March 2006
May
- Great annual vines include cypress vine, black-eyed Susan vine and vining nasturtium.
- Keep small clematis plants in pots for the first year, either above ground or buried to give young roots a cozier place to start. Prune new transplants to the lowest pair of strong buds.
- You don’t have to step on a rusty nail to get tetanus. Tetanus bacteria lurk in garden soil—all it takes is a cut, scrape or splinter to invite infection. It’s easy to avoid this potentially deadly disease: Make sure you are vaccinated at least every 10 years.
- Such native perennials as purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, phlox, verbenas and bee balm are premium butterfly flowers, and as a bonus are no-fuss.
- Salvias are irresistible to hummingbirds: Try pineapple sage, which has red blooms in early fall, and black-and-blue salvia, with flowers of rich dark-blue throughout summer.
- Refrain from deadheading some of your purple coneflowers, and you’ll tempt goldfinches to visit the porcupine-like seed cones.
- Electric push mowers are less messy than gas mowers and start at the flip of a switch. These mowers are inexpensive to operate ($3–$6 a year) and environmentally friendly.
- Improper mowing not only leaves a bad-looking lawn, but it’s an invitation to weeds, diseases and other problems. Evenness of cut is essential to good looks. Mowing height and frequency are essential for good health.
- Turf specialists recommend mowing often enough to remove about a half-inch, or no more than one-third of the green leaf surface.
- If eggplants and bell peppers are among family favorites, plant two or three plants of each. They take up relatively little space and bear until frost.
- Cutworms can cause severe damage to tomato plants. Gardeners have used milk cartons, pieces of wax paper wrapped around stems and aluminum foil to protect young plants.
- These shade-loving herbs are adapted to growth on the north side of buildings or other shady spots: liverwort, red baneberry, blue cohosh, cardinal flower, ginseng, dutchman’s breeches, maidenhair fern, goldenseal, Jack-in-the-Pulpit and mountain laurel.
- Choice perennials for sunny spots include daylilies, hardy hibiscus, ornamental grasses, blue false indigo (Baptista australis), Russian sage (Perovskia sp.), “Autumn Joy” sedum, “Goldstrum,” black-eyed Susan, bloody cranebil (Geranium sanguineum), and crocosmia. Good choices for shady spots include hostas, Japanese roof iris (Iris tectorum), Lenten roses, ferns, Japanese anemone, and variegated fragrant Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum).
- May through September is a critical period for azaleas and camellias. Soil around roots should never be allowed to become completely dry. Water slowly with a soil soaker once a week during hot dry weather, more often if soil dries out quickly.
- Remove faded blooms when they appear on bedding plants and shrubs.
Tips taken from past gardening guide columns by Hank Smith and Carla Burgess.
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