KCG 08Aug14 by The Kansas City Gardener

The Kansas City

GARDENER A Monthly Guide to Successful Gardening

August 2014

Summer Sampler of Daylilies

Call Before You Dig Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Picks: Direct Sown Fall Vegetables Hollyhocks: Dining Pleasure for Painted Ladies Environmental Benefits of Well-Maintained Landscapes

It’s Official ... Swan’s Water Gardens Is Moving!

After 20 Years In Business At Our Padbury Location, It Comes With Deep Sadness That We Must Bid A Fond Farewell To What Has been Our Home For 25 Years. But, With Each Ending Comes A Bright New Beginning And We’re So Excited To Build What We Envision To Be The Ultimate Water Garden Destination In The Midwest. We Invite You To Come Enjoy The Transformation Of Our New Home.

Located in Northern Miami County on 8 acres is where you’ll find us just 2 1/2 miles East Of 69 Hwy at 4385 W. 247th Street. You can’t miss us as our Big Red Barn sits just 50 ft off of 247th St. Pictured above left is our finished Big Red Barn that will serve as our learning center where we’ll hold classes on the many different aspects of Water Gardening and many other important topics. The center picture is our General Store where you’ll find all the pond supplies and water treatment products. Plus too many items to mention here. The General Store has a cozy atmosphere of the late 1800’s early 1900’s. A special treat for all. Our goal is to take you back in time to a much simpler and slower pace than we live in today. Pictured on the right are the two pavilions with the one on the left used for the pond building supplies and the open pavilion on the right for barbequing on Saturdays and picnic tables for sitting. A special treat every Saturday during the season.

It’s A Celebration...

In Tribute To Our Last August At Our Padbury Location! We’re going out with a bang! Every Saturday in August there’s going to be music, barbeque and more. So make your plans to enjoy our gardens before we move to our new location. During the week we’re going to have daily specials where you’ll find certain items at 50% off regular prices with everything reduced 10%-25% up to 50%. From all of us here at Swan’s Water Gardens, we would like to Thank each and every one of you who have made our time here at our Padbury location so rewarding and filled with such great memories that we’ll treasure and take with us for the rest of our lives. Again, Thank You.

Kevin & Diane Swan

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AUGUST IS CANNING MONTH

WESTLAKE ACE HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED! : s k c i r T Tips &

DON’T DOUBLE RECIPES. IF YOU WANT MORE THAN ONE RECIPE, PREPARE THE RECIPE MORE THAN ONCE. USE ONLY UNBLEMISHED & NOT OVERLY RIPE FRUIT OR VEGETABLES. WHEN RECIPES CALL FOR SALT, USE ONLY CANNING/PICKLING SALT. USE JARS & TWO-PIECE LIDS APPROVED FOR CANNING & NEVER REUSE LIDS. ALWAYS LABEL & DATE YOUR FINISHED PRODUCT & USE WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE PROCESSING DATE. PERIODICALLY CHECK YOUR JARS FOR ANY SIGNS OR SPOILAGE. IF IN DOUBT ABOUT THE QUALITY OR SAFETY OF A PRESERVED PRODUCT, DISPOSE OF IT WITHOUT TASTING.

HARVEST HERBS FROM THE GARDEN STORE HOURS

MONDAY - SATURDAY 8AM TO 9PM SUNDAY 9AM TO 7PM*

May vary, check online for your specific location

14_aug_kcg.indd August 2014 / 1The Kansas City Gardener

BEGIN HARVESTING HERBS FOR DAILY USE ONCE THE PLANT HAS ENOUGH FOLIAGE TO ENSURE CONTINUED GROWTH. THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, SNIP PLANTS REGULARLY TO ENCOURAGE BRANCHING & NEW GROWTH. GENERALLY, CUT NO MORE THAN 1/3RD OF THE STEM LENGTH. GATHER HERBS EARLY IN THE DAY AFTER THE DEW HAS DRIED BUT BEFORE THE SUN BAKES THE PLANTS’ ESSENTIAL OILS. TO PREPARE LEAFY STEMS FOR USE IN COOKING, STRIP THE LEAVES OFF THE STEMS BY SLIDING YOUR THUMB & FOREFINGER FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. SNIP OFF THICKER LEAVES, WHICH DON’T STRIP OFF READILY. PRESERVE HERBS BY GATHERING SMALL BUNCHES OF 10-15 STEMS & HANGING THEM IN A WARM, AIRY PLACE TO DRY. WRAP STEMS TIGHTLY WITH A RUBBERBAND OR TIE THEM WITH TWINE. STORE DRIED HERBS IN AIRTIGHT GLASS OR CERAMIC CONTAINERS AWAY FROM LIGHT & HEAT. KEEP LEAVES WHOLE UNTIL USING. USE WITHIN A YEAR OF HARVESTING.

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7/14/14 4:55 PM3

The Kansas City

editor’s notes

GARDENER A Monthly Guide to Successful Gardening

Positive lift

Independently owned and operated since 1996 Publisher Michael Cavanaugh Editor Elizabeth Cavanaugh Editorial Assistant Hannah Cavanaugh Contributors Charles Anctil Leah Berg Cindy Gilberg Diane & Doc Gover Cerise Harris Lenora Larson Patrick Muir Peter Orwig Dennis Patton Anne Wildeboor Distribution Publishers Delivery Solutions, Inc.

How to Reach Us ...

P.O. Box 8725 Prairie Village, KS 66208 Phone: 913-648-4728 For advertising information contact Michael Cavanaugh at mike@kcgmag.com Submit editorial questions to Elizabeth Cavanaugh at elizabeth@kcgmag.com

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Don’t Miss A Single Issue! Get a subscription for yourself or your favorite gardener. See page 27.

t’s not my style to complain. I find it unpleasant and unattractive. When I’m faced with a negative situation, I can usually discover the positive. Some might see long lines at the airport as a problem. What I see is an opportunity for kindness and patience with other travelers. Cars speeding around in heavy traffic? They must need to arrive at their destination sooner. Grocery store checkout clerk chatting with a customer when you’re in a hurry? What joy there must be in sharing a bit of yourself. In my experience, uncovering the good makes life a bit more uplifting. You can imagine, then, when I started trending toward complaints about my garden this season, how forlorn I became. The second week of July, we had just returned from our weeklong family vacation (Best. Vacation. Ever.), and woke to a severe thunderstorm with damaging winds. It brought down a major limb of the ash tree in our backyard. With it came a large section of the maple, a somewhat smaller portion of the crabapple, damaged the magnolia and the pergola. Oh, while we’re making a list, let’s include downing the cable for TV and Internet. Harsh reality hit on our first day back. Not only were there no swaying palms trees, gulf winds, and

sandy feet, now I had this challenge to contend with. It makes a person want to go back to bed. Well, this sent me spinning on the negativity merry-go-round. It didn’t take long for me to start compiling a mental list of all the other “disappointments” in my landscape. How come I rarely see butterflies in my garden? Does fault lie with less than stellar performance of the butterfly bush? It’s bloomed beautifully in the past. Speaking of lackluster blooms, what’s up with the hydrangea macrophylla? With a dozen established plants around the landscape, all have reliably bloomed for years. This year, there was one plant with two blooms. That’s more than disappointing. That’s heartbreaking. To add insult to injury, the boxwood that has been the powerhouse of foundation plantings didn’t give the flush of new green growth expected after a hard pruning in early spring. Were these results related to the last frost/freeze late in the season? Have these plants seen their better days? Is there a soil problem? Honestly, I was stumped. Laden in my frustration, I went to the back deck to calm down

and gain perspective. I rested on the chaise pointing my face skyward, and the most wonderful thing happened. There drifting across my view, where the ash tree branch once restricted, was the most beautiful swallowtail butterfly. Her bright yellow wings with contrasting black markings were obvious to discern. I watched as if in slow motion, she fluttered about from east to west, from ash to oak, lingering long enough to make her presence known. There it was. My positive marker among the collection of complaints. Almost immediately I was calm and at ease, and the heavy list of negative thoughts were lifted from my shoulders. They were carried away on the wings of that butterfly. That swallowtail butterfly didn’t solve my landscapes issues. Her influence that day made it possible for me to deal with those issues in a more positive way. I am grateful. I’ll see you in the garden!

In this issue August 2014 • Vol. 19 No. 8 Ask the Experts ........................ 6 Hollyhocks: Dining Pleasure for Painted Ladies .................... 8 The Bird Brain ......................... 9 Garden Faire .......................... 10 Ample Planting Time ................ 11 Powell Garden Events ............. 12 Summer Sampler of Daylilies ..... 14 Patrick’s Picks ........................... 16 GrowNative Pots of Gold ......... 18

about the cover ...

Environmental Benefits of WellMaintained Landscapes ............ 19 Call Before You Dig ................. 20 Why Plant Daylilies ................. 21 Upcoming Events ..................... 22 Rose Report ............................ 23 Hotlines ................................. 25 Weather ................................. 25 Garden Calendar .................... 26 Professional’s Corner ................ 27

Daylilies like ‘Outrageous’ are wonderful summer color. See more daylilies starting on page 14. Photo courtesy of Powell Gardens.

