Gardener News May 2014

Gardener News 16 Mount Bethel Road #123 Warren, NJ 07059

TAKE ONE May, 2014

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TAKE ONE No. 133

Largest public iris garden in the United States 833(5 0217&/$,5 1 - ĘŠ Spring will arrive this year budding with excitement and heralding its much-needed appearance at the Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. Bloom season kicks off on Friday, May 9, and is anticipated to last from Friday, May 9, through Friday, June 6.

The Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens is internationally renowned as the largest public iris garden in the United States, with display beds containing nearly 3,000 iris varieties (around 14,000 plants) that produce over 100,000 blooms. It is a living museum of botanical preservation with some varieties dating back to the 1500s and is listed on both the State and National Registers of Historic Sites.

In addition to the resplendent iris display, this year visitors will be invited to a schedule of special events designed to appeal to people of all ages – including a family garden party, live jazz and an outdoor movie screening. The Bloom Room gift shop will also be open with an exciting mix of affordable house, garden and iris-related items. “The Presby Memorial Iris Gardens welcomes spring to Montclair, Essex County, and all of New Jersey with a rich roster of activities Tom Castronovo/File Photo

(Continued on Page 20)

2 May, 2014

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May, 2014 3 Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

Flying Mulch and Unwanted Weeds Flying Mulch Nothing aggravates me more than driving behind a truck or an open trailer that is letting mulch fly all over my car. Don’t even get me started about stone or top soil.

First off, it is a major blinding distraction. Secondly, I hate having my car blasted with crap.

It doesn’t take much to cover your load.

In my opinion, if a homeowner, a weekend warrior or a landscape contractor visits a landscape supply yard with a truck, or an open trailer, that wants a load of mulch, stone or top soil loaded on it or in it, and doesn’t have a tarp to cover it, that person should not be loaded, or that person should be offered (for purchase) a tarp to cover their load. Somebody has to take responsibility.

Please try and think about the person following you down the road. It’s inconsiderate and very dangerous.

And for those of you who think I’m crazy to vent like this, there is a New Jersey law that backs me up and helps protect me and my car.

39:4-77. Loading so as to spill prohibited; minimum safety standards; penalty.

No person shall cause or permit a vehicle to be so loaded or operate a vehicle so loaded that the contents or any part thereof may be scattered in any street. Whenever the load of any vehicle is of material other than farm products susceptible to scattering on a street and such load extends above the height of the sides or tail gate or rear of the body of the vehicle, such load shall be securely covered by a tarpaulin or other cover. The director, where public safety so warrants, shall, after a public hearing, prescribe by rule or regulation minimum safety standards for fastening loads on and fix loading procedures for any commercial type flat bed motor vehicle or motor-drawn vehicle. Any rule or regulation so promulgated by the director shall be filed in the Secretary of State’s office and copies thereof shall be available, upon request, in the director’s office.

The owner, lessee, bailee, or operator of any vehicle described above found on a highway in violation of any such safety standard or procedure that may be prescribed by the director shall be fined not more than $500.00 for each violation.

By the way, I have my mulch delivered by a very professional landscape supply yard. And the load is covered when it arrives.

Unwanted Weeds Now let’s talk about crabgrass, grassy weed and broadleaf intruders in the lawn.

Many of you often ask how I get my lawn to look so green and weed-free. My secret is Jonathan Green and timing.

In mid-April, when the forsythia were in bloom, I applied my first application of Crabgrass Preventer plus Green-Up Lawn Fertilizer 22-0-3 The product features Dimension Crabgrass control herbicide. Dimension (active ingredient, dithiopyr) is VDIH WR XVH RQ PRVW ODZQ JUDVVHV DQG SURYLGHV ORQJ ODVWLQJ FRYHUDJH ĘŠ DQ LPSRUWDQW FRQVLGHUDWLRQ VLQFH QRW all crabgrass seed germinates at once. Thus Dimension will kill later-germinating crabgrass, too. Dimension also displays some effectiveness as a post-emergent herbicide. This product can be applied up to four weeks later than other crabgrass preventers. The best part about it is that it is non-staining! It also contains a premium GreenUp fertilizer, with polymer coated technology. This slow release formula will not burn the lawn, if you apply it correctly.

My next application will be in mid- to late-May. I will be using Jonathan Green’s straight Crab Grass & Weed Preventer. This product does not contain fertilizer and will control crabgrass up to the three-leaf stage.

As a complement, I will also be applying Jonathan Green’s Natural Beauty Organic Lawn Fertilizer 10-0-1.

This is a complex, all-organic lawn fertilizer that provides excellent turf nutrition for 10 weeks. Rich in humates, it helps restore lawn soil life and enhances the effectiveness of other organic fertilizer applications. It also contains 2 percent iron, giving me that extra green look.

If the dandelion, clover, chickweed and onion grass sneak in, I’ll use Jonathan Green’s Lawn Weed Control.

This product provides broadleaf weed control of more than 200 lawn weeds. I can use it anytime of the year when weeds are actively growing and the air temperature is below 85 degrees.

I will have to mention that I will have to delay seeding for four months after any of the above weed control applications.

If you need to reseed your lawn, use Jonathan Green’s Crabgrass Preventer plus New Seeding Lawn Fertilizer 10-15-10. This product prevents crabgrass and grassy weeds from germinating and allows you to apply grass seed on the same day without injuring seedlings.

Also remember to “mow high� this summer. Doing so will allow the lawn grass to “protect itself� better, depriving crabgrass and weed seeds of the light they need to germinate.

A final note on crabgrass control. A great organic “weed and feed� product is corn gluten. An organic preemergent herbicide, corn gluten will suppress crabgrass germination, while fertilizing your lawn. Look for the Jonathan Green yellow bag.

Next month’s cover story will reveal a new revolutionary Organic Lawn Insect Control that uses a patented blend of organic plant oils to kill and repel over 100 insect pests.

As always, please read the label first before applying any products to your lawn and landscape.

As always, I hope you find the information in the Gardener News informative and enjoyable.

Until next time‌Keep the “gardenâ€? in the Garden State.

-Tom Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News. Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, environmental stewardship, gardening and landscaping, led to the founding of the Gardener News, which germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today. He is also dedicated to providing inspiration, and education to the agricultural, gardening and landscaping communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

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May is a time when New Jersey residents typically begin to seriously plant their gardens.

By May, there usually are no more chances we will have a frost. While everyone is out in their yards working on their landscaping and vegetable gardens, I would like to point out that agriculture and horticulture are big business in the Garden State.

According to the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture, New Jersey boasts more than 733,000 acres of farmland with more than 9,000 farms. Over the past 28 years, the state has permanently preserved vast spans of active farmland.

More than 207,000 acres of farmland on 2,200 farms have been preserved.

New Jersey farms grow a wide array of items, including more than 100 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, and the state ranks in the Top-10 states in the nation for production of cranberries, bell peppers, spinach, blueberries, peaches, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, apples, sweet corn and snap beans.

To promote the state’s produce industry, the Department of Agriculture developed the Jersey Fresh

send you a supply of these items for only the cost of shipping. If you are not in the program, but are interested in learning more and/or applying to become certified, please visit www. jerseygrown.nj.gov and look for the “Growers & Retailers” section down the right hand side of the page.

We encourage residents to look for the Jersey Grown brand when shopping for your landscaping needs this season.

Best thing of all, whether you live in an urban, suburban or rural setting, right now is the perfect time to start growing.

Visit your local nursery, garden center or landscaper. Each has its own specialty and expertise that can help you with your garden.

NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture Look for Jersey Grown this Spring at NJ Garden Centers and Nurseries branding program in 1984, making it the first of its kind in the nation. The Jersey Fresh logo informs consumers about the availability and variety of fruits and vegetables grown in New Jersey.

To extend the season and help identify products made with Jersey Fresh produce, the Department began the Made with Jersey Fresh program.

Products such as salsa, canned crushed tomatoes, blueberry iced tea, peach cider, ketchup and breaded eggplant bear the “Made with” label and can be found in the marketplace.

Organic products have increased in popularity.

The Department is a U.S. Department of Agricultureaccredited Organic Certifier of crops, livestock, wild crafting and food processing operations.

The program currently certifies 58 farms with more than 1,820 acres

as well as 23 food handlers.

New Jersey also has booming wine, equine, seafood and aquaculture industries.

Our vibrant agriculture industry also includes horticulture, which is the top New Jersey agricultural sector.

The state ranks eighth in the nation for nursery, greenhouse, sod and Christmas tree sales at more than $444 million in 2012.

We have a very special horticulture industry that is renowned around the country.

For National Agriculture Day, we visited Alexander Hay Greenhouses in North Haledon, Passaic County.

They have been in business for more than 100 years. While there, they were getting ready to ship hundreds of tulips to Rockefeller Center in New York City. There are many similar stories – businesses that send trees to beautify our

Look Who’s Reading the Gardener News!

It’s in the news

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Canadian professional ice hockey player Adam Henrique, who is currently playing center for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League (NHL), looks over the April Gardener News while visiting Sports Minded Unlimited in Warren, N.J. He was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the third round, 82nd overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. On April 11, 2011, Henrique made his NHL debut for the Devils in a game against the Boston Bruins. He has been honored with a Gold Medal in ice hockey at the 2007 Canada Games, the 2009 Memorial Cup (with Windsor Spitfires), the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award (2009–10 OHL Playoff MVP), a Silver Medal at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (with Team Canada), the 2010 Memorial Cup (with Windsor Spitfires), named NHL Rookie of the Month in December 2011, and selected to the 2012 NHL Rookie All-Star SuperSkills Competition.

nation’s capital and sod used in major sports stadiums around the country.

Seeing how successful our Jersey Fresh program was for the produce industry, a few years ago the Department created a brand for horticulture products called Jersey Grown to indicate the plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, annual bedding plants or Christmas trees were grown in New Jersey and are pest- and disease-free.

The Department is pleased to offer Jersey Grown point of purchase (POP) promotional materials to nurseries and garden centers in the Jersey Grown program. These items include banners, aprons, price cards, ground stakes and tree tags. As long as you are an approved and certified nursery or garden center in the Jersey Grown program, or if you source product from an approved Jersey Grown nursery, we will

Editor’s Note: Douglas H. Fisher is New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture. He is the department’s executive officer, secretary to the State Board of Agriculture and a member of the Governor’s cabinet. Secretary Fisher fulfills executive, management and administrative duties prescribed by law, executive order or gubernatorial direction. He can be reached at 609.292.3976. For more info, please visit: http://www. state.nj.us/agriculture

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From the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County Garden Help Line

By Madeline Flahive DiNardo, Union County Agricultural Agent and Master Gardeners, MC Schwartz and James Keane Q. This growing season I would like to try using beneficial insects in my garden. Do you have any suggestions on how to make my property attractive to beneficial insects?

