September 2010

Planters Punchlines
Men's Garden Club of Wethersfield
September 2010
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Garden Club Kicks off 2010-11 Season - Monday Sept. 27 @ 7:00 p.m. Pitkin Community Center

We are hoping to have Jere Gettle, owner of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co., and new owner of Comstock, Ferre & Co. speak to the club. If this happens, the location may be changed to Comstock Ferre.

President John Swingen will notify you by email (for those who get the newsletter via email) or by phone (if you get the paper version) if there is a location change.

Compostable Matter By Jim Meehan

Today I am beginning a crusade on behalf of "Alcea rosea", the hollyhock. And I will not rest until every house in ye most auncient towne in Connecticut is adorned by this a tall Eurasian plant of the mallow family with the large showy flowers.

It all started in Santa Fe, New Mexico where our daughter-in-law and son live.

"Hollyhocks against an adobe wall may be Santa Fe's signature plant. Bees and butterflies love them and they come in a multitude of colors - pinks, reds, whites, almost black but never in blue. One garden writer describes hollyhocks as 'elegant in a wayward, random fashion.'" (santafebotanicalgarden.com)

I would simply say that you couldn't swing a dead javelina in Santa Fe without hitting one of these drought-tolerant, heat-loving members of the mallow family. It is a diverse clan that also includes hibiscus, cotton, and okra - componenets of what could be the metrosexual redneck trifecta: hebal iced tea, tee shirts, and Cajun food.

Three years ago Marsha coaxed some seeds out of several dormant southwest hollyhocks and sowed them in one of our perennial beds. We had been told that hollyhocks could be finicky starters - that they might be biennials, triennials, or one-season perennials. They also are subject to rust - brown spots on yellow, sick-looking leaves.

During their first growing season a couple of them poked their heads a few inches above ground, apparently decided they didn't like what they saw, and just hung out at that height, in that flowerless state, for the duration.

That autumn Marsha appropriated some more seeds.

Last spring they reappeared, and seemed to be going great guns (getting tall, showing buds) until an unanticipated monsoon season overwhelmed their vascular systems with too much H2O and drowned them.

Not to be deterred, Marsha repeated the southwest to northeast transplant ritual one more time.

This spring's rainfall was more normal. Then in early July a duo of hollyhocks suddenly shot up to N.B.A. heights, with buds and flowers sprouting out of every pore. Other shorter ones surrounded them in the backcourt. One could be an aberration; two is a trend; but three or more is definitely a movement.

I have felt for a long time that gardens were way too short. The flowerbed where the hollyhocks are housed is tall. Virtually every plant, other than the six tomato plants that are shoehorned therein, is above my height - although admittedly not entirely by design.

This particular patch became designated as the "rescue garden" after I found some pitiful perennials left behind by the recent construction at the town hall/library building.

With no idea of their identity I dug them up, brought them home, and imbedded them into the section of earth up against our garage that had formerly served as our vegetable garden. Several losing battles with the neighborhood rabbits, and the improved availability of locally grown veggies had convinced us to abandon our self-sustainability efforts and convert this fertile area into a less functional but hopefully more attractive horticultural site.

Other endangered - or, more accurately, free for the taking - flora followed quickly thereafter. Most of them turned out to be yellow-flowered. All of them are towering, multistory plants with disproportionately small florets. Many require assistance in the form of plastic tomato stakes or wire supports in order to stand upright. Still the majority of them collapse to the ground at the slightest hint of precipitation or breezes.

One of my daily gardening chores is to rearrange these hung-over stalks into a self-sustaining vertical position. Neither Miracle-Gro nor Viagra nor any other blue colored pharmaceuticals seemed to cure this mass outbreak of ED.

In mid-spring Marsha tried cutting back some of these behemoth buds in hopes that they would flower again at a lesser altitude. The plants ripped the pruning shears out of her hands and were dragging her slowly into their lofty lair when I happened on to the scene. After a brief tug-of-war I wrested her from their tenacious tendrils. Now we never venture into that part of the yard without our cell phone in hand, and 9 1 1 keyed in and ready to call.

