May - Countryside Garden Club

Countryside Thymes
May 2014
“Thirty-five Years of Flowers,
Friends and Fun”
Thursday, May 24, 2014
Place: VA Korean SDA church
Newsletter Editor: Bev Femino,
Time: 7:00 PM
bafemino@comcast.net 703-966-3260
Hospitality: Ardella, Cynthia, Arlene.
Thank you to May newsletter contributor: Judy.
June newsletter deadline for submissions is May 25,
Program: “Bugs are Our Friends”
2014. This newsletter will cover June, July and August
and will be emailed about June 1, 2014.
Speaker: Kim Hosen,
PW County Conservation Alliance.
Be sure to check our web site at:
www.countrysidegardenclub.com
Kathy McGlinn, Webmaster
Horticulture for May: Iris bloom and/or Rose
bloom/spray, from Bev: “Any member who wishes to
Looking Ahead to June:
bring horticulture specimens may do so; please place
each specimen in its own bottle or vase with water.
Please write down name of genus and cultivar, if known,
and place next to your specimen on designated table.”
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Time: 6:30 PM
Place: Olive Garden, Manassas
Program: Installation & Rededication
Hostesses: Board members
Project Clean-up Day, April 5, 2014, from Judy:
“Karen and I did the Post Office. Arlene, Stephania,
Gillian, Karen & Judy worked at the Library. Bev took
pictures of the cleanup. After we finished, Stephania
provided us with delicious treats to help us all recover.
She made homemade Banana muffins, fresh fruit salad
and juice. We had a little picnic out back of the library
on their table. Afterwards Karen, Judy, Stephania &
Beverly went to Pattie McKay's house on Hooker lane to
dig up some plants for Nokesville Day. We would love it
if she would become a member. We had a wonderful
visit on a very pleasant day. I am looking forward to the
Nokesville Plant Sale. We will have our aprons by then
and we will all look very smart. Sloper's Stitch House
will also be donating a banner for our use at further
garden events, thanks to Joanne Sloper & her son, Troy.
So excited -looking forward to a great sale.” Judy
Quote: “I do hold it in the royal ordering of gardens,
there ought to be gardens for all months in the year, in
which, severally things of beauty may be then in
season.” Francis Bacon, “Of Gardens”, 1625
Quote: “…more than anything else in my career, I want
to do what my grandmother did for me: empower people
to garden.” David L. Culp, from The Layered Garden
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What is Your Garden Style? Take this Better
Homes & Gardens Quiz to find out (9 questions):
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/analysis.jsp?quizId=/temp
latedata/bhg/quiz/data/1189707784144.xml&catref
=cat830021&_requestid=1932331
Gardening Fun & Friendship
Countryside Garden Club Activity Schedule
May 2014 – June 2014
May 10- Garden Tour- St. Benedict Monastery
May 17 -Nokesville Day Plant Sale
May 21 – PWACGC-Manassas GC
May 22- speaker about bugs – Korean church
Jun 21- project clean-up, 9AM
June 2- Installation- Olive Garden
What to do in the Spring Garden, from Bev:
*finish cutting back dead foliage from perennials *clean,
disinfect, rinse and fill hummingbird feeders *buy
annuals for garden beds and/or containers *start seeds
for annual late season flowers *clean/oil tools * weed
* plan veggie garden * scrub bird bath/disinfect & rinse
well * set up a running water source (fountain) for birds
*plant or sow seeds for early crops like lettuce * start
your compost bin * spread compost and/or mulch * buy
garden gloves * weed some more * clean patio furniture
according to manufacturer * buy/set up a hammock
* prune out winter die back from shrubs/perennials
* replace, repair or set up a new fountain(s) *repair and
oil moving parts on your wheel barrow/cart.
For more information on activity schedule please refer to
yearbook, future newsletters and emails.
Indoor Gardening
Spring Flower Arranging, from Bev:
“Plant an indoor ‘garden’ arrangement. Doug from the
Flower Gallery taught us this great looking and easy
arrangement (I made it with purchased flowers for the
anniversary party). Find a low square box -type
container (paint your box, if you like) about 1 foot
square and line it with a plastic container that will hold
water. Collect spring and early summer flowers and
greenery from your garden and arrange in soaked oasis
in your box to look like a garden. Instead of placing the
flowers uniformly, group them in sections to look like a
garden, (i.e. all the tulips in one section and the iris in
their own section.)”