Beneficial Believer in Berkeley Heights A. Beneficial Insects are insects, spiders (arthropods) and predatory mites (Acari) that feed on insects that cause damage to plants. Beneficial insects can be found naturally in a home garden or can be introduced by purchasing them from garden centers and catalogs.

There is no guarantee that the beneficial insects will stay on your property, however there are several actions you can take to encourage them to stay on your property. If you purchase beneficial insects, follow the instructions for information such as the best time of year and time of day to release the insects.

Number 1 is to be familiar with the beneficial insects and what they look like at all stages of their lifecycle: egg, nymph, pupa and adult. Rutgers Fact Sheet #FS295 by Gerald Ghidu has photos and descriptions of beneficial insects at various stages of their lifecycle. Knowing what they look like will help you distinguish between a beneficial and harmful insect egg, larvae, pupa or adult in your garden. Recognizing your beneficial insects reduces the risk of mistaking them for harmful garden pests.

Interestingly, different stages on a beneficial insect’s life cycle will attack different stages of a harmful insect’s life stage. For example, the larvae stage of the ladybug or ladybird beetle is long, flat-shaped and has orange, black and blue coloration. It does not look at all like the ladybug we are used to seeing. The larvae and adults will feed on adult aphids, scales, and whiteflies. They will also feed on the eggs of armyworms, bean beetles and whiteflies.

Parasitic wasps lay their eggs on the larvae of tomato hornworms; when the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the tomato hornworm larvae, ultimately killing it. Adult Lacewings will feed on small insects, pollen and sometimes aphid honeydew, but the larvae stage of the lacewing is the ravenous feeder of soft-bodied insects such as mealybugs, thrips, aphids, whiteflies and spider mites. The lacewing larvae will even feed on the egg stage of insect pests.

Providing season-long bloom in your garden will make your property attractive to beneficial insects. Predacious flies, known as Syrphid Flies, Flower Flies or Hover Flies, congregate by blooming plants to gather pollen and nectar. They lay hundreds of eggs by colonies of soft bodied insect pests such as aphids. Each of the larvae of these flies consumes hundreds of aphids. Candytuft, Coreopsis and Morning Glories are among the Hover Flies’ favorite flowers.

Ladybugs are attracted to Goldenrods, Morning Glories and Yarrows. Yarrow and Wild Carrots (Queen Ann’s Lace) are favorites of Green Lacewings. Other popular flowers are Asters, Daisies, Black-Eyed Susan, and Sunflowers.

Some beneficial insects are found at ground level, such as ground beetles. Adults spend their days under rocks, logs, leaf litter or mulch and feed on caterpillars, grubs, slugs and snails at night. Low-growing plants and ground covers create a nice habitat for ground beetles.

Providing shade in the garden is attractive to spiders.

Beneficial insects need easy access to water. During dry periods, be sure to keep your garden well watered. Beneficial insects also need shelter year round. When performing your fall garden clean-up, leave ornamental grasses and some perennials un-cutback to protect overwintering adults or egg stages of beneficial insects from harsh weather conditions. For more information on beneficial insects, see RCE Fact Sheet #FS930 “Natural Pest Control: Using Beneficial Insects to Control Landscape Pests” by Deborah Smith-Fiola.

Q. When is the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County Annual Spring Garden Fair and Plant Sale?

Fanwood Fair Fanatic A. Hold the date! This year our Spring Garden Fair and Plant Sale will be held on Sunday, May 18, 2014, in the demonstration garden at Trailside Nature and Science Center, 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside. The event will be from noon to 5 p.m. The event features children’s activities, garden tours, horticulture demonstrations and a great variety of annuals, perennials, vegetables and nursery stock. For more information visit http://mastergardenersuc.org/.

Editor’s Note: The Union County Master Gardener’s HELP LINE fields hundreds of citizen inquiries a year – offering assistance with their indoor as well as outdoor gardening and pest-control questions. Responses to resident phone calls and on-site visits comply with current Rutgers NJ Agricultural Experiment Station recommendations.

Union County residents can call (908) 654-9852 or email mastergardeners@ucnj. org for assistance. A complete listing of Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) offices where you can contact a Master Gardener in your area can be found on page 26 of the Gardener News. Free RCE fact sheets are available at www.njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs

Gardener News

Gardener News My grandfather and father both said the same thing to me growing up as a child, pretty much every winter/spring. Now my 84-year-old mom said it to me over Sunday brunch and I had to grin. We all have home gardens, and this winter’s consistent snow cover is good news for them. Our boxed-in strawberry patches will benefit from the blanket of snow protecting them from the at times withering, below-zero temperatures and everything from lawns to vegetables will enjoy the nitrogen left behind by the snowmelt, ergo the name, “Poor Man’s Fertilizer.”

There is also another more serious concern here in Maine, especially if there is a stretch of unseasonably warm temperatures mixed with heavy rain. And, seeing how my mother and sister both live at the base of a wooded hillside, we keep in contact with our local Cooperative Extension people to see about possible flooding from the melting snowpack that is substantial up there in the densely shaded trees. The spring of 2008 was

May, 2014 7 sight. In a state that has so many rivers, streams creeks, along with an The Miscellaneous Gardener and expansive working coastline that services the yearlong

By Richard W. Perkins seafood, boatbuilding and vacation industries, this Freelance Writer information is reviewed and discussed in detail and helps many to avoid costly “The Snow Is Going To Melt” damages to their homes and So far, river ice is within businesses. one of the worst examples rivers to name a few of the Thanks for reading and of warm temps mixing with bigger ones in my area alone, the normal range and below snow pack and rain – all at and have to be concerned average cold temperatures see ya next month the same time. The entire about the gigantic ice pack will hold the current snow downtown of Fort Kent in that can jam up the rivers and pack in place for a while Editors Note: Check out Aroostook County was under stop the much desired tidal longer. These spring snow Richard’s photography at; water after the St. John River flow that not only goes out surveys provide valuable rwperkinsphotography.com climbed to record levels. A but comes back in as well. information to emergency snowpack map is released to Large chunks of accumulated personnel as well as the the public and updated every ice on swollen rivers have weather services, which week until the end of May. been known to take your both use the information for According to the map, which very expensive dock with preparing flood-potential surveyed 179 sites across them down or up river. For statements and running the state, the snow depths the most part, floats are all flood-forecast models. Flood ranged from six to 18 inches lifted out and up the bank gates are being opened in parts of southern Maine for winter storage, but a nice and reservoir levels in the and up to 36 to 42 inches in wooden 50-foot-long dock headwater regions of the parts of western Maine. As is expensive! One warm state’s largest rivers are for density, snowpack that spring day you are out there being drawn down to prepare is above 0.33 is considered sitting in your deck chairs for the expected larger-than“ripe” or no longer able to having tea and crumpets, the normal spring runoff. Coast absorb rainfall and likely to next day you wake up and Guard ice cutters can be seen release water if it rains. no dock. But, the Coast on a daily basis breaking We also all live on a large Guard is doing a great job and moving ice, sometimes river system, Kennebec, aggressively breaking up not right in front of our homes, Androscoggin and Penobscot only the ice, but jams as well. which is always a welcome

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Awkward Adolescents, but Beautiful Adults!

Many plants that excel in the garden do not belay their capabilities in a container at the local garden center. This has been a personal frustration of mine, as I try to guide gardeners to great plants, only to watch them disregard a plant based upon how it looks in a small #3 container.

One of the most notorious examples is our native Buckeye, botanically named Aesculus, which is infamous for its adolescent awkwardness.

Aesculus features species that vary from shade tree to large shrub, with native provenances in Europe and North America. Those native to the U.S. received the common name of Buckeye, since the Native American Indians found the chestnut brown seeds with their basal tan circle similar in appearance to the eye of a male deer. Buckeyes contain high levels of a poisonous glycoside call saponins, and they were originally lumped within the

genus Castanea, the edible Chestnuts.

Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) recognized that although the nuts were similar in appearance, the Buckeyes were innately different and assigned them the name of Aesculus after the Roman name for a tree that bore nuts.

Today, Aesculus is assigned to the Sapindaceae or Soapberry family while the true Chestnut is in the Fagaceae or Beech Family. Aside from the differences in flowers, Buckeyes have compound leaves featuring a whorl of four or five leaflets per leaf, while Chestnuts feature a simple leaf.

Aesculus is also immune to the Chestnut blight that ravaged the North American species in the 20th Century.

Of the Buckeyes native to the U.S., two are deserving of far greater use in the garden.

For the month of May, Aesculus pavia provides six-inch-tall panicles of deep red or pink flowers that are attractive to the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.

The species epithet honors Pieter Paaw (1564-1617), a Dutch Professor at the Leiden

University who was well recognized in anatomy but also had an interest in botany.

Pavius is the Latinized version of Paaw. Aesculus pavia is a large shrub or small tree growing to 30 feet and is fairly resistant to the fungal leaf blotch problems that defoliate many Buckeyes in late-summer. It thrives best in a site that is not subject to lateafternoon sun and soils that are not drought plagued.

Another Buckeye that totally bewilders me for its lack of acceptance amoung American gardeners is Aesculus parviflora. The species epithet is derived from the Latin Parvi for small and Flora for flowers, describing the one-inch size of the individual white flower, each marked with stoutly protruding anthers. However, on average, each 12- to 16-inch-long panicle contains 284 flowers, yielding a show that is anything but small!

The flower panicles loosely resemble a bottlebrush used to clean test tubes, leading to its common name of Bottlebrush Buckeye!

Native to the Southeast region of the U.S., Aesculus parviflora is a large shrub, capable of growing to 18 feet tall and over 30 feet across in 100 years. The ample production of white flowers begins in early- to mid-June and continues well into July, providing a magnificent floral display when it is most needed.

