Archive for August, 2009

This Month in the Garden – September

August 31, 2009 at 4:47 pm · Filed under This Month in the Garden ·Tagged , ,

GARDENING WITH CONFIDENCE™

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

September Maintenance Guide

Helen's Haven Summer - Mixed Bed

Helen's Haven Summer - Mixed Bed

INTRO

September delights.  With the dog days of summer behind us, September opens with cooler air creating a fresh scent and a sense of excitement.  The source of this excitement may be for no other reason than it being bearable enough to be out of doors once again.

Here’s some September Inspiration in case you need it.

BULBS

  • Hopefully, bulb selection was already done while the selection was good.  Buy what you fancy while they are available.  Avoid mushy, soft, moldy bulbs; buy from a reputable supplier.  And it is good to know that “bigger IS better.”
  • October is a better time for planting, but purchase in September while the selection is best.
  • Plant fall-blooming bulbs, such as autumn crocus.

HERBS

  • Continue to harvest basil and use for cooking.  Continue to pinch back flowers.

ANNUALS

  • Sowing seeds of California, Iceland, and Shirley poppies, sweet alyssum, and larkspur this fall for spring color and fun.
  • If your Zinnia’s have powdery mildew, they will come out soon, as such, no need to worry about them.  Next year, look for mildew-resistant strains.

PERENNIALS

  • Towards the end of the month, as the weather cools, the best time to plant and divide  perennials begins.

TREES AND SHRUBS

  • Our native Dogwood is a fantastic four-season tree making it a choice for all those zoned to have one.  As the leaves turn from green to red, excitement ensures.

ROSES

  • Roses make a big comeback in September and October.  Be sure to stop fertilizing your roses 6 weeks before the last expected frost. In Raleigh, we have a 90% chance of a frost by Halloween. Therefore, stop fertilizing by mid-September. If you have rose varieties with nice hips, this is also a good time to stop deadheading to allow the hips to remain. To tidy up your rose garden, remove the pedals by hand. Letting the hips to grow to signal the rose to go into dormancy.

PESTS

Watch where you reach.  Black widow spiders are plentiful.

Black widow spider

Black widow spider

SEEDS

  • Save seeds for planting next year or let plants self sow.  Also consider leaving seed heads on the plants for the wildlife to enjoy.

WATER

September and October tend to be dry months, unless we have a hurricane.  Plan to water any new plantings, including bulbs.

WILDLIFE

Don’t be to tidy in cleaning up the garden and deadheading.  The wildlife will enjoy the seed.

Encourage pollinating insects in your garden, such as bees and butterflies, by providing them a tasty treat.  This fall, plan to plant nectar-rich plants.  Nectar, the sugar-rich liquid many flowering plants produce, sustains bees and butterflies.

For the Bees: Add clover, cotoneaster, golden rod, heliotrope, Eupatorium cannabium, Lunaria annua, love-in-mist, asters, and Echium vulgare

For the Butterflies: Alyssum, Ajuga reptans, Iberis amara, catmint, echinops, verbena rigida, Rededa ororate, Joe-Pye weed.

Did you know:

  • 80% of the world’s food crops need a pollinator at some stage in their life cycle; many require multiple visits.
  • Stick with the species.  Many double flowers are usually sterile with no value to insects.  The petals of the second flower replaced the anthers and nectarines leaving the plant unable to be fertilized.
  • Many pollinating insects ingest protein-rich pollen before they can breed and some use pollen to feed their young.
  • Plant in en masse making the plants easier to find through grouped color and scent.
David and Lara Rose putting up a screech owl box

David and Lara Rose putting up a screech owl box

Comments (5)

Sunday, August 30, 2009 Puttering in Helen’s Haven

August 30, 2009 at 11:45 am · Filed under Helen's Haven ·Tagged ,

Another crazy week in Helen’s Haven.  The Garden Conservancy tour is only 3 weeks away.  That snuck up on me!

Trying to figure out what to do with these before the tours and photo shoot! Any ideas?

Wildlife 049

It has been two weeks since evidence of visiting deer. My neighbor’s Hostas have a different story to tell.  It would appear from the look of them, there is no need to walk down the street a little further; they have found their favorite.

Worked on a project for Proven Winners.  They sent these for me to work with.  Heart be still.  I’m in love.