Herbaceous peonies (Paeonia), condensed from
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-andgrow/growing-peonies
“These perennials have foliage that die back during the
dormant season. They live 40 to 50 years, require very
little attention, survive the harshest winters, resist
drought, and aren't bothered by hungry deer or rabbits.
How to grow: Although the sight of peonies' sumptuous
blooms prompts many people to buy their plants in May,
peonies, just like daffodil and tulip bulbs, are best
planted in fall. For fall planting, your best bet is to put in
bareroot peonies rather than green, growing plants. A
bareroot peony consists of several swollen roots and a
crown of pinkish growth points called buds or eyes.
Make sure each division you buy has at least three buds
and roots that are solidly attached to the crown. Plant as
soon as possible, but if you must wait a few days, gently
wrap each bareroot plant in moist newspaper, place it
into a ventilated plastic bag, and keep the bag out of the
sun. Your planting site should receive morning sun and
afternoon shade. The site should also have well draining
soil and contain plenty of organic matter. If you need to
add organic matter, mix composted manure or compost
into the soil before backfilling the hole. If the soil is
excessively acidic, add 1 cup of lime per plant. Plant
each bareroot peony so the buds, or growing points, face
skyward and are about 1 1/2 inches below the soil
surface. A common problem is planting too deeply.
[Editor NOTE: I’ve found that some other sources say
peonies should be planted shallowly in the south with the
‘eye’ slightly exposed above the soil line.]
Water well after planting and keep the soil reasonably
moist until the first frost. The first year, pile 4 inches of
(continued next page.)
The Spring Garden
Grey is a Color, consider adding gray foliaged plants
to your garden (see photo page), from internet:
Lavender cotton Santolina chamaecyparissus
Zone 7-9; fragrant dense mound, small yellow flowers in
summer; ground cover, edging; drought tolerant;
evergreen.
Lamb’s ear
Stachys byzantine
Zone 4-7; sun to part sun; well drained soil; perennial;
6-8” tall (12-18” in flower); 12” wide; spreads slowly;
lavender/gray blooms late spring to early summer.
Russian sage Perovskia atriplicifolia
Sun; perennial; 1-8 feet tall; 2.5 – 3 feet wide;
blue/purple flowers summer into fall; fall foliage; deer
resistant; drought tolerant.
Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Full sun; well drained, alkaline soil; drought tolerant
(not like humidity or wet feet). Purple flower stalks
June –July attract pollinators.
http://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-lavender/
Dusty miller Senecio cineraria
Sun; annual; 6 inches to 3 feet tall; 2’ wide; deer
resistant; drought tolerant.
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'MISS MARY': Single flowers with silky red petals and
contrasting short gold stamens are borne in midseason.
'FESTIVA MAXIMA': Lots of large, fragrant, white
double flowers with crimson flecks bloom in midseason.
'PINK PRINCESS': This vigorous grower and
midseason bloomer has stout, erect, dark green foliage
and single flowers with gold stamens surrounded by
petals in shades of pink.
'NIPPON GOLD': Pink petals surround yellow stamens
in a single flower form. The vigorous foliage of this late
bloomer stays nice all summer.
Editor’s NOTE: plant some early, mid and late
season varieties to extend the bloom season.
mulch atop the planting hole to keep the new roots from
heaving out of the ground during winter freezes and
thaws. Pull the mulch away in spring. After the first
year, the established plant won't need winter mulching.
Peonies grow and bloom much better if soil nutrients are
replenished every year. Fertilize established peonies by
spreading a 2-inch layer of composted manure or
compost around the plants in late fall. The only other
care that peonies need is an end-of-the-year cleanup.
This consists of cutting peonies back to the ground in
late fall and destroying all the plant debris by burning it
or putting it into the trash. Peony foliage should not be
added to the compost pile because botrytis blight (also
called gray mold), a fungal disease that affects peonies,
sometimes survives the composting process. Some
gardeners are bothered by ants that are attracted to the
nectar in peonies. When you cut peonies for a freshflower arrangement, simply wash the ants off with water.