Not only are the flowers visually attractive, but are attractive to butterflies and numerous other native pollinators. The variety serotina – from the Latin serotin, meaning late – does indeed bloom later, producing flowers through late-July. Furthermore, Donald Rogers, a mycologist at the University of Illinois, grew seedlings of this variety at his home, of which one was selected by a horticultural colleague, Joseph McDaniel who named it “Rogers.” This form has an extended blooming period into August with robust panicles reaching upwards of 30 inches in length! Adding to this marvelous summer floral display is a fine yellow fall color and its ability to grow well in dry soil or moist, full

sun or shade, making it one tough plant. In addition, like Aesculus pavia, the glycoside significantly reduce deer browse!

Hopefully, gardeners will begin to look beyond the stalky adolescent appearances of these Buckeyes and add these plants to their garden. Indeed, they are “adolescents” that truly mature into “adults” of great beauty!

Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth; is the managing director of the Rutgers Gardens, a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum; an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; regularly participates in the Rutgers – Continuing Education Program; and the immediate past-president of the Garden State Gardens Consortium.

He can be reached at (732) 932-8451. For more information, please visit www. rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu

8 May, May ay, y, 20144

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Gardener News On March 24th, approximately 30 New Jersey Landscape Contractor Association members (NJLCA) and Accredited Snow Contractor Association (ASCA) members went down to Trenton to raise awareness about an insurance crisis facing all of us.

No, I am not talking about Obamacare. I’m discussing an insurance crisis that primarily affects snow and ice managers (aka: snow plow contractors).

But come this winter, everyone will experience this problem.

It will come to you in the form of significantly higher snow and ice management pricing, assuming that you can find a contractor who can even get snow management liability insurance. Not only is this crisis doubling and tripling insurance costs for snow and ice management contractors, but also many insurance companies are completely pulling out of this market, making it impossible for snow contractors to operate their businesses.

While you might say to yourself that this is their problem to deal with, I can promise you that every homeowner, commercial property owner and municipality will feel the effects of this when they see their 2014-2015 snow contracts.

May, 2014 9 The NJLCA Today

By Jody Shilan, MLA Executive Director

You can’t fight city hall, but you sure can work with it Now, before you discard me as “The Man Who Cried Wolf� or start blaming the contractors, the insurance companies, the attorney’s, President Obama, Chris Christie or the government as a whole, I want you to spend a few more minutes reading my column so that all of us, contractor and property owner alike, can focus on the real issue and the real culprit.

Just like in the ’70s when every car accident, real or imagined, resulted in the plaintiff getting whiplash, nowadays “slip and fall� has become the new whiplash, whereby insurance companies will settle these often bogus claims for $15,000 - $20,000 since the cost of litigation will be significantly more. Like any business expense, these claims are passed onto the snow and ice manager, who then has to raise his prices for plowing and salting, which forces property

owners to raise rents or Common Area fees. This may cause retail stores to increase the price of their merchandise.

All of this means that you, the consumer, pays and pays and pays.

This is why NJLCA members, including landscape contractors, insurance companies, material, truck suppliers, equipment suppliers and attorneys took the time to schedule appointments with our state legislators to raise awareness to this problem before it gets even worse. As the title of my column implies, and contrary to what you might expect, when meeting with politicians, we found our New Jersey State Senators, chiefs of staff and their aides to be extremely welcoming to us, and incredibly sensitive to this issue.

They were not only impressed with our professionalism and our numbers, but also our

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message, how it was delivered, along with our well-thought-out solutions.

In a world where it seems like everybody says they take “full responsibility� for a problem, issue or situation to satisfy the masses, then two weeks later they can be seen spinning it as though it never happened, it was great to see our government and our members (aka people) working together to solve a problem. A problem that hurts every resident in the state of New Jersey, while unscrupulous people work the system for an easy payout.

I have a renewed sense of pride in our State government and our legislators in Trenton, as well as our association and its members. I want to give a special thanks to Kevin Gilbride, Executive Director of ASCA, Marcus Raynor, President of the NJ Civil Justice Institute, along with Senate

President Sweeney, Senator Cardinale, Senator Barnes, Senator Whelan, Jason Redd, Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel to the NJ Senate Democratic Office, the offices of Senators Kyrillos and O’Toole, and the offices of the Senate Majority and Minority. Also in attendance were NJLCA President Tom Canete, Vice President Nelson Lee, Treasurer Richard Goldstein and Associate Director Joe Bolognese. Once again, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to come with us to Trenton and support our efforts Editors Note: Jody Shilan is the owner of Jody Shilan Designs in Wyckoff, where he provides landscape design and consulting services for homeowners and landscape contractors. He earned his bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture from Cook College, Rutgers University and his masters degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Currently, he is Executive Director of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA). He can be reached at 201-783-2844 or jshilan@gmail.com.

10 May, 2014

Gardener News

Greenhouse Grower: First to print pots Angie Hionis, center, co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses and Garden Center in Whitehouse Station, Hunterdon County, N.J., one of the largest growers of finished annuals, perennials and bulbs in central New Jersey, proudly shows off her family’s commitment to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Jersey Grown program, by showing New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Al Murray, left, and Troy Joshua, Chief of the Environmental, Economics and Demographics Branch for the United State Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, one of the 200,000 pots that they had printed with the Jersey Grown logo on it.

Jersey Grown is New Jersey’s brand for locally grown plants, trees, shrubs and flowers, which certifies the item was grown in New Jersey so it is accustomed to the state’s soil and growing conditions, checked for quality and is Tom Castronovo/Photo disease- and pest-free.

Recently, while my wife and I were shopping for a car, the salesman was doing his best to talk up many of the technological attributes which that particular model had to offer. And instead of listening to him, which I probably should have done, my mind started to wander and think about how this technology that is now commonplace in our passenger automobiles is now also playing a huge role in production agriculture.

Take GPS, for instance.

While this technology was brand new just a few short years ago, it is now readily accessible in most cars as either an installed unit, an aftermarket device, or as an application on a smart phone. GPS, which stands for “Global Positioning System,” has relegated road maps to encyclopedia status.

This technology is now being widely utilized in agriculture as well. Certain larger tractors now use GPS to automatically steer themselves during planting.

The advantage of this is that farmers are now able to get very exact spacing between planted rows of crops. Planters

The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Technology and Agriculture also can automatically turn themselves on and off when going back and forth across a field because a GPS controlled computer can sense exactly what areas of a field have and have not been planted. Now, instead of having areas in a field which are overlapped or bare, each seed is planted at its optimum spacing.

While this might seem to be overkill to some, the positive results that can be gained by using this technology are tremendous. There is little waste, planting time is shortened (meaning less fuel is used) and planting time can be expanded to night time as these machines do not need sun light to operate. And this technology is not only utilized on planters, but it can be used on sprayers and fertilizer spreaders as well. But while it

might not be cost effective to use this technology on smaller plots of land, this high-tech (and high-priced) equipment really pays for itself on the agronomic crops which are planted on a large scale, such as field corn, soybeans, and wheat.

And that is just one aspect of this technology. Combines, which are used to harvest these crops, can be fitted with this as well. These units are then able to track the yield as they move through the field during harvest. A computer can generate a yield map for that particular parcel, and then if the equipment is set up for it, can use this harvest data to precisely place the exact amount of fertilizer that is needed in the following spring.

So instead of spreading the entire field at one rate of

fertilizer, the spreader will automatically adjust its rate to what the prior year’s harvest data calls for.

While I realize that all of this is pretty high-tech, there is even more-advanced technology coming in the near future. One area that is showing a great deal of promise for agriculture is the use of unmanned drones. While we currently think that these are primarily being used by the military, their use is starting to spread into other areas as well. While this utilization is new and they are probably not cost effective yet, they do seem to be a good fit in a couple of areas of agriculture.

First, these drones can be used to fly over crops during the growing season without disturbing them and can help farmers determine areas that

might be under stress from pests or from fertility issues.

Growers can then determine exactly where they have to treat these problems.

They also show a lot of promise in beef cattle. What better way could there be to locate a lost cow in the dead of winter than to launch an unmanned drone equipped with a thermal imaging sensor that could pinpoint the exact location of our beloved bovine right from our own back porch?

Sure, you still have to saddle up a horse and go bring the cow home…but wait a minute, isn’t there an app for that?

Editor’s Note: Peter Melick is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick and a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer. Peter is a current member of the Tewksbury Township Committee, and a former Mayor of Tewksbury Township. He also served as a director for the New Jersey Farm Bureau and is a past president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. Peter has also been featured on NJN, News 12 New Jersey and on the Fox Business Network.

Gardener News

May, 2014 11 Unique Plants

By Bob LaHoff Nursery Specialist

Treasures Waiting To Be Planted I have one of the greatest jobs! I love my work and enjoy my industry so much that it really never feels like work.

One of the perks for me is that I get to travel all over the country and handpick all the nursery stock that we offer. Inspecting plant material, meeting growers and knowing all the ins and outs is what makes all the difference. Ours is an industry where one rhododendron grown by one grower does not necessarily mean that it will look the same grown by all growers. In fact, aside from the plant being true to its name, many times the aesthetics and end result are different. After all, do all Cabernet Sauvignons look and taste the same?

Often, when I tour nurseries, I look for the latest and greatest, the rare and the unusual. We of course need the basics in our pipeline to offer our customers. However, for those seeking inspiration and a little pizazz in their gardens, I offer you the following: Hosoba Hoshifu Aucuba, Aucuba japonica “Hosoba Hoshifu,” is a Japanese female selection that has some of the brightest leaf splashing available. Aucuba has long been a favorite for shade gardening. This tropical-looking plant is actually “hardy.” A broadleafed evergreen, this Aucuba’s dark green leaves are speckled with tons of yellow dots.

“Hosoba Hoshifu.” I am told, means, “narrow-leaved star variegated.” True to its name, the leaves measure some seven inches long and only 1.5 inches wide. The pièce de résistance, for me at least, are the clusters of bright red, peanut-sized fruit in the winter.

Remember to buy a male clone here if you want the fruit and leave room for a plant that will grow four to six feet tall and wide Sweetshrub or Calycanthus has long been a favorite and “go-to” plant of mine. A plant that is known to be deer resistant, can handle dry shade, has good fall color, a native and has fragrant flowers… what more could you ask for? How ‘bout one that has a showy purple cast to the new growth, followed by consistent purple markings on the undersides of the leaves all summer? Well, Richard Hesselein, a brilliant plantsman and owner of Pleasant Run Nursery right here in New Jersey, has done just that. After scrutinizing large populations of Calycanthus seedlings, he has brought to market Calycanthus floridus var. purpureus. Propagated from cuttings to ensure the coloration, the result is darker and spectacular. The fragrant flowers are classic maroon-red and the fall color is yellow with shades of burgundy. A versatile plant that can handle many difficult sites, this Sweetshrub will grow six to eight feet tall and almost as wide.

