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PROVINCETOWN BANNER HOME & GARDEN SECTION | APRIL 23, 2009 1
Provincetown Banner
Home
Garden
2009
Check out the vegetable garden revolution,
the ins and outs of companion planting
and the flowers that make people happy.
2 PROVINCETOWN BANNER HOME & GARDEN SECTION | APRIL 23, 2009
Contents
It’s a veggie revolution 3
Good companions 6
Giants of summer 8
Making people happy 10
Ground cover options 11
Backyard invaders 14
FRONT AND BACK COVER PHOTOS VINCENT GUADAZNO
Home & Garden 2009 is produced and published by the Provincetown Banner, 167 Commercial St.,
P.O. Box 977, Provincetown, MA 02657, (508) 487-7400. Copyright 2009, all rights reserved.
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Victory garden revival — it’s a veggie revolution
By Elspeth Pierson
BANNER CORRESPONDENT
C
hances are, you know
someone starting a garden for the first time
this year.
There is a trend afoot. Booms
in vegetable seed sales are being
reported by companies in the
U.S. and overseas. The First Family is putting in a kitchen garden on the White House Lawn,
which undoubtedly is helping to
drive the U.S. trend.
Kitchen gardens, or victory
gardens, have a long history in
the U.S. Before long-distance
shipping made food travel easy,
kitchen gardens were a necessity. In WW I and WW II, even af-
Sales of seeds are rising, as more
and more people want to grow
their own fruits and vegetables.
ter canned and imported goods
were widely available, victory
gardens — vegetable gardens
planted in an effort to reduce
the pressure on the public food
supply and boost the war effort
— began popping up in backyards across the country. Some
statistics indicate as much as 40
percent of the nation’s produce
was grown in backyard gardens
during the peak of the movement in the 1940s.
Some people attribute the
recent surge of interest to food
safety issues, like the 2007 spinach E. coli outbreak, the tomato
scare last summer and the recent
rash of peanut-related illnesses.
“You don’t want to have to
question what you’re eating, and
if it’s homegrown, you know,”
says Janet Rice of Bayberry Gardens, who has noticed a huge
spike in first-time gardeners
coming into the store looking
for seeds. “We’ve had people
coming in so excited to get
started that they’re asking for
seedlings that aren’t even close
to getting outside yet.”
Safety is one of the reasons
Kat Marisal and Paula Brundage
of North Truro have decided to
PHOTOS ELSPETH PIERSON
Trays of Boston lettuce at Bayberry Gardens.
break ground for their very first
backyard vegetable garden this
year.
“With the salmonella outbreaks, we thought this might be
a good time to start being more
independent and have our own
vegetable garden,” Marisal says.
“We’re also worried about the
rising price of food, and it’s more
convenient—and easier to eat
healthily—when the food is out
back,” adds Brundage.
Marisal and Brundage are starting with a small raised bed, and
planning to plant the basics — like
lettuce, herbs and tomatoes.
As a reflection of this growing
interest, there are plans afoot
for community gardens in both
Wellfleet and Provincetown.
Wellfleet community garden organizer Celeste Makely says she
already anticipates that the 24
plots the committee will make
continued on next page
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VICTORY GARDEN REVIVAL
continued from page 3
PHOTO VINCENT GUADAZNO
Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable to grow. These early girls are in the photographer’s own garden
available at the Council on Aging next year will go quickly.
“There is such an interest
these days in the old Victory
garden thing from World War
II,” she says. “We’re hoping this
garden will serve as a model for
other gardens in town because
just one will not be enough.”
In Provincetown, there’s been
talk of purchasing several lots on
Browne Street for use as a community garden.
“I think there’s a big interest in the town for these types of
garden plots where people can
raise vegetables,” says Selectman
Elaine Anderson, adding that
many people in Provincetown’s
dense downtown area don’t have
a backyard at all.
Settie Dixon, who runs the
landscaping company Gardens
by Settie in Wellfleet, recommends that beginners, particularly those with limited space,
try to grow plants that can be
trained up.
“For instance they make
space-saving containers for strawberries where the vines grow
up,” she says. “Or you can train
a fruit tree to grow against the
side of a building, a technique
known as espalier, or grow pole
beans or cucumbers up stakes.”
Or, adds Rice, “You can always grow vegetables in containers. We sell a lot of Earth Boxes,
which people use to plant whole
gardens on their decks.”
PHOTO ELSPETH PIERSON
If you’re lucky enough to have room for a greenhouse, you
can start your seedlings sooner.
Cucumbers (above) and radishes (middle) are a popular
choice of home gardeners.
