liberty corner nj gardener news permit no. 40– decorate your pots or line the garden with these...

Gardener NewsGardener News Serving the Agricultural, Gardening and Landscaping Communities

August, 2010 SUBSCRIPTION $24 .99 Vol. 8 No. 88

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Gardener News16 Mount Bethel Road #123Warren, NJ 07059

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LIBERTY CORNER NJPERMIT NO. 40

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One of the enduring pleasures of summer is the appearance of fresh fruits and vegetables as close as your local community farmers market. I’ve been told that including fresh

fruits and vegetables in my daily diet will help me maintain good health and possibly prevent certain health conditions. This has been drilled into my head since I was a kid by my dad. He always preaches to eat healthy. You see, my dad is a pharmacist and he always knows what’s best for me and you.

So with that said, the number of community farmers markets in the Garden State has been on the rise over the past few years. More than 80 new markets have opened in the past eight years, with nine opening for the first time this season. The Somerset Medical Center’s Farmers Market in

Somerville is one of those nine. Other markets that opened this year are: Denville, Kean University/Union Township, Lower Township, Nutley, Old Bridge, Ramsey, Hawthorne and Haledon. In total, there are 137 community farmers markets in the Garden State this year. With this many farmers markets in

operation, I think Dad is right when he says to stay away from junk food and eat healthy.

I attended the first three Mondays at the medical center to see how a fresh produce market would work in their large parking lot. I was impressed at the overwhelming response from the medical center’s

Hangin’ at a Farmers Market

Tom Castronovo/Photo

By Tom CastronovoExecutive Editor

Jersey Fresh in Season at Somerset Medical CenterFrom left to right: Peter Melick, co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick; Ken Bateman, President and CEO, Somerset Medical Center; Keith McCaffrey, Operations Manager, Food and Nutrition Services, Somerset Medical Center; Glen McCreesh, Senior Vice President of Operations, Somerset Medical Center and George Jonkoski, Director, Food and Nutrition Services, Somerset Medical Center.

Gardener News2 August, 2010 Gardener News2 G a r d e n C e n t e r d i r e C t o r y

Want to know what to do with all those leaves? Want to know what composting is all about? Want to know how to improve your soil?

Gardener News2 August, 2010 Gardener News2 G a r d e n C e n t e r d i r e C t o r y

Want to know what to do with all those leaves? Want to know what composting is all about? Want to know how to improve your soil?

Gardener News August, 2010 3Gardener News

Wow!!! What a July!Summer came in with a vengeance in the Garden State. The seventh month was hot and I mean

H-O-T! Some days the heat was oppressive. It was definitely a three-H month. The other two H’s are two things I hate the most during the summer: Haze and Humidity. It was also extremely dry in some parts of New Jersey. It also rained very heavily in other parts of New Jersey. My friends on Facebook entered comments, almost daily, about the heat, how heavy it rained and where rain was needed. On a Tuesday afternoon in early July, the thermometer in my car displayed 106 degrees. I can definitely live without that kind of tropical weather. It sure gave everyone something to talk about though.

As I performed my duties as executive editor and publisher of this paper during July, I had to travel the Garden State Parkway, the Turnpike, Routes 287, 280, 34, 35, 195, 22, 80, 1 & 9, 202, 206, and on many back roads. My eyes witnessed brown grass, brown trees, trees dropping leaves and corn fields struggling to get knee high. I also witnessed green grass, normal looking trees and corn fields filled with mouth-watering Jersey Fresh corn. And at home, right under my nose, the pachysandra beds dried up, almost overnight. The shrubs I planted in early May begged for water everyday. Hours of hand watering hopefully eased their stress. I hope they make it through the summer. I also wonder about the weather forecast for the rest of the summer. New Jersey sure is different from one end of the state to the other.

Will the heat continue? Should I start preparing for drought conditions? And, who will have to prepare for flash-flooding conditions? I ask myself these questions every day. So, as an avid gardener and a regular on the beach, my morning routine usually consists of watching James Gregorio, the weekday morning meteorologist on News 12 New Jersey. His forecasts are as local as local weather gets. If you’re lucky, you can sometimes catch James surfing the waves somewhere in Lavallette or wherever the big waves are breaking.

When I leave the house, my car radio becomes my best friend. I flip the dial back and forth to listen to Meteorologist Alan Kasper on New Jersey 101.5 FM. and to WCBS FM to listen to Irv Gikofsky, better known as Mr. G. All three of these guys have a very difficult job. And they seem to get it right all the time. Their forecasts play a very important part of my day! I just wish they could predict the exact time when west winds will blow across the beach. The west wind brings the green-headed flies onto the beach. These flies bite. Watching which direction the flags blow is very important on the beach and in the garden.

Now, onto another HOT topic! Senator Bob Smith, chair of the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee, and Assemblyman John McKeon, chair of the New Jersey Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee, held another stakeholder meeting in Committee Room 3 on the first floor of the State House Annex in Trenton to go over four Barnegat Bay bills on Thursday, July 15. I was most interested in S1411, sponsored by Senator Smith and Senator Jennifer Beck and A2290, sponsored by Assemblyman McKeon. These two identical bills establish standards for certain fertilizer applications, provide for certification of professional fertilizer applicators, and regulate sale and labeling of certain fertilizers. These bills would reduce the pollution of the state’s water resources by establishing standards for the application of fertilizer to turf, directing the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University (NJAES) to develop training and certification programs, and directing the Agricultural Experiment Station, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, to develop a program of public education which shall include but need not be limited to the dissemination of information regarding nutrient pollution, best management practices for fertilizer use, soil testing, proper interpretation of fertilizer label instructions, and the proper use and calibration of fertilizer application equipment

The bills also state that fertilizer cannot be applied to turf before March 1 or after November 15, or at any time when the ground is frozen.

Protecting the environment and our water resources is critical to our survival. I really like how these legislatures think. The other identical bills that were discussed are S1410 / A2501, S1815 / A2577 and S1856 / A2606.

All of the above bills will now be considered by a joint open public meeting of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on August 12 at the Toms River Municipal Building at 10 a.m. I hope to see you all there to support these legislators’ great efforts.

And finally, the HOTTEST topic of July was the birth of Jenna to this newspaper’s Art Director Justin Kukuc and to his beautiful wife, Julie. Jenna was born on July 2 and was 7 pounds, 14 ounces and 19.5 inches long. Congratulations!

As always, I hope you find the information in the Gardener News informative and enjoyable.Until next time…Keep the “garden” in the Garden State. -Tom

Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News, as well as a member of the Garden Writers Association. He is a horticultural and community educator dedicated to providing inspiration to gardeners everywhere while illuminating the most up-to-the minute horticultural approaches.

Around The GardenBy Tom Castronovo

Gardener News

Robert BelleckWater Garden Specialist

Gardener News4 August, 2010 Gardener News

Look Who’s Reading the Gardener News!

It’s in the newsNew Jersey State Horticultural Society President Ken Wightman looks over an Eastern Produce Council dinner meeting photo in the July Gardener News just before walking through the apple orchard on his family farm in Morristown. Wightman is also Vice President of the Morris County Agricultural Development Board and serves on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Farmers Direct Marketing Association. For over 50 years, Wightman has been selling fruits and vegetables on his family’s farm, which was established in 1922 by Albert and Laetitia Wightman.

Tom Castronovo/Photo

Fountain Bowl— This compact yet elegant fountain is perfect for a small garden or deck---simple to set up—designed in natural stone and glass. 16” Dia x 6” Ht. Aqua Bella Design

Hatian Wall Art—The traditional art of recycling oil drums into wall sculptures---each piece is handmade and signed by the artist—great for indoor or outdoor use-- Large selection of sizes and themes available. Fair Trade Federation

BlÜ Bandoo – A must for a hot day in the garden! This cooling head and neckwear is perfect for all outdoor activities. Simply soak in water to expand the beads inside and cool off in minutes! Reusable, washable and made in the USA.

Nested Cone Tea Lights – Decorate your pots or line the garden with these beautifully stamped pattern that allows candle light to show through and won’t blow out. 7”, 9” & 11” H. Achla Designs

Garden Wreath — A colorful touch of whimsy is always fun in a cottage garden gate or potting shed—“A WEED IS BUT AN UNLOVED FLOWER”--- Made of sturdy metal for outdoor use. 18” Round Top Collection

This month Independent Garden Center Owners and Managers from all over the world converge at Chicago for the best show in our industry. The Independent Garden Center Show (IGC) is strictly for independents. No Big Box Stores or large chains are allowed to attend. It is our opportunity to bring home to our loyal customers all of the new and exciting products available for home gardeners. I,

of course, will be there attending workshops, learning of new products and plant introductions and visiting garden centers in the Chicago area. My mind spins with valuable information and I always return with a renewed love for what I have been doing for nearly thirty years! So, keep reading the “Gardener News” and watch for all the great garden products I found at the show!Til next time….Leslie

Garden ShoppingBy Leslie BarlowGarden Educator

Editor’s Note: Leslie Barlow is co-owner of Barlow Flower Farm in Sea Girt, NJ, one of the largest retail growers in NJ since 1983. She has appeared on News 12 NJ and is a guest speaker at local garden clubs. She has been gardening for many years and is always at shows hunting for useful accessories for the home garden. She can be reached at (732) 449-9189 or [email protected]

Gardener News August, 2010 5

For much of the East Coast, I would have to say that sweet corn is a major staple of mid-summer. Rutgers Gardens has a weekly Farm Market, and sweet corn is the primary “carrot” that attracts customers in August. As a plant, corn also has a rather awkward yet whimsical upright habit that is clothed with large floppy leaves and a tassel of flowers for a hat. The major ornamental issue with corn is its tendency to rapidly decline once the fruit has ripened. Fortunately, there is a solution! I was recently walking with a student and when we came up to Arundo donax, the Giant Reed Grass. His first comment was how much it resembled corn – really big corn!