The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

August 2014 / The Kansas City Gardener

Ask the Experts! questions from our readers

Dennis Patton LAWN FILLED WITH OAK TREE SEEDLINGS Question: This year my lawn is coming up thick with oak tree seedlings. What can I do to get rid of them? Answer: For some reason the winter patterns were just about perfect for tree seedling germination. The maples are also abundant in the grass. You really have a couple of options for ridding the lawn of tree seedlings. 1. Mowing, normal lawn mowing over time will weaken and kill

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out the seedlings. The seedlings cannot survive with little or no leaf canopy to make energy and will slowly die. 2. Chemical controls using a broadleaf herbicide will effectively remove the seedlings. The key here is skipping a couple of mowings so that the seedlings have several leaves in which to absorb the chemical. 3. Hand removal, I had to mention it but I doubt if this will gain much traction. Simply crawl or stoop over and pull the weeds. Hey it is organic and good exercise. MORE SEEDLINGS Question: This spring my mulched flower beds were covered with tree seedlings. There were hackberry, redbud and maple

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seedlings appearing everywhere. What can I do to rid the garden of these seedlings? Answer: See above for the reason tree seedlings were plentiful. It basically is just nature in action preserving itself for the future generations. As for control here are your options. 1. Hand removal is probably the best option. The seedlings when just germinating are young and rooted into the mulch. With a slight tug they normally come right out of the ground. It also helps to have good soil moisture. Sometimes just a rough raking of the mulch will cut off the seedlings before they

establish. No, this is not easy work but it is effective. 2. Chemical control is not highly recommended. Most flower gardens are packed with plants and broadleaf herbicides will damage your perennials. Glyphosate (Roundup) mixes can be used to treat only the seedlings but this will be difficult to spray as the seedlings are everywhere and often snug right up next to a beautiful plant. Unfortunately in the flower garden option one is your best and safest bet. GROW WHITE CAULIFLOWER Question: This year I grew cauliflower in the garden for the

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first time. It was slow to produce a head but once it did I was so excited. When it came time to harvest, the head was not snow white like in the store but an unappetizing shade of cream or tan. What’s up and how do I grow white cauliflower? Answer: You made the common rookie mistake in growing cauliflower. In order to grow the appealing snow white head you must shade the developing head. Sunlight reaching the head results in the off color. The trick is to pull several larger leaves of the plant together and secure with a rubber band or clothes pin. The leaves shade the head to prevent the browning. Start the process when the head appears. You will need to remove the ties from time to time to check on the head’s development. When it is mature remove the band or pin and harvest your cauliflower head and enjoy. BROWN LEAVES ON BURNING BUSH Question: My burning bush has developed a brown off color and many of the leaves have dropped. It has done this the last couple of years. What is going on and how can I prevent it from happening again? Answer: Your plant is being attacked by the burning bush spider mite. Spider mites are eight legged sucking pests. The mites feed on the chlorophyll leaving the leaves a bronze color. Mites can feed on a number of plants. Mite control is not always easy as mites are not insects so many of the common insecticides will not control mites. In fact, the use of products like Sevin can increase mite issues as it wipes out mites natural predators. The best control is to use a strong spray of water up and under

the foliage of the plants as mites feed on the underside of the leaf. Make two or three daily applications, wait a week and do it over again. Insecticidal soaps or oils can also be used to help suppress mite populations. WEED PROBLEM Question: I have this weed growing in several places in my lawn. It tends to appear most often along the driveway. It is very flat to the ground and has a dark green leaf with a purple or black marking. I was told it was spurge. I just cannot seem to get it under control. Please tell me what is the best treatment for getting rid of this weed? Answer: The plant you described is more than likely Prostrate Spurge. This is a nasty weed that prefers to grow in compacted soil with thin stands of grass. Areas along walks and drives tend to be its favorite spot. Prostrate spurge can be control by both preemergent and postemergent treatments. Many of the spring crabgrass controls will also take care of spurge. The problem is that applications along walks are often less effective because of poor application or just the fact that the weed pressure is greater. If the preemergent methods fail then post-emergent broadleaf herbicides can be used. Keep in mind these are most effective early in the season while the plants are still small. Later in the season hand pulling might be in order. Dennis Patton is the horticulture agent for Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. For free information fact sheets, visit www.johnson.ksu.edu, or call the Extension office at 913-715-7000.

Moonlight Garden Trilogy Final Garden of the Season: A Plant Collector’s Garden

he English Cottage garden of Dan and Marla Galetti will be featured on September 12, 2014. This will complete this year’s Moonlight Garden Trilogy series of the Northland Garden Club. This award winning garden was inspired by a trip to England in 1988, lead by two of the leading horticulturist from Georgia, Ryan Gainey and Tom Woodham. The centerpiece of the garden is the swimming pool and cabana house. The garden has over 200 varieties of plants, shrubs and trees planted in various garden rooms, nooks and crannies. It

was professionally lighted by John Pletcher of Natural Accents Lighting Design in 2004. The subtle lights dance across the various paths, plants and garden features. Hours are from 8 to 10 p.m. Advanced tickets are required and must be purchased by September 8. Tickets are limited and may be obtained by calling Dee West, 816-455-4013. Price is $10 per person. A summer beverage will be served as you stroll and enjoy the garden. Maps and directions will be provided. Check the Garden Club website at Northlandgardenclub.com for further information.

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Greater Kansas City Iris Society Plant Sale Saturday, August 23 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trailside Center 99th & Holmes, KCMO New and historic varieties of iris grown by local members will be offered for sale. Members will be available to answer questions on growing iris. Bring this coupon to our sale to receive one FREE Median Iris. No purchase necessary.

www.kciris.org August 2014 / The Kansas City Gardener

Lenora Larson

any gardeners unknowingly garden for butterflies because they’ve planted a flower, shrub or tree that just happens to be a butterfly caterpillar host plant. For instance, Painted Lady caterpillars, feast on members of the mallow family such as the beloved Common Hollyhock, Alcea rosea. Native to Asia, Hollyhocks have been a staple of the English garden for at least 500 years and were among the first imported plants, crossing the Atlantic with early settlers. Hollyhocks came further west by covered wagon as their beauty and easy growth endeared them to pio-

neer women who snuck a packet of seeds along for the journey. Unlike the usually delicate denizens of an English garden, Hollyhocks thrive in our clay soil and hot, humid summers. This hardy biennial acts like a perennial once established because it prolifically self-seeds into any sunny spot. Breeders have produced many fancy cultivars, including doubles and even a black-flowered hollyhock for the Goth gardener. However, I prefer an old-fashioned mix for the pleasure of surprise as the plants choose each year’s color palette and location. Messy Child, Beautiful Adult Initially, the rough-textured palmate leaves are very attractive, but they almost always fall prey to rust disease and insects, including the Painted Lady caterpillars. The sight of tattered leaves and dirty webs

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Hollyhocks: Dining Pleasure for Painted Ladies

Hollyhock is a host plant for the Painted Lady caterpillar. on my Hollyhocks used to appall me. Now I smile, welcoming the messy caterpillars of the Painted Lady Butterfly, Vanessa cardui. These homely, tufted caterpillars make themselves a leaf shelter, lined with silk. But the shelter also serves as a toilet, nasty with accumulated droppings. No, those black pellets are not eggs! It’s a small price to pay for the pleasure of the Painted Ladies, one of our most beautiful common butterflies. Their orange and black 2 1/2” wingspread dazzles as they flutter about the garden. Long Distance Travelers Painted Ladies are the most wide-spread butterfly in the world. Not only do they live on all continents except Australia and the two Poles, they are impressive migrants, rivaling Monarchs for distance as they fly between Northern Europe and North America, passing over Greenland and Iceland. Our Kansas City area Painted Ladies migrate from Mexico and the American Southwest each spring, sometimes in massive numbers. They typically arrive in early June, eager to nectar on Thistles, Coneflowers, and other members of the Aster family, including Zinnias. Like most butterflies, they can’t resist Butterfly Bush flowers where you’ll also see their close relative, the American Lady Vanessa virginiensis, whose caterpillars eat gray-foliaged members of the Aster family such as Pussy’s-Toes and Licorice Vine. Not a Picky Eater Painted Lady caterpillars are far more cosmopolitan in their dining

The lovely Painted Lady nectaring on a Cherry Profusion Zinnia

Hollyhock leaf folded and secured with silk webbing to form a caterpillar nest.

Gently open the silk nest to see the spikey caterpillar and accumulating frass. requirements than most caterpillars and will eat over 100 species of plants, including Thistles and members of the Mallow, Mustard, Rose and Carrot families. This flexibility extends to a soy-based artificial diet that permits them to be sold in “kits” for raising caterpillars at home and in schools. In my garden, Hollyhocks are the Painted Ladies’ first choice. We agree on the joys of Hollyhocks: me for beauty, the caterpillar for dining. MICO Extension Master Gardener and Kansas Native Plant Society member, Lenora Larson gardens and hosts butterflies in the cruel winds and clay soil of Paola, Kansas. Contact her at lenora. longlips@gmail.com. The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

The Bird Brain

answers your backyard birding questions over their bodies. After bathing for a minute or two and getting thoroughly soaked the bird will fly to a safe perch to preen (see next question).

Doc & Diane Gover

ater! Water! is important to backyard birds. Offering fresh water is an easy addition to a backyard birding habitat. It helps feathered friends stay clean, cool and hydrated. Q. I’ve been seeing birds perched with their wings slightly apart from their bodies and their beaks open. What’s going on? A. This is normal behavior, it is just one way they cool themselves on hot days. Q. The birds are splashing the water out of my birdbath. I think the water is too shallow. What do you think? A. We think you are a lucky birdwatcher with a birdbath that the birds love and feel safe in. Songbirds do not swim, so your shallow birdbath is very inviting. Birds don’t bathe like humans; they prefer to wade into water that is about 2 inches deep and then splash water all

Q. What is preening? A. Preening is like a bird combing its feathers, but instead of using a comb they use their bills. Preening will smooth down feathers and a feathers edge, it also removes dirt. Preening also allows the bird to distribute natural oil over its feathers. This oil, which comes from the bird’s oil gland located at the base of the tail, helps give feathers durability and a certain amount of water resistance. Q. My birdbath is placed in a mulched area in my backyard and I never see birds using it. Why? A. Is there cover nearby or is this area in the wide open? The reason is because a wet bird doesn’t fly well. If shelter is nearby (a tree or a shrub), they are more likely to stop and bathe and preen. Q. I want to provide fresh water for my birds, but my birdbath gets so “scummy” this time of year that I can’t seem to keep it clean. Help!

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A. After thoroughly scrubbing your birdbath with a stiff bristle nylon brush (never a metal brush) with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar (environmentally friendly) and water, then rinse well. Refill with fresh water and add a commercially available enzyme, safe for birds, pets and wildlife, that prevents stains, scum, mineral deposits and organic contaminates. Just by adding a capful of the enzyme to fresh water weekly, it will slow algae growth.

Remember not all birds eat seeds, but all birds need water. It is fun to observe their antics and you’ll feel wonderful knowing that you are helping them. If you have any questions, just stop by to see us, our Certified Birdfeeding Specialists will be glad to help you. Doc and Diane Gover own and operate Wild Birds Unlimited of Leawood at 11711 Roe Avenue, Leawood, Kansas. Contact them at 913-491-4887.

