DEADHEADING FLOWERS

KEEP YOUR ANNUALS BLOOMING           

'DEAD-HEADING'

Annuals are plants that grow to maturity, flower, set seed, and die within one year. Once the flowers are pollinated most of the energy of the plant is focused on producing seeds which will ensure its survival the following year. 

Deadheading old flowers encourages the plant to focus  energy on
producing new flowers rather than seeds. 

In order to "fool' the plant into creating more flowers gardeners use the simple trick of pinching off the old flowers. This technique is known as 'dead-heading'.  It forces the plant to start over and produce even more flowers.

 This proven practice works on all annuals from early spring pansies to summer blooming zinnia and marigolds.  Some plants like pansies will even form two new flowers for every one pinched.

Although many flowers can be snapped off with your fingertips, it is often quicker to use snips.

With many flowers you can simply remove the old bloom with your finger tips. On plants with thicker stems it is wiser to use snips to prevent damaging the plants and new flowers.

Many perennials will grow new flowers and extend the flowering season when deadheaded.

The hardest part of this task is finding the time to do it.  If it's late in the season and your marigolds have more dead flowers than you want to deal with, take a chair and cup of tea to where they are and make the task more enjoyable. This will keep your marigolds blooming into early autumn.

On plants such as geraniums and marigold the old dead flowers turn brown and unsightly.
Deadheading keeps them looking neat and tidy.

Dead-heading is also beneficial to many other plants as well. Although most 'perennials' will only bloom for a few weeks during their season, removing the seeds encourages the plants to produce stronger root systems. Since many perennials are best propagated by division (dividing the root system) this practice is very beneficial.

Perennials also benefit from deadheading by producing new flowers
and extending its season.

Even plants grown for their leaves such as Hosta do best when old flowers are removed, producing stronger healthy root systems.

In order to propagate this daylily root division is the easiest and most dependable technique.
Deadheading the spent flowers encourages stronger root growth.

 Summer flowering shrubs such as butterfly bushes or roses will also produce more flowers when dead-headed.

Happy Gardening,

James

Butterfly Bush

BUTTERFLY BUSH

 

When planting remember a 'Buddleia' can rapidly out grow it's space.  

 

As the name implies, the butterfly bush 'Buddleia' is a shrub that attracts butterflies.  They seem to find this shrub impossible to pass by; Buddleia often host more than one butterfly at a time.  Also, don't be surprised to see a hummingbird visit the shrub, especially later in the season.

 

In midsummer, often more than one butterfly will visit this bush at a time. 

 

Noted for its long spires of flowers in a collection of tiny clusters, butterfly bushes bloom from midsummer until the frost period. Buddleia are available in a range of colors from white to pink, to purple, to blue, and even yellow. This hardy shrub dies back in winter and then re-sprouts from new growth next spring, flowering from 'new wood'.  To keep them neat and healthy give Buddleia a 'heavy' pruning every spring.  In late March or April prune it back to two or three feet from the ground. Amazingly it will still increase its height and width every year.  By forcing new growth from the bottom you encourage your shrub to sprout more new stems and many more

flowers.

 

Butterfly bushes are available in many colors, including yellow. 

 

A native to temperate regions of Asia, South Africa, and South America, this fast growing shrub can reach a height of over 6 ft and easily spread as wide in just a few years.  Although well worth the space, keep size in consideration when selecting a planting site.  This also means you can save money by planting a young plant and it will quickly reach its desired height.  Besides, Buddleia shrubs are both drought and deer resistant.  That is a plus for any plant.

 

 Yellow swallowtails, Monarchs and Black Swallowtails mingle with each other while
feeding at this beautiful flowering shrubs.

 

 Butterfly bushes have two draw backs.  First they can quickly outgrow their space. Once established they can grow and spread quickly.  Remember this when selecting a spot. Mature shrubs do not transplant well.  For those with less space there are now miniature varieties.  They will also attract butterflies. Secondly, butterfly bushes can self seed and spread where they are not wanted. I simply remove the unwanted plants treating them as weeds or pot them up to be replanted later.

 

New varieties of miniature butterfly bushes can easily find a spot in almost any garden
with enough sunlight.. 

 

 If butterflies love a flower so do bees. Remember that when planting Buddleia and keep them away from areas with a lot of human traffic and children. An ounce of prevention...

 

Even Hummingbirds visit for a quick snack. 

 

 

                                                                                                                                       Happy Gardening,

James

 

Earthworms in the Garden

       EARTHWORMS

         (Lumbricus terrestri)

Good garden soil should have ten earthworms per square foot.

The reddish-gray colored common earthworm, often called a night crawler in the United States, is familiar to anyone with a fishing rod or a garden. They are indigenous to Europe, but are now abundant in North America and western Asia.



Earthworms are vital to soil health because they transport nutrients and minerals from below the surface via their waste.  Their tunnels aerate the ground. An earthworm can eat up to one third its body weight in a day. A 'healthy' garden soil should have approximately ten earthworms per square foot.



