Greenscape Gardens Green Blog

2010-04-20T21:12:00.001-05:00

Noted horticulturist, Dr. Michael A. Dirr will be lecturing and signing copies of his “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants” at the Missouri Botanical Garden on Sunday, April 25, 2010, at 3 p.m. in the Shoenberg Theater at Ridgway Visitor Center , 4344 Shaw Boulevard .

2010-03-29T21:28:00.001-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

GOD BLESS AMERICA

WE NEED YOUR HELP

2010-03-29T21:09:00.001-05:00

HOSTA OF THE YEAR 2010

First Frost’ (Scolnik, Solberg 2002) - (Sport of ‘Halcyon’) - Medium, (16" X 34") "Great hosta sports start with great hosta parents." ‘First Frost’ is a frosty white-edged sport of ‘Halcyon’. Blue leaves emerge with a wide margin the wonderful color of the center of ‘June’, another 'Halcyon' sport and 2001 Hosta of the Year, and then turn pure white if grown in half a day of bright light. Lavender flowers bloom in July. It has excellent color and substance, and will look unblemished in the garden until the "first frost".

2010-03-28T16:27:00.000-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

LONG LIVE CHUBBY

2010-03-28T16:26:00.000-05:00

2010-03-28T16:25:00.000-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

LONG LIVE CHUBBY HUMOR!

2010-03-28T16:24:00.000-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

HUMOR IS THE BEST ADVERTISING
BUT SOME JUST DON'T GET IT!

2010-03-28T16:23:00.000-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

THE CHUBBY SERIES IS GONE BUT HE'LL BE BACK

2010-03-22T23:33:00.002-05:00

STREET TREE PLANTING RECOMMENDATIONS

Street tree plantings face harsh growing conditions. Special attention must be made to select the correct trees especially well suited to an urban environment. The “devil’s strip” is often referred to as the area between the sidewalk and roadway poses special care. Trees must be selected to match site-specific conditions such as limited growth space under utility lines, and reduced planting zones between the sidewalk and roadway.
Trees on the following list will do well in our local environment provided the appropriate species is selected for a particular site. The trees on this list offer a wide range of varieties and cultivars which fit into local landscapes. Tree names are followed by examples of acceptable tree varieties that may be used in streetscapes. Listed by common name, botanical name, and varieties.

American Linden: (Tilia americana) --- Redmond
Black Gum: (Nyssa sylvatica)
Catalpa: (Catalpa speciosa)
Chinese Pistache: (Pistacia chinensis)
Crabapple: (Malus spp) --- Prarie Fire
European Hornbeam: (Carpinus betulus)
Goldenrain Tree: (Koelreuteria paniculata)
Ginko: (Ginko biloba)
Honeylocust: (Gleditsia triacanthos var) --- Shademaster
Littleleaf Linden: (Tilia cordata) ---Greenspire
Norway Maple: (Acer platanoides) --- Crimson
Pear: (Pyrus calleryana) --- Chanticleer, Cleveland Select
Sugar Maple: (Acer saccharum) --- Green Mountain
This list is not all-inclusive and there may be other trees that can be planted with careful consideration

Tree placement
· Before planting make sure there is no public utilities in the area. In the St. Louis area call Dig Rite at 1-800-DIG RITE or 1-800 344-7483
· Proper placement of the tree will reduce potential damage to sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
· Look up! Will the trees eventually interfere with high voltage wires.
Tree selecting
· The tree should have a single trunk. Multiple trunk trees may interfere with traffic since the branching is lower.
· There should be one central leader. The tallest limb should appear to be an extension of the trunk with all other limbs arising from it. More than one dominant leader will cause the tree to split later in life.
· There should be no scars or tears along the trunk or major limbs.
Planting
· Dig a hole the same depth as the container or root ball and twice as wide.
· Remove the root ball from the container carefully. Slice the sides of the root ball approximately ¼ deep at 2 inch intervals. This root pruning helps the tree develop a stronger root system.
· DO NOT LIFT THE TREE UP BY ITS TRUNK! In the case of balled and burlapped trees.
· Make sure the top of the root ball is approximately 1-2 inches about ground level.
· If the hole is too deep, add enough soil to raise the root ball 1-2 inches about ground level.
· Backfill the hole with a 50% combination of the existing soil with organic compost. This will encourage quicker root development.
· Thoroughly water the planting area.
· Create a mulched planting moat to help retain moisture.

Establishment
· Water the tree once or twice weekly during the first two years.
· Take rainfall into consideration when watering trees. Water the tree when the moisture level is dry under the mulch.
· Deep watering will encourage the roots to grow deeper and become more drought tolerant.
· Keep the tree ring mulched for at least the first two years adding fresh mulch when needed. DO NOT ADD MULCH HIGH UP THE TREE BARK.

Maintenance
· Insects can weaken trees and make them susceptible to disease. Monitor the health of the tree and apply proper insecticides and mitecides as necessary.
· Proper prune the tree for shape. As the tree matures a certified arborist should be employed to assure the vitality of the tree.
· Deep root feeding after the first year will assure the vitality of the plant.

2010-03-22T23:22:00.000-05:00

THE GREENSCAPE FEST
FEATURING "LAST MINUTE"

2010-03-22T23:13:00.002-05:00

THIS PAST SATURDAY, GREENSCAPE GARDENS CELEBRATED THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING BY HOSTING THE FIRST ANNUAL GREENSCAPE FEST. IN SPITE OF THE LOUSY OVERCAST WEATHER, THE PARKING LOT WAS FILLED ALL DAY AND THE GREENHOUSE WAS ALIVE WITH PEOPLE. WE WERE VERY HAPPY WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE VENDORS, WHO WERE DISPLAYING THEIR "GREEN SUSTAINABLE" PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE WORLD BIRD SANCTUARY AND AMEREN "PURE POWER". THANKS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED ESPECIALLY JENNIFER SCHAMBER AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF GREENSCAPE GARDENS WHICH MADE THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING SPECIAL. JOHN

2010-03-20T22:44:00.000-05:00

THE WORLD BIRD SANCTUARY AT THE GREENSCAPE FESTIVAL

2010-03-20T22:43:00.002-05:00

2010-03-20T22:43:00.001-05:00

2010-03-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

2010-03-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

MIKE BALES BOOTH

2010-03-20T22:41:00.001-05:00

JOYCE BRUNO & ROBERT WEAVER OF GATEWAY GARDENER MAGAZINE SPEAKING WITH SALLY LOYET

2010-03-20T22:40:00.000-05:00

ST. LOUIS COMPOSTING SHOWING OFF THEIR PRODUCTS.

