GREENSCAPE GARDENS TREE INFORMATION

Chestnut Blight

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Prior to the chestnut blight, one in four hardwood trees in Pennsylvania was a chestnut, according to the American Chestnut Foundation. Mature chestnuts grew to 100 feet tall, and many specimens reached 8-10 feet in diameter. Wildlife including birds, bears, squirrels and deer depend on the tree's abundant crop of nutritious nuts.
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Tree expert Tim Phelps is confident that blight-resistant chestnuts are not only possible, but almost here. Blight wiped out virtually all American chestnut trees in North America after it showed up in New York in 1904. Now, seven decades of crossing blight-resistant Chinese chestnut trees with American chestnut trees, and then repeatedly back-crossing the progeny with other American chestnuts, has created 200 hybrids. The trees are now being tested in the Arboretum at Penn State with inoculations of the fungus that causes chestnut blight—with promising results.
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Phelps, of the College of Agricultural Sciences and president of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, is supervising the project. He explained how the years-long process works. “After a thorough screening process, the trees that show total resistance to the blight will be selected as parents of the seed that will be used to reintroduce American chestnuts into the forests of the Mid-Atlantic region,” Phelps said. “All the progeny of the trees selected after inoculation will be blight resistant. We are that close.”
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The process starts with small wounds made on the test trees, using a spatula to apply blight-causing fungus from a Petri dish. The wounds are then taped to be sure the fungus stays moist and active. Young trees that are not blight resistant will begin exhibiting signs of decline in a month or so.Final tree selection at the arboretum will occur in May. After five generations, one of every 64 young trees at the arboretum exposed to the blight should be highly blight resistant. Seed from trees selected after those inoculations around the Mid-Atlantic region will eventually be planted in The Arboretum at Penn State until the orchard numbers more than 30,000 hybrid chestnut trees.
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These trees are the direct descendants of a 1935 cross between a Chinese and an American chestnut. The first-generation back-cross to American chestnut was made in 1946.The chestnut was a superb timber tree. It grew straight and often branch-free for 50 feet or more. Loggers tell of loading entire railroad cars with boards cut from just one chestnut tree. Straight-grained, lighter in weight than oak and more easily worked, chestnut was as rot resistant as redwood. It was used for virtually everything—telegraph poles, railroad ties, shingles, paneling, fine furniture, musical instruments and even pulp and plywood.
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In North America, pollen records from the latest interglacial period show that the American chestnut tree, Castanea dentata, was present on Long Island 30,000 to 50,000 years ago. American chestnut trees were once found all along the Appalachian mountain range, from Portland, Maine to northern Georgia. In the last 150 years it has been planted outside its range in favorable spots (Michigan, Wisconsin) where it has become a forest tree, protected from chestnut blight disease by geography until only recently.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

IF YOU CAN READ THIS
THANK A TEACHER.
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER
FOR JILL LOYET
PARKWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
WE LOVE YOU. MOM & DAD

THIS PICTURE OF THE GRAND TETONS WAS TAKEN BY JILL
WHEN SHE ESCORTED 30 STUDENTS FROM PARKWAY SOUTHWEST MIDDLE SCHOOL
TO THE TETON SCIENCE SCHOOL.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT PIZZA MAKES ONE WEAK!

GRAND TETONS

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

IT IS BETTER TO BE THOUGHT A FOOL,
THEN OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT.