Although not native to North America, earthworms are sign of healthy garden soil. 

Earthworms  burrow during the day, typically keeping close to the surface, but are capable of digging down as deep as 6.5 feet.



An earthworm can live six years in the wild.

Contrary to playground legend, if a worm is cut in half, two will not grow.  Therefore you are better off leaving your earthworm undisturbed to get the best results.  Amazingly earthworms can live up to six years in the wild.

Worm castings, also called ’vermicast', worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by an earthworm. These castings have been shown to contain reduced levels of contaminants and a higher saturation of nutrients than do organic materials before vermicomposting.

You can purchase worm castings or let your worms make it for you. 

To encourage as many earthworms in your garden as possible, add organic materials such as compost to your 
soil.  Scatter it on top or rake it in and the worms will do 
the rest.  This practice adds nutrients to your garden which 
is as good for your plants as it is for your worms. 

Earthworms help water move into the soil closer to the root systems of your plants. 

Most importantly limit the use of pesticides and insecticides as they can harm or kill your earthworms as well as your intended targets.

Although not the cutest critter on the planet, earthworms are worth their weight in gold. 

 The next time you dig up an earthworm while gardening
remember how essential they are and rather than just
tossing it to the side - cover it back up.  Earthworms 
wither and die quickly when left in the sun.

 Happy Gardening,

James

For more information on earthworms and other amazing creatures visit the National Geographic website

Local Farm & Garden Centers

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL 
GARDEN CENTERS AND 

FARM & GARDEN SUPPLY STORES

Now that spring is upon us our local garden centers are busy stocking up supplies for the season.  I always enjoy driving by and watching the deliveries of shrubs, flowers or mulch being unloaded.

Gardens Centers are your best bet for well tended and healthy plants.

 Although it is easy to buy plants and flowers almost everywhere, supermarkets, hardware stores and even road side stands, our local garden centers depend on our seasonal business to support themselves, their families and pay their employees. In return they supply us with the largest selection of plants, varieties and flower colors. Additionally because it is their livelihood garden centers tend to give the best care, including regular watering of their stock.

A knowable staff will give you the best advise and information. 

When you purchase garden plants you want them to be 'happy', well tended and healthy. Many plants will rebound from lack of care, but they will be more productive with flowers and fruit if they have total care and never need to recuperate in the first place.

The season from pansies to pumpkins and holiday decor is short. Yet taxes and electric bills continue all year long. Try to imagine not having a local garden center in the area. What a sad loss that would be for our community.

To find a good local garden center ask your gardening friends and neighbors for their recommendations. Then make a list and visit all of them. A visit to a garden center can be a nice relaxing time out.



A beautiful pot will bring interest and add beauty to any area of your garden.

 If you have a local 'Farm & Garden Supply' in your area you are lucky. Once widely available, residents of most towns now have to drive miles to the nearest one. Although they do not sell garden plants they are indispensable to a gardener. One advantage of a "farm & garden store" is the wide range of fertilizers and chemicals to choose from. *Remember to always use the correct product for the job and follow the directions on the label.

Chemicals used improperly can be a hazard to the environment
as well as family and pets. Read and follow the directions on the label. 

"Google" Farm & Garden supply in your area for directions and information on the closest one to you.

I often find that a rainy spring day is an excellent time to visit these garden venues. Garden centers tend to be quiet which allows you to visit without the bustling crowds of a sunny spring day.

*For more information on controlling disease and insects call your local Cooperative Extension in your county. You will find it listed in the yellow pages.

Happy Gardening, 
James

Tulips as gifts

TULIPS AS GIFTS

 

 

After bringing your tulips home get them in water ASAP 

 

In just  two weeks we will be celebrating Easter on April 5th and Passover which begins the evening of April 3rd this year. As we gather with family and friends many of us will bring flowers as a hostess gift.

 



A simple vase of tulips is a beautiful gift that brings the glory of spring indoors.

The most popular spring flower for many of us is the 'TULIP' (Tulipa).
Tulips are a bulbous spring flowering plant  with boldly colored cup-shaped flowers.




It amazes me that tulips grown in Holland and shipped overseas are be such
an affordable flower in the United States.  I love it.

After arriving in Europe during the late1500's as a gift from the Sultan of Turkey, tulips became very popular  among  the rich. When tulips finally reached Holland they became the focus of a craze known as 'Tulip Mania'.  Tulips were bought and sold for hundreds of dollars at such a rapid pace that Tulip mania is considered the first 'economic bubble'. Great family fortunes were gained and lost by trading this bulb and its seeds. In February 1637 the entire trend collapsed within a few days leaving many bankrupt.

This tulip was one of the most popular during the age of  'Tulip-mania' 

In modern times most of the tulips we purchase still come from Holland and are a major international export.

 In April and May tulips are sold as potted plants and cut flowers. They are affordable and always appreciated as a special gift.

