Monthly Archives: May 2025

Rose Care Basics

Beginners often become confused with the many recommendations and suggestions for growing roses. However, it is important to start with the basic guidelines for successful rose growing. Roses can thrive under many conditions, but they are sure to grow better, with more luxurious blooms and fewer problems, when you follow the basics.

Prepare the Soil

The proper soil is essential to nourish roses so they can grow to their full potential. To make the soil ideal for roses…

Take a soil sample to test the pH, either with a home testing kit or through your local extension service. Roses like a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. You may need to add lime to raise the pH or sulfur to lower it to the optimum rose range.
Incorporate composted cow manure or other healthy compost into the soil. This will provide superior drainage and excellent organic material for roses to absorb.

Planting Roses

If they aren’t planted properly, roses won’t thrive as well as they could. Improper planting could even damage roots and destroy a rose bush.

Select a sunny spot with good soil drainage – roses require at least 6 hours of full sun daily. Early morning sun is preferred because it dries the leaves, which helps prevent disease.
Dig a wide, shallow hole that is 2-3 times as wide but not quite as deep as the root ball (about 1 inch shallower). The plant should sit on solid ground so it doesn’t sink when the soil settles.
Remove the plant from the pot and loosen any circling roots. If you can’t pull the roots apart, use a knife to make 4-5 vertical cuts in the root ball. This will allow new roots to grow out into the surrounding soil as the plant becomes established.
Place the plant in the hole slightly elevated above ground level. Backfill with soil until the hole is half full.
Soak the root ball with a mixture of a Root Stimulator & Transplanting Solution.
Fill the rest of the hole with soil and water thoroughly. Apply mulch to a depth of 2 inches, being careful not to mound mulch against the trunk of the plant, which could encourage rotting or insect damage.

Pruning Roses

To look their best, roses must be properly pruned. This can be intimidating for rose-growing novices, but once the basics are mastered, the techniques for pruning roses are not difficult.

In spring, remove winter mulch when new grow appears. Prune out all dead wood and twiggy growth and cut back to sound wood with a clean slanting cut, just above a good bud eye.
During the growing season, remove fading roses promptly, cutting just above a five-leaflet leaf. This will help encourage reblooming on many cultivars, and will help prevent rot or disease infestation.
To winterize, remove all fallen leaves and debris from the base of the plant, cut back to 10-12 inches after the ground freezes, then apply a mound of mulch over the canes to protect them from temperature shock.

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Food and Water

Roses need the proper nutrition – water and fertilizer – to bloom well and develop stunning colors and fragrances.

Roses thrive best when given 1 inch of water weekly. A thorough soaking from rain or hose will keep roses blooming all season. Try not to overhead water unless it is early in the day, as the damp leaves can promote disease.
Fertilize monthly with Espoma Rose-tone or similar products specially formulated for the nutritional needs of roses.

Treat for Disease and Pests

There are times when roses will succumb to diseases and pests. Quickly recognizing these problems and treating them properly will help minimize outbreaks that can damage several rose plants at once.

Fungus diseases cannot be cured, so a regular spraying schedule is very important. Keep an eye on plants that were infected last year and spray with a fungicide to prevent outbreaks this year.
You may also need to use an insecticide for severe insect problems. Minor problems can be handled with less harsh methods, but diligence will be necessary to keep pests from taking over the rose bushes.
Many rose lovers find it convenient to use an all-purpose insect and disease spray once a week or a systemic control every 6 weeks.

It may seem like a lot of work to cultivate roses, but when you wander through your rose garden or see your favorite rose bush in full bloom, that effort will be well rewarded.

rose new budding

Garden Fence, Pink Roses

Magnificent Mountain Laurels

An undeniably beautiful shrub in any season, mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) explodes into bloom in late spring to early summer. One of our nation’s greatest contributions to the botanical world, mountain laurels possesses beautiful, shiny, deep green foliage. They boast legendary clusters of star-like buds opening to delicate cup-shaped flowers with frilly edges. The flower buds emerge red, open pink or white and reveal purple dappled markings inside the flower, giving this shrub its nickname “calico bush.”

