The birds are the hardest workers in my garden, eating all the bugs I don't want - and some that I do. They made short work of the swallowtail butterfly caterpillars on my parsley.

I feed the birds until late in the spring, so they associate my garden with food and hang around for the summer. Besides, the insect population needs time to generate in the spring.

And I don't feed them too early in the fall so they will finish the job. Besides, I have planted coneflowers and Joe Pye weed and other perennials with birds in mind.

But now is as good a time as any to clean the birdfeeders.

Continue reading "Time to clean the bird feeders" »

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Categories: Weekend Chores
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Jerry Jackson

The count birds, don't they?

I think they should start counting butterflies, too.

My unscientific observation is that there are many more this year than ever before, and other gardeners seem to agree.

That's particularly true of Tiger Swallowtails, which are also making a comeback in England where they have been rare for decades.

The experts say that fluctuations in populations like this are normal.

But it is also possible that this has been a bad year for the parasites and viruses that kill Swallowtails because of the cold and snow of last winter.

Continue reading "A butterfly count?" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Insects
        

A rainless hurricane?

That seems to be our fate in bone-dry Maryland where Hurricane Earl may pass without delivering so much as a bucket of spit.

Gardeners have a dark secret. We don't really mind hurricane season as long as nobody dies and not much gets damaged - because the garden gets plenty of water before settling down for the winter.

As a matter of fact, we kind of count on a a busy storm season to do the kind of deep watering the earth needs. Believe me, a hose doesn't get it done.

We got that kind of moisture in the form of snow last winter. And it really showed in the gardens this spring.

This from my fellow blogger Frank Roylance over at Maryland Weather:

Continue reading "Hurricane Earl" »

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Categories: Weather
        

Baltimore Sun/File photo

Reenforcing the notion that September is as important as May in the garden, New York Times rookie gardener Sara Barrett concludes her first season with some fall gardening advice.

She gets her advice from Barbara Pierson, from White Flower Farms, and now you can, too.

Barbara tells Sara, among other things, to keep watering, divide her irises, don't hard prune hydrangeas and, most important of all, make notes about what worked this year, what didn't work, and what you would like to try next year, because you will forget by the time spring comes around again!

There is also a lovely little slide show accompanying the article.

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Categories: Weekend Chores
        

Again today, the University of Maryland Extension experts answer your garden questions.

Do you have garden questions? Send them to the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center. Click on the tab "Send a question" on the left.

Q: My tomatoes have big cracks on top. I have been growing the same variety of plants for many years, and the ones in the ground are still okay.  Only the ones growing in pots are cracking.

A: One cause of cracking is excessive or uneven moisture. Cracking tends to happen when we have a lot of rain following a dry period, causing fruits to swell quickly. We did have droughts this summer, but since you have not had this problem in the past, we bet that you water your plants consistently.  Cracking can also be exacerbated by very high temperatures, which we also suffered, and this is probably the culprit in your case. Plants in a pot get even hotter than those with roots in the cooler ground. Try to cool off potted plants by mulching or moving the pots to a cooler location (such as off the deck onto the lawn.) Cracking can also be caused by excessive nitrogen, and some tomato varieties are more prone to it than others. 

Continue reading "University of Maryland Extension: Garden Q&A" »

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Continue reading "Wordless Wednesday: ribbons and flowers" »

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Categories: Wordless Wednesday
        

The gardening gals over at Garden Rant have arranged for a series of guest rants while they are about other business, and it is worth stopping by to hear the ranting opinions of others.

Today, Stacy Moore writes about xeriscaping and the misconceptions gardeners have about gardening without much water. That is doesn't mean a big Yucca plant and a lot of gravel. Considering the current Mid-Atlantic hot spell, it is a timely read!.

In another guest rant, Tom Alexander makes the point that cultivating marijuana is gardening no matter what the powers-that-be think of the crop.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden blogs
        

Photo credit: Ellen Nibali

Butterfly weed

Asclepias tuberose

Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees flock to this midsummer perennial flower. Besides brilliant orange, its clusters of tiny flowers come in yellow or red-orange, and leaves are a favorite food of the monarch butterfly caterpillar.

After blooming, flowers turn into long seed capsules like small milkweed pods which are attractive in dried arrangements. Left on the plant, they split open and release feathery white fluffs blown away on the wind, each carrying one seed.

Continue reading "University of Maryland Extension: Plant of the Week" »

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Graphic rendering of the future Ground Zero Memorial site.

This weekend at Ground Zero in New York City, planting of the first 16 of a planned 400 trees began, bringing life back to a place of sorrow after nine years.

The trees, swamp white oaks, were selected for their beauty and their ability to withstand Manhattan's cold, snowy winters and steamy summers.

The were grown in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, and cultivated over the last four years in New Jersey. All places that were impacted by the 9-11 attacks.

