idaho statesman's gardening magazine, march 17

GardeningGardeningTREASURE VALLEY

FLOWERPOWERTips from thepros tohelp your yardblossom

PLUS: Extend the growing season •Hot 2012 trends • Reader photos

Idaho Statesman Publications

YOURGUIDETO gardeningevents, planting times, hardscaping ideasandmore

Idaho Statesman Publications

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2TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • SATURDAY,MARCH 17,2012 IDAHOSTATESMAN• IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM

TREASURE VALLEYTREASURE VALLEY

GardeningGarden shopsweigh in on the trends 4Whatarecustomersasking for thisyear?

Define your gardenwith hardscaping 7Giveyouryardsomestructure

Tricks to extend the growing season 8AcolumnfromMargaretLauterbach

Extension offices can help you plan 10Classes,websiteadviceandmore

Gardeningplanning calendar 11What todo,when todo it

Five tips for buyingplants 11What to look for in thestores

Get inspired to go big and bold 12Flowerpower tips from thepros

Need to scare off some critters? 16TheScareCrowsprinkler ishere tohelp

Gardening events and resources 18Tours, plant sales,websitesandmore

Howdoes your garden grow? 20Tipsandphotos from readers

Get advice fromgardening expertsMargaretLauterbach, ElaineWalker andAmyMcIntyre

EachThursday in ourweekly online gardeningnewslet-ter and at IdahoStatesman.com/gardening, you’ll get anadvanced look atMargaret Lauterbach’sweekly column.You’ll also get advice and columns fromAdvancedMasterGardener ElaineWalker andMasterGardenerAmyMcIntyre.The threewrite about everything fromcontainergardening to bees to native plants. You also can readpastcolumns atwww.idahostatesman.com/gardening.

Longtime IdahoanMargaretLauterbach’s gardening columnappears every Friday in theStatesman’s Life section.Mar-garet, a graduate of theUniver-sity ofColoradowhohas been

an advancedmaster gardener inAdaCoun-ty, has a special interest in raised-bed gar-dening. She has been growing vegetablesandmore at herBoiseBenchhome forabout four decades. See an archive ofMargaret’s gardening columns atwww.idahostatesman.com/lauterbach.

DustyParnell is a freelanceprint, radio andvideo journalistwhohasworked in theTreasureValley formore than20years, covering everythingfromgardening to sports.

IdahoStatesmanentertain-ment editorMichaelDeedswasraised in ruralNebraska andhas enjoyed gardening since hisfirst job as a kid detasselingcorn.Despite living in Idaho for

twodecades, he still growsbetter corn thanpotatoes. But his biggest passion is hot pep-pers.

RickOverton is a freelancewriter living inBoisewho isknown to be a bit of a foodie,andwhoevennow is breakingnewground in the yard tomakeway for soil amendments.

Readtheir storiesandmore inside this section.

Meet thegardeningwriters

" SIGNUPFOROURGARDENINGNEWSLETTERIdahoStatesman.com/gardening

Learnhowtoget theStatesman’sweeklyonlinegardeningnewsletter inyour inboxeveryThursday. Inaddition to thecolumnsfromMargaretLauterbach,ElaineWalkerandAmyMcIntyre,there’salso local gardeningcalendarandevent information.

On the cover:IdahoStatesmanphotographerandgraphicdesignerShawn

Raecke took thisphotoofoneofthebeautiful planters in

DowntownBoise lastyear.

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IDAHOSTATESMAN• IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM SATURDAY,MARCH17,2012 • TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING3


Trends

BYDUSTYPARNELL

Special to the Idaho StatesmanIt happens every spring.There’s enough gardening advice and

ideas to fill a two-acre garden.But the trick—and the trend— is to fig-

ure outwhat’s newandwhat’s happeningandhow to fit it into your backyard or patio.

“Container gardening continues to be re-ally, really strong,” saidCrickett Rudd, horti-culturist at FarWest LandscapeGardenCenter. The garden is going up: raised beds,livingwalls, trellises andother vertical gar-dening ideas are taking hold. “Almost anyvining vegetable canbe trained.”

“Backyard gardening and square-foot gar-dening ismore andmorepopular,” saidSenecaHull, president at FranzWitte. Andthose vertical, heavy-duty tomato cagesnowcome in a variety of colors. Evenpink!

Vertical garden ideas are all going to bepopular this year.

“There’s an incredible response of peoplewanting to grow their own this year,” saidLindsay Schramm, owner ofNorthEndOrganicNursery. Somepeople have roomfor small greenhouses, others are looking atindoor lights for plant starts or year-roundherbs.There’s even an interest for indoorfruit trees. Anyone for a lemon tree in thefoyer?

There’s also a trend towardmoreunusualniche veggies. Fava beans are in demand asare parsnips, turnips and rutabagas, saysGarnette Edwards, owner of EdwardsGreenhouse.

“These hard times have given rise to awealth of knowledge of growingour ownfoods and expanding horizons of availablefoods,” she said.

Other horizons are being expanded, too.Not only hasZamzowsbeefedup its indoorgardening andhydroponics selections, butthose organic-based fertilizers like batguano and cottonseedmeal are also pickingup in popularity.NolanGuthrie, assistantmanager at theOverland store, has his ownvermiculture project at home. (He letsearthwormsdo the compostwork for him.)

And for thosewho like to do their ownwork, hardly anyone can resist the recom-mendation for a hori hori knife as the bestall-around tool. Itmay seemexpensive (ex-pect to pay at least $30), but it’sworth it.

Here are someother ideas—compli-ments of the experts at someof our localgardening stores— toponder:

D&BSUPPLY13 locations in Idaho andOregonhttp://mydbsupply.com

Organic seeds, awide variety of seedpo-tatoes, onion sets and cold-weather cropsare on themove.D&BSupply sponsors agardening showonKIDO580withDebbieCook at 10 a.m. every Saturday. It’s aQ&Ashowwith special guests eachweek.

EDWARDSGREENHOUSE4106W. SandCreek St., Boise, 342-7548www.edwardsgreenhouse.com

Morepeople are doing recycleprojects and getting bywithwhat they’ve

READY, SET, GROW

DARINOSWALD / [email protected] / Idaho Statesman file photoJohnandJoneenWarduse raisedbeds in theirbackyardgardenontheBoiseBench.

Gardeningtrendsmeanyoumaywanttothinkaboutgrowing

upward, insideandintocontainers

CONTINUEDON PAGE 6

Withsharpedgesonbothsidesandapoint-ed tip, thehorihori gardenknife isgreat fordiggingandcutting. MCT photo

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6TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • SATURDAY,MARCH17,2012 IDAHOSTATESMAN• IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM

have, or using products readily available atlowcost. There’s also amovement towardmore sustainable living.There is increasedinterest in raised beds and even things likebees or tropical flowers and fruits. There’salso amovement away fromgrafted rosestoward a resurgence of English roses. (Theyhave a great fragrance.)Alongwith cuttinggardens and fairy gardens, there’s aninterest in children’s gardens and gettingchildren involved, either in their owngar-denor in volunteerwork in community gar-dens.Thebest advice is to be flexible. A lotof information youmayhave been taught afewyears agomayhave beendispelled.Sometimes the oldways have a lot ofmerit.Lasagna garden classes are popular, but theveggie garden classes are thewinners handsdown.

FARWEST LANDSCAPEGARDENCENTER5728W. State St., Boise, 853-4000http://farwestgardencenter.net

The interest continues to grow for edi-bles, fruits, small fruits and especially blue-berries. Terrariums are big again, andpot-tery is featuring bolder colors.Other popu-lar items include ornamental grasses, peren-nials, heirloomseeds, echinacea collectionsandheucheras, like coral bells. Because ofthe economy there’s a lotmore interest inspiffing up rather thanpursuing grandnewprojects. So, alongwith that hori hori knife,think about someNo. 2 Felco pruners. Anddon’t forget to fertilizeWhen it comes topopular classes, berries and fruit trees arealways bigwinners.

