grEen News from Smithfield Gardens

grEen News from

Smithfield Gardens

March 2012

1972 ~ 2012

Celebrating Our 40th Year

In This Issue:

- Upcoming Events and Classes

Quick Links:

March's Monthly Checklist

Past Issues of grEen News

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Dear Friends,

March is normally one of the most transitional of months. It could be winter or it could be spring, though this year it seems more spring with many of our favorite bloomers opening weeks early. However, we better not forget that March can be full of surprises, so keep an eye on that weather forecast.

Speaking of transitions, you may notice a few changes when you come to Smithfield Gardens this spring, especially inside of our garden center. We have restocked the shelves in a different way with a slightly different mix of products, hopefully to make it easy for you to find the best products at the best price. Most of these changes are the result of our new garden center manager, Rhonda Harris. Those of you with long memories may recognize Rhonda, as this is not her first time working for Smithfield Gardens. We are glad to have her back and hope you will welcome her too.

The warm winter may have many of you itching to get out in the garden, and we wanted to let you know that we are quickly becoming stocked for spring. Most of the items inside our garden center are already here. New trees and shrubs are rolling in each week, and soon our first shipment of spring veggies and herbs will arrive. We have already gotten in a few of the more cold tolerant perennials, and the annuals will begin later in the month. If you would like to get yourself prepared for spring, then look below at all the free classes we are having in March, there will be something offered each weekend.

We hope to see you soon and wish you happy gardening!

Your friends at Smithfield Gardens

Upcoming Events and Classes at Smithfield Gardens

Easy Propagating Techniques

March 3rd (Sat.) 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

In these times of economic frugality, what gardener wouldn't want to get plants for nearly free? Come let Ann Weber teach you how to make many plants from one.

Getting Your Lawn Ready for Spring and Summer

March 3rd (Sat.) 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

This class will teach you what to do and when for both cool and warm season truf. Rhonda Harris will be teaching.

Composting for Beginners

March 10th (Sat.) 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Did you know that there is something you can do at home to keep our landfills from getting bigger, plus make your plants grow better as well? The answer is home composting, and it is easier than you might think. Ann Weber will tell you what you need to know to get started.

Camellias: Queen of the Winter Garden

March 10th (Sat.) 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

People should plant more camellias. They are evergreen, drought tolerant, shade tolerant, easy to grow, and my-oh-my those beautiful flowers. Come let Jeff Williamson tell you what you need to know to succeed with this classic Tidewater plant.

Backyard Vegetable Gardening

March 17th (Sat.) 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

This new-old trend show no signs of slowing down, and if you would like to learn how easy it is to get started, and which crops do best here, this class is for you.

Basic Home Landscape Design

March 17th (Sat.) 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Whether you are looking to establish a new garden or are trying to breathe life into an existing landscape, this popular class will help you get started. Jeff Williamson will be teaching.

All About Herbs

March 24th (Sat.) 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

No garden is complete without at least one of these plants that are not only edible, aromatic, ornamental and attract butterflies, but they are suprisingly easy to grow as well. Our own gifted-in-the-kitchen, Gina Nardoianni will teaching this class.

Chemicals vs. Organics: Finding Balance in the Garden

March 31st (Sat.) 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Did you know that not every garden problem needs to be solved by heavy doses of chemical pesticides? Often there are less toxic solutions that are just as effective, although for many situation the "big guns" are the only solution. Rhonda Harris will walk you through the decision process to find the right solution for you.

Would you like to save 10% on your purchases at Smithfield Gardens? Monday is Military Discount Day and active duty military, Coast Guard, police, fire and rescue personnel all are entitled to this discount. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are Senior Days. Also, anyone who attends one of our free classes is entitled to a discount on the day of the class. All of our discounts apply to any item not already on sale and can not be used towards landscaping services or bulk materials.