Through this all the hollyhocks have behaved like the perfect well-behaved guest who also turns out to be interesting and entertaining - elegant in a wayward, random fashion. They are truly the highlight of this year's gardening season - and I do mean high.

They also seem to be the only growth of Alcea rosea in town. This should not be.

Like apples once had in Johnny Appleseed, today's hollyhocks clearly need a champion with the missionary zeal, energy, enthusiasm, and wherewithal to wander around the countryside spreading his seeds.

Or perhaps we need a whole band of such zealots. It could be a garden club community outreach project. Seeds will be provided, but b.y.o.V. - there will be no drooping on this job.

Growing Hollyhock by Kim Potter (www.helium.com)

Hollyhocks are one of the easiest plants to grow from seed. In fact, they will reseed themselves. And that is where the problem lies. Very soon, you could be inundated with these beautiful, spiky, tall flowers. And who said you could never have enough flowers in your garden!

Hollyhock seeds can be tossed onto the soil anytime from early Spring to early Fall. They should be lightly covered with soil so that they do not blow into your beautiful lawn; this would be a dreadful mistake as you would soon need broad-leaf weed killer to kill off the new rosettes. In my garden, I soon learned that when I left a seed-forming stalk lean over the grass, or if I pruned, and then carried, one to the compost pile, I would be digging out new seedlings in the near future.

I quickly learned to bag every browning stalk before I cut it down. Even still, I do gather and strew a multitude of seeds produced by my plants because I love their abundant color and size. Talk about height! Not many other plants have such stature. This is one of the main attractions of the hollyhock; it makes a grand statement at the back of the sunny border.

Hollyhocks adore the hot, dry, sunny border. They need very little soil to grow. I have two hollyhocks that grew between two unistone pavers (the seeds fell off a stalk I was carrying). I also have hollyhocks growing in semi-shade; they are a little more spindly but they flower just the same.

Hollyhocks are easily attacked by rust; a good application of fungicide in the early Spring should control it. To help cut down on the risk of rust, you should avoid crowding the plants, water only in the early part of the day and avoid splashing water on the foliage. If the plants leaves turn yellow and become unsightly, they can be cut off and thrown in the garbage, but not in the compost.

Hollyhocks are usually biennial, but perennial hollyhocks do exist. Biennial plants are those that put out leaves the first year and flower the next year. The stalks can be 3.5 meters tall and the flowers generally are pink, white, red, or dark purple. Hollyhocks have a long taproot, which makes their transplanting or eradication difficult. They are hardy in Zones 2-10.

Design a Tall Sunflower Garden in the Backyard to Use as a Screen Bridget Cohen (flowergardens.suite101.com)

Sunflower plants, Helianthus annus, are believed to have originated in North America, but nowadays they're found in backyard gardens worldwide. The tallest varieties can reach twice the height of an average man and sport blossoms the size of dinner plates from a single seed no larger than a fingernail.

Sunflowers Brighten the Backyard Landscape. Cheerful yellow blossoms top the typically non-branching stems to bring color and pizazz to a sleepy, drab garden.

The Alternative Field Crops Manual compiled by the University of Wisconsin-Extension and the University of Minnesota describes the sunflower blossom as not being a very large single bloom, but rather 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers attached to a common receptacle. The outermost flowers rimming the bloom lack stamens or pistils, the reproductive parts of a flower, and are usually yellow although they may be shades of orange or red, as well. The flowers inside the circular head are arranged in a spiral pattern. They create pollen for visiting bees before maturing into seeds.

Green leaves sprout along the tall stems which grow thicker as they grow taller, creating a bushy screen. The larger the variety of plant, the larger the leaves it produces, with many single leaves growing broader across than a human hand. Hide that unfinished project in the yard or a neighbor's unsightly shed behind a shield of green capped with glorious yellow blooms.

