Gardening With Confidence™

Gardening With Confidence™ WebTalkRadio withe my guest Sue Reed

Author of Energy-Wise Landscape Design is my guest sharing tips and information about conserving energy in the landscape. From placement of trees to the use of mulch, cooling the property in the summertime while allowing warm in the winter.

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.

Each week, Helen host’s a garden talk WebTalkRadio.net show called Gardening With Confidence™.

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

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Gardening With Confidence™ WebTalkRadio interview with Chris McLaughlin, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Compositng

Guest Chris McLaughlin shares with us everything you need to know about composting, or at least the bits we got to in this lively discussion. Learn how to turn your organic waste material into black gold as Chris takes us through the various types of composting. Whether in a townhouse or living on acreage, there is a composting method for you.

TIP OF THE WEEK:

While I wouldn’t trade-in my composting habits, there are times when I want it covered for aestictics reasons.  All I do is take some pine straw and lightly cover it.  Volia! No one knows it’s there.

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.

Each week, Helen host’s a garden talk WebTalkRadio.net show called Gardening With Confidence™.

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

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Hydrangeas make wonderful hedges, specimens and cut flowers to enjoy indoors. There is just something magically about a big pink, blue, or white flowerhead welcoming us in the garden. Special guest, Tim Wood, plant breeder with Spring Meadow Nursery, talks about hydrangeas in general, new introductions and even what’s being developed for the future. Tune in and also learn how to make a pink hydrangea blue or a blue hydrangea pink.

WebTalkRadio – Hydrangeas

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.
Each week, Helen host’s a garden talk WebTalkRadio.net show called Gardening With Confidence™.

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

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GARDENING WITH CONFIDENCE™

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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The building of Le Petit Potager continues with first understanding what we want to grow.

No need to grow what we don’t eat.    On the left is my handwritten list of what we hope to have.  You will note, specific varieties are not listed; just general plant types, tomato, pepper, lettuce.  There is plenty of time to decided on each variety.

It took three four drafts to get a working design.  The first two took into account how to space from a plant dimension and aesthetic approach.  And then, of course, like most of us, I forgot the obvious.   One of the beauties to designing on paper; it’s only paper.  I started again and the third time was a charm.

What did I forget?  Access.  I had a 15′ x 15′ space with no way to access.  The “final” design has path access into the garden.  The “final” design also had 4 patterened trellis for tomatoes.  I had planned to make trellis out of bamboo, but one day, on my way back home from a talk, I checked out the local Lowes. As it happend, I found 3 broken (but something handy Helen could fix) trellis.

I like these trellis and have used them in client’s gardens in the past.  They were not in my budget, until the price was so cheap, I didn’t have a choice but to buy them.

Lightly laid in the Potager for a visual in the design. Trellis's were found at Lowes deeply discounted. They are only set there for a visual.

Designs 1 - 4

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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Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden located just outside Charlotte, NC at 6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont, NC is a must see garden.

During a cold winter day, I had the good fortune to visit the Orchid Spectacular held in the warm and welcoming Orchid Conservatory. With 380 acres of rolling meadows, woodlands, and lakefront property, and The Orchid Conservatory,  the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens is designed as a garden for all seasons. Daniel J. Stowe, a retired textile executive, left property to establish a foundation to  develop a world-class botanical garden. Stowe was a  lifelong nature lover and gardening enthusiast.

As a wildlife gardener, I appreciate this botanical garden’s equal emphasis given to the horticultural gardens, as well as, the natural areas that surround them. The Master Plan includes a Home Demonstration Garden, a Boat Water Entrance with Lakeside, Visitor Center, a Children’s Garden, a Rose Garden, a Restaurant, and an Asian Garden. So plan a  picnic and go to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden to spend a day with the family.

Stephen Dee Edwards 'Blue Wing' 2003

Tillansia Ball

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 advisers for the JC Raulston Arboretum

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Gardening with confidence can be achieved with one simple mantra: Right plant for the right place. Seems simple enough. Yet, not following this mantra is often times why gardening goals are not met. Here’s my take on right plant, right place. Understanding these five essential elements will help you garden with confidence.

Zone
There is a lot of talk about zonal denial, micro-climates, and changes in our zones due to global warming. If you are a risk taker and know your garden well, then by all means push the limits with your gardening zone. In my garden, Helen’s Haven, Zone 7b in Raleigh, North Carolina, I no longer take these risks. I’m perfectly happy in the zone I own. I know plenty of folks that plant zone 8 and even zone 9 plants in our zone 7b gardens and are thrilled with their success, even if it may be short lived. I use to, but don’t anymore. I find it is even risky planting plants on the zone’s edge. Ideally, I like to wrap a zone around a plant, putting me into choosing plants for zone 7a, but not always. This year, I will be replacing a Clematis armandii, zoned for our 7b gardens. But, alas, we had a particularly hard winter.

Soil
We need to accept the soil we’re dealt or be prepared to amend. I have yet to garden in perfect soil, and still, I find gardening success. I’m a heavy amend-er and believe in the power of mulch. In our area of the Piedmont region of North Carolina, there is clay and sand. In the heart of Raleigh, where I am, it is all clay. As you move outside of Raleigh, you’ll find sandy soil. So when I read a plant label that recommends planting in well drained soils, I know they are not talking to me. But planting these plants in my garden is a risk I’m willing to take. Why? Because here I have some control; I can amend my soil. I have amended all my garden beds, one planting hole at a time. Adding composted leaf mulch or other organic matter to the hole and blending it with the clay with some added insurance of a permanent clay buster such as PermiTil, I can make my sticky clay soil friable. In any garden soil type, you cannot go wrong adding more organic matter. Then top dress the garden beds with a lush, thick layer of mulch each year to moderate the soil temperature, suppress weeds, retain water and generally tiding up the garden. By doing so, you’ll have a happy garden.

