Tuesday, June 29, 2010

CD Release Party Wednesday Night!



That’s right…..it’s

Runnin’ Right on Time

Wednesday, June 30th 7PM
at Victoria Gardens

1 Cottekill Road/Rt.213
Rosendale, NY

658-900 (victoriagardens.biz)

Refreshments, live music in the garden.
Come hear a sampling of the CD and be among the first to buy your very own.

with EC Lorick, Frank Martin, Frank Tetler…. surprises.

www.debmartin7.com

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 3

Uugh! Slugs!

Fear not, we have some kid safe/pet safe tips and organic solutions to help fight the slimy little suckers.

1. Sluggo, an all natural, pet safe, proven snail and slug killer. As it says on the bottle, "makes slugs disappear!" One package covers 1,000 square feet, and it remains effective through the rain!

2.Spread or spray Diatomaceous Earth. Diatomaceous earth is the sharp, jagged skeletal remains of microscopic creatures. It lacerates soft-bodied pests, causing them to dehydrate. A powdery granular material, it can be sprinkled around garden beds or individual plants or put in a sprayer, which we also carry.

Diatomaceous earth is less effective when wet, so use during dry weather. Wear protective gear (safety glasses and a dust mask) when applying, as it can irritate eyes and lungs. Be sure to buy natural or agricultural grade diatomaceous earth, not pool grade which has smoother edges and is far less effective. We carry the agricultural grade by the bag.

3. Bait and kill slugs is with pans full of beer. The slugs are attracted to the yeasty smell and then drown in the brew. The only problem with this home remedy is that with all the rain we've been getting, the beer may get diluted, or flooded out entirely.

4. For the brave, pick off the slugs in the early morning or evening with chop sticks (so you don't get the slime all over your hands) and drop them in a bucket of salted water. Or pick them off with your clippers, and cut them in half as you do. (I know, so gross.)


Other tips:

Use cocoa mulch. Slugs don't like the smell or the texture. (Dog owners beware, dogs will sometimes eat the cocoa shells, and it can make them sick.)

Put very finely crushed eggshells around plants you wish to protect.

Spread coffee grounds or aluminum sulfate around plants.



What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 1


What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 2

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 2

What are aphids?

"Aphids, also known as plant lice (and in Britain as greenflies),[1] are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea.[2] Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions.[3]"

- Wikipedia



And yuck!They are disgusting. When you find them, you usually don't find just one, you find a creepy crawly infestation.


You may see the holes the aphids chew threw your leaves before you see the bugs, especially if they camouflage like the type shown above.

What is the best way to fight aphids?

Fight these garden pests with their natural predators - Ladybugs!

We have live ladybugs available now!


Wait until dusk, spray the infested plant or plants with water, and then shake the live lady bugs out of the container on to the plant. If you release the ladybugs during the heat of the day, they will just fly away. By giving them water, they will stay put through the night and search and destroy aphids like ladybug special forces.

Ladybugs also eat fruit flies, thrips and other garden pests.

If you purchase and release lady bugs to eat your aphids, DON"T use chemical insecticides such as Seven, or you will kill off your beneficial insects as well. It is much more effective to introduce natural predators, than to use the chemical alternative.

For more repulsive images of different types of aphids visit this site.


What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 1


What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 2



What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 3

Sunday, June 20, 2010

What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 1



It is Japanese Beetle season and we spotted the first few at the nursery this week.
Anyone battling these invasive defoliators should use a multi-pronged attack:

1. Set up Japanese Beetle traps. Place the traps 15' to 25' away from the plants you are trying to protect (some of their favorites include roses, holly hocks, and birch trees).

We have often heard the argument that the traps lure more Japanese beetles over to your yard and do more harm than good.

And here's our argument - If the lures inside the traps are doing their jobs, than they are luring beetles to the trap. The beetles slip down the sides of the slippery bag and die. (Just place the traps 15' to 25' AWAY from the plants you wish to protect, as well as using a repellent on targeted plants.

Any Japanese beetle allowed to live (even in your neighbor's yard), will reproduce and there will be even more of these damaging bugs back next year.

