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Dig InYour Preview toSpring Gardening

Monday, May 3, 2010

Special supplement to

AT HOMEIndiana County

Accentuate the positivewhen growing vegetables

2 — Indiana Gazette Gardening Supplement, Monday, May 3, 2010

Short on space and sun;don’t let that stop you fromgrowing vegetables. To learnhow to achieve a vegetablegarden when sun and spaceare the challenges facingyou, think the old maxim,“accentuate the positive,eliminate the negative.”Here’s how to do that. Thesecret is certain vegetablescan be grown in limited sun-shine.

Learn how much sunshineis available throughout theday by checking out howmany hours of the day thesun is present in the spaceyou have to plant vegeta-bles.

Keep in mind the amountof sun a space receives isalso affected by obstruc-tions, like trees, casting theirshade or by the changingangle of the sun throughoutthe season. Even wherethere is partial shade, coolweather crops like arugula,

broccoli, chard, kale, radicchio and spinachcan be grown if the space receives about fourhours of sun daily.

If you can locate a spot receiving six or morehours of sun a day, then try plants such astomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplants.These vegetables need prolonged sunlightand warm nights.

If you are limited by the amount of sunwhere you want to grow vegetables, thinkabout planting in containers. With containers,your vegetables can go where the sun is; sim-ply use containers that follow the sunthroughout the season. Lightweight contain-ers and ones on wheels will enable you tohave a portable vegetable garden with theamount of sun necessary for the vegetablesyou choose to plant.

Besides planting a portable garden that en-ables you to control the amount of sun re-quired for your vegetables, you can choose at-tractive containers to enhance your outdoorliving space.

Vegetables, edible flowers and herbs can becombined in containers. Scented geraniums,nasturtiums and pansies are safe to eat aslong as they have not been sprayed with anyharmful chemicals.

A FEW COMBINATIONS FOR CONTAINER PLANTINGS ARE:

■ Nasturtiums and peppers in full sun. ■ Tomatoes and basil in full sun. ■ Pansies and lettuce in partial sun. ■ Parsley and any leafy vegetables like let-

tuce, Swiss chard, kale or spinach in partialsun.

■ Scented geranium with strawberry plantsin full sun.

■ Radishes and the tiny Corsican mint inpartial sun.

■ Scallions and chives in partial sun. ■ Cherry tomatoes and rosemary in full sun.

USING SPACE AND ENTIRE SEASON You can plant vertically when space is limit-

ed. Tomatoes, pole bean, peas, cucumbers

and vining squash are good choices forgrowing up. With vertical supports for yourcrops, you will take advantage of availablespace, but more importantly the naturaltendency will be for plants to reach up formore sunlight.

Use all the space you have and that includesplanting in between rows.

An example is to plant large, slow growingcabbage with early spinach that will be har-vested long before summer heats up. Anotherexample is to have winter squash interplantedwith early beets; it means the beets are pulledlong before the squash vines are extended andleaves are large.

EXTEND YOUR GROWING SEASON The best way to use gardening time wisely

is to begin planting once the soil can beworked.

That means as early as spring will allow,once a hard frost has passed, plant crops thatcan withstand a light frost such as broccoli,Brussels sprouts, cabbage, parsley, peas,radishes, spinach and Swiss chard.

Where the growing season is limited to sev-eral months of the year, you have a challengeto extend your growing season. A few deviceswill enable you to do that. There is a cloche,usually made of glass or clay, and referred toas the bell-jar.

It was developed by the French and offersgood protection in the early spring for indi-vidual plants.

The cloche is placed over plants at night andremoved in the morning.

There are some substitutes if you find theexpense of several cloches to be costly. Trymilk cartons, large Mason jars or old lamp-shade frames covered with cloth remnants.Any of these are good covers for tomatoplants.

Also mini greenhouses or portable coldframes are gardening devices to help you getan early start on gardening and are usefullater in the season to extend the harvest intothe colder months.

Though your gardening space and amountof sunshine might be limited, remember tothink positively and creatively. Striving forthat should yield good results and some goodvegetables, too.

THE POTTINGSHED

Carole McCray is anaward-winning garden andlifestyle writer.Questions orcomments arewelcome [email protected].

What’s popping up inside

PAGE 5■ 10 steps for thefirst-time vegetablegardener.

PAGE 6 ■ Extend yourgrowing seasonwith a greenhouse.

PAGE 7■ Make containergardening a cinch.

PAGE 8■ Find the best timefor pruning thatbeloved plant.

PAGE 9■ Make rosepruning easy.

PAGE 10■ Make a backyardthat’s for the birds.

PAGE 12■ Expert tips forcreating a beautiful landscape.

PAGE 14■ Bring gardencheer into yourhome.

Imagine dining on the best-tast-ing fresh produce around and allyou had to do was step outside.

