Want a hardy, drought tolerant perennial that survives with little water or care and adds interesting textures and colors to your garden all seasons of the year?  Plant sedum, common name ‘stonecrop’.    There are 400+ species of sedum; some are evergreen, some have interesting leaf colors.   Sedum is a succulent, which means its thick leaves store water.  The leaves are edible.

Sedum make excellent rock garden plants, even growing well when tucked into dry stone walls.  Or plant them in a container of mixed flowers.    A creative use of sedum is in a patchwork planting of low-growing varieties with different leaf colors and textures, either in a container or small garden.  Because of their drought tolerance and ease of growth, sedum is one of the few plants that work well for green roofs.

Cultivation:  Sedum grows best in full sun and well-drained soil.  It tolerates drought and seems especially adapted to our hot, dry summers.  But, it also grows in partial shade and wetter areas.  It is a commonly planted perennial in the more humid climates of the Midwest, and does well there, too.

Sedum needs little fertilizer and has few pests and diseases which affect it, however, slugs have been known be a problem.  Deer are one of its biggest pests.

Classifications: Sedums are either creeping, low-growing  ground covers, or upright plants, that grow to 18 to 24”.  Creeping sedums come in a wide range of foliage colors and textures:

Angelina is low-growing sedum whose bright, needle-like golden foliage stays evergreen under the snow in the winter.  Its yellow flowers stand up above the plant.   In the fall, the leaves turn orange.  Angelina is easy to grow and spreads.  I have this ground cover sedum planted in a perennial bed mixed with other yellow-leafed perennials.

Dragon’s Blood sedum is an old stand-by ground cover with dark maroon foliage and deep burgundy blooms.

Tricolor is just as the name says, its leaves have three colors–green with a red and cream-colored border.  It has pink flowers.  The plant is evergreen where it has snow cover or protection.

Pachyclados is another evergreen which looks like tiny hens and chicks plants.  It has mounds of blue-green, toothed leaves and pale yellow flowers.

There are many wonderful, easy to grow, upright sedums:

Autumn Joy is one of the most popular upright sedums because it provides interest in the perennial garden during every season—its light green leaves come up like little cabbage plants in the spring, then grow to look like a big broccoli head in the summer.  The blooms turn from pale rose to brick red in the fall.  Leave them standing in the winter and enjoy their interesting texture.

Postman’s Pride is taller and quite upright, growing to at least 24” with small, glossy burgundy leaves and pink flower heads.

Elsie’s Gold is a new upright variety with variegated leaves and large clusters of deep pink blossoms on tall stems.

There are other noteworthy fall-blooming perennials.  Asters, rudbeckia (brown-eyed Susans), and Russian sage, to name a few.  And, of course, mums are still a popular fall flower.  But, sedums can’t be beat for their adaptability, texture, and four season interest.

The majority of hardy bulbs we grow in Montana originated in the Mediterranean or areas of similar climate, which have wet winters and dry summers. These plants grow and flower during periods of good weather and then go dormant to survive inhospitable periods. Understanding the bulb’s preferences is the key to success in growing bulbs. These expectations are fairly simple, making bulbs one of the easiest flowering plants to grow.

Soil Prep and Planting

Generally, bulbs should be planted no sooner than 6 weeks before frost. Exceptions are Colchicum, Lilies, Fritillaria, Erythronium, which should be planted as soon as received. They prefer a sunny location (remember – what is shady now may not be in the spring, if the shade is caused by deciduous trees). They also require a well draining soil.

If you will be planting a lot of bulbs in an area, begin by loosening the soil to a depth of 12 inches. Top the soil with 1 inch compost and 2 inches of peat moss. If your soil is heavy clay, also add 2 inches of soil pep or sand to improve aeration and drainage. Blend the amendments into the loosened soil.

For larger bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, remove the soil from the planting spot to a depth of 8 inches. Work bone meal into the soil at the bottom of the hole (2 tbsp/ 1 sq ft, 10 lb/ 250 sq ft). Set the bulbs pointed end up in the bottom of the hole. Space tulips 4-6” apart and daffodils 6-8” apart. Cover with soil and water in well.

Follow the same procedure for other bulbs, planting the bulbs at a depth that is 3-4 times the bulb size (Crocus at 3”, etc.).

Further Care

Once the bulb’s leaves emerge from the ground in the spring, top dress with a balanced granular fertilizer such as a 17/17/17. Remove spent flowers to prolong bloom and preserve strength. Allow the leaves to ripen fully before removing. They will turn yellow or brown and will readily pull free when they are ripe. This takes about 6 weeks.

Many bulbs will multiply and the clump will get larger and showier with each passing year. Eventually, you may want to dig the bulbs and divide them in the summer to start new clumps. Mark their location so that you can find them in the summer. Other bulbs are shorter lived and their flower show will begin to decline, such as tulips. In this case, don’t wait for the foliage to ripen. When they are done blooming, pull them up immediately, while you know where they are.

Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) grows leaves in the spring while it is flowering and again in the fall. Fall crocus (Colchicum) will grow large tulip size leaves in the spring, which will then disappear. The lavender blooms then rise from the ground in fall, as the rest of the garden goes to sleep.