Doghobble, the vernacular for Leucothoe, is a name you can’t forget once you hear it.

Another “go-to” plant, Drooping Leucothoe is capable of solving and overcoming many problems sometimes associated with gardening. More than shade tolerant, evergreen, native and deer-resistant, there are a few Leucothoe with strong markings capable of lighting up dark areas. Whitewater Leucothoe, Leucothoe fontanesiana Whitewater® “Howw” caught my attention from over 50 yards away. Tucked in the back corner of a nursery, underneath shade cloth, I quickly made my way closer. This Doghobble is more compact than the species. Its strongest attribute is its narrow ivory-white margins on dark green, lustrous evergreen leaves. Creamy white, urn-shaped flower spikes appear in May along gracefully arching branches. For a big believer in mass planting, this disease-resistant variety would be great for a naturalized planting. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that the emerging new growth shows shades of wine, pink, copper and green.

Finally the deciduous conifer…Pondcypress. When you want one of the most durable trees ever, you need to look no further. Capable of smiling at gale force winds, total immersion in water, drought, hard winters and sweltering summers. Taxodium ascendens “Debonair” has been selected, perhaps for no other reason than its foliage is the softest and most delicate yet. This is a tree that, as it matures, begs to be touched and caressed. Long green threads hang from cinnamon-colored stems. It is these same strands that not only waft in the wind but also turn a rich russet orange in the fall. A tropical look to some, its footprint will reach heights of 50 to 60 feet tall and only 10 to 15 feet wide. Introduced by Earl Cully and the Morris Arboretum, “Debonair” is a zone 4 plant.

So there you have it, some new and exciting plants that will add style and grace to your garden, solve difficult planting areas, all the while keeping you current. New plants are being found every day, making gardening a never-ending journey.

Editor’s Note: Bob LaHoff is co-owner of Hall’s Garden Center and Florist in Union County, a member of the Union County Board of Agriculture, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, the American Boxwood Society, the European Boxwood Society, a members of the Reeves-Reed Arboretum Buildings and Grounds Committee, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society, a member of the NJ Plants Trade Show Advisory Board, and past member of the retail council for Monrovia Growers. He can be reached at (908) 665-0331.

“Through The Garden Gate” 2014 Garden Tour The Garden Club of Long Valley, NJ will be conducting an exciting tour of seven local gardens in Chester and Washington Townships on June 7, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour is open to the public and will be a fundraising event for the Club. The day will allow visitors to choose their own tour route and enjoy complimentary light fare in one of the gardens.

The Tour will include a variety of unique styles of gardening from cottage to shade to organic vegetable gardens. Several properties will feature ponds, arbors, and garden art. Woodland plantings, container plantings, succulents, and a variety of specimen trees will also be highlights of the tour. Guides will be available at each property to provide visitors with information on the features of the individual gardens. Horticultural demonstrations by local garden consultants are also planned.

Celebrating its 44th year, The Garden Club of Long Valley is a non-profit organization dedicated to civic beautification and promoting an interest in gardening in the community. The Club maintains municipal gardens, provides garden therapy workshops for seniors, sponsors a youth gardening group the “Sprouts,” holds educational programs at the Washington Township Public Library, and awards scholarships to local students.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $30.00 by calling 908-832-5075. The minimum age for visitors is 12. Reserving tickets is recommended due to expected demand. Email inquiries or make reservations via longvalleygardeners@gmail.com.

12 May, 2014

Gardener News

As we start work on our landscapes, it’s painfully obvious that we have had more than enough moisture this winter. This may allow us to be lulled into a false sense of security that our reservoirs and wells will stay at higher levels than in the past. As in the past, many wet winters are followed by extended periods of intense heat and drought for weeks on end. This should remind us to save what we have before we are forced to do so.

As the landscape season gets into full swing, we should plan to use water carefully and with a plan. Certainly let’s not just set the sprinklers to go off every other day and forget them. How many times have you driven by a property on a rainy day and seen the sprinklers watering away. The use of rain sensors will prevent unnecessarily running the irrigation system. They come in many shapes and sizes and can even be a wireless installation.

Your irrigation contractor can easily install one of these devices for you.

You can also use a rain gauge to monitor how much water your property is getting naturally, although you may need more than one to get accurate information.

This is due to the fact that rainfall varies in amazingly short distances.

Often, one side of your house can be in a downpour while the other side receives much less total moisture. If using any of the variety of these gauges, putting more than

can be as simple as a hand made or creatively constructed drum under a downspout or as complex as any number of commercially available units, some of which even have pumping systems installed in them.

Since rain is naturally soft water, it contains fewer minerals, chlorine and other chemicals which may be found in other water sources.

Our plants’ root systems rely on the bacterial communities vastly interconnected system, which increases the root hair system of all plants. The use of natural rainwater will enhance this system and therefore be a benefit to all of the landscape plants. As this is a type recycling, we are doing our part to conserve one of our most precious natural recourses.

To many, managing one of our most important recourses seems like a daunting task, and to others it becomes an enjoyable hobby. Either way, when we are in the middle of the next drought restriction and you are able to use the water which you have collected or saved from use in your well system, all of the work will have paid dividends many times over.

The Landscaper

By Evan Dickerson Landscape Professional

Save, Sustain, Preserve and Conserve one out, depending upon the size of your property, would be a wise choice. This information will assist you in keeping up proper hydration, as well as not overwatering.

When setting our sprinkler systems, the most important factor is to know how much water we are putting down. Use three or four flatbottomed containers and time how long it takes to accumulate onehalf inch of water. Armed with this information, you can then set your system or set out your sprinklers to apply the proper amount of water to your turf and ornamentals. For turf during temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees, you will need to apply one-half inch of water once or twice weekly. As the temperatures increase five degrees, you will need to add one additional halfinch watering. For instance, 85 degree periods would require two or three half-inch waterings; 85 to 90 degrees three or four halfinch waterings; and so forth. This generally applies to your turf, since

it is important to keep moisture levels up before the turf approaches dormancy.

Of course, on large properties part of your plan may include letting some or all of your turf go dormant while concentrating on your ornamentals and bedding plants.

Your ornamentals will not need as frequent watering as the turf, but they should be watered enough to prevent them from drooping due to inadequate moisture. This will prevent root loss and ultimately other problems from insects and disease. Plants which are in distress are willing targets of insects and disease. If your plants were planted in a medium rich in organics and other soil amendments, their root systems should be strong enough to withstand the high temperatures of summer. Directed applications of water are important to target areas where your plants may dry out more quickly. Again, a little planning ahead can make a world of difference and help sustain

our plantings when the weather becomes more of an issue.

There are some innovative ideas for water management as well. The use of water gardens is growing in popularity. Simply put, a water garden incorporates many facets of water management.

These gardens can help manage storm water run off as downspouts and drain pipes can be directed to the rain garden basin. Some of these basins can even have holding tanks built in, which can recycle some of this water by pumping it to sprinklers or hoses used for watering plants. The use of native plant species and water-holding and absorbing plantings enhance the water garden’s beauty, as well as helping it function. This type of gardening helps us preserve our native plants while being environmentally conscientious.

In more limited space, the use of rain barrels will serve to collect natural rainfall for use in non-potable situations. Rain barrels

Editor’s Note: Evan Dickerson is owner of Dickerson Landscape Contractors and NaturesPro of North Plainfield. He has been pioneering the organic approach to plant health since 1972. Evan can be reached at 908-753-1490

A Peaceful Garden Spring bulbs and flowering shrubs were a welcome sight after such a long and cold winter at Barlow Flower Farm’s annual “Art in the Garden” show in Sea Girt, Monmouth County, N.J. Local artists were set up throughout the 10,000-square-foot display greenhouse, painting and displaying their talented Jersey Shore creations. Students from Wall High School Art Honor Society complemented the show with their art in colorful paints, which blended with the beautiful “Peace Garden” designed by the Landscape team at Barlow’s. Pictured are: Leslie Barlow, left, co-owner of Barlow’s, and Professional Watercolor Artist and Teacher Rose Reilly Leonard from Brick Township in Ocean County, N.J. Leonard is a member of the New Jersey Watercolor Society, the Monmouth County Guild of Creative Art, the Manasquan River Artists Group and the Northern Regional Cultural Tom Castronovo/Photo Council.

Gardener News

May, 2014 13

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14 May, 2014

Gardener News

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16 May, 2014

Gardener News

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Gardener News

May, 2014 17

It’s here!!! Geraniums, Begonias, Petunias, Impatiens, etc.... Color!

Color! Color!

Finally, the time has come. For months I have heard, when can I plant?

The weather is warmer and the ground is warmer, it is time to get our hands dirty.

Now, they say to wait until the second week of May for fear of frost.

I believe that although we must be mindful of temps and threats of frost, starting and getting things established as early as you can helps to ensure that plant material will thrive as it goes into the hot summer months.

Here are some tips on how to handle this month.

Shop early - to get the best selection, go out and look to see what’s out there. Go see that plants you are looking for are available or find out when they will become available. If it’s still too early to plant or you see the forecast as having cold nights, protect your plant material by bringing them indoors (like a garage or basement) or cover them.

Do you have lots of shade?

Nonstop Begonia “GoGo” perform very well in shady and dry locations. Large flowers about the size of a golf ball, bloom throughout the summer. They come in vibrant colors of yellow, orange, pink, red and white.

The branches are delicate, so be careful not to use them in high-traffic areas, where they can get trampled on.

Do you have full sun?

Dahliettas perform fantastic in full sun. Anywhere from about four hours of sun to all day sun. They come in some awesome colors of red, purple, yellow, orange, white, pink and various shades in between.

These recommendations are just the tip of the iceberg of the selection that can be found this month. So, happy planting!

May is a wonderful month to celebrate getting outside and enjoying the fresh air, throwing a baseball or Frisbee and having the first picnic of the season.

By late-spring, the cold, wet spring weather is usually behind us and the grass is growing nicely. If you do not have a good-looking lawn now, you did not read and follow my suggestions from last month!

