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FROM GARDENER TO TOUR GUIDE
Some years ago when I decided to admit to being a gardener, I never considered using the activity for anything more than a hobby. Then after people asked me about plants, soil, the weather (always the weather), I started writing books dealing with specific garden subjects. That worked so well that over the past twenty years I’ve both written and illustrated eighteen garden books on subjects ranging from ornamental grasses to perennial borders to rock gardens to all annuals found on today’s market. But you could have knocked me over with a loaded wheelbarrow when Fugazy Travel of Asheville asked me to be a tour leader to the gardens of Southern England.
New Varieties for 1999:
Gardeners are looking for new plants every year. Here are new flowers and vegetables that will be featured in 1999 mail order seed catalogs, seed packets or as bedding plants at garden centers. The varieties are listed alphabetically by class, with the seed source listed in parentheses after the description. The designation ‘R’ means a retail seed company from which gardeners may purchase seed directly by mail order or also in stores that carry the variety in seed packets. A’W’ designation indicates a wholesale seed company which does not sell directly to home gardeners, but these varieties should be available in catalogs or as bedding plants at garden centers next spring.
What’s a Tomatillo?
Shortly after my move to Southern California from Pennsylvania, I encountered a first class salsa bar. Brightly colored canisters offered exotic hot peppers, fresh lemon slivers and three varieties of homemade salsa. The first salsa was filled with chunks of tomato and onion, the second gave an aroma of cilantro and the third was green!
The Heyser Way: Small Scale Fruit Production
I just picked up the ‘Small Scale Fruit Production’ guide published by Penn. State. Perusing it, I noticed it gives the good news and bad news of growing fruit. Good news- “exercise, enjoyment, a supply of delicious fruits, enhancement of the home landscape, and a truly educational experience. Bad news - “There are cultural requirements and pest problems to solve throughout the year.” Of course, they know that once you’ve paid $7.50 for their publication you’ve already weighed the merits of each and have decided to go for it.
The Planting Site
Endless Variety Among Evergreens: Take Boxwood for Example
Boxwoods offer the gardener a rich variety from which to choose. There are nearly 100 naturally occurring species of this evergreen landscape plant. Most are native to the Caribbean Islands, East Asia, and central Europe. There are also about 300 different boxwood cultivars that grow in the northern Temperate Zone. The National Boxwood collection at the U.S. National Arboretum contains nearly 140 different species and cultivars of boxwood. It is one of the most comprehensive living collections of boxwood in the world.
Boxwood (Buxus sp.) is an ornamental, broad-leaved, evergreen shrub that has enriched gardens for centuries. The name derives from the elegant boxes made of boxwood that ladies in ancient Rome and Greece used to store jewelry.
Getting Through the Dog Days of Summer
In order to bring you new flowers every day during the bloom season, Daylilies need lots of water. While our area is prone to afternoon thunderstorms, they are usually not long enough to provide the moisture your plants need. On a typical hot summer day, the water will evaporate before it has a chance to soak into the soil sufficiently. A long , slow drink of water is in order.
New Varieties for 1999:
Gardeners are looking for new plants every year. Here are new flowers and vegetables that will be featured in 2000 mail order seed catalogs, seed packets or as bedding plants at garden centers. The varieties are listed al-phabetically by class, with the seed source listed in parentheses after the description. The designation “R” means a retail seed company from which gardeners may purchase seed directly by mail order or also in stores that carry the variety in seed packets. A “W” designation indicates a wholesale seed company which does not sell directly to home gardeners, but these varieties should be available in catalogs or as bedding plants at garden centers next spring.
The Making of A Gardener:
When do you know that you’re living with a plant nerd?
When you borrow space in a neighbor’s refrigerator because your own is full of mail-order bulbs and bare-root plants waiting to be planted?
When you’re late picking up the soccer team - again - because you first had to help unload that person’s latest batch of shrubs or water garden accessories from the mini-van? When plant language creeps into your subconscious: when you hear an order for a “double” at a cocktail bar and the image of a fully double mum comes unbidden to your mind?
Turfgrass: The Science and Art of Selection
What Makes a Good Quality Turfgrass?
Many factors are important in determining quality turfgrass. Dark green color is considered by many to be desirable, along with good density and fine leaf texture. In general, people seem to desire a carpet-like feel and appearance to their lawn. However, since beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, what is pleasing to one person may be unattractive to another.
Lawncare: Tips From a Master
With the drought and dryness of August upon us, most of us have brown lawns. To have an attractive lawn this time of year can demand a good deal of attention and water! If only there were ways to minimize the labor of lawncare. According to master gardener Bob Alde, there is hope. He credits a University of Maryland fact sheet #637 with the answers. This bulletin titled “Effective Lawn Care with Reduced Pesticide and Fertilizer Use” offers helpful explanations and alternatives determined through years of field test trials.
