Rose bloomed!

This is pretty exiting because this rose was 'rescued' from a mistake I made awhile back. It is a 'Honey Perfume' Jackson & Perkins 2004 Floribunda of the Year and this is how it looked the first season after I planted it in 2005.

I planted it the same day as I planted the 'Tuscan Sun' Jackson & Perkins 2005 Floribunda of the Year.

They were both planted in a south facing position against two different buildings, in similar soil. I'm not 100% certain why they turned out so differently but the 'Honey Perfume' was not doing as well as the Tuscan Sun. As you can see the bush only put out two roses and it only grew to just under two feet tall. The Tuscan Sun put out many roses and grew to over three feet tall. This is all in the first year. So I decided to move it next to the 'Tuscan Sun' this spring.

Here are pictures of each one as of this month. This is the Tuscan Sun.

This is the Honey Perfume.

The picture quality is not the best, I really need to learn how to use this camera.

But the difference in size can be easily seen. I have fed and cared for them both in the exact same way, it is just difficult to imagine what went wrong with the Honey Perfume. It bloomed in its original location (only two blooms) while the Tuscan Sun had many. It must be something to do with the soil.

I moved into this house four years ago, and therefore I cannot know what was in the soil before I planted these roses. Hopefully, I got it out in time to save it.

I know some of you are thinking 'get a soil test' and I know I should. I did a home test with one of those home kits and the pH is nearly identical, as far as I can tell. I guess I should talk myself into just getting a real test done.

Read more...

Sounds of Summer

Taking a break from gardening, I am sitting on the back deck on this beautiful 82 degree May day appreciating nature’s glory. The almost plaintive cry of the Mourning Doves as they fly overhead heading for their feeding ground in the backyard, Finches spreading the latest gossip with their incessant lyrical chirping, Hummingbirds ceaselessly chasing each other, cows bellowing, chickens clucking, dogs barking, bees buzzing past my ear on their way to the next flower’s offering of pollen, lawn mowers in the distance... Wait! Lawn mowers? Well, not every sound is as relaxing as I would like it. But we do live in a semi-urban area.

I do feel blessed that we, as urban dwellers, have the ability to keep nature’s creatures around us and we currently live in an area still zoned for farm animals. It’s a constant reminder of the what our ancestors must have felt when they took a break from their busy chores. I’m certain their lives were not as hectic as ours but we don’t have to depend on the land for our survival like they did.

Being able to provide for wildlife and to see them return day after day is very satisfying on a level that few other endeavors in life can match. And then to hear their songs, chatter and sometimes their complaints is just, well, ‘icing on the cake’.

After being forced to live in apartments for years, through financial necessity, I could never take this gift of nature for granted. Doing my best to be a good steward of the land, of the plants and animals that have become so dependent on mankind for their survival is a deeply felt responsibility that I will hold dearly the rest of my life.

I try to pass this on to my grandchildren but they have far too many other temptations that are far more exiting than anything as mundane as tending to plants and animals. It’s sad really. I still have hope that the day will come when one of them shows an interest in carrying on what countless generations before us have discovered in taking care of the land.

But for now, the sounds of lawn mowers and the occasional traffic passing by, be it cars, trucks, or overly loud motorcycles on the road out in front of the house or airplanes overhead, is a small price to pay for our little piece of heaven.

I don’t think we could be any happier if we were living out in the middle of nowhere minus all of these minor nuisances.

Read more...

IPM publications available

• “Canada Sprayer Guide” (www.canadasprayerguide.com) includes material on sprayer technology, application techniques, and related research.
• The online book on “Building Soils for Better Crops”, by SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) can be found at: http://www.sare.org/publications/bsbc/index.htm
• An educational DVD, “Growing your Business the Natural Way” is available for lawn-care professionals for $5 from The Grassroots Healthy Lawn Program, at 516-883-0887, or http://ghlp.org/prof_ed.html. They also offer DVDs for homeowners and school districts.
• Cornell has recently published two spiral-bound IPM sources: “Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management”, and “Integrated Crop and Pest Management Guidelines for Vegetables.”
Contact Cornell at 607-255-2080.

Read more...

Living Mulches-Another IPM Strategy

A newly reported study* confirms the long-suspected hypothesis that living mulch increases populations of predatory insects (beneficial insects) by improving habitat. The researchers found that the predatory insects in the legume mulch trial killed over 50% more of the European corn borer pupae as compared to the non-mulched plots. Other research has shown that living mulches can reduce the need for fertilizer, suppress weeds, and limit erosion.
*J.R. Prasifka, et al “Effects of Living Mulches on Predator Abundance and Sentinel Prey in a Corn-Soybean-Forage Rotation,”, Environmental Entomology. 35:5.

Read more...

New EPA program

EPA’s “Greenscapes” is a new program designed to promote healthy landscapes through water conservation, pesticide reduction, recycling, and “green landscaping.” www.epa.gov/greenscapes

Read more...