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Plant of the Month, March
Japanese Cornel Dogwood
By Dr. Sue
Hamilton
When you hear of
dogwood, most of us think of our native flowering dogwood tree (Cornus
florida). But truth be told, there are many different types of dogwood,
about 30-50 species! Most are deciduous shrubs and trees; some
species are herbaceous perennial plants; and a few of the woody species
are evergreen. One of my favorite types of dogwood is the Japanese
Cornel Dogwood. For more Plants of the Month visit the site.
Dogwood
Arts Festival's Bazillion
Blooms to
increase dogwood plantings
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. You may pledge a blossom for $20, a
tree for $100, or choose any amount you desire. For more information on how to help,
visit Bazillion
Blooms
Plant of the Month, April
Virginia Bluebell
By Dr. Sue Hamilton
Don't
miss the beautiful blue flowers and light green foliage of our native
wildflower, Virginia Bluebell. Their cool colors adorns the spring
woodland garden from early- to mid-spring. For more, visit the Plant of the Month site.
March & April Gardening Calendar and Tips
by Research Horticulturist Jason Reeves and Extension Ornamental
Horticulture Specialist Carol Reese, UT Gardens in Jackson
With
spring just around the corner, it is time to get serious and get the
garden ready! The fickle weather of March makes it impossible to set
dates and schedules for planting, so proceed with caution!
If you feel your Forsythia could stand to be pruned, do so soon after
it has finished blooming. Selectively cut old or unruly branches, by
reaching deeply into the shrub leaving no visible stub. If
desired, rejuvenate the entire plant by cutting it to the ground. Avoid
destroying the beauty of the Forstyhia's natural form by trimming it
into a geometric form.
Azaleas often show symptoms of lace bug and spider mites infestation
during the hot months of summer. This damage can be prevented by a one
time early application of the systemic insecticide imidacloprid. This
insecticide is available in liquid and granualr form. Bayer Advanced
Tree and Shrub Insect Control is a common brand that contains this safe
but affective ingredient. Be sure to follow label directions. Apply as
flowers fade.
After your regions frost free date direct seed easy to grow flowering
annuals and vegetable. Some easy flowers to try include marigold,
zinnia, and cosmos. Beans, peas, corn and okra are some easy to
direct-sow vegetables while dill, basil, and cilantro are some easy herbs.
Try the annual moon vine, Ipomoea alba this year to attract the sphinx
moth to your garden. Nick the hard seed coat carefully with nail
chippers and soak in water over night to hasten germination.
Spring is to good time to freshen the mulch in your landscape. Remember
not to pile it around the trucks of your trees and shrubs. If
using a pre-emergent herbicide be sure to apply it before spreading
your mulch to prevent the sunlight from breaking it down. It also
forms a more effective barrier when allowed to bond with soil
partials.
If you haven't serviced your lawnmower do so before you are ready to
mow. You'll want to change the oil, spark plugs and sharpen the blade.
Remember it is not necessary to fertilize well established trees or shrubs.
If you are trying to encourage faster growth on new plantings a
balanced granular fertilizer scatted on the soil surface is quite
affective. Be careful not to over do it. Tree spikes or drilling
fertilizer into the root zone is not as effective.
It is not a requirement to prune Crapemyrtles. The natural tree form of
these spectacular summer flowering plants can be quite impressive. If
you feel it necessary to prune your Crapemyrtle, check out this site which has great tips
and proper pruning instructions.
For more timely gardening calendar items, go to the Garden Girls Calendar site.
Now Showing
Don't
miss the spectacular array of spring flowering bulbs, perennials, and
wildflowers in the Gardens along with the standout trees and shrubs
listed here
 Magnolia liliiflora x 'Betty' -Betty
Hybrid Saucer Magnolia - One of the most vigorous of the 'Little Girl
Hybrids' released form the United States National Arboretum which
are valued for their spectacular floral displays approximately two
weeks later than M. stellata and M. x soulangiana, thus decreasing the
possibility of spring frost damage. 'Betty' has large showy flowers
that are reddish-purple on the outside and white on the inside. Grows
as a multi-stemmed shrub up to 15'tall.
 Prunus serrulata 'Snow Goose' - Snow
Goose Japanese Cherry - 'Snow Goose' is a cultivar bearing single white
flowers early in the season, and has some disease resistance. It has an
erect habit, starting out quite narrow and widening with age. Height
and spread 20 feet. Rounded to horizontal, deciduous tree with
beautiful, coppery-red, glossy, peeling bark. -
 Forsythia
ovata 'Tetragold' - Tetragold Forsythia - One of the earliest
flowering Forsythias with larger than normal flowers. Grows 5' tall and
just as wide. Beautiful when left unpruned and its natural arching and
cascading habit can be exhibited.