FIVEMILE FARM&GREENHOUSESAtVictory and South FiveMile, 362-3242www.facebook.com/fivemilefarm

With 32 varieties of tomatoes andpep-pers, people are really gearing up for thenewgrowing season,whether it’s for herbsor living baskets. Lettuce and strawberrypouches are intriguing ideas for the verticalgarden. (You’ve gotta love those everbear-ing strawberries.)Check out the pinklemonade andblack petunia varieties, too.And, of course, they have anunsurpassedselection of hanging baskets.Mother’sDayis huge for them.

FRANZWITTE9770W. State St., Boise, 853-0808530 Idaho 55,McCall, 634-1001www.franzwitte.com

Oriental dwarf evergreens andother vari-eties can add a lot of color and texture tosmall spaces. There are tons of newperen-nials, including echinaceas, coneflowersandpenstemons, aswell as newvarieties ofhydrangeas suitable for our area, especiallytheEndless SummerCollection.Thebesttip is to just try things. That’s the bestway tolearn about gardening. “Youdon’t fail atgardening, you learn.” Popular classes

includeBareRoot FruitTrees,GardenPer-sonality and the ever-intriguing children’sclass, TheHamburger Plant.

GREENHURSTNURSERY&GARDENCENTER3209S. HappyValley Road, Nampa,466-5783www.greenhurstnursery.net

Veggie gardens are going to be verystrong this year. Just remember that timingis everything. Flexrake is popular,with anew tool line that has that vintage look.

NORTHENDORGANICNURSERY2350Hill Road, Boise, 389-4769www.northendnursery.com

Organicproducts andpotting soil are thefocushere, alongwithorganic lawncare.Heirloomseedsare still popular, aswell asdouble-dutyplants that enhance the land-scapeyet areedibleorusedasapollinatorat-tractor. (Thinkbutterflybush.)Theyalsohavewildflower seedsespecially for theNorthwest.Andcheckout theFlutterbyLawn, a lawnreplacement that canbemowedor left togrowtoamaximumof 12-18inches.TheHulaHoeWeeder is another tooltocheckout for loosening thesoil.Remem-ber that it all starts in thesoil. “Youcan fightweeds,disease, soil problemsandbugsbyjustpayingattention to thesoil first,” saidownerLindsaySchramm.Popularclassesincludeseedstarting, composting, organiclawncareandorganicweedandpestcontrol.

OLDVALLEYNURSERY4557OldValley Rd., Eagle, 939-1526http://oldvalleyfarm.com

A lot of people have set a criteria to buylocal and, as amember of IdahoPreferred,this nursery has put an emphasis on that.Hanging baskets, annuals andvegetableshave risen in popularity about 10 percent ineachof the past three years. They specializein hostas here,with probably thewidest va-riety in the area.They come in a variety ofcolors and kinds and range fromvery smallto up to 4 feet tall.

ZAMZOWS10 locations around theValleywww.zamzows.com

With soil temperatures already above40degrees inmany areas, people are readyto get started.Taller grasses likeHeavyMet-al are popular, as are low-growing stepablessuch asBlue StarCreeper. “There neverseems to be enoughof that one,” saidNolanGuthrie, assistantmanager at theOverlandstore. Popular classes includeGardening101, TomatoClass andLawnCollege.

CLOVERDALENURSERY&TURF FARM2528N. Cloverdale Rd., 375-5262www.cloverdalenursery.com

Does some retail business. This is asource for smaller nursery items likeornamental and jade trees and evergreens.

CONTINUED FROMPAGE 4

BYDUSTYPARNELL

Special to the Idaho Statesman©2012 Idaho Statesman

Agarden consists of a lotmore thanthe plants you choose to grow.

Today, peoplewant to expand theirliving area to the outside.Abackyardpatio canmake a terrific social area.Even thosewith smaller spaces areattracted to the idea of containergardens or vertical gardens.

Decorative stonework can increaseyour outdoor living space andorganizethe various uses of your lawnandgar-den area.And aperson can easily seethe advantages increased stoneworkand container gardens canhave on thewater bill.Not tomentionmainte-nance time.A struggling economyhascreated focus on a lifestyle that ismoreefficient in a variety ofways. Freshtomatoes and a fewgood friends hang-ing around the fire pit don’t hurt any-things either.

To get those creative juices flowing,here are some thoughts about hard-scaping fromsomeof our local gardencenters:

ZAMZOWS

Hardscaping covers a variety ofideas and applications. Rock andothernatural items are always popular. Somepeople like large, round stone bordersfor trees or garden areas.Oriental rockgardens are popular, too.You couldalso consider addingpretendriverbeds, logs and gardenbenches.A garden expert canhelpwith yourfavorite ideas.

FARWEST LANDSCAPE

GARDENCENTER

Usematerials that enhance yourtraffic patterns and reducemainte-nance. Stamped concrete is popularright now, but there are other struc-turedmaterials available that help adddifferent textures to your gardenwhileincreasing space usability. There’s awide array of styles, sizes and colors,so youmightwant to get ideas frommagazines or photos so you can seewhat they look likewhen installed.

GREENHURSTNURSERY&

GARDENCENTER

It’s a good idea to figure outwhatyour goal is aheadof time.Doyou

want to create anoutdoor living space,a spot to growveggies and fruit, or justa place to relaxwith a cold drink and abook?

EDWARDSGREENHOUSE

Think recycling. Find someoldbricks or other goodies to salvage.Thetypes of items that canbeused as con-tainer gardens are only limited byyourimagination.All kinds of things areavailable if you just look around.Thisis a chance to bewhimsical and cre-ative. Somepeople have evenusedoldbathtubs or bedsprings. Just go for it.

FRANZWITTE

Hardscaping can really help de-fine the areas and uses of your yardand garden. Outdoor kitchens anddining spaces are very popular.Think of your yard the sameway youthink of your house. An outdoor din-ing/cooking area can act as a socialmagnet the sameway your kitchendoes when you’re hosting a get-to-gether.

D&BSUPPLY

Gardenwall retaining blocks are agoodway todefine areas of your yard.Consider adding a fire pit to increasethe usability of your outdoor livingspace. Solar lighting used for pathwayillumination, spotlights or gardenaccents is a big trend, too.

NORTHENDORGANICNURSERY

Hardscaping helps create visual in-terestwhile retaining plants or creat-ing different zones. It’s a goodway tomaximize use and space and to desig-nate traffic or recreational areas.Raised beds are popular, and there area variety ofways to use them.Otherelements can create interest, too, suchas dry creek bedswith recycled tum-bled glass to represent thewater.

OLDVALLEYNURSERY

Moreusable patio space and con-tainer gardensmean lesswater use. It’sa good, low-maintenanceway to im-prove your spacewith ornamentals,veggies or herbs andworkswell evenin smaller,more confined areas.

CLOVERDALENURSERY&TURFFARM

Stoneworkmaybe a littlemore ex-pensive, but it has always beenpopu-lar, and it never goes out of vogue.

OTHERRESOURCES

Formore variety or larger projects,many stores and landscaping servicesspecialize in hardscapingmaterials intheTreasureValley. Someexamples:International Stone Inc.,Mr.MuddConcreteCorp., BasaliteConcreteProducts andConcreteResources.These are goodplaces to go for pavers,walls, edging or other products. Somecando the installation for you.

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Extending the growing season is likeadding sections to a blanket:Wecanadd at the beginning of the season

and/or at the end.Wemust be cautiousabout the fragility of plants at the beginningof the season, for they’re not as tough astheywill be after living through the hot sunandwinds of summer.You can give yourself amajor advantage

in early-season gardening if you select a sitefor your garden that’s sheltered fromwindandhas good southern exposure. Inwinter,our sun is low in the south, and it’smovingmore overhead aswe approach summer.

Wecanget a jumpongrowingearly inspringbywarming the soilwith a cover ofclear plastic.Clear plastic is preferable todarkplastic, becausedarkplastic tends toholdheat itself; clear plastic lets heat passthrough to the soil.Weedswill growundertheplastic, but youcan remove them later if

they survive theheat.You’re trying towarm the soil to 55 de-

greesF., a temperature favorable for rootgrowth.Once the soil iswarm in a fewdaysorweeks, youcaneither cutX’s in theplasticand transplant in themiddle of eachX, oryoucan remove theplastic and immediatelycover the soilwith aheat-retainingmulch,and then transplant into that.This treatmentworksbest for transplants such as tomatoesorpeppers, and if you intend to re-use theplastic, you’dbetter remove itwhen theplants are still small.

