Digging RI

bad pruning at its worst

How do you like the trees in the above photo? They are zelcovas, and someone pruned them like this a few months  ago. I guess “prune” is an understatement. The limbs are now stumps –  fuzzy stumps with emerging foliage. There are three of these poor abused trees in front of a restaurant in Wakefield, Rhode Island. I get angry every time I drive by them. Why do people do this? Do they think it looks nice?

this tree is not happy

Then there are these poor little trees, planted by the RI Department of Transport. As you can see, they are already declining and probably won’t live to see next summer. And what’s with the stakes? Staking trees is a very bad idea, unless they are exposed to very high winds. Trees need to sway in the breeze to develop proper root systems. And the stakes and their accompanying ropes/arbor tape or whatever are almost always left on so long they constrict the tree as it grows and bite into the bark.

just take it down already!

Then there are  tree victims like this one. It always makes me wonder why they didn’t just go ahead and cut the poor thing all the way down. Who wants this in their yard?

Here is an example of those all-too-common pathetic “parking lot trees.” They are invariably badly planted, volcano mulched and suffering from crown die back. I always wonder how the owners can justify yanking out the dying ones and buying new trees every couple of years, when the new ones are destined to suffer the same fate. You’d think the cost alone would make them take better care of the trees they already have.

My final example of cruelty to trees is this property – or “tree graveyard.” The homeowners used to have mature trees throughout their yard. Instead of removing one or two, they had almost every single tree removed, leaving a forest of ugly stumps.  Ugh!

Please consult an arborist if your trees need pruning or other care. I think they deserve at least that much.

Try this!

Here’s HerbDoc again with yet another cool gardening idea:

For the past two years I have wanted to build another raised bed to adjoin the five which house my herb and old-fashioned perennial flower gardens.  Something always gets in the way of construction!  I can’t remember the reason we didn’t get around to it last year, but this year we were busy shoveling the floodtide from our basement and disposing of things that were ruined.

I had given up the idea for this year when I came across a short, ingenious article that presented an idea that I think I’ll try.  Buy two or three bags of good quality garden soil and lay them flat end to end, depending on the size “garden” that’s wanted.  Cut out the tops of the bags, leaving two inches around the borders.  Now punch holes through the soil and the bottom of the bag, using a pitchfork.  This will provide drainage for the gardens and will let the roots of plants grow down through the existing soil.  Plant as usual.

The beauty of this method is if you’re planning a new plot in an area where there is grass, you won’t have to dig it up.  The plastic bags will smother the grass over the growing season.

The author of the article swore by her method and said that the harvest was comparable to that of her “regular” raised beds.  Makes sense, and I don’t think I can lose trying it out!

Woad was the source of the blue pigment used by Mel Gibson, er, ancient Celts to make scary faces to go into battle with.

The North Stonington (Connecticut)  Historical Society has refurbished an old dye house that was on the grounds of the Stephen Main Homestead, a property they administer. As part of that restoration, they proposed planting a garden of dyer’s herbs. Simple, right?

Their first stop was the North Stonington Garden Club, and that’s where I came in. I blithely volunteered to start the plants from seed which couldn’t be easily purchased locally. This began an odyssey involving a list of approximately 50 different plants, a dozen different seed houses and nurseries, and a whole lotta potting mix.

I rather fancy myself a sort-of expert on seed starting. “Sure,” I said, “I’d be glad to do it! Sounds like fun!” Well, truth be told, it really was fun. It took a lot of research, but I now have some pretty interesting plants growing in my seed-starting set-up. Woad, Weld, Madder, Japanese Indigo, True Indigo, Alkanet, Elecampane, Lady’s Bedstraw—the plants are as interesting and (literally) colorful as their names.

For example, Madder is the source of the red dye that gave the British Redcoats their name.

What’s the madder with this picture???

Indigo has been used for so long that it’s the Greek word for dye. Woad, originally grown in Europe, produces a dye which is chemically identical to that produced by Indigo, and was used as a substitute during the Middle Ages.

Wow! Does she ever look lucky or what???

Alkanet provides the red color in New Orleans Style Fast Luck Powder. I didn’t even know there was  such a thing as New Orleans Style Fast Luck Powder.

The Mediterranean herb Weld is the oldest yellow dye plant in the world, and is mentioned in the Hebrew bible and was used to dye the robes of the Vestal Virgins in ancient Rome.

The Vestal Virgins were just dyeing for dates. Maybe they need some New Orleans Style Fast Luck Powder!

All in all, I think this will be a fascinating and educational garden. I’ll keep you posted during its construction with pictures and I’ll let you know when it’s up and running.

My tomato plant growing happily under glass

HerbDoc describes an interesting gardening technique:

I know everyone is anxious to begin their spring planting, but as anyone who has seriously gardened in Rhode Island knows, it’s not safe to put out tomatoes, peppers or eggplant until Memorial Day.  That is unless you follow this ingenious idea from a young mother I know.  I like to call her the “Queen of Recycling” as her gardening practices include all manner of reused items.