From container-grown tomatoesto backyard farms, edible garden-ing is a growing trend. More than41 million households grew somekind of vegetables, fruits, berries orherbs last year, according to the2009 Edibles Gardening Trends Re-search Report conducted by theGarden Writers Association Foun-dation.

The survey showed that the mainreasons people grow their ownfood include:

■ To save money on food bills(54 percent)

■ For better quality food (51 per-cent)

■ To grow food they know is safe(48 percent)

If you plan to grow your ownproduce, here are some things tohelp you succeed.

CREATE A GARDEN PLAN When looking through seed cat-

alogs or eyeing seedlings, it istempting to get a little bit of every-thing. But you will have more funand be more successful with somesimple planning.

■ Space: How much room willyour plants need to grow? Melonsneed space to stretch out longvines, while carrots don’t take upmuch room. Will beans need a 5-foot trellis, or grow into 12-inchbushy plants?

How much room do you have?Do you want a 10-by-10-foot plot,or would a smaller raised bed fitwith your outdoor entertaining?

■ Light: Most produce needs aminimum of six hours of sunlightin order to thrive. Take a few daysfiguring out where, when and howlong the sun hits your gardeningspot.

■ Plants: Talk with your familyabout what they will eat. Picksome favorites to grow, then en-courage everyone to try one newvegetable. Make a sketch, drawinglittle circles to represent yourplants. Use the spacing recom-mended on the seed packet orplant tag as a guide.

■ Investment: Starting a gardenis an investment, so think throughyour budget. Make a list: pottingmix and garden soil, seeds andplants, plant food, and pots or ma-terials for raised beds. Considerthe time needed to tend your gar-den.

A few hours up front will get youstarted, then weekly watering,weeding and feeding during thegrowing season — and harvesting!

GETTING STARTEDIn-Ground Gardening■ Preparing the Soil. Think of

soil like a house’s solid foundation:a garden needs a strong, healthybase. Without good soil, plantscan’t thrive.

■ Mark out your garden, and digthe soil to a depth of six to eightinches. Remove any rocks, debrisand weeds. Make sure to get all theweed roots to avoid reappear-ances.

■ Most soil is missing the nutri-ents that growing plants need. Im-prove your soil by digging in a mixof organic materials and slow-act-ing plant food, or by top-dressingwith a soil mix made specificallyfor gardening in-ground or inraised beds. Soils such as Miracle-Gro Garden Soil or Miracle-Gro

Grow your own harvest at homeIndiana Gazette Gardening Supplement, Monday, May 3, 2010 — 3

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MORE THAN 41 million households grew some kind of vegetables, fruits, berries or herbs last year

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Moisture Control Garden Soilamend your soil with needed nu-trients. Rake a four-inch layer intoyour garden.

■ Planting. Spring comes at dif-ferent times to every part of thecountry. Usually 60 degrees signalsthe end of large fluctuations be-tween day and night temperatures.This temperature allows the soil towarm up, which is needed for ger-mination and for young plants totake root and grow healthy, start-ing the season out right. Whileyou’re waiting, you can start someseeds indoors, or try early seasonplants that do well in cooler tem-peratures.

■ Easy season plants: spinach,salad greens and peas.

■ Things to start indoors: toma-toes, peppers, celery, cauliflower,

head lettuce, eggplant, broccoli,Brussels sprouts.

■ Plants to start indoors or out:beans, peas, most lettuce andcorn.

■ Root plants for only outdoors:carrots, turnips, potatoes,parsnips, etc.

Once your seeds start to sprout,give baby plants a little extra roomby transplanting into bigger pots.Then help the transition with ataste of the great outdoors by put-ting the seedlings outside for a fewhours at a time. This helps theplants get used to the new envi-ronment without suffering shock.To help prevent transplant shockand stimulate root growth, use astarting solution such as Miracle-Gro QuickStart.

FEEDING AND WATERINGEven though the soil surface is

wet or dry, you can’t always tellwhat’s going on below. Stick a longscrewdriver into your garden soil.If it goes in easily, you’ve wateredenough. Or purchase a moisturemeter. To water effectively, do it:

■ After planting■ Before leaves wilt■ In the morningOnce plants are established,

make watering and feeding a regu-lar routine. Just like your bodyneeds nourishment, fertilizing —or feeding — plants helps supple-ment the nutrients that the soillacks and encourages a bountifulharvest.

Direct water and plant food atthe base of the plant. Try plantfoods which continuously feedsyour plants for up to 3 months, orfeed and water at the same timethrough leaves and roots.

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Grow your own harvest at homeContinued from Page 3

FROM CONTAINER-GROWN tomatoes to backyard farms, edible gardening is a growing trend.

By LEE REICHFor The Associated Press

How about going to a placewhere you can relax, enjoy somesun, and get a little exercise andgourmet food? A place even yourkids could find interesting? This“spa” need not cost much; in fact,it will save you money.