2. Spray an organic repellent on the plants you wish to protect.

Cover up the sweet smell of your roses! You can get a two-for by using the Garlic-y smelling Deer Defeat product (made right here in the Hudson Valley). Spray deer defeat right on the open blooms.

3. Use Beneficial Nematodes or Milky Spore on your lawn to kill Japanese Beetle Larvae before they hatch into damaging adult Japanese beetles.


This is really the long term step that everyone should be taking. Talk to your neighbors and coordinate your applications, because these grub fighting treatments will stay in your soil diminishing the Japanese Beetle population for years to come.

Beneficial Nematodes kill soil-dwelling and boring insects such as grubs, beetles, weevils, maggots, cutworms, cucumber and squash beetles, flea larvae, fire ants, and more. Beneficial nematodes do not affect humans, animals, plants and are compatible with beneficial insects such as lady bugs, lacewings, praying mantids and earthworms.

St. Gabriel Laboratories' Milky Spore is a naturally occurring host specific bacterium (Bacillus popillae-Dutky). Milky Spore is applied to the lawn, and within the next 7-21 days will eventually die. As the grub decomposes, it releases billions of new spores.

Milky Spore is not harmful to beneficial insects, birds, bees, pets or man. The product is approved and registered with EPA, Milky Spore will not affect wells, ponds or streams.

The ideal way to combat area infestation is through organized community efforts. Large areas treated with Milky Spore can result in long term control. So talk to your neighbors and try to coordinate your efforts.

If you've taken all the procautionary steps and you still walk out to your garden to find a beloved plant covered with adult Japanese beetles...

4. Knock them off into a cup of soapy water and drown them. They are slower moving and easier to catch this way early in the morning and later in the evening. The cooler air makes them more lethargic.

5. Don't be discouraged if you lose a battle or two, keep taking organic, preventative steps to diminish the entire population and you may win the war.
What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 1


What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 2



What's Buggin' You? Organic Pest Control Part 3

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Spigelia: in stock for a limited time!


Hard to find, but what a great plant:

Spigelia is a late-blooming perennial that flowers in the shade and attracts humming birds.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Burro's Tail in Bloom









This Burro's Tail on our stairs has been catching everyone's eye. They are very easy house plants here's the skinny from howstuffworks.com:

"This plant is extremely fragile and loses leaves when moved. Consequently, it should be left alone. There is a cultivar called the giant burro’s tail that doesn’t lose its leaves as readily. The fallen leaves root quickly and produce more plants.

Burro's Tail Plant Quick Facts:

Scientific Name: Sedum morganianum
Common Names: Burro’s Tail, Donkey’s Tail
Light Requirement for Burro's Tail Plant: Full Sun to Bright Light
Water Requirement for Burro's Tail Plant: Drench, Let Dry
Humidity for Burro's Tail Plant: Average Home
Temperature for Burro's Tail Plant: House to Cool
Fertilizer for Burro's Tail Plant: Balanced
Potting Mix for Burro's Tail Plant: Cactus
Propagation of Burro's Tail Plant: Leaf Cuttings, Stem Cuttings
Care Rating for Burro's Tail Plant: Very Easy"

See "very easy". A burro's Tail hanging basket costs around $24.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Quilt Show this Weekend - 3rd Annual Quilts in the Garden Show




Quilt Show Saturday June 5th 8:30am - 6pm and Sunday June 6th 10am to 4pm.

Victoria Gardens, located on the corner of Cottekill Road and Rt. 213 in Rosendale and Friendly Neighbors will hang their 3rd Annual Quilts in the Garden Show as a “foodraiser” for the local food pantries. The garden shop is a magical setting for this show. Weather allowing, the hundreds of quilts and vintage aprons are displayed inside and out from every level. Admission to the show is a food donation (check expiration dates, please), personal care items, pet food, or cash donation.

The donations will benefit the Marbletown and Rosendale food pantries.

There will be a raffle quilt on display with tickets for sale.

Stop by on your way to or from the Wiltwyck Quilt show. It's only minutes away!


For more information or directions contact Victoria Gardens (845-658-9007) or visit their website at www.victoriagardens.biz.














Photographs by Bonni Leu Banyard 2008