GRAND TETON BISON

GREENSCAPE GARDENS LAWN INFORMATION

Spacing Out On Turfgrass

Data shows that in terms of surface area, turfgrass is the largest irrigated crop in the United States. There are three times more acres of lawn in the U.S. than irrigated corn.The study used satellite data on impervious surfaces to estimate how much of the country is covered by bermuda-grass, St. Augustine, fescue and other turfgrass. The study defined lawns as residential and commercial landscapes, golf courses and other turf-covered areas. Cristina Milesi of the NASA Ames Research Center’s ecological forecasting group led the study. “Even conservatively,” Milesi says, “I estimate there are three times more acres of lawns in the U.S. than irrigated corn.”
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This means lawns—including residential and commercial lawns, golf courses, etc—can be considered the single largest irrigated crop in America in terms of surface area, covering about 128,000 square kilometers in all. Her next task was to figure out some of the ecological impacts of this crop of lawns Americans are cultivating.
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Ecological Impact of Lawns
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Recognizing that different people and businesses treat their lawns differently, she had a computer simulate the effect on the water cycle and carbon cycle of different lawn management techniques. The variables the models tested included watering a fixed amount (including rainfall) versus watering according to weather and evaporation rates, adding different amounts of fertilizer, and leaving the clippings on the lawn after mowing or bagging them up.
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Some of the results weren’t surprising, explains Milesi. The model confirmed that if people watered according to a fixed amount, 1 inch per week minus rainfall, then lawns in rainier places, such as Lincoln Park, Michigan, wouldn’t need any irrigation at all, while Yuma, Arizona, would need the full one inch of irrigation each week.
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“If people watered according to what the meteorology indicated, factoring in temperature and humidity, for example, then it would improve irrigation efficiency—use less water—in the Southeast, where humidity is high. But in the West, there is so much sun and humidity is so low that plants can evaporate a lot more than 1 inch of water a week.” In the West, if people watered according to evaporation rates, the model predicts they would need to water nearly 200 centimeters per year.
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To learn more about the turfgrass study visit http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Lawn/lawn.html

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED,
YOU'RE ABOUT AVERAGE.

DURANGO SILVERTON NARROW GUAGE RAILROAD

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

LAUGHED MY BUTT OFF AND I HAD A FEW INCHES TO SPARE.
THANKS!
THIS WAS BETTER THAN ANY DIET I'VE EVER BEEN ON.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

I OWE, I OWE, SO IT'S OFF TO WORK I GO.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO BE A PROBLEM TO YOUR KIDS.

GREENSCAPE GARDENS "G" GUAGE RAILROAD

GREENSCAPE GARDEN FACT

Grass Gas......An Alternative Fuel

Forty percent of U.S. energy is used as electricity. The easiest way to get electricity is using a solid fuel such as coal. However, dry, leafless Miscanthus stems can be used as a solid fuel. The cool-weather-friendly perennial grass, sometimes referred to as elephant grass or E-grass, grows from an underground stem-like organ called a rhizome.
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Burning Miscanthus produces only as much carbon dioxide as it removes from the air as it grows. That balance means there is no net effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which is not the case with fossil fuels. Miscanthus also is a very efficient fuel, because the energy ratio of input to output is less than 0.2. In contrast, the ratios exceed 0.8 for ethanol and biodiesel from canola, which are other plant-derived energy sources.
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Besides being a clean, efficient and renewable fuel source, Miscanthus also is remarkably easy to grow. Other varieties of Miscanthus have been grown successfully in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. However, the giant Miscanthus being grown by the Illinois researchers has the greatest potential as a fuel source because of its high yields and because it is sterile and cannot become a weed. “Miscanthus sacchariflorus and some of the other fertile Miscanthus species can be quite invasive.” The next step is to demonstrate how Miscanthus goes from a plant to a power source. Existing U.S. power plants could be modified to use Miscanthus for fuel as in Europe.

GREENSCAPE GARDENS TIPS

Grow Native

Native plants are species that existed in an area prior to European settlement. They’ve developed over millennia and are adapted to local conditions. The big advantage for the green gardener is that native plants tend to be lower maintenance, requiring little in the way of supplementary watering and no synthetic chemicals.
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Learn about the native plants that grow in St. Louis, and learn about what type of habitat they prefer in the wild (for example, woodland, meadow, prairie, wetland).
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Visit Greenscape Gardens to find out what native plants will do best in your landscape. (Never dig plants from the wild.) Compare the conditions found in your garden (shade or sun, dry or moist, etc.) to the conditions required by a variety of native plants that you’re interested in growing .
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The native plants will thrive in your garden when you match the plants to the conditions-woodland plants for shade, sun-loving plants for meadows and prairies, wetland plants for moist areas. Water young transplants for the first six weeks after planting, but after that, they should thrive without supplementary watering.
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Design your native plant garden in whatever style appeals to you. Consider the
placement of your native plants, to reduce any infractions from local ordinances.
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Additional information can be found on the Plants of Merit website.

