Is winter over? We have had record lows, high temperatures that were record lows, and record snow fall this season. It has been a long one. Even with spring finally here, the yard is looking worn out, and even the harbingers of early color, crocus, tulips, and daffodils are taking their time poking their little heads up from the soil. Most of us are yearning for some fresh color.
Early spring can be unpredictable; we can have very warm days and chilly nights. It is too soon to do any serious gardening, especially if you want to spruce up your flower beds. There are options for you, though. You should be seeing cold-hardy annuals at the local garden centers soon.
While pansies are old favorites, and come in a nice variety of colors and blossoms, there is an alternative: dianthus. There are many perennial kinds of dianthus, and are generally called “pinks”. Even though dianthus do some in shades of pink, the name really comes from the old English “pynken” meaning pinking shears, referencing the notched edges of the flowers.
There are about 300 species of dianthus, and are in the Caryophyllaceae family. This derived from the Greek word for clove, because some dianthus have a clove scent to their leaves. The very popular cut flower, carnation, is a member of the same family. Strong resemblance can be seen in the foliage, and double blossoms of annual dianthus.
Dianthuses hybridize very easily, so there are many choices available. There are perennial, biennial, and hardy annual from which to choose. In our area, the most common types are sold as annuals, even though they are perennials in warmer zones. They are relatively cold tolerant like pansies. But, they range in height from six inches to two foot tall plants. Dianthus make a nice change as an early color options because they have strong upright stems, ranging in color from bright green to a greyish hue. You can find single colors of white to a velvety-red, two tone picotees, and others with dark centers and splashes of colors. Dianthus fill out better than pansies and can handle warmer full sun exposures better too.
Dianthus make excellent border or edge plants. If you like containers, they are well suited for that. Consider using them in a cutting garden. Look for plants that have a nice compact growth, ones that are not leggy. Avoid any with yellowed leaves; this may indicate malnourishment or root problems. Use some dianthus this spring, these clove scent hardy plants will spice up your garden.
For more information on dianthus, please contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County at 570-963-6842 and request our free fact sheet on this annual.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Monday, March 24, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Limitless Gardening
Sooner or later, winter will be over. It has been a long one, but the weather will be better. Certainly you have already thought of getting outside and working on your garden or other parts of your yard. As the seasons change, so do your gardening practices and expectations. Your home landscape can easily be adapted to suit your budget, spare time, tastes, and trends.
There are other ways your garden can change, and it is often overlooked: accessibility. Have spent too much time bending over, only to find yourself sore and stiff? Maybe you have mobility issues which could be a hindrance from enjoying nature. The size and age of your family can have an impact on gardening. Consider making some changes to the way you garden and the type of gardening to keep pace with the changes in life.
Most often people turn to raised beds because of soil issues, like poor quality, bad drainage, or even space problems. Raised beds can be a way of opening the hobby of gardening to anyone with physical limitations. Kneeling, bending, and hoeing can be a barrier for some people. However, if designed with your needs in mind, raised beds can become an enabling garden.
There are all different kinds of raised beds, so if this interests you, think outside the box. You can use landscape blocks in a circular shape. Try using top blocks wide enough to serve as a seat, to make working in the area much more comfortable. Choosing securely-stacked fieldstone can tie the raised bed into the rest of your landscape. Utilizing a slope for a garden can help with accessibility too. A wide collection of pots spread around the yard integrate a raised bed into the landscape. Once your raised bed is complete, make sure you fill it with good quality soil and compost.
Raised beds offer a different way of gardening, and there is different kind of gardening you can pursuit, a sensory garden. Maybe you are at a point in your life where you don’t have the time to devote to a full-fledged vegetable garden. Or it could be age is a factor, the youngest ones in your life do not possess the dexterity to gently plant a garden. Do you think poor eyesight or joint pain will limit your gardening enjoyment? Adding plants and features that not only offer a crop to feed your body but also feed you mind can give new life to your yard.
