Ron Wilson "in the Garden'

It's issue #2, and already Easter Week! And, on top of that, spring begins this week! What in the world is going on? Where did the winter go and why is Easter here? I'm sure you're already aware that this is only a day away from being the earliest date that Easter can fall on (March 22 thru April 25), and the next time we'll see this happen will be in 2160. I'll mention how long it's been when I'm writing issue #2 in 2160.

Spring begins tomorrow, and to be honest, I'm ready to get growing. I do like the winter, and I do like the cold weather, but for some reason, I'm really itching to get started back in the garden. How about you?

[How do you know if you're eating rabbit stew? -It'll have hares in it.]

Whether It's The Weather

weather

It's been raining, it's still raining, and looks like it'll keep raining for a while! Yes, the ground is totally saturated, so not much work will be going on in the lawns and gardens for a few days. Again, be sure to stay off soggy wet soils as you will create a mess and compact the soil, and that's the last thing your soil needs. If you're itching to garden, get those container gardens ready to go for planting now and later in the season. It's also a great time to visit the garden stores to see what's new and what's happening for spring 2008.

This is one time where you will definitely see the low areas or poorly drained areas in the lawn. Over time, low areas will just get worse, as between gravity and standing water, the soil becomes more compact, and that means nothing grows there except weeds. Mark those low areas and when the soil dries, work to fill, level and regrade to keep the surface water moving. By the way, those low spots in the lawn also become the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

[How can you tell which rabbits are the oldest in a group? -Just look for the gray hares.]

What's Bugging You?

bug

Nothing bugging yet, but it won't be too long. Again, let's all make a promise for 2008 and beyond that when a bug problem arises, we identify the bug, determine amount of damages possible and whether action is actually needed, and then what are the options for control or suppression. All the while, keeping the good bugs in mind, including those precious bees.

Now is the time for dormant sprays if needed, as well as soil drenching with Bonide or Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control, for controlling problems with scale, leaf miners, adelgids, bores, and more. Yes, that includes treating Ash trees for the Emerald Ash borer, and pines and other evergreens for White Pine Weevil. It's too wet right now, but timing is soon. As always, read the labels and follow the directions.

Check your houseplants for bug problems. Just looked at a ficus tree this morning with scale and mites! Don't forget that your indoor plants would love a few minutes in the shower. Luke warm water - they love a good rinsing. Gets rid of the dust, knocks off bugs, and the plants love the humidity and the shower itself.

[Why can't a rabbit's nose be twelve inches long? -Because then it would be a foot.]

Question Mark & The Mysterians

mystery

"I keep seeing ads for the 'Canada Green Grass' and all the great benefits. Is this really good stuff for our lawns?" -I don't think so. It's a mix of almost 50% creeping red fescue, 26% annual rye, and about 24% Kentucky bluegrass. Not exactly a great mix. It's not sold in local garden stores. That should be a real indicator to how good it isn't.

"I keep seeing ads for the 'Zoysia' grass and how good it is. Do you recommend this type of grass for our area?" -Well, I will say that zoysia grass is all that its put up to be, but that's only about 4 months out of the year. It's brown the rest of the season - not exactly the type of turf I'm looking for! Oh yeah, did I mention it creeps? Yep, right into the neighbor's yard. So do make sure they would like to have it as well, because eventually, they will! :)

"I heard you talking about a new type of arborvitae that gets larger, and fairly quickly. What was it again?" -It's called 'Green Giant' or 'Spring Grove', and what's so nice about this evergreen, it's fairly fast for an evergreen, so you get something (especially if you're using it for a screen) within a reasonable amount of time. It is an arborvitae, usually single leader, and gets 10-15 feet wide, and 30 feet plus tall. It's also showing low deer browse, compared to other arborvitae selections. I'm liking this one for a larger / quicker growing evergreen.

