June
6.25.10 - Gardening Weather Alert
Lately, we have been experiencing a variety of weather patterns including high temperatures, storms & heavy rainfall. This combination can make it challenging for gardeners. Wednesday evening, after the storm many tree limbs were laying on the ground & hydrangeas as well as other perennials weighted by their beautiful blossoms were lying over. Hanging baskets & container gardens were disheveled & in need of trimming. If your landscape was damaged here are a few tips to help. Be sure to cut broken limbs rather than leave the splintered wood. If perennials have broken stems cut them back to allow for new growth. If stems are bent over stake them to hold them up. I would suggest using plant props which is a stake with a ring at the top to hold the blossom up. They are easy to use without tying. Hanging baskets & container gardens with broken or stringy stems should be cut back & fertilized so that new growth can fill in. Finally, be sure container gardens are draining properly so the roots do not rot. It is always sad to see well manicured gardens looking less than stellar right after the storm & yet I am amazed by the resiliency of plants & trees.
Additionally, frequent rainfall & high humidity create favorable conditions for pest & disease issues. Take a walk through your landscape & garden to look for tell tale signs. The most common issue after a period of rainfall is holes in the leaves caused by slugs which can be easily treated with slug bait. Diseases are a little different than insects because they must be suppressed rather than killed. Plants really benefit from good cultural practices including proper spacing to allow air movement which will help reduce disease issues. A few diseases you might keep an eye out for are: leaf spot (looks like brown spots on the leaves) or powdery mildew (looks like a white film on the leaves). If treated right away you can avoid further damage to the plant. If you are experiencing any of these issues or another problem with your landscape plants bring in a sample for a diagnosis & treatment plan. Treatment options include traditional & organic earth friendly.
Finally, on days when temperatures exceed 85 degrees many container plants will dry out very quickly. This is especially true for hanging baskets. You may need to water them more frequently during periods of high temperatures. We recommend checking hanging baskets by the weight of the basket because some plants may wilt when the soil is moist. If the basket is heavy it is most likely well watered. Light weight indicates the need for additional watering. Despite the weather challenges if you give them a little TLC, your garden will be looking great in time for the July 4th holiday.
6.17.10 - Here's to Dad!
This weekend we celebrate Father’s Day honoring the fathers & grandfathers in our life. Mother’s Day seems to get a little more attention since it coincides with the beginning of the gardening season however; we value Fathers just as much. Frequently, fathers will bring their children to pick out their garden plants. When I ask people that love gardening where they learned to garden they will often say they learned from their Dad. It is a special legacy & life skill for a Dad to pass on to his children. As many of you know, my father was a farmer & he loved to grow things. He was the founder of Graf Growers & we continue to carry on his legacy & remember him sweetly. This weekend consider sharing a gardening experience with your Dad.
6.10.10 - Perennial Month (and bugs)
June is Perennial Gardening Month & for good reason. It is the month that so many of the perennials are at their peak. This year Graf Growers has partnered with Summit County Farm Bureau to offer a Free Perennial Gardening Seminar next Thursday June 17th from 6:00 – 7:30 PM. Pam Bennett an educator with OSU Extension will be the speaker. She is an entertaining speaker as well as very knowledgeable with a lot of “hands-on” experience. Her topic is: Expand Your Perennial Palette with Must Have Low Maintenance Perennials. She will be introducing you to many easy to grow varieties & discussing how to care for them. We will be serving refreshments, offering freebies, & door prizes. It is sure to be an enjoyable evening. There are still seats available. Please call to register.
Additionally, it is the perfect time to shop for perennials because so many of them are blooming & you can see their colorful blooms. I walked through the perennial greenhouse yesterday & it is just bursting with flowers. Astilbe, a shade loving perennial, is budded & just starting to bloom in shades of pink, white, & rosy reds with big feathery plume like flowers. There are numerous blue flowers (my favorite) blooming including Geranium ‘Rozanne’ which is a great re-blooming perennial. A new variety of Lychnis caught my eye with beautiful silvery foliage & deep magenta flowers. You’ll find blooming daylilies, gaillardias, & so many others. I invite you to stop in, take a walk through the perennials & find the just the right ones for your garden.
