In the garden at garden Art & grocery on King - Onancock, Virginia

gardenART and grocery
44 King Street
Onancock, Virginia 23417

Phone
757-787-8818
Fax
757-787-9311

Email
info@gardenartandgrocery.com

Facebook.com/gardenartonking

Hours change Seasonally

Sept ~Oct

10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Wed - Sat

Occasional Sundays

12 - 4

In The Garden

The Garden is an ever evolving endeavor. Once established, there are monthly maintenance chores which will need to be tended to

for maximum yield and enjoyment. I have listed some garden tips as a guidelinebelow, of course, every garden is unique in it's needs.

I am a horticulturist and landscape designer with over

30 years of experience.

I am happy to help with a gardening question, diagnose a cultural,

insect or disease problem and

do my best to come up with a solution.

On site consultations are available by appointment for a fee.

Email or call for more information.

Photo above is Lulu & Joani Donohoe, owner, in the garden at gardenART on King St. photo taken by Stephen Walker for a Bethesda Magazine Article

on Onancock, Va.in June 2010.

September In Your Garden

LAWN CARE

The best time to seed new lawns in the Washington area is mid-August through mid- September, but only if you can water newly seeded areas daily until the grass germinates, and frequently after that until it is well established. See August's tips for seeding new lawns. Fertilize bluegrass, fescue and rye grass lawns between now and November. The number of applications depends on the product you choose. Ask our lawn care experts for advice on the product that's best for your lawn.

AROUND THE GARDEN

Pay attention to watering! Rains in late August and the possible effects of several late summer hurricanes have gardeners in the Washington area hoping that the drought pattern has been broken. But a week of rainy weather won't make up for several years of dry weather overnight. To the extent allowed by any watering restrictions you're under, continue to make sure your plants get at least an inch of water per week through the fall. See August in Your Garden for more watering tips.
Continue to fertilize annuals with 'Master Nursery All Purpose Water Soluble Fertilizer' or Neptunes Harvest Fish & Seaweed fertilizer up until the first frost for the best flowering. Don't give perennials any more fertilizer this year - new growth may not have time to harden off properly before winter.
The end of summer is a good time to examine your garden critically and plan for next year--while your triumphs and disappointments are still fresh in your mind. Take pictures, make notes. Which combinations worked? Which didn't work so well? Are there certain times of the year when color or interest was sparse (i.e., great display of daffodils in April, then nothing but ugly foliage until summer-blooming perennials came into flower?) Did some plants crowd others out or fight for the same space because you couldn't imagine they'd get as large as they did? Are you ready to rethink your garden with drought-tolerance as a main criterion? Fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials - for us as well as the plants. Planting in the fall gives plants a chance to concentrate on developing good root systems without the stress of summer heat. Give your new plants a good start by digging in 'Bumper Crop', 'Leaf Gro', compost or other soil amendments to improve the drainage and texture of your soil, and then watering in the plants with 'Master Nursery Plant Starter' or one of the 'Soil Moist' Transplant Formulas with beneficial Micorrizal fungi and water holding gels, Vitamin B1, kelp and humic acid that reduces transplant shock.
Toward the end of the month and into October, plant pansies and mums to replace tired annuals. Pansies love cool weather - they will bloom past the first frosts of the fall, and will usually survive Washington winters to come back in a blaze of glory in early spring, dying back as the heat of summer approaches. Pansies planted in the ground are more likely to survive winter than those kept in pots. Pansies need well drained soil and at least a half day of sun; violas will do well with less sun. (Keep in mind that areas shaded by trees in the summer may get plenty of sun in the fall and spring when trees are bare.)
Plant mums in pots or in the ground to add color to your fall garden. Mums need a spot where they will get at least half a day of direct sun, preferably more. Most people use them as annuals because it takes some work to get full bushy plants that look as good the second year as they did when you bought them. However, if you want to treat them as perennials, be sure to get our fact sheet on chrysanthemum care.
Plant spring-flowering bulbs this fall for a spectacular display in the spring. Irises are best planted now. Daffodils should be planted toward the end of the month, tulips a little later (when you start needing a sweater in the evenings). Shop early for the best selection.
Feed bulbs with Holland Bulb Booster. Add to the soil when planting new bulbs, and apply to existing bulb beds at the same time. This is a balanced fertilizer especially formulated for bulbs.
Prune evergreens lightly now if you need to shape them, but save major pruning until early next year. Pruning stimulates new growth which may not have time to harden off before winter.
If your iris leaves are flopping, you may have iris borers. Moths lay eggs on the leaves in the spring. When the eggs hatch, the larvae move down the foliage and bore in the fleshy root, eating it and rotting it out. Dig up plants, cut out the larvae and damaged roots. Replant healthy roots. Do not mulch irises. Consider spraying next spring with an insecticide to prevent borers next year.
Cut off spent flower stalks and ugly or diseased foliage to neaten the appearance of the garden to prevent diseases from overwintering. Leave seed heads on your black-eyed susans; they're a great food source for goldfinches.
Mark any perennials whose tags are missing so you'll know where they are when they die back at the end of the season. There are at least three reasons for this; to know where to look for them in the spring as you anxiously wait for them to break dormancy; to know what they are when they come up; and to avoid digging up something you intended to keep when you plant bulbs late this fall or early flowering plants - such as ranunculus, primrose or poppies - next spring.