2010-03-20T22:39:00.001-05:00

THE BAND "LAST MINUTE" PLAYED A VARIETY OF MUSIC.
JUSTIN MCCOY (GREENSCAPE GARDENS PERENNIAL MANAGER) PICTURED RIGHT CENTER GOT INTO THE AMERICAN IDOL VENUE BY SINGING A FAVORITE TUNE.

NICK PENCE (LEAD SINGER & GUITAR) IS TO HIS RIGHT (ANOTHER GREENSCAPE GARDENS EMPLOYEE).

2010-03-20T22:36:00.000-05:00

NOTICE THE BIRD ON THE RIGHT.
IT WOULD TAKE DONATIONS AND PUT THEM INTO THE BOX
KATHLYN THE HANDLER

2010-03-20T22:35:00.000-05:00

CUSTOMERS WERE EVERYWHERE

2010-03-20T22:34:00.000-05:00

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
RECYCLE

2010-03-20T22:33:00.000-05:00

2010-03-20T22:32:00.000-05:00

JACK LANE (MASTER GARDENER) SEMINAR
SPEAKING ON SPRING PREPARATIONS.

2010-03-20T22:31:00.001-05:00

2010-03-20T22:31:00.000-05:00

2010-03-20T22:30:00.002-05:00

2010-03-20T22:30:00.001-05:00

2010-03-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

JOYCE WITH GATEWAY GARDENER

2010-03-20T22:29:00.000-05:00

AARON WITH POND MARKET FROM SOUTH COUNTY

2010-03-20T22:28:00.000-05:00

2010-03-20T22:27:00.000-05:00

SIXTEEN "GREEN" VENDORS AT THE GREENSCAPE FESTIVAL

2010-03-20T22:25:00.001-05:00

JEN & CHRISTINE AT THE GREENSCAPE FESTIVAL

2010-03-20T22:25:00.000-05:00

SEMINARS AT THE GREENSCAPE FESTIVAL

2010-03-20T22:24:00.000-05:00

PICTURES FROM THE GREENSCAPE FESTIVAL

2010-03-20T22:23:00.000-05:00

2010-03-20T22:22:00.000-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

THE FINAL CHUBBY SIGN SERIES UNTIL NEXT TIME!

2010-03-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

WHO'S DRIVING THE TRUCK?
THE FIRST RIGHT ANSWER RECEIVES
$10 GIFT CARD TO GREENSCAPE
REPLY IN THE COMMENTS

2010-03-18T21:26:00.001-05:00

Harvest The Heavens: Rain Barrels

A couple years ago, my family and I were exploring a small town on a Carribean island when we came across a tiki hut with a sign out front that said "Sky Juice". We were all thirsty and curious, so we bellied up to the bar and ordered our first Sky Juices. The smiley islander behind the bar quickly juggled a few coconuts, grabbed a battery-powered drill, made a hole in the coconut and inserted a straw, "One Sky Juice, five dollars, mon." Whoa! Five dollars for a coconut! We knew we were being ripped off, but the thought of drinking Sky Juice made us laugh and we had a great experience visiting with a local, small business owner. This little lesson from the tiki bar man made me appreciate everyday things more than before, especially when it came to one of most valuable natural resources... Water!

Water is the lifeline of our gardens, and on rainy days in July. You can see how a nice, slow rainfall revives our summer gardens in a very short period of time. Plants love natural rainwater, so why not try to collect more of it? Rain barrels make it easy to collect water and anyone can install them! Sky Juice is free and your plants will appreciate your easy efforts! Need more information? Feel free to contact me at info@greenscapegardens.com and of course, rain barrels are available at Greenscape Gardens!

2010-03-16T21:41:00.000-05:00

Drift^® Roses

The Next Big Thing for Small Gardens

Available at GREENSCAPE GARDENS. From the introducers of The Knock Out® Family of Roses, comes the next big thing for small gardens. Like The Knock Out® Family of Roses, Drift® Roses are repeat-bloomers that are tough, disease resistant, winter hardy and virtually maintenance-free.

Drift® Roses are a cross between full-size groundcover roses and miniature roses. From the former they kept toughness, disease resistance and winter hardiness. From the miniatures, they inherited their well-managed size and repeat-blooming nature.

Continuously blooming from spring to frost, they are naturally dwarf, with very attractive foliage. They are winter hardy to zone 5.

The series is composed of 6 varieties:

The low, spreading habit of Drift® Roses makes them perfect for small gardens and combination planters. They brighten up borders, fill in empty spaces, and spread delicately around your favorite established plants.

Prune back to 4" in early spring (after the last hard frost) for best performance. Regular deadheading encourages re-blooming and helps maintain a tidy appearance.

Drift® Roses will once again be available at Greenscape Gardens.

2010-03-16T21:35:00.000-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

GRANNY GREENSCAPE WILL BE AT GREENFEST
THIS SATURDAY GIVING OUT SAMPLES OF GREENSCAPE GOURMET

2010-03-14T22:12:00.000-05:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

THE LAST FIRE OF THE YEAR!
WINTER IS OFFICIALLY OVER IN ST. LOUIS

2010-03-12T21:56:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

SPRING IS IN THE AIR
AND GRADY IS IN THE GARDEN!

2010-03-12T21:54:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

GRADY GREENSCAPE PLANTING FLOWERS
FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

2010-03-11T22:42:00.002-06:00

Edible of the Month: Asparagus

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a member of the lily family and has been grown and eaten since 1000AD. It’s thought to have originated in the eastern Mediterranean region as a wild plant and modern varieties have been selected for larger and tastier spears. Asparagus is unique, because, unlike most home garden vegetables, it is a perennial, coming back year after year. A well-maintained asparagus bed can produce spears for 20 years.

Therefore, it’s important to spend extra time and energy preparing the soil in the bed and planting it correctly. The young shoots (spears) are what we eat. The spears are only available in spring for a 6- to 8-week period. (There has been some experimenting with forcing asparagus to send up new spears in summer and fall, too.

Once the asparagus spears are allowed to grow into ferns, they can top 6-feet tall, making a beautiful barrier or wall of green in your garden. Asparagus can be used as an edible hedge, backdrop to flowers or shrubs, or a visual barrier. The ferns turn yellow in fall and should be cut back to the ground in winter.
.

Asparagus is a great spring treat steamed, roasted, or sautéed in butter and garlic, or served along with other spring vegetables such as peas, spinach, and spring potatoes. It’s high in fiber, vitamins A and C, and minerals, such as iron.

Planning
Asparagus is a hardy (USDA zone 4), cool- loving crop that sends spears out of the ground when soil temperatures are above 50 degrees F. Since asparagus evolved around a salty sea, it likes a well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. One key to selecting the right variety of asparagus is making sure you get one adapted to your soil and climate conditions. The other is to choose a variety that is predominately male. Asparagus plants are either male or female, that is, male and female flowers are produced on separate plants. The females produce red berries in summer. The flowering and fruiting reduces the amount and size of spear production. Another problem with female asparagus plants is the berries drop and germinate in the row creating many small asparagus plants. These can overcrowd an asparagus bed and become weeds.
.