Arundo donax is, in fact, one of the largest and tallest of the ornamental grasses. Native to regions around the

Mediterranean, it can reach heights nearing 20 feet in a tropical location and a more restrained 14 to 16 feet in temperate climates. Giant Reed Grass was originally described by Linnaeus and the name Arundo means reed or cane, while Donax appears to come from the Greek referring to a specific type of reed. In Greece and elsewhere, it has long been used as a source of reeds for musical instruments. It has also been used in the making of baskets, mats, high-quality paper and in the production of wattle, a woven fabrication of stems, reeds and leaves used in the building of homes and other structures. It was even used as a measuring rod and is referenced as such in the Bible!

Obviously, Arundo donax has proved numerous economic and social benefits through the millennia. The one downfall is its invasive nature when grown in moist areas throughout tropical or frost free locations.

In temperate regions, especially in the more northernly regions of its hardiness range of zone 6, it is very well-behaved and is a garden-worthy plant. From my experiences, the thick, fleshy roots spread about six to eight inches a year. Although the plants appreciate moist soils, and will event tolerate short periods of inundation, they grow very well in average garden soils. The one requirement is a full day of sun.

For the garden, Giant Reed Grass has numerous benefits, the most obvious being its strong vertical and corn-like appearance. It provides a great exclamation mark, easily reaching eight feet by late June and 14 feet by September. The leaves are large, usually two inches wide and up to 20 inches long, and appear in two opposing rows on the stem. Visually, they provide an attractive coarse texture, but they also have auditory benefits; they create dramatic rustling

sounds with the slightest of breezes, often a benefit if the garden is to muffle or disguise ambient street and highway noise.

The plants also have the benefit of providing screening throughout much of the summer and fall. Based upon the depth of the planted area, this grass can serve as a filtered screen, allowing glimpses of the adjacent area, or a dense and complete screen. In Southern California, the plants were initially planted by French settlers to serve as an inexpensive windscreen. Arundo donax “Variegata” is a white variegated form which only reaches eight feet in a growing season. The variegation looks great when combined with white flowering shrubs or shorter plants with white variegation. The one problem I have encountered with “Variegata” is the fading of the white markings during the heat of late summer. The variegation remains on the newer foliage towards

the top of the stems, but fades from the older, lower leaves. “Golden Chain” has chartreuse variegated leaves and only reaches six feet tall.

Giant Reed Grass may not initially appeal to everyone. However, as you begin to consider the whimsy and fun that it brings to the garden, along with a bit of musical lore, the merits of this large corn-like plant are sure to win you over.

Editor’s Note: Bruce, foremost a lover of plants since birth, is director of the Rutgers Gardens, an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, an instructor for Rutgers - NJAES Office of Continuing and Professional Education and chairperson of the Garden State Gardens group. He is a member of the Garden Writer’s Association and the New York Hortus Club. He can be reached at (732) 932-8451. For more information, please visitwww.rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu

Giant Reed Grass – Garden Worthy Corn

Gardener News6 August, 2010

The weather has been amazing thus far and the ocean is full of swimmers, surfers, boaters, etc., all taking advantage of our beautiful beaches and ocean. On a side note, did everyone get to see the spectacular photos of the humpback whale jumping and playing just off the beach in Point Pleasant on June 18? If not, check it out at www.thenewjerseyshore.com, because it’s well worth it.

I always implore you all to get yourselves down to the shore, but it is for great reason that I do this. Another really fun activity that is great for kids is crabbing. I have had the opportunity a few times this summer to take my daughter and a few of her friends out on the boat in Barnegat Bay to go crabbing. What a blast! The kids had so much fun

pulling up their handlines and netting the crabs. The amount of wildlife, both in the ocean and on land, is amazing. Aside from the whale, I have had people tell me about seeing seals and dolphins, in addition to birds such as the osprey and a pair of bald eagles! Yes, there are bald eagles here in the Garden State.

On to this month’s recipe, which utilizes Jersey Fresh vegetables at their peak. Jersey Fresh tomatoes and Jersey Fresh corn, what more do I have to say? This

recipe is a bit trickier and more complex than most of my recipes, but well worth the final product. You can keep it plain or jazz it up a bit by topping it with grilled shrimp or grilled chicken. It is a pasta dish, and I recommend using bow tie or penne, in a sweet corn flavored cream sauce with fresh tomatoes, baby arugula or spinach, crumbled bacon, fresh chives and a touch of asiago or parmesan cheese. Again, this dish goes great if topped with grilled shrimp. Place it in a large pasta

dish, sprinkle it with bacon bits, fresh chives, parmesan cheese and some grilled shrimp for a family-style dinner that screams flavor country! Yes, I know I am getting a bit goofy and overly excited about this recipe, but I like it that much, and I hope you do too.Penne pasta in a sweet corn

cream with fresh cherry tomatoes, chives, arugula,

crumbled bacon, and asiago cheese (serves 4)

3 ears fresh Jersey sweet corn (corn cut off cob,

reserve cob)

1 small bag of baby arugula or spinach

1 pint. fresh Jersey cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)6 strips of bacon (cooked

crispy and crumbled)2 tablespoons fresh chives (cut crosswise into 1/4 inch

pieces)3 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded asiago or parmesan cheese

fresh ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste1 lb. cooked pasta (penne,

bow tie or rotini work well)1 tablespoon butter

From the DeepBy Craig KorbExecutive Chef

Editor’s Note: Craig Korb is executive chef at The Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, New Jersey. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University. For more information visitwww.TheCrabsClaw.com or phone (732) 793-4447.

Greetings from the super hot Jersey shore!

Summer is upon us. Having already experienced upper 90-degree temperatures for a few days in June and quite a few days in July, and a few days above 100 degrees, high humidity and dry soil conditions (lack of rain), many of our colorful spring annuals have diminished in vigor and beauty.

But plant materials are still available that will provide the color we desire and that will tolerate our almost intolerable New Jersey summer heat and humidity. It is important to distinguish between heat tolerance and the plant’s ability to tolerate high temperatures, and drought tolerance, which is the ability to use less water. Some plants are able to tolerate both conditions and still thrive. As you select flowers, group those with similar requirements together to maximize the tolerance to one or both of these conditions. Here are some suggestions to replace stressed and faded plant materials in your landscape, which will hold up, once a root system is established:

Portulaca - Perhaps the most heat- and drought-tolerant bedding plant available; Periwinkle (Vinca) - Just about the best summer annual available

and about as close as you can get to a showy heat- and drought-tolerant annual groundcover. The plants grow four to 18 inches high and have white, pink, lavender or red blossoms. They tolerate full sun to partial shade and bloom from planting until frost. In addition to the groundcover use, they are excellent for mixed borders and containers.

Ipomoea - Also known as is Sweet Potato Vine or Ipomoea batata. These very showy plants are grown for their foliage, not for their flowers. They tolerate sun to partial shade and are excellent for baskets and containers and as groundcover. “Blackie” is a dark-leafed cultivar, ‘Tricolor’ has shades of pink, cream and green, and “Chartreuse” is lime-green.

Lantana - Very deer resistant.

Impatiens - One of the few annuals that will do well in shade and still tolerate the heat.

Angelonia – Late-emerging species in the landscape, but holds up excellently.

Pentas – Also late-emerging in the landscape but another favorite.

Dragon Wing Begonias and Wax Leafed Begonias - Another gardener favorite that tolerates heat and humidity, it can be a staple in any landscape.

Celosia – Plumes of orange, yellows, reds, & pinks.

Cleome (Spiderflower) – Tall, large, spider-like flowers that reseed themselves very quickly.

Melampodium - Has small, yellow daisy-like flowers and retains its abundant flowers throughout the summer.

Gazania or Gazania rigens – Grows six to 12 inches high and is covered with fragrant daisy-looking blossoms. The flowers are usually yellow and orange, but newer shades include lavender, red, or muted pink.

Sunflower or Helianthus – A versatile heat- and drought-tolerant plant. If you think that the common sunflower and the seed sunflower are the only choices, think again. These plants have been revolutionized by plant breeders and grow two to 15 feet high with white, yellow, gold, or red flowers. Grow them in full sun or light shade as borders, screens, fences, or in containers.

Here is also a small list of heat- and drought-tolerant perennials:

Coreopsis (Tickseed), Rudebeckia (Black-eyed Susans), Carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans), Artemesia, Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Buddleia (Butterfly Bush),Beebalm (Monarda didyma), Coneflower (Echinacea ), Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.), Blanket flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora), Gaura (Gaura

lindheimeri), Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), Lamb’s ears (Stachys byszantina), Liatris (Liatris spicata), Phlox (Phlox paniculata, P. divaricata, P. subulata), Red hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria), Salvia (Salvia farinacea, S. spp.), Sedum (Sedum spectabile), Shasta daisy (Chrysanthemum x superbum), Verbena (Verbena spp.), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Perovska (Russian Sage) to name a few.

So, if your summer flowers melted during some of those blazing days, try some of the ones I’ve listed above. Matching the types of flowers you plant to the conditions in which they will be growing is one of the best ways to ensure a healthy garden. Right now I’m looking forward to those long, relaxing, vacationing days in August before the fall mums, pansies, and cabbage come blooming along.

Did your flowers melt in the heat?