Invincibelle 'Spirit'

Invincibelle 'Spirit'

Finally, there is enough lushness to fill the beds and the bunnies bellies.  They are merrily eating, but the damage is unseen.    They’re there though.

Wildlife 045

David spotted a hawk hanging out in Woodland Garden Too (one of two woodland gardens in Helen’s Haven.)   Nice of him to stop by.

Wildlife 108

I found this little critter, just in time, as I was cleaning the basil for fresh pesto.

Wildlife 133

My friend Hoyt Bangs sent me this.  It is truly amazing!
The Birth of a Hummingbird

Other fun in the garden included:

  • Mowing
  • Dead heading
  • Lead leafing – boy did I do a lot of this – daylilies, Caster beans, Elephant ears…
  • Noticing the Elderberry ‘Black Lace’ I moved a couple weeks ago is showing signs of life.
  • Totally amazed, the two 7 foot tall Sky Pencil hollies were unfazed by their transplant about 2 weeks ago.

Don’t miss my story in Triangle Gardener on Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat

Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence

Comments (3)

The Birth of a Hummingbird

August 29, 2009 at 4:18 pm · Filed under Wildlife ·Tagged ,

This is truly amazing. Hummingbirds are such tiny, wonderful creatures.

Remember, protein makes up 60% of a hummingbird’s diet. The source? Soft bodied insects. Think before you use pesticides. Then put your spray away.

The Birth of a Hummingbird

Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence

Comments (1)

In Print – Triangle Gardener – Creating a Wildlife Habitat at Home

August 28, 2009 at 6:32 pm · Filed under In Print ·Tagged ,

The September/October, 2009 issue of Triangle Gardener is out.  This issue features my story entitled Creating a Wildlife Habitat at Home. Triangle Gardener

David and Lara Rose putting up a screech owl box

David and Lara Rose putting up a screech owl box

Creating a Wildlife Habitat at Home

As the days grow shorter, we settle into a routine and feel the comfort of home.  Much of the wildlife does the same; but for some wildlife, home is down south.  Fall is a great time to create a wildlife habitat as these winged wonders look for food on their migration home.

Creating a wildlife habitat in your own backyard is simple to do and richly rewarding.  Your wildlife garden can be a container garden, window box, a corner carved out in a traditional landscape, or an entire suburban lot.

Engaging children in this activity helps create the next generation of gardeners and naturalists.

Providing food, water, cover and places to raise their young is all that is needed to create a wildlife habitat.    A walk through your property will reveal what you have already.  You may be surprised how little more you need.

FOOD

To attract wildlife, provide the kinds of food wildlife need – either naturally or with supplements.  The more variety of food sources provided the greater variety of wildlife you’ll attract.  Various seeds, nuts, berries, fruits, nectar, sap, and pollen are all good food sources.   The use of regionally native plants is also recommended, providing 10 to 50 times more food to the wildlife’s likings.

Food can also be supplemented with feeders to hold seed, suet, and nectar.

WATER

A clean, reliable water source is a key part to creating a wildlife habitat.  Water is needed for drinking and bathing. Locating the water source within an easy view also makes it entertaining for the homeowner.  Providing water can be as simple as adding a birdbath.  Give multiple locations at varying heights to attract a variety of wildlife.  It is important to provide water year round, even in the winter and, of course, during times of drought.

COVER

Wildlife needs cover for protection against the elements and predators.  Having a place to escape the threat of pending danger attracts more to the garden.   A variety of plant life ranging in size, height and density with trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and ornamental grasses, will increase your chances of attracting more kinds of wildlife.

PLACES TO RAISE YOUNG

The cover provided also gives your wildlife a safe place for reproduction and nurturing wildlife young.  In a backyard, dense shrubbery or birdhouses provide safe areas for birds to nest.  Different animals have different needs, including certain wildlife requiring water to raise their young such as salamanders, frogs, toads, and dragonflies.

Sustainable gardening practices will also benefit your wildlife habitat such as controlling non-native and invasive species, eliminating or reducing the use of pesticides, use of mulch and reducing lawn size.

Take comfort in an awarding fall; invite the wildlife.

Sidebar

In 1973 the National Wildlife Federation, the nation’s leading conservation organization protecting wildlife and their habitats, began the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program.  This program provides a mechanism to certify backyard or community wildlife habitats.

For more information on the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program or to begin the easy to follow certification process, please contact www.nwf.org or 1-800-822-9919.

