Welcome to NGA's new How-To Video series. Gardening is a practical art and pictures are worth a thousand words. NGA created these brief, but focused, how-to videos to show you how to perform basic gardening tasks easily and accurately.
Click to view How-To Gardening Videos
Give your garden a thrilling dose of patriotism this coming Memorial Day weekend by planting flowers that bloom in red, white and blue. (Cue the John Philip Sousa.)
If you don’t think you’ll have time for planting, grab a hanging basket filled with red, white and blue petunias from your local gardening center. For you more adventurous green-thumb types, here are a few of my favorite flowers to get you started creating your own patriotic combinations.
Patriotic Flower Ideas From HGTV.com: Red: Potentilla ‘Gibson’s Scarlet’ (or dianthus, geraniums, hydrangeas, zinnias, begonias, mums) White: Clematis (or geraniums, salvias, mums, snapdragons, daisies, impatiens) Blue: Grape hyacinth (or morning glory, verbena, blue bells) Keep your garden gorgeous all summer long with HGTV.com’s expert gardening tips.
Divide late-summer or autumn-flowering perennials. If necessary, go after phlox and artemisia with a sharp spade or even an ax. If delphiniums need to be divided, remove and replant the new little plants growing around the outside of the clump. Discard the hard old heart.
Trim climbing roses and attach securely to fences or trellises.
Scatter crushed eggshells in a thick ring around roses to deter slugs.
Melons often benefit from supplemental warming, such as that provided by growing under plastic. Wait until the transplanted seedlings are established, as they cannot take up moisture very well at first and can easily get dehydrated.
Mulch between rows and keep the garden weeded to give emerging seedlings a fair chance.
Get that herb garden started by putting in plants. If you include mint, plant it in a large plastic tub (the kind drywall joint compound or birdseed comes in) with its bottom removed. This will help keep it from invading the rest of the garden.
An established asparagus bed will be ready to harvest. Patrol daily and select spears of about the same size (which will require the same cooking time). If you had trouble locating those first spears, mark the bed with stakes so that you can find them next year.
Watch for signs of drought in plants transplanted from containers. Apply water (not much, but often) close to each plant's stem, where it will percolate down to the root ball. The larger the plant, the longer the recovery period, and the more diligently you need to water. Poke a pointed metal rod into the soil above the root ball. If the rod doesn't penetrate easily, the soil is too dry. If it moves around and feels squishy, the soil is too wet.
Moles generally come calling this month. They're searching for mates and also grubs in your lawn. To get rid of the grubs, apply milky spore disease (Bacillus popilliae or Bacillis lentimorbus), a dust you can buy at your local garden center. Or try a new product called Mole-Med, which has castor oil as its active ingredient. Moles don't like the taste of this any more than you do. See Almanac.com/Gardening for more tips on pest control.
Don't be in a rush to plant tomato, eggplant, pepper, okra, and other heat-loving seedlings if you live where late-May frosts are common.
Don't cut the leaves off spent spring-flowering bulbs. Dying and yellowing foliage may look unsightly, but leave it in place (and don't tie it up) to help the bulbs ripen for next year's show.
You may place houseplants outside once the nights remain above 50 degrees.
Thin early seeded root and leaf crops. Keep well watered!
Cover tender plants if late frost is in the forecast.
Sow a second crop of beets, carrots, radishes, leaf lettuce, and chard for continued harvest.
In many areas, it's time to plant beans, sweet corn, potato slips, pumpkin, and watermelon.
Protect beets from leaf miners by placing row covers over them.
Start cucumber, cantaloupe, summer squash, and watermelon seeds indoors.
Before transplanting indoor plants, harden them off. Put in a sheltered spot during the day and bring them in at night. Then gradually increase their exposure to sun, wind, and cool temperatures.
Harvest rhubarb. Pull off leaf stalks instead of cutting them.
Start hardening off tomatoes. Set up stakes or cages when you transplant.
See Almanac.com/Gardening for the Best Dates to Transplant.
Be sure to weed your garden before the weeds go to seed.
Be aware of insects. Many bugs appear in May, including lace bugs, aphids, and bagworms. See Almanac.com/Gardening for tips on pest control.
Plant annuals (flowers).
Spread a little lime or wood ashes around delphiniums and peonies.
To encourage constant flowering, routinely remove spent blossoms and keep them from getting bone-dry.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs as soon as the flowers fade. For forsythias, cut the oldest stems to within a foot of the ground, but be sure to let the plant keep its arching form; don't turn it into a gumdrop or cannonball.