The Professional GrowerBy Tim Hionis

Greenhouse Specialist

Editor’s Note: Tim Hionis has been growing plants for over 20 years, and is co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses and Garden Center in Whitehouse Station, NJ. He can be reached by calling (908) 534-7710.


The weather has been amazing thus far and the ocean is full of swimmers, surfers, boaters, etc., all taking advantage of our beautiful beaches and ocean. On a side note, did everyone get to see the spectacular photos of the humpback whale jumping and playing just off the beach in Point Pleasant on June 18? If not, check it out at www.thenewjerseyshore.com, because it’s well worth it.

I always implore you all to get yourselves down to the shore, but it is for great reason that I do this. Another really fun activity that is great for kids is crabbing. I have had the opportunity a few times this summer to take my daughter and a few of her friends out on the boat in Barnegat Bay to go crabbing. What a blast! The kids had so much fun

pulling up their handlines and netting the crabs. The amount of wildlife, both in the ocean and on land, is amazing. Aside from the whale, I have had people tell me about seeing seals and dolphins, in addition to birds such as the osprey and a pair of bald eagles! Yes, there are bald eagles here in the Garden State.

On to this month’s recipe, which utilizes Jersey Fresh vegetables at their peak. Jersey Fresh tomatoes and Jersey Fresh corn, what more do I have to say? This

recipe is a bit trickier and more complex than most of my recipes, but well worth the final product. You can keep it plain or jazz it up a bit by topping it with grilled shrimp or grilled chicken. It is a pasta dish, and I recommend using bow tie or penne, in a sweet corn flavored cream sauce with fresh tomatoes, baby arugula or spinach, crumbled bacon, fresh chives and a touch of asiago or parmesan cheese. Again, this dish goes great if topped with grilled shrimp. Place it in a large pasta

dish, sprinkle it with bacon bits, fresh chives, parmesan cheese and some grilled shrimp for a family-style dinner that screams flavor country! Yes, I know I am getting a bit goofy and overly excited about this recipe, but I like it that much, and I hope you do too.Penne pasta in a sweet corn

cream with fresh cherry tomatoes, chives, arugula,

crumbled bacon, and asiago cheese (serves 4)

3 ears fresh Jersey sweet corn (corn cut off cob,

reserve cob)

1 small bag of baby arugula or spinach

1 pint. fresh Jersey cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)6 strips of bacon (cooked

crispy and crumbled)2 tablespoons fresh chives (cut crosswise into 1/4 inch

pieces)3 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded asiago or parmesan cheese

fresh ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste1 lb. cooked pasta (penne,

bow tie or rotini work well)1 tablespoon butter

From the DeepBy Craig KorbExecutive Chef

Editor’s Note: Craig Korb is executive chef at The Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette, New Jersey. He has an Associates degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors degree in Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University. For more information visitwww.TheCrabsClaw.com or phone (732) 793-4447.

Greetings from the super hot Jersey shore!

Summer is upon us. Having already experienced upper 90-degree temperatures for a few days in June and quite a few days in July, and a few days above 100 degrees, high humidity and dry soil conditions (lack of rain), many of our colorful spring annuals have diminished in vigor and beauty.

But plant materials are still available that will provide the color we desire and that will tolerate our almost intolerable New Jersey summer heat and humidity. It is important to distinguish between heat tolerance and the plant’s ability to tolerate high temperatures, and drought tolerance, which is the ability to use less water. Some plants are able to tolerate both conditions and still thrive. As you select flowers, group those with similar requirements together to maximize the tolerance to one or both of these conditions. Here are some suggestions to replace stressed and faded plant materials in your landscape, which will hold up, once a root system is established:

Portulaca - Perhaps the most heat- and drought-tolerant bedding plant available; Periwinkle (Vinca) - Just about the best summer annual available

and about as close as you can get to a showy heat- and drought-tolerant annual groundcover. The plants grow four to 18 inches high and have white, pink, lavender or red blossoms. They tolerate full sun to partial shade and bloom from planting until frost. In addition to the groundcover use, they are excellent for mixed borders and containers.

Ipomoea - Also known as is Sweet Potato Vine or Ipomoea batata. These very showy plants are grown for their foliage, not for their flowers. They tolerate sun to partial shade and are excellent for baskets and containers and as groundcover. “Blackie” is a dark-leafed cultivar, ‘Tricolor’ has shades of pink, cream and green, and “Chartreuse” is lime-green.

Lantana - Very deer resistant.

Impatiens - One of the few annuals that will do well in shade and still tolerate the heat.

Angelonia – Late-emerging species in the landscape, but holds up excellently.

Pentas – Also late-emerging in the landscape but another favorite.

Dragon Wing Begonias and Wax Leafed Begonias - Another gardener favorite that tolerates heat and humidity, it can be a staple in any landscape.

Celosia – Plumes of orange, yellows, reds, & pinks.

Cleome (Spiderflower) – Tall, large, spider-like flowers that reseed themselves very quickly.

Melampodium - Has small, yellow daisy-like flowers and retains its abundant flowers throughout the summer.

Gazania or Gazania rigens – Grows six to 12 inches high and is covered with fragrant daisy-looking blossoms. The flowers are usually yellow and orange, but newer shades include lavender, red, or muted pink.

Sunflower or Helianthus – A versatile heat- and drought-tolerant plant. If you think that the common sunflower and the seed sunflower are the only choices, think again. These plants have been revolutionized by plant breeders and grow two to 15 feet high with white, yellow, gold, or red flowers. Grow them in full sun or light shade as borders, screens, fences, or in containers.

Here is also a small list of heat- and drought-tolerant perennials:

Coreopsis (Tickseed), Rudebeckia (Black-eyed Susans), Carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans), Artemesia, Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Buddleia (Butterfly Bush),Beebalm (Monarda didyma), Coneflower (Echinacea ), Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.), Blanket flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora), Gaura (Gaura

lindheimeri), Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), Lamb’s ears (Stachys byszantina), Liatris (Liatris spicata), Phlox (Phlox paniculata, P. divaricata, P. subulata), Red hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria), Salvia (Salvia farinacea, S. spp.), Sedum (Sedum spectabile), Shasta daisy (Chrysanthemum x superbum), Verbena (Verbena spp.), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Perovska (Russian Sage) to name a few.

So, if your summer flowers melted during some of those blazing days, try some of the ones I’ve listed above. Matching the types of flowers you plant to the conditions in which they will be growing is one of the best ways to ensure a healthy garden. Right now I’m looking forward to those long, relaxing, vacationing days in August before the fall mums, pansies, and cabbage come blooming along.

Did your flowers melt in the heat?

The Professional GrowerBy Tim Hionis

Greenhouse Specialist

Editor’s Note: Tim Hionis has been growing plants for over 20 years, and is co-owner of Hionis Greenhouses and Garden Center in Whitehouse Station, NJ. He can be reached by calling (908) 534-7710.


Tom Castronovo/PhotoA garden for childrenPaul Spatz, manager of the newly created children’s growing garden at the

Clarence Dillon Public Library in Bedminster, opens the gate to the Bierwirth Children’s Garden on a hot, sunny day. The Bierwirth family, for which the garden is named, donated the funds to build the garden. The garden is currently open Tuesday and Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. Located right outside the children’s library, the raised-bed garden gives children of all ages the opportunity to learn to plant, tend and harvest vegetables and flowers. All the plants are labeled. There is no charge to participate. Adult supervision is provided by library personal. Future plans are to incorporate a large community garden next to the existing garden.

The healing Power of Herbs

Our history of using herbal medicines far predates modern medical doctors. For thousands of years, herbal-based healing was common practice. Asians were the best documenters of herbal medicine, from the near East (Lebanon-Phoenicians) to the Far East (Chinese), they have used herbs to heal and maintain healthy living throughout history.

Modern medicine is based upon the principles of control over the body and nature. Herbal plants have been used for thousands of years by billions of people all over the world. The efficacy of herbs is so vast by so many people, so what is better proof? The experience of billions over the centuries or the clinical studies of a few thousand? Even today, herbal healing is the primary medicine for up to 80 percent of the world’s population. Cultures separated by time

and/or space frequently have very similar explanations for what an herb is good for.

Together with nutrient-rich organic foods and supplements, herbs can help keep us healthy in our busy 21st Century lives. Modern medicine has provided some advantages over ancient herbal medicine, yet all a person needs to do to is read the fine print and the contraindication sheet that comes with every prescription drug. Remember, pharmaceutical drugs have only been around for about a hundred years. Know that the body does not have drug deficiencies, yet it does develop many nutritional ones.

Herbs are all about helping to balance the body, building defenses and adapting to stress. We have a craving for the exotic and unusual, while we frequently overlook valuable healing remedies that are right in our own backyards.

Ordinary home grown cures

You can grow your herbs and healing plants in a pot on the patio, in a raised bed or

anywhere in the in the garden. Herbs have few insect pests, so it’s easy to grow them without chemical sprays. If “you are what you eat,” you definitely want to eat healthy herbs grown in rich soil fed with micronutrient-rich Dr. Earth fertilizer. Look at it this way, feed the soil the vitamins, the plants absorb the nutrients, you then consume the healthy plants, it’s that simple!

Basil is a large family of plants. It’s soothing to the stomach, mildly sedative, soothing expectorant, aromatic, helps nausea, motion sickness and relieves nervousness

Cilantro helps to eliminate the heavy-metal build up of mercury and lead from the bones and tissue in the body.

Dandelion has a long history of use as a medicine and nutritious food. I drink about six ounces every morning with my green juice. It stimulates digestion and the liver, supports the kidneys and is a mild diuretic. Do not use a weed killer on your lawn, pick it and eat it!