A native from Maine to Florida, these broadleaf evergreens intrigue but also sometimes frustrate the home gardener. With so many magnificent specimens growing wild in the eastern forests, why is it sometimes difficult to grow mountain laurel in the landscape?

Location

First, you will need to choose the right site. Mountain laurel will tolerate sun if there is adequate moisture and the root area is cool, but partial shade is preferable and shade will do if there is some morning sun available. Plant your mountain laurel where it has plenty of room to grow to maturity; it should not need to be pruned except to remove dead or damaged wood. Mountain laurels are slow-growing, reaching 4-8 feet over 10 years. This contributes to their irregular habit, creating an elegant specimen.

Planting

As a member of the heath family, which includes rhododendron, mountain laurel requires well-drained, rich, acidic soil. Replicate these conditions and your plant should thrive. Your soil pH should be 5.0-5.5, but if your pH is higher than 6.5 your mountain laurel may not survive and certainly will not thrive. Laurels seem to perform best in raised beds, heavily amended with sphagnum peat moss or finely ground pine bark. To plant, dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball. Set the plant at or above the depth as it was growing in its container or the size of the root ball. Do not plant it more deeply. Mix a handful of superphosphate to the amended planting soil, then backfill the hole and water thoroughly. Add a 3-inch layer of pine bark mulch to keep the roots cool in hot weather and to retain soil moisture. Check plant often throughout the season and water before soil dries out. Fertilize twice yearly with Holly-tone; once in the spring and half strength in the autumn to provide adequate nourishment.

Selections

There are many different mountain laurels to choose from, and the most popular varieties include…

Alpine Pink – Rich pink buds open to medium pink with a white throat.
Carousel – Starburst pattern inside the corolla. Good growth.

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Hearts of Fire – Red buds open to a deep pink flower.
Nipmuck – Intense red buds open cream white to light pink while the back of the corolla is dark pink.
Olympic Fire – Large deep red buds open to pink flowers.
Pinwheel – Maroon flowers edged in white with a cinnamon-maroon band that almost fills the center of the corolla.
Snowdrift – Compact, mounded plant with pure white flowers.
Elf – White flowers on a dwarf plant.

* All plants subject to availability

Mountain laurels can be magnificent specimens to add to your landscape, try one today!

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Beat the Bolt: Keeping Lettuce Lush and Leafy

In the busy, beautiful, and bountiful universe of vegetable gardening, there’s a particular plant that always holds a special place in our hearts: lettuce. No wonder we love lettuce; it is early planted, quick and easy to grow, available in almost unlimited varieties, tasty, and loaded with numerous nutritional benefits. Absolutely! We love growing lettuce! Yet, we often find ourselves locked in a battle against a frustrating foe: bolting.

What is Bolting?
Bolting refers to the process where a plant, such as lettuce, prematurely produces a flowering stalk. In the case of lettuce, this means the plant shifts its energy from leaf production to seed production, resulting in bitter-tasting leaves and a decline in overall quality.

Why Does Lettuce Bolt?
Several factors can trigger bolting in lettuce:

Temperature: Lettuce prefers cool temperatures, typically between 60-70°F. When exposed to prolonged periods of high temperatures, especially above 80°F, lettuce may bolt as a survival mechanism to produce seeds before the heat stress becomes too severe.
Day Length: Lettuce is sensitive to changes in day length. Certain varieties are more prone to bolting as the days lengthen in the late spring or summer, especially if they are exposed to extended periods of daylight.
Stress: Any form of stress, such as drought, overcrowding, or nutrient deficiencies, can trigger lettuce to bolt as it tries to ensure its survival by producing seeds.

How to Avoid Lettuce Bolting
You’ve done the hard work of planting and nurturing your lettuce patch. We’ve put together some strategies to help avoid bolting for as long as possible.