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Excerpts from National Gardening Association’s report
‘2009 Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America’
2009 food gardening outlook: 43 million U.S. households plan to grow
their own fruits, vegetables, berries
and herbs in 2009 — that’s up 19
percent from 36 million households
in 2008.
New gardeners in 2009: 21 percent of
food gardening households in 2009
will be new to gardening.
Garden plans for 2009: 11 percent
of households already active in food
gardening plan to increase the amount
and variety of vegetables they will
grow in 2009; 10 percent said they
will spend more time food gardening
this year.
PHOTO SUE HARRISON
Soon this yellow flower will grow
into a tasty squash.
PHOTO SALLY ROSE
Peppers, like these jalapeños, are
another favorite for home gardens.
Year Round
Landscaping
Services:
Food gardener demographics: Most
food gardeners are women (54 percent); 45 years of age and older (68
percent); college graduates (43 percent); residents of the South (29 percent), Midwest (26 percent), West (23
percent) and Northeast (22 percent);
in households with annual incomes of
$50,000 and over (49 percent); married households (64 percent); households with no children at home (67
percent); and two-person households
(40 percent).
Reasons for food gardening: The
main reasons given by households
for growing their own food include:
for better-tasting food (58 percent), to
save money on food bills (54 percent),
for better quality food (51 percent),
and to grow food they know is safe
(48 percent); 34 percent of households
said the current recession is motivating them very much (14 percent) or a
fair amount (20 percent).
Food garden location: 33 million
households have food gardens at
home (91 percent); 2 million households have gardens at a friend, neighbor or relative’s home (5 percent); and
1 million households garden in a community garden plot (3 percent).
Food garden production and value:
A well-maintained food garden can
yield an estimated half pound of fresh
produce per square foot of garden
area. At in-season market prices that
produce is worth $2 per pound.
Most popular vegetables: The most
popular vegetables grown include
tomatoes (86 percent), cucumbers (47
percent), sweet peppers (46 percent),
beans (39 percent), carrots (34 percent), summer squash (32 percent),
onions (32 percent), hot peppers (31
percent), lettuce (28 percent) and peas
(24 percent).
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Plant pals & partners
Companion planting can help
your garden grow naturally
By Elspeth Pierson
D
id you know that pole
beans and beets don’t
get along? Or that bush
beans often quarrel with basil?
That a border row of onions or
garlic around a garden will send
pests reeling away?
These are all theories of companion planting. The basic
premise is that plants — like
people — do better or worse
depending on who surrounds
them. As the saying goes, you’re
only as good as the company you
keep —it’s the same idea, only
applied to plants.
Companion planting is popular especially in organic gardens, where the strategy is used
to help deter pests or enhance
plant growth without the use of
chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
“In a mono-cultural garden,
all the carrots are planted together, all the onions are planted together, etc.,” explains Janet
Rice of Bayberry Gardens in
Truro. “With companion plant-
ing, you want to mix things up
a little bit — plant your carrots
in with your tomatoes, disperse
different plants throughout the
garden. This helps keep pests
away, because they don’t like to
travel.”
Planning a garden made up of
compatible plants can be quite
the puzzle.
“The idea of companion planting is basically putting plants
together that are alike in their
needs and soil preferences
— water, sunlight, that sort of
thing,” Rice says. “But the reality is very complex. You have to
spend some time planning it out
before you go outside and start
to plant.”
The need for crop rotation
complicates things further. Tomatoes, for instance, shouldn’t
be planted in the same area of
a garden two years in a row, because it takes over a year for the
soil to be free of their pests.
One way to keep things simple
is to plant perennial herbs and
flowers in moveable pots, so that
they can follow their companions around the garden from
PHOTO COURTESY DOUGGREENSGARDEN.COM
The odor of chives is a natural
repellent for aphids, which
attack peas and greens.
PHOTO HOUMA.COM
Planting flowers, like marigolds, in and
among your vegetables helps keep pests
away. And flowers can attract good,
pollinating insects to help your fruits and
vegetables flourish.
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Mint (left) deters cabbage
moths. But keep it in a pot
or it quickly will take over
your garden.
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Horseradish (below), a fastspreading perennial, wards
off bean pests.
Tomatoes & basil: Many
gardeners swear by this
combination. “Plant the basil
beneath the tomato plants,”
says Dixon. “They like that
little bit of shade.”
Carrots & tomatoes: “There’s
a saying that carrots love
tomatoes,” says Basile. “I don’t
know why, but it works.”
Mustard greens & cold
weather crops: “Mustard
greens will keep the flea
beetles off crops like swiss
chard, broccoli and kale,” says
Dixon.
year to year. Mint, for instance,
is an excellent deterrent of cabbage moths, but will take over a
garden quickly in the ground.
