Gifts of Nature

Preserving our natural habitats, retaining wooded areas and perennial plants in our landscapes and utilizing plants in commercial settings all give back to the quality of life on our earth.
From cleaning our air of daily pollution, to providing a haven for birds, bees and wildlife - our landscapes enhance and provide a greater well-being to us in countless ways.
Give the gift of nature, whether you plant a new tree or shrub this winter, champion environmental causes, or just leave a wooded area instead of adding a bigger lawn. You will be repaid, many times over.

Merry Christmas,
Lyn

Leaves, leaves everywhere!

What to do with all those leaves? Don't just blow them away.  They are the main ingredient in a natural,  quality compost that will provide you with fantastic soil in the Spring!

All organic material eventually decompose; how quickly depends on the amount of moisture, air circulation, size of material and temperature. A warm, sunny location is best for speeding things along, but it works in shade, just much slower.

Here was my formula for filling a 4' wide by 2' deep and 20' long 'low dip' that I wanted to even up:
1) collect 6" of mulched leaves (go over them with your lawn mower) or just the whole leaf - definitely ok if they are dry.
2) add light sprinkling of water (use the shower setting, very briefly)
3) throw in your lawn clippings and one bag of soil
4) cover with leaves a few inches thick

Keep a pile of leaves and any lawn clippings collected in another area and repeat above one to two times over the winter as each layer decomposes. I was able to fill almost the entire area with 'created' soil between October and March. That's a lot of free, quality soil!

Cooking in the garden,
Lyn

Christmas Cactus Update

One week later...I think I will rename this the Thanksgiving Cactus!

Growing things,
Lyn

Other ways to be green

As the holidays approach, we tend to find ourselves replacing or recharging our batteries more frequently, whether for gifts, cameras, or everyday tools. This year, make a greener choice... use rechargables. If you have avoided these because you don't know what to do with them when they wear out, here is a very easy resource for recycling:

                         http://www.call2recycle.org/

I found 3 locations within less than a mile of my house in Woodstock, GA. They also take used cell phones.

Another green advantage - they save you money in the long run!

Lyn

Watch for hitchhikers when bringing plants indoors!

I received a question on my Facebook account from a gardener bringing in her Mandevilla vine for overwintering. Great idea, as these are expensive tropicals that can survive indoors during winter to rebloom next summer, though they get a later start than the ones off the truck from Florida...

About those hitchhikers - the question was, "What are these tiny green creatures climbing up my plant in large numbers?"

Without a photo I had to guess at either the green stink bug or aphids. She believes it is aphids. Here is what I recommended:

To be sure, identify if they have the 'exhaust pipes' on their back end. Also, they will secrete a sticky substance you would feel on the leaves.  I would take it outside and shake/wash off as many as possible first. Then Spray with an insecticidal soap (many on the market with low or no pesticide content). Be sure to get UNDER the leaves as well.  Ants generally follow aphids (for the sticky stuff), so be sure there are none in the area where you move it to. A respraying may be necessary a few days later if you are still seeing them.

In the sunshine today,
Lyn

Add a little native color to your garden – for free!

The Environmental Resources Network and Georgia Wildlife Resources Division have teamed up to help you spruce up your backyard. They are offering free packets of native wildflower seeds that grow plants designed to attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other nectar-loving feeders.

The seed packets grow native plants with drought-tolerant characteristics and provide a reliable food source, including 12 herb and grass species of Georgia. The matured plants will offer a meadow effect, diverse in color, texture and height.

Get your packet by sending a self-addressed lettersize (No. 10) envelope with a first class stamp of postage to: Nectar-feeder Native Wildflower Seed Packet, DNR/WRD Nongame Conservation Section, 116 Rum Creek Dr., Forsyth, GA 31029. One packet per household, please. For more information, visit www.georgiawildlife.com

Go wild with a little bit of your garden,
Lyn

Keeping our streams and rivers clean, one pound of trash at a time

The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeepers celebrated their 15th anniversary this past Sunday at the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s new Exhibition hall. Do you know the UCR brought in over 80 TONS of trash from shorelines and floating debris in rivers, lakes and streams around the metro Atlanta area this year? Doesn’t it seem incredible that there could be that much trash around our treasured waterways? This is a great organization to be a part of, especially if you like to spend time on the water. To join in, click here:
http://www.ucriverkeeper.org/our-river.php

Thanksgiving/Christmas Cactus

A little early, but in its first year of blooming, my 'Christmas' cactus is about to bloom....just in time for Thanksgiving!

These plants are actually epiphytes, also known as 'air plants'. It grows upon itself. Mine came from a clearance sale at Home Depot, all of $1, in a 4" pot.

I believe the timing of blooms has more to do with the change of conditions that my cactus was exposed to, than the timing of the holidays. My cactus spent the summer on my southeast facing porch. Very little direct light (from the east side). When the nights started regularly dipping into the upper 40's, I brought it inside to a window with the same exposure. For more information, check out this website (from an expert, as I am just an amateur in this area):

http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/giftflowers/flowersandoccassions/christmas-cactus

As you can see, it is quite happy. After it finishes its bloom season, I will begin propogating for new pots and gifts to friends for next holiday season.