Breeders have created “all-male” hybrid varieties which are mostly male. They produce up to 3 times more asparagus spears and fewer berries than older, open pollinated varieties that are a mix of males and females. Many of these all-male hybrid varieties come from research done at Rutgers University so they often have “Jersey” in their name.
.

Here are some of the best asparagus varieties to try. They are best purchased as 1-year old crowns for spring planting. Asparagus seed is not widely available and takes longer to produce mature plants.
'Jersey Knight’ – One of the best performing Jersey hybrid varieties, it’s a vigorous plant that’s resistant to rust, crown rot, and fusarium wilt. It is especially adapted to growing in clay soils and in warmer climates.
'Jersey Giant’ – One of the first in varieties the Jersey series, this hybrid is best adapted to colder climates and produces spears 7 to 10 days before ‘Jersey Knight’.
'Jersey Supreme’ - The latest variety in the series this variety produces more uniform-sized spears and is earlier than previous Jersey hybrids. The plants are disease- resistant and best adapted to lighter, sandier soils.
'Purple Passion’ - This uniquely-colored asparagus is widely adapted and produces purple colored spears that fade in color when cooked.
‘UC 157’- This California hybrid is adapted to warmer climates with mild winters and produces high yields of uniform spears. It does have some female plants.
‘Viking KB3’ – An open pollinated variety that has a mix of male and female plants. It is a better producer than the traditional ‘Martha Washington’ open- pollinated variety.

Preparation
Choose a sunny, well-drained site with neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Since this is a perennial it’s important to remove weeds and amend the soil well. It’s easier to amend the soil now than trying to do it after the asparagus is growing. Till the soil and dig a trench 1-foot deep and as long as you desire. Each crown can produce 1/2 pound of spears when mature. For most families, you can estimate planting 15 to 20 crowns per person with crowns spaced 18 inches apart.
.

Planting
Plant outdoors 2 weeks before all danger of frost has passed and soils have dried out. Backfill the trench with 4 to 6 inches of finished compost and soil mixed evenly together. Form 4- to 6-inch high, volcano-like mounds with the compost every 18 inches in the trench and lay the spider-like crowns and roots over the mounds. Drape the roots evenly on all sides of the mound with the crown sitting on the top. Cover the crowns with soil and backfill the trench as the spears grown with more soil until the trench is filled and crowns are buried 3 inches deep.
.

Care
Another key to growing asparagus is keeping the bed well weeded. Be careful using a hoe when weeding since the crowns are not deeply planted below the soil surface. Some people have taken advantage of asparagus’ tolerance to salt and spread salt on the bed to kill weeds. However, this practice is not recommended because eventually the soil gets too salty for even the asparagus plants. Fertilize the bed every spring with compost or a balanced organic fertilizer, such as 12-12-12. Keep the bed well watered and mulched with a 2- to 4-inch thick layer of bark mulch.

Asparagus beetles will attack the spears and ferns. These small, bright red beetles emerge as asparagus spears start growing in spring. They feed on the spear tips and eventually lay eggs on the ferns. The eggs hatch into soft bodied gray grubs that continue to feed on the fern fronds. Their feeding can defoliate the ferns and reduce the energy sent back into the roots, weakening the crown and lowering production. Control the asparagus beetles by hand squishing the adults and spraying the grubs with neem oil or Spinosad organic sprays.
.

Let the ferns naturally yellow in fall. Cut them down and remove them in winter to reduce populations of overwintering insects and diseases.
.

Harvest
It’s important not get over eager in harvesting your asparagus spears. The first year after planting don’t harvest any spears: let them all grow into ferns. This will strengthen the crown for higher future production. The second year after planting harvest only those spears that are larger than a pencil’s diameter for 2 weeks in spring. The third year you can begin harvesting all spears larger than a pencil’s diameter for 6 to 8 weeks in spring.
.

Start harvesting as soon as large enough spears emerge from the soil by snapping off the spears with your hand at the soil line when they are 6 to 8 inches tall.

2010-03-11T22:30:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

JENNIFER & GRADY HOLD 'NUGGET' THE HEN

2010-03-11T22:29:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

CHECK OUT 'GREAT DAY' FOR FUTURE TELECASTS

2010-03-11T22:27:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

3 DIFFERENT EPISODES WERE FILMED
FOR GREAT DAY ST. LOUIS 10AM ON KMOV

2010-03-11T22:26:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

GRADY GREENSCAPE (ACTUALLY ANDY)
ST. PATRICK'S DAY FUTURE TELECAST

2010-03-11T22:24:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILSOPHER

GREAT DAY KMOV FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY TELECAST

2010-03-11T22:23:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

JENNIFER BEING INTERVIEWED FOR GREAT DAY ON KMOV

2010-03-11T00:02:00.001-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

CHUBBY'S FAVORITE COLOR

CHOCOLATE

2010-03-11T00:01:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

GYM MEMBERSHIP FOR SALE
CHEAP USED ONCE
ASK FOR CHUBBY

2010-03-10T23:59:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

WORLD FAMOUS CHUBBY SERIES

2010-03-10T23:58:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

THE CHUBBY SERIES 2010

2010-03-10T23:57:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

HOPEFULLY THE LAST SNOWFALL OF THE YEAR
WAS IN FEBRUARY.

WORLD FAMOUS......
LOCALLY FAMOUS
THE GREENSCAPE GARDENS CHICKEN HOUSE

2010-03-10T23:21:00.003-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS RAISED BEDS

How To Build A Raised Bed

Raised beds are a great way to garden without taking up too much space. They are perfect for urban small- space gardens, but also have advantages for gardeners with more room. Their benefits are numerous. The soil in raised beds drains water fast, a boon in our heavy clay soils, and warms up quickly in spring, making for earlier planting. If you don’t step into the beds, the soil structure stays loose, allowing roots to extend deeply into the soil, making them perfect for crops like carrots and beets. They allow you to concentrate your watering, weeding, and fertilizing into a smaller space. This means you can get more production from your garden with less weeding and care.
.
Here’s how to build a raised bed
There are two general types of raised beds: permanent and temporary. Let’s look at each.

Permanent beds

Permanent raised beds are usually supported by a long lasting material. You can use rot-resistant wood such as cedar, bricks, plastic wood, rocks or cement blocks. Greenscape Gardens will also have recycled plastic planks available for raised gardens this year. Don’t use treated woods because of concern about harmful chemicals leaching into your soil.