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Plans coming together for Garden Faire Sept. 20 at Loose Park

arden Faire is a fall festival for gardeners. It is a daylong event featuring: • Gardening programs by gardening and horticultural experts from affiliate organizations of Gardeners Connect, • A chance to talk with members of the affiliate clubs and perhaps purchase items from them, • Children’s activities; and • A chance to buy used gardening books. Gardeners Connect has moved its now annual used garden book sale to be part of Garden Faire. A tent has been reserved to be erected in front of the Garden Center at Loose Park. Under the striped big top there will be chairs and a large TV screen set up for digital slide shows and demonstrations. That is where a lineup of programs drawing on the exper-

tise of the affiliate organizations of Gardeners Connect. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. on September 20. The programs are planned to start at 9 a.m., changing every half hour and ending at 4 p.m. Inside the Loose Park Garden Center, affiliate organizations will

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have tables in the Rose Room upstairs where the public can find out more about each organization taking part. The book sale will be downstairs in the Fern Room. If you have books to donate, please email info@gardenrsconnect.org or call 913-302-4234 to make arrangements to drop the books off. “The Garden Faire is a great opportunity for gardeners in the metro area to experience the great diversity of the Kansas City horticulture community,” said Judy Penner, director of Loose Park. “This event will be a must-see for gardeners interested in all aspects of gardening.” One of the affiliate organizations taking part in Garden Faire is The Greater Kansas City Herb Study Group, which meets at noon on the second Wednesday of the month at the Garden Center. The group shares information on using herbs for food, health, home and general well being. The Herb Study Group plans to have Lynn Soulier, a knowledgeable licensed herbalist, present easy methods of creating oils, herbed vinegars and aromatic teas, said Charlotte Acock, president of The Greater Kansas City Herb Study Group. Acock said, “The group also plans to have in information available in the Rose Room about the group and helpful information for attendees to take home and grow your own herb garden.” “Our goal is to educate and share with the community,” Acock

said. “While we enjoy the current technology of 2014, we believe it does not interfere with an appreciation of the past centuries when herbs were paramount. We encourage you to recapture a passion for quality living.” The Kansas City Rose Society also is on board with Garden Faire. “Come to the Gardeners Connect Garden Faire in September to learn why the Kansas City Rose Society is so passionate about the Rose Garden in Loose Park,” said Katrina Stevenson, a Kansas City Rose Society board member who is organizing the society’s Garden Faire activities. She said it will be a good time to catch up with progress at the Laura Conyers Smith Rose Garden, which is undergoing major renovations with the repair of many of the gracious stone pillars and replacement of all the wooden pergolas. Since 2002, the rose society has raised and spent more the $2 million on improvements to the Rose Garden and the fountain there. Also, the Kansas City Rose Society plans to present a program during Garden Faire, she said, and a tentative topic is “Fragrance in the Garden.” Judy Pigue, president of the Greater Kansas City Cactus and Succulent Society of Greater Kansas City, said her group was excited by the prospect of Garden Faire. “I think our members are really looking forward to participating in the Garden Faire and helping make it a success and maybe a yearly affair,” she said. Other groups that have expressed interest in Garden Faire are the Heartland Peony Society, Heartland Hosta & Shade Plant Society, Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners, Johnson County Rose Society, Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City, Monarch Watch, the Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City and Powell Gardens. Save the date, Sept. 20, 2014. The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

By Anne Wildeboor

Ample Planting Time in the Garden Photos by Katharine Garrison.

y the time August rolls around, us gardening folks are tired; tired of fighting the heat, no rain, the bugs, the critters. Why oh why would you want to put anything new in your landscape that you would have to water and care for? Could it be better for the plant? No way you say…let’s think about that. Some plants actually should be planted in the fall vs. the spring. Peonies perform better when planted in the fall. Make sure to plant your peony at the correct depth. If planting bare root, you can easily find the “eyes”, plant at a depth no more than 2 inches below the soil surface. If planting a container peony dig down a little to make sure that is at the correct depth, and then you can adjust planting accordingly. Daylilies should be divided every three to five years. Labor Day is a good time to start this process. If you don’t divide your daylilies they will eventually just stop producing flowers. Hence if it’s a good time to divide it, it can also be a good time to add new varieties to your collection. You can move your collection around as you see fit and add a few new neighbors. Ornamental grasses benefit greatly from fall planting. Soil tem-

Left: Peonies perform better when planted in the fall. Right: Plant ornamental grasses in the fall allowing roots to establish before the cold sets in. peratures are warmer in the fall than they are in the spring. This allows the roots to start growing right away instead of sitting there. This helps your grasses get established before the cold sets in. I think grasses look great in the landscape but especially in the fall. Don’t prune your grasses until the late spring or early winter. They are great winter interest and it can also protect the crown from extreme cold. I highly encourage you to think about planting in the fall. You will have a head start on next spring! How nice is it to feel like you are ahead of the curve. So take advan-

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Monarch Magic at Powell Gardens’ Festival of Butterflies Learn how to keep the monarch magic alive at 18th annual event

owell Gardens’ 18th annual Festival of Butterflies takes flight Friday, Aug. 1, with an emphasis on conservation of the magical monarch butterfly. The festival includes indoor and outdoor butterfly exhibits featuring both exotic and native species, educational activities and the Gardens Gone Wild sculpture exhibit.

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Festival activities take place Aug. 1-3 and Aug. 9-11 at the botanical garden, which is located 30 miles east of Kansas City on U.S. Highway 50. Indoor Butterfly Conservatory During the festival an indoor conservatory becomes a tropical butterfly house, where visitors

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encounter exotic species ranging from the world’s largest moth, the Atlas, to the magical Blue Morpho of Costa Rica and other intriguing butterflies such as the Costa Rica Clearwing with see-through wings. The Sunset Moth, often considered the most beautiful in the world, made its debut at Powell Gardens in 2013 and should be back for this year’s exhibit. Outdoor Butterfly Exhibits Visitors will learn how to support butterflies and moths native to the Kansas City region in two outdoor exhibits. The Butterfly Breezeway showcases native species and the Monarch Watch/Master Gardener displays teach visitors how to gar-

den with butterflies in mind and how to support monarchs during their migration to Mexico. Join the ‘Save the Monarchs’ movement With monarch populations at record lows, the educational theme of the 2014 festival focuses on how people can support this species. Kansas University’s Monarch Watch will share a multitude of resources, and visitors will learn how growing specific plants can help. The star plant in the “save the monarchs” movement is milkweed—the only host plant for this species. Planting native and/ or tropical species of milkweed, plus other favorite nectar sources

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The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

such as sterile varieties of butterfly bush, in home gardens is one way visitors can support monarch butterflies and other beneficial insects. They are host plants and also provide nectar for the adult butterflies.

Evening Butterfly Events Two evening events provide a more intimate way to experience the festival and the beauty of the gardens in twilight. Family Night: An Evening with the Butterflies, 7-9 p.m. August 2 This event allows families to explore the “night life” at Powell Gardens, with a guided experience in the butterfly conservatory to see the Owl butterflies and moths that are active in the evening. Nature experts posted around the gardens will help interpret all of the sights and sounds of the garden at twilight. Indoors, participants will participate in a community art project. Tickets also include one free serving of Tadley’s homemade ice cream! Reservations are required: www.powellgardens.org/ ButterflyEvening or call 816-6972600 x209.

Where the Magic Begins: All About Caterpillars Visitors get a firsthand look at the entire life cycle of butterflies with several caterpillar-related activities. Indoors, the ‘Cat’ Room has a large display of live caterpillars staffed by local butterfly enthusiasts. A Caterpillar Petting Zoo in the Master Gardener’s exhibit outdoors offers children a chance to get hands-on. And a Caterpillar Scavenger Hunt will help visitors connect caterpillars with the host plants they need to survive.

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Fun for Kids Children’s activities include story time with “Fancy Nancy” at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., plus a costume parade complete with a Chinese dragon-style caterpillar float at 11 a.m. each festival day. Outdoors, children can catch and release butterflies, hunt for caterpillars and make a craft. Indoor activities include “paint a pot” ($3), face painting ($2), butterfly wings ($3) and caterpillar headbands (free). Bring swimwear for splashing in the Fountain Garden, which is open throughout the festival, as is the Gardens Gone Wild sculpture exhibit featuring the works of Dan Ostermiller.

An Evening Escape: Mojitos, Monarchs & More, 7-10 p.m. August 9 This event for ages 21 and older is a casual night of drinks, light bites and the chance to explore the exotic butterflies and moths that come to life in the evening hours. Tickets include one drink, light appetizers, a guided experience in the butterfly conservatory and access to the Gardens in the beauty of twilight. A cash bar will be available. Tickets are $30 or $25 for members. Reservations required: www.powellgardens.org/ EveningEscape or call 816-6972600 x209.

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Gardeners’ Gathering The Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City present Gibbs Road Organic Farm Tour 4223 Gibbs Road Kansas City, Kansas

Thursday, August 21, 6:30 p.m. The Gibbs Road Community Farm is a certified organic vegetable production farm sitting on two acres in Kansas City, Kansas. As Cultivate Kansas City’s model and demonstration farm, they participate in the Growing Growers program experimenting with high tunnels, raised beds and no-till production and offering technical assistance to other growers. This event is free and open to the public. No registration required. For further information call 816-665-4456.

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Photos courtesy of Powell Gardens.

‘Scarlet Tanager’

‘Siloam Joy’

‘Tomato Surprise’

Summer Sampler of Daylilies Leah Berg

ix varieties of daylilies are included in a mixed border of shrubs and perennials aligned by my driveway – an area that I keep fine-tuning. They are all “rebloomers” or extended season cultivars anchored by a dark plum butterfly bush. Nearest the street is a prolific clump of ‘Little Grapette’ followed by white ‘Joan Senior’ and ruffled ‘Strawberry Candy.’ ‘El Desperado’ petals are butter yellow with a dark burgundy eye, followed by dark purple ‘Strutter’s Ball’ and ‘Always Afternoon’ (mauve with dark purple eye). Spring-blooming perennial bluestar (Amsonia), golden alexanders (Zizia) and false indigo (Baptisia) line the side nearest the driveway. I moved asters from the middle to make room for a yellow David Austin rose ‘Charlotte.’ This year, annual coleus ‘Redhead’ and ‘Dark Chocolate’ frame the daylilies on the lawn side. Large landscapes viewed from a distance dotted with daylilies convey the feeling of impressionist paintings. Imagine how a painter might capture the impact of two acres of daylilies in bloom at nationally acclaimed Lenington Gardens (7007 Manchester Ave., Kansas City, Mo. 64133) near where I grew up. Photos on their Facebook page merely hint at the overwhelming 14