She managed to convince a local water company to give her the damaged jugs that they could no longer use for refilling and delivery to their customers.  Some have cracks or chips but they are perfect for giving heat seeking vegetables an early start.  The bottom of the jug is cut off with a hacksaw and used as a hothouse by placing it over a potted plant or directly over the soil.  Because the walls of the clear jug are thick and the overall size is bigger, they work much better than milk bottles.

I’ve used this method for the past several years since she graciously gave me four of these jugs.  The one in the photo is a cherry tomato, but I’ve also covered my ancho peppers in the garden and have never lost any of them to frost.  They are usually planted around May 1^st and develop huge center stems as big around as my thumb and many flowers by Memorial Day.  Water is applied through the top and down the sides of the bottle.  Condensation will appear almost as soon as the jug is in place.  My only caution is to watch the growth carefully!  The first year I attempted this method, I had a hard time removing the jug without damaging the plant as it had grown right to the edges and almost to the top of the bottle.  The leaves will be very deep green and you definitely will have tomatoes three weeks to a month before normal picking time!

A hummingbird at the verbena bonariensis at my old house

It is now the end of April. The vegetable garden is coming along nicely, and there are actual flowers in the flowerbeds. But for me, the garden is never complete without hummingbirds.

It took me a couple of years to attract them to my former house and we had a healthy population. We moved last fall, and now I wonder whether I will have them here. After all, we are only a few houses away from the old place. My feeders are up – in the front and the back – and I am keeping them scrupulously clean. Other people in my area are reporting their first sightings.

The suspense is killing me.

While I wait impatiently for my first hummer, here are a few hummer facts:

Here in the northeast, we have historically had only Ruby- throated hummingbirds. Although, for the past few years, perhaps due to climate change, that has not been entirely true.

Here’s a photo that I took of a rufous hummingbird – usually found in the west –  in NOVEMBER at my neighbor’s house a couple of years ago. That bird didn’t make it,  and presumably (because they just disappear) nor have the other so-called “vagrants” that have found their way here, so far out of their usual range.

A juvenile rufous - in Rhode Island!

I like to track the Ruby- throateds’ spring migration, so I know when to hang my feeders. There’s a great migration map here, and in New England, we are fortunate to have a website called “New England Hummers” in which people report their first and last sightings. It’s also the best source for hummingbird news in our region, including reports on fall vagrants.

A common misconception about hummingbirds is that they live on nectar. They are actually primarily insect-eaters, so leave those spiders and bugs alone!

Finally, please don’t add red food coloring to the solution in your hummingbird feeders. It is not necessary to attract the birds, (the red on the feeder is sufficient) and many researchers believe that the dye is bad for them.

I’ll let you know when my first hummer arrives. For now, I’m still waiting…..

"State Fair" in my garden

I remember a little bit about zinnias from when I was a child. My mother, who was not an enthusiastic or particularly competent gardener, planted some in our back yard. I don’t recall any more than that.

A couple of years ago, I needed some color and had a few bare spots to fill in my border, so I bought some of the old “State Fair” strain. Weeks later, I was rewarded with sturdy, hassle- free annuals in wonderfully bright, jewel-like shades. They made terrific cut flowers, and the hummingbirds and butterflies loved them, too. I was hooked.

Of course, as is so often the case when I like something, once I had fallen in love with “State Fair,” it was almost impossible to find in subsequent years. I had to settle for “Cut and Come Again” and others.

"State Fair" - again

This year, I ordered zinnia seeds. While I actually found a source for “State Fair,” I ended up being swayed by the accolades being heaped upon the “Benary’s Giant” strain. To me, they look very much like good old “State Fair,” but the catalogs and reviews assure me that the Benary (developed in Germany) is by far the biggest, best, most colorful zinnia EVER.  So I bought a packet of “Benary’s Giant,” and they have already impressed me by germinating in about 48 hours. So far, so good. I’ll let you know how I like them in my garden.

I will leave you with a bit of zinnia trivia:

They’ve been around for a very long time, and were named after Johann Gottfried Zinn, who died in 1759!

If you want to better understand growing roses in New England, rosarians and University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners Mike and Angie Chute have written a new book that lays it all out for you. We invited the Chutes to talk about their book in this post.

The cover of the Chutes' new rose book

The Chutes write: “The idea for a rose book unique to New England began several years ago after one of our sustainable rose programs. A lady approached us and wondered why we hadn’t gathered all of our hand-outs and local horticultural know-how together into one comprehensive document.  We liked the idea and considered a collection of hand-outs but then Angie said, “Why not write a book about rose gardening in New England, how much work can it be?”

