Table of Contents
Cactii are naturals for desert gardening. As the water crunch continues they are going to be more and more desirable for home gardens. There are some important points to keep in mind.
1. Cactii can be over watered is good drainage isn't provided.
2. In an urban environment it is very important to water your
cactus every couple of weeks. Building materials, concrete, and
asphalt are not a natural environment desert plants. They make
the air much hotter than in the desert. Rocks placed around the
cactus makes them even hotter. They don't take a lot of water
because of their shallow roots but they do need water.
3. Beware the spines. They bite. Keep them away from sidewalks
and children's play areas. Especially prickly pear. Prickly pear
can grow to be huge.
I found an excellent web page that discusses cactus in great detail. It is called the Absolute Authority Primer on Cactus at Cactus Central. Click on Education and then on Primer. There is also an excellent section on diseases. Watering, planting, fertilizing, sunlight, habitat and more is discussed. It is very interesting and informative reading.
Also I am including lots of links to some delightful cactus pages in the links section.
When to plant:
For best results, Iris should be planted in July, August, or
September. It's imperative that the roots of newly planted Iris
be well-established before the growing season ends. In areas
with hot summers and mild winters, September or October planting
may be preferred.
Where to plant:
Iris need at least a half day of sun. In extremely hot climates
Iris do best in full sun. Be sure to provide your Iris good drainage,
planting either on a slope or in raised beds.
Soil Preparation:
Iris will thrive in most well-drained garden soils. Planting
on a slope or in raised beds helps ensure good drainage. If you
soil is heavy, course sand or humus may be added to improve drainage.
Gypsum is an excellent soil conditioner that can improve most
clay soils. The ideal pH is 6.8 (slightly acidic), but Iris are
tolerant in this regard. To adjust the pH of your soil, lime
may be added to acidic soils or sulfer to alkaline soils. It
is best to have your soil analyzed before taking corrective measures,
Depth to Plant:
Iris should be planted so the tops of the rhizomes are exposed
and the roots are spread out facing downward in the soil. In
very light soid or in extremely hot climates, covering the rhizome
with 1 inch of soil may be desirable. Firm the soil around each
rhizome and then water to help settle the soil. A common mistake
is to plant the Iris too deeply.
Distance Apart:
Iris are generally planted 12 to 24 inches apart. Close planting
gives an immediate effect, but closely planted Iris will need
to be thinned often. Plants spaced further apart will need less
frequent thinning.
Watering
Newly set plants need moisture to help their root system become
established, Specific watering information depends on your climate
and soil, but keep in mind that deep watering at long intervals
is better than more frequent shallow waterings. Once established,
Iris don't need to be watered except in arid areas. Overwatering
is a common error.
Fertilization
Specific fertilizer depends on your soil type, but bone meal,
superphosphate and 6-10-10 are all effective. A light application
about a month after bloom will reward you with good growth and
bloom. Avoid using anything high nitrogen, as nitrogen encourages
rot problems.
Thinning Old Clumps
Iris need to be thinned or divided before they become overcrowded,
generally every 3-4 years. If Iris are allowed to become too
crowded the bloom will suffer, some varieties may crowd others
out and disease problems may be aggravted. Old clumps may be
thinned by removing the old divisions at the centers of the clumps
and leaving new growth in the ground. Or, you may dig up the
entire clump and remove and replant the large new rhizomes.
General Garden Care
Keep your Iris beds clean and free of weeds and debris, allowing
the tops of the rhizomes to bask in the sun. Bloom stems should
be cut off close to the ground after blooming. Healthy green
leaves should be left undisturbed but diseased or brown leaves
should be removed.
Author unknown.
It's time to start pruning trees and shrubs. This is the one part of gardening that I always put off. It's a lot of work and there is always that fear of making a mistake. A mistake on a big tree could be a big mistake. The above picture was a stump from a pyracantha shrub that had not been pruned for too many years. It was a real mess. Putting off pruning can be a big mistake as well. The neat thing is once I start pruning my trees I really enjoy it. It is very artistic and when the job is over I have a masterpiece created by nature and me.
Several pruning classes has given me some good advice that's makes pruning much easier and I would like to share some of that advice with you. A good gardening book with detailed pruning instructions is helpful as well. My reference is The Big Book of Gardening Skills by Garden Way Publishing. I'll start with some practical tips. If you follow these tips the task will start flow into a pleasant experience for you.
PRACTICAL PRUNING TIPS
1. Cut off all diseased, dead or broken branches from any tree or plant. If the inside of the branch is green it is not dead. This should be done when it is noticed at any time of the year, it is just more noticeable when there are no leaves.
2. Prune the weaker of two rubbing or crossing branches.
3. If only the end of the branch is dead, cut just beyond and close to a bud. If a parent branch needs to be removed there are several things to remember.
Start at the end of the branch
and start cutting of in pieces. Follow the example in the above
drawing to cut when you reach the trunk. The branch collar will
be easy to recognize when you look for it. Don't let the limb
strip off bark when if falls. If the cut is done correctly the
tree will actually grow bark over the cut and "heal"
itself. If done incorrectly disease or insects could enter the
tree.
4. Don't leave stubs or ragged cuts. Always use sharp, clean cutting pruning tools.
5. Pruning top terminal branches produces a low spreading tree. By pruning side branches the tree will grow upwards and less bushy. This is where the artisitc part comes in. Each cut shows you where the next one should be.
6. When pruning hedges or full shrubs like juniper never let a large end show where you pruned. Burrow into the plant and cut of deeper into the shrub to remove the ugly stump. Any empty spots will few in very quickly.
7. Keep pruning shears sharp and well oiled. Use the right tools for the job. A pruning saw is different from regular saws.