Instead of just thinking a plant will offer a harvest, many choices can give you an experience. Think of using plants with texture, like lambs ear and moss and cockscomb. Children especially will like a fun-to-feel garden. Hearing a garden can enrich the experience nature offers you. You can add plants that rustle in the wind, like Chinese lantern and many ornamental grasses. Adding a water feature can give you a relaxing time as you are working around the yard. It’s been a long time since anyone in our area has cut their grass, but we all know how nice fresh-cut grass smells, and the memories it triggers. A big part of a garden can use the sense of smell, and this can be a very rewarding experience, regardless of your limitations. Chamomile or creeping thyme can be planted around walkways, and when crushed give off a wonderful scent. Scented geraniums are a carefree addition to any garden. Culinary herbs are low maintenance but useful plants making a good choice for a sensory garden. Wind chimes and birdfeeders will make your garden even better for all your senses.
As we wait for the nicer weather, think about a different way of gardening and a different way the garden can enhance your life. Raised beds and sensory gardens are ways the home landscape can be a limitless experience. For more information on this topic, please contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County at 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Extension
Lackawanna County
There are other ways your garden can change, and it is often overlooked: accessibility. Have spent too much time bending over, only to find yourself sore and stiff? Maybe you have mobility issues which could be a hindrance from enjoying nature. The size and age of your family can have an impact on gardening. Consider making some changes to the way you garden and the type of gardening to keep pace with the changes in life.
Most often people turn to raised beds because of soil issues, like poor quality, bad drainage, or even space problems. Raised beds can be a way of opening the hobby of gardening to anyone with physical limitations. Kneeling, bending, and hoeing can be a barrier for some people. However, if designed with your needs in mind, raised beds can become an enabling garden.
There are all different kinds of raised beds, so if this interests you, think outside the box. You can use landscape blocks in a circular shape. Try using top blocks wide enough to serve as a seat, to make working in the area much more comfortable. Choosing securely-stacked fieldstone can tie the raised bed into the rest of your landscape. Utilizing a slope for a garden can help with accessibility too. A wide collection of pots spread around the yard integrate a raised bed into the landscape. Once your raised bed is complete, make sure you fill it with good quality soil and compost.
Raised beds offer a different way of gardening, and there is different kind of gardening you can pursuit, a sensory garden. Maybe you are at a point in your life where you don’t have the time to devote to a full-fledged vegetable garden. Or it could be age is a factor, the youngest ones in your life do not possess the dexterity to gently plant a garden. Do you think poor eyesight or joint pain will limit your gardening enjoyment? Adding plants and features that not only offer a crop to feed your body but also feed you mind can give new life to your yard.
Instead of just thinking a plant will offer a harvest, many choices can give you an experience. Think of using plants with texture, like lambs ear and moss and cockscomb. Children especially will like a fun-to-feel garden. Hearing a garden can enrich the experience nature offers you. You can add plants that rustle in the wind, like Chinese lantern and many ornamental grasses. Adding a water feature can give you a relaxing time as you are working around the yard. It’s been a long time since anyone in our area has cut their grass, but we all know how nice fresh-cut grass smells, and the memories it triggers. A big part of a garden can use the sense of smell, and this can be a very rewarding experience, regardless of your limitations. Chamomile or creeping thyme can be planted around walkways, and when crushed give off a wonderful scent. Scented geraniums are a carefree addition to any garden. Culinary herbs are low maintenance but useful plants making a good choice for a sensory garden. Wind chimes and birdfeeders will make your garden even better for all your senses.
As we wait for the nicer weather, think about a different way of gardening and a different way the garden can enhance your life. Raised beds and sensory gardens are ways the home landscape can be a limitless experience. For more information on this topic, please contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County at 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Extension
Lackawanna County
Monday, January 27, 2014
Winter Bird Feeders
Are you looking for something to do now that the holiday season is over? Like most people this time of year, you may yearn to be outside but it's too cold to stay there long. You should think about putting up a bird feeder. An overlooked gift card to a garden center or big box home improvement store can be beneficial to you, giving you a project, and helpful to some wildlife when they need it most.
By adding a feeder to your yard you can make their lives easier. As plants die back or go dormant, coupled with a snow cover, a bird’s food source is diminished. If you provide a feeder and seed during the winter time, you sustain our feathered friends which gives you a productive task during the bleak months of winter. A bonus would be to take up bird watching as a hobby too. You find anywhere from twenty-five to thirty-five different birds.