The Backyard Wildlife Habitat program is a wonderful resource, whether you choose to certify your backyard or to use this information as a tool to make your garden more wildlife friendly.

National Wildlife Federations Top 10 recommended native plants for the southeast:

Black Tupelo (black gum), Nyssa sylvatica

Willow Oak, Quercus phellos

Sweetbay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana

American Elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp. Canadensis

Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria

Sweet Pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia

Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata

Trumpet Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens

Climbing Aster, Ampelaster carolinianus

Narrowleaf Sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius

By Helen Yoest

GardeningWithConfidence™
Gardening Coach and designer

Comments (4)

Wisdom from Edwin Way Teale

August 27, 2009 at 5:49 pm · Filed under Wildlife ·Tagged , ,

Manteo 2009 025r

In the words of Edwin Way Teale: “You can prove almost anything with the evidence of a small enough segment of time. How often, in any search for truth, the answer of a minute is positive, the answer of the hour qualified, the answers of the year contradictory!”

Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence

Comments (4)

Book of Six © Six essential gardening tips

August 26, 2009 at 9:34 am · Filed under The Book of Six© ·Tagged

Right plant, right place.  Seems simple enough, and it is, as long as these six essential gardening tips are considered when creating your garden space.

ZONE

There is a lot of talk about zonal denial, micro-climates, and changes in our zones due to global warming.  If you are a risk taker and know your garden well, then by all means push the limits with your gardening zone.  In my garden, Helen’s Haven, Zone 7b in Raleigh, North Carolina, I no longer take these risks.   I’m perfectly happy in the zone I own.  I know plenty of  folks that plant zone 8 and even zone 9 plants in our zone 7b gardens and are thrilled with their philbrookraleighyoest-13success, even if it may be short lived.   I use to, but don’t anymore.   I find it is even risky planting plants on the zone’s edge.  Ideally, I like to wrap a zone around a plant, putting me into choosing plants for zone 7a, but not always.  This year, I will be replacing a Clematis armandii, zoned for our 7b gardens. But, alas,  we had a particularly hard winter.

SOIL

We need to accept the soil we’re dealt or be prepared to amend.  I have yet to garden in perfect soil, and still, I find gardening success.  I’m a heavy amend-er and believe in the power of mulch.  In our area of the Piedmont region of North Carolina, there is clay and sand.  In the heart of Raleigh, where I am, it is all clay.  As you move outside of Raleigh, you’ll find sandy soil.  So when I read a plant label that recommends planting in well drained soils, I know they are not talking to me.  But planting these plants in my garden is a risk I’m willing to take.  Why?  Because here I have some control;  december-25-2008-090I can amend my soil.  I have amended all my garden beds, one planting hole at a time.  Adding composted leaf mulch or other organic matter to the hole and blending it with the clay with some added insurance of a permanent clay buster such as PermiTil, I can make my sticky clay soil friable.  In any garden soil type, you cannot go wrong adding more organic matter.  Then top dress the garden beds with a lush, thick layer of mulch each year to moderate the soil temperature, suppress weeds, retain water and generally tiding up the garden.  By doing so, you’ll have a happy garden.

SUN

Full sun, part sun, part shade, dappled shade, full shade, afternoon sun, morning sun, winter sun, more sun.  Know your sun.  If the plant tag says full sun (6 hours or more a day) then that means it needs full sun.  Anything less, and the plant will not perform at its best.  However, having said that, you can use the sun requirements to “tame” plants as well.  As an example, I like Akebia quinata commonly know as five-leaf Chocolate vine.  This is an invasive vine.  However, I grow this sun lover in the shade where it is well behaved.  Remember this:  The north side will have the least sun, the south side the most.  The eastern side will have cool light, the western side hot.  Of course all this depends on what’s above and if it is deciduous.   There is nothing mysterious about this.  Take the time to identify areas in your garden and track each hour.    To see the effects of the suns angle, track around March 21, June 21, September 21 and December 21. The results may surprise you.  Also good to repeat every few years as your plants (and your neighbor’s plants) mature.

