ELVIS WOULD HAVE LOVED THEM
Tomatoes.
I’ve got two quick stories for you today revolving around tomatoes.
My wife and I stopped by Pendleton’s Country Market the other day, a family farm located on the outskirts of Lawrence, and growers of all kinds of produce and cut flowers. They also grow asparagus crowns. That’s what you plant to grow asparagus in your own garden.
Almost all the asparagus crowns we’ve sold here at our store in the forty-plus years I’ve been around our business have come from their farm. It would be fair to say we’ve been doing business with them for a long time. They are great people.
They were selling a lot of asparagus the day we stopped by, along with lettuce and spinach, and a few other early spring garden items. But what they were selling the most of were tomatoes, grown in their greenhouse. Those were walking out by the box full.
And it wasn’t hard to figure out why.
They were big, bright red, super juicy, full of flavor...and we were able to enjoy them almost two months before our gardens were going to be producing their own. They were a special “sneak-peak” on the summer season, and they tasted like the real thing...because they were the real thing.
They didn’t last long!
That was story number one. The second happened recently as well.
I was visiting with a friend the other day, and the topic of growing tomatoes came up. It was the usual tomato gardener questions... Do you have your tomatoes planted? How many plants do you set out? What varieties do you plant? What’s your favorite?
Ask that last question to a room full of people and you’re going to get a roomful of different answers... and be prepared for some arguing!
Anyway, the tomato talk led to BLT talk and then eventually to this... tomato, mayonnaise, and peanut butter sandwiches. Yes, I said peanut butter. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, so I asked him to repeat it...twice... and it came up peanut butter each time. My friend assured me it’s one of the best sandwiches he’s ever had and looks forward to them each summer. I told him I thought he was crazy, and he told me I needed to give it a try... when the tomatoes started producing.
So, that actually brings me to a THIRD story.
I recently found myself in possession of some nice big red juicy tomatoes, and armed with this newfound information, I decided I needed to give it a try.
So, I slathered some bread with mayo, added what seemed to be an appropriate layer of peanut butter, then cut a thick slice of tomato to sandwich in between. And then I dove in.
To my surprise, it wasn’t bad.
The flavors actually worked together pretty nicely. I couldn’t believe it! I don’t think it will ever take the place of the BLT in my world, but I could actually see myself making this one again...
...Maybe!
Cameron Rees, General Manager
Anyway, we’re still a ways away from harvesting any tomatoes from our own garden, but all the recent rains and cool temps are doing wonderful things. Things are growing strong, and our garden is lush and green. Our landscape is the same, only with the addition of lots of flower
color. Lush, green, and colorful is how I’d describe our nursery right now, too. It really is pretty out here right now.
Come on out and check it out for yourself, and if you have a favorite way to enjoy your fresh garden tomatoes, let me know.
—Cameron
natives
Natives….what are native plants? These are plants indigenous to Kansas, which means they are found in given geographic areas without human involvement. In short, they are plants you see growing wild in a prairie, woodland, and wetland setting. These plants include wildflowers, grasses, trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, and so on and so forth. The planting of natives has grown and become more popular over the years. One of the reasons people want to plant natives, besides the obvious hardy factor, is the beneficial aspect given to our wildlife. All insects that feed on native plants do so because it is that particular plant that they need to survive. Without native plants, these insects would not exist, i.e., monarch butterflies feed on Milkweed. Some of these insects also feed our native birds, fish, spiders, etc. Big picture….We need natives to feed the insects, which in turn feed wildlife… without them, they wouldn’t exist.
With all of that being said, if you have been thinking of planting natives or, after reading this article, you are intrigued and want to plant some natives, we have a good selection of trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials. If you want to read up on what is native, go to www.kansasnativeplants.com.
—Misty Brown, Greenhouse Manager
START SCOUTING FOR BAGWORMS
Bagworms…it’s that time again!
Bagworms will soon be hatching and getting ready to chomp their way through your landscape.
Although they aren’t super picky on their diet, junipers, spruces, and arborvitae tend to be their favorites, so make sure you watch those closely.
Control of the bagworms is best done just after they hatch. That is in late spring or very early summer. Our recommendation is to use a Fertilome Spinosad. It is a highly effective organic option. Thoroughly spray the infested plant or tree while the worms are feeding. Other products that provide good control also include Hi-Yield Garden and Farm Insect Control, Hi-Yield 38+, or Hi-Yield 55% Malathion Spray.
