|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On the Wing As mentioned in the August 25 Ozaukee Press, here is a link to the video of a female goldfinch harvesting pet fur for her nest:
Garlic Mustard As mentioned in the May 5, 2010 column, garlic mustard plants are blooming now in Port Washington. Please pull these plants and dispose of them in the dumpster at the city recycling yard. Here are some photos of Garlic Mustard -- Click on the photo for a larger view.
Plant Trials As mentioned in the March 3, 2010 column, here are some links to plant trials in our area: Chicago Botanic Garden's Ornamental Plant Development department -- CLICK HERE to visit their website University of Wisconsin's West Madison Agricultural Research Station -- CLICK HERE to visit their website Arthritis & Gardening As mentioned in the January 20, 2010 column, here are some references for information on gardening with arthritis: ENABLING GARDENING REFERENCES (Adobe PDF) The University of Wisconsin Extension Office has a Gardening and Arthritis pamphlet available with lots of information. Their project was funded by the Wisconsin Arthritis Program and other local agencies. For more information contact: Anne Kissack MPH, RD -- akissack[at]milahec.org Amy Meinen -- meineam[at]dhfs.state.wi.us Bill Wright -- wright_wp[at]co.brown.wi.us For the above email addresses, please replace the [at] portion with an @ character -- This is an anti-spam measure. Left-Handed Tools Left-handed people can often benefit from having tools that are designed especially for southpaws. They are usually more comfortable than those designed for right-handers and often work better, as well. Here are some sources for left-handed gardening tools: Riveredge Programs Our local Riveredge Nature Center has a number of interesting programs coming up in March and April. Among these are several bird-related workshops, childrens' programs and even maple syrup making! A complete listing of the Riveredge programs for March and April 2009 is available at this link (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required - Available here). The complete Riveredge website can be found at this link. Migration Maps As mentioned in the April 16, 2008 "Ozaukee Gardener" column, here are some links to online maps of migrations: Journey North -- Hummingbirds, monarchs, robins, swallows and more! Hummingbirds.net -- Ruby-throated hummingbird tracking map Midwest Fruit Explorers As mentioned in the October 10, 2007 "Ozaukee Gardener" column, here are some links to fruit-growing information: Follow this link to watch a great little video about a standard city lot in the Chicago area with over 170 miniature apple trees! Gene Yale walks you through his back yard and talks about his trees, which are full-sized fruit varieties grafted onto dwarfing rootstock. Follow this link to visit the Midwest Fruit Explorers website. This is a group of amateur fruit growers who share information and conduct seminars several times each year to help others learn grafting and growing techniques. Garden Tours Overseas As mentioned in the March 22, 2006 "Ozaukee Gardener" column in The Ozaukee Press, here are some links to garden touring in other countries: Australia - Open
Garden Scheme Weeds! As mentioned in the June 22, 2005 "Ozaukee Gardener" column in The Ozaukee Press, here are some links to details on oxalis and "orchid weed"! Oxalis: "Yellow woodsorrel" - WeedAlert Orchid Weed: "Helleborine" - Connecticut
Botanical Society Tender Perennial Suggestions As mentioned in the April 9, 2003 "Ozaukee Gardener" column in The Ozaukee Press, here are some suggestions for tender perennials for use in container gardens from a presentation by Anthony Noel at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Mr. Noel's point here is that there are lots of other choices for containers than red geraniums with cordalyne spikes for sun or impatiens for shade. I'm sure everything he recommends is great, if you can afford it. My alternatives aren't meant to be the same as his but to suggest that there are things in your yard that can be used creatively to make your container gardens unique - at least until everybody else tries it. Using plants at hand will stretch your gardening dollar. As always, I suggest you invest in good containers of ample size. The new lightweight, Thermalite pots are great. They're easy to handle and provide insulation for plant roots in places that are hot and sunny. Smaller pots make more work for the gardener since you'll need to water more frequently. Some plants also need more room to grow large enough to make the kind of display you'll want. Sun Salvia patens - blue flowers, silver foliage, zone 8-9 Alstromeria braziliensis 'Alba' - white with a green throat; plants have stiff roots which break easily - don't transplant' zone 8-10 Agapanthus 'Blue Imp' - clear, light blue lily-like
flower, zone 8-10 Crinum x powelii 'alba' or 'rosa' - fragrant, amaryllis
type flower (bulb), zone 7-10 Senecio cineraria 'Silver Dust' - familiar bedding
plant used as standard, zone 8-10 Shade Hygrangea macrophylla, lace-cap - woody shrubs in a
variety of colors You might also try these plants. I prefer them because most are zone hardy here. If you don't have room in a protected garage, you may be able to overwinter them by sinking their containers in the garden and mulching the area well. This has worked for me. You can also establish these plants in the garden and then take free divisions for your containers. Salvia daghestanica - dwarf silver leafed sage zone 5-8
sun Miniature trees and shrubs also work well in containers, and can give tropical feel to the garden. When it comes to plants like bananas, however, be sure you know the definition of "dwarf." This just means smaller than normal and, since some plants grow to 30', a dwarf will be 10' or more. This may be larger than you're prepared to house in the living room over the winter. Ficus carica 'Petite Negra' - this fig bares fruit twice a year in June and September. It will grow between 5-8' tall in a container, full sun, zone 7 plus Musca Cavendish 'Super Dwarf' - this banana grows about 3-5' tall and may bare 3-6" fruit, full sun, zone 9 plus Banana "look" can be mimicked with tubers like cannas, available in many leaf colors. Christmas Gift Ideas As mentioned in the November 27 "Ozaukee Gardener" column in The Ozaukee Press, here are the links to some gardening-related gifts: Urban Heat Islands As mentioned in the November 20 "Ozaukee Gardener" column in The Ozaukee Press, here are some interesting links to information on the Web: Chicago's Urban Heat Initiative
|
Port Washington Garden Club, PO
Box 492, Port Washington, Wisconsin 53074
Registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