choices available, over 1000 varieties planted in large beds. Renowned hybridizer George Lenington opened his commercial business in 1952, continued after his death in 1990 by son Bob and daughter-in-law Alice. Bob Lenington passed away last year, but Alice and son Dale continue the labor-intensive labor of love. They discontinued the mail order business, but are open to the public Wed.-Sun., 9:30 to 3:00, June through mid-August (or by appointment). Visit the American Hemerocallis Society (www.ahs.org) page listing Lenington All-American Award Winners which includes a biography and tribute to this leading grower. I asked my friend Vince Vogel of Vogel Landscaping to name some of his favorite daylilies to use in landscapes for clients. When designing a large mass planting for dramatic impact, Vince sometimes uses a single variety like repeat bloomers ‘Happy Returns’ (yellow) or ‘Earlybird Cardinal’ (red) or ‘Little Business’ (raspberry red). But he also mixes varieties that extend the flowering period due to the varying bloom times. Vince combines cultivars that have similar blooming heights to create a tidy, consistent look in massed plantings. For exotic accents in certain gardens, Vince selects uncommon specimen daylilies such as ‘Fringed Sangria’ with a 6” wide double flower and fringed petals. He likes assorted “spider” types resembling exotic orchids measuring 7-9”

wide, like award winner ‘Dances with Giraffes’ or ‘Gadsden Goliath’ (red with yellow center). Vince went with me and my friends the McLaughlins to Powell Gardens the second weekend in July. I tried to concentrate on listing the red varieties I liked best, but my notebook quickly filled with a rainbow spectrum. I love dark ‘Africa’ and ‘Bela Lugosi’ and there are many shades of purple, peach, pink, red, gold, yellow and nearly white to tempt those who insist they do not like orange. However, in the dazzling display of hundreds of varieties we saw in the Perennial Garden, we all agreed orange ‘Heartfelt’ with its darker red-orange “halo” stood out in the crowd that day. Notice what other landscape plants look sensational with orange. The color wheel’s classic complement is blue. Though I’ve never seen a true blue daylily, Russian sage weaves through a daylily border especially well. Add blue balloon flower, salvias and purple coneflowers, tall phlox, and liatris for punctuation. Nancy Ewan prefers yellow daylilies for her own yard as well as for Meadowbrook Golf Club where she designs and maintains plantings for seasonal color. Yellow blends well with the high impact perennials and annuals in other colors accenting the clubhouse and turf areas. Whatever your color preferences, include different forms and textures like black-eyed Susans, yarrow, hibiscus, shasta daisies,

coreopsis and ornamental grasses along with traditional backdrops like evergreens. Consider blooming shrubs like roses, Rose of Sharon, and certain ninebark, weigela, or barberry with contrasting burgundy foliage. Add some true lilies (Lilium) for fragrance, since most hybrid daylilies lack the sweet aroma of the older species like Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus (lemon yellow). One fairly fragrant long-blooming daylily is ‘Ideal Affair’ a favorite of gardener Peggy Sue Batman in the landscape south of the Powell Gardens Visitor Education Center. Designing landscapes with daylilies offers so many creative choices with height and color variations, it reminds me of quilters selecting and arranging fabrics. Instead of allowing uniform, overused ‘Stella d’Oro’ to dominate landscapes, take advantage of the many other choices available! Be sure to keep records of what you plant (photos and labels) since others will admire them and ask “What’s the name of that one?” Make room for some among beds of herbs, tomatoes, and other edibles. Like squash blossoms, daylily flower petals are definitely edible as well as pleasing to the eye. Add their sweet juicy crunch to salads, or just startle a visitor by munching one freshly snapped off the stalk. Leah Berg is a landscape designer with a conservation emphasis. She also teaches at MCC-Longview. To consult privately, contact her at 816-353-7170. The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

‘New Millenium’

‘Africa’

Above: ‘Cat’s Cradle’; Below: ‘Smokey Mountain Autumn’

August 2014 / The Kansas City Gardener

‘Gentle Shepherd’

‘Be Still’

‘Plum Perfect’

‘Chicago Candy Cane’

Above center: ‘Daring Deception’; Below center: ‘Priority’

Above: ‘MoKan Gold’; Below ‘Beyond the Blues’

Patrick’s Picks:

Patrick Muir

n this past March’s issue, the former manager of Powell Garden’s 14-acre Heartland Harvest Garden, Matt Bunch, shared the best spring sown vegetable selections from the garden whose seed are sown directly in the ground. He has been kind enough to share the very best selections for the fall garden. For a successful fall garden, it’s essential to replenish the soil with organic matter after a heavy harvest

of veggies in the summer. I recommend composted cow manure for nutrients and the addition of peat moss to aerate the soil for fall root crops. If you don’t have them already, consider taking the time to build raised beds for amassing the maximum amount of cow manure and peat moss. With such a short fall season, additional applications of Miracle-Gro fertilizer applied to the leaves on a weekly basis can speed things up quite nicely. Of course, water management is going to be your key to success when young seedlings are involved, especially in August and September. Be prepared to do deep waterings in both mornings and evenings on very hot days. Unless otherwise noted, all selections are available from the

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‘Chioggia’ beets

‘Cosmic Purple’ carrots

powerhouse Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com) located in Mansfield, MO. Also, unless where noted, the ideal sowing time for fall vegetables is in mid-August through mid-September. Arugula is an aromatic, peppery-flavored salad green popularized in Italian cuisine. It grows well in the fall as it has a tendency to bolt in the spring when temperatures get above 80 degrees. Bunch says “Let it reseed for spontaneous greens in the garden. Sylvetta, (johnnysseeds.com) or wild arugula, has a milder flavor and will not bolt as quickly.” Bunch prefers beets for their young tender, tart greens, but he says “the tubers also complement a salad quite well, especially ‘Chioggia’ with its red and white zoning, or ‘Bull’s Blood’ with

‘French Breakfast’ radishes

Photos of beets, carrots, radishes, and turnips courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Direct-Sown Fall Vegetables from the Heartland Harvest Garden

its deep red color.” If growing for tubers, thinning is necessary according to packet instructions. Beet greens tend to succumb to temperatures in the upper twenties so plant by mid-August. Bunch says “While most people would want to sow carrots in the spring, those sown in the fall are much sweeter.” Carrots need light friable soils, even moisture, and thinning. Short, round types, like

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ROSES: NOT JUST PRETTY FLOWERS!

‘Red Round’ turnips

Arugula

‘Chantenay Red Core’ and are good for thick soils, while ‘Cosmic Purple’ and ‘St. Valery’ grow well in lighter soils. Plantings can begin as early as mid-July. Bunch says “Greens mixes are a great way to get a colorful tasty mix from one seed packet. Most of these mixes combine mustards, pac choi, mizuna, lettuces, and other greens. My favorite is the Australian heirloom ‘Five Color Silverbeet’ Swiss Chard Mix that sports thick stems in red, yellow, orange, pink and white. My grandparents grew it in their vegetable garden at the edge of the Australian Outback. It’s perfect for a child’s first garden as the bright colors generate interest and excitement. All greens are meant to be harvested continually throughout the season. Like many gardeners out there, radishes were the first crop I grew as a child. Another favorite from my grandparent’s Outback garden and the Heartland Harvest Garden, the long-fruited ‘French Breakfast’ matures in four weeks allowing for several successive sowings. Bunch says “Some like ‘Red Meat’ are better sown in fall, but they also take nearly twice as long to mature. But ‘Red Meat’, also known as the watermelon radish due to its coloration when sliced, is definitely worth the wait.” Radishes are a crop that definitely needs thinning.

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Who can’t grow enough spinach for refreshing salads? The added benefit to a fall-planted crop is that it’s more likely to overwinter, providing you the earliest possible salads in the spring. ‘RedStemmed Bordeaux’ (kitchengardenseeds.com) is a favorite of the Heartland Harvest Garden and is a wonderfully sweet arrowhead leaf variety with deep red stems. Turnips can be sown as soon as soil can be worked in the spring but tubers tend to be more pungent when the weather warms. Bunch says “Fall turnips will be sweeter, but sow no later than mid-September so they will get to useable size.” Turnips will also need thinning according to packet instructions. I’m very sentimental about ‘Purple Top White Globe’ (johnnysseeds. com) as it was my second crop I ever harvested as a kid. Bunch is fond of the tasty and beautiful ‘Red Round’. So if you haven’t discovered the excitement of a whole other, refreshing and rejuvenating season in the veggie garden, I implore you to do so. Managing late hot weather cycles is challenging and you’ll only get better with practice in future years, but fresh vegetables grown in crisp air only makes them more flavorful! Read Patrick Muir’s his blog at patricksgarden.com, where you can also subscribe.

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t the August meeting of the Johnson County Rose Society, Bess Covet, 3rd Vice President of the Society, will present a program about “Baking and Cooking with Roses”. Bess will tell us how roses have historically been used in baking and cooking and share some ways we can bring roses into our kitchen and create edible delights! The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 14, at 7 pm at the Prairie Village Community Center at 7720 Mission Road, Prairie Village Kansas. The meeting is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. Members and guests are welcome to take advantage of the “Consulting Rosarians Corner” for a free individual consultation with a Consulting Rosarian about specific questions or concerns regarding all aspects of rose growing and care. The Consulting Rosarians will also give timely tips about caring for roses “This Month in the Rose Garden”. For more information about the meetings, programs, and other activities of the JCRS, or for membership details, please visit their website at http:/www.rosesocietyjoco.org. You can also visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JoCoRoses.

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fter the floral abundance of spring comes a steadily changing profusion of blooms. The crescendo builds as summer progresses and then, in late summer, both sun and shade gardens become punctuated by the butter yellow goldenrod flowers that blend so harmoniously with the blue asters. Goldenrods are among the hardiest of perennials for our region. Why, then, do goldenrods get a bum rap? Most times when I discuss the garden merits of goldenrod, there will be a pause and then the all too familiar question “But don’t they cause hayfever?”

