It has been a hot and dry summers, and gardeners have been preoccupied with keeping their plants and gardens hydrated. Here are three products that can help

Don’t have a rain barrel? You can still collect rainwater with Petal Drops, an attractive attachment for recycled water bottles or liter soda bottles. Tuck several among your plants or on your deck to catch that sudden downpour. Or slip it under a neighbor’s sprinkler!

Added advantage? Petal Drops are made from plant-based materials. $6 at aHaModernLiving.com

 

Next step? Attach that bottle filled with rainwater to a Plant Nanny to keep your container plants watered during vacation or during a real hot spell. Remove the plastic bottle and the ceramic Plant Nanny is hidden from sight. One is enough for small containers, two for large ones. $3.99 each at aHaModernLiving.com.

Have you ever thought about all the water lost while you wait for your shower to heat up? Or while you wait for the water to get hot enough to do a sink full of dishes? Now you can collect that water with an Aqua Genie watering can. Made from 100 percent recycled plastic, its wide mouth and specially designed spout make it easy to collect water in a sink or a tub. $8 at aHaModernLiving.com

 

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The annual Lotus Blossom Festival will be held Saturday at historic Mount Harmon in Earleville, MD., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mount Harmon is a former Tidewater plantation and now is a 200-acre nature preserve.

Visitors will be able to see the rare American Lotus in full bloom.The American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea), a relative of the water lily and the largest wildflower in the United States, is rare in Maryland and neighboring states but abundant at Mount Harmon.

There will also be local artists artisans and authors, a native plant sale, birding and nature walks, live music, food and beverages. There will also be tours of the manor house.

The festival is free for Friends of Mount Harmon and children under 5, $5 for all others.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden events
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Lloyd Fox

It is hard to think about adding new plants to the Mid-Atlantic garden on the cusp August, traditionally our hottest and dryest month.

But now is the time to shop for deals at nurseries, which may be trying to clear out rough-looking plant material to make room for new fall plants.

Marie Iannotti, who writes a gardening blog for about.com, has some tips for selecting mid-season plants. Here is her advice.

Check the plants for insects, disease and die back from lack of water. A pot with lots of weeds hasn't been well cared for, either.

Lanky growth and pot-bound roots will correct themselves in the ground.

Give your new plants plenty of water, but wait until the roots settle in before feeding them.

And don't be afraid to buy deciduous trees at this time of year. They are going to lose their leaves anyway. They should be fine with your TLC. 

Posted by Susan Reimer at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden tips
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Doug Kapustin

August is no time to hang up your garden hat.

It is hot and miserable here in the Mid-Atlantic, and we have been fighting a losing battle against drought. But, as our favorite task-masters advise us, there is still plenty to do in the garden.

Margaret Roach of A Way to Garden says that every weed we pull now is perhaps 100 weeds we won't have to deal with when that one weed goes to seed. Weeds also steal moisture and nutrients. Here is more from her August to-do list.

Water we must, but not the lawn. It will bounce back, Margaret says, and she is right. We have to focus on newly planted items, including young trees. If you don't have a Tree-gator, buy one. They are less than $25 and they can save the life of a young tree.

Stop feeding woodly plants. They need to begin their hardening off cycle.

Prune out dead or damaged wood in trees and shrubs.

As areas of the vegetable garden are harvested, seed a cover crop of red clover or winter rye. Cover crops can be turned over in spring to boost the strength of your soil.

Time to sow another crop of peas, chard, radishes, arugula, spinach, turnips, beets and lettuce.

Harvest garlic, but save the best bulbs for replanting in the fall so you don't have to purchase more.

Freshen your basil by sowing seeds or planting new seedlings. Basil gets woody this time of year and loses some of its flavor.

Now is the time to divide daylilies. Same with peonies.

It is time to order bulbs if you want to get the varieties you want.

Edge your beds to give them a fresh, clean look, and top off the mulch. That, with some deadheading and cutting back, will make your perennial gardens look fresh.

Make sure you compost heap is getting enough water. It won't "cook" if it is dried out.

 

This advice comes from North Country Maturing Gardener. She gardens in New Hampshire, so some of the items on her to-do list would be better attempted in September in the Mid-Atlantic.

Here is her advice.

Make notes on what you'd like to add to next year's garden while things are still blooming.

Now is the time to scratch in some fertilizer around peonies.

Don't cut grass lower than 2.5 to 3 inches in order to keep it hydrated.

Cut back the unsightly foliage of the bleeding heart.

Buy fall mums.

