treasure valley gardening - march 2013
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TREASURE VALLEY
2 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
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Fun and helpful local resources 3Tomatoes, irises, extensionofficesandmore
Mix edibleswith your landscaping 6Tips fromTobyMancini, horticulturemanagerat the IdahoBotanicalGarden
Tips for starting plants from seed 8fromAdvancedMasterGardenerElaineWalker
How to propagate shrubs and vines 10fromcolumnistMargaretLauterbach
Waterwise plants for your garden 12Ideas from IdahoBotanicalGardenbotanistAnnDeBolt
Deter cats and get a handle on pests 14Baffle thekitties; lookout forbadbugs
Pullout and save gardening calendar 15Events, plant salesandothernews
Monthly to-do list 16When toplant,what towatchout for
Picture-perfect gardens 19Nine local gardenersshare their stories
Inspiring photos fromSeattle 29TheNorthwestFlower&GardenShow
Best things for gardeners 30Tools,booksandothercoolstuff
WANTACALENDAR?ThismagazinefeaturesstoriesaboutninegardenerswhowerefeaturedinourTreasureValleyGardenscalendar(seestory,page19)—andit’snottoolatetogetaTreasureValleyGardenscal-endar filledwithgardeningtipsandin-formation.Buyoneforhalfprice($2.50
eachortwoormorefor$2each)at1200N.CurtisRoadinBoise.Findmoreinformationatwww.idahostatesman.com/promotions.Informationabouthowtoenteryourgardeninour2014calendarcontestwillbeincludedinStatesmanLifesections laterthisspring.
" SIGNUPFOROURONLINEGARDENINGNEWSLETTERIdahoStatesman.com/Gardening
You’ll getexpertadvice fromlocal gardenersMargaretLauterbach,ElaineWalkerandAmyMcIntyreeachThursday inyour inbox.There isalso informationabout local gardeningeventsandmore.
On the cover:DeandMikeZborowski’sBoiseBenchbackyard is full
ofcolorandwhimsy.Story, page22
Photo byCHARLIELITCHFIELDSpecial to the Idaho Statesman
19
30
12
29
TREASURE VALLEY
29Gardening
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BYCHEREENLANGRILL
SPECIAL TO THE IDAHO STATESMAN
TOMATO INDEPENDENCEPROJECT
What if 20 percent of the food consumedin theTreasureValley came froma localsource?TheTreasureValley FoodCoalition,a nonprofit organization thatworks on rais-ing awareness about our local food systemand collaboratingwith other groups to in-crease the amount of food grownand con-sumed locally, hopes to reach that goal by
2020.Tonudge that along, it launched theTomato IndependenceProject this year.According to the coalition, research showsthat the averageAmerican eatsmore than90pounds of tomatoes each year.Gettingfolks to enjoy tomatoes grown locallymadesense, and encouraging them to grow theirownwas evenmore exciting.
Theproject kickedoff in January andFebruarywith a series of free seed startingclasses at local nurseries. Representativesfrom the coalition talked tomato growingbasics before giving participants the seedsfor four varieties of tomatoplants—Mort-gageLifter, EarlyGirl, SunGold andTum-blingTomRed.Around 300people attend-ed the classes at EdwardsGreenhouse, Far-
Satisfyyouryen forplants
Herearesomefunlocalresourcesforeveryonewholikesgardens
CONTINUEDON PAGE 4
Photo by JENNIFERMILLER/Provided by the TreasureValley FoodCoalition
ABOVE: JanieBurns, a local farmerandchairwomanof theTreasureValleyFoodCoalition, introduces theTomato Inde-pendenceProject toacrowdatEdwardsGreenhouse in Janu-ary.ATRIGHT:YoucanbuyTIP seedpacketsatFarWestLand-scapeandGardenCenter, EdwardsGreenhouse,NorthEndOrganicNurseryandFranzWitte.
4 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
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West, FranzWitte and theNorthEndOr-ganicNursery, according to JenniferMiller,a boardmemberwith the coalition.
Miller,whodescribes thecommunity’s re-sponse to theproject as “amazing,” says thereis already talkofdoing theproject again in2014.Thisyear’s focus is fresh tomatoes.Nextyearpeoplewill learnhowtomaketheir tomatoes last farbeyond the seasonthroughdifferentmethodsofpreservation.
“Wewantedpeople to discover howgreata tomato can tastewhen it is right off thevine,”Miller says.
Fresh tomatoes canbe enjoyed in thisarea during July,August, September andsometimes intoOctober (depending onweather). The coalitionwill post ongoingactivities such as tomato tastings on itsweb-site (treasurevalleyfoodcoalition.org) andFacebookpage.
Anda talk fromauthorBarryEstabrook isscheduled forOct. 2. Estabrook is the authorof “Tomatoland:HowModernAgricultureDestroyedOurMostAlluringFruit.”The lo-cationhasnot beendeterminedyet butwillbe announced in the comingmonths (alongwithotherdetails) on the coalition’swebsite.
Thosewhomissedout on the seed start-ing classes can still get involved in theTomato IndependenceProject.Here’s how:
ÆPurchase seed startsorplants fromlocalgrowersat areanurseriesor farmersmarkets.(Plant startsof the featuredvarietieswill beavailable atEdwardsGreenhouse,NorthEndOrganicNurseryandFranzWitte.)
ÆEncourage area businesses to sell local-ly grown tomatoes; ask for themat restau-rants and at grocery stores.
Æ If you already grow tomatoes, sharesomewith neighborswhohaven’t had thechance to taste a locally grown tomato.
ÆPurchase aTomato IndependenceProjectT-shirt at theNorthEndOrganicNursery or EdwardsGreenhouse.
In addition to theTomato IndependenceProject, theTreasureValleyFoodCoalitionoffersmanyopportunities forpeople tolearnmore about eating locally grown food,includingTaste 208, aThursdaynight seriesthat puts the spotlight onvariousfood/beer/winepairings, and theGrowYourOwnFoodseries that featuresdiscus-sionsonhowtoplant invarious climates andconditions. For information, visit http://treasurevalleyfoodcoalition.org/?cat=11
JOANN’S IRISGARDEN1325N.HesseLane,Eagle(betweenEagleandBallantyne roadsoffFloatingFeather)www.joannsirisgarden.org
JoAnnBurrell is an iris fan, and that state-ment stands on its ownonce you see her la-bor of love inEagle. There are nearly 400irises to admirewhenher garden is in fullswing, including tall bearded irises and re-bloomers. Look for newvarieties this yearin addition to those favorites.
Irises canbepurchased for $4.50 each,
and she also sells gift certificates.It’s easy to get excited as the days get
warmer in the early spring.AndBurrell un-derstands that excitement and anticipation.But she has stoppedposting anopeningdate onherwebsite because it depends onweather, and it can varywildly. In the past,she has countedonopening forMemorialDayweekend, but she doesn’tmakepromis-es anymore.
“I never know for sure because of theweather,” Burrell said, “so I always tell peo-plewhen they see irises blooming in theirneighborhood,wewill be opening.”
U-PICK FARM(HILL ROADGARDENS)5600HillRoad,Boisewww.hillroadgardens.com/Hill_Road_Gardens/Home.html
There is an acre of produce growingoffHill Road, and the community is invited topick vegetables duringU-Pick days startingin early June and continuing through theendof the growing season. Bring your ownbag andpay $5 to fill it upwith producefrom the farm; children can fill a bag for$2.50.U-Pick days begin June 1 and are of-feredweekly onSaturdays from 1:30 to 6p.m. until the endof themonth (note thatthe dates are subject to change).U-Pickdays andhours change in July,August andSeptember.Visitors are invited to have apicnic on the farmduringU-Pick days.Visitthe officialwebsite formore informationand anupdated schedule.
Want the experience of planting vegeta-bles but lack the space to do it at home?Visit the farm for aU-Plantworkshop,where participants learnhow toplant seedsand then get a voucher to return for aU-Pick day.Workshops are held at 5 p.m. onSundays throughout the spring and sum-mer; the firstworkshop isApril 7. SignupontheHill RoadGardenswebsite.
CONTINUED FROMPAGE 3
Provided by JoAnn’s IrisGardenJoAnn’s IrisGarden inEagle isa floraldelight.
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COMMUNITYGARDENS
No time (or space) to enjoy a garden athome?Noworries. There aremany commu-nity gardens around theValley that allowfolks to participate in the gardening experi-ence.Here are just a few to consider:
MERIDIANCOOPERATIVEGARDEN
JuliusKleinerMemorialPark, 1900RecordsAve.,Meridian;meridiancoopgardeners@gmail.com
Free gardening space is available for any-one to use in this community garden.Usethe space thewayyouwould at your ownhome: Plan to doyour ownplanting andmaintenance.Themain restriction is thatyou can’t sell anything you growhere.Anyexcess crops are donated to theMeridianFoodBank.
BORAHCOMMUNITYGARDEN
BorahPark,6643W.CassiaSt.,Boiseborahgarden@gmail.com
This popular garden space, located inBorahPark, is utilized by a broadvariety ofpeople in the community.Although somelive in theBorahneighborhood, others trav-el across town tomaintain their gardenplothere. Space is occasionally available (for anannual fee). Email borahgarden@gmail.comto inquire about space availability for 2013.
DOWNTOWNTEACHINGFARM
On thecornerof 12thandFort streets,Boisedowntownteachingfarm@gmail.com
Students and teachers fromBoiseHighSchoolmanage this urban farm, and com-munitymembers are encouraged to pitch into helpmaintain the space and learnmoreabout gardening.To see a list of current
needs and activities, visit http://downtown-teachingfarm.blogspot.com.
ÆVisit Let’sMoveBoise online for a listof other community gardens:www.letsmoveboise.com/?page_id=125.
ÆMany community gardens providefood to area pantries. Learnwhere to donatefreshproduce throughLet’sMoveBoise’spantry distribution list:www.letsmoveboise.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/20120905133212598.pdf.
GROWAROW
www.letsmoveboise.comLet’sMoveBoise and theBoiseUrban
GardenSchool (BUGS)developedGrowaRow, now in its secondyear, to encouragefamilies to develophealthier eating habitsand to help fight community hunger bydo-nating someof the produce they grow to lo-cal foodbanks.Get started bypicking up apacket at one of the following locations:
ÆBoiseUrbanGardenSchool,731N. 15th St.
Æ IdahoBotanicalGarden,2355OldPenitentiaryRoad
ÆHealthwise, 2601 BogusBasinRoadÆBoise Parks&RecreationAdministra-
tionOffice, 1104Royal Blvd.GrowaRowparticipants get six packets
of seeds, planting and gardening tips, a seedplanting guide and adistribution list for lo-cal foodpantries and community centers.
Partners for theGrowaRowprojectinclude theBoiseUrbanGardenSchool, Ida-hoBotanicalGarden,Healthwise,The IdahoFoodbank,BoiseParks&Recreationand theBlueCrossof IdahoFoundation forHealth.
Ifyouneedanswers togardeningandfoodpreparationquestionsorpestandpesticidequestionsorwant to takeamastergardenerclassorother food-andfamily-relatedclasses,youshouldcheckouta localUniversityofIdahoExtensionOffice forhelp.
Visitanextensionoffice:Open8a.m.-5p.m.MondaythroughFriday, exceptholidays.
ÆAdaCounty: 5880GlenwoodSt.,Boise,287-5900, email:ada@uidaho.edu
ÆCanyonCounty: 501MainSt.,Caldwell,459-6003, email:canyon@uidaho.edu
Visit themonlineatwww.uidaho.edu/extension/adaandwww.uidaho.edu.exten-sion/canyonor tryweb.cals.uidaho.edu/idahogardens andwww.extension.uidaho.edu/youthfamilyhealth.asp.
Thecountyextensionofficesprovideawealthof information through theirwebsites.Thereisa lotof Idaho-specific informationforlandscapingandgardeningaswellas linkstoinformationfromacrossthenation.Forexam-ple, linktoasitewhereyoucandownload theUSDAcompleteguide tohomecanningfor free.
Takeaclass:Therearecourses inmastergardening, foodsafety,canningandother foodpreparationandmore.For instance, theMasterFoodSafetyAdvisorprogramstartsApril23.Learnabout foodpreservationso thatyoucanthen teachandhelpothers.Theclass is from9a.m. to3p.m.onTuesdays for sevenweeksfromApril23through June4.CallSueSchultzeat287-5900 foranapplicationorinformation.Keepaneyeon thewebsites formore informationandclassoptions.