GREENSCAPE GARDENS TIPS

Welcome Wildlife to the Garden

With spring slowly approaching, we should consider welcoming wildlife into our gardens. Birds, butterflies and pollinating insects all bring life to the garden and pleasure to the gardener. Hang out the welcome mat by creating habitat that meets the needs of wild creatures.
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The best way to attract wildlife is to plant a diversity of species: trees, shrubs and perennials. These different layers in the garden will provide a variety of habitats for the specific needs of various creatures.
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Include varieties of flowers that bloom throughout the growing season, from spring to fall, ensuring a long-lasting food source for nectar-loving creatures such as butterflies. Leave seedpods on perennial plants over the winter to provide an important food source for birds. If you have the space, consider planting both deciduous and evergreen trees, which will provide year-round habitat for birds. Choose shrubs that produce berries for birds.
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Consider replacing a portion of the lawn with either a flowerbed or a low-growing groundcover. Lawns provide little in the way of wildlife habitat.
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Consider adding a water feature to your garden. This is one of the best ways to create wildlife habitat. Water features can be as simple as a bowl of water left on the ground in an open area or, better yet, it can be a bird bath. A pond requires more work (both in planning and in maintenance), but has enormous wildlife benefits.
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To attract wildlife, it’s important to garden organically. Synthetic chemicals kill butterflies and beneficial insects. Keep a list of the creatures that visit your garden habitat, and share the news of sightings with others in your neighbourhood. It may inspire them to create wildlife habitat, too.
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Additional information can be found in the Plant of Merit website.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

CRAZY IS A RELATIVE TERM IN MY FAMILY.

NOTE: ST. PATRICK'S DAY AND ITS SNOWING.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

CANCEL MY SUBSCRIPTION,
CAUSE I DON'T NEED YOUR ISSUES.

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Science has spent billions of money on research to tell us something we've all known for years that the best medicine is laughter. Reader's Digest has been advocating this philosophy in their monthly column for fifty years. Greenscape Gardens has been advocating this same principle with the Old Sign Philosophy sayings for SIXTEEN years.

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The MARQUEE SIGN at the corner of Barrett Station & Dougherty has entertained the west county motorists with thought provoking words of wisdom. Check out the Old Sign Philosopher

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

THE DUMBEST PEOPLE I KNOW ARE THOSE WHO KNOW IT ALL.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

GENIUS MAY HAVE ITS LIMITATIONS,
BUT STUPIDITY IS NOT THUS HANDICAPPED!

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER ANYTHING

GREENSCAPE GARDENS IN THE NEWS

GardenCenter Magazine February 2010

The following article was excerpted from gardencenter magazine which is a trade journal targeting garden centers. The article was titled "Composting goes in-house.

Composting---if its good for home gardeners, it's got to be good for garden centers. That's the attitude more stores are taking these days as they strive to practice what they preach. Retailers across the country are setting up in-house composting stations to bring eco-friendly practices closer to home base.

"We have a lot of green material that we have to separate from our other recyclables as well as our waste materials," said Jennifer Schamber with Greenscape Gardens & Gifts in Manchester, MO. "We can't compost all of it on site, so we have a separate yard-waste container that gets picked up weekly and is composted off-site. We have chickens---and therefore, a lot of good $#!+---pardon the language!----so we have a large concrete block bin in the back that we use to compost our chicken poop and other easily compostable yard wastes."

Note: The article also had a picture of the "almost famous" chicken coop.

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Jodie Bross, owner of Glenwild Garden Center, in Bloomingdale, N.J., said her store is solidly aboard the composting bandwagon. The company has a landscape division, and a lot of the compost ends up being used on projects.

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At the store, they have a rough brush pile where employees toss things that take a while to break down---like dead annuals and perennials. The compost produced here will often end up enriching the store's display gardens.