Similarly, horseradish is a fastspreading perennial that wards
off bean pests and does well in
pots. Making perennial companion plants mobile also makes tilling the garden easier — it’s difficult to turn over the soil when
you have an established herb
patch in the way.
There are also aesthetics to take
into consideration. “I’m more of
an English-style gardener,” says
Wellfleet’s Settie Dixon, who
runs a landscaping company
called Gardens by Settie. “I tend
to do things in patterns—to
think about color and texture
and height — and I try and
make sure something’s in bloom
at all times.”
Planting sweet peas, which
bloom in late summer, for instance, alongside chives, which
bloom in early June, and a row
of rainbow Swiss chard, could
make for a beautiful — and effective — companion patch, as
the odor of chives is a natural
repellent for aphids that attack
peas and greens.
Rose Basile and Carol Noyes,
longtime gardeners who run
Rose Acre guest house in Provincetown, like to weave flowers
into their vegetable garden as
companions.
“We put in zinnias and cosmos
and nasturtiums in between the
vegetables,” Basile says. “Not
only does it look a lot prettier,
but we use them for cut flowers
in the guesthouse.” Basile says
she attributes their vegetables’
productivity in part to the addition of flowers, because they attract bees. “These days there are
a lack of bees around,” she says,
“but our garden is always well
pollinated, beautiful and productive.”
Tomatoes, peppers &
eggplants: These are all in the
same family, and they like the
same soil conditions, too, says
Rice.
Radishes & …everything:
“Radishes are good with a
multitude of vegetables,”
says Rice. “They are really
compatible with just about
everything.”
Cabbage & sage, thyme: “The
herbs repel cabbage moths,”
says Rice.
Garlic & onions: “Plant these
sorts of stinky herbs together
around the borders of your
garden,” says Dixon. “The
smell will keep out animals
looking for lunch.”
Chives & peas, lettuces:
“Planting chives between rows
of peas or lettuces will help
keep aphids under control,”
says Rice.
Marigolds & vegetables:
“Marigolds have a natural bugdeterring compound called
pyrethum,” says Dixon. “That’s
why they make a good border
for vegetable gardens.”
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Pole beans & beets: These two
are incompatible, according to
Rice.
Bush beans & fennel, onions,
or basil: “You don’t want these
near each other,” says Rice.
Potatoes: “You kind of don’t
want potatoes near anything,”
says Rice. “They attract the
same bugs as a lot of other
vegetables, and they also
sprawl out. I’d put them in a
separate bed.”
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15 Years Experience
Sunflowers — the happy giants of summer
By Rob Phelps
M
BANNER FILE PHOTO/LENANE
These sunflowers frame a large vegetable garden, planted and tended to by Carol Noyes and Rose Basile, at
Rose Acre guest house in Provincetown.
aybe it was those
cheerful yellow faces
that enticed a cautious
moment of optimism from that
notoriously glum artist Vincent
Van Gogh when he painted his
famous “Sunflowers” series.
But there’s no doubt that a
decorative sunflower patch in
your home garden will draw
smiles from neighbors and passersby and give you plenty of joy.
In seasons past, if you took a
stroll down to Provincetown’s
West End you couldn’t miss the
huge sunflowers lining the front
walkway of 76 Commercial, the
so-called Hans Hofmann house.
And they’ve saluted you from
the grounds of the Center Street
Inn. (See story page 10.)
Yellow is the hot new color
this season, so why not add a
fashion swatch to your spring
landscaping?
You can pick up a pouch of
seeds — or for quicker results
that require a little less tending,
garden-ready potted plants, as
soon as they come in at your favorite local garden store.
And they’re not just yellow
anymore. Colors of new sunflower cultivars developed over the
past few years range from various shades of yellow to velvety
crimson to chocolate brown,
with names like “Ring of Fire,”
“Claret” and “Teddy Bear.”
Stalks on these bright beauties range in height from two- to
six-feet tall (their cousins out in
the agricultural fields can top
nine-feet tall) and their flowers,
or “heads,” can spread more
than 12 inches in diameter.
According to the “Guinness
Book of World Records,” the
tallest sunflower ever recorded
grew in the Netherlands and
measured 25 feet, 5.4 inches; the
widest sunflower head recorded
hailed from British Columbia,
measuring 32 inches across.
Sunflower heads are made up
of copious “florets,” miniature
flowers themselves, arranged by
mother nature to form dozens
and sometimes hundreds of spiraling patterns in a single sunflower.
