Keep your hooved admirers to a minimum! Please join us on Leap Day to learn from a Master Gardener about how to deer-proof your garden. See you at 2 PM on Saturday, February 29th at the Christiansburg Library.
Happenings in the New River Valley
Wood Thrush Natives: by Susan Perry
On May 24, 2018, NRV Master Gardeners had the opportunity to take a tour of Wood Thrush Natives, located in Floyd. About 20 Master Gardeners took the tour given by owner Ian Caton.
I attended a talk given by Ian at the Hahn Horticulture Gardens, earlier in the spring. I found Ian to be extremely knowledgeable so my interest was piqued by the offer of a tour. The focus of the nursery is native plants of the Appalachian region.
Ian started the tour by answering questions posed by Master Gardeners. For example, Ian spoke at length about his practice of not using mulch beyond the first year or two of plant installation. He pointed out that Mother Nature provides a variety of “mulches” like fallen leaves or groundcovers. Ian favors allowing plants to spread, thereby suppressing weeds. He has found that applying mulch may cause crown rot.
Ian also favors garden design that uses layers that mimic nature: (from tallest to shortest) large trees, smaller understory trees, shrubs, perennials (tall, medium, and small), and groundcovers. His design tip about groundcovers is that they will act as a background/anchor, so use many and allow them to spread together.
Another question Ian addressed was to discuss landscaping with deer. He suggested thinking beyond just plants, using rocks and logs, and making sure to introduce plant variety/diversity. He did mention that plants in the mint family, ornamental grasses, and ferns are not favored by deer.
Ian starts his plants from seeds, cuttings, and division. His operation is organic and ethical. Heated greenhouses are not used. Gwen Douglas referred the attendees to Wood Thrust Natives website, http://www.woodthrushnatives.com/, which she said is an excellent resource to use in advance of buying.
Friends of Peak Creek
The New River Valley Master Gardeners were treated to a very informative talk about the important work of the Friends of Peak Creek (FOPC). Cathy Hanks, President of FOPC, described the efforts that this nonprofit organization has taken to improve water quality and ecological habitat of the creek which has a drainage area of over 60 square miles and meanders over 26 miles from its source in Jefferson National Forest to Claytor Lake. The work of FOPC also fosters environmental awareness and provides education.
One of their ongoing projects includes planting live stakes to stabilize stream beds in an effort to repair and prevent bank erosion. Stakes planted in 2016 had a successful survival rate of 80%. In December 2017, 16 volunteers came together to plant an additional 1200 live stakes of Silky Dogwood, Elderberry, Nine Bark and Silky Willow plants. By April 2018, buds on the stakes were evident.
A recent project of the FOPC is the establishment of a Pollinator Garden at Heritage Park in Pulaski for the purpose of habitat enhancement and public education. In January, the FOPC was awarded a Master Gardener Association (MGA) 2018 Community Grant for the purpose of establishing a fence around the new garden. By May 18, 2018, the fence was up and planting had begun. The MGA also awarded a 2018 mini-grant to the FOPC for the purchase of native plants for the garden. The installation of interpretive signage is planned for the near future.
Members of FOPC are also thoughtful to our feathered friends. Through the help of FOPC, twelve nesting boxes are in place along the Dora Bluebird Trail which runs along Peak Creek. By May 20, 2018 all the nesting boxes were occupied. Occasionally, the bluebirds had to share when the boxes became home to tree swallows, chickadees or wrens. In an effort to save ducks at the Creek from developing “angel wing syndrome,” duck food dispensers offering nutritious duck food have been installed. The goal is to protect the ducks from becoming malnourished because of the ingestion of too much bread and snack food. Consumption of large amounts of carbohydrate and sugar is what causes angel wind syndrome which prevents the ducks from being able to fly and protect themselves from predators.
Additional projects undertaken by FOPC include keeping the creek free of litter, monitoring water quality, marking storm drains and installing pet waste stations. In the fall of 2016, Dora Trail which runs along Peak Creek was designated as a Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail (SBWT) by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The FOPC works with the town of Pulaski’s Department of Parks and Facilities to enhance the trail along Peak Creek. Officially, Dora Trail is part of the “Lower New River Loop” in the Mountain section of the VBWT. See https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt/sites/dora-trail/
Lavender
Lavender: Relax … Stop and Smell the Flowers
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By Susan Perry, NRV Master Gardener
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Ask yourself, “Is there anything better than lavender?” Imagine the scent, the color … simply perfection. Lavender is romantic, it looks and smells beautiful, and it’s healing. Lavender is a good choice for perennial gardens in Virginia, and under the right conditions, can be quite easy to grow. And we have a fabulous local grower nearby who I recently had the opportunity to visit. You can learn a lot about lavender by visiting Mystic River Lavender in Riner. A handful of NRV Master Gardeners recently visited and although I didn’t count, owners Janice and Keith Mileski easily have more than 1000 plants growing there.
Besides producing beautiful, fragrant flowers, lavender can be dried in bunches or used to make various products by extracting essential oils or using dried blossoms. Annual maintenance of established lavender is average and lavender has few pest or disease problems. An added benefit for Janice is that deer seem uninterested in lavender. Once established, lavender is extremely drought tolerant. According to Janice, she only waters lavender plants during the first year, and then sparingly.
Lavender flourishes in Mediterranean climates, so any attempts to grow lavender in SW Virginia should attempt to replicate that climate. When selecting a location, think “Mediterranean climate” because that is where the lavender plant first came from. Other places lavender grows well are Colorado, Texas, the Pacific NW, and New Mexico. Lavender thrives in hot, sunny locations in a variety of soils, as long as they are well drained. You can amend clay soils by creating a mounded 6” deep layer of “dirty rock”. Avoid using sand or gravel as an amendment because they can actually cause drainage problems.
Two kinds of lavender that are grown at Mystic River Lavender are lavandula angustifolia (commonly known as English lavender) and lavandula x intermedia (known as lavandin), a hybrid of lavandula angustifolia and lavandula latifolia. Lavandins are usually larger plants that bloom only once in the late summer. Different cultivars of English lavender and lavandins produce flowers ranging from light blue to dark purple, as well as pink and white. If you visit Mystic River Lavender, you will see multiple varieties of blue/purple lavender, along with several varieties of white lavender.
Choose English lavender plants that have been propagated from cuttings, rather than from seed, in order to insure consistent size and color, bloom time, and other characteristics. Typically, English lavender cultivars range from 12 – 30” tall and 18 – 24” wide. Since lavandins are sterile, they can only be propagated from cuttings and are often much taller than English lavender. They are usually 18 – 36” tall and 24 – 36” side. When planting lavender, space plants far enough apart to allow good air circulation, based on the mature size of the cultivar.
When growing lavender plants in SW Virginia, be sure to use stone mulch – wood mulch will cause the plants to remain too moist to survive. Just be sure to keep mulch away from the crown of the plant. Too much moisture will result in plant decline and may make the plant succumb to soil disease or root rot.
The best time to harvest lavender is between 9am – noon (early morning after the dew has dried), once a few of the flower buds have opened. For drying, try to cut stems as long as possible, bundling 50 – 75 stems with rubber bands so that you can hang them to dry in a cool, dark place with good airflow. Janice and Keith dry their lavender in their garage, with the windows covered, and fans and a de-humidifier running. Larger bundles may mold, so you can always carefully combine smaller dried bundles to make one larger dried bundle. Or, simply enjoy a bouquet of fresh lavender.
After your primary harvest, there may be a second, smaller late summer flowering in some varieties. A second harvest can be combined with annual pruning, once plants are established. Removing any flowers that occur during this time will help insure more prolific flowering next year. Because lavender flowers on new growth, Janice prefers pruning at the end of August or early September. She recommends pruning approximately one third of the top of the plant, never below 1” above old wood. This will stimulate growth, keep the plant from becoming too open and woody, and will help insure more prolific flowering next year.
With a little effort, in a few years you’ll be able to enjoy the scent of your own, home-grown lavender.
Selu Garden and Service Club
Posted by Sharon Eifried, MG.
On April 1, 2017, New River Valley Master Gardeners were treated to an afternoon learning about the Selu Garden and Service Club. Master gardeners also toured the garden which is located on a 6,000 square foot piece of property located at Radford University’s Selu Conservancy. The gathering was hosted by Ryley Harris, a senior RU student majoring in environmental biology and Kaylee Caroline, a student at Tidewater Community College. Kaylee is an aspiring organic farmer and a permaculture expert who works on New Earth Farm in Pungo, Virginia.
The club began in April 2014 when club members and volunteers built an eight foot tall deer fence, established a garden and began producing and donating fresh food to local outreach centers. As an example, the Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread has received approximately 400 pounds of produce from the club over the last several years. The club members are students from many different academic backgrounds working together to grow food efficiently using a few different intensive gardening methods.
Ryley states that the Club’s current project involves “integrating sustainable gardening approaches into our 6,000 square foot garden. Among these methods includes the practice of intensive agriculture, which has an end goal to maximize crop yield per unit area per unit of time. We also utilize swale-contour gardening in order to maximize the amount of water available to our crops.”
Kaylee shared her passion for the practice of permaculture. She explained the process of creating swales that can reduce soil erosion and enrich the soil. At the Selu garden, swales have been created following the contour lines of the land. The swale is a ditch that gathers water from rain. The water then seeps into the soil for the benefit of surrounding plants.
About thirty-five students belong to the Selu Garden and Service Club with about seven students participating regularly. Ryley sees the club as a way for RU students to give back to their community and to learn new skills.
If you would like to visit the Garden and see the swales, contact Ryley at Rharris13@radford.edu. He would welcome your visit, questions, and comments.