What's Blooming: June 27, 2006

Garden 1: Echinacea, Yarrow red, Yarrow yellow, Pink Ice, Galardia, Coreopsis grandiflora

Garden 2: -

Garden 3: Jupiter's Beard, Platycodon, St. John's Wart

Garden 4: Heuchera, Stela d'oro, Pink Ice, Spiderwart, Coreopsis moonbeam, Monarda, Feverfew, Garden phlox light magenta, Garden phlox magenta, Asiatic lily red, Shasta daisy, Echinacea, Yellow plant unknown name on right, Mullein

Garden 4 Acquisition: Fishersville

Today I took the liberty of saving a few more plants from the inevitable. I was able to procure Asiatic lilies (pix) of red, pink and yellow. I also brought home three plants I must identify before I put them into the garden. I don't want any more invasive experiences!

I think one is some type of dwarf salvia and the other looks like sneezeweed or a tall daisy/mum of sorts. Finally, I believe there is a piece of crinum to start.

Now that the plants have a new and CARING home, I am sure they will be much happier :). (Special thanks to the new owner of the home I got these from on Westminister in Fishersville who professes he knows nothing about plants or grass.)

End of June Checklist

Need to play catchup after being away from the garden:

Feed annuals
Replace spring annuals: DONE
Support Dahlias and Pea Vines: DONE
Spray powdery mildew plants
Roundup on the driplines
Fertilize clematis
Preen Gardens 1-3: DONE
Clean up Gardens
Monitor Stelas for fungus
Cut back Iris
Spray for Beetles: DONE

Dying Daylily Leaves (Virginia Gardener 7/2006)

Some leaves on my Stela d'oro daylilies completely die starting sometime near the end of May. Do I have a problem or is that normal? All summer long I am having to pick out the dead leaves.
Virginia Gardener Magazine talks about "daylily streak":
Daylily streak disease causes brown streaks or spots with yellow borders on the infected leaves. The symptoms usually progress from the leaf tip to inward and can result in leaves withering and dying completely. This can be treated with fungicides such as mancozeb, chlorothalonil or captan. They help slow the disease development and protect new growth from infection. Remove infected foliage to prevent spreading.

I'll have to monitor closely.

Cutting Back Late Summer perennials

My "Autumn Joy" sedum loves the soil it's in; raised bed with a lot of organic material. I get maximum height out of each sedum (2 feet) each year. But as the long stems hold water and develop flowers, they get top heavy and flop over during their peak.

This year I have cut the plant back* (June 19) about 10 inches to see what the results will be. I understand the blooms will not be as big, but there will be more of them and the plant will not flop.

*cut sedum back in June and mums back around July 4.

What's Blooming: June 20, 2006

Garden 1: Yarrow red, Yarrow yellow, Coryopsis grandiflora, Ice plant pink, Galardia, Coneflower purple

Garden 2: -

Garden 3: St. John's Wart, Balloon Flower

Garden 4: Coreopsis Moonbeam, Monarda red, Stela d'oro daylily, Ice plant pink, Siberian iris, Feverfew, Coneflower magenta, Rudbeckia Irish eyes, Maltese Cross, Shasta daisy, Geranium

Money Spent: Gardening 2006

Well, I am not sure I want to do this, but I think it would be interesting to tally up the purchases I make while keeping the garden. Of course I am at a really late start this year (it would be most interesting to start the tally in March).

June:
Summer Annuals: $8.75 (Garden Center in NoVa)
John Deere Gas Trimmer Rental: $31.00 (Rentx, Charlottesville)
Summer Annuals: $8.50 (Corner Store, Ruckersville)
Miracle Grow: $9.95 (Lowe's, Charlottesville)

July:
Discounted Summer Bulbs: $6.00 (Southern States, Charlottesville)
Fertilizer (4-7-10): $3.99 (Southern States, Charlottesville)

Pretty Enough To Eat (Country Gardens Early Spring 2005)

Plants You Can Use as a Garnish:
Borage-light cucumber flavor
Chive blooms-mild onion to garlic flavor depending on variety
Daylilies-sweet and crunchy like leaf lettuce (Warning: Other lily species are inedible)
Nasturtiums-sweet and slightly peppery
Roses-sweet taste and aroma (remove bitter white area of petal before eating)
Summer and winter squash blooms-sweet taste, similar to nectar
Violas-sweet, similar to nectar

For Looks Only:
Daffodil
Foxglove
Lilies other than daylilies
Morning glory
Peony
Poinsettia
Tulip

Canna Care (Country Gardens Early Spring 2005)

These instructions are for potted canna success:

Select a large pot-cannas require a deep, 18-24 inch wide pot with a drainage hole at the bottom. Plant the rhizomes 8" apart at minimum.