Mulch around your newly planted flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and trees to help reduce weeds and retain moisture.
Stake up and support any tall plants before they start to fall over.
As the weather warms up, increase the frequency of watering. Keep your plants well watered throughout the growing season.
If delphiniums need to be divided, remove and replant the new little plants growing around the outside of the clump. Discard the hard old heart.
Begin planting warm-season annuals and summer bulbs, such as dahlias and cannas.
Pinch back growth of newly planted annuals and perennials; this will help the plants develop more flowers.
Watch young transplants carefully. Water them shallowly but often and close to the stem so that the water will reach roots.
Mulch between the rows of your garden to help deter weeds.
Continue fertilization of your rosebushes; liquid fertilizers can be added every 2 weeks.
Take care to keep deciduous fruit trees well watered this month. Do not prune.
When fruit trees are in full bloom, avoid spraying insecticides that will kill honeybees.
Start looking for tent caterpillar nests in fruit trees and remove. Spray water or B.t. to safely remove without harming trees.
Cover fruit trees with netting to protect the fruit from bird damage.
When adding mulch around trees, do not spread up to the tree trunk, and remove old mulch.
Mow your lawn when the grass is dry. To keep a healthy lawn, never cut more than one-third off the total grass height.
If you're growing plants outdoors in containers, don't use a soilless potting mix. Be sure it contains at least half soil. Or make your own blend for window boxes and patio containers by mixing one part compost, one part garden soil, and one part builder's sand.
Sow cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower indoors for fall garden transplants.
Proper Irrigation- Not everyone is blessed with sufficient rainfall all year. Where irrigation is necessary, remember the number one principle: shallow, frequent irrigation produces shallow roots. This is true for all grasses. For most grasses, watering deeper, but less frequently will is the number one way of stimulating deeper grass root growth. After watering the soil should be moist at 4 to 6 inches below the surface. These deeper soil depths will remain moist long after the surface has dried. The grass should not be watered again until the blades start to show signs of drought stress. This trains the roots to reach deeper where the ground is more consistently moist.
Please don't think you are harming your grass by waiting to water when grass begins to show signs of drought. This is a long established principle for deeper grass root growth used around the world. Grass has a built-in mechanism to slow water loss during periods of dry, hot weather. To hinder water loss the blades will fold, which shows the lighter blueish green underside. This change in color is a clear signal it is time to water again. A second sign is when you walk across the grass and the blades do not immediately begin to spring back upright. Very hot, dry weather may require more frequent irrigation, but the principle of watering remains the same. You will still water far less than your neighbors who do not know about proper irrigation techniques and will have better grass root growth. Cooler weather will require less water.
During hot weather, it is best to water early in the morning. Setting your timer so the water comes on at 4:00 or 5:00 am is good. Try not to water in the evening or at dark where the ground remains extra wet all night. Many diseases need prolonged surface soil moisture to get started. See our section on grass diseases for more information.
There are some exceptions, however. Sandy soil does not retain water well, so deep water may not be helpful. For extremely sandy soil, the only option is to add organic matter to the soil for better water retention or water more frequently. The grass will tell you when it is time for more water.
10 Ways to Teach the Joys — and Woes — of Spring
Like many school districts around the country, we’re taking next week off to celebrate Passover, Easter and the return of weather that no longer requires outfits like this.
All our regular content, including What’s Going On in This Picture, the Weekly News Quiz, and daily features like our Student Opinion questions, lesson plans and Word of the Day will be back beginning Monday, April 21.
But, as always, we leave you with plenty to do. The list below, with ideas for teaching everything from baseball season to Earth Day to the history of spring break itself, should provide at least a week’s worth of curricular inspiration.
Enjoy!
Click Here to read entire NY Times article…
We are about to embark on another season. We have enclosed the 2014 lawn sprinkler contracts. If you do not choose to take a contract at this time, no problem. We will still give you the same great service with a pay as you go plan.
We have revamped our website to make it more user friendly. You can now pay your bill and contracts by credit card on line. We have added a frequently asked question area (FAQ’s), and also a survey area, so that you can let us know how we are doing. Did you know you can get paid for referring friends and writing a testimonial? Visit our website at inthegreenlandscaping.net, to check out all of the services we offer.
We recommend that you call to make your appointment for your spring turn-on. Appointments fill up quickly, therefore, we urge you to call in early so that we can accommodate your schedule.