"What type of eco-friendly bug sprays do you recommend to control those caterpillars in my garden?" -Remember what we promised this year. Let's identify what it is, how much damage it may incur, and whether it needs to be controlled. But as a general rule, many of those caterpillars can be controlled by hand picking, or by spraying Bt. But make sure we identify the bug first, before you spray. Thanks!

[What kind of bling bling do rabbits wear? -14 carrot gold.]

Success Tip of the Week

tip

You may think I'm crazy saying this, but its time to get your hummingbird feeders cleaned and ready to go. The hummingbirds are on their way!

That's right - the ruby throated hummingbirds are already working their way north, and right now, have entered northern Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas, and should be arriving in our area in about 2-3 weeks, weather pending. As a matter of fact, you can track their migration north, by going to a special web site - www.hummingbirds.net/map, or find the link at www.wildbirdcenter.com/mas . It shows you exactly where they are and how soon they'll be here!

Now if you don't have a hummingbird feeder, there are definitely many for you to choose from. As a matter of fact, there are so many styles from your basic hummer feeders, to multiple feeding stations to fancy glass globe feeders, it's hard to choose. But they all work - and the common factors between all of them is that they hold liquid hummingbird food, and the feeding stations are usually red, or a bright color, which attracts hummers.

As for the hummingbird food, you'll find several available, from instant nectar mixed with water, to ready to use nectar. You can also make your own, using 4 parts water to one part table sugar (thanks Patrick McCollum, Wild Bird Center). And do not use red food coloring to color it red! Research has shown hummingbirds cannot properly digest food coloring - and the red coloring isn't necessarily needed. If you find red colored nectar, make sure its colored using fruit and vegetable coloring.

So whether you watch the migration map or just want to be ready for those early hummingbird scouts, get those hummingbird feeders filled and hung up within the next 2-3 weeks. (Again, thank you Patrick McCollum for all your great birding information!)

[Here's one from Patrick MCCollum - What do you call a rabbit with fleas? -Bugs Bunny.]

From the Garden to the Kitchen

Rita

Yardboy, it's GREAT to be back after such a long winter. But you know what? I really did enjoy this winter, having to stay home because of snow days and just tending to the wood stove, making sure my girls and Yardboy/your namesake (my chickens and the rooster) were warm, as well, and fed.

The interesting thing about Mother Nature is even during the coldest freeze, the salad burnet and thyme in the garden were still greening up. I did pick some of each but the flavor was too faint to use in foods. That's because herbs need lots of warm sun to develop their oils.

My rosemary is still doing well in the basement sitting on a cabinet facing south. She is spurting new growth so I know spring is not far behind. My tropical hibiscus, which is wintering over in the same spot, stayed a beautiful green. Ditto for my cardamom plant.

The herbs in our unheated, attached garage fared pretty well, too. I know my rose geraniums are going to be OK even though their growth is spindly, and the lemon verbena has lost all of its leaves, which is typical, yet the woody branches are green inside.

Right now I'm taking inventory of the herbs and spices in my pantry - remember, a healthy pantry makes for happy families. All of our readers should do the sniff test with the herbs and spices now that they've been in a warm environment for quite a few months. The herb or spice should have a tantalizing aroma when you open the container; if it doesn't toss it out.

This is a good time, too, to do a visual check of the herb garden. If you kept a journal like I do, you'll know what changes have to be made, if any. For example, I forgot to pull up the Hopi red dye amaranth before it started to seed, so I know I will have hundreds of babies this spring, since that seed winters over. I'll be doing a lot of hand plucking of the tiny scarlet shoots.

My lavender plants did OK. I won't be pruning those until I see lots of good, lush growth. Lavender is one of those herbs that looks pretty "old" until it has enough warm, sunny days to maximize out.

Again, it's fun to be back in the garden!

-Rita Nader Heikenfeld, CCP / Macy's Regional Culinary Professional / Herbalist / Local TV and Radio Cooking Expert / Adjunct Professor UC Clermont College / Community Press Papers / Part time Witchdoctor / Maker of Strange Potions / www.abouteating.com

[How are rabbits like calculators? -They both multiply quickly.]