With that many kinds of birds, comes different feeding habits and food needs. It might be good to put up different styles of feeders to be most helpful:
Taking care of our feathered friends is an enjoyable way to mark the time as winter progresses. Winter feeding isn’t just for the birds. For more information on this please contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County and request a free copy of “Winter Bird Feeding”. If you are interested in becoming a master gardener, we are having a new training class beginning February 24. We can be reached at 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
By adding a feeder to your yard you can make their lives easier. As plants die back or go dormant, coupled with a snow cover, a bird’s food source is diminished. If you provide a feeder and seed during the winter time, you sustain our feathered friends which gives you a productive task during the bleak months of winter. A bonus would be to take up bird watching as a hobby too. You find anywhere from twenty-five to thirty-five different birds.
With that many kinds of birds, comes different feeding habits and food needs. It might be good to put up different styles of feeders to be most helpful:
- Hopper feeders: It looks like a house with Plexiglas sides on top of a platform where the seed is dispensed as birds eat it. The Plexiglas makes it easy to tell when more seed needs to be added. The seed is protected against the weather but not so well against squirrels.
- Tube feeders: Hollow Plexiglas cylinders with multiple feeding ports and perches. These hanging feeders attract species that typically feed off the ground. You can attach a tray to the bottom to catch scattered seeds and to allow larger species to feed.
- Tray or platform feeders: Simple flat, raised surfaces on which you spread seed. Easy to make, they are one of the most popular feeders. Birds that typically feed on the ground are particularly attracted to this type of feeder. A disadvantage of platform feeders is that they are not squirrel-proof or weather resistant. They should have drainage holes for water and need to be cleaned often to remove bird droppings. Only one day’s worth of food should be put out at a time.
Taking care of our feathered friends is an enjoyable way to mark the time as winter progresses. Winter feeding isn’t just for the birds. For more information on this please contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County and request a free copy of “Winter Bird Feeding”. If you are interested in becoming a master gardener, we are having a new training class beginning February 24. We can be reached at 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Sunday, January 5, 2014
2014 Gardening Resolutions
It is a well-used trend to start any new year with resolutions: things we want to do, should do, and even some we even some bad habits to break. It is all for the sake of improvement. For the home landscape, we can make and carry out resolutions to make our yards and gardens better.
For 2014, here are ten resolutions for you to consider integrating into the garden hobby:
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
For 2014, here are ten resolutions for you to consider integrating into the garden hobby:
- Test your soil: Your growing success or failure depends on the quality of your soil. If you take a soil test you will know what nutrients are lacking and the soil pH. You can easily correct any deficiencies. Your garden will thank you. Penn State Extension has soil test kits for purchase in our offices.
- Compost: This is nature’s recycling program. Take your grass clippings, fallen leaves, and spent healthy plant material, and turn it into a free amendment that your soil will thank you by increased yields. Finished compost has natural inoculants that benefit the landscape. In addition, you save time by not bagging your yard waste, and it does not take up valuable landfill space.
- Use less chemicals: Before reaching for a spray or powder, know what the problem is. Sometimes a small sign of a disease can be tolerated without the use of chemicals. Remember too, just because a product is labeled organic, it does not mean it is harmless. A pesticide, regardless of its origin, is still dangerous. Pyrethins, a common and popular insecticide, will kill bad bugs, but also good ones like honey bees. Please read the label!
- Plant natives: Choose a perennial well suited for this area. These plants are tolerant of our weather changes, soil conditions, and pests. They tend not to be invasive so they will live in reasonable balance with the other parts of your landscape. There are trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, and flowers from which you can choose at your local garden center. The Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have lists of natives we can send to you.
- Plant for pollinators: Bees and butterflies depend on your garden for sustenance. For them, it can be feast or famine. A lot of native plants are great for the pollinators too. Besides the plants, pollinators need a source of water and shelter. Visit http://ento.psu.edu/pollinators for a wide variety of information.
- Learn to identify insects: You see all sorts of bugs around your garden. Can you tell the difference between a nuisance and a beneficial insect? Some may be doing damage while other bugs are keeping the bad ones in check. Make sure, if you are going to use a pesticide, what the insect is, if it is damaging anything or if it is a beneficial bug helping you.
- Plant extra to give away: Plan ahead to grow some extra vegetables for a food pantry. There always seems to be an abundance of fresh food and hungry people. Think about finding and helping someone in need. Giving something from your garden, or dividing a perennial is a great way to make friends with someone new in your neighborhood.
- Plant some flowers in your garden for cutting: You can have fresh flowers on your table just about every day during the summer. Give them as a gift to brighten someone’s day. You will be amazed how much of a boost you will get from a beautiful bouquet you grew yourself.