Not all gardenplants require soil thatwarm.Lettuce, spinach andbrassicas, for in-

stance, prefer cool soil. Lettuce seeds, for ex-ample,will evengerminate at 32degrees. (Insummer,whenwewant toplant fall crops,the soil is toowarm for the seedsof thesecrops, sowemust start them indoors).

Otherways towarmsoil include laying asoil heating cable, topping itwith somehard-ware cloth and thencovering thatwith a fewinchesof soil.

Thisworksbestwithdirect seeding; thehardware clothwill prevent yourdigging in-to the cable for transplants.Youmayhave toleave the cable in the soil until you’vehar-vested all of the cropplantedover it to avoiddislodging roots.

Aheating cabledoesn’t comewith anabundanceof instructions, inmyexperi-ence. Loop it back and forth so that it nevertouches itself. Someheating cables canbeused towarmwinter soil enough to growlettuce throughout thewinter, and somemaybecontrolledby thermostats.

Heating cables canbeused in “hotbox”versionsof cold frames, but a cheaper formofhotboxgrowinguses freshmanure,whichheats as it decays.Youcanusehorseor cowmanure to adepthof about six to eight inch-

es,mixedwith somestraw, and toppedwitha few inchesof soil. Lessmanurewill beneeded if you’re using chickendroppings.Youmayhave to let it cool for a fewweeksso that itwon't “cook” yourplantswhenyouput them in thebox.

Youcanalso start seeds thiswaywithoutusing electricity for bottomheat and/orusethis as aheat source to grow items like leafyvegetables in ahot boxduringwinterweath-er.

Someplant a tomato in a 10-gallon can,then slide that into apit of freshhorsema-nure,maintaining several inchesof spacebe-tween the can’s drainageholes and thema-nure to avoidburning the tomato roots. Ihaven’t tried this, andonlyhaveheardof onepersonplanting like this. Several friendshaveplanteddirectly in aworking compostpile (warmwhile decomposing).

Peoplewhoplant directly in composttend toplant heavy feeders such as squashorpumpkins.Theydo reap a richharvest.

Coolweather andwarm-weatherplantsstarted indoorsneed tobe “hardenedoff,” or

Lengthen the growing seasonwith some tricks

GardeningMARGARET

LAUTERBACH

PATRICKDAVIS/ [email protected]: TheWallo’Water is likeablanket foryourplants. Set thisup ina teepeeshapearoundyour tomatoesorveggies. It’smadeof tubes thatyou fillwithwater. Thewater tubessoakupheatduring theday,and thenslowly let it outovernight tokeepplants fromfreezing.ATLEFT:Shadecoversprotect tenderplants, suchas lettuces, fromcold,heatandwind.JOEJASZEWSKI/ [email protected]

CONTINUEDON PAGE 9

Ideas range fromsimplecovers tomore

elaborateheatingsystems

gradually exposed to full sunandwinds.Somereferences advisehardeningoff in coldframes, but I disagree.Cold frames shelterplants fromwind,whichcandestroyplantsunaccustomed tomovingdry air.

I prefer to first put plants out inopendap-pled shade for a couple of hours. I like toputout plants for a fewmorehours eachday inpartial shade, gradually exposing themtoearlymorningor late afternoon full sun.That’smypreference, but now it’s notmypractice.

Nowweputplants on a temporary shelfundermyclothesline that’s coveredwithpanels of rowcover so theplants are inside atent.Theneighbor’s treeprovides someshade as it leafs out, andwecanpull thecover back so theplants are exposed to fullsunpart of thedayorpull the cover back in-toplacewhenappropriate.

If freezing is forecast,webringplantsback inside.

Beforebeginning thehardeningoffprocess,wecanput frost-tenderplants in acold frame, remembering toopen it duringsunnydays (andclose it for chilly nights).Forgetting toperformeither operationmaydestroyyour youngcrop.

Orwecan shelter seedlingswith clochesor shelters of some sort. English andFrench

gardeners use glass bells (called cloches) toset over early transplants, and some folksuse gallon jugs (bottomremoved)ormilkjugs (bottomcut 3/4 around, then the flappulled aside andweightedwith a rock).

Youcan increase theheat inside thesejugs byplacing small stones inside to soakupheat, and release it slowly at night.Theseclocheshave tobe closelymonitored toavoid cookingyourplants. If you’re usinggallon jugs, removing the lidsmay suffi-ciently cool off plants. If lids arenot part ofthe clocheyoumayhave to set themasidefor theday, but remember to replace thematnight.

Youcanmakehomemade “walls ofwa-ter” bygluingorduct taping two-liter plasticbottles together andcuttingoff thebottoms.Leave capson thebottles andpush them in-to the soil upsidedownaroundyour trans-plant, then fillwithwater.

These glass andplastic jugs andanyplas-tic tunnelmaterialwill conduct cold toplantleaves so leavesmust not touchplastic orglass.

Wecanalsoprotect tenderplantswithtents or tunnels of agricultural fleeceor rowcovers that let in light andmoisture, butkeep temperatures a fewdegrees abovefreezing.After edges areweigheddown, youcankeep tenting elevatedoverplants byus-ingbeverage cansupsidedownover stakes.

The canbottomsare smooth, so theywon’ttear the fabric.

To install PVCribs tohold floating rowcoverorplastic sheeting aboveyourplants,youcandrive short pieces of rebar into thesoil, letting themstickupa couple of inchesabove soil level, then archPVCpipesoverthe rebar. I thinkdowels or stout twigs frompruned treeswouldwork too.

It’s quite a gamble to set out tomatoplantsinMarchorApril here, for instance, evenwith cover.Walls o’Water are very effective,evenwhencold temperatures freeze thewa-ter in their protective tubes, but that protec-tiondoesn’t last day after day.

If youupset thediurnal rhythmsof toma-toeswith cold temperatures, thoseplantswill not fully recover by the endof the sea-son.Yourharvestmaybe reducedbecauseof this hazardous exposure, even though theplant hasn't beenkilledby freezing. In thisValley,when snow isno longer visible onShaferButte, it’s said tobe safe toplant ten-derplants outdoors.

By late springor early summer,wewhodislike supermarket tomatoes and long forhome-grown tomatoeswant toharvest early.One solution is to transplant oneplant quiteearly, usingWalls o’Water, soilwarming andanyother technique to keep theplant alive.Thenplant yourother tomatoesout aboutJune 1.

Our averagedateof last frost is aboutMay9.That is an average, andweoftendohavefrosts later than that.

Ways toprotect tenderplants from frostdamage are tomake sureyourplants arewellwatered, thencoverwith a tunnel offloating rowcoveror a largeboxor tentedfabric falling to the ground so as to capturethe earth’s heat; ormist theplantwithwaterjust before the freezing temperaturehits (it’susually coldest just after dawn)because thewater that freezeswill briefly raise the tem-perature adegreeor two; or give a foliarsprayof dilute seaweedextract 1 tablespoonto a gallonofwater (according toRodale’s“GardenProblemSolver”).

If youhave fruit trees inbloom, and frostis forecast, stringingChristmas lights in thetreemaywarm it enoughyou’ll get fruit afterall.Not allChristmas lights generate heat,unfortunately.A single trouble light bulbmaykeep the treewarm if it’s also tentedwith a cloth cover.

Moving airwill alsoprevent frost damageif the air is onlymarginally cold.Youcouldset up a fan toprotect yourplants or tinyfruit, too.

Margaret Lauterbach’s regular gardening column

runsFridays in theLife section. Sendgardenques-

tions [email protected] orGardening,

TheStatesman, P.O.Box40,Boise, ID83707.