Other Events

Raptor Rehab Day

March 17th (Sat.) 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m

Pearl & Jimmy Beamer will show their remarkable hawks during a discussion of raptors & rehabilitation. The admission for this event is free and it will be held in Portsmouth at the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation and Preserve. Visit their web site for more details.

Native Plants and Native Soils

March 17th (Sat.) 6:45 p.m.

The talk by Dr. Stewart A. Ware will include a description of native soils, and discussion of how soil texture and soil mineral content affect abundance, distribution, and growth of native plants on the Coastal Plain of Virginia. The talk will be held at the Yorktown Public Library and is sponsored by the John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society. Visit their web site for more details.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden has classes and events throughout the month. Please click here for more details.

Gimme Shelter

Who doesn't like the color blue? I'm talking about the cheerful, delicious hues found in only a few choice annuals, perennials and bulbs (annual Chinese forget-me-not, Virginia bluebells, scillas and Veronica 'Georgia Blue' come to mind) and in our native Eastern bluebird. The scientific name for this beautiful bird, immortalized in prose and song, is Sialia sialis. I selected it for my topic this month because it's a bird that concerned homeowners and farmers have brought back from the verge of extinction ---simply by placing a bluebird house on their property. What a success story!

Eastern Bluebird - female

Eastern Bluebird - male

Open areas with scattered trees, short ground cover and low predator populations are the locations these birds prefer for raising their young. Because their beaks are not sturdy enough to excavate their own houses in old trees, bluebirds rely on old woodpecker homes or cavities in rotting trees (which homeowners are quick to remove for safety/insurance reasons). This is where a little human assistance comes in very handy. While every yard might not lend itself to the installation of a bluebird house, there are many of you who could easily help these birds. However, you can't slap or hang just any old house out there and expect them to be thrilled. The houses should be mounted on poles approximately 4-5' off the ground and have the correct diameter opening. A visit to the nearby Founder's Pointe housing development will allow interested parties to see over twenty bluebird houses (complete with snake baffles) mounted at the correct height on a beautiful bluebird trail. These houses are monitored on a regular basis once egg-laying has begun, and the front of the house is removed to check on the progress of the eggs and babies. Smithfield Gardens also has a bluebird house mounted outside of our fence, and the photo below shows what I cleaned out of it a couple of weeks ago. Judging from the type of next materials I pulled out, I know that house sparrows were using the box. Believe me, little sparrows can be quite cruel to bluebirds, and you want to do all that you can to discourage them from using bluebird boxes to make their nests.

Eastern bluebirds lay their eggs in neat nests, usually made from materials like pine needles.

All of the "trashy" materials taken out of our box tell me that sparrows hijacked it last year.

Why haven't you noticed bluebirds in your yard before? Bluebirds will not be attracted to bird feeders because their short, slender beaks do not allow them to crack open seeds. During the summer months their main food source is insects--- like crickets, caterpillars, beetles, snails, sow bugs, earthworms and spiders. Mealworms are a delicacy for them and these can be purchased at a bird supply store. By the way, chat rooms have mixed opinions about whether bluebirds help control the mosquito population. Ponds, streams and birdbaths may serve as a source of water for bluebirds.

Eastern Bluebird Boxes

At the end of February we received our annual shipment of bluebird houses, houses made, ironically enough, by the vendor who supplies our blueberry bushes. These sturdy models are made in North Carolina from the fast-growing Paulownia tomentosa tree, which is also called Royal Paulownia, Princess or Empress Tree. This company grows their own trees, and I was told that this wood is lightweight, resistant to pests and does not need to be treated. To quote the woman there who answered my questions, "they'll last indefinitely". I highly recommend a visit to www.sialis.org/history.htm for more detailed information, fun facts; and tips on preventing aggressive, non-native house sparrows (and Eastern starlings) from setting up housekeeping in the new house. If you just can't do a bluebird house, console yourself with some of the blue-colored plants that I mentioned at the beginning of this piece.

