U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
21.07.2023 - 23:13 / awaytogarden.com
A BOUT 375 VISITORS AND A MILLION QUESTIONS LATER, Jack and I are resting comfortably—Jack in his giant terra cotta bowl out back (lined with kitty bedding, thank you), me in my favorite chair. Garden Conservancy Open Days are over (“Thanks goodness,” he says, in the funny way he talks), and it is possible we may not get up for quite some time. But before our next nap, a recap…in words and also in a slideshow…of new friends who visited from as far as Canada and Seattle, of the most-popular plants, and the most-asked questions (and their answers):And up the path they came.WHO VISITED: We met Twitter friends like @GardenGuyKenn (all the way from Michigan) and other blog-commenters like Bobster (all the way from Rhode Island) and Leslie (from Connecticut) and Ailsa and Patti, from Ottawa, Ontario.
We met Joyce from Iowa and Michelle from Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania (31 miles from Wilkes-Barre, apparently) and Sandra from Clarks Summit (also Pennsylvania, 8 miles from Scranton) and Julie from Reston, Virginia, and Stephanie from Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Stephanie from Seattle (both Stephanies, both from prime garden country…a coincidence?). Someone signed in as being from Scotland, but can that be so? And all of you, thank you, whether from a mile down the road or a country or ocean away…or whether you just visited our virtual tour yesterday.
Some of those who came in person came with gifts (a ceramic frog candy dish containing chocolate kisses from a crazy, crafty neighbor; a true alpine iris; a really giant and odd reddish plant, that apparently looks like a cross between cockscomb/love lies bleeding/and The Plant That Took Over the Universe). Jack waited for his favorite blog commenter and repeat visitor, DenDen,U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
North Carolina State Extension wrote an excellent publication on terrestrial flatworms, with common species around yards and gardens in the Carolinas called land planarians or hammerhead worms: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/terrestrial-flatwormshammerhead-worms.
Q: We have a Malus (ornamental crab apple tree) in our back garden, which has grown from small to its present 20ft over 15 years. It buds and flowers nicely, but then turns a bit shabby. It doesn’t seem like a healthy tree. Can you help? We are debating whether we need to remove it and replace it. If it does need to be removed, what replacement would you suggest? CF, Co Kilkenny
A: As much as wild ivy provides a very important habitat for birds and insects, and the arboreal form (the older, shrubby growth which produces flowers), and is a really valuable source of nectar, it can also be problematic in established gardens where it can damage built structures as well as some established, older trees such as your apple tree. With the latter, very heavy ivy growth can eventually cause death by overburdening the tree’s leafy canopy, which in turn can result in (a) broken branches, leading to an increased risk of disease and (b) destabilising of the tree’s root system, increasing the risk of it falling in a storm. Very heavy ivy growth in the canopy of a fruit tree can also reduce the amount of light needed for healthy growth, interfere with blossom set and slow down ripening of the fruit.
Taylor Swift is in her Eras era, and the world is here for it. Whether you’re a die-hard Swiftie or just catch the occasional tune on the radio, you’ve probably heard all about the Eras Tour, along with its fantastical world-building and ambitious set design. The three-hour show takes the audience through an era-by-era recap of Swift’s 17-year musical career, covering all of her albums in a stunning and immersive 44-song performance.
Q: Can you tell me what this insect is? It’s feasting on my dahlia leaves. I don’t use insecticides in the garden so can handpick and squash them if I have to. If they’re not going to do too much harm I’m happy to leave them alone. DK, Co Waterford
“The biggest problem I encountered was with the Phlox I planted,” Dan wrote. “The leaves developed a terrible fungus and it slowed its growth terribly. When I first spotted it, I did some research and decided to use an organic fungicide. That worked alright, but the fungus came back. Then, I tried an organic remedy I found on the internet: spraying with a milk solution. That worked less well. The poor plants were so overcome with the black fungus that they eventually withered without flowering late in the summer. I finally cut them down. Now they are starting back with strong green growth and I’m pleased, but I wondered if you had any advice for treating Phlox fungus.”One of the best non-chemical ways to deal with powdery mildew, I replied, which Phlox paniculata is so prone to in our humid summer
T ODAY IS OPEN DAY AT A WAY TO GARDEN, THE FIRST THIS SEASON. It’s been a little hectic (understatement), but I’m as ready as I can get.
SOMEONE FELL ASLEEP IN A CHAIR LAST NIGHT AT 8, but this toad (loyal old tight-lipped friend that he is) is not saying who. In fact, he’s not saying much today other than good morning, before hopping away to hide behind the big pots in case carloads of people arrive at the gate for any more garden tours.
WHAT THE FORUMS DOWhat they do first is ask that you register, even if you registered on the blog previously.I’ve organized the forums for starters by some logical subjects, like Flower Gardening and Edible Gardening and Houseplants and so forth. Within those, you can start a new topic (ask a question, for instance, or start a discussion about something like greattrees for the home landscape) or jump in and answer a thread that’s already been started. Or you can suggest to me (my name there is ugq for Urgent Garden Questioner) that I start another forum on some category I’ve overlooked, as we grow this thing together.And I mean together: Forum
P EOPLE LIKE TO ASK ME QUESTIONS, GARDENING QUESTIONS. It’s been happening for a couple of decades, and lately, well, lately it’s getting worse (better?). More urgent, you might say, as in more urgent garden questions than ever.
BETWEEN WEEDING, WATERING, EDGING, MULCHING, I noticed there are some new things blooming…like several dozen.