WATER

The last thing I want to do is deny myself is a plant based on watering needs.  But I’m also prudent.  I garden water wisely.  By that I mean, I have my gardens grouped into three watering zones:  Oasis, Transitional, and Xeric.   I’m also fortunate in that I have most sun types covered in each of my helenyoestgarden-1watering zones.   When I garden shop, the plants watering needs are a high priority for me.   But because my garden is designed in zones, it narrows down where I will plant it in the garden.  This also makes my garden purchases easy.  I wont waste money on a thirsty plant requiring shade if the only area in my Oasis zone is sun.  Also, it allows me to have a mental map of my garden with me at all times.  I do not want to spend any more time than I have to on watering.  The thought of dragging a hose around, past 10 drought tolerant plants to reach one thirsty plant is not part of my makeup.  I’m way smarter than that.

CRITTERS

We all have our critter challenges.  For some it’s deer, others moles, voles, and armadillos.  For me its rabbits.  Bunnies are my nemesis!  I have voles and moles too and once when a new development was going in two miles away, I saw evidence of displaced deer.  Then I actually saw the critter.  A sight common to many, but not to me.  That deer was so out of character in my garden, it might as well have been a kangaroo.  I’ve given up worrying about critters.  If I don’t have a chance at winning, I’m not going to play.   I do what and where I can, but I will not be a slave to sprays.  I don’t have the time or the where-with-all that requires an exact spray schedule.  I get no pleasure from it either.  These critter repellent sprays work fine, but need to be kept up.  When I look back at what I had to give up, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I first thought.  I can only have a few Hosta, because the voles love them.  I have voles.  But I also love Hellebores, so I grow Hellebores – the voles don’t bother them.   The bunnies will have to go elsewhere to Echinacea because I will no longer provide these favorites of mine as a favorite for them.  As for the Rudbeckia, I’m trying them in a tall pot this year.   I may try to put some Echinacea in a pot as well.

TIME

No doubt you’ve been on garden tours when the gardens look like they were just planted.   Pretty, maybe, but they don’t tend to leave you with that warm, comforting feeling a garden can give when well natured and mature.

Time can be a gardens best friend.  Time to care for the plants.  Time for the trees to grow.  Time for the shrubs to fill in.  Time for the seasons to come and go.

As I look around my garden, I realize nothing I do will make the boxwood fill in as I imagine they will to offer repose between the formal and causal – the boundary de-marking my garden between tameness and wildness.

Nothing I do will make the verbena hurry up and fill in the void at the mailbox.

Nothing I will do will leap the Rose of Sharon into adulthood.  Time fills all voids.  I must be patient and trust my  hard work will be rewarded with time.

So you see, understanding these six essential elements will give you what you need to garden successfully.   Plan and prepare with the right plant, right place in mind.  Do what you can and accept what you can’t and you’re good to go!

By Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence

Comments (5)

In Print – Metro Magazine Raleigh area Garden Conservancy’s Open Days tour

August 24, 2009 at 6:57 pm · Filed under In Print ·Tagged

The August/September 2009 issue of Metro magazine featured The Garden Conservancy Open Days Tour.  Bernie Reeves, editor and publisher of Metro, has been very generous to the gardening community communicating this great gardening event.  Thanks Bernie!

The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Tour 2009

Back Porch Labor Day 2008 054B

Cascading water, tapestry hedges, wildlife habitats.  Butterflies, birds and bumble bees.  Summer transitions into the fall.

The Garden Conservancy Open Days tour will be held once again in the Raleigh area.  For two days, six gardens will open to share with you a peak behind their garden gates; it is sure to pique your interest just in time for fall planning and planting.

CARY

The Thompson Garden

Garden of Kathleen and Walt Thompson

119 Ravenna Way

Cary

As close as the curb, delight begins.  Paths beckon you to enter; but do enter slowly, you will not want to miss a thing – not a plant, a vignette, an accent.  The thread-leaf Japanese maple will stop you in you espadrilles.  But do go on, there’s more to see.

Stop at the arbor to take in the view.  Revealed is a garden gently sloping with curvilinear borders and paths outlined with recycled concrete. This garden displays an excellent example of using recycled materials to create garden walls, paths, and edging.

Garden beds are planted with perennials, tropicals, and native plants. The sound of the pond provides a soothing respite and also attracts wildlife.  From the pond, continue on down the paths into the woods where your will be welcomed by the community lake.

RALEIGH

The Paisley Garden

Garden of Julia Kornegay and Alfredo Escobar

5237 Leiden Lane

Raleigh

A groovy garden to be sure!  Paisley patterns presents well to the visitor allowing one to meander through the paths never far from the sound of water.  The stone-bordered pond, with a stream and waterfall, is at the heart of this garden.  The sound of water attracts wildlife and soothing all those who visit.