What’s Bugging You? Oops, I mean your Plants?
We’re starting to see baggies with leaf & insect samples everyday. Rainy days & prolonged wet humid periods create perfect conditions for slugs & plant diseases like powdery mildew to prevail. Generally, they are easy to control & you can minimize damage if you catch it early. I would encourage you to take a walk around your garden & landscape to inspect your plants for holes or discoloration. If you’re not sure feel free to bring a sample for diagnosis. There are many ways to treat your plants including conventional & organic methods. We’ll be happy to help you find the best method of treatment should you need it.
6.3.10 - Don't despair!
One of the most common comments I have heard in the garden center this week is “I am so far behind” or “I’m just getting started with my gardening”. Chilly May temperatures & rainy weekends have made it difficult to keep up with spring planting. I can assure you that there is still plenty of time to plant & enjoy your garden all summer. In fact, I always plant my gardens & containers in mid June after the spring rush. I have found that the key to June gardening is to be sure to keep newly transplanted plants well watered to get them established. I especially like to make perennial choices in June when so many of the varieties are blooming so I can coordinate colors. So don’t despair, stop in this weekend & get started. Visiting the garden center is often like going on a treasure hunt as you go in & out of the greenhouses & the nursery looking for plants that inspire you. We’ve stocked up with fresh plants so you’ll find a great selection. You’ll enjoy your garden all summer!
A few guests have mentioned that they are struggling with slugs chewing holes in the leaves of their hosta plants. This is easily remedied by applying Buggetta or Deadline slug & snail bait which will attract & kill the slugs. If you are not sure if it is slugs you can easily test for them by putting a shallow saucer or jar lid filled with beer in the garden. If slugs are a problem you will find them in or around the saucer of beer the next morning. In addition, the humid weather conditions make it favorable for disease issues. Look at your roses & other perennials for signs of powdery mildew or black spot. If treated early it is much easier to control & your plants will look good all summer. We’ll help you select the right control product for your plants. We offer conventional products as well as products that are safe for organic gardens. Finally, be sure to keep hanging baskets & porch pots well watered during these times of high temperatures & remember to snip back stringy stems & fertilize regularly to keep them looking their best.
6.26.09 - Q & A with the Master Gardeners of Summit County!
This week I had the honor of speaking to the Master Gardeners of Summit County. They are a very ambitious & committed group of gardeners that plan & host the 'Tour of Gardens' every June as well as monthly garden talks that are open to the public. My topic was “gardening trends & new products for the garden”. As I prepared for the presentation I really thought about what would be of interest to them. We discussed how plant breeders are working diligently to develop plants that bloom a long time or have multi-season interest in addition to being low maintenance. We discussed color trends & how the popular colors will reflect the blending of the urban environment with nature as we see earthy browns & deep grays combined with the bright colors of flowers. Last, we discussed local gardening trends as many people planted vegetable gardens for the first time & others are desperately seeking deer resistant plant varieties & repellents. Finally it was time for questions & this is where the real nuts & bolts type discussion took place. They asked many good questions & shared their gardening experiences so I thought I would share a few of them with you:
How can I get my Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ to bloom more? In a very unscientific study Laura Kaufman, Graf’s Perennials & Nursery Manager followed a hunch & discovered that her hydrangeas bloomed better with regular monthly fertilization of Plant-tone by Espoma. I followed her lead & started fertilizing the hydrangeas in my landscape mid summer last year as well. This made all the difference as they started blooming late last summer sporadically & this year they are loaded with blooms. In addition, turn blooms a darker blue by applying Hydra – Blue or Aluminum Sulphate.
I have old established Iris that no longer blooms. Should I eliminate them & start over? You can dig up the old iris, replenish the soil with compost or sweet peet, divide the iris & replant. Be sure to fertilize them as well when you replant them. They should bloom prolifically once again next year. There were several participants there that said they had the same experience. Their iris beds were show-stoppers after that, so it is definitely worth the work.
Do I need to remove the spent blossoms on my Knock-out Roses? Technically, you do not need to dead head the spent flowers & they will continue to bloom all summer however if you remove the spent blooms they recover & rebloom much faster.
