Growing Vegetables for Others

While many gardeners are planning and getting ready to plant their vegetable and herb gardens in the coming months, it's good to think about growing food for others. The current economic downturn has effected millions of people, pushing many to the brink of poverty. It's estimated 1 in 8 people in the United States are at risk for hunger. Also,  33 million people, including 13 million children, have to seek emergency food aid each year. Food shelves, church groups, and other organizations providing food to those in need are stretched thin as they try to fulfill the needs in their community. One way to help your neighbors and community is to grow an extra row of food this summer.

Whether you're gardening in your own backyard or in a community garden, plan on growing some extra food for the needy. The idea is simple. Devote some space in the garden to a productive crop that you can contribute all the yields to the local food shelf. First, ask your food shelf or shelter if there are any special vegetables or herbs they would like to see or are easiest to manage. Chances are crops they can store, such as potatoes and winter squash, would be easiest to manage. That being said, they probably will still take all the bush beans, summer squash, and tomatoes you can give as well.

Instead of planting an extra row, you can simply give a percentage of everything you're growing to the food shelf. That takes the pressure off thinking of a specific vegetable to grow. Involve your kids. It's important for kids to realize that part of living in our society means taking care of each other. It's an important life lesson.

For more information, contact the Plant a Row for the Hungry Campaign.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

Shrub Dogwood Trials

Shrub dogwoods (Cornus species) have become very popular in recent years for their low maintenance and attractive, four-season appeal. Popular in commercial and residential landscapes, many varieties have beautiful spring flowers, attractive summer foliage with good autumn color, and brightly colored winter bark. Longwood Gardens, in Pennsylvania, conducted a five-year variety trial to determine which dogwood species and varieties performed the best. Thirty-three shrubs were grown in full sun in a seven-acre area at these USDA zone 6 gardens and evaluated by the horticultural staff. Little maintenance was done to the plants other than mulching, occasional watering, and pruning each shrub back to a height of 12 inches each spring.

Of the naturally occurring species, Cornus sericea coloradensi was the highest rated for its rounded form, long bloom time, and rose-colored stems. C. racemosa scored second highest for its dense growth and bright foliage and fruits.

Of the varieties developed by plant breeders, variegated-leaved C. alba ‘Argenteomarginata’ scored highest for its disease resistance, good flowering habit, and attractive winter bark color. C. alba ‘Bud’s Yellow’, C. alba ‘Flaviramea’, and C. alba ‘Midwinter Fire’ were the highest rated yellow-twigged dogwoods. C. alba ‘Siberica’ and C. seriacea ‘Baileyi’ were the highest rated red-twigged varieties.

For more information on this trial, go to: Longwood Gardens.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

Starting Tomatoes

Depending on where you live in the country, it's time to start your tomatoes seeds indoors for growing outdoors this summer. Generally tomatoes need about 6 weeks of indoor growing before they can be transplanted outdoors. That means if your last frost date is around early April, then go ahead and start the seeds. For those with last frost dates later in spring, wait until March to start your tomatoes.

Why Start Seeds?
While you can go to the garden center in spring and buy tomato transplants ready to plant in the garden, there are many reasons for starting your own indoors from seed. You'll have a larger selection of varieties to choose from if you start from seed. Most garden centers grow only a select number of varieties. If you're looking for the odd, unusual, and unique, grow from seed. Also, if you're growing lots of tomatoes to feed the neighborhood, sell at the farmer's market, or just can and preserve, growing your own seedlings is a lot cheaper. Tomato transplants can cost $3 each, while, for the same price you can buy a packet of seeds with 20 to 30 seeds in it. Plus, this time of year, most gardeners are itching to grow something. Here's a way to satisfy that craving by playing with pots, potting soil, and seeds indoors.

Starting From Seed
First, select a variety that will grow well in your area. For the South, look for heat resistant varieties such as 'Solar Fire'. For the North, look for short season varieties, such as 'Stupice'. Always grow a few different varieties to have a nice selection. Try some heirloom varieties, such a 'Brandywine', for their unique fruit color, shape, and taste.