THE EDIBLE GARDEN

Early September is a great time to plant cool weather vegetables such as lettuce, spinach and other greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, beets and radishes. When planting from seed, add 2 weeks to the 'days of maturity' number on the packet. These numbers are estimates, anyway, but shorter days and weaker sun at this time of the year will increase the length of time it takes plants to mature.

HOUSEPLANTS

If your houseplants have been spending the summer outside, plan to move them in this month or early October. Although some can take temperatures just above freezing, others will die back at higher temperatures, so the safest course is to bring them in before night temperatures drop below 50 degrees. It's a good idea to treat plants with an insecticide - such as Safer's Insecticidal Soap - to avoid bringing any critters in with the plant. When choosing an insecticide, always check the label first and use only on plants for which it's recommended.

If you bought tropical plants for outdoor use this summer, treat them like your houseplants if you want to overwinter them. Tropical hibiscus, mandevilla, diplodenia, bouganvillia, lantana and gardenias are among the tropicals that can be overwintered.

October In Your Garden

LAWN CARE

Althought the days are getting shorter and the temperatures cooler, you can still reseed your lawn the first two weeks in October if you didn't get to it in September. Keep falling leaves from these areas for best results. See August In Your Garden for a list of things to consider when choosing seed. Keep newly seeded areas moist at all times. Once the grass starts to grow, water less often, but longer, about a half an hour twice a week, or an hour once a week.
Grubs are still active in the lawn. For a long term, organic approach, apply Milky Spore, a natural occuring soil organism that kills grubs. Next spring an application of Beneficial Nematodes on May 1st will prevent grubs for a full season.
Rake up leaves from your garden every week or so: leaves left on the lawn can smother the grass underneath, especially if they get wet. Think about using them to start a compost pile.

AROUND THE GARDEN

Early October is still a great time for planting trees, shrubs and perennials. Use 'Master Nursery Plant Starter' or the 'Soil Moist Transplant Formula' to reduce transplant shock and help plants develop good root systems before winter sets in.
Planting trees, shrubs, or perennials this fall? Try adding beneficial mycorrhizal fungi to your planting hole with 'Myco Stim'. Mycorrhizal fungi are the good guys of the fungal world. According to an article in the July/August 1998 issue of The American Gardener, these microorganisms colonize the fine roots of plants, extending threadlike feeding structures into the soil. These root-like feeders act as extensions of the plant's own roots, helping the plant get water and food. In exchange, the fungi get sugars manufactured by the plant. There is evidence that micorrhizae help plants survive stresses from drought and high soil temperatures, and even protect them from certain soil diseases. These fungi exist in great numbers in natural environments, but have often been stripped away in the course of modern construction, and gardening practices such as use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. 'Myco Stim' contains beneficial microrrhizal fungi as well as beneficial bacteria and organic stimulants that improve perennials, herbs and garden vegetables. In addition to beneficial micorrhizal fungi, 'Myco Stim' includes organic soil conditioners that help get trees and shrubs off to a good start. 'Myco Stim' is added to the planting hole at planting time. Not recommended for use as a top dressing in established beds.
Even if you don't feel like planting this fall, now's a great time to prepare planting beds for next spring. Turn over the soil and dig in material to break up the clay and enrich the soil (such as your own compost, 'Bumper Crop', Leaf Gro, and/or top soil). Work the soil on a day when it's not too wet or dry. Working the soil when it's too wet can make bad soil worse! And working it when it's too dry is much harder work. Washington springs are often rainy, making it difficult to find a time to work the soil when it's not too wet. Preparing your beds now will make planting that much easier next spring.
To keep pansies blooming pinch off spent blooms; continue to apply Master Nursery All Purpose Plant Food or Neptunes Harvest Fish & Seaweed fertilizer up until frost. If you haven't planted pansies yet, there's still time - they're your best bet for color this fall. They'll survive several frosts, and are likely to come back next spring for a second display.
After the first killing frost, cut back blackened leaves and stems of perennials, pull annuals and neaten the garden for winter. Compost healthy plants, but throw away any diseased and insect - infested leaves and plants. If any of your plants had leaf spot, powdery mildew or other fungal diseases, be especially careful to rake up the leaves and throw them away.
It's time to start planting bulbs of daffodils, tulips, and other spring flowers. Most bulbs need at least a half day of sun, but don't despair if your yard is shaded by deciduous trees. Early spring bulbs do most of their growing before the trees leaf out, so areas that are shady most of the spring and summer may be fine for spring-flowering bulbs. Bulbs like well drained soil, like most other plants, so work 'Bumper Crop', 'Leafgro' or compost into heavy soils to break them up.
If you do nothing else, plant some crocuses, glory in the snow (chionodoxia) or snowdrops (galanthus) where you can see them easily. They come up just when you despair of winter ever being over.
As a rule of thumb, plant bulbs about 3 times as deep as their height (i.e., plant 2" bulb 6 inches deep). Fertilize with Holland Bulb Booster or Bulb Tone when you plant, then every year at around this time.
If you have a problem with squirrels digging up your bulbs, try one or more of these strategies: plant bulbs a couple of inches deeper than the standard recommendation; spray bulbs with Ropel before planting them; place a layer of crushed oyster shells a few inches above the bulbs when planting them; lay chicken wire or a similar wire barrier over the bulbs on the top of the soil or pot. (We sell Ropel and crushed oyster shells; wire barriers are available at home supply stores.