Plant at the Right Time: Plant lettuce early in the season when temperatures are cooler and days are shorter. This helps minimize the risk of bolting.
Provide Adequate Shade: If you’re growing lettuce in warmer climates or during the summer months, provide some shade to protect the plants from intense sunlight and heat.
Maintain Consistent Moisture: Keep the soil consistently moist to prevent stress from drought, but be careful not to overwater, as soggy soil can also stress the plants.
Harvest Promptly: Harvest lettuce regularly to encourage new leaf growth and prevent the plants from diverting energy into flowering. Harvesting outer leaves rather than whole heads can also prolong the plant’s lifespan.
Succession Plant: Instead of planting all your lettuce at once, stagger plantings every few weeks to ensure a continuous harvest and reduce the likelihood of all plants bolting simultaneously.
Choose the Right Varieties: Opt for lettuce varieties less prone to bolting, such as “bolt-resistant” or “slow-bolt” varieties. These are specifically bred to withstand higher temperatures and longer daylight hours.

Slow-Bolt and Bolt-Resistant Lettuce Varieties

Batavian Lettuce: Also known as French crisp or summer crisp lettuce, Batavian varieties like ‘Muir,’ ‘Nevada’ and ‘Ice Queen’ all offer a balance between the crisp texture of iceberg lettuce and the flavor of leaf lettuces while being slow to bolt.

Iceberg Lettuce: Some folks must have iceberg lettuce, and although it is not necessarily known for its heat tolerance and bolting resistance, ‘Ithaca’ and ‘Summertime’ both fit the bill as slow-bolters.

Romaine (Cos) Lettuce: In addition to ‘Jericho’ and ‘Parris Island,’ other slow-bolting romaine lettuce varieties include ‘Green Towers’ and ‘Cimmaron.’

Summer Crisp Lettuce: Varieties like ‘Summertime’ and ‘Fusion’ are specifically bred for their ability to resist bolting in hot weather while still offering a crisp texture and mild flavor.

Butterhead (Bibb) Lettuce: Varieties such as ‘Buttercrunch’ and ‘Summer Bibb’ are slow bolting alternatives to traditional Bibb lettuces, offering a sweet, buttery flavor and crisp texture in both red and green varieties.

Baby Leaf Lettuce: Depending on the source, these come in a variety of mixed types. However, they are harvested when young, think miniature gourmet greens, thus avoiding bolting.

Oakleaf Lettuce: Oakleaf lettuces are known for their delicate, lobed leaves and mild flavor. Varieties like ‘Salad Bowl’ and ‘Royal Oakleaf’ are slow to bolt, making them excellent choices for summer salads.

Red Leaf Lettuce: While red leaf lettuces can bolt more quickly than green varieties, some slow bolting options include ‘Shirane Sky’ and ‘Ruby Sky,’ which retain their color and flavor in hot weather.

Green Leaf Lettuce: Excellent bolt-resistant green leaf lettuce includes ‘Grazion’ with its dark-green wavy leaves and ‘Starfighter’ with its great flavor and shiny green leaves.

YOUR GARDEN CENTER offers an outstanding collection of slow-bolt and bolt-resistant lettuces in seed packets and plugs so you can harvest and enjoy lush, leafy lettuce all summer long.

Growing Glowing Marigolds

Ah, marigolds—they are the unsung heroes of the summer flower garden. Resilient, bold, and long-blooming, they create a tapestry of glowing yellow, gold, orange, and red that shines in a sunny setting from late spring to frost.

Types

There are three main types of marigolds. They all have edible petals, are perfect for creating natural dyes, attract bees and butterflies, and share a distinct aroma that helps ward off some common garden pests. Yet, each type, with its own individual size and shape, holds a unique position in the garden.

French Marigolds (Tagetes patula)

French marigolds are compact, bushy plants with delicate, lacy foliage and brightly colored blooms in orange, yellow, and red shades. They are perfect for border edging, adorning container gardens, or nestled next to your vegetable plants. Their small size will not overshadow other plants in the edible garden.

