AuthorLyn Chimera is a Master Gardener, consultant and lecturer. Archives
May 2023
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May 2020 Garden Tips Pt 14/29/2020 Dear Gardening Friends,
I’m so glad April will be over and am hoping May will be more hospitable for garden work. It seems to me I got more done in the garden in March than April. Maybe March was really April and April was March. At least it seemed that way. News about my plant sale and a Master Gardener opportunity are at the end of these tips. Hard to believe but we still must be patient as the soil is cold and wet. The following are some tips for May: One big issue that requires patience is waiting until your perennials come up before walking in the beds or starting to dig. Unless you know exactly where every perennial is, it is safer to wait until they show up. It is so tempting to step into a bed to get at that weed but resist! I have crushed crowns of plants with my feet and/or dug into them by not waiting to see where they are. If your soil is workable (not so wet that it forms a clump in your hand) you can transplant perennials that are already in your garden. They are acclimated to the weather and should be fine. It’s way too soon to put out any nursery grown perennials or annuals. Our nights continue to be well below 50. Plants from greenhouses haven’t been acclimated to outside temperatures. If the cooler weather continues it may be the end of May before it’s safe to put out tender annuals. Weeding should be a priority. There are a few weeds to watch out for that are starting to bloom now. - Lesser celandine is another weed that is in full bloom now. This is an extremely invasive plant that unfortunately is very pretty. It’s a short (2-3 inch) ground cover with heart shaped waxy green leaves and bright yellow flowers. It dies in back in early summer like a tulip or daffodil so you must weed them out now before you can no longer see them. These do not pull up easily, so you must be sure to dig out all the roots and the very small bulbs at the end of the roots. Luckily, they are in bloom so will be easy to find. For more information and pictures go to:http://www.nyis.info/index.php?action=invasive_detail&id=71 Lessons from Nature and Amanda’s Garden Annual Native and Perennial Plant Sale. Many of you have inquired about our annual plant sale. Obviously, we won’t be able to have our regular plant sale due to the covid 19 restrictions. Instead we will both be having a sale by pre-order and pre-pay with pick up the week of May 25-30. I will send out a list of available plants the second week of May. All orders will be first come first served. I will indicate which plants I have a lot of and which ones only a few. Prices vary according to the size of the division so I will include price ranges as well. Email me your order and I will let you know the cost. Then you can mail me a check and I will prepare your order. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PRE-PAID. Plants from Amanda’s Garden can be ordered by email or phone:You can check the website for plant lists: www.amandasnativeplants.com ellen@amandasnativeplants.com (585)750-6288 Amanda's Garden Native Perennial Nursery specializes in locally grown native plants for woodlands, meadows and wetlands. These will also be available for pick up at the same week here at my home in E Aurora. Order by checking plants on Amanda's Garden website and email your order. Ellen will email you an invoice for pre-paying. All my plants are dug fresh from my garden and those from Amanda’s Garden are started from seed by Ellen. Foltz, the owner. I will also have a selection of hypertufa containers, draped concrete planters and birdbaths. Master Gardener Online Garden Fence ChatsGet Ready for Spring!Join our CCE Erie Master Gardener hotline volunteers as we host virtual hotline hours or ‘Garden Fence Chats’ Monday –Friday via Zoom from 10:00 am to noon. REGISTER FOR GARDEN FENCE CHATS HERE: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/vpYvcu6trTspMthpDqjMUzrOiSoFqWp1eQ?fbclid=IwAR3qWjL-oua5i7Sjqm6y6lXaanBXl1inS_GOQu3wfjUjA0KaGwZSTrsvGdU This will be an opportunity to chat with Master Gardener hotline volunteers real time and share your gardening questions either by phone or the computer. We will open each day with a short 10-15 minute presentation covering a timely topic or frequently asked question and then keep the line open for people to call-in or virtually stop-by with questions. Come hear from your garden friends what is happening in their gardens and what they are learning. Our Garden Fence Chat space will be staffed by Master Gardener volunteers and our Consumer Horticulture Educator Garden Consults: Done at a safe distance with masks. A Garden Consult can help identify plants, problems, and improve your garden and gardening practices. This will save you time and money. Happy Gardening!
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May 2020 Gardening Tips Pt 24/29/2020 Dear Gardening Friends,This is a special edition of our Garden Tips to bring you up to date on a few things. First how to handle this frigid weather. This is a perfect example of NOT gardening according to the calendar, rather following natures lead.
