|
Plant of the Month
Hesperaloe
By Andy Pulte
August
is a great month to take notice of plants that can really take the
heat. Hesperaloe parviflora,
or Flowering Texas Red False Yucca, is a great U.S. native that can
tolerate the most inhospitable, heat-soaked area of your landscape.
As July gives way to August, Hesperaloe parviflora continues
to show off with long bloom stalks, covered in yellow-throated,
salmon to red flowers that flag above the plant's coarse foliage.
For more information on the Hesperaloe, visit the Plant of the month Web site.
Beall Family Rose Garden Dedication
Located
in the Gardens, parking will be adjacent to the Gardens in Lot 66
behind the UT College of Veterinary Medicine on the Agriculture
Campus just off Neyland Drive. For more
information please visit the UT Gardens Web site.
August Gardening Tips
from
Research Horticulturist Jason Reeves, UT Gardens in Jackson
- Cut back by
one-third early planted annuals that are getting leggy or out
of control to keep them looking good into the fall. Give them
a shot of a water soluble fertilizer. Good candidates include
impatiens, salvia, sweet potato vine, trailing or ground
cover-type petunias, and herbs like basil.
- Roses can be pruned
and fertilized to encourage new growth and late summer
flowers.
- Begin collecting seed
of annuals and perennials for next year's garden. Cut seed
heads and place in brown paper bag, labeling each bag with the
name of the plant.
- Sow pansies,
ornamental kale and cabbage, and Swiss chard seed in a good
quality potting medium. After seedlings develop true leaves,
transplant them into individual cell packs or pots. Feed with
a water-soluble fertilizer. By late September or early October
they should be ready to transplant into the garden.
- Stop watering
amaryllis bulbs and place in a dry location. After leaves turn
yellow, remove the foliage and store bulbs in a cool, dry and
dark place for about two months. If need be, repot bulbs so
that the top one-third of each is above the soil. Water and
place indoors in a well-lit area. The bulbs should bloom in
six to eight weeks.
- Divide and
transplant bearded iris during the month of August. Cut back
the foliage by two-thirds, dig and divide rhizomes, and remove
any dead portions. Replant in a sunny, well drained location
with one-third of the rhizome above the existing soil level.
Water well.
- August is also a
good time to dig and divide daylilies. Using a sharp shovel to
split the clumps into desirable sizes. Cut back foliage to 5
inches, and replant in a sunny location.
- Plant autumn crocus
(Colchicum sp.)
now for a beautiful fall display. They are sometimes available
at garden centers, but more often from mail-order catalogues,
such as Brent and Becky's Bulbs.
For more gardening
calendar tips, go to the Garden Girls Calendar site.
Now
Showing
Eucomis - Pineapple Lily - This fragrant summer
flowering bulb is a South African native which has
tropical-looking, fleshy leaves with flower spikes that appear to
be miniature "pineapples" at the top of each stem. Bulbs
emerge late in spring, grow rapidly and flower for six weeks
with interesting seedpods continuing to frost. Full sun preferred,
but light shade in hot climates is acceptable. It is perfectly
normal for leaves to wilt a bit during the hot midday, but don't
worry, they perk up again the next morning. A marvelous cut flower,
stems stay fresh for weeks, but you should change water at least
weekly in vases. Hardy to USDA Zone 6 to 7 with an
insulating mulch or lift bulbs to store in a frost-free
location.
Dahlia - The hottest dahlias on
the market right now are the dark foliage selections. The gardens
have a nice collection for you to enjoy this month. Be sure to look
for 'Bishop of Llandoff,' 'Yellow
Hammer,' 'Classic Summer Time' and 'Ellen Huston.'
Zinnia - 'Zahara
Double Cherry' - New zinnias continue to hit the market and new
this year in the gardens is the 'Zahara'
series. They are disease resistant and 'Double Cherry' has full,
double blooms.
 Petunia - 'Supertunia
Vista Silverberry' and 'Supertunia
Lavender Skies' are two of our stellar introductions this summer
that are putting on quite a show. Don't miss their wonderful
performance and unique colors.
 Cleome - 'Senorita Rosalita' - This wonderful selection of Spider
Flower is a beautiful lavender with a
shorter, more compact habit. Butterflies are
loving this plant.
Pennisetum setaceum - 'Red Riding Hood' - I
love this new introduction of the annual Fountain Grass. The dwarf
habit plumes are a soft mauve color with deep burgundy foliage.
Pennisetum glaucum - 'Jade Princess' - This
new introduction of Ornamental Millet is worth a trip to the UT
Gardens. Its short, stocky habit with chartreuse foliage and soft,
burgundy plumes make it a must see plant.
Coleus - 'Color Blaze Dark Star'
- A knockout, deep purple, almost black selection which is striking
when used with contrasting colors.
 Sunflowers - All of the different
selections of sunflowers are in full bloom. You'll find dwarf and
tall varieties along with different shades of yellows, golds and even orange and burgundy.
Rose - Our new Beall
Family Rose Garden continues to pick up flower-power and August is
a great time to come and see the more than 100 selections in full
bloom!
