Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-07-26, 09:38:24

Hits & Misses: Starshine & creeping bellflower
Question of the Week: My phlox is covered in what I think is powdery mildew. What can I do?
The Business: Out of Africa

Recently, here in Edmonton, a flowerpot filled with peat moss was blamed for a costly house fire. Apparently, the peat moss spontaneously combusted, and its close proximity to the house allowed the flames to quickly spread to the siding. Now, to be honest, I am a little skeptical about the spontaneous-combustion angle on the fire story. Over the years, we’ve stored mountains of pure peat moss at the greenhouses, through all imaginable weather, and I can’t say that spontaneous combustion has ever been an issue. So, although it’s just a guess, I would think that if you took the term spontaneous combustion and replaced spontaneous with careless smoker who threw lit cigarette into flowerless flowerpot filled with peat moss, you might come up with a more accurate description of the real culprit.

Hole’s is part of a firesmart program that provides information on how to make landscapes beautiful and fire safe. One great step toward that goal is recognizing that flowerpots are great for nicotiana plants—not nicotine.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Starshine
At times, slow and steady wins the race when it comes to bedding plants. Case in point is a relatively new bedding plant called laurentia ‘Starshine.’ It seems to take forever to bloom, but once it does, it produces a mass of star-shaped, periwinkle-blue flowers set atop mounding, heavily serrated leaves. Here at the greenhouse, the laurentia started to mound heavily with foliage at the end of June, and by the beginning of July, it was covered with a mass of flowers. It’s even been easy to maintain. Give it a bit of water and an occasional shot of 20-20-20 fertilizer and you won’t hear a peep from it. A definite winner this year.

Miss: Creeping Bellflower
Speaking of masses of blue flowers, I seem to be receiving an inordinate number of questions about a blue-flowered plant that invades lawns and gardens. It is called creeping bellflower. At first glance, it’s pretty bell-shaped flowers look innocent enough, but don’t be fooled! It is highly invasive and has the dastardly habit of creeping and tangling its way through lawns. Once it gets established, it’s almost impossible to kill, so pull it out at the first sighting. If you don’t, this particular bell may make you feel like it’s tolling for thee.

Question of the Week
My phlox is covered in what I think is powdery mildew. What can I do?
Well, for this year, your only option is to cut back your phlox. It’s unfortunate, but the damage is likely done. Powdery mildew loves the heat and wastes no time attacking drought-stressed plants, which is why it’s been such a problem this year. To combat the problem next year, space your plants far enough apart to allow for good air circulation and don’t let them dry out between waterings. The healthier the plant, the harder it is for powdery mildew to invade.

The Business
Out of Africa
Our garden centre has taken on a decidedly African feel this past month. The giftware buyers have chosen some really interesting products to enhance the garden—and even the home. Many of the items are made from natural materials like grasses, clay or paper, and others have images or motifs of African designs. It’s kind of interesting to think about what makes a trend and why this theme appeals to so many people; is it a global perspective that’s driving sales, or could it be a desire to get back to what’s simple and authentic?

Trend Spotting

Purple has never been more popular in the garden. Perfect for hot and dry areas, this ‘Bon Bon’ sedum has pink flowers and interesting burgundy-chocolate foliage. To keep the foliage dark, do not over-fertilize.

Did You Know?
Rhizanthella is an Australian orchid that grows entirely underground!

“The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.”
–e.e. cummings

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-07-19, 12:28:14

Hits & Misses: Mysterious all-stars & the fuzz
Question of the Week: Why do my vegetables have twisted growing tips that resemble little fiddleheads?
Science & Technology: Frisky felines

It’s a good thing that some of my garden plants know sign language because a few of them wouldn’t have survived the recent heat wave. When I looked out my kitchen window the other day, I was greeted by the sight of my salvia and asters at half-staff. Apparently, I missed them with the watering hose the night before, and my unimpressed annuals made note of it. Cue the guilt.

Fortunately for all involved (I would not have been popular had the asters died), the plants compensated for my neglect and folded their leaves inward in an attempt to expose less of their surface to the sun. Even though I knew they’d be OK, I was amazed at how quickly the plants recovered once they were rehydrated. Flowers may be attractive, but resilience is a beautiful thing.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Mysterious All-Stars
We always like to test some of the new annuals by planting them in window boxes around our office, which faces the beating sun for most of the day. They do get watered and fertilized as required, but beyond that, we just let them grow and watch to see which ones are a hit. If I were to pick a few winners at this point, I would have to give the nod to some new varieties of vinca and lantana. Both are heat-loving plants that, not surprisingly, have enjoyed the recent weather. So which varieties are they, you ask? Well, because they’re trials, I am not at liberty to say just yet, but stay tuned—by September, the secrets will be revealed!