590634-01



4400 E. Flamingo Ave. ~ Nampa, Idaho(208) 467-SKIN (7546) www.dermidaho.com

Thad Wilkey,PA-C

Thad WilkRyan S. Owsley, M.D.FAAD, FASDS

❍❍ Seek the shade, especially between 10am & 4pm

❍❍ Do Not Burn

❍❍ Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths

❍❍ Cover up with densely woven clothing, broad-brimmed hatand sunglasses

❍❍ Use a broad spectrum (UVB/UVA) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher

❍❍ Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body30 minutes before going outside and reapply every 2 hours

❍❍ Examine your skin monthly from head to toe looking for skin changes ofany kind

❍❍ See your Dermatologist immediately if any changes are noted, andyearly for routine preventive skin exams

TIPS TO PREVENTING SKIN CANCERTIPS TO PREVENTING SKIN CANCERDURING SPRING & SUMMER GARDENINGDURING SPRING & SUMMER GARDENING

TIPS TO PREVENTING SKIN CANCERTIPS TO PREVENTING SKIN CANCERDURING SPRING & SUMMER GARDENINGDURING SPRING & SUMMER GARDENING

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Before you sprinkle that first seed or putin that first plant this season, it helps to askyourselfwhat youwant to grow andwhyyouwant to grow it.

Gardens are an investmentof both timeandmoney, andyouwant tomake sureyouget the right payoff for yourneeds.Areyouhoping togrow lots of fruits andvegetablessoyoucancut your foodcosts or areyou justlooking togrowa“pizzagarden”withyourkids?

“Defining your garden goals is the firststep inmaking a plan,” saysAriel Agen-broad, horticulture educator at theUniver-sity of IdahoExtensionCanyonCountyOf-fice. “Andwith a plan guiding your growingdecisions, youmight be less likely tomakeimpulse purchases or end upwithmorezucchini than you can possibly eat!”

She advises people to ask these ques-tions as they are getting started:

ÆWhat kind of soil do you have? Ideally,youwant a light, crumbly, loam rich in or-ganicmatter. In reality, you’llmost likelyneed to amend your Idaho soilwith com-post or consider building a raised bed gar-den filledwith commercial topsoil.

ÆWherewill you put your garden sothat it gets enough sun?Most vegetables re-quire at least 6 to 8 hours of full sun every-day. Agenbroad reminds us that the south

and thewest sides of our sites are best forgrowing gardens, but some lettuces, straw-berries and herbs can growwellwith fiveto six hours of sunlight, she says.

ÆWhere is yourwater supply in relationto your space?Will you have easy access?Consider using drip irrigation or soakerhoses to conservewater.

ÆHowmuch square footage do you needforwhat youwant to grow?TheExtensionoffices have awealth of information—bothat their offices and on theirwebsites— tohelpmake these decisions. (You’ll find linksat IdahoStatesman.com/gardening to someof these documents.) For instance, onepamphlet says you need to put in three tofive tomato plants for each person in yourhousehold if youwant a sizable yield.

ÆWhat do you like to eat andwhat areyou planning to dowith the food?Whatwill get your family themost bang for thebuck?Are you going to preserve your cropsat the end of the season, and, if so, are yougrowing the right things for prime foodpreservation? AsAgenbroad tells her stu-dents, “All vegetables are not created equal... for preserving anyway!” For instance,both bush beans and pole beans offer bigyields and are good for canning or freezing,but pole varieties tend to produce beansover a longer period of time.

Take some time to plan before you put in the garden

ÆVisitanextensionoffice: Open8a.m.-5p.m.MondaythroughFriday, exceptholidays.

AdaCounty:5880GlenwoodSt.,Boise,287-5900, e-mail:[email protected]

CanyonCounty:501MainSt.,Caldwell,459-6003, e-mail:[email protected]

ÆOn thewebatwww.extension.uidaho.edu/adaandwww.extension.uidaho.edu/canyonortry www.extension.uidaho.edu/idahogardensandwww.extension.uidaho.edu/youthfamilyhealth.asp.Thecountyextensionofficesprovideawealthof information through theirWebsites.There isa lotof Idaho-specific information for landscap-ingandgardeningaswellas linkstoinformationfromacrossthenation.Forexample, link toasitewhereyoucandownload theUSDAcompleteguide tohomecanningfor free.

ÆTakeaclass: Therearecourses inmastergardening, foodsafetyandmore.Examples:TheMasterFoodSafetyAdvisorprogramstartsApril 10withaMarch24 registrationdeadline.Learnabout foodpreservationso thatyoucan then teachandhelpothers.Class isfrom9a.m. to3p.m.onTuesdays forsevenweeks.CallBeverlyHealyat287-5900 foranapplicationor information.Swing IntoSpringclasses,co-sponsoredbyUIandEdwardsGreenhouse,areMarch31atEdwards.Call342-7548for information. TheUniversityofIdahoMasterGardenerMiniSchool isMay 12at theAdaExtensionOffice.For information,call287-5900.Severalsummerclasseswillbeoffered inCanyonCounty incollaborationwiththecityparksand recsdepartments.Visit thewebsites formore informationandoptions.

ADA,CANYONEXTENSIONOFFICESAREAGOODPLACETOSTART

1.BUYHEALTHYPLANTSLeavesshouldbegreen,stemsshouldbestrong,plantsshouldn’tbespindlyorwilted.Youwant roots tobewell-de-veloped,but theyshouldn’t fill thepot.Gentlyanddiscreetlyeaseaplantoutof itspot. If the rootballis justamassof fiberswithvery littlesoil, theplantis root-boundandmayhaveahard timesurviving,much lessgrowingand thriving.

2.DON’TINSISTONBUYINGBLOOMINGPLANTSGardening isallaboutdelayedgratifica-tion,afterall.Annualsandperennials thatareblooming in tinypotswhenyoubuythemwillac-tuallysettle inmoreslowlythanplants in thesamesizepot thataren’talready inbloom.Buyingperennialsor shrubs in flowermeansyoumaynotget toenjoythefull-lengthflower show inyouryard thefirstsummerbecause they’ll haveusedup theirbloompower for theyear.Annualsmaykeepflowering,but those thataren’tbloomingwhenyoubuythemwillsooncatchupandevenovertake those thatare.

3.BIGGERDOESN’TEQUALBETTERSmallplantsrecover fromtransplantingandbecomees-tablishedmorequicklythanlargeonesandareusu-allycheaper.Mostannuals,perennialsandshrubsarefastgrowers,soexercisea littlepatience.

4.BUTSOMETIMESBIGGERISBETTERBuythebiggest treesyoucanafford(and lift),withinreason.Noneofusaregettinganyyounger.Andlargepotsofperennialsoftencanbedivided into

several plants,whichmaybemoreeconomicalthanbuyingabunchofsmall ones.

5.DON’TBEAFRAIDTOBENDTHERULESIf theonly remainingpotofaplant youcrave isrootbound, especially if thevendorwill discounttheprice, goaheadandbuy it,breakup the rootballbeforeyouplant itandkeep itwellwatereduntil itcangrowsomenewroots. Itmay turnoutfine.Theworst thatcanhappen is that itwill die.This ishowgardenersgamble.

ANDATIP FORAFTERYOUBUY ...Whenyoudobuybloomingplants,somehorticultural-ists recommendyou remove theblossoms—really—so theplantwill put itsenergy intonewrootsand leaves.Withmostperennials, thatmeansyou lose thewhole first seasonofcolor;annualswillquicklymakenew flowers. Ifyoucan'tbringyourself todo this,sobe it.But ifyoudo,you'll havestrongerplants in the long run.

Genie Arcano, the Idaho Statesman

MarchStartaddingcompost toyoursoil.Ifyouhaven'talready,beginseeding those

more tenderplants indoors to transplant later.Expect roller-coaster temperatures.Don'tget

impatientandplantoutside tooearly.Prune trees/shrubs, except forspringbloomers

suchas forsythia, lilacs, rhododendronsandothersthatonlybloomon the“new”wood(thepreviousyear'sgrowth)and/orhaveset theirblossoms.

Plant lettuceandspinachoutside.Assoonasthesoilcanbeworked,put inpeas, kale, leeks,potatoesandonions.LateMarch/earlyApril, it’scarrots,beets, endiveandchicory.

Ifyouhaven'talready, pullwintermulchawayfromyourperennials to let thesoilwarm.