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"Inside at our work areas we have separate waste cans for when we're cleaning inside---plant leaves, etc---and [containers for] veggie lunch scraps," said Bross. "We don't enforce the lunch scraps--it's just for the people who think of it and know it isn't too smelly and messy. Lots of coffee grounds, of course!"

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Are you doing in house composting? Join the conversation in our forum at Garden Center Magazine.com.

"Take note customers: We've been preaching about composting for 16 years and we practice what we preach. For the last year Greenscape Gardens has been recognized monthly by at least one of the trade journals for our industry. Hey.....

we're the neighborhood family owned garden center that is NATIONALY KNOWN.

Thank you for your patronage and with spring "hopefully" approaching, we'll be seeing you soon.

GREENSCAPE GARDENS TIPS

Improve The Soil For Maximum Results

A healthy, flourishing garden begins with healthy soil. By learning as much as you can about your soil, you will be better able to match plants to your conditions. Missouri Botantical Gardens, University of Missouri Extension Service and even OK Hatchery in Kirkwood can test your soil. The test will reveal the composition of your soil (whether it’s predominantly clay, loam or sand), the nutrient levels in your soil, and the soil’s pH (its acidity or alkalinity).
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You can also do a home test to determine whether your soil is clay, loam or sand. Put a handful of garden soil in a litre jar, fill it with water, shake, and then leave it to settle for a day. Sand will settle to the bottom, silt will be the next layer, with clay on top. (Organic matter will float on the water’s surface.) Compare the percentage of each layer to determine whether you’ve got loam (20% clay, 40% silt, 40% sand), clay (60% clay, 30% silt, 10% sand), or sand (5% clay, 10% silt, 85% sand).
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A laboratory soil test will tell you whether your soil’s pH is acidic, neutral or alkaline--which will help you determine what plants will do best in your conditions.
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To determine the drainage capacity of your soil, dig a hole 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide. Fill it with water, let it drain completely, then fill again until the soil is saturated. Depending on how long it takes for this last batch to drain, you’ve either got adequate drainage (less than 2 hours), or poor drainage (more than 2 hours).Whatever your soil type, pH, drainage and nutrient levels, you can improve the health of your soil by adding compost. Dig in lots of compost when first preparing your garden bed for planting. In already established gardens, add a 3-inch layer of compost around your plants in spring, summer or fall.
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Additional information about improving your soil can be found at our website. Great gardens ONLY happen when an improved soil foundation has been installed.
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At Greenscape Gardens we are constantly informing the customer to spend additional monies on improving the soil and less on the plant material. We are in the business to sell plants but plants only grow and prosper when they are given the proper incentives to grow........GOOD SOIL. greenscapegardens.com

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

A STUPID PERSON SHOULD KEEP SILENT.
BUT IF HE KNEW THIS, HE WOULD NOT BE AS STUPID.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

THERE ARE MANY MORE WRONG ANSWERS THAN RIGHT ONES,
AND THEY ARE EASIER TO FIND.

GREENSCAPE GARDENS TIPS

Organic Gardening......The Healthy Alternative

For every problem that may arise in your garden, there’s a green, organic solution. Instead of using synthetic chemicals, which may leach into and contaminate the soil and groundwater, use these time-tested, organic methods. And remember, the best organic practice is prevention. Healthy soil and plants are more resistant to pests and diseases.
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Keep your soil healthy by adding lots of organic matter, in the form of compost, throughout the growing season. Compost contributes to the health of the soil by supplying nutrients, improving soil texture and drainage, conserving soil moisture and encouraging earthworms and soil microorganisms.
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Keep your plants healthy by making sure they’re not too crowded and that they’re getting the proper amount of water (neither too much nor too little). Divide over-crowded plants and plant divisions in another spot in your garden-or give them to friends. Hand-pull weeds when they first appear, before they go to seed. By dealing with weeds immediately, you’ll save lots of time later.
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Inspect your plants regularly, and at the first sign of insect infestation, learn to identify what particular creature is affecting your plant. (Not all bugs are bad! Many are beneficial.) For a good all-purpose, organic spray to control insects, mix 1 whole garlic bulb, a generous pinch of cayenne pepper and 1 litre of water in a blender. Mix thoroughly, let the solids settle, and then pour the liquid into a spray bottle. Spray on the leaves (tops and undersides) and stems of insect-infested plants. You can also use a commercially available organic insecticidal soap, such as Safer’s.
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Birds eat bugs. Attract birds to your garden to reduce insect activity. Remove diseased plants from the garden, and clean your tools regularly. Consider companion planting in the vegetable garden to keep pests to a minimum. For example, plant marigolds around the tomato patch-the marigolds’ strong smell repels insects.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