African Marigolds (Tagetes erecta)

Taller than French marigolds, African marigolds exhibit larger, more showy flowers in creamy white, yellow, gold, and orange shades. They are the perfect addition to the middle of a bright-colored flower bed or border. Their statuesque form and long, sturdy stems make them an exquisite choice for cut flower arrangements.

Signet Marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia)

With their delicate, fern-like foliage, Signet Marigolds are small in stature and produce tiny blooms in warm tones of red, orange, and yellow. With a citrusy flavor, these edible flowers look lovely as a garnish and taste delicious in salads. Signets work well for border edging, sunny window boxes, and containers.

Marigold Cultivation & Care

Marigolds are simple plants, easy to grow, with few demands. They aren’t fussy, but they do have some preferences.

Site: They flower best with a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight.
Soil: Regarding soil, they are partial to a well-draining one, rich in organic matter, with a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0. If you’ve got sandy loam soil, you’ve hit the jackpot in the marigold world.
Pinching: Marigolds benefit from pinching when young, creating a fuller plant with plenty of side branching and blooms.
Feeding: Add granular organic or slow-release fertilizer to the soil at planting time, then feed plants every other week with a liquid fertilizer listed for flowering annuals.
Mulching: Adding a layer of mulch to the soil around your plants will help retain soil moisture and prevent weeds; plus, it looks great!
Watering: Deep, infrequent watering that allows the soil to dry out in between is what marigolds desire.
Deadheading: Frequently remove spent flowers to keep fresh blooms coming.

The 10 Best Marigolds for Your Home Garden

Select marigolds for a splash of sunshine in summer containers and gardens. There’s something about these vibrant flowers that just makes you smile! Here’s a curated list of the top 10 marigold varieties to brighten your growing space.

French Marigold ‘Petite Mix’
Imagine a kaleidoscope of colors from yellow and orange to deep maroon in your garden. The ‘Petite Mix’ is a dwarf variety, perfect for the foreground of borders and beds. Its small stature packs a punch of color that will dazzle you all summer long.
African Marigold ‘Crackerjack’
Standing tall and proud, ‘Crackerjack’ offers large, fluffy blooms that resemble the sun. This variety is a beacon of joy with its bright yellow and orange flowers, inviting butterflies to the garden.
Signet Marigold ‘Tangerine Gem’
Like little drops of citrus delight, ‘Tangerine Gem’ will light up your garden. Its dainty, edible flowers present a unique zest to salads. Plus, its lacy foliage makes it a visually attractive ground cover.
French Marigold ‘Durango Red’
Add some spice to your garden with ‘Durango Red.’ Its deep, velvety red blooms edged with gold bring an exotic flair. Compact and resilient, this marigold does wonders for container gardening.
African Marigold ‘Mission Giant Yellow’
The name says it all! ‘Mission Giant Yellow’ towers over other garden plants, bringing a majestic presence. Its massive, bright yellow blooms are a stunning focal point for any sunny spot.
Signet Marigold ‘Lemon Gem’
Sister to ‘Tangerine Gem,’ ‘Lemon Gem’ offers lemony yellow blossoms that sparkle against its feathery green foliage. It’s not just their appearance; these flowers also have a delightful lemony fragrance.
French Marigold ‘Harlequin’
A true showstopper, ‘Harlequin’ boasts bi-colored petals in fiery shades of red and gold. This marigold variety adds a dramatic flair to your garden, attracting attention wherever it blooms.
African Marigold ‘Vanilla’
For those who prefer a softer palette, ‘Vanilla’ offers creamy white flowers that provide a soothing contrast to the typical marigold colors. Its unexpected soft coloring will make visitors do a double-take.
Signet Marigold ‘Paprika’
Spice up your garden with ‘Paprika’. This variety features tiny, rustic orange blossoms scattered across a bush of green. It’s perfect for adding a sprinkle of warmth to your sunny containers and window boxes.
French Marigold ‘Bolero’
And last but certainly not least, ‘Bolero’ dances in your garden with its red and yellow fringed petals. It’s as if each flower is celebrating the joy of sunny days, inviting you to join in the festivity.