Bulb Combinations

Large sweeps of a single type and color of bulb will have high impact. Example: A mass of red Apeldoorn tulip behind an equal mass of King Alfred type daffodil would be a sure attention getter. A sweep of grape hyacinth or Siberian squill through a garden might simulate a meandering brook.
Another look, best seen close up, can be had by custom mixing tulip colors in one planting hole: pink, white, lavender is sweet; black/purple and white is elegant; white, pink and rose red is very rich, or choose a pastel mix of pink, apricot, and soft yellow.

Under plant tulips or daffodils with a smaller bulb such as chionodoxa or squill for a layered look. Create custom blends in your favorite colors, or choose colors that coordinate with your interior if you will be cutting blooms for bouquets.

Bulb / Plant Combinations

• Daffodils and Daylilys
• Create color duets between spring blooming perennials and companion bulbs. Sample perennials are Euphorbia (chartreuse bloom), Candytuft (white), Basket of Gold (yellow), creeping phlox (pink, lt. blue, white), etc.
• Create color duets between spring blooming perennials and companion bulbs. Sample perennials are Euphorbia (chartreuse bloom), Candytuft (white), Basket of Gold (yellow), creeping phlox (pink, lt. blue, white), etc.
• Early to mid spring bulbs can be planted between clumps of perennials. The perennials foliage will grow up and hide the bulb foliage while it passes, plus your perennial garden space gains early color.
• Plant under trees and between shrubs for spring color. Bulbs will get the sun they need because the trees and shrubs will not have leafed out. Squill is one of the few bulbs to do well in shade.
• Plant bulbs in the spots where you will later be planting annuals. The bulbs will be deep enough to be out of the way. Choose early to mid season bulbs whose foliage ripens quickly (Triumph Tulips work well).
• Tall late tulips are great in the back of annual or perennial beds. Their foliage takes a long time to ripen, but will be hidden by the other plants.

Naturalizing

This refers to planting bulbs in your yard as though they grew there naturally. You will need to choose bulbs that are especially hardy, ones that multiply readily. Choices might include Chionodoxa, Colchicum, Crocus, Muscari, Squill, all types of Daffodils, species Tulip, Erythronium, Species Iris, and Alliums.

Bulbs can be planted throughout the lawn. In areas you will want to begin mowing in late spring, choose early bulbs like Siberian Squill or Crocus. Daffodils are spectacular in a lawn, but you won’t be able to mow for a while. You might try putting them along an edge that you can hold off on mowing or plant them out in an area of rough grass or wildflowers that won’t be mowed till later.

One effect is to select a mixture of bulbs, scatter by hand and plant them where they fall. Or – select 2-3 varieties but do not mix. Scatter and plant one variety in a drift, followed by the next variety, to create a tapestry. Small bulbs are easily planted with two people, if one person digs in with the shovel and pries forward while the other person tucks the bulbs behind the shovel blade. Then stomp the soil back into place.

Don’t miss planting within groves of aspen or birch. Masses of one taller flower and one lower flower have the most impact.

What Are Bulbs?

We use the name loosely to apply to a variety of spring or fall planted flowers. By definition, we separate these plants into the following groups.

BULBS – Layers of modified leaves surrounding a flower bud. Stems are produced from the base each year until its strength is used up. Includes Tulips, Hyacinths, Daffodils, Lilies, and Alliums. Propagated by bulblets, which develop off the basal plate. Keep the bulblets and discard old bulbs. Bulblets will not bloom for several years. With Daffodils you can replant the parent bulb.

CORMS – Solid, with no differentiation of tissue. Stems grow from the top and produce offsets to multiply. Includes Crocus, Colchicum.

TUBER – A section of underground stem, swollen with stored nutrients. It develops growth buds or eyes along its surface. Includes Winter Aconites, Anemones, potatoes. Propagate by divisions containing at least three eyes.

RHIZOMES – Thickened storage stems growing horizontally below the surface. Roots grow out of the lower surface and eyes on the upper surface produce the plants. Propagated by division. Includes Iris, Lily of the Valley, Sweet Potato.

Forcing Bulbs

Forcing is done through the fall and early winter for a succession of blooms indoors during the winter months. You will simulate winter by potting up the bulbs and holding them at a temperature between 35 – 50 degrees for the necessary amount of time. Bulbs for forcing include Hardy Narcissus especially Unsurpassable and Quail, tender Narcissus such as Paperwhites, some Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocus, species Iris, Muscari.

Store bulbs in the refrigerator in an open paper bag until you are ready to pot. Do not store them in the fruit bin. Once planted, keep the soil moist but not wet. Store in the refrigerator, a partially heated garage, or a crawl space while the roots develop:

• 12-14 weeks for Daffodils
• 14-16 weeks for Tulips
• 10-12 weeks for Hyacinth
• 8-10 weeks for Crocus, Dwarf Iris
• 2-3 weeks for Paperwhites

Bring them into a slightly warmer, brighter location once roots are well formed. The bulbs think it is spring and leaves will begin to grow and extend. When the buds begin to show, the plants can be moved to a sunny spot to continue developing. This second growing period will take 2 weeks for Paperwhites and up to 4 weeks for Tulips.

