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["I never before knew the full value of trees.  Under them I breakfast, dine, write, read, and receive my company." -Thomas Jefferson]

*Whether it's the weather - Once again, Mother Nature shows us who is actually in charge here.  Frosty mornings remind us about being cautious planting cold tender annuals.  It also reminds us that if your new grass seed hasn't germinated yet, or your bluegrass lawn is slow to green and fill in, it may seem warm, but has been cool enough to keep some things on a slow pace.  By the way, as we go through the spring and frosts do move in, two landscape plants that can take a hard hit from frost and be slow to recover are Japanese maples, and hostas - and of course those tender annuals!

[Borrow money from a pessimist.  They don't expect it back.]

*What's bugging you? - Keep picking off those left over bag worms, and keep your eyes peeled for pine sawflies in the mugho, scotch and Austrian pines, as well as eastern tent caterpillars in the cherries, plums, and crabapples.  Blow them out of the plants with a strong stream of water and stomp on them.  Smash them with a gloved hand.  Knock them into a bucket of soapy water.  But it is not necessary to use chemicals to control them.  If sprays are needed for you to control them, use Bt, soaps or oils for the tent caterpillars, and soaps and oils for the sawflies.  This week, Buggy Joe and I were at the Cincinnati Flower Show (along with Rita Heikenfeld) on the "Ask the Experts Panel".  Afterwards, Joe disappeared into the woods, only to find out later he was in search of Forest Tent Caterpillars.  And did he find some!  After listening to his message on my voice mail, I had a vision in my mind of Joe with his arms straight out from his sides, head tilted back, smile on his face, spinning in a circle under the Forest tent caterpillars, as they descended on him from their tiny silk strings hanging down from the tree branches.  This was not a pretty sight!   Anyway, this week, Buggy Joe Boggs (OSU Extension) is reporting, yes, you guessed it, Forest Tent Caterpillars!  Woo-hoo!  Caterpillars with short white hairs, white markings on the back, and cobalt blue lines beside the marks.  Masses in trees, many suspended from silk, some crawling on the ground.  Leaf eaters, will eat maples, oaks, and other larger tree's leaves.  Joe is also reporting tiny maggots raining down from oak trees, which are the larvae of a gall midge, ground nesting bees "nesting" already, active ash bark beetles, eastern tent caterpillars, pine sawflies, gypsy moths beginning to hatch, painted hickory bores flying about, clover mites are getting fired up, and in the lawns, chinch bugs, beetles and billbugs are now active.  Joe also wanted to point out garlic mustard is everywhere right now and needs to be controlled before it goes to seed!  -Catch the Buggy Joe Boggs Report every Saturday at 8:42am on 55KRC.

[All those who believe in psycho-kinesis, raise my hand.]

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

"Is it too late to apply a pre emergent to the landscape beds?"  No!  If some annual weeds have already started to grow, you'll need to hand pull or spray those with Roundup or Bonide's Kleenup, but pre emergent now will stop all the rest of the seeds from growing that have not already germinated.  By the way, at this stage, if you haven't done anything for the lawn, wait another couple weeks, and apply Greenviews Fairway Formula Spring Application.  Pre emergent, post emergent, and a slow release fertilizer to feed the lawn into the summer season!  Great product for the lawn! 

"I'm hearing commercials saying now is the time for weed n feed in the lawn.  Is that right?"  -NO!  It's too early.  Those need to be applied later in May.  If you want to spot treat with a water soluble weed killer right now in the lawn, go ahead.  Try Bonide's new Weed Beater Ultra.  Does a decent job on wild onions in the lawn!

"My rhubarb flowered last year.  Why is that happening?"  -Some varieties flower more than others (Victoria), as well as more mature clumps will begin to flower.  Cut it off as soon as you see them begin to appear.  Unless you're only growing it for looks, then you can let it flower.

"Someone told me that the thistle seed from my bird feeder is causing me to have thistle problems in the landscape beds.  Is that true?"   -Nope.  Those "thistle seeds" for birds are actually called Nyjer, and are not a thistle at all.  And, the seeds are imported into the country, and are sterilized before being shipped here.