Fennel. Gentle liver and bile stimulant, enhances production of breast milk, indigestion, flatulence and fullness after meals. Relieves coughs and colds. Gall bladder and digestive support.

Garlic. I can knock-down a cold within 24 hours after I make my famous garlic and onion soup, fresh squeezed lemon and a dash of cayenne. It stimulates metabolism, is an antiseptic, reduces cholesterol, inhibits platelet aggregation (“thins the blood”), prevents heart disease and reduces high blood pressure

All of these plants are easy to grow as long as you give them the basics of sun and healthy garden soil. Don’t look at your herbs as decorative. Use them often and don’t be timid. You can’t really make a mistake in cooking with herbs. Combine them in your foods to leave out salt. Use Dr. Earth organic fertilizer to feed the soil with plenty of micronutrients that will feed your herbs, which will ultimately help to nourish and cleanse your body. Nutrients are needed for the

human body to stay alive. Take action to feel better and you are on the path to wellness. Health is a lifestyle. Strive to be your best!

*This article is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to diagnose or prescribe any cures of medical conditions.

Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note: Milo Lou Shammas, Founder and Formulator of Dr. Earth, Inc., invented the very first pro-biotic™ fertilizer. Milo was the first inventor to incorporate his 7 Champion strains of beneficial soil microbes and fungi into his pro-biotic “for life” organic fertilizer formulas. It is with this early discovery that Milo recognized that the bioavailability of nutrients in the soil is completely dependent on the biological activity in the soil. In 1992, he took his invention to market and started the Dr. Earth brand of fertilizers, insect sprays and soils. To learn more about Milo, please visit www.drearth.com

By Milo L. Shammas

Grow your medicine

Gardener News8 August, 2010 Gardener News August, 2010 9

Last year, my nephew Donovan, a student studying landscape architecture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, told me of his experience at the High Line. A university that emphasizes a “Learn by Doing” educational experience, my nephew’s description of the High Line was insightful and clearly passionate, melded with academic integrity. He suggested that I adopt his school’s motto and join him on a summer day trip. Together, with my wife and daughter, the four of us visited this horticultural wonder in lower Manhattan.

The High Line is located on Manhattan’s West Side and runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. Section 1 of the High Line, which opened to the public on June 9th, 2009, runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street. The High Line was originally constructed as part of the West Side Improvement project, in the 1930s, to remove heavy freight trains from the streets of Manhattan and move this dangerous traffic to an elevated position, some 30 feet in the air. Today’s green project, using the same space, upon completion, will run a mile-and-a-half long through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. Interesting to me is the Meatpacking District. Much of the first section of the High Line is located here, and around 1900, this district was home to more than 250 slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants. Prior to the High Line’s development, trains, barges and ships brought goods directly to this district for processing from the Hudson River. After the High Line’s development, freight trains full of meat and other provisions were able to carry such goods directly to the upper floors of these buildings.

April 2006 marked the groundbreaking of the High Line. James Corner Field Operations, a landscape architecture and urban design firm, Diller Scofidio & Renfro, an architecture firm, along with the consultation of planting designer Piet Oudolf, designed this monumental landscape. The plantings of the High Line are inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew on the out-of-use elevated rail tracks during the 25 years after the trains stopped running. Incidentally, the last train to run on the High Line was in 1980. Some 210 species of perennials, grasses, trees and shrubs were chosen for section 1 because of their unique textures, colors and “hardiness.” Cognizant of bloom times in the plant selections, you can be sure to see something in bloom almost any day of the year. Native plants are at the forefront of the design and many of the plants chosen originally grew on the High Line’s rail bed.

Growing within the meandering, concrete pathways is, by far, my favorite plant selection of the project. Huge waves of Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima) were in their glory, the day of our visit. A graceful and delicate very fine textured ornamental grass which grows in a dense fountain-like clump complete with wiry culms made the biggest impact for me. Notable trees include white fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), smokebush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Grace’) and sassafras (Sassafras albidum), a nostalgic favorite as I had these in my backyard growing up as a child. Perennials that I enjoyed were goatsbeard (Aruncus ‘Horatio’), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Vintage Wine’), sneezeweed (Helenium x ‘Rubinzwerg’) and catmint (Nepeta sibirica) to name a few. The use of plant material along with fixed and movable seating helps contribute to the overall experience. Lounge chairs that slide back and forth on rails and a special vantage point complete with ascending seating and a glass wall felt like a mini amphitheatre. Peering down the avenue, holding our serene experiences inside the glass wall, away from the outer concrete jungle, is a quantum design component.

Plants are not the only reason for visiting the High Line. There are free fitness and movement classes, Pilates fusion classes and stargazing with the Amateur Astronomers Association weekly. Membership to the High Line also has its privileges. As a supporter or friend to the High Line, you can shop along the historic cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking Ddistrict, enjoying restaurants, design and photography studios and fashion boutiques and be guaranteed a 10-percent discount to most.

The High Line is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with its last entrance to the park at 9:45 p.m. There are several access points, however, if you decide to visit and are carrying a stroller, like we did, consider 14th Street and 16th Street as these have elevator access. I can’t wait for section 2 (20th Street to 30th Street) to open, projected for sometime in 2011.

The High Line

Editor’s Note: Bob LaHoff is co-owner of Hall’s Garden Center and Florist in Union County, a member of the Union County Board of Agriculture, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, the American Boxwood Society, the European Boxwood Society, the Metro Hort Group, Inc., the Garden Writers Association, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society and past member of the retail council for Monrovia Growers. He can be reached at (908) 665-0331.

Unique PlantsBy Bob LaHoff

Nursery Specialist

physicians, staff, outpatients and the community. They all seemed to recognize the Jersey Fresh signage. To see some of the same faces week after week shopping was encouraging. To also see new faces from week to week was even more encouraging. On week three, one doctor visited the market and purchased enough fresh produce for everyone in her office, which is located inside the medical center. Wow! It was also great to see Jersey Fresh banners flying high around the medical center. One passing motorist saw the banner, turned around, pulled into the parking lot and shopped the market. That was cool!

Somerset Medical Center added the farmers market after partnering with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to incorporate local produce into the patient and retail menus through the Jersey Fresh program. If a Jersey Fresh item is used on the patient menus, the Jersey Fresh logo is placed next to the menu item and a description tells patients what part of the dish is Jersey Fresh. Jersey Fresh items in the cafeteria are promoted through logos and banners. Jersey Fresh helps connect New Jersey farmers and food institutions and promotes the purchase of local fruits and vegetables.

According to George Jonkoski, Director of Food and Nutrition for Somerset Medical Center, the hospital is the first non-commercial food service institution in the country to partner with a state’s Department of Agriculture. It is also the first hospital in New Jersey to partner with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Prior to implementing the Jersey Fresh program, buying locally wasn’t a priority. Now it is.

“Since Somerset Medical Center launched the Jersey Fresh program, other hospitals around the Garden State and beyond have inquired on how they can get involved with the Jersey Fresh program,” Jonkoski said. “The greatest interest we’ve had has been from the South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture. He wants to do the same type of program starting with the universities. Since no one has ever done this before, everyone is waiting to see how this model program works and then mimic it.”

Peter Melick, a featured columnist for this paper and co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick, operates the market. Melick’s Town Farm is one of the largest fruit growers in Central and Northern New Jersey. Melick says his produce is sometimes picked hours before he offers it for sale. Now that’s what I call fresh! I over-heard Melick on several occasions providing tips to his customers on preparation and storing produce. Garden State farmers are the best. Melick’s sons Andrew, Matthew and Will, who all wear Jersey Fresh shirts, often, help their dad set up the market. Melick and his family also offer their fresh produce for sale at farmers markets in Chatham, Denville, Hoboken, Highland Park, Madison, Newark, New Providence and Union, as well as their own farm locations.

I applaud Somerset Medical Center for taking this Jersey Fresh initiative to its fullest and capitalizing on the state’s greatest resource — its fresh produce. I also applaud them for opening up a farmers market in their parking lot and allowing everyone who enjoys the Jersey Fresh items in the hospital to easily take them home and enjoy them there as well.

The Medical Center’s farmers market opened on Monday, June 30, in the northwest corner of the Steeple Chase Cancer Center parking lot. It is scheduled to be open every Monday from 2 to 5:30 pm throughout the summer. If you go, the market is conveniently located at 30 Rehill Avenue in Somerville, on the campus of the Somerset Medical Center. Look for the Jersey Fresh banners.

You can also make Jersey Fresh produce part of your daily healthy routine by visiting www.JerseyFresh.NJ.gov.


Hangin’ at a Farmers Market(Continued from Page 1)


Last year, my nephew Donovan, a student studying landscape architecture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, told me of his experience at the High Line. A university that emphasizes a “Learn by Doing” educational experience, my nephew’s description of the High Line was insightful and clearly passionate, melded with academic integrity. He suggested that I adopt his school’s motto and join him on a summer day trip. Together, with my wife and daughter, the four of us visited this horticultural wonder in lower Manhattan.

The High Line is located on Manhattan’s West Side and runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. Section 1 of the High Line, which opened to the public on June 9th, 2009, runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street. The High Line was originally constructed as part of the West Side Improvement project, in the 1930s, to remove heavy freight trains from the streets of Manhattan and move this dangerous traffic to an elevated position, some 30 feet in the air. Today’s green project, using the same space, upon completion, will run a mile-and-a-half long through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. Interesting to me is the Meatpacking District. Much of the first section of the High Line is located here, and around 1900, this district was home to more than 250 slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants. Prior to the High Line’s development, trains, barges and ships brought goods directly to this district for processing from the Hudson River. After the High Line’s development, freight trains full of meat and other provisions were able to carry such goods directly to the upper floors of these buildings.