Treat for powdery mildew with 1.5 tablespoons baking soda, 1 gallon of water and 2-3 tablespoons of horticultural oil. Spray on plants every other week.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Weekend Chores
        

Irvine Nature Center, Owings Mills. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.; Family Bird Watching Fun: Meet a bird of prey, enjoy a summer snack, and learn how to identify birds as you walk through the different habitats of Irvine Nature Center. Fee: $6 members, $10 non-members. Ages 5 & up with adult.

Carrie Engel of Valley View Farms will show you how to build a green-roof birdhouse Sunday on WBAL-TV in Baltimore during the 9 a.m. news segment.

Inspired by a visit to a grower producing plants for a school's green roof, and by the residents of Edenwald, the Baltimore retirement community, who have installed a partial green roof on a terrace, Carrie decided to take the green roof idea to heart and build one for feathered visitors to the garden.

Photo courtesy of Valley View Farms

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

New York Times garden writer - and Maryland resident -- Anne Raver has a lovely essay on summer in the garden, and she includes some tips to help the garden survive the heat and drought and more ideas on what to plant in the vegetable garden for the fall.

Her advice? Keep adding compost to the soil. It helps manage the moisture and the microbes help the plants defend against pests and disease.

And you thought that was something you just did in the spring...

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden tips
        

The caterpillars are back, and I am very happy to see them!

Not tent caterpillars, but the pretty green-striped ones that will one day be butterflies. About a half a dozen of them.

Kathy Kadow at the Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills tells me that they will be black swallowtails when they grow up because their mother chose to lay her eggs on what they can eat - my parsley.

If I had found caterpillars on milkweed, they would have been monarchs. Though they look almost identical, Kadow says, you can tell them apart by the host plant.

Swallowtails also like dill and carrot tops, but birds like caterpillars so I am hoping my visitors survive.

And you thought you planted your herb garden for YOU.

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

(Continue reading for information on Irvine's butterfly classes.)

Irvine Institute for Environmental Education will present three sessions of BUTTERFLIES IN THE GARDEN, including one tonight. Registration is open until 5 p.m. by calling 443-738-9224.

Learn which plants are good for attracting both adult butterflies and young caterpillars, how to identify the common species, and what you can do to help.

 You will also learn how to tag Monarch butterflies before they migrate to Mexico this fall.

Instructor: Robert Mardiney, Director of Education, Irvine Nature Center Fee: $60 members, $70 non-members.

Dates/Times: Wednesday, July 28, 6:30 -8:30 p.m., Saturdays, July 31 and August 7; 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Insects
        

I shared some tips from Horticulture magazine about pruning hydrangeas, and lamented the poor state of my own right now.

Bud from Glen Burnie, Md., was inspired to share this photo of his hydrangea, which has the benefit of his sprinkler system, he said. And he offered this advice:

White hydrangea bloom later than blue. Also, if you plant them in a spot that is only sunny part of the day or mostly shady, it will delay the blooms from sprouting until mid-late July. They will last longer as well.

Bud says he has been experimenting with flowers that can take Maryland's heat and August drought. Here is what he has found.

I have found that begonias and petunias seem to continue to flower and grow despite the heat and dry spells in our area. Also, hibiscus are also seem to tolerate the heat well in this area. I have found that the earlier you get your plants into the ground in the spring, the better chance you have of having them survive our summers. I always plant mine around the first or second week in April so make sure they get a good root system installed before the summer sets in and to take advantage of the early spring rain and cool temperatures to get established. No matter what plant you have, it will always depend on having the right mixture of correct soil, watering, and a healthy plant food early in the season. A bit of work early on will prevent your plants from withering in the summer sun.

Thanks, Bud!!!!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden tips
        

Barbara Pierson, head gardener at White Flower Farm, is offering some advice for gardeners in the New York Times.

Heat and drought have caused insects and diseases to thrive this summer, while stressing plants so badly that they cannot fight them off.

She suggests horticultural oil for just about everything, from blackspot to mildew, and she says it makes plants unpalatable for insects.

Pierson has some other tips as well for the mid-summer garden. Check them out.

Photo courtesy of University of Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture

Posted by Susan Reimer at 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden tips
        

Visitors at the spring flower show at Baltimore's Rawlings Conservatory

Photo credit: Kim Hairston

In the New York Times today, Judith Dobrzynski reports that public gardens have had to expand their menus to include food, cooking classes and fancy cocktails to attract visitors.

The reason? Although the country is fascinated by healthy eating, locally grown produce and home vegetable gardening, not enough people are interested in plain old flower gardening.

