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Vol. 3, Num. 25, June 26, 2008 (Read It Online) This week we have lots of wonderful photos of plants and gardening ideas sent in by readers. Keep them coming! We love to see what you are doing in your garden. Also, you might win a prize. Every week, the person who submits the best photo (with a tip) wins a $25 prize. Also gardening tips can win the tip prize. You can share a photo here:
Thanks for reading, Susan
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By Coreen
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Rate It: Garden: Vintage Wooden Toolbox Planter Trend Summer 2008: Take something old and make it new! This vintage wooden toolbox (a $2 yard sale find) now holds pretty flowers instead of ordinary old tools.(Note: Holes were drilled for drainage and the sides lined with plastic to protect the wood) By Lisa from Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Rate It: Rain Barrels for Practically Free Make your own rain barrels with what you have, practically free. My husband asked around at local companies and came up with white plastic barrels. The rest he already had in his shop. He then connected them to our gutters and added a spigot at the bottom, to let gravity feed the water out. He even put screen where the gutter goes into barrel to keep out trash. He connects the water hose to spigot and waters the flowers. We waste less water and always have extra water for the flowers. They don't look bad either, you could paint them if you like. It's been dry in NC and every drop of water saved is an advantage and we don't have to water from our well.By Wanda from Climax, NC
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Rate It: Garden: Beautiful But Invasive Flower If you didn't know any better, you'd think this was a beautiful flower you'd like to have in your garden. True, it is very pretty, but beware, VERY invasive. I started out with 1 (1 gallon) plant several years ago and that plant sent out roots all around my water garden. Be sure you "contain" it if you don't want to see it EVERYWHERE. It's the devil to pull up and to control!By Kathy from Canton, NC
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Rate It: Garden: Canadian Explorer Climbing Rose As you can see, I live in Iowa and our winters can be fierce. If you want to grow a climbing rose for anyone in zone 5 or less, your best bet is the Canadian Explorer Roses. This rose is three years old and as you can see it has covered my split rail fence. They do not need any special protection although I do mulch around mine as a precaution.By Elaine from Iowa
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Rate It: Photo: Monarch at a Butterfly Exhibit I recently took my daughter to a butterfly exhibit at a local greenhouse. They charged a small admission, and this served as a fundraiser for a children's organization. There was one section of the greenhouse closed off and full of butterflies and flowers they liked. The kids got to dip their fingers in sugar water and the butterflies would land on their fingers to take in the "nectar." She loved learning about the beautiful butterflies and it was a great photo op.By Jayme from Harrisonburg, VA
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Rate It: This is my rose bush. It has so many different colors. I really just want to share it. I think it is so pretty. By Sue from Indiana
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Rate It: Maple Seedling: So, This is How They Grow I pulled this maple tree seedling from one of my outdoor potted plants this morning and thought it might be of interest to those who might want to share it with their children, as it illustrates perfectly how seeds become plants.By Marie from West Dundee, IL
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Rate It: Set Plants Together Before You Buy The key to putting plants together is to go to a large greenhouse and look at all of the plants. Then find ones you like and put them in the "circle" you are going to plant them in. This will allow you to see if something is too dark, or not the right color to be in the clump of new flowers. You will want one large one for the middle (or centerpiece) and then fill in around it. Make sure to ask if the plants all like it wet, sunny, dry, or shady. You'll want to put like plants together.I hope this helps someone out! By Misty from Wooster, OH
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Question:Sun flowers are destroying my grass. How do you kill them?Hardiness Zone: 8b Stacy from Austin, TX Answer:Stacy,I can only assume that the sunflowers you are talking about are sprouting from seeds dropped by squirrels or passing birds. Anyone who feeds backyard birds will tell you that sunflower sprouts have a tendency to pop up in random places all over the yard and garden. If enough of them are dropped in the yard, they can start to have a detrimental affect on surrounding grass. This is because sunflower seeds contain allopathic chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby plants. This nifty survival strategy is a unique adaptation that helps to ensure the survival of the plant's seeds. Sunflower sprouts are easy to remove-especially when the soil is moist. Just grab them a hold of them and pull them out. The roots will usually come out intact with the leaves, but even if they don't, there is no danger of them re-sprouting in the same spot. Of course, there are no guarantees that birds and squirrels will not scatter them in the same place again! If the sunflowers are sprouting from seeds from your own birdfeeders, the only way to avoid sprouts in the future is to switch to another type of seed. Ellen Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf76396361.tip.html
