The Garden Club

May 9 - Garden Club Newsletter

- Successful Plant Combinations
- Question & Answer Session
- Bird Lovers Perennial Garden

All of us at Carroll Gardens would like to take a moment to wish all families a very special Mother's Day.

Today we are going to cover several of the more popular questions that have been asked recently. But first, I'd like to describe two successful plant combinations that I have recently observed.

Successful Plant Combinations

At an old farmhouse, I saw one combination that has been virtually forgotten, but that used to be very popular at the turn of the century: lavender French Lilacs planted with Spiraea prunifolia Plena (one of the bridal wreath spiraeas). Both plants are slightly stoloniferous and were interplanted. They both bloom at the same time so that the overall effect is arching white spires emerging like streaming fireworks from the center of the lavender lilac. Barberry - thunbergii Royal Burgundy

The other combination is on a semi-shaded slope in a yard with heavy deer pressure. Red leaved Royal Burgundy Barberry is planted in front of the deep green evergreen Otto Luyken Cherry Laurel. The cherry laurel was in full bloom with its white flowers just as the buds of the yellow flowered barberry were beginning to open.

Both of these combinations are as low-maintenance a landscape as one could imagine.

On another topic, this spring has been so cool and moist; many lawns are starting to show evidence of diminished fertility. I recommend a half strength application of Espoma 100% Organic Lawn Food before Memorial Day. If you have a new lawn, an application of SuperBio, to build microbial activity, will also be beneficial. An application of SuperBio will also help reduce fertilizer run off on lawns that are near the bay or near streams that empty into the Chesapeake.

More info: Spiraea prunifolia Plena | Espoma 100% Organic® Lawn Food | Royal Burgundy Barberry
SuperBio® | Otto Luyken Cherry Laurel

Question & Answer Session

Question:
You covered deer-resistant perennials and shrubs. What about deer-resistant annual bedding plants?

Answer:
Unfortunately there are very few annuals that are deer-resistant, but I have listed below a few that I have found:

Pentas
Salvia - Blue and Red
Waxed Begonia
Vinca
Dianthus
Cleone (spider flower)
Tithonia
Dusty Miller
Nicotiana

Can any of you garden clubbers add anything to this rather meager list?

Question:
I have a 2 acre lawn that is covered in dandelions. Is it too late to apply Confront? Also, part of my lawn is in shade and has been taken over by moss, I would really like to kill the moss and re-seed.

Answer:
It is not too late to control dandelions. But if you used Tiger Brand Liquid Lawn Weed Killer with a spreader sticker like Sea Wet, you will have more effective control at a much lower cost. Confront is best used for hard-to-control weeds like Violets and Creeping Charlie, but it will kill dandelions at the same time if applied to wet foliage. Be sure to apply your liquid lawn weed killer on a cool, windless day, when there is no threat of rain. Apply liquid lawn weed killer carefully using either a hose-end sprayer or a pressure tank sprayer, being careful to keep well away from desirable surrounding plantings. (Lawn weed killer does not kill just dandelions, but almost everything with non-grassy leaves).

Incidentally, Tiger Brand Liquid Lawn Weed killer cannot be shipped by UPS.

It is a little late for grass seeding even in a shady area, but you can get the moss under control now in preparation for a late summer seeding. Use either Moss Master or Fortify Moss Control Granules.

Question:
I have lots of transplanting that needs to be done. Is now a good time?

Answer:
Mid-May to mid-June, (when the new growth on most plants is tender and light green) is just about the worst time for transplanting. It is a great time for installing plants that were dug earlier, such as you would buy from your Nursery or Garden Center. But the time for digging plants has already passed for this spring and that is the relevant question: When can I dig my plants?; not when can I plant them?

Question:
I just cut down a large willow tree. I heard something on your radio show about powdered milk killing the stump.

Answer:
Boring holes into a dead stump and filling them with powdered milk will cause the stump to rot much faster, especially if the stump is covered with mulch or top soil to keep it moist. However, powdered milk will not kill a stump. Unless you kill the stump, the willow will re-sprout for several years. You can kill the stump by pouring concentrated glyphosate into the drilled out holes. Then, as soon as you are sure the stump is dead and not growing any longer, you can follow up with the powdered milk and mulch.

Question:
I am looking for a flowering evergreen shrub to plant in my woods. I want something relatively tall that can provide some screening from my neighbor’s shed. The woods aren’t too dense and I was thinking about Rhododendrons, but they grow so slowly. Is there anything else you can suggest?

Answer:
You might consider the Prague Viburnum (Viburnum Pragense). It grows about twice as fast as Rhododendron and matures at about 10 feet tall. In your Severna Park (Maryland) woodlands it should be totally evergreen. In a cold winter, in a windy site here in northern Carroll County (Maryland), it will probably lose about ½ of its leaves. The Prague Viburnum has ivory white flowers in May, and red berries that are relished by the birds in the fall.

More info: Confront® | Viburnum Pragense

Featured Garden - Bird Lovers Perennial Garden

This collection of easy-to-grow, sun-loving perennials features handsome blooms, followed by seed heads known to attract and be relished by birds. A marvelous collection, this ready-made garden is also priced right, saving you over 25% versus purchasing each separately.


Purple New England Aster	Pink Coneflower	Coreopsis Tequilla Sunrise	Globe Thistle Arctic Glow

Joe Pye Weed Gateway	False Sunflower	True Sunflower	Northern Sea Oats Grass