"Among the long-term factors diminishing their traditional appeal are fewer women at home and less interest in flower-gardening among younger fickle, multitasking generations. Forced to rethink and rebrand, gardens are appealing to visitors’ interests in nature, sustainability, cooking, health, family and the arts."

 The irony? Her story was the most emailed story in the Times today.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden news
        

This shrub is the first to fade in the heat of the garden - and the first to perk up after a nice long drink. But despite my best efforts, the blossoms and the leaves actually look crispy.

It is a shame because the hydrangeas held such promise this spring. Forty inches of snow and the absence of a late freeze made for lots of growth, and lots of blossoms. Hundreds, as a matter of fact.

Now those blossoms are spent and it is time to think about pruning. Only the cone-shaped flowers on my oakleaf hydrangea, now a dramatic bronze color, are worth preserving.

There is always confusion around the pruning of hydrangeas because you can actually cut away next year's flowers.

Tim Wood, of Proven Winners, gives this advice in Horticulture magazine.

Prune smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens) and panicle, or Pee Gee, hydrangea (H. paniculata) in late winter or early spring. These species set their flower buds on their new growth.

Prune bigleaf (H. macrophylla), oakleaf (H. quercifolia) and climbing (H. anomala subsp. petiolaris) hydrangeas just after they flower. These species form their flower buds in the summer and fall, or "on the old wood." Therefore pruning them in the winter or spring would remove the buds before they have a chance to bloom, and you'd see no flowers that year.

A very cold winter will sometimes kill bigleaf hydrangea buds—keep that in mind if you pruned them at the right time but still have no flowers.

Pruning, Wood writes, is especially important for young plants, even at the expense of flowers during those first couple of years. Here is his advice for young plants.

If the plant is leggy when you purchased it, shear the plant back hard by 1/3  to 1/2 its original size. Once it puts on an inch or two of growth, pinch the branch tips to remove just the growing tip. This tip controls branching.  Once it is removed the buds below it will turn into two or more stems. Once these new branches grow an inch or two, pinch the tip out again.

You can repeat this throughout the first growing season as you are tending your garden.  Although you may sacrifice one year of bloom, this technique results in a well-branched, full-bodied plant that will have more flowers in subsequent years.

The second season in the ground, repeat the pinching practice (or lightly prune.)

Not sure what kind of hydrangea you have? Consult our photo gallery.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden tips
        

The ladies over at Garden Rant are red in the face over a campaign by Scotts MiracleGro to eradicate clover and dandelions from our lawns with their search and destroy chemical approach.

Take a read.

When I was a kid, my dad had so much clover in his yard that one of our neighbors - who fussed over his lawn until it was perfection -- made a "bee hive" out of a cardboard box and stuck it in the middle of our yard to tease my dad.

That was 50 years ago. Scotts might be a bit behind the times.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Garden blogs
        

If it ain't one thing with tomatoes, it's another.

I returned home from vacation to find - not the early blight that we all feared would return with renewed vengence this season -- but blossom-end rot.

The bottoms of my tomatoes - just where the blossom disappears -- are brown and mushy.

Unlike blight, this is not caused by spores and it isn't caused by pests. It is, instead, a problem with the plant's growing conditions.

Blossom-end rot, which also effects watermelons and peppers, is generally caused by a calcium deficiency in the soil.

I have had it appear before, and I tried to head it off this year by adding egg shells to the hole in which I plant my tomatoes. I could have also applied some gysum or lime several weeks before planting. And I have even heard other gardeners using Tums with calcium when planting!

I also sprayed a non-toxic potion of calcium chloride on the foliage, but two things conspired to defeat me: I wasn't consistent about spraying -- it should be done every week --  and the drought and deluge cycle of weather this summer hindered the uptake of calcium from the soil. 

You can recognize blossom-end rot by a small wet area at or near the bottom of the fruit. This becomes darker and larger as the fruit develops, and it takes on a leathery look. On peppers, the spot will look tan. In tomatoes and watermelons, it becomes black.

I can't save the tomatoes that already have blossom-end rot, but I am committing to more consistent spraying to spare the next batch of fruit, which is just now in its blossom stage.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden diseases
        

Photo credit: Michael Lemmon

Hamelia Patens

Hamelia Patens,  commonly known as “Firebush,” is a tropical shrub that is now blooming at Baltimore’s Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park.

It will brighten any garden with its blazing orange-red flowers and will attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Almost as striking as the flowers, the leaves will turn a shade of red when planted in direct sunlight.

