & reminders. It gets so hot at this time of the year sometimes I forget.

   Reply

4. 

   Janet said

   June 25, 2009 @ 1:25 pm \’b7 EditHi Helen, good tips\’85..summer is when my garden explodes!! Guess I should at least deadhead some stuff in the early mornings.

   Reply

5. 

   gardening with confidence said

   June 25, 2009 @ 1:59 pm \’b7 EditHey Racquel and Janet, boy do I love to dish out the tips, but right now, I\’92m having trouble getting my air conditioned self out there doing it. There\’92s always this evening

   I went to this most amazing garden during my Virginia/Outer Banks scouting trip. She had thousands of daylilies (more than 500 varieties) and EVERYONE was deadheaded. I bowed to her greatness and wanted to hang with her all day long. I make not bones about being a tidy gardener, but when I saw this maintenance poster child, it confirmed it all the more, maintenance matters! H.

   Reply

6. 

   flowergardengirl said

   June 25, 2009 @ 10:20 pm \’b7 EditYou know I like these post. Love your Cleome and agree that July is our reward for working hard.

   Reply

   

   Jesslyn said

   June 25, 2009 @ 11:57 pm \’b7 Editcool tips tina!!

   the pink peace rose is beautiful

   thx a lot for sharing..

   GooD Day

   Jesslyn Tanady

   All Gardening Secret

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THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

May Maintenance Guide

INTRO

May brings the end of pine pollen and summer begins, at least the unofficial summer begins with Memorial Day weekend – the official kick off of summer.

CONTAINERS

• Every garden has room for container gardens. Find some fabulous pots and fill them with whatever you fancy. Know the amount of sun you get and when. It matters when you select your plants. Remember they need extra watering and fertilizing.

BULBS

• It’s safe now to plant the Amaryllis from Christmas. It will not likely bloom again this year, but should do so next year. Mine from previous year’s bloom mid month.  Here’s a little Amarylis planting how-to.
• Now that the soils have warmed, plant Caladium bulbs or those potted and already in leaf. They like it warm and can be damaged by a cool weather, not just a frost. They are also big feeders so they will need consistent watering and fertilizer during the growing season.
• Actually, any tender summer bulb such as cannas, dahlias, ginger lilies, and tuberoses can be planted now.
• Oh, the Iris are blooming their little heads off. Recently, I cut some for a friend. She took a whiff and realized for the first time, bearded Irises have a lovely scent. They are nice to bring inside to enjoy the smell. After blooming, cut flower stalks to tidy up the plant.
• Cut the flowers stalks of daffodils. Try to ignore the leaves as they die a natural death.

ANNUALS

• With the frost behind us, annuals can be planted with abandonment.
• Visit public gardens to see the variety available for planting in our area. The JC Raulston Arboretum is an All-American Selection (AAS) display garden exhibiting the most recent selection winners.
• Direct sow zinnia seed at intervals to have cut flowers through frost.

PERENNIALS

• May is not the ideal time for planting perennials, but they are oh, so available. Plan to plant, but pamper. They will require extra watering to help get established.
• English Ivy is leafing out. English ivy sure seemed like a good idea at the time it was introduced to the USA, but this non-native is very invasive.
• Seeing the Chinese wisteria escaped in the wild brings a feeling of wonder. Yes, the color and flowers cascading down from the trees is beautiful, but they ain’t supposed to be there. Think twice about planting one. Instead, consider the the American wisteria, Amethyst Falls blooming a little later.

TREES AND SHRUBS

• May is Southern Magnolia’s bloom time. They give so much and we need to do so little for them in return. I like to pluck a Magnolia bloom and float it in a bowl of water near where I read or enjoy the garden at the end of the day. It last but a day, but what a day it is.

• The Endless Summer Hydrangea is the first Hydrangea to bloom on old and new growth with the ability to rebloom all summer long. I planted my Endless Summer in 2005.   To encourage reblooming, cut the blooms for drying or to put in vases for a fresh arrangement. This will also encourage the plant to set new buds.
• Prune rhododendron and azaleas right after flowering.