Paperwhites and Hyacinths can also be grown in a pebble filled decorative container. Put some gravel in the bottom of the container, closely space the bulbs on top of the gravel, then top with remaining gravel to support the bulbs. Add water to just touch the base of the bulbs. Refrigerate for the required time – you will be able to watch the roots grow if you use a glass container.

A Sampling of Hardy Bulbs

Allium

• Giganteum – 3-4’ tall, 5” wide purple flower clusters in June, Plant 8” deep. Zone 4
• Albopilosum (christophii) – 2’ tall, 8” airy balls formed of 1” purple flowers in June,
  plant 4” deep.
• Purple Sensation – 3’ tall, 3” wide flower clusters, plant 4-5” deep. Zone 3
• Azureum (caeruleum) – 18” tall, blue flower clusters the size of golf balls, June.
• Sphaerocephalum (drumstick allium) – 2” dk purple egg shaped blooms, good dried flower July, 2’
• Schubertii – 1’ tall, large spidery flower head looks like fireworks, June
• Ostowskianum – 6” tall, purple, May – June
• Moly – 6”, yellow, May – June

Cammasia

Native to Montana. Used as a food by native Americans. 2-3’ tall with sky blue starlike
flowers in long clusters.

Chionodoxa

“Glory of the Snow”. April, Sun to Light Shade, 6” tall. Showy clusters of pink, blue or
white starlike blooms. Spreads well.

Colchicum

“Fall Crocus”, Plant 3” deep in prepares hole, part shade to full sun, planted in fall, flowers appear soon after planting, foliage appears in the spring. Prolific, rodent proof.

Crocus, Dutch

Larger blooms than bunch crocus, easy to force, one of the earliest bulbs to bloom.

Crocus, Bunch

Smaller flowers but more per cluster. Striking color combinations.

Eremurus

Foxtail Lily, yellow to orange flowers on 3-4’ tall stalks. Traffic stopping. Requires a deeply dug hole with sand in the bottom for drainage and sand mixed into the backfill soil. Fragile roots – Handle carefully.

Erythronium

“Dogtooth violet” or Trout Lily. Woodland plant. A native, nodding yellow flower. Excellent naturalizer under aspen. May take a couple years to establish.

Fritillaria Meleagris

“Checkered lily”, charming dainty flower, plant near walk or door. Plant as soon as received.

Fritillaria Imperiallis

Large skunky smelling bulbs give rise to spectacular red or yellow blooms on 3’ stalks in late May.

Galanthus

“Snowdrops”. Blooms very early. Prefers part shade. Plant as soon as received. Zone 3.

Hyacinth

Needs exceptionally well drained soil, Plant 8” deep, good for forcing, fragrant.

Iris, Danford

4” tall, lemon yellow, prefers slightly acis soil.

Iris, Reticulata

4” tall, various shades of blue to purple, prefers alkaline soil.

Leucojem

“Snowflake”, 4-5” nodding white blooms.

Muscari, Armeniacum

“Grape Hyacinth” , Full sun to part shade, plant as soon as received. Blooms in early spring, second set of grass like leaves appears in fall. Purple or white. M. Latifolium – one single wider leaf. Two tone blue and purple flowers.

Narcissus

Long lived, prolific, easy to grow. Part shade to full sun. Plant early. Rodent Proof.

• Cyclamineus hybrids – Shorter, smaller flowers with reflexed petals giving a windswept look.
  Early blooming. Shade tolerant. Good for forcing. Tete-a-Tete, Feb Gold, Jetfire.
• Double Narcissus – Many rose like petals. Some have multiple flowers per stem.
• Flatcup Narcissus – Open, flat trumpet is shorter than the perianth petals. Midseason, vigorous.
• Jonquilla hybrids – Smaller, fragrant, short cupped flowers. Like spots with dry summer heat, Quail”
• Miniature Narcissus – Good for naturalizing, rock gardens, Hawera, Minnow,
• Poeticus – Fragrant, hardy, white petaled with tiny yellow, orange, and green cups.
• Split Corona - The trumpet is divided and folded back, looks like an hibiscus.
• Triandrus – Late Blooming, pendulous flowers, reflexed petals. ‘Thalia’ is very popular.
• Large Trumpet – Classic Daffodil. Trumpets equal to or longer than the petals, one bold flower per stem, Early.
• Small Cup Narcissus – Good naturalizers, good for cutting, Barrett Browning.

Scillasiberica

“Siberian Squill”, terrifically hardy, prolific, excellent edger or naturalizer.

Tulip

Full sun but will tolerate part shade. Work the soil deeply and provide good drainiage. Plant as
late as possible, store till then at 40-60 degrees. Short lived. Some “perennial” hybrids, species
Tulips, and Darwin Hybrids will last for years. Plant 8-10” deep to improve longevity and deter rodents who relish Tulips.

Early Tulips:

• Kaufmaniana – Water Lily Tulips. Short stemmed, blooms open wide in the sun and close in the evening.
• Fosteriana – Exceptionally large egg shaped blooms. Bloom with daffodils. Emperor series
• Greigii – Unusual Mottled foliage.