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Edible gardens are a fascinating and funway to landscape your home.Theyper-formdouble duty, not only providing a bountiful harvest, but also creating a dis-tinctive andbeautiful aesthetic. These gardens canbenarrow in focus or broad
anddiversewith lots of color, texture, shape and size.Although edible landscapinghas recently increased in popularity, these gardens have been around for some time.Historically, they have been referred to asVictoryGardens or Frenchpotager. Today,there are countless sensational plant varieties thatmake it even easier to blur thelines between traditional landscapes andproductive gardens.Here are some ideas toenhance or completely renovate your current landscape.
FOUNDATIONSFOR
SUCCESS
1.Tostart,shifttheparadigmbyrejectingthatvegetablesandotherediblesneedtobeinrows.Edible flowers, herbsandveg-giescanminglewith shrubsand trees in the landscape.Letthemblend together in freeflowing, yet thoughtfulpairingstocreatean interestingdesign.Flowersencouragepollinators(imperative for fruitproduc-tion)andaddcolorand texture.Visualizeflowing forms, texturesandcolors thatbeginlowat thebed’s edgeandriseupandaway.
2.Developaplan.Determineyourobjec-tives forbothproductionandaesthetics. Italsohelps to thinkofdifferent areasaroundyourhome landscapeas “rooms,”both intermsofentertainingorplaying, aswell asthe “crops”youwant.Asyouplan,don’t for-get toallowspace forplants as theygrow.
3.Lookdown.Everygardener, researcher,educatorandhorticultureprofessionalwillagree that agreatgardenstartswithhealthy,living soil.This is especially true forediblesthatprovideuswithnutrients. Poor soil?Noproblem—goup!Usecontainersandraisedbeds toprovidegoodsoil foryouredibles tothrive.Alsobesureyouhaveaccess tocleanwaterand that the sunexposurematchesyourplants’ needs.
WHATTOPLANT
Belowaresomeofmyfavoriteplants foranattractiveandproductiveedible land-scape.
Annuals:Twotypesof amaranth,RedLeafGiant andLoveLiesBleeding, are stunningplants remarkable in their size, foliageandflower.Theyprovidea large focalpoint,cascading flowersandedible leavesandseed.Parsleygivesa ferny, soft texture tobeds, bor-
dersandmixedcontainers.Fragrantbasil lovesourheatand is available inahugevari-etyof flavors, colors, texturesandsizes. Lemonverbena,versatile incookingandsalads,is amust-grow. It canbegrowninapotandoverwintered in-side.And then there is theex-ceptionalvarietyof colorfuland tasty tomatoes, peppers,lettuces, cabbagesandsquashthatmakeupour seasonal gar-
dens.Toaddwhimsey, incorporatepurplebroccoli orchartreusecauliflower.
Perennials:Manyherbscomefromthis cat-egoryandcanprovide foundationandstruc-ture inourotherwise seasonal gardens.Lavenderandsage (Salviaofficinalis) comeinsilvergray, goldenvariegated, tricolor andpurple. Lemonbalm,oregano, chives, straw-berries andmints arealso strongperformers.
Shrubs:Theseprovide structureandhelpdefineonespace fromanotherbyscreeningorcreatingbarriers. For somethingunique,incorporatecurrantsorgooseberries.Cur-rantsnotonlyprovide fruit, but areattractiveanddrought-tolerant.Raspberries, blackber-ries andgrapesarealsogreatperformers formultiseason interest.Acid-lovingblueberriestypically struggle in theTreasureValley’s al-kaline soils; trygrowing themincontainerswhere thesoil chemistrycanbecontrolled.
Fruittrees:Apples, plumsandother fruitsoffer shade, structureandanabundanceofflowersand fruit. If space is limited, growthree-wayespalieredapples,whicharegraft-edwithcomplementarypollinatingvarietiesof three typesof apples. For improvedpro-ductionand fruit quality, prunepeachesandcherrieswithopencenters.Notableperform-ersareMountRainier, abeautiful self-fertile“white”cherry, andAsianpears,whichareprolific inour climate.
Lushgardenscanincludeherbs,vegetables, fruits
Landscapes you cansink your teeth into
Creative landscapingTOBYMANCINIHorticulturemanager at
the IdahoBotanicalGarden
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 7
By latesummer, youcansee tomatoes, squashandothervegetablesmaturing in thesameraisedbed.TOBYMANCINI/ Special to the Statesman
Amaranthoffers lovelybloomsaswell asa tinybut
tastyhigh-proteingrain.MCT file
TOBYMANCINI/ Special to the StatesmanIn thespring,colorful flowersdominatethisbed inMancini’sgarden,but italso includesherbsandvegetabletransplants.Lookbelowfora laterview.
TOBYMANCINI/ Special to the StatesmanTocontainprolific spreaders likechives,Mancini growstheminplanters.Alsopicturedhere isoneofhis fiveblueberrybushesgrowinginahalfwinebarrel.
Asalways, the IdahoBotanicalGarden ishere toanswerquestionsandprovideyouwith ideasand inspiration.Visitusat2355OldPenitentiaryRoad inEastBoise(idahobotanicalgarden.org) toseehowweincorporateedibles intoourgardens.Herearesomeadditional resources tobeginyourown landscaping journey:
Design ideasÆwww.pinterest.com:searchgardening,gardens, edible landscapingÆRosalindCreasy,www.rosalindcreasy.comÆOrganicGardening,www.organicgardening.com
Expertise of local greenhousesTherearemany inourarea, includingEdwardsGreenhouse(www.edwardsgreenhouse.com),FranzWitteNursery(www.franzwitte.com),FarWestLandscapeandGardenCenter(www.farwestgardencenter.net)andNorthEndOrganicNursery(www.northendnursery.com).
Soil andpest issues, tips onplants forour areaÆAdaCountyCooperativeExtensionService,www.uidaho.edu/extension/adaÆCanyonCountyCooperativeExtensionService,www.uidaho.edu/extension/canyon(Seepage5 tolearnmoreaboutExtensionOffices)
Other resources:ÆTheAmericanGardener January/February2013, “ANewEra forCurrants”Æ “EdibleLandscaping”byRosalindCreasy,SierraClubBooks,2010ÆOrganicGardeningmagazineÆMotherEarthLivingmagazineÆZone4Magazine
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The tomatoes I grew lastsummerwere eaten longago. So I turned to the
grocery store formore.The tomatopicturedon
this page is one that I bought. That “blem-ish”wasn’t therewhen I chose it at the store.It appeareddays later, and Iwatched it growas it sat on the countertop.
Doyouknowwhat’s causing the blemish?Since the tomato sat in thewarmkitchen
near a south-facingwindow, filledwith itsown juice, the seeds had the perfectmedi-um to sprout. Andoneof themdid just that!It’s been funwatching it growunder its par-ent’s skin. In the photo on the left, you cansee the root at the top and the twogreenleaves.You can see the emergingplant inthe photo on the right.
The seedswebuydon’t have that advan-tage.They’ve been extracted from their per-fect growingmedium, dried andkept in coolconditions untilwehumansdecidewhen tolet themgrow.
Whydowe start seeds indoors, anyway?TheNo. 1 reason is length of growing sea-son.Most of the vegetableswegroware na-
tive towarmer parts of theworldwithmuch longergrowing seasons.TheTreas-ureValley has thewarmth inthe summer to grow these
plants, but not in the spring. Even the plantswegrow for flowersmayneed ahead startby germinating indoors.
Starting seeds indoors also givesseedlings protection from things like hun-gry slugs, snails, bunnies, etc. Indoor germi-nation also keeps seedlings safe fromspringfloods, late frosts, hail andmore.
GETTINGSTARTED
To start plants indoors, you’ll need aplantingmedium(sterile potting soil, butnever garden soil), enough light,warmthandmoisture.You’ll also needpots.
A lot of things canbeused for pots, butsome things shouldn’t be used.Goodpotsare anyplastic containers that are deeperthan they arewide, like yogurt cups or somesour cream tubs.Awider container is hard-er to keepwarm in the centerwhere theseed is. A shallowcontainer doesn’t allowroots to growdeep.
Somepeople like to use old egg cartons,containers labeled as “peat” pots or newspa-per formed into cups.With these types ofcontainers, the roots tend to grow into thesides. To keep from tearing off tender roottipswhen removing the plants from thosecontainers, insteadplant the container,seedling and all. Just be sure to tear off anypart of the rimof the pot that sticks out ofthe ground, or itwill act as awick and cause
the soil around the transplant to dry out.
READTHESEEDPACKET
Most seedpacketswill have informationon the back regarding seedplanting depth,days to germination, spacing the plants inthe garden, sun andmoisture requirementsand the eventual size of the plant.Vegetableseedpacketsmay indicatewhenyou canex-pect a harvest.
Some tips to get plants started from seedGardening
ELAINEWALKERAdvancedMasterGardener
Provided by ElaineWalkerSometimes, youdon’tevenhave toplantaseed toget it tosprout.That’swhathappenedtoaseedin thisgrocery-store tomato.
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Look at the size of the seeds in the packetandnote howdeep they should beplanted.You’ll find thatmost seeds should beplant-ed three to four times thewidth of the seed.Large seeds such asmelons or gourdsshould beplanted 1-inch to 1 1/4-inchdeepand small seeds like lettuce or carrotsshould be about 1/4-inchdeep.
Knowing thenumber of days to germina-tion is helpful because if a seeddoesn’t ger-minate—sprout—by the last day of therange, it’s unlikely to do so at all.
Often that’s because the plantingmediumwas kept either toowet or too cool;mostvegetable seedswon’t germinate unless thesoil is at least 65 degrees. You can try re-planting or use that space for a differentvariety of seeds.
Room temperature is good enough formost seeds to germinate, but using a heatingpad and light bulbs that generate heatwillgive extrawarmth. Be extra careful to keephot light bulbs far enough above theseedlings that the leaves don’t get burned.
PLANTANDROWSPACINGOUTSIDE INYOURGARDEN
I have a packet of carrot seeds in front ofme. It says to plant the seeds 2 inches apartin the rowand the rows should be 12 inchesapart.Whycan’t the seeds beplanted2 inches apart in all directions?
Theycan.Thepackets say toplant therows 12 inches apart forharvestingpurposes.If you’re going toplant carrots in long rows,you’ll need to leave space toget in there andharvest them. If youplant in a4-foot-wideraisedbedas I do, youcanplant rowsof car-rot seeds 2 inches apart.That’s thebasicprinciple of “square-foot” gardening.
LIGHT IS CRUCIALFor best resultswith your seedlings in-
doors, you’ll need a light source that canbelowered to sit right above the pots andraised as the seedlings grow. Putting them inawindow isOKbutwon’t give youoptimalresults.Using a light source that is tooweak
or too far from the seedlingswill causethem to grow too tall too fast. Theseseedlingswill soon fall over because theirstems are too stretchedout andweak.Theseedlingswill never reach their optimumgrowing andproducing capacity.
Most of the vegetableswegrowneed tobe in full sunoutdoors.Will a 12-inch-tallplant get enough sun if it’s planted on thenorth side of corn or other tall plants?Theheight of themature plant is important forgardenplanningpurposes. Place tallerplants to the north of short ones.
‘HARDENINGOFF,’ TRANSPLANTINGIn yearswhenwehave cool tempera-
tures into early June, youmayneed to trans-plant seedlings into larger pots to keep themgrowing andhealthy until they canbehard-enedoff andplantedoutdoors.
Theprocess of hardening off gets theplants used to the outdoors after havingbeen coddled in perfect indoor conditionsfromDayOne. Start the process on awarm,not toowindyday. Put the seedlings in ashady, protected area outdoors for abouttwohours. Thenbring themback inside un-der lights. Eachday, increase the timeout-doors in the shade.
After a fewdays, put the seedlings in fullsun for twohours. Thenput themback inthe shade so the tender leaves don’t getburned. Eachday, increase the hours in fullsun. Soonyou’ll leave themout overnight,but bring them in if theweather turns frosty.
When theweather finallywarmsup forgood, the plants can go in the garden.That’susually aroundMemorialDay, butwatch theweather. If frost is forecast after youhaveset transplants out, youmayneed to coverthemwithHot-Kaps, rowcover or plasticmilk jugswith their bottoms removed.
Questions? Email Elaine at highprairielandscape
design@yahoo.com. And read her column online
every other Thursday at the Statesman’s website,
www.IdahoStatesman.com/gardening.