Fill your flats or pots with seed starting potting soil. This soil is light weight, disease-free, and perfect for starting seedlings. Sow seeds in a flat with individual cells, plastic, peat or coir pots. Sow two seeds per cell or pot. Moisten the soil and cover with plastic. Place in a warm room out of direct sunlight. Consider using a heating mat to help with germination. After about 5 days check under the plastic for germination. As soon as you see seedlings growing, remove the plastic and place the seedlings under artificial lights. Remove one of the seedlings so there is one per pot/cell. Grow lights are better to use than a sunny south-facing window because they provide all the light intensity and wavelengths the seedlings need to grow short and stocky. Stroke the young seedlings gently each day to keep them short. You can also use a small fan to blow a gentle breeze on them. Keep the soil moist, but not over watered.

When the seedling height is 3 times the diameter of the pot, transplant into a pot one size larger. If you're growing with peat or coir pots, don't transplant. These pots are meant to be planted in the ground with the seedling. Keep the transplants under lights with the tops of the seedlings only a few inches away from the light bulbs. When the danger of frost has passed, move your plants outdoors and into the garden.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

The Best Balloon Flowers

Balloon flowers (Platycodons grandiflorus) are beautiful summer-blooming perennials that come in a range of flower colors including, pink, white, and blue. They grow to a height of about 3 feet and thrive in full sun on well-drained soil.

The Chicago Botanic Garden trailed 19 different varieties of balloon flowers in their USDA zone 5 gardens. They evaluated plants for bloom period, flower color and size, growth habit, disease and pest problems, and winter survivability. Varieties were given a 1 to 5 overall rating, with 5 being the highest.

After five years of evaluating balloon flower varieties none of the varieties tested scored an average of 5, but 12 varieties were in the 4 category. Some of the best were ‘Astra Blue’, Baby Blue’, and ‘Sentimental Blue’. The Fuji and Hakone series all averaged scores of 4 regardless of the flower color. For example, ‘Fuji Blue’, ‘Fuji Pink’, ‘Fuji White’, ‘Hakone Blue’, and ‘Hakone White’ were all top performers.

For more information on this balloon flower trial, go to: Chicago Botanic Gardens

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

Unique, Twisted Houseplant

This time of year it's good to have easy-care houseplants around. In most parts of the country, winter is in full swing and having a touch of indoor greenery helps brighten any day. While many houseplants struggle this time of year to survive growing in low-light conditions indoors, one of the easiest to grow is the mother-in-law tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata). This houseplant grows 2 feet tall and has thick, pointy, green leaves with yellow margins. It grows slowly and thrives on neglect. It can grow in low-light conditions and requires infrequent watering.

Now comes a new selection of this old favorite. ‘Twist’ grows only 14 inches tall. The leaves are uniquely twisted and spiral upward. It makes a statement with its shape, while still having the same low-maintenance qualities as the original species.

For more information on ‘Twist’ Sansevieria, go to: Logees Greenhouses.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

New English Garden Roses

It will be Valentine’s Day soon and what better gift to give a loved one than roses. But instead of spending lots of money on cut flower roses, why not treat your Valentine to the real thing? There are many varieties of roses that are easy to grow and reward the gardener with beautiful, scented flowers for years. Some of the best are the English Roses bred by David Austin. They combine the ever blooming qualities of hybrid roses with the old-fashioned look and smell of heirloom roses.

This year David Austin is introducing 5 new varieties that will surely entice you to grow more roses. Two of the best are Rosa ‘Young Lycidas’ and ‘Rosa ‘Wisley 2008’. Both are award winning roses with special traits. ‘Young Lycidas’ blossoms have a blend of deep magenta, pink and red colors. The 4-foot tall and wide bush flowers all summer and each bloom has a classic tea rose fragrance with a hint of cedar. It won the “most fragrant rose” category at the 2009 Concurs Internacional de Roses in Barcelona, Spain.

Rosa’ Wisley 2008’ won the best landscape rose category at the same show. It features 3- inch diameter, soft pink-colored roses with a fruity fragrance. It grows 5-feet tall and 3- feet wide and can be used in formal and informal gardens, as well as in a hedge. Both rose varieties are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

Sweet Raisin Tomato

Cherry tomatoes are a great summer garden vegetable and a favorite with kids. There are many varieties available such as ‘Sungold’ and ‘Super Sweet 100’ that tout high sugar content making them an excellent snack. Now comes are new cherry tomato variety via Israel that’s taking Europe by storm. It's claimed to be  even sweeter than other varieties and can be eaten fresh or dried.

