Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 2, 1992 TAG: 9202060018
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
PLAN NOW FOR YARD IMPROVEMENTS
Faced with the recession, many families may be spending more time at home this summer, rather than taking those nice weekend trips or expensive vacations.Improving the looks of your yard is a project you can do to fill that extra time. Start planning now, although the actual planting of new plants or transplanting of existing plants won't begin until March.
Because each design and each yard can be unique, there are no hard and fast rules for landscaping. There are a few elements that should be considered in the planning so that you and your neighbors will be happy with any changes. Let's look at the elements that, in my opinion, are essential.
First has to be scale. Plan for new plants or the movement of existing ones so that they will be in the right proportion to the size of the house or yard. This means not planting shrubs that will grow to be huge in front of a small house. Both the mature height and spread of trees and shrubs should be considered.
Also important are harmony or order (no hodgepodge); unity of the various parts of the landscape - don't have too many showy plants or too many accessories on the lawn; and simplicity - avoid cluttering the yard with unnecessary objects.
Q: I've had a problem with birds that will fly against a plate glass window in my house. This doesn't break the glass, but that collision could eventually hurt the birds. What should be done? N.N., Roanoke
A: Bird-window collisions are traumatic for people, too, because this question occasionally comes up. There's no easy solution to the problem. Bird-scare devices do not work. If your house is in an area where there is a large population of wild birds, the most effective solution would be to install non-reflective glass and/or windows angled downward to reflect the ground rather than the sky or trees.
If remodeling is out of the question or the expense is just too much, bird-window collisions can be stopped by breaking up the reflection from outside the window. Do this with screens, bird netting (such as that sold to keep birds out of ripening fruit crops) or window covers of some sort.
Also, if you have bird feeders not too far from the window so that you can watch wild birds as they come to eat, put the feeders no closer than 3 feet to the window. This way, as birds become startled, they won't be able to gather enough flying speed as they leave the feeder to cause themselves injury if they collide with the window.
Q: I was astounded by something in your column in the Jan. 19 paper. A reader had inquired about what type of special care his young fruit trees need and when to start treatment. I know poorly informed nursery personnel do not inform clients of such things as pollination, but I'm sure that you have heard the term before. You answered the question, but you might have saved him many years of frustration by informing him of the need for a specific pollinator for his black tartian cherry tree. You done him wrong. C.J.L., Lexington
A: I must respond with two points because you raised a good concern:
1. Because space in the newspaper is limited, and I want to answer as many questions as possible, I must keep my answers brief and answer only the specific question(s).
2. I write this column as an extension agent, not as a paid staff writer for the newspaper. I rely on information from Virginia Tech to answer questions. Tech does state that at least two of the recommended sweet cherry varieties should be planted for pollination in order to get a good crop.
However, I am aware from past reading that some sweet cherry varieties that have been developed by fruit breeders can produce cherries without another variety nearby. Of those two varieties mentioned by J.T. of Salem, I have seen the Bing sweet cherry mentioned in literature from a company, but I could find no information from Virginia Tech on home culture of that black tartatian cherry. Thus, information on its culture would have to come from the nursery.
Got a question about your plants, garden, lawn, or insects? Write to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491.
Gardener's checklist
Jobs for early February:
Gardeners who like to start their own vegetable transplants should sow seeds of broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage indoors or in the home greenhouse now in order to have strong seedlings to plant in mid- to late March (based on Roanoke's average last frost date of April 30). These hardy vegetables must grow in the garden before the weather turns hot. Some suggested varieties (not a complete list) are: packman, green valiant and green goliath broccoli; jade cross Brussels sprouts; stonehead, round up, little rock and guardian cabbage; and two season Chinese cabbage.
John Arbogast is the agriculture extension agent for Roanoke