When planting your sunflowers, keep in mind that they like
to keep their faces to the sun.
According to the National Sunflower Association, “When the
plant is in the bud stage, it tends
to track the movement of the
sun across the horizon. Once the
flower opens into the radiance
of yellow petals, it faces east. No
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PHOTOS CHARLES D. LAPPEN
A red and yellow sunflower,
right, at 76 Commercial St., with
a close-up detail above.
PHOTO SALLY ROSE
A goldfinch feasts on the seeds of a wilting sunflower head.
one knows why. However, it is
likely a defensive response. Facing south or west could result in
sun-scalding of seeds during very
hot days.” No matter the reason,
this needs to be factored into
aesthetic planning; you probably don’t want them turning
their backs to you once they’re
in full bloom.
Sunflowers are equally at
home in decorative and vegetable gardens. The NSA promotes
sunflowers as rich in vitamin E,
low in trans fats, and a tasty substitute: “Often used interchangeably with dried fruits, nuts and
other seeds, kernels offer a
unique, mild and versatile flavor
that is compatible with sweet,
salty and sour flavors.” (Kernels
are the “meat” inside the seed.
Typically, seed husks are shed in
manufacturing.)
The NSA website (sunflowernsa.com) offers a host of
recipes that include sunflower
seeds and kernels for appetizers, snacks, breads, breakfast
ideas, dessert items, pastas,
soups, salads and dressing up
other veggies (the sunflower is
the official symbol for the Vegan Society, after all).
To harvest your own seeds,
according to flower-gardeningmade-easy.com, cut the sunflower head after it’s turned brown
and store it in a dry, well-ventilated spot for several weeks.
When it’s dry, the seeds will rub
right off.
To roast your own sunflower
seeds, spread them across a
baking sheet and roast at 350
degrees F. for 10 to 15 minutes.
For added flavor, soak the seeds
in water and table salt overnight
before roasting.
Whether you eat them, treat
them to a special spot in your
garden, or cut them for indoor
arrangements (an increasingly
popular trend), sunflowers are
a great big way to spread and
enjoy a little happiness all season long.
PHOTO SALLY ROSE
A sunflower, seemingly resting on a leaf, in the garden of Rose Acre
guest house in Provincetown.
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Spreading a little joy
By Sally Rose
BANNER STAFF
T
hey’re big, bright and
cheerful. They’ve inspired great art. And,
even when you’re feeling particularly grouchy, they can make
you smile.
Sunflowers — they’re a happy
flower. And their joyful countenances can be seen peeking out
from various yards around the
Outer Cape.
People who plant them in
their gardens not only get to enjoy their cheering effect personally, they also get to hear appreciative comments from a host of
passersby.
Robert Randall Bourne, who
lives at 76 Commercial St. in
Provincetown’s West End, known
as the Hans Hofmann house, decided he wanted to share the joy
he found in sunflowers.
So a few years back he planted the classic, very tall and largefaced variety along the pathway
up to his front door. The house
was broken up into several condos, and at that time Bourne was
hired as the condo gardener.
“It was sort of left up to me to
do what I wanted,” says Bourne.
So he took inspiration from the
renowned late artist Hofmann,
deciding that the earth would be
his palette.
The first year he mixed corn
and large sunflowers along the
pathway leading to his front
door.
“Ironically, the condo association was aghast that I put corn in
the front yard,” he says, laughing. “It was just an inspiration, it
gets really great light. I called it
an installation.”
The following year he put in
all sunflowers along the path. It
was an impressive and cheery
sight in the peak of the season,
noticed by all who passed by.
One person who was struck by
them sent him photos that she’d
taken. She addressed it simply
to “The Sunflower House.” And
the Provincetown Post Office
managed to figure out that it was
meant for Bourne.
“It became a real tonic to people going by,” he says. In fact, the
same people would come back
every year to look at them. One
man even gave Bourne a painting in exchange for the joy that
his sunflowers had given him.
They’re big, they’re bright,”
he says of why people are so taken with sunflowers. “Little kids
would stop, people from all over
the world would stop and take
pictures.”
Bourne’s sunflowers are featured in photographer George
Hirose’s “Blue Nights,” for which
Norman Mailer wrote an introduction.
Even rock stars like ‘em.
Bourne says rock legend Patti
Smith was walking by once and
stopped to sit with him on his
front stoop and chat about sunflowers and Hans Hofmann.
Unfortunately, says Bourne,
the residents of one unit in the
condo don’t like sunflowers. So,
much to the dismay of so many
passersby, the spectacular sunflower installation at 76 Commercial is no more.
