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It's Natorp's Early Bird Sale, this Saturday, May 6th!  Shop either Natorp's Garden Store between 6 and 9:00am this Saturday morning (yes, we'll be open, you silly bird!), and you'll get 20% OFF your total purchases!  20% OFF, just for shopping between 6:00am and 9:00am this Saturday morning!  (Does not include gift cards or fees for delivery, planting, landscape consultation, coaching or landscape design kits.)  Ron Wilson will be broadcasting "In the Garden" LIVE from the Florence Store on 55KRC from 6-9am, as well as from 10-12pm on 610WTVN.  Stop by and meet Ron and the 55KRC remote crew of Sherry Rowland and Glenn Eberhart, as well as possible guest appearances from 55's own 'Father' Jerry Denuzio, and The Big Dog himself, Tony Bender! 

Then when you're finished working in the yard Saturday, it's the 132nd annual running of the Kentucky Derby!  A mint julep, "My Old Kentucky Home" and a tip of the hat to the horses.  "The sun shines bright in the Old Kentucky Home."  By the way, the flower plantings around Churchill Downs feature many of the 'Proven Winners'!

[The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.  Right, Mr. Lee?]

*Whether it's the weather - Cooler night temperatures have us listening for the dreaded 'frost report', but keep listening so you can protect those newly planted tender annuals.  May 15th is our frost free date, which actually means your chances of getting frost after that date are 50% or less.  Don't let pass through showers fool you on watering your plants, especially newly planted plants.  Check the soil moisture on a regular basis, as well as monitoring your rain gauges.  And keep your eyes and ears open for those late frost warnings, just in case!

[2000 pounds of Chinese soup:  Won ton]

*What's bugging you? - I continue to see mugho pines (from the road) being devoured by sawflies.  If I can see them from the road, you show see them from your sidewalk!  Take a look mugho pine owners!  I've been watching my carpenter bees drill the most perfect hole into a 2x4 (on our deck), to create their nest.  Actually it's the female who does most of the work, while the male buzzes around protecting the new abode.  Big, scary, and not afraid to buzz you right in the face, funny thing is about these males is this.  They have no stinger!  So don't hurt their feelings.  If they buzz you, act like you're afraid, when in actuality, you know one good swat with the tennis racket and he's history.  This week, Buggy Joe Boggs (OSU Extension and creator of Buggy Joe Java's "Mothra Grande") is reporting gypsy moths have hatched around the state, forest tent caterpillars are on the move and have become a major annoyance, billbugs and chinch bugs are active, lacebugs have gotten started, leafmining sawfly adults are laying eggs now, and that as ant populations grow, you may see colonies fighting for territory!  It's a true "Battle Royal", as they lock jaws, pull off legs and antennae, and sting each other.  If you can find the lilliputian female gladiators fighting, they're the best ones to watch; it's a no holds barred.  Now the large ant mounds you're seeing may be those of the Allegheny Mound Ants, which can reach 30 inches high, or the typical Black Filed Ant, whose mounds are lower and more of a loose soil mound.  The Allegheny ants are actually capable of killing smaller vegetation that is shading their mound!  Joe is also reporting honeylocust plant bug nymphs are out, the six spotted green tiger beetle is out, leaf blight and stem canker has shown up on some pachysandra, and purple male cones are showing on spruce.  Uh, okay.
-Catch the Buggy Joe Boggs report Saturdays at 8:42am on 55KRC radio.

[Weight an evangelist carries with God: 1 billigram]

*Question mark and the Mysterians - Here are a few gardening questions from this weeks emailed news bag:

"Is it too late to core aerate?  My husband says it is."  -Don't tell you husband that I said this, but NO, it's not too late to core aerate!  Do it now, and do it again in the fall if you want!  I don't want to start anything, but maybe he just doesn't want to do it!

"I applied a pre emergent and fertilizer about 3 weeks ago.  There are a lot of weeds popping up now, so can I weed and feed this weekend?"   -NO.  Too early for the weed and feed, and there's usually a 6-8 week wait between lawn applications.  Use a water soluble weed killer right now and spot treat the weeds that you see.  Bonide's Weed Beater Ultra works great even in cooler weather, actually does a nice job on wild onions in the lawn, and you could reseed in 2 weeks if needed!  Spot treat as needed now, and you may not even need the weed and feed later; maybe only the feed.  For those of you who missed the pre emergent earlier, don't forget Greenviews Fairway Formula Spring application with a pre and post emergent, as well as a 12 week feeding.  Apply this anytime in another week or so through the end of May.

