March 2004

Early spring

– Posted in: Miscellaneous

I noticed some inquires about "Walls o' Water. These are adverised in many seed catalogs, Park and Jung included. Don't know if the inquiry about an unheated porch was in reference to mine, but mine is galssed in and warm enough right now to put the potted peony roots, which have already sprouted in the [...]

March is Going Out Like a Lamb

– Posted in: Garden chores, Weather

After the miserable snowy weather in the middle of March the month has made a dramatic turn for the better in these last few days. It started on Sunday the 28th which dawned clear and sunny. The day followed in the steps of the morning and Monday kept up the same and today as well. [...]

What’s up, what’s down

– Posted in: Miscellaneous

The snow banks are coming down; we can actually see grass in a few places. The Park's Whopper and Gardener's Delight tomatoes are just popping up, and can be put in a sunny window shortly, as are the Nagoya Flowering Kale seedlings. However, I've found an infestation of white fly on my large geranium plants [...]

New Gardening Year Resolutions

– Posted in: Garden chores

This year I will wear gloves. This year I will also wear a hat and sunscreen. This year I will stake things. This year I will thin ruthlessly. This year I will spray rotenone or something to get those flea beetles. This year I will stop those rose slugs that are devouring all my roses. [...]

Uh-oh

– Posted in: Pests, Plagues, and Varmints

This is a photo of my beloved crocus bank. The driveway runs roughly east to west, downhill all the way. On the south side of the driveway, the lawn runs down fairly steeply to the driveway, forming a bank that I have planted quite densely with crocuses. The crocuses are just getting started, but it [...]

Tomato seeds and roses

– Posted in: Miscellaneous

In all fairness to Burpee, I received those seeds from them the day after I said I hadn't but still several days after Park. They are all (the tomatoes) planted now with the Early Girl up and growing. About roses: in Mich.U.P. I am pretty leery about planting hybrid teas, too, going for shrub roses [...]

Roses & black spot

– Posted in: Plant info

Good link. But they neglect to mention that many antique roses are black spot resistant as well. I've never sprayed a rose for black spot, and my family has always grown roses. I'm under the impression that the tendency to black spot susceptiblity came into rose breeding with Chinas & thence into teas and then [...]

Blackspot-resistant roses

– Posted in: Pests, Plagues, and Varmints, Plant info

If there is a rose in your future, you may want to consult the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory's list of blackspot-resistant roses. As the article states, gardeners"could increase their leisure time and decrease their fungicide expenses by using disease resistant and tolerant roses." There are so many different rose cultivars out there, why [...]