All the Dirt on Gardening

The Flower, Garden & Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas will meet  Saturday, October 15 , to hear "Pink Hates Chartreuse: Thoughts on Color in the Garden".  Speaker will be Tom Dillard, an avid gardener, retired head of Special Collections at the University of Arkansas Libraries in Fayetteville, and a historian and specialist on Arkansas history, about which he writes a weekly column for  Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The meeting will be held in the Student Center of Northwest Technical Institute at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale, AR.  It is free and open to the public.  The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m.   Info:  479-361-2198  and on facebook.com/fgnsofnwa .  An article ( link ) about Dillard when he retired says that " Dillard is best known as a creator of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, which he still serves as founding editor-in-chief, and as creator of the Richard C. Butler Center for Arkans...

The time to plant spring blooming bulbs has arrived along with an abundance of bulb company catalogs.  Becky Heath of Brent and Becky's Bulbs has an article in this month's American Horticultural Society newsletter. You can read the entire article at this link . Heath says, " There are several approaches to combining bulbs with herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and trees. Choosing combinations that will bloom at the same time creates the biggest impact, like the finale of a fire - works display. Combining plants so that they bloom sequentially with a slight over -plant tulips or lilies eight to 10 inches deep, then above them place daffodils, hyacinths, or alliums at about six inches. Smaller early-blooming bulbs—such as crocuses, anemones, and dwarf irises—can even be planted in the top three inches." Heath's bulb-planting tips The best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs is after the first hard frost. Before then, the soil normally remains warm from the...

If you watch garden center trends you have noticed that hundreds of hybrids have been developed from native plants. The claim is that they are just as good for the environment as true native plants but have much nicer features such as form, flower color, size at maturity, disease resistance, etc. National Wildlife magazine begs to differ from that marketing assertion, pointing out that the clones are really not as good for the environment as we may think. Click on this link to read the entire article. Excerpts are below. " Native plants have formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over thousands of years, and therefore offer the most sustainable habitat. A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction. Exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world or were  cultivated by humans into forms that don’t exist in nature do not  support wildlife as well as native p...

Have you been gardening long enough to plant something wonderful that became invasive? I have! Many plants have been introduced over the years that turned out to spread too quickly for the garden space, taking over and choking out other plants in the bed. American Bittersweet Cornell University published a guide to commonly planted invasives and plants that would fill the horticultural purpose that are not invasive. One example is Porcelain Berry Vine, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata. The alternatives they suggest are: Dutchman's Pipe, Trumpet Honeysuckle, American Bittersweet, Trumpetcreeper and Fox Grape. Black Chokeberry Privet, Ligustrum obtusifolium, is another widely sold and planted shrub that becomes invasive fairly quickly. The suggestions for planting instead of Privet include: Boxwood, Holly, Yew, American arborvitae, and Black Chokeberry. Click over to this Cornell link to read about more invasives and their alternatives.

A free garden tour featuring butterfly-friendly plants will take place in Oklahoma City on Sunday, September 25 from 10 to 3. Eight locations can be toured at your own pace and there will be native plant vendors at all 8 sites. The gardens are listed below. More information https://urbanagokc.org/ Explore eight diverse gardens and landscapes during this free, self-guided tour around central-northwest Oklahoma City. From the modern  formal to the xeric perennial border to the rustic urban homestead, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Get inspired to attract these beautiful creatures to your own garden, plus ask plant questions of local experts and purchase native and prairie garden perennials from local growers! What:     Free self-guided Butterfly Garden Tour Where:   Eight sites in central-northwest Oklahoma City When:    Sunday September 25, 10 am – 3 pm (Rain date of Sunday October 2) Perennial Classic Patti Kate *...

Northern Bayberry Shrub is an American native that is cold hardy in zones 3 to 7. The native variety matures at 10 - 12 feet tall and wide. There are cultivated varieties/hybrids that remain smaller.  This is a shrub that provides shelter, feeds wildlife, is tolerant of many soil types, is deer-resistant and will tolerate full-sun to part-shade. Northern Bayberry can be great for a larger landscaped area as it will produce suckers from the root and create its own large colony over time. They will drop their leaves in the fall and the blue-gray-toned berries that persist over the winter add interest to the winter landscape. Ideal for woodland gardens, privacy screen, shrub borders and roadside planting, Sometimes labeled Waxmyrtle, Bayberry shrubs are easy to find in nurseries. The leaves and berries are scented with the scent being familiar to anyone who has been around Bayberry candles. Ohio State University mentions these compact hybrids:  "‘Myda’ a heavy fruitin...

Fall is the ideal time to plant perennials and MaryAnn King at Pine Ridge Gardens in northwest Arkansas has lots of native plants ready for fall gardens. Below are two of her postings: a list of the milkweed varieties a she has for your garden and a list of her nursery open days and hours for the fall Below are some milkweeds available now.  Also attached is new plants for fall.  Asclepias amplexicaulis Clasping milkweed $15.00 Asclepias tuberosa                             Orange butterfly weed $10.00 Asclepias tuberosa ‘Hello Yellow’     Yellow butterfly weed $12.00 Asclepias incarnata ‘Ice Ballet’          White swamp milkweed $10.00 Asclepias incarnata   Rose milkweed or swamp milkweed  ...

The Succulent and Cactus Society is having a fall sale Sept 17 and 18 at Tulsa Garden Center. 9 to 3 on Sat and 10 to 3 on Sunday.  The sale will be in the Helmerich building next to the Linnaeus Garden.  For more information contact J W Keeth by email at jwkeeth@gmail.com