ROSES

• Roses are in full swing right now. Let your roses flush out and take shorter pruning tactics in May so they grow taller. This is usually good advice for the first couple of cuttings. Then you can prune at will, remembering to cut at an angle at the next 5 leaflets. Remember, Roses are heavy feeders both food and water. Fertilize once a month and give each rose about 5 gallons of water each a week or about an inch a week. Water at the base of the plant and in the morning to help discourage black spot.

HERBS

• Plant an herb garden! If not for you, then for your garden friends. The Tiger Swallowtail butterfly larvae love parsley and fennel. Let those “green worms” eat it all. Or plant enough to spare. If you don’t want them, call me at 760-5404 and I will rescue them to my gardens.
• May, in my garden, is Lavender peak bloom time. Each May, I’m reminded of why I grow Lavender.  But it can look ratty many months of the year. After it flowers, cut back and shape.

FERTILIZER

• To encourage flowering, a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus is best. The fertilizer’s 3 main ingredients are N-P-K with N for Nitrogen, P for Phosphorus and K for Potassium. 10-10-10 means there is an equal proportion of each N-P-K. Hydrangeas like a low N and a high P, thus a combination of 10-40-10 would be ideal. My general rule of thumb to remember what the numbers mean is to start with the first number and apply from the top of the plant to the bottom. As such, N is for the green; P  is for the bloom; and K- is for the root.

• To refresh your understanding of pH, pH refers to the acidity of the soil and is measured by the number of Hydrogen ions present in the soil. pH is a logarithmic scale based on the power of ten. As such, pH of 6.0 is 10 times more acidic than pH of 7.0!  Thus, even a little change in pH can make a big difference. A pH of 7 is neutral, less than 7 is acid, greater than 7 is alkaline. Most plants like a pH between 6.5 and 7. All hydrangeas like it more acid than most plants.

MULCH

• Keep your gardens cool, less thirsty, and reduce the amount of weeds,  top dress your garden beds of mulch. I can write volumes on the benefits of mulch. I am really mulch crazy. I believe in the power of mulch.
• For my Roses, I use mini-nuggets, but for my perennial gardens, I used composted leaf mulch.
• Picking up a load reminds me of how important it is to make sure your yard waste is separated from your trash. This is not only good stuff once it is composted, but the conservation practice is in all our best interest! Confessions of a Sustainable Gardener – Part 3 Mulch

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

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THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

April Maintenance Guide

Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis 'Traveller'

INTRO

The entire month of April is wrapped in spring. With March madness behind us and the merriment of May ahead, we feel the need to stop and appreciate our gardens in April.

Our area’s last listed frost date is April 15^th. The IRS has made this easy for us to remember! Sure enough, the date has been accurate in my journal for several years, but it is always close. All was fine until April 17, 2007 when we had, not just a late frost, but a killing winter freeze. I don’t recall experiencing anything like it before.

The month of April is full of tulips, daffodils, Virginia bluebells, Youshino cherry, flowering dogwood, crabapple, candy tuff, azaleas, creeping phlox and more.

BULBS

• If you forced paper-white narcissus indoors over the holidays using a soil based medium, they can be planted outdoors for years of enjoyment. If you forced them in the absence of soil, they are spent; compost them!

• I know it drives you crazy to see the fading leaves of the daffodil. Yes, it really isnecessary to keep the green as long as possible for next years’ food.

ANNUALS

Wait until after the last frost before planting tender annuals such as Impatiens and Petunias.

HERBS

• Plant herbs after the treat of the season\’92s final frost. Plant annual herbs such as basil, bi-annulas such as parsley, and perennial herbs such as rosemary, chives, thyme, and mint.

PERENNIALS

• The Cross Vine trellised over my garden gate and up the side of our house is striking in April. Love, love, love this vine. This is why we put up with a ratty looking vine in the winter or at least, this is why I do.

