A IS FOR ANNUALS.
The zinnia is a popular choice for gardeners, probably because it comes in many colors and is known for attracting butterflies. Want to know more about the zinnia? Check out letter ‘Z’! P.S.: This plant is an annual, which means it grows for one season only. underwoodgardens.com
B IS FOR BREYER CONSTRUCTION AND LANDSCAPE
Is your deck safe? To make sure, look underneath it where it connects to the house and check for moisture, rot or deterioration with the ledger board, hangers, bolts or fasteners. BreyerConstruction.com
C IS FOR CITY FOOD.
There are 10 Berks Conservancy (BC) community gardens in Reading. The smallest one holds 20 plots and the largest holds 72 for just $8 a year, payable by each member. “These gardens provide healthy food and help revitalize communities,” says Tami Jo Shimp, VP of development & community relations at BC, Reading. berks-conservancy.org
D IS FOR DAYLILY.
This perennial plant grows on its own with very little care each year. Each clump has many flower stalks that bloom one time for a day. Daylilies come in all colors, shapes and sizes. They are hardy and resist most pests and disease problems in gardens. manatawnycreekfarm.com
E is for ENVIRO GARDENER.
From composting to making your own grub traps, envirogardener.com is a must see for the amateur or experienced organic gardener.
F IS FOR FRUIT HOMEGROWN.
Apples and blueberries are the two most grower-friendly fruits for the home gardener, says Ed Weaver, owner of Weaver’s Orchard, Morgantown. All they require is spraying in the spring and a bit of pruning in the dormant season. Weaver’s sells fruit trees and plants in the spring and handpicked fruit in season. weaversorchard.com
G IS FOR GRAYBUCK.
To flesh out your landscape, look for shrubbery to fill in the empty spaces. For a persistent bloom, glossy abelia—a gorgeous shrub with deep-green glossy leaves—offers white flowers tinged with pink. “It works well on its own or as a background to highlight other plantings,” says Barb Brenckman, co-owner of Graybuck Country Home and Garden in Mohnton. graybuck.com
H IS FOR HOOP HOUSES.
Grow your own chemical-free produce inside a Home Hobbyist greenhouse available at hoophouse.com. Designed for suburban home gardeners, these kits provide a warm place all year long for seed starting, potting and bench growing.
J IS FOR JAPANESE BEETLES.
These garden pests start out underground as grubs feasting on plant roots. To control them, try Milky Spore, a naturally occurring microscopic bacterium. Japanese beetle traps (with yummy addicting pheromones) placed in the sun and far away from gardens will help keep adults at bay. veggiegardener.com
K IS FOR KETCHUP.
You don’t have to grow your own tomatoes to make homemade ketchup. Here’s how to do it: chop 6 large tomatoes, 1 fennel bulb, 1 onion and 4 garlic cloves; measure 1 cup sugar, ¼1 cup molasses and 1¼ cup red wine vinegar; add 10 whole cloves, 2 whole star anise pods and 1 tbsp. salt. In a large saucepan, combine ingredients and reduce over low heat until mixture becomes very thick (about 4 hours). Puree mixture in a blender and then put through a mesh strainer. Pour into a container and refrigerate. allrecipes.com
I IS FOR ICKY.
Earthworms are good for aiding in composting and adding nitrogen and other nutrients necessary for rich soil. They work best underground in moist conditions—too much water, though, and you’ll find these mucous-covered wigglers out on your sidewalks.
L IS FOR LADYBUGS.
Save your garden from harmful insects! Known for its ferocious appetite, just one ladybug is capable of consuming 40-50 aphids and a wide variety of other soft-bodied insects and their eggs per day. groworganic.com
M IS FOR MALSNEE TILE & STONE.
These days when it comes to outdoor entertaining, the way to go is an outdoor kitchen or bar patio. The experts at Malsnee highly recommend granite for countertops for its ability to withstand the freeze and thaw of our winters. malsnee.com
N IS FOR NECTAR.
Attract hummingbirds to your outdoor feeders with homemade nectar. All you need is 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Boil, stir, cool and then fill your feeders! Add red food coloring to make it even more irresistible to the hummers.
