I'm going away for a few days, so I'm trying to get in a little garden maintenance before I leave.

First up is staking the lillies. Now that the peonies are finished blooming, I can use the peony cages to give the towering lillies some support. Nothing more disappointing than having a big beautiful lilly stalk hit the ground because the stem can't support the weight of all the blooms. A few of my lillies have gotten so big over the last couple years, that I need to tie them to metal fencing stakes to give them enough support. But it's worth the extra effort when they bloom.

Something else to keep in mind is tying up some of your taller grasses. My zebra grasses are having a great season so far, but their great size is taking its toll on the smaller plants around them. After it rains, the grasses hang over the annuals, blocking out the sun and causing them to wither. So, it's my "magic ball of twine" to the rescue! I can't tell you how much I rely on this gardening rope.

Each year, as I dig out the gardening stuff, I look for the magic ball of twine. The longer it takes to find, the more anxious I get. This year I splurged on some new twine and was thrilled when I found it in the color of green!! (Surprising, the older I get, the odd things that excite me.) But you fellow gardeners know what I mean ... when you find something that works, you stick with it.

Anyway, it doesn't hurt the grass at all to tie it up. My zebra grass along the path gets tied right to the fence. This photo was taken this week. Just look how big it is already!

The zebra grass around the pond just gets twine wrapped around it twice for extra support. I always seem to underestimate how much the grasses will grow, and grow, and grow. When I first put it around the back end of the pond, I made a little foot path between the grasses and the pond edge not only for enjoyment, but so I could get back there for maintenance. Well, the grasses are hanging pretty far over the path, the dogs can still get thru, but, as you can see, tying them up was the only option for the humans.

Moving on, now is also the time to cut back those mums. Actually you should have cut them back at least once by now, and be sure to do it again on or before the 4th of July. That will keep the blooms back until late summer-early fall. Also cut back your daisies, phlox and bee balm. I know it sounds crazy, but cutting them back will encourage them to branch out and ultimately lead to more blooms.

And now that the irises are pretty much done blooming, you can cut all that green foliage back to 6-8 inches if you desire a cleaner look in your flower beds or just to make more room for upcoming flowers. Also, cut back your Columbine, they should be done blooming by now, and it's goodbye to the bleeding hearts till next spring. And yes, I've relented and cut back my daffodil greens. I'm willing to take the chance that they've had enough sun to build up they're blooms for next year.

And make sure you get those tomato cages out on the tomato plants. It's a lot easier to put them on when the plants are small, rather than wait till you actually need them. You can usually find tomato cages at your local nursery or big box garden center (Lowes/Home Depot).

So have a great weekend and enjoy the great weather in your backyard oasis!!

P.S. - This Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. is your final chance to get to the Oley Valley Perennials Open House Sale, 675 Covered Bridge Road, Oley (one mile north of Yellow House). For information check the Garden Gal archives.

