the Garden GazetteApril, 2017

the official newsletter of Shades of Green Nursery

Long Lasting Beauties SaturdaySeminarsEveryone loves color in their landscape. If you want

constant color throughout the warm season from plants that are effortless to grow, take a close look at perennials.

There are countless varieties from which to choose that include a wide assortment of flower shapes and unlimited colors. They create wonderful accents when used alone but also mix well with shrubs, grasses, and even landscape succulents. We have our favorites but there are many more than

we have room to mention here.Plumbago, both blue and white, lots of different salvias,

and lantana (trailing and upright) are a trio of tried and true performers.

Russelia or firecracker plant bursts forth in an explosion of red/orange color that won’t stop until the first hard freeze next winter.

Cannas are often overlooked but they create a striking show of color with their large, intensely colored flowers.

Thryallis is a larger shrub-like perennial that produces numerous spikes of yellow flowers all season long.

Shrimp plant is a shade loving perennial that simply can’t stop blooming.

Durantas, bat faced cupheas, skullcap, phlox, blackfoot daisy, scabiosa, verbenas, four-nerve daisies, and firebush are a few more exceptional choices.

Add Revitalizer compost to prepare your soil and fertilize with a mix of Color Essentials and Landscape Essentials or liquid HastaGro to encourage the maximum number of flowers.

Planting perennials with abandon will not only brighten your warm season garden, it will also provide nectar for hummingbirds and all types of insects from butterflies to bees.

For more information on perennials, join us for our Saturday Seminar on April 8.

Our seminars begin at9:45 am, but the coffee will

be on by 9:00.

1The Truth About Oak Wilt

If you have oak trees you won’t want to miss this seminar on oak wilt. David Vaughan will talk about natural ways to prevent and control this devastat-ing disease.

April

8Perennial ColorThere is no better source

for warm weather color than long blooming peren-nials. Come learn about the best bloomers.

15Succulents In The Landscape

Succulent expert, Marty Ruona, is going to come and give a great talk about creatively using succulents in the landscape.

We will beClosed

Easter Sunday,April 16th.

The Essence of SpringThe Easter season and the arrival

of spring coalesce to create a time of joyous celebration. A sense of reawakening and renewal is in the air, and nothing symbolizes this more perfectly than plants. When you are decorating for Easter and thinking about gifts you would like to give, include plants. Consider exotic orchids and bromeliads, pots of herbs mixed with colorful annuals, a beautiful ceramic pot filled with flowers and foliages, hanging baskets of petunias or begonias, or a blooming rosebush. Plants are so much fun and are so uplifting!

We hope you will visit Shades of Green when you are getting ready for Easter because we have the best plants in town!

The variety of basils we offer has greatly expanded in recent years. Although sweet basil is still the most popular variety by far, others are being discovered by our customers who are wid-ening their culinary expertise.

Thai and lemon basils are used extensively in Asian cui-sines for curries, stews, stir-fries, and even desserts.

Holy basil is used in Asian dishes as well but is also known to be a powerful antioxidant, and teas such as tulsi made from this variety are known to have a calming effect.

Purple basil is a beautiful addition to salads and when added to vinegar it turns it a lovely pink color.

Sweet basil is used in every-thing from pestos and salads to cocktails and ice cream.

African blue is useful in the kitchen and is one of the few perennial basils.

With all of these choices we hope you will make room in your garden to try some of the newer basils.

Know Your Basils

Leafy Color For The ShadeCaladiums may not have showy flowers, but they do provide extraor-

dinary color for shady areas of the landscape. There are many beautiful new varieties, but even the older varieties have been improved through cloning techniques.

We have received our 2017 shipment, and though it is not quite time to plant caladium bulbs, we encourage you to buy them early for the best selection. Store them in a cool, dry place until the soil warms and it is time to plant later this month.

Add some compost to the soil when planting in the ground and use Ladybug Vortex Potting Soil if you plant them in containers. If you want your caladiums to be truly spectacular, plant the bulbs close together and in large groups. Encourage the maximum number of leaves by feeding regularly with Hasta Gro or Landscape Essentials.

If you can’t wait for the soil to warm for bulbs, we have beautiful pots of caladiums that can be planted at any time.

Flying JewelsHummingbirds equal joy. They are so amazing in every

way, and their very presence can only bring smiles. Here are a few suggestions to bring them into your landscape.

i Plant their favorite plants...Salvia greggii, russelia, queen’s crown, and anything else that is red, orange, or yellow. They are so curious they will check out most flowers.

i Hang out nectar feeders. Since they are so territorial it is important to offer more than one feeder.

i It is critical to keep the nectar fresh for the health of the birds. Mix 1 part sugar to 4 parts water and change every 3 days in the summer. Food coloring is not necessary and should not be used.