"I have some summer and late summer blooming perennials that seem to just flop over when they bloom.  Anything I can do to help them or prevent them from flopping?"  -You can use grow supports or peony rings now to help support them later, or many can be cut back 1/3 or more in early June.  This delays flowering by a week or so, but keeps the plants shorter, stockier, sometimes more flowery, and less floppy.

"What is the best advice you have to get rid of thistle in my beds?"  -Be persistent.  Spraying with Roundup will eventually kill them, but do remember they have an extensive root system.  So every time you spray, you will kill the plant you see and some of the roots.  If it pops back up, kill it again with some more of the roots.  Persistence, and eventually you should get it under control.  Nuke 'em, nuke 'em, nuke 'em, and nuke 'em.  It may take all season.

"What's the best way to get rid of wild onions?"   -See above.  Do remember they're 99 cents at the store and free in your yard.  So unless they've been sprayed with non edible sprays, feel free to chomp away.  Roundup and persistence does work, as well as physically digging them out, making sure you take ALL roots, bulbs, and immediate surrounding soil.  In the lawn, try Bonide's Weed Beater Ultra.

"Help, I have worms!  Not me, but my containers have fuzzy caterpillars crawling on them.  Spray Sevin?"  -Probably eastern tent or forest caterpillars on the move, and shouldn't bother the plants in the containers.  If they do, then pick them off, hose them off, knock them off and stomp on them!  If you need to spray the existing ones, soaps, oils, Eight, or Sevin will work.  But you probably won't need to.

"What are the orange jelly-like balls on those wild cedars?"   -Those 'cedars' are actually the host plant for cedar-apple rust, and that's part of the rust life cycle living on the juniper (or cedars).  The other part of their life is spent on your apples, crabapples, hawthorns, etc.

"Why am I seeing ants on my peony buds?  I don't see any aphids."   -The existing ants that naturally live in the garden are enjoying the sweet nectar like stuff the buds secrete.  That's all.  No aphids, no help in pollinating, doesn't help them bloom, just a bunch of ants enjoying the sweets of the garden!

[Basic unit of laryngitis: 1 hoarsepower]

This week's Success Tip for you garden - Growing herbs can be a real pleasure for all your senses / beauty, fragrances, great tastes, wonderful foliage, and more.  And they’re very disease and insect tolerant.  Herbs grow great in the garden, in the landscape, in the house, and best of all, in containers!  Growing herbs in containers is easy, fun, makes them more accessible, and believe it or not, they simply make a wonderful looking container planting!  Here’s what you’ll need for your container herb garden:  -Chose the right pot / window boxes, plastic pots, bushel baskets, any container with good drainage will work for herbs.  -Use soil-less potting soil and nothing less. -Add a little Osmocote for a slow release all season light feeding for your herbs - they don’t require much in nutrients. -And, of course, Soil Moist to help cut your watering in half. -Find a spot with at least ½ day of sun or more for your herbs.

   Now you’re ready to plant herbs in containers, but which will you plant?  Well think about the foods you like to cook, or which herbs you use the most.  If you’re still not sure, try these combinations:    -For Italian cooking, grow basil, sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary, chives, and parsley  -For Seafood try growing parsley, dill, basil, lemon thyme, tarragon, chives, and savory  -Or for Mexican, try cilantro, basil, garlic chives, oregano, and even a pepper plant!  -Or just try growing groups of your favorite herbs like mints, or sage, or basil, or thyme.  Or how about theme plantings?  A crock of thyme would be a Jim Croce planter (thyme in a bottle - okay, crock).  Or how about a Simon and Garfunkel planting?   You know it - Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme.   Once you get started growing herbs in containers, you’ll be hooked forever! 

[It is easier to get older, than it is to get wiser.]

*From the Garden to the Kitchen / Hey Rita, what's cooking? - Yardboy my lovage, a perennial herbal celery substitute, already needs pruning!  So tonight I’m going to put a few sprigs under my roast beef for added flavor.  Did you know that in the middle ages, lovage was combined with yarrow and sugar, then steeped in brandy to make a love potion? That’s why, since the leaves look like oversized parsley, lovage was known as “love parsley”!  Of course, the lovage is optional in our beef recipe, but not of you were making the potion! 

PERFECT ROAST BEEF (FOR SIRLOIN TIP, ETC.)  Good for sirloin tip or similar roast, not chuck, which needs to be roasted differently. An unconventional way of roasting, but Cook's Illustrated recommends it. Cranking up the oven to 500 develops moist, flavorful meat. Here’s my take on the original recipe:  Season with salt and pepper.  Brown well in oil in an oven proof pan. Put in preheated 250 degree oven. Roast until temperature reaches 110 degrees: this will take 45-60 minutes for a 3-4 pound roast. With the roast still in the oven, increase heat to 500 and cook until internal temperature reaches 120 for rare, 125 for medium rare or 130 degrees for medium. This will take up to 20 minutes. Let rest in pan, covered with foil, about 15 minutes. Serve with pan juices.