If pollinated, the flowers will ripen into a small black fruit, a favorite of many insects.

Native to Brazil and Mexico the firebush grows as far north as Florida and can do well in other zones if brought indoors for the winter.

It will not tolerate freezing temperatures.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore's Rawlings Conservatory
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Sarah Kickler Kelber

With apologies to "Jurassic Park"...

Posted by Susan Reimer at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Flowers
        

 (Photos of Rain Garden at the Columbia Association maintenance building by Jed Kirschbaum/Baltimore Sun)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 8:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Wordless Wednesday
        

I put corn in my garden this year, not really with the expectation that I'd get a whole lot of ears out of it. I just thought it would be fun to give it a try.

I proudly pointed the plants out to my father-in-law, who grew up on a farm and visited us about a month ago. He is a lovely man but has a terrible habit of speaking the truth as he sees it. He pronounced my crop "anemic" and said it wouldn't do anything without a lot of Miracle-Gro.

Ever since, I've been a woman on a mission, out to prove I can grow corn without chemical fertilizers.

I've lavished my plants with $12's worth of compost "tea" from the Hamilton Crop Circle guy, who sells jugs of the low-tide smelling stuff at the JFX farmers' market and at Mill Valley General Store in Remington. I shelled out another $12 for an even fouler-smelling fish fertilizer called "Neptune's Harvest," also from Mill Valley.

I even dug up one straggler, put the skin from my rockfish dinner beneath the roots, and replanted it. (Isn't that how Squanto helped the Pilgrims show up their in-law naysayers?)

After several weeks of this special, stinky treatment, some of the stalks are taller than I am. (I'm only 5-foot-3, so maybe that's not saying much.) Other stalks are chest high. A few are just knee high. About half have sprouted ears. They're skinny-looking ears, but I think they're coming along. I like to think of them as svelte, not anemic.

I appeal to the more experienced corn-growers and spite-sowers out there. Is there anything else I should be doing for my corn?

Allegedly anemic corn. Photo by math-hubby

Posted by Laura Vozzella at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

For all the teachers and PTA presidents out there reading Garden Variety - have I got the book for you.

"How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers," written by members of the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance, is a step-by-step pictoral guide to creating and maintaining a school garden and linking it to the curriculum.

Post a comment here and I will randomly select someone to receive a copy of the book.

It is hard to believe, but school gardens are not without controversy.

School gardens have been criticized as unsafe, unhealthy and a waste of time.

And school gardens have also been criticized for giving poor and minority students the wrong message - that they have not moved beyond the sharecropping, migrant-working lives of their ancestors.

I swear, I am not making this up.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Jed Kirschbaum

Garden Variety, wearing her newspaper hat, has written a couple of stories for The Baltimore Sun that you might enjoy.

The first is about Annmarie Garden, a gem of a sculpture garden in Southern Maryland which is showcasing some remarkable art that comments on our relationships with the environment. There are also some travel tips for your visit there.

And the second is about Annapolis craftsman Kevin Hurst and his remarkable, whimsical birdhouses. While you are there, a look at Jed Kirschbaum's wonderful photo gallery of Kevin's birdhouses.

And we offer some advice about other garden art that can find its way indoors.

Enjoy the reading!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

Just when it feels too hot to garden, there is a reason to stay indoors: it is time to  plan your fall vegetable garden.

Renee Shepherd at Renee's Garden is writing about the "second season," and suggesting herbs and vegetables to plant, including spinach, chard, scallions and leeks.

"Start seeds in containers or in a garden area with dappled sun or light shade -- wherever seeds can germinate comfortably out of the hot sun but still get plenty of light after seedlings are well-established. Plant in well-prepared moist soil and in the evening so they will have the advantage of cooler night temperatures to settle in and minimize shock. If daytime temperatures are still in the high 80's, shelter your newly transplanted seedlings with row covers or a shade cloths for a few days so they can adjust heat and sun."

Gene Sumi, the gardening guru at Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville, is offering his advice for fall vegetable gardening on the Homestead blog.

"Planning ahead means if you want to plant varieties that may not be available in seedling form at the garden center in the fall, you may have to plant your own seedlings and this is the time to find or order your seeds."

Posted by Susan Reimer at 5:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Weekend Chores
        

Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville hosts its annual Crapemyrtle Festival this weekend, an event designed to show the garden center's appreciation for its customers.

Homestead carries more than 25 varieties of crapemyrtles and the staff has plenty of advice on how to plant and care for them.

