In The Garden

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

     Anyone who has been reading the column for very long knows that I am not big on turf lawns.  I certainly do not desire a golf course look for my lawn.  I actually love having clover, plantain and other broadleaf plants in my lawn.  However, I do like for the turf to be healthy enough to maintain some green color over the winter and to have enough grass to keep things from getting muddy.  Whatever type of lawn you desire, September may be the most important month for lawn care.

     Fertilizing your lawn in the fall is far more important than spring applications.  However, the fertilizer used at this time needs to be one with a higher third number, promoting good root growth.  Grass needs nitrogen, but at this time, the root growth is more needed than leaf growth.  Good roots will get your lawn through the winter.  Most lawn-care experts recommend fertilizing in September and again in late October or early November.  The lawn will keep growing, even after a frost, until the surface freezes.

     If you are looking for that perfect grass lawn, fall is also the time for applying a broadleaf herbicide.  Many common lawn weeds actually germinate in the late summer or early fall, then go dormant in the winter and re-awaken in the spring.  Such weeds will continue to absorb herbicides until frost.

      Fall is also a good time to plant a lawn, whether doing so to thicken an existing lawn or starting a lawn in a new place.  Your existing lawn may need more good turf grass.  Seeding into existing turf will help thicken a lawn.  I recommend aerating the lawn before planting.  The seed will make better soil contact with the slits left by aeration.  Another good method for over-seeding is to rent a power seeder that will power the seed into the soil.  Choose a quality grass seed.  Some seed companies have special blends for fall planting.  Once seeded, it is important that the lawn be watered frequently if rains are not sufficient.  When the new grass is about five inches tall, begin mowing to a 3-inch height and continue to mow until the lawn stops growing.

     The other fall lawn task has become a bit more controversial in recent years.  Most lawn-care professionals still recommend removing all of the leaves from a lawn.  Wet, matted leaves may smother turf if left over the winter.  However, many now recommend simply continuing to mow, chopping the leaves into small pieces that will decompose in place, adding organic material to the lawn.  As long as the leaf layer is not too thick, this mulching option seems to work well.  However, a lawn covered by thick, heavy leaves may need to be raked.  Instead of bagging the leaves, though, I recommend raking them into flower beds, where they will compost in place through the winter.

     At Sandhill Gardens, the late summer blossoms are beginning to shine.  The re-blooming azaleas are doing better than they have ever done.  Several patches of colchicums, also known as autumn crocuses, have peeked through this week.  Caryopteris, or blue beards, are near peak and the potentillas are full of blooms.  It looks like it will be a good late summer/early fall flower show.  Coming up on September 28, I will be hosting a Century Celebration at Sandhill Gardens.  My maternal grandparents moved to this place October 1, 1924, and several ornamental plants that my grandmother set out then are still thriving.  The celebration will not be fancy, but there will be a plant exchange beginning at 10 AM for anyone who wants to trade plants with other gardeners.  Fall is a good time to plant perennials.  I will have a fire in the fire pit if anyone wishers to bring hotdogs or marshmallows to roast.  Otherwise, just come and sit a while in the gardens or watch the sunset from the top of the cliff.  If you are in good shape, you may even want to walk down to the cave.  It really is a place of unique beauty.

• Lifestyle

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

     With about a month left of summer, we are officially in the summer doldrums.  The hot, humid weather makes garden work difficult, and the recent rains have resulted in lush growth, especially in the weeds.  A couple of my gardening friends last week told me they have given up on their gardens, and are just letting them go until it cools off, when they will clear them out and dream of better things next year.  It is tempting, but I am holding out for the century celebration at Sandhill Gardens coming up on September 28, so I continue to work toward the goal of making the gardens presentable for that occasion.

