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Apr 4, 2021

This shrub keeps its leaves during Minnesota winters and blooms in May - Duluth News Tribune

Is this good advice? — Laurie S. A: Yes, it’s good advice. 10-10-10 is a well-balanced fertilizer for perennial flowers, vegetables, and shrubs, including hydrangeas. Apply a half cup around the base of each shrub about May 1. If possible, work the granular fertilizer into the top few inches of soil, and water well to activate. Repeat again June 1, and then don't fertilize for the remainder of the season. Fertilizing flowering shrubs early in the season provides strong nutrition for blossom formation on shrub types that flower on new wood, like hydrangeas, and it increases next year’s buds on types that flower on old wood, like lilacs. Discontinuing fertilizer in early July allows shrubs to slow down in late season, hardening growth against winter injury. RELATED COLUMNS: Q: Last July, landscapers planted a hydrangea tree that was covered in blooms which have dried up over winter. Do I cut off the dried blossoms this spring? I’m not sure what’s best. — Rose G. A: The flower clusters of hydrangeas persist for most of winter, adding interest to the snowy landscape, which is a good reason for not removing them during fall cleanup. They should be removed before new growth starts in spring. On a pleasant day in late March or early April, prune away the pyramidal-shaped flower clusters of paniculata hydrangeas, like Vanilla Strawberry. While you’re at it, it’s best to prune the entire shrub by cutting back branches by 30 to 50%, which automatically removes the old flowers. Heavy pruning of paniculata hydrangeas promotes better flowering on sturdy new stems, with less tendency to flop. On arborescens hydrangeas, with the large, round white or pink flower clusters, prune the entire shrub back to 12 inches or less above soil level, which automatically removes the old flowers. Arborescens hydrangeas, like Annabelle and Invincibelle, die back to near ground level each year, so removing old, upper branches is a must for healthy growth. If you have a gardening or lawn care question, email Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension-Cass County, at donald.kinzler@ndsu.edu. Questions with broad appeal may be published, so please include your name, city and state for appropriate advice.

Apr 4, 2021

Celebrate Easter with a gift of life - West Hawaii Today

Recondition the soil where the bulbs are to go. It should be rich in humus, which contains the helpful microorganisms. A well balanced slow release plant food should be added and mixed with the soil. The depth at which you should plant a bulb depends upon its size. The rule of thumb is two times the diameter of the bulb. This means, if you have a jumbo bulb that measures 2 inches in diameter, there would be a space of 4 inches between the top of the bulb and soil surface. Amaryllis is an exception, though. If planted in the ground, the top of the bulb should be just under the soil surface. In a pot, almost half of the amaryllis bulb should be sticking up above the soil. Growers usually favor an inorganic bulb fertilizer high in potash. Some say that organic fertilizers such as dried blood, tankage and cottonseed meal stimulate Fusarium fungus that causes basal rot. However, fish emulsions used in diluted form seem to cause no ill effects. These give excellent results in foliage color and growth, as well as flower development and bulb size. A complete fertilizer is important for success. This should be applied two or three times during the growing season to keep the bulbs vigorous for next year’s growth. Mulching is recommended to keep soil from drying. This is good for both ground and pot culture. If you want to grow Easter lilies in pots, line the bottom of the pot with an inch of gravel or cinder and fill the pot half full of soil. Place the bulb at the right depth for its size and then add soil mixture to within about an inch of the rim. Naturally, the larger the bulb, the larger the size of the pot. Remember, lilies are heavy feeders. The bulbs require plenty of sun, as do almost all bulbs. Locate the plants in a sunny location until at least mid-afternoon. Sunset’s New Western Garden Book gives details for many other bulbs. If you want to keep your bulbs from year to year, remember not to remove any part of the stem until it has dried. The real secret to getting the plants to bloom right on time is to give the resting bulbs a five to six week “chill” in the refrigerator at 35 degrees to 45 degrees. After chilling, the bulbs are potted so that they have approximately 120 days until flowering. The timing won’t be exact because of variables like temperature and bulb variety. For guaranteed success in bulb growing, try some of the easier types like amaryllis. These bulbs must have a little lime or crushed coral in the soil in which they are grown. They do well in either ground or pots. ADVERTISING Very few bulbs can stand deep shade. Most require plenty of sun to induce flowering. They will grow but seldom flower when planted in shade. An exception to this would be Calla lilies and Clivia. For more information on bulb gardening, contact the UH Master Gardeners at (808) 322-4893 in Kona or (808) 981-5199 in Hilo.