Steps:
Locate the bed in a sunny spot on top of soil, grass, or even concrete.

This stone and concrete raised bed has been incorporated into the permanent landscape.
If building the bed on soil or grass, improve drainage by loosening the soil at the bottom of the bed with a shovel or spading fork. I like to kill the grass first by laying down 4 layers of black and white newspaper, then covering it with soil. The newspaper helps prevent grass and weeds from growing in the raised bed and decomposes over time.
If building on top of an impermeable surface, such as concrete or asphalt, consider making the beds a few inches taller to compensate for the lack of natural soil.
To create a bed, build the frame so that it’s at least 8- to 10-inches deep, no more than 3 to 4 feet wide, and as long as you like. While rectangles and square shapes are most common, you can get creative with ovals and other shapes. Just be sure the width isn't more than 3 to 4 feet wide. Anything wider means you’ll have to step in the bed to weed, water, and fertilize. Walking on the soil will compact it, reducing root growth.
If you use wood, attach the pieces together with wood screws instead of nails for better holding. Slow the rotting process by painting the wood with an earth-friendly preservative, such as linseed oil or borax-based treatment.
Fill the bed to the top with a 50:50 mixture of potting soil and seasoned compost. The soil may settle after a few days so you may have to add more.

Temporary beds

You can produce a bountiful harvest when growing in raised beds.
Steps:
Shovel garden soil into raised beds, or bring in a mixture of potting soil and compost. Beds can be any shape you desire: rectangular, curved, or even round.
Make the beds 8- to 10-inches deep and no more than 3 to 4 feet wide.
Remove sticks, rocks, and other debris, and rake the tops of the beds smooth and flat.
Steps:
You can build a cold frame or shelter to fit on top of a raised bed that will extend the growing season earlier and later. The frame pops off during the summer season.
Plant tall plants on the north side of the raised bed so they don’t shade lower plants.
Water regularly since raised beds will dry out faster than level gardens. Place shredded bark, straw or any organic mulch around established plants to conserve soil moisture and prevent weed growth.

Come by Greenscape and check out the raised beds by the chicken coop. Last year's raised beds produced a bumper crop of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and brocolli. The lettuce and beets were planted today. The chickens will love the extra lettuce that was planted for them.

2010-03-08T22:28:00.004-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS TREE

2010 Urban Tree of the Year

Eastern Redbud

Eastern Redbud (Ceris Canadensis) was selected as the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) Urban Tree of the Year. Cercis Canadensis is also commonly called Redbud or Judas Tree. This last name according to legend, is the result of the biblical Judas Iscariot hanging himself from a branch of the European species Cercis siliquastnum.

Eastern Redbud is a moderate to rapid grower when young, often maturing 15 feet tall by 15 feet wide, but it can become 35 feet high on moist sites. The tree's rapid growth rate slows to a medium growth rate after 10 years of age. Eastern Redbuds are native to Eastern and Midwestern United States. Oklahoma call Eastern Redbud its state tree.

Description

The flowers of the species open as small clusters of dark-brown buds that swell to purple-lavender buds in early spring. They slowly open to magenta or pink-lavender flowers, prominently displayed in April before the foliage emerges. The blooms persist for two or three weeks. The flowers can be found on the trunk or branches, but most are found on two year old twigs.

In the spring, the leaves are bronze to medium green, slowly turning to dark green, and about 4 inches long by 4 inches wide in summer. The leaves are alternate, broadly ovate with distinctly cordate bases. The heart-shaped leaves have prominent palmate veination.

Eastern Redbud twigs have a zigzag pattern and show cream colored lenticels. The color is dark brown with subtle shades of purple or red in the stem color. The vegetative lateral buds are slightly more plump and in clusters along stems, branches and trunks.

The trunk is either single-trunked and low-branching,or multi-trunked and shrub form. The exterior bark is grown gray with thin exfoliating strips or thin fissured plates in youth that become crisscrossed and raised with age. The cinnamon-orange interior bark reveals itself with age. The trunks become twisted, leaning and decayed with age.

The small black seeds are within flat light-green "pea shaped" pods that change to brown when the seeds are ripe. They are located in clusters on the twigs. The dried pods may persist for a year or more and provide some winter interest. Heavy seed crops do not occur every year.

Habitat

When grown in an open area, Eastern Redbud develops an upright vase form in youth and with age, becomes spreading and rounded to develop and irregular shape, and often develops a lean. When grown at the edge of forests and woodlands, it is often found with an irregular shape because it stretches toward the limited sunlight.

Eastern Redbud grows best in partial shade especially in the Midwest where summers are hot. Best growth occurs in a light, rich, moist soil but this tree adapts well to a variety of soils including sandy and alkaline. The trees look better when they receive some irrigation during summer dry spells. In very wet sites, it is prone to verticillium wilt.

The species is propagated by seeds, while the cultivars are usually budded onto seedling rootstock or by Summer cuttings under mist. Ripe seed can be planted directly but stratification is necessary if seed has been stored. Trees are sold as single or multi-stemmed trees, B&B, or in containers. Young trees are easiest to transplant and survive best when planted in the spring or fall. Containerized trees can be planted anytime.

Uses

The yellow fall color and tolerance to partial shade make this a suitable, attractive tree for understory or specimen planting. It is best if this tree is not used as a street tree due to its low disease resistance and short life span. It is nice in commercial and residential landscapes. The tree also does well in a shrub border for a spring and fall color display. It is often used as a foundation plant, a specimen at an entranceway, as a group planting, along a woodland edge, in a naturalization planting, or as a spring accent tree. The seeds provide food for some birds. Eastern Redbud is not a commercial timber species.

Eastern Redbud works well in combination with Serviceberry (amelanchier), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Carolina Silverbell (Halesia Carolina), Crabapple (Malus), Chinese Dogwood (Cornus kousa), and Japanese Tree Lilac (Syringa reticulate). It is often the first of a floral sequence of ornamental trees.

From a design standpoint, Eastern Redbud is medium to course in texture and has thick density in leaf. The tree is average in density when bare, such as during the winter months.

Cultivars

Several cultivars of Eastern Redbud are available:

'Flame'--more erect branching, flowers double, blooms later, sterile.
'Forest Pansy'--purple-red leaves in spring, fades to green in the summer.
'Pink Charm'--pink flowers.
'Pinkbud'--pink flowers.
'Purple Leaf'--purple young foliage.
'Silver Cloud'--leaves have white variegation.
Cercis canadensis var. alba--white flowers, blooms late.
C. canadensis var. texensis 'Tesas White'--superior foliage.
C. reniformis 'Oklahoma'--superior foliage, white buds/flowers.