We discussed the importance of removing the dead flowers of reblooming perennial varieties as soon as possible to keep them reblooming for a longer period of time. This is especially so for reblooming daylilies.
6.11.09 - How to deal with insect damage in my landscape
 I made a garden visit this morning to see a beautiful perennial & rose garden in peak bloom which is pictured here. The gardener is Lynn Malone & she told me her roses have never bloomed this well in past years. She said she mulched the bed last fall with “Sweet Peet” & she attributes the abundance of blooms to this. Sweet Peet is a rich organic soil amendment made from animal manures, vegetative compost & finely ground bark mulch. It is available in 1.5 cu. ft. bags & bulk by the cubic yard. It is not too late to mulch with “Sweet Peet” to enhance your gardens this year.
We are seeing a lot of leaf samples lately with insect & disease issues. Most commonly we’re seeing slug damage on hosta with can be controlled with slug bait. You can test to see if you have them by putting a small saucer of beer on the ground near them. The beer will attract the slugs overnight. In addition, we’re seeing Black-eyed Susans & Coneflower leaves with black spots that look similar to a leaf spot disease but are actually caused by the four lined plant bug which is a troublemaker in gardens every June. They can be controlled with Insecticidal Soap or Eight. Take a walk through your garden & look closely. If you see insect or disease damage bring a sample in & we’ll help you decide on a plan for treatment. We carry both organic & conventional products. If treated early, most issues will cause minimal damage so your garden will continue to be beautiful.
6.4.09- A few tips to keep your landscape looking its best!
The recent rainy days have been good to keep new plantings fresh & healthy. Now that sunshine is in the forecast you can get out to enjoy your garden & finish spring planting. A few tips to keep your landscape looking its best.
•Take a walk through your landscape & gardens weekly to inspect for insect damage & disease issues. After a lot of rain you may see slug damage on hosta or disease issues on roses & others. If you catch it early, most often it can be treated easily with minimal damage to the plant.
• Be sure container gardens are draining so they are not waterlogged. If needed, lift them up by putting a prop under them so water can drain. In addition, check the soil of container gardens & hanging baskets to see if they need watered even if it has rained. Often the canopy of foliage is so dense that they do not get the water of a soft rain. In addition, fertilize them regularly so they stay healthy & full. One way to tell if hanging baskets are wet or dry is by weight. When they are wet they will be very heavy & when dry they are very light. It is always good to check the weight of hanging baskets after you water them to be sure the soil absorbed the water.
•Weeds are growing like wildfire with the recent rains. After you finish weeding apply Preen to prevent weeds from growing again
6.27.08 - The moderate summer temperatures & frequent rainfall has been perfect for extending the planting season.
If you are preparing for July 4th festivities & want your gardens to look just right, why not add a few new perennials or brighten up a spot in your landscape with annuals to give it a finishing touch. The big blooms of dahlias or a few well placed cannas will add drama to the garden or other colorful annuals will you’re your gardens more festive.Take advantage of summer bloom times to make good perennial & shrub selections that will coordinate well with your existing plantings. Consider foliage color to add contrast which will make your landscape more interesting. I love the contrast of silver or gold foliage against dark green in the garden. A touch of red foliage will draw your eye as well. You would be amazed by the difference it makes when you change a few plants & provide contrasting colors of foliage & flowers. I encourage you to evaluate your landscape, make a few changes & plant away! This is part of what makes gardening fun!
Summer storms have sure prevailed this past week. Although the rain is good for keeping our lawns green, heavy rains can be damaging to landscape plants & container gardens. I was reminded of this as I looked at a few Annabelle Hydrangeas planted in the landscape at Graf Growers. Yesterday they were absolutely perfect & this morning they were hanging low from the weight of wet leaves. As the leaves dried in the sun they started to perk up but often plants that are beat down by rain will require staking or trimming to keep them looking their best. Be sure to remove damaged flowers, trim straggly or damaged branches & check container gardens to see if they are water logged. If so, drain pots so the roots do not rot. When the soil is wet slugs will prevail so it is best to treat for slugs especially around hosta with Bug-geta by Ortho or another brand of slug bait. After the rains it is usually very humid which can cause plant diseases to flourish. Keep an eye out for powdery mildew or black spot on roses & other plants. Treat for it if noticed. We’ll help you with diagnosis & treatment recommendations. If you provide a little TLC now they will look beautiful all summer.
