Digging RI

Any self-respecting, rose growing gardener knows that the least you can do for your roses is more than you would do for any other plant in your garden…and still, that usually isn’t enough. Roses require constant vigilance in order to nip all problems in the bud (pardon the pun).  

My roses are planted in full sun, protected from wind. I feed them like clockwork, on schedule, from April until September. They get sprayed to keep black spot at bay. When winter approaches they are bedded down with manure, lime, and mulch to keep them healthy and protected until spring. What more can I do? Of course, if I leave home for a week or so in the summer I may return to a most unpleasant sight as fungus and insects and weather take over in my absence.

So, you can understand why I am puzzled because there’s a rose on my street that I  watch all summer…on the north (sunless) side of my neighbor’s house … climbing … thriving … reblooming … with most of its leaves intact and no black spot! And, there is rarely anybody at the house! What is it with these plants. Do they really not appreciate a good life. I have to wonder if a bit more neglect is actually the secret to a happy rose.

Chocolate cosmos. Yum!

Now that our big “Gardening With the Masters” tour is over, I thought I’d share some thoughts and images with you.

I was a docent at one of the featured gardens, which meant that I showed visitors around and tried as best I could to answer all their questions. Boy, did we ever luck out with the weather! It’s been a horribly rainy summer so far, and it was gloomy and threatening on Saturday morning. But then, as if on cue, the skies cleared, and the rest of the weekend was beautiful.

Perfect weather!

We welcomed hundreds of people to the garden each day. It was very gratifying to see so many people interested in gardening and getting inspiration from their fellow gardeners.

The living wreath

The beautiful wreath pictured below was designed by the tour host. It is made of sphagnum moss on a wire frame, and planted with sedum, purple allysum and hens and chicks. We had a lot of oohs and ahs over this one.

She also designed the  cool vignette pictured below, right.

I love this!

Another popular feature of this garden is the fish pond and waterfall. The water is clear, the fish are happy and the whole lovely thing looks like it was always there.

The waterfall

It’s probably a good thing we do this only every two years. I don’t think the exhausted hosts could take an annual tour!

I have been very busy this weekend (sunny at last!) with the garden tour. Here is an interesting and useful post by our friend and Master Gardener colleague, HerbDoc:

A face only a gastropod could love

The cold and wet May and June weather has spawned an unwelcome and destructive visitor in the garden.  Slugs have been feeding on many of the ornamentals, leaving holes and rasped areas on what were perfect specimens.

Slugs are classified as gastropods, more closely related to clams and mussels than insects, so most of the pest control methods on the market simply don’t work.  They aren’t often seen in the day because they’re susceptible to drying out so they seek shelter under pots, boards, large chunk mulch, grass, straw, etc.  In my yard, I found a bunch camping out under three bags of mulch!  They sneak out after dark to feast on vegetables and ornamentals.

There are molluscicides which are pesticides that cause intense irritation and death to slugs and snails on contact.  Metaldehyde (sold as Bug-Geta) is effective for ornamentals but cannot be used near vegetable crops and is deadly for dogs or children if ingested.  Iron phosphate (sold as Sluggo, Escar-Go!  etc.) is as effective as metaldehyde but can be used in vegetable gardens and doesn’t pose any hazards to dogs and children.

My favorite way to get rid of slugs is to bury shallow tuna cans up to their rims and fill them with beer.  Slugs are attracted to fermenting materials so they climb in, get drunk and drown.  They die happy, and I’m delighted to be rid of them!  A container will last several days as long as some liquid is present.  Just keep discarding the dead bodies and adding new beer until there is no further evidence of them.  I also check under my large pots everyday and destroy any slugs lurking beneath.

Keep an eye out for these creatures in your garden!  They lay eggs in soil crevices, and since they can eat forty times their weight in a night, can do a lot of damage in a very short time.

So for the past several weeks, I have been helping two Master Gardeners prepare for the “Gardening with the Masters” tour. Every two years, Rhode Island Master Gardeners open their gardens to the public for an entire weekend. This year, the tour takes place on July 18th and 19th, rain or shine. I thought you might enjoy a sneak preview of one of the more interesting properties.

The "hidden garden"

The tour represents a tremendous amount of work – by the garden creators and by the volunteers who are helping them prepare. There will be 39 gardens on display this year, 33 of which are at private residences.