Goldenrods (Solidago sp.) have a bloom time spanning August through October, which coincides with the blooming of ragweed. The showy yellow flowers of goldenrod are insect pollinated, attracting a wide variety of insects that are stocking up on nectar and pollen before the winter months set in. Goldenrod pollen is heavy and therefore travels only with the insects that visit it. Ragweed, on the other hand, is wind pollinated. By necessity its pollen is very light weight and abundant, traveling far and wide on the wind currents. Looking for late summer color to brighten your shade garden? The gracefully arching, two-foot tall stems of the blue-stemmed goldenrod (S. caesia) or the compact broadleaf goldenrod (S. flexicaulis) topping out at 18 inches are both welcome additions. Both are good choices for average to dry shade. A mixed planting with Christmas fern and the spring blooming ground cover Senecio obovatus provides good textural contrast. Other com-

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Solidago drummondii panions for late color are the hoary skullcap (Scuttelaria incana) or garden phlox (Phlox paniculata). Many late-blooming native asters are also shade tolerant such as purple daisy (Aster patens) or aromatic aster (Aster oblongifolius). One of my favorite goldenrods is the cliff goldenrod (S. drummondii) because of its adaptability to both sun and shade. Its arching habit keeps it from becoming too tall and is perfect for slopes, amongst stones or draping over the top of a wall. The flowers of cliff goldenrod are stunning alongside the purple berries of beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). Full sun gardens provide the opportunity for late summer gold with the showy goldenrod (S. speciosa) and the stiff goldenrod (S. rigida). Both stand three feet tall and are incredibly full of both flower and visiting pollinators when in bloom. Any of the sunloving asters are exceptional compliments to goldenrods. In addition, try grouping them with eastern blazing star (Liatris scariosa), rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolopis) or palm sedge (Carex muskingumensis). While most goldenrods are incredibly drought resistant, swamp goldenrod (S. patula) loves wet areas in the landscape. It is a great candidate for late summer color in rain gardens or other areas with drainage problems. Let it provide a tall (4’–6’) vertical accent amongst other moisture loving plants such as copper iris (Iris fulva), blue mist flower (Eupatorium coelistinum) or purple New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) and cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis).

Solidago flexicaulis

Solidago speciosa They are exceptionally easy to grow and do quite well with an average soil. Don’t beef up your soil with too much compost or fertilizer! An excess of compost and you will end up with giant versions that tend to flop over. While it certainly is not necessary, some gardeners like to tip prune goldenrods in late May to encourage a better branched plant with a shorter growth habit. So—go for the gold and try some goldenrods. Come see for yourself. These and other species of goldenrod put on a spectacular show in the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, Missouri. You can find nurseries and garden centers that sell native goldenrods at the Resource Guide at www. grownative.org. Horticulturalist, Grow Native! Professional Member, and garden writer Cindy Gilberg passed away on June 30, 2014. Cindy wrote this article in July 2007. Her many contributions to native gardening and native plant education will be missed, but long remembered. The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

Environmental benefits of well-maintained landscapes dust and dirt from the air, giving us cleaner air to breathe. Just one acre of grass will absorb hundreds of pounds of sulfur dioxide from burning fossil fuels each year.

Peter Orwig

our lawn is more important than you think; it is actually working to improve our environment. In addition to making our homes more inviting and providing a soft play area for our children, a properly maintained lawn improves air quality, water quality and increases curb appeal. Improving Air Quality Lawns improve the air we breathe. One way is through a cooling effect produced from photosynthesis. Properly mowed, fertilized and watered turfgrass can reduce surface temperatures 30 to 40 degrees when compared to bare soil or a neglected lawn. This cooling effect reduces the need for air conditioning in the summer months, which could save you money on your electric bill. Like trees and other plants, grass takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. A patch of grass just 50 feet by 50 feet generates enough oxygen to meet the needs of a family of four. In addition to providing oxygen, grass absorbs

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Improving Water Quality It is well known that rain contains pollutants. When rain falls into the street, the water collects in storm drains and enters our water system, as do the pollutants. When rain falls in our lawns, it drops down into the thatch layer -- a layer of living and dead stems, leaves and roots, which is found in between the top layer of grass and the soil underneath. Once the water enters the thatch layer, pollutants are broken down by millions of microbes that live there naturally. Thus, rain that is filtered through your lawn is much cleaner than rain that falls onto concrete and other hard surfaces. Brian Horgan, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Minnesota and extension turfgrass specialist, did a study on water retention in fertilized and unfertilized lawns. He found that a fertilized lawn provides the density for your grass and soil to retain rain water. This rain water is then brought to the thatch layer where pollutants are removed. Any runoff from these lawns is considerably cleaner. The unfertilized lawn had significantly more runoff and it contained higher levels of pollutants.

How much cleaner is the water from the well-maintained lawn? Studies at Penn State have shown that water runoff as well as water which drained through the soil just two days after a chemical application was usually cleaner than the government standards for drinking water. Curb Appeal A well-maintained lawn also provides curb appeal and protects the investment you have made in your home. A recent Gallup Survey reported that a beautiful, wellmaintained lawn and landscape adds 15 percent to a home’s value according to buyers. Realtors also note that the first impression of the outside or “curb view” of a property is very important.

Not only does a nice lawn look good to neighbors and potential home buyers, it also looks good for you. There’s nothing better than coming home to a well-manicured lawn. Pulling into the driveway and seeing your well-ordered landscape is the perfect ending to your workday! Well maintained lawns play an important role in our environment. They improve air and water quality and add curb appeal to our homes. This article contains just a few of the many benefits of lawns. The next time you step outside and take a deep breath of fresh air, thank your lawn! Peter Orwig is an agronomist at Ryan Lawn & Tree. He can be reached at 913-381-1505.

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Magic MONARCH

August 1 - 3 & August 8 - 10, 9 A.m. to 6 p.m. see hundreds of butterflies from around the world in the Martha Jane Phillips starr Butterfly Conservatory, plus find out how yOu can help support the magical monarch butterfly. Join the fun and make a difference!

Green Industry Directory now available for CONSUMERS! Do you have a LANDSCAPE PROJECT and need HELP or ADVICE from an industry professional? Consider a member of the Hort NetWORK, which membership consists of professionals in all aspects of the green industry. To connect with a professional, go to

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for a membership directory.

FEstivAl FuN

• Storytelling with ‘Fancy Nancy’ • Costume Parade • Caterpillar Petting Zoo • Caterpillar Hunts and Butterfly Safaris • Monarch Watch exhibit • Butterfly Plant Sale • Interactive Art

EvENiNg EvENts New ways to experience the butterflies! Reservations required: Family Night: Evening with the Butterflies 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2 Evening Escape: Mojitos & Monarchs 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 Details at powellgardens.org/butterfly or call 816.697.2600 x209

816.697.2600 | powellgardens.org/butterfly | 19

Advanced Landscape Design Workshop Saturday, September 20, 2014, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

A Native Plant Workshop for Home Gardeners, Landscape Professionals, and Municipalities Springfield - Greene County Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic, Springfield, MO 65807 During this workshop you will learn: • Beyond-the-basics rain garden design, construction and maintenance • Using native trees in the landscape • How you can sustain pollinators in the landscape • Native plant resources

Aug. 11 (8/11) serves as convenient reminder for Kansas & Missouri residents to

Speakers Rhonda Headland: Native Plant Rain Gardens A beyond-the-basics look at rain garden design, construction, andmaintenance in Missouri. Alan Branhagen: From Big to Small, Native Trees Have it All Learn how to enrich your landscape with native trees and create a paradise for you and all of life around. Mike Arduser: Providing for Pollinators: What They Need, When They Need It, and How You Can Deliver It. Pollinators are an essential part of a healthy landscape; we’ll explore their specific needs and what you can do to sustain this important group. Fee includes workshop and lunch $30 Missouri Prairie Foundation/GrowNative members; $40 nonmembers This workshop is organized by the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Grow Native! program and Show Me Yards & Neighborhoods. For more details about this workshop, the Grow Native! program, or the Missouri Prairie Foundation, visit grownative.org, call 888-843-6739 or send a message to grownative@ moprairie.com.

Cool off with a HOT deal at Van Liew’s

Celebrating our 87th year in business

SPEAKERS’ BUREAU

Need a speaker for your church, civic group or garden club? The Johnson County Extension Speakers’ Bureau have the speakers you are looking for on just about any topic like environmentally safe lawn care, or perennial flower gardening. To schedule a speaker for your group, please contact the office. For more information on this service, call 913-715-7000.

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ALWAYS CALL 811 BEFORE DIGGING

ansas 811 and Missouri One-Call encourage people to make a free call 3 working days before digging to know what’s below With Aug. 11 almost here, Kansas 811 and Missouri One-Call hope this date on the calendar, 8/11, will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. Every eight minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811. When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to their local one-call center, which will identify affected member utility companies, who will then send professional locators to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both. Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large

• • • • • •

or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting. “On Aug. 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to call 811 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,” said Max Pendergrass, Public Relations Coordinator for Kansas 811, “It really is the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area.” The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists. Visit www.call811.com, www. kansas811.com, or www.mo1call. com for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.

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Hours: Mon. thru Fri. 7 am–5 pm • Sat. 8 am–12 pm Ed Campbell, Jr.

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Ed Campbell, III

The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

Why Plant Daylilies By Cerise Harris

hy? Because they are the perfect perennial plant. Daylilies or Hemerocallis have a long growing season. In Missouri, they start blooming the middle of June and go until the middle of August, with some re-blooming in the fall. The bloom season is classified as Early, Midseason and Late. Staggering varieties with different bloom seasons will provide color all summer. They are called “day” lilies because each blossom lasts for one day. Because they have a lot of branching and scapes coming from the branching, the plant looks like it is covered with blossoms. This mass of blooms is one of the most attractive qualities about daylilies. Landscapers appreciate the long growing season for daylilies. They come in many heights, from miniatures or about 10” to heights of over 45” tall so they go well with conifers and at the back of the border. They can stand alone in the front of a garden, using them as edgers. They can be planted in one color or many. The popular “Stella de Oro” can be seen in commercial plantings coupled with various purple flowers like Catmint or Salvias. Daylilies are so pretty with many colors going from white to almost blue. You can choose different forms. There are doubles, triangular, spiders, ruffled, starshaped, flat, trumpet, recurved and informal blossoms. Also there are different color patterns: bitones, bicolors, eyed or banded, tipped, self, blend, and polychrome with three or more colors.

The plants are very hardy, thriving with little care in a wide range of climates. They are drought tolerant with few pest and disease problems. Daylilies love sun but they do grow in shade, as long as they have a few hours of sun. These don’t grow as large or have as many blooms as those in sun but they are still able to survive and give color in unexpected places. Daylilies can be planted any time in the growing season and dug up and divided when needed without harming the plant although most people divide them after they have bloomed. They are usually sold in a group of two fans or more. They will quickly acclimatize, many blooming in the summer after planting in the spring. It is fun to plant a garden around a theme. Color themes work well with daylilies and other perennials

or annuals. A white garden with white astilbes, coreopsis Big Bang, and Shasta daisies against a white rose-of-sharon bush will brighten up an area. Daylilies are named and can suggest themes, such as

Cerise Harris is a master gardener of Greater Kansas City, Emeritus.