6.13.08 - The staff and I have chosen a few of our favorite perennials to share with you...
In a previous post I mentioned that I would list a few of my favorite perennials during the month of June. As I started to write I decided it might be fun to share a few favorites of other staff members as well.
Laura Kaufman (perennial & nursery manager) said one of her favorites is Foxglove ‘Metronensis’ which has beautiful pink or white bell shaped flowers on a long stem with contrasting speckles. This perennial grows 36” high, & 18” wide. Laura said it has been very drought tolerant & has performed well in poor soil in her landscape. This variety is truly a perennial not a biennial.
Tom Kriska’s (landscape designer) favorite perennial to use in landscapes is various varieties of Heuchera because of it’s long lasting colored foliage which provides contrast in the landscape. The foliage stays beautiful until it is covered with snow. The plants are easy to grow, very low maintenance & they will grow in full sun to filtered shade to about 12” high & wide with airy flowers in early summer. They are known for their colored foliage in reds, lime green, peach, & others rather than the flower.
I like so many so it is hard to choose which one is my favorite. However, one of my favorites is Caryoptoris which grows about 30” – 36” tall & has azure blue flowers in late summer & early fall. One of the reasons I like this plant so much is the color is great as well as the late bloom time because it blooms when many others are waning. Even though they are very common, I love the texture of the graceful arching leaves & bright blooms of daylilies in the landscape especially the re-blooming varieties like ‘Happy Returns’ (lemon yellow) & ‘Pardon Me’ (red). They are so easy & rewarding to grow!
If you have newly planted perennials or shrubs keep them well watered until they are established. It is best to soak the soil for a period of time once or twice a week rather than watering them every day. I like to turn the hose on low at the base of the plant for about 15 minutes depending on the size of the plant (less for smaller plants) for deep root watering. Annuals have smaller roots so this method does not work as well. Check annuals every day & water as needed.
One last thought, if you are thinking of going on the garden tour next week I highly recommend it. It is always fun to see what people have planted & get ideas for your own garden. Tickets are on sale at Graf Growers & other sites.
6.6.08 - There is still plenty of time to plant, take time to create a beautiful garden!
I said this last week & I’ll say it again…if you are late getting started with planting this year you still have plenty of time to do so & the selection & quality of plants are prime. Take time to create a beautiful garden or a few pots so you can enjoy them all summer long & perennials for years to come!
June is a great time for starting a new perennial garden or adding to your landscape because many of them are just starting to bloom & you can see the flower color. As I walked through the perennial displays beautiful liles, astilbe & iris are blooming as well as baptisia & many others are just starting to bloom. When planting perennials consider height & bloom time so you make the right selections as well as contrasting foliage & flower color to keep your garden interesting. Laura (perennial & nursery manager) has brought in truck loads of fresh perennials this week including new varieties so there is a great selection to choose from. We’ll help you make selections & provide growing advise.
Over the last week I have heard many people discussing vegetable gardening. It started with a phone call from a reporter with the New York Times. She was working on a story about people growing their own food to save money. Then I heard a discussion on the radio between a few DJ’s discussing their first garden & asking for callers to phone in a few tips. Additionally, several people asked me how to get started growing vegetables. I thought I would offer a few tips:
*We typically think of planting a garden as a 1 time experience as we set out our tomato & pepper plants. However, that also means a big harvest all at once. If you are planning on enjoying your garden for family meals & do not need a large volume all at once then it is best if you plant smaller quantities of vegetables like green beans, lettuce, green onions, corn & others every few weeks so you have a steady supply all summer. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, & melons are best planted early by the middle of June for optimum harvest.
*Keep tomatoes evenly moist to avoid blossom end rot. (To explain: when tomato plants experience periods of drought between watering, plants are not able to properly utilize the calcium in the soil which then causes the ugly black sunken spots we often see on tomatoes early in the season.)
You do not have to have a large garden plot to enjoy growing vegetable plants. Tomatoes & lettuce grow well in pots as well as others. A few tomato plants can provide a lot of tomatoes that you will enjoy!