Yes, holidays are just around the corner and plants make great, personal gifts. In fact, I am thinking of the person I with when I bought this plant.

Happy Pre-Holidays,
Lyn

Pruning Roses

Knockout roses have been all the rage with our three years of drought. Recent historical rains have stressed all roses with some black spot - perhaps even your Knockouts.

Frequently, I am asked about pruning roses - both Knockouts and traditional teas or floribundas. Here is some advice that is generally appropriate for all roses:

Some fundamental practices of pruning roses correctly in all gardens, regardless of type, are: 1) remove any canes that have been damaged by insects, diseases or storms; 2) remove one of two canes which may be rubbing one another; or 3) remove canes that are spindly or smaller in diameter than the size of a pencil.

On all roses, consider the cutting of the flowers as a form of pruning. If you are gathering roses, always leave at least two sets of leaves on the branch from which you cut the flower to insure plant vigor. When removing faded, spent flowers, cut only as far as the first five-leaflet leaf. If cutting on the ends of branches, cut at 45 degree angles above an outside bud 1/2 inch above the bud with the lowest point on the side opposite the bud, but not below the bud itself. If you are removing branches, never leave stubs since these die and can cause problems on the plant later. Always remove branches by cutting to a lateral branch or bud, or back to the base of the rose plant. Prune about 3 to 4 weeks before the average date of the last killing frost - approximately March 1 in the Atlanta area.

Knockouts (and soon other hybrid cultivars called Oso Easy on the market 2010) are low maintenance and require only steps 1 and 2 above, but if you deadhead them back to the first set of healthy 5-leaves, you will be rewarded with a blooms all the way through the Autumn season.

Lyn

Dipping overnight temperatures

If you have any tender plants (annuals) that you are bringing in for the winter, this is a good week to do it. Our Atlanta temps are dipping into the upper 30s. Plants need time to reacclimate to the new environment, so it's best to give them some time outside during the day as well - if you can.
Why bother? For me, I have several favorite coleus plants with colors and patterns that have been hard to find in the past. Keeping a few sprouts growing over the winter allows me to start spring with 'new' plants in all my favorite designs!
Snip a strong stem with many leaves, and strip the bottom leaves off (3 nodes is good to have). Place in water and allow to root. Or place in a loose peat/soil mix and keep moist. Place in a sunny window. New roots will begin growing from the nodes.
Getting a jump on Spring,
Lyn

Clear with a High Probability of Sunshine!

It is nice to have a few consecutive days of sun and dry weather to dry out a bit from the recent rains.
No one knows if we will have dry weather or wet weather for an extended period of time. What we do know is if you have the right soil mixture, your plants will thrive in most typical weather conditions - wet or dry.
Did you know, improving your soil with organics will save you from using more pesticides. Healthier soil = healthier plants = fewer pests and diseases in the landscape. This is the step most homeowners skip and it costs them, from the lawn to the foundation shrubs.
I recommend (and use) a product called Complete Landscape Mix, or CLM for short. It has all the properties every healthy plant could ask for: organic fertlizer in the form of worm castings, river sand for superior drainage, and something I call popcorn granite. The granite is mined nearby in North Carolina. It is put through a kiln-type process, expanding and creating holes and crevices in the rock. The properties of the granite provide an environment for water and air to be held within the stone's holes and cracks. It truly is complete because the plants have everything the need, right at their roots.
Ask for CLM at your local nursery. Then use it for your containers, or on your next garden project.
See you in the garden,
Lyn

National Wildlife Federation in the Garden

http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife/

Make your garden welcome for birds and creatures alike, they will return the favor... by eating unwanted bugs. Way better than bird feeders (which attract unwanted creatures)!

Welcome to my Advice Blog for Residential Landscapes

Greetings of the beautiful Fall season!

The trees are changing their coats with new shades daily. Mother Nature has arranged a grand display for all to enjoy. A road trip this past week north of Georgia had me gaping in awe at tapestry of colors.

The moons have aligned and I have a great weather day available for yard work and getting my own landscape ready for the next phase of the calendar...Winter is just a few short months away-really!

What can you be doing this time of year, if presented with the same opportunity?
* Cut back ragged perennials and put them to bed with a nice fresh mulch
* Clean out your annual bed and plant some pansies, violas, snapdragons or ornamental kale
* Adjust your mowing height, check for thatch (aerate if you have more than 1/2 an inch), apply a pre-emergent for winter weeds
* Bring non-frostproof containers and plants into the house or garage
* Start some annual plants you loved this summer by rooting indoors over the Winter

TIP OF THE WEEK:
Clean empty containers and tools with a small amount of bleach (1 Tablespoon per gallon) and next Spring you will be one big step ahead of the game. While you're at it, why not wash out your garden gloves before you put them up for the Winter as well? Same solution works great, lay to dry outside on a sunny Fall day.

In the garden with you,
Lyn