‘Tomaccio’ is a hybrid red cherry tomato bred to be productive and sweet. Under ideal conditions, the vines are claimed to grow up to 9-feet tall yielding hundreds of cherry tomato fruits. ‘Tomaccio’ was bred to be eaten fresh or dried. The fruit were bred to dry naturally in clusters cut off the vine. Hence the name "sweet raisin tomato". To accelerate the drying, tomatoes may be placed in a 100º F oven for about 3 hours.

If you're looking for a treat to grow in the garden, one of these cherry tomato plants may be enough to keep all the kids in the neighborhood satisfied.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

Best Shrub Dogwoods

There's not a lot of color in the winter garden in January. But one group of shrubs does shine this time of year. They are the shrub dogwoods. These shrubs feature colorful red or yellow bark that brings a little brightness to the snowy landscape. Not only are these shrubs attractive in winter, they are low maintenance and widely adapted making them perfect landscape plants.

Shrub dogwoods (Cornus species) have become popular in commercial and residential landscapes. Many varieties have beautiful spring flowers, attractive summer foliage with good autumn color, in addition to the brightly colored winter bark. Longwood Gardens, in Pennsylvania, conducted a five-year variety trial to determine which dogwood species and varieties performed the best. Thirty-three shrubs were grown in full sun in a seven-acre area at these USDA zone 6 gardens and evaluated by the horticultural staff. Little maintenance was done to the plants other than mulching, occasional watering, and pruning each shrub back to a height of 12 inches each spring.

Of the naturally occurring species, Cornus sericea coloradensi was the highest rated for its rounded form, long bloom time, and rose-colored stems. C. racemosa scored second highest for its dense growth and bright foliage and fruits.

Of the varieties developed by plant breeders, variegated-leaved C. alba ‘Argenteomarginata’ scored highest for its disease resistance, good flowering habit, and attractive winter bark color. C. alba ‘Bud’s Yellow’, C. alba ‘Flaviramea’, and C. alba ‘Midwinter Fire’ were the highest rated yellow-twigged dogwoods. C. alba ‘Siberica’ and C. seriacea ‘Baileyi’ were the highest rated red-twigged varieties.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

Smaller Lawns May Be the Law

As a gardener, the lawn is often seen as just blank space to create more gardens. While it's great to have open space for kids to run and play and entertain family and friends, the American lawn has gotten to be a dominant fixture in most yards. The problem is excess water and chemical usage on the lawns taxes local water reserves and pollutes waterways. Many gardeners are turning to growing smaller lawns replacing them with edible gardens and drought tolerant native plants instead. Now this voluntary movement may become law in some areas.

Parts of California have been in drought for the past three years and the lack of water is starting to cause lawmakers to take extreme measures. One of the biggest sources of water usage is the home lawn. It’s estimated more than half of the water local residents use gets applied to their lawns. To curb home owners’ enthusiasm for their greensward, several communities in the San Francisco Bay area are changing laws to limit the size of the home lawn in new construction projects.  Towns such as Menlo Park and San Jose are proposing laws that would limit the lawn size to ¼ of the total property size or 500 square feet, whichever is larger. 

Government officials claim these drastic measures are needed because the region may be running out of water by 2015. The proposed laws call for the remaining landscape to include drought-tolerant and native trees and shrubs surrounded with a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch.While San Francisco is mandating smaller lawns for emergency reasons, 2010 might be a good year to think about landscaping your yard to have less lawn and more low maintenance plants.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden

Two Bright New Echinacea

Echinacea have become the trendy flower. Every year there seems to be new varieties on the market stretching the imagination of what's possible with this hardy native perennial. I was bowled over when breeders created fragrant Echinacea and double flowered versions. Now the color range is expanding with these brightly colored new varieties. These hybrids are hardy to USDA zone 4 and grow best on well-drained soil in full sun. Try them out!

'PowWow Wild Berry' Echinacea features a unique flower color, plant size, and branching habit. The plants only grow to 2 feet tall, shorter than the native species. This varieties also has a strong branching habit so produces more flowers longer into the season. And finally the deep-rose colored flowers are vibrant and clear, making a strong statement in any perennial border.

'Flame Thrower' Echinacea (in photo) grows 3- feet tall and 40-inches wide. It's well-branched forming flowers from mid-summer until frost. The most striking feature is the flower color. The bright orange, 3- to 4-inch diameter flowers have rose and red tints at the flower base, giving this perennial a glow when blooming.

Try some of these new coneflowers in your garden this spring. It will brighten up any perennial garden you have.

-Charlie, Lawn & Garden