It’s a home vegetable garden,and don’t be intimidated if you’venever planted one before. Vegeta-bles are easy to grow, especially ifyou follow these 10 steps for first-timers:

■ Choose a location in full sun,which means six or more hours ofdirect sun in summer. Producingsucculent, savory vegetables takesenergy — the sun’s energy — espe-cially for fruiting vegetables suchas cucumbers and tomatoes. If youdon’t have this much sunlight, ei-ther get out your pruning saw orgrow only leafy vegetables such aslettuce and spinach.

■Your site needs soil that is well-drained. Roots have to breathe,which they cannot do if water sitsin or on the soil for too long afterrains. If grass or most weeds growwell, the soil is probably welldrained. To be more quantitative,dig a hole, fill it with water andmeasure with a ruler how fast thelevel drops. Slower than 1 inch perhour is too slow. Choose anothersite or build raised beds.

■ Grow your garden as close aspossible to your door — no fartherthan your wife can throw thekitchen sink, goes the old adage,said when kitchen sinks were castiron. The closer to your door,preferably your kitchen door, themore frequently you’ll enjoy andwork in the garden.

■ Start small. Too much gardenmay begin to feel like work. Youcan raise plenty of vegetables ineven a 10-by-10-foot plot of land.Increase the size of your gardencommensurate with your enthusi-asm and experience.

■ Fence your garden. A fence,besides keeping out rabbits andother hungry animals, helps de-fine your garden visually. Poultrynetting is inexpensive and effec-tive. To keep animals from burrow-ing under your fence, bend thebottom foot of fencing to the out-side of the garden to lay right ontop of the ground. Unless deer area threat — in which case you needa fence 5 or more feet high — a 2-or 3-foot-high fence should be ad-equate.

■ Make your garden pretty. Yes,it’s a vegetable garden, but evenvegetable gardens can be pretty.

Wooden pickets can obscure anddress up a poultry netting fence.An arbor, with climbing beans orgrapes, can dress up your gardengate. Soften the fence line with anoutside border planting of shrubs,perhaps something decorative andedible such as red currants orblueberries. Beauty will also drawyou into your garden.

■ Planning your garden in fourdimensions is a way to harvestmore from limited space. Ratherthan single, widely spaced rows,plant in wide (3-4 feet) beds (a sec-ond dimension). Rather thankeeping everything at groundlevel, let your vegetables — thosethat can — grow up (a third di-mension). Pole beans and toma-toes can be trained up bamboo ormetal poles, and peas and cucum-bers can be trained up fences —even that fence that encloses your

garden. For the fourth dimension— time — use transplants fortomatoes, peppers, eggplants andcucumbers, and plant shorter-sea-son vegetables to follow those thatfinish early or start late, such aslettuce following early bush beans.

■ Pay attention to fertilizing andwatering. Spread a balanced or-ganic fertilizer over the ground inlate winter at the rate suggested onthe container. Or, if existing vege-tation is growing well, use soybeanmeal at 2 pounds per 100 squarefeet. Or apply an inch depth ofcompost. Set out a straight-sidedcan to measure water, and turn onthe sprinkler once a week so thecombination of rain and sprin-kling equal an inch depth of waterin that can.

■ Weed regularly and frequently.Weeds are much easier to kill —and haven’t had time to spread

many seeds — when they aresmall.

■ Grow vegetables that you liketo eat, and choose the best-tastingvarieties. So get a tiller or shovel,and dig up your new garden area,or use the newer method ofsmothering existing vegetation be-neath a few layers of newspapertopped with compost or othermulch, then plant immediately.

For future successes, thoroughlyclean up old plants when they’refinished or at the end of the sea-son, and move plants around thegarden so they don’t grow in thesame spot for a couple of years.

Finally, read about gardening. Isuggest “Vegetable Gardening:From Planting to Picking — TheComplete Guide to Creating aBountiful Garden,” by Fern Mar-shall Bradley and Jane Courtier(Readers Digest, 2006).

Indiana Gazette Gardening Supplement, Monday, May 3, 2010 — 5

10 steps for your first vegetable garden

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By SUSAN ZEVONFor The Associated Press

Entering the warm, humid, blos-som-filled oasis of a greenhouseon a snowy winter day seems mag-ical. And an increasing number ofpeople are bringing that experi-ence home with their own green-houses.

According to the National Horti-culture Society, in 2009 there werealmost 2 million Americans prac-ticing greenhouse gardening.

Dorian Winslow, owner of Wom-answork, a gardening companyspecializing in gloves and sun hatsfor women, is building a green-house at her home north of NewYork City because, she says, “I wantto be able to pluck a lemon or limefrom my own citrus tree in thedead of winter.” She also plans to

grow lettuce year-round, and startnew plants from seed for her con-tainer and vegetable gardens.