Mid-Season:

• Darwin Hybrid – Large blooms, opening wide at maturity, sturdy stems, perform well for several years.
• Triumph – Foliage ripens fast. Good where you want to put annuals.
• Early Double – Peony flowered tulips.

Late Spring:

• Late Tulips – Tall, large blooms, large color range, great cut flowers
• Fringed – Petal edges are feathery.
• Parrot – Late blooming, exotically shaped, good cut flower.
• Double Late – Peony flowered.
• Lily Flowered – Elegant, with pointed petals.

Species Tulips:

• Tarda – 2-4” tall, yellow and white, long lived, prolific. Heirloom 1933.
• Pulchella – Short, purple pink.
• Clusiana – Red and white candy cane colored on 15” wiry stems.
• Chrysantha – Red and yellow, 8-10” wiry stems. Heirloom pre 1928.
• Little Beauty – Red, opens to reveal a blue center, several blooms per stem, 3-5” tall.
• Batalini – Golden yellow, larger flowers than other species tulip, showy
• Praestens Fusilier – multiple fire engine red blooms per stem. 10” tall, Heirloom 1939.

The 2010 Garden Tour this July 9 and 10 went on after the terrible hailstorm on June 30 and the gardens looked beautiful despite the hail.  The gardeners who open up their homes and gardens for all to visit are generous to do so.  This year’s gardens were well-thought-out displays of what can be done in our landscapes, each one a little different.  Here are some ideas I took from some of the gardens:

1. Plant natives: The growing trend towards hardy, drought-tolerant native plants was evident in the Jennings’ garden on Boylan Road.  They have planted their boulevard and a portion of their lawn into sheep fescue, a native, drought-tolerant grass.  This fine, low-growing grass has a soft, graceful, arching look to it, and needs little mowing and watering.   Under aspens in the native area of their yard, the Jennings have transplanted a Ceanothus velutinus (Buckbrush) from the wild.  This interesting low shrub, 4 to 5 feet across, has glossy, dark green leaves and lovely white flowers in the spring that resemble lilacs.  Another native shrub found in more than one of the gardens, Lewis Mockorange (Philadelphus lewisii) was in full bloom– 2 weeks later than average.  (All Bozeman’s flowering trees, shrubs, and perennials are late in blooming this year because of the cold, wet spring.)  Lewis Mockorange was discovered by Meriwether Lewis in Western Montana and Idaho on his journey west in 1803.  Its bright white flowers that smell like orange blossoms make this shrub a real attention getter when in bloom.
2. Good soil preparation.  One of the biggest challenges the Jennings listed in creating their lawn and garden was lack of good topsoil, which had been covered by the builders and compacted during the building process.  If you’re building a new house or remodeling, have your contractor strip and set aside the good topsoil for later use, and, as much as possible, keep heavy equipment off the soil surrounding the house.

Lori Newman, another one of the gardeners on the tour, has completed the Master Gardener’s class, a great way to learn more about gardening.   This class is offered by MSU Extension every winter.  Lori attributes her gardening success in part to careful soil preparation.  Judy Ritter, a volunteer helper from the Empire Garden Club, commented on Lori’s method of planting flowers and shrubs on mounds.  Creating gentle mounds on which to plant your shrubs, trees, perennials, and annuals allows good drainage and control over the soil composition.  Compost, peat moss, and other organic matter can be mixed into the soil you use for your mounds.  Even though she’s used good soil, whenever Lori adds a new plant to her garden, she digs a “$50 hole for a $10 plant”, and then amends her soil with compost and peat most.

1. Use Focal points.  Lori Newman has a rhubarb planted on the top of a berm, one of the biggest rhubarb plants I have ever seen.  Its huge size and large leaves provide an unusual focal point—and it’s an edible plant!  A mature Ohio buckeye tree in Terry and Dale Kennedy’s garden shades a big part of both their and their neighbor’s yard, definitely the center of their back yard landscape!  Becky Gibson’s favorite tree, a Japanese tree lilac, is the prime focus of her front yard.  On July 10 this tree was covered with fragrant white blooms.  Other gardeners made use of garden art pieces and water features.  The Gibsons used a round stock tank for a country-looking water feature near their fire pit in their cozy backyard sitting area.
2. Shade gardens.  Almost every gardener on the tour had nicely planted shady areas; some have large areas of heavy shade.   Hostas and ferns were favorite perennials of these gardeners, along with some unusual shade plants.  Terry Kennedy has many varieties of hosta growing under their Ohio buckeye; her favorite, Hosta undulata, has variegated green and white twisted leaves.

Everyone was asking the Jennings about the plant just getting ready to bloom against the north wall of their house.  It is shade-loving Aruncus dioicus (Goat’s Beard), a tall, woodsy perennial with creamy-white, astilbe-like flowers which, on a normal year, will bloom in June.