Dec 10, 2020

Unique Business Forms Partnership with Ronald McDonald House, Beyond Flowers and Food - HamletHub

The sisters ensure that each package has its own personal touch, striking the right balance of support and love. For more information about RMH or Beyond Flowers and Food visit www.rmh-ghv.org or https://www.facebook.com/rmhghv/ The Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley provides families with critically ill and traumaticallyinjured children an atmosphere of comfort, hope and courage, keeping them close to the care and resources theyneed. The House has 12 bedrooms that are filled to capacity almost every night. We also provide meals, laundry andrespite services for our families during their stay. Located on the campus of the Westchester Medical Center inValhalla, NY, the House is just steps away from the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Since it opened in 2011,more than 1,800 families have called our House their Home.

Dec 10, 2020

Shop Local Holiday Gift Guide: Montclair's Got Gifts from Quirky to Elegant - Baristanet

Montclair’s local businesses really, really want you to know they are here for you. Shops have taken huge steps to balance an easy and effective shopping experience with keeping their employees and customers safe. Online ordering, curbside pickup, personal shopping appointments via FaceTime or in-person, and deliveries are all meant to help alleviate the concerns around COVID-safe purchasing. This year’s holiday shopping guide hopes to encourage touring Montclair’s shopping areas on foot so we can spread our gift-dollars to as many local businesses as possible. Window-shopping, combined with checking out Fresh Air Montclair displays and picking up a bite to eat, makes for a fantastic way to spend a day supporting local businesses while respecting social distancing to keep shop employees and our community healthy. We can’t include every shop, so please put additional finds in comments! Quick-and-Easy and One-Size-Fits-All: The gift certificate! Any restaurant, cafe, gift or clothing store, service outlet, or charity will be happy to issue a gift certificate for whatever amount you choose. These make great #ShopLocal gifts because they encourag...

Sep 7, 2020

'Victoria Longwood' water lilies at Hudson Gardens in Littleton are a pretty big deal - parkerchronicle.net

We are told that duckweed, often thought to indicate an unhealthy pond, actually helps balance the ecosystem and provides shade for the underwater wildlife. It also provides a source of fat and protein for birds. While visiting the Water Gardens, take time to look for the lotus, which, like the water lilies, is rooted in a natural soil bed under the water. Hudson Gardens, at 6115 S. Santa Fe Drive, is open sunrise to sunset daily. Admission is free. Parking near entrance. In addition to ponds, flower gardens are in full bloom. Visit HudsonGardens.org for information about classes and special programming. The popular Sunday concerts are not being held this summer.

Aug 3, 2020

Howard Dungan - Obituary - Legacy.com

Catch-22", which he said captured some of the absurdities of the war. He still drove well, shopped, and balanced his checkbookuntil a few weeks before he passed.Howard is survived by his daughter, Michelle Dungan and her wife, Veronica Zerrer; numerous nieces and nephews; friends and former students whose lives he touched; and the family dog, Jacqui, who recently saved him from a bad fall by warning Veronica that he had a leg cramp and was trapped on the steep slope next to a vertical embankment while weeding his yard.Both Howard and Anita supported good public education for everyone, and that would include a broad curriculum helping students understand history, society, and government so they can become good citizens. It must also provide a solid foundation for all students whether they aspire to vocational or to a college education. In lieu of flowers for services at Glen Abbey in Bonita and interment at Fort Rosecrans, please consider a contribution to Honor Flight, or your favorite charity or other group that could support the above educational goals. Published in San Diego Union-Tribune on Aug. 2, 2020.