Unfortunately, Eastern Redbud is subject to many liabilities. Its functional life is 10 to 20 years in urban landscapes, due to a combination of urban stresses, diseases, and pests. The tree is prone to trunk canker, heartwood rot, verticillium wilt, and scales, any of which can be fatal. It is also prone to storm damage with advanced age due to leaning and heartwood rot.

However, after a long hard winter, its beauty in spring provides a welcome that warms the heart of people everywhere.

2010-03-08T22:24:00.001-06:00

ABOUT THE URBAN TREE OF THE YEAR SELECTION

The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) conducts the Urban Tree of the Year competition to illustrate the imprtance of selecting the right tree for a planting site. The intent of this annual selection process is not to indicate that this tree is the perfect tree that can grow anywhere, but is to make municipal arborists aware of this tree and they should use it if they have a site suitable for it. The Urban Tree of the Year competition also provides extra publicity for excellent trees that should be used more often.

2010-03-08T22:21:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

OVERDRAWN.......IMPOSSIBLE!
I STILL HAVE CHECKS LEFT

2010-03-08T22:17:00.001-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

POT PARTIES DAILY

2010-03-06T21:48:00.002-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS PERENNIALS

'First Frost' named Hosta of the Year

The American Hosta Growers Association (AHGA) selected Hosta 'First Frost' as its 2010 Hosta of the Year.

A sport of H. 'Halcyon', First Frost' can grow to 16 inches tall by 36 inches wide at maturity. Its intense, blue-green leaves measure 7 inches long by 5 inches wide, which emerge with yellow margins that become pure white. In August, the plant is topped with dense clusters of pale purple flowers on scapes that rise to 22 inches. This hosta grows well in the St. Louis area.

Since 1996, the AHGA has selected a Hosta of the Year based on outstanding merit. The hosta must be distinctive, grow well in all of its adaptable growing zones and be readily available.

Previous winners include:

'Earth Angel' (2009)
'Blue Mouse Ears' (2008)
'Paradigm' (2007)
'Stained Glass' (2006)
'Striptease' (2005)
'Sum and Substance' (2004)
'Regal Splendor' (2003)
'Guacamole' (2002)
'June' (2001)
'Sagae' (2000)
'Paul's Glory' (1999)
'Fragrant Bouquet' (1998)
'Patriot' (1997)
'So Sweet' (1996)

2010-03-03T22:46:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

FOR THE BEST SELECTION OF HUECHERAS
GREENSCAPE HAS THE BEST SELECTION & QUALITY

2010-03-03T22:44:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

SPRING IS IN THE AIR
PANSIES ARE IN THE GREENHOUSE

2010-03-03T22:42:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

GARDENING IS THE ULTIMATE APHRODISIAC

2010-03-02T21:25:00.002-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS PERENNIALS

HOW TO DESIGN AND CARE FOR PERENNIAL GARDENS

For many gardeners, there's nothing like a full perennial border with a crisp edge of lawn. Perennial plants are the backbone of nearly every flower garden. Unlike annual plants, which must be replanted each spring, herbaceous perennials die to the ground at the end of the season, and then regrow from the same roots the following year. People grow perennial flowers because they are such easy-care, dependable performers, and because they offer an enormous variety of color, texture and form. Here are the basics of garden design, plant selection and care.

The lifespan, bloom time, culture and form of perennial plants varies greatly. Some species, such as lupines and delphinium, are so called "short-lived" perennials, with a lifespan of just three or four years. Others may live as long as fifteen years, or even, in the case of peonies, a lifetime. Bloom time may last for only two weeks each year, or may extend over two or three months.
Some perennials, such as primroses, require deep humusy soil and plenty of shade, while others such as threadleaf coreopsis and cushion spurge wither away unless they grow in well-drained soil and full sun. Some perennials contain themselves in a nice, neat mound, while others, such as gooseneck loosestrife, will take over your entire garden. Some species should be cut back in midsummer, while others, such as hybrid lilies, may die if you remove their foliage.
There are so many different species and cultivars of perennial flowers to choose from that few people ever become completely familiar with all the options. For the perennial gardener, books are an invaluable resource. They provide photographs for identification (and inspiration!), cultural information, a description of growth habits, bloom time, color and characteristics of special cultivars. Invest in a good how-to book that has cultural information, and a color encyclopedia to help you identify plants and plan your selections.

What's in a Name?

It may be hard to believe, but botanical plant names are used to avoid confusion, not create it. They are developed by taxonomists to ensure that the same plant is called the same name throughout the world, regardless of language. Botanical plant names are usually a combination of Latin and Greek.
Common names, such as "bleeding heart," are often used to refer to all the plants in a genus and are useful unless you want to ensure you are purchasing a 24-inch high, spring-blooming bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) rather than the ever-blooming species known as the fringed bleeding heart, which is only 12 inches high (Dicentra eximia).
Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba': (old-fashioned white bleeding heart) Dicentra: The first name is the genus. It is always capitalized. spectabilis: The second name is the species. It is not capitalized. 'Alba': The third name, which appears in single quotes, is the cultivar (cultivated variety).
Fellow gardeners are another great source of information about perennials. They can give you firsthand details about bloom time, height, hardiness and cultural requirements, and, if you visit their gardens, you can also see for yourself what the plants really look like up close. Nothing beats seeing a plant in a garden setting, where you can observe how it is being used. You may even go home with some pass-along plants for your own garden.
There's just no way to know how a plant will do for you unless you give it a try. If it turns out to be too tall, the color is wrong, or the plant doesn't thrive, you can always move it and try something different. Perennial Planting Styles Few if any "perennial gardens" contain only herbaceous perennials. Woody plants, such as shrubs, roses, and trees, are often incorporated to provide a backdrop for the perennial plants, or are used to fill in and give mass to the bed or border. Many gardeners include annuals or biennials in their perennial gardens to provide splashes of dependable color throughout the season. Bulbs are added for early spring color and ornamental grasses for their interesting textures and late-season beauty.
Traditionally, perennial gardens have been laid out in one of two ways: a border or an island bed. A border is typically a long, rectangular flower bed that is about two to four feet deep. The classic English perennial border, which was so popular in the first half of the 20th century, was often as much as eight feet deep and 200-feet long. But for most home gardeners, a better size is about three feet deep and about 12 to 15 feet long.
Borders are usually viewed from only one side, and are located in front of a backdrop. This backdrop may be created with shrubs, a hedge, a fence or a stone wall. A well-defined front edge is important. You may design a solo border, or a matched pair. When selecting plants, keep in mind that borders usually look best when there is a repeating theme of plants and colors.
An island bed is a garden that floats in a "sea" of lawn. The shape is irregular, with gentle curves and no sharp corners. It is usually designed to be viewed from all sides, with the tallest plants positioned along the center line of the bed, and the shortest plants around the edges. Island beds look best when they are generous in size. A good size for an island bed is 8-by-15 feet, with the tallest plants reaching a height of about five feet.
Of course perennial flower gardens sometimes look nothing like a traditional border or island bed. Rock gardens break all the rules, for the objective is usually to create an irregular, natural-looking rock outcropping where tiny alpine plants can be featured.
Shade gardens are often irregularly-shaped, because they follow the natural shade patterns of the trees above. Another emerging style for perennial gardens is the large, free-form garden. In this case, the garden is defined by a series of meandering paths that lead the viewer right into and then through the plantings. Perennial flowers can also be mixed in among shrubs, planted around your mailbox, used in woodland or streamside plantings, or even planted in containers.