April 2006 marked the groundbreaking of the High Line. James Corner Field Operations, a landscape architecture and urban design firm, Diller Scofidio & Renfro, an architecture firm, along with the consultation of planting designer Piet Oudolf, designed this monumental landscape. The plantings of the High Line are inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew on the out-of-use elevated rail tracks during the 25 years after the trains stopped running. Incidentally, the last train to run on the High Line was in 1980. Some 210 species of perennials, grasses, trees and shrubs were chosen for section 1 because of their unique textures, colors and “hardiness.” Cognizant of bloom times in the plant selections, you can be sure to see something in bloom almost any day of the year. Native plants are at the forefront of the design and many of the plants chosen originally grew on the High Line’s rail bed.

Growing within the meandering, concrete pathways is, by far, my favorite plant selection of the project. Huge waves of Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima) were in their glory, the day of our visit. A graceful and delicate very fine textured ornamental grass which grows in a dense fountain-like clump complete with wiry culms made the biggest impact for me. Notable trees include white fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), smokebush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Grace’) and sassafras (Sassafras albidum), a nostalgic favorite as I had these in my backyard growing up as a child. Perennials that I enjoyed were goatsbeard (Aruncus ‘Horatio’), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Vintage Wine’), sneezeweed (Helenium x ‘Rubinzwerg’) and catmint (Nepeta sibirica) to name a few. The use of plant material along with fixed and movable seating helps contribute to the overall experience. Lounge chairs that slide back and forth on rails and a special vantage point complete with ascending seating and a glass wall felt like a mini amphitheatre. Peering down the avenue, holding our serene experiences inside the glass wall, away from the outer concrete jungle, is a quantum design component.

Plants are not the only reason for visiting the High Line. There are free fitness and movement classes, Pilates fusion classes and stargazing with the Amateur Astronomers Association weekly. Membership to the High Line also has its privileges. As a supporter or friend to the High Line, you can shop along the historic cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking Ddistrict, enjoying restaurants, design and photography studios and fashion boutiques and be guaranteed a 10-percent discount to most.

The High Line is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with its last entrance to the park at 9:45 p.m. There are several access points, however, if you decide to visit and are carrying a stroller, like we did, consider 14th Street and 16th Street as these have elevator access. I can’t wait for section 2 (20th Street to 30th Street) to open, projected for sometime in 2011.

The High Line

Editor’s Note: Bob LaHoff is co-owner of Hall’s Garden Center and Florist in Union County, a member of the Union County Board of Agriculture, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, the American Boxwood Society, the European Boxwood Society, the Metro Hort Group, Inc., the Garden Writers Association, a lifetime member of the Conifer Society and past member of the retail council for Monrovia Growers. He can be reached at (908) 665-0331.

Unique PlantsBy Bob LaHoff

Nursery Specialist

physicians, staff, outpatients and the community. They all seemed to recognize the Jersey Fresh signage. To see some of the same faces week after week shopping was encouraging. To also see new faces from week to week was even more encouraging. On week three, one doctor visited the market and purchased enough fresh produce for everyone in her office, which is located inside the medical center. Wow! It was also great to see Jersey Fresh banners flying high around the medical center. One passing motorist saw the banner, turned around, pulled into the parking lot and shopped the market. That was cool!

Somerset Medical Center added the farmers market after partnering with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to incorporate local produce into the patient and retail menus through the Jersey Fresh program. If a Jersey Fresh item is used on the patient menus, the Jersey Fresh logo is placed next to the menu item and a description tells patients what part of the dish is Jersey Fresh. Jersey Fresh items in the cafeteria are promoted through logos and banners. Jersey Fresh helps connect New Jersey farmers and food institutions and promotes the purchase of local fruits and vegetables.

According to George Jonkoski, Director of Food and Nutrition for Somerset Medical Center, the hospital is the first non-commercial food service institution in the country to partner with a state’s Department of Agriculture. It is also the first hospital in New Jersey to partner with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Prior to implementing the Jersey Fresh program, buying locally wasn’t a priority. Now it is.

“Since Somerset Medical Center launched the Jersey Fresh program, other hospitals around the Garden State and beyond have inquired on how they can get involved with the Jersey Fresh program,” Jonkoski said. “The greatest interest we’ve had has been from the South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture. He wants to do the same type of program starting with the universities. Since no one has ever done this before, everyone is waiting to see how this model program works and then mimic it.”

Peter Melick, a featured columnist for this paper and co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick, operates the market. Melick’s Town Farm is one of the largest fruit growers in Central and Northern New Jersey. Melick says his produce is sometimes picked hours before he offers it for sale. Now that’s what I call fresh! I over-heard Melick on several occasions providing tips to his customers on preparation and storing produce. Garden State farmers are the best. Melick’s sons Andrew, Matthew and Will, who all wear Jersey Fresh shirts, often, help their dad set up the market. Melick and his family also offer their fresh produce for sale at farmers markets in Chatham, Denville, Hoboken, Highland Park, Madison, Newark, New Providence and Union, as well as their own farm locations.

I applaud Somerset Medical Center for taking this Jersey Fresh initiative to its fullest and capitalizing on the state’s greatest resource — its fresh produce. I also applaud them for opening up a farmers market in their parking lot and allowing everyone who enjoys the Jersey Fresh items in the hospital to easily take them home and enjoy them there as well.

The Medical Center’s farmers market opened on Monday, June 30, in the northwest corner of the Steeple Chase Cancer Center parking lot. It is scheduled to be open every Monday from 2 to 5:30 pm throughout the summer. If you go, the market is conveniently located at 30 Rehill Avenue in Somerville, on the campus of the Somerset Medical Center. Look for the Jersey Fresh banners.

You can also make Jersey Fresh produce part of your daily healthy routine by visiting www.JerseyFresh.NJ.gov.


Hangin’ at a Farmers Market(Continued from Page 1)


It’s a Garden with Class and CharmNow that we are in the dog days of summer, much of our attention focuses on keeping

plants well-hydrated and problem-free. Hopefully we have done the things necessary to ensure that just adding water will get our gardens through the summer. With fall planting days a few weeks away, there is not a whole lot that we can add to the landscape. One area which could be interesting is the addition of sculptures in the garden.

A visit to a unique spot in Hamilton, New Jersey, called The Grounds for Sculpture can start the creative juices flowing and even help you to envision a sculpture on your own property. This handsomely landscaped area features over 250 pieces of sculpture put in complementary garden settings. They also have concerts, wonderful restaurants and special events that are well worth a closer look.

When thinking about adding some type of sculpture to the garden we need to pick a location which will be seen. Look at the area from many different views, including the look from the inside of the house as well. The size and look of these items will be determined as much by where you want to put them as what they actually look like. Outdoor sculptures come in many materials. Everything from wood, stone, concrete, bronze, fiberglass, metals, plastic and some things we can’t really identify.

A recent visit to Lambertville, New Jersey, and a walk across the bridge to New Hope, Pennsylvania, brought us to some very eclectic antique shops with many garden sculptures for sale. There were the standard bird feeders & fountains, as well as single and multiple plant stands and finials. Many of these can be used to grow plants and vines. But this was only the tip of the iceberg. There were gnomes and statues of everyone from beautiful women to kids at play. We saw garden stakes and spikes with any number of ornaments on them. There are garden wall ornaments, which can evoke many emotions in the garden, as well as sports and whimsical statues. In fact, there is probably a statue for everyone’s favorite hobby, vocation, emotion and desire in all of the colors of the rainbow.

At this time of year, visiting these garden shops can be an exciting way to find that elusive garden ornament that will complement your garden and even be a conversation piece for years to come. Just think, we finally found something that we can plant in our garden that requires no care and will pretty much grow forever.

Speaking of growing, another way to incorporate sculpture into our gardens is to sculpt a plant into a topiary or espalier. We have all seen the spiral plants and the globes, but there are almost as many different ways to prune a shrub into a sculpture as there are sculptures to choose from. We have seen animals, the famous Disney sculptures, geometric shapes. This is a case where snow cones and hockey pucks may be acceptable, even names cut into hedges. In fact, you can advertise just about anything in this way. Well, let’s not get carried away. But you can see that there is much fun to be had if you use your imagination and don’t get carried away by cutting all of your shrubs in this way.

A yew, juniper, ilex or boxwood hedge may be the most acceptable plant forms to use, but there really is no limitation on what you can prune into a sculpture. You just may need to use some support or wiring to help keep the form in the plant that you are looking to achieve.

Espalier plants are cut in such a way as to achieve a flat appearance against a wall or on a trellis. This practice has been around since the 17th Century or before, probably as long as people have been planting and pruning. An espaliered plant can enhance an open wall or be used as a screen when grown on a trellis. They can be used to fit a plant not ordinarily grown in a certain area into that spot. There is a long list of plants suitable, including trees like crabapple, magnolia, pear, ginkgo and more, as well as shrubs like yew, pyracantha, wiegela, cotoneaster and many, many more.

One big precaution and “buyer beware,” this is not a low-maintenance garden item. If it’s low maintenance you want, purchase a sculpture and plant it once and forget it. These topiary and espalier plants need almost constant attention. Although you start out with a small, young plant, you soon have a quickly growing, maturing plant which wants to grow many times the size that you want to keep it. This requires spring, summer and often winter pruning to ensure that the size and shape are maintained. If you are up for the challenge, it can be a great hobby. If not, the sculptures are ready and waiting. Whichever way you go, your landscape professional or garden center are ready and waiting to be of assistance.