 Forsythia x 'Courtasol' - Goldtide
Forsythia - This great selection blooms heavier and has a more compact
form than most cultivars. Grows to 3' tall and just as wide.
Produces profuse golden-yellow flowers in March through April.
 Corylopsis
veitchiana - Veitch's Winterhazel - The flowers of
Winterhazel are, frankly, amazing. Weeping racemes up to 3 inches in
length are adorned with up to fifteen small, buttery-yellow flowers,
whose light fragrance fills the air with a delicate perfume. The plant
blooms prolifically, and is literally covered in golden chains of
flowers. At maturity, this bushy rounded shrub can reach a height and
spread of 8 feet. Like many other members of the witchhazel family, it
prefers to be planted in fertile, moist, well-drained, acidic soil in a
partially shaded site.
 Spirea
thunbergii 'Ogon' - Mellow Yellow Spirea - One of my very
favorite Spirea. Oodles of clusters of small white flowers appear all
along the bare branches in early spring which lead to brilliant yellow
foliage on graceful arching branches. Grows 3 - 5 ft. tall and
wide and thrives in full-sun to part-shade.
 Prunus persica 'Dwarf Double Red' -
Dwarf Red Flowering Peach - Bright red-pink flowers make
this ornamental peach a knock-out in the spring garden. Grown primarily
for its profuse, early spring bloom and persistent dark red foliage
which holds its color throughout the growing season. Interesting as a
specimen, patio container, or mixed in the shrub border. Inedible
peach-like fruits mature in summer but are often hidden from view by
the dense foliage. Grows to 5' tall.
Community Gardens at all USDA
Facilities
New research from the National
Gardening Association shows there are more than 1 million community
gardens in the United States and up to 3 million people would like to
garden in a community garden if it were possible. Well, the USDA is
making an effort to help out those would-be gardeners. Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the goal of creating a community
garden at every USDA facility worldwide. "The USDA community
garden project will include a wide variety of garden activities
including embassy window boxes, tree planting, and field office plots.
The gardens will be designed to promote "going green"
concepts, including landscaping and building design to retain water and
reduce runoff; roof gardens for energy efficiency; utilizing native
plantings; and using sound conservation practices," says Vilsack.
For more information about this movement, visit the USDA Web site.
New Early, Sweet Melon
Melons are a favored summer
vegetable. While most gardeners are familiar with the traditional
cantaloupes, there are now other exotic melons making it into farmer's
markets, grocery stores, and gardens. One of the most flavorful is the
Christmas or Piel de Sapo melon and a new, early-maturing, All-America
Selections winning variety is 'Lambkin'. This variety features 2- to
4-pound oval fruits with attractive light yellow skin with green
mottling and a thin rind. The white flesh is sweet, aromatic, and
juicy. The vigorous hybrid vines grow 6 feet long, but the fruits
mature early for an exotic melon (65 to 75 days), making it possible to
grow this variety even in short summer areas. Another plus is this
melon stores longer than cantaloupes. For more information on
'Lambkin', go to: All-American Selections.
To Till or Not Till in Compost
Most gardeners know that compost
applied to any landscape or garden bed helps the soil and plants in
many ways. Usually the added compost is tilled into the soil before
planting. Now research from the Washington State University at Puyallup
questions whether that's necessary. Researchers applied a
three-inch-thick layer of compost to silty loam soil test plots. Some
of the plots were tilled to a depth of seven inches, while others
were left with the compost on the soil surface. Red osier dogwood
shrubs were planted throughout the test area. After six years of
measuring growth rates and fertility levels, researchers concluded that
the difference in growth rates in shrubs in the tilled and untilled
sites was minimal. Both treatments improved soil quality and leaf
coloration. The tilled-in sites did have slightly higher levels of
carbon and nitrogen in the soil. Researchers concluded gardeners
shouldn't get too concerned about tilling in the compost when applying
it to perennial plantings. We regularly mulch the UT Gardens with
compost and don't till it in. We can attest to the results of this
research study. Just mulching with compost greatly improves your garden
soil.