GENIEARCANO/ garcano@idahostatesman.comTraysof seedlingsgetplentyof light inagreenhouse,whichalsooffersprotection fromfrostyspringweather. If youaregrowingseedlings indoors, youmayneedsupplemental lighting.Grow-lightsaresold locallyandonline, and the InternetalsooffersavarietyofDIYsolutions.
10 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
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Most of us think ofplanting seeds togrowplants, but
there are otherways, andspring is the best time tostart.
Oneof themost satisfy-ingmethods of getting newplants is fromcuttings.Spring is the best time toroot herbaceous cuttings—lengths of pliable newstemgrowth.You can easily growanew tree,vine or shrub fromsuch a start, and itwillbe identical to the “parent.”
Say, for instance, youhave one shrub andyouwant twoof that exact kind.Afterspring growth starts, you’ll notice that at theendof awoodybranch, part of the branch isgreen and flexible. Cut, pinchor break offthat greenpart, use a single-edge razorblade to trim it so the cut isn’t ragged, dip itin rooting hormone, thenplace it in damp
plantingmix, out of directsunlight for a dayor two.Thenyoumay tent the potcontaining the newcuttingwith clear plasticwrap thatdoesn’t touch the cutting.
I’ve hadbest luckwithcuttings nomore than twoor three inches long,withat least a couple of smallleaves at the upper end. It’stempting to take a longer
cutting, but remember there are no roots yetto feed the plant, so long cuttings easily fail.
I use a powdered rooting hormone calledRootone and flick off excess before putting acutting into a hole created by a large chop-stick or pencil.
There’s no expirationdate onRootoneandperhaps other brands of rooting hor-mones, but I’ve been told the hormone isonly viable for about sixmonths.
Some folks don’t use a rooting hormone,
Propagating shrubsis fun and economical
GardeningMARGARET
LAUTERBACH
GENIEARCANO/ garcano@idahostatesman.comAfterdipping thecutend in rootinghormone,place thestemcutting invermiculiteoranothersterileplantingmedium.
but insteadusewater thatwillowor forsythia cuttings haverecently soaked in, since they contain a natural hormone forpropagation. I’ve had the best luck usingRootone, however.
I don’t use the plasticwrap tent, butmanypeople do.Watch closely formold to develop andgive the planting airand sun if that happens.
I give a newcutting dappled light or indirect sunlight fora fewweeks until a gentle upward tug on the cutting indi-cates it has started to form roots.Don’t let the plantingmixdry out completely, but don’t drown it either. It needs a littlemoisture to remain viable, but you shouldn’t create an envi-ronment formold.
If someonehas a shruborvine you’d like a cuttingfrom, goodmanners (and le-gality) require you ask forand receive permission toobtain a cutting. Someplants are patented, so tak-ing a cutting for anyonebutthe ownerwould be illegal,or the plant ownermayhavealreadypromised toomanycuttings to others.
WOODYCUTTINGS
Propagation is also possi-blewithwoody cuttings, butthat’s usually best donedur-ing the dormant season,when cuttingsmaybeplant-ed in a boxof sand to root,or in the site youwant thatwoodyplant to grow.
Folks usually use a hori-zontal cut for the bottomofthe cutting and a slanted cutfor the top end for both thehardwood and softwoodcuttings.
It’s very easy to confuse“up” and “down”on a cutting, and it’s a fatal (to the cutting)mistake.
Somemultiply grape vines using cuttings obtained inFebruarywhen theyprune.All cuttings should be at leastthe diameter of a pencil, and contain twoor three nodesshorter than about seven inches thatwill develop leaves orbranches.
A former extension agent from theUniversity of Idaho,TonyHorn, advocated rooting grapeprunings byburyingthemvertically upside down for a fewweeks before settingthemupright in pots of plantingmix. Byputting themup-side down tobeginwith, growthhormoneswouldmove tothe upper end in a couple ofmonths.Those cuttingswouldthenhave the active hormone at the true bottom to stimu-late rooting.
Whenwehadour back fence replaced,wehad to severe-ly cut back a grapevine given tomebymy late friend, RossHadfield. It hadbeen lightly pruned in February andhadn’tyet leafed out, but Imade cuttings and thrust them intomygarden soil in full sun.All four cuttings rooted and grew.
LAYERING
Another propagationmethod for shrubs is layering.Takea pliable branch that’s near ground level and slice into it(but not completely through) on an angle on the bottomofthe branch.Thenpeg the branch tightly to the ground sothe cut partmakes contactwith soil.
Better yet, put the branch into a small trench and cover itwith soil. Itmay take a fewweeks or even a couple of
months, but the sitewhere you cut into the branch shouldgrow roots. After rooting begins, you can cut the branchloose from themother shrub, andplant the new little shrubor vine in a new location.
LEAFCUTTINGS
Someplants, such as begonias, peperomia andAfricanviolets,maybepropagatedusing just a leaf andpart of thestem thrust into a sifted grit andpeatmix at a shallowangle.Grit alone alsoworks.
A computer friend in theEast babied seeds and cuttings
of plants shewanted to reproduce, failing to get growth.Then at the edge of her gravel driveway, she spotted volun-teer seedlings of the plant she’d been trying to grow fromseed in rich potting soil.
I think grit is sold by farmsupply stores as “chicken grit”or “turkey grit.”
Margaret Lauterbach’s gardening column appears every Friday in
the Statesman’s Life section. To contactMargaret, email her at
melauter@earthlink.net or write to Gardening, The Idaho
Statesman, P.O. Box 40, Boise, ID 83707.
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 11
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Margaret,whohasbeentheStatesman’sgardeningcolumnistsince1993, isworkingonabook thatwillhelpTreasureValleygardenerswitheverythingfromcomposting tochoosingplantsright forourarea todealingwiththoseharmfulbugsandothergardenpests.Muchof thebookiscomposedofMargaret’sbestcolumnsfromover theyears,buttherewillalsobenew in-formationaswellas listsofvegetablesandotherplantsthatgrowwell inourValley.Beon thelookoutformoreinformationaboutthebookinMar-garet’sweeklycolumn.
MARGARET
LAUTERBACH’S
UPCOMINGBOOK
12 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
WATERWISEPLANTSthatwillworkinyourgarden
There aremanywonderful drought-tolerant plants available for our south-ern Idahogardens. Someof theplantsincludedhere arenative to Idaho,while others arenot.All are commer-cially available, sun-loving andeasilygrown. Formore suggestionsonwaterwise landscaping choices,visit the IdahoBotanicalGardenat2355OldPenitentiaryRoad inBoiseorthe IdahoNativePlant Societyonlineatwww.idahonativeplants.org.
Sulfurbuckwheat (Eriogonumumbel-latum)grows ineveryWesternstate.It is tremendouslyvariable in termsofflowercolor, leaf shapeandsize.
RockyMountainpenstemon(Penstemonstrictus) isnativetoavarietyofhabitatsin themiddleandsouthernRockyMountains.PlantsbloominJuneandJulyon2-foot-tall stalksandgrowbest in full sunwith lowtomoderateamountsofwater.
ThisSouthwestnative,Coloradofouro’clock(Mirabilismultiflora),growsbest in full sunonwell-drainedsoils. It flowersprolifically fromJuly throughSeptember.
All photos byAnnDeBolt
Believe itornot, thisTexasnativeknownasTexas redyucca(Hesper-aloeparviflora) iseasy togrow inBoise, as longassoilsare reason-ablywell-drained. It thrives insunnydry locations inourarea.
Therearemany typesofpenstemontochoosefrom.RockyMountainpenstemon(Penstemonstrictus),pineleafpen-stemon(P.pinifolius),Venuspen-stemon(P. venustus)andsulfurbuckwheat(Eriogonumumbellatum)addcolor tothis sunnylandscape inBoise’sNorthEnd.
Lewis’mock-orange(Philadelphus lewisii),sometimesknownassyringa, is Idaho’sstate flowerandacommonlyavailableshrub forour region. Flowersperfumetheairwith theirorangeblossom-likescent inearly tomid-June.
TheWaterConservationLandscapealongOldPenitentiaryRoadontheapproachtotheIdahoBotanicalGardeniswateredbydripemitters.Thistypeof irrigationconserveswaterandminimizesweeds.UnitedWaterpro-videdgrantfundsforthisdemonstrationgarden,whichincludescatmint(Nepetafaassenii ‘Walker’sLow’), lavendercotton(Santolinasp.),sunsethyssop(Agastacherupestris)andsumac(Rhusaromatica ‘GrowLow’).
Desertwillow(Chilopsis linearis) isaSouthwestnativeshruborsmall treethatflowersfromJulyuntil first frost. IntheTreasureValley, theremaybesomewinterdie-back,whichcanbeprunedawayinJuneastheplantsbegintogrow.
XericgardensANNDEBOLT
Botanist at theIdahoBotanicalGarden
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 13
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Nothing ismore attractive to kitties thansoft, fine soil, and it’s super annoyingwhentheydisrupt a carefully planted rowof car-rots or upend thepansies I have just stuck inthe ground.This is not tomention thesmellymess that’s left behind.
Over the years I havediscovered a fewofwhat I like to call “cat baffles.”
ÆLay rowcover over newlyplanted seedbeds (this also deters insects).Or use chick-enwire or cheap lightweight plastic fencing(about 3-4 feet high orwide) sold at big boxgarden centers. Securewith rocks or gardenstaples.When the sprouts are big enough todefend themselves, remove the rowcoveror fencing.Usually by then, the soil aroundtheplants is firmenough to be less of atemptation to cats.
ÆUse inexpensive foldingwire edging—the kind about a foot high—placing it overthe rowof seedlings or newlyplanted seedsin a tight zigzag pattern.This also offers
some support to the plants as they grow.ÆPutupatemporarychickenwireorplas-
tic fenceabout3or4 feethigharound just-seededpatches. I’ve foundmostcatswon’tbother trying to jumpevenaflimsybarrier.
ÆUseplasticmilk jugswith the bottomscut off to cover transplants. Removewhentheplants arewell established.You can alsouse plastic orwaxpaper cups.Moundenough soil around the base of the cover toprevent it fromblowing away.These alsoprotect the plants fromhot sun andwind.
Æ If these inexpensive solutions don’twork for you,many garden supply catalogssellmotion-activated “scarecrow”devicesthat hookup to a hose and spray a strong jetofwater at invading critters. They’re a bitpricey, but you canmove themaround theyard and train cats (anddogs, deer andoth-er animals) to stay away.
ÆFinally, ifyouryardisbigenough, lookforanout-of-the-wayplacethatdoesn’tgetregularwaterwhereyoucanloosenthesoilandjustleaveit tothecats.Andremember, firmwell-mulchedgroundisnotthatattractivetothem.
Cats digging in your garden?
©2013 Idaho StatesmanHere are a fewof the critters that com-
monly plague our gardens.Borers kill black locust, ash,mountain ash,
white-barkedbirchandstone fruit trees suchas peach. Scale insects are also destructive.Both are mainly controlled with systemicpoisons, obviously inappropriate for fruittrees. Scale insects can be smothered by oil-based sprays, but borers cannot.
Box-elder bugs gather in hordes in thespringonsouthsidesofbuildingsand fences.They suck nutrients from box elder andmaple treesbutdo littledamage to them.Youcanvacuumthemandempty thebag intohotsoapywater or spray themwith insecticidalsoap.
Earwigsare startling and annoying, and al-though they’re partly beneficial, feeding onaphidsandevenflies, they’realsodestructive,chewingonplantsand jumpingoutof flowersinto gardeners’ sinks. Trap them in corruga-tions of cardboard and shake them into abucket of hot soapywater eachmorning.
Aphidsareanother springpest,whichmayreproduce rapidly until stems of plants arethickly covered. The worst thing aboutaphids is that they can and do transmit dis-eases. Some folks plant chives among rosesto repel aphids, others blast them off with ajet of water from the hose.Most aphids can-not fly and die before walking back onto aplant.Wasps devour them, and then the oth-erbeneficial insects suchas lacewingand la-dy beetle larvae arrive to feast on aphids.
Cabbage loopers, the green larvae of smallwhite butterflies, dine on broccoli and other
cole crops.Youcankeep thebutterflies fromlaying eggs by covering the plants with agri-cultural fleece; organically approved sprayscontainingBacillus thuringiensis kill the lar-vae but not other insects.