It’s all in keeping with a move-ment in gardening toward growingyour own food.

But as enticing as it may soundto snip lettuce leaves and plucklemons year-round from yourgreenhouse, there are many deci-sions to make before building one:

KITS VS. CUSTOM DESIGNED Whether you build a greenhouse

from scratch or buy a kit dependson your level of do-it-yourself ex-pertise, as well as how much timeand money you want to invest.

For people interested in customdesigning and building a green-house, the U.S. Department ofAgriculture has developed a soft-ware program called “Virtual

Grower” that the public can down-load for free. Another source is thebook “How to Build Your OwnGreenhouse” (Storey Publishing,2009) by Roger Marshall, who de-signed and built two 300-square-foot greenhouses for under $500each by using recycled materials.

If you decide on a kit, on theother hand, buy from a reputablemanufacturer, as kits vary in quali-ty.

Charley Yaw, owner of Charley’sGreenhouse in Mt. Vernon, Wash.,has, with his wife, Carol, beenhelping gardeners select, buildand equip greenhouses since 1975.Most of Yaw’s models come with adetailed manual and assemblyvideo, and he has staff available toanswer questions.

Another option is to buy a ready-made greenhouse, but if you gothat route, be aware that thesegreenhouses arrive on a trailer andweigh from 500 to 1,000 pounds.

For more on whether to build orbuy, consult “Greenhouses andGarden Sheds” (Creative Publish-ing International, 2009).

SIZE A greenhouse’s size is often dic-

tated by budget and time con-straints. Ask yourself how muchtime you are realistically able todevote to greenhouse gardening.

“If you are an inexperienced gar-dener, get a moderately sizedgreenhouse until you know whatyou are doing,” Marshall suggests.“If you are experienced, get thelargest you can afford; you will fillit!”

Yaw maintains that 8 by 10 feet isabout as small as you can go andstill enjoy the greenhouse. “Peopletend to underestimate the size

they should have,” he says.

ATTACHED OR FREE STANDING Attached greenhouses gain

warmth from the house and areeasily accessible, but freestandingones may be sited anywhere onthe property and have maximumexposure to the sun.

TO HEAT OR NOT TO HEAT How you heat your greenhouse

will depend on the climate andwhat you want to grow. Accordingto Marshall, many vegetables willsurvive almost to freezing. Orchidsand tropical fruits and flowers re-quire a warmer environment.

Ideally, he says, a greenhouseshould receive eight to 10 hours ofsunlight a day, including in the

morning. In colder climates, addi-tional heat is usually required,with small portable electricheaters being most popular. How-ever, if all you want to do is extendthe growing season, an unheatedgreenhouse can add up to sixweeks at each end of the season.

Yaw reports growing interestamong young people in buyinggreenhouses because of the appealof growing organic food for theirfamilies.

Some even extend the bounty totheir communities. When theirgreenhouse is up and growing, Do-rian Winslow and her husband,Tom, plan to donate part of theircrop to their local food pantry.

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Extend the growing season with a greenhouse6 — Indiana Gazette Gardening Supplement, Monday, May 3, 2010

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By MAUREEN GILMER Scripps Howard News Service

You can tell when a real pro putsout a truly great garden book — it’sas valuable to beginners as it is toexperts. It appeals to the big-pic-ture thinkers as well as those whohave trouble seeing the forest forthe trees. When a book combinesfood plants and flowering oneswith grace and ease, it becomes auseful tool for all.

Author Pamela Crawford is,without question, the goddess ofcontainer gardening. When I pe-rused her new book, “Easy Con-tainer Combos: Vegetables & Flow-ers” (Color Garden Publishing,2010), it immediately hit a homerun. It’s a particularly great idea fora book, as these days so many peo-ple don’t have the time or space togrow food plants separately.

Within the 168 pages are some ofthe most luscious-looking con-tainer plantings I’ve ever seen,each one offering the bonus of aharvestable food crop. These aretruly elegant, with intricate potchoices that show off finely glazedAsian ceramics and painted Mexi-can talavera. There is also a wholechapter on $5 containers, so evensmall-budget gardeners like mewill find the ideas doable.

Each page features a full view ofCrawford’s artistic ideas in a realgarden setting, including subtlesuggestions as to where and howto use potted veggies to their bestadvantage. Opposite this eyecandy are valuable how-to photosfor first-time gardeners or novices.This level of detail leaves nothingto chance, ensuring that you willbe rewarded with beautiful andprolific compositions.

As a designer, I know how diffi-cult it is to figure out which plantsshare similar preferences. Whenmixing ornamentals with edibles,the combinations must be thatmuch more precise. Thankfully,Crawford has solved this age-oldproblem for us. She shows how togroup collard greens with petu-nias, Japanese eggplant with yel-low lantana, cucumbers withcoleus.