Gardening CalendarMonthly Native:

Not only is Salvia farinacea a fantastic, long blooming na-tive but it has been extensively hybridized. The result is a number of new varieties that are outstanding performers.

The hybrids are more intensely colored and are available in a wider range of mature sizes. Indigo spires

gets quite large while Henry Deulberg is a more com-pact grower. Evolution and Mystic Spires are two more unique varieties.

Farinacea and its hybrids are free-bloomers and attract an amazing assortment of insects such as butterflies, honeybees and bumblebees. Hummers are also known to visit the blooms.

Bug Notes• Although we are noticing naturally occurring ladybugs, it is always a

good idea to supplement their numbers by releasing more. Adult ladybugs and their larvae control a huge number of damaging insects such as aphids which are a common problem on new spring growth.

• Asclepias (butterfly weed) frequently gets aphid infestations but that is not a bad thing. This type of aphid does not spread to other plants and will attract a huge number of helpful beneficial insects.

• June bugs have been present for over a month, and they are mating and laying eggs which will hatch into very damaging grubworms. It is important to apply beneficial nematodes to prevent damage to your lawn grasses and other plants.

• Grasshoppers are arriving early this year. The most effective control is Semaspore Bait, and it must be applied early in the season while the grasshoppers are young.

• To prevent damage to your pecans from nut casebearers release Trichogramma wasps. A second release should be made in May.

Salvia farinaceaPlant warm weather annuals, perennials, and tropicals in abundance for color through spring and summer.Make applications of Sluggo Plus to safely control snails, slugs, and pillbugs on tender foliages.Put out food and fresh water for songbirds. Continue feeding flowering plants to keep them blooming.Release Trichogramma wasps to control nut casebearers in pecan trees.Apply compost to turf areas for improved growth and better water retention.Put up multiple hummingbird feeders and keep them filled with clean, fresh nectar.Plant caladium plants and bulbs after the soil warms.Apply beneficial nematodes to prevent flea outbreaks and control early grub infestations.Apply cornmeal around the base of roses to reduce the potential for blackspot and mildew.Plant warm weather veggies such as tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, melons, okra, peppers, and eggplant.Apply Ladybug Sylvan mulch to beds and around shrubs and trees to decrease water needs and reduce weeds.Broadcast Semaspore bait as soon as young grasshoppers appear. Treat emerging fire ant mounds with Come and Get It or orange oil.Begin to spray a mix of seaweed and molasses to prevent an outbreak of spider mites.Spring only comes once a year. Don’t let a single day pass without spending some time outdoors in your garden.

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April, 2017

Warm Weather NemesisMosquitoes seem to be making an early appearance this year so be prepared to defend

yourself. Dr. T’s is a natural repellent to use in outdoor areas where you live, play, and garden. It remains effective for two to four weeks depending on the amount of rain we receive. One container covers 4,000 square feet. Liquid Garlic Barrier is another effective repellent to use in the landscape.

Next, stock up on Cactus Juice. This personal repellent feels wonderful on your skin and has a pleasing scent. Because it does not contain DEET it is safe for use on children. This is the product of choice at Shades of Green, the ultimate mosquito factory.

We also carry Andiroba candles and incense which create a lovely ambience while keeping mosquitoes at bay. They have a pleasant scent, are effective, and are produced by a Fair Trade Co-op in Brazil.

Of course, be sure there is no standing water anywhere on your property and place Mosquito Dunks in rainwater barrels and water troughs that are not emptied regularly.

April In The Vegetable Garden

April is truly the month for multi-tasking in the vegetable garden. It’s time to pull up fading cool weather plants such as broccoli and cauliflower as well as many greens and add them to the compost pile.

Squash and cucumbers should be starting to produce and must be picked very regularly to prevent the development of ‘monster fruits’ and to encourage continued production. Keep picking bush beans and begin harvesting new potatoes and young onions.

Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant can still be planted and need regular feeding to encourage an abundance of fruit. It is now time to plant hot weather crops such as okra, blackeyed peas, sweet potatoes, melons, and

jicama.While you are planting and picking keep a close watch for any insect problems and

act quickly to prevent infestations of tomato hornworms, squash bugs, potato bugs, bean beetles, and leaf footed bugs. Make it a habit to inspect your plants regularly. Often you can spot the eggs of insects and eliminate them. Spray kale, snow peas, and tomatoes regularly with our mix of seaweed and molasses to prevent an outbreak of spider mites as the weather warms.