Katy Road Pink----Showing off!
Old Blush
Monthly Garden Gossip
May, 2008
This garden gossip is intended to let you know what is going on in our garden
Central Alabama
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Katy Road Pink----Showing off! |
We are really not sure how Jason did it but many of our roses were in full glorious bloom for Antiques in the Garden. We had a record breaking crowd who enjoyed all the roses and the other wonderful flowers. If you missed it, mark your calendar for next year around the third week in April. |
Old Blush |
Keep spraying your daylilies for aphids. They are still out there sucking the life out of your plants. Use Neem oil or Malathion.
| Take advantage of the rainfall and ideal temperatures to continue planting shrubs, perennials, herbs, annuals and roses. Is it not to late to plant blueberries, blackberries or fruit trees either. |
| We are having our second Tomato contest on August 2. So start planting your tomatoes. Chip East, regional extension agent will talk about how to grow really great tomatoes in your backyard at 10:30am and then we will have our Great Tomato Contest. So start planting your tomatoes now. It doesn't matter what type of tomato you grow, heirloom or new varieties, all are welcome. When planting your tomatoes, remove all but a few of the very top leaves and plant them deep so that they can form roots along the stalk or use the trench method and lay the root and stem in a trench curving the end with the leaves up and cover with soil. Your plant will make a much larger root system making them much more drought tolerant. Notice, Jason has planted marigolds in with his tomatoes for nematode control. Even if his tomatoes don't do well he will have pretty flowers. Good Luck!! |
 Jason's Tomatoes |
Don't forget to prune the spring flowering roses once they have finished blooming as well as all your spring flowering shrubs.
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Now is a good time to divide your fall blooming perennials such as Mexican bush sage, Formosa lily and mums. Divide tall bearded Iris, Louisiana Iris and Siberian Iris after they bloom. Remember to fertilize your azaleas now that they are finished blooming. Prune azaleas for shape now; any later and you will cut off the buds for next year. |
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Peaches, plums, cherries should be sprayed for shuck split
with a fruit tree spray; a combination of captan and malathion. This
controls sucking insects, aphids and scale. This spray also controls
scab and plum curculio which causes wormy fruits and brown rot.
Chlorothalonil can be added for superior scab control. This product is
marketed for the home gardener under the name Bravado.
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We should start picking our black and blueberries about the first week in June. If you would like to come and pick please call the shop to make sure that we are picking that day. 205-646-0069. Remember our Black and Blueberry Festival is June 14, 2008 |
Pull up cool season annuals and plant your summer ones. It will soon be too hot for them and they are already starting to look leggy. Don't forget to water. While we have had more rain than last year, you will still need to keep an eye on the water situation. Use soaker hoses or install drip irrigation to conserve water.
| Want to do something special for your mother this Mother's Day? Take her to High Tea at Petals on Saturday, May 10. We will serve you on the patio at the barn, weather permitting; scones, quiche, salad and lots of desserts. Then take her shopping for that special something.. If your purchase is $50.00 or more you will receive a pair of Tool Grip gloves free. Space is limited for the tea so make your reservations early. 205-646-0069 |
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| Plant herbs now such as basil, dill and fennel. There are several different basils that are fun to try such as Mrs. Burns Lemon basil, Thai Basil, and African Blue Basil. We even have Holy Basil. Each basil is just a little different and lends a little different flavor when used in your favorite dishes. Plant Russian sage, santolina and Spanish lavender in your garden if you are bothered with deer. It seems they aren't attracted to these plants. | Begin planting your annuals and tropicals such as caladiums, plumbago and hibiscus. Don't forget to plant a few pentas for the butterflies. They love them. You may plant summer flowering seeds and plants now also. Cleome, Cosmos, marigold, zinnia sunflowers and lantana just to mention a few. We have bulk seed for many of these annuals. The seed is sold by the tablespoon or teaspoon, depending on the size of the seed, for $1.00 a scoop. |
| Growing flowers like the ones to the right and at the bottom is a snap if you fall plant. Even you know who could do it! |  White Snapdragons, pansies and cornflowers |
 Cutting Garden Snap Dragons and Poppies |
 Jewel's double red poppies and snaps |