Slugs are amajor pest especially of foliageplants such as hosta, acanthus and, yes, let-tuce. Iron phosphate baits are effective andallegedly pet safe. Diatomaceous earth killsthem but has to be reapplied after watering.Slugs feed at night, when they can be hand-picked or sprayed with a mixture of halfhousehold ammonia andhalfwater.
Margaret Lauterbach andGenie Arcano
Valleyhas itsshareofplantpests
This isonepestIdahohasnothad toworryabout—up tillnow.Late lastsum-mer,astateDepart-mentofAgriculturesurveydetecteda total of56 Japanesebee-tles in Idaho,51of theminAdaCounty.Thestate immediatelyset traps todeterminetheextentof the infestationandplans fur-ther trappingandpesticide treatmentsasneeded thisseason.
Atboth thelarvalandadultstages,Popil-lia japonica isahighlydestructivepestoflawns, foliage, flowersandfruits. It isawide-spreadproblemeastof theMississippi.
Formoreinformation,contact the ISDADivisionofPlant Industriesat332-8627.
JAPANESEBEETLES
BOISEFLOWER&GARDENSHOWWhen:Friday throughSunday,March22-24Where:BoiseCentreHours: 10a.m. to9p.m.March22, 10a.m. to8p.m.March23, 11a.m. to5p.m.March24Admission:Adults$8 foradults, $3 forages 12 to17and free for childrenyounger than 12Information:www.gardenshowboise.comBreathtakingdisplays, seminars, foodandmusicandplentyof informationwillbepartof the 17than-nualBoise Flower&GardenShow.A fewhighlights:ÆCheckout the lobbygardendesignedbySterlingLandscape.ÆDon’tmiss theorchid saleanddisplay to learnmoreabout careandmaintenance.ÆVisit theBuy IdahoPavilion to samplemade-in-Idahoproducts.ÆBid onacontainergardenat the silentPotLuckAuction (benefiting the IdahoBotanicalGarden’sLunariaGrantProgram).
NATIONALPUBLICGARDENSDAYWhen:9a.m. toduskFriday,May 10
Where: IdahoBotanicalGarden,2355OldPeniten-tiaryRoad,BoiseInformation:www.idahobotanicalgarden.orgCelebrateNationalPublicGardensDaywith freeadmission to theBotanicalGarden.
2013GARDENTOURWhen: 10a.m. to5p.m.Sunday, June23Cost:$20 for IdahoBotanicalGardenmembers;$25 fornon-members.Ticketsanddetailswillbeavailable onlineatwww.idahobotanicalgarden.orgorfrom the IdahoBotanicalGarden.Thisyear’s tourwill focusongardensin theEastEndofBoise, includinghomesonWarmSpringsAvenueandtheTableRockarea.Therewillbe sixprivategardensanda tourof the fire-wisegardenat theBotanicalGarden. Inaddition, thetour featuresa special guest:CiscoeMorris,apopu-larSeattle-areagardeningexpert,whohostsaweekly radio showandappearsoncable’sNorth-westNewsChannel.Morriswillvisit the tour stopsthroughout theday.
THEGARDENTABLE
Where: IdahoBotanicalGarden,2355OldPeniten-tiaryRoad,Boise(www.idahobotanicalgarden.org)When: IdahoBotanicalGardenhascombined twoevents (UncorkedandTheGardenPlate) intoonemonthlyseries thatbegins June25.TheGardenTablecombineswine tastingandcookingdemon-strations,and the focus ison items thatcanbepre-paredwithfooddirectly from thegarden.Theevent
isheld from5:30to8p.m.on the lastTuesdayofeachmonth in June, July,AugustandSeptember.Nosignup isneeded.Cost:Free for IdahoBotanicalGardenmembers;non-memberspaygeneraladmissionprices (gener-aladmission is$5 foradults, $3 for seniorsandages5 through 12and free forchildrenages4andyounger).
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 15
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Provided by the Idaho BotanicalGardenTheBoisegardensof JackandPamelaLemleywill bepartof the2013GardenTouronJune23.
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Star
t add
ingco
mpo
stto
your
soil.
❏Re
mov
epr
otec
tivewinterm
ulch
from
perenn
ial b
eds,trim
out o
ldfolia
gean
dap
plym
ulch
for s
umm
eras
soon
astrue
leav
esde
velop.
Mulch
will
cons
erve
moistur
ean
dhe
lppr
even
twee
ds.
❏Cov
erse
edlin
gsan
dtran
splant
swith
agric
ultu
ral fleec
eto
prot
ect fro
mbird
s.❏
Expe
ctro
ller-co
aster t
empe
ratu
res.
Don
’tge
t im
patie
ntan
dplan
t out
side
tooea
rly.
❏Plan
t bare-
root
rose
san
dtree
s.Arran
gedr
ipirr
igationof
new
plan
tsan
dm
ulch
towith
inab
out 2
or3inch
esof
trun
ks.
❏Divideov
ergrow
npe
renn
ials
exce
ptfor p
eonies
, lav
ende
r,Orie
ntal
popp
ies,
Sibe
rianirisan
dbe
arde
diris.
APR
IL❏
Shea
r bac
kgrou
ndco
vers
andwak
eup
your
flower
beds
with
age
neral fer
til-
izer.
❏Pr
unero
seswhe
nforsythiabloo
ms.
Fertilize
.❏
Prot
ect ten
der p
lant
sfrom
fros
t.❏
Whe
ntheforsythiabloo
ms,us
ecrab
-gras
spre-emerge
ntch
emicalor
aco
rn-
gluten
mea
ltreatmen
ttoprev
entc
rab-
gras
s.❏
Plan
t con
ifers, trees
andsh
rubs
.Also
plan
t sum
mer
bulbs:alliu
ms,ca
nnas
,ho
stas
andda
ylilies
.❏
Whe
nda
ffodils
bloo
m, p
lant
parsnip
seed
s.❏
Prun
ebu
ddleias,sh
rubdo
gwoo
dsan
dca
ryop
teris
.❏
Prun
elave
nder
tosh
apeas
itsh
ows
sign
sof
new
grow
th.
❏Be
ginha
rden
ingoff ind
oor s
eedlings
toac
clim
ateth
emto
outd
oor life
. She
l-ter t
ende
r see
dlings
from
wind.
❏W
atch
for a
phidsan
dkn
ockth
emfrom
plan
tswith
ablas
t ofw
ater. B
enefi-
cial
inse
ctswill
take
over
soon
.❏
Set u
psu
ppor
tsfor p
eonies
, delph
ini-
umsan
dot
her “
flopp
ers.”
MAY
❏Dea
dhea
d(rem
ovesp
ent b
loss
oms
from
) tulips,da
ffodils
andcroc
uses
.Don
’trem
ovefolia
geun
tilit’sye
llow
orbr
own.
❏Con
tinue
prun
ingsp
ring-
flowering
shru
bsim
med
iately
after t
heyha
vebloo
med
.❏
Loca
l lor
esa
ysth
atwhe
nth
esn
owis
meltedoff S
hafer B
utte
northof
Boise,
it’ssa
feto
plan
tmos
t ann
uals
outside.
May
9is
theav
erag
elast
date
offros
t in
theTrea
sure
Valley.
❏Ifyo
uha
ven’t fed
your
rose
s,do
itno
w.
❏In
mid-M
ay, d
irect
seed
corn
; inlate
May
, cuc
umbe
rs, b
eans
, squ
ash,
othe
rwarm
-wea
ther
vege
tables
andm
elon
s.❏
Feed
your
lawnwith
1/4of
itsan
nual
fertilize
r allo
tmen
t,un
less
you’re
usinga
mulch
ingm
ower.
❏Plan
t ann
uals
tofill inpe
renn
ial b
eds
andco
ncea
l yellowingfolia
geof
sprin
g-flo
weringbu
lbs.
JULY
❏Plan
t sho
rt-sea
sonbe
ans,be
ets,
carrot
s,co
llard
s,radish
es, c
abba
ge,
broc
colian
dsim
ilar p
lant
sfor s
econ
dha
rves
t infall.Plan
t spina
chlater.
❏M
akesu
reyo
uarewateringtree
sde
eply.
❏Th
infruit a
nddo
sum
mer
prun
ingto
correc
t sha
peof
shru
bsan
dtree
s.Pr
uningno
wwill
enco
urag
eth
eleas
tun
wan
tedgrow
th.
❏W
atch
for d
estruc
tiveinse
cts,an
dha
nd-p
ickor
blas
t offwith
water, if p
os-
sible.
❏Ifto
matoe
sge
t brownpa
pery
bot-
tom
sor
pepp
ersge
t brownpa
pery
sec-
tions
onth
eside
, it’s
usua
llybe
caus
eof
aca
lcium
defic
ienc
yca
used
byun
even
watering.
Aslong
astem
peratu
resare
pred
ominan
tlyun
der 1
00de
gree
s,de
eply
water
in-g
roun
dto
matoe
son
ceawee
k.Highe
r day
timetem
peratu
res
mea
nyo
une
edto
water
everyfour
orfiv
eda
ys.C
ontainer
plan
tsne
edm
ore
freq
uent
—ev
enda
ilyor
twice-
daily
—wateringin
very
hotw
eath
er.
❏Harve
stsh
allots
andon
ions
whe
nto
psdieba
ck.H
arve
stga
rlic.
SEPT
EMBE
R❏
Plan
t fas
t-grow
inglettuc
ean
dAsian
vege
tables
early
inth
em
onth
for h
ar-
vest
before
winter.
❏Plan
t spina
chan
dm
ache
for e
arly
sprin
gcrop
s.❏
Pot u
pfros
t-tend
erhe
rbsan
dpe
p-pe
rsforw
interin
gindo
ors.
❏Dividepe
onies,ifyo
ufeel
youm
ust.
They
cangrow
form
anyye
arswith
out
beingdivide
d.❏
Feed
lawn1/4of
itsan
nual
fertilize
rrequ
irem
ent.
❏Harve
stwinter s
quas
hwhe
na
thum
bnailw
on’tpe
netrateth
esk
in; c
an-
taloup
ewhe
nitdislod
gesea
sily
from
thevine
,whe
nan
tsap
pear, o
rwhe
nyo
urca
t/do
gtake
sabite; a
ndwater-
melon
whe
nth
ebe
llyis
yello
wan
dth
evine
tend
rilne
ares
t the
melon
isbr
own
anddr
y(o
rwhe
nitso
unds
hollo
wwhe
nyo
uth
umpit)
.❏
Harve
stba
sil if tem
peratu
resarepr
e-dicted
tofallbe
low
38de
gree
s.
OCTO
BER
❏Ave
rage
killing
fros
t isab
outO
ct. 9
.❏
Plan
twild
flower
seed
sth
atne
edstratif
ication(freez
ingan
dth
awing)
.❏
Later inth
em
onth
, plant
garlican
dsh
allot c
love
s.❏
Rem
ovelong
cane
sof
rose
sth
atco
uldda
mag
eot
her c
anes
bywind
whipp
ing.
Givetree
sde
epdr
inks
ofwa-
ter.
❏St
art c
lean
ingga
rden
.Disco
nnec
tho
ses.Hav
esp
rinkler
system
blow
nou
tin
early
Octob
er.
NOVEM
BER
❏Sp
read
last
halfof
lawn’san
nual
fer-
tilizer
allotm
ent intw
ose
ssions
, awee
kor
twoap
art.
❏Use
power
mow
erto
vacu
uman
dsh
redleav
esfor u
seas
winterm
ulch
oras
additio
nsto
com
post.
❏Plan
t spr
ingflo
weringbu
lbsafter s
oil
tem
peratu
redr
opsbe
low
60de
gree
s.(B
uyyo
urbu
lbsea
rlier
inth
ese
a-so
nifyo
uwan
t abe
tter
selec-
tion.
Keep
inaco
ol, d
ryplac
eor
refrigerate.) F
orwinter
chee
r,bu
ybu
lbsfor for
c-ingindo
ors.
DEC
EMBE
R❏
Harve
stpa
rsnips
, kale,
beets,
turn
ips,leek
san
dca
rrot
safter a
mod
eratefros
t or light
snow
. Flavo
rwill
besw
eeter t
hen.
❏Che
cktree
san
dsh
rubs
forw
eak
orbr
oken
bran
ches
that
may
befelle
dby
snow
later.Yo
uca
nre-
mov
eth
eseno
w, spa
ringyo
urtree
orsh
rubda
mag
eth
atm
ight
adm
itdise
ase.
