CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Bill Mills of TerraSalis Garden Center planted some beautiful bulbs last year, and he's ready to recommend many of them for gardens in our area. Mills often tries out items before stocking them at TerraSalis, so his picks are always worth noting.
Speaking of TerraSalis, it has revamped its Web site, www.terrasalis.com, but thankfully has kept its beautifully written newsletters on the site. Click on the news tab, and you'll find the articles by Mills, Holly Hoffmann and Alison Verey. You can sign up to receive the newsletters by e-mail.
Battle bulb pilferers
"For those of us tormented by chipmunks, voles and other bulb pilferers, try this trick: Buy crushed oyster shells (or try chicken grit or bonemeal) from the grain store and toss it liberally into the hole when planting tulips, crocuses, lilies and other bulbs that furry critters devour. I put a layer of shells below and above the bulb - like a sandwich. It's an inexpensive solution and it works. Why? Apparently the little pests don't like their pedicures ruined by the gritty oyster shells. They leave the bulbs in place." Tovah Martin, Horticulture magazine, October/November 2008 issue.
Fall festival
Valley Gardens will sponsor a fall festival benefiting Covenant House from noon to 4:30 p.m. today at 1109 Piedmont Road. Attendees can build a scarecrow for $10, with all proceeds going to Covenant House. There will be gardening seminars, musical entertainment, face painting, crafts, story time, door prizes and a hot dog sale. Fall planting supplies will be specially priced. Covenant House will accept clothing donations throughout the day.
Rain garden workshop
West Virginia State University Extension Service will offer a free Rain Garden Workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the Douglass Institute Administration Building parking lot on the WVSU campus, Institute. Participants will learn the benefits of installing a rain garden, how to site the garden, soil penetration, plant selection and design. To register, call Jeannie Sutphin at 766-5711.
Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 348-1249.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Bill Mills of TerraSalis Garden Center planted some beautiful bulbs last year, and he's ready to recommend many of them for gardens in our area. Mills often tries out items before stocking them at TerraSalis, so his picks are always worth noting.
"There's a Muscari I've loved for a while: Muscari latifolium comes back every year, with a bicolored purple flower. It's broad-leaved, which is unusual for Muscari," Mills said. Muscari are also known as grape hyacinths.
Others on Mills' top list include:
Iris reticulate: This reticulated iris is a tiny one that's good for naturalizing; it disappears quickly so foliage isn't around too long
Allium karataviense: This one has interesting foliage that really strappy; 10 inches tall, it's white with lavender touches. It lasts a long time and is deer-resistant.
Spanish bluebells: I love the blue and white ones (Hyacinthoides hispanica), which are great to naturalize.
Tulips: Blushing Beauty is a late one that's tall, over 2 feet in height. It's an odd mix of orangey-pink, with a lily flowered form.
Naked Lady: This one (Amaryllis belladonna) takes some planning, because it's sort of an unusual flower - but if you use it sprinkled in your beds with other things, it's good. It blooms late in the summer.
Mills suggests planting a variety of tulips that will come up in early spring, midspring and later, so you can shift colors in your garden. "That way, your garden changes and you can go from one color palette to another," he said.
Speaking of TerraSalis, it has revamped its Web site, www.terrasalis.com, but thankfully has kept its beautifully written newsletters on the site. Click on the news tab, and you'll find the articles by Mills, Holly Hoffmann and Alison Verey. You can sign up to receive the newsletters by e-mail.
Battle bulb pilferers
"For those of us tormented by chipmunks, voles and other bulb pilferers, try this trick: Buy crushed oyster shells (or try chicken grit or bonemeal) from the grain store and toss it liberally into the hole when planting tulips, crocuses, lilies and other bulbs that furry critters devour. I put a layer of shells below and above the bulb - like a sandwich. It's an inexpensive solution and it works. Why? Apparently the little pests don't like their pedicures ruined by the gritty oyster shells. They leave the bulbs in place." Tovah Martin, Horticulture magazine, October/November 2008 issue.
Fall festival
Valley Gardens will sponsor a fall festival benefiting Covenant House from noon to 4:30 p.m. today at 1109 Piedmont Road. Attendees can build a scarecrow for $10, with all proceeds going to Covenant House. There will be gardening seminars, musical entertainment, face painting, crafts, story time, door prizes and a hot dog sale. Fall planting supplies will be specially priced. Covenant House will accept clothing donations throughout the day.
Rain garden workshop
West Virginia State University Extension Service will offer a free Rain Garden Workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the Douglass Institute Administration Building parking lot on the WVSU campus, Institute. Participants will learn the benefits of installing a rain garden, how to site the garden, soil penetration, plant selection and design. To register, call Jeannie Sutphin at 766-5711.
Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 348-1249.
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