• The sticks of Miss Huff Lantana left for architectural interest (or should have for the health of the plant) can probably be cut to the ground now. I usually leave mine until the new growth comes in so I can have a visual to remind me of what will come.
  

• Now is a good time to divide Hostas. There is lots of good advice out there on the proper way to do this. I take the in-situ method; i.e. as the green appears, I take a shovel, split the plant while still in the ground, pull half of it up and move it to its new home. Works for me. But in Helen’s Haven, I no longer grow Hostas, which saddens me greatly. The one area where we can grow them is infested with voles. Trying all the usual tricks, none have worked. But I would not longer grow them there even if I didn’t have voles. This area also too dry. When I re-worked Helen’s Haven into a water-wise design, I was no longer willing to bring water to this area. Such is gardening. The real beauty in gardening is the wealth of plants available to fill any niche one door closes with one door opens. I now have a very nice display of hellebores. Hellebores provide year round greenery, flowers in the late winter (wow), are drought tolerant and poisonous to voles, so they stay clear.
  

TREES AND SHRUBS

The time to prune azaleas is just after they bloom. In fact, a good rule of thumb is to prune most blooming shrubs right after they bloom. If you wait too long, you will cut off next years bloom.

• If you have to tame forsythia, do it now. It can be cut back – as much as you need – and still have some flowers next winter.

• If you got winter burn on your gardenia, just cut off the burned ends. Or, take the lazy method, which is what I do. Let the new leaves self prune the dead. The dead leaves will eventually drop off. If you see a lot of yellow leaves, test the soil and remember gardenias like acid soil! However, also remember this is part of the plant’s natural cycle. It looses leaves in the spring and then produces new growth. So be patient.

• Now is good time to cut back the red-stemmed dogwood branches. The winter red color is on the new growth.

• It is normal to see a large amount of Magnolia leaves shed beginning this month. Some find it messy, but if the Magnolia was left to grow properly, the leaves will fall within the drip line and should be of little consequence. By ‘grow properly’, I mean Magnolias are not meant to be limbedup. In fact helping the branches droop is encouraged. In earlier days, it was common to weigh the lower branches down with rope and bricks. By keeping a ‘skirt’ on the tree, it hides the falling leaves and makes the tree very stately from the ground up. Once the limbs are cut, there is no going back. I have friend in Burtee County. Her sister inherited a pre-civil war home with magnificent Magnolias out front. For whatever reason, she limbedthem up. Now the beauty of these magnificent Magnolias has gone with the wind.

• 
• After the quince have bloom, cut back to shape and keep to a manageable size.

ROSES

• With the last frost behind us, we can uncover our mulch protecting the grafts of our hybrid tea rose bushes. Unless of course, you have own root roses. We are starting to see a swing back to own root roses for many good reasons. Even growers such as Jackson & Perkins are dedicating time and money to produce more own root roses.
• The selection of potted roses is plentiful now. Plant now to get establish before summer. This is a good time to evaluate what you want from a rose. It is best to own up to what you are willing to do or not do or to hire someone else to do it for you. Let’s be realistic and not just get draw in by a pretty face. If you are going to care for your own roses, but don’t want to really have to do anything, there a few wonderful ones to consider. The shrub rose ‘Knock Out’ is wonderful and not yet overused. I may never tire of it and the grower keeps improving upon it with double flowers and additional colors. It will also bloom all summer. The ‘Lady Banks’, which blooms this month, is one of my favorites even though it only blooms once a year. ‘New Dawn’ is also relativity maintenance free. But if you are looking for the single, long stem roses only found with hybrid teas, they are high maintenance and I just want you to be prepared for what you’re getting into. I also love David Austin roses, but in Raleigh, if there every was a high maintenance rose, in my opinion, these roses are the mother of all high maintenance roses.