Warm weather and spring rains allow Mother Nature to green up our world. Spreading a little fertilizer around the yard helps, too. What? You haven’t spread any lawn fertilizer yet? Let’s get going! Did you test your soil this spring? Do you have compacted soil and a lawn full of weeds and have trouble growing grass? Do you think there are four easy applications to a wonderful lawn? Does your lawn need CPR? Now is the time to grow the lawn you always wanted. Let’s face it, you deserve a great lawn after the rough winter we just went through. By focusing on a few key elements,

The Professional Grower

By Tim Hionis Greenhouse Specialist

Color arrives for spring Usually covering will be enough to ensure their safety. For best results, use a frost blanket. If no frost blankets are available, you may use plastic bags or even moisten newspapers (the moisture will weigh down the papers).

If you have gotten some hanging baskets and there is a weather threat, take them down and put them either inside or under a porch or an overhang. Do you have a patio umbrella? Putting plant material underneath it will help to keep frost away. Too many baskets to take down or too big of an area to cover? Get up early in the morning, when frost starts to settle, and take a look to see if there is evidence of frost. If there is, go out and use a light

sprinkler and water overtop lightly. This will help get rid of the frost before it settles into the plant tissue and causes damage.

I hate to harp on the past, but I’ll only bring it up briefly. This winter’s weather caused extensive damage to gardens across the state, and the country for that matter. The demand for plant material is going to be really strong. And with such a cold winter, it was very challenging for growers to keep their greenhouses heated to bring product ready on time. So my advice is, if you see quality plant material, get it, because it may be a while before you see it again. Sometimes the waiting game pays off, but this year don’t let the ship pass by.

What to look for this year? Sunpatiens are up and coming. They are new series of plants that resemble New Guinea Impatiens.

Sunpatiens come in some beautiful colors. There are different varieties that range from compact to vigorous, large plants. Sunpatiens flower profusely throughout the summer. They like to drink, so a water regimen is important. They are also not heavy feeders, so needing to add nutrients on a consistent basis is not necessary. They are able to handle many degrees of sunlight, from full sun all the way to part shade. Full sun all day to only a few hours of sunlight, so it is easy to integrate them into multiple locations.

Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Is your lawn the best it can be? like the health of the soil, you will soon be growing a dark-green lawn you can be proud of. Every lawn is unique and any problems you have growing a good lawn need to be examined individually and carefully.

Let’s come up with a plan so you can have a lawn you can enjoy all season long.

First, you need to choose the right grass seed.

You need to plant quality grass seed in all bare spots, otherwise weeds will fill in these areas. Mother Nature will make sure of that.

Scratch the soil surface vigorously and apply grass seed and a new seedingtype lawn fertilizer. Your newly planted grass seed will emerge much faster with the help of the nutrients in the new seeding

fertilizer.

What about fertilizing? In late-spring you should be applying your second application of lawn fertilizer for healthy growth. The lawn likes to be fertilized a number of times during the growing season of March through October. Why not try an organic lawn fertilizer now, which is great to use before summer months?

Usually May brings a warm spell and broadleaf weeds like dandelion and clover emerge quickly. If you just planted new grass seed, you cannot control broadleaf weeds at the same time without hurting the new seed. Wait until the new grass seed has germinated and been mowed two to three times before applying any broadleaf

weed controls. What about crabgrass? Usually you will not see many crabgrass plants emerging in May, but this is a good time to apply crabgrass control if you are not seeding and you use a product like Dimension (dithiopyr).

Dimension can control crabgrass even after it emerges up to the three-leaf stage. This late spring application extends your control well into the summer months when crabgrass continues to germinate.

Surface-feeding insects like fleas, ticks and ants can start to emerge if the weather warms up enough.

Be sure to monitor your yard and pets for these insects and apply a proper control if necessary. If you had a history of grubs in the past,

Editor’s Note: Tim Hionis has been growing plants for over 20 years, and is co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses and Garden Center in Whitehouse Station, NJ. He can be reached by calling (908) 534-7710. monitor your soil closely.

Grubs burrow deep in the soil during winter and make their way to the surface in late-spring. Grubs are best controlled when they are close to the surface in the top few inches of the soil. Follow an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. Do not apply grub controls until you have properly identified that you have grubs in your lawn.

Treating grubs without cause under the assumption that they will eat your whole lawn is costly and not environmentally responsible.

However, if we just talk about killing weeds and bugs to save our lawn, all you may be left with is bare soil! Let’s try to accomplish the main task of growing a great lawn instead of just trying to kill everything.

Editor’s Note: Todd Pretz is Vice President of Jonathan Green, a leading supplier of lawn and garden products in the northeast. For more information, please visit: www.jonathangreen.com

18 May, 2014

Gardener News

Rutgers Turfgrass Program Raises $400,000 for Henry Indyk (AG ’50) Graduate Education Fellowship 1(: %5816:,&. 1- ʊ 7KH 5XWJHUV 7XUIJUDVV 3URJUDP has raised a total of $400,000 to support the Henry Indyk Endowed Graduate Fellowship at the university. Thanks to a $61,000 donation from the New Jersey Turfgrass Association (NJTA) and the New Jersey Turfgrass Foundation (NJTF) in March, the seven-year capital campaign has met its goal of continuing support of graduate education at the university.

According to Bruce Clarke, chair of the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology and director of the Center for Turfgrass Science, this fundraising effort was initiated in 2007 to provide an ongoing source of funding for graduate students in turfgrass science at Rutgers. Clarke expressed appreciation “to the NJTA and NJTF for their tremendous support of the Henry Indyk Endowed Graduate Fellowship, to the tune of more than $150,000 in funding since we started our campaign.�

The fellowship is named in honor of the late Henry Indyk, AG ’50, professor emeritus and extension specialist in turfgrass management at Rutgers. Over the course of more than 50 years, Indyk worked to promote excellence in turfgrass science in New Jersey and across the U.S. “With the establishment of the Indyk Graduate Fellowship, Henry’s legacy and his support of graduate education will live on forever. What a fitting tribute to one of the great turfgrass extension educators of our time,� added Clarke.

Indyk, who passed away in 2005, was instrumental in the formation of the NJTA and the Cultivated Sod Association of New Jersey during his illustrious career. He gained national and international prominence for his expertise in turfgrass management.

Clarke thanked the Indyk family for their financial support of the graduate fellowship, and the many turfgrass associations and turf managers throughout the U.S. who contributed to the fundraising effort of the Rutgers Turfgrass Program.

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Gardener News Farm to Fork Fundraiser to Support America’s Grow-A-Row 3,77672:1 1- ĘŠ $PHULFDÂśV *URZ D 5RZ $*$5 LV a non-profit organization that grows and gleans fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables that are donated to those suffering from hunger and those living in “food deserts,â€? or areas that lack access to fresh, affordable produce, throughout the state of New Jersey. AGAR began in 2002 when Chip Paillex delivered 120 pounds of homegrown produce to the Flemington Area Food Pantry. Today AGAR has become New Jersey’s leading service organization dedicated to growing, gleaning, and donating fresh produce to those in need throughout the state. Last year alone, thanks to the help of more than 3,000 volunteers, AGAR donated 860,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables throughout New Jersey.

Since their beginning, AGAR has donated over 2.5 million pounds – or 10 million servings – of food to our neighbors in need.

AGAR’s mission is to positively impact as many lives as possible through a volunteer effort of planting, picking, rescuing, and delivering free fresh produce. At AGAR, they: ‡ 3URYLGH IUHVK SURGXFH WR WKRVH LQ QHHG ‡ (GXFDWH SHRSOH RI DOO JHQHUDWLRQV DERXW KXQJHU DQG ZD\V to help ‡ ,QWURGXFH RXU \RXWK WR IDUPLQJ DQG KHDOWK\ HDWLQJ ‡ &XOWLYDWH LQ WRPRUURZœV OHDGHUV WKH KDELW RI JLYLQJ EDFN ‡ &RQWULEXWH WR WKH VXVWDLQDELOLW\ RI DJULFXOWXUH AGAR is hosting their Farm to Fork event on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at Life Camp in Pottersville, New Jersey and is delighted to be honoring Jerry Walker of Team Walker in Jersey City for his work and commitment to helping impoverished youth find positive solutions to the many obstacles they may face in their daily lives as well as being a partner with AGAR in feeding those in need within Jersey City. After graduating from St. Anthony High School and helping the Friars win a legendary national championship, Jerry Walker enrolled at Seton Hall University and was instrumental in helping lead the Pirates Men’s Basketball team to three trips to the NCAA Tournament. After college, Walker continued to showcase his talents professionally. He has played overseas in Spain, Turkey, France, Puerto Rico, Lithuania and in the United States. Today, Jerry provides opportunities for under privileged kids through his nonprofit organization, Team Walker. The organization was founded in 1996 by Jersey City natives Jerry and Jasper Walker, who aspired to give Jersey City children the same after school programs they enjoyed while growing up. They knew these programs helped them mature academically, and also provided them with an athletic outlet for their basketball abilities. Jerry’s goal is to uplift and create positive alternatives for the youth of Jersey City through full year programs, which enlighten the participants with the importance of solid academics, teamwork and sportsmanship. Jerry and Team Walker are proud to make a difference in the lives of children.

Congressman Leonard Lance will serve as the Keynote Speaker at Farm to Fork and will present the flag that was flown over the United States Capitol in honor of America’s Growa-Row. Farm to Fork is a fundraising event benefiting AGAR and features local food artisans, a farm fresh dinner and fine auctions. The goal of this event is to raise money and make a solid investment in the future of AGAR. Proceeds will help AGAR reach their 2014 goals of donating over 1 million pounds of farm-fresh food to various hunger relief agencies in New Jersey while at the same time educating people of all ages about hunger, the importance of agriculture, and healthy eating. This past summer AGAR hosted over 750 young people at their farm through their inner-city youth programs and they plan to expand this program to reach even more youth in 2014. In 2013, AGAR expanded the Free Farm Market program to include additional distributions in Newark, Camden, East Orange and Jersey City. Moving forward AGAR will expand and solidify the fullcircle approach of educational presentations, Grow-Your-Row demonstrations, Free Farm Markets, Inner-City Youth Days and Recipient Volunteering. The Farm to Fork fundraiser is dedicated to celebrating the important work done by AGAR as they sow the seeds of hope, gratitude and progress for the future.