8. Keep trees out of foundation plantings. Never let trees and shrubs block windows of the house.
9. Keep your feet on the ground. Don't use step ladders, chairs or other make-shifts to prune the upper branches. Use long handle pruners or pole saws. If it is a big tree with multiple large dead branches hire a tree professional. The results will be good and the chances of injury are much less.
Pruning can be fun. Take advantage of this lovely weather and practice the above tips. You will have prettier and healthier trees and shrubs as a result.
Before you get started I should mention that spring flowering trees and shrubs should not be pruned until after they have flowered. Some shrubs have some additional guidelines to follow. Following is a pruning guide for some of the local shrubs.
| Shrubs | When | How |
| Butterfly Bush | Early Spring | Remove a few old branches occasionally to encourage new growth, Head back as necessary to keep plant in shape |
| Clematis | Spring | Cut out weak growth but save as much old wood as possible |
| Honeysuckle, Bush | After fruiting | Cut out some old branches. Keep bush open. |
| Pomegranates | spring | Cut out several years old growth |
| Pyrcantha | After flowering | Cut out several years old growth |
| Roses, Climbing | After flowering | Cut out about one-half of old growth at the ground and retain the vigorous new shoots from the root for next year's flowers. |
| Roses, other | spring after frost | Cut away all dead and weak growth and shorten remaining branches or canes to four or five buds. |
| Rose-of-Sharon | When buds start | Cut out all winter killed growth back to live wood. |
| Trumpet Vine | Early Spring | Prune side branches severely to main stem. |
| Wisteria | Spring | Cut back the new growth to the spurs at the axils of the leaves |
| Virginia Creeper | Spring | Clip young plants freely. Older plants require little pruning except to remove dead growth and some thinning. |
Creating a butterfly garden is an exciting and rewarding
endeavor! It is easy to invite butterflies to your area by gardening
with their needs in mind. These beautiful insects will add bright
colors and entertaining antics to your garden display. Use the
following techniques to produce a delightful butterfly garden
in your own backyard.
How to Create a Butterfly Garden
Locate the Garden In A Sunny Area - Butterflies and most butterfly attracting plants require bright sunshine.
Plant Nectar Producing Flowers - Butterflies visit flowers in search of nectar, a sugary fluid to eat. Many native butterflies seem to prefer purple, yellow, orange, and red-colored blossoms. Clusters of short tubular flowers or flat-topped blossoms provide the ideal shapes for butterflies to easily land and feed.
Select Single Flowers Rather than Double Flowers - The nectar of single flowers is more accessible and easier for butterflies to extract than the nectar of double flowers which have more petals per flower.
Use Large Splashes of Color in Your Landscape Design - Butterflies are first attracted to flowers by their color. Groups of flowers are easier for butterflies to locate than isolated plants.
Plan for Continuous Bloom Throughout The Growing Season - Butterflies are active from early spring until late fall. Plant a selection of flowers that will provide nectar throughout the entire growing season.
Include Host Plants In The Garden Design - Host plants provide food for caterpillars and lure female butterflies into the garden to lay eggs.
Include Damp Areas Or Shallow Puddles In The Garden - Some butterflies drink and extract salts from moist soil. Occasionally large numbers of male butterflies congregate around a moist area to drink forming a "puddle club."
Place Flat Stones In The Garden - Butterflies often perch on stones, bare soil or vegetation, spread their wings and bask in the sun. Basking raises their body temperature so they are able to fly and remain active.
Do Not Use pesticides In Or Near A Butterfly Garden - Most traditional garden pesticides are toxic to butterflies. Use predatory insects, insecticidal soap or hand remove the pests if problems occur.
Become A Butterfly Watcher - Get to know the colorful butterflies that visit your garden. They are easy to identify with a field guide.
Butterflies and Plants
Butterflies depend on plants in many ways. The most successful butterfly gardens include plants which meet the needs of butterflies during all four of their life stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult.
After mating, female butterflies search for a specific kind of "host plant"on which to lay eggs. For example, monarchs lay eggs on milkweed, black swallowtails on parsley and Easter tiger swallowtails on tulip tree or wild cherry. Some butterflies lay eggs on more than one type of plant while others use only one particular kind of host plant.
In a few days caterpillars emerge from the eggs and begin to eat. Caterpillars are selective eaters and feed on specific kinds of plants. If the desired plants are not available, the caterpillar will starve rather than eat another type of vegetation. Usually female butterflies lay eggs on or near the plants their caterpillars prefer to eat. Most butterflies caterpillars feed on native plants and are not considered agricultural or ornamental pests.
In a few weeks when the caterpillars are fully grown, they shed their skin for the final time and change into chrysalis. Inside each chrysalis the body of the adult butterfly is formed. Often chrysalises are attached to plant stems and protected by surrounding vegetation.
After emerging from the chrysalis, the adult butterfly soon begins to search for nectar-rich flowers to eat.
Plants are important to butterflies during each stage of
their of their life cycle. A garden designed with this in mind
attracts the largest number and greatest variety of butterfly
visitors.
PLANTS FOR A BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Nectar Sources
Shrubs - Azalea, Butterfly bush, Glossy abelia, lantana, trailing lantana
Perennials - Eupatirium, New England Aster, Pineapple sage, Purple coneflower, Thrift, Vervain, Vernena
Annuals - Cosmos, Egyptian star-cluster, French
marigold, Heliotrope, Impatiens, Mexican sunflower, Moss verbana,
Zinnia
Host Plants
Bloodflower, Butterflyweed, Parsley, Dill, Copper Fennel,
Passion Flower, Spicebush, Tulip Tree, Maypop, Garden Rue
Courtesy of Callaway Gardens