'Lavender Vista™' was named the 2007 All-American Daylily by the All-American Daylily Selection Council. Lavender flowers are 5-6 inches across with green throats. Flower stems (“scapes”) reach 20-24 inches, foliage grows 16-22 inches tall. 'Lavender Vista' tolerates more shade than most daylilies and flowers an average of 88 days a year. It joins the 14 previous selections as another outstanding perennial, tested on fifty performance criteria across five USDA hardiness zones.

November 21, 2006

OSU Turfgrass Science Podcasts

The Ohio State University Turfgrass Science Program, as part of their effort to use new technology to educate proper turfgrass management, has developed Buckeye Turf Podcasts. The podcasts, which are short audio / video presentations viewable on desktop computers or portable devices, present the latest OSU turfgrass research reports and presentations on pests, cultural care, and turf case studies. While this information will help anyone intereested in better turf care, it is especially useful to golf course superintendents and athletic field managers, through the contributions of Ohio State Sports Turf Extension Specialist Pam Sherratt.

November 20, 2006

Mo. Botanical Garden Recycling Record

The Missouri Botanical Garden collects plastic plant pots, cell packs and trays on six weekends every May and June. This year they set a record by collecting 70,000 pounds of plastic that will be recycled instead of going into landfills. About 20,000 lbs. of plastic was collected by several nurseries and garden centers in the St. Louis area. Since the program began in 1997, over 500,000 pounds of pots and trays have been collected and recycled. Since 2003, the pots have been converted into more than 2,500 planks of plastic lumber for raised garden beds or composting bins. This year, the plastic was used to produce railroad ties as well as landscape timbers.

November 19, 2006

Toys for Future Gardeners

If you would like to get some garden-related gifts for young children, check the new offerings from Playmobil. The Garden Center features plants, tools, bagged goods, growing plants and wilting plants that can be watered. The other garden-themed products include a greenhouse, a garden center shopper, plant beds with shed, a flower store and delivery van.

November 17, 2006

Peat Society Says Reserves Are Adequate

At the symposium sponsored by International Peat Society in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the group declared that is that peat can be harvested through the next decade without adverse environmental effects. Although technically a renewable natural resource, peat is harvested from peat bogs at a rate far faster than it can be replaced. The Peat Society determined that protective legislation and wise use make it possible to use the existing peat reserves in horticulture. Many conservationists urge growers and gardeners to avoid using peat to help preserve the wetlands which generate peat.

November 16, 2006

One Billion New Trees in 2007

The United Nations Environment Programme is launching a major worldwide tree planting campaign. Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people, communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and governments will be encouraged to enter tree planting pledges on the UNEP website with the objective of planting at least one billion trees worldwide during 2007. The effort is sponsored by Professor Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2004 and founder of Kenya 's Green Belt Movement, which has led to 30 million trees planted in 12 African countries since 1977. Prince Albert II of Monaco is co-sponsor. 

November 15, 2006

Garden Centers Join Lifestyle Centers

Independent garden center owners who want to explore the cutting edge of garden retailing should look into developing lifestyle centers around their upscale outlets. Lifestyle centers, like Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio, are typically mixed office, residential and retail space, in an open air configuration, designed as a multi-purpose leisure destination with fountains, gardens and street furniture to promote casual browsing. Lifestyle centers are typically anchored by department stores, but The Rose Garden, in Danville, California, will open next spring anchored with a Navlet’s Garden Center. A new lifestyle shopping center called Peters Station Commons is planned in Illinois, adjacent to the Garden Kingdom Garden Center & Landscaping. In both cases, the garden center owner owns the land and is involved in the development of the lifestyle center. Last year, Outdoor Living by SummerWinds was built at the far end of one wing of a lifestyle center in Mesa ,Arizona. Although the sales there have been disappointing because most customer traffic never reaches the store, there are signs that the lifestyle center concept is a good fit with garden centers. A more centrally-located garden store should be tremendously successful.  

November 14, 2006

Plant Patent Protected

The Conard-Pyle company, developer of the popular Knock Out™ rose, is pursuing trademark and patent infringements. The first concern is that other breeders and growers are introducing varieties that they claim have Knock Out™ rose genetics. Plant patents (Knock Out™ is PP #11836) prohibit producing unauthorized hybrids. Several cases have been settled over patent infringements in recent years, according to Green Beam.com. Second,Conard-Pyle is working with growers, retailers, writers and gardeners to correct trademark infringements. The name "Knock Out™" is the trademarked name of the plant Rosa 'Radrazz'. While the company is not pursuing legal action for generic use of their trademark, they are trying to protect the name from becoming a common name applied to all shrub roses.