IN YOUR HOME

When buying bulbs, don't forget indoor color, as well as your outdoor beds. Some tulips, crocus, daffodils and hyacinths can be made to flower indoors with proper treatment. This treatment, called "forcing," involves putting them through an early and abbreviated artificial winter. Look for labels that indicate varieties that are good for forcing. Plant them in shallow containers, water them so that the soil is moist but not soggy, and place in a cool, dark area (ideally 32-45 degrees F) until you can see shoots emerging. (This may be a few weeks for some smaller bulbs and months for larger ones.) Bring them in to a bright, cool area, and keep them there until you start to see buds. You can then move them to a sunnier, slightly warmer room for flowering.
If you haven't brought your houseplants and tropicals in for the winter yet, do it soon. Otherwise, you may end up in a mad dash to move them when frost is suddenly in the forecast. Or worse, an unpredicted frost could sneak up and kill them while you sleep. Check out September In Your Garden for more information.
If you have a Christmas cactus, now's the time to start treating it to bud. You can encourage budding by manipulating either temperatures or the amount of light and dark your plant gets. If your plant gets several weeks of night time temperatures of 50-60 degrees, you should see buds beginning to form. You can do this by placing it in a cool room, or leaving it on a patio or sunny porch as long as temperatures don't go below the mid-40's at night. Plants should also flower if you give them at least 13 hours of total darkness at night and bright light during the day.
If you've continued to grow amaryllis bulbs through the summer, now's the time to give them a rest. Bring them in if they've been outside, stop watering them and lay the pot on its side in a cool basement or garage that stays above freezing. (It's a good idea to note the date you did this on the pot.) After 3 months, repot in fresh potting soil and water thoroughly. Place the plants in a warm spot (the top of the water heater works well), and check every few days. When new growth emerges from the top, place plants in a sunny spot, keep the soil evenly moist, and fertilize monthly.

THE EDIBLE GARDEN

Harvest tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans and any other tender vegetables before the first frost is predicted. Tomatoes that are light green or have just started to turn red will usually ripen if brought inside. To discourage rotting, place on a rack where air can circulate around them. To hasten ripening, place in a paper bag with an apple or banana. Or fry up a mess of green tomatoes, Southern style.
Broccoli, cabbage, peas, carrots, radishes, beets, chard, spinach and lettuce grow well in cool weather. They will survive mild frosts and should continue to provide you with tasty vegies well into November. Harvest them as needed this month..

IN YOUR POND

For an easier fall cleanup, cover your pool with Pond Netting. This will prevent leaves and debris from falling into your pool.
Stop fertilizing plants and feeding fish.
Now is the time to begin removing yellow decaying foliage. Cut hardy lilies back to the rhizome. Drop hardy bog plants down to a depth of 12-18" under water.
Tropical water lilies can be brought indoors before frost. Cut back foliage and place in wet sand or a zip-lock bag with a small amount of water. Store at 40-45 degrees F. or at room temperature in a dark room.
Tropical bog plants can be brought indoors and kept in water in a bright area.