     Last week, I scoured the gardens for materials for twelve arrangements to decorate the tables for the annual Orange County Good Samaritan fundraising dinner.  Many of the summer blooms were past prime, and the mums, asters and other fall flowers are not yet blooming.  However, I was able to turn to the wildflower meadow for inspiration and materials.  I needed twelve small bouquets for the tables, so I had to find enough plant material to fill twelve vases.  Veronica (ironweed) and solidago (goldenrod) provided the base materials for about half of the arrangements.  Ornamental grasses—big blue stem, fountain grass and northern sea oats—gave the bouquets some airy height without obstructing the view across the tables.  I cut most of the annuals that were presentable, including dahlias, zinnias and impatiens, to give spots of contrasting color.  Three colors of crape myrtle were used in a few arrangements, and for the first time, I used some wild touch-me-not and prairie pea in vases.  A few sprigs of Queen Ann’s Lace gave a couple of arrangements lacy edges.  The unconventional arrangements received a lot of compliments at the dinner, and I was able to recycle one with a large dahlia, some begonia leaves and a few springs of fountain grass for church on Sunday.  Since the vases were just recycled olive jars, I was able to take them to Springs Valley Meadows to distribute them to the residents there.  With a little imagination, one may use almost any plant material to make pretty bouquets for any occasion.

     For many years, a pair of concrete chairs shaped like hands have been on my Christmas list.  I finally bought them recently, and thanks to a couple of strong nephews, I got them moved into place along the top of the cliff.  I now will be able to sit in them and watch the sun set in the valley below the cliff.  I may be a little partial, but I do not know of many venues more beautiful for watching sunsets in this part of Indiana.  My nephews also moved an old turtle bench into a more accessible area beneath a river birch.  I like having seats throughout the garden, where I can rest and visitors may sit and enjoy views.

     I still have a lot to do before my celebration.  The bank along the road is pretty rough, and the area where the original homestead sat needs attention.  I am hoping that the annuals I cut will stimulate the plants to put on some fresh flowers that will be in bloom at that time.

     I did get a lot of weeding done in the vegetable beds and even got several beds planted for fall crops.  My late-planted tomatoes are beginning to ripen, so there should still be vegetables in late September.  I have had some good help mulching between the beds, and hope to get that task completed in the coming weeks.   As I grow older, I find that some garden tasks are a little more difficult than they used to be, but there is still no place I would rather be than in the garden.

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

     I apologize to anyone who visited the Indiana State Fair and was confused by my last column.  I was unaware of some of the changes that had been made at the fair.  The 4-H garden and floriculture exhibits have been moved to the Centennial Pavilion, the former boys’ dormitory.  The commercial building is closed and the vendors have moved into the old Horticulture building.  It is a smaller building, so there are fewer commercial vendors.  There are much-improved livestock facilities and a new Farm Bureau Pavilion.  The pioneer village has been expanded, offering more space for craftsmen and glimpses into history.  I hope no one got lost because of my errors.  The Indiana State Fair is still a great exposition of Hoosier agriculture.  It continues through August 18.

      My fair activities left me with a day between fairgrounds visits, so I made a fun side trip north to Shipshewana.  It had been several years since I had visited the flea market there, but I was not disappointed.  This is a gardener’s dream market.  There are several vendors that offer plants.  The quality of plants was excellent, and I found some varieties that I had not seen in garden centers.  There are also many vendors offering garden tools and décor.  The flea market is only open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so plan accordingly.

     If you are in the area, you may wish to consider another stop at a unique garden.  The Krider World’s Fair Garden in Middlebury is small, at just over two acres, but it is full of whimsy and history.  The garden was originally installed at the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair, and was disassembled and reconstructed in Middlebury after that exposition.  Middlebury is only seven miles from Shipshewana, and also offers several nice places to shop and eat.

     As if my travels were not enough to keep me away from my garden, I found myself spending a lot of time watching the Summer Olympics.  I found myself watching for sites that were familiar.  I was especially intrigued by the setting of the equestrian events—the grounds of the Palace of Versailles.  Watching gave rise to memories of my visits there.