Paul Gumbleton at the Center Street Inn also enjoys hearing
the comments of those passing
PHOTO ROBERT RANDALL BOURNE
A peek through the towering arbor of sunflowers that once graced the pathway at 76 Commercial St., the old
Hans Hofmann house, planted by resident Robert Randall Bourne.
his sunflower collection on Bradford between Center Street and
Conwell.
“Oh, sunflowers,” they say.
“It’s kind of funny, I can hear
people’s comments,” he says, and
people stop and take photos.
Interestingly, Gumbleton
didn’t seek out his sunflowers.
“They came to me.” And they all
came from one seed, he says.
“I have window boxes up on
the top deck. And one year over
the winter, it was hitting spring,
and I found this little sprout, it
must have been from a bird,” he
says. “I had a feeling it was a sunflower because of the bird seed
[nearby].”
He transplanted it to a pot
on the deck and it grew up tall.
Then, he took the seeds from
those heads and scattered them
along his fence.
“It’s been about four years
since that little lone seed came
from someone’s bird seed,” he
says, and now, “they’ve kind of
taken over.
They attract birds and other
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wildlife, he says, and they serve
as a nice border for his side garden.
“People remark how beautiful they are,” he adds. “They’re a
happy flower.”
Sunflower plants and seeds
are available at all the local garden stores, like Bayberry Gardens in Truro, Sonflowers Nursery (Residential Development)
in Wellfleet and St. Aubin’s in
Eastham.
So get out there and start
planting a little joy.
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Ground cover — it’s not just about lawn anymore
By Kevin Mullaney
G
reen, grassy lawns are
still the ground cover of
choice. But they cannot
be achieved without ample augmentation of the quick-draining,
sandy soil on the Outer Cape.
There are other ways to cover the ground — low-growing
plants that, though you can’t
walk on them, add proportion
and beauty and prevent erosion
without demanding much time
and effort. Or requiring copious
chemicals to keep them thick
and green.
“Grass is a lot of work,” says
Annie Ditacchio at Bayberry
Gardens on Route 6 in Truro.
“You have to fertilize, mow, keep
the bugs and weeds out.”
Ground covers can be used
on steep banks or slopes, in
shady areas under trees and
shrubs, and next to buildings.
They can be used to cover shallow tree roots, and to slow soil
drainage and evaporation. Some
prefer shade, partial or deep;
some prefer full sun; others like
both. Some like moist soil, others dry or well drained.
“The native ground cover is
bearberry, also called hog cranberry,” says Ditacchio, describing
it as having shiny green leaves
and little red berries. Bearberry
are not good for transplanting,
however. “They have very woody
roots. Once disturbed, they
won’t catch.”
Bayberry Gardens sells them
already propagated in pots.
They grow in sun or shade and
spread slowly, which is, she says,
their biggest drawback. That,
and they’re expensive.
“Myrtle, ivy and pachysandra
are much more economical,”
she says. And they come in trays
of little plugs. “Ivy is pretty indestructible, grows up walls in sun
or shade.“
Myrtle and pachysandra prefer shade, and all three sell usually in trays of 50 plugs. Pachysandra grows to a foot tall and
the foliage is tinged in purple in
spring, bright green in summer,
yellow-green in winter.
There are choices between
utilitarian and more ornamental ground cover, such as Ajuga,
with its little purple flowers, and
Sedums, which thrive in hot,
sunny spots with dry, sandy soils,
she says.
There are more than 300 species and 500 cultivars of sedums,
from tiny mats a few inches high
to two-foot plants. They’re used
as mass ground covers, in rock
gardens, on slopes, between
stones. They are related to the
cactus and, says Ditacchio, “They
don’t require a lot of water and
are fast spreading.”
They have thick, waxy evergreen leaves and are best in full
sun where they produce flowers
— from tiny, yellow-green stars
to large masses of small pink
flowers.
“Sweet woodruff is petite with
white flowers,” she adds.
And then there are various
low growing ground covers, such
as the various thymes. “Some are
very low growing,” she says. They
can be used on walks between
bricks or pavers.
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Bayberry Nursery ............................................ 2
PHOTO KEVIN MULLANEY
Old gold, a variety of juniper, is used as a middle-height ground cover.
Ornamental varieties can
be matched with surrounding plantings. And plants
that spread more rapidly can
be spaced wider apart when
planting.
Knowing the conditions
required for each plant as
well as the soil in your garden is important. You might
need to amend the soil a bit,
by adding peat moss to the
hole, for example.
However, some prefer the
continued on next page
Creeping thyme (right)
can serve as an attractive
ground cover instead of
grass, and works nicely
between flagstones.