Each marigold variety brings its unique character to your summer garden, creating a tapestry of color and splash of splendor. Plan on growing a wide variety of marigolds this summer to grace your gardens with their warm, glowing colors, delightful flowers, unique fragrance, easy care, and long bloom time.

Try Something New: Pomegranates

Want to grow an exotic fruit that is delicious, nutritious, beautiful and incredibly hip? You really should consider planting a pomegranate! It’s not as difficult as you may think.

Why Pomegranates are Popular

Pomegranate is a stunning superfood rich in antioxidants, folic acid and vitamins A, C and E. It has no cholesterol, and is also rich in fiber and potassium. Because of these nutritional advantages, pomegranate is showing up in a multitude of supermarket products like yogurts, juices, salad dressings, jellies and desserts. It can be added to sauces, fruit crisps, salsas, relishes, dips and more. You can even make a pomegranate martini! And, of course, it’s an extraordinary experience eating a fresh pomegranate. These are stunning, delicious fruits that are rarely seen in backyard gardens, but can make a great landscaping statement when properly grown.

Growing Pomegranates in the Landscape

Pomegranates grow as multi-stemmed, small trees or large shrubs. They reach 15 feet tall by up to 15 feet wide. In spring, vibrant, gorgeous orange-red flowers grace the branches of this plant. These beautiful blossoms develop into the luscious pomegranate fruit containing dozens of tart and tangy bright red seeds and pulp. The fruit ripens somewhat square in the early fall and has a leathery skin that can be yellow to red in color.

The cultivar ‘Wonderful’ is hardy to zone 7 and is easy to grow. Plant your tree in full sun. It will thrive in the summer heat and in most soils. Pomegranates are drought tolerant, however, the fruit is better and the seeds more plump with regular deep irrigation. Because this fruit tree is self-fertile, there is no need to plant a second one for pollination.

Enjoying Your Pomegranates
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If you’ve never cut your own pomegranate, it can be frustrating to learn how to separate the juicy seeds from the husk and membrane. To access the seeds…

Cut off the crown of the fruit.
Score the leathery husk in quarters from stem to crown end.
Set the scored fruit in a bowl of cool water and let soak for a few minutes.
Hold the fruit under water and break scored sections apart with your fingers, separating the seeds from membrane. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
Discard the skin and membrane.
Drain the seeds on paper towels.
Toss pomegranate seeds into your salad, mix them in your yogurt or smoothie or shake them into a martini and enjoy!

Flower Carpet Roses

The Flower Carpet Rose is a disease-resistant, low-growing shrub which requires none of the usual care that other roses do. Not only does it produce thousands of blossoms over the growing season, but it is virtually care-free. Deadheading, pruning, spraying and constant feeding are all unnecessary to keep these plants looking their best, although deep watering is suggested for new plantings. Once established, Flower Carpet Roses can become quite drought tolerant.

Flower Carpet Roses in Your Landscape

Flower Carpet Roses can be used in a variety of ways in the home garden. These plants are wonderful for foundation plantings, for covering sloping banks, to line a walkway or driveway, in large containers, alongside a quaint fence or simply mixed in among other flowers in perennial borders. The Flower Carpet Rose can go anywhere and still look spectacular. More adventurous gardeners may even want to train these roses into tree forms for amazing specimens and landscape focal points. They work well in terraces or other hard-to-reach locations, can help with erosion control on steeper slopes and are beautiful alongside water features or to create a welcoming, colorful entryway. Just be sure that wherever you position the plant, it will have adequate room to spread out to its full potential and blooming glory. Full sun is preferred for the best, most prolific blooming, though these roses will still bloom in part shade locations, albeit not as prolifically or for as long throughout the season.