While walking through my gardens this week, I was pleasantly surprised to see the first blooms of two of my Clematis vines starting to open. I have four different varieties of this aristocratic vine in my gardens, two along the stone path and two more climbing an arbor in the back of my yard.
Clematis are among the most spectacular flowering vines, and within the wide range of colors, bloom times, and bloom sizes, there's a cultivar that's perfect for your garden.
Here are a few tips:
Most Clematis need at least six hours of sun each day to flower well.
The roots require cool tempeartures, so add 2-3 inches of organic mulch to reduce soil temperature and limit soil moisture loss.
And, perhaps most important, clematis climb by twining, so they need something to wrap themselves around, such as latticework or wire. Provide a support as tall as the vine's mature height. We have iron lattice that's about 4-ft. high that allows our clematis on the path to reach the top of our split rail fence and then it trails along it. I also run twine up the backside of our shed, so the Clematis can climb up and provide a wall of flowers.
"To prune or not to prune," is the most often asked question, regarding Clematis. It should be noted that incorrect pruning will never bring an early death to the clematis. At worst an inappropriate pruning will only delay flowering. Furthermore, if all varieties were left unpruned they would all flower very well.
I've been told that cutting the spent blooms off will promote more flowers. I have yet to test this theory, perhaps this year. Generally, I don't cut the vine back to the ground in the fall, but I do give it a good trim. I wait until late winter/early spring, when the first new leaves start to grow. Then I cut them back to about 6-8 inches from the ground.
But cutting/trimming the plant during blooming season won't necessarily hurt it at all. Sometimes you just want to keep it neat.
You don't have to spend a fortune for this splendid plant either. However, if you buy one that's not as established, but cheaper in price, it may take a few years to reach full blooming status. Our first two Clematis (the ones on the path) cost $29.99 each (5 yrs. ago) at Waterloo Gardens in Exton. While that may seem steep, as you can see in the photos provided, these were well worth the price.
Our other two Clematis were acquired from Cottage Farms via QVC. And while they look nice now (though not as spectacular as the others), it has taken four years to get there.
So, in essence, you get what you pay for.
And, I do recommend a trip to Waterloo Gardens in either of their locations (Exton or Devon). The place is absolutely fabulous! It's like an amusement park for gardeners. The displays are out-of-this-world and you can get quite an education there as well. Take the trip, you won't be sorry. (No one said you have to spend a fortune ... except on gas!)
Or you can check it out first online at http://www.waterloogardens.com/

And just a reminder that the Oley Valley Perennials Open House and Sale starts tomorrow at 9 a.m. at 675 Covered Bridge Road in scenic Oley. Also from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and June 6-7 and 20-21. If you go, make sure you get on their mailing list! More directions are available on this past Monday's (5/19) blog entry.

Today, I thought I'd let you in on a little secret of mine ... maybe some of you already know about it.

It's called Spray-N-Grow Micronutrient Concentrate and what a difference it makes in the garden!

Actually, it wasn't until my mom pointed out earlier this season, that I even realized the difference. She had bought me some of this product about three years ago, when I was still just starting out with my gardening obsession. She had seen it on QVC and couldn't wait to tell me all about how it enhances flowers, vegetable plants and even shrubs. I said Ok, I'd try it, and proceeded that first summer to regularly apply it once a week.

Well, you can judge by the photos yourself -- the first one is WITH Spray-N-Grow and the second is from last summer, when I decided to switch to Miracle-Gro's new spray nozzle/bottle combination.



Check out the difference in the impatiens. I just figured it was because last year was so poor with rainfall, but Mom pointed out around August that maybe it was because I'd switched to something else. And Mother always knows best!

That was good enough for me! We went to qvc.com immediately and ordered a new batch of Spray-N-Grow! And I highly recommend it.

All you do is mix one ounce of solution in one gallon of warm water; let stand for 15 minutes or until the liquid turns a tannish/amber color, then spray plants. Make sure you mix only enough to apply to plants within 4-6 hours. It's organic and nontoxic.

I use a 32-oz. plastic spray bottle and add 2 tsps. of Spray-N-Grow. You can apply as little as once a month or once a week for biggest results (I apply once a week).

It cost about $25 for a 20-oz. bottle, $19.48 plus $5.22 shipping/handling (and don't forget tax for PA residents).


A couple of other little tips: For those of you, like me, who might have trouble with weeds/grass coming up through garden paths, brick patios or walkways -- instead of buying expensive weed killer, just use vinegar. Yes, plain old white vinegar. You can put it in a spray bottle (not the same one you use for Spray-N-Grow!) or just pour it from the bottle. In a day or two, the weeds/grass will dry up and die.

And for all the little critters who like to taste all our new plantings -- cayenne pepper! It works great and you can usually buy it at the dollar store. Just sprinkle on the plant or on the ground around it. Once they get a taste of that, they won't come back!


And, for those of you who wanted to look online for directions to the Oley Valley Perennials' Open House Sales, the correct address is 675 Covered Bridge Road, Oley, PA 19547. See you there!