Sun
Full sun, part sun, part shade, dappled shade, full shade, afternoon sun, morning sun, winter sun, more sun. Know your sun. If the plant tag says full sun (6 hours or more a day) then that means it needs full sun. Anything less, and the plant will not perform at its best. However, having said that, you can use the sun requirements to “tame” plants as well. As an example, I like Akebia quinata commonly know as five-leaf Chocolate vine. This is an invasive vine. However, I grow this sun lover in the shade where it is well behaved. Remember this: The north side will have the least sun, the south side the most. The eastern side will have cool light, the western side hot. Of course all this depends on what’s above and if it is deciduous. There is nothing mysterious about this. Take the time to identify areas in your garden and track each hour. To see the effects of the suns angle, track around March 21, June 21, September 21 and December 21. The results may surprise you. Also good to repeat every few years as your plants (and your neighbor’s plants) mature.

Water
The last thing I want to do is deny myself is a plant based on watering needs. But I’m also prudent. I garden water wisely. By that I mean, I have my gardens grouped into three watering zones: Oasis, Transitional, and Xeric. I’m also fortunate in that I have most sun types covered in each of my watering zones. When I garden shop, the plants watering needs are a high priority for me. But because my garden is designed in zones, it narrows down where I will plant it in the garden. This also makes my garden purchases easy. I won’t waste money on a thirsty plant requiring shade if the only area in my Oasis zone is sun. Also, it allows me to have a mental map of my garden with me at all times. do not want to spend any more time than I have to on watering. The thought of dragging a hose around, past 10 drought tolerant plants to reach one thirsty plant is not part of my makeup. I’m way smarter than that.

Critters
We all have our critter challenges. For some it’s deer, others moles, voles, and armadillos. For me its rabbits. Bunnies are my nemesis! I have voles and moles too and once when a new development was going in two miles away, I saw evidence of displaced deer. Then I actually saw the critter. A sight common to many, but not to me. That deer was so out of character in my garden, it might as well have been a kangaroo. I’ve given up worrying about critters. If I don’t have a chance at winning, I’m not going to play. I do what and where I can, but I will not be a slave to sprays. I don’t have the time or the where-with-all that requires an exact spray schedule. I get no pleasure from it either. These critter repellent sprays work fine, but need to be kept up. When I look back at what I had to give up, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I first thought. I can only have a few Hosta, because the voles love them. I have voles. But I also love Hellebores, so I grow Hellebores – the voles don’t bother them. The bunnies will have to go elsewhere to Echinacea because I will no longer provide these favorites of mine as a favorite for them. As for the Rudbeckia, I’m trying them in a tall pot this year. I may try to put some Echinacea in a pot as well.
So you see, understanding these five essential elements will give you what you need to Garden with Confidence. Follow the mantra of the right plant for the right place, do what you can and except what you can’t and you’re good to go!

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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After many hopes of a snow day in Raleigh this season, one finally arrived.  At first light, the neighborhood kids convened in the cul-de-sac with hats, gloves, Uggs, pants, coats, beanies, and of course, sleds.  We pulled our sled out of the shed in anticipation of the snow.  The third time so far this year.  Now it gets used.  Even the moms and dads are eking time on the sled; each making an excuse as to why we need to have a turn.  No doubt, others too excused with needing to show their kids how its done.  As we live our personal episode of Twilight Zone’s Kick the Can on a sled, we remember it’s their turn now.  It’s time for our southern offspring to build memories to relive with their children one day.

Lily taking the hills of Raleigh

Helen loosing it.

Helen in a moment of some control

Our friend and neighbor taking Lily for a spin

In addition to readying the sled, more was done in anticipation of the snow. Yard toys were cleared for an unobstructed view of the garden covered in snow. This, of course, is necessary for taking better photos.   A path, half finished, was completed just in time to give the kids an clean run as they dash every inch of the snow covered space so as not to miss a moment.

Let the play continue….here are some scenes from Helen’s Haven™ in the snow:

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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Bottle Trees are a great addition to the garden.  I’m currently in the process of creating a second one in Helen’s Haven™.  The new tree is made of fish bottles.  To date, I have 4.  Just four.  They are suddenly hard to come by.  No doubt, I would easily find them if I was looking.  If you see any, please let me know….

One fish, two fish, three fish, four.

Five fish, six fish, seven fish, more!!!

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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CREPE MURDER

Crepe Myrtle pruning is greatly debated in the south.  With the concept of flowering on new wood, many end their growing season murdering their Crepe Myrtles.  While the plant doesn’t actually die, an over zealous pruning job definitely murders the look of one.

AU NATURALE

Crepe Myrtles left in their natural natural shape are very attractive.  I especially like the look of the trees in the winter. The natural look of the seed pods adding winter interest is enough to keep the clippers in my back pocket.

POLLARDING

The Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, NC has one of the most magnificat examples of Crepe Myrtle pollarding.  These Crepe Myrtles are pollard to maintain the size.

Pollarding is to prune a tree to controls its shape.

After more than 60 years of pollarding these Crepe Myrtles has creating a gnarled, interesting art form.  When done, over time, the results are dramatic.

The effect is so striking, it’s becomes an art.

While visitors to The Elizabethan Gardens journey to the gardens in the summer to see these magnificent trees in bloom, this humble gardener suggests you visit in the winter.  On a beautiful sunny day in the middle of January when the air is relatively warm, grab a blanket, and a picnic lunch and sit amongst these trees.  It’s inspiring.

.

Check out my friend, the Grumpy Gardener, aka, Steve Bender ‘s site over at Southern Living for some Crepe Myrtle pruning techiniques.

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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