Tips
From The Timinator
Hey! Look outside! The sun is shining, it must be spring!
Ok, so it's not spring, it's summer. But you can still freshen up your flower beds with some great colorful flowers. Petunias are fast growing and make a great splash and there are lots of other great annuals ready to plant now too. Start with larger plants this time of year not only for that extra boost but also because the larger root system will make the plant easier to care for in the heat. And don't overlook perennials. Plant some I among your border plants to add interest and color. The pincushion flowers bloom clear through fall and the coral bells have that great foliage color that contrasts nicely with your evergreens. Check your color bowls and container gardens - you may want to freshen up some of those as well. There's nothing more inviting by the front entry than a pot of colorful flowers.
This is a community service announcement.
The plant police will be in your neighborhood this week checking to see if you are taking good care of your roses. Those rose bushes found to be infected with thrips, aphids or blackspot will result in heavy fines. Did you just hear that? The dreaded plant police are coming your way! Here's how you can keep your roses looking good all summer and avoid those pesky plant police: Thrips are tiny little insects that attack the flower buds, eating the tender petals before they open causing your flowers to be deformed and dry on the tips. Spray them in the evening with Natural Guard Neem Py, a safe and natural insecticide. Neem Py also works well on those pesky aphids. Be sure to spray both the top and bottom sides of the leaves. Black spot causes the leaves to turn yellow and black. An application of Fertilome liquid systemic fungicide should help with that. And if the plant police show up at your door, make them show you a warrant.
Water, water everywhere, and nary a drop to drink.
You would think with all
the rain we had this spring that you wouldn't have to water your lawn the rest
of the summer. Aw but 'tis not to be. The spring rains have gone and summer heat
is here. So how much water do we give our lawns and how often? Ok, here's the
formula: Lawns in our area need about two inches of water per week. Measure this
by placing flat containers in the yard (coffee cups work great for this) and
watering your
normal cycle. Measure the water in the cups and multiply that by the number of
times you currently water. Increase or decrease accordingly. It is best to water
lawns every other day but if your water doesn't penetrate your soil
well you may need to water more often. Ditto if the water runs through too
quickly. Now this is just a start, you may need to adjust occasionally for
your conditions.
So summer is here and all your trees are leafed out and growing nicely and you are wondering what to do about those funny branches you forgot to prune last spring.
Summer tree pruning can be a huge help. Whether you missed pruning last spring, or your trees just didn't grow the way you thought they might, now is a great time to fix that. Start with a good pruning saw for the larger limbs, trimming those branches that are too low. Next use loppers to trim the medium sized limbs on the inside bringing more light to the center of the tree. You can tip back the branches next to get more consistent growth throughout the tree. A pair of sharp pruners will work great finishing up the smaller stuff. Many of your spring flowering plants such as lilac and forsythia will be setting their flower buds soon so now is a good time to finish pruning them as well. Wear a good pair of West County Gardener gloves while you prune for safety and comfort.
Hope to see you soon! Tim
Email Tim
Golf
Ball is a vigorous grower, yet stays very compact and round with little pruning.
It has bright mint-green glossy leaves with small, inconspicuous chocolate-purple
flowers in late spring/early summer. Ideal for foundation
plantings, as a specimen plant or to replace boxwoods as a hedge in small formal
borders.
Valued for its fragrant flowers and aromatic, evergreen foliage, this is truly
a elegant small shrub. The white blossoms burst forth in profuse clusters from
pink buds. Almost almond in scent, they are hosted on slender, glossy dark green
leaflets. Very resistant to deer, 'Aztec Pearl's handsome rounded visage will
form a close-knit and finely textured low screen or informal blooming hedge in
your garden. 