O IS FOR ORCHIDS.
Spiranthes, also known as “Lady Tresses,” is a fragrant outdoor white-spiraled orchid. The flower, indigenous to our area, blooms in the fall and can even be grown in ponds, says Bob Mutschler, owner of Mutschler’s Florist and Rare Plants in Birdsboro.
P IS FOR PRETTY DIRTY LADIES.
To help keep unwanted weeds out of your garden, Gloria Day, owner of Pretty Dirty Ladies, Leesport, suggests attacking the weeds just after a rain while the soil is still soft and easy to work. Gloria’s top 3 tools: soil knife by A.M. Leonard Co., for deep-rooted weeds; the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator, for loosening weeds and aerating soil; and a Dutch push hoe for large areas or between vegetable garden rows. prettydirtyladies.com
Q IS FOR QUOITS.
Years ago, quoits were made from bent, worn-out horseshoes, but it was really difficult to get a “ringer” with them. So overtime, the shoes were left open and tossed just as they were. This perfect lawn game, now called horseshoe pitching, is played by folks of all ages.quoitpits.com
R IS FOR RIVERVIEW TREE.
The dawn redwood is an ancient tree that once lived alongside the dinosaurs. It was known only from fossils, until a small population of living trees was discovered in south-central China in 1941. This breathtaking “living fossil” can now be purchased from riverviewtree.com in their garden center and grown in your backyard! riverviewtree.com
S IS FOR SUNFLOWERS.
Did you know there are 82 species of sunflowers, and of these, 38 are perennials? The red sunflower, an annual, grows to be about 5 feet tall. It is described as having velvety dark-red petals tipped with flecks of gold. Its stem is purple. sunflowerguide.com
T IS FOR TOOLS.
Having the right garden tool on hand will ensure proper plant growth from the start, says Thomas A. Rose, general manager at Weavers Hardware Co., Fleetwood. His top 3 picks: spade shovel, to break up the ground to create beds; cultivator, to loosen and break apart dirt; and a hoe, to line up rows or sections to drop seeds or plants. weavershardware.com
U IS FOR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT.
Grow fresh basil, oregano and thyme year-round inside your home with a UV growing light. Put your seeds or seedlings in a container with good drainage. Position the UV light 6 inches above your plants, but no higher, at all times. If the light is too far above the plants, you will get long and spindly, weak stems. ediblecontainergardening.com
V IS FOR VASES.
Show off cut flowers in the proper container. For the best look and fit, put slim-stemmed flowers in an opaque, cylindrical, tapered-neck vase and fatter blooms in a clear glass, flared-lip vase for room to spread out. Remember, flowers should be 1.5 to 2 times the height of your vase. vasesgalore.com
W IS FOR WATERFALL GARDENS.
A water garden needs time to establish its own ecosystem before the water becomes crystal clear. “Install the pond correctly, sit back and enjoy the view! It will happen!” says Tom Wambaugh, owner of Waterfall Gardens, Shillington. waterfallgdns.com
X IS FOR XMAS TREES.
A live evergreen replanted after the holidays is as green as it gets. To keep the tree fresh as possible, limit the days inside to a minimum (no sooner than the week of Christmas), says George Balthaser, owner of Windsor Garden in Exeter Township. He also suggests putting the tree in a weaning area such as a garage with windows within a few days after the holidays. windsorgardendesign.com
Y IS FOR YELLOW JACKETS.
Trap ‘em and keep ‘em away with your very own homemade trap. You’ll need a recycled 2-liter plastic water bottle, ¼1 cup sugar, ½1 cup water, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 banana peel and a sharp knife. Pour the vinegar, water and sugar into the bottle and shake. Add the banana peel and more water until the bottle is about half full. Cut a 3/4-inch hole in the top half of the bottle. Place in an area close to the hive or away from your outside work
or play area. organicgardening.com
Z IS FOR ZINNIAS.
The perfect cutting flower, zinnias are easy to care for and grow. According to burpee.com, seedlings planted in April emerge in 7-10 days. Deadheading helps keep these beauties flowering until fall. Don’t forget to water!