1. Share your garden. One of the nicest parts of gardening can be sharing plants with relatives, friends, and neighbors.  Many of the plants in the Jennings yard were given to them by his mother, an avid gardener.  Some, like their Ponderosa pine and bur oak, she had started from seed she collected.  Some of the other gardeners had prized plants and perennials which were given to them by friends and loved ones.  One person commented, “I remember the person who gave me this plant every time I look at it.”

From planting natives and perennials to soil preparation and garden design, each year we learn more about gardening from some of the Valley’s best gardeners who share their yards with us during the garden tour.

Last year was the first year we saw the cottony psyllid insect, which is infecting the leaves of black ash (Fall Gold Ash). This year this insect is even more prevalent, especially on drought-stressed trees. In the spring the young psyllids, which resemble aphids, hatch and suck sap from the new leaves which shrivel and discolor. They produce a white, cottony material as protection. If not controlled, they can severely weaken the tree.

Insecticidal soap is an organic control that will kill the cottony psyllid on contact. Malathion insecticide, also a contact killer, is an effective chemical control. There are a couple of systemic insecticides which make the plant poisonous to the insect and also kill on contact. Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control (active ingredient:Imidacloprid) is a systemic insecticide that is mixed with water and poured under the tree so the roots take it up. The systemic insecticide spray, acephate, once called Isotox, also works on the cottony psyllid.

An abundance of aphids emerged earlier than usual this year, right after the warm spell we had in May, even on plants that don’t normally get aphids. Aphids are small (1/16”) soft-bodied insects that cause new leaves on a plant to yellow, curl and distort. They reproduce quickly and weaken the plant by sucking its juices, excrete a sticky “honeydew”, and can spread viruses. The controls for aphids are much the same as for the cottony psyllid above but do not use acephate systemic insecticides on any plant with edible parts or fruit. Environmentally friendly lady bugs can be released to eat aphids.

Spider mites continue to be a problem during our hot summers, especially on junipers, arborvitae, spruce, potentilla, and raspberries. This tiny insect sucks the sap from the needles or leaves of the plant, giving them a dull appearance. To detect the almost microscopic spider mites, look for grayish, pale needles, small webs, or shake a branch over a piece of white paper and look closely for movement of the tiny mites. Malathion or isotox spray should eliminate spider mites. More than one application may be necessary.

Scale is a large group of insects that harm many ornamental plants. Hard (armored) scale on the branches looks like brown bumps. Soft pine needle scale looks like small white specks on the needles. A severe infestation of scale can kill the branch. The dense branches of cotoneaster hedges are a place we see scale. If your hedge is severely infected, you might need to cut it down to the ground, destroy the infected branches, and let it grow back. Because of the waxy covering surrounding them, contact insecticides do not kill scale. Dormant oil spray is effective in early spring before the tree leafs out to smother the scales. Or use a systemic insecticide.

If you have spent any time in our national forests recently, you may have seen the spruce budworm outbreak on Douglas fir. Budworms, really not a worm but a caterpillar, will also eat the new needles of spruce in your yard. While still in the caterpillar stage, they can be killed with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), a specific bacterial spray toxic to caterpillars but not other insects. Spruce budworm is often confused with white pine weevil, which kills the leaders of spruce in this area. They are different insects.

Tent caterpillars, which eat the leaves of our trees, are back this year. Pick the tents off and destroy them when the caterpillars are still contained. BT works on tent caterpillars, also.

Other insects which damage trees in this area include the aspen borer, bronze birch borer, and leaf miners. The last couple of years, windblown poplar budgall mites have damaged Canadian poplars. Harmful fungi such as Verticillium wilt, cedar apple rust, black knot, and black spot, can cause tree problems, some severe.

Fireblight is a serious bacterial disease that primarily strikes apples, but also can afflict mountain ash, cotoneaster, pears, and hawthorn. Prune out infected branches and plant varieties resistant to fireblight. Pseudomonas is another bacterial blight that produces similar symptoms in lilacs. Prune it out and allow adequate space between plants for air circulation.

Soil deficiencies can be the cause of tree problems. In this part of Montana, we see yellowing of leaves between the veins of mountain ash, plums, shrub roses, ginnala maples and even aspens because of iron deficiency (iron chlorosis). The plants are unable to absorb enough iron and other trace elements from our alkaline soils. Either acidify your soil or add chelated iron. If your soil has an extremely high pH, do not plant hydrangea, mountain ash, or other plants that need acid soil.

Too much TLC – by overwatering or overfertiziling – could be the cause of trees’ problems. The symptoms of overwatering often mimic those of underwatering—small, yellow leaves that wilt or drop. Roots can become waterlogged when trees are planted within a sprinkler system in heavy clay soils. Even wetter conditions are created when the tree is surrounded by weed barrier fabric and mulch. Be observant and use common sense when watering trees and shrubs in your yard. After a deep watering, let the roots dry out so air can reach them. Probe the soil to check moisture levels. You may need to reset your sprinkler system and/or remove the fabric.

Most of the time, trees should get all the nutrients they need from your soil. We advise against fertilizing young trees because of the danger of overdoing it. If you choose to use fertilizer spikes on your trees in the spring, they should be pounded into the ground at least 2 feet from the trunk of the tree. Never use more than the recommended dosage, and never fertilize trees after July 1.