November 13, 2006

"Extinct" Tree Available Earth Day 2007

Wollemi pine was thought to be extinct until a stand was found in Wollemi National Park near Sydney, Australia, in 1996. Because it is so rare and botanically unique as a primitive tree, the exact site of the wild stand is a secret. Conservationists have propagated the tree, and U. S. gardeners will be able to purchase them soon. National Geographic will offer 10-inch trees in its 2006 holiday catalog for $99.95, and select independent garden centers will have the tree on Earth Day, April 22. A portion of sales goes to a pine conservation group. Wollemi pine is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 7-11, so Northeast Ohio gardeners must bring it indoors over winter as a houseplant.

November 12, 2006

Cleaner Produce Techniques

Purdue University researchers are developing two inexpensive new technologies that could prevent repeats of contaminated food like E. coli bacteria in spinach. The first method, called Bacteria Rapid Detection Using Optical Scattering Technology, uses a laser to detect and identify bacteria. The second technique uses chlorine dioxide gas to kill pathogens on fruits and vegetables, which is more thorough than washing and scrubbing. In combination, these procedures will sterilize produce three times as fast and at one-tenth the cost.

November 11, 2006

All-America Rose Selections Offers Documentary

All-America Rose Selections is offering a DVD of "Love at First Sight: America 's Affair with the Rose", on their web site. The 26-minute documentary reveals the hybridizers secrets behind the blooms, and the work to create low-maintenance plants. The AARS evaluation is the toughest plant trial on earth - a fine wine is grown, bottled, aged and consumed in the time it takes for an AARS winning rose to come to market. This film educates and entertains, and got great reviews at the 2006 Garden Writers Symposium. The DVD costs $7.00 including shipping and handling.

November 10, 2006

Genetic Research Improves Future Flower Performance

Drs. Anthony Stead Michelle Jones of Ohio State University have created a petunia DNA microarray, and are now using it to identify the genes that regulate flower senescence, or when flowers fall off.  The microarray examines 4,500 genes from petunia leaves and flowers, and can be used to find the genes that control plant characteristics including flower persistence, scent, drought tolerance, flower bud production and seed germination. Once the genes have been identified, researchers can genetically engineer new plant varieties with improved qualities. Although the petunia is the focus of this project, similar genes should exist in other plants, and work is underway on applying the flower senescence findings to daylilies.

November 9, 2006

House Sparrows Latest Victims of Disease

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has tracked the spread of mycoplasmal conjunctivitis since it was detected in house finches in 1994. Since then, the bacterial disease has caused eye infections in several other species of wild birds including American Goldfinches, Purple Finches, Evening Grosbeaks, and Pine Grosbeaks. In October 2006, the Lab of Ornithology received information that the Chicagoarea may be the epicenter of an emerging epidemic of conjunctivitis in house sparrows. They are asking citizen scientists across North America to report sightings of house sparrows with eye infections. Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis appears as a swelling of the surrounding eyelid, often causing limited or no vision in the affected eye. More information the disease is available at the House Finch Disease Survey website.

November 8, 2006

Pollinators Declining

A new report from National Research Council indicates that North American pollinators such as honeybees, bumblebees, hummingbirds, bats, moths and butterflies are facing population trends that are "demonstrably downward." Little or no data exists on the status of many more North American pollinators, prompting the report committee to call for additional studies. In Europe , where data is more complete, researchers have documented extinctions and definite declines in wild pollinator populations. 

Three-quarters of all flowering plants require pollination to bear fruit, including not only food crops but also fiber, fuel and drug crops. Farmers have been leasing millions of colonies of bees each year nationwide to ensure crop success, but since the parasitic Varroa mite began attacking honeybees in the 1980s, bee colonies have been in shorter supply.The decline in wild pollinator populations has only increased the demand, leading to the first importation of honeybees from outside North America this year since 1922.

Continued loss of pollinators, which seems to be occurring all over the world, could lead to problems for entire ecosystems as well as commercial agriculture. Gardeners can help through judicious use of pesticides, providing habitat in their gardens for invertebrates, and contributing to conservation efforts through organizations such as the Xerces Society.

November 7, 2006

Fertilize Lawns Now for Spring

Lawns have just about stopped growing, which means it is time for the "winter" dose of fertilizer. Studies at turfgrass research centers all agree that a fertilizer dose now does more for your lawn's spring appearance than anything you can do in the spring. This is because the grass plants are now storing energy and nutrients in their roots for next season. Since the soil is very cold in spring, it is difficult for roots to absorb nutrients, but it is easy for them to use nutrients already stored inside the roots. Any fertilizer labelled for fall or winter will work well, or you can use an organic fertilizer high in nitrogen. (Espoma™ Organic is the highest nitrogen all-organic fertilizer I have found.)