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romance, broken hearts, music, famous people, religious and patriotic names. Label them so people can appreciate your groupings. Once established there is very little maintenance. Walking through the garden in the morning, it is pleasing to see the fresh blooms and, while doing this, deadheading the ones that have already bloomed. Daylilies have bigger blossoms and look better if they are divided every 3-4 years. Deer do love daylilies so be prepared for this. Otherwise, they are a perfect enjoyable plant. The local daylily club, the Mo-Kan Daylily Society is having a sale on August 22 and 23 at the Loose Park Garden Center, Kansas City, MO. There will be pictures of the plants in bloom and posters to see how to use daylilies. Come see what excites daylily fans.

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August 2014 / The Kansas City Gardener

14935 Metcalf Overland Park, KS

16370 W. 138th Terr., Olathe, KS 66062 Please call for appointment:

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Upcoming Garden Events places to go, things to do, people to see

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Hustler and Country Clipper Zero Turns, Toro Zero Turns and self propell mowers, Encore walk behind mowers, Echo, Maruyama, Redmax, Shindaiwa and Tanaka Trimmers, Blowers, Hedge Clippers and Chain Saws are all in stock now! All equipment assembled, serviced and ready to go when you buy it. Nothing goes out of here in a box! We service what we sell and more!

Club Meetings Bonsai Society of GKC Sat, Aug 2, 9am-3pm; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, MO. Workshop. 816-784-5300

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Northland Feed 4807 N. Brighton, KCMO

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Greater Kansas City Dahlia Society Sun, Aug 3, 1-3pm; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, MO. Membership meeting. 816784-5300 Greater Kansas City Gardeners of America Mon, Aug 4, meeting at 6pm, presentation at 6:30pm; at Loose Park Garden Center, 5200 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO. Do you ever wonder what other gardeners consider their favorite gardening tool/gadget? Our speaker is long time member, Louise Kendrick; she will chair a discussion on exciting tools and gadgets. All gardeners are asked to bring their favorite tool to share with the group. For example, one of our members (who is a professional landscaper) will bring a new 2-cycle oil that is a major breakthrough for garden machines run by 2-cycle engines. As always, guests are welcome. For additional information contact Vince Vogel of Vogel Landscaping at 816-313-8733. Greater Kansas City Herb Study Group Wed, Aug 13, noon; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st St and Wornall, Kansas City, MO. Membership meeting. Visitors are welcome. Please call 913-592-3546 for reservations. Heart of America Gesneriad Society Sat, Aug 16, 10am-1pm; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, MO. Membership meeting. 816784-5300

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Heartland Hosta & Shade Plant Society Sat, Sep 13, 9am; at Faith Lutheran Church, 4805 W 67th St (67th & Roe) Prairie Village, KS. Hospitality planned at 9am, program to follow a brief 10am meeting. Confession of a Hostaholic: How Antiques and Antics Have Made Gardening Fun presented by Larry Tucker, Southhaven, MS. Tucker has been active in the Mid-South and AHS for two decades and was creator of the Hosta Trail; a National display garden at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Proceeds from his book, Made in the Shade: Confessions of a Hostaholic, go to support the Hosta Trail. There will be a potluck luncheon following the program, with meat and drink being furnished by the club. You may bring a dish to share. Guests are always welcome – come and being a friend! Info: Gwen 816-213-0598 or 816-228-9308.

Independence Garden Club Mon, Aug 11, 6:30pm; a tour of the Wheelers garden at 1013 NW Woodlyne, Blue Springs, MO. Their garden features lots of hostas and a unique irrigation system. Refreshments will be served and visitors are welcome. For more information please call 816-373-1169 or 816812-3067. Visit us at our website www. independencegardenclub.com Johnson County Rose Society Thurs, Aug 17, 7pm; at Prairie Village Community Center, 7720 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS. Bess Covet, 3rd Vice President of the Society, will present a program about “Baking and Cooking with Roses”. Bess will tell us how roses have historically been used in baking and cooking and share some ways we can bring roses into our kitchen and create edible delights! The meeting is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. Members and guests are welcome to take advantage of the Consulting Rosarians Corner for a free individual consultation with a Consulting Rosarian about specific questions or concerns regarding all aspects of rose growing and care. The Consulting Rosarians will also give timely tips about caring for roses This Month in the Rose Garden. For more information about the meetings, programs, and other activities of the JCRS, or for membership details, please visit their website at http:/www. rosesocietyjoco.org. You can also visit them on Facebook at www.facebook. com/JoCoRoses. Kansas City Garden Club Mon, Aug 4, 9:30am-3pm; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, MO. Membership meeting. 816784-5300 Kaw Valley Herbs Study Group Tues, Aug 12, 7pm; at Unitarian Fellowship of Lawrence, 1263 N 1100 Rd. We explore all aspects of an herb: growing & harvesting, historical lore, culinary virtues, medicinal merits, and aromatherapy, household, and cosmetic applications. Our gatherings are fun and educational, and jam-packed with useful information, including relevant demonstrations. Everyone with an interest in herbs is welcome. There is a $2 charge to cover costs (KVHSG is a non-profit group; no charge for students). No pets. Nursing babies and children over 10 are welcome. herbstudygroup@gmail.com Lenexa Field and Garden Club Tues, Aug 12, 7-8pm; Will tour the Linda Hall Library Arboretum, 5901 Cherry St, Kansas City, MO 64110. Learn more about the club at www.lenexafieldandgardenclub.org.

The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

Mid America Begonia Society Sat, Aug 16, 1-4pm; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, MO. Workshop. 816-784-5300 Northland Garden Club Tues, Aug 19, 7pm; at Sherwood Bible Church, 4900 N Norton, Kansas City, MO (just south and west of Penguin Park). This month will feature our annual auction. Members are asked to bring gardening decor items that are in good condition. This is an annual event that is so much fun! Please check website for additional information: www.northlandgardenclub.com. Olathe Garden & Civic Club Tues, Aug 19, 12:30pm; at Bass Pro Shop, second floor, 12051 Bass Pro Drive, Olathe, KS. The program is on drip irrigation will be presented by Master Gardener, Rob Mortko. Any interested parties are encouraged to attend. For questions or directions, please contact Joan Shriver, 913-492-3566.

Events, Lectures & Classes August Fall & Winter Vegetable Gardening Thurs, Aug 7, 11:30am-1:30pm; at the Sunflower Meeting Room, Wyandotte County Extension Office, 1208 N 79th St, Kansas City, KS. Gardening does not have to stop just because the weather turns colder. Bob Broyles, a Butler County, Kansas, Extension Master Gardener, has experimented for many years to determine the best methods for continuing vegetable gardens through Kansas winters. He will share his experiences, techniques and tips. $5.00 fee. Registration not required. You are welcome to bring your lunch. Sponsored by the Wyandotte County Extension Master Gardeners. Call 913-299-9300 for more information. Music on the Terrace Thurs, Aug 7, 6:30-7:30pm; at Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W 179th St, Overland Park, KS 66013. Enjoy live music as you enjoy the gardens. Admission fee for non-members applies. FREE FOTA members; $3 nonmembers; $1 non-members under 13; Free non-members 5 and under. Moonlight and Mint Juleps Tour Fri, Aug 8. The night garden tour of the summer sponsored by the Northland Garden Club is at the Platte County home of Kim and Jesse Johnson. Tour begins at 8pm and ends at 10pm. Advanced tickets required and may be purchased by calling Dee West, 816-455-4013. They are $10 each and will include the dusk tour, evening tour and a cool refreshing summer drink. Check the Garden Club website at www.northlandgardenclub.com for further information. Kansas City Cactus and Succulent Society 37th Annual Show and Sale Sat, Aug 9, sale 9am-5pm; Show Room open noon to 5pm; Sun, Aug 10 – sale August 2014 / The Kansas City Gardener

and show 11am to 4pm; at Loose Park Garden Center, 51st St and Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO. Park entrance is West driveway immediately South of 51st St. Plant sales will be provided by J&J Cactus and Succulents, Midwest City, OK, and KCCSS members. Members will be present to answer questions and, if asked, give helpful growing tips. Among the great selection of cactus and succulent plants will be hardy varieties that thrive in outdoor gardens. You are invited to view the KCCSS outdoor garden next to the Garden Center prior to entering the building. FREE ADMISSION. If further information is needed, call Bryan 913827-7489. Raising Caterpillars at Home Sat, Aug 9, 1-3pm; at Powell Gardens. Learn how to raise and identify your own butterflies, about life cycles, predators and diseases that harm butterflies. Take home a caterpillar with everything you need to raise it to an adult butterfly. (Price includes Festival of Butterflies admission for one adult.) $35/person, $27/members. Registration required by July 28. To register call Linda Burton at 816-697-2600 ext. 209. Or register online at www.powellgardens.org/AdultClasses. Music on the Terrace Thurs, Aug 14, 6:30-7:30pm; at Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W 179th St, Overland Park, KS 66013. Enjoy live music as you enjoy the gardens. Admission fee for non-members applies. FREE FOTA members; $3 nonmembers; $1 non-members under 13; Free non-members 5 and under. Topeka Daylily Club Sale Sat, Aug 16, 7:30am-noon; at Downtown Topeka Farmers Market. Rain or shine. Healthy daylilies at discount prices. Wine Tasting on the Terrace Wed, Aug 20, 6-8pm; at Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W 179th St, Overland Park, KS 66013. Join us for good wine for our third wine tasting of 2014. $25 members; $28 nonmembers. Gibbs Road Organic Farm Tour Thurs, Aug 21, 6:30pm; at 4223 Gibbs Rd, Kansas City, KS. Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City present: Gibbs Road Organic Farm Tour. The Gibbs Road Community Farm is a certified organic vegetable production farm sitting on two acres in Kansas City, KS. As Cultivate Kansas City’s model and demonstration farm, they participate in the Growing Growers program experimenting with high tunnels, raised beds and no-till production and offering technical assistance to other growers. Free and open to the public. No registration required. For further information call 816-665-4456. Music on the Terrace Thurs, Aug 21, 6:30-7:30pm; at Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W 179th St, Overland Park, KS 66013. Enjoy live music as you enjoy the (continued on page 24)

Rose Report and a little summer fun • What does calcium or lime do for your soil? • Why is P.H. so important for plants to grow well?

Charles Anctil

n Sunday, June 22, I gave the roses a second feeding – fish emulsion, Earthright, and Mushroom Stuff. This should keep them happy for another month. I have sprayed only once so far for diseases, but not at all for insects. I have not seen any Japanese Beetles yet, but the spotted cucumber beetle is sure getting his fill. Whenever temperatures go above 80 degrees, roses get upset. The blooming cycle slows down and you might lose an extra row of petals and substance in the bloom drops. Mulch deeply, 3-4 inches thick. It helps to keep the roots cooler. You should increase the watering to three times a week. Deep watering makes all plants very happy during the summer months. Now is a good time to give all plants a boost of energy. Make a tea with Bradfield, there’s a recipe on the back of the bag, Surebloom, and Earthright. Ok, now for some fun! Get your thinking cap on and see if you can answer these questions.