It's Time to Vote for Your Favorite Flower
The American
Garden Award flower contestants in the UT Gardens are in the peak
of their competition. Be sure to visit the gardens this month and
vote for your favorite. The UT Gardens American Garden Award bed is
adjacent to the outdoor classroom. Use your cell phone to text your
vote to 88909 or vote by calling 1-800-210-4694. Watch online at www.americangardenaward.com as the votes tally
up! Voting will end on Tuesday, September 8, and America's most
favorite flowers will be announced.
Get
Involved with Dogwood Arts Festival's Bazillion Blooms
Bazillion Blooms is a dogwood tree planting program to beautify
East Tennessee communities, improve the health of our environment
and foster community support and pride in our beloved native
dogwood.
The goal of the program is to have a bazillion dogwood blooms in
the next three years and to restore dogwoods to their former
vitality in Knox and surrounding counties. Over the years, dogwoods
have died out due to disease, development and neglect. Our dogwoods
are battling to survive.
With the Dogwood Arts Festival's Bazillion Blooms and your help,
dogwoods will thrive again. If you would like to volunteer to help
with the community Day of Planting on December 5, 2009 at the UT
Gardens, please call the Dogwood Arts Festival Office at
865-637-4561. You may pledge to buy a blossom, a tree, or choose
any amount you desire by visiting the Dogwood Arts Festival Web site.
Scotts
Miracle-Gro to Close
Smith & Hawken Stores
According to Yale Youngblood of the 'Weekly Dirt' (7/14/09), The
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced July
8 it will cease operating its Smith & Hawken
business by the end of the calendar year and has hired a
third-party firm to manage the closure process. "We would have
preferred to sell the Smith & Hawken
business in order to protect jobs and keep the retail franchise
intact. However, after discussions with several potential investors
over the past 12 months, it became obvious that shutting down the
business was the best option available," said Jim Hagedorn, chairman and chief executive officer
of ScottsMiracle-Gro. "It is with
regret for the associates of Smith & Hawken
and our many loyal customers that we have reached this conclusion.
I want to acknowledge our associates who have been intensely loyal
and worked tirelessly to make Smith & Hawken
a viable enterprise. Unfortunately, the combination of a weak
economy and the lack of scale proved too great to overcome."
U.S.
Market for Lawn and Garden Products to Reach $26 billion in 2014
Bucking a trend of declining growth since reaching its peak in 2003
and 2004, the U.S. market for lawn and garden products will total
$26 billion in 2014, according to the latest report from
market-research publisher Packaged Facts. Annual growth rates
between 1 percent and 2 percent are expected. The report cites
several trends contributing to growth in the market, including
homeowners sustaining property value through lawn appearance, the
food gardening trend, the industry's 'greening' momentum and aging
baby boomers engaging in at-home pursuits.
Researchers
Have High Hopes for New Hybrid Chestnut Tree
A Purdue University study shows that introducing a new hybrid of
the American chestnut tree would not only bring back the
all-but-extinct species, but also put a dent in the amount of
carbon in the Earth's atmosphere, Science Daily reported.
Researchers have found that American chestnuts grow much faster and
larger than other hardwood species, allowing them to sequester more
carbon than other trees over the same period. Chestnut trees were
essentially wiped out by chestnut blight more than 50 years ago.
New efforts to hybridize remaining American chestnuts with
blight-resistant Chinese chestnuts have resulted in a species that
is about 94 percent American chestnut with the protection found in
the Chinese species. UT Institute of Agriculture researcher Scott Schlarbaum, through the Tennessee Tree Improvement Program, is
working with the Forestry Service and The American Chestnut
Foundation to reintroduce American chestnuts into the Cherokee
National Forest, the Cumberland Forest and other southern forests.
U.S.
National Arboretum Opens "Living Gardens Catalog" Exhibit
The "Living Gardens Catalog" exhibit features plants new
to traditional American horticulture. It was developed by the U.S.
National Arboretum and the horticulture industry and will be
displayed at the arboretum's Visitors Center and the surrounding
Introduction Garden. The "Living Gardens Catalog" puts a
twist on the traditional plant catalogs gardeners often receive in
the mail. Informational posters that resemble catalog pages for
each of the featured plants are set up in the lobby. Visitors can
then view these plants, some of which are being displayed in public
for the first time, in the garden outside. The exhibit features a
variety of plants, from bedding annuals and perennial plants to
shrubs and trees.Check out the U.S. National Arboretum's Web site for more
information.
Fungus May Combat Kudzu
Kudzu, a fast-growing vine that has throttled the Southeast, may
have met its match. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists
have formulated a naturally occurring fungus into a biologically
based herbicide. ARS plant pathologist Doug Boyette
and his team are testing the fungus, Myrothecium
verrucaria, which works so quickly that
kudzu plants sprayed with it in the morning start showing signs of
damage by mid-afternoon. In greenhouse experiments, spray
formulations killed 100 percent of kudzu seedlings and 90 percent
to 100 percent of older plants in outdoor trials. Host-range tests
in 2005 showed that Myrothecium caused
little or no injury to many woody plants including oak, cedar,
pine, hickory, pecan, sassafras and blackberry. Besides kudzu, Myrothecium also showed potential as a preemergence bioherbicide,
controlling purslane and spurge in
transplanted tomatoes. By Kelli Rodda,
Nursery Management & Protection Weekly E-newsletter
(7/24/2009).
