The Pocono Garden Club

04/02/2022

GARDEN TO DO LIST APRIL
By P. Allen Smith
I hope you’ve gotten plenty of rest over the past few months because spring is here. It’s time to come out of dormancy and get to work in the garden.

Make it easy to create container gardens. If you’re planting several containers, use a lazy Susan and place the pot on the turntable and spin it around as you plant.

Save a spot for fall bulb planting. If you are planting a new flowerbed and know that in the Fall you’ll want to add some spring flowering bulbs, here is an easy way to hold a place for them in the border. Amid the spring plants, dig holes where you’ll want to later plant the bulbs. Make sure the holes are large enough to accommodate a good size plastic nursery pot that has drainage holes. Put the pots in the holes, and then refill the pots with the dug soil. In the fall, lift the pots, place the bulbs in the bottom of the holes and dump the soil over them.

After daffodil blooms have faded, snap off the blossoms before they go to seed, and make sure you leave the foliage for at least 8 weeks to recharge the bulbs. Feed your flowers with an all-purpose dry fertilizer (5-10-5). Just sprinkle a tablespoon at the base of each daffodil, but avoid spreading it on the leaves of the plants.

Spring frosts may zap emerging foliage, but the plant will rebound. You can remove the wilted leaves, but wait to do any pruning on woody perennials, shrubs and trees until new growth emerges later this spring. To decide where to make the cut, scratch stems to check for green tissue beneath the bark.

April weather can be fickle. Resist the urge to plant warm season annuals and vegetables until the last frost date has passed in your area.

To avoid pulling out desirable hardy volunteers (annuals that reseed themselves) such as larkspur, old-fashioned petunias and nicotiana, learn to identify the seedlings before you start weeding and applying mulch.

The best way to remove dandelions from your lawn, and the most earth-friendly, is to dig them out with a long forked tool. It’s important to dig out the dandelion’s taproot.

If you planted garlic last fall or in early spring, keep the flowers pinched off. This will direct all the plant’s energy toward growing a large bulb. Garlic is ready to harvest as soon as the foliage turns brown and falls over.

Get staking supports in place before plants get too tall.

Why spend another summer fighting with your garden hose? Before the growing season gets underway invest in quality hoses that won’t kink, crack or misbehave.

Apply mulch after the soil warms to 55 – 60 degrees F.

Pinch back faded sweet pea flowers to keep them from going to seed. This will prolong the bloom time of the plant.

03/30/2022

Growing Herbs Inside: Great Information

Each year, I start my herbs indoors on my counter. My green thumb has developed enough that we get to harvest and enjoy our herbs.

03/30/2022

Learn 8 Fast-Growing shrubs to Improve Curb Appeal

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Sometimes you just need your plants to grow up in a hurry. Whether you’re trying to hide an unsightly view of your garbage cans (or your neighbor’s!) or want to add some curb appeal to the front of your house, fast-growing shrubs can solve the problem. Many fast growers also serve as great found...

03/27/2022

HOW TO MAKE A HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN
TIPS FOR PLANTING A HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN.
Start by researching the native plants in your area that will also attract hummingbirds.
Learn how to plant these specific plants and what their needs are to grow.
More tips for you.
1. Select a location in your yard that is flat or with a bit of a slope. That location should get at least six hours of sun in a day.
2. There should also be some shade nearby the garden. Hummingbirds like both sunny and shady areas.
3. Hummingbirds tend to feed early in the morning (dawn) or late in the evening (dusk). Do not be upset if you do not see them in your garden in the middle of the day as a result.
PLANNING THE LOCATION OF A HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN.
You should choose a sunny location for the hummingbird garden because plants that feed the birds tend to thrive in full sun. But, also provide some shade because of hummingbirds like both sunny and shady areas.
There are several tips to follow to ensure your hummingbird garden is a success.
You should plant the right type of plants.
The plants should be native to your area and have enticing colors.
You should also include water to attract the birds to your garden.
HOW TO CHOOSE PLANTS FOR A HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN
For a successful garden you should plant the type of plants and flowers that are rich in nectar.
Hummingbirds appear to favor tubular shape flowers and flowers that are orange or red in color.
Here is what else to keep in mind.
Hummingbirds like a lot of the same plants that butterflies like which means that you can get a two for one garden here. Also, hummingbirds like to eat insects which means that adding plants that attract insects can also attract hummingbirds.
TIPS FOR SELECTING FLOWERS FOR A HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN.
Hummingbirds generally like plants with red, tubular flowers.
This is because other nectar-eating organisms cannot see red.
Also, Hummingbirds can more easily access nectar at the bottom of tubular flowers.
Grow plants with red flowers in clusters to make them visible to hummingbirds.
You can also plant flowers in other colors and hummingbirds will probably also feed on them.
However, red flowers act like neon signs that invite them to your garden.
ARRANGE THE PLANTS IN YOUR HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN FROM LOW TO HIGH IN HEIGHT.
This will allow for the hummingbirds to easily visit all the blooms without having stems and leaves in their way. Also, the staggered heights allows you to more easily spot the visiting birds from your viewing point.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHEN SELECTING PLANTS FOR A HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN.
• Choose annual plants because they produce flowers that bloom for a long period of time. They produce nectar from the time migratory hummingbirds arrive until they leave in the fall. Generally, the longer the flowers bloom, the more hummingbirds will come.
• Perennial plants, flowering trees, and shrubs also fit in well in a hummingbird garden, especially if they bloom from early spring to fall.
• Plants that hummingbirds like include salvia, lobelia, petunia, zinnia, and Fuschia. The right plant for your yard depends on your location. Contact a local bird club or Audubon chapter for recommendations.
• Plants with plenty of nectar could also attract unwanted animals or insects, so learn how to keep them away from hummingbird feeders.
• Avoid using pesticides or insecticides in your garden because you could inadvertently harm the hummingbirds. These chemicals reduce the number of plants and insects that hummingbirds can eat. Hummingbirds are also vulnerable to some chemicals.