AprilShearbackgroundcoversandwakeupyour

flowerbedswithageneral fertilizer.Prune roseswhenforsythiablooms.Cut roses

back1/3ofheight.Fertilize.Usecrabgrasspre-emergentprevention.Divideperennials thatneed tobedivided..Plantconifers, treesandshrubs.Alsoplant

summerbulbs:alliums,cannas,convallaria,bare-roothostasanddaylilies.

Protect tenderplants.Theaveragedateof thelast frost isMay9,butevenwhenfrost isn't fore-cast, itcanstill occur in localizedspots.

MayDeadhead(removespentblossoms from)

springbloomers like tulips, daffodilsandcrocuses.Don't remove foliage.

Time tohardenoffseedlingsstarted indoors.Local legendsays thatwhen thesnow ismeltedoffShaferButtenorthofBoise, it'ssafe toplantmostannualsoutside.

Ifyouhaven't fedyour roses, do itnow.Stakedelphiniums,peonies,othertallperennials.Inmid-May, plantcorn; lateMay:cucumbers,

beans,squash,melons.Feedyour lawnwith1/4of itsannual fertilizer

allotment,unlessyou'reusingamulchingmower.

JuneTransplantpeppers, tomatoes, eggplantsby

June1,andstopfertilizing treesby June15.Tackle theweeds regularlyandfrequentlyso

youhaveahandleon thesituation.Remember,mulchalsokeepsweedseeds fromgerminating.

JulyMakesureyouarewatering treesdeeply.

Fewer, deeperwateringsessionsarebetter forrootdevelopment than light, frequentwatering.

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At IdahoStatesman.com/gardening,you’llfind links topreviousStatesmanstoriesaboutgardeningaswellas links tosomeofour favoritewebsites forgardeningandlandscaping information.

LINKTOMOREONLINE

PLANTINGCALENDARANDMORE

IDAHO STATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 2012 • TREASURE VALLEY GARDENING 1312 TREASURE VALLEY GARDENING • SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 2012 IDAHO STATESMAN • IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM

BY RICK OVERTONSpecial to the Idaho Statesman

© 2012 Idaho StatesmanWe’ve all seen them so many times it’s easy

to forget they are there — huge cementplanters, sprinkled around Downtown Boise,overflowing with brightly colored flowers. Ormaybe you were pulling into the car washwhen you noticed a sudden burst of plant lifestretching along the sidewalk. That’s not just amedian — that’s a garden.

A lot of time and effort goes into landscap-ing touches like these, enough that it can bedownright intimidating for home gardenerswho dream of doing that for themselves. Andfor good reason. Those swaths of color andgrasses are the result of a lot of planning andhard work.

We talked to some of the landscapers andnursery professionals who create impressivedisplays like the ones at Metro Express CarWash or around town in large cement planters.These folks get to call this their day job, butthey shared ways that similar results are ob-tainable by just about anyone who does theplanning and takes good care of his or her soil.

Dennis Shelton and his landscaping com-pany Primrose Path are responsible for anumber of flowery landscapes around theTreasure Valley, including the lush displays atthe three Metro Express locations that drawlots of oohs and aahs. It’s a 12-month job forhim, with plenty of planning, ordering ahead,and watching the weather in the spring for theright moment.

His secret ingredient? Shhhh... He goes tothe same nurseries everyone else uses.

Anju Lucas works in the perennials depart-ment at Edwards Greenhouse and is very fa-miliar with Shelton’s work. For anyone aspir-ing to flower beds as pretty as Shelton’s, allowa little time for conversation with experts likeLucas.

“I’ve got the same three questions for any-one who comes in,” she explains. “What isyour budget? How much time do you want tospend to maintain it? And how are you goingto use the space?”

In other words, plan ahead. Knowing justwant you want makes it that much easier toachieve. Lucas finds it helpful when cus-tomers bring in photos of their house andyard, and it’s not uncommon for shoppers tocome with glossy pages ripped out of maga-zines that display the look they are after.

“Really utilize the staff, and that goes for

any nursery,” Lucas says. “At every nursery inthe Boise area, everyone is crazy about gar-dening, and we all want to talk about flowers.”

THERE WILL BE LABOR INVOLVEDThere’s plenty of easy advice to be had, but

then you have to do the work. And there are afew steps to that work that no gardenershould overlook.

Many home gardeners forget to clear away

Help your flowerspack more punch

Check out these tips from some noted Treasure Valley professionalsto keep your yard blossoming with color and looking good longer

AT LEFT: The grounds of the Metro ExpressCar Wash at Front and 13th Streets inDowntown Boise are in bloom for much ofthe year, as are the locations in Nampaand Meridian, thanks to the care of DennisShelton and his team at Primrose Path.TOP: roses ABOVE: osteospermum

Photos by Shawn Raecke/[email protected], grasses, nasturtium, calibrachoa and more fill a planter in Downtown Boise. Many of theplanters in the Downtown area are planted and cared for by Rodger Erstad and his team at ProCareLandscape Services.

Gardeners wandering into a nursery today face adizzying array of choices. And there’s a right placefor each and every one of those cultivars — or, asAnju Lucas at Edwards Greenhouse might put it, ahome where those plants might be happy.

But there are a few strains of flowers, shrubs andgrasses that our experts suggest make particularsense for the home gardener, including a number offamiliar-sounding species that have been bred to befar more productive than even a few decades ago.

Mike Garcia, grounds superintendent for thestate-owned properties in and around the CapitolMall downtown, finds petunias to be a real value.“You don’t need so many plants,” he says, “becausethe standard plant grows so much larger than theyused to. In a 10-x-10 foot bed, for example, beforeyou’d have to put in a couple flats of petunias. Nowless than three-quarters of a flat will fill up the samearea.”

Dennis Shelton of Primrose Path tips his hat toroses. “I’m a big fan of roses. You can see them, theysmell nice, and they last a long time,” Shelton says.

For a long season of color, Lucas points out thathellebores will bloom in February, while many vari-eties of berries enjoy a second harvest as late asNovember, bracketing a pretty long season in thegarden.

Some other plants to consider:ornamental bananascanna lilies (which are not true lilies)dracena (an ornamental spike)Karl Foerster feather reed grasswitch hazelcalibrachoa

USE THE TRIED AND TRUE

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14


weedsbeforebringing innewplants, our experts not-ed.Manypeople forget this step, but theweedshave togo (while you’redoing it, be careful not to just spreadtheweeds’ seeds around).Timecan really beonyoursidewhen it comes tokillingweeds.Cover thegroundwith something that blocks light andpreventswaterfromnourishing theweeds—like cardboard, newspa-per, sheets of blackplastic—and just let that sit forweeksormonths.

Every professional gardener in theValley seems toagree on thenext step:Amend the soil. TheValley isknown for its thick, clay soil, a consistency that en-courageswater to runoff and keeps oxygen fromreaching roots. In pockets, the opposite canbe thecase,with sandy soil that’s short onnutrients.

Soil varies throughout theValley, oftendependingonyourproximity to soil built upover timeby riversediment. If you’reunsure about youryard, try some-thing as simple asdigging ahole.You’ll seewhat yourtopsoil ismadeof right away.Whatever the case, the so-lution is the same: healthydosesof compost andnitro-gen.

“You can install the prettiest flowers in theworld,butwithout proper soil, nutrition andwater, you aregoing to fail every time,” saysRodger Erstad of Pro-Care Landscape Services.

His companywas hired by theCapitalCityDevel-opmentCorp. towork on theDowntownBoiseplanters, andoutside of the landscaping of state-ownedproperties around theCapitolMall, Erstad esti-mates that 90percent of the planters downtownaredonebyhis crew.

Awell put-together potwill drainwell, just as thesoil should, but in the case of potsmuchof the nutrientcontent escapes over the course of a season. Eventhough clay and sand aren’t problems, Erstad’s land-scapers replace the soil in thoseDowntownplantersevery year.

Addingnutrients isn’t difficult. In addition to using

good compost, Sheltonover at Primrose likes to add asoil amendment calledGardner&Bloomor a productavailable fromZamzows calledThrive.