Arranging Your Plants

The appearance of a perennial garden depends as much upon the shapes of your plants and how they are arranged, as upon their colors.
Height: You'll want to place the tallest plants in the back of the border, or in the center of an island bed, then work down in height, ending with the shortest plants around the edges of an island bed or the front of a border. Books and labels usually list the average mature height for a plant in bloom. Remember that many plants hold their flowers well above the foliage. This means that when the plant is out of bloom, it may be much shorter than the specified height.
Heights are also an average. When grown in poor, dry soil, a plant may be only half as tall as the same plant grown in rich, moist soil. Be prepared to move your plants around once you see how tall (or short) they really grow. Even the most experienced gardeners rearrange their plants (usually more than once!).
Width: A plant's width, or spread, is just as important as its height. Width figures given in books or on labels are also an average. The actual width of a plant will vary depending on soils, geographical location and the age of the plant. Be careful about locating slow-growers very close to rapid spreaders. The former may all but disappear by the end of the first growing season.
Spacing: Patience is a virtue, but when most people plant a perennial garden, their goal is to create a full effect as soon as possible. The challenge is to plant thickly, but not break the bank, or create a crowded, unhealthy situation two or three years down the line. When planting a grouping or "drift" of the same kind of plants, you can put them closer together to create a

massed look more quickly.
Another trick is to place short-lived plants between slower-growing, long-lived plants. Most peonies, for example, have an ultimate spread of three feet, but it may take seven years for them to reach this size. While you're waiting, you could interplant with Shasta daisies, a fast-growing, short-lived plant that will provide a full look and plenty of flowers while the peonies get themselves established.
Drifts versus specimens: A garden planted with groupings of five or more plants of the same variety will display drifts of repeating colors and textures. In this type of garden, plants are used primarily as design elements that add up to a pleasing and integrated visual effect.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the collector's garden, filled with onezies and twozies of all different kinds of plants. These are the gardens of people who simply love plants and want to have one of everything. The look of this type of garden may be a jumble of colors and textures, and maintenance is usually more challenging, but these gardens are about plants first, and design second.

How to Select Plants

When it comes to deciding which perennials to plant, most of us are not very deliberate about our choices. We succumb to a luscious photo in a catalog, stumble upon an irresistible beauty at the nursery, or a neighbor sends us home with a bag full of cast-offs. If you ever do set out to make an informed and deliberate choice, here are some of the things that you should think about.
Your site: Perennials, like all plants, will live longer and be healthier and more floriferous if they are planted in a location that suits them. Does your garden have sandy soil or is it heavy clay? Is it in the sun or shade? Is the soil moist or droughty? Is the pH high, low, or neutral? Is the site flat, gently sloped, or steep? A good reference book can help you figure out which plants will probably be happy in the growing conditions that you can provide.
Hardiness: If a plant is not hardy in your growing zone, it will not survive the winter. If you don't know which zone you live in, check a USDA Hardiness Zone Map. Though knowing your zone is very important, altitude, wind exposure, soils and snow cover can have a dramatic impact on plant hardiness, effectively shifting the hardiness rating for your garden by as much as a full zone.
For best results, choose plants that are well within your zone. You will probably be tempted by those that are at or even just beyond your growing zone. If you can afford to take the gamble (financially and emotionally), it can be very rewarding to discover that you can grow a couple of Zone 5 plants in your Zone 4 garden. Where snow cover is not dependable, a winter mulch of leaves or straw can help marginally hardy plants survive a cold winter. Well-drained soil is also a benefit. Heavy, wet soils will often heave and damage plant roots.
Northern gardeners concern themselves with the minimum temperatures that a plant will tolerate, but Southern gardeners must also pay attention to zone ratings. Many popular perennials, including lupines, peonies, and garden phlox, must be exposed to a period of subfreezing temperatures to produce a good display of flowers. Other perennials will simply not tolerate long periods of heat and humidity.
Color: In working with color, aim for a balance of integration and contrast. Too much of the same color can be monotonous, yet a cacophony of different colors can be jarring rather than pleasing to the eye. You may want to organize your garden around one color; or choose a theme such as pastels, cool colors, or hot colors. You can also experiment with different color themes in different parts of your garden—hot colors by the front door and cool colors in a quieter part of the yard.
Remember that few perennials are in bloom for more than a couple of weeks each year. Most of the time, plants are green, and it is their leaf form and foliage texture that are the "color" in your garden.
Bloom time: A perennial may be in bloom for two weeks a year or for as long as three months. If your objective is all-season color, choose several plants from each bloom season. When selecting plants for a spring garden, concentrate on those that bloom during April and May. After that peak, the garden may lack color for the rest of the season, but you will have achieved a spectacular spring display. For best effect, group at least two or three different varieties of plants together that will bloom at the same time.

Remember that specified bloom time is only an average.

Seedling, potted or field-grown: When purchasing perennials, try to get the largest, most mature plant that you can afford. The bigger the plant, the more quickly it will fill out and the sooner it will begin blooming. Typically plants are available in pot sizes ranging from 3-inch diameter to 12-inch diameter. Pot-grown perennials can be planted from spring through fall, and will suffer minimal transplant shock.

Vigor: Vigor can be good, but it can also create problems. Plants that are too vigorous can invade neighboring plants and gradually take over your entire garden. Determining a plant's propensity for invasiveness can be difficult, because poor growing conditions can render a normally invasive plant relatively tame, whereas in fertile soil, a normally restrained plant may exhibit invasive tendencies.
Look closely at plant descriptions and be wary of those described as "vigorous." This may be a euphemism for an invasive plant that you'll wish you never set eyes on. Perennials with a reputation for invasiveness include: bamboo, Macleaya cordata (plume poppy), Physostegia virginiana (obedient plant), Monarda (bee balm), Artemisia ludoviciana (Silver King artemisia), Lysimachia clethroides (gooseneck loosestrife), Tanacetum vulgare (tansy), Aegopodium (goutweed), and Boltonia asteroides.

