THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504210082
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G4 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
LOOKING FOR a Mother's Day gift? What could be more unusual than earrings made from persimmon caps? The ``cap'' is that piece of star-shaped bark at the top of persimmon fruit.
They are sold at Peter Quik on Virginia Beach Boulevard or the Tennis Pro Shop at the Little Creek Amphibious Base. They are available in natural, red, silver and gold. Call 486-3217. BULBS SUITED FOR THE SOUTH
Southern gardeners have long struggled with bulbs acclimated to northern climates - bulbs that require refrigeration and often rot in black or clay gumbo that covers much of the South. ``Garden Bulbs of the South,'' by Scott Ogden (Taylor Publishing Co., $22.95, hardback) examines neglected American native bulbs as well as plants from Mexico and Central America.
The book includes an exhaustive listing of bulb sources. Any bookstore can order it. BUTTERFLY ROSE AVAILABLE
Smithfield Gardens Linda Pinkham reports they carry the Butterfly Rose (Rosa chinensis mutabilis) and have had excellent results growing it. Reader Anne Stratton asked on April 2 where it could be purchased. Pinkham says it does not require spraying. Call 238-2511. ALL ABOUT LAWNS
You can learn about lawn aeration, fertilization and backyard composting next Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Great Neck Recreation Center in Virginia Beach. It's part of the effort to protect local water quality and the Chesapeake Bay. It's free but bring your own lawn chair. Call 427-4769. PRUNE HYDRANGEA TIPS
If your hydrangea was pruned last fall or early spring, the ends of many limbs probably need pruning again. A late freeze or frost often kills the last 6 to 8 inches of each branch. Hydrangeas bloom on new growth, so don't prune all limbs to the ground or you'll eliminate blooms for a year. HOBHOUSE TO SPEAK
If you've ever visited Penelope Hobhouse in her English home, you know she's a no-nonsense English gardener and writer. If you'd like to hear her talk about ``Structure and Ornament in Garden Design,'' she's making a trek to the United States next month and will speak in Richmond at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on May 9 and 10. Call (804) 262-9887 for fees and times.
If you can't make it to Richmond, Hobhouse will travel to Raleigh, N.C., on May 11 for the annual Mordecai Symposium, which includes tours of 10 Raleigh gardens. Cost is $75. Call (919) 834-4844. HUMMINGBIRDS ARE COMING
It's time to put out hummingbird feeders. A reader from Gates, N.C., reports she saw one two weeks ago. CUT DOWN ON MOWING
Fertilizer manufacturers often suggest putting down one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of turf early in the spring. But the Brickman Group, this country's largest contractors of horticultural services, says they've found that reducing that amount to a quarter or a third as much nitrogen per thousand square feet will avoid the surge of growth that requires mowing twice a week early on. When reducing nitrogen content, Brickman suggests using a fertilizer containing iron. Nitrogen gives grass vigor while iron provides good green color. by CNB