"Is it too late to limb up a couple trees with low branches?"  Nope.  You can do that 365 days of the year.  Be sure to leave the branch collar to assure proper sealing over of the cut.  Do not use tree wound dressing!

"My hollies look yellow and washed out after the winter.  Should I be doing something for them?"  -This is a natural process for hollies, coming out of the winter, and some will do it more than others, including shedding of internal leaves.  Good time to feed them with Espoma's Hollytone!

"You say it's too early to plant tender annuals, but what about the Wave petunias you'll have on sale this weekend?"   -Good question!  Fortunately, Wave petunias have shown to be very cool hardy and one annual that can be planted a little earlier in the season.  Protect from a strong frost, but otherwise, they tolerate the cooler ups and downs of temperatures we experience this time of the year.  Tomato, peppers, and many other usual annuals are definitely a different story!

[Just curious - what is the speed of dark?]

This week's Success Tip for you garden - If it rained in your yard this week, or is raining right now, will you know exactly how much total rain fell in your yard?  Well, you should!  As a general rule of thumb, the plants in your yard would like about 1 inch of rain fall every 10 days to 2 weeks.  And if Mother Nature doesn’t come through, you need to!

   So, how will you know how much rain fall your yard had?  Get a rain gauge.  Rain gauges come in all shapes and sizes and designs, so which one you choose is up to you.  The important thing is to have that rain gauge positioned in your yard, so that it’s in an open and unobstructed area.  Try to position the gauge 15-20’ away from single story buildings, 30’ from 2 story, in an open area, away from trees and shrubs and anything else that may obstruct the rain fall.  Placing on a post, or on the top of a fence in the open works great.

   Read you gauge either after each rain fall, or at the end of each day, and chart for the week, month, and just for fun, see where your yearly total comes in.  Compare that to the local weather center to see how much your yard varied from the area’s overall totals.

   Remember, 1 inch of rain fall every 10 days or so.  If Mother Nature doesn’t come through, it’s up to you to fill the gaps.  And now you’ll know, after reading your rain gauge!

[Everyone has a photographic memory, some just don't have film.]

*From the Garden to the Kitchen / Hey Rita, what's cooking? - Yardboy, I’ve had so many questions about which flowers are safe to eat that I thought today would be a good day to talk about that, especially since many of our readers are putting their flower beds in.  Garnishing with edible flowers can turn ordinary food into a beautiful palate of color, adding flair and natural style. You get a bonus, too: edible flowers can add flavor and nutrition.  Using edible flowers to garnish a dish is “hot” now, yet the culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years.  The Romans used roses and violets to flavor and beautify their food.  I’ve eaten Oriental dishes with daylilies, and have enjoyed the scent and taste of rose petals in Indian and Middle Eastern fare.  Carnations, with their spicy flavor, are one of the “secret” ingredients in the famous French liqueur, Chartreuse. I still sprinkle calendula petals (pot marigold) into my rice dishes much as my Mom did when she wanted a saffron-like color but couldn’t afford this expensive flavoring. Use only edible flowers with food. Don’t use flowers that have been sprayed with chemicals. If you’re not sure if they’ve been sprayed, ask!  Homegrown flowers are best picked in the morning or late afternoon when their water content is high. Rinsing gently will clean them. To store, rinse in tepid water, drain, wrap in damp paper towels, and place in plastic bags in refrigerator. They’ll keep for several days.  Garnishing with edible flowers takes only a minute, and the results are spectacular.

• Pipe herbed cheese into endive leaves and garnish with tiny violas and borage flowers.
• Stir fuchsia, red bud, tulip and dianthus petals into a stick of softened butter. This makes a dazzling accompaniment to scones and tea. 
• Garnish sliced grilled meats, poultry or seafood with purple and red petunias, hollyhocks or variegated day lilies.
• Nasturtium blossoms, with their peppery flavor and vivid shades of yellow, red and orange, punch up potato and pasta salads. Stuff them with chive cream cheese for an elegant appetizer.
• Freeze whole small flowers, such as borage, violets and chamomile into ice rings or cubes (use distilled water for clarity) and add to champagne punches or other beverages.
• Sprinkle gladiola, cornflower, calendula and hibiscus petals onto mesclun salad greens.
• Crystallize flowers with beaten egg white and superfine sugar. Store in airtight tins at room temperature. Use to decorate cakes, pastries and cookies. 