Note: Some of the best varieties that remain handsome
through summer include 'Kansas,' a double-flowered red,
and 'Le Charme,' a tall Japanese form with pink flowers.
Early to midseason blooming peonies:
'STARDUST': Single flowers with shining white petals
cupped around golden stamens bloom on strong stems
early in the season.
'BIG BEN': Bomb double, medium-size, dark red
flowers grow on stiff stems and are fragrant; foliage
stays handsome through summer. This early bloomer is a
good choice for southern gardens.
'KANSAS': This American Peony Society Gold Medal
Winner produces bright red to rosy pink double flowers
that do not fade while blooming. Lots of blooms on
strong stems make it a good cut flower. An early
bloomer, it is one of the few double reds that grow well
in southern gardens.
'RED CHARM': The bomb double, waxy, deep crimson
flowers of this early to midseason bloomer are long
lasting; sturdy foliage looks good all summer.
'MISS AMERICA': Semidouble, fragrant flowers with
white petals and yellow stamens are good for cutting. A
two-time American Peony Society Gold Medal Winner,
this midseason bloomer is a good choice for southern
states.
Midseason to late blooming peonies:
'ANGEL CHEEKS': Bomb-shaped, mildly fragrant
flowers with soft pink petals bloom in midseason. The
plant has sturdy stems and deep green leaves.
'LE CHARME': A vigorous grower with stiffly erect
stems, this midseason bloomer bears Japanese-form
flowers with rose-colored petals and butter yellow
stamens streaked with pink.
'LOUISE MARX': Fragrant, Japanese-form white
blooms with gold stamens are borne in midseason and
make fine cut flowers; foliage is reliable all summer.
Moisture Loving Herbs
From: “Gather Round the Rain Barrel” by
Kathleen Halloran; Herb Companion; March 2008.
Do you have a wet area in your yard?
Consider planting:
Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus). Clump of grassy leaves;
also variegated available; low growing accent; propagate
by division.
Angelica (Angelica archangelica); biennial; easily
grown from seed; fragrant flower umbels that stand
head-high by midsummer; tuck it by the rain barrel in
the shade of the house.
Horsetail (Equisetum spp.) facinating; aggressive, plant
in large container with bottom cut out, sunk into soil;
propagate by division.
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) 2-4 foot native;
attractive white flowers and crinkled leaves; can become
weedy; grow from division or seed.
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum) tall, native;
showy purple flowers on purple stems; attracts
butterflies; grow from division or seed.
Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum) hardy geranium;
spring & summer rounded clumps bloom in pinks and
purples.
Louisiana Iris (Iris hexagona) hybrids available in many
colors; summer blooms atop stiff strappy 2 foot leaves;
propegate by division.
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) old fashioned
favorite produces 3 foot spikes of brilliant red flowers;
grows easily from seed. (Continued on next page.)
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale). Edible herb for wet
spots; sometime sold with water aquatic plants; grow
from seed or division (continued next page).
Evening Primrose (Oenothersa biennis) most produce
masses of yellow flowers that open in late afternoon.
Propagate by seed or division.
Shape up Shrubs, from Southern Living Garden Guide,
May 2014: “Prune spireas, forsythias, flowering quince,
and azaleas once they have finished blooming. If you
wait until summer to cut them back, you will remove
next year’s blooms.”
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Herb of the Year 2014, “Coral Honeysuckle”: from
Garden Visitors, the Birds, the Bees, &
the Virginia Native Plant Society:
Other Garden Critters:
http://vnps.org/wildflowers-of-theyear/wildflower-year-2014-coral-honeysucklelonicera-sempervirens/
Butterfly feeding station (from P. Allen Smith online):
Mix 1 cup water with 3 teaspoons sugar and a pinch of
salt together and blend well to dissolve sugar. Pour over
a mud pie in the garden or in a shallow container filled
with mud. Left over sports drinks, flat beer or flat soda
may be used instead to pour over the mud. Butterflies
will come for the sugar and trace minerals.
