Dressing Up The Lawn

My good friends Rachel and Sol have been working diligently in their lawn all spring and summer. Their backyard started out mostly bare dirt, so they seeded last spring. They had a few trees in the front and back that they mulched around, and they also created a mulched border along the fence line. They even installed a brick walkway leading to the patio.

Here are a few pictures of their hard work--I think it looks great! It is amazing what you can do with a lawn in one short growing season!





If you have pictures of a landscape project, send them to tara patty at gmail dot com and I will post them on the blog!

Another Harvest

A red pepper in the vegetable garden.

We recently picked all of the onions out of the garden. None of them are very big. I think it is because we are picking them too early. Do any of you have any thoughts???

We also had a few red peppers ready and a yellow one that is thisclose to being ready. We've had a lot of fun with the garden this year.

I have also been experimenting with different recipes to use up all the yellow squash that my husband loves. One of the best was called "Yellow Squash Ribbons with Red Onion." I used a vegetable peeler to make the squash "ribbons" stopping when I got to the seeds/core. Then, I sliced red onion very thin. Next, I sauteed the onions and squash in olive oil with a little bit of garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Once the squash and onions were tender, I topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Delicious! (And I don't particularly care for squash.)

Back from the Dead

I *think* this variety is called Burgundy Cotton. Tom has a thing for red/purple foliage.

The Crape Myrtles my husband planted last year have made a comeback recently. What's better--they are now peppered with delicate pink blossoms!

In Kansas City, we really are pushing it when it comes to Crape Myrtles (our winters are pretty harsh for this plant). That's why I can't say that I was surprised this spring when ours didn't look like they were going to make it.

I can tell you though, I am glad they did. They look great mixed in with our knock-out roses (which have also had a surge in growth lately).

I think this fall we should mulch heavily around each plant to see if we can't get them to fare better.

Wildflowers

I spent some time in the country last weekend. I was enchanted by the flowers growing along the road. Sunflowers abounded as well as delicate pink and yellow blooms.

When I was school-aged riding the bus to school, I would covet the flowers growing spontaneously along my route. I longed to gather bouquets for our table at home.

What a treat it would be to save a little corner of my landscape for wild, native flowers just like these!

Oak Trees Dying at the Tips

If you have an oak tree that is brown at the ends of the branches, Kermes scale may be the culprit. Not yet a perennial problem in our area, the scale has been more prevalent in recent years. This summer's outbreak is particularly widespread.

Pin oaks specifically are suffering from twig dieback as the result of this pest. Look at the twigs between the leaves, you will be able to see the scale if it is indeed the cause of the damage.

If you wish to treat, call a local tree care company. They should have a product to take care of the scale. To request an estimate from Ryan Lawn & Tree, visit www.ryanlawn.com/estimate.

As trees get larger, it is more difficult for homeowners to treat themselves. (Proper coverage is essential to most treatments.) However, if you want to give it a try, your local garden center should have a product to take care of the scale.

Cypress Vine

Photo from Powell Gardens, because I didn't take a picture of my grandma's. If you haven't been to Powell Gardens, check it out.

My Grandma has planted some Cypress Vine in your back yard. She has it growing up a trellis. I did a little research--this plant is a great attractor of hummingbirds and will grow up almost anything. It is also a quick spreader, so it takes a firm hand to keep it in check. I have neither a trellis nor a firm hand, but I am thinking about begging some seeds off my grandma to give it a try, anyway.

Grandma's Garden

When I was home last weekend, I snapped a few photos of my grandma's garden. I love her approach to gardening--it is very wild and natural. She doesn't worry overmuch about weeds. She just has fun with it.

These pictures are from her garden in AUGUST. Imagine what it looks like in the spring!

Grandma uses a lot of containers in her garden. Most of the flowers pictured above are actually planted in pots that are situated close together. Grandma uses a lot of geraniums and petunias in her garden.

I love this combination of geraniums and greenery.

Grandma plants flowers inside her fenced in garden, and also along the outside of the fence. This is one of the "outsiders." It reminds me of poppy mallow, but is much taller. Also, the petals on the bloom don't appear as cupped as the poppy mallow I am familiar with--I will have to ask Grandma to discover its name!

Sycamore

This is Tom, getting ready to push the offending limb out of the tree.

This should give you a good idea of the size of limbs we are talking about.
He has the base of it in his hand.

The Sycamore tree in our front yard has been giving my husband fits this year. He has had to remove several broken limbs, and each storm seems to knock a few out as well.