Paths carry the visitor around the paisley beds and into and out of the woodland gardens.

On a corner, one acre lot, Julia and Alfredo’s passion for plants and designed are well utilized.  Fashion forward design (or is it nostalgia?) has this couple presenting a front yard vegetable garden including tomatoes, potatoes, onions and a sweet English knot herb garden.

The borrowed landscape makes this property seem larger than it is.  With plenty of seating dotted throughout the gardens, take the time to sit a spell and enjoy the views.

Rose Cottage

Garden of Sharon and Jim Bright

115 N. Bloodworth Street

Raleigh

The journey through the gardens of Rose Cottage begins at the carriage step.  One step and you stop.  The home and garden’s quaintness is mesmerizing.  Antique roses, perennials, annuals, flowering trees and shrubs, plus pretty parterres define the space.  The hectic pace of life is slowed as one enters these gardens.

This new home, built to historic specifications, sits comfortable in Raleigh’s downtown historic district.  The gardens arose out of an old graveled parking lot, left barren by a house fire long ago.  The Bright’s transformed the grounds into a lush and tranquil oasis of color and fragrance.

Inspired my Monet, but realized with Sharon’s keen eye for color and Jims handiness, these gardens were created.

Be sure to venture to the very back to see the bountiful vegetable beds, a secret garden, a compost operation, and a little garden cottage that functions as a convenient shed.

Helen’s Haven

Garden of Helen Yoest and David Philbrook

3412 Yelverton Circle

Raleigh

Helen’s Haven is the garden I share with my family. The design took into account the needs of three young and active children. Even so, the stone path through the center on the main back border, built by Phil Hathcock of Natural Stone Sculptures, is often overlooked as a transition point when the kids are chasing an errant ball.  But that’s OK; this is their garden too.

Low Boxwood hedges were used to create a formal atmosphere to complement the formal architecture of this Georgian Colonial style home. These hedges also map out the space for the kids to play. Within these hedges are informal plantings of perennials and annuals to attract butterflies, birds and bees.

Helen’s Haven is a certified wildlife habitat and a certified Monarch Watch Station. Using waterwise design principles and watered with harvested rain, this organic garden demonstrates good environmental practices resulting in a colorful, lush garden.

Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the gardens watching the butterflies alight and seeing enough birds to delight.

WAKE FOREST

Entwined

Garden of Jayme Bednarczyk and Phil Abbott

1025 Traders Trail

Wake Forest

The home and garden’s name is Entwined; aptly named by Jayme and Phil as their place of, “Hopeful dreams entwined with patience and time.”

These gardens were built at their pace of one passion at a time.  Amidst the trees, roses, and perennials, with drama directing one to the lake, turning back, a villa is revealed.  Strong European influences are present in the design decisions.  Terraced beds on this sloping land add to the drama of this home in the heart of the garden.

Falls Revival

Garden of Jeff Bottoms and John Martin

12160 Falls of Neuse Rd

Wake Forest

Seen from the road, is a tapestry hedge buffering the busy street.  On the other side of the hedge, in this historic valley of Wake Forest, sits a garden – a collector’s garden – with a foot in the past and an eye towards the future.  Nostalgia, tradition and modern design meld to make this garden shine.

A casual cottage-style garden with some very unusual plantings will pique your interest to want to know more and want to know where to find some of them.  You’re in luck; towards the back of the property is a nursery, with a wide range of exotic and unusual plants, many of which are found in the gardens as well.

During the tour, the on-site nursery will be selling plants and sharing proceeds with the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Post script

For the past 5 years, it has been a pleasure volunteering for the Garden Conservancy Open Days tour.  This year marks my last year leading this great tour and fund raising event.   I’m happy to announce the Garden Conservancy tour will continue on in 2010 under the direction of the JC Raulston Arboretum.  Please contact Anne Porter at the arboretum if you are interested in helping with next year’s tour at 919-513-3463.

Sidebar

The Garden Conservancy is a national organization with a mission to preserve exceptional American gardens for public education and enjoyment.  The Open Days Program serves as the primary educational outreach for the Conservancy.