PHOTO SALLY ROSE
Myrtle, which features a
small lavender flower, can
be used to fill in between
taller plants in raised beds.
Take a Week VACATION…
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STAYCATION!
Benson Young & Downs Insurance ............... 2
Gregory Morris Landscaping ......................... 3
Unique Fiberglass Pools
Cape Cod Refrigeration .................................. 4
Heated swim-up barstools
Kaplansky, Bryden & Sullivan Insurance...... 4
Rice Landscaping ............................................ 5
spillover spas
Marcy Oil .......................................................... 5
underwater swimming ledges
Days Propane................................................... 6
vanishing edge
MetroWest Insurance ...................................... 6
water slides
John’s Interior Painting ................................... 7
solar heating
Ethan Poulin ..................................................... 7
custom tile & inlays
Fireside Insurance ........................................... 8
Cataumet Sawmill ........................................... 9
Cape Cod Oil .................................................... 9
Jared Colley Irrigation ...................................10
Cape Cod Aquatics .........................................11
Kimball Design .............................................. 12
Land’s End-True Value ................................... 13
Desmond Well Drilling ...................................14
Dirtworks ........................................................ 15
Jeremy Young ................................................ 15
POOLS AND HOT TUBS, INC.
“Where every home is waterfront”
110 Parallel Street, Harwich, MA • 508-430-1555
www.CapeCodAquatics.com
Hot Tubs
The World’s #1 Hot Tub
continued from previous page
traditional lawn.
“They’re pricey,” says Ethan
Poulin, a landscaping contractor
in Truro, of other types of ground
cover. “It’s cheaper to throw mulch
or grass than to plant 500 little
plants.”
Clint Kanaga, manager for design and sales at St. Aubin Nurseries & Ponderosa Landscaping, on
Route 6A in Eastham, says the type
of ground cover depends on the
conditions in your garden.
“Sun, shade, flat or bank,” he
says, adding, “Some are used [to
fill space between plants] in beds.”
Kanaga says the juniper family
is diverse and offers a lot of variety
in color and height. They’re creeping.
“The Japanese garden juniper
grows slow and very low,” he says.
Creeping junipers grow one to
two feet tall and will spread to a
large area. They prefer full sun and
are great for slopes and banks. In
terms of middle-size ground covers, Kanaga mentions the Pfitzer
family of junipers. “Old gold is real
nice,” he says. There are also big
shrubs, such as the sea green, and
trees, such as cedars.
And there are others: moss
pink, also called creeping phlox,
Baltic English ivy and hosta. Hosta species vary in size and foliage
color — deep-green, yellow-green,
blue green or gray green. Others
are variegated with white or cream.
They’re best in slightly moist soils
and not in full sun.
Liriope, also called lilyturf, is
very versatile, adapting to a wide
range of conditions. They do well
in heavy shade or full sun and are
used under trees and shrubs and
on slopes and banks.
PHOTO KEVIN MULLANEY
Ivy, being used here to cover a tree’s shallow
roots, is pretty indestructible and grows in sun
or shade and even up walls.
Pachysandra prefers shade and provides a
foliage that changes in color depending on
the season.
WHAT IS BLACK
AND WHITE AND
READ ALL OVER?
Provincetown
Banner, of course!
Your Community
Newspaper.
Subscribe by
Calling
508-487-7400
Subscribe online
www.wickedlocal
provincetown.com
Beware of backyard invaders
Nature Conservancy urges gardeners to help stop the spread of America’s worst weeds
W
ith the arrival of spring, The Nature Conservancy is asking gardeners across Massachusetts
to check their yards and gardens for plants that
can escape cultivation and cause tremendous damage to
the natural environment and the national economy.
Plants such as purple loosestrife, kudzu, giant salvinia,
multiflora rose and tree of heaven have been used widely in horticulture and landscaping, and can be found in
backyards and business lots across the country. At first
glance these plants may look pretty, but their beauty is deceptive.
Known as invasive species, plants like these are typically transplants from distant places. Once free from
the natural checks and balances in their native habitats,
these alien invaders establish themselves in new areas and
quickly spread out of control. They hoard light, water and
nutrients, and can alter entire ecosystems by changing
soil chemistry.
With intentional and unintentional assistance from
people, these problematic plants are spreading at an
alarming rate, infecting natural areas across the U.S.
“Keeping invasive plants out of our backyards helps the
environment and the economy,” said Wayne Klockner,
director of The Nature Conservancy of Massachusetts in
press release. “Taking the time to remove invasive plants
and replace them with non-invasive varieties is a great
example of bringing new energy to the old adage: think
globally, act locally.”