More recipes, sources and list of edible flowers on my web site: www.abouteating.com .

-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]

"When the Garden Meets the Grill": Jungle Jims, May 8, 6:30-9:30pm and May 9, 11-2pm. The Yardboy and the Cook are back together again at Jungle's Cooking School - Ron Wilson and Rita Heikenfeld will share their secrets for growing herbs, vegetables, flowers and just about anything else in containers and in the ground. Ron, the Yardboy, will also fill you in on what's happening in the garden and share a few great gardening tips, while Rita, the cook, creates a complete summer grill menu using the herbs and produce you may grow in your garden! Call 674-6059 to register.  Hurry - seating is limited so call today!

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. 

[The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.]

*Yardboy's plant to ponder - It's Arbor Day weekend, and a great weekend to think trees.  Now there are many trees for you to chose from, and my point today is this.  When choosing a tree for your yard, consider factors like type of soil it will planted in, exposure to sun and wind, drainage, mature size of the tree, how fast it grows, disease and insect tolerance, hardiness for your zone, is it a tree planted regularly in your area, locally grown, root structure, as well as aesthetic factors like foliage colors and textures, flowers and fruit, and my favorite, fall colors.  Make sure its the right tree for the right spot.  If you're looking for a moderately fast growing shade tree, 40 feet plus, good red fall color, look at the 2004 Urban Tree of the Year, "Autumn Blaze" maple.  This hybrid maple is a cross between a red maple and silver maple, with all the good qualities from each parent.  The more we use this tree, the more we like it!

[I intend to live forever and so far, so good.]

A little bit of this and a little bit of that - The four finalists from the hundreds and hundreds of entries to our $10,000 Landscape Makeover  have been chosen, contacted, and we will highlight these finalist's front yards next week, one each morning, around 7:40am on Local 12 Morning News.  The winner will be announced on Friday morning.  For those who entered and were not chosen, thank you for entering!  It was a tough decision, with many great entries.  We will show the four finalists as well as the winner on our web sites!  Of course, stay tuned to Local 12 and Homeworx (on Sunday) through the summer to watch the actual makeover, which will happen in June.  Or visit any of our websites for more information.

Make sure you keep mowing the lawn on a regular basis, never removing more than 1/3 of the blades each time you mow.  Mow at a higher mowing height, change directions each time you mow, throw those clippings back onto the existing turf, and yes, have that mower blade sharpened on a regular basis!

Classes, Seminars, and upcoming Special Events -WAVE PETUNIA SALE!  This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Natorp's Garden stores are having a Wave Petunia Sale!  Wave Petunias - low maintenance, easy care, heat and drought tolerant, cool weather tolerant, perfect for window boxes, hanging baskets, groundcover, containers - they're the only petunia you'll ever need!  JUMBO 6 PACK (6x10.8floz/321ml) reg. $9.99, NOW $6.99!  Selection and colors will vary per store.  Offer 4/28 - 4/30/06. while supplies last.

- Join Natorp's own grown yardboy Ron Wilson as he broadcasts "In the Garden" LIVE next Saturday (May 6th) from 6-9am at the Natorp's Garden Store in Florence!  Yes, the store will be open for all you early bird gardeners!  Ron will also be broadcasting the 610 WTVN (Columbus) gardening show from the garden store between 10 -12pm.  So stop by the Florence store next Saturday, May 6th, and say hello! 

-2006 Jenny's Dream Celebrity Golf Classic (Supporting the Jennifer Leigh Kynkor Foundation - www.jennysdream.org) - Saturday, May 27 - Special Guest Anthony Munoz - Crooked Tree Golf Course, Mason, Ohio.  Play with a celebrity, or bring your own foursome.  Great time, great cause!  Visit their website or call 513-266-4404.

[What happens if you get scared to death, twice?]

That's it for this week. Take advantage of our Wave Petunia Sale this weekend, and mark your calendars to come see me next Saturday morning, 6-9am, as we broadcast "In the Garden" LIVE from our garden store in Florence, Ky.  Yes, the store will be open!  See you there.  Now, do yourself a favor.  Go out and have 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).