Some tree maladies have been around for years, some are new to our area. Some need treatments, some are just cosmetic. Regardless, remember: insects and diseases prey on weak trees. Your best defense against insects and diseases is to keep your trees healthy.

Related Information:

• Tree Trouble in Town
• What You Need to Know About the Mountain Pine Beetle

Zucchini Bucks

How they work: From July 29 through August 20, Cashman Nursery will give you one Zucchini Buck for every $10 you spend. Then, on August 21, during our Zucchini Festival, you can redeem them here for plants or any items in the store.

FREE SEMINARS!

FREE ZUCCHINI FESTIVAL SEMINARS-Saturday, August 21

10:00 Gardening with Ornamental Grasses by Bonnie Hickey, our bedding plant buyer.  Learn types of     ornamental grasses and interesting, creative ways to use them in your gardens.

10:45 Flower Arranging with annual and perennial flowers from your garden by Bonnie Hickey

11:30 Cooking with Zucchini- by Jed Smith, chef featured in the Bozeman Chronicle on July 25.  Learn how to cook inexpensive, delicious dishes with summer squash.

CONTESTS

Bring your entries in by 11:00 A.M.

BIGGEST ZUCCHINI

• 1st Prize $100 Gift Certificate
• 2nd Prize Felco #2 Pruner
• 3rd Prize Gardening Book

BEST RECIPE CATEGORY

• 1st Prize $100 Gift Certificate
• 2nd Prize Pretty Pottery
• 3rd Prize 6″ Perennial Flower

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

10:30-12:30 • ART • PRIZES • BOHOHO THE CLOWN

BEST DECORATED ZUCCHINI

For ages 4 – 14 years • Enter by 11:00 A.M.

• 1st Prize Gift Basket containing a t shirt, gloves, seeds, and gardening tools
• 2nd Prize Zucchini T-shirt
• 3rd Prize Children’s Gardening Gloves

2009 Zucchini Festival Photos

Click any photo to see an enlarged version

There are many reasons to conserve water in your landscape. It makes sense not to waste a precious resource. And financially, it saves money, especially if you are paying for city water.

Some ways to save water in your landscape

1. Reduce the size of your irrigated lawn area or plant grass which needs less water. The commonly used Kentucky bluegrass needs about 1 ½” of water a week to stay green. „Water Saver‟, a blend of tall fescue grasses, stays green with less water and still looks like a traditional lawn. Some people choose to plant native grasses which can survive with little or no irrigation after they are established; these bunch grasses do not look like a traditional bluegrass lawn.

   If water rationing or water limitations force you to water your bluegrass lawn less in the heat of the summer, the grass will not die, but will go dormant until spring or a time when it again gets enough water.

2. Group plants with similar water requirements in beds so they can be watered together rather than scattering them. Plant those requiring the most water together near the house. Farthest from the house could be your „no water‟ zone. Plant natives and drought tolerant species there.
3. Build retaining walls rather than planting on slopes where the water will run off.
4. Improve your soil for the best water retention and plant health. Much of our soil in this area is clay. Because the small particles in clay soils hold a great deal of water, poor drainage results and the roots are deprived of oxygen. Generously incorporate organic matter (compost, well-rotted manure, or peatmoss) into your soil to improve soil consistency and drainage.
5. Keep areas around trees and shrubs weed and grass free. Clean cultivation in a ring around trees and in shrub beds allows water to be used by the trees and shrubs, not by weeds and grass.
6. Mulch shrub and perennial beds with 2 to 4 inches of bark chips, cedar mulch, or fine bark dust; mulch holds moisture in the ground and keeps the soil cool. Homeowners often want low-maintenance landscape fabric or underlayment to totally block weeds from growing in their mulched beds, but this can create a too-wet environment for the roots of trees and shrubs. Organic mulches without an underlayment of landscape fabric or poly let the roots breath but cut down on evaporation.
7. Irrigate smartly. Drip systems or soaker hoses allow for less evaporation than overhead sprinklers for watering trees, shrubs, and gardens. Water deeply when you water; make sure the water soaks down to the root system. Let your hose trickle onto the roots of trees until they are deeply moistened. Apply at least ½ “ of moisture to your lawn during each sprinkling. For most people, that means longer sets for each zone of your sprinkler system, but less often. Water during the early morning when there will be less evaporation. Of course, when we do receive rain, turn your sprinkler system off until it is needed again.
8. Choose plants which are native or which require less water. Many beautiful landscape plants are drought tolerant.

Trees

Green ash, one of the best shade trees for this area, survive with little water after they are established. The only oak known to thrive here, Burr oak, is drought tolerant. Boxelder, although not a prized landscape tree, is a good hardy shade tree for dry areas. We can‟t forget Russian Olive, an extremely drought tolerant tree with attractive gray-green leaves. And chokecherries including the decorative red leafed Canada red cherry don‟t need a lot of water either.

Other trees that survive without a lot of water once established include Ohio buckeye, amur maple, and even quaking aspen and cottonwoods.