FERTILIZER

• Fertilize roses with a good organic fertilizer like Holly-tone Epsoma or Messenger, they don’t help with black spot though. If you want the plant to be green from the bottom up, you will have to spray with a fungicide. There are organic options available. Be sure to follow the label instructions carefully and then begin spraying weekly. This year I will be using Witherspoon’s new organic program, called their Green Program. I plan to monitor my roses weekly photos and identify pest damage and amount of black spot. I will record the spray record and what was used. Cutting the roses at the height of Japanese beetle season is a must. They are attracted to the colorful flowers. The more the roses are cut and enjoyed inside, the less the persistence of pests.
  
• For your azaleas, fertilize now by adding an acid loving fertilizer just after they bloom. Holly-tone is my products of choice see Epsoma.

SOIL

• It is always a good idea to get a soil test. It is not just for the grass, although I do recommend getting that soil tested too. Check multiply areas of your garden particularly if you are co-mingling acid loving, neutral or sweet loving plants in one area. That is why Camellias, Azaleas, and Dogwoods do so well altogether. They have the same pH requirement.
• For soil testing in North Carolina, It is easy to do and can be mailed taken in directly to the Soil Test lab for analysis on Reedy Creek Rd.

MULCH

• Hopefully, your mulch is down. If not, do so now. Mulch retards weeds, retains water, moderates soil temperature, and makes the garden beds look tidy.
• Nothing looks worse than a garden that is not maintained. Be realistic about what you are willing to do. If you only have money to invest in one element mulch!

PESTS

• If you really don’t like slugs, try encircling your young plants with crushed shells, coarse sand or kitty litter. The texture will keep them from getting any closer. Not as very effective if done late in the year you may then actually trap them inside!
• Eastern tent catepillars and gypsy moths winter over in trees and shrubs. Removing them now, will reduce plant loss.

WEEDS

• Stay ahead of the weeds. As you know, I recommend adding mulch. But as weeds emerge, hoe them to the ground. If you stay on top of them, you will thank yourself later. The more you do now, the less you will have to do later. Remember too that cultivating your soil brings weed seeds to the surface, exposing to the light, geminating, making even more weeds.

WATER

• Automatic irrigation is turned on again after the threat of last frost. If you automatic irrigation system does not have a rain sensor, please consider adding one. This way, you are not watering in the rain. Also, know how much you are putting down and how often. Water is a valuable resource.
  

WILDLIFE

• Fill feeders, daily or as needed. In the early spring, when migration is in full swing, natural food is in its shortest supply.
• Hang your hummingbirds feeders now! Did you know that hummingbirds are actually insect eaters? The feed on insects for needed proteins and sip on nectar for energy; especially in the fall when they are beefing up for their long flight south! To attract hummers to your garden, have plenty of nectar plants and/or feeders. The nectar is a mixture of 4 parts water to 1 part water. Never use anything but white sugar and water. No color is necessary and honey, brown sugar or saccharin are a no-no. Change the water often. The sugar water will ferment in the feeder making it unusable for the hummers. Make it a habit and you will be rewarded.
• Blocks of suet, store bought or made at home, give birds quick energy on cold spring mornings.
  
• Bluebirds are attracted to mealworms. Live or dried work to attract and feed these gifts to the garden.
• Keep the birdbath clean and filled with fresh water. Its a necessity for them and a joy for us to watch.

• GARDEN ACCENTS

• In the fall, after the first frost when the garden suddenly transparent, I pull most of my garden accents in for the winter so it does not look like a yard sale when all the plants are dormant. Garden accents to be among my plantings not necessarily the dominant feature. Garden accents should be surprises in the garden as you stroll through to see the glory. In April, I bring them out and put in the garden. Garden accents are great to fill in holes in the garden. I think of most of my accents as movable. I use to run out and get a new plant whenever I had a hole in my garden, now I add a garden interest through garden accents as my garden waxes and wanes. It is much more interesting and allows the garden to be interactive without having a pair of clippers in my back pocket!

