About Gardening

Clematis Plant Looking Brown? Don't Add Water.

2009-07-04T01:01:42Z

A lot of us have been having damp or humid summers and while a little water is great, too much dampness for too long can cause all kinds of problems. Even the seemingly carefree plants, like clematis, can start acting up. Problems that take hold in June really start showing symptoms in July, so keep a close eye on your plants. If your clematis was blooming fine and now the stems & leaves are starting to look brown, it's probably not because they need more water. It could very easily be a case of clematis wilt, a fungus disease that loves damp foliage and humid weather. The good news is that it doesn�t attack the clematis roots. The bad news is that all affected portions will need to be cut back. Here are some tips for avoiding and controlling clematis wilt.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc..

Featured Plant: Summer Squash

2009-07-03T07:03:45Z

With summer squash, it�s either feast or famine. Summer squash, which includes zucchini, yellow straight and crookneck and the flying saucer-shaped pattypan, is usually thought of as prolific. Who doesn�t have a story about leaving bags of zucchini on your neighbor�s back step under cloak of darkness? But these same enthusiastic yielders can be frustratingly slow to get it in gear. Squash plants produce both male and female flowers and they tend to start off the season by producing a lot of male flowers only. So it can seem like your plants are getting ready to set fruit, but the flowers just fall off and leave you with nothing. Be patient. Once the plant is strong enough to support growing fruits, the female blossoms will appear and get the job done.

The term summer squash was coined because these squash varieties aren�t good for long term storage. Their short shelf life and perpetual harvest means you�ll need a lot of good squash recipes. If you�d care to share your favorite, I�m sure it would be more than welcome. It�s summer squash season.

Photo: kyra / stock.xchng

Gardening Question of the Week: What Can I Plant or Put on Surface Tree Roots?

2009-07-02T01:01:40Z

Several people have written in to ask whether they can will in the area around trees that have lots of surface roots. They either want recommendations for ground covers or they�re thinking of adding soil or mulch. Not all tree roots will protrude above the surface, but those that do are coming up for a reason - they need oxygen. So covering the roots is seldom a wise thing to do. Either the tree suffers or your patience will, as the roots will continue to try and come up for air. Steve Nix, About.com�s Guide to Forestry, has some tips for dealing with surface tree roots, but for the most part, you�re going to have to learn to work around them.

You might be able to establish a low growing ground cover that can handle the dry shade under trees, but not compete with the tree�s root system. Something like Lamium or Epimedium would work. Or you can just move your chairs under there and enjoy of the cool respite and the knowledge that you�re doing something good for the environment by letting your tree grow. Trees aren�t just for beauty and shade. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide emitted by cars and power plants, before it ever reaches the upper atmosphere and traps heat around the Earth�s surface. Which trees offset global warming best?

Photo: © Marie Iannotti.

July in the GardenA Regional Gardening Almanac

2009-07-01T01:01:56Z

July is an unpredictable month in the garden. About all you can count on is humidity. Gardeners just have to play it by ear. You know there will be vegetables to harvest, flowers to deadhead and a new crop of weeds. Here�s a list of garden chores to make help your garden weather the heat of summer. Most importantly, keep a close eye on pests and disease, then sit back and enjoy your garden and all the efforts you put in earlier in the year to get it where it is now.

What's Your Favorite Fragrant Flower?

2009-06-30T01:01:54Z

My area has had a lot of rain this year. It seems to come in torrents whenever something fragrant is about to bloom. The lilacs rotted, the peonies were beaten down. Even June�s roses were a bit of a wash out. It�s all the more disappointing because I�m finding it harder and harder to find the old fashioned varieties that have a rich scent. So many hybrids have sacrificed fragrance for bigger, better, longer blooms. Thank goodness for my lavender and sweet peas.

The original owners of my yard planted some old varieties of lilacs and peonies and every spring I bless them for doing so. Wouldn�t it be wonderful if your whole garden could give off so much fragrance? What�s your favorite fragrant flower? Let us know how to bring fragrance back into our gardens.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti.

Getting Kids to Love Their Vegetable Garden

2009-06-29T01:01:08Z

If your kids already love their vegetables, you may not need to tempt them with cauliflower that looks like it was baked in cheese or beets that look like peppermints. But it can be fun anyway. Tempt your kids (young and old) into the vegetable garden with a rainbow of funky looking veggies.

Photo of Carrot 'Kaleidoscope' Courtesy of W. Altee Burpee Co.

10 Tips to Avoid Tick Bites

2009-06-28T01:01:38Z

Who knew gardening could be so treacherous? While we�re out there basking in nature, nature is biting back. Ticks are never a pleasant surprise and if you live where lyme disease is a growing problem, you really need to protect yourself. Debbie Hadley is a gardener who�s generally fascinated by insects, but even she steers clear of ticks. Here are her tips for avoiding tick bites.

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images. Used with Permission.

July's Photo Challenge: Daylilies

2009-06-27T06:47:17Z

June�s Photo Challenge, Unusual Containers, is just about to close and winners will be featured in a couple of weeks. For July, we�re turning to the #1 flower for gardeners, new and experienced, Daylilies. Four different readers suggested daylilies, when we were collecting suggestions for novice gardeners, and I don�t think I�ve seen a garden without at least one. There are thousands to choose from, so get out your camera.

Photos can showcase a beautiful flower, an interesting combination or even a problem your daylilies are experiencing. Since daylilies only bloom for 1 day, the plants are constantly changing.

Entries should be posted in this tread on the Forum.
Image posting help is here.

The deadline for this contest is July 31st. Challenge winners will be announced August 10th.

Photo Submitted by Shahzad Ahmed.

Featured Plant: Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis

2009-06-26T01:01:16Z

Today's Featured Plant is widely grown and often overlooked. That's probably because Lady's Mantle isn't as flashy as some modern plants. But the pleated, velvety leaves sure do make a nice backdrop for the drama queens in your garden and the froth of chartreuse flowers in late spring can soften any walkway.

I think it's charming that most people associate Lady's Mantle with the rolling water droplets that form on those velvety leaves. Considering all the features of this undemanding plant, I'm surprised it hasn't been hybridized into various colors and sizes. But I like it fine just the way it is and highly recommend tucking some plants in difficult areas, like under trees or along stone walls. Then watch as Lady's Mantle makes itself at home.

Gardening Question of the Week: How Can I Get Moss to Grow on My Rocks?

2009-06-25T01:02:38Z

Moss looks wonderful on stones and stone walls and makes a cool and soothing lawn alternative. For every person who hates moss and tries to get rid of it, there are several gardeners out there trying to get moss to grow where it won�t. Mosses are a type of plant with no conventional leaves, stems or roots. To complicate matters further, they don�t flower or set seed. Yet they grow in the oddest of places, like on your roof or sidewalk.

The easiest way to get moss to grow where you want it is to transplant the moss you have, either in tact or as a slurry, and then give it the growing conditions it needs to make itself at home. Here�s some help getting moss to grow on rocks and other spots in your garden.