When designing the backyard garden to use sunflower plants as a screen the amount of sun or shade isn't nearly as important as the richness of the soil. The better the soil, the more vigorous the plants will grow. Plants do grow and flower in poor soil, but they won't grow as tall and their blooms won't be as large as those grown in rich well-drained soil. Occasional applications of plant fertilizer will help with less than desirable soil conditions. They prefer full sun, but will grow adequately in shady conditions.

Sunflower seeds can be sown directly into the garden as soon as the danger of frost is past. Plant as instructed on the packet they come in. If birds or squirrels dig up the seeds try laying a screen over them until they germinate. Staggering sowing dates will assure blooms all summer long.

Seeds may be planted up to 100 days before freezing temperatures set in.

There are several types of fungi that can cause sunflower plant damage. The most damaging is Sunflower Stem Rot or Sclerotinia Rot. An infected plant will wilt soon after flowering and a tan band is evident around the stem near the bottom. Black resting bodies within a fluffy mass may be seen in the rotted heads and stems. Because this condition is so harmful and can be passed from one plant to another it's recommended the affected stems be removed and burned.

Fortunately, few insects attack sunflower plants. There are a few moths whose larvae will damage the heads and if there are pests feeding on the plant an application of insecticide safe for use on crops will solve the problem. The flowering heads attract bees and they are beneficial to the plant. Ants are attracted to the nectar and not harmful to the plant in any way.

Hungry birds and squirrels will sometimes feast before the seeds ripen. Try covering the heads with old nylons or fine mesh fabric tied behind the head until the seeds are ready for harvesting.

Summer is over and the screen has done it job, but all those sunflower heads have produced hundreds of seeds that can be put to good use. Birds and wildlife will enjoy being fed the seeds during the cold winter months. Sunflower kernels make a healthy human snack or addition to a dish. The National Sunflower Association reports 1 ounce of sunflower seeds provides more nutrition than many other fruits and nuts.

As a general rule, the seeds are ready to be harvested when the flower dies back, most of the petals have dropped off and the back of the head turns brown. When the head is ready for harvesting cut it off about two or three inches down the stalk. Hang the stalk to dry in an airy location. Circulation is important to avoid mold while drying so don't stack the heads in containers. The seeds will separate from the heads easily when they've finished drying and can be removed by rubbing two heads together or with a stiff brush.

Seeds that fell to the ground may sprout the following spring adding once again to the backyard garden. Design a new screen with more sunflower varieties and enjoy the beautiful view.

Math Problem of the Month How much rain can I expect to collect in my rain barrel?

"For every inch of rainfall that falls on a catchment area of 1,000 sq. ft. you can expect to collect approximately 600 gallons of rain water. Your roof catchment area is equal to the total square feet of your house (one story) plus the extension of your eaves. To calculate the square footage of your home's catchment area, measure the outside walls of your home, including the overhang of any eaves. Multiply the width times the length of your home to get the total roof catchment area. Let's say your home has a roof catchment area of 2,000 sq. feet. Since one inch of rainfall provides approximately 600 gallons of water for a 1,000 sq. ft catchment area, you could collect 1200 gallons during a 1" rain." (from the Water Education section of the Nashville.gov website)
Any questions?

Lasagna Gardening - No-Till, No-Dig Gardening By Colleen Vanderlinden, About.com Guide

Lasagna gardening is a no-dig, no-till organic gardening method that results in rich, fluffy soil with very little work from the gardener. The name "lasagna gardening" has nothing to do with what you'll be growing in this garden. It refers to the method of building the garden, which is, essentially, adding layers of organic materials that will "cook down" over time, resulting in rich, fluffy soil that will help your plants thrive. Also known as "sheet composting," lasagna gardening is great for the environment, because you're using your yard and kitchen waste and essentially composting it in place to make a new garden.