Fertilize with natural fertilizers like Espoma Garden-Tone or Plant-Tone to keep plants healthy & strong. Additionally Tomato-Tone developed so you can grow great tasting tomatoes!
One last thing…Since it has been a cool spring our bodies are not used to the heat so be sure to drink lots of water & stay hydrated while you are gardening this weekend!
6.29.07 - Weekend Forecast
The forecast is great for summer planting this weekend! There is still time to plant a new landscape or just a few replacements or if you went on the garden tour last week you may have been inspired to make a few changes in your landscape. Either way, the key to successful summer planting is to keep the plant well watered especially concentrating on soaking the original root ball. I think it is the best time of year to plant a perennial garden because you can see the blooms of many of the plants & will be able to choose the colors & textures more accurately. Bring a picture of your project & measurements if you can & we’ll help you make selections that compliment your home & thrive in your conditions.
Plant Di sease & Insect Problems?
This is the time of year when we see a good number of plant disease & insect issues. This past week we have seen a lot of powdery mildew & Japanese beetles. The high humidity will cause powdery mildew fungal spores to proliferate, damaging foliage & weakening plant health. Observe your landscape plants for a white powdery looking substance on the upper leaves. It is commonly seen on roses. If you are unsure bring in a sample. It is best to treat it with a fungicide & we will make a recommendation based on the type of plant you are treating. Japanese Beetles & other types of beetles will chew holes in the leaves of your plants. You can pick off the beetles & destroy them or you can treat plants with Sevin which comes as a spray or a dust or a product named Eight which also is available as a spray or dust for easy application. If you wish to treat Japanese Beetles organically you can use Rotenone which is available in a dust form only. As always when making applications follow the directions on the label carefully.
6.22.07 - Perennial Secrets
If you missed the perennial seminar last Friday there is still time to sign up for the seminar on June 30th with Bobbie Schwartz of Bobbie’s Green Thumb. If you are interested in perennial gardening you will not want to miss an opportunity to hear her. Her perennial knowledge is incredible & her enthusiasm for perennial gardening is contagious. You will learn form her first hand experience. Cost is $15. & pre-registration is preferred.
I thought I would share a few tips from last Saturdays seminar presented by Laura Kaufman, perennial & nursery manager at Graf Growers. Laura said she chooses perennials for their multi season interest or unique characteristics. In addition, due to time constraints she likes perennials that are tough & do not require excessive nurturing. I have listed a few of the varieties that she mentioned for your consideration.
Lychnis Coronaria (Rose Campion) – This plant has bright magenta-pink flowers with silver foliage is easy to grow in the sun & fairly drought tolerant. Even after flowers have faded the silvery foliage color adds interest in a perennial border. This plant brings back memories for me as I remember picking the pretty blossoms as a child.
Chelone (Turtlehead) this little known native perennial grows well in heavy or partial shade. It has dark green leaves & bright pink flowers in late summer through fall. It is a tough low maintenance perennial that fills out the garden without being invasive.
Reblooming Daylilies – most everyone is familiar or has at least seen the bright gold blooms of Stella D’Oro Daylies that are so well known because they keep blooming but there are a few other varieties that keep blooming for your consideration. ‘Happy Returns’ has bright lemon yellow flowers & grows 24” tall. ‘Rosy Returns’ is a rosy plum color & ‘Pardon Me’ is dark brick red with a yellow throat & it looks great planted behind Stella D’Oro because it is slightly taller. All of the daylilies listed will rebloom when spent blooms are removed.
Yesterday I was speaking with a guest & she mentioned that she belongs to a garden club where they visit each others garden & help one another. This prompted me to mention the value of garden clubs & garden tours. Tomorrow I will be touring local gardens on the Master Gardener’s Tour of Gardens. (Tickets are still available until the close of business today.) In addition, I have spoken to hundreds of garden clubs over the last 20 years. Every time I participate in a seminar, tour, or garden club I learn something new. There is so much value in sharing experiences & favorite plants with others. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just learning I encourage you to participate in tours, seminars or garden clubs & enjoy sharing!
6.15.07 - Summer Flower Care
You’ll want to keep your plants looking their best all summer so I have put together a list of tips.