Please take a look at the sprinkler contracts. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call us at (516)679-0101. If you are satisfied with the contracts offered, circle the plan that best fits your needs and mail it back to our office.
Thank you in advance for your continued patronage to, In The Green Landscaping, Inc.
Sincerely Yours,
Ralph Vaiano
Spring is almost here!!! What a winter we had!!
Looking forward to a green summer!!
Ralph Vaiano,
In the Green Landscaping
The Orchid Show:
The Garden Island of Key West Comes to NYBG!
A mosaic of classic and exotic orchids greets visitors in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory—a living design inspiration taking its cues from a modernist Key West estate garden. Throughout the exhibition, varied events and activities capture the artistic and cultural appeal of the Keys through weekend musical performances, a curated poetry walk, our much-loved Orchid Evenings, and more.
Re-invigorate your houseplants by removing the top 1/4 inch of soil and top-dressing with fresh potting soil.
Spider mites are apt to thrive in warm, dry houses. Frequent misting under the leaves of houseplants will discourage them. A solution of 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup buttermilk, and a gallon of cool water, applied in a mist, is a good organic deterrent.
Houseplants will be sensitive to overfeeding at this time of year. Provide lots of sunlight, fresh air, and frequent bathing for plants that seem a little worse for the winter.
Forced paper-white narcissus will bloom more quickly now than earlier in the season.
Shop early for seeds from catalogs and garden stores. The early shopper gets the best choice of seed varieties.
Plan some window boxes. Good choices for plants: zinnias, nasturtiums, petunias, geraniums, begonia. Edible choices: cherry tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and herbs.
Test the germination of last year's surplus seeds before ordering new ones. Place ten seeds between damp paper towels. Keep them consistently damp and in a dark place. Check germination rates to determine how many seeds to use for your real planting.
Take an inventory of your preserved foods--in the freezer, in cans, or the root cellars. This should help you decide your seed order for the upcoming season.
Spread wood ashes around lilacs to benefit growth and bloom in the spring.
Test buds of peaches and other sensitive fruits for freeze damage. Bring in a few twigs cut from the trees and place them in a vase of water. If the twigs bloom in a week or two, expect blossoms in the spring and a crop next fall.
Set up birch branches that may have been bent by snow or ice, as soon as possible. If neglected, the branches will permanently adopt their leaning position.
Cut poles for peas, beans, and other climbers now. Peel off the bark and set them in a dry area until they are needed.
Keep this in mind while pruning: Fruit usually grows on the horizontal branches, rather than the vertical ones. Vertical branches may be trained to become horizontal by weighting them down for a few weeks. This may also be done in the summer.
A barrel or other covering placed over rhubarb plants will hasten the spring crop.
Start onions from seed now. They'll be ready for setting out in April. Onions from seed are generally firmer and longer lasting than from sets.
Start parsley indoors now. You may think you have successfully wintered over the plant, but it is a biennial and will soon go to seed.
Avoid walking on the lawn during a winter thaw.
Grow some herbs in containers, such as fresh parsley.
You can start some perennials now, including delphinium, carnation, and armeria.
Start some annuals, especially those that have slow growth, including marigolds, impatiens, pansies, snapdragons, and petunias.
Don't forget winter birds! Put out water, seeds, and suet.
Remember to prune your houseplants regularly. Pinch back new growth to encourage bushier plants.
Rotate houseplants so they get even sun and growth.
Force a winter bouquet from cut branches of forsythia, pussy willow, deutzia, wisteria, lilac, apple, peach, or pear. Bruise the cut ends and set them in water. Spray the branches frequently. Keep them in a cool place until they bloom, then move to a warmer area for display.
Click Here for link to article
Here is a little bit about the history of Christmas traditions in America, from Christmas trees to greeting cards, that we all know and love today.
The first American Christmas tree can be credited to a Hessian soldier by the name of Henrick Roddmore, who was captured at the Battle of Bennington in 1776. He then went to work on the farm of Samuel Denslow in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, where for the next 14 years he put up and decorated Christmas trees in the Denslow family home.
The first Christmas tree retail lot was established in 1851 by a Pennsylvanian named Mark Carr, who hauled tow ox sleds loaded with Christmas trees from the Catskill Mountains to the sidewalks of New York City.
The first president to set up a Christmas tree in the White House was Franklin Pierce, and the first president to establish the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn was Calvin Coolidge.
In 1882, the first tree lights were sold in New York City.
Tips on how to buy a tree that's just right, and what to do with it when you get home.