The combinations of tulip colors are as endless as your imagination
 

To get the most from your cut tulips try to buy flowers that are still tight. They will open quickly. Give them a fresh 'straight' cut and place them in a vase with cool (not cold) water and flower crystals. In a few days your tulips will require a fresh cut and clean water.

 Potted tulips also make a nice gift. After potted tulips have bloomed they are depleted and will not do well as a garden plant.  Sadly, they are not worth the effort it takes to plant  them.



After potted tulips have bloomed add them to the compost pile.
Sadly they will not preform well in the garden next year. 

It wouldn't  seem like spring without a pot of colorful pansies by my front door. Pansies are a welcome sight to family and guests when they arrive and are a wonderful gift.

Although tulips will bloom for about a week, pansies are a gift that will last
for a few months, until the heat of early summer strikes

To keep pansies happy hide a jug of water close by for easy daily watering and deadhead old flowers once a week.

The flower pot is an important part of the gift and will last for years. It is worth spending extra money on a nicer pot if you want to impress your hosts.

A nice flower pot will last for years and can be an excellent investment

 

Happy Gardening,
James

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawks in the garden

 

WINTER BIRD FEEDING - HAWKS

 

This morning we were surprised by a large Red Tailed Hawk in our garden. As is often the case it had missed its prey and flew away with his talons empty.

 

COOPER'S HAWK

Although we pay little attention to hawks flying overhead, they are impossible to ignore when they visit our back yards. There are a few hawks native to New Jersey; the             Red Tailed Hawk being one is a very large beautiful bird.

These majestic birds of prey strike horror into many people who don't want their favorite song birds taken. Often we blame ourselves for setting up the situation that also draws in hawks. During the winter when many critters are in their dens, the large number of birds at feeders creates an ideal hunting ground.

In reality Hawks are successful only 40% of the time. Not often considering the amount of energy birds of prey must put into every strike.

 

RED TAILED HAWK WITH PREY



DON'T TAKE DOWN YOUR FEEDERS

Often the first reaction to a hawk sighting is to stop feeding garden birds. According to the Audubon Society this is not recommended. The benefits to songbirds by back yard bird feeding out weights the losses that occur during the long winter. Like all living creatures, hawks need to eat also.

You can help your birds by knowing the main predators in your area. If your main predators are hawks keep your feeders close to shrubs so birds can make a quick getaway. I also place feeders close to fences that smaller birds can scurry though but the larger hawks cannot follow. This will give your birds a better chance to get away.

If you have neighbor cats the opposite is true. Keep your feeders away from shrubs that cats will hide in while stalking prey. Place them closer to the center of your yard so birds will have time to flee pouncing cats.

 

SHARP SHINNED HAWK IN FLIGHT 

 

A few years ago a lady told me a story. She was in her house when she saw a hawk in her back yard. She grabbed a towel and ran out swinging, trying to chase the hawk away. The hawk, having made a successful strike would not let it go. Spinning around, yelling and swinging the towel, she must have been a sight to see.

Moral of the story: Don't be crazy. Hawks are an important part of our natural environment.

Happy gardening,

James

Roses as cut flowers

CARING FOR FRESH CUT ROSES

 "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" 
                                        William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

In literature and poetry for centuries, Roses are perhaps the most beloved flower in the world. Roses have been a symbol of love and passion since Roman times.


Symbolism of rose colors. 
RED: Love & Passion  

On Valentine's Day roses are in incredible demand. Of course this increases the cost at this time of year. To get the most out of your investment you can follow a few basic steps.

The more water that reaches the flower, the longer it will last. To ensure this process proper cutting is essential. Roses need a clean cut on an angle to open the stem and absorb water. A blade or sharp knife is a good tool for this. Scissors or pruning shears unfortunately close the stem and are therefore not a good choice.

WHITE: Marriage, Spirituality & New Beginnings  

Keep your fresh roses out of the sun. Direct sunlight will dehydrate the flower and lessen its life span.

After a few days or when your flowers begin to droop it is time to freshen them up. Remove the flowers and clean the vase, then refill with fresh water. Give your roses a fresh 'clean' cut as described above and put them in the vase. This will give your roses a few more days of beauty.



YELLOW: Friendship, Joy & Good Health.  

Flower crystals* do work so I add them to all flower arrangements. Flower shops and even super markets supply crystals free of charge, so remember to ask for it.



PINK: Love & Gratitude  

You can easily dry roses and enjoy them all winter long. Do this while the roses are still fresh, before the flowers droop or the petals drop off. Using a hanger and twist ties, simply hang the roses up-side-down, leaving space between them for good air circulation. Hang them in a dry room out of direct sunlight, which will help preserve color. Leave them undisturbed until they are fully dried, approximately two or three weeks. When dried they are ready for display.

Hanging up side down is the easiest way to dry your roses.  

*If you don't have flower crystals a regular lemon lime soda (not diet) will also do the trick. (P. Allen Smith)

Happy Valentines Day,
James