We are both hoping this is just a stage. The tree is getting older, and I am crossing my fingers that this is not the beginning of the end. I think at a certain point, trees have given all they've got and they enter the last phase of their lives--the one where they shed branches like crazy and are generally a menace.

I think the Sycamore should be able to give us several more years of enjoyment.

Have you ever had to remove a tree because it had reached the end of its road? When did you make the decision to cut it down?

Tree Watering Part 2

Photo from Tree Gator

I have seen municipalities use bags to water their trees. (It seemed like a good idea to me, but I checked with one of our arborists to make sure there weren't any downsides--none came to mind.)

A quick Google search revealed several different options of tree watering bags, from DIY instructions to manufacturers selling different models. If I were going to try one, I would stick with the "doughnut" shaped bags. More conical options that reach higher on the trunk worry me as far as rotting.

Have you tried a "water bag"? What did you think?

Watering Trees

If you have young or stressed trees, you have probably thought of watering them this summer. After all, it is HOT out there!

When watering trees, it is important to understand how much water a tree needs, and the structure of the root system. A tree's root system extends out to the edge of the canopy, and most of the roots are in the top 6 inches of soil.

To effectively water a small tree, encircle the tree with a soaker hose and water for 30 minutes. This will provide enough water to the tree for a week.

For larger trees, use a sprinkler to broadcast water, and again, water for 30 minutes. Depending on the area, you may have to move the sprinkler a few times to be sure you are covering the entire root area.

***Keep in mind, during dry winters, it is also important to water evergreens. These trees don't go dormant, so they can suffer from drought stress even when it's chilly outside!***

Need Seeding this Fall?

Now is a great time to look at your lawn to see if you you need to seed this fall. Look for brown spots or thin areas that would benefit from fall seeding. The fall seeding season begins in September. Apply your seed early for the most success.

Call a lawn company, like Ryan Lawn and Tree, for help with all your seeding needs. We have GoldTag seed that you can purchase if you want to seed yourself, or we can give you an estimate to do the seeding work for you. Are you located in an area we provide service to? Request a seeding estimate from RYAN online.

Natural Mulched Borders

If you want to reduce the time you spend mowing, consider creating natural mulched borders around your trees and shrubs. Place most of your trees and all shrubs inside the border area. The mulch will help keep weeds down, retain moisture and provide plants with nutrients as it breaks down over time.

I have mulched borders in my back yard. It sure makes mowing easy and it also minimizes my time using the string trimmer. If you are ready to add mulched borders to your back yard, follow this link for directions: RYAN's Mulched Border Instructions

Locust Borer Update

If you follow this blog, you may remember my post from July 30th on locust borer (Revisit it by clicking here). I thought the borer looked about full size, so we kept it in the office to see what would happen. Last week it became a pupa. I took this picture a few minutes ago to share. I am hoping that it will complete the process and become a beetle soon. We'll keep you updated on what happens!

Bountiful Feast

The vegetable garden is doing great this year. We have tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, squash and cucumbers that we have thoroughly enjoyed. It is fun for Tom to finally yield some food for his efforts.

Turf Plots

I have one last post from my day at the Olathe research center. This one's for all those lovers of turf. You know, grass. (I wish there were a sexier word for people who love turf...like people who are fond of the UK calling themselves anglophiles.)

There are many experiments in Olathe concerning the best types of grass for different uses. What's the best bermudagrass for a residential lawn? Which one do you plant on a golf course? Which one has the best color?

They are also experimenting with different products on the market. And the timing of the applications of different products on the market. One plot examines the results of using corn gluten as a fertilizer versus synthetics.

It was a great sneak peak into the world of researchers and scientists.

Pepper Purple Flash

Today, I wanted to feature another plant from my trip to Olathe. This one is an ornamental planted in full sun.

It is called Pepper Purple Flash. The foliage is bright purple and you can definitely pick out pepper plant characteristics. The picture doesn't do it justice:


This was one plant several people on the tour stopped to admire.

Plant Research

I have a few more plants to share with you from my day at the Olathe Research Center.

The first is a marigold with a huge flower. It was just as big as the zinnia I posted about earlier. (Maybe the ones I attempt to grow are just small because of my lackluster gardening skills?) At any rate, I do not like marigolds, but with this flower size, I might plant some.

It is a All America Selections future introduction. The accompanying name plate read, "Marigold, Bright Orange"