By late summer, sprayed controls become less effective, so hand removal is best.
The key to effective bagworm control all comes down to timing. So, make sure you come in today and get your treatment while you still have ample time to treat these pesky little worms.
As always, we are here to help.
I LOVE HYDRANGEAS!
It’s hard not to love Hydrangeas.
Their massive blooms demand attention, adding wonderful color to the summer landscape. My garden is full of them, and I’m always looking for a place to add more.
This is the time of the year their blooms start showing up, and then from here on, the show just keeps going.
There are four primary types we grow in our gardens...
Panicle Hydrangeas - Many hydrangeas are great shade plants...but not all. Panicle Hydrangeas are that exception. These popular garden plants should be planted in the sun. That’s where they grow and flower the best. These bloom in the summer, with the earliest flowering selections showing color in June and the latest blooming form not reaching their peak until July or even August. Selections range from tall forms like Limelight and Quick Fire Fab that reach 6 to 8 feet in height to smaller forms like Bobo, Little Hottie, and Little Lime that can easily be kept in the 3-4’ range. These all bloom white; however, if...and that’s a big if...we have cool temperatures during the bloom cycle, many selections will take on shades of pink and raspberry-red as the blooms age. Unfortunately, that’s not something that happens very often for us. Our summer weather just stays too hot. Don’t plan on it, but celebrate it when it happens.
Smooth Hydrangea – This is one of the best! It blooms reliably, and it stays smaller. That makes it easy to fit into all kinds of landscape spots. Most forms bloom white, but a few newer selections offer shades of pink. Just pick a spot shaded from the afternoon sun and keep it watered. You’ll be rewarded with blooms each spring.
Bigleaf Hydrangea – When folks are picturing hydrangea as a shrub with large blue, pink, or lavender blooms, this is the one they are thinking of. Their flowers are stunning, unfortunately, this is the toughest form for us to grow successfully. Its stems are prone to winter damage, which is an issue. All the flower buds that will emerge in the spring overwinter on those stems. When winter kills them back, the potential for flowers goes away too. For best flower production, pile leaves or mulch over the plant for the winter several feet high. This is the type you should never prune back. Newer forms offer the potential for in-season flower production. I’d stick with those types. That’s what we offer here.
Oakleaf Hydrangea – As their name implies, these have leaves that look very much like large oak leaves. As I write this, ours are just coming into bloom in our backyard. Their flowers are born in large cone-shaped clusters, often reaching a foot or more in length. This form offers nice fall color as well, with the potential of burgundies, reds, and oranges. All bloom white, but much like their cousins, the Panicle Hydrangeas, their blooms can fade into shades of pink and raspberry. However, just like their cousins, it takes cooler weather to drive the change. We just don’t see it very often.
That’s not everything there is to know, but hopefully it’s enough to get you a little excited about this amazing plant. If you’d like to know more, just come out and see us!
—Cameron Rees
what’s new?… Gooseberries!
The gooseberries are ready!
Gooseberry plants, that is.
We ran out of these popular garden plants early this spring season, but we just released new crops out onto the sales lot, and they are ready for planting in your garden.
We have two varieties to choose from...
Pixwell – This has been a garden staple for decades. It is a heavy producer with fruits that start out green, ripening to rosy-pink. It is often described as being less thorny, but thorny they still very much are. Care should still be taken while harvesting. They bite!
Captivator – This is an American/European cross with fruits that ripen red. It is also less thorny than other selections. For best fruit production, plant in full sun. They are self-fertile, so you can get by with planting just one.
STAFF PICK: garden phlox
Misty Brown, Greenhouse Manager
Summer is quickly approaching, and in the garden world, that means summer perennial color. A favorite of mine is Garden Phlox. Phlox have been popular in perennial gardens since the 1940s. The Europeans recognized their potential and so began the breeding of select varieties. These varieties were then reintroduced into the US. There are over 800 named varieties of Phlox to date. Powdery Mildew has been a menace to Phlox until the cultivation of varieties that have been bred to be resistant. A popular series is the Flame series. If you have a sunny area in your garden that needs a pop of color,, butterfly attractor, and an all-around feel-good flower, I would choose Garden Phlox! The clusters of fragrant flowers bloom for several weeks in the summer. Give it some rich, well-drained soil and good air circulation, and it will be good to go! —Misty
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