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

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THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region
March Maintenance Guide

INTRO

It could be said that March is the month for yellow! I can’t help myself and I gawk at the forsythia and the daffodils. I can’t get enough of them. I also can’t help but notice the difference between pruned forsythia and those left in their natural state. Forsythia look best left natural. If you can’t leave forsythia naturally, needing a tidier garden, find another shrub that can tolerate pruning and not look unnatural. But the chances are you are growing forsythia because of what it does this month bloom fantastic long arching stems of beautiful yellow flowers; so let it do what it does best, branch out and beg to be cut and enjoyed inside.

With the arrival of spring, we start wanting to see beautiful gardens. Look for garden tours, events, and symposia. A garden tour is a great way to learn about gardens, plants that do well in our region, and we walk away with a thousand ideas while having an enjoyable time. My gauge for a successful garden tour is when everybody’s garden was somebody’s favorite.

LEAVES

• No doubt, there will be lots of leaves flying around still and/or stuck at the base of your shrubs. Leaving them is fine. If it bothers you, pull them out and compost or put with your yard waste.

BULBS

• Don’t kick yourself for not having daffodils blooming in your garden this month. Put in your day planner now to purchase and plant daffodils this fall!
• Ditto with the tulips. In our area, the Dutch tulips are used as annuals, when they are used.I think tulips are the most underused bulb. They can be pricey, especially since they have to be replaced each year. That and the little garden critters love them too. I suspect this is why they are so underused. However, they are fantastic. I believe they are worth the money. They are long lasting and with the vast selection, they can be timed to bloom with the Dogwoods and the Azaleas.
• As a reminder, do not cut back the leaves of the daffodils until they have finished. Once they have lain down on the ground, they can be cut back.
• Because I grow Dutch Tulips as annuals, I pull them as soon as the flowers are spent.

SEEDS

• Now is a good time to plant larkspur and poppies seeds.

ANNUALS

• Pansies are still looking good. We will be able to enjoy them through the end of May, if we want.Most of usually pull them in early May, after the threat of last frost, just in time to put in summer annuals. It also a good time to plant pansies.
• Now is a good time to plant alyssum, snapdragon and viola.

PERENNIALS

• If you haven’t already cut back you Liriope, look inside to see if the new growth has emerged. If you see the new growth, just be careful that the new growth is not cut. The longer the new growth, the more difficult this task is. Cutting them back last month would have been ideal, but there may still be time- take a peek before you cut. Otherwise, trim off burnt edges and wait until next year.

• My Hellebores are looking very good. Hellebores are one of my favorite plants for winter interest. I like to cut back the old leaves before (or as) the new growth emerges. Also, if you don’t want your Hellebores to spread, cut the flower heads before they release their seeds. Remember too, the Hellebores cross breed readily. So don’t trust that your coveted black hellebore to stay black, if they keep company with other colors. Your original will stay black, but any babies will be something else.
• Hostas are starting to come up. This is a great time to divide and share with a friend or another location in your garden.
• For your daylilies now is a good time to divide. Daylilies need dividing every 4 years or so to keep them flowering nicely.  They divide easily and happily.  Keep the clumps large, 3 – 5 fans each.  Share with friends or find now homes in your garden. This year’s blooms may suffer, but will recover by next year.  One way to look at it, they will have suffered anyway by not being divided!
• Bee balm (Monarda) is sprouting now. Take this opportunity to transplant and move around in the garden or to give to friends.
• Spring is a good time to divide bleeding hearts, Ajuga, and Shasta daisies. Transplant to other areas of your gardens, share with a friend or donate to a plant sale.
• Herbaceous peonies will be up soon. I love, love, love Peonies. The blooms of this long living perennial may only last a couple of weeks, but I cannot resist their scent and beauty.
• If you haven’t cut back your ornamental grasses yet, you may still have time. Look inside the plant to see if the new growth has emerged. Be careful not to cut the new growth.

VINES

• If you needed a good excuse to grow Carolina Jessamine, look around and get inspired. They are blooming everywhere mailboxes, entrances, sides of homes, fences, anywhere you wish to add some local color.

TREES AND SHRUBS

• Look at those Redbuds. Mine opened up around the middle of the month. Before that it was the Peaches and Cherries.
• Coppice American beauty berry.  It helps stimulate growth and control size.
• Still time to plant trees and shrubs.