Erstad advises using just about any long-term, slow-release fertilizer, or applying liquid fertilizers everyotherweek,whichever technique youprefer. For gar-dens in pots, you’ll find compostmixes in nurseriesformulatedwith that inmind.

DON’TBEAFRAIDTOGOBIG—ANDBOLD

Part of thewonderfulness of talking to horticultureexperts iswhen they talk about plants as if theywerepeople. Erstad described the impact of putting flowersin the groundbefore the last frost of the spring byimagining themas “getting their feet cold.”

Lucas, reflecting on someof her additional advicefor homegardeners, comesupwith a tip thatwouldn’tbe lost onnewlyweds. “Make sure the plant is going tobehappy in the homeyougive it,” she says.Weallshould be cared for sowell.

One cautionwhen trying to emulate the pros, how-ever: They tend to gobig,which is a commitment ofmoney and time. Last year, Sheltonplanted 9,000daf-fodils and tulips at oneMetroExpressCarWash loca-tion,more plant life than somegardenerswill grow ina lifetime.

ForMikeGarcia, it’s his job to gobig.He’s thegrounds superintendent of the IdahoStateCapitol,andprettymuch every part of theCapitolMallwithina fewblocks of the Statehouse.

“Manygardeners recommend a lot ofmixed stuff,like in anEnglish-style garden,”Garcia says. “I like toplantmasses of the same thing because it gives youmore impact.”

Garcia says he’s been inspired bywatching howbigentertainment venues do it, like themeparks. “It justmakes people notice itmore.”

Thework that Erstad andhis crewdo inpotsaround town ismoremixed, eachbeing like a littleyard unto itself. See the box above for a look at Erstad’sformula for designing perfect little flower gardens in

Likea flowerarrangeronanepicscale, thereisagreatdealofmethod tohowRodgerErstadassemblesthe600-pluscementplantersscat-teredaround thecity.Hesometimesconductsclasses,butyoucanlearnhisbasicmethodhereashe issharingsome tips:

Theprerequisites foranykindofgardening,ofcourse,aresunshine,goodsoil, richnutrientsandproperwatering.Butonceyouhave thosedown, it’s time to thinkaboutwhatErstadcalls“thestructureof thepot.”

At thecenter isthe thriller,a focalpoint ris-ing twoor threefeet,andagreatuseof tallgrasses like theKarlFoerster feather reedgrass.Surrounding that isthefiller,uprightormoundingplants thatwill grownomore thanafoothigh, likecalibrachoa, petuniasorgerani-ums.Ringing theoutside isthespiller,some-thingvine-like thatwillspilldown thesidesanddroop toward theground, like lotus,creepingjenny, orvincavine.

A fewtechniqueskeep thearrangementlookingfresh.Likepinching,whichmeanstrim-

mingback the longerplantbranchestoen-couragebushiergrowthat thecore.Anddead-heading,aprocess familiar togrowersof roses,inwhichdeadordying flowersare removedsotheplantdirects itsenergytocreatingmore.Finally,Erstad recommendsreplacing thesoilinpotsannually.Don’t throw itaway, in theusualsense,butmakeapilenext toyourcompostandmixthe twoasneeded topro-duceanenrichedsoilbasefor futureseasons.

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Coverandabove: GeraniumCrystalPalaceGem,verbena lavender,KingswoodTorchcoleus,grassesandmorecreateabeautifulmix inaDowntownBoiseplanter.Below: zinniasandmarigoldsat theDowntownBoiseMetroExpress.

Black-eyedSusans(rudbeckia)mixedwithVictoriaBluesalvia.


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Peoplewith busy lives andhectic sched-ules needn’t run in the other direction.Thereare a few techniques for goodpresentationwithminimalmaintenance. It startswithgrass.Not the kind youmow, but rather thewilder perennial grasses that grow tall andsway gently in thewind—the sort of grassesthat lent additionalmeaning to earlyWesternimmigrants referring to theirwagons as“prairie schooners.”

“The easiest things to grow that requirethe leastwork are grasses,” Lucas says.“They’re architectural. They echo thenaturalscenery thatwehavehere.You cut themdownonce a year, and that’s it. You canmakea great statementwith grasses.”Apopularandhardy grass that thrives in this area isKarl Foerster feather reed grass, named fortheDanish horticulturalistwho first cultivat-ed the strain commercially.

Lucas’ recipe formaximumbeauty andminimal effort is actually quite simple. Startwith the tall reed grass, adddisease-resistantKnockout series roses, sprinklewith remark-ably ruggeddaylilies, and fill in the gapswithhardyperennial geraniums, a plant Lucassays “fills and romps around.”

“Youwouldnot have to spend anymoretime in that garden than towater it,” she says.

Remember, it’s your garden, and the bestplants anddesigns are the ones that are goingtomake youhappywith the results. You cando itwith a little planning andby taking goodcare of your soil.

Profusionzinniasat theBoiseMetroExpress.“Our landscaping iswayoverandabovewhat thecities require,but Imakeit apoint tohavegreatlandscaping.Someof it ishavingpride in thebusiness I run,and Idothink itmakes thebusi-nessmorenoticeableandhelpsdrawpeople,”saysMetroExpressownerBillMartin.

Miscanthusand Ivory-Halodogwood(middle)at theDowntownBoiseMetroExpress

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And itwill blast youdirectly in the butt.Or, heck,maybe the ScareCrowwill just, you

know, decide for itself to blast you in the butt.WeScareCrowveterans call this a “phantom” trigger.

Youwill cuss. Youmayhave to change yourwetshorts. But then youwill smile broadly,walk backinto your untouched garden—thedamn thing’s off,right?—and realize that being a soggy gardener isbetter thanbeing a deer-skittish gardener.Andyouwill sleep at night.

ManufacturedbyContech, the ScareCrowcanbepurchased at local garden stores.While the Scare-Crow is priced at about $90on theContechwebsite,you can findone for about $50 if youdo somecom-parison shopping.

Youmayneed to buymore thanone.TheScare-Crowcandetectmovement up to 35 feet in front of itand 45 feet side to side. Contech claims it can guardup to 1,000 square feet. But tall plantswill block thesensor’s view. I have a 45-by-25-foot vegetable patch,and I used threemotion-activated sprinklers lastyearwith a 95 percent rate of effectiveness againstheavydeer pressure. I lost a few leaves here andthere andmaybe a handful of tomatoes andpeppersnear the edge of the garden.Nothing significant.

The ScareCrowalsoworks against cats, dogs,evenherons that raid fish ponds.

There are a fewextra costs. Youwill need a quali-tywater hose attached to eachScareCrow.Constant

water pressuremust go into the sprinkler, and youdon’twant a hose bursting.

You alsomaybe tempted to purchase a videocamera to cackle at the deer footage.Or to solveNancyDrew’s “Mystery of theMissingBambi.” LastAugust, I sawdeer tracks sneaking 5 feet intomygar-den. Suddenly, the hoof prints skidded and ... just ...vanished. (Although themangledwire tomato cageseveral feet awayprovided a clue as towhatmayhave occurred.Totallyworth it.)

Basedonmyexperience, you can expect tochange the 9-volt battery about once every four tosixweeks, depending onhowoften the sprinkler istriggered. (TheScareCrowhas a badhabit of goingoff in highwinds, so be sure to turn it off onwindydays.)

However,water cost isn’t an issue.TheScareCrowonly emits twoor three cups each time.

Although I have only usedScareCrows for onegarden season, it appears that theyprobablywillhave to be replaced in twoor three years.We shallsee. The summer sun is hard on their plastic con-struction.

But it is priceless to have a gardenwithout a fence.My 1- and 3-year-old boys are so enthralled by the

ScareCrow thatwe spent half thewinterwatchingYouTubevideos about it. (Yes, those do exist.)

Basking inwarmthnext to the fireplace, all I coulddreamaboutwas being drippingwet again.