❏Onc
eth
egrou
ndfree
zes,m
ulch
perenn
ials, tak
ingca
reno
t topu
llm
ulch
tight
lyarou
ndth
em
ainstem
ortrun
k.Le
avean
inch
ortw
orin
gop
enarou
ndstem
ortrun
k,lest
you
crea
teidea
l con
ditio
nsfor c
rown
rot.
❏Ra
keleav
esfrom
flower
beds
toke
epth
emfrom
mattin
gan
ddirect-
ingm
oistur
eaw
ayfrom
plan
ts.
❏Cov
erstrawbe
rrieswith
pine
need
lestraw
orot
her s
traw
not
cont
aminated
byhe
rbicides
.❏
Mak
eho
liday
wreaths
orho
liday
deco
ratio
nsof
conifers
orot
her
evergree
ns.
JANUARY
❏Re
adca
talogs
anddr
eam
.Ord
erse
edsea
rly, tak
ingca
reno
t toor
der if
youstill
have
viab
lese
edsfrom
last
year.
❏Che
ckstor
edve
getables
freq
uent
ly,
rem
ovingth
oseth
atha
vero
t or o
ther
spoilage
indica
tors.
❏Ifyo
uha
ven’t a
lread
y,co
ver c
ompo
stpile
with
tarp
topr
even
t rainan
dsn
owfrom
leac
hing
nutrient
sou
t of the
pile.
❏Plan
t onion
andsh
allot s
eeds
in-
door
s.
FEBR
UARY
❏Inve
ntor
yho
ldings
infree
zer s
oyo
uca
nplan
wha
t toinclud
ean
dho
wm
uch
toplan
t inyo
urve
ggie
gard
enth
isye
ar.
❏Insp
ect g
arde
nto
ols.Re
mov
ean
yru
st. S
harp
ensp
ades
.❏
Che
ckth
e“b
ones
” of y
our lan
dsca
p-ingfor v
isua
l app
eal,an
dm
akeplan
sto
impr
oveitwith
adde
dsh
rubs
orha
rd-
scap
ing.
❏Plan
t see
dsof
broc
coli,ca
bbag
ean
dot
her c
olecrop
sindo
ors;pr
une
tree
s/sh
rubs
, exc
ept for
sprin
gbloo
merssu
chas
forsythiaan
dlilac
s.
TREA
SUREVALLEY
GARDEN
ING16-17
•FR
IDAY,
MARC
H22
, 2013 Gardening summer
YO
UR
HA
NDY,PU
LLO
UT
AN
DSAV
E
“Toeverything
thereisa
season
...”
ECCLESIAST
ES3:1
“The
diffe
rencebetween
gardeningandhousew
ork
isthatwhenyoudu
st, the
furnitu
redo
esn’t grow
andthekitchenfloor
doesn’tbloom
.”CASSANDRA
“MRS
.GRE
ENTH
UMBS
” DANZ
“Beforetherewards
theremust b
elabo
r.
Youplantbeforeyouharvest.
Yousowintearsbeforeyoureap
joy.”
RALPHRA
NSO
M“If you
have
a
garden
andalibrary,
youhave
everything
youneed.”
CICER
O
JUNE
❏Plan
t out
seed
lings
ofpe
ppers,to
ma-
toes
, egg
plan
tsan
dba
sil.W
atch
for late
fros
ts.
❏St
opfeed
ingtree
sby
June
15, toal-
low
them
topr
ogress
towardwinter d
or-
man
cy.
❏Ta
ckle
wee
dsregu
larly
andfreq
uent-
lyso
youke
epaha
ndle
onth
esitu
ation.
Rem
embe
r,m
ulch
also
keep
swee
dse
edsfrom
germ
inating.
❏Fe
edro
sesab
out e
very
threewee
ks.
❏M
onito
r law
n.W
henitge
tsabluish
cast
andfoot
prints
don’t b
ounc
eba
ckread
ily,w
ater
deep
ly.
❏Ke
epyo
urey
eou
t for
destru
ctivein-
sects;ifne
cess
ary,us
eth
eleas
t tox
icco
ntro
lsfir
st.
AUGUST
❏Fe
rtilize
rose
sfor las
t tim
eth
isse
a-so
n.M
ost g
arde
ners
stop
fertilizing
ros-
esby
Aug
. 15.
❏Pr
unem
aple
andbirchtree
s,rem
ov-
ingcros
sing
andwea
kbr
anch
es.
❏Harve
stpe
ppersto
stim
ulatefurthe
rpr
oduc
tion.
Harve
stan
ddr
yor
free
zehe
rbs.
❏Dividecrow
dedan
dno
nbloom
ing
bearde
diris.Ifyo
u’re
goingto
divide
Ori-
ental p
oppies
, doitdu
ringsu
mm
erdo
r-m
ancy
.❏
Collect, d
ryan
dlabe
l see
dsfrom
nonh
ybrid
plan
ts.
❏W
henco
rnsilkstu
rnbr
ownan
ddr
y,star
t che
ckingfor r
ipen
ess(e
aren
dsin-
side
husk
ssh
ould
bero
unde
dinstea
dof
pointed)
.
winter
Aseasonalto-dolist tokeep
youon
track fall
spring
MARC
H❏
Ifyo
uha
ven’t a
lread
y,be
ginse
eding
tend
erplan
tssu
chas
eggp
lant
san
dsw
eet p
eppe
rsindo
ors.Plan
t tom
atoe
sindo
orsat
theen
dof
them
onth
.❏
Outdo
ors,plan
tpotatoe
s,pe
as,spina
ch,
lettuc
e,be
ets,on
ions
andAsian
gree
ns.
❏Tran
splant
ordirect-see
dco
lecrop
ssu
chas
broc
coli,ca
bbag
e,ca
uliflow
eran
dBr
usse
lssp
rout
s.❏
Star
t add
ingco
mpo
stto
your
soil.
❏Re
mov
epr
otec
tivewinterm
ulch
from
perenn
ial b
eds,trim
out o
ldfolia
gean
dap
plym
ulch
for s
umm
eras
soon
astrue
leav
esde
velop.
Mulch
will
cons
erve
moistur
ean
dhe
lppr
even
twee
ds.
❏Cov
erse
edlin
gsan
dtran
splant
swith
agric
ultu
ral fleec
eto
prot
ect fro
mbird
s.❏
Expe
ctro
ller-co
aster t
empe
ratu
res.
Don
’tge
t im
patie
ntan
dplan
t out
side
tooea
rly.
❏Plan
t bare-
root
rose
san
dtree
s.Arran
gedr
ipirr
igationof
new
plan
tsan
dm
ulch
towith
inab
out 2
or3inch
esof
trun
ks.
❏Divideov
ergrow
npe
renn
ials
exce
ptfor p
eonies
, lav
ende
r,Orie
ntal
popp
ies,
Sibe
rianirisan
dbe
arde
diris.
APR
IL❏
Shea
r bac
kgrou
ndco
vers
andwak
eup
your
flower
beds
with
age
neral fer
til-
izer.
❏Pr
unero
seswhe
nforsythiabloo
ms.
Fertilize
.❏
Prot
ect ten
der p
lant
sfrom
fros
t.❏
Whe
ntheforsythiabloo
ms,us
ecrab
-gras
spre-emerge
ntch
emicalor
aco
rn-
gluten
mea
ltreatmen
ttoprev
entc
rab-
gras
s.❏
Plan
t con
ifers, trees
andsh
rubs
.Also
plan
t sum
mer
bulbs:alliu
ms,ca
nnas
,ho
stas
andda
ylilies
.❏
Whe
nda
ffodils
bloo
m, p
lant
parsnip
seed
s.❏
Prun
ebu
ddleias,sh
rubdo
gwoo
dsan
dca
ryop
teris
.❏
Prun
elave
nder
tosh
apeas
itsh
ows
sign
sof
new
grow
th.
❏Be
ginha
rden
ingoff ind
oor s
eedlings
toac
clim
ateth
emto
outd
oor life
. She
l-ter t
ende
r see
dlings
from
wind.
❏W
atch
for a
phidsan
dkn
ockth
emfrom
plan
tswith
ablas
t ofw
ater. B
enefi-
cial
inse
ctswill
take
over
soon
.❏
Set u
psu
ppor
tsfor p
eonies
, delph
ini-
umsan
dot
her “
flopp
ers.”
MAY
❏Dea
dhea
d(rem
ovesp
ent b
loss
oms
from
) tulips,da
ffodils
andcroc
uses
.Don
’trem
ovefolia
geun
tilit’sye
llow
orbr
own.
❏Con
tinue
prun
ingsp
ring-
flowering
shru
bsim
med
iately
after t
heyha
vebloo
med
.❏
Loca
l lor
esa
ysth
atwhe
nth
esn
owis
meltedoff S
hafer B
utte
northof
Boise,
it’ssa
feto
plan
tmos
t ann
uals
outside.
May
9is
theav
erag
elast
date
offros
t in
theTrea
sure
Valley.
❏Ifyo
uha
ven’t fed
your
rose
s,do
itno
w.
❏In
mid-M
ay, d
irect
seed
corn
; inlate
May
, cuc
umbe
rs, b
eans
, squ
ash,
othe
rwarm
-wea
ther
vege
tables
andm
elon
s.❏
Feed
your
lawnwith
1/4of
itsan
nual
fertilize
r allo
tmen
t,un
less
you’re
usinga
mulch
ingm
ower.
❏Plan
t ann
uals
tofill inpe
renn
ial b
eds
andco
ncea
l yellowingfolia
geof
sprin
g-flo
weringbu
lbs.
JULY
❏Plan
t sho
rt-sea
sonbe
ans,be
ets,
carrot
s,co
llard
s,radish
es, c
abba
ge,
broc
colian
dsim
ilar p
lant
sfor s
econ
dha
rves
t infall.Plan
t spina
chlater.
❏M
akesu
reyo
uarewateringtree
sde
eply.
❏Th
infruit a
nddo
sum
mer
prun
ingto
correc
t sha
peof
shru
bsan
dtree
s.Pr
uningno
wwill
enco
urag
eth
eleas
tun
wan
tedgrow
th.
❏W
atch
for d
estruc
tiveinse
cts,an
dha
nd-p
ickor
blas
t offwith
water, if p
os-
sible.
❏Ifto
matoe
sge
t brownpa
pery
bot-
tom
sor
pepp
ersge
t brownpa
pery
sec-
tions
onth
eside
, it’s
usua
llybe
caus
eof
aca
lcium
defic
ienc
yca
used
byun
even
watering.
Aslong
astem
peratu
resare
pred
ominan
tlyun
der 1
00de
gree
s,de
eply
water
in-g
roun
dto
matoe
son
ceawee
k.Highe
r day
timetem
peratu
res
mea
nyo
une
edto
water
everyfour
orfiv
eda
ys.C
ontainer
plan
tsne
edm
ore
freq
uent
—ev
enda
ilyor
twice-
daily
—wateringin
very
hotw
eath
er.
❏Harve
stsh
allots
andon
ions
whe
nto
psdieba
ck.H
arve
stga
rlic.
SEPT
EMBE
R❏
Plan
t fas
t-grow
inglettuc
ean
dAsian
vege
tables
early
inth
em
onth
for h
ar-
vest
before
winter.
❏Plan
t spina
chan
dm
ache
for e
arly
sprin
gcrop
s.❏
Pot u
pfros
t-tend
erhe
rbsan
dpe
p-pe
rsforw
interin
gindo
ors.
❏Dividepe
onies,ifyo
ufeel
youm
ust.
They
cangrow
form
anyye
arswith
out
beingdivide
d.❏
Feed
lawn1/4of
itsan
nual
fertilize
rrequ
irem
ent.
❏Harve
stwinter s
quas
hwhe
na
thum
bnailw
on’tpe
netrateth
esk
in; c
an-
taloup
ewhe
nitdislod
gesea
sily
from
thevine
,whe
nan
tsap
pear, o
rwhe
nyo
urca
t/do
gtake
sabite; a
ndwater-
melon
whe
nth
ebe
llyis
yello
wan
dth
evine
tend
rilne
ares
t the
melon
isbr
own
anddr
y(o
rwhe
nitso
unds
hollo
wwhe
nyo
uth
umpit)
.❏
Harve
stba
sil if tem
peratu
resarepr
e-dicted
tofallbe
low
38de
gree
s.