Make your you pick up the pink handout with lots of crapemytle information and remember, bring your "crapemyrtle dollars" for discounts. Homestead has also said it will honor any discount coupons you have from other garden centers.

Here is the weekend schedule

Friday,

8:30 a.m. Myrtle Mania Anticipation Complimentary Coffee Service.

9 a.m. Doors open for the Annual Crapemyrtle Festival.

7-9 p.m. Ladies Night.

Saturday

9 a..m. “Pest Control Q&A”  Coffee & light breakfast fare with our Garden Supply experts as they answer your pest-control questions.

10 a.m. “All about Crapemyrtles” Dr. Margaret Pooler of the National Arboretum demystifies the Crapemyrtle.

noon: Rita Calvert shares delicious tips on cooking with local produce.

2 p.m. “Successful Tree Planting” with Bartlett Tree Experts.

1-3 p.m. Live music with Annapolis Bluegrass Coalition.

Sunday

10am: “Hypertufa Container Workshop” Plant your own hypertufa for a wonderful perennial summer container. $50 ($45 Garden Club Member).

noon: “Mid-Summer Garden Maintenance” with Gene Sumi.

2 p.m. Maryland Crabs 101: With Cantler’s Riverside Inn. What says “Maryland Summer” better than an outdoor crab-picking session? Our friend, Molly from Cantler’s is back to demonstrate the art of picking a crab clean and lets you sample what makes Cantler’s Annapolis’ favorite crab house.

noon-2pm: Live music with Orlando Phillips.

Monday.

Myrtle Monday  

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Llama Barn Open House: Meet and greet with Homestead’s Llamas. Activities for kids of all ages.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden events
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Amy Davis.

Bruce Hornstein of Monkton is convinced that the harsh winter, during which the lotuses on his half-acre pond were sleeping under ice, is the reason the flowers survived and "came up with a passion."

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Wordless Wednesday
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

Unlike Debra Kerr in "An Affair to Remember," I was looking down.

I was all about the gardens during the garden bloggers meet-up in Buffalo. But others, like Debra Kerr and the Empire State Building, were looking up.

Christopher C, who writes Outside Clyde, a North Carolina garden blog, has posted wonderful pictures of the painted lady houses in Buffalo.

And Mr. McGregor's Daughter, who blogs from Chicago took time to notice the city's artistic and architecture.

Take a moment from your day and visit Buffalo.  

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

And that's the case with the tomatoes on sale at my farmer's market in Annapolis.

They are nothing but hot-house (hoop-house?) tomatoes, and they taste almost worse than the ones on sale at the supermarket.

They are red. They are ripe. But they are here too early. That was the first clue. And we are all so eager for our summer tomatoes, that we bought them.

If I don't have any ripe tomatoes, why do I think my farmer friends would? Because they are farmers and I'm not?

This is a case of rushing a product to market, and I am afraid the result is going to be suspicious consumers, like me, who feel manipulated by farmers we believed we were right to support.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Vegetable gardening
        

It was raining.

And that was good news.

As part of Buffalo's Garden Walk, landscapers had remarkably and unselfishly volunteered their time and material to help transform a neighborhood.

When we visiting garden bloggers arrived, rain was blessing the hard work they had just completed.

North Parade Avenue in Buffalo was once grand, facing as it did a landscaped parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

But like so many urban neighborhoods, it is in decline and nowhere was that more evident than in the neglected front lawns and the huge and unsightly shrubs that nearly hid the houses.

When one of the homes underwent a garden makeover, the members of the National Buffalo Garden Festival decided to take the idea and run with it as part of Buffalo's Garden Walk.

They encouraged 13 area landscape companies to take on each of 19 homes on the block and redo the front yard. It became the first annual Front Yard Garden Competition.

The designers spent their own money - from $5,000 to $12,000 per house -- and completed the transformations in just three days. They were literally putting the last of the sod down when the garden bloggers arrived to see the results.

“I watched them tear out the old, and I could hardly wait until the new came. I came home one day and said ‘Oh my goodness, what are they going to do with that mess,’” said Shirley Tillmon
Phillips.

But by the end of the week, Tillmon Phillips, a 25-year veteran of the block, was looking out at a new walkway, flowers, plants and freshly laid sod.

“The final result is just beautiful. It went from a cocoon to a beautiful butterfly and I’m very happy with it,” she said.

The homeowners committed to becoming "gardeners" and volunteers are going to be teaching them the basics of maintaining their new - and beautiful- yards.

Meanwhile, Buffalo residents - and you - can vote for the best make-over, which will no doubt please the generous landscapers.