Consumers Still Buying Green in Down Economy
Four out of five people say
they are still purchasing green products and services even during the
economic downturn. A study commissioned by Green Seal and EnviroMedia
Social Marketing sought peoples' opinions and behaviors related to
products that claim to be environmentally friendly. Half of the 1,000
people surveyed said they buy as many green products now as before the
economic downturn, 19 percent are buying more products and 14
percent are buying fewer green products. A product's reputation was the
biggest factor for 21percent of consumers when making their purchase
decisions followed by word-of-mouth (19 percent), brand loyalty (15
percent) and advertising (9 percent). About 33 percent of the
respondents said they didn't know how to determine if product claims
were true. The most common ways consumers verify green product claims
are by reading the package (24 percent) and research, including online
and studies (17 percent).
Walters Gardens Launches
Consumer Web Sites
Check out these two great web sites
from Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Mich. They focus on perennial
gardening and are rich in valuable information. For gardeners from
beginner to master, www.PerennialResource.com
has been completely rebuilt and re-launched with loads of new content
and an enormous encyclopedia of more than 1,500 varieties of
perennials. The encyclopedia is searchable by botanical or common name
and more than 40 plant characteristics. The site also contains an
all-new Design & Grow segment: six steps to designing,
creating and maintaining your own perennial garden. The companion site,
www.GrowDesignerPlants.com,
is dedicated to The Designer Collection of hostas and daylilies from
Walters Gardens. It's equipped with slick photos and growing guides.
Each site also allows users to find a retail source for the plants they
see online.
Rain Barrels are Hot Garden Trend
Conservation-minded gardeners have
declared rain barrels to be the "in" thing. A reporter for
Cleveland's Sun News recently declared, "If they work in parched
Terlingua, Texas, I'll wager they can work anywhere, especially
here." A local ABC affiliate in Sarasota County, Florida,
discussed rain barrels in its "Living Green" series as a way
to combat the area's drought.
UT Turf and Lawn Care Advice
March is a critical month in
preparing your lawn for the upcoming growing season. Weather you have a
warm-season or cool-season lawn or even if you don't know what type of
lawn you have, our UT turf specialists provide information on turf
selection and management for Tennessee. For more information visit http://tennesseeturf.utk.edu/lawns.htm.
UT Lawn Weed Identification Tool
Winter weeds are thriving and even blooming
and it won't be long before the summer weeds like crabgrass and
dandelions will be sprouting. Learn how to identify and control your
lawn weeds with this new identification website developed by our UT
turf specialists http://www.tennesseeturfgrassweeds.org/html/wit.aspx.
Free UT Home Gardening Publications
UT offers many great on-line
publications on fruit, vegetable, and landscape gardening. If you've
never checked out the information produced just for our Tennessee
region visit http://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/homeGarden/default.asp
Is it Time to Test Your
Soil?
It is recommended that your lawn,
garden and landscape soils be tested for proper pH and nutrient status
every three to five years, unless you notice plant problems
sooner. The UT Soil, Plant, and Pest Center is your one-stop site for
how to properly collect a soil sample and where to send it for
analysis. Basic soil testing starts at $7 per sample. The center is also
a great resource in having insect or disease problems diagnosed with a
recommendation for control. You can find more information on the
Center's services at http://soilplantandpest.utk.edu/.
Garden
Trials
The
2009 Annuals Trails are well under way. Volunteer, Liz Etnier
sowed the last of the seed trails on Monday, March 16th. Many
seedlings have already been transplanted and more will be ready very
soon. Transplanted seedlings will be grown on in our greenhouse
until the end of April. Plugs will begin arriving this week and will be
potted up by volunteers in our greenhouse. It's always so exciting to
see what new varieties our trial sponsors have sent to us! Be
sure to visit the gardens in the coming months to see what we are
trialing this year. If you want a sneak peak, consider becoming a
UT Gardens volunteer.
Volunteer News and
Opportunities
Even after working with our volunteer program for more
than five years, I am constantly amazed by how much they can get done
(and by how much fun they have while doing it!) After only four work
sessions they've already transplanted over 50 flats of seedlings,
potted up more than 80 flats of rooted coleus cuttings, potted up 750
plugs for our American Garden Award, and stained our vegetable garden
fence. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to work with these
outstanding individuals!
Besides being a tremendous asset to the UT Gardens,
joining our volunteer program is a great way to learn more about
gardening and to meet others who enjoy gardening. If you are interested
in helping out in any capacity please contact Beth Willis (865-974-2712
or ewillis2@utk.edu) or Cindy
Williams (865-938-1895 or orchidsandonions@aol.com). --Beth Willis
Mark Your
Calendar
March
Thursday, March 26, noon to 1 p.m., Meet at UT Gardens,
follow signs to classroom
Lunch and Learn: Wildflowers of the Smoky Mountains and Cotswold
Gardens of England
Bring your lunch and join us as UT Gardens volunteer Liz Etnier gives
an exciting presentation of wildflowers she has seen during her
frequent hikes of the Smokies as well as some she encountered during a
recent trip to England.