Her website, www.sideplanting.com, augments the book with freeonline how-to videos. These areparticularly useful for her iron bas-kets lined with fiber, which are themodern version of sphagnum-moss baskets. You’ll learn the artand craft of cutting holes in thefiber to plant the side of the con-tainer, doubling its contents. Fiberalso ensures perfect drainage, re-ducing the risk of over-watering al-

together. Some of the most fabu-lous planting designs in this bookare side-planted, and once you seeit done, you will fall in love with

this technique. Not all the ideas are combina-

tions. I was particularly amazed todiscover how well yellow crook-neck squash stands out in a bigcobalt-blue pot. Crawford has uti-lized various-shaped iron trellisesto maximize space with plants thatclimb or trail. Wrought-iron gridsor obelisks save space by garden-ing vertically. She also uses low-cost, prefab-wood trellises paintedin bright, bold colors for a trulyfestive look. These dynamicallydifferent colors and forms help usrethink what food plants are, andhow they can thrive on porches,patios or around the pool.

Toward the back of the book is awell-illustrated and truly usefulchapter on growing information.The plant profiles feature exact va-rieties of vegetables that are sizedfor container growth.

Making container gardening a cinch Indiana Gazette Gardening Supplement, Monday, May 3, 2010 — 7

Scripps Howard News PhotosYELLOW CROOKNECK squash look like flowers against this cobalt-blue pot.

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By NANCY O’DONNELLAlbany Times Union

QUESTION: What shrubs can I prune now? ANSWER: Shrubs that can be pruned now

are those that flower midsummer and later.Here’s the rule of thumb: If they bloom afterJuly 4, prune them now. If they bloom beforethe holiday, prune immediately after theyfinish blooming.

Why, you ask? Shrubs that bloom early typ-ically overwinter their flower buds so they areready to bloom come spring. If you prunethem now, you risk removing this year’sflower.

These shrubs include, but are not limitedto, forsythia, lilac, fothergilla, deutzia,Daphne, azalea, rhododendron, viburnums,mountain laurel and pieris.

Shrubs that bloom after July 4 benefit froma late-winter-early-spring “hair cut” becausetheir flower buds form on current-seasongrowth. By pruning the branches before they

break dormancy, you encourage the forma-tion of secondary branching, which results inloads of more places for flower buds to form.These shrubs include, but are not limited to,rose of Sharon, snowberry, pee gee hy-drangea, tardiva hydrangea, clethra, butter-fly bush, rose (tea, shrub and floribunda) andprivet.

Needled evergreens and select broad-leaved evergreens such as holly, inkberry,boxwood, euonymus and bayberry also canbe pruned now. Their rule of thumb: Don’t doit after July 4. New growth promoted by prun-ing may not have time to harden completelybefore winter.

An exception to the rule: To resize or reju-venate a shrub before the break of dormancy,prune now, regardless of the flower se-quence.

In this case, the primary goal is to create ahealthier plant. Go forth, reshape and rejuve-nate. Don’t fret over the loss of flower buds,and next year you will be rewarded hand-somely.

When is the best time for pruning?

IF YOU PRUNE lilacs too early in spring, you risk removing that year’s flower.

Many a gardener has stood be-fore a favorite rose shrub withpruners in hand, hesitant to makethe first cut. Thorns aside, it can bedownright intimidating to cozy upto a shrub rose to try to direct itsfuture growth and flowering.

Fortunately these plants don’tneed a lot of pruning and are veryforgiving. Their fast growth willsoon cover any pruning cuts, andtheir informal shape doesn’t ne-cessitate taming. With some basictools and guidelines, you can tidyup the plant and encourage abun-dant flowering.

The main reasons to prune arose are to remove dead and dam-aged canes, increase blooming,and decrease disease and pestproblems. The best time to pruneis early spring just before newgrowth begins, but remove spentflowers and dead canes wheneverthey occur. The goal is to keep thecenter of the shrub free of twiggy,weak growth that’s especially sus-ceptible to attack by insects anddisease.

COLLECT YOUR EQUIPMENT: Prun-ing thorny rose shrubs requiressturdy, thorn-proof gloves andsafety glasses to protect your eyes.Look for elbow-length gloves atgarden centers. You also need apair of sharp hand pruners forcanes up to one-half inch in diam-eter. Use long-handled loppers ora small pruning saw to cut largerstems and to reach into the centerof dense shrubs.

Inspect your rose plant. First,identify all dead and damagedcanes. Next, locate long thin canesand canes that grow from belowthe graft union, if the plant is graft-ed. Lastly, look for canes that rubagainst or crowd each other, espe-cially if they’re growing throughthe center of the bush.

