Burlington Garden Center

July 8, 2011

Dear Gardening Friend,

We are cone crazy here at the garden center. We just received a new shipment of coneflowers in fabulous colors. It's hard NOT to go crazy over them! I'll pass on some advice from growers in the industry regarding new coneflower varieties - in order to help them winter over the first year, you really should cut off the flowers. What? Cut off the flowers? Yes, I know it's so hard to do, but that's their advice - take it or leave it. You can always enjoy the cut flowers in a pretty arrangement on your kitchen table.    

Keep those gardens watered during this dry spell we are experiencing, especially new additions to the garden. If you are tired of spending your free time with a hose in hand, talk to us about other options such as drip irrigation and soaker hoses.  

Walt's words of wisdom for the lawn is . ..  summer is NOT the time to put down fertilizer. If you irrigate your lawn, an application of a lawn fungicide is a good idea. That's what the golf courses do to prevent lawn diseases that can spread quickly when irrigating.  If you don't irrigate and your lawn is looking a little brown and crispy, don't worry. This is normal - really! The grass varieties used in our lawns are cool season grasses and naturally go dormant during the heat of summer. They will green up again on their own. If we have a really long, hot, dry spell, you may want to cool off the soil with a good soak.  

We'd love to see you this weekend at our "Lovely Lavender" class on Saturday or at the garden walk on Sunday (read on for more info). No matter what you do, enjoy your gardens and maybe do a little rain dance.    

Happy gardening,

Tracy Hankwitz

Lavender Class this Saturday  

Lovely Lavender  

This Saturday, July 9 at 10 AM

Learn all about lavender - growing, harvesting, and using it, as well as the beneficial properties. Sample delicious lavender recipes and make a lavender sachet.  Abby Lippmann, of Serenity Soaps, will join our very own herb lady, Marge Koenecke, for this presentation.

RSVP at 262.763.2153 or burlingtongc@sbcglobal.net.  There is a cost of $5 for this class.     

Our herb products will be 15% off this weekend. If you have our 2011BGC discount t-shirt discount, that applies, too. Save on the following:

* herbal tea pot

* herbal tea cups (set of 2)

* herb books  

* herb plant markers

* herb pots

Spinosad Your Potatoes        

                         

Ok, let's all say it together: spin-OH-sid. What is this, you may ask? Spinosad is a naturally occurring soil bacteria called Saccharopolyspora spinosa (let's not even try to say that!) discovered in an abandoned rum distillery in 1982 that is now used as an organic insecticide.  

How does it work? Spinosad must be ingested by the insect which causes rapid excitation of the insect's nervous system. The insect dies within one to two days. Research shows 100% mortality of the following insects:  

caterpillars, beetles (including the Japanese Beetle), leafminers, borers, fruit flies, and  .. . . . . the larval and adult phases of the Colorado potato beetle!  

Those potato beetles are in the garden now, feasting on the leaves of potato plants. The larvae form looks like tiny red bugs with black spots on their sides and, boy, they are hungry! (see photo above) 

Spinosad is available here at BGC as a Bonide product called "Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew". It comes in all forms - ready-to-spray, hose-end, dust, and concentrate.  

By the way, Spinosad will not hurt beneficial insects. It's safe to use on fruits, vegetables, grapes, lawns, and ornamentals. It's also used as a flea control for pets (talk to your vet about that). Spinosad is a very effective insect control, however, limit your applications to six per growing season so the insects don't develop an immunity to it.

Bella Anna Hydrangea       

  

There's a new girl in town and she's causing quite a commotion. Say hello to Bella Anna, also known as the pink Annabelle Hydrangea. She is the latest addition to the Endless Summer series of reblooming hydrangeas developed by Dr. Michael Dirr.     

Bella Anna's rich pink mopheads bloom on old and new wood, from early summer through the fall. She will grow well in the sun or the shade and will quickly mature to 3-5 feet tall.   

