THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 18, 1995 TAG: 9506160083
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: REMINDERS
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
SOIL IS WARM enough now to plant caladium bulbs. Or they can be purchased in pots at garden centers, which gives them a head start in your garden.
Make sure to plant caladium in a shady area. Its colorful foliage is available in white, pink, red or solid green with colorful edgings. IT MIGHT BE MITES
Check butterfly bushes (Buddleia) at once for spider mite damage. Last week mine looked riddled. If leaves are pale, wan and yellowish-white, it's most likely red spider mites working on undersides of the leaves. Spray them with a strong stream of water or spray with Orthene or any product containing kelthane. PUT LAUNDRY LINT TO USE
Songbirds are still building new nests. It takes several days and many trips to carry material to the nest site. To encourage nesting, make some supplies available, such as string, cotton and lint from your clothes dryer. Some species build two or three nests in a season, so make nesting supplies available through June and July. Man-made materials of all kinds are popular with birds. A farmer in Minnesota once found a brown thrasher's nest with a $5 bill woven into it. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo courtesy of Fancy Plants Farms
Red Flash is one of many varieties of colorful caladiums.
by CNB