DETERMINE WHERE TO CUT: Prunecanes back to buds that face theoutside of the shrub. Cut thespindly canes back by half theirlength or to 2 to 3 feet long. Cut orbreak off canes completely thatgrow from below the graft union.Remove diseased canes, and thosethat rub or crowd, back to healthy,outward-facing buds. If you seebrown tissue in the center of acane when you cut it, prune a littlefarther back until the tissue is clearand healthy.

In cold-climate areas, wait toprune until the buds just begin toswell in spring. Then it’s easy to tellthe difference between healthycanes and buds and those thatdidn’t make it through the winter.

MAKE THE RIGHT PRUNING CUT:Make your cut about one-quarter

inch above a healthy bud and at a45-degree angle. The bud and thehigh point of the cut should be onthe same side of the cane so thatwater will drain away from thebud. To prevent the spread of dis-ease, clean your pruning tools be-tween shrubs with a mix of onepart bleach and nine parts water.

FERTILIZE AFTER PRUNING: To en-courage flowering, use a rose fertil-izer as recommended on the label.

REMOVE SPENT FLOWERS: To en-courage repeat flowering, usehand pruners or scissors to re-move flowers as soon as they finishblooming. Cut each flower stemback to the next lower set of leaves.(No longer is it recommended tocut back to a 5-leaflet leaf becausethis removes too much foliage andcan slow reblooming.)

— Courtesy of Family Featuresand Fotolia


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Available in four models with either 22.5 or 25.0 gross horsepower engines, the GCSeries offers you everything you’d expect in a sub-compact tractor — and thensome. Like the roomiest operator platform and plenty of legroom for maximumcomfort and convenience. Even a left-side brake pedal for easier operation. Logicallyplaced controls and analog gauges to make any job easier. Plus a standard factory-installed joystick (optional on the GC2400) to put control of front-mounted imple-ments or a front end loader at your fingertips.

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THE MAINreasons toprune a rose areto remove deadand damagedcanes, increaseblooming, anddecrease disease andpest problems.

photo courtesy of Family Features

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Make your backyard for the birds10 — Indiana Gazette Gardening Supplement, Monday, May 3, 2010

Who doesn’t love spring? Flowersbloom, trees bud and bright song-birds return to the area. The re-newed resurgence of radiant lifemay make you want to get in onthe action. But if gardening’s notyour thing and you just don’t seeyourself as the type to go on a longoutdoor hike, you can still engagein spring’s revelry and bring beau-tiful birds to your own backyard.Convincing songbirds and fa-vorites like hummingbirds to visityour yard is as simple as providingthem with plentiful sources offood, water and nesting material.

The avian experts at SongbirdEssentials, a leading provider ofaccoutrements and food for out-door birds of all species, offer a fewtips for attracting some popular,picturesque feathered friends toyour neighborhood.

Birds need to eat a lot to survive

every day. While natural foodsources are plentiful in warmermonths, they’re just as happy todine at your backyard buffet. Youcan attract delightful birds like yel-low goldfinches, orioles and hum-mingbirds with the right mix offood and feeder types.

Start out by overlooking a fewdandelions when you’re weedingyour yard. Goldfinches love dan-delion seed. They also like compa-ny when they eat and will dine inlarge groups. Look for feeders thatallow 24 or more birds to perchand dine at the same time.

Orioles, with their glossy blackcoats trimmed in bright orange oryellow, will fill your backyard withdistinctive whistles and songs.They migrate at night and arrive inyour neighborhood tired, cold andhungry, so if you wait until you ac-tually see them to put out food,

you might miss them altogether.Set out oranges, sliced in half withthe juicy side out, before you seethe first oriole of the season.

Hummingbirds, while not greatsingers, are among the most in-triguing and adorable birds to

watch. Nearly every region of theU.S. has at least one native speciesof these tiny, speedy little birds.There are several ways you cantempt them into your yard.

■ Provide plenty of nectar feed-ers — the more the merrier. Dr.

J.B.’s Hummingbird Feeder is agood choice. It is dishwasher safeand easy to clean, has an extrawide mouth for easy filling and isbee resistant.

■ Be sure hummers see red.Plant red open-throated plants.Or, if planting is not possible, tie abig red bow in your yard near yourfeeder.

■ Let the water flow. Humming-birds prefer moving water sourceslike sprinklers, fountains, water-falls, misters or drippers. Attracthummingbirds by keeping watersources fresh and clean and posi-tioning them near food sources.

■ Provide natural nesting mate-rial. Hummingbirds won’t nest inbirdhouses or nesting boxes; theybuild their cup-shaped nests intrees. Encourage nesting by pro-viding materials to build themwith.