OCTO
BER
❏Ave
rage
killing
fros
t isab
outO
ct. 9
.❏
Plan
twild
flower
seed
sth
atne
edstratif
ication(freez
ingan
dth
awing)
.❏
Later inth
em
onth
, plant
garlican
dsh
allot c
love
s.❏
Rem
ovelong
cane
sof
rose
sth
atco
uldda
mag
eot
her c
anes
bywind
whipp
ing.
Givetree
sde
epdr
inks
ofwa-
ter.
❏St
art c
lean
ingga
rden
.Disco
nnec
tho
ses.Hav
esp
rinkler
system
blow
nou
tin
early
Octob
er.
NOVEM
BER
❏Sp
read
last
halfof
lawn’san
nual
fer-
tilizer
allotm
ent intw
ose
ssions
, awee
kor
twoap
art.
❏Use
power
mow
erto
vacu
uman
dsh
redleav
esfor u
seas
winterm
ulch
oras
additio
nsto
com
post.
❏Plan
t spr
ingflo
weringbu
lbsafter s
oil
tem
peratu
redr
opsbe
low
60de
gree
s.(B
uyyo
urbu
lbsea
rlier
inth
ese
a-so
nifyo
uwan
t abe
tter
selec-
tion.
Keep
inaco
ol, d
ryplac
eor
refrigerate.) F
orwinter
chee
r,bu
ybu
lbsfor for
c-ingindo
ors.
DEC
EMBE
R❏
Harve
stpa
rsnips
, kale,
beets,
turn
ips,leek
san
dca
rrot
safter a
mod
eratefros
t or light
snow
. Flavo
rwill
besw
eeter t
hen.
❏Che
cktree
san
dsh
rubs
forw
eak
orbr
oken
bran
ches
that
may
befelle
dby
snow
later.Yo
uca
nre-
mov
eth
eseno
w, spa
ringyo
urtree
orsh
rubda
mag
eth
atm
ight
adm
itdise
ase.
❏Onc
eth
egrou
ndfree
zes,m
ulch
perenn
ials, tak
ingca
reno
t topu
llm
ulch
tight
lyarou
ndth
em
ainstem
ortrun
k.Le
avean
inch
ortw
orin
gop
enarou
ndstem
ortrun
k,lest
you
crea
teidea
l con
ditio
nsfor c
rown
rot.
❏Ra
keleav
esfrom
flower
beds
toke
epth
emfrom
mattin
gan
ddirect-
ingm
oistur
eaw
ayfrom
plan
ts.
❏Cov
erstrawbe
rrieswith
pine
need
lestraw
orot
her s
traw
not
cont
aminated
byhe
rbicides
.❏
Mak
eho
liday
wreaths
orho
liday
deco
ratio
nsof
conifers
orot
her
evergree
ns.
JANUARY
❏Re
adca
talogs
anddr
eam
.Ord
erse
edsea
rly, tak
ingca
reno
t toor
der if
youstill
have
viab
lese
edsfrom
last
year.
❏Che
ckstor
edve
getables
freq
uent
ly,
rem
ovingth
oseth
atha
vero
t or o
ther
spoilage
indica
tors.
❏Ifyo
uha
ven’t a
lread
y,co
ver c
ompo
stpile
with
tarp
topr
even
t rainan
dsn
owfrom
leac
hing
nutrient
sou
t of the
pile.
❏Plan
t onion
andsh
allot s
eeds
in-
door
s.
FEBR
UARY
❏Inve
ntor
yho
ldings
infree
zer s
oyo
uca
nplan
wha
t toinclud
ean
dho
wm
uch
toplan
t inyo
urve
ggie
gard
enth
isye
ar.
❏Insp
ect g
arde
nto
ols.Re
mov
ean
yru
st. S
harp
ensp
ades
.❏
Che
ckth
e“b
ones
” of y
our lan
dsca
p-ingfor v
isua
l app
eal,an
dm
akeplan
sto
impr
oveitwith
adde
dsh
rubs
orha
rd-
scap
ing.
❏Plan
t see
dsof
broc
coli,ca
bbag
ean
dot
her c
olecrop
sindo
ors;pr
une
tree
s/sh
rubs
, exc
ept for
sprin
gbloo
merssu
chas
forsythiaan
dlilac
s.
TREA
SUREVALLEY
GARDEN
ING16-17
•FR
IDAY,
MARC
H22
, 2013 Gardening summer
YO
UR
HA
NDY,PU
LLO
UT
AN
DSAV
E
“Toeverything
thereisa
season
...”
ECCLESIAST
ES3:1
“The
diffe
rencebetween
gardeningandhousew
ork
isthatwhenyoudu
st, the
furnitu
redo
esn’t grow
andthekitchenfloor
doesn’tbloom
.”CASSANDRA
“MRS
.GRE
ENTH
UMBS
” DANZ
“Beforetherewards
theremust b
elabo
r.
Youplantbeforeyouharvest.
Yousowintearsbeforeyoureap
joy.”
RALPHRA
NSO
M“If you
have
a
garden
andalibrary,
youhave
everything
youneed.”
CICER
O
JUNE
❏Plan
t out
seed
lings
ofpe
ppers,to
ma-
toes
, egg
plan
tsan
dba
sil.W
atch
for late
fros
ts.
❏St
opfeed
ingtree
sby
June
15, toal-
low
them
topr
ogress
towardwinter d
or-
man
cy.
❏Ta
ckle
wee
dsregu
larly
andfreq
uent-
lyso
youke
epaha
ndle
onth
esitu
ation.
Rem
embe
r,m
ulch
also
keep
swee
dse
edsfrom
germ
inating.
❏Fe
edro
sesab
out e
very
threewee
ks.
❏M
onito
r law
n.W
henitge
tsabluish
cast
andfoot
prints
don’t b
ounc
eba
ckread
ily,w
ater
deep
ly.
❏Ke
epyo
urey
eou
t for
destru
ctivein-
sects;ifne
cess
ary,us
eth
eleas
t tox
icco
ntro
lsfir
st.
AUGUST
❏Fe
rtilize
rose
sfor las
t tim
eth
isse
a-so
n.M
ost g
arde
ners
stop
fertilizing
ros-
esby
Aug
. 15.
❏Pr
unem
aple
andbirchtree
s,rem
ov-
ingcros
sing
andwea
kbr
anch
es.
❏Harve
stpe
ppersto
stim
ulatefurthe
rpr
oduc
tion.
Harve
stan
ddr
yor
free
zehe
rbs.
❏Dividecrow
dedan
dno
nbloom
ing
bearde
diris.Ifyo
u’re
goingto
divide
Ori-
ental p
oppies
, doitdu
ringsu
mm
erdo
r-m
ancy
.❏
Collect, d
ryan
dlabe
l see
dsfrom
nonh
ybrid
plan
ts.
❏W
henco
rnsilkstu
rnbr
ownan
ddr
y,star
t che
ckingfor r
ipen
ess(e
aren
dsin-
side
husk
ssh
ould
bero
unde
dinstea
dof
pointed)
.
winter
Aseasonalto-dolist tokeep
youon
track fall
18 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
5-DAY SPECIAL EVENT:MARCH 18TH –MARCH 22ND
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OFFER GOOD THROUGHMARCH 31ST
TREASUREVALLEYLAVENDERFESTIVALSWhen:SaturdayandSunday, July 13and 14Where:LakesideLavender in theNampaarea,TheLavenderMerchant inKuna,RiverRidgeFarmandSilverFoxFarmin theEmmettareaInformation:Check thewebsitesathttp://thelaven-dermerchant.net;www.lakesidelavender.com;http://silverfoxlavender.com;http://riverridgelavender.blogspot.com.TherewillbeU-pick lavenderopportunities,lavenderproducts, food,craftsandmore.
20THANNUALKOI&GOLDFISHSHOWWhen: 10a.m. to4p.m.Saturday,Sept. 14Where: IdahoBotanicalGarden,2355OldPenitentiaryRoad,BoiseCost:Therewillbemore than24display tanksandmore than100koiandgoldfishat theshow, plusotherexhibits, familyactivitiesandentertainment.Freeadmission to theshowandbotanical garden.
Someother IdahoWaterGarden&KoiSocietyevents:Æ 1:30p.m.Saturday,March23,OverlandRoadZa-mzows. “KoiPondsandWaterGardens 101.” Free.ÆThe society isholdingaTreasureValleyPondTour from10a.m. to2p.m.Saturday, July20,andSunday, July21.Information:Formoredetailson theseeventsor tofindwatergardenandkoi pond resources,visitwww.iwgks.org.
PLANTSALESSaturday,April27:9a.m.-noonHildaPackard,1917N.9thSt.,Boise(betweenBrumbackandRidenbaugh)Saturday,April27: 10a.m.-1 p.m. IdahoNativePlantSociety,MKNatureCenter,601S.Walnut,Boise. For information, visit idahonativeplants.org.Friday,May3andSaturday,May4: IdahoBotanicalGardenPlantSale.Membersonly from4 to8p.m.Friday (freewithmembership),and thenopen to thepublic from9a.m. to2p.m.Saturday (generalad-missionpricing). IdahoBotanicalGarden,2355OldPenitentiaryRoad,Boise. Information:www.idahobotanicalgarden.org/index.cfmThisevent featuresplantsgrownbyhorticulture studentsand IdahoBotanicalGarden staffmembers.Saturday,May4:8a.m.-noonAdaGardeners,10608CruserDr.,Boise (southwest cornerof FiveMileand Franklin).May9and10 (8a.m. to3:30p.m.)andMay 13and14(11a.m to3:30p.m.):EagleHighSchoolbotanyclass sale, 574N. Park Lane,Eagle. (Greenhousesbehind the school.Park in the facultyparking lot.The first turn into the school offStateStreet.Followthe signs to theback.)FridayandSaturday,May10and11:9a.m.-4p.m.IdahoHorticultureSociety, 1211S.OwyheeSt.,BoiseSaturday,May 11: 10a.m.-3p.m.HiddenSpringsMemorialGarden,HiddenSpringsSaturday,May18:9a.m.-plus,LongValleyGarden-ers,ValleyCountyFairgrounds,Cascade(southside)Saturday,May18:9a.m. to2p.m.,WackyWeedersGardenClub,624LosLucerosCircle inEagle;also
sellingothergardening resourcesandmaterialsSaturdayandSunday,May 18and19:9a.m.-plus,GoldenGardenClub, 10305HarvesterDr.,BoiseSaturdayandSunday,May 18and19:9a.m.-2p.m.OwyheeGardenClub,Homedale (hardware storeparking lot,U.S.95)SaturdayandSunday,May25and26:9a.m.-2p.m.OwyheeGardenClub,MarsingHighSchoolAgriculturalGreenhouse,Marsing
GARDENINGCLUBS&PROGRAMSManyof theaboveclubs in theplant sale listwel-comenewmembers.Google “Idahogardenclubs”formore informationand to findclubsandorganiza-tions.The IdahoHorticultureSociety (idhort.com)and IdahoNativePlantSociety (idahonativeplants.org)alsowelcomenewmembers.LearnaboutbeingaMasterGardeneratwww.extension.uidaho.edu/mg.
VALLEYGARDENINGCLASSESPublic libraries, the IdahoBotanicalGarden, theFoothills LearningCenter,mostareagardening/landscaping stores, theAdaandCanyonExtensionOffices (related information,page7)andothershave classes forevery level.For instance, theFoothillsLearningCenterandFar-WestNurseryarepresentingaseriesof threeclass-es to teachadultsaboutorganicgardening.Al-though the firstclasshasalreadyoccurred, there isstillanopportunity toattend theother twoclasses.9a.m. tonoon,Saturday,June1:Howtoprepareasummergarden.The focuswillbe selectionofheat-
lovingcrops,companionplanting, transplantingandprotection,anddealingwithpestsanddiseasesor-ganically,and9a.m. tonoon,Sept.21:Gardenman-agement in the fall.Thisclasswill focusonharvest-ingand storage of summercrops, introduction toseed savingmethods, fallcrop selection,coldpro-tectionandpreparing thegarden forwinter.
The classesareat the Foothills LearningCenter,3188SunsetPeakRoad. Cost is$16 forBoise resi-dent;$24.25 fornon-resident.To registeronline,seeparks.cityofboise.orgor call608-7680.
See theStatesmangardening calendars in Friday’sLife sectionand in theonline gardeningnewsletterand store/organizationwebsites formoreinformation.Manygardening storewebsitesarealso full of goodplant information.