Continue reading "Green at Ground Zero" »

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Categories: Garden news
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

This weekend was all about tomatoes.

Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville hosted its second annual Tomato Festival, with a chili cookoff and a salsa contest.

There was tomato tasting, too, and you could buy pounds and pounds of your favorites! I left with Brandywine Pink and Cherokee Purple. Even the names "match."

Meanwhile down the road, Washington Gardener magazine hosted its third annual tomato tasting competition. And the winner, by a single vote, was Lemon Boy. Sungold was second and Cherokee Purple (my fav) was third.

Continue reading "A real tomato weekend" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden events
        

Photo credit: Michael Lemmon

Crinum Augustum
 
The Crinum Augustum or “Queen Emma” is a majestic perennial that will stand out in any garden, and it is blooming right now at Baltimore's Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park. 

It is native to the tropical areas of southern Asia and will need to grow in a frost-free area.

Its green and purple strap-like leaves can reach 5 to 8 feet tall and emerge from a bulb weighing up to 20 pounds.

The large fragrant flowers are white and purple and grow on long purple stalks.
 

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore's Rawlings Conservatory
        

Most of us look like Pigpen of the Peanuts comic strip when we work in the garden. Sweaty, dirty, old clothes, old shoes.

But we don't always look that way.

I found these lovely garden T-shirts painted by Annapolis artist Luke Mays, and I bought three and sent them to my sisters with a note, "Happy Birthday. Whenever it is. You need this T-shirt now."

Luke paints jeans and jackets and posters. But I love the sunny optimism of his garden T-shirts.

He is now working on a series featuring native plants, like this one of the gallardia pulchella, and he will paint your favorite perennial to order!

If you'd like a T-shirt, too, you can reach Luke at Froggwood@gmail.com or 410-570-6505

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Categories: Garden art
        

Bulb-buying season approaches, so let us recommend an appropriate book.

 We reach back in time to the garden writing of the late Elizabeth Lawrence for this week's selection, "The Little Bulbs: A Tale of Two Gardens."

In 1957, she published this delightful and informative introduction to bulbs. Out of print for many years, it is available in paperback from Amazon.com.

 In it, Lawrence talks about a wide variety of plants, including crocuses, species daffodils, hardy cyclamen and lily-family members such as Brodiaea, Bessera, and Calochortus.

The book springs from her years-long and heart-felt correspondence with Mr. Krippendorf who lives in Ohio and grows tens of thousands of bulbs in contrast to her "few" in the garden of her Carolina home.

This is a delightful introduction to the writing of Elizabeth Lawrence.

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Categories: Garden books
        

This is the time of year when fall gardening means either mums or lettuces.

We are putting in some fall ornamentals to give the flower gardens some late season color or, if we are ambitious, we are planting a second crop of leafy vegetables that will carry us through to Thanksgiving.

There's another choice, according to Amy Jeanroy, who writes about gardening for about.com: herbs.

Like spinach and chard, herbs thrive in the cool, moist air of fall and, if you are lucky, some will last you the winter.

Here are some of her suggestions, and mine.

Continue reading "Weekend garden chores: herbs" »

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Categories: Weekend Chores
        

File photo/Baltimore Sun

Michael Tortorello, who writes for the New York Times about his adventures as a rookie gardener, had a fun story this week that will be familiar to us all.

Dogs in the garden. (Lulu? I am talking about you!)

He tells of Bertie, who dug a hole in the garden into which his owner stepped, twisting her knee badly enough to require rehab.

Dogs look at gardens and have two questions, he writes. "Can I pee on it?" and "Can I chew it."

And they can also deliver parasites they pick up in the garden to their owners.

Continue reading "A gardener's best friend? Not." »

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Categories: Garden humor
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Amy Davis

Are you a balcony gardener? A high-rise gardener? A porch gardener?

Fern, who blogs at Life on a Balcony, is writing a book about balcony gardening, and she is looking for pictures and stories from different parts of the country, including from us here in the Mid-Atlantic.

She has created a Facebook page for her book, My Balcony, My Garden, and a Flickr group, where you can post pictures.

But Fern is asking for a little more than pictures: a description of where you live, details of how the weather and the sunlight impact your apartment or condo garden, as well as other issues you deal with.

So, Baltimore balcony gardeners, get on it! We have to represent!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden books
        

Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville: 2010 Annapolis Tomato Festival: noon - 6pm. Featuring the first annual Chesapeake Chili Cook-Off

Tickets: $10; family of 4, $25; children under 10, free

Tickets may be purchased at Homestead Gardens or call 410.798.5000 for more information.

Continue reading for a schedule of events.

Continue reading "Weekend garden events" »

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Categories: Garden events
        

Today we begin a weekly garden question and answer session with the experts at the University of Maryland Extention.

