All the Dirt on Gardening

A gardening friend brought some of his Strawberry Begonia plants to an event we had here for fellow gardeners. I was dubious. He has full time gardeners. We have two retired people who are doing and learning as fast as they can - us. No helpers to weed, water, fertilize, etc. So I planted them in two locations to see if they would survive. They all did. In both locations. Without any special care or winter protection. Their range in the US is limited to zones 6 to 9 but like Impatiens and other Begonias we plant outside for the summer, they can be dug and divided to be protected over the winter and put back outside for the summer. From Asia originally, they prefer moist spots, spread across the ground with runners and tiny plantlets. Those delicate red runners and tiny plantlets really show off to advantage in a hanging container. Overwatering and too much sun will make Strawberry Begonias suffer so be sure the spot or pot is well-drained and out of full sun. GardenDaze One...

 Beautiful blue flowers are on the Polemonium reptans in the shade garden. Planted just a year ago, they emerged this spring a little larger than when they came out of the pots. The flowers have lasted a week so far. They are native to MO and are seen throughout the eastern US. They are cold hardy in zones 3 to 8. My hope is that they like where they are planted enough to make and spread seed all over that bed! In colder zones they prefer full sun but here in zone 7 they definitely need a shady spot. Plant them in  a place that stays moist from humus rather than from being watered all the time. Its other name, Creeping Jacob's Ladder imply that it spreads by stolons but they do not spread by underground growth. The Jacob's Ladder name comes from the arrangement of the leaves that resemble the rungs of a ladder. In nature they thrive in woods and along streams. While they have no insect or disease problems they can be killed if their roots stand in water or if the...

Tulsa Garden Club’s annual garden tour  “Tulsa’s Treasures” Ticket $10 includes three gardens 5707 S Birmingham AV, 6770 Timberlane RD and 7626 S Marion AV Apr 26 10 to 5 Apr 27 12 to 5 Information 918­-260­-1095 Beth Teel Beth Teel loves to garden and loves to share her garden with visitors. Hers is one of three gardens featured on this year’s “Tulsa’s Treasures” garden tour sponsored by Tulsa Garden Club. The proceeds from the tour are used to help fund a variety of projects at the rose garden, arboretum, and Up with Trees. Teel, a retired special education teacher, turned to gardening several years ago and has been creating a relaxing place to appreciate plants ever since.  Her husband Paul is her help-mate in making their gardens inviting. Probably what is most unique about Teel’s garden is that it is mostly shaded, and yet, she has found a wide variety of plants to fill the flower beds that surround the house and grounds. Cypress...

Dyck Arboretum of the Plains   177 West Hickory ST, Hesston KS  $2 admission FloraKansas Native Plant sale April 25 to 28 call for hours or check the website. Native wildflowers & grasses Arboretum hours – daily from sunrise to sunset www.dyckarboretum.org , arboretum@hesston.edu , (620) 327-8127 There is no doubt that a prairie garden is the ultimate low maintenance, low water usage and environment friendly choice for gardeners. But, many homeowners assume that it would mean a messy yard and landscape to look at. “The more examples of native plant gardens people see, the more they realize the beauty of native plants,” said Scott Vogt, Executive Director of the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains. The Arboretum was established in 1981 as a gift to Hesston College from Harold and Elva Mae Dyck when they bought 13-acres and donated it to Hesston College to be used prairie restoration garden. Today the Arboretum is one of the largest native plan...

It's early in the spring and we have a hard freeze coming but here's a bit of what's happening in our back yard other than the daffodils and tulips - Pears Plums Apple blossoms Arkansas Black Apple flowers Snow peas Shallots grown from seed almost ready to be planted Grapes Native Peach tree blossoms Thornless blackberries Kale It's a start! In the shed I've transplanted chard, kale, dill and lettuce seedlings. Most of the seedlings have only one set of leaves and are not ready to be transplanted to pots yet but they are making good progress.

April is only half over so there is still time to participate in Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month. The Bugwood Blog from the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health reported the story in detail. Here are some highlights - click the link above to read the entire blog entry - great blog! Each year during April, USDA amplifies its public outreach about the risks that invasive plant pests, diseases and harmful weeds pose to America's crops and forests—and how the public can prevent their spread.  These non-native, destructive species can seriously harm the economy, environment, or even human health. “Invasive species threaten the health and profitability of U.S. agriculture and forestry, and the many jobs these sectors support,” said Kevin Shea, Administrator of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ( APHIS ).  “To protect that crucial value, USDA and its partners work hard every day to keep invasive pests and diseases out of the United S...

Robin Macy and her husband, Kentucky White , live at Bartlett Arboretum where they are stewards of a garden that was built in 1910 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Arboretum, at the corner of Highway 55 and Line Street, is at the edge of Belle Plaine, a little Kansas town south of Wichita, population 1,680. The house at Bartlett Arboretum In April and May, while the daffodils and hellebores begin to fade, the Arboretum positively shines with blooming wisteria and the 36,000 tulips lovingly planted by Macy and a team of volunteer gardeners. An arborist who lives in the hexagon-shaped residence on the property continuously works to maintain the 20 State Champion trees, as well as caring for the more recently planted trees and shrubs. Macy said, “I am in the garden every moment there is daylight, except for the hours I spend writing grant proposals, organizing group tours, doing the paperwork, speaking to promote the garden and other things that k...