Flower Carpet Roses are a top ground cover rose and can flower for up to 10 months (depending upon climate and soil condition), producing up to 2,000 blooms from spring to fall. Rich, glossy green foliage also adorns this full, rounded shrub and provides a luscious contrast to the blooms, which come in pink, red, yellow, peach and white hues, as well as subtly variegated shades. Even when the blooming is finally finished, these roses stay neat as the foliage and spent blooms drop cleanly away – no deadheading or cleanup intervention required.

To keep the shrub in shape, just cut back with shears to 1/3 size in early spring to keep them as a mounding form. Even pruning novices can manage this task – these roses aren’t fussy about the type of cuts or the direction in which they’re made.It was this side effect of http://robertrobb.com/house-gop-tax-plan-has-three-big-flaws/ buy cialis that it used for curing the erectile dysfunction of male reproductive organs.

Flower Carpet Roses are every gardener’s dream – virtually care-free, trouble-free plants that produce masses of colorful flowers throughout the growing season. Who could ask for more? Except, perhaps, more room to plant them!

Perennial Power

Perennials may not be the best showstoppers in a garden full of annuals, but they make great foundation plantings to serve as a reliable backdrop or trusty fillers among other plants. There’s no reason you can’t select perennials that are just as beautiful as your favorite annuals, however, it’s just a matter of choosing the flowers that pack the most punch and using them appropriately.

Best Perennials to Choose

When choosing a perennial to fill an empty space in your garden, make sure to get the most bang from your buck by selecting one, or several, long-blooming perennials. These flowers will be worthwhile additions to your landscape for their ongoing staying power, giving you a reliable backdrop and structure to build from.

Achillea (Yarrow)
Alcea (Hollyhock)
Anemone (Wind Flower)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Campanula (clips series)
Clematis ‘Jackmani’
Coreopsis (Tickseed)
Corydalis lutea (Yellow Bleeding Heart)
Delosperma (Ice Plant)
Dicentra exima (Bleeding Heart)
Doronicum
Echinacea (Coneflower)
Gallardia (Blanket Flower)
Gaura (Wand Flower)
Geranium ‘Johnson Blue’
Helenium (Helen’s Flower)
Heliopsis (Sunflower)
Hemerocallis ‘Stella D’Oro’ (Daylily)
Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’ (Daylily)
Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)
Lavender
Liatris spicata (Gayfeather)
Ligularia (Ragwort)
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)

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Lythrum (Loosestrife)
Malva (Mallow)
Monarda (Bee Balm)
Nepeta (Catnip or Catmint)
Oneothra ‘Siskiyou’ (Evening Primrose)
Perovskia (Russian Sage)
Rudbeckia (Coneflower)
Salvia (most verticillata)
Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower)
Shasta Daisy ‘Becky’ or ‘Snow Queen’
Stokesia (Stoke’s Aster)
Veronica (Speedwell)

Using Your Blooming Perennials

To make your perennials truly pop, it’s important to position them in your landscape where they will show to their best advantage. Popular options include…

Filling in between showstopping annuals with perennials that will grow and bloom to cover fading blooms after the annuals are finished.
Adding blooming perennials in front of a hedge, fence or privacy screen for extra coverage with a dash of color.
Using perennial flowers as a backdrop for lower annual plantings along a house foundation or in other flowerbeds.
Creating a naturalized lawn or meadow-like area full of different perennials for a low-maintenance option that still stuns.
Planting perennials in hard-to-tend areas, such as alongside a water feature, in tight corners or on terraces so they can be gorgeous with less maintenance.

With so many options for lovely perennials that can be used in many different ways in the landscape, there’s no excuse not to enjoy these easy-care flowers for many years!

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Yellowjackets: Good Guys or Bad?

When you hear “yellowjacket,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? A buzzing, stinging insect ruining your outdoor meal or a treasured pollinator of many plants? A yellowjacket is both!

About Yellowjackets

The most commonly found yellowjacket is the Eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons). The Eastern yellowjacket is a wasp that is 1/2 to 5/8 inch long and is black and yellow striped. The body is curved under and is wider than the head. Yellowjackets do not have any “hairs” such as are found on honeybees and bumblebees.