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It’s a myth that continues to per-sist: Feeding birds in spring andsummer will spoil them. But birdsare like babies — it’s impossible tospoil them. Contrary to the myth,well-fed birds won’t get too lazy tosearch for food; they’ll just gethealthy and happy. And the betterthe food is you feed them, themore likely they’ll continue tocome back bringing their colorfulplumage and welcome song toyour backyard.

Myths aside, wooing beautifulbackyard birds to your outdoor en-vironment can be as simple as of-fering them a reliable, high-qualityfood source. Birds, like most wildanimals, are survivalists and they’lltake advantage of any food sourcethey find — whether it’s in youryard or your neighbor’s. To enticethem to your yard and garden, setout these preferred foods recom-mended by the bird-feeding ex-perts:

■ Suet — Made from the fat ofcattle, sheep, or even vegetables,suet may sound icky to us, but forbirds it’s a gourmet delight thathelps them stay healthy and buildvital fat reserves. Served in a cageor log, suet has the consistency ofsoft wax and can be kept for a longtime. Chickadees, titmice, cat-birds, bluebirds, robins, jays, war-blers, thrashers, nuthatches andall species of woodpeckers relishsuet and will feed on it all yearround, even in warm months.

If your suet gets too soft in thewarm summer months, switch to ano-melt, cornmeal-based suet.Suets offer a variety of enhance-ments including seeds, pecansand peanut butter. To keep squir-rels from stealing your suet, tryCole’s Hot Meats suet cakes thatcontain chili-infused sunflowermeats. Birds can’t taste the hotspice and squirrels will high-tail itout of your feeder once they try it.

■ Seed — Not all birdseed is cre-ated equal. Look for blends with-out cheap filler seeds that are allnatural. That way, the birds getmore nutrition and you keep acleaner feeder; the less filler, theless leftovers birds will kick outand leave behind. All-natural feedsare more appealing to birds, whoknow that natural just tastes bet-ter. It’s important to rememberthat all birdseed is perishable. Besure and store any open product ina cool, dry place away from directsunlight to prevent the seed fromdrying out and little critters fromfinding it. Cole’s seed is offered innitrogen-purged barrier packag-ing to ensure seed freshness. Theyuse the same packaging technolo-

gy employed by potato chip mak-ers and fresh vegetable farmers tokeep their products fresher longer.

If unwelcome squirrels raid yourbird feeder, opt for a seed blendlike Cole’s Blazing Hot Blend, newthis spring. By combining apatented habanero chili oil formu-la with the most preferred seeds ofbackyard birds you can protectyour feeder from squirrels whileattracting woodpeckers, gros-beaks, buntings, cardinals, chick-adees, bluebirds, goldfinches andmore. Squirrels don’t like the hot,spicy flavor, but birds won’t be ableto detect it.

■ Insects and worms — Ahealthy, lush lawn is one of thebest ways to feed birds who preferinsects and worms. A good lawnwill attract the species of insectsthat birds enjoy. You can also sup-plement their diet by serving Dried

Mealworms in a packaged varietythat’s easier to feed and less messythan live mealworms, and birdslove them. These energy-packed

morsels are Mother Nature’s per-fect treat for all your insect-lovingsongbirds.

■ Garden favorites — Feeding

birds doesn’t just have to happenat the feeder. Thoughtful plantingin your garden can help enticewild birds to forage there. Offer abirdbath for water and berry-pro-ducing trees and shrubs. Plant an-nuals and perennials that birdslike, such as sunflowers,marigolds, petunias, SweetWilliam, nasturtium and blueber-ries. Climbing vines like morningglories, coral honeysuckle, musca-dine and trumpet creeper are alsofavorites.

By serving wild birds their fa-vorite foods throughout the sum-mer, you can boost and build theirstamina and reserves for the longwinter ahead — and all the whileyou’ll enjoy a bird’s-eye view of amultitude of species bringingbright color and cheerful song toyou throughout the warm months.

— Courtesy of ARAcontent


Bird feeding basics

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Expert tips for creating a beautiful landscapeAs the weather continues to

warm, you may be dreaming ofcreating a beautiful garden settingaround your home. Landscapingsuccess doesn’t have to be hit ormiss, and if it has been for you, itmay be time to call in a profession-al landscape designer.

Why? Because in the long run,hiring a landscape designer cancost less than doing it yourself.You’ll get a “doable” design createdright the first time, saving you thecost of repeated tries at getting itright or planting the wrong plantsin the wrong spots. A professionallandscape designer envisions cre-ative solutions to the most difficultoutdoor challenges — problemsthey’ve more than likely solved be-fore.

Plus, a high-quality landscapeincreases home sale prices up to10.8 percent, compared to a home

with a simply average landscape,according to the Journal of Envi-ronmental Horticulture.

Here are some tips from profes-sional landscape designers to cre-ate your dream garden.

First, consider your space andany “issues” that it has. Hiding anunsightly air conditioning unit,adding privacy and changing bor-ing views to beautiful ones are is-sues that landscape designers facewith many clients.