MORERESOURCESSomeotherwebsite resources thathaven’tbeenmentionedelsewhere in this special section:
UnitedWaterCo.:conservation resourcesonline;toura low-waterdemonstration gardenat itsheadquartersat8248W.VictoryRoad inBoise.www.unitedwater.com
BoiseUrbanGardenSchool:gardeningprogramsfor kidsandmore.www.boiseurbangardenschool.org
IdahoCapitolgrounds:goodplace toget xeriscapeideas.www.capitolcommission.idaho.gov
Compiledby freelancewriterChereenLangrilland IdahoStatesman staff
CONTINUED FROMPAGE 15
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 19
gardensPassion. Patience.Adaptability.Gardening comes inmany forms,
but for these nineValley gardeners those three principles are at the
root of it all. As Idaho slowly awakens from its longwinter slumber,
area gardenerswait for the snow todisappear fromShaferButte,
signaling the unofficial start to the 2013 gardening season. In the
meantime, these gardeners share their secrets to success.
And if these gardens look familiar, you aren’tmistaken.They
were featured in the 2013TreasureValleyGardens calendar pub-
lishedby the IdahoStatesman. CONTINUED,PAGE20 ››
WANTACALENDAR?
It’snot too late togeta2013TreasureValleyGardenscalendar.Buyoneforhalfprice($2.50)at 1200N.CurtisRoadinBoise.More informationatwww.idahostatesman.com/promotions.Andbeon thelookout for informationabouthowtoenteryourgarden inour2014calendarcontest.
PHOTOSFORTHE2013GARDENSCALENDARBYCHARLIELITCHFIELD/ Special to the Idaho StatesmanPurpleconeflowerblossoms in theyardofDianaandCharlesParenteauontheBoiseBench. Readmoreabout theParenteaus’gardenonpage23.
BYCHEREENLANGRILL SPECIAL TO THE IDAHO STATESMAN
Make themost of it. That’s the idea be-hind the gardenof Joanne andMikeLechn-er. Their homeon theWarmSpringsMesaincludes large, old trees that provide heavyshade in parts of the yard.A shade gardenhas becomea serene spacewith pathwaysand contrasts of color, texture, shapes andsizes. But the sun still beats downon someareas.A xeriscape gardenmakes the best ofits dry surroundingswith a lovely slab stonepath borderedwith lavender and a raisedbox containing amassive rhubarbplant.
JoanneLechner’s gardening skills comefromher father,whowas considered thefamily gardener at their LosAngeles home.Hewould line one side of their longdrive-waywith calla lilies and the otherwithdahlias.
“My introduction to gardeningwas dead-heading those callas,” she says.
Each year hewouldplant a 10-foot-longwall of sweet peas, andhewould let hisdaughter cut asmany as shewanted.Thatexperiencewas an early lesson in the joygardening canbring to others.
“Theolderwomen in the neighborhoodallwelcomedmy frequent gift bouquets andcorsages,” Lechner says. “Sometimes I gothomemade cookies.”
Lechner nowwatches her granddaughterenjoy the garden theway shedid as a younggirl. Because of a change in elevation intheir yard, a set ofwinding stairs leads to anupper garden. It’s an ideal place to view therest of the garden fromadifferent perspec-tivewhile sitting on themeditation bench.“It’s a call to be still, listen to the birds andexperience the swayof the plants nearby,tuning into one’s own reflective inspira-tions,” she says. “Lookingdown there is apatch of groundwith a basket of small rocksthat canbeused to design or build.Our8 1/2-year-old granddaughter prefers to cre-ate spirals.”
Shewonders if those playful spirals couldeventually becomeaminiature labyrinth forwhoever owns the home someday.
Mygardenmusthave:Time. Lechner in-sists onhaving enough time to spend in hergardenbecause of how itmakes her feel.“I need time in the gardenbecause it re-freshesmy soul,” she says. “Concerns of lifeseem tobe left in the house as I venture outto discoverwhat is new, changedor surpris-ingly present.”Whenpeople visit theirhome (itwas featuredon the 2012BoiseGardenTour), they often say the gardengives thema sense of peace, Lechner says.She considers it an outdoor chapel.“Whether I amplanting, pruning, harvest-ing, resting I can find the spirit of lifewhichdrawsme to reflect andpray,” she says.
Mygo-tosourcefor inspiration is:“Anythingand everything,” she says. She often turns tobooks to learnmore, and in 2012 she readabout how to integrate vegetableswithflowers and shrubs. But at the endof theseason theyhadnearly 40 spaghetti squashplants, so this year theyplan to havemorewatermelonplants instead.
Inspiration also comes fromcolor. Lastyear she decided to incorporate one colorthroughout the garden. She introduced a redpatio umbrella andpops of redwith blos-soms and strawberries aswell as on somepots andbamboo style arbors and even afewbirdhouses. Itwas such a success sheplans to do it again this year.
If Ionlyhave30to60minutestoworkinmygarden:For Lechner, time is rarely an issue.“At age 72, I amusually blessedwith unlim-ited time, so I doprioritizemywork, not ac-cording to time, but need,” she says. “I amthankful that I need the experience of ourgarden chapel.”
Joanneand
MikeLechnerWarmSpringsMesa
20 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
“Whimsy” is the firstwordBrent Stewartthinks ofwhenhedescribes his garden. It’san eclecticmix of foundor repurposedob-jects (like the toilet that nowserves as aplanter), chickens, flowers and serenity.However, usually Stewart lacks the time toenjoy the serenity heworks so hard to cre-ate for others.
“If IhadthetimeI’d liketo justsitbackandenjoyit,”hesays.“Thatwouldbetheultimate.”
Stewart admitshisownenjoyment (andserenity)comeswhileworking in thegarden.It’s acollaborationwith friendRobynYraguen thatbeganyearsagoafterYraguenpurchasedagreenhouse fromCostco.Stew-arthadmorespace thanshedid, soheofferedtoput thestructureonhisproperty.Nowtheywork together—alongwithRobyn’sdaughterKatie—tokeep thegarden thriving.
The garden is also in the same space asthe family business: Stewart’sGemShop.Stewart grewup in the business and is stilldeeply involved. Butwhenhe isn’tworking,he is tending to his garden.His love of gar-dening is an extensionof the joy he feels as aresult of eight years of sobriety (he is a for-mermethamphetamine addict). “My lifewent fromdark anddull to one filledwithcolor andbeauty,” he says.
Mygardenmusthave:Good soil. Stewartgoes to great lengths to have quality soil inhis garden.He recently drove toPayette topurchase high-quality compost and alsohauled in three yards of topsoil to preparethe garden for the 2013 planting season.
Mygo-tosourcefor inspiration is:Nature.“I findbeauty everywhere, but being aroundrocks andnature all the time ... that givesmeinspiration.”
If Ionlyhave30to60minutestoworkinmygarden:Water is the first priority. Stewartwaters twice a day inwarmermonths. “Ifyoumiss onewater, it really shows,” he says.
BrentStewartNorthBoise
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 21
22 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
Their combined interests seem like a nat-ural fit for gardening:MikeZborowski lovesbuilding,whileDe is a floral designer andhas always loved flowers andplants. Theyhave lived in their Benchhome since 1973,and their first outdoor projectwas a gazebowith a built-in barbecue, followedby threesmall buildings on adeck they call the “Har-bor.” It has developed into amagical oasisover the years:Ahugemaple tree (plantedin 1955) features a tree house (itwas evenequippedwith electricity) and a large deckwith a greenhouse andbar.And theyhostcrab and lobster boils near the deck at theirbackyard “crab shack.”
Thebackyard is filledwith shade, andDeZborowski has adaptedby seeking shade-loving plants. “I love pottedplants and flow-ers. I have around 20 to 30potted contain-ers,” she says.
Those pottedplants need extra attention,andZborowski has a solid system tomanagethem. “Mybest hint for container gardeningiswash your clay pots, use systemic pesti-cide and a time-release fertilizer,” she says.
She also believes in quality potting soil(don’t use soil fromyour gardenwhenpot-ting plants). And shewaters in themorningrather than at night.
She gets creativewith resources to giveher garden interest andpersonality:Win-dowboxes have awaterfall effect (using ivyto cascade over the edge) and get added col-orwith alyssum.Charmcomes fromold ob-jects she repurposes around the garden, in-cluding old doors, bikes, garden tools, cratesandbenches.
“We love texture and contrast in decking,concrete, andbrick, and lots of ivy,” she says.
Mike focuses on adding lots of detail intohis buildings for the garden (right down tomoldings) andDe’s specialty is adding ele-ments of color.
Mygardenmusthave:Dragonwingbego-nias.Her color of choice?Red.
Mygo-tosourcefor inspiration:Greenhous-es, gardenmagazines, Pinterest andmore.“Our inspiration comes from traveling, vis-iting greenhouses and gardenparties,” shesays. “Disneyhas always been an inspiration(because of) their grouping andnonstopperforming flowers.”
If Ionlyhave30to60minutestoworkinmygarden:Water, deadheador fertilize. Be-causeZborowski is often limited for time,she has learned tomake themost of it.
Mikeand
DeZborowskiBoiseBench
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22, 2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 23
DianaParenteaudescribes her garden as“awork in progress.”Theymoved toBoisein 1992 andhad a blank canvas of a backyard:Concrete sidewalks, concrete patios, un-healthy grass and twodying locust trees.Their first challengewas to tame their con-crete jungle.
“We started getting serious about devel-oping the yard 12 years agowhenwehad theconcrete removed,” Parenteau says.
Year after year since, theyhavemade ad-ditional changes: removing sod, addingnewplantings, incorporating hardscaping fea-tures andmore.Theyhired contractors forheavierwork like adding landscaping boul-ders, retainingwalls and awater feature.TheParenteaus do the rest themselves, a lit-tle at a time.Thebig picture?Developingthe yard into sections she refers to as“rooms.”
Parenteau grewupwatching her father inthe garden, but even thoughhewas an avidgardener shedidn’t pick up the interest untillater in life.
“Now it ismy recreation, exercise andtherapy,” she says.
Ourgardenmusthave:Color and texture.“Wealso strive for year-round interest; thegoal is to have something bloomingor ‘mak-ing a spectacle’ almost everyweekof theyear. Conifers (blue, green, andyellow) areanchor plants for every seasonbut especial-ly important in thewinter,” Parenteau says.
Mygo-tosourcefor inspiration is:“Every-thing!” she sayswith enthusiasm. Someoftheir favorites include local nurseries, localhomeandgarden shows, friends’ yards,magazines anddavesgarden.com, awebsitethat features gardening tutorials, advice, fo-rums and resources.
If Ionlyhave30to60minutestoworkinmygarden:Parenteaumakes themost of her
timebydoing a little bit of everything. “En-joywalking the pathways, pinching a dead-head, tossing a ball for the dogs, assessingwater and fertilizer needs, listening to birdssing, talking to the plants, smelling flowers,scolding anyweeds Imight see andpullingthem,watching insects, laughing at squir-rels and feedingmy soul,” Parenteau says.Her self-described “workouts” are typicallydone in 30 to 60minutes, and something sheenjoys frequently.
“I can easily tidy a room in 30 to 60min-utes (water,weed, deadhead, trim),whichimprovesmanageability and givesme a feel-ing of accomplishment,” Parenteau says.
DianaandCharlesParenteauBoiseBench
Manyof thephotoson thesepageswere takenby freelancephotographerCharlie Litchfield asheworkedon the
2013TreasureValleyGardenscalendar. Thesepagesalso include
manyphotosprovidedby thegardenowners aswell as their
friendsand family.
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When it comes to gardening, SallyThomas is all about color.
Thomashas lived in her home for 20years andhas redone the yard three times.Hermain focus?Hundreds of colorful flow-ers ranging frombulbs to perennials and an-nuals. There are also tomatoes, zucchini,radishes andherbs.And she enjoys a koipond and turtles. In thewinter,when the koiand the turtles are dormant, her yard re-mains vibrant because of the colorful artifi-cial flowers she “plants.”As shedevelopsher garden in the spring,Thomas continuesto use artificial flowers to fill in bare areas.She had artificial turf installed in 2012 to re-
ducemaintenance and continue the themeof year-round color.
As a nature lover andoutdoor enthusiast,Thomas viewsher garden as a sanctuary. “Ithink it’s a placewhere you can feel closertoGod,” she says.
Thomas grewup in SouthernCalifornia,where shedevelopedher interest in garden-ing. She remembers helping her grand-motherwork in her garden in her home inHollywood as a child. She credits gardeningfor her youthful energy.