• Where is the shank located on a rose bush? • What rose variety does the shank represent on a rose bush? • Where does a “sucker” on a rose usually come from? • What can happen on a rose bush if over fertilized with too much nitrogen? • For years, I have cut back my roses to about knee high and remove all the leaves before Thanksgiving. Why? • When you foliar feed, how long does it take to be absorbed in the plant? Why do I plant my roses 1 1/2” to 2” deeper than normal? Phone a friend, or use Google for the answers. Let’s see if your answers match mine next month. Charles Anctil has been an active Rosarian since 1958, Kansas City Rose Society, ARS Judge Emeritus, ARS Master Consulting Rosarian. If you need help, call him at Moffet’s Nursery, St. Joseph, Mo., 816-233-1223.

The Hort NetWORK Fall Educational Seminar & Tour Tour of the Monet Gardens Tuesday, September 9, 6 to 8 p.m. Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens This event is open to all Industry Professionals only. FREE for Hort NetWORK members, $10 non-member/guests Food and beverage provided. For more information, go to www.hortnetwork.org or email support@hortnetwork.org 23

MoKan Daylily Society

Plant Sale

Sat., Aug. 23

he MoKan Daylily Society plant sale will be held Saturday, Aug. 23rd in the Loose Park Garden Center Bldg. at 51st and Wornall. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Hundreds of daylilies of many varieties will be available for purchase. Pictures of the plants will be available to help in your selection. Plants are priced at $4 each or 3 for $10. There will also be a table of “premium” plants which will include plants hybridized within the last 7 years. Premium plants will be in pots for easier identification.

They will also have a different pricing. Club members will be available to help customers with selection and answer any daylily questions. “Carl’s Corner” will be set up to demonstrate how to plant a daylily and planting hand-outs will be available. There will also be educational posters about the different color patterns and flower forms found in daylilies. We invite all gardeners and friends to visit the sale, learn more about daylilies, and buy beautiful new plants for your garden!

What’s Happening at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center 1401 NW Park Rd., Blue Springs, MO 64015 Creek Survey August 9 • Saturday • 10–11:30 AM Registration required at 816-228-3766 (ages 5+) What lives in or near Burr Oak Creek? Let’s find out as we search for aquatic life and explore this important ecosystem. Be ready to get wet on a fun-filled adventure! Wild Ones: Lotions, Potions and Notions August 19 • Tuesday • 9–11 AM Registration required at 816-228-3766 (adults) Discover how to make your own organic salves and lotions from native wild plants you find just outside your own back door. Planted Paper August 30 • Saturday • 10–11:30 AM Registration required at 816-228-3766 (ages 5+) Many of our native plants are producing seed by late summer. Join us to make a recycled paper decoration with native seeds that can be enjoyed this season and planted in your garden next spring! For more information, email burr.oak@mdc.mo.gov. To see more events offered by Missouri Department of Conservation visit www.mdc.mo.gov/node/280 24

Upcoming Garden Events places to go, things to do, people to see

(continued from page 23)

gardens. Admission fee for non-members applies. FREE FOTA members; $3 nonmembers; $1 non-members under 13; Free non-members 5 and under. Iris Sale Sat, Aug 23, 10am-4pm; at Trailside Center, 99th and Holmes, Kansas City, MO. Sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Iris Society. New and historic varieties of iris grown by local members will be offered for sale. Members will be available to answer questions on growing irises. www.kciris.org Turning Fresh Fruits and Veggies into Delicious Homemade Ice Cream Sat, Aug 23, 9:30-10:30am; at The Gardens at Unity Village 150-B NW Colbern Rd, Lee?s Summit, MO (1/4 mile west of the Douglas/Colbern intersection). Brooke Hood introduces a unique workshop on how to turn those fresh fruits (and VEGGIES) into delicious homemade ice cream. Samples and Recipes provided. Cost: $10 (Free to Gardens members) Call 816-769-0259 and leave a message to make a reservation, check for workshop updates, etc. Putting Up Peach Preserves Sat, Aug 23, 1-5pm; at Powell Gardens. Save Missouri’s seasonal treats in luscious peach preserves. Tastes and samples included. Learn about Missouri peaches and water-bath canning basics. Take home one half-pint jar of peach preserves. $24/person, $17/member. Registration required by Aug 18. To register call Linda Burton at 816-6972600 ext 209. Or register online at www. powellgardens.org/AdultClasses. Growing Growers WorkshopIntroduction to Cut Flowers Mon, Aug 25, 4-7pm; at the MU Extension Office, 105 E 5th St, Kansas City, MO 64106. The workshop will cover basic of growing and marketing cut flowers. Ethan Jones, Owner/Grower, Wild Goose Gardens and Lala Kumar, Horticulture Specialist, MU Extension will cover a wide range topics from site selections, soil amendments, crop planning, getting started, harvest, equipment and marketing. Fee $15. Please register by Aug 22. Call Sara Hill at 816 -252-5051 or e-mail hillsara@missouri.edu for information and registration. Astronomy: Treasures of the Triangle Sun, Aug 31, 8-10pm; at Powell Gardens. We’ve got it all on this Sunday night event – crescents, craters, mountains and rings. Plus, all the treasures of the Summer Triangle including sapphire and gold Albireo and Ring Nebula will be in our scopes. (Evening programs will be cancelled if skies are overcast or

rainy.) $10/adult, $6/member, $6/ages 5-12. Registration required by Aug 29. To register call Linda Burton at 816-6972600 ext. 209. Or register online at www. powellgardens.org/AdultClasses.

September Lawn Care Professional Workshop Thurs, Sep 4, 8:30am-2:30pm; at the MU Extension Office, 1106 W Main St, Blue Springs, MO 64015. This workshop is great for home owners too and will be conducted by MU instructors. Dr. Brad Frsenburg, Assistant Extension Professor – Turfgrass Specialist, Dr. Lee Miller, Assistant Professor – Turfgrass Pathologist and Lala Kumar, Horticulture Specialist will cover wide range of topics from understanding soil and soil test results, lawn renovation, mowing, fertility, aeration, watering, disease problem, insect problems, lawn diagnosis and sample submission. Fee $35 and includes lunch. Please register by Sep 1. Call Sara Hill at 816-252-5051 or email hillsara@ missouri.edu for information and registration. Fall Plant Sale Sep 4-6. 9am-5pm Fri; 9am-Noon Sat; at Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W 179th St, Overland Park, KS 66013. Fall Plant Sale. A preview sale for Friends of the Arboretum members only, on Thursday evening (Sep 4) from 4-7pm. FOTA members receive a 10% discount throughout the sale. Must-Have Perennials Thurs, Sep 4, 11:30am-1pm; at Sunflower Meeting Room, Wyandotte County Extension Office, 1208 N 79th St, Kansas City, KS. Sponsored by the Wyandotte County Extension Master Gardeners. Presented by Merle Sharpe, Johnson County Extension Master Gardener. $5.00 fee. You are welcome to bring your lunch. Registration not required. Call 913-299-9300 for more information. Moonlight and Mint Julep Garden Tour Sep 12. Rescheduled from June, this evening tour will be held Sep 12 at the oneacre, award-winning garden of Marla and Dan Galetti. Here you will experience a garden created by a true plant collector featuring both native and collected specimens. Lighting ranges from professionally installed lighting to ambient lighting added by Marla. Check the garden club website at www.northlandgardenclub. com for further information. Advance tickets are required and may be obtained by calling Dee West at 816-455-4013. Price is $10 each and includes a refreshing drink. Map and directions provided. Diren He Watercolor Workshop The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

Sat, Sep 13, 9am-4pm; at Powell Gardens. Diren will use fresh flowers and photos as references, or you can bring your own photos of flowers or gardens. A supply list will be mailed after registration. For beginning painters, supplies are available to borrow for an extra fee of $5; please request when registering. $69/person, $59/member. (Add $5 for supplies to be furnished) Registration required by Sep 8. To register call Linda Burton at 816697-2600 ext. 209. Or register online at www.powellgardens.org/AdultClasses. Herbal Home Remedies Sat, Sep 13, 1-4pm; at Powell Gardens. Learn to use poultices, compresses, soups and salves for overall good health. Discover ways to preserve wild and cultivated herbs for future use. We’ll take a short walk to identify and harvest herbs and make a healing salve from collected herbs. Hands-on demonstrations, samples and handouts included. $39/person, $34/ member. Registration required by Sep 8. To register call Linda Burton at 816-6972600 ext 209. Or register online at www. powellgardens.org/AdultClasses. Apple Butter Festival Fri, Sep 19, 5-7pm Peeling Party/Sat Sep 20, 7am-3pm (stirring and canning); at The Gardens at Unity Village 150-B NW Colbern Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO (1/4 mile west of the Douglas/Colbern intersection). We’re firing up the copper kettles on the west lawn again! Friday evening’s Apple Peeling Party is followed by an early morning start over camp-fires to turn apples, organic cinnamon and sugar into some of the best apple butter you’ve ever tasted! We do it all – from peeling apples, to cooking to canning. Come join the fun! Cost: Free. Call 816-769-0259 and leave a message to make a reservation, check for workshop updates, etc. Caterpillar Defense Strategies Sat, Sep 20, 10-11:30am; at Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W 179th St, Overland Park, KS 66013. Lenora Larson will educate class participants on caterpillar defense mechanisms. Register online at http://arfop. donorshops.com/index.php; $5 FOTA members; $8 non-members. 913-6853604 Bent Willow Furniture Workshop Sat, Sep 20, 9am-3pm; at Powell Gardens. Come build and leave with a bent-willow heirloom. Bring a hammer, pruning shears and work gloves. Projects choices

include a historical bent willow chair, a one-shelf potting bench, a garden bench, end table or two trellises. Select your project upon registration: Bent Willow Chair $265/person, $249/member, OneShelf Potting Bench $239/person, $224/ member, Garden Bench $110/person, $96/member, End Table $59/person, $52/ member, or 2 Trellises (36”x24”x 84”) $69/person, $62/member. Registration required by Sep 8. To register call Linda Burton at 816-697-2600 ext 209. Or register online at www.powellgardens.org/ AdultClasses.