Evergreens

Many of the evergreens we commonly use in our landscapes are drought tolerant. Ponderosa pines and junipers come to mind right away. But Scotch pine, Colorado spruce, Black Hills spruce, and limber pine all will grow without a lot of water.

Shrubs

We all know that the native potentilla, buffaloberry, yucca, and sagebrush are drought tolerant. But other attractive ornamental shrubs such as honeysuckle, sumacs, lilacs, and, of course, caragana will survive with minimum water.

Perennials and Ground Covers

Your perennial beds can also be filled with drought tolerant plants. The native yarrows flourish in low water areas. Dianthus, lamb‟s ear, purple coneflower, hens and chicks, and Russian sage don‟t like much water. You have probably seen blue flax blooming along the roadsides with no irrigation. And the native baby‟s breath is all over vacant lots in the Butte area. Ground covers such as sedum and snow-in-summer thrive in hot, dry areas. Although some of the ornamental grasses can be planted in boggy areas, others such as blue fescue and blue oat grass are very drought tolerant. Many herbs, such as lavender, thrive in drier conditions.
Whether you plant a yard with yucca, sagebrush and native grasses, or just choose drought tolerant plants in certain areas of your yard, you can conserve water by choosing the right plant for the right place.

Greens

Plant successive crops of lettuce, spinach, and other greens, starting early in the spring, to extend their season. Harvest greens before they go to seed for mildest flavor. Wash and dry them well and refrigerate in a closed container to crisp.

Peas and Beans

Harvest peas and beans when they are young and tender. Freeze peas or beans by washing them, blanch in boiling water, cool in ice water, and freeze in freezer bags or plastic containers.

Sweet Corn

Old-timers say they don’t pick their sweet corn until their cooking water is boiling for the sweetest flavor. But newer varieties of ‘sugar enhanced’ corn are sweeter, even after storage. To preserve corn, I blanch the cobs, cool in ice water, and cut kernels off, then freeze it. To us, corn frozen on the cob doesn’t taste as good as fresh corn-on-the-cob.

Tomatoes

Indeterminate tomatoes (vining tomatoes that continue to grow) should be pruned when the plants get too big, to put the plant’s energy into ripening the green tomatoes before frost. Store tomatoes at room temperature for the best flavor. In the fall, when we are tired of covering our tomato plants every time a frost is forecast, we pull the whole plant and hang it in a cool place. The tomatoes will continue to ripen. For use in soups or stews all winter, I simply wash the tomatoes, cut out the stem end and any imperfections, plop them into freezer bags, and freeze.

Root Crops

Carrots are ready to harvest when they turn orange. Barb Paugh told me she always digs her carrots at World Series time, but before the ground freezes. If you have quit watering your garden, give the carrots a good soaking a day or two before you harvest them. There is more than one method to storing carrots from your garden. I have talked to gardeners who store them in a barrel of sand in a cool place. I think it’s easier to wash them, cut off the green tops (I don’t cut into the meat of the carrot.), and lay them out to dry. Then, I store them in plastic bags with holes—mesh bags would probably work, too—in my refrigerator drawer. They keep for months this way.

Red potatoes mature earlier than white potatoes. You can dig potatoes when the tops cease growing and turn brown and the skins are brown and thickening. Don’t wash potatoes; brush them off and store them in a refrigerator drawer or root cellar where air can circulate around them.

You can thin your onions by pulling the smaller ones and using them for green onions. The rest are ready to harvest when the tops tip over. Sweet onions, such as Visalia and Walla Wallas, do not store for long. Others can be stored in a mesh bag in a cool place or braid the tops and hang.

The same procedure is used to harvest and store garlic as for onions. Wait till the tops tip over and the leaves are withered to harvest garlic, but don’t wait too long. Do not wash garlic; dry before storing.

Brassicas

Pull the leaves over heads of cauliflower as they ripen to keep the heads from yellowing. Don’t let it get overripe or it will discolor. Keep the outer leaves on to store cauliflower heads in your refrigerator.

Don’t pick broccoli, or any other fruits or vegetables, for that matter, in the heat of the day. Early morning is better. Harvest the middle bunch of broccoli first, before the flower buds open, so side shoots will develop. Blanch broccoli before freezing. You may freeze the flowerets on a cookie sheet to retain their shape and then move them to a freezer bag.

Late maturing cabbage keeps best. Heads can be harvested at any size. Store cabbage in the refrigerator.

Brussels sprouts mature late in the fall, so be patient. They can be frozen or the whole stem can be pulled and hung in a cool place.

Squash

Zucchini and other summer squashes should be harvested when they are 6 to 8”. Pick them often and you will increase your yields. If they get too big before you get around to picking them, use them for zucchini bread or cake. (Or enter them in Cashman Nursery’s Zucchini Festival contest for the biggest zucchini!) Summer squash doesn’t store very long.

Harvest winter squash and pumpkins after the vines die. The flavor of squash is improved after a light frost. The rind should be hard and a deep solid color. If the temperature is going to fall below 25 degrees, pick them or cover them. Store in a cool, dry place.

Herbs

Harvest herbs before they flower for a milder flavor. I hang herbs with string or rubber bands in my cool, dry basement. Or you can use a dehydrator. Annual herbs can be dug up, potted, and brought inside for use during the winter.