Maintaining a Perennial Garden
Though most flowering perennials are dependable, easy-care performers, all perennial gardens require some maintenance. Here are the eight most important steps to ensure a healthy and floriferous garden:
1.Fertilizing: Most perennials are not heavy feeders and they will be happy with one spring application of a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer (5-10-5). For established plantings, scratch in a good handful of fertilizer around each plant. Annual or biennial applications of aged manure or finished compost will restore trace elements and improve soil texture and water retention.
2. Watering: A perennial garden does not require as much water as a vegetable garden. Depending on where you live, if you select plants suited to your site, and mulch them well, you may not need to water at all. If you live where summers are very dry and you do need to water, try to water deeply and avoid getting water on the foliage (soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems are great for perennial gardens).
3. Mulching: By early summer, a densely planted perennial garden will shade out most weeds. But a new garden, a spring garden or a garden that is more sparsely planted, will benefit from some kind of mulch. The mulch will keep weeds to a minimum and help retain moisture in the soil.
The aesthetics of the mulch are as important as the function. Your garden will look best with a finely textured material such as shredded leaves, dry grass clippings, peanut shells, cocoa hulls or shredded bark. Big chunks of bark, newspaper or straw will overpower your plants.
4. Neat Edges: A neat, cleanly defined edge between your lawn and flower bed will give your garden a professional look. You can achieve this in one of two ways: get a nice sharp edging tool and recut the edge several times during the growing season; or install some permanent edging. A defined edge will also help keep grass and weeds from growing into the bed.
5. Pinching: Some kinds of perennials, including asters, chrysanthemums, phlox and salvias, benefit from being pinched back. Pinching creates a bushier plant that produces more blooms and is less likely to flop over. Pinch back the growing tips--using thumb and forefinger--once or twice during late spring. Not all kinds of perennials should be pinched. If in doubt, pinch a little here and there, and see what happens.
6. Deadheading: Some plants drop their spent flowers and seed heads. Others hold onto them for months, or even right through the winter. Removing spent flowers will keep your plants looking their best, and it often stimulates reblooming. It also prevents plants from expending their energy on seed production. After bloom, some plants should be shorn rather than deadheaded. This is true for creeping phlox, nepeta, hardy geraniums, daisies, pinks and lavender.
7. Staking: Many tall or weak-stemmed plants need support when they reach blooming size. Delphiniums and hybrid lilies are two prime candidates. But other, shorter plants can also benefit from some kind of support. Supports should be as invisible as possible. For individual stems, you can use bamboo canes. For entire plants you can use wire support rings. For loose and airy plants, try using a few thin branches. For best results, put the supports into position in early spring. That way the plants will hide the supports as they grow.
8. Dividing: If your perennials are happy, most of them will need to be divided every few years. They may become too large for the space; the center or oldest part of the plant may die out leaving a bare middle; or the growth may become so dense that the plant is no longer blooming well.
Use a shovel to remove the entire plant from the garden and place the root ball on a tarp. Then you can either pry the plant into pieces using two forks, tease the pieces of the plant apart into different sections, or use a shovel or knife to cut the plant into several pieces. Plants should not be divided when they are in bloom or in full growth. In all but a few cases, this is a job for early spring or late fall. Perennial Tips for the Ages
When planting a new perennial garden, prepare the soil well at the outset. That may be your only opportunity to loosen the soil, remove rocks, and add organic matter.
If you start plants by seed, put your first-year seedlings in a "nursery bed" rather than directly into your flower garden. They will not bloom or have much of a presence until their second year anyway, and a nursery bed will allow you to keep a better eye on their performance.
Most perennials should be divided in early spring when new growth is only a few inches high. If you miss your chance in the spring, wait until fall. Irises are the one major exception to this rule: they should be transplanted in early summer, right after they have bloomed.
Keep newly transplanted perennials well watered for the first few weeks. Water deeply to saturate the entire root ball and establish good contact between the roots and the surrounding soil.
Most perennials prefer a pH of about 6.5, although, some prefer more alkaline or acidic soil. If you have trouble with a particular plant, check its pH requirements and the pH level of the soil in your flower garden.
If your plants look stressed during the growing season, or if you see disease or insect damage, feed your plants with a quick-release organic fertilizer (try a blend of seaweed and fish emulsion).
All plants die eventually, and some will die sooner than others, no matter what you do about it. If a plant performs poorly, try moving it to a different location. If it still is not happy, give it away or send it to the compost pile.
When designing a perennial garden, think about how you'll get access to your plants to stake, deadhead, or divide them. Flat rocks can be used as stepping stones within the garden. A walkway created at the back of a border will be hidden during the growing season, but will make the bed accessible for spring and fall chores.

Greenscape Gardens has grown over 500 varieties of perennials for the 2010 gardening season. We have grown over 30,000 perennials. For the largest selection of perennials in St. Louis, no one can match our perennial selections and numbers. We're open 8 days a week for your shopping convenience. We've got you covered with over a 1/2 acre of greenhouses. So weather or not, we hope to see you soon.

2010-03-02T21:17:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

PAIN IS INEVITABLE
MISERY IS OPTIONAL

2010-03-02T21:15:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

TURN SIGNALS:
NOT JUST FOR SMART PEOPLE ANYMORE

GREENSCAPE GARDENS RAILROAD

2010-03-01T22:11:00.002-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS NEWS
Harvest The Heavens: Rain Barrels

A couple years ago, my family and I were exploring a small town on a Carribean island when we came across a tiki hut with a sign out front that said "Sky Juice". We were thirsty and curious, so we bellied up to the bar and ordered our first Sky Juices. The smiley islander behind the bar quickly juggled a few coconuts, grabbed a battery-powered drill, made a hole in the coconut and inserted a straw, "One Sky Juice, five dollars, mon.

" Whoa! Five dollars for a coconut! We knew we were being ripped off, but the thought of drinking Sky Juice made us laugh and we had a great experience visiting with a local, small business owner. This little lesson from the tiki bar man made me appreciate everyday things more than before, especially when it came to one of most valuable natural resources... Water!

Water is the lifeline of our gardens, and on rainy days in July (like today!) you can see how a nice, slow rainfall revives our summer gardens in a very short period of time. Plants love natural rainwater, so why not try to collect more of it? Rain barrels make it easy to collect water and anyone can install them! Sky Juice is free and your plants will appreciate your easy efforts! Need more information? Feel free to contact me at info@greenscapegardens.com and of course, rain barrels are available at Greenscape Gardens!

2010-02-27T21:30:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

WHAT AM I?

2010-02-27T21:28:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

ONLY 21 DAYS UNTIL SPRING.
THIS WINTER IS THE LONGEST IN HISTORY!

2010-02-27T21:27:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

BORROW MONEY FROM PESSIMISTS,
THEY DON'T EXPECT IT BACK.