“I am74years old and I could easily passfor someone inmy60s,”Thomas says.“I feel like I have the energy of a 55-year-old,and I really believe it’s fromgardening. Ican’t stop. I’m ahigh-energyperson.”
Mygardenmusthave:Trees.AlthoughThomasadmits she lovesbursts of color, shealso loves theway treesmakeheryard looklush andalive, even in thewintermonths.
Mygo-tosourcefor inspiration is:Magazinesand theButchartGardens inCanada.The fa-mousgardens,which are loadedwith color-ful flowers,wereoncepart of a favorite vaca-tion. She continues todrawupon its breath-taking images as a sourceof inspiration.
If Ionlyhave30to60minutestoworkinmygarden:Weeding comes first. Thomas be-lieves in the importance of basicmainte-nance and turns toweeding as the first andmost critical step in keeping her garden gor-geous.
SallyThomasWestBoise
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22, 2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 25
TheForreysmoved into a brand-newhome 12 years ago, and that gave them thechance tomake the garden their own fromthe very beginning.The centerpiece is afountainwith heavy rocks that allowwaterto cascadedown. Planters are filledwithflowers andvegetables because it’s an effi-cient use of space and also createsmore in-terest, Forrey says. “If youpunch in some-thingwith a different shape or texture, that’swhat draws your attention,” she says.
Their former homewas on ahalf-acre,and theymoved to downsize. Because thenewbackyardwas around 1,200 square feet,they set out tomake themost of it. OvertimeForrey has learned that a smaller yarddoesn’t have to limit a garden’s potential.She takes advantage of vertical space forvegetables like cucumbers and squash (it’s amethod common in Japanwhere gardenspace is limited, she says). It’s all aboutmak-ing themost ofwhatever space is available.Grapes and raspberries growalong the sideof the yard, and sheplants herbs amongherflowers to help fight off insects.
Forrey grewup inTwinFalls andwaspart of a family that loved to garden (hergrandmother had a front yard filledwithroses), andher own interests have grownasan adult. She is an advancedmaster garden-er, butmanyof her principles stem fromcommon sense.Don’tmake it too labor-intensive or youwon’t enjoy it, for example.And remember that nothing has to beper-manent.
“As a gardener, it’s important to know thatyou can always tear something out and startover,” she says.
Mygardenmusthave:Good soil. “Your gar-den canhave anything, butwithout goodsoil itwon’t grow,” she says. Forreymakesher owncompost and adds that a goodwa-tering system is also key.
Mygo-tosourcefor inspiration is:Books andmagazines. Forrey still uses books thatwerehandeddown fromher grandmother andmother, andoneof her longtime favorites is
the Sunset “WesternGardenBook.” “Thatwasmybiblewhen I started gardening,” shesays.While she appreciateswebsites dedi-cated to gardening, she findsmore value inprintedmaterial becausewhen she finds anidea she likes, she can take itwith her to anursery.
If Ionlyhave30to60minutestoworkinmygarden:Take inventory. Forreywill dead-head flowers, cultivate soil or inspect for in-sects. “Sometimes I just standback and lookto seewhat Imight need to add,” she says.
KarenandWayneForreySouthwestBoise
26 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
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Knowyourself. It’s the basic truth behindthe gardenofKathy andRobertYoshida.While they admit to enjoying timeout-doors, theYoshidas also know theydon’twant to be burdenedwith hours ofmainte-nance.AndKathyYoshida isn’t a big fan ofgrass or flowers. Several years ago theyturned to the expert advice of landscape ar-chitectKeciaCarlson, owner ofMadelineGeorgeGardenDesign, to develop a betterplan for their outdoor living space.Carlsonput together a plan basedon their interestsandhow theyplanned to use that space, andtoday theyhave a gardenworthyof admira-tion (it has been featuredon the annualBoiseGardenTour). It includes lush bam-boo, awater feature and a tea housewherethe couple can enjoywarmeveningswith aglass ofwine.
Yoshida knows that patience isn’t herstrength. ButCarlsonhas persuadedher tochoose smaller plants thatwill grow intoher space rather thanpurchasing fully de-velopedplants that satisfy her immediately.Thebambooplants that now threaten totower above their fence and tea housewerejust a couple of feet highwhen theywere in-troduced into the yard in 2006. Bamboogrows fast and can easily spread.Carlsonknew thatmature plantswould be tooun-rulywithin a fewyears, even if itwasn’t evi-dent toYoshida. “She sees the bigger pic-ture,”Yoshida says.
Mygardenmusthave:Water. Thewaterfeature in theYoshidas’ yard is a source oftranquility aswell as a favorite hardscapingelement. “It really does drownout a lot of
noise,” she says. “It gets rid the outside noiseand just helps you relax.”
Mygo-tosourcefor inspiration is:KeciaCarlson.Yoshida turns toCarlson for adviceand loves to visit Carlson’s nursery to takein the beauty and get new ideas (MadelineGeorgeGardenDesignNursery is located at10550W.Hill RoadParkway). Carlson alsoprovides amuch-needed reality checkwhenYoshida feels the urge tomake an impulsivedecision about her garden. “The easy thingis to jump in there. Iwant the quick fix,” shesays. “Her solution ismore green,morethoughtful andusually less expensive. It’s afix that is common sense.”
If Ionlyhave30to60minutestoworkinmygarden:Yoshida goes for the clean sweep:raking. “It’s like if you’re having company,youvacuum,” she says. Running the rakethrough the yardhelps cleanupdebris andgives it a clean, neat look.When theYoshi-das’ daughter, Kelly, gotmarried in their gar-den in September 2011, awindstormsweptthrough theValley the night before the cere-mony.Yoshida had about onehour to cleanupdebris from the storm, so she grabbed arake andwhen shewas done, itwas good asnew.
KathyandRobertYoshidaSoutheastBoise
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22, 2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 27
28 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM63
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WhenTonyMontes purchasedhis homein 2008, itwas a plain Janewith grass andone tree.
Since thenhehas brought it to life byaddingpaths,waterfalls, ponds, numeroustrees and flowers, andother elements likerocks, a bridge, an arbor, fountains, benchesand a fire-pit. Andhe continues to addnewfeatures.
“I enjoy flowers and try to plant themsothat I have a successionof color fromearlyspring through fall,”Montes says. “It is trulya labor of love forme.”
Montes,who is inhis 50s, hasbeen inter-ested in landscaping andgardening sincehis20s.He is a self-describednature lover andhe strives todemonstrate that passion inhisgarden. “I constantly observe howrocks be-comearrangedbynature andhowrocks en-hance the beauty of plantswhen they sharethe samecanvas,” he says. “I try tomimicnature inmyown landscapes and seem tohave a knack for placing rocks so that theybecome interesting andnot just a rock.”
Mygardenmusthave:ForMontes, it is adifficult choice betweenwater and rocks. “Ilove both and always try to have them inmylandscapes,” he says. “I love the soothing
soundofwater and love theway it captureslight. Rocks are necessary to define bound-aries aswell as create backdrops, focalpoints, and even create soundswhenyouaddwater.”
Mygo-tosourcefor inspiration is:Nature.“Inmygarden I alwayswant rocks andplants to look as though theymight have oc-curred thatwaynaturally,” he says.
If Ionlyhave30to60minutestoworkinmygarden:Get rid of thoseweeds. “This is notmuch funbut very necessary if youwantyour garden to lookhealthy and to give yourrocks andplants the ability to standout,”Montes says.
TonyMontesSouthwestBoise
IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 29
Great ideasfromSeattle’sbig garden show
PHOTOSBYGENIEARCANO garcano@idahostatesman.com
“TheSilver ScreenTakesRoot:Gardens goHollywood”was the theme for the 2013NorthwestFlower andGardenShow inFebruary.While few
people reallywant aTinseltownvibe in their yards,details of the displays created bySeattle-area
professionalswere as inspiring as ever.
A6-foot fountain,oneof threein thisdisplaygarden, ismadeofconcretepipeanddripswaterontoapebblepool.Having threeadds impact,asdoesgroupingsevenglasslollipops,below.Sometimes,more ismore.
Youprobablydon’twant theTinWoodmanorDorothyGale inyourgarden—buthowaboutamassplantingof fragrantspringbulbs?
Lettucegrows inshallowplasticplantershungfromtheeavesofashed in thisgardenshow-ingways tomixediblesandornamentals.
Awaterfall thatmakesthis decklookasif it’sstraddlingabrookshowshowtohavefallingwater inaflatyard.(Getmoreinspirationatthisweekend’sBoiseFlowerandGardenShow,DETAILS,PAGE15)
Thechildren’s “SwissFamilyRobinson”garden featured threeground-level “treehouses”: small logpergolasconnectedbyramps thatcreateanairy, shadyplace toplay.
Nice lighting foraneveningparty:A lightweightchandelierholdingvotivecandleshangs fromacloth-coveredpergola.
OK, I’d lovemygardenshedto look like thisHobbitdwelling, completewithaplant-coveredroofandrounddoor.Therepetitionof largepots tiledwith roundedstones looksgreat, too.
Thisgarden inspiredby“Zorba theGreek”featuresapebblemosaic “stream”andweathered logsnestledamongsucculents—twonice touches foraxericgarden.
30 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
Takingacue fromtheStatesman’sLife section’s ‘BestThing’ feature,wewanted tosharea fewofour favorites
When towater?Checkyoursoil’smoisturewithawatermeter.This three-waymeterbyBondwillalsocheckph levelsand light.We foundthisonefor$13.99atFarWest.Moisturemeterscanbe foundinmanystylesandpricepoints.
‘TheDrunkenBotanist’“Given the role theyplay increating theworld’sgreatdrinks,”writesAmyStewart,“it’sawonder thereareanysoberbotanistsatall.”Whetheryou’re interested inhorticulture,drinking,orcul-tural history—orall three—you’ll finda lot to likehere:Stewart’s research is impec-cable,her style isbreezyandsheevenoffers recipes forcocktailsandhomemadecocktail ingredientsusingplantsyoucangrowyourself.AlgonquinBooksofChapelHill, retail price$19.95.
GardengarbKeepallyour toolshandywithanapron.ThisonebyDrammis$29.99atFarWestLandscapeandGardenCenteronStateStreet inBoise.
SeedsNorthwestseedcompanies—suchasEdHumefromWashingtonstate—selltheirproducts inmanyareastores.Thepollinatormixand thegourmet-blendbasilare twoofourfavorites.
Paperpot-makerUse thiswoodmold,available inmanygardencentersandcatalogs forabout$15, tomake freeseedlingpots fromstripsofnewspaper.At transplanttime,put thepotandall into theground.Wantbiggerpots?Youcanalsouse15-ounce foodcansasamold.
NutrientboostZamzows’Thriveall-natural fertilizerdeliversapunchofgrowingpower toanything inyourgarden.$24.99atTreasureValleylocations.Formoreinformation,visitzamzows.com.
Local knowledgeBoiseanMaryAnnNewcomerco-au-thored the “RockyMountainGarden-er’sHandbook”with JohnCretti.(ColdSpringsPress, retail price$24.99).
HaulingEverybodyneedsagood tub.This7-gallonTuffTote is$16.99atFarWest.
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IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM • IDAHOSTATESMAN FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING 31
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CanyonBountyFarm’sBugBloomBlendBeneficial InsectSeedMix is$3 fromcanyonbountyfarm.cominNampa.Thisorganicblendofannualshelpsentice thegoodbugs toyourgardensotheycaneat thebadones.
Self-watering claypotsTheseareperfect for finickyplants(likeAfricanviolets)or forgetfulwaterers.Thewater isheld in thepoton the right,and theplant sitsinaporousclay insert.Avarietyofsizesavailable locallyandonline.
Animal deterrentTheScareCrowsprinkler— triggeredbyamotiondetector—will keepcrittersatbay.We foundours for$87.99atFarWestLandscapeandGardenCenter.VisitContech-inc.comfor more information.
Zone4magazineThisquarter’s issueof theRockyMountain region’sgar-deningandfoodpublicationfeaturesastoryaboutEd-wardsGreenhouseand itsflorist, JohnCarpenter.Zone4 isanexhibitorat theBoiseFlower&GardenShowfromMarch22-24atBoiseCentre.Themagazine issponsoringaminiaturegar-dencontest,whichwill beondisplayduring theshow.(Zone4magazine.com,$6.95atareanewsstands).
Slimand lightweight hoseWaterRight Inc.’spolyurethanehosedeliv-
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32 TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • FRIDAY,MARCH22,2013 IDAHOSTATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM
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