Now for some good news!! The WNY Land Conservancy is offering a FREE online talk by Doug Tallamy author of Bringing Nature Home. He is one of the people who has made the biggest ecological impact on home gardening. Info and registration info is below. Upcoming Plant Sale: Lessons from Nature and Amanda’s Garden Native and Perennial Plant Sale. 170 Pine St., E Aurora, corner of Pine & Lawrence. Obviously, we won’t be able to have our regular plant sale due to the covid 19 restrictions. Instead we will both be having a sale by pre-order and pre-pay with pick up at my home the week of May 25-30. I will send out a list of available plants AFTER the second week of May. Due to the cold weather many things aren’t up yet! All orders will be first come first served. I will indicate which plants I have a lot of and which ones only a few. Prices vary according to the size of the division so I will include price ranges as well. Email me your order and I will let you know the cost. Then you can mail me a check and I will prepare your order. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PRE-PAID. Plants from Amanda’s Garden can be ordered by email or phone:You can check the website for plant lists: www.amandasnativeplants.com ellen@amandasnativeplants.com (585)750-6288 Amanda's Garden Native Perennial Nursery specializes in locally grown native plants for woodlands, meadows and wetlands. These will also be available for pick up at the same week here at my home in E Aurora. Order by checking plants on Amanda's Garden website and email your order. Ellen will email you an invoice for pre-paying. All my plants are dug fresh from my garden and those from Amanda’s Garden are started from seed by Ellen. Foltz, the owner. I will also have a selection of hypertufa containers, draped concrete planters and birdbaths. Educational Opportunity: On Wednesday, May 13th from 7:00-8:30 p.m., the WNY Land Conservancy will present a very special evening with renowned writer and native plant gardening expert, Doug Tallamy, who Edward O. Wilson calls "one of the most original and persuasive present-day authors on conservation." In his new book, Nature’s Best Hope, Tallamy urges homeowners to turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. During this free, virtual event, you will learn practical, effective, and easy steps for taking environmental action in your own yard. There will not be a live Q&A, but if you have questions for Doug, email them to Kyle Semmel, communications manager, at ksemmel@wnylc.org prior to the event. Preregistration is required. To register go to: info@wnylc.org Master Gardener Online Garden Fence Chats Join our CCE Erie Master Gardener hotline volunteers as we host virtual hotline hours or ‘Garden Fence Chats’ Monday –Friday via Zoom from 10:00 am to noon. REGISTER FOR GARDEN FENCE CHATS HERE https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/vpYvcu6trTspMthpDqjMUzrOiSoFqWp1eQ?fbclid=IwAR3qWjL-oua5i7Sjqm6y6lXaanBXl1inS_GOQu3wfjUjA0KaGwZSTrsvGdU This will be an opportunity to chat with Master Gardener hotline volunteers real time and share your gardening questions either by phone or the computer. We will open each day with a short 10-15 minute presentation covering a timely topic or frequently asked question and then keep the line open for people to call-in or virtually stop-by with questions. Come hear from your garden friends what is happening in their gardens and what they are learning. Our Garden Fence Chat space will be staffed by Master Gardener volunteers and our Consumer Horticulture Educator Don’t forget to contact me for a garden consult. I can help improve your garden and gardening practices. They can be done with masks, outdoors and with safe distancing. Stay safe and be well!!!! Happy Gardening!
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April 2020 Gardening Tips4/1/2020  Dear Gardening Friends,
I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. During these challenging and difficult times, I am so grateful to have a garden. Even though it’s early and the soil is too wet for many garden chores, I can walk around on the paths and see how things are coming up and have a respite from the outside world. Spring is a time for hope and new life, and we must focus on the fact that we will get through this just like our gardens come back every spring. Patience is still the word for this spring. Keep in mind it is just the beginning of April even though some of these warm sunny spring days makes it feel like it’s already May. There are many things you can do now that you have the time to prepare for when the garden is in full swing. - Taking care of your tools is always a good thing to do. Clean, get rid of the rust (I use steel wool) and sharpen your tools. You can even sharpen your shovels. Any blade sharpening tool will work. You can get special sharpeners for pruners and smaller tools. Wooden tool handles can be cleaned with soapy water and a brush. Let dry well then sand down any rough spots and treat with linseed oil. After the shovel has been cleaned and rust removed treat with any oil you have. This coats the blade and helps prevent the spread of rust. You’ll have the best tools in town! - Clean out containers. Brush off old dirt (I use an old toilet brush) and scrub off the white residue that may be on the outside. Steel wool or a wire brush works for this. Then dip the pot in a 10% Clorox solution. If the container is too are to dip the solution can be sprayed on. - Start some vegetable, annual or perennial seeds. If you’ve never done this there are lots of directions online. It might be a good year to start a vegetable garden if you have the right site. - This is a great time to rejuvenate your houseplants. Trim off older or withered leaves and prune for shape if necessary. If the plant has been in the same pot repot it to a larger pot or trim back the roots if you want to keep it in the same size pot. Give your plants a shower getting the spray on the undersides of the leaves as well as the tops. If the plant is too large to move, you can wipe off the leaves with a soft sponge. It’s a perfect time to start cuttings from houseplants also. - There are probably many weeds that can be reached without walking in the garden beds. Removing weeds always makes you feel better! - It’s still a good time to prune. Look on line for specific directions on how to prune a particular plant. - As you observe your garden coming back to life take some notes as to what needs to be done: moving, dividing, removing and planning additions and improvements. I am available for phone consultations but am sheltering in place as advised. Please call or email if you have any questions or concerns. As for my annual plant sale I will just have to wait and see how things are going. I will have plants to sell but may have to do it without a big one-day sale. Meanwhile stay safe and be healthy!!!! Happy Gardening! |
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