Yellowjackets are generally ground nesters, however, in some situations, especially in urban areas, they will make their nest above ground such as in hollow walls and attics.

During the spring and summer, the colony population increases from the fertilized solitary queen, who survived the winter, to several thousand. Adult yellowjackets feed protein to the young wasps and larvae while they subsist on sugars. Foraging for food, the wasps cross-pollinate plants while seeking small insects and nectar. Yellowjackets provide a valuable service to humans by consuming numerous insects that eat ornamental and cultivated plants.

On the other hand, yellowjackets are drawn to cookouts, picnic areas and garbage cans. Their sting, unfortunately, is especially painful. Unlike honeybees, which only sting once, wasps can sting numerous times. Some people react severely to the venom and may have problems breathing or other dangerous reactions.

To Minimize Yellowjacket Interactions

Despite their good characteristics, many people prefer to keep yellowjackets away from picnics, play areas and yards. To reduce the possibility of inviting yellowjackets to your outdoor party…

Don’t leave moist pet food outside during the summer. Bird seed is fine, but not suet.
Keep garbage cans washed. Securely cover all garbage cans and recycling containers. Rinse beer, wine, soft drink and ice cream containers before disposing of them.
Keep garbage cans away from entertainment areas, play areas and pathways.
If eating outdoors, cover all serving plates and drinking glasses/bottles to prevent yellowjackets from getting into food or drink. When yellowjackets are in the area, be sure to check your food and drink before consuming.
Yellowjackets feed on aphids and scale on trees and shrubs. Therefore, spray for these pests in July and August, if needed, to remove that food source.
Repair dripping hoses and faucets as the puddles can attract wasps.
Wasps enjoy rotting fruit. Harvest tree and cane fruits when ripe. Carefully pick up all fallen fruit (gloves are a good idea!) and dispose of it in a covered container.
Wasps create a flight-path from the nest to food sources. Avoid this area. If this is not possible, consider removing the nest.

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Yellowjacket Traps

To help make your outdoor gatherings more pleasant and safer, yellowjacket traps can be effective. Hang these around the perimeter of your yard if you plan to eat outside, but never hang traps near the food area, as you will only increase the attraction to that area. Some traps are disposable and have the benefit of reducing the sting possibility. Others are “reusable” and must be emptied and refilled with bait. These increase the probability of being stung but can be more affordable in the long term.

Eliminating Yellowjacket Nests

When absolutely necessary, the elimination of a yellowjacket nest should not be undertaken lightly. If it’s early in the season and the nest is visible, a forceful water blast will break it apart. To reduce the chances of being stung, do this during the day while the workers are not home. Wasps return to the colony as dusk. Sometimes the workers will begin rebuilding in the same place. Pesticide sprays can kill wasps, and after the nest is destroyed, spraying the area can discourage rebuilding. If it’s later in the season, the aerial nest may be too large to eliminate safely.

Underground nests are a much bigger challenge to destroy. Because the entrance may be at an angle to the nest, flooding seldom works. Never try to burn a yellowjacket ground nest by pouring kerosene or other flammable liquid into the entrance and lighting it. In addition to many stings, more serious injuries may occur. This also pollutes the soil and a fire can quickly get out of control. If the flight pattern to the entrance creates a serious hardship or is close to a building, it is best to consult with an expert for safe nest elimination.

If the yellowjackets have built their colonies within your house walls or attic, it may also be necessary to contact a professional. Note: if yellowjackets are nesting in your home, do not plug the entrance/exit hole or they may chew the rest of the way into your house! Our experts can offer a professional referral for local wasp removal services or search “Pest Control” for your city on the Internet or in the yellow pages.

Yellowjackets do have their uses, but if you have no use for these stinging insects, there are many ways to eliminate them safely. Using several techniques will be most effective and will minimize the risk of being troubled by wasps again.