Founded in 1989 by American gardener, Frank Cabot, the Garden Conservancy works in partnership with individual garden owners and public and private organizations, and uses legal, financial, and horticultural resources to help secure the future of hundreds of gardens across the country.  North Carolina is fortunate to have two Garden Conservancy’s preservation projects:  Montrose in Hillsborough and The Elizabeth Lawrence garden in Charlotte.

The Open Days tour allows proceeds to be shared with another non-profit.  Helen Yoest, regional representative of the Raleigh area tour, named the JC Raulston Arboretum as the shared benefactor.

Tickets can be purchased in advanced at The JC Raulston Arboretum by calling 919-513-3463 or directly through the The Garden Conservancy.  Tickets can also be purchased during the days of the tour at the individual gardens or at the Bobby Wilder Visitor’s Center at the JC Raulston Arboretum 4511 Beryl Road, Raleigh. Tickets are $5.00 per garden or a book of six tickets for $25.00.  Garden Conservancy members get a further discount of just $15.00 per book of six tickets.

Saturday, September 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and

Sunday, September 20, from noon to 5 p.m.

Comments (1)

Sunday, August 23, 2009 A week puttering in Helen’s Haven

August 23, 2009 at 3:34 pm · Filed under Helen's Haven ·Tagged

Zuni 82109

Zuni is still blooming.  The photo above was taken on August 21, 2009.  I posted about this wonderful Crepe Myrtle on July 16, 2009.  At that time, the Zuni had been blooming a couple of weeks.

The kids first week of school when well and it is nice to be back in a routine.

Wildlife 034

Wildlife 036

Wildlife 041

Butterflies abound in Helen’s Haven.

Still in a waiting mode for the upcoming tours and photo shoots.  This is an interesting place to be.  There really isn’t a whole lot I can do except deadhead and mow.  I like being in this place.  It’s calming and comforting to know all that can be done is done.  That’s not to say I would like to do more, but any effort in that direction will be lost in September.  As such, I might as well save the time, money, and effort and just enjoy the garden as she is.

As I mowed, I began to wonder if there were as many blades of nut sedge as there were fescue.  It has been a bad year for weeds.  As a happier aside, as I mowed the back turf area,  I was thankful for doing some  extra effort last fall by  fixing a wrong.

When I designed Helen’s Haven, gardens of Europe were my main inspiration.  Having lived in London for 3 years, and traveling extensively throughout Europe and the rest of the world, the gardens of Europe always spoke to me.  I knew the back gardens, in particular, were going to be  long linear beds with gardens on either side.

January 20, 2009 SNOW DAY 039

January 20, 2009

It also made for a great soccer field for the kids.

A mistake I made with the design was I over designed it.  I took the main view and widened it at the opposite end to have the turf area appear to be the same width  from one end to the other.  This worked out fine except that every time I mowed, I ended up with an uneven mow pattern resulting in a wedge pattern at one end.  I decided I needed to make both ends the same width.

For a couple of years, I knew I needed to do this; but the thought of the effort to pop the boxwood and replant them in the corrected line stopped me.  I wasn’t up to the task.  Even though it would give me better mow efficiency and keep me from getting frustrated with the design, I didn’t feel it was worth it.  Then I decided that if I was to correct the wedge of one side (west side) , then I might as well  pop the entire east side, reduce the turf area (making the center turf area narrower) then it might be worth the effort.  That is what I did last fall.

Most of the popped box made the transplant.  Because I was narrowing the lines by three feet,  I had some box left over.  These were nursed over the winter to use as replacements for lost box.

Amazingly, they did well; a little stunted, but will look great next year.  They need more time to fill in.  I’ll wait.  I’m very happy with the extra 3 feet and the even-ness of the design.  I can start mowing at one end and mow in a continuous loop – no corrections needed.   I was also left with more area for planting flowers.  This was good.

August 23, 2009

August 23, 2009

Satisfied in last falls effort and doing what I can to make the garden welcoming in the fall, here is some of the fun I had this week:

  • Mowed
  • Added a Screech owl box
  • Deadheaded
  • Photographed nature in the garden
  • Prepared for my talk to the Wake County Herb Society on creating backyard wildlife habitats
  • Worked on the design of the booth for a client coming to Garden Writers in September
  • Worked on several writing assignments

Wildlife 022

Wildlife 021

Plenty of rain, temperatures in the 80s, but muggy made the mosquitoes happy.  This, in turn, made the soft-bodied insect eating birds and bats happy.  This is what we call a win – win.

Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence

Comments (7)

The Book of Six © Six garden practices to be wildlife friendly

August 20, 2009 at 12:21 pm · Filed under The Book of Six© ·Tagged ,

The Book of Six © Six garden practices to be wildlife friendly:

Wildlife 154cWildlife 154c•

Wildlife 154cFOOD

To attract wildlife, provide the kinds of food wildlife need – either naturally or with supplements.  The more variety of food sources provided the greater variety of wildlife you’ll attract.  Various seeds, nuts, berries, fruits, nectar, sap, and pollen are all good food sources.   The use of regionally native plants is also recommended, providing 10 to 50 times more food to the wildlife’s likings.    Food can also be supplemented with feeders to hold seed, suet, and nectar.

WATER

A clean, reliable water source is a key part to creating a wildlife habitat.  Water is needed for drinking and bathing. Locating the water source within an easy view also makes it entertaining for the homeowner.  Providing water can be as simple as adding a birdbath.  Give multiple locations at varying heights to attract a variety of wildlife.  It is important to provide water year round, even in the winter and, of course, during times of drought.

COVER

Wildlife needs cover for protection against the elements and predators.  Having a place to escape the threat of pending danger attracts more to the garden.   A variety of plant life ranging in size, height and density with trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and ornamental grasses, will increase your chances of attracting more kinds of wildlife.

PLACES TO RAISE YOUNG

The cover provided also gives your wildlife a safe place for reproduction and nurturing wildlife young.  In a backyard, dense shrubbery or birdhouses provide safe areas for birds to nest.  Different animals have different needs, including certain wildlife requiring water to raise their young such as salamanders, frogs, toads, and dragonflies.

SUSTAINABLE GARDENING PRACTICES

Sustainable gardening practices will also benefit your wildlife habitat such as controlling non-native and invasive species, eliminating or reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers, use of mulch and reducing lawn size.

ADD COLOR TO ATTRACT WILDLIFE

Red for hummingbirds, yellow for bees, and purple for butterflies.  Color is a  surefire way to attract wildlife.  It doesn’t all have to come from flowers either.  Garden accents add never wavering color  Once in the garden, most colored flowers are game, but to draw them in, give them their favorite color!

October 23, 2008 Red Bed 014c

Helen Yoest

Gardening With Confidence

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Raleigh area Garden Conservancy Open Days tour, also benefiting the JC Raulston Arboretum

August 17, 2009 at 9:36 am · Filed under Garden Conservancy, JC Raulston Arboretum

Raleigh area Garden Conservancy’s Open Days tour, also Benefiting the JC Raulston Arboretum

Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 9 – 5

Sunday, September 20, 2009 from noon – 5

Lead Garden

JCRA

4415 Beryl Road

Raleigh

RALEIGH

Rose Cottage

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Rose Cottage is an intimate city garden located in Raleigh’s downtown historic district. The gardens arose out of an old graveled parking lot. This once barren spot has been transformed into a lush and tranquil oasis of color and fragrance. It abounds with a large variety of plants. The garden setting include perennial beds, a parterre filled with a annuals, a pergola draped in wisteria, a woodland garden, raised vegetable beds, a secret garden and a compost operation. The latest addition is a garden cottage, as charming as it is useful.

Jim and Sharon Bright

115 N. Bloodworth Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

Helen’s Haven

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Low Boxwood hedges are used to create a formal atmosphere to complement the formal architecture of this Georgian Colonial style home. Within these hedges are informal plantings of perennials and annuals to attract butterflies, birds and bees. Helen’s Haven is a certified wildlife habitat and a certified Monarch Watch Station. Using waterwise design principles and watered with harvested rain, this organic garden demonstrates good environmental practices resulting in a colorful, lush garden. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the gardens watching the butterflies alight and seeing enough birds to delight.

Helen Yoest

3412 Yelverton Circle

Raleigh, NC 27612

Paisley Garden

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Avid do-it-yourselfers, Julia and Alfredo’s one acre garden reflects their passion for plant collections displayed in a paisley pattern of color and whim that is still evolving. In the heart of the garden is a stone-bordered pond with a stream and waterfall. Gentle paths meander through woodlands and sunny spaces. A vine-covered arbor provides a restful sitting area. In the front garden, a new vegetable garden greets visitors. A propagation greenhouse, shed, potting bench, and compost bins are located in the garden nursery.