MichaelDeeds: 377-6407


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TreasureValleygardeningeventsandresourcesBoise SpringHomeShow

When:ContinuesMarch17and18Where:Expo IdahoHours: 11a.m. to9p.m.Saturday,March17;

11a.m. to5p.m.Sunday,March18Admission:$5adults, $4seniors, free forages

12andyoungerInformation:www.boisespringhomeshow.comWhat toexpect:You’ll find information tohelp

withall thosespringhomeandyardprojectsyouhaveplanned, includinghowtohouseand raiseurbanchickens.(Muchmoresophisticated thantheircountrycousins.)Thisyear, four luckyTreas-ureValleyhomeownerswillwin$2,500backyardmakeovers.Allyouneed todo isenter. Thechick-enpresentationsbyTreasureValleyauthorGretchenAndersonareat 1p.m.and3p.m.Satur-dayand1p.m.Sunday.

Boise Flower andGarden ShowWhen:March23-25Where:BoiseCentre,850W.FrontSt.Hours: 10a.m. to9p.m.Friday,March23;

10a.m. to8p.m.Saturday,March24;11a.m. to5p.m.Sunday,March25

Admission:$8adults, $3ages 12-17, free forages 11andyounger.(Get$3discountcouponsatanyZamzows.)

Information:www.gardenshowboise.com

What toexpect:Thisshowhaseverythingfromseminarsbyexpertson topics ranging fromlandscapedesign tohydroponics.ThereareWine&JazzNightsonFridayandSaturday.Theaisleswillbe filledwith the latesthybrids, newestgadg-etsanddesign trends fromlocalandnationalven-dors.Also,you’llbebowledoverbyFranzWitte’sthemegarden,Room2Live. Itwill openyourmindtohowyouryardcanbecomeanextensionofyourhome throughbeautiful,comfortableandfashionabledesign.

Also, look for “MovieMagic,”astandardflowershow, presentedbythe IdahoHorticultureSocie-ty.

National Public GardensDayWhen:Friday,May 11Where: IdahoBotanicalGardenHours: 10a.m. toduskAdmission:FreeInformation:www.idahobotanicalgarden.orgWhat toexpect:Visit theplantdisplays in the

WesternWaterwise,LewisandClarkNativePlantGarden,FoothillsNativePlantGardenandon thegreen roofat theGatheringPlace.Learnaboutwaterconservation,nativeplantheritageandmore.NationalPublicGardensDaycelebratesAmerica’spublicgardensand their role inpro-motingenvironmentalstewardshipandaware-

ness, plantandwaterconservationandeducationincommunitiesnationwide.

IdahoGreen ExpoWhen: June23and24Where:Expo IdahoHours: 11a.m. to7p.m.Saturday, June23;

11a.m. to5p.m.Sunday, June24Admission:$5adults,childrenunder 12are

free.Lookfor2-for-1admissiondiscountcouponstobeavailable in thespring.

Information:www.idahogreenexpo.comWhat toexpect:Acelebrationofsustainable

living,outdoorgreenfestivalwithoutdoorcon-cert, eco-brew festival, food trucks, eco-autocarshowandmore than140exhibitors.

2012 Idaho Botanical GardenTourWhen:Sunday, June24Where:Nine residential gardens in theNorth

andNortheastBoiseareasHours: 10a.m. to5p.m.(rainor shine)Admission:$20.Ticketscanbepurchased

prior to the tourat the IdahoBotanicalGardenad-ministrativeofficesor thedayof the touratanyoftheprivategardenson the tour. Creditcardswillbeacceptedat toursite#1.

Information:www.idahobotanicalgarden.orgWhat toexpect: It'sachance topeekat some

of theTreasureValley'smost inspiringandexqui-siteprivategardens.Thisannual tourbenefits theIdahoBotanicalGarden.

TreasureValley lavender festivalsWhen: July 14and15Where:LakesideLavender in theNampaarea,

TheLavenderMerchant inKuna,RiverRidgeFarmandSilverFoxFarmin theEmmettarea

Information:Check thewebsitesathttp://thelavendermerchant.net;www.lakesidelavender.com;http://silverfoxlavender.com;http://riverridgelavender.blogspot.com.

What toexpect:U-pick lavenderopportuni-ties, lavenderproducts, food,craftsandmore.

Some of the 2012 spring plant salesApril28:9a.m. tonoon,HildaPackard, 1917N.

9thSt.,Boise(betweenBrumbackand Riden-baugh)

April28: IdahoNativePlantSociety,MKNa-tureCenter,601S.WalnutSt.,Boise.Forupdateson time/details,check idahonativeplants.org.

May5:8a.m. tonoon,AdaGardeners, 10608CruserDr.,Boise(southwestcornerofFiveMileandFranklin)

May5: 9a.m. to2p.m.,OwyheeGardenClub,LesSchwabparking loton Idaho95,Homedale

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TreasureValleygardeningeventsandresources

Provided by the Idaho BotanicalGardenTour thisNorthBoisegardenonSunday, June24.Thisyear’s tour tobenefit the IdahoBotanicalGarden featuresninesites, includingMikeandChrisPierson’s gracefulgardenwithmore than100different typesofconifers,windingpathsandmore.

May 11-12:9a.m. to2p.m.OwyheeGardenClub,MarsingHighSchoolAgriculturalGreen-house

May 11-12:9a.m. to3p.m. GoldenGardenClub,624LosLucerosCircle,Eagle

May 12: 10a.m. to1p.m.AdaCountyMasterGardenerAssociation,5880GlenwoodSt.

May12: 1 to6p.m., IdahoBotanicalGarden,2355OldPenitentiaryRoad,Boise.Membersonly.

May 18-19:9a.m. to4p.m. IdahoHorticultureSociety, 1211S.OwyheeSt.,Boise(betweenKootenaiandOverland)

May 18-19: 8a.m.EarlyMorningGardeners,3028W.ClarkSt.,Boise(betweenShoshoneandVista)

May 19:9a.m.LongValleyGardeners,ValleyCountyFairgrounds,Cascade

May25-26: 11a.m. to3p.m.PatBaker, 9600W.BrooksideLane,Boise(off Idaho55nearShadowValleyGolfCourse)

TreasureValley gardening clubsManyof theaboveclubswelcomenewmem-

bers.Google “Idahogardenclubs” formore infor-mationand tofindclubsandorganizations.

The IdahoHorticultureSociety(idhort.com)and IdahoNativePlantSociety(idahonativeplants.org)alsowelcomenewmembers.There isalsoanAdaCountyMasterGardenersgroup

(idahomga.org/adacountygardeners.htm)forpeople involved in themastergardenersprogram.

Valley gardening classesPublic libraries, the IdahoBotanicalGarden,

FoothillsLearningCenter,mostareagardening/landscapingstores, theAdaandCanyonExtensionOffices(related information,page10)andothershaveclasses forevery level.See theStatesmangardeningcalendars in theon-linegardeningnewsletterandstore/organizationwebsites for information.Manygardeningstorewebsitesarealsofull ofgoodplant information.

Some other resources:IdahoWaterGardenandKoiSociety:

www.iwgks.orgUnitedWater: conservation resourcesonline,

toura low-waterdemonstrationgardenat itsheadquartersat8248W.VictoryRoad inBoise.www.unitedwater.com

BoiseUrbanGardenSchool: gardeningprograms forkidsandmore.www.boiseurbangardenschool.org

IdahoCapitolgrounds: goodplacetogetxeriscapeideas.www.capitolcommission.idaho.gov

Communitygardens:There’sagood listatTheIdahoFoodbankwebsite:http://idahofoodbank.org/community_gardens

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Provided byVickiGowlerWhenyouareplanting inashadyareayoudon’thaveanabun-danceofplantchoices thatwill giveyoubloomingcolor soyouneedtoexpandyourchoicesbeyond flowers, saysStatesmanEditorVickiGowler.Whileshe likesherColumbineplants,above, shealsoplantsheucherawith theirmulticolored leaves.

When someof our fellownews-roomemployeeswere asked if theyhad a favorite gardening tip or garden-ing tool, one of themrespondedwithoneword: “chainsaw.”Another hadtwowords: “mywife.”