Plant canna rhizomes 2-3 inches below the soil line and allow 1-2" from the soil surface to the pot rim for watering.

Plant cannas in the early spring after last frost (bring pots inside at night until nighttime temperatures outdoors are above 50 degrees).

Water the container after planting the rhizome. Keep the soil moist, not soggy.

Feed cannas tow or three times a month with a balanced liquid fertilizer. (Or mix a slow-release fertilizer into the soil at planting time.)

After the first fall frost, cut off blackened stalks and dig up rhizomes. Allow the rhizomes to dry out in a garage or basement for a week or tow, then store them in open boxes of dry peat moss, perlite or vermiculite. Replant in spring, discarding any soft or mushy rhizomes.

What's Blooming: June 6, 2006

Garden 1: Lamb's Ear, Coryopsis grandiflora, Yarrow (yellow), Yarrow (red), Coneflower, Gallardia, Veronica Speedwell, Pink Ice

Garden 2: Stela d'oro (see pix)

Garden 3: Jupiter's Beard, Daylily (red with yellow throat), Geranium

Garden 4: Stela d'oro, Siberian Iris (periwinkle), Siberian Iris (medium purple), Geranium, Sundrops, Spiderwort, Heuchera, Dianthus, Maltese Cross, Clematis

Bayer Chemical Spray Schedule

I didn't make it by Southern States today. However, I looked at my stock of garden supplies and noticed I had Bayer Multi-Insect Killer Concentrate on hand.

First I walked the garden to inspect the damage. I picked off less than 10 beetles and put them in soapy water to drown. There was minimal but noticeable damage on the St. John's Wort, Cherry and Black Eyed Susans. The directions state to spray the undersides and tops of leaves on the plants at the first sign of damage. What I don't know is, "is this preventive or just kills on sight?" The way the bottle reads, it appears to keep the bugs away. It is unclear.

I mixed 1 T. Bayer with 1 Gallon of water as directed and sprayed:
Black Eyed Susan
Purple Cone Flower
Clematis
Cherry Tree
Crepe Myrtles
Dahlia
Monarda

June 5. July 9.

June = Beetles

The battle lines have been crossed. I witnessed a few small Japanese beetles on my St. John's Wort earlier this evening for the first time this season. It's just a matter of time before the swarms of them appear to feast on my cherry tree, heuchera, zinnias ('envy') and crepe myrtles.

It's priority to start hand picking (drowning them in soapy water) or spraying this week. I believe Neem is the safest chemical but I have never used it and don't know if it works. I have only used Bayer Chemicals which are harsher. A trip to Southern States is in order to investigate. It would be interesting/depressing to keep a tally on how much I spend on this hobby called gardening.

Interesting and educational information: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef409.htm

Powdery Mildew

The recipe for the homemade powdery mildew fungus control seems to be working. I combined the water and soda first in a traditional sprayer then added the oil and shook. I sprayed all phlox in Garden 4 (Tuesday, May 30...see pix). I went to check Thursday and Friday and no signs of mildew are showing.

Next spraying will need to be Tuesday, June 13. Missed the deadline and sprayed July 9. Many bottom leaves on phlox dead and shriveled.

Recipe:
Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 gallon of water in tree sprayer. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons ultra-fine oil spray. Shake and spray.

Tradescantia virginiana

All of my spiderwart (Tradescantia virginiana) babies have found new homes. I had eight seedlings that came from Grandma's two donations to my garden three years ago. This is what happens when you do not deadhead, let everything go to seed and neglect to tidy up the garden before winter. I gave four plants to a neighbor and four to FT (May 2006). It's time to backfill and remulch.