Saturday, March 28, 9 a.m.-noon, Meet at UT Gardens and
follow signs to classroom
Family Fun: Get
the Picture: Garden Photography for All Ages
UT Gardens photographer and web designer Beth Willis will highlight the
basics of digital photography and offer tips for just the right plant
and people photos. Bring a digital camera or two for this fun family
activity. Class will be held indoors, followed by garden practice
shoots if the weather permits. Space is limited and families must
pre-register/prepay by going to the UT Gardens Web site.
Members: $20 per family, Non-members: $25 per family
April
Saturday, April 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., UT Gardens
Family Fun: Tree Climbing and Rappelling
Don't just climb a tree the old fashioned way, do it
like the experts - with a rope and a harness! Join Sam Adams from
Cortese Tree Specialists for this safe and fun activity for the whole
family. Appropriate for ages 10 and up. Check for more details soon!
April 3-5
Williamson
County's Annual Lawn and Garden Show
The Expo is a
one-stop-shop for a variety of plants and gardening products from
hundreds of prominent vendors. Speakers and educational workshops are
scheduled throughout the three-day event. For directions and more visit www.bloomngarden.com.
Saturday, April 11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., UT Gardens
Family Fun: Easter Egg Hunt
Children 12 and under can join the hunt or other contests
for fun and prizes! We will also have a craft station and photo
opportunities with the Easter Bunny. Admission will be $5 per
child (pay at the Gardens). For more details visit http://utgardens.tennessee.edu.
Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m.-2p.m., Lakeshore Park
Talahi Plant Sale
The Knoxville Garden Club and Garden Study Club present
the 45th annual Talahi Plant Sale at Lakeshore Park on Saturday, April
18, from 9:00am to 2:00pm. This year's theme, It's So Easy Being Green,
reminds customers to appreciate and conserve the world in which we all
live. For the first time, the Talahi Plant Sale is partnering with the
Knoxville Recycling Coalition to be a Zero Waste Event. All plant sale
by-products will be recycled. In addition, special "green"
items, such as reusable grocery bags and compost bins will be offered
for sale.
Garden enthusiasts will be able to choose from annuals,
perennials, wildflowers and herbs. Highlights will include a colorful
variety of Heucheras and beautiful peonies. Wildflowers
will feature shooting stars, Indian pinks, pink brushes foamflower,
trillium, and marsh marigolds. In keeping with our conservation theme,
herbs will feature recipes and corresponding herbs to grow in a group,
encouraging healthy eating with fresh herbs. Also available for
purchase will be high quality, locally grown annuals. More than 1,000
perennial and wildflower member-grown/dug plants will be available.
Don't forget "Ask an Expert" with some of Knoxville's most
experienced gardeners available to answer questions. Area vendors will
offer garden-related art and gifts for sale.
Proceeds benefit area community and education projects,
including Blount Mansion Gardens, Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville
Botanical Garden & Arboretum, Knoxville Museum of Art, Lakeshore
Park, UT Horticulture Scholarships, Knox County Library McClung
Collection, Discover Life in America, Great Smoky Mountain Heritage
Center, Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains, YWCA, Knox Youth Sports,
Childhelp, Helen Ross McNabb, UT Gardens, Florence Crittenton, and KMA
Guild.
Thank you for your support! Over $250,000 has been given
back to the community in the past nine years of the Talahi Plant Sale.
Considered to be the oldest plant sale in the area, the
event is sponsored by All Occasions Party Rentals, Bob's Package Store,
D & H Machines, Dean-Smith Realty, HGTV, Pope's Garden Center,
WBIR-TV, and WNOX News Talk.
For information, contact Ellyn Cauble -edbmc@comcast.net
June
The UT Arboretum
Society is planning a four-day garden bus tour into the heart of
Georgia. This Georgia Garden Adventure will go to Athens, Atlanta, and
Calloway Gardens. For more details go to utgardens.tennessee.edu.
Join the
Hunt for Bees - The Great Sunflower Project
The UT Gardens is participating in
the Great Sunflower Project this year, and it's free and easy to participate
at your own home! Just go to http://www.greatsunflower.org/
to sign up and they will ship you free Lemon Queen sunflower seeds to
plant. No knowledge of bees is required, but you will be asked to count
the number of bees that come to one plant in a 30 minute period once
each month and then enter your bee counts online or via mail. By
watching and recording the bees at sunflowers in your garden, you can
help them understand the challenges that bees are facing. Let's help
our most important pollinators together!
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