Ticket cost is $125 per person, adults only please. Neat casual attire suggested – jeans welcome! Please RSVP by April 30. To order tickets or make a tax-deductible contribution, please visit www.americasgrowarow.org/farm-to-fork/

May, 2014 19

Blue Star Rededication Invitation

By Jeannie Geremia Garden Club of New Jersey You are all cordially invited to attend the 70th Anniversary Celebration of the original Blue Star Drive and the Rededication of the Historic Blue Star Drive Sign.

The ceremonies will take place at the North Plainfield Community Center, 614 Greenbrook Road, North Plainfield, N.J., on Friday, May 23, 2014 at 11 a.m.

Please contact GCNJ Vice President Susan O’Donnell at greenthumbsfo@gmail. com by May 5 if you plan to attend.

The effort to restore the original Blue Star Marker in North Plainfield began a few years ago with funds donated by 17 garden clubs and from a former Garden Club of New Jersey President, Ruth Paul, and her family wishing to honor her husband, Commander Raymond E. Paul, United States Navy (Retired), who passed away on November 7, 2013, requesting that GCNJ’s Blue Star Memorial be the recipient of donations to honor his memory. The refurbished, original Blue Star Memorial site has been replanted with dozens of dogwood, redbud and holly trees. What better way to start Memorial Day Weekend than to participate in this tribute to our Armed Forces?

This nationwide project began, and remains to this day, a joint collaboration between The Garden Club of New Jersey and The NJ Blue Star Memorial Highway Council. This “Living Tribute to the Men and Women of New Jersey who served in the Armed Forces� was the outcome of a meeting held in the spring of 1944 by Helen Hull, President of the GCNJ, Elizabeth Hood, Roadside Chairman, and New Jersey State Highway Commissioner, Spencer Miller, Jr., seeking to honor our returning troops.

Launched in June 1944, with the slogan “A Dollar Plants a

Tree on the Blue Star Drive�--made possible by the cooperation of nurserymen in New Jersey, this project initially covered a fivemile planting of flowering dogwood trees on Route 22, between Mountainside and North Plainfield, with Blue Star markers erected in both locations. The National Council of State Garden Clubs, which is today National Garden Clubs, Inc., adopted this as a nationwide project as the Blue Star Memorial Highway in the fall of 1945, and it remains to this day one of the most outstanding projects ever undertaken by garden clubs joining with their respective state highway departments.

For additional Blue Star history, please go to www.

GardenerNews.com and read the front-page story in the November 2011 issue.

Continuing in The Garden Club of New Jersey’s long history of enriching the Garden State’s environment, beauty and ecology, with numerous educational and eco-friendly initiatives, I want to update you on the latest, the GCNJ Butterflies, Birds & BeeGAP (Gardeners Adding Pollinators) Project.

Yes, my gardening friends, birds have just been added to the project title and my committee has already speculated that “Bats� will be next in line. The word Pollinators, however, covers all the other marvelous insects and animals that help three quarters of the world’s flowering plants to reproduce.

One of our first efforts is to have the members of the GCNJ Butterflies, Birds & BeeGAP Project Committee try out native bee houses in our own yards and gardens.

We are trying out bee houses from three different sources: the bamboo, teardrop-shaped bee house from Gardeners Supply Company, the BeeAdventure house with easy-tear tubes from Crown Bees, and the Xerces Society-approved bee house from Lee Valley. They’re all inexpensive houses that

every family can put in their own yard as a means of ensuring an ongoing supply of pollinators starting with the early blue orchard mason bees and continuing with the summer alfalfa leaf cutter bees and bumblebees. We have sent for blue orchard mason bees from Crown Bees to start our pollinator project as they will tend to our fruit trees and earlyspring flowers and then we’ll continue by purchasing leaf cutter bees at the end of May for pollination of our summer vegetables, fruits and flowers. One blue orchard mason bee will pollinate what it would take 100 honey bees to pollinate, plus they stay within a 300foot radius of our yard.

Dave Hunter/Owner/ Operator of Crown Bees just told me that they’re finding that a combination of honey bees and blue orchard mason bees in a commercial orchard ensures the complete pollination of that orchard as the honey bees surround the perimeter while the mason bees are strategically placed in the interior sections of the orchard. It’s so gratifying to see so many organizations and people working together to stop this “Second Silent Spring� from overtaking and destroying our precious environment. Check out www.beyondpesticides.org and download their beautiful color booklet entitled “Bee Protective Habitat Guide� and Get Out There & Garden!

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is the Garden Club of New Jersey’s Butterflies, Birds & BeeGAP Chair (Gardeners Adding Pollinators), GCNJ Community Gardens Chair, a National Garden Clubs, Inc. Accredited Judge for the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. and Program Chair for Neshanic Garden Club.

Contact her at jeannieg42@earthlink.net and/or get more information on the Garden Club of New Jersey at: www. gardenclubofnewjersey.com.

20 May, 2014

Gardener News

Largest public iris garden in the United States

(Cont. from page 1) designed to accompany the landmark display of blooms,� says Nancy Skjei-Lawes, Essex County Presby Iris Gardens Board President. “We are very proud of our Master Gardener activities in conjunction with Rutgers. We are excited to announce plans for a new ‘Creek Bed Pollinator Garden,’ as well as the beloved ‘PresBee’ Sanctuary. We have something for everyone to see and enjoy, from the most sophisticated gardener to the person who simply enjoys the beauty of the gardens.� “In 2009, Essex County purchased the Gardens as part of a unique partnership between government and community volunteers to preserve and protect the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, which are recognized internationally for their horticultural uniqueness, historical significance and natural beauty. We invite the public to come out and enjoy the dazzling display of colors on the ‘Rainbow on the Hill,’ marvel at their magnificence and support the Citizens Committee’s work to maintain this valuable resource,� Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. said.

The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Essex County are also lending a helping hand at Presby by preparing a vegetable teaching garden. The Teaching Garden will provide an instructional and practical hands-on gardening experience. Classes on “How to Start a Vegetable Garden� using a variety of planting styles are currently being planned. Participants will learn tested techniques from Master Gardeners.

The Master Gardeners have also started a project to transform the creek bed site. During the fall they removed weeds and invading grasses. Seeds will be sown that will grow a garden of pollinator perennials and annuals. Pollinator gardens and trails are critical to help stem the tide of species decline for those birds, bats and insects that pollinate plants, bringing us one out of every three bites of food. The project will become an educational tool for the public interested in creating pollinator plantings in the home garden. Funds for seeds and plantings have been generously donated in memory of Barbara D. Etherington.

Progress continues on establishing the bee sanctuary and education pavilion, thanks in part to a generous donation made by a Montclair family. Eight hives will produce PresBee Honey for sale at The Bloom Room. Educational programs for local school children will be offered as well as adult classes for those interested in beekeeping. Presby’s 10,000 iris plants attract not only the bees kept at Presby but a variety of native bees as well. The future pollinator garden along the creek bed will ensure food sources for the bees and other native pollinators.

For more information about the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens and 2014 activities, visit www.presbyirisgardens.org.

Food Gardening in the U.S. at the Highest Levels in More Than a Decade :,//,6721 97 ĘŠ 'XULQJ WKH SDVW ILYH \HDUV WKHUHÂśV EHHQ D VLJQLILFDQW VKLIW WRZDUG PRUH $PHULFDQV JURZLQJ WKHLU RZQ IRRG LQ home and community gardens, increasing from 36 million households in 2008 to 42 million in 2013.

That’s a 17% increase and represents the highest level of food gardening in more than a decade, according to a special National Gardening Association report, Garden to Table: A 5-Year Look at Food Gardening in America.

The report shows that more young people, particularly millennials (ages 18-34), are the fastest growing population segment of food gardeners. In 2008 there were 8 million millennial food gardeners. That figure rose to 13 million in 2013, an increase of 63%. Millennials also nearly doubled their spending on food gardening, from $632 million in 2008 to $1.2 billion in 2013.

The report found that more households with children participated in food gardening, increasing participation during the same time period by 25%, from 12 million to 15 million.

Additionally, there was a 29% increase in food gardening by people living in urban areas, up from 7 million in 2008 to 9 million in 2013. Two million more households also reported participating in community gardening in 2013 than 2008, a 200% increase in five years. Ǝ7KLV UHSRUW FOHDUO\ VKRZV WKDW WKHUH WUXO\ LV D IRRG UHYROXWLRQ WDNLQJ SODFH LQ $PHULFD Ǝ VDLG 0LNH 0HWDOOR SUHVLGHQW DQG &(2 RI WKH 1DWLRQDO *DUGHQLQJ $VVRFLDWLRQ ZKR ZLOO DWWHQG WKH DQQXDO SODQWLQJ RI WKH :KLWH +RXVH .LWFKHQ *DUGHQ ODWHU WRGD\ Ǝ:H DUH VHHLQJ PRUH SHRSOH SDUWLFXODUO\ \RXQJ SHRSOH DFWLYHO\ HQJDJHG LQ JURZLQJ WKHLU RZQ IRRG 7KH JURZWK LQ MXVW ILYH \HDUV LV SUHWW\ VSHFWDFXODU Ǝ As the nation’s leading nonprofit in gardening education, the National Gardening Association has published annual statistics on food gardening in America since 1978. This special report examines data collected from 2008 - 2013, providing an in-depth look at trends, statistics and analytical data about food gardening during that period. The data collected shows nearly all categories of food gardening with major increases during the past five years.