October Landscape Re-Design & Rehabilitation Thurs, Oct 2, 11:30am-1:30pm; in the Sunflower Meeting Room, Wyandotte County Extension Office, 1208 N 79th St, Kansas City, KS. Does your current landscape need a make-over? Has it grown out-of-control? Do you want a change? Jamie Hancock, horticulture specialist from K-State Shawnee County Extension, will give a 2-hour presentation on $5.00 fee. Registration not required. Sponsored by the Wyandotte County Extension Master Gardeners. You are welcome to bring your lunch. Call 913299-9300 for more information. Lake Lotawana Homes Tour Sat, Oct 4, 10am-5pm; We hold Homes Tours every two years and typically have six houses on tour, different from previous years. Boats rides are available for Homes Tour from 10am-4pm and depart from the Marina Grog and Gallery. Box lunches are available from 10am-2pm. Tickets $15. Ticket information contact: Rita Goppert 816-578-4344. General information contact: Natalie Byard 816730-9007. Honey Harvest Sat, Oct 18, 9:30-11:30am; at The Gardens at Unity Village 150-B NW Colbern Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO (1/4 mile west of the Douglas/Colbern intersection). Rick Drake, resident beekeeper, returns to provide a fascinating handson workshop on the history, harvesting and many benefits of raw, local honey. Attendees help extract the honey and go home with their own jar of golden goodness. Cost: $15.00 ($5 to Gardens members). Call 816-769-0259 and leave a message to make a reservation, check for workshop updates, etc.

Promote your gardening events! Send information to: The Kansas City Gardener P.O. Box 8725, Prairie Village, KS 66208 E-Mail: elizabeth@kcgmag.com Deadline for September issue is October 5. August 2014 / The Kansas City Gardener

Hotlines for Gardeners Extension Master Gardeners are ready to answer your gardening questions. Get your garden growing. DOUGLAS COUNTY

785-843-7058; dgemg@sunflower.com; Mon-Fri, 1-4pm

GREATER KANSAS CITY MISSOURI AREA

816-833-8733 (TREE); Mon-Fri, 9am to noon

JOHNSON COUNTY, KS

913-715-7050; Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm; garden.help@jocogov.org

JOHNSON COUNTY, MO

660-747-3193; Wed, 9am-noon

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY

913-364-5700; Apr 15 thru Jul 1, Monday 10am-1pm, Thursday 1-4pm

MIAMI COUNTY

913-294-4306; Mon-Fri, 9am-noon

WYANDOTTE COUNTY

913-299-9300; Mon, Wed, Fri, 9am-4pm

August Weather Repor t

Highs and Lows Avg temp 78° Avg high temp 87° Avg low temp 69° Highest recorded temp 113° Lowest recorded temp 46° Nbr of above 70° days 31

Clear or Cloudy Avg nbr of clear days 13 Avg nbr of cloudy days 8

Rain and Snow Avg snowfall 0 Avg rainfall 3.9” Avg nbr of rainy days 9 Source: WeatherReports.com

From the Almanac Moon Phases

Plant Above Ground Crops: 1-5, 8, 9, 28-31

First Quarter: Aug. 3

Plant Root Crops: 12, 13, 16, 17

Full Moon: Aug. 10 Last Quarter: Aug. 17 New Moon: Aug. 25 Source: Harris’ Farmer’s Almanac

Control Plant Pests: 18-20, 23-25

Transplant: 4, 5, 8, 9

Plant Flowers: 1-3, 28-31

August

garden calendar

n LAWNS

• Water bluegrass two to three times per week, applying a total of about 1 1/2 inches of water for a lush green look. • Water tall fescue one to two times per week, applying a total of 1 inch of water. • For lower maintenance lawns water once every one to two weeks. • Apply last application of fertilizer to zoysia by mid-month. • Plan for fall renovation projects such as aerating or seeding. • Keep mower blades sharp. • Mow as needed based on growth. • Control unwanted zoysia or Bermuda in early August. • Soil test to determine a fertility program.

n TREES AND SHRUBS

• Water young trees every 1 to 2 weeks, thoroughly soaking the root system. • Prune and shape hedges. • Check mulch layer and add if needed. • Prune broken, dead or crossing limbs. • Check young trees and shrubs for girdling wires and ropes. • Avoid fertilizing so limbs harden off before winter. • Hand remove bagworms.

n FLOWERS

• Apply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week to gardens. • Divide irises and daylilies during their dormant period. • Make last application of fertilizer to roses by mid-month.

• Control black spot and other rose diseases. • Fertilize mums, hardy asters, and other fall blooming perennials. • Deadhead annuals to encourage late season blooms. • Cut back and fertilize overgrown annuals to produce new growth. • Sow hollyhocks, poppies, and larkspur for spring. • Prepare for fall bulb planting by making orders or researching varieties. • Take cuttings from geraniums and begonias for wintering indoors.

n VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

• Water 1 inch per week. • Plant a fall garden, beets, carrots, beans and turnips for autumn harvest. • Plant transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage for fall production. • Harvest crops on a regular basis for season-long production. • Ease fruit loads on branches by propping with wooden supports. • Net ripening fruit to protect from hungry birds. • Fertilize strawberry beds for added flower bud development. • Turn compost pile and add water when dry.

n HOUSEPLANTS

• Continue to water summered houseplants regularly and fertilize. • Check plants for insects such as scales, aphids and spider mites. • Wash plants to remove dust layers. • Make cuttings and repot plants before summer sun slips away.

Johnson County K-State Research and Extension recommends environmentally-friendly gardening practices. This starts by identifying and monitoring problems. Cultural practices and controls are the best approach for a healthy garden. If needed, use physical, biological or chemical controls. Always consider the least toxic approach first. Dennis Patton is the horticulture agent for Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. For free information fact sheets, visit www.johnson.ksu.edu, or call the Extension office at 913-715-7000.

One free, easy call gets your utility lines marked AND helps protect you from injury and expense. Safe Digging Is No Accident: “Always Call Before You Dig in Kansas” Call 811, 1-800-DIG-SAFE, (800-344-7233) or visit us at www.kansas811.com.

Planting flowers or a garden? Then you need to have your underground facilities marked! Missouri law requires that any person making or beginning any excavation notify MOCS. Placing a locate request is free and easy! Call 1-800-DIG-RITE (800-344-7483) or 811. For more information, visit mo1call.com.

1601 Tudor Rd., Lee’s Summit, MO (816) 525-4226

MARIA’S FAMOUS BELGIAN MUMS ARE BACK!

10 huge mums on sale for $64.89

• Rabbits, chipmunks, moles, groundhogs, mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, snakes and bats • Woodpeckers, starlings, pigeons, sparrows and geese • Repairs and chimney caps • Wildlife biologist on staff • Licensed and insured • Celebrating 23 years of service NOW OFFERING: Attic Insulation & Removal GENERAL PEST CONTROL: Specializing in Termite Control and Termite Treatments. Termidor or Hex-Pro Baiting Systems.

MO 816-769-3106 • KS 913-338-3330

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The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014

The Kansas City Gardener is on the Web.

Professional’s Corner

Find us at

KCGMAG.COM Growing new tips and up-to-date content for your gardening success. • Archive Issues • Garden Destinations • Garden Groups • Find a Professional • Timely Articles

Don’t Miss a Single Issue! The Ka nsa s City

GARDENER A Monthly Guide to Successful Gardening

For convenient mail delivery, complete the form below and send with your check for $20.00. You will receive a one-year subscription to The Kansas City Gardener. Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Phone: E-mail: Where did you pick up The Kansas City Gardener? Please enclose your check payable to The Kansas City Gardener and mail with this form to: P.O. Box 8725, Prairie Village, KS 66208 The Kansas City Gardener is published monthly Jan. through Dec.

August 2014 / The Kansas City Gardener

Jim Prigel continues another generation in strong family business passionate about soil and conservation.

merican Topsoil Inc. was started in 1988 by geologist, Ed Prigel who knows soil. Ed grew up on a family farm, about 20 miles East of here which believed that soil conservation was most important, that is next to the Bible. His father, Edwin Sr. served years as president of the local Soil Conservation district in Johnson County Missouri. All of this experience has been translated into a family business that has not only generations of wisdom but also a heart for soil and conservation. This strong family business continues today as grandson, James knows that great yards and gardens start with quality soil. Wait a minute. Digging up soil hardly sounds like conservation…. That is what most people think; however, within an urban setting, redistributing topsoil from a farm headed for development into people’s backyards and gardens is great conservation. This is exactly the purpose of American Topsoil, to provide quality topsoil for the improvement of people’s homes. What sets American Topsoil apart from the rest is our commitment to great soil and great service. All other soil companies dump the soil onto your driveway and leave the homeowner with a literal mountain of work; however, American Topsoil has a delivery method called “Smart Delivery” which uses a specialized delivery truck coupled with a power wheel barrow that takes almost all the labor out of buying topsoil. It works like this: The delivery shows up at your house and parks on the street. The driver offloads the power wheelbarrow from the truck and sets to work. Instead of dumping the material onto the ground, the delivery truck conveyors the material directly into the power wheelbarrow which has a 1/2 cubic yard bucket which can then dump the soil where needed. The homeowner just needs to finish rake the material. The best part is that ordering the wrong amount of soil is impossible as we simply count the buckets offloaded and charge accordingly. The process is really fast and easy and everyone just loves it! American Topsoil also stocks decorative rocks as well as a variety of mulches. Please check out our products/prices page at www.americantopsoil.com and don’t forget to print off one of our money saving coupons! We strive to provide quality materials with quick, friendly service. Give us a call at 1-800-TOP-SOIL or (913) 780-4848 or come on out to either of our locations in Olathe or Belton where we will load your truck 6 days a week. We are here to help you! 27

Summer Color Everything you need to Create Your Private Oasis

Fairy Gardens*

Water Garden

Butterfly Love Charming cottages, tables, chairs, figurines, and a great selection of accessories from birdbaths to stepping stones. Plus miniature plants, bonsai, and potting soils.

P P P P P

Butterfly Bush Caryopteris Clethra CrapeMyrtle Rose of Sharon

P Hibiscus P Weigela P Coreopsis P Coneflower

*Available at Wornall and Roe locations.

Pond liners Plants Landscape Rock

Garden Questions? ask the GardenAdvisor@ SuburbanLG.com

www.suburbanlg.com

135th & Wornall (816) 942-2921

K-7 & Prairie Star Pkwy (913) 897-5100

105th & Roe (913) 649-8700

The Kansas City Gardener / August 2014