November In Your Garden

IN YOUR GARDEN

Planting trees or shrubs this fall? Try adding beneficial mycorrhizal fungi to your planting hole with 'Myco Stim'. Mycorrhizal fungi are the good guys of the fungal world. According to an article in the July/August 1998 issue of The American Gardener, these microorganisms colonize the fine roots of plants, extending threadlike feeding structures into the soil. These root-like feeders act as extensions of the plant's own roots, helping the plant get water and food. In exchange, the fungi get sugars manufactured by the plant. There is evidence that micorrhizae help plants survive stresses from drought and high soil temperatures, and even protect them from certain soil diseases. These fungi exist in great numbers in natural environments, but have often been stripped away in the course of modern construction, and gardening practices such as use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. 'Myco Stim' contains beneficial microrrhizal fungi as well as beneficial bacteria and organic stimulants that improve perennials, herbs and garden vegetables. 'Myco Stim' is added to the planting hole at planting time. Not recommended for use as a top dressing in established beds.
If you haven't planted bulbs of daffodils, tulips, or other spring flowers, there's still time to do it. Most bulbs need at least a half day of sun, but don't despair if your yard is shaded by deciduous trees. Early spring bulbs do most of their growing before the trees leaf out, so areas that are shady most of the spring and summer may be fine for spring-flowering bulbs. Bulbs like well drained soil, like most other plants, so work Bumper Crop or compost into heavy soils to break them up.
If you do nothing else, plant some crocuses, glory in the snow (chionodoxia) or snowdrops (galanthus) where you can see them easily. They come up just when you despair of winter ever being over.
As a rule of thumb, plant bulbs about 3 times as deep as their height (i.e., plant 2" bulb 6 inches deep. Fertilize with Holland Bulb Booster or Bulb Tone when you plant, then every year at around this time.
If you have a problem with squirrels digging up your bulbs, try one or more of these strategies: plant bulbs a couple of inches deeper than the standard recommendation; spray bulbs with Ropel before planting them; place a layer of crushed oyster shells a few inches above the bulbs when planting them; lay chicken wire or a similar wire barrier over the bulbs on the top of the soil or pot. (We sell Ropel and crushed oyster shells; wire barriers are available at home supply stores.
If the weather stays warm enough for pansies to bloom continue feeding with Master Nursery All Purpose Plant Food or Neptunes Harvest Fish & Seaweed fertilizer through the end of November. Deadhead pansies (pinch off spent flowers) to keep them blooming. Don't pull them out when they stop flowering (although you can cut them back if they're leggy). They will usually revive in early spring to bloom again.
In addition to pansies, there's still time to plant ornamental cabbage and kale. These plants color up in cooler weather, so they're just beginning to look good, and should last into December or January. When planting, remove any yellowing lower leaves and plant so the bottom leaves are flush with the ground.
Label bulbs and perennials, especially ones that were planted this year, with plastic tags. You'll appreciate this effort next spring as you watch expectantly for new growth to emerge. Labels that remind you what's planted where will help you identify new growth and prevent you from accidently digging up plants that are late to break dormancy.
After the first killing frost, cut back blackened leaves and stems of perennials, pull annuals and neaten the garden for the winter. Rake and discard leaves from any trees, shrubs or flowers which suffered serious fungal outbreaks this year (such as black spot, leaf spot or powdery mildew). Do not put them in the compost pile. Cleaning up the leaves and getting rid of them will help prevent outbreaks next year, since spores can overwinter and reinfect new foliage when it emerges next spring. Candidates include roses, dogwoods, photinia, phlox, beebalm and peonies.

IN YOUR HOME

Paper whites will add cheerful blooms and a lovely fragrance to your home throughout the fall and winter. You can plant them anytime - expect them to bloom about 4-6 weeks later. Start new ones every two weeks for a continuous display. Choose one of the three we are carrying this year, or mix and match them: Grand Soleil d'Or, a bright yellow with a darker cup; Omri, creamy yellow with a sulphur yellow cup; and Ziva, pure white.

Planting them is as easy as 1-2-3. All you need is a bowl, pebbles or marbles, and bulbs. (You can also use a pot and potting soil in place of the bowl and pebbles). 1. Put some pebbles in the bottom of the bowl. 2. Place bulbs pointed side up on the pebbles. 3. Add enough water to keep the root end of the bulbs moist. Plants should flower in 4- 6 weeks.