HERBS

• As the new growth is emerging, cut back the winter burned leaves of St. John’s-Wort.
• March is a great time to direct sow parsley.  Your larvae will love you for it!

ROSES

• Roses are starting to put out new growth. We are ending the optimum time to plant bare root roses. Now is a good time to add a slow release organic fertilizer. Roses are heavy feeders. We will get a good couple of months before we see black spot or Japanese Beetles. The Lady Banks rose will be blooming soon. I love this Rose. It may only bloom once a year, but it virtually maintenance free, free flowing, and stunning. I have two; one on the South side of my house trellising up a Chinese Windmill Palm and another growing up a Maple tree, again, on the South side (of the property and the tree.) I give it some drip irrigation so that it does not need to compete with the Maple for water.

FERTILIZER

• Your bulbs will appreciate an application of a complete fertilizer as the green appears.
• Pansies and violas appreciate a slow-release application now.

MULCH

• Now is still a good time to lay mulch. This gives us enough time to allow gardens to have a nice chill, killing off insects and such, while still protecting our plants. Also your perennials are just emerging and laying mulch is much easier before the plants are up. I like to use composted leaf mulch, but most of my clients still like triple shredded hardwood mulch.  It looks best right after it is laid. Oh for our gardens to look as good as it looks right after mulch is applied. For my clients to use the hardwood mulches, I recommend lightly raking the mulch every quarter to remove the larger pieces. It is these pieces that bleach out in the sun like old bones in a desert. Racking them up and using elsewhere in the garden helps extend to look of mulch. Of course, if you use composted leaf mulch you will not be off the maintenance hook. There will be plenty of bits of trash to pick up as the mulch is consumed.

WEEDS

• Spot weed your beds and grass. I hand pluck out my weeds. If you do this before they get out of hand, they can be managed. Also in my beds, I use a hoe and just cut the weeds below the surface of the soil.

WATER

• March is typically a wet month. Unless there was a winter drought, watering is not necessary. Even in a drought, given the cooler temperatures, watering perennials once every 4 weeks and annuals every 2 weeks is all that is necessary. Tress and shrubs will not likely need watering. However, your specific conditions will dictate what is necessary. When Raleigh had the worse drought in 100 years, I did not need to water trees or shrubs. I watered my perennials every 3 weeks and pulled the annuals. I would much rather use my precious harvested water on long livers and let the annuals go bye-bye.

WILDLIFE

• For your Blue birds have your nesting boxes ready. They are looking to nest!

• For your birds, if you haven’t done so already, now is a good time clean out your nesting boxes.  Removing old nests and debris from birdhouses gives a new family a fresh start.  It is also a good idea to scrub your birdbaths.

Here is something to think about:

Nature’s first green is gold.

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

- Robert Frost

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

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THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

MID-ATLANTIC REGION Zone 7b

FEBRUARY MAINTENANCE GUILD

INTRO

Before the garden season kicks into full gear, evaluate your garden with regards to sustainability. Are you doing all that you can do to reduce water, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer use? Are you composting? Are you harvesting rain water? Are you planting the right plant in the right place? Do you mulch? Are you using organic and/or mechanical means for pesticide and herbicides control, and are you using organic fertilizers? Let this be the year you consider doing all that you can do. Let this be the year you begin.

LEAVES

• Even though you raked leaves, mowed them to reduce their size and then put them back on your garden or compost pile, there is probably leaf litter some around blowing in from the neighbors, trees, etc. Take a walk around your garden to collect leaves, old fruits, twigs, seeds, pods – all litter and add to the compost pile. Doing this on a pretty day, gives you a great excuse to be out of doors.

BULBS

• Now is a good time to fertilize the flowering bulbs. A general 10-10-10 is good, but there are also products made especially for flowering bulbs such as Holland brand products.
• If you see greens from your bulbs starting to emerge, don’t panic. While there is still winter ahead, the leaves do fine; they are very hardy.