“There are 3 native species of honeysuckle in Virginia,
including Lonicera sempervirens (Coral honeysuckle).
Six non-native species of invasive honeysuckle occur in
Virginia that are not native, this includes the notorious
Japanese honeysuckle L. japonica. Coral honeysuckle is
easily distinguished from other honeysuckles in Virginia
by the combination of climbing habit, glaucous
evergreen leaves, terminal flower clusters, and red
tubular corollas with nearly equal-sized lobes.” (See
photo page.)
Garden Crafts
Make a flower pot trellis, from Birds and Blooms
online: Have some old clay pots lying around? Brighten
up a bare fence or wall with this simple pot trellis. You
can change the look as often as you like – just unhook
the pots and pop in fresh plants.
From the Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center:
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_
plant=LOSE “Coral honeysuckle is high-climbing,
http://www.birdsandblooms.com/backyardprojects/diy-garden-projects/clay-pottrellis/?utm_content=buffer4204f&utm_medium
=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_camp
aign=buffer
twining vine, 3-20 feet long, with smooth, glossy,
paired, semi-evergreen leaves and 2-4 flowered clusters
of red, tubular blooms followed by bright-red berries.
Leaves ovate to oblong with smooth, rolled down
margins and a blunt or short pointed tip- those
immediately below the flowers fused at the base. This
vine has showy, trumpet-shaped flowers, red outside,
yellow inside, in several whorled clusters at the ends of
the stems. Papery, exfoliating bark is orange-brown in
color. Fruit a red berry. … beautiful, slender, climbing
vine is frequently visited by hummingbirds. Not too
aggressive. Good climber or ground cover. The species
name refers to its evergreen habit, especially in the
South. Upper leaves are united. Five additional species
also have upper leaves united. They differ from L.
sempervirens in having wide spreading flower lobes. …
is named for Adam Lonicer (1528 - 1586), a German
botanist noted for his 1557 revised version of Eucharius
Rösslin’s herbal. He became professor of Mathematics
in 1553 and Doctor of Medicine in 1554, becoming the
town physician in Frankfurt-am-Main. His true interest
though was herbs and the study of botany.”
Materials: trellis, clay pots, galvanized wire,
wire cutters, pliers
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Step 1: You can build a trellis yourself with leftover
scrap wood using nails to hold it together, or you can
buy a trellis to suit the site or cut one to fit. You may
wish to stain or paint it with exterior paint first. Then
place the trellis in its spot, making sure the horizontal
bars are sturdy enough to hold the weight of potted
plants.
Step 2: To fashion a pot loop, bend a length of
galvanized wire to fit snugly beneath each pot rim.
Twist one end of the wire over itself and pinch tight
with pliers, leaving one long end free for hanging.
Bend the long end of the wire to make a hook that
fits snugly over a horizontal piece of trellis. Add as
many pots to the trellis as you like, and add plants
to suit your style! (See photo page.)
Book of the Month: “Garden Blessings: Poems,
Prose & Prayers Celebrating the Love of
Gardening: Editor, June Cotner
[Available soon from Amazon for $12.88.]
Root a Boxwood Cutting, from Southern Living
Garden Guide, May 2014: “Cut off a [new] twig about 6
inches long. Strip off the two or three lowest pairs of
leaves. Dust the cut end with rooting powder. Stick the
cutting into pot of moist potting soil, and place it in
shade. [Keep moist.]It should root within a month.”
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Photo Page – May 2014 (internet sources)
Russian sage
Lavender cotton
Dusty miller
Pot Trellis
Lamb’s ear
Lavender
Judy Sutton’s gardens, April 2014
Garden Art
Helleboreae Lenten rose-(looks like species one)
Helleboreae
Weeping Cherry
&
Bartlett Pear trees
Lenten rose – cultivar unknown
Library
Post Office
Post Office
Karen at Post Office
First Project Day
Nokesville Library & Post Office
April 5, 2014
Photos by Judy
Post Office
Project Day, April 2014
Photos by Bev
Karen, Judy & Stephania at library
Library
Stephania, Karen & Judy at library
Post Office
Nokesville Mini Library
Judy & Karen at Post Office