The LandscaperBy Evan Dickerson

NJNLA

Evan Dickerson is a senior director of the New Jersey Nursey and Landscape Association. He can be reached at (908) 753-1490. To learn more about the New Jersey Nursey and Landscape Association, please visit: www.NJNLA.org

(ALEXANDRIA, VA) – The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced its 2010-11 Officers and Board of Directors during its 58th Annual Meeting in Couer D’Alene, Idaho held June 25-27, 2010.

Officers for 2010-11 include: OPEI Chairman Fred Whyte, President, STIHL, Inc; OPEI Vice Chairman Jean Hlay, President and Chief Operating Officer, MTD Products, Inc; and Secretary/Treasurer Richard Fotsch, President of the Global Power Group, Kohler Company.

“Our new officers will lend their leadership during what’s expected to be a pivotal year for our industry,” said Kris Kiser, Executive Vice President at OPEI. “As a team on the OPEI Board of Directors, they will bring forward thinking to a variety of issues that our industry is tackling in the next 12 months from legislative and regulatory issues to market issues.”

“The international scope of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute will drive decision making to meet global business challenges,” said Mr. Whyte. “And, we look forward to meeting those challenges through responsible research, design and manufacturing processes that ultimately benefit our customers and the environment worldwide.”

Continuing their service on the board are: Immediate Past Chairman, Michael Hoffman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, The Toro Company; Daniel Ariens, President, Ariens Company; Steven Bly, Executive Vice President, Echo Inc; Edward Cohen, Vice President- Government & Industry Relations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.; Michael Jones, President, Husqvarna Professional Products; John May, Senior Vice President, AT&T Global Platform, Turf & Ag Division, John Deere Company; Gary Michel, President & CEO, Club Car, Inc; Paul Mullet, President, Excel Industries; Todd Teske, President & CEO, Briggs & Stratton Corp.; and Dan Wilkinson, President. Jacobsen, A Textron Company

OPEI is an international trade association representing the $15 billion landscape, forestry, utility and lawn and garden equipment manufacturing industry. OPEI is a recognized Standards Development Organization for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and active internationally through the International Standards Organization (ISO) in the development of safety standards. Founded in 1952, OPEI represents and promotes the outdoor power equipment industry and ensures the public may continue to benefit from the economic, lifestyle and environmental contributions of landscapes and turfgrass. For more information on OPEI, visit www.OPEI.org.

Outdoor Power Equipment Institute Announces New Officers and Directors

Gardener News August, 2010 11L a n d s c a p e r d i r e c to ry

ResidentialGroundSolutions

GradingLight Excavating

Design and installations new and older renovations Perennial rock gardens•Backhoe work

Water & Drainage problems solved•Stone work

732-668-2012 Serving CentralNew JerseyNJHIC# 13VH03659100

Member of:

FLORIST700 Springfield Avenue

Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922Phone: (908) 665-0331

Fax: (908) 665-9804email: [email protected]

www.hallsgarden.com

Visit Our Showroom& Display Area

Brick Pavers Decorative Gravel Retaining Wall Block Limestone & Bluestone Fieldstone Mulches Top Soil

Grass Seed Fertilizer Drainage Products Lawn & Garden Tools Landscape Lighting Masonry Supplies Playground Safety Surface

Shop Where The Landscape Professionals Shop

Monday thru Friday7am to 4:30pm

Saturday7am to 3pm

311 Roycefield Road, Hillsborough (Just off Dukes Parkway West)

WE HAVEBULK COMPOST

Gardener News12 August, 2010 B u s i n e s s d i r e c to ry Gardener News August, 2010 13

Gardener News14 August, 2010 Gardener News August, 2010 15

NEW LANDSCAPESHopefully everyone is having a good summer. And if you put in a new landscape this

year, getting your trees and shrubs off to a strong start is this month’s topic.Maybe your plants have been in the ground since spring, or maybe they are just being

installed. Either way, let’s discuss how to care for your new plantings. Many people buy a tree from the nursery or have one installed by a landscaper and ignore it until a problem arises. Caring for your trees while they are young will help to prevent many problems later in life.

Once you have the right tree correctly planted in the right place (Bob’s Rules Number 1 and 2) it is time to consider structural pruning. Pruning goals for young trees focus primarily on plant health and structure. That is, the removal of dead, dying, diseased, crossing and conflicting limbs to maintain plant vitality. Structural pruning of young trees provides a strong framework for future growth. Pruning young trees can prevent structural problems that could require cabling and bracing later in life or could contribute to premature decline or failure.

Some general considerations to follow. Emphasis should be placed on the following when pruning young trees: Remove co-dominant or multiple leaders to maintain a strong central leader. When pruning, it is important to maintain at least one-half the foliage on branches arising from the lower two-thirds of the tree. This increases trunk taper and helps to distribute weight and stress along the stem. Pruning should also be done to maintain a crown shape typical of the species, and dead, dying, diseased, broken, rubbing limbs, root suckers and water sprouts should be removed as necessary. Light thinning should be done as necessary to reduce weight of branches and shape the crown.

At planting, remove only defective branches. This includes dead, dying and diseased, split and broken branches. Also remove root suckers. Next, work to develop a central trunk or single leader. Be careful, as some species typically have multiple stems. Knowing the species of tree is important – a multi-stemmed plant should remain that way! Do not cut back to compensate for root loss – this is a common misconception in tree pruning. Crown reduction pruning can actually stunt root development. The hormones required for root growth and elongation are produced and stored in the shoots. Finally, perform a root collar inspection to verify correct planting depth and determine if wire baskets, nylon cord or plastic burlap are present.

At two to four years following planting, begin pruning for structure. Branches arising on the lower eight to 12 feet of the trunk are usually considered temporary limbs. Remove some lower limbs. Select permanent scaffold branches, which have a wide angle of attachment. Remove closely spaced branches. Allow 12 to 18 inches between major scaffold limbs at this time (six to eight inches for small, maturing trees). Cut back branches that turn inward or that extend beyond the natural outline of the tree. Remove root suckers, deadwood, and other objectionable branches. Perform another root collar inspection to ensure proper planting and mulch depth and inspect for any girdling roots.

At five to seven years after planting, remove additional lower, temporary limbs if necessary to provide for clearance. At this time, the remaining branches will become the permanent lower limbs. Provide 12 to 18 inches of space between these branches (six to eight inches for small, maturing trees). Head back any limbs that protrude from the natural outline. Lightly thin the interior growth. Remove rubbing branches, suckers, deadwood and co-dominant leaders. Remove root suckers.

At eight to 10 years and thereafter, prune to remove dead, dying, broken and conflicting and competing limbs and perform light thinning. Maintenance pruning or situational pruning will continue from this point on.

Helping your trees get a good start is the first step to a healthy landscape.Till next month…………..As usual, I hope you learned something

Editor’s Note: Robert graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University with degrees in science education and forest biology. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and a New Jersey Certified Tree Expert.

Recycle the Gardener News

show it to a friend!

Gardener Newsis

Now Accepting Nominationsfor its

2010Person of the Year Award.Do you know someone in the “Green Industry”

whose contributions deserve recognition?

This person must be from the landscape, nursery, garden center or gardening industries who best epitomizes concern for, involvement

in, and dedication to those pursuits. Or a person who performs exemplary outstanding service to

the green industry.

The deadline for receiving nominations for 2010 is November 1, 2010.

Gardener News annually bestows our“Person of the Year” Award in our

January edition.To download the form, please visit

www.GardenerNews.com and click on the “Person of the Year” link on the left side.

Thank you!

Rutgers University, the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension proudly announce the Annual Snyder Farm Open House and Great Tomato Tasting, to be held on Wednesday September 1, 2010 from 3 pm - dusk. This year’s event includes the very popular tasting of both heirloom and hybrid tomatoes and wagon tours of the farm’s research plots. The afternoon will also include tastings of sweet peppers, cucumbers, herbs, apples and peaches – all with the assistance and guidance of Rutgers NJAES Master Gardener volunteers from the surrounding counties. The Melda C. Snyder Teaching Garden will showcase garden displays of deer tolerant ornamentals, plants that can attract beneficial insects to your garden, the Rutgers holly and blueberry breeding programs, columnar varieties of fruit trees for the home landscape and award-winning Jersey Grown™ daylilies.

Wagon tours led by faculty and farm staff will be available throughout the event, highlighting Rutgers NJAES agricultural research. Rutgers NJAES faculty, staff, and Master Gardener volunteers will be available throughout the event to answer your gardening questions and to make your visit to our research farm a pleasurable and memorable one. More fun activities are planned so bring your camera.Please bring non-perishable canned food items to support

the Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH) programhttp://rah.rutgers.edu/

More information can be found on our websitewww.snyderfarm.rutgers.edu

Rutgers Great Tomato Tasting

If you go:Where: Snyder Research and Extension Farm, 140 Locust

Grove Road, Pittstown, Hunterdon County, NJWhen: Wed. - Sept. 1, 2010 3pm - dusk (RAIN OR SHINE)

Registration : $5.00 per person (collected at event)Children under 10 are free

RSVP please: Online https://njaes.rutgers.edu/rsvp/tomato or by phone 908-713-8980


NJ Department of Agriculture Fight’s Weed With A Tiny Weevil (TRENTON, NJ) – More than 2,000 weevils were released on July 9, 2010 in Union County. The tiny bug’s mission -- to eat every mile-a-minute weed in sight.The New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Laboratory was called in when two areas in Union County experienced problems

with the mile-a-minute weed. On Union County Parks property off of Featherbed Lane in Clark, 1,000 weevils were released where the weed has spread over an old field and near a stream. In Moutainside, 1,300 weevils were set free in the Watchung Reservation, where mile-a-minute can be found almost anywhere.

The Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Lab raises the weevils to beat back the invasive weed that grows six inches a day and overtakes areas, choking out native plant life.

“Mile-a-minute weed is an ecological and agricultural pest that if left unchecked will take over, shading out everything else,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. “Mile-a-minute is biological pollution that threatens New Jersey’s landscape.”

Since the Department of Agriculture began the weevil-rearing program in 2004, about 146,000 weevils have been released in New Jersey counties. It is now well-established in Salem, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Warren, Bergen and Mercer counties and the mile-a-minute problem is diminishing in those areas. The weevils, originally from China, only eat mile-a-minute weed.

Mile-a-minute weed is an herbaceous trailing vine that can climb over, and shade out native plants at the edges of woods, along stream banks, and roadsides. Mile-a-minute also can be a problem in untilled agricultural areas such as Christmas tree farms and reforestation seedling plantations. Mile-a-minute is native to India and Eastern Asia, and was accidentally introduced into Pennsylvania in the late 1930’s.

Mile-a-minute has a reddish stem and alternate, triangular leaves in the shape of an equilateral triangle. Both the stem and the underside of the leaves are armed with downward pointing barbs that aid the plant in climbing and supporting itself on other plants as well as serving a defensive purpose. The seeds of the weed are spread mainly by birds and can stay viable for up to 5 years, making it difficult to eradicate the weed through chemical control methods.

The Department plans to release about 20,000 weevils in New Jersey this year. In 2009, 46,116 weevils were released at 12 sites, 10 of which were new.Subsequent inspections have shown that weevil colonies have been established at 100 percent of the release sites in the state and were even found 43 miles from

the nearest release site in Salem County.The Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Laboratory, built in 1985, is one of the leading, state-of-the-art beneficial insect raising facilities in the nation. The Department

seeks natural enemies of insects and weeds that damage crops, ornamentals and threaten the state’s forests and wetlands. NJDA works closely with federal and other state departments of agriculture and university researchers to alleviate pest problems by developing ways to raise the natural predators of these pests in the laboratory and release them in the areas affected by pests. Because the beneficial insects help control damaging weeds and insects, they also reduce the amount of pesticides used by farmers and gardeners.

For more on the Department’s biological control of plant pests, visit www.state.nj.us/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/biological.html.

Continuing our Italian adventure meant driving ourselves, as there was no easy way to get to the second week’s destinations without a car. That was an unexpected challenge, as we had arranged for an automatic at Naples airport. Wrong, they only had stick shifts, so we piled into our sleek Ford station wagon, with my husband, Bob, behind the wheel and bounced all over the Naples airport parking lot much to the amusement of the Italian onlookers. Bob did get his groove on as we headed to the city of Matera in Basilicata for the trip of a lifetime. Luckily, we had rented a GPS to guide us, as just finding our “Sassi hotel” in Matera was daunting to say the least.

The ancient city of Matera is breathtaking and can be seen from miles away, a gleaming white wonder perched on a promontory with human habitation dating back to Paleolithic and Neolithic times. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site with its “Sassi”(homes & churches) carved out of the soft rock along the steep Gravina valley. Matera is a fascinatingly beautiful city of 60,000 people with two ancient sections of Sassi,

and my friend Barbara and I booked a hotel that was a deconsecrated Sassi church, so we were right in the heart of the amazing Sassi. Just viewing the ancient sassi from our patio is forever etched in our memory as overhead we watched what turned out to be the Lesser Kestrels, gracefully circle and soar with swallows darting here and there amongst them. We lucked out, as we found that the Kestrel is the smallest European bird of prey and increasingly rare. It flies from North Africa, and Matera builds wooden birdhouses perched on rooftops to attract them as they keep the pigeon and rodent population down. Everywhere we looked, we saw Red Valerian on rooftops, walls, and nooks and crannies. The yellow Retavia, a broom-like shrub, covered hillsides with its gleaming yellow blooms, and wild fennel was everywhere, along with roses and that miniature geranium spilling over window boxes and planters.

The Italians of Matera did not disappoint. They were so warm and went out of their way to help us, making us feel welcome. A young man actually got in our car, talked to our hotel via our cell phone and found our hotel amidst the Sassi. Dora, our guide, gave us a fascinating

tour of the ancient Sassi homes and churches with beautiful frescoes adorning the cave walls. We viewed the limestone caves beyond the walls of the city out in the Murgia bedrock and heard the sounds of cattle grazing beyond the ravine. The marketplace was a delight, as fresh produce beckoned us from each vendor’s site. But our encounter with the charming “Moustache Man” was the most memorable. He is a potato vendor, but totally enchanting with his warmth and pride in his huge handlebar moustache. He showed us photos, a magazine article and said he was on the internet as well. I “Googled” Moustache Man in Matera and there he was! The food, again, was superb, as Matera is noted for its horned shape bread, cheeses, pasta and the “Matera” DOC wine.

Our next destination in nearby Alberobello in Puglia was equally astounding. Again, Barbara and I went all out with our adventurous planning. This time we booked two nights in the Trullis. The trullis are conical shaped limestone houses built without using mortar. They have a cone-shaped dome made out of “chiancarelle,” limestone dry laid in concentric circles and blocked by a stone named

“serraglia” and topped by a decorative pinnacle. The story goes that they were built in the 14th Century under the guidance of a count who was unhappy paying taxes (times never change), so that when word came that the tax man was coming, the peasants could knock the houses down without a trace. We stayed at the most charming cluster of trullis in the Puglian countryside---it was like a fairytale. Alberobello actually has 1,400 trullis and is a delightful place to visit, with charming, warm, friendly people. The Pulian countryside is absolutely gorgeous, with winding narrow roads lined with stone walls, and lush vineyards, olive groves, wheat fields, poppies and trullis dotting the landscape. You could happily spend a month there as it is enchanting and close to other equally charming towns and the Adriatic coast and Ionian Sea.

The final leg of our “Italian Roots” adventure was finding our friend Don’s roots in Calabria, so we were off to Cosenza. What a great drive heading south, and way in the distance was the wondrous Matera bidding us a fond adieu. Don couldn’t wait to see his ancestors’ home and voiced amazement over how his grandfather left to come to

America with just $10 in his pocket. Suffice it to say that the mystery has been solved. Don’s family actually came from Acri just north of Cosenza, and the drive to Acri was hair raising to say the least. Acri is perched high on a mountaintop, with surrounding mountaintops still covered in snow in May. Hair pin turns and a narrow road all the way up were harrowing. In his Grandfather’s time, the only way must have been by mule, and a surefooted one at that. Don had his mystery solved and we enjoyed the hospitality of the wonderful people of Cosenza and a fond farewell to Italy. We, however, are fortunate here in central Jersey, as the pasta Robert Brasile produces at La Strada in Neshanic Station rivals any pasta in Italy. Try his papardalle with sautéed butternut squash. Next month we will be back to amazing happenings in the Garden Club of New Jersey. “Get Out There” and enjoy summer!

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is an elected Officer, Horticultural Chair and Student Judge for the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. She can be reached at (908)782-6091 or by [email protected].

More Italian RootsBy Jeannie GeremiaGarden Club of New Jersey


NJ Department of Agriculture Fight’s Weed With A Tiny Weevil (TRENTON, NJ) – More than 2,000 weevils were released on July 9, 2010 in Union County. The tiny bug’s mission -- to eat every mile-a-minute weed in sight.The New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Laboratory was called in when two areas in Union County experienced problems

with the mile-a-minute weed. On Union County Parks property off of Featherbed Lane in Clark, 1,000 weevils were released where the weed has spread over an old field and near a stream. In Moutainside, 1,300 weevils were set free in the Watchung Reservation, where mile-a-minute can be found almost anywhere.

The Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Lab raises the weevils to beat back the invasive weed that grows six inches a day and overtakes areas, choking out native plant life.

“Mile-a-minute weed is an ecological and agricultural pest that if left unchecked will take over, shading out everything else,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. “Mile-a-minute is biological pollution that threatens New Jersey’s landscape.”

Since the Department of Agriculture began the weevil-rearing program in 2004, about 146,000 weevils have been released in New Jersey counties. It is now well-established in Salem, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Warren, Bergen and Mercer counties and the mile-a-minute problem is diminishing in those areas. The weevils, originally from China, only eat mile-a-minute weed.

Mile-a-minute weed is an herbaceous trailing vine that can climb over, and shade out native plants at the edges of woods, along stream banks, and roadsides. Mile-a-minute also can be a problem in untilled agricultural areas such as Christmas tree farms and reforestation seedling plantations. Mile-a-minute is native to India and Eastern Asia, and was accidentally introduced into Pennsylvania in the late 1930’s.

Mile-a-minute has a reddish stem and alternate, triangular leaves in the shape of an equilateral triangle. Both the stem and the underside of the leaves are armed with downward pointing barbs that aid the plant in climbing and supporting itself on other plants as well as serving a defensive purpose. The seeds of the weed are spread mainly by birds and can stay viable for up to 5 years, making it difficult to eradicate the weed through chemical control methods.

The Department plans to release about 20,000 weevils in New Jersey this year. In 2009, 46,116 weevils were released at 12 sites, 10 of which were new.Subsequent inspections have shown that weevil colonies have been established at 100 percent of the release sites in the state and were even found 43 miles from

the nearest release site in Salem County.The Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Laboratory, built in 1985, is one of the leading, state-of-the-art beneficial insect raising facilities in the nation. The Department

seeks natural enemies of insects and weeds that damage crops, ornamentals and threaten the state’s forests and wetlands. NJDA works closely with federal and other state departments of agriculture and university researchers to alleviate pest problems by developing ways to raise the natural predators of these pests in the laboratory and release them in the areas affected by pests. Because the beneficial insects help control damaging weeds and insects, they also reduce the amount of pesticides used by farmers and gardeners.