One of the best things about lasagna gardening is how easy it is. You don't have to remove existing sod and weeds. You don't have to double dig. In fact, you don't have to work the soil at all.

The first layer of your lasagna garden consists of either brown corrugated cardboard or three layers of newspaper laid directly on top of the grass or weeds in the area you've selected for your garden. Wet this layer down to keep everything in place and start the decomposition process.

The grass or weeds will break down fairly quickly because they will be smothered by the newspaper or cardboard, as well as by the materials you're going to layer on top of them. This layer also provides a dark, moist area to attract earthworms that will loosen up the soil as they tunnel through it.

Ingredients For A Lasagna Garden: Anything you'd put in a compost pile, you can put into a lasagna garden. The materials you put into the garden will break down, providing nutrient-rich, crumbly soil in which to plant. The following materials are all perfect for lasagna gardens:
* Grass Clippings
* Leaves
* Fruit and Vegetable Scraps
* Coffee Grounds
* Tea leaves and tea bags
* Weeds (if they haven't gone to seed)
* Manure
* Compost
* Seaweed
* Shredded newspaper or junk mail
* Pine needles
* Spent blooms, trimmings from the garden
* Peat moss

Just as with an edible lasagna, there is some importance to the methods you use to build your lasagna garden. You'll want to alternate layers of "browns" such as fall leaves, shredded newspaper, peat, and pine needles with layers of "greens" such as vegetable scraps, garden trimmings, and grass clippings.

In general, you want your "brown" layers to be about twice as deep as your "green" layers, but there's no need to get finicky about this. Just layer browns and greens, and a lasagna garden will result. What you want at the end of your layering process is a two-foot tall layered bed. You'll be amazed at how much this will shrink down in a few short weeks.

You can make a lasagna garden at any time of year. Fall is an optimum time for many gardeners because of the amount of organic materials you can get for free thanks to fallen leaves and general yard waste from cleaning up the rest of the yard and garden. You can let the lasagna garden sit and break down all winter. By spring, it will be ready to plant in with a minimum of effort. Also, fall rains and winter snow will keep the materials in your lasagna garden moist, which will help them break down faster.

If you choose to make a lasagna garden in spring or summer, you will need to consider adding more "soil-like" amendments to the bed, such as peat or topsoil, so that you can plant in the garden right away. If you make the bed in spring, layer as many greens and browns as you can, with layers of finished compost, peat, or topsoil interspersed in them. Finish off the entire bed with three or four inches of finished compost or topsoil, and plant. The bed will settle some over the season as the layers underneath decompose.

When it's time to plant, just dig down into the bed as you would with any other garden. If you used newspaper as your bottom layer, the shovel will most likely go right through, exposing nice, loose soil underneath. If you used cardboard, you may have to cut a hole in it at each spot where you want to plant something.

To maintain the garden, simply add mulch to the top of the bed in the form of straw, grass clippings, bark mulch, or chopped leaves. Once it's established, you will care for a lasagna garden just as you would any other: weed and water when necessary, and plant to your heart's content.

Advantages Of A Lasagna Garden: While you will be maintaining a lasagna garden the same way you would care for any other garden, you will find that caring for a lasagna garden is less work-intensive.

You can expect:
* Few weeds, thanks to the newspaper suppressing them from below and the mulch covering the soil from above.
* Better water retention, due to the fact that compost (which is what you made by layering all of those materials) holds water better than regular garden soil, especially if your native soil is sandy or deficient in organic matter.
* Less need for fertilizer, because you planted your garden in almost pure compost, which is very nutrient-rich.
* Soil that is easy to work: crumbly, loose, and fluffy.

Lasagna gardening is fun, easy, and allows you to make new gardens at a much faster rate than the old double-digging method. Now your only problem will be finding plants to fill all of those new gardens!

Lasagna Bulb-Planting Technique
Plantanswers.com

Whether your backyard is a postage stamp balcony in a city high-rise or a rolling spread of a suburban green yard, you can enjoy the fun, fashion and creativity of a container flower garden. Growing flowers in containers is a simple, sensible and flexible method of decorating your outdoor living space.