Ann Weber

Camellias: Queen of the Winter Garden

I recently spoke with a customer who is new to the area and new to gardening as well. She wanted to know the name of the red rose that had been blooming in her garden since January. After asking a few questions I finally figured she was talking about a camellia, and since it was blooming in late winter it was more than likely Camellia japonica. With the mild winter we have been having, the camellias have opened early this year, but normally they start in late February, peak in March and some late blooming varieties will actually last until April. Camellias are easy to grow if they are in the right spot. They prefer partial shade in moist, but well-drained soil. They really don't like soggy conditions or afternoon sun. Once they are established they show a surprising tolerance for drought and can compete with mature tree roots.

'April Tryst' is an anenome-form hybrid (photo courtesy of Bennett's Creek Nursery).

Camellia japonica 'Dixie Knight Supreme'

'Dixie Knight Supreme' is variegated with a loose peony form.

Most camellias will grow about 8-10' tall, but are slow growers and will take a while to reach full size. If needed you can control the size through pruning right after the flowers have finished. Camellias come in shades of red, pink, white and can be variegated as well. Depending on the variety, the flowers can range from 2.5" across for smaller selections, up to 6" across for larger ones. The flowers can take on several forms from single, semi-double, anemone, peony, rose form to formal double. To keep your camellias happy, I recommend that you apply a regular application of any fertilizer labeled for camellias, azaleas or rhododendrons. I personally like to use Holly-Tone, which is a slow release organic fertilizer, but there are others that will work too. There are only a couple of pest issues that you have to watch out for on camellias. There are several scale insects that can bother them, and sometimes spider mites can be an issue. Petal blight can discolor the flowers, but keeping the fallen petals raked will help control this.

'Drama Girl' is a semi-double form.

'Kramer's Supreme' is a reliable, fragrant favorite (photo courtesy of Bennett's Creek Nursery).

If you want to learn more, be sure to sign up for Jeff's camellia class on Sat. 3/10 (see our events calendar for more information). As lovely as these plants are, doesn't your garden have room for one - or more?

Les Parks

'Silver Waves' is a large semi-double (photo courtesy of Bennett's Creek Nursery).

'Les Marbury' is a semi-double .

An Ounce of Prevention

This winter has been unseasonably warm. That means weeds, weeds, and more weeds in the garden and lawn. You will see Poa annua (annual blue grass), henbit (with those pretty purple flowers) and several other unwanted plants (A.K.A. weeds).

Grabgrass is so tough it can even grown in asphalt.

Henbit may have lovely flowers, but it can be a noxious weed.

The first step to a weed-free garden is prevention, and now is the time for pre-emergent. For the lawn we have Hi-Yield Crabgrass Control, that if applied now will keep grassy weeds from germinating. A new product for us this spring is Hi-Yield Turf and Ornamental Weed Stopper, which prevents the same grassy weeds, but also prevents broadleaf weeds as well. To kill existing weeds in the lawn, we recommend Weed Out with Q, and to control the dreaded Poa annua it is best to use a pre-emergent in late August. Done then, you will still be able to seen in late October.

Poa annua is one of our worst winter weeds.

To prevent weed seed from germinating in flower beds we recommend Preen. Apply it now and keep new weed seeds from taking over your beds. Some weeds like Bermuda and nutgrass are very hard to control, but we have several solutions that work. If you need more help, come into the store and let us help you on your way to a beautiful weed-free lawn and garden.

Rhonda Harris

Contact Information and Store Hours

Smithfield Gardens is located at:

1869 Bridge Rd. (Rte. 17)

Suffolk, Virginia 23433

Click here for a map and directions

Our phone number is 757.238.2511,

and our fax number is 757.238.3836

Our email is smithfieldgardens@yahoo.com

Our Store Hours for March are:

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday

11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday

Beginning Monday 3/12 our winter hours end, and we will be open

9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. sevens days a week