For more information: DIYandFUN.com

03/27/2022

The HELLEBORES are coming. The early ones started flowering before Christmas; now the rest are gathering pace and will keep it up until April. In grand old gardens and smaller, newer ones, banks of them will tumble open as they drift among cyclamens and ferns and accompany bluebells, wood anemones and other lovely spring things.
There are so many hellebores out there: doubles, semi-doubles, chaste-looking singles and ones with frills. Look a little closer and you’ll find speckles, spots, dots, dashes and smudges on the petals. There are glowing red clarets, duskiest pinks, sombre metallic purples, deep roses, slate blues, brilliant yellows and vivid and livid greens, not to mention foliage that can vary from dark black to silver.
Hellebores are not quick to bulk up; they take their time to get established. It will be a year, maybe two, before they’ve properly decided their feet are happy, then they start flowering their socks off. They are tolerant to drought and neglect, but thrive best in moist but well-drained soil. Poor drainage is the only thing they truly hate.
Once settled, they will increase gloriously year on year, particularly if you feed them. They are hungry things, so mulch in late spring when the flowers are over and in autumn to fatten them up before they flower again. If you grow hellebores in containers, be aware that they drink a lot when in active growth in autumn and spring, but not when they go into non-active growth during summer.
Hellebores need some sort of shade – the more open the situation, the more moisture they need in the soil. The leaves are tough and rubbery and tend to look tired by now, so remove any of last year’s leaves to make way for the new growth and flowers.
Once the flowers are over, remove the seed heads unless you want hundreds of seedlings. These will be in muddy colours, and it will take you at least three years to find this out, so it is easier to prevent this and force the plant to concentrate on next year’s flowers rather than this year’s seed.
by Alys Fowler
Life and Style

03/24/2022

“Jellybean,” a miniature arrangement spanning 8 inches or less in any direction, is the monthly design entry at the Pocono Garden Club meeting Tuesday April 12

03/24/2022

The Pocono Garden Club will "Spring into Arranging" at its April meeting, with members bringing in live, silk or dried flowers, plus containers and floral foam, to learn how to create arrangements celebrating the end of winter and the rebirth of our gardens.

The gardeners will gather on Tuesday, April 12, at 1 p.m. at the Monroe County Conservation District building, 8050 Running Valley Road, Bartonsville.

Instruction for creating floral arrangements will be provided. Members and guests are encouraged to learn how to create floral arrangements that can be displayed at the club’s monthly exhibits and at the club’s Flower Show and Plant Sale in July.

“A Magical Kingdom: Disney Through Flowers” will be held Saturday, July 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual flower show and plant sale has been on hiatus the past two years due to the pandemic. It returns to a new location: St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 158 Fish Hill Road, Tannersville. The club’s primary fund-raiser, the show benefits the Garden of Giving, and provides local youths with scholarships to summer camps at the Monroe County Conservation District’s Kettle Creek Environmental Center and at Quiet Valley Living History Farm.

The design challenge for members for April is "Jelly Bean": A petite design, maximum dimensions eight inches by eight inches, including the container.
The horticulture entry for April is hellebore in bloom or any flowering bulb, like snow drop or narcissus, in a clear container.

The houseplant specimen is begonia, whether in bloom or not.
The business meeting will see the formal creation of a nominating committee for a new slate of officers.

Meetings are open and visitors are welcome. Note: As of this writing, the Conservation District is still requiring masks. For more information, contact [email protected]. You may also visit “The Pocono Garden Club” on Facebook.

03/17/2022

The horticulture exhibit at the March meeting was a forced flowering branch.

03/17/2022

The March Design exhibit titled "Spring Equinox" was a horizontal creation featuring spring flowers. Beautiful spring colors and flowers!

03/17/2022

March 8th the Pocono Garden Club celebrated spring with a meeting and a very informative presentation on the disappearing insects.

Matt Giambra, environmental educator with the Monroe County Conservation District, presented a thought-provoking program about the vanishing insect population and its effect on the environment, the food chain and native habitat. Members learned about ways they can help, such as using native pollinator-friendly plants, judicious insecticide and herbicide use, and growing gardens instead of lawns.

02/25/2022

Floral design exhibit for the February gathering.
"My Funny Valentine" A vertical design featuring colors of red and pink.
The Monthly horticulture was a broadleaf or needle stem not to exceed 16" in a clear container.

02/25/2022

Due to covid restrictions at the Monroe County Environmental Center the PGC February meeting needed to be held elsewhere.
Linda Gerkensmeyer, club member and resident of Shawnee Ridge arranged for the club to have our Annual luncheon in their Community Center.
Club member Dolores Ragin presented a dual program on winter seeding. Sowing seeds in plastic jugs with potting soil was a new and exciting way to start those favorite flowers early. And with nothing more than a paper egg carton and a little seed starting soil you can get your vegetable and plant seedlings before the warm
weather is here.