Additional highlights from the 5-year report include: ‡ LQ KRXVHKROGV DUH QRZ JURZLQJ IRRG WKH KLJKHVW RYHUDOO SDUWLFLSDWLRQ DQG VSHQGLQJ OHYHOV VHHQ LQ D GHFDGH ‡$PHULFDQV VSHQW ELOOLRQ RQ IRRG JDUGHQLQJ LQ XS IURP ELOOLRQ LQ D LQFUHDVH LQ ILYH \HDUV ‡ RI DOO KRXVHKROGV ZLWK D IRRG JDUGHQ JUHZ YHJHWDEOHV D LQFUHDVH VLQFH ‡)URP WR WKH QXPEHU RI KRPH JDUGHQV LQFUHDVHG E\ PLOOLRQ WR PLOOLRQ KRXVHKROGV ZKLOH FRPPXQLW\ JDUGHQV WULSOHG from 1 million to 3 million, a 200% increase. ‡+RXVHKROGV ZLWK LQFRPHV XQGHU SDUWLFLSDWLQJ LQ IRRG JDUGHQLQJ JUHZ WR PLOOLRQ XS IURP The National Gardening Association associates the rise in food gardening to several reasons: An improving economy; strong national OHDGHUVKLS LQFOXGLQJ WKH ODXQFK RI WKH Ǝ/HWœV 0RYHƎ LQLWLDWLYH DQG :KLWH +RXVH .LWFKHQ *DUGHQ E\ )LUVW /DG\ 0LFKHOOH 2EDPD GXULQJ WKH time period; action by federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to increase awareness and educational efforts toward food gardening; and more engagement and public-private partnerships through organizations like the National Gardening Association, to promote and build food gardens in communities across the country. Ǝ,WœV YHU\ H[FLWLQJ WR VHH PRUH \RXQJ SHRSOH DQG IDPLOLHV LQYROYHG LQ JURZLQJ DQG HDWLQJ WKHLU RZQ IRRG WKURXJK IRRG JDUGHQLQJ Ǝ VDLG 0HWDOOR Ǝ1DWLRQDO OHDGHUVKLS SDUWLFXODUO\ IURP WKH )LUVW /DG\ KDV FHUWDLQO\ EHHQ DQ LPSRUWDQW IDFWRU LQ WKH ULVH LQ WKHVH QXPEHUV 7KDW FRQVLVWHQW PHVVDJH RYHU WLPH PDNHV D WUHPHQGRXV GLIIHUHQFH DQG KHOSV IXHO PRUH FRPPXQLW\ LQYROYHPHQW LQ JDUGHQLQJ Ǝ A complete copy of Garden to Table: A 5-Year Look at Food Gardening in America can be downloaded from the National Gardening Association’s website at garden.org. The information contained in the report was compiled by collecting data through annual surveys conducted by Harris Interactive, surveying a representative sample of U.S. Households. Estimates of the general population proportions are obtained from the most recent supplement to the Current Population Surveys. Results are weighted to the general U.S. adult (18+) household population based on known proportions among this population for education, age and gender, race/ethnicity, region, and income level.

About the National Gardening Association: The National Gardening Association (NGA) is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that for more than 40 years has promoted learning through gardening to encourage personal growth. NGA’s mission is to empower every generation to lead healthier lives, build stronger communities, and encourage environmental stewardship through educational gardening programs. NGA provided over $4 million in grants to more than 10,000 community-based organizations benefitting 2 million youth across the country. NGA’s Gardening with Kids program provides a one-stop shop for obtaining gardening supplies, equipment and free educational resources for schools, families and community gardeners. All net proceeds help support grants and educational resources administered by NGA. Learn more NGA’s programs and services at garden.org or kidsgardening.org.

Gardener News

May, 2014 21

Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens Bloom Season May 9 through June 6, 2014 National Public Gardens Day May 9 from 10am to 4pm Art, music, talks, tours and more

Iris Plant Sale & Bloom Room Gift Shop May 9 through June 6 Purchase irises from our collection and shop for unique home and garden accents

Mother’s Day

May 11 from 10am to 4pm Treat Mom to music, food, shopping and iris blooms

Family Garden Party

May 17 from 10am to 3pm A mini festival in the Gardens Hosted by the Essex County Park System

Live Music

May 17, 18, 24 & 25 from 4pm to 6pm

Outdoor Movie Screening

May 30 at 9pm Hosted by the Montclair Film Festival and Essex County Park System Events are free and open to the public. A suggested donation is requested during Bloom Season. Full event details listed at our website. www.presbyirisgardens.org 474 Upper Mountain Avenue | Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 | (973) 783-5974

22 May, 2014

Gardener News

Landscape Industry Learns the Importance of Arboriculture When it comes to the landscape, almost everybody enjoys and appreciates what grows above the ground., whether it’s colorful and fragrant flowers, the privacy created by evergreen trees or the shade provided by large deciduous trees in the summer. However, most people rarely think about the landscape underground. The root systems, soil types and nutrients that plantings need to not just survive (the one-year warranty period), but actually thrive in their outdoor environment. On Thursday, April 10, 60-plus members of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA) met at Bartlett Tree Experts in Denville, Morris County, N.J., to learn about the simple things they can do to ensure a healthy landscape, the proper way to plant trees and shrubs, and what nurseries aren’t telling them about newly dug trees. The three things they must focus on when doing new installations, the importance of working with tree-care professionals and what’s going on underground. Just before the dinner meeting started, Anthony Agudelo, left, director of the NJLCA and owner of Anthony Agudelo Landscaping; Tom Canete, second from left, president of the NJLCA and president/CEO of Canete Landscape Garden Center; Wayne S. Dubin, second from right, vice president of Bartlett Tree Experts; and Kelby Fite, Ph.D., arboricultural researcher for Bartlett Tree Experts in Charlotte, N.C., discussed the plants that were most prone to winter injury. They included Japanese maple, Rhododendron and azalea, arborvitae, holly, flowering cherry, boxwood, juniper and Taxus. They also talked about the heavy rains in the summer of 2013 that saturated soils and may have led to root rot and increased the plants’ susceptibility to low temperatures. And some that experienced severe drought during the fall months that has Tom Castronovo/Photo predisposed plants to winter damage.

Gardener News

May, 2014 23

May is traditionally the time for planting flowers.

This year, consider planting something that will last for decades, not just a few months.

Trees clean the air, beautify our neighborhoods, provide homes for wildlife, conserve energy and help keep the atmosphere in balance.

Life is just better when we live amongst the trees. More importantly, the benefits are measurable financially, too.

According to the USDA Forest Service, each large front yard tree adds 1 percent to the house sales price. Strategically placed trees save up to 56 percent on annual air conditioning costs! With the planting cost of $150 to $500, a single street tree can return over $90,000 of direct benefits (not including aesthetic, social and environmental) in the lifetime of the tree.

There are many new and lesser known trees, and there are a few that I would like to highlight. The Korean dogwood tree, Cornus kousa, has become very popular in recent years. It is more disease-resistant than the native dogwood, Cornus florida, and blooms later in the season when most other

dark-green, mildew-resistant foliage and a red fall color.

It is a fast-growing tree that will reach 45 feet tall with a 15-foot spread in 20 years.

Since it has very dense foliage, it can be used as a living screen for blocking unsightly views and muffling traffic sounds.

It is very cold hardy, drought tolerant, and disease resistant, and can grow in tough urban growing conditions. It should be planted in full sun, in a welldrained location.

Plant a tree for beauty, financial return and breathing easier.

Trying to remain positive through all of the rebuilding.

Difficult at times, but will be worth it in the end.

One thing that has not changed a bit are the beautiful pristine beaches we have.

Although the water is freezing as of right now, I’m sure it will be perfect come June, July, August and September. After a super-cold winter, we are gearing up for some beautiful late-spring weather. We more than deserve it folks.

The construction should be ending soon for the summer, but resuming for another year come September. The work is much needed and, in the end, will be well worth it. Anyhow, since the storm we have become quite the sandwich factory down at the Crab’s Claw. We kind of figure that people are trying to still be going out without spending 25 to 30 bucks on an entree while still being satiated. A good quality burger or sandwich is a great option.

Over the past few years, we have put a couple of new sandwiches on the menu that have been selling really well.

Most notably the Asian tuna sandwich, which consists of a flash fried, panko encrusted fresh tuna steak on a toasted roll with baby arugula, sweet soy, wasabi tartar sauce and

The Great Plant Escape

By David Williams Plant Enthusiast

Trees are an investment spring flowering trees have finished. A great new variety of Korean dogwood, Cornus kousa “Summer Fun,” is now available. This variety has a much longer season of interest than other dogwoods.

In spring, the leaves flush out variegated green and white with a tinge of pink, followed by white flowers in June. In late-summer, this tree produces a red fruit (that does not create a mess in your yard) that attracts wildlife. The fall leaf color is red, orange and pink. This tree will grow to approximately 18 feet in height and will grow in sun or part shade.

Another tree that provides multiple-season interest is the “Winter King” Hawthorn.

(Crataegus viridis “Winter King”).

Unlike other Hawthorns, Winter King has very few thorns and is resistant

to many of the diseases that plague other Hawthorns. It begins its show in mid-May with white flowers. The summer foliage is dark-green, and has a leathery texture.

In the fall, the leaves turn a golden yellow. This variety produces orange-red fruit in the fall which provides a food source for songbirds. As the tree gets older, it has a beautiful exfoliating bark that shows off the orange interior bark. It will grow up to 35 feet tall, so it makes an outstanding specimen or focal point.

Most trees have green leaves and a few have red or purple leaves. It is very unusual to have a tree that has colors that are different than these.

The Rising Sun ™ Redbud, Cercis Canadensis “The Rising Sun” ™ starts its color show with clusters of lavender-pink

flowers in early-May. The flowers are then followed by foliage that emerges golden orange. The leaves then transform into a bright yellow.

The bright yellow leaves do not scorch in the sun. The leaves mature to a speckled lime-green in the summer. The fall color is a buttery yellow.

This is a very distinctive tree in the landscape that will make people ask what it is called.

The foliage does not scorch in the sun. Ideal for small spaces, this tree will grow to about 12 feet tall.

If you want a tall tree that will stay narrow, the Crimson Spire ™ Oak (Quercus x “Crimson Spire”) melds the best characteristics of the White and English Oak. It has a narrow, fastigiate growth habit that is perfect for streetscapes and landscape settings. It has

From the Deep

By Craig Korb Executive Chef

Great greetings from the Jersey Strong shore! fresh sliced cucumbers. This sandwich has become one of our best sellers as of late. Another great seller, aside from a lot of burgers, is the Crab’s Claw fish sandwich, which consists of a panko encrusted fresh grouper filet on grilled wheat bread with caramelized onions and cheddar cheese. To those of you who don’t know what panko is, it is a Japanese style bread crumb that is lighter and crispier than your standard bread crumb.

It works well with any recipe calling for breadcrumbs, including meatloaf or chicken parmigiana. If you haven’t tried it, you won’t be disappointed.

It is available in virtually every supermarket and is usually found in the Asian or ethnic section of the store.

I have been putting a lot of emphasis on sandwiches as of late due to their increasing popularity. We also started cutting our own cheese steaks

out of the steak ends of our New York strip steaks. Let me tell you, these things are also gaining a great following as well. So for the recipe of the month, I’m giving you the recipe for the Asian tuna sandwich, just don’t tell anyone else. Thanks. The sweet soy sauce can be ordered on-line, found at Asian food markets and sometimes in the Asian/ ethnic section of your local super market. It is basically soy sauce cooked down with sugar to make a syrupy salty sweet sauce that is great in a variety of dishes, including stir fries.