Strong stems support the large flowers making them ideal for cut flower arrangements - fresh or dried. In the photo above, Bella Anna is paired with 'Sutherland Gold' Elderberry (Sambucus    'Sutherland Gold'), and the berries of the Serviceberry (Amelanchier lamarkii). Add a 'Blue Shadow' Fothergilla and a PowWow pink coneflower and you've got an instant garden that will have everyone talking!

All Small Fruits  

20% off

+ t-shirt discount

Now is a good time to plant small fruit trees, blueberries, grapes, raspberries, gooseberries, and currants. You can grow your own fruit and it's all on sale!   

Patriot Blueberries

Chippewa Blueberries 

Concord Seedless Grapes

St. Croix Grapes

Marquette Grapes

Edelweiss Grapes 

 Bristol Black Raspberries 

Heritage Red Raspberries

Black Ice Plum Trees

Toka Plum Trees

Zestar Apple Trees

Red Lake Currants

Pixwell Gooseberries 

Rare Plant: Golden Zebra Daylily      

It's time for the daylilies to shine and this one really will add some pizzazz to the garden. 'Golden Zebra' daylily (Hemerocallis) is true to it's name with striped, variegated foliage that turns creamy yellow in full sun.  

Dark yellow flowers appear in clusters in July with some intermittent reblooming later in the summer. Each flower opens up for only one day (thus the name), and grows to 12-15" tall.   

Design tip: Plants with variegated foliage are eye-catching so use them sparingly. "Golden Zebra" makes a great focal point in the perennial border or mixed in with flowering shrubs and evergreens.   

Tom & Donna Krishan, local photographer and naturalist,  wrote about variegated foliage in a recent article in 'Northern Gardener', "We're not among those who consider variegated plants gaudy and beyond good taste in a garden. Still, we tend to use them sparingly-as isolated specimens best appreciated in small doses, like a single piece of fine chocolate. " I couldn't agree more.    

Summer Classes at BGC      

Fairy Garden Workshop

Saturday, July 16 at 10 AM & 11 AM  

Plant an enchanting fairy garden in a basket to take home. Adults and children are welcome. The workshop fee ($20) will cover basket, plants, and a few miniatures. Visit our fairy corner in our gift shop for additional wee things available for purchase to add to your fairy garden.  RSVP at 262.763.2153 or burlingtongc@sbcglobal.net. 

This is a popular class so we are offering two sessions, one at 10 AM and one at 11 AM. Please indicate which one you will be attending when you RSVP.  

Kids' Nature Walk & Craft

Saturday, July 23 at 10 AM

Kids of all ages are invited to go on a nature walk here at BGC led by staff members of Bong Nature Center. After the walk, we will make a nature craft.  Cost for the craft is $5 per child. RSVP at 262.763.2153 or burlingtongc@sbcglobal.net.  

Garden Walk - Be Inspired    

These big, beautiful hostas grace the front walk of Susan and Chuck Gray's home. It's inspiring to see other gardens. Don't miss your opportunity for inspiration on Sunday, July 10 at the Burlington Area Garden Walk. Sponsored by the Burlington Area Garden Club, you can enjoy the day touring six gardens in the Burlington area. Learn more about it here. Advance tickets are $8 and available here at BGC.  

Daily Garden Tip on Facebook   

We are excited to announce our daily garden tip on facebook. Every day you can learn a useful tip for growing herbs, vegetables, flowers, and fruits or it maybe a birding tip. These tips are timely, pertaining to what is going on in our gardens here in the Burlington area.  

You can receive the BGC daily garden tip by becoming our fan on Facebook. You will need your own Facebook page which is easy to set up. All you need is an email address.  

Become a new BGC fan on facebook between now and this Saturday, July 9, and we'll enter your name in a drawing for a $25 BGC gift certificate! Read today's tip here.  

July Hours

Monday - Friday

9 AM - 5:30 PM

Saturday 9 AM - 4 PM

Sunday 10 AM - 2 PM 

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread - places where nature may heal and give strength."

                                      ~John Muir