Tips from Rita’s kitchen:
            Put several slivers of garlic in the meat
            Add a little dry red wine or beef broth.
            Love that lovage! It looks just like a thin stalk of celery and is a great salt substitute and
               helps soothe a sore throat.

-Rita Nader Heikenfeld, CCP / Macy’s Regional Culinary Professional / Herbalist / Author / Local TV and Radio Cooking Expert / Adjunct Professor U.C. Clermont College / Community Press Papers /  [life@communitypress.com attn: Rita or www.abouteating.com]

Macy's Kenwood Housewares Grand Reopening May 12 and 13:

Join Cincinnati Magazine's "Best of" celebrity chefs starting Friday at 11:00 and ending 6:00 on Saturday! Wine tastings with Henke Winery!  Plus the Yardboy and the Cook will share tips on growing container herbs, including recipes and tastings Friday, May 12 at 5:00. Register to win fabulous prizes, including a $1000  Macy's shopping spree! Call 247-6390/6391 for times for all cooking demonstrations and giveaways.

Join Ron and Rita in the "Ask the Experts Booth", as they answer your container gardening / herb questions at the Civic Garden Center, Reading Road, Saturday, May 6th, from 1:30-3:00pm (during their "Plant, Herb and Hosta Sale").

[Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the same clothes you were buried in?]

*Yardboy's plant to ponder - This week, I have gotten my first look at the new "Brite Eyes" climbing rose!  And, I like what I see.  This is the new, very hardy, disease resistant, compact climbing rose, which was developed William Radler of "Knockout Rose" fame!  Single blooms that are salmon pink with yellow centers, with several cycles of repeat bloom all summer and into the fall.  In ground and on a fence or trellis, or in a container, this looks like a real winner in the climbing rose department.  By the way, I saw them at our garden store!

[Why are Trix only for kids?]

A little bit of this and a little bit of that - The garden stores are having their "early bird" sale this Saturday from 6-9am, and after walking though today, they are fully stocked, and ready to go!  Selection is great, plants look great, plenty on hand - so make your plans to shop Saturday between 6 and 9:00am and get your 20% discount.  What a deal for shopping early! 

The winner of the $10,000 Natorp's Landscape Makeover contest will be announced tomorrow morning, live, on Local 12 morning news around 7:40am.  Be sure to tune in and see who wins!  The 4 finalists are posted on our web site, and WKRC.com as well.  You can follow the progress of the actual makeover on those web sites, as well as watching Homeworx on Sundays (11:30am Local 12), and our Local 12 gardening segments.  Makeover will begin June 19.  Thanks again to the hundreds of entrees, and congrats to our 4 finalists!  (and the winner, whoever that will be!)

Classes, Seminars, and upcoming Special Events - Enjoy Mother Nature and Granny at "Granny's Spring Garden Party" from 1-5pm, Saturday May 6th, at Granny's Garden School, 550 Loveland Madeira Road, Loveland.  Crafts, a plant sale, cake baking contest, face painting, bake sale and much more family fun!  Visit www.grannysgardenschool.com for more info.

"Butterflies Down Under" begins Saturday, May 6th, at the Krohn Conservatory.  See butterflies from all over the world, as well as flowers unique to Australia.  For more info, call 352-3380, or visit  www.butterflyshow.com.

Boone County Extension Classes:
"Awesome Annual Flowers" - May 9 - 9-11am FREE
"Pruning Landscape Trees & Shrubs" - May 11-1-3pm  FREE
"Planting for the birds & Bird I.D.." - May 23 - 1-3pm –FREE
All classes are free, but  please register ahead - Boone Co. Extension Office - 859-586-6101.

 [My wife still says I never listen to her.  At least I think that's what she said.]

That's it for this week.  Remember Natorp's Early Bird Sale this Saturday from 6-9am, 20% off your purchases (see opening for details).  And I'll be at the  Florence store broadcasting the garden shows!  So get out early this Saturday, save some money at Natorp's, which will automatically start you off to having the absolute best weekend of your life.  See ya.  RW, the Yardboy.

[Catch Natorp’s own grown yardboy Ron Wilson every Saturday, 6-9am, ‘In the Garden’ on 55KRC Thee Talk Station (home of the Big Dog Tony Bender and Joe "without Joe this show just wouldn't go" Strecker) , every Friday morning 8:06am on ‘The Morning Show’ with Jerry Thomas and Craig Kopp (55KRC), every Thursday and Saturday morning on Local 12 –WKRC Homeworx Team, and occasional appearances on 'Homeworx' (Sundays at 11:30am Local 12).