July-August 2011 AS THE GARDEN GROWS Publication of Orangeburg County Master Gardeners Special Edition of Master Gardener Favorites My favorite hybrid tea roseOpening Night This Summer: Want to help with weeding at Edisto Gardens? If you are interested please call Jay Hiers at 533-8851 to let him know you can come. Please also let Morgan know. There is a Farmer’s Market on Fridays from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Family Health Center at 3310 Magnolia St. The Grand Opening is July 15, and volunteers are needed to help with an MG tent. Please call Morgan. ….just like you and many others, we could go on and on listing our favorites...we are looking with great interest to see what everyone really loves in the garden! Vonnie The Loquat Tree Nina Taylor Eriobotrya japonica, a native of China, also known as Japanese plum, is a low maintenance evergreen ornamental tree having large dark green leathery leaves with serrated margins. An attractive addition to the home landscape, Loquats reach a height of 10-15 feet, bear clusters of small fragrant blooms in winter, and produce exotic fruits opening to a rich orange color in late spring. The Loquat is similar to peach or citrus yet distinctly its own. Bees love the blooms, birds are fond of the fruit, and it has become one of my favorites. The highly perishable fruit is never seen in markets. However, I have often found it on the salad bar at Chinese restaurants. It is high in vitamin A, dietary fiber, and potassium. I was fortunate to have access recently to a Loquat tree loaded with fruit. After much tedious work removing the large seeds, two gallons of fruit yielded six pints of jam. There are many recipes for Loquat jam on the internet. The one I used called for 6 cups of God and Lawn Care GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles. ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass. GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there? ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn. GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy. ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week. GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay? ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags. GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it? ST. FRANCIS: No Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away. GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so loquats seeded and chopped, 5 cups of sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 1/2 tbsp. butter (to prevent foaming) and a package of fruit pectin: process in sterilized jars according to standard canning practices. In the second batch, I used a small package of orange jello and some orange zest instead of the fruit pectin. It was a little thinner but more colorful and tasted much like orange marmalade. After all that work, these will surely be saved for special occasions and Christmas gifts! Kenneth Buck it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away? ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir. GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work. ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it. GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life. ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away. GOD: No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose? ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves. GOD: And where do they get this mulch? ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch. GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight? ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about.... GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis. Page 2 AS THE GARDEN GROWS Morgan’s Favorite! Tommy & Vonnie Bozard We could go on and on…. Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite! I love to browse through seed catalogs every winter and choose packs of seed that will challenge me for the next several months! My garden consists only of tomatoes as they are they one plant I truly make time for. I love everything about them—the colors, flavors, and shapes! Nothing gives me more satisfaction than watching my tomatoes go from seeds to huge, loaded down plants to a delicious tomato pie! I have Linda McGannon to thank for giving me my first heirloom tomato plants! Now I’m hooked! Tommy Vinca (Periwinkle) - This is a favorite because they do really well in full sun and will bloom their hearts out until frost. Plant them in mid to late May, fertilize well with 10 -10-10 making sure it’s mixed into the soil. Plant them on about 12 to 16 inch centers. If using different colors make sure to add some white ones also because they make the whole bed really stand out. Impatiens – You can’t go wrong with impatiens which I like to plant for summer. They like early morning sun and all afternoon shade with lots of water. Fertilize as you normally would. Plant the same way as Vincas and enjoy until frost. They stay mound-like and get bigger and bigger as summer goes along. Camellias – Camellias are our favorite. The early bloomers do well as they bloom before the cold winter sets in. Usually we have some warmer spells during Dec., Jan. and Feb. when the mid to late bloomers burst with beautiful blooms, lifting spirits and putting winter gloom behind us. Vonnie Pentas – Also called Butterfly Pentas these plants are a joy because they love to do good in containers or in the ground in beds. They are great hummingbird and butterfly attractors and flower from spring through autumn. They love full sun in moist, well drained soil. Organic matter added is an extra plus if you can. Even though they love moist soil, they will thrive in even dry conditions if you ask them to. I always love to put them in a bed at the church because you can count on them. Mulch to conserve moisture and deadhead to keep them blooming. Enjoy the show. Purple Fountain grass – This is an annual beautiful burgundy grass that adds interest in the middle to back of any bed. It loves sun or part shade and will wow you with the gracefully arching purple plumes with long beige fuzzy ends. I love to watch it blow in the breeze, but I also love to use it for height and accent in flower arrangements. They get between 4 to 5 feet in total height—a wonderful eye catcher! Named Favorites from Favorite Master Gardeners! My favorite plants are my hydrangeas. I have several different colors. They’re always blooming during the month of June which coincides with the Sundays I’m responsible for putting flowers in the church. They’re so easy to arrange even I can do it! I also love planting yarrow, Shasta