Fall is the perfect time to start a container garden. Spring-flowering bulbs such as narcissus, daffodils and anemones are easy to grow and especially suited to growing in containers. You can get continued use from container flower gardens in the spring by replacing bulbs with annuals.

When planning a container garden, first consider the site. What scale will complement the area? Will your area look best with large containers, clusters of small containers or a mix?

Interesting containers such as traditional pots and planters and whiskey barrels can be used. Some great choices include an old wheelbarrow, a retired automobile tire, old bath tub, toy wagon, milk crates, old fixtures-even old Volkswagen bug convertibles have popped up as "containers."

When choosing a container, remember that, like potted plants indoors, outdoor containers must have drainage holes for water to run out. This prevents root rot. If you can't bring yourself to or it would be too difficult to drill a hole in a special container, you should consider planting in smaller pots that would fit inside. These must themselves have drainage holes and be elevated within the larger container so water can drain. (This drainage water should be removed periodically).

To begin your container garden this fall, you should choose specific bulbs. Characteristics such as: blooming period, color, height, and fragrance should be considered. For example, early-flowering ranunculus and anemones offer a choice for planting in containers along walkways and at entrances. Later?flowering daffodils are good follow?ups.

One easy planting technique especially suited to container gardens is the "Lasagna" technique. The idea is similar to making a lasagna. Plant a layer of tall growing bulbs such as narcissus, daffodils and snowflakes six inches deep in the container. Cover with two inches of soil, add a second layer of bulbs such as hyacinths and Dutch iris, cover with another two inches of soil, and add the final layer of small bulbs such as Ranunculus, anemones and grape hyacinths. Finally, add an inch of soil followed by an inch of mulch. Top off the Lasagna planting with a plant cover of annuals such as pansies, dianthus, bluebonnets plus mulch. Water well.

In spring, the results are stunning: a container of beautiful narcissus and Dutch iris above a lush multicolored carpet of flowers from smaller bulbs. You should remember to remove old blooms from one group of bulbs as other layers display their blooms to insure a neat, tidy container appearance.

Aside from good drainage, another consideration for spring?flowering bulbs is temperature. Bulbs need a minimum 15?week cold period, but they mustn't freeze. Bulbs in containers are more susceptible to extremes of cold than those in the ground. Be prepared to move small containers to a sheltered area or an unheated garage or shed to protect them from unusually hard freezes (below 20 degrees F.). Large containers (the larger the better for cold protection!) can be wrapped or padded.

Be sure to water planted bulbs throughout the winter. If you have planted cold?hardy, flowering annuals such as pansies and dianthus on top of the Lasagna planting, adequate watering and fertilization of these plants will suffice for the bulbs planted beneath.

When spring bulbs have faded you have several options. Container gardens are also perfect for perennials, annuals, and summer bulbs.

Horti-Culture Corner
Henry Ward Beecher, Star Papers: A Discourse of Flowers

Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock.

Weeds are an important fact of life.

In his play Richard III William Shakespeare wrote, "Sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste." - using a garden metaphor to explain the political problems of the day.

Philosophers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson seem to like them -
"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered."

But poets like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow do not -

"Take care of your garden
And keep out the weeds,
Fill it with sunshine
Kind words and kind deeds."

And botanists seem ambivalent - "For me, a weed is a plant out of place."...(Donald Culross Peattie)

There is even "weed dating", a garden-based process for those in the mate-hunting game to meet someone new. (http://www.yourpublicmedia.org/content/wnpr/inviting-cupid-farm)

But, whether you consider them to be an apt analogy, a guilty pleasure, the ultimate pain, or a roadmap to romance - without them, there would not be no such thing as weeding - an activity that I, at least, would sorely miss.

There is comfort in

the simple act of weeding -

if you're not the weed.