- Cut your grass a little higher: Most homeowners mow their turf too short. Generally, two and half to three inches is the optimum height for a lawn. This benefits the roots by keeping them cool and crowds out the weeds. You mow less often so you win too. Remember to let the clippings lay. They will break down easily and are great source of nitrogen for the soil. If not, you should compost them instead of sending them to the landfill.
- Learn something new: Whether you educate yourself on a new plant variety, an emerging gardening trend, or a technique, there are vast arrays of resources of reliable information. The Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have plenty of learning opportunities coming up.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Live Christmas Trees
With the holiday season upon us fully now, comes the traffic, the crowds, and the stress. You may be preparing to put up your Christmas tree as well. Here are some interesting and fun facts about them:
What to choose: You should look for healthy high quality trees. This is often reflected in the price. Considering this will be a feature of your yard, this is not the time to shop for a bargain. Avoid “leftovers.” A tree with dry or hard soil is indication of lack of care. Branches should be pliable, with no brown or off-color needles and minimal needle drop. Douglas and balsam firs are very common but are not native to our region. White and Scotch pines, along with Blue and white spruce are the top choices. Remember, this will be a permanent part of your yard so consider its future growth habit. Tress grow up and out. Make sure you have adequate space.
When to buy: Trees are dug before the ground freezes so visit your garden center soon if you are getting a bagged and balled type. A good choice is a container grown tree. But be careful where you store it. Bringing it in too soon will cause it to dry out quickly and make it harder to survive being in the cold again after the holidays.
How to care for it: Water the tree as soon as you have it home. Keep the soil consistently moist until it is planted outside. Keep it in an area that is cool as possible. Put off bringing it into it’s display room until a few days before Christmas. Heat increases the chances the tree will not survive. Move just as quickly to its storage location prior to planting. A very cold porch or unheated garage are some of the options for intermediate storage. Pre-digging the hole for final planting makes the last step easier. It should be at least three times as big as the root ball. While this is probably the hardest part of the process, site preparation is the most important. If you feel you don’t have time do this, or the weather is too severe to work outside, consider a temporary cold storage location.
The Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have the free factsheet “How to Choose a Live Christmas Tree” to give you more information on this topic. Please contact us at 570-963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu and request a copy.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Extension – Lackawanna County
- The first decorated tree dates back to Riga, Latvia in 1510.
- The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany 1531.
- Christmas tree lights were first mass-produced in 1890.
- The tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City is decorated with 30,000 LED lights and topped by a 550 pound crystal star.
- Ninety-eight per cent of Christmas trees are grown on farms.
- 46 million seedling Christmas trees were planted by U.S. growers.
- 25 to 30 million live trees are sold every year, compared with 11 million artificial trees.
- Sales of live trees in 2012 had a real market value of over 1 billion dollars.
What to choose: You should look for healthy high quality trees. This is often reflected in the price. Considering this will be a feature of your yard, this is not the time to shop for a bargain. Avoid “leftovers.” A tree with dry or hard soil is indication of lack of care. Branches should be pliable, with no brown or off-color needles and minimal needle drop. Douglas and balsam firs are very common but are not native to our region. White and Scotch pines, along with Blue and white spruce are the top choices. Remember, this will be a permanent part of your yard so consider its future growth habit. Tress grow up and out. Make sure you have adequate space.
When to buy: Trees are dug before the ground freezes so visit your garden center soon if you are getting a bagged and balled type. A good choice is a container grown tree. But be careful where you store it. Bringing it in too soon will cause it to dry out quickly and make it harder to survive being in the cold again after the holidays.
How to care for it: Water the tree as soon as you have it home. Keep the soil consistently moist until it is planted outside. Keep it in an area that is cool as possible. Put off bringing it into it’s display room until a few days before Christmas. Heat increases the chances the tree will not survive. Move just as quickly to its storage location prior to planting. A very cold porch or unheated garage are some of the options for intermediate storage. Pre-digging the hole for final planting makes the last step easier. It should be at least three times as big as the root ball. While this is probably the hardest part of the process, site preparation is the most important. If you feel you don’t have time do this, or the weather is too severe to work outside, consider a temporary cold storage location.
The Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have the free factsheet “How to Choose a Live Christmas Tree” to give you more information on this topic. Please contact us at 570-963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu and request a copy.
Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Extension – Lackawanna County
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