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Rate It: Question:I am trying to find out how to transplant a hydrangea from a pot to the ground.Hardiness Zone: 5b Shari from Poughkeepsie, NY Answer:Hi Shari,It sounds like you are talking about a Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). These are often sold as potted florist (gift) plants for later transplanting into the garden. Plant your hydrangea in a location where it receives some morning sun and afternoon shade. Hydrangeas appreciate moist, well-drained soil and perform better when protected from heat. Bigleaf hydrangeas are particularly demanding when it comes to water, so you'll need to keep an eye on moisture levels regardless of the location you select. Using hydrangeas in foundation plantings is ideal because it offers some winter protection and protection from drying winds. Your zone (5b) is on the lower end of the hardiness spectrum for this type of hydrangea, so be prepared to protect it from cold damage when the mercury starts to fall. To transplant it, drop the plant into a hole at least 2X deeper and 2X wider than the pot. Make sure the soil around the hole is loose so the roots have ample room to spread out. Position your hydrangea into the hole so that the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Water it thoroughly and apply 3 to 5 inches of mulch around the plant (use pine needles, compost, leaves, etc.) In the future, you may enjoy trying to manipulate the color of your macrophylla's flowers (from blue to pink) just by changing the pH of the soil it's growing in (some species are more sensitive to pH changes than others). Ellen
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Rate It: Question:I live in Indiana and have a number of maple trees in my yard. I used to have a very nice lawn, but in the last several years as the trees have grown, all the grass beneath the maple trees has died. Is there any type of grass hearty enough to grow under maple trees?Ron Answer:Ron,Growing grass under trees is difficult for many reasons. In your situation, as your water-loving maple trees have grown larger, their roots have undoubtedly started to out-compete the grass growing underneath for available nutrients. Combine this with an increase in the density of the trees' canopies (blocking out more light) and your grass never stood much of a chance. Any shade-tolerant grass mix for your area needs to contain a large percentage of Tall Fescue and/or Fine Fescue. Remember that even shade-tolerant grass needs at least some sunlight in order to thrive, so some light pruning of your tree's lower branches may be necessary in order to let more light penetrate. When you reseed the area, don't skimp on the grass seed. If anything, spread more than you think you need. Keep the area well watered until the seeds sprout. Once your new grass becomes established, you might consider the occasional light application of an organic fertilizer to level the playing field in regards to available nutrients. Water is always going to be a factor under maple trees and something your going to constantly have to keep you eye on. If your new grass fails, you might consider taking out the remaining turf and planting a low maintenance groundcover, preferably one that's native so it's drought tolerant. Here is a link to an excellent publication put out by Purdue University of growing turf in shade. Good luck! Ellen Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47459330.tip.html
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Rate It: Question:We plant zoysia grass in places where other grass would not grow. Now it has taken over and spread into my flowers and is ruining my flower beds. How can I get rid of it?Gary from NJ Answer:Gary,Zoysia grass is one tough customer. It is especially invasive in cooler zones and planting it can become a costly and time-consuming mistake. The challenge to getting rid of zoysia grass is the rhizome root system-it runs deep. Killing the top foliage alone will do little to stop zoysia grass from spreading. One of the only chemical-free ways I know of getting rid of zoysia grass is to remove all of the infected turf (including a bit of topsoil) and wait to see if new grass shoots emerge. If none emerge after 2-3 weeks, you are probably in the clear and it is safe to re-seed or re-sod. If new zoysia shoots do emerge, you're going to have to remove even more sod. You could also try digging in some root barriers to contain your zoysia grass to specific areas. These are going to have to go deep enough to contain the rhizomes-at last 8-12 inches deep. Ellen Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46531239.tip.html