I am fortunate to be working in one of the loveliest gardens of them all, designed by a couple who focus on native plants, sustainability, and the conservation of resources. There are also some magnificent container gardens to ogle here (in 2007, they were featured in Better Homes and Gardens) and three sheds – one for potting, one for tools, and a  third shed that serves as a charming studio retreat.

This garden is in a more urban area, but once you start wandering the wooded paths, you feel as though you stepped into a country oasis. The focal point  is a very natural looking waterfall which flows into a pond filled with fat, happy fish.

Everywhere  you turn, there’s an interesting spot that encourages you to pause and examine a planting, or just sit, listen to the birds and the flowing water, and enjoy the peaceful, woodland vibe.

For more details of the tour and information on where to buy tickets, click on the “Gardening with the Masters” link on the right of this page.

Groundhogs, woodchucks, whatever you call them, can be the bane of farmers and vegetable gardeners. My own garden is a shambles this year because of the immense groundhog described in my last post. I am not the type of gardener who would trap and harm or kill any of the birds or animals that wander onto my property. I’m more or a “grin and bear it” person.

But some people go even farther and welcome these animals. They feed them, give them cute names, and in the case of one woman, create an entire website about them.  There’s also a blog where people from all over the country send in photos and  stories about “their” groundhogs. As you can imagine, Ground Hog Day is a big deal for these folks.

The name of the website is Hog Haven. Check it out if you want a laugh or two, and Happy 4th, everyone!

I have lots of orioles this year – Baltimore and Orchard. I noticed this poor fellow yesterday, doing what sick or injured birds do – hunkering down and puffing up. His feathers looked a little worse for wear, too. Not a good sign.

not feeling so hot

Then he turned his head, and I saw what looked like an injury. Had he been attacked by another bird? He was still sitting in that tree the last time I looked – a small spot of orange in the dusk. I felt sort of weird closing the door and going back to my book while just outside another being was suffering.  Another life may have ended last night. I don’t know what happened to him but there was no sign of him this morning. I guess it is always possible  he recovered and flew away.

Meanwhile, another drama is playing out in my vegetable garden – at least it’s dramatic to me. For the first time EVER, I have my very own groundhog. And what a groundhog it is! From my kitchen window, it looks to be about the size of my dachshund, and she’s a standard, not a mini. I have three raised beds, all fenced, but notice the effect the fencing is having – NOT.

nothing better than fresh lettuce in the rain!

Lettuce – gone. Beans – gone. Tomatoes – nibbled. The only things it does not eat are spinach, eggplant and beets.

Normally, I would put up a bigger, sturdier fence, but since we’re moving soon, I really don’t see the point. Maybe what we need around here is a Great Horned Owl.

I have been reading a lot lately about “pet-friendly” gardens, and I will admit  that there are some obvious precautions and design criteria to take into account if your cat or dog (or whatever) is going to be enjoying the yard. Let’s get those out of the way before the sarcasm begins.

beautiful flower, poisonous seeds!

Here are the real no-brainers:

• don’t spray toxic chemicals where your pet will be roaming
• use inorganic mulches so your pet won’t be tempted to chew on bark, or, heaven forbid, cocoa bean hulls, which are toxic to dogs and cats
• design a garden that is less formal, so it won’t look horrible if someone decides to do some “recreational digging”
• make sure your pool or water feature is designed so that an animal that falls in has a way to climb out

Rather than obsess over massing plantings to discourage animals from entering the beds, and creating  doggie and kitty pathways, special digging/playing areas and places for them to “do their business,”  I think that creating  harmonious relationships between pets and gardens depends on three basic things:

1. In the case of dogs, the dog’s breed and behavioral traits. Digger? Chewer? High-energy player? Design accordingly.
2. Is your dog relaxed and well-behaved, or out of control? You might need a fence or two.
3. What kind of garden do you want? You might have to give up your dream of Versailles.

My dog is calm (lucky me!) and well-trained (I trained her) and when she goes out in the garden, she just sits or lies there, sniffing the air, eating the occasional blade of grass, and surveying her domain.

surveying her domain

I realize that you might still want to learn more about pet-friendly gardening, and naturally, there is a book on that very subject. You can find it here.

Just remember, if you don’t want cats in your flower bed, don’t plant nepeta.