Good luck and have fun!!!

Asian tuna sandwich (serves 2) 2 (4-5 oz. each) fresh tuna steaks, preferably yellow fin or blue fin tuna 3 Tbsp. tartar sauce, mixed with 1/2 tsp. wasabi powder that has been reconstituted with equal parts water

*wasabi powder can usually be found in the Asian/ethnic section of most supermarkets 2 fresh rolls of your choice, I like brioche if possible 2 small handfuls of fresh baby arugula About 2 Tbsp. sweet soy sauce 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1/2 cup flour 1 egg beaten with a few Tbsp. of milk or water Vegetable oil for frying 1 cucumber, sliced thin on a bias Method - bread the tuna steaks by dipping them into the flour, covering completely - next dip into the egg batter - and finally press into the panko crumbs, coating completely - heat a sauté or fry pan over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes - add about a half inch of

Editor’s Note: David is a fourth generation partner at Williams Nursery in Westfield. He is a member of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Union County Board of Agriculture. He has served as a board member for the Friends of Mindowaskin Park, the International Garden Center Association, and the Rutgers Board of Managers.

He recently finished a two year term as President of Garden Centers of America (GCA). He can be reached at (908) 232-4076. oil to the pan - when oil shows the first hint of smoke, add the tuna steaks carefully and cook until golden brown, turning once and adjusting temperature if too hot or not hot enough. This should only take about two minutes for rare to medium rare, which is the desired temperature for the tuna. Remove the tuna from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil - next slice your rolls and half and toast golden brown - on the bottom half, fan out 4-5 slices of the cucumber - on the top half put your wasabi tartar sauce and spread evenly - next place the tuna steak on top of the cucumbers, drizzle with the sweet soy, top with the baby arugula and put the top part of the bun on top.

- cut in half and dig in!

Enjoy!

Editor’s Note: Craig Korb is executive chef at The Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, New Jersey. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University.

For more information visit www.TheCrabsClaw.com or phone (732) 793-4447.

24 May, May ay, y, 2014 2014

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Gardener News

May, 2014 25

The definition of what “local” means geographically has not been defined by federal or state governments. Retailers create their own definitions designed to support their local cause. It is an interesting debate that has gone on for years, yet most are careful and cautious to draw a line in the sand because of all the wonderful resources that are close by.

What muddies the water further is the fact that local, if defined by in-state only, may not be closer if operations of the retail establishments are on borders or geographically further than in-state growing areas.

It makes sense to create a mileage parameter to define local, but does it make sense to consumers? Draw a circle around base operations to include the amount of miles you relegate – 100 miles, 200 or 300 miles around? The problem here is that here in New Jersey, that would include Massachusetts to the north and Maryland to the south.

If consumers went into stores to see local Massachusetts product in a New Jersey store, would that be acceptable? What kind of credibility would that retailer have if they stretched

and food safety are improving constantly. Commodities with higher risk of contamination have stricter guidelines than those that do not. Makes sense. Base safety guidelines help the industry focus on the consumption end of the business.

Defining local will be an ongoing debate as powerful food industry lobbies try to keep it out of the Farm Bills going forward. Local must keep in mind the regions and should be consumer-based.

Locally grown will continue to get stronger and is increasing in many food service establishments. Now is the time to take advantage of the bounty before us. Go Local!

Passionate About Produce

By Paul Kneeland The King of Produce

Defining Local the parameters and defined Vermont as local in a store in Virginia?

The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act 2013, also known as the Farm Bill, includes in it the food stamp program, now known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which constitutes 8 percent of the funding of the act. The act also includes supplements for specialty crops and other programs, such as the farm-toschool programs. It does not define local.

SNAP assistance has taken on a healthy angle, where more funds are directly focused on fresh fruits and vegetables. SNAP assistance could be doubled in value at local farmers markets. This is a significant change in the program with the intention of

addressing the obesity issue in America. Yet the Farm Bill does not address many questions, including definition of local, and is funded less with the intention of getting more folks off SNAP. However those programs remain fully funded as growers and agriculture take a hit.

Local farmers markets and locally grown fruits and vegetables in stores should be properly labeled with the country of origin as per the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) as per the Farm Bill 2002. New Jersey product can be labeled “Product of USA” and consumers would never know that it is from New Jersey. Smart marketers, of course, will label it local. But is New York product in a farmers market in New Jersey local?

Does it make it more local if

it is a neighboring town like Mahwah or Ringwood?

Full disclosure and transparency should take precedence when it comes to marketing food products. This is food, products we put in our bodies. Consumers should have the ability to get any kind of information they want about this product. It especially holds true for perishable products.

Laws are created to protect people one way or another and there are many in place that make sense from a food safety standpoint. Traceability is necessary to keep everyone honest and improve food production and the safety of food.

Most perishable products have stricter guidelines because of their non-processed nature. This is a good thing and in the industry traceability

Editor’s Note: Paul Kneeland is the Vice President of Floral, Meat, Produce and Seafood for Kings Food Markets, President of the Eastern Produce Council, and a board member of the Produce Marketing Association. He holds degrees in Business Management from Boston College as well as Northeastern University.

He can be reached at pkneeland@kingssm.com

What is a Native Plant Anyway?

By Kathleen Salisbury Spring has finally sprung and it is time to hit the garden centers and nurseries for landscape plants. Hopefully there are some native plants on your shopping list. But just what is a native plant?

We have found not everyone agrees with the definition of a native plant.

Of course, there are official definitions: “With respect to a particular ecosystem, a species that, other than as a result of an introduction, historically occurred, or currently occurs in that ecosystem.” (US Fish and Wildlife Service). Though a bit cumbersome, this definition works because it speaks to the ecosystems of which the plant is a part, rather than the state boundaries developed long after the plant established its own boundaries based on climate, topography,

hydrology, associated animals, etc. Importantly, the definition also includes plants that are no longer in the environment, for whatever reason, but should be.

But what this definition doesn’t address, and what seems to be most often debated, is the origin of the plant for sale. Should the native plant you are planning to purchase have been raised from seed collected in the region where you will ultimately be planting it?

Should it be raised in soil native to where it will be planted? If you purchase an American Holly (Ilex opaca) at your local garden center, is it still a native plant if it has been grown in a nursery in California from seed collected in Kentucky?

Is it a native if it was grown from seed collected and grown in Sussex County but will be planted in Salem County? Is a cultivar (cultivated variety) of a native plant, one that has

been maintained through human intervention to keep a particular characteristic (dwarf, large berries, double flower, fragrant), still a native plant?

What Do I Buy? Of course, many people have varying opinions about the answers to the questions above. When deciding to purchase native plants, you should consider your purpose for planting it in the first place. If you are trying to support your local ecosystem and the insects, birds, amphibians and mammals living therein, then you are looking for open-pollinated, locallysourced seed-grown plants.

This ensures genetic variation among the plants and there is a great chance the flower and fruit will be recognizable to the animals relying on it for food. If, on the other hand, you are looking for some new and interesting landscape plants and have heard natives may be lower maintenance, then

both cultivars and species natives will fit the bill.

Before purchasing a native plant, or any plant for that matter, you must consider your existing site conditions. Native plants thrive in particular areas because of the relationship of animals, climate, soils and organisms both above- and below-ground. If you live in a highly developed area, your growing conditions may not be the same as what was there historically and may not support native plant populations found there long ago. Be sure to know your soils, your sun exposure and your animals before purchasing a plant, otherwise, native or not, your plant will struggle in its new home.

How do you know if the plant you are admiring in the garden center is the right native plant you want for your landscape? Ask. Ask the nursery professional or the person hosting the plant sale. Ask where the plants

where grown, ask how they were grown. Ask where the seed was collected. Ask if this is a cultivar or a straight species. Ask how that nursery defines native.

And, if you are landscaping with natives to support local pollinators and wildlife to maintain the “sense of place” of where you live, make sure you know the answers to your questions before buying native plants.

Native Plant Society of NJ’s website offers a list of New Jersey nurseries selling native plants. www.npsnj. org For updates on native plant sales around the state, become a Fan of the Native Plant Society of NJ on Facebook.

Editor’s Note: Kathleen V. Salisbury is President of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. She can be reached at 973-392-9162 or by emailing president@ npsnj.org. You can learn more about her association by visiting www.npsnj.org.

26 May, 2014

Gardener News RUTGERS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION PHONE DIRECTORY

Gardener News is Now Accepting Nominations for its

2014 Person of the Year Award.

Do you know someone in the “Green Industry” whose contributions deserve recognition?

This person must be from the landscape, nursery, garden center or gardening industries who best epitomizes concern for, involvement in, and dedication to those pursuits. Or a person who performs exemplary outstanding service to the green industry.

The deadline for receiving nominations for 2014 is November 1, 2014.

Gardener News annually bestows our “Person of the Year” Award in our January edition.

To download the form, please visit www.GardenerNews.com and click on the “Person of the Year” link on the left side.

Thank you!

Gardener News The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 133 Published Monthly Contact Information Phone: 908.604.4444 Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff Executive Editor/ Publisher . . . .

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Contributing Writers Bruce Crawford Jeannie Geremia

Kathleen Salisbury Union Co. Master Gardeners

Gardener News is published monthly by

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People who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits provide nutrients vital for health, such as potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid). Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. None have cholesterol. Any fruit or 100-percent fruit juice counts as a part of the Fruit Group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut up or pureed.

Gardener Gard rde dener Ne New News ws ws

May, May ay, y, 2014 277

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28 May, 2014

L

Gardener News

L A OC

We Love Local!

We are proud to be a home-grown New Jersey Company.

Since 1936, we’ve actively supported local businesses, farms, dairies, bakers and specialty food artisans.

Discover the abundance of local products & produce at your neighborhood Kings. Join us in supporting local businesses & farmers in our communities, and above all, in celebrating the superior taste and quality of local foods.

Connect with us. www.kingsfoodmarkets.com

Bedminster, Bernardsville, Boonton, Chatham, Cresskill, Florham Park, Garwood, Gillette, Hillsdale, Hoboken (2), Livingston, Maplewood, Mendham, Midland Park, Morristown, Ridgewood, Short Hills, Summit, Upper Montclair, Verona, Warren, Whitehouse Station, Garden City; NY, Old Greenwich; CT