daisies, zinnias, and black-eyed susans. I’m able to keep fresh cut casual flower arrangements all summer long. My favorite vegetable is sweet corn. I’ve put up 12 quart bags for corn pies so far and hope to do more. Nancy Whetstone My favorite perennial is the daylily. There are so many varieties and colors available that bloom in spring and fall. The daylily requires no special care, can withstand dry conditions and they come back every year. They like a sunny location and are very inexpensive to purchase Martha Garrick How can you choose a favorite summer plant? Bush form Lantana is absolutely amazing in our yard. It is a butterfly magnet. Gladiolus would have to be my favorite bulb. Roses are magnificent in whatever shape or form. My favorite probably being "fragrant plum". However my favorite of all time would have to be the gardenia. On my Nana and Grandpa's first date he brought her a gardenia blossom. My mom had gardenia's at her wedding. Their scent always brings back memories of visiting my grandparents for the summer. It is the one plant I have tried to grow in my yard to no avail. You just have to love a gardenia. Amanda Avildsen My favorite flower is the old timey red spider lily that you see in the yards from many years past/or along sides of the road growing willy nilly in late summer /early fall. It has no leaves to speak of, is lovely grouped in a vase as a cut flower but impossible to find in plant nurseries . Anyone have any growing that they are willing to divide for sale? I'd be interested! Once they have completed their bloom, they "disappear"! Janet Whetstone Herb Bradley’s June Favorites Linda McGannon’s Favorite Picks! Zinnias Goose Creek tomatoes -in pots Astilbe Tiff blue blueberriesso sweet Lobelia (perennial) a.k.a Variegated lacecap hydrangea Cardinal plant Bold Angel daylilly (planted in March) Page 3 AS THE GARDEN GROWS Mary Crawford’s Garden of Favorites Gardenia Lillies Hostas and ferns Hydrangeas—pink, blue, oak leaf, and...Charlie! Kay Williams has a Few Favorites! Oriental Lilies , especially Casa Blanca and Stargazer Lilies, have to head my list of favorites. I have quite a few in pots and beds... and even in my vegetable garden. Having been a florist earlier in my life, I found that these lilies are marvelous to work with in arrangements. They are fragrant and long lasting. The best part is that while they are expensive at your local florist (due to low availability) they are super simple to grow in your yard. Plant them in the Fall just as you would any other bulb and stand back. In June, when you take flowers to your friends, they will think you are a Master Gardener ! And they look beautiful with Kay’s hydrangeas! Gertrude Jekyll said, "The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies." Bess Hill In My Beach Yard… Oenothera drummondii Beach evening primrose prefers poor sandy soil and baking sun. I couldn’t pick just one that I like the best. This one hadn’t been mentioned yet and is one of my favorites, since they pop up at random in our beach yard. It took some time, with me standing in front of them, for Sugar to mow around not over them. He recognizes the foliage as well as the flowers now. We enjoy this primrose blooming most of the summer. Bess Hill Orangeburg County Master Gardeners Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service 1550 Henley St, Suite 200 Orangeburg, SC 29115 Phone: 803-534-6280 Fax: 803-534-5037 E-mail: [email protected] The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer. Many thanks to those who have written articles for this edition of our newsletter. If you are interested in contributing, please contact Editor Linda McGannon at [email protected] Still can’t decide? Try this! Kay Williams A Great Day Was Had by All fascinating. Plants were individually watered from above and flooded from below. They were deadheaded both by machine and by hand. Morgan sent out an email asking if any of the Master Gardeners They were fed during every watering. They were periodically sprayed for those dreaded insects that we all have. It was gardening on a very, would like to take a tour of the Metrolina Greenhouses in very, grand scale. Huntersville, North Carolina. Herb Bradley, who has been working closely with the manager at Lowes in Orangeburg, had made a contact with one of Metrolina’s representatives. I don’t Fortunately, even though it was supposed to be a walking tour, we think any of us had an idea how spectacular the tour would be. were able to ride in a golf cart with our tour guide who was one of 15 growers, each of whom supervise an entire greenhouse. I, for one was eternally grateful because it was hot! Hot though it was, we got Herb Bradley, Linda McGannon, Amanda Avildson, and I set quite an education on growing annual plants from seeds and plugs. out for greenhouses unknown early on May 26. When we The trip added a world of knowledge to our Master Gardener experiarrived, we were like kids in a candy store. You can imagine ences. Master Gardeners seeing 145 acres of annual plants for the first time. Next time Morgan sends an email suggesting a tour, drop what you are doing and join the entourage. Our foursome will be ready to go To give you a few facts, Metrolina produces plants for Lowes again. and Wal-Mart. They started as a family run business. There were 16 children and they all went into the horticulture business in some form or another all over the United States. This particular operation started with 4 acres and is now 145 acres and growing. Of course, all we could talk about on the ride home was what we had seen. We decided the propagation area was on the top of our list. We watched as they mechanically put the seeds into a very fine medium and then covered them with vermiculite. Then the flats were put in a dark, 70 degree environment for 3 days. The overall process only got more interesting for the next two and one half hours. Amanda suggested we call the TV show, Modern Marvels, and recommend they do a segment on the whole process, it was so Linda McGannon, Amanda Avildsen, and Herb Bradley in front of Metrolina Greenhouses. (Photo taken by Kay Williams) Many thanks to all our Master Gardeners who shared some of their favorites for this special edition of “As the Garden Grows” I hope it will show you how easy it is to contribute to this ongoing newsletter. Our goal is to inform, entertain, and share with each of us the gardening information available within our Master Gardener community. So please continue to submit favorites throughout the year—there is always a spot for that special flower, fruit, shrub, tree, grass or story! Linda McGannon