IT IS BETTER TO SWALLOW WORDS,
THAN TO HAVE TO EAT THEM LATER.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

INDECISION MAY OR MAY NOT BE MY PROBLEM

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

IS IT IGNORANCE OR APATHY?
HEY, I DON'T KNOW AND I DON'T CARE.

GREENSCAPE GARDENS TIPS

Plants of Merit Program Assists Home Gardening Success.

Gardeners choosing plants for their gardens this year should first consider the Missouri Botanical Garden's dependable, recommended "Plants of Merit." Fifty-five selections have been named for 2010, including several first-time additions. Each has proven to be outstanding and reliable in the lower Midwest growing region, USDA zones five and six.
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Established in 1999, the Plants of Merit program has quickly become an industry model among comprehensive plant recognition programs, focused on regionally promoting ecologically responsible diversity. The program, established by the Missouri Botanical Garden's William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening in partnership with Powell Gardens and the University of Missouri Extension, shares expert industry knowledge of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vines and ornamental edibles with home gardeners. Plant selections are dependable performers yet often underutilized by home gardeners because limited information about them is available.
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With Plants of Merit, a homeowner can save both money and time. The program assists gardeners in creating a pretty garden or landscape that can be easily managed without chemicals and extra work.
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Each year Plants of Merit sponsors - including industry professionals and associates, institutional representatives and the gardening community - present a consulting committee with a variety of plants for possible inclusion in the list. The committee compiles the final Plants of Merit selections by focusing on what makes a quality plant. Selections are considered "good neighbor plants" for being attractive, disease and pest resistant, and non-invasive, therefore promoting responsible diversity.
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Plants' performances are observed for two to five years, depending on category, in order to determine their reliability. Pictures, descriptions and information on growing conditions are including in the Plants of Merit resource guide. Once plants have gained mainstream recognition and appeal, they are graduated to emeritus standing. The 2010 guide also notes several habitat plants or selections that are attractive to wildlife.
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Today, the Plants of Merit program is financially sponsored by 60 green community members, including retail nursery and garden centers. The 2010 guide can be purchased for $2 from the Kemper Center or the Garden Gate Shop of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd. in St. Louis, or from any program sponsor. View the guide free of charge online at www.plantsofmerit.org.For more information on the Plants of Merit program, including how a community or group can earn a Merit Garden Recognition.
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Greenscape Gardens has a majority of the 'Plants of Merit' available. We also proudly display many of the varieties in our permanent display gardens along Dougherty Ferry and also along Barrett Station Rd.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

SHE WAS OFTEN WRONG BUT NEVER IN DOUBT.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

IT'S SO SIMPLE TO BE WISE.
JUST THINK OF SOMETHING STUPID TO SAY;
AND THEN DON'T SAY IT!

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

DON'T LET YESTERDAY USE UP TOO MUCH OF TODAY.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

GOOD THINGS, WHEN SHORT, ARE TWICE AS GOOD.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

KIND WORDS MAY BE SHORT.....
BUT THEIR ECHOES ARE ENDLESS.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

KNOWLEDGE IS A PROCESS OF PILING UP FACTS;
WISDSOM LIES IN ITS SIMPLIFICATION.

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

WISDOM IS THE SUPREME PART OF HAPPINESS

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

LAUGHTER IS AN INSTANT VACATION