ARBORETUM WALKING TOUR

We are promised a small break in the heat later in the week.  Come out and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Arboretum Gardens and find out which plants are best holding up in the heat and lack of rainfall.  Master Gardener Volunteers will be leading a tour starting at 9:00 AM this Thursday, July 1st.  Meet in front of the Ag Center (see map link on right hand column) for our monthly tour which lasts about an hour and is held rain or shine.

ROSE GARDEN

Last week a few Master Gardeners tackled the monthly task of deadheading (removing the faded blooms) the roses.  Removing the old blooms will encourage the plant to rebloom, if it is the type of rose that will rebloom.  Here is a short video covering the basics of Deadheading Roses and you can read more about the benefits of deadheading by going to this Rose Magazine article.

Knock Out roses do not need to be deadheaded to rebloom, but you may prefer a tidier look.  We do not deadhead our 'Home Run' roses, but do for the other Knock Outs.  Some of the roses that are looking particularly good right now are Lady Elsie May, Cinco de Mayo, Ballerina, and the Double Pink Knock Out Tree Rose.  The miniature roses seem to always be in bloom.  Not everything is a success in the Arboretum's gardens.  Two of the bare root roses planted earlier this year did not survive the heat and drought conditions that arrived shortly after planting them.

The rose varieties in the Arboretum's Rose Garden are always being evaluated for their ease of care and ability to hold on and look great with our area's climate.  If you've always wanted to grow roses be sure to stop by to see what might thrive for you, too.

WHAT'S IN BLOOM?

Our daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.) are providing a lot of color right now.  We have many varieties at the Arboretum ensuring a long period of blooms.  Some started blooming in May and some repeat bloomers will continue through the summer.  They are a great perennial flower for this area.  According to the American Hemerocallis Society the daylily is the perfect perennial because it is:
•Available in a rainbow of colors and a variety of shapes and sizes.
•Able to survive with very little care in a wide range of climates.
•Suitable for all types of landscapes.
•Drought tolerant when necessary, with relatively few pest and disease problems in most gardens.
•Adaptable to various soil and light conditions.
•Known to bloom from late spring until autumn

The Society's webpage, Daylilies, has extensive information on this great perennial.

WHAT'S IN BLOOM?

This time of year it would be shorter to list 'what's not in bloom'.  However, two trees that are not that common in home landscapes (although they certainly could be) and are blooming right now are the Vitex agnus-castus 'Chaste Tree' (click here for more Vitex info)  and Koelreuteria paniculata'- 'Beach Master' panicol Golden Rain tree (click here for more Rain tree info).  Wouldn't this combination be perfect for the Pirate fans with one blooming purple and the other golden yellow?  Both grow well here and are something to think about to compliment any crape myrtles you may be growing.  Come out to the arboretum to see them in our Mixed Border and CPP area.

VEGETABLE GARDEN

The vegetables are starting to ripen out at the Arboretum.  This week 20 lbs. of squash was picked and donated to the Food Bank.  Soon we will be gathering tomatoes, peppers, beans, watermelon, potatoes, and more squash.  A new section was created this year to demonstrate "Square Foot Gardening".  If you are not familar with this concept, watch this video Introducing Square Foot Gardening to learn some basic steps in starting your own intensive garden plot. 

THANK YOU

On behalf of all the Master Gardener Volunteers thank all of you who came out to make our Wine & Garden Party a success.  A special thank you to the Ballance's for opening their beautiful gardens for all to enjoy.  Thanks also to the local businesses whom supported us with monetary donations, food, gift certificates, and raffle items.  All proceeds will be used to improve the Arboretum to continue to make it a useful resource for the community.

CARING FOR PERENNIALS

Now that we have enjoyed the first flush of blooms from our perennials at the Arboretum, it is time for maintenance work.  Many perennials benefit from deadheading (removing faded blooms) and some may even reward us with new blooms.   We may leave seedheads on some plants if we want them to reseed themselves and provide us with more plants.  Some also may be left for the birds to eat.  This is true for the coneflowers later in the year which the goldfinches will devour.  We are also hand pulling weeds from the flower beds.  Keeping ahead of weeds stop them from competing with our plants for water and nutrients and doesn't give them a chance to spread seeds.  Read this factsheet Maintaining Perennials for more information.  Another valuable resource is Bryce Lane's 'In the Garden' Episode 704 titled Perennial Power .

If you are out at the Farmers' Market on County Home Road this Saturday, stop by the Master Gardener table with your questions.  Volunteers will be there from 9:00 AM-11:00 AM.