“You’re not going to spend thousands of dollars because you want this plaque,” said Ed Dore, owner of Dore Landscaping.

Dore’s company worked on six of the 19 houses, picking up the remaining houses that hadn’t been selected by other companies.

“These are all people that use horticulture as a way to interact with the community and help it out,” he said.

Baltimore? Are you listening?

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

A gardener with only a tiny space in which to garden wastes none of it. That's certainly true of the gardeners of Buffalo's quaint Cottage District who will open their gardens to the public July 24-25 during the annual Garden Walk.

Seeing these alleys, I felt deprived because I don't have one to plant!

Photo credits: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

Posted by Susan Reimer at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

Garden Walk Buffalo has become a national sensation, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the city and to its 350 open gardens during the last full weekend in July (July 24 and 25 this year). 

Indeed, the entire region seems to plant in order to peak during that weekend.

About 70 garden bloggers, invited by Garden Walk president Jim Charlier and local garden blogger and magazine editor Elizabeth Licata, got a sneak preview of Garden Walk last weekend --  beating the longs lines and the crowds -- and perhaps the most charming stop on our tour was the Cottage District and its small but abundant gardens.

The district is made up of tiny Civil War era cottages that were once rented to the factory workers. Now they are occupied by an eclectic mix of retirees, young professionals and artists, and each seems willing to try to outdo a neighbor when it comes to gardening.

Each of the tiny gardens is densely planted and filled with eye-catching art, planters and whimsy. And each includes a little spot to to sit, to talk or to entertain - albeit on a very small scale.

Take a tour of the Cottage District with me on Flickr.com. And return here often this week for more highlights from Garden Variety's visit to Buffalo.

Thanks to Garden Walk, I will never think of Buffalo as the snow capital of America again. It has been transformed for me into a gardening destination!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

Photo credit: Michael Lemmon

No soil required!

Tillandsias are an amazing group of plants that come in a variety of shapes and are easy to care for.

They differ from most other plants because they draw nutrients and moisture from the air through specially designed cells found on their leaves.

Usually called “air plants,” their root systems are used to anchor them to a host system, such as a branch or rock.

They are part of the Bromeliad family and can be found in tropical forests, mountains and even deserts.

At Baltimore’s Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park, there is an epiphytic wall in the Tropical Room that is full of tillandsias now in bloom and displaying a wide range of reds, purples and pinks.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 6:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore's Rawlings Conservatory
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Susan Reimer

Greetings from Buffalo, one of the best-kept secrets among garden cities in the country!

Gardening seems to have gone viral in this city, thanks to Garden Walk, an annual event that now opens 350 neighborhood gardens to perhaps 50,000 visitors each July: once someone in the neighborhood starts planting, everybody wants to garden!

Garden Walk doesn't actually begin until later this month, but I am here with about 70 garden bloggers for a sneak preview, and it has been extraordinary, and so much more than just cute houses and nice gardens!

I will be writing about what I have seen in the days ahead, and posting plenty of pictures. But the packed schedule doesn't permit much time at the computer during my stay.

In the meantime, friend me on Facebook, where I will be posting photos and mini-updates. And on Twitter and Twitpic, where I will also post photos.

And, put Buffalo and Garden Walk on your bucket list!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

Garden Variety departs today for Buffalo and a meet-up of some 70 garden bloggers and writers that happily coincides with the city's annual Garden Walk, which is becoming quite the sensation.

The self-guided tour of more than 350 gardens, in its third year, might be the largest of its kind in the country and last year more than 45,000 visited the gardens. It is such a success that it has been expanded to a month-loing event, with tours, seminars and concerts.

Garden writers, bloggers, authors and horticultural people from 22 states and Canada will be in Buffalo this weekend, and we will all be posting pictures and comments about the gardens we visit, beginning this evening at the home of host Elizabeth Licata, who writes for the popular Garden Rant blog.

You can follow my end-of-day posts here on Garden Variety, but I will also be posting photos on my Facebook page and Tweeting about what I see during the tours.  

www.facebook/susanreimer and http://twitpic.com/photos/SusanReimer.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Gene Sweeney

The landscape plan for the restoration of the Eutaw Place median gardens in Baltimore City was designed by Carlo VanGrieken, who is an active member of the Bolton Hill Garden Club, which executed the restoration.

In the center bed, a blend of colors and textures are used that compliment the other blocks in the median but stand out from the rest. Hardy plants that grow well in an urban environment are used. For example, red Knockout roses are used  in other blocks. While Knockout roses were also the choice for this block, white and yellow were chosen, which are less commonly used.