     King Louis XIII purchased the property in the early 1600’s to use it as a country chateau.  He also had the original gardens constructed.  However, it was Louis XIV who ordered the construction of the grand palace and the opulent gardens.  The central axis of the gardens is the Grand Canal, which is surrounded by numerous bosquets, parterres and formal gardens.

     Louis XIV had been impressed with the fountains of Rome and considered numerous fountains to be a symbol of his importance.  However, the fountains presented a great problem for landscape designer Andre Le Notre.  The fountains of Rome work because of the mountains surrounding the city.  The Romans had learned the art of using progressively smaller pipes to build up water pressure.  However, there are no mountains around Versailles.  Le Notre devised an ingenious hydraulic pump system that is still in use today, but even that would not make all of the fountains work at the same time.  The solution was to just activate the fountains the king could see.  When he went into the gardens, a servant went ahead to turn on the next fountain before he arrived.  Another servant followed him to shut off the fountain he had passed, since the water pressure could not run multiple fountains at the same time.  If you visit Versailles today, you will see beautiful water shows that would have pleased Louis XIV, but would have been impossible in his day.  If you ever travel to France, I suggest you make a visit to Versailles a part of your itinerary.

• Garden

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

      It is State Fair time!  The Indiana State Fair started August 2 and continues through August 18.  The fairgrounds are closed on Mondays, but six days a week, the event is a showcase for Indiana agriculture.  While I hear many people in southern Indiana who say they prefer the Kentucky State Fair, I am loyal to the Hoosier state exhibition.  Indiana’s fair is a true fair, and not just a stay-in-the-air-conditioning business forum.

     Of course, 4-H and FFA are a huge part of the Indiana State Fair.  Hoosier youths have worked hard and have won the right to exhibit or compete at the fair.  Attending their competitions and viewing their exhibits show support for our young people.  Once again, I am serving as a judge in the Horticulture Building, and I am always amazed at the quality of the produce, flowers and herbs exhibited by Hoosier 4-Hers.  The Horticulture Building has a lot more than 4-H exhibits.  There are also exhibits in the open-class competitions and horticulture-related businesses.  You may see competitions for specific flowers and vegetables, gourds and even Christmas trees.  While not a true horticulture product, honey and the bees that make it get prominent billing.  After all, bees are responsible for the pollination of many of our crops.

     Of course, there is much more to the fair than just the horticulture building.  My personal favorite spot is the pioneer village and the gardens in that area.  The village also features pioneer crafts, traditional music and exhibits of antique farm equipment.  Since I am a collector of old garden tools, I love to look at the various implements and try to figure out how they were used.  It has been a tradition for me to buy a new broom at the fair.  One may watch a broom being made, and these “corn” brooms are of top quality.

     There are a few other display gardens at the fairgrounds, and I always visit them to see what has been changed since my last visit.  The butterfly garden outside the DNR pavilion is always a busy place.  Another educational garden area demonstrates the importance of plants in water quality.

     Animals come and go at the fairgrounds, so it depends on the day you visit as to what animals you may see.  I urge you to take time to watch 4-Hers showing their animals.  You will be impressed by the skill of these young people.

     No fair visit would be complete without visiting the old-fashioned Hook’s drugstore and the commercial building on Main Street.  You will find all sorts of merchandise being demonstrated.  After all of that, you owe yourself a treat.  Food vendors are everywhere, and the variety is staggering.  I always try to get something that is not generally found around my hometown.  I cannot confirm it, but I have been told that calories consumed at the Indiana State Fair do not count against your diet.

     I rarely visit the midway, but I am told that it is one of the best carnivals around.  My rides are usually limited to the tractor-pulled trams that circle the fairgrounds constantly, helping visitors to get from one event to another.

     Rated as one of the ten best state fairs in the nation, the Indiana State Fair is definitely Hoosier pride on display.  Make a trip to Indianapolis and enjoy a Hoosier tradition.