We started by developing an outline and writing schedule which we managed to stick to…mostly.  The results were a detailed guide to rose gardening in New England expressly written for New Englanders by New Englanders. We emphasized sustainable roses and dispelled the misconception that all roses require chemical pesticides to stay healthy and attractive.

Roses for New England is the ideal reference for New England gardeners who want to grow attractive, healthy, and disease resistant roses in their home gardens. Novice rose gardeners will find everything they need to know to successfully grow roses. Experienced gardeners will utilize this book as a ready reference enabling them to grow better roses.

We knew from twenty years’ experience and conducting countless rose programs that the information gardeners want the most is basic rose horticulture.  We also understood that no matter what the topic of our program was, the questions at the end were always the same. What do you feed roses? How much water do they need? What do I do about Japanese beetles? What’s the difference between a hybrid tea and a floribunda? How do I protect my roses in the wintertime? What’s the best way to plant and prune roses?

Roses for New England not only provides complete answers to all these questions but goes much further. It explains the different types of roses and how to select the right varieties as well as inside information on how roses are propagated and marketed. It describes our six easy steps to successful rose gardening, providing details on everything that roses need to thrive. It underscores the importance of sunlight and water, what to feed roses and how often, practical choices to controlling insects and diseases, and how native New England soils can be ideal for roses with a little help. This book illustrates the proper way to plant roses, demystifies pruning, and shows how simple it is to protect them from the rigors of New England winters. It includes a comprehensive list of over 150 sustainable roses commercially available that we know will flourish in the northeast. In addition, it chronicles our rose gardening experiences through stories and personal anecdotes.

Roses for New England is the first book written that specifically addresses the merits and challenges of growing roses in the New England area. We are proud of our book and, judging from book sales and positive comments since it was published in February, gardeners throughout the New England area have discovered the joy and satisfaction of growing America’s national flower.”

Roses for New England: A Guide to Sustainable Rose Gardening (Forbes River Publishing) is available at www.rosesolutions.net.

If you were to ask me why I enjoy pruning my roses more than any other shrub in the garden I wouldn’t have a good answer. The job is challenging and you rarely get through it without getting scratched and stabbed by thorns, but there is no plant whose appearance is more determined by how well it is pruned. The art and science of pruning roses has its rewards in the beauty of the blooms and the shape of the bush.

This bush is ready for pruning. Note its height and the number of canes and branches.

The process is simple. First, remove the dead, damaged, and diseased canes and those that cross and rub against others. These canes should be cut right down to the ground. Then cut down all remaining canes. Now you can step back and assess the shape of the bush. Remove weaker canes and those growing in the center until your bush looks more like an urn. That is all there is to it. Oh yes, one more thing. When you shorten the canes, make the cuts just above an outward facing bud (which may already be leafing out) and at a slight angle.

The same bush after it was pruned.

To finish your spring rose chores, break down and spread the mulch “volcanoes” used to protect the plant’s roots during winter and put down a good 10-10-10 fertilizer at the drip line. You may also want to add some Epsom salts (magnesium makes the canes stronger) and a systemic insecticide, especially one that protects against thrips.

It seems that along with the frightening proliferation of over-mulching, there is another supposed time-saver, one which neither saves time in the long run, nor is beneficial to the garden: landscape fabric. (aka landscape cloth, weed barrier)

I heard garden speaker and writer, CL Fornari, ranting about it at one of her talks. If you go to her blog, she has written a good article on the subject. CL feels (and I agree) that landscape cloth only blocks weeds for a year or two, then they begin to grow right through the fabric, which breaks down in the sun. (true!) But it also prevents organic matter from entering the soil from the top. (not good) It’s a big hassle to have to dig holes in it when you plant something, and it is difficult to remove because it rips but does not disintegrate. On top of that, you can damage the fine roots of surrounding plants when you pull it out. “Beware of life’s quick fixes”, CL warns, and I’m with her.

Now there is yet another reason to avoid landscape cloth: it can kill songbirds. In the January/February 2010 issue of “Bird Watcher’s Digest”[1] Kevin J. Cook warns that as the cloth ages, it becomes exposed and frayed. Those frayed strips attract birds who use it in their nests. They – and their nestlings – can become entangled in the strips and die.

I think many gardeners avoid this stuff, because we realize that maintenance, like weeding, is part of having a garden. But people who want “low or no-maintenance” gardens (whatever those are) will jump at the chance to avoid actually having to work in their gardens. For them it is an unpleasant chore rather than a relaxing pastime. Unfortunately, municipalities use it like crazy, too.

In the spirit of fair play, I think landscape cloth can be useful when used on pathways between rows in vegetable gardens. Some gardeners also find it good for keeping the soil from running out of containers.

But overall, when a product has dubious benefits and can actually be harmful to the ecosystem, in my opinion, it’s time reconsider.