GREENSCAPE GARDENS RAILROAD

2010-02-27T21:24:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT EVERYONE'S LAWN
LOOKS GOOD WITH SNOW!

THE GREENSCAPE GARDENS RAILROAD

2010-02-27T21:21:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

DAN HEIMS (TERRA NOVA)
JENNIFER SCHAMBER (GREENSCAPE GARDENS)

TERRA NOVA IS A GROWER OF PREMIUM PERENNIALS
DAN VISITED GREENSCAPE GARDENS IN 2007.

2010-02-24T21:51:00.002-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS

Ten Reasons To Plant A Tree

1. Trees conserve energy in the summer, and thereby save you money. Properly planted trees can cut your air-conditioning costs by 15-35%
.
2. Trees help clean the air. Trees produce the oxygen we breathe, and remove air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining particulates.
.
3. Trees bring songbirds close by. Birdsong will fill the air as trees provide nesting sites, food, and cover for countless species.
.
4. Trees around your home can increase its value by up to 15% or more. Studies of comparable houses with and without trees place a markedly higher value on those whose yards are sheltered by trees.
.
5. Trees help clean our rivers and streams. Trees hold the soil in place and reduce polluted runoff into our waterways.
.
6. Trees conserve energy in the winter. Trees can slow cold winter winds, and can cut your heating costs 10-20%.
.
7. Trees fight global warming. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the major contributor to the threat of global warming. Trees planted near our homes and in our communities moderate temperatures and reduce the need for air conditioning and heating produced by burning fossil fuels, a major source of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide.
.
8. Trees make your home and your neighborhood, more beautiful. Trees mark the changing of the seasons, and add grace and seasonal color. Trees make a house feel like a home.
.
9. Trees are fun! Planting and caring for trees can be a great family and community building activity.
.
10. The most important reason is: We have one of the greatest selections of outstanding trees in the St. Louis area.

2010-02-24T21:44:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

COMING SOON
SPRING COLOR

2010-02-24T21:40:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

WE HAVE ONLY ONE PERSON TO BLAME,
AND THAT'S EACH OTHER.

THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF NATURE

2010-02-24T21:37:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

WALK LIGHTLY IN THE SPRING,
MOTHER NATURE IS PREGNANT.
AND THE BISON ARE BIG.

GRAND TETONS

2010-02-23T22:48:00.002-06:00

A LESSON OF LIFE

The Mayonnaise Jar & 2 cups of coffee

.
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had several items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
.
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed, "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
.
The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

2010-02-23T22:38:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

THE HARDEST THING TO UNDERSTAND IN THE WORLD
IS THE INCOME TAX.

2010-02-23T22:36:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

MEN ARE FROM EARTH,
WOMEN ARE FROM EARTH,
DEAL WITH IT.

2010-02-22T23:27:00.004-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS LAWN TIPS

New Herbicide Targets Wild Violets

.
Wild violets can quickly take over lawns in the St. Louis area. Give this weed an inch and it'll take a yard. A relatively new herbicide can be used on turf to control wild violets and many other hard-to-control broadleaf weeds. It’s called carfentrazone. This material is rain-fast in three hours, and you can reseed the treated area two weeks after application. For violet control, it needs to be used in early to mid-April, when the violets are just starting to grow.
.
Sold as SpeedZone, it has been used in the professional lawn-care industry with exceptional results. It’s now available at Greenscape Gardens. We used the product at the garden center last year and had great control on some hard to control wild violets. “While low levels of chemical residue may occur in surface and groundwater, the risk to non-target plants or animals is low,” the EPA fact sheet on the substance states. “Carfentrazone is considered to be practically non-toxic to birds. The chemical is moderately toxic to aquatic animals.
.
Remember the best time to apply SpeedZone is when the wild violets first reappear in early spring. One application normally will eradicate these unwanted weeds. It is heat sensitive. We highly recommend its usuage in early spring before temperatures reach into the 80's. Finally a herbicide that eliminates violets.
.
For more information concerning the care and maintenance of cool season lawns go to Greenscape Gardens Lawn Care.

2010-02-22T23:25:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY
WE ALL MISS YOU!

2010-02-22T23:20:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

THE EARLY BID GETS THE WORM,
BUT THE SECOND MOUSE GETS THE CHEEZE.

2010-02-21T17:14:00.002-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS ORNAMENTAL GRASS

Once again the rave in the St. Louis gardening scene...........Ornamental grasses. We are growing more than 20 different varieties of perennial ornamental grasses. In another couple of weeks (normally St. Patrick's weekend) I highly recommend cutting back the spent shoots from last year. Cut the dead stalks down to within 3-4 inches from the soil. This will make the plant much more attractive for this year. One of the tricks that we use at the garden center is to put black plastic over the stubs of the plants and secure the plastic with bricks in the corners. Wait 10-14 days and take off the plastic. This will warm up the soil around the grasses and they will grow much quicker in the early spring.

2010-02-21T17:07:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

A BALANCED DIET IS A COOKIE IN EACH HAND
OR ONE SMALL DESSERT

2010-02-21T17:03:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

LIFE IN A VACUUM SUCKS
SO DOES ALL THIS SNOW

GREENSCAPE GARDENS CHICKEN RANCH

2010-02-20T23:06:00.002-06:00

GREENSCAPE GARDENS TREE INFORMATION

Chestnut Blight

.
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.
.
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.
.
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.”
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.

2010-02-20T23:02:00.000-06:00

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.

2010-02-20T22:56:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT PIZZA MAKES ONE WEAK!

GRAND TETONS

2010-02-20T22:54:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

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

GRAND TETON BISON

2010-02-20T00:05:00.002-06:00

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.”
*
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.
*
Ecological Impact of Lawns
*
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.
*
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.
*
“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.
*
To learn more about the turfgrass study visit http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Lawn/lawn.html

2010-02-20T00:02:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

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

DURANGO SILVERTON NARROW GUAGE RAILROAD

2010-02-20T00:00:00.000-06:00

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.

2010-02-19T23:58:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

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

2010-02-19T23:56:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO BE A PROBLEM TO YOUR KIDS.

GREENSCAPE GARDENS "G" GUAGE RAILROAD

2010-02-19T13:42:00.002-06:00

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.
*
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.
*
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.

2010-02-18T11:37:00.002-06:00

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.
*
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).
*
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 .
*
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.
*
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.
*
Additional information can be found on the Plants of Merit website.

2010-02-17T22:49:00.002-06:00

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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
Additional information can be found in the Plant of Merit website.

2010-02-17T22:45:00.000-06:00

THE OLD SIGN PHILOSOPHER

CRAZY IS A RELATIVE TERM IN MY FAMILY.

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