Quotation of the Week: "To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds and watch their renewal of life - this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do." — Charles Dudley Warner

From the Flower Shop

Sanseveria (Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law Tongue)

There are over 130 different species of Sanseveria, ranging from the short birds nest types to varieties as tall as 4 feet. Sanseveria are native to Africa, South Africa, India and Indonesia. These plants are succulent-like and retain water in their leaves, therefore require minimal watering. Sanseveria are known to be one of the easiest houseplants to grow, as their needs are few.

Light: Good light or dappled sun, often used in lower light situations as they will tolerate it.

Water: Requires a well draining soil, allow drying out between watering.

Temperature: Prefers temperatures between 70-90 degrees and a minimum temperature of 45 degrees.

Fertilizer: Fertilize 3 times per year, spring, mid-summer and fall with a mild dilution of fertilizer.

Re-Pot: Repotting is rarely needed, when the pot is filled with rosettes and the soil is getting hard to see. Plants can be propagated by division.

Pests: Resistant to most pests.

Problems: Most common problem is poor drainage or too frequent watering.

From the Garden Shop

Gophers!

by Scott Lillich Now that winter is finally behind us, it is time to get back out there and enjoy the sun. Do yourself a favor this year and protect your new plantings from those pesky gophers. Gophers eat bulbs and feed on the roots of plants, even killing shrubs, vines, and trees on occasion. Damaged plants wilt, sometimes only on one side, and often pull right from the ground because the roots have been munched away. Gophers are extremely active and dig deep tunnels beneath your garden. A telltale sign of a gopher tunnel is the crescent-shaped mound on the surface with a clean snake-like hole beneath. One of the best ways for preventing gopher damage is to plant your flowers, shrubs, and trees with root guards. Root guards are prefabricated ¾” wire baskets that surround the roots of your new plants. They come in one, three, and five-gallon sizes, as well as a tree size for your larger plants. Root guards are easy to use, inexpensive, and make an excellent physical barrier to keep gophers away from your plants. For existing gopher problems and/or instances where root guards are not applicable, consider watering Mole Max into the affected areas. Mole Max is a granulated castor oil repellent, which can be watered into lawns, gardens, and flowerbeds. It is a great alternative to poisons because it is safe for use around children and pets, and will not harm your plants. As the name suggests, Mole Max is also effective in dealing with moles, as well as, voles, skunks, rabbits, ground squirrels, and other burrowing animals. For year-round control, apply Mole Max in spring, summer, and fall. Next time you are at the nursery, swing on by the Garden Shop and ask one of our knowledgeable and friendly staff to show you the many of options we have for keeping all of your plants safe from gophers this year. In the meantime… Happy planting!

From the Garden Shop

Codling Moth

To avoid wormy apples (or crabapples, pears or quince) begin a two-step prevention campaign now. Put out pheromone traps for codling moths now as blossom time approaches. In order to avoid having to spray all season long, the traps are used to signal the presence of the adults. When (and if) the traps show that the adults are present, then increase the number of traps, or spray with Sevin or with the new organic control Spinosad until the traps show that the adults are no longer present. The adults lay their eggs on or near the developing fruit. The adults hatch out 3-5 times a year. The larvae (worms) must be intercepted after they hatch out but before they enter the fruit, which is why the timing of spray applications is so important. Stop by the Garden Shop and talk to one of our experts for more information.

What You'll Need: 1 cup flour 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced Whipped cream

Step by Step:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon together until crumbly. Press ½ of the mixture into bottom of a 9-inch square-baking pan. Mix sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and clear, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Toss rhubarb and strawberries together gently. Place tossed fruit over the crumb mixture in the prepared pan. Pour cornstarch mixture over fruit and top with remaining crumbs. Bake approximately 1 hour or until crisp. Serve with whipped cream. Yield: 8 servings