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Mulch, More Mulch!
Greetings!
 I have a small mulch mountain blocking my driveway and it's been my workout every day for the past week. (Gardening is such good exercise; I almost never hit the gym in spring). I'm also doing my best to keep up with the weeds. After I get the beds cleaned out in spring, I usually do one thorough pass of weeding through the garden in early April. Now I'm trying to finish up my second pass, and promptly topping it with 1-3 inches of wood chip mulch. But it's definitely not all work and no play. Neighbor Martha went in with me on the mulch order, and somehow, after an hour or two of our working together on it, some margaritas tend to show up and the other neighbors magically come out of their yards, lawn chairs in hand, and the mulching stops and the socializing begins. I love gardening, for so many reasons! Happy Gardening,  Veronica Lorson Fowler |
Save Money on Water, Beautifully
 Rain barrels are a time-honored way to save water and provide the best chemical-free water for houseplants and flowers.
This 40-gallon classy rain barrel from Petty Vinyl in Gladbook, Iowa, is not only functional but has a unique planter box in the lid for planting. Unusual! Click here for details on how it works.
The rain barrel normally sells for $229.99 plus tax and shipping, but as a subscriber to The Iowa Gardener, it's yours for only $199.99 plus tax. Shipping is free (for a limited time).
For information or to place an order, call Petty Vinyl at 1-888-477-4474 or email them. Don't forget to mention this ad in The Iowa Gardener to receive your discount! And find out more about other outdoor products at pettyvinyl.com. |
Much Ado About Moles
They are ripping up my front slope and making an absolute mess of it. Sigh. Click here to find out more about how to cope with these annoying creatures. No firearms required.
And if you want to at least get a good laugh out of your mole problem, considering sharing your story of your personal mole battle by entering a "I Hate Moles Because" contest from Sweeneys, the manufacturer of mole repellents. You might win a $500 gift certificate from Lowe's.
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Easier, Faster Weeding
When you're out there pulling weeds, go ahead and crush or twist them into a little bundle. You can tuck the little weed packet in underneath a nearby hosta, shrub, or other broad-leafed plant, saving a trip to the compost heap or bothering to bag them. The bundles of weeds also serve as a mini-mulch, eventually breaking down and feeding the soil. Win, win!
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Ants on Peonies
 Anyone who's ever spent any time around a peony bush knows that ants love peony flowers. One myth is that the ants will damage the flower. They won't. Another myth is that the ants help open or pollinate the flower. They don't.
The ants are just grooving on the particular type of sap that peonies produce and how it's presented to them. So leave them be. And if you're bringing peonies indoors, just gently shake or pick the ants off.
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Annuals on Clearance
 Now that the crush of spring-time purchasing is past, some garden centers and supermarkets are marking down their annuals and other plants. But avoid bare-root roses, those grown with their roots in little boxes or bags. It's too late to plant them and you're probably wasting your moola.
Also don't be tempted by sick-looking or dried-up plants, of any sort. They aren't likely to get better, only worse. However, if plants look healthy and well-cared for, go for it. You've got yourself a bargain!
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My Magical Mystery Tour
 Canning is hot! The New York Times just did a story about its resurgence and Ball Canning reports that sales of canning supplies are way up. We're all looking for healthy, local, economical, earth-friendly ways to preserve the goodies from our garden.
I'll be taking the month of June to travel across the country, teaching canning workshops for an initiative sponsored by Gardening How-To Magazine and Ball. Fortunately, I'm back home in July because I, like everyone else, have planted a big vegetable garden and I need to get harvesting and canning.
Interested in doing some canning? Click here to find out how to get started. It's huge fun and fascinating to do with kids.
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Ask Veronica a Question
If you're a subscriber, email Veronica with your garden questions and she'll do her very best to get back to you within two business days. Click here! |
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Garden To-Do List
 Weed, weed, weed. All this rain followed by warmer weather makes for perfect conditions for weeds to take off with sonic speed. After weeding, mulch to slow weeds in returning.
Hurry up and finish planting any tomatoes, peppers, annual flowers, etc. that you have. Our Iowa growing season is so short you need to get them in now to let them mature and to enjoy them for the longest period of time possible!
You can continue to divide perennials that bloom in late summer or fall now, as needed or desired. Hold off on dividing those that bloom in late spring or early summer until either after they bloom or this fall.
Deadhead flowers on annuals, perennials, and some shrubs.
Continue to plant container-grown or balled-and-
burlapped trees, shrubs, and roses now. However, avoid planting bare-root roses and other bare-root plants. This late in the season, they'll struggle to get established.
Time to practice tough love. If a tree or shrub is still struggling with winter damage or overall sickness, with significant amounts of dead wood, it's almost certainly time to dig it up or cut it down.
Plant the seeds of corn, squash, cucumbers, and beans now. They like well-warmed soil, and it's now warm enough across the state.
Don't remove the browning foliage of tulips and daffodils until it pulls away easily. The plants need it to rejuvenate for next year.
Pinch mum buds until the 4th of July. This helps them produce larger, bigger flowers on stronger stems.
Stop cutting asparagus now to allow the plants to develop enough foliage to rejuvenate for next year. If your rhubarb is small, stop harvesting now. Otherwise, continue for another few weeks (just be sure to get nice, tender stalks).
If you haven't staked or supported your tomatoes yet, do so now. My tried-and-true fav is the cage made from hog wite or concrete reinforecment wire. And for the tall, beefsteak-type tomatoes, the cages need to be at least 5 feet tall and preferably 6.
Check out our month-by-month listing of what to plant when in Iowa!
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Sponsored Links
Ted's Garden CenterCumming This one-of-a-kind center has topiary, unusual trellises, classes, interesting garden art, container garden "recipes" and more! |
Garden Events
Flower Power European-Style Flower Market
Saturday, June 7
11 am - 3 pm, Des Moines' East Village. Floral demonstrations, purchase cut flowers, plants, and more!
Lake Homestead Wildlife Survey
Saturday, June 20
9 am - 1 pm.
Learn about the frogs, turtles, fish and other critters that live in Brenton Arboretum's lake. Join Allen Anderson, co-founder of the Iowa Herpetological Society. Pre-registration is required.
Polk County Master Gardeners Garden Tour
Saturday, June 20
Eight area gardens, plus education demonstrations. Tickets $10. Call (515) 957-5760.
Include your group or business garden-related events in this listing for no charge. Click here to contact us!
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Quote:
"When I go into my garden with a spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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