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Amsonia hubrichtii

Amsonia hubrichtii, commonly known as Arkansas blue star, Arkansas amsonia or threadleaf bluestar, grows 36 inches tall and 36 inches wide in a mounded form. This hardy perennial grows in hardiness zones 4-9 and is a versatile North American native ideal for many landscaping uses in all types of yards and gardens.

Amazing Seasonal Interest

Unlike many plants that truly shine only for one season, Amsonia hubrichtii offers a variety of features throughout the seasons. From late spring to early summer, 2-3-inch wide clusters of small, light blue, star-shaped flowers are borne above the delicately soft, ferny or lacey foliage. The alternate-arranged, narrow leaves are a marvelous bright green in spring and summer, but turn a bright yellow-golden color which is second to none among herbaceous perennials in fall. In winter, the foliage can hold its shape and support snowfall, creating a beautiful mounding effect in the winter landscape.

Caring for Amsonia hubrichtii

These plants thrive in full sun to partial shade and perform best in average, moist, well-drained soil with a neutral (7.0) pH. Full sun will promote the best autumn color, but spring and summer blooms will be more prominent in a part-shade location. In a full shade location or when planted in too-rich soil, however, the plant may tend to open up and flop over, losing its full mounding traits. Though initially slow to grow and less lush and attractive when young, once established, it can tolerate drier conditions. Having no known severe insect or disease problems, other than minor occurrences of Mycosphaerella leaf spot and rust, this is a very easy to care for perennial.
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After the flowers have faded, cutting back the foliage to 6-8 inches will help keep the mounds full and compact. Late season growth will fill in the plant in plenty of time for its showstopping autumn color. When the plants are large, they can be divided for transplanting to add even more specimens to the landscape.

In the Landscape

Amsonia is a real asset in borders, native gardens, cottage gardens or open woodland areas. Because of this plant’s versatility, it is also ideal in rock gardens or even rain gardens in well-drained soil. It is best when planted in masses and very attractive when mixed with ornamental grasses and other plants that have attractive seed heads. It tolerates deer and attracts butterflies, making it wildlife-friendly as well.

The outstanding ornamental qualities, ease of maintenance and many uses make Amsonia an invaluable perennial selection for any gardener.

Kids and Nature: Uncovering Surprises Everywhere

Wherever you live, nature is always near, with entire worlds to discover around the trees in your yard, in the carpet of grass or beneath that pile of rocks. With school vacations rapidly approaching, you may already be thinking of ways to keep your children or grandchildren busy during the long summer months. Well, how about setting up your own Nature Camp! An appreciation of nature will stay with children forever and teach them the importance of caring for the environment and all living things, including themselves.

Top Nature Activities for Kids

Spring and summer nature activities with your child could be as simple as a daily walk around the block or backyard, or as complex as starting your own backyard wildlife preserve. Popular options include…

A stroll through the woods or a nearby meadow, observing or gathering things of interest along the way. Spend some time watching ants or earthworms, caterpillars or butterflies. Take an evening walk to look for fireflies and bats or to listen to crickets and frogs. Note different species of birds, or look for other wildlife such as squirrels, rabbits or deer.
Very young children love collecting things – rocks, feathers, flowers, shells and leaves are a few easy examples. See how many different types, colors, shapes or sizes they can find. Older children might want to start a pressed leaf or flower collection, or capture some insects for identification and observation.
Raising butterflies or moths from caterpillars, noting how they grow and change in a nature journal or through a series of photographs to create a scrapbook of the experience. When they’re ready to be released, let the child have the wonder of connecting with nature as their fluttering friends fly free.
A more extensive nature activity could be to help your child plan and plant a whole garden devoted to attracting wildlife. By planting trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals that attract birds (including hummingbirds) and butterflies, and by installing bird feeders, bird houses and bird baths, you can create a miniature wildlife refuge that you and your child can enjoy for many years to come.

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We’ll be delighted to help you and your future naturalist select plants suitable for a wildlife garden, plan a backyard refuge or to identify flowers or leaves that have been collected on your nature walks.

So, what are you waiting for? Make the most of this spring with a child and go back to nature!

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