Because many invasive plants are spread by unsuspecting gardeners, The Nature Conservancy has created
a wallet insert that gardeners can carry with them when
shopping at their local nurseries. The insert lists the worst
invasive plants for each region of the country. If you see
one of these plants at your local nursery, consider buying
another plant instead and talk to the nursery owner about
stocking non-invasive varieties. The wallet insert can be
downloaded from the Conservancy’s website: nature.org/
initiatives/invasivespecies/help.
Businesses as well as consumers can play a role. The
Conservancy works with nursery and horticulture groups
to encourage the adoption of voluntary codes of conduct,
which aim to stop the spread of invasive plants.
What You Can Do
BANNER FILE PHOTO/LUM
Although it can be resplendent in an open
field, purple loosestrife is an invasive.
PHOTOS COURTESY USDA
Tree of heaven
leaf closeup.
The tree of heaven managed to travel
here from China and spread out to
the end of Cape Cod by 1910.
You can help stop the introduction and spread of invasive
species. Help protect native plants and animals by following
these six easy guidelines:
1. Verify that the plants you are buying for your yard or
garden are not invasive. Replace invasive plants in your
garden with non-invasive alternatives. Ask your local
nursery staff for help in identifying invasive plants. You
may also visit the New England Wildflower Society’s
website (www.newfs.org), which provides information
on native plants as well as a listing of landscape designers who specialize in native plants.
2. When boating, clean your boat thoroughly before
transporting it to a different body of water.
3. Clean your boots before you hike in a new area to get
rid of hitchhiking weed seeds, insects or other organisms.
4. Don’t “pack a pest” when traveling. Firewood, fruits
and vegetables, plants, insects and animals can carry
pests or become invasive themselves.
5. Don’t release aquarium fish and plants, live bait or
other exotic animals into the wild.
LANDS END MARINE SUPPLY
Your one-stop shopping
for all garden needs and backyard
entertainment including grills, lawn
furniture and much, much more!
Our second floor is now carrying
lawn furniture, BBQs and
accessories, pool supplies,
exterior lighting, etc.
We look forward to seeing you!
6. Volunteer at your local park, refuge or other wildlife
area to help remove invasive species. Help educate
others about the threat.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important
lands and waters for nature and people. Visit The Nature
Conservancy on the web at www.nature.org.
Lands End Marine Supply, Inc. 337 Commercial Street • Provincetown, MA 02657 • 508-487-0784 • www.landsendmarinesupply.com
Pet owners take notice
A COCOA MULCH WARNING!
H
ounces, increased heart rate;
about 5.3 ounces, seizures; and
over 9 ounces, death.”
Cocoa mulch is made from
crushed cacao shells, which contain caffeine and theobromine,
two compounds to which dogs
are particularly sensitive.
Dogs metabolize the compounds slowly, so symptoms may
take hours or even days to manifest themselves. The ASPCA’s
advice: Avoid using cocoa mulch
anywhere unsupervised dogs
roam.
omeowners should
avoid using cocoa bean
mulch in landscaping
around dogs with indiscriminate
eating habits, according to the
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in
its Cocoa Mulch Report.
Some dogs are attracted by
the mulch’s chocolate aroma,
and according to a warning from
the ASPCA in 2003, “Eaten by a
50-pound dog, about 2 ounces
of cocoa bean mulch may cause
gastrointestinal upset; about 4.5
BANNER FILE PHOTO/HARRISON
Blue rain barrels like these are available to Cape Cod residents through the Cape Cod Commission.
Get your own rain barrel
The barrels, manufactured by
the New England Rain Barrel Company, may be ordered and paid for
in advance by calling toll free (877)
977-3135 or by ordering online at
www.nerainbarrel.com before May
10.
When ordering, buyers will
have a choice of a pick-up location
and date: Mashpee High School,
Mashpee, from 9 a.m. to noon May
16; Barnstable County Complex,
Route 6A, Barnstable, 3 to 6 p.m.
May 16; Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Route 124, Harwich, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 17.
Cocoa mulch
Keep Your
Lawn & Garden
Green with an
Irrigation Well!
QUALITY WORKMANSHIP
IS OUR BEST RECOMMENDATION!
WELLS • PUMPS • TANKS
WELL DRILLER LIC. #299, #764 & #877
avmD
Proudly Serving The Cape & Islands Since 1979
Prevent an Emergency Call Us for a System Inspection
1-800-649-6527 or 508-240-1000 • Fax 508-240-1003
www.desmondwelldrilling.com • info@desmondwelldrilling.com
NO
S
’
E
R
THE
IKE
L
E
L
PEOP OPLE!