The roses are complimented with crimson bayberry to add a touch of dark red. Perennial salvia was added for a touch of purple/green, and juniper bush were installed for texture – and the fact that it will eventually grow over the sides of the garden wall and will add a backdrop for the black-eyed Susans. Complimenting the black-eyed Susans is faux holly.

Surrounding the fence is a mix of green and variegated lariope. In addition, daffodil bulbs and lily of the valley were planted to add color during the early spring. All of this is complimented with annuals – this year blue and purple Wave petunias were used.

Plants selected for the end beds are predominantly shade varieties. A variety of hosta (green and variegated) and shrubs that would compliment the pinwheel patterns of the design were installed, with the urn being the focal point.

The urns are surrounded with a lime green variegated shade grass. Autumn and Christmas ferns were added for visual stimulation. The remainder of the beds are planted with pachysandra for green foliage with texture. Daffodils are also installed in these beds and vodka begonias are planted in the summer for a touch of color.

The urns are planted with multiple annuals including ferns, coleus, sweet potato vines, and impatiens.

But don't take my word for all of this. Plan a visit!

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Gene Sweeney

Posted by Susan Reimer at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

Photo creditA: Baltimore Sun/Gene Sweeney

The fountain that is the centerpiece of the restoration of the Eutaw Place median gardens isn't the original.

That fountain was known as The Children's Fountain or the Centennial Fountain because it was purchased from the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 for "much less" than the $9,000 cost of constructing it.

That fountain collapsed under the weight of ice and snow in the winter of 1945 and its pieces, along with the benches that surrounded it, were carted away. The removal of the benches was called "an indecency" by neighbors.

The fountain that was installed in the median had originally stood on the grounds of a nursing facility in downtown Baltimore. When the facility was relocated to Baltimore County (to make way for the beginnings of the University of Maryland Medical School complex), the fountain was moved with it. Years later, it was again moved, this time to storage to accommodate expansion of the nursing facility.

Meredith Millspaugh, a well-know civic activist, was a member of the Board of Directors at the nursing facility. She felt that the fountain should be returned to its “roots” in the city. When she read an article in the Baltimore Sun about the restoration of the Gunther Fountain in the 1400 block of Eutaw Place, she contacted the person from Bolton Hill that was mentioned in the article.

Though no funds were available to begin restoration, the fountain was brought to storage in the former ‘Oderite Building’ on Mt. Royal Avenue. When that building was demolished, it was moved to Baltimore Mid-Town Community Benefits offices, where it was chained to a metal railing in a parking lot.

Members of the Garden Club working on the median renovation project heard about the fountain and requested that it be donated to the project. Baltimore Mid-Town Community Benefits agreed to do so if the club could raise the funds necessary to have it restored, installed and maintained.

An agreement was made; the fountain was restored and moved to a Garden Club member’s garage where it awaited installation.

Note: a non-historical aspect was added to the fountain installation. Because the center median lacked an electricity source, the fountain and landscape lighting are powered by solar components.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Gene Sweeney

Eutaw Place in Baltimore City was once one of the grandest boulevards in the country, designed in 1854 with promenade gardens in the center and elaborate fountains and statuary. It was intended to resemble Paris' Champs Elysee and became a prototype for American landscaped parkways.

But Eutaw Place, and the surrounding Bolton Hill neighborhood, went through a period of decline in the 1950s and 1960s as the enormous single-family houses were broken up into apartments and families left the city.

Today, the neighborhood is on the upswing and an award-winning renewal of the Eutaw Place median gardens is evidence of that renewal.

Begun in 2006 by the Bolton Hill Garden Club and paid for with almost $50,000 in grants and donations, the gardens in the 1800 block of Eutaw Place sparkle with the sound of a fountain and are flooded with seasonal color. And it has become a gathering place for neighbors, too.

Using a plan for renovating the gardens found in old files, and with the cooperation of the city Department of Parks and Recreation, the Bolton Hill Garden Club completed the renovation in 2009 and has since won both state and national recognition for the project.

The Governor's Silver Beautification Bowl was awarded at the state convention of Federated Garden Clubs of America, and the project won first place in Historic Preservation - The May Duff Walters Achievement Award for Preservation of Beauty - at the national convention.

Here is a look at the median before the project, courtesy of the Bolton Hill Garden Club.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden destinations
        

Those of us who love garden literature know Vita Sackville-West, the English poet and novelist who was probably most famous during her life for her garden writing, though she is probably known best today for her "open" marriage and her affair with Virginia Woolf.