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Rate It: Make Your Own Irrigation for Saplings We planted starter trees from an online nursery this year and I wanted to share our experience as to how to keep them watered well without irrigation. I planted trees as to nursery instructions but it said to keep them watered well through summer, well this meant carrying five gallon buckets on our tailgate a few times a week as we have no irrigation. I came up with a better and greener way. I went to the local scrapyard and asked them for some used tires, (they will give them to you as they have to pay to have them hauled off). I bought 5 bales of pine straw and saved my plastic soda bottles. I dug a small hole next to roots for the mouth of the bottle, put tire around tree, and inserted bottle full of water upside down in hole. Then I covered the remaining area inside tire with pinestraw. The trees are doing much better and I managed to keep 15 tires and 15 plastic bottles out of landfill. Oh I also cut some boxes up and layed them under the pine straw to keep weeds down so I feel like I'm doing something for the earth and my back at the same time. Thanks for letting me share. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf44119903.tip.html
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Rate It: Keeping Things Tidy Beneath The Birdfeeder
Feeding wild birds is a popular pastime-especially with gardeners. Yet, according to research done by the Wild Birds Feeding Industry (WBFI), one of the top reasons people decide never to start feeding wild birds (or decide they are going to stop feeding them), is because of the mess that accumulates under the feeders. Here are some ways to enjoy feeding the wild birds in your garden, while still keeping things neat and tidy beneath the birdfeeder.
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Rate It: Making A Mosquito Trap
Because mosquitoes are attracted to the CO2 we breathe out, I started looking for ideas that used CO2 as the bait for the mosquito trap. I did think of dry ice but it does dissipate fairly quickly.
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Rate It: Even if you don't have much money you can still enjoy organic vegetables and fruit if you grow your own. If you live in a flat you can grow herbs on the window sill in pots. Runner beans can be grown on a balcony, they can be trained round the balcony rails. Cucumbers can be trained in the same way. Carrots grow really well in big pots, so do cabbages and potatoes. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51243732.tip.html
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Rate It: What's a Victory Garden?
During WWII, Britain and the United States pushed their citizens to plant "victory gardens." These gardens were marketed to help the war effort by reducing the demand for food on the country (people grew their own instead of purchasing it), thus reducing the cost of food for the troops. Yet, the victory gardens also served another purpose; they boosted the moral of citizens on the homefront by giving them the satisfaction of "doing their parts for the war effort."
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Rate It: Someone suggested to use crushed egg shells to get rid of cutworms . This is the best idea I ever heard. It's even better then the pellets I used to get earwigs and cutworms. It's also working well but egg shells don't cost you any money, we all buy eggs regularly. Who was the gentleman suggesting this? I can't find it again. By Mike from Mercier, Quebec, Canada Editor's Note: There are a few times this tip has been suggested on our site, including in the feedback of this post. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56587028.tip.html
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Rate It: Recommendations For Plants Along Driveway Question:Can anyone suggest a good tree and bush to go up our 280 foot driveway. We had some and had to yank them out to do a sewer. I would like a tree about 20+ feet tall for privacy, fast growing, small roots as we have a about a 5 foot wide area between driveways. I would like a bush to do for the first 100 feet about 5-6 ft tall,Cher from Provo, UT Answer:Cher,Is your driveway paved? Are you trying to avoid sewer problems again? As a tree matures, its far-reaching roots can actually buckle the pavement, so it is not usually advisable to plant shallow root or fast growing trees near streets, driveways, or sidewalks. With shallow root trees, the roots tend to grow out laterally instead of down. As a rule, small trees should be kept 5 ft away from a paved surface, and medium trees at least 10 feet away. If your driveway is not paved, here are some small to medium trees (under 30 ft) that may work, although they are not necessarily considered shallow root trees:
Good luck! Ellen
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A friend gave me her azalea before moving. Before replanting, I removed baby's breath that had wrapped itself into and over the plant. I even rinsed the root system to keep it from returning. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43289534.tip.html
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Rate It: What bug that looks like a small black fly with a red underside eats hibiscus plants? What kills them? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52154958.tip.html
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Rate It: I recently purchased four beautiful Massangeana Cane plants from Lowe's and some good potting soil. I potted my plants in nice planters and within a week there are millions of gnats crawling out of the soil and flying everywhere. I just purchased Knock-Out Gnat from Gardensalive.com and waiting for its arrival. Hopefully it works but in the meantime, is there anything I can do to get rid of these pests? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf949883.tip.html