Do you have garden questions? Send them to the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center. Click on the tab "Send a question" on the left.

Q:  My lawn is a mess of crabgrass and burned up spots.  When do I reseed:  fall or spring?

A:  This summer was brutal on lawns, even the drought and disease tolerant tall fescue well adapted to Maryland. If your lawn is more than 50 percent weeds, we recommend starting over so you don’t waste money and time on a lost cause. Early fall is the very best time to reseed because your young seedlings will have three seasons to establish roots before they are hit by a Maryland summer. Beginning in late August, kill your existing weeds and turf by tilling it under or, when temperatures are below 90 degrees, spray your lawn with a glyphosate herbicide. Rake perennial weeds and debris out of tilled soil. After seeding, be sure to keep seeds moist until they germinate.  Spring is the second best time to seed, but young seedlings may not make it through a tough summer. We have two publications on lawn renovation on our website: www.hgic.umd.edu.

Q:  Stinkbugs are already congregating on my house--but not my neighbors’ houses! They were between a window frame and a spot light. I had a terrible time with them inside last winter. Help!

A:  The brown marmorated stinkbug that overwinters indoors is probably attracted to your outdoor light.  Outdoor lights that are left on all night attract many other pests, too.  Keep all outdoor light turned off unless necessary. To prevent stinkbugs from overwintering in your home this autumn, caulk and weatherstrip your doors, windows, any crevices, cracks, or where utilities enter your home.

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Continue reading "Wordless Wednesday: Crepe myrtle, the jewel of August." »

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Categories: Wordless Wednesday
        

Fiscus carica

Yes, with care you can grow figs in Maryland.

This subtropical grows 15 to 30 feet tall in average soil and full sun. Hardy to 15-20 degrees, it will spring back if killed to the ground.

However, to produce ripe fruit reliably, figs need a long hot growing season and protection from freezing temperatures. A protected southern exposure is recommended. Avoid low spots where cold air settles.

Brown Turkey and Celeste are two reliable cultivars here.

Figs pruned to a shrub are easier to protect than a tree shape.

In fall, pin pliable branches to the ground and cover, or encircle the fig with chicken wire or bubble wrap and fill with leaves or straw.

Alternatively, plant in a container and overwinter in a garage. In spring remove winter protection after danger of frost.

-Photo and text by Ellen Nibali

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Plant_of_Week, University of Maryland Extension
        

Today, Garden Variety welcomes her new partners in gardening, the University of Maryland Extension staff!

Every Tuesday here on Garden Variety, beginning today, we will feature Ellen Nibali's "Plant of the Week," complete with photos and growing information.

And each Thursday, the Extension staff will answer your gardening questions. Visit the Home and Garden Information Center website and submit your questions in the "Send a Question" feature and we will get an answer for you. There's is plenty of gardening information there, too.

And there's more!

Continue reading "Garden Variety's new partner" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Plant_of_Week, Q_and_A, University of Maryland Extension
        

Photo credit: Michael Lemmon

Hymenocallis Americana

Hymenocallis are a distinct genus of plants that have large beautiful white flowers and are commonly known as the spider lily. The sepals are long and curve outward giving them a "spider-like" look, and they are blooming now at Baltimore's Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park.

Native to Mexico, South America, and the southern portion of the United States,  they prefer partial shade and moist conditions like swamps and bogs.

Spider lilies can be grown in containers and do nicely as indoor plants. Keep them in a well-drained soil such as an African violet mix and provide bright indirect sunlight.
During the winter months reduce watering.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore's Rawlings Conservatory
        

Gardeners are forever being told that if they shear old foliage to just about ground level, they may get a second bloom.

This tool, from Gardener's Supply, is up to that task. It is a 6-inch version of the larger hedge shears that would be too big for the garden.

The added advantage? It comes with an interchangeable set of 4-inch grass clippers. Instead of squeezing handles over and over, you just push the button and go.

It is rechargeable and sells for $64.95. And it comes with an extension handle to save on your back. That sells for $24.95

Just click on the Gardener's Supply button on the right and order.

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Categories: Garden tools
        

Don't kid yourself! It isn't fall yet!

There are plenty of 90-degree, 90-percent humidity days left. So when you head out into the garden to take up your August chores, drink plenty of water and watch out for the heat and the bugs.

Here's what should be on your list of things to do:

Continue reading "Weekend garden chores" »

Posted by Susan Reimer at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Weekend Chores
        

New York Times garden writer Anne Raver tells the story of the garden of Joan Dye Gussow, a pioneer in the eat-locally, think-globally food movement, whose gardens were destroyed by the flooding Hudson River five months ago.

Friends and students alike rallied to help her rescue and restore her gardens, allowing her to make changes she'd been thinking about for a long time.

Ms. Gussow, by the way, is 81.

Make sure you see Randy Harris' photos of the garden.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden news