I Strike a Blow for the Urban Environment
In one of his many essays, C. S. Lewis asks that we consider the thousands of years humans have lived on earth. He suggests that every woman is a part of her mother and all the mothers before her and every man has a father that goes back farther than any of us know. That means there have been uncountable numbers of people breathing and pulsating throughout human history. If you consider all humans who ever lived as one unit of life, it’s like one huge organism spread all around the world.
All of us have been granted two significant gifts – life from our parents and the ability to choose. What will we choose to do with that mille-second of all time we have as part of this timeless organism? We can choose to be an irritant or a soothing effect for others who are our neighbors. We can offer an encouraging word for someone at work. We can pay forward at the toll booth. It’s like a drop of green in a bucket of white paint. It changes the color ever so slightly, perhaps making someone else’s load a little lighter.
The analogy is similar when we think of the trees of our earth – with this exception. The green canopy of the earth, or what’s left of it, cannot choose. It is completely powerless against the choices we make. Have you ever removed a tree in your yard because” it might fall on my house in a storm”,” I hate gum trees”,” it blocks my view,” I can’t get grass to grow.” – And then choose not to replace it with a more desirable one?
It’s your choice, isn’t it? Remember, the silent subservient trees are alive – same as you. And without them we, and the whole organism, die.
Can the can of paint ever be green? Will the circle be unbroken?
Ken Matthews
Reblooming Azaleas
Commonly Found Nursery Stock for Bonsai
When searching for bonsai material at garden centers there are many things to consider. First you want to find a species that lends itself to bonsai culture. You will also want to inspect the health of the tree. This can be accomplished by looking at the color of the leaves, checking to see if the tree is pot bound, and identifying any pest which may be present. Once you have found a suitable group of trees start looking for a specimen with positive characteristics, such as low branching, dense foliage, and a good trunk base.
A list of plants commonly found at nurseries that make good bonsai material:
Flowering: Azaleas (small leaf and flowering varieties), Crab Apple, Dwarf Cherry, Flowering Apricot, Quince, Hawthorn
Deciduous: Japanese Maple, Chinese Elm, Trident Maple
Evergreen: Scots Pine, Japanese Black Pine, Japanese White Pine, Japanese Red Pine, Dwarf Garden Juniper, San Jose Juniper, Parsoni Juniper, Japanese or Korean boxwood, Kingsville boxwood
What to avoid: poorly grafted material (most commercially grafted material), root bound stock, and diseased plants
After your purchase take the material home, give it a light pruning to remove excess foliage and plant it in the ground or a growing pot so it can regain vigor. The season after its first initial spurt of growth, you can begin development. If you fail to give the plant time to recover, you could be setting yourself back a few years right from the start. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new species, you never know when you could find the next best thing.
Tips for the Garden:
- Cut back the old growth out of your ornamental grasses and liriope now.
- Apply Preen Weed Preventer now so your garden beds will be weed free all season long!
- Apply Bonide’s All Season’s Oil now. It is the single most important step in pest prevention and is best used before plants begin to grow and while they are still dormant.
- Check your soil pH now to determine if you need to add nutrients to your soil to help develop a healthy lawn and plants. Most trees and shrubs grow best in slightly acidic to neutral pH – 6.5 – 7. Lawns are severely affected by pH levels. The optimum pH for a healthy lawn is 6.2. Stop by the garden center and pick up a quick at home soil test or a mail away test kit from VA Tech. We can help you with product selection and application once you determine where your pH is.
Sun, March 9
Spring Forward!
Daylight Savings Time Begins
Mon, March 17
St. Patrick’s Day
Bonsai Design Workshop and Display
Sat, March 22
Session 1: 9:00AM-Noon
Working with Japanese Maples
Learn the history and technique for creating bonsai with Japanese maples. Each student will work with Japanese maples to create a group planting composition. The workshop will include a training pot, a 3 year old Japanese maple pre-bonsai, wire, and soil. Students will create their own composition with instruction.
Advanced Styling Techniques
Saturday, April 5 10AM
Fairy Garden Class
Explore ways in which to create a fantasy environment with herbs, flowers, natural materials and miniature accessories. We will the practical steps involved in creating an enchanting tiny garden world…just the type of place that is sure to attract a fairy to visit! Call 757.898.7799 to register.
