THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 7, 1996 TAG: 9604050076
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G3 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
IS IT VEGETABLE planting time yet?
I've not mentioned planting in recent weeks, because the weather has been so cold and unpredictable. Eventually warm days will arrive.
I took advantage of a recent 70-degree day and planted peas. You can do the same, and include beets, onion sets, lettuce, potatoes and other vegetables, such as spinach, that don't mind cold weather. If the soil is cold and wet, seed will rot instead of germinate - so be cautious. SPRING FLOWER SALE
Thursday is the annual spring flower sale of the Junior Virginia Beach Garden Club. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Virginia Beach Pavilion. Ten colors of geraniums, plus annuals, perennials and many unusual flowers will be sold. A dozen or more vendors will show their wares, and I'll be there from 10 a.m. to noon signing books. Admission is free. Call 422-9389. CUT BACK LIRIOPE
If rabbits didn't chew off your liriope during the winter, now is the time to cut it back. By spring, it usually looks ragged and has brown leaves.
Liriope and mondo grass both need trimming but have tough foliage. The easiest method is to set your lawn mower high and mow it off. Next best is a string trimmer, but keep away from trees and shrubs, so you don't cut the bark with the trimmer. If you must do it by hand, use grass clippers, since they work best. HOT-WEATHER WINNER
One of the finest annuals you can grow but one of the most difficult to find is Nierembergia Mont Blanc. No one buys it, report garden centers, because it does not make a show until the weather gets hot. I grew it last summer in a container, and it can't be beat for a real show. It likes hot dry weather but will rot out in a wet spot.
If you grow this plant, you'll want it year after year. Lynnbriar Greenhouses, which specialize in growing unusual and hard-to-find annuals and perennials, will have it in pots. Call 547-3335. Some garden centers also may stock it. WAIT TO SPRAY
If you've had trouble controlling poison ivy with Roundup, late summer or early fall applications work best, say Clemson University scientists. They report 20 percent control of poison ivy with a May application, 87 percent control with July application and 98 percent control with August application. This also proved true with other difficult-to-control weeds such as nutgrass. SOME NEW BOOKS
If you've never been to Sissinghurst, the beautiful English garden, you can see it in a new book. ``Gardening At Sissinghurst'' by Tony Lord (Macmillan General Reference, $40. hardcover) unravels the secrets behind the brilliance of Sissinghurst. More than 200 full-color photos show the garden in all its beauty, especially the gardening ``rooms.''
Macmillan has also released another book designed for teachers. ``Ready, Set, Grow - A Guide to Gardening with Children'' by Burpee author Suzanne Frutig Bales (Macmillan General Reference, hardcover $17.95) provides projects that will keep children and parents entertained. Building scarecrows, candying flowers, tatooing pumpkins and turning zucchinis into ``peacocks'' are some of the subjects.
Any book outlet can order either book for you.
There is also a catalog related to children's gardening. Called ``Resources for Garden-Based Education,'' the free catalog is put out by Gardens for Growing People, P.O. Box l630, Point Reyes, Calif. 94956. SULFUR FOR FUNGUS CONTROL
Sulfur is an old-time insect fungus control that is still sold in some garden centers as ``Flowers of Sulfur.'' If you choose to use it, test it on one or two leaves because it tends to burn foliage in hot weather. It is not compatible with oils or soaps, so don't use it if you're using either of them. Sulfur at one time was widely used for mildew control on flowers. GET READY FOR EARTH DAY
The Cape Henry Audubon Society needs help at its Weyanoke wildlife and wildflower sanctuary before an Earth Day event April 21. If you can help from 2 to 5 p.m. next Sunday or from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 20, call Becky White at 489-7067.
The sanctuary is a tranquil place, off Hampton Boulevard on Gates Avenue. When Gates Avenue ends at Armistead Bridge Road, the sanctuary is across from Bluebird Park. It is open this time of year on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. FINDING A GARDEN CLUB
I'm often asked how to get in touch with a garden club. ``The Retirement Advisor'' newsletter says to ask at the nearest public botanical garden, extension office, commercial garden center, city or county water department, annual home and garden show or your homeowners association. Or call the National Council of State Garden Clubs Inc. at (314) 776-7574) or the Garden Club of America at (212) 753-8287. by CNB