Miss: The Fuzz
I hate poplars! No. Let me rephrase that. I like poplars, but I hate their fuzzy seeds. Every year, it amazes me how these annoying bits of fuzz manage to find their way into the tiniest nooks and crannies in our greenhouses and manage to find enough room to grow and become weeds. It’s no wonder the northern boreal forests are so loaded with poplars.

Question of The Week
Why do my vegetables have twisted growing tips that resemble little fiddleheads?
Whenever, I hear a description like this, I immediately suspect herbicide damage. And although this particular customer hadn’t sprayed anything himself, his farmer friend, who had a little herbicide left over in his tank, thought he would do his buddy a favour and kill off the weeds. The herbicide that was used was called Grazon, which effectively kills broadleaf weeds and broadleaf vegetables with equal zeal. Unfortunately, one of the herbicides in the Grazon formulation is called picloram, which is quite persistent and can remain active in the soil for a half dozen years or more, depending on the soil conditions. The take home message here is to never treat your garden soil with any chemical unless it is registered for home use and the person applying it is trained.

Science & Technology
Frisky Felines
I was reading an interesting note in Scientific American about why catnip drives cats crazy. Apparently, catnip (Nepeta cataria) contains a compound in its stems and leaves called nepetalactone, which acts much like an artificial feline pheromone. In other words, the nepetalactone binds to certain protein receptors and creates a sexual response in felines. According to the magazine, about 70 to 80 percent of cats demonstrate this response when exposed to nepetalactone. Even lions find nepeta plants stimulating. Hmmm…I’m guessing they’re harder to scold when you find them in the garden patch.

Trend Spotting

Gazing globes have always been popular, but this latest iteration has replaced that flashy metallic look with a slightly mottled surface.

Did You Know?
Juniper berries give gin its distinct flavour.

“Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.”
–Groucho Marx

Hole’s is a proud supporter of the Grand Prix of Edmonton and provided all the high-performance plants you’ll see there this weekend.

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-07-12, 07:45:21

Hits & Misses: Simplicity & humbuggery
Question of the Week: Will watering my plants on very sunny days cause the leaves to burn?
Science & Technology: Brain food

“I thought I was going to heave when I smelled it.” That was the phrase our garden centre staff used repeatedly to describe the “sample” a gardener brought to our information booth this week. Now, it’s not anything new to have people show up with troubling samples of plant problems that they’d like us to identify, but it’s rare to get one that generates as much abhorrence as this one did.

It all started when Bob Stadnyk, our perennial manager, asked me to identify the “repulsive-looking blob that was growing on the mulch in some gardener’s yard.” No sooner had the words repulsive, blob and mulch come out of his mouth that I suspected he was describing—wait for it!—dog vomit slime mould. Yes, that really is its name; and, yes, that’s exactly what it looks and smells like. To be honest, I couldn’t wait to see it. What makes slime mould a rather strange organism is that it’s both fungal-like and plant-like. Interesting?—yes, but what makes it a bona fide 10 on the Strange Meter is that slime mould can move about, engulfing and digesting bacteria, yeast and decaying plant and animal matter in its path. At times, slime mould can even be found crossing lawns, roads or even climbing trees!

It’s the first time I’ve seen a sample of it, but because I like to check out the Fungus of the Month on mycology professor Tom Volk’s University of Wisconsin’s website (one of my favourite websites!), I was quick to identify it. Hey, they don’t call me Mr. Exciting for nothing.

Dog vomit slime mould

Hits & Misses
Hit: Simplicity
One of the containers I’m really liking this year has a large ‘Red Sensation’ cordyline in the centre and is surrounded by ‘Waterfalls White Sparkle’ lobelia and ‘Silver Falls’ dichondra that trail over the sides. Simplicity at its best. At first, I was a bit worried that the lobelia might be a water hog, but it’s proven to be quite resistant to drying and seems to get better looking every day.

Miss: Humbuggery
Believe it or not, we received our first shipment of poinsettia cuttings this week. Even for us, that’s a bit early, but ‘Silver Star’ and ‘Winter Rose Early’ are two varieties that need extra time in the greenhouse to be ready for Christmas. Well…we were a day late picking up the cuttings from the airport (I know! But it’s not like we made them come down the chimney), and a day after transplanting, a few of the lower leaves started turning yellow. The yellowing was due to the traces of ethylene gas that the cuttings emitted, so we expect they will all make a complete recovery within a week. Just think of it as poinsettia jet lag.