“As a certified landscape design-er through the Association of Pro-fessional Landscape Designers, Isee the big picture,” says Boston-based landscape designer Mariavon Brincken.

“A designer sees the problemsthat you see, and often the onesyou don’t, and can offer solutionsto create beautiful, functional and

Continued on Page 13photo courtesy of ARAContent

IN THE LONG run, hiring a landscape designer can sometimes cost less than doing it yourself.

earth-friendly landscapes to addto your lives.”

Next, do your homework. Tearout favorite pictures from garden-ing magazines, and start making afile on what you would like foryour dream garden. While noteverything might be possible foryour garden, it will give your land-scape designer a visual startingpoint. Don’t forget about hard-scape such as patios, decks andfencing; designers can help withthese also.

Take your time. Brincken warnsof the temptation to impulsivelybuy plants at a garden center andattempt a garden makeover. Thiscan be a costly gamble for thosewithout experience.

Many homeowners find that ittakes the help of a designer to cre-ate a well-planned landscape proj-ect that includes both plants andhardscape.

While there is a cost to hiring alandscape designer, it is ultimatelymore economical to work with anexpert to create a plan specific toyour yard.

The project is completed in atimely manner and within budgetwhen you take your time and cre-ate a landscape plan.

Expect to spend about 10 per-cent of the total cost of the projecton the design.

Consider what you want toachieve with your landscape.“People are busy, and they want tohave an outdoor space that makesthem feel comfortable, not frus-trated and worn out from garden-ing chores,” says Judy Nauseef, ofIowa City, Iowa, president of theAssociation of Professional Land-scape Designers (www.apld.org).

“They also want to maximizetheir investment in their home,”she adds. “Having a well-designedlandscape gives the homeownermore living space and also helpswith resale value.”

Research and reach out to a fewlandscape designers. Be sure to in-terview several designers to findone who meets your needs andpersonality. Review the portfolioor website of each designer, andvisit some of their work if possible.Finally, if you have a budget inmind, share this with the designerup front.

Get ready to get dirty. “You canhire a landscape designer for arange of services. You mightchoose to hire a designer for atwo-hour consultation for ideasand suggestions that you mightimplement yourself,” says PatriciaSt. John, of Berkeley, Calif., APLD’s

incoming president. “You couldalso hire a designer to give you acomplete design for your garden.When it comes to implementingthe design you have choices — in-volve the designer while you hire arecommended landscape contrac-tor or even do some of the workyourself.”

Also, you do not have to com-plete the whole plan at once. Alandscape can be installed over aperiod of time as well.

Homeowners can decide whatareas are most important and startthere.

Take the first step to a dreamgarden. With the help of a profes-sional landscape designer, you cancreate a plan that will work foryour landscape and you. Finding adesigner is easy: visit www.apld.org.



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Expert tips for creating a beautiful landscapeContinued from Page 12

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When you have your outdoorgarden established, it’s easy tobring the warm, vibrant feelings ofspring into the home with colors,textures and patterns by designingwith a garden style.

From the saturated colors offresh fruits and flowers to the neu-tral hues of pavers and fountains,the promise of new spring gardenscan provide an endless source ofdecorating inspiration.

In fact, styling a home is muchlike planting a garden: Beginwith a base color, then add popsof lively hues to complement thespace.

Reminiscent of violets in the gar-den, try purple vases on the fire-place mantel. Finally, add accentssuch as a green rug, as if there werefreshly cut blades of grass under-foot.

Several botanical shades inbright hues look especially freshwhen paired with light, naturalwood tones.

Using fabrics with botanical mo-tifs is another way to reflect thecheery mood of spring renewal.Furniture upholstery, pillows andcurtains can interweave organicelements into the home.

Experimenting with muted, nat-ural colors is another twist on gar-den-style decorating.

Accent a room with an under-stated coral, yellow or green to givea home the feeling it has beenwell-loved for generations.

Relaxed neutrals are often at thecenter of nature’s palettes. Mixingin weathered browns or deserttans can add comfort and providea serene backdrop for favorite fleamarket finds or energized colors.

“To really bring a room to life,bring things that are living andgrowing into it, whether it be abeautiful orchid plant, magnolialeaves or a giant bowl of GrannySmith apples,” says noted designerLarry Laslo, president of LL De-signs.

Wonder whether a splash ofspicy tomato red can add charac-ter to a living room or if weath-ered-stone grays can refine thewalls of a master suite? Test colorswithout ever picking up a paintbrush.

The paint’s durability and ease ofcleaning will keep a room lookingas beautiful as the day it waspainted.

To view the complete Sherwin-Williams Today’s Colors collection,or to experiment with the new Up-load Your Own photo feature onthe color visualizer, visit sherwin-williams.com.


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