Honey
Bee Collapse Potentially Solved
Scientists believe the fungus Nosema ceranae is responsible for honey bee collapse,
not pesticides as once feared. Flumagillin
(an antibiotic) kills the fungus in its active, reproducing state,
but there is no known method of killing its spores. A Montana State
University grad student tested different compounds beekeepers could
use to kill the N. ceranae spores and
found that a 10 percent bleach solution worked the best. By Kelli Rodda, Nursery Management & Protection
Weekly E-newsletter (7/24/2009).
UT
Gardens Volunteers 'Cement' the End of Summer Sessions with a Hypertufa W orkshop
A recent trip to attend Summer Celebration at our gardens in
Jackson, Tennessee was the catalyst behind a recent hypertufa workshop that coincided with the end
of our summer volunteer sessions. Jason Reeves, curator of the
Jackson Gardens, had worked with regional Master Gardeners to
create many interesting hypertufa
containers to showcase sedums and other succulents in their plant
sale. Faye Beck, a garden volunteer with experience making hypertufa, agreed to help show all interested
Knoxville volunteers just how easy it could be.
Hypertufa is a (relatively) lightweight mix of cement, perlite or vermiculite and sand, which can be
shaped into attractive, stone-like troughs and containers for use
in the garden. On Tuesday, July 28, 19 volunteers arrived for a
hands-on lesson in mixing and shaping this material. The UT Gardens
provided all supplies, and after a short demonstration everyone
jumped in to begin making his or her own masterpieces. Each
volunteer got to keep a favorite creation, and the gardens will
keep the rest of them to be sold at the upcoming fall plant sale.
If you missed out on this particular workshop, don't despair - we
had so much fun we will be doing it again! Although we will
take a break from active volunteering during August, we will resume
in September and YOU are welcome to join us! Please contact Beth
Willis, volunteer coordinator, at ewillis2@utk.edu or 865-974-2712 for more
information on becoming an Official Volunteer of the UT Gardens.
Summer
Books & Blooms is Over, but
Fall Books & Bloo ms is Just
Around the Corner
The sixth annual Books & Blooms just wrapped up its last
session of the summer on Thursday, July 30. Attendance grew this
year; total attendance for the 11-week program was 650 children and
400 adults. Books & Blooms pairs local storytellers with craft
activities to help connect area children with nature and encourage
them to get outdoors with their families. As an added bonus, the
gardens' staff set up sprinklers each week and turned them on to
let kids run through, play and cool off. This summer, children
listened to great stories about frogs, bees and other nature
themes, and then participated in related educational activities
such as planting sunflowers, making a worm bin composter, and
making hummingbird feeders. A new feature of Books & Blooms
this year was a weekly page that children could decorate as they
wished; at the final session the pages were assembled into a book
that the children kept as a memento of the summer.
Katheryne Nix, a UT public horticulture
student intern at the UT Gardens, will be in charge of the fall
Books & Blooms program. It will begin at 10:30 am on Thursday,
September 3, and will continue every Thursday through October. As
always it will be free and open to the public and will be held
either rain or shine. Please contact Katheryne
at kavery3@utk.edu, or
Beth Willis at ewillis2@utk.edu,
to be placed on a list to receive e-mail updates about the Books
& Blooms program.
To see the Daily Beacon Article about the Spring Books and Blooms click here.
UT
Gardens Trial Evaluations Now Available Online, but Nothing Beats a
Live Show
The 2009 Summer Trials have been underway for some time in both
Knoxville and Jackson. Three hundred trial varieties were prepared
in our greenhouses, sited for optimal performance, and given proper
horticultural care so that they could dazzle us with their very
best show. Those varieties are now being evaluated to see just how
well they're holding up to our heat and humidity! This year,
evaluation results are available online as the summer progresses, and
we are all busy making lists of our favorite performers so far. But
while browsing through ratings and pictures online is convenient,
nothing beats actually seeing these plants' performances live and
in person. Come make your own list of favorites, so that the next
time you have space to tuck something into your garden, you'll know
just what you're looking for when you go to the garden center.
Event
Calendar
July
Tuesday,
August 18 (noon and 6 p.m.) UT Gardens
Noon Time and
Twilight Walking tour of the gardens
Free; meet at
the gardens entrance
Thursday, September 3
(10:30 a.m.) UT Gardens
Family Fun: Books & Blooms
Free
Friday, August 14 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) Fountain City Art Center
COMMA (COMe Make Art) Exhibition
COMMA (COMe Make Art) is having an
exhibition at the Fountain City Art Center August 14-September 11,
2009. The reception is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday,
August 14. COMMA is a "plein
air" group founded in 2004 by Cheri Jorgenson with Gay Nell
Gray that meets at UT Gardens weekly during the summer to create
artwork. This show celebrates six years in the gardens and
includes work by members Owen Weston, Judy Jorden,
Javonne Hall, Shelley Mangold,
Jackie Wright, Diane Hamilton and more.
|