Plant amaryllis now for gorgeous flowers in January and February. All you need is a pot that's a couple of inches wider than the bulb and some potting soil. Plant the bulb in the pot so that about half of it is beneath the soil and half stays above. Wet the soil and place in a warm spot with low light until growth begins. (A dark corner near the furnace or on top of a water heater works well.) When a leaf starts to grow out the top, it's time to move your plant to a warm, sunny spot. Water with a mild fertilizer solution, such as Master Nursery water soluble All Purpose Plant Food, when the soil starts to feel dry on top. Plant should flower in 10-12 weeks from planting, sometimes sooner.

December In Your Garden

Apply an antidessicant like ‘Wilt Pruf' to your tender broadleaf evergreens to slow moisture loss from the leaves and protect them this winter. ‘Wilt Pruf’ can be used on camellias, hollies, nandina etc. Spray when temperatures are likely to stay above 40 degrees for 24 hours and no rain is in the forecast.

If you are buying a live Christmas tree this year follow these tips:

Keep it cool for as long as possible - the warmth and dry air inside the average home are not good for trees. Plan on leaving it in the house for no more than a week to lessen the stress on the plant.
When you set up the tree, keep it in a cool place with no direct sun.
Water carefully. You don't want it to dry out or be soggy. Try placing ice cubes on top of the rootball; they will water the plant slowly as they melt.
Prepare your planting hole in advance, in case the weather gets colder and the ground freezes. Dig a hole twice as wide and one and a half times as deep as the root ball of the tree you are planning to get. Mix 1/3 of the original soil with 1/3 perlite or sand, and 1/3 organic materials such as compost, Bumper Crop, or pine bark soil conditioner. We'll give you complete planting instructions when you buy your tree.

If you have hollies, boxwoods or other evergreens, now is a fine time to trim or prune them for holiday decorations. (Don't prune or trim any shrubs that flowers in the spring, like azaleas or forsythia, or you'll be trimming away the part that would have flowered in the spring.) Also, thin whispy growth that might be broken by ice and wet snow can be pruned from shrubs like butterfly bush, roses, annabelle hydrangea etc..

Spread a couple of inches of mulch on your flower beds and shrubs once the ground freezes. The mulch will help prevent your plants from being damaged by the temperature fluctuations that occur in a typical Washington winter (not that we've had a typical winter in a couple of years...). Plants that are hardy in the area generally withstand freezing temperatures, but can be damaged by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing.

If you see tan felt-like growths about 1 and a half inches long on tree bark, lawn furniture and other outdoor structures, remove them and throw them out - they're gypsy moth egg masses. Also keep an eye out for growths that look like black styrofoam at the ends of cherry tree branches - they're egg masses of eastern tent caterpillars. Clip off the affected branch and throw it in the trash.

Don't worry about shoots coming up from spring bulbs. The cold weather to come shouldn't damage them.

Now that the leaves are off the trees, clean fallen leaves from your pond and consider a pond de-icer if you have fish.

If you're behind on your garden projects (and what gardener isn't?), there's still time to plant spring flowering bulbs. Most still can be planted as long as the ground hasn't frozen, or even during a January thaw if it comes to that. Bulbs planted late may bloom a little later and/or a little more sparsely their first year, but most are none the worse for it.

Another task for late gardeners - dig up and store bulbs from dahlias, cannas, caladiums and tuberous begonias. Normally, you should have done this after the first frost, but nature has given us all a reprieve this year. Let the bulbous roots dry off for a few days, rub or shake off dirt that clings and cover with peat moss or vermiculite to help prevent them from drying out completely. Store in a cool, frost-free place for the winter. (Many experts also recommend digging up gladiolus bulbs, but if you live in a relatively protected area, especially inside the beltway, this may not be necessary.)

Keep Your Cut Christmas Tree Fresh:

Get your tree into a bucket of hot water within 15 to 20 minutes after a fresh cut is made to the trunk. We will be happy to make a fresh cut for you, but if you can't get it into water quickly, you should saw a thin slice off the bottom of the trunk right before putting it in water. This will help the tree take up water and stay green longer.

Add ‘Prolong’, a cut tree preservative, to the water to help keep your tree fresh.

If you're not going to set up your tree immediately, keep it in a bucket of water outdoors in a protected location. Add water as needed - it should never dry out.

When you set up your tree, try to place it away from heat ducts, fireplaces and sunny windows. Check the water level daily to be sure there is always water in the reservoir of the stand.

We now carry an aerosol fire retardant for your cut tree and greens.

Check houseplants periodically for signs of damage from such common pests as aphids, mealy bug, scale or white flies. If you see any, nip an infestation in the bud by spraying with insecticidal soap, hot pepper wax or an insecticide labeled for houseplants. As long as the warm weather continues, you can take the plants outside during the day to spray them, but don't leave them out overnight.

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