Clearly these twogentlemen aren’twhowe should be turning to for ad-vice, but here are somehelpful hintsfrom folkswho really love to garden:

DOTTYHURD

Hurd is an activemember of theIdahoHorticulture Societywho re-centlywas awarded a big honor: Shewas chosen as Idaho’s only representa-tive to judge at the 2012PhiladelphiaFlower Show, oneof the largest showsin the nation.This year’s themefocusedonHawaii, andHurd camehome fromher trip thismonth ex-tremely impressed andwith someideas forTreasureValley gardeners.“The imagination and creativitywerereally overwhelming,”Hurd says. Shesawmailboxes built out of flowers,extravagantwaterfalls andmore.

At the show, she also sawa lot ofmixing of veggieswith flowers and

other ornamentals in the same space—a smart andpretty use of resources.Plus, the flowers often help repel thebugs thatwant to eat your plants.

She also noticed a return to the useofmore old-fashioned flowers(anemones, bulbs and tubers) andcottage gardens,wheremore flowersare packed into smaller spaces to giveyour gardenmorepop.

BODIE STOUT

Stout’s tips have beenpassed to herfromold-timey gardeners andmostfocus on reusing and recycling.Hereare someof them:

1. To avoid blight, always plant twotomato starts to a hole.

2. Save egg shells. Collect in a smallpan (Stout uses anold toaster broilerovenpan linedwith foil) and store inthe oven. Whenyou turn on the ovento bake something, bake the shellswhile the oven is preheating.Cool.Crush. Store in plastic container orcoffee can. Spread the crushed shellsaroundplants and as a bottom layer incontainers, too, to deter crawling bugs(Stoutwrites that the shells are bug

sharp!) as the shellswork into the soil;they amend it aswell.

3. Laybananapeelsandoverripebananasaroundplants.Bugsdon’t likethem.

4. Askwaterdistributors for theirdiscarded five-gallonwater jugs. Cutoff thebottom,andyouhaveaperfectlittlegreenhousewitha spoutat the toptoventexcessheat. Reuse foryears.

5. Spread a thick layer of coffeegrounds over gardenbeds or contain-ers. It’s a nice looking topdressing andgood soil amendment as itworks intothe ground. Stout saves her used coffeegrounds in a old panon topof thefridgewhere theydry. Starbucks savesits grounds in a programcalledGrounds for theGarden,where thegrounds are packaged in empty foilbags and are free to those interested.

6. In our area, stove and fireplaceashes aren’t good for soilwhere youwant anything to grow, but they’regreatwhere youdon'twant anythingto grow ... like thatweedy strip up themiddle of your drivewayor in betweenthepatio pavers/flagstone or alonggravel pathways in the garden.

TreasureValley gardeners share advice


HOWDOESYOUR

GARDENGROW?PHOTOSFROMIDAHOSTATESMANREADERS

Therearealotofbeautiful,creative

gardenspacesintheTreasureValley.

Weaskedreaderstosharetheirphotosand

ideastoinspireallofustobettergardening.

Provided by JuneWebbJuneWebblovescontainergardeningandusesfoxtail fern,elephantear,creepingjenny, impatiens,wirevineandlobelia inhershadepots,above.Sheenjoysgar-deningsomuchshe’sstartedabusinesscalledGlamourGardenstohelpothers.Readaboutsomeofherplantchoicesforsunnier locations, likebelow,onpage22.

BoiseanMikeLenaghendiscovereda fewyearsagothathe likes togrowEarlyGirltomatoes. “Whentheystartproducing, I canbarelykeepupwithall thecanningandfreezing. I have triedothertomatoes,butalwayshaveacoupleofEarlyGirlsgrowingeachyear,which Iuse forpro-cessing. I just spray themwithaMiracle-Gro fertilizeraboutevery twoor threeweeks.Theyarea firmtomato,mediuminsizeandaregreatforcanning, freezing, salsa,pastasauce, tomatosauceandabouteverythingelseyoucan thinkof. “

Provided byMike Lenaghen

MaryParks’Meridianyardfeaturesastonewall flowerbedunderAspentrees.Shealsohasapink rosebushoncedar trellis andaredrose-bush.Thebackyardswingsitsonaperma-barkwalkway.That’s blue lobeliaandpinkcelosia in thepotbesidegardenstones.Shehasalsoplantedgaillardiaand lambs’ear.

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ANNAWEBB

Webb, a Statesman reporter, also hasstudied botany andworks part time ata local gardening shop.Her favoritegardening tool is theKenHo Japanesegardenweeder. She also likes “theHoeDag (half hoe, half dagger, I guess).And it’smade inLewiston.”

“For a nice, easy-to-growcombina-tion in purple,white andyellow, Imight recommendCaradonna salvia(its stems are purple as are its flowers,and itwill rebloomwith deadheading),David phlox (a nice, late bloomer), andLemonQueenhelianthus (tall and yel-low).”

PETEZIMOWSKY

“My favorite garden tool is theWoodsman’s Pal:www.woodmanspal.com. It’s for chopping, cutting, diggingandhooking and cutting tall grass,”says longtimeStatesmanoutdoorswriter and avid gardenerZimowsky.

ZELLASTRICKLAND

Stricklandhas a tip tomake it easiertomove things around thegarden. In-

steadof awheelbarrow, sheuses a tarpof about 8x10 feet in size tohaul dirt,weeds, bales of straw, stone—anythingthat needsmoving. “I canhaulmoredirt ona tarp than in awheelbarrow,”she says.Whensheneeds tounloadsomethingoff the tarp, she just rolls thetarpover. “It’s so easy tounload it. It’snot ashardon the shoulders.”

Another bonus: The tarpmoves eas-ily acrossmost surfaces, includingflagstone, and is flexible to help it slidebetweendifficult spaces like that areabetween the car and thedriveway.

JUNEWEBB

Webb says “most of us are ‘crazybusy,’ but can find the time to take careof a small container garden.” For all ofyouwondering, June is not related toAnnaWebb, but theydo share thesamepassion for great gardens.

She says the secret to success is tostartwith twoor three large containersor baskets.Most people buy too small,“andwhenwe forget towater in July(andwe all do), it’s too late.”

Her recommendations for flowersthat growwell in shady container gar-

dens are onpage 21.Her recommenda-tions for sunnier pots includeWavepetunias, salvia, petchoa, geraniums,ogon grass, verbena and calibrachoa.

If you are interested in contactingWebb formore help, email her [email protected] formoreinformation.

BEVNICHOL

Nichol has some tips tomake con-tainer gardening easier. “Containersare heavy and really hard to keepmoist,” saysNichol. She saves capsfromwater and soda bottles to put inthe bottomof her containers to lightenthe load.The caps also helpwithdrainage.

She also lines the inside of her con-tainerswith adult diapers to help holdin themoisture andhelp the roots staymoist longer.Nichol is an advocate ofusing newsoil each year and recyclingyour old soil into compost. Shemixesveggies and flowers together in con-tainers—such as spinach, lettuce orchardwith petunias.

Compiled by Statesman staff

More fromTreasureValley gardeners

Provided byMarieWillisMarieWillis’Kunayard isa lavender farmcalledTheLavenderMerchant.Willissays lavender isgreat forsandysoilorsoil thatdrainseasily,and,after theplantsareestablished, theyareextremelydrought-tolerant.Onherwebsite, thelavendermerchant.net,Willis listsher favorite lavendervarieties.


Provided byMildredHickmanMildredHickmanalsoenjoysmore traditional flowers.

MildredHickmangrows flowers thatattractmanyonlookers toherBoiseBenchyard.TheCrown Imperi-als, above,bloommidsummeronabout3-foot stalks.TheVoodoo lilyblooms inMayandeachbloomlastsabout fivedays. Intheeveningonabloom’s firstday, thebloomgivesoffaveryunpleasantodor,Hickmansays.

Provided by theWestenhaversJaniceWestenhaversaysawater feature(center,below)madebyherhusband, Jeff, for theirMeridianyard“isahugehitwiththebirds. Thefinches lineupallaroundtogetadrinkofwater. “Theplantsaresedums,grasses,clematis, lilies,viburnumsandannuals.

BoiseanAmandaBal-lancesent inthesephotosofanunusualfind: adual-facedechi-nacea flowerononestem.

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24TREASUREVALLEYGARDENING • SATURDAY,MARCH17,2012 IDAHOSTATESMAN• IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM

idaho statesman's gardening magazine, march 17

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