What is a biennial?

Sweet William

Biennials take 2 growing seasons to produce a flower.  There are many flowers categorized as biennials. An old time favorite is Sweet William.  A mini bouquet on one stem and a very fragrant spring bloomer.  They easily self-sow in the garden so allow some babies to spring up in late summer.  This "little growing season" is often enough to allow them to bloom next spring. Something to consider planting next year.

Happy Gardening!

Moss Growing in the Sun?

Help!  My velvety green lawn, growing so nicely in the full sun, is now looking sort of sick!

Lawn has a slight yellowish green tinge to it in places.  It gets full sun and regular watering.  What's happening?

Look closer and you'll notice bushy little clumps and strands.

A few strands pulled from that patch of lawn confirm that moss was the culprit.

Why does moss grow in the sun?  Doesn't it normally grow in the shade?

Yes, moss prefers the shade but will flourish in the sun if the soil is too acidic.  Rake out big clumps of moss and apply lime.  (See entry on applying lime.)  When the soil pH is balanced, the moss will die back and the lawn can thrive again.

Adding lime to your lawn...

Purchase lime by the bag, prilled is best.

Prilled lime is very fine lime rolled into "gravel" that breaks down very easily when wet.

Using a lawn spreader, following application directions on the bag, apply lime to the lawn in the fall.  The lime will "sweeten" the soil and help balance the pH.  Mushrooms growing anywhere in the lawn, and/or moss growing in sunny sections of the lawn, tell you it's time to add lime.

Fred Meyer carries the Lily Miller brand called Super Sweet.  At $6.48 for a 25 pound bag, it's an inexpensive solution to this problem.

Why are there mushrooms in my lawn?

Mushrooms show up in the lawn because the soil has become too acidic or "sour."  It's time to add some lime to reduce the acidity or "sweeten" the soil.   More on treatment later on...

Slippery When Wet...

A spring rake works best on wet leaves....

Mound them up in a tidy compost pile.  In a relaxed garden they can remain in sight and look fine.  The eye looks for uniformity, not perfection!

Be sure to keep leaves off pavement---slippery when wet!
A stiff broom or hose will quickly remove them.
(Just be sure to detach your hose from the spigot when you're done, to prevent damage from an unexpected frost.)

Purple Allium.....plant among your tulips!

Buy a bag of giant allium this fall and plant them in your tulip bed.  The 3" plus blooms appear late in the summer and are worth the 5 or 6 bucks!  Excellent as cut flowers---very long blooming.

To Rake or to Mow?

Gorgeous sunny day... a few leaves on the lawn.

Mulching mower handles the leaves just fine.

See?

Chopped leaves, green grass all mixed together.  Perfect ratio of green to brown for composting....

Apply to garden beds to feed the soils all winter long!