PERENNIALS

• February is a good time to cut back Liriope. The key is not to cut it too late and risk cutting off the new growth. The damage will not recover and can look tattered.  Also, the solid green variety spreads. If your original design had a pattern and you want to keep that pattern (usually an alternate X pattern), then after the cut back, dig out the Liriope that has spread now .
• You can still plant peonies.  When planting, make sure the top of the crown is just above the soil line.  Peonies need the cold to set the buds.
• Now is the time to fertilize your flowering ornamentals.
• Cut back ornamental grasses.
  

TREES AND SHRUBS

• If you root pruned trees or shrubs last fall, now is a good time to transplant.
• Once your winter-blooming Camellias (Camellia japonica) finish blooming; be sure to rake the fallen flower heads to discourage Camellia petal blight.
• For your enjoyment indoors, have spring come early by bringing in branches or purchase already forced branches or bulbs.
• It is still a good time to plant trees and shrubs. Prepare the planting hole with ample mulch. Also cover the root ball with mulch being careful not to bring the mulch right up to the trunk.
• If you haven’t cut your butterfly bushes, do so now. Doing so controls the height, increases the flower show since butterfly bushes flower on new growth, but also protects the plant in the event of heavy wind and ice storms coating the branches too weak to support the ice.
• Late winter is an ideal time to prune most shrubs, so the timing couldn’t be better. Take advantage of the downtime in the garden, and prune. Careful though, learn to prune before you ruin the natural shape of your shrubs.

ROSES

• For your roses, now is a great time to plant bare root roses. When you receive your bare root rose, unwrap the rose and soak in water for 2-8 hours, then plant immediately or they will dry out. Dig a hole 12-18 deep and 24 wide. Amend the soil by adding bone meal, manure, and soil conditioner. In the center of the hole, make a cone from the soil and spread the roots over the cone. Back-fill the hole with soil and tamp lightly, watering in. This helps to remove air pockets.  Cover the bush completely with mulch. The canes should not be showing!
• Now is a good time to do the final pruning of last season’s growth to prepare for this year’s growth – prune hybrid teas, grandiflora and floribunda roses.

FERTILIZER

• A general 10-10-10 is good, but there are also products made especially for flowering bulbs such as Holland brand products.

• Peonies can still plant peonies. When planting, fertilize now before the spring growth so that it will be readily available when the plant is.
• Add lime to your fig trees.  Our area tends to be acidic, and figs prefer a much sweeter soil.  Get a soil test to determine how much to apply.  Experience with my so suggests adding about 2 cups of dolomitic lime CaMg(CO3)2.

.

MULCH

• February is a great time to mulch. The ground has had a chance to freeze killing off fungus and some pests, and the deciduous plants have left room for an easy application. In my book, nothing compares to a fresh application of mulch. I have now converted to total composted leaf mulch. For a long time, I still used triple shredded mulch in landscaped areas with leaf mulch in my garden beds. But I love the color of this mulch and it adds nutrients to the soil.
• Heaving is when newly planted plants (planted the previous fall) are subjected to freezing then thawing causing the plant to up root. It is OK to adjust these plants in place and they should be fine. It might be a good idea to add some additional mulch to reduce the likelihood of the ground freezing.

WEEDS

• Stay on top of those winter weeds.

WATER

• Remember to water new plantings in the absence of rain.

WILDLIFE

• Don’t forget to enjoy your birds. Putting feeders out where you can enjoy from the warmth of indoors, benefits you and the birds.
• Birds need a water supply in the winter, if you can invest in a bird bath heater you won’t be disappointed.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

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THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

Zone 7b

INTRO

January is a good time to look back on your gardening year and to plan ahead.

Now is a good time to walk around your garden, shoot some photos and make a wish list of your garden’s hopes and dreams.

It is always a good idea to photograph your garden each month as a photo journal of what is blooming when. But also, looking at your garden through the lens is telling. What you see and what others see are often time two different things. We all have our priorities. What you may pass by everyday because you got use to looking at it will show up and be noticed in print.

