Gardens Centre: July 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009

Thursday, July 30, 2009

2 unique custom planters by our designer

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Monday, July 27, 2009

say hi to Pongo....

The nursery cat at our Danville store...

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Thymes are versatile, indeed – more than fifty varieties are judged useful for culinary or ornamental gardens! Its flavor heightens that of most any food...

Types of Thyme
The thyme most often used in cooking is known as English thyme (a form of Thymus vulgaris). Like the other thymes, it has woody stems with small oval leaves. It can reach 8 to 12 inches high, though some varieties are smaller. Creeping varieties make attractive aromatic rock garden or edging plants.

Loved for its lemon scent, lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) is a delightful plant for both garden and kitchen. One cultivar of lemon thyme with variegated yellow leaves and a prostrate habit is known as 'Doone Valley'. It makes a beautiful ground cover, particularly in winter when it turns strong shades of yellow, red, and green. Caraway thyme (Thymus herbabarona) is a low-growing plant with dark green leaves sporting the fragrance of its namesake herbs. Others thymes sport aromas of lavender, orange, oregano, and rose geranium!

Growing Thyme
It’s best to purchase plants rather than start thyme from seed, since it germinates slowly and unevenly. You can also start plants from cuttings if you have a friend willing to share. Thyme thrives in full sun and light well-drained soil. Space plants 9 inches apart.

Where winters are cold, mulch the plants after the ground freezes with a light mulch. Trim the plants a bit in the spring and summer to maintain a neat growth habit and prevent the development of too much woody growth.

Harvest and Storage
You can harvest leaves and sprigs all summer. To dry thyme for storage, harvest sprigs in early fall, tie them together, and hang them upside down in a shady, warm, well-ventilated area to dry. Store leaves in a tightly lidded container. You can also remove leaves from the stem, dry them on a tray, or freeze them.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Gnat troubles....

Dear Garden Guru,

I’m hoping that you are able to help me. I have a gnat problem in one of my indoor houseplants. I have tried everything – repotting the plant 3 times, spraying indoor houseplant bug spray.. I haven’t overwatered the plant at all since it’s last repotting. What can I do? Ellen

Dear Ellen,

Fungus gnats are bothersome. It may help to understand the environment they prefer and their lifecycle. Fungus gnats lay their eggs on very moist, damp, warm soils containing lots of organic matter, compost, and fungi. The fungi are existing in these soils to break down the organic matter. Fungus gnat larvae feed on the decaying organic matter and fungi. If the population is large enough, they will also feed on the plant roots.

Once the larvae are full grown, they pupate and emerge as pesky gnats. The adults mate and the cycle begins anew. The cultural controls for the gnats are to reduce watering, allowing the plants to become fairly dry between watering. Do not let plants sit in water filled saucers or cache pot. Putting plants in containers that are too large for them prevents the soil from drying out sufficiently. You are better to plant in a container that is no more than 4" wider than it's original size.

You mention that you have repotted 3 times. This is one of the methods of control. All the soil should be washed away from the roots before putting in fresh soil. Choose a sterile potting soil that does not have a lot of extra amendments that would feed the gnat larvae. We love our Organic Potting soil, but to be on the safe side in a recurring situation, the Sloat Bay Area Blend potting soil is a better choice. It drains faster, has fewer compost nutrients and less organic foodstuffs to decay.

If none of this seems to work for you, there are beneficial, fungus gnat nematodes that can be applied to the container soil. The nematodes attack and feed on the larvae. These have been very successful. There are also Gnat Trap Stix which are small, sticky cards that can be attached to the pot to trap the adult gnats. Using the sprays that are available to homeowners are not effective in the long run.

Good luck!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Create beautiful table centerpieces on a budget!

Today on the View from the Bay (Channel 7), Sloat Garden Center garden designer Jennie Strobel discussed how to create beautiful table centerpieces.

Watch it here!

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=view_from_the_bay/home_garden&id=6924262

Saturday, July 18, 2009

zinnia looks great this weekend

Friday, July 17, 2009

Have a great weekend!

Monday, July 13, 2009

The Dog Days of Summer Offset by the Cool Shade of a Well Placed Tree

The dog days of summer are here. This period was defined in 1813 as the time of year "when the seas boiled and all creatures became languid." That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it surely is a time when even the dogs know to find a cool, shady place in the garden to rest in the heat of the afternoon.

Summer heat does not have to drive you out of the garden. Summer evenings can be spent in a cool oasis under the shade of your favorite tree and there are even plants that find solace under the ‘cool’ of a beautiful tree. Kaempferias are the perfect choice for these conditions. This group of gingers thrives where other plants struggle. They are lovely in mass plantings for a full, luxurious effect. They are easy to maintain and divide, and are seldom bothered by pests. Kaempferias bloom — in fact many of them have exotic, orchid-like flowers, but the real show in the summer shade garden is their dramatic foliage.

Low growing Kaempferias make wonderful, cooling ground covers and look amazing when mass planted in drifts and sweeps in shady areas. Brush Strokes (Kaempferia loatica 'Brush Strokes') is a 6- to 8-inch low-mounding, root-hardy ginger. Its leaves are brushed with broad strokes of chocolate-red on the surface and have maroon undersides.If you are looking for a variety that will multiply and fill an area quickly, try Manson Peacock Ginger (Kaempferia pulchra mansonii). This selection grows to five inches and is a tough, but beautiful landscape ginger. The surface of the leaves has a feather pattern of silver with hundreds of tiny, silver flecks.

Satin Checks (Kaempferia elegans 'Satin Checks') is simply one of the best. Its bright green leaves have a satiny sheen and a deep purplish checkerboard pattern. Flowers appear almost daily on this selection from midsummer through fall. The larger, taller Kaempferias have dramatic, tropical look. An upright growth habit and large 8-inch wide by 2-foot long leaves give Grande Peacock Ginger (Kaempferia 'Grande') its name. The broad leaves have a beautiful surface pattern of silver and dark green and a rich burgundy underside.

Raven Peacock Ginger (Kaempferia rotunda 'Raven') has 16-inch long, upright, lance-shaped leaves. This is pure drama in the shade garden. The leaf surface is a very dark green patterned with beautiful strokes of silver. The underside is a dark, rich purple.

Silver Diamonds (Kaempferia rotunda 'Silver Diamonds') has distinguished, platinum-colored, diamond-shaped markings that are fanned on each side of the leaf surface in a chevron pattern. The underside of the leaves is a rich maroon color.

Kaempferias will go dormant in the winter, making late-winter/early spring cleanup a breeze. Even heavily planted beds can be accessed easily to remove debris and apply compost and mulch before spring growth begins.

Texture is important when landscaping with foliage plants. Good bed mates for Kaempferias include Cephalotaxus, Cast Iron Plant, and ferns.

The cumbersome common name of Prostrate Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia drupaceae) does not give any clue to the wonderful texture of Cephalotaxus. This evergreen has a broad, horizontal, multiple-stemmed form with flat branches and dense, fine textured foliage. It is slow growing to 2- or 3-feet tall and 3- to 5-feet wide. It's a lovely accent draping over large rocks and borders.

Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra eliator), known for its dependability and resilience. To add an additional level of interest, try planting the cultivar Ginga (Aspidistra lurida 'Ginga'). This variety is a bit smaller at 18-inches tall and is speckled with creamy-colored spots.
Once you have created your shady oasis, arrange a bench or a few chairs so you can cool down, and wind down, with tall glass of iced-tea and enjoy the dogs, and the dog days.