One of the great sadnesses of her life was the loss to her through primogenture of Knole House, her ancestral home, and she sought to replace it with Sissinghurst Castle, where she and her husband, Harold Nicholson, created elaborate gardens around the castle ruins.

She was perhaps the first to design garden "rooms," and the result is the most famous garden in all of England.

The gardens at Sissinghurst are under a National Trust now, but Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson's grandson, Adam Nicholson, lives there part time with his wife as they try to make Sissinghurst a working farm.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Buckley/National Trust Photo Library

Writing this week in the New York Times, Adam Nicholson describes the "rings" around Sissinghurst, from the ancient rooms in the castle to the gardens to the fields and the forests. He talks about the land and its connection to the past for him.

It is part of a series of essays about "Living Rooms," in the Times that explores the many variations of domestic life, and his essay is perfectly suited to such a topic.

 The garden rooms of Sissinghurst are as alive for Vita and Harold's grandson as if they were filled with family and friends.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden history
        

Faithful Garden Variety reader Holly asked me to remind gardeners to water their young (and old) trees during this hot spell.

"I am keeping my flowers watered each night but finally looked up at the branches of my beautiful 5-year-old red maple and felt like a guilty neglectful parent," Holly writes to me.

"More than half of it's leaves were crinkled from not enough water! I am in a frenzy each day now to give it a good long drink and I hope it isn't too late to save it! "

It was a wake-up call for me, too. And I am putting the Tree Gator back on my 2-year-old maple. Filling the 20-gallon bag once a week allows the slow watering the tree will need to get it through this summer.

Experts recommend about 5 gallons of water three or four times a month, and your sprinkler isn't going to get this done.

This Website has other watering information for young trees, too.

And so does The Philadelphia Flower Show blog.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Garden tips
        

Among our hosts is Elizabeth Licata, who contributes to the blog Garden Rant, and who admits to being somewhat nervous about our visit to her garden.

Boy, do I get it.

One of her fellow bloggers on Garden Rant is Susan Harris of Tacoma Park -- almost a neighbor. She called one day and said she'd be in my neighborhood of Annapolis and could she stop and see my garden?

I about fainted.

I'd have been more receptive to someone asking if they could stop by to look underneath my beds.

Elizabeth is a pro and her garden is often open to visitors and she writes about what she tries to do before they arrive to make her gardens ready.

But I think the rest of us see only the holes, mistakes and failures in our gardens. We see our bad design ideas and our stubborness about change. We see all the work that needs to be done. We see our own lack of imagination.

And, though our gardens are open to all who pass by our homes, the idea of a tour would bring on just the kind of performance anxiety Elizabeth describes.

Relax, Elizabeth. Other people's gardens are easy to love.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Garden blogs
        

Fern, over at Life on the Balcony, has written an easy how-to for making your own modest little bird bath.

It is the perfect size for a balcony, or for that naked spot in the garden, or tucked in under a crepe myrtle.

I am not sure the birds actually appreciate the more elaborate ablutions we provide for them.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Birds in the garden
        

The moment, as captured by President Obama's presidential photographer, Pete Souza, is the first official photo released of the President in Mrs. Obama's garden.

It reminds me of home. My DH is proud of my gardens and tells his friends about them. But he is isn't quite sure what it is all about!

Posted by Susan Reimer at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: White House Vegetable Garden
        

I have often said that I am a writer who gardens, not a garden writer. And anyone who takes advice from me does so at their own peril.

I do my best to combine pretty pictures, the latest gardening news and the advice of other, more expert, gardeners. But I am not sure I would take my advice about anything but what to order off a wine list.

What makes matters worse is that I don't take the advice I give.

I admit it. I should have cut back my perennials in May and June, and I didn't.

I was greedy for their growth. I couldn't bring myself to hack away at the emerging monardia, Echinecea and helianthus. I couldn't bring myself to cut back the Shasta daisies, the roses, the Russian sage, the new coreopsis that I planted last year.  

I congratulated myself on cutting back the Joe-pye weed, but even that was only a little of what I should have done.

The result is rangy and overgrown stuff all over the garden. All of it is blooming or ready to bloom, and now is not the time to cut it back.

My garden would have been so much more orderly and contained if I had been tough in May.

Now, all I can do is cut back the sedum "Autumn Joy" and hope for the best.

I have a gardening journal that I keep in one of those marbled composition notebooks, and I will make a note of my mistakes.

And hope I remember this lesson next year.

Posted by Susan Reimer at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Weekend Chores