PE
W
O
H
S
And no other newspaper like the
P
R
O
V
I
N
C
E
T
O
W
N
BANNER
Supporting the Arts 52 Weeks a Year!
Subscribe to the Outer Cape’s Award-winning Weekly
Newspaper (508) 487-7400
2 0 02004
4 W IWINNER:
N N E R : A RARTS
T S & &E ENTERTAINMENT
N T E R T A I N M E N T RREPORTING
E P O R T I N G -– NEW
N E W ENGLAND
E N G L A N DPRESS
P R E S SASSOCIATION
A S S O C I AT I O N
Service and
Installation of
Complete
Water Systems
for Residential,
Agricultural and
Commercial uses.
organizer of the annual sale, says
the rain barrels help residents conserve water, save money on watering needs for gardens and lawns,
and reduce storm-water run-off.
Belfit hopes to sell 500 rain barrels this year, topping last year’s
sale by 100 barrels. She estimates
that 500 average-sized roofs would
generate about 13 million gallons
of run-off water a year. “Even if the
rain barrels capture only a small
portion of this precipitation, they
can make a positive impact for
homeowners,” she says in a press
release.
2 0 0 3 : 2008
W E E KARTS
LY A RT
& E N T E RTA I N M E NSECTION
T S E C T I O NAWARD
O F T H E- YNEW
E A R ENGLAND
– N E W E N G LPRESS
A N D PASSOCIATION
R E S S A S S O C I AT I O N
&SENTERTAINMENT
F
or a discounted price Cape
Cod residents may purchase
rain barrels, to capture and
reuse rain for garden and lawn irrigation, sponsored by the Cape Cod
Commission.
Available for $72.95 (regularly
$119.95 retail), the barrels are
made from 55-gallon blue recycledplastic containers with a six-inch
diameter screened inlet, two brass
spigots to connect hoses, and a fivefoot hose with a shut-off valve.
Calling them “the blue barrel
for the green owner,” Commission hydrologist Gabrielle Belfit,
Join the Art Association’s
Secret Garden Tour
on July 12
The 12th Annual Secret
Garden Tour, sponsored by
the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, is set for
Sunday, July 12, and organizers are promising a doubleheader garden experience.
The day begins with a walking tour of 12 secret gardens
in Provincetown’s quaint West
End from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors are then invited to
cool down at the Art Association, 460 Commercial St., for
a tour of the Art of the Garden, an exhibition of floral
works in their air-conditioned
galleries.
All proceeds from the
event benefit the Art Association exhibitions and educational programs.
For 12 years, the Secret
Garden Tour has provided
guests a passport into the
otherwise hidden realm of
Provincetown’s most exquisite gardens, featuring stone
BANNER FILE PHOTOS/GUADAZNO
PAAM’s Secret Garden Tour
allows people a peek inside
special gardens around
Provincetown.
paths and crooked wooden
walkways, borders and beds
of specimen plants, common
and exotic flowers and lush
greenery.
This year, PAAM expects to
attract more than 500 visitors.
Free parking will be provided at Benson, Young and
Downs Insurance Agency
and Gately-McHoul’s Funeral
home, located at the end of
Harry Kemp Way. A fleet of
shuttle-cars will make continuous stops between the parking
lots and gardens throughout
the day. The tour is walkable
from PAAM and nearby parking lots, for those who are willing and able.
Tickets to the Secret Garden Tour are $30, and include
admission to PAAM’s galleries
for the Art of the Garden exhibition.
Event details are available
at www.paam.org. Call (508)
487-1750 for tickets.
Dirtworkscapecod.com
www.
Recycled Road Materials
508-776-9727
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Paving
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Precision Grading
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Roads
• Spring Clean-ups
• Fall Clean-ups
• Stone Driveways
• Stone Patios
• Retaining Walls
• Brick Walkways
• Tree Service
• Weekly Mowing
• Rubbish Removal
• Driveway Sealcoating
Septic
Installation
Excavation/Drainage Demolition
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508-240-5541
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PHOTO VINCENT GUADAZNO
When you look up close, sunflowers are usually busy with a host of little creatures.
TREE REMOVAL
STUMP GRINDING
STORM CLEANUP
BRUSH CHIPPER
Irrigation Systems
Sewer Hook-ups
Septic Systems
Waterline Replacement
Site & Utility
(508) 349-8296
Landscaping • Hardscapes • Brick & Stone Walkways
Stone & Timber Walls • Paver, Gravel, Shell Driveways
Patios • In-ground Pools • Spas
Christopher Lucy
Truro MA
508.349.1810
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