Fruits

Pick only the sweetest, dark red, ripe raspberries and strawberries. You can tell if they are ripe if they pull off the plant easily. I wash strawberries, but not raspberries. If you want to maintain their shape, freeze the berries on a cookie sheet first, and then transfer them to plastic bags with or without sugar.

Wait until pie cherries are very dark red for the greatest sweetness. I wash them, pit them, and freeze in plastic bags—each enough for one pie, with the sugar added. Sugar acts as a preservative. (Our meteor pie cherries need a lot of sugar.) Open up a small paper clip for a handy cherry pitter!

Our prune-type Mount Royal plums mature later than other plums—around October 1. They make wonderful fruit leather without adding any sugar—or we just pit them and dry in our dehydrator.

Apples ripen from mid-August to mid-October here, depending on the variety. Taste your apples to tell if they are ripe. The seeds should be dark brown. If outside temperatures are going to drop below 25 degrees, you may have to pick your apples, even if they are not ripe, to keep the fruit from freezing. The later in the season an apple ripens, the longer it will store. We store ours in our cool root cellar with good air circulation around them. Long-time customers Jan and Bob Remer use their not-so-perfect apples to make applesauce. They don’t peel them, but quarter them, cut out the stem, cook them till they’re soft, put them through a sieve, and freeze the sauce in plastic freezer containers. They don’t even add sugar!

There may be other methods to preserve your produce which will work well. Whatever method of preserving your garden vegetables and fruits you prefer, use only freshly picked, ripe, but not overripe, flawless produce. And enjoy this healthy, delicious food all winter long!

Although we don’t know for sure what happened to these trees, we blame it on last fall’s weather.  In late September, 2009, we had 5 days in a row over 80 degrees, some of them over 90.  Then, in October it turned bitter cold, down to 9 degrees on October 12, setting a record low.  The ground froze quickly, leaving acres of potatoes frozen in the ground and unusable in the Churchill area.  Similar weather conditions occurred in 1983, with similar potato and tree damage, mostly of green ash trees.   Because of the fast temperature drop in October, the trees were not “hardened off” gradually, as they would be most years.  The leaves didn’t go through the normal process of changing color to yellow and orange and reds, but turned brown and hung on the branches.

This tree loss is frustrating because many of the damaged trees were reaching mature sizes with trunks from 3 to 6 inches in diameter.  It is also frustrating that green ash was the tree that was injured the most.  Why were green ash hurt so badly when it has always been touted as one of our hardiest shade trees, tolerant of cold, drought and alkaline soils?  When asked this question, Gary Strobel, doctor of plant pathology, said it is difficult to answer because we are dealing with complex biochemistry and plant physiology, dictated by the environmental factors.

So, there are no simple answers to how we can keep this from happening again, but here are a few suggestions:

1. Don’t give up on your trees too soon. If the branches or buds show any life at all, there still might be a chance they will leaf out and survive.  The telling factor will be if they are strong enough to make it through next winter.
2. After the 1983 tree injury in Bozeman, Orville McCarver, long-time MSU extension horticulturalist, suggested that the trees hurt the worst were overwatered in the late summer and fall.  Starting in July, to prepare trees for dormancy, (harden off), decrease watering.  This is not always easy to do if your trees are planted in a lawn area where you want the grass to stay green into September.   If possible, plant shade trees on the perimeter of your yard where they are not under your sprinkler system.  Or, at least, decrease the amount and frequency of water to your grass in mid to late summer.  Grass does not need as much water in late summer and fall when the nights are cooler and the days shorter.
3. To discourage late summer growth, don’t fertilize trees after July 1.
4. Planting only native trees is not the answer; even some quaking aspens around our area show damage this spring.  New varieties of trees are not always the answer either.   Newly introduced trees are not necessarily bred for their winter hardiness, but for other desirable characteristics like denseness, shape, or leaf color, therefore, the new selection may not be as winter hardy as the original tree.  But, the green ash cultivar called ‘Prairie Spire’, discovered in Rugby, North Dakota, appears to be a hardier green ash than the Patmore.  And, we recently heard about a new, disease resistant elm, called ‘Lewis and Clark’, discovered in cold, windy, Cooperstown, North Dakota.  When it is released to the public, ‘Lewis and Clark’ elm hopefully will prove to be a hardy shade tree for our area.
5. City foresters know the danger of planting too many of one type of tree; 40 to 50 years ago, Dutch elm disease almost wiped out the most common shade tree in the Midwest, the American elm.  For a uniform look along its streets, many subdivisions in Belgrade and Bozeman required Patmore green ash to be planted on homeowners’ boulevards.  No one could predict that so many of these trees, some of them mature, would be injured or killed.

So the answer is to plant a diversity of trees, to prevent death of one kind tree from a specific disease, insect, or bad winter.  Depending on where you live, chose from elms, lindens, honeylocust, maples, oaks, cottonless cottonwoods, mountain ash, or Ohio buckeye, and don’t discount hardy green ash selections like ‘Prairie Spire’, for a variety of beautiful shade trees in your yard