Jump Start the Spring Growing Season

If you invest a bit of time now, you can ensure a bountiful harvest and a beautiful landscape to make this your best gardening season yet. Preparing a strong spring foundation means new plantings are better able to survive the heat, drought and pest attacks of summer.

"Start your garden off right by adding several inches of organic matter to the top 6- to 12- inches of soil," recommends horticulture expert and author Melinda Myers. "Peat moss, compost, aged manure and other organic materials improve drainage in heavy clay soil and increase the water holding capacity of sandy soils."

Call of the Wild (Flowers)

At a time when "green" is the color of thoughtful lifestyles, gardening practices are going greener, too. Some gardens awash in the biggest, brightest, newest flowers are sadly lifeless, lacking the buzz of the bees, the fluttering of butterflies and the zip of hummingbirds. To make these creatures welcome, gardeners need to go a little wild themselves, setting aside their visions of gardens groomed and sprayed into submission.

Gardeners need to re-imagine their gardens as an outdoor cafe; and build safe havens for birds, bees and butterflies. How? By setting the table with nectar and seeds that are on the menus of local wildlife. This spring, plant a patch of wildflowers and watch the garden come alive.

Wildflowers and their dependents -- insects and birds -- work together in harmony with local climates. Naturally adapted to soil, sun and moisture conditions, wildflowers offer more than simple grace and unaffected charm.

They represent an earth-friendly, attractive alternative, thriving without fertilizers, pesticides and constant irrigation.

In nature, wildflowers mark the seasons with glorious bursts of color. Spring bluebells and columbines might give way to yarrows and rues, which in turn leave the season's last word to coneflowers and asters.

The wildflower patch is typically an exuberant and ever-changing continuous carpet of carefree blossoms. Since the look is more relaxed than that of formal garden beds, wildflowers can beautify areas that are very difficult to maintain -- hillsides, woodland edges, lake borders or that awkward strip between the driveway and the property line.
While the aim is a casual, unstudied appearance, wildflower gardens do require some planning. One key is choosing a seed mix created for your region, taking into account the hardiness zone, elevation and typical soil, sun and moisture conditions.

Wild-flower-seed.com offers a wide variety of blends for nine areas of the country, from the rainy northeast to the dry southwest. The company also has specialty mixes specifically designed to attract beneficial insects and butterflies -- as well as a blend deer find unappealing. Each mix includes 10 to 20 plant species, providing flowers season-long and a mix of annuals and perennials for both quick color and staying power. Site preparation is important and a little up-front effort can pay big dividends. Follow these steps:

* Choose a sunny, well-drained location. Most wildflowers want six to eight hours of direct sunlight and few will tolerate "wet feet."
* Remove any sod and till to a depth of just 1 or 2 inches. More will only bring additional weed seeds to the surface.
* Weed control is crucial to get wildflowers off to a good start. Instead of using a strong, chemical pesticide to kill weeds, manage weeds naturally. Encourage weeds to grow with regular watering and then pull the weeds before sowing wildflowers, or use a low-toxicity herbicide.
* Sow seeds according to directions -- the maximum amount recommended will produce a dense patch, the minimum a more scattered look.
* For easier sowing, mix seed with dry sand, which is more visible against the soil. Blend well, using a ratio of one part seed to one or two parts sand.
* Good seed-to-soil contact encourages germination. A lawn roller is ideal, but stepping across the bed, compressing soil underfoot, will do the job.
* No fertilizer is necessary, but the seedbed should be kept moist for about four weeks until seeds sprout. Then watering can taper off unless conditions are unusually dry.

By Fred Peratt, Environmental Enhancements, Inc.

The hot humid weather of August is not ideal planting weather as most of you know. This time of year many people are on vacation or in the air conditioned house to escape the MD/DC/VA humidity. Point being, that not a lot of you are thinking about your yards. Well start thinking about that hardscape project. This is ideal weather for us to construct that stone, brick or paver patio, steps, retaining wall, or outdoor fireplace.

During the dog days of summer most landscape firms are winding down current work and preparing for the fall planting season. Not here at EE, Inc as we continue to showcase our masonry work in the Virginia, Maryland and DC area. The interest in hardscaping has really taken off in the last few years as people realize the satisfaction they receive in having tasteful outdoor living and entertaining areas. More and more we find people investing in their homes and acknowledging the desire for a relaxing ‘staycation’ without the hassles of traveling.

Alexandria, VA (August 25, 2009) –Fifteen area artists will be displaying their work at the American Horticultural Society’s River Farm beginning August 31, 2009. The show, titled “Eyes on Nature: Botanical Artists Bring their Views to River Farm,” features artwork gleaned from the natural world. Orchids, peonies, arrays of spring bulbs, and other exquisitely rendered flowers will be on display, along with trees, herbs, fruits, vegetables and the occasional butterfly or moth. These will be portrayed in watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, or gouache (an opaque watercolor medium).

All of the artists in this juried show are members of the Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region. BASNCR is an incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting public interest in botanical art and serves over 70 members, the majority of whom live in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Many of its members also belong to the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA), the premier botanical art association in the United States. Thirteen of the 15 artists exhibiting in the “Eyes on Nature” show are also members of the ASBA.

I made a fatal mistake last week when I told my wife that I had been researching dining sets for my BBQ website. First of all she wanted to know exactly what I meant my a dining set and once I’d explained that I was referring to tables and chairs it was at that point that the tirade of questions such as “why don’t we get some new furniture” started.

In the summer, you'll be more likely to be in your water garden in the evenings, enjoying your pond, watching the fish swimming lazily through the water. The heat of summer, however provides some challenges in maintaining your pond, and keeping the fish healthy.

One of the most rewarding parts of gardening is the frequent visitors combined with compliments. Visitors can be people like ourselves. The most appreciative visitors, however, are the "winged" kind.....Birds.

These feathered creatures add dimension to every part of your garden.