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Rate It: Soil Recommendation for Petunias I planted wave petunias for the last two years in beds and they start out fine. I water and fertilize, but then they just die. I think the soil must have too much of something. What do petunias need in the soil? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf88792407.tip.html
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Rate It: How do I get rid of clover that is invading my lawn and flower beds? Does anyone have a recipe I can make? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47349077.tip.html
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Rate It: My butterfly bush is not blooming this year, why? I have the one with blooms that look like little purple butterflies. It's about six ft. tall and three ft. wide, healthy but no blooms Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86099366.tip.html
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Rate It: My mom has hydrangea clippings but they are not rooted. She currently has them in water, but what does she need to do to plant them so they stay alive, or is it possible? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf29338818.tip.html
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Rate It: How do I get rid of violets in my yard, they are taking over! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf760205.tip.html
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Rate It: I need to know how to make and keep my lawn green. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf566987.tip.html
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Rate It: I planted a Sage plant last year in the ground. I cut it back and mulched it last year before freezing. Now this year when it came back -- it is doing great, but now it has a purple flower on top. Why is that I never seen this before? It is pretty. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf75522090.tip.html
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Rate It: Flowers that Go With Hydrangeas What kind of flowers can I plant in front of my Blue Endless Summer Hydrangea? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35277347.tip.html
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Rate It: Repelling Hornets, Bumblebees and Wasps Anyone know of any plants that repel hornets, bumblebees, and wasps? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56216436.tip.html
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Rate It: Keeping Fire Ants Out of Potted Plants What is the best way to keep fire ants from setting up shop in outdoor potted plants? After recently transplanting two ornamentals, I noticed ants in the newly placed potting soil. I utilized Sevin Dust water hose treatment, but this was without success. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf90534629.tip.html
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Rate It: We had to get half of our 60 foot hackberry tree cut off and now we have mounds of branches and "logs". Any ideas on what to use these logs for besides saving it for firewood to sell {we don't have a fireplace}. We have lots and lots of branches also! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf91934998.tip.html
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Rate It: Lawn Mower Blades Will Not Spin Does anyone know what are some common cause of why my MTD Lawnmower's blades will not spin? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf58321579.tip.html
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Rate It: Do Dahlias Always Need To Be Staked? My Dahlias are falling over. Do Dahlias always need to be staked and if so, how would you recommend doing it? The previous owner planted several Dahlia Bushes that come back each year and the tall bud-stems keep falling over. It seems strange that in nature a flower would always grow too heavy for it's stem. Am I doing something wrong? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94138006.tip.html
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Rate It: We recently moved from one part of town to the other and we purchased an above ground pool. This time we seem to be getting invaded by bees. We've searched for hives in our yard. No luck! What can we do to enjoy our pool and not have the little ones get stung? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf32503888.tip.html
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Rate It: Does anyone have any experience/advice about mosquito traps? We live by the river and I am looking at the Mosquito Deleto by Coleman. There are other brands and I would appreciate some reviews. Thanks in advance. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf45650532.tip.html
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Rate It: I have been seeing "Aqua Globes" on TV. They water when the air is released. Is there another way to get the same result?? I thought maybe we could come up with something that was cheaper. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf99018443.tip.html
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Rate It: Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here
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