Question of the Week
Will watering my plants on very sunny days cause the leaves to burn?
This myth simply refuses to die. Don’t believe it! Look at it this way: what would happen if water droplets really did burn leaves? A brief rainstorm followed by sunshine would burn every plant for miles around. The only good thing about this myth is that it inadvertently encourages water conservation. Watering your garden in the morning, rather than in the heat of the day, will give your soil a chance to absorb more water, less of which will be lost to evaporation.

Science & Technology
Brain Food
I was raised on lots of homegrown vegetables picked fresh from the garden—often still warm from the sun. So I find it of particular interest (and amusement) when “new” research confirms what my mom knew all along—that vegetables are good for you and that eating a variety of them increases the benefits. Take for example a spinach salad sprinkled liberally with sliced grilled tomatoes. Spinach is high in potassium and folate, and tomatoes provide vitamin C and lycopene. Eat these two veggies and you’ve helped to maintain cognitive abilities and to increase muscle and joint health. Give me a fresh vegetable over a pill supplement any day!

A medium tomato has about as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread.

Did You Know?
Dog vomit slime mould is purported to be the inspiration for the movie The Blob, which is about a large amorphous creature from space.

“By the time you find greener pastures, you can’t climb over the fence.”
–Author unknown

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-07-05, 07:21:32

Hits & Misses: King Tut & rehab petunias
Question of the Week: What are those funny-looking bugs on my roses?
The Business: Battle of the fungi

My nine-year-old daughter, who loves insects, managed to trap a cycada in a parking lot the other day. Cycadas are quite common down East, but because we don’t have a large population of them here in Alberta, Emma was quite pleased to have captured a ‘rare’ insect. Emma, needing to inspect her prize immediately, placed the cycada on her finger, whereupon the cycada, thinking my daughter’s finger was a piece of wood, tried to pierce her skin with its sharp proboscis (beak). Now, this is all old hat at our house, so I wasn’t surprised that she found the whole incident amusing. It’s the same reason she was amused when a water boatmen insect stabbed her, and was intrigued when a spider bit her, and laughed when a large longhorn beetle chewed the skin off her index finger. BUT!—tell this same girl that she needs to get a needle to be immunized against various diseases and she is on the verge of tears. Hmmm…I wonder if our doctor could conceal the hypodermic needle by disguising it as a huge tarantula.

Hits & Misses
Hit: King Tut
‘King Tut’ grass (Cyperus alternifolius) has proven to be a real hit with my wife this year. She loves that all it takes is one to create a great focal point in a container and that they’re so easy to care for. I get the impression that her new-found love for papyrus grass might mean more of an Egyptian-themed garden next year. I can’t say I’d have much of an objection to it…unless, of course, it means me having to wear eyeliner in the garden. I just don’t think I could pull it off.

‘King Tut’ loves moisture and can double as a water plant.

Miss: Rehab Petunias
For the past several weeks, a row of hanging petunia baskets somehow failed to get a regular allotment of fertilizer. As amazing as that is in itself, what’s even harder to comprehend is just how quickly symptoms of nutrient deficiency showed up in these plants. Petunias are vigorous bedding plants that will put on a stunning display of flowers and foliage but require a steady feed of fertilizer to perform their best—especially during the long days of summer. A week or so in rehab should straighten them out quite nicely.

Question of the Week
What are those funny-looking bugs on my roses?
I’ve had two samples of rose bugs that, not surprisingly, turned out to be rose aphids. Ironically, I find that the species of aphid that causes the most grief with gardeners around here is the green peach aphid—not the rose aphid. Really, neither is good to have, but if you can get past the fact that rose aphids are feeding on your plants, you might be able to concede that they’re quite a pretty species—especially if you’re into rosy-red bulbous bodies. If not, reach for the insecticidal soap and douse the little guys thoroughly and often until the problem is under control.

If you get in the habit of inspecting your roses closely and regularly, you will likely notice most pest problems before they become severe.

The Business
Battle of the fungi
We’re finding that an increasing number of greenhouse soil mixes have a variety of fungal species in them. But that isn’t a bad thing. The fungi are beneficial, and some (like various mycorrhizal species) are being added to soil mixes to increase plant growth. Research scientists from the Agricultural Research Service in Wooster, Ohio have been working with a beneficial fungi called Trichoderma hamatum that’s proving to be as effective at fighting off bad fungi as some fungicides are. Hopefully, in a few years we will be able to buy custom soil blends with beneficial fungi that will prevent the damage that some of the more common soil pathogens cause. Stay tuned!

Did You Know?
Arching plants like Solomon’s seal have a relatively inefficient leaf arrangement for capturing sunlight on flat ground but are ideal for capturing sunlight on slopes steeper than 20 degrees.

“Danger and delight grow on one stalk.”
–English proverb