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Letter From The Editor

We just got back from a whirlwind tour of some of the botanical gardens in the Washington D.C area. Although it rained the whole time we were there, we were still able to come back energized with new ideas and ready to tweak a few things in our own garden. In the article below, you will see what we learned on our trip and some tips on planting trees and bulbs.

We're ready for fall!

Hope you enjoy this issue! :)

Julia

At the National Botanic Garden, we learned how you can grow roses organically. There, they experiment with different rose varieties to see which ones grow well in heat and humidity without the use of herbicides or pesticides. If the roses don't perform well, they simply get rid of them.

Maybe we should do more of this in our own gardens as well. Don't be afraid to move plants that don't like a location. Try them in another spot.

Alfred has been working hard on amending the soil so that our new plants have a great start. We want to plant some more anemones, asters and grasses to add color and interest to our fall garden.

Now is also a great time to be transplanting trees .

Evergreens are a great addition to any garden to help create "rooms" within your garden. The Bald Cypress has taken the place of Leyland cypress trees (which tend to get stem dieback from Seiridium canker disease) in our garden.

There are so many types of trees to consider when gardening with trees and shrubs.

One of our most popular pages is about fast growing trees. One favorite for great fall foliage is the Autumn Blaze Maple. It's resistance to insects and disease makes it a favorite for nurserymen and home owners.

See what trees and shrubs we recommend that have nice pods and berries

Although you may be seeing bulbs in the garden centers now, you may want to go ahead and purchase them but wait until the end of October or early December to plant them. You never know when we will have a warm spell that will cause them to start growing. It's best to wait until it's good and cold.

Learn more about planting bulbs here.

As seen on T.V. this cordless, lightweight trimmer/edger tool from Workx makes gardening fast and easy. It's even lightweight enough for us ladies to use easily and has a rotating handle and telescoping height which makes it perfect for anyone. Check out the video and purchase one here.

While visiting the U.S. National Arboretum this past week, we were able to see their "Living Garden" which focuses on exciting trends in plant breeding, including dramatic new flower and foliage colors. They have scoured the globe to find plants that do well in heat and humidity. We were pleased to find that we are already using many of these plants and agree that they do very well.

One of my favorites are the new purple coneflowers which aren't purple at all. These are white cone flowers called 'Milkshake' Echinacea purpurea which keep their clean, ivory color as it ages. Be on the look-out for these great coneflowers which grow to be 32' tall with a spread of 2 feet. USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9. Learn more about growing coneflowers.

• Deadhead asters and other fall flowers that have finished blooming. Keep coneflowers for as long as possible for the goldfinches.
• For zone 6, stop cutting off dead roses in October so the bush will stop growing.
• Transplant shrubs, perennials, trees and ornamental grasses.
• Save the seeds of annuals and vines for planting next year
• Leave ornamental gourds on the vines until the vines die back.
• Verticut and re-seed your lawn if you haven't done so already.

Here's where you can get that handy 2-in-1 trimmer/edger I mentioned earlier plus quiet electric mowers. These are really cool.

By ordering bulbs early you can get the best deals and the best choices of bulbs. This weeks deal is 15 giant mixed hyacinths for only $11.20. Hyacinths are very easy to grow and do very well in the Mid-South.

Don't forget to visit our blog for more up-to-date information and videos.

Until next time,

Happy Gardening!

Julia and Alfred Stewart
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