It’s no different when seeing oneself in a photograph. Most of us don’t like what we see, we start picking it apart. Do you like what you see in your garden photographs? So while it is a good idea to walk around your garden to jot down ideas and what needs to be done, it is a better idea to evaluate what you see from photographs.

Take a good look around. January is a good time to look back on your gardening year. Are there things you would like to change? Make a list, keep it handy, and add to it as necessary and check off the tasks once completed – its a good feeling.

(more…)

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THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

December Maintenance Guide

December can be a quiet time in the garden. Most of us are busy with other things, so the timing is good. Here is some of what we are doing in our Zone 7b gardens.

If you are in need for garden December garden inspiration, you may enjoy this -December Inspiration

HERBS

• Rosemary topiaries are widely available now from nurseries, garden centers, big box stores, and grocery stores. They make an excellent seasonal display, provide fragrance and decor for the table top inside or in a container outside. If kept outside, protect from freezing the first year. Potted Rosemary can easily dry out. Keep an eye on this. That shouldn’t be a problem since you will be going by often for a snip for cooking.

BULBS

• I love Amaryllis at Christmastime! I start looking for the bulbs in October and begin planting them every other week. This way, I’ll have them blooming throughout the holiday season. It is also a good idea to buy after Christmas when they go on sale. Pot them up and enjoy during Valentine’s Day. Come spring, these bulbs can be planted in the garden. You might find this interesting. The Amaryllis Lives on in the Garden.

• Forgot to plant your spring-blooming bulbs such as daffs and tulips? Not to worry, they can still be planted as long as you can work the soil. A good rule of thumb is to plant with the pointed end up, at a depth 2 times the size of the bulb and add a bulb fertilizer to supply the nutrients necessary for a spring showstopper. So, if the bulb is 2 inches from tip to root, then plant 4 inches deep.

PERENNIALS

• Cut back Cannas after frost and put in the compost pile. Be sure the cut them back though, leaf rollers that might be present can over-winter in the plant. Using a large kitchen knife, a quick slice at the base of the plant makes short work of this garden maintenance task.

• Cut back and remove Peony leaves after a killing frost. This helps prevent harboring of disease and tidies up the garden. Remember peonies need the chilling cold during dormancy for proper plant development. So be careful when mulching, keeping the “eyes” 4 exposed. Peonies are heavy feeders and perform well using compost or well-rotted manure to feed. I like to use composted leaf mulch. Mulch around the plant. Usually an inch or two for established plants is all that is needed.

ROSES

• Prune roses about half their size.

TREES AND SHRUBS

• We are in Sasanqua Season. How can you miss with these drought tolerant evergreens shrubs that flower in December? They may be slow-growing, but they are long-lasting. Yuletide is nice for their red blooms during the holiday. I’m partial to the white Camellia sasanqua ‘Sestugekka’

HOLIDAY DECORATING

• Deck the halls with boughs of Holly. Whip out those clippers and look around the garden. There is so much to use to add festive natural adornments to your home, both inside and out. Wreaths on the windows or door; accent the mailbox and the light post and reindeer holding court in your front garden greeting your visitors.

FERTILIZER

On a warm day this month, lightly fertilize annuals, then water. Be mindful on unseasonably warm days this month with little rain, check to see of annuals need watering.

PROPOGATION

• Now is a good time to take hardwood cuttings of deciduous woodies like forsythia, Quince, Mock orange, spirea, and viburnum.

WILDLIFE

• Remember the birds through spring. Actually, I tend to my bird friends year round. This is something I do that gives me a great deal of pleasure. They add so much to the garden and to the gardener’s enjoyment. Be sure to provide a continual supply of seed, suet and water. Did you know that a bird is 3 times more likely to die from lack of water in the winter than lack of food? Break the ice, if need be.
• Birdhouses make great holiday gifts and can look indoors or out.

THE SEASON

Winter solstice begins December 21, marking the end of fall and the beginning of winter.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her businessGardening with Confidence™

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