Julia Kornegay and Alfredo Escobar

37 Leinden Lane

Raleigh, NC 27606

CARY

The Thompson Garden

ThompsonCaryYoest

The beauty of this suburban garden begins at street side where a path beckons you to enter and share in this preview of the abundant plantings that follow. The front garden is a delight of shrubs and perennials showcasing a spectacular thread leaf Japanese maple. Upon entering the brick walkway at the arbor you view a gently sloping garden with curved borders and pathways outlined with recycled concrete. These recycled concrete borders and retaining walls are consistent throughout the garden. Beds are richly planted with perennials, featuring a mix of native and specialty plants including tropicals, all in perfect harmony. A small pond can be found along the network of twisting trails that lead through the woods to a community lake. Each area of this garden will elicit a sense of discovery and serendipity in plants, woods and water.

Kathleen and Walt Thompson

119 Ravenna Way

Cary, NC 27513

WAKE FOREST

Entwined

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EntwinedV2-1

Phil Abbot & Jayme Bednarczyk

1025 Traders Trail

Wake Forest, NC 27587

Falls Revival

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An historic valley provides the setting for this garden, overlooking a hillside cemetery, a quaint little church, and a cluster of old millhouses. Mature trees, remnant vineyards and orchards, heirloom shrubs, and a casual cottage style all help to anchor this garden in that nostalgic world. A backyard nursery, boasting a wide range of exotic and unusual plants, adds an unusual twist; here is a collector’s garden with traditional roots but with a fresh eye for the new and different, fending for itself against modern-day environmental pressures.

Martin and Bottoms

12150 Falls of Neuse Road

Wake Forest, NC 27587

THE GARDEN CONSERVANCY’S

OPEN DAYS PROGRAM

11 OLD POSTAL ROAD • P.O. BOX 219 • COLD SPRING, NEW YORK 10516 • 845-265-5384/5392 F

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 3, 2009

Garden Conservancy Tour Highlights Some of Raleigh Area’s Best Private Gardens

and Showcases JC Raulston Arboretum

COLD SPRING, N.Y.: The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program returns to Raleigh, North Carolina this autumn, featuring six private gardens to visit on Saturday, September 19 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday, September 20 (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.). This years’ tour also included a Cary Garden and two gardens in Wake Forest.

Gardens participating on these two dates feature European influences, gardening for nature, traditional styles, sustainable garden ideas, kitchen gardens, as well as, “Southern-style” plantings and plant collections with a nursery.

A portion of the proceeds from the weekend will benefit the JC Raulston Arboretum, a working research and teaching garden of North Carolina State University. Visitors may start their tour at the Arboretum at 4415 Beryl Road in Raleigh or go directly to the individual garden of choice. Discount tickets may be purchased in advance or entrance to the gardens can be ‘pay as you go’ with a fee of just $5.00 per garden, collected at each garden entrance.

Call 1-888-842-2442 or visit www.opendaysprogram.org for more information. For local ticket information, please contact Ann Porter JC Raulston Arboretum at Anne_Porter@ncsu.edu 1- 919-513-3826. Open Days are rain or shine and no reservations are required.

For detailed driving directions and vivid garden descriptions of the Raleigh gardens, you may refer to the 2009 Open Days Directory. The national edition includes garden listings in 23 states and costs $21.95, including shipping. Call the Garden Conservancy toll-free at 1-888-842-2442 to order with a Visa or MasterCard, or send a check or money order to: the Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY, 10516.

The 2009 Open Days Program is sponsored by W. Atlee Burpee & Co., America’s most trusted name in gardening for 125 years, providing seeds, plants, gardening supplies and accessories for the home gardener. The Open Days Program is also pleased to have Garden Design magazine as its National Media Sponsor.

The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program has been opening the gates to America’s best private gardens since 1995. The Open Days Program is America’s only national private garden-visiting program, and is made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers nationwide. Your $5 admission fee per garden supports the expansion of the Open Days Program around the country and helps build awareness of the Garden Conservancy’s work of preserving exceptional American gardens such as Montrose in Hillsborough, the Elizabeth Lawrence garden in Charlotte, North Carolina and Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA. Visit the Garden Conservancy and its Open Days Program online at www.opendaysprogram.org.

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