Deadheading – Remove spent blooms on annuals & perennials to keep them blooming longer & more prolifically. This is not necessary for all blooming plants but many of them benefit from regular deadheading. For example; expired geranium flowers shatter & their petals fall all over the plant which causes the leaves to get spots where the petal was on the leaf. In addition, deadheading promotes more blooms especially with perennials & roses.
Pinching & Pruning – If annual plants begin to look a bit stretched with weak stems & straggly looking plants it is best to sacrifice a few blooms & cut them back. Use your fingers or a garden shears to cut them. This is especially so for hanging baskets & container plants. After you cut them, fertilize with Miracle Gro Bloom Booster & they will grow & bloom faster.
Watering & fertilizing – regular watering & fertilizing make a big difference in the health of a plant. Try to avoid plants becoming wilted over & over as this weakens the plant over time. It is difficult to explain watering practices but I suggest that you soak the plants thoroughly when you water & then wait for them to be dry to the touch before you water again. On really hot days you should check them daily. One way to tell if hanging baskets need watering is to check the weight of them; if they are light they need water & if they are heavy they most likely are still moist. Follow the directions on the fertilizer that you are using to determine how often it should be applied. If you are using a time released fertilizer like Osmocote or something similar you can still give plants a mid summer boost about once a month with Miracle Gro or Miracle Gro Bloom Booster. If you are going out of town pick up ‘GelSpike Mini’s’ which are little bottles of a water filled gel with a spike that goes into the soil that provides a time released vacation watering system. This should help them make it through hot summer days.
I said it last week but it is worth repeating. It’s not too late for spring planting …Perhaps you haven’t had time to plant this spring or you would like to create a new landscape bed either way you can keep planting all summer. The key to successful summer planting is to keep up with regular watering especially soaking the original root ball until the plant is established. We have a good selection of flowering annuals fresh from the greenhouse. In addition, we have stocked up with fresh perennials & shrubs. You’ll be amazed at the selection & quality. We’ll help you make selections that will thrive in your landscape so keep planting & enjoy your landscape all summer!!!
6.8.07 - It's Not too Late to Plant...
Perhaps you haven’t had time to plant this spring or you would like to create a new landscape bed either way you can keep planting all summer. The key to successful summer planting is to keep up with regular watering especially soaking the original root ball until the plant is established. I took a walk through the greenhouses this week & there is a great selection of flowering annuals & vegetable plants that are fresh & not overgrown. In addition, we have stocked up with fresh perennials & shrubs. You’ll be amazed at the selection & quality. We’ll help you make selections that will thrive in your landscape so keep planting & enjoy your landscape all summer!!!
Pesky Aphids…this year we are seeing a lot of plant samples with aphids. This insect is generally seen clustered on the stems & near the buds. They are small oval shaped & green (similar to the shade of plant stems) or black & they leave a sticky excretion on plants. They will not harm plants immediately however the health of the plant will decline over time causing distorted leaves & sooty mold which forms on the sticky parts. It is best if it is treated as soon as you see it & we recommend that you spray plants according to the directions with a product named Eight by Bonide. (Remember to spray early in the morning or in the evening when the air is still & the sun is less intense.)
6.1.07 - Keep Watering!
With the temperatures in the high 80’s this week recently transplanted plants need regular watering.
Hydrangeas – this week we are featuring all of the hydrangeas including ‘Endless Summer’ for $5. off regular price so I thought I would tell you a little bit about a few varieties. Traditionally, Hydrangea blooms were formed on either the old or new stems of the plant. One of my favorite older varieties is ‘Annabelle’ which can be cut down each year in in the fall. New growth appears in the spring followed by pale green flowers on new stems in mid June lasting until late fall. Furthermore, now there are 2 varieties that offer blooms all season long on both new & old stems. They are a beautiful blue variety named “Endless Summer’ & a pale pink variety that fades to white named ‘Blushing Bride’. Both are beautiful low maintenance shrubs that provide season long color. To enhance the blue color of ‘Endless summer’ & other blue hydrangea varieties start adding acid to the soil by appling HydraBlue. (available at Graf Growers) Hydrangeas thrive best in part shade or morning sun.
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