November 6, 2006

Finish Garden Tasks During Nice Weather

Cloudy but mild weather, with predicted highs in the upper 50s and low 60s through Saturday, provides a perfect opportunity to finish up any neglected chores in the garden. Get spring-blooming bulbs planted as soon as possible, and any tender summer-blooming bulbs should be lifted right away. Store ceramic pottery and birdbaths. There is still time to plant trees and shrubs if you want to take advantage of late-season nursery sales. If you plant perennials this late in the year, they will not root completely, so frost may heave them out of the soil. Be sure to mulch them well, and you may want to consider pinning the root ball into the soil. Dormant trees and shrubs may be pruned now. I like to do strenuous construction work, like laying pavers, digging, or building structures, in the cooler fall weather.

November 5, 2006

Leaf-Raking Weekend

The freezing temperatures of the last few nights have done local gardeners a favor - nearly all the leaves have come off the trees in a one week span. While this copious amount of leaves may be difficult to deal with, at least they can be taken care of once and for all. 

Now that we are back to standard time, there is little chance to get little chores done in the garden after work, unless your rake has a flashlight on the handle. Take this opportunity to get the leaves off lawns, shrubs, and evergreen groundcovers before they are smothered or soaked by rain. Otherwise the task of raking will become more difficult and your plants may be damaged.

November 4, 2006

Project FeederWatch Enters 3^rd Decade

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has contributed a lot to our knowledge of backyard birds through their citizen science projects, especially Project FeederWatch. More than 13,000 people participate by recording the number and type of birds at their feeders periodically from November 11 through April 6. Over the past twenty years, these reports have been critical for documenting changes in the populations of native birds, the spread of invasive species, and tracking diseases such as West Nile virus. More than 1 million reports submitted so far allow researchers to determine if population changes are normal fluctuations or long-term trends. Last year's reports documented a mysterious drop in grosbeak populations, western hummingbirds that migrated to the southeastern U. S. instead of Mexico , and the ninth common grackle ever spotted in Alaska . Overall fewer birds appeared at feeders, possibly due to a generally milder winter. What will happen this winter?

This year's enrollment is unusually low, and a call has gone out to find more citizen scientists who want to make a difference as they enjoy their backyard birds. The 2006-2007 season begins November 11, so check into this important but easy program today. To learn more about Project FeederWatch or to register, log onto www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw or call the Lab toll-free at (800) 843-2473. In Canada , contact Bird Studies Canada at (888) 448–2473. In return for the $15 fee ($12 for Lab members, $35 for Canadian residents), participants receive the FeederWatcher’s Handbook, an identification poster of the most common feeder birds, a calendar, complete instructions on filing reports, a subscription to the Lab’s newsletter, BirdScope, and the FeederWatch Winter Bird Highlights.

November 3, 2006

Build Your Professional Horticulture Library

With all the gardening books out there, I am often asked which books I recommend. I have added a page to this website with books from my library that I find most useful and that I refer to often. Each book listed is also a link towhere, if you choose,you can purchase the book right away. I have read and used all of the books on the page, and I have given brief comments about each of them. If you have further questions about any gardening books or my recommendations feel free to ask me. If this page becomes popular, I may add a page of gardening products that are the best in their class.

November 2, 2006

El Niño In Effect Into 2007

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects El Niño conditions in the Pacific to continue into early 2007. When we have El Niño conditions (warmer sea temperatures in the eastern Pacific), we can expect particular effects on climate. In northeast Ohio, we generally get warmer winter temperatures and reduced snowfall. El Niño conditions recently returned about a month ago, at a moderate level. The effect seems to be strengthening, prompting forecasters to expect it to remain in effect through the winter.

November 1, 2006

Studies Reveal EAB Preferences

Emerald ash borer has killed over 20 million native ash (Fraxinus) trees inNorth America so far. Foresters were immediately concerned that these exotic beetles fromAsia would attack other species once ash trees were all killed. Michigan State University researchers tested a number of trees suspected to be targets for EAB, including black walnut, Japanese tree lilac, hickory, hackberry, American elm and elm hybrids. While EAB might lay eggs on other tree species, the eggs either fail to hatch or the larvae soon die. In other tests, they found that EAB preferred green ash (F. pennsylvanica) over white ash (F. americana ), and white ash over blue ash (F. quadrangulata). Unfortunately, there is still no known way to save an ash tree from EAB.

© 2007 Roger S. Bolger.