For more on the Department’s biological control of plant pests, visit www.state.nj.us/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/biological.html.

Continuing our Italian adventure meant driving ourselves, as there was no easy way to get to the second week’s destinations without a car. That was an unexpected challenge, as we had arranged for an automatic at Naples airport. Wrong, they only had stick shifts, so we piled into our sleek Ford station wagon, with my husband, Bob, behind the wheel and bounced all over the Naples airport parking lot much to the amusement of the Italian onlookers. Bob did get his groove on as we headed to the city of Matera in Basilicata for the trip of a lifetime. Luckily, we had rented a GPS to guide us, as just finding our “Sassi hotel” in Matera was daunting to say the least.

The ancient city of Matera is breathtaking and can be seen from miles away, a gleaming white wonder perched on a promontory with human habitation dating back to Paleolithic and Neolithic times. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site with its “Sassi”(homes & churches) carved out of the soft rock along the steep Gravina valley. Matera is a fascinatingly beautiful city of 60,000 people with two ancient sections of Sassi,

and my friend Barbara and I booked a hotel that was a deconsecrated Sassi church, so we were right in the heart of the amazing Sassi. Just viewing the ancient sassi from our patio is forever etched in our memory as overhead we watched what turned out to be the Lesser Kestrels, gracefully circle and soar with swallows darting here and there amongst them. We lucked out, as we found that the Kestrel is the smallest European bird of prey and increasingly rare. It flies from North Africa, and Matera builds wooden birdhouses perched on rooftops to attract them as they keep the pigeon and rodent population down. Everywhere we looked, we saw Red Valerian on rooftops, walls, and nooks and crannies. The yellow Retavia, a broom-like shrub, covered hillsides with its gleaming yellow blooms, and wild fennel was everywhere, along with roses and that miniature geranium spilling over window boxes and planters.

The Italians of Matera did not disappoint. They were so warm and went out of their way to help us, making us feel welcome. A young man actually got in our car, talked to our hotel via our cell phone and found our hotel amidst the Sassi. Dora, our guide, gave us a fascinating

tour of the ancient Sassi homes and churches with beautiful frescoes adorning the cave walls. We viewed the limestone caves beyond the walls of the city out in the Murgia bedrock and heard the sounds of cattle grazing beyond the ravine. The marketplace was a delight, as fresh produce beckoned us from each vendor’s site. But our encounter with the charming “Moustache Man” was the most memorable. He is a potato vendor, but totally enchanting with his warmth and pride in his huge handlebar moustache. He showed us photos, a magazine article and said he was on the internet as well. I “Googled” Moustache Man in Matera and there he was! The food, again, was superb, as Matera is noted for its horned shape bread, cheeses, pasta and the “Matera” DOC wine.

Our next destination in nearby Alberobello in Puglia was equally astounding. Again, Barbara and I went all out with our adventurous planning. This time we booked two nights in the Trullis. The trullis are conical shaped limestone houses built without using mortar. They have a cone-shaped dome made out of “chiancarelle,” limestone dry laid in concentric circles and blocked by a stone named

“serraglia” and topped by a decorative pinnacle. The story goes that they were built in the 14th Century under the guidance of a count who was unhappy paying taxes (times never change), so that when word came that the tax man was coming, the peasants could knock the houses down without a trace. We stayed at the most charming cluster of trullis in the Puglian countryside---it was like a fairytale. Alberobello actually has 1,400 trullis and is a delightful place to visit, with charming, warm, friendly people. The Pulian countryside is absolutely gorgeous, with winding narrow roads lined with stone walls, and lush vineyards, olive groves, wheat fields, poppies and trullis dotting the landscape. You could happily spend a month there as it is enchanting and close to other equally charming towns and the Adriatic coast and Ionian Sea.

The final leg of our “Italian Roots” adventure was finding our friend Don’s roots in Calabria, so we were off to Cosenza. What a great drive heading south, and way in the distance was the wondrous Matera bidding us a fond adieu. Don couldn’t wait to see his ancestors’ home and voiced amazement over how his grandfather left to come to

America with just $10 in his pocket. Suffice it to say that the mystery has been solved. Don’s family actually came from Acri just north of Cosenza, and the drive to Acri was hair raising to say the least. Acri is perched high on a mountaintop, with surrounding mountaintops still covered in snow in May. Hair pin turns and a narrow road all the way up were harrowing. In his Grandfather’s time, the only way must have been by mule, and a surefooted one at that. Don had his mystery solved and we enjoyed the hospitality of the wonderful people of Cosenza and a fond farewell to Italy. We, however, are fortunate here in central Jersey, as the pasta Robert Brasile produces at La Strada in Neshanic Station rivals any pasta in Italy. Try his papardalle with sautéed butternut squash. Next month we will be back to amazing happenings in the Garden Club of New Jersey. “Get Out There” and enjoy summer!

Editor’s Note: Jeannie Geremia is an elected Officer, Horticultural Chair and Student Judge for the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. She can be reached at (908)782-6091 or by [email protected].

More Italian RootsBy Jeannie GeremiaGarden Club of New Jersey


I got out of my truck and walked over to my very excited neighbors who were standing near a small apple tree in their front yard. About five feet up the trunk that included a couple of branches was a swarm of honeybees the size of three footballs. I would guesstimate four to five thousand bees.... whoa!

I took some photos and called the local beekeepers association. In the past years, varroa mites have decimated the North American honeybee, and my neighbors were excited about a swarm of healthy bees this size. Being allergic to bee and wasp venom, it was a very intoxicating moment for me to be a few feet away from so many stingers. Jennifer, from the beekeepers association, told me that this is one of their most non-aggressive times, and she was right. Hundreds of scouts flew right around me and never made a noise let alone landed on me. I excitedly Googled some information about this phenomenon

that few people get to see. Swarming is the natural means of creating a new colony or hive. It is formed when the old queen leaves with 50 to 60 percent of the worker bees. The workers prepare for the swarm by creating queen cups throughout the year. When the hive gets ready, the queen lays eggs into the queen cups. New queens are raised and the hive may swarm at the time the queen cells are capped and before the new virgin queens emerge.

A laying queen is too heavy to fly long distances. Therefore, the workers will stop feeding her before the anticipated swarm date and the queen will stop laying eggs. The bees swarm from the

old hive collecting at an intermediate stop, like they made on my neighbors tree. There, they cluster around the queen and send scout bees out to find a suitable new location. An individual scout returning to the cluster promotes her location using a dance similar to the waggle dance to indicate direction and distance to others in the cluster. The more excited she is about her findings, the more excitedly she dances. If she can convince other scouts to check out the location she found, they may take off, check out the proposed site and promote the site further upon their return. Several different sites may be promoted by different scouts at first. After several

hours and sometimes days, a favorite location emerges from this decision-making process. When all scouts agree on a final location, the whole cluster takes off and typically flies a mile or more to the new location. This collective decision-making process is remarkably successful in identifying the most suitable new nest site. Hollows in big trees are very popular.

But swarming creates a vulnerable time in the life of honeybees with no hive for protection. And, the bees are provisioned only with the nectar or honey they carry in their stomachs. A swarm will starve if it does not quickly find a home and more nectar fields. This

happens most often with early spring swarms that depart on a warm day that is followed by very cold or rainy weather. This cluster had two glorious days of warm, sunny weather to swarm in.

Well, Jennifer called me back that night and told me she could not come out until the next morning and feared the swarm would be gone by then - and she was right. Left behind were 300 to 400 bees flitting about the now vacant tree. Jennifer assured me that the scouts would be back for them. When I got home that night, not one bee was to be seen. Oh well, I was really hoping to see her extract the giant football of bees from the tree. Maybe next time, if there is one. Thanks for reading and see ya next month.

The Miscellaneous GardenerBy Richard W. Perkins

Freelance Writer

Wow....That Was Euphoric!

Editors Note: Richard Perkins is an avid horticulturist, a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance and the Seacoast Writers Association. He can be reached [email protected]


Raspberry DreamsAs I sit down in mid-June to write my column for August, it seems odd that I’m thinking of the

end of summer, when that season has just begun. I’m still obsessed with the grill and have been experimenting with new recipes for grilled meats and vegetables. But that is hardly the correct topic for an end-of-summer article. So what would be an appropriate transition? As usual, I peruse the Internet for inspiration and find that August celebrates National Raspberry Tart Day on August 11.

My late father-in-law loved raspberries and frequently requested that I make his favorite raspberry cream pie. What a perfect subject for this column! Its creamy filling between layers of jellied raspberries makes a delicious, cool dessert that provides an appropriate ending for a meal on the patio. And while technically a pie, it can easily be made as a tart, thus making an appropriate dessert on August 11. The raspberry ice cream soda is easy to assemble and kids will enjoy preparing them for friends and family. But before I share these favorite recipes I would like to share a few raspberry facts with you.

The raspberry season runs from May to November. While raspberries can be black, golden or red, we are most familiar with the red variety. Never, never wash or rinse fresh raspberries. Gently brush off any clinging dirt or leafs. Raspberries have a very short shelf life. If you must keep them for more than 1 day, it is best to line a moisture-proof container with a paper towel and place the berries on the towel in a single layer. Do not choose berries that still have the stem attached as this means the berries were picked before they were ripe and the berries will most likely be tart instead of sweet. And besides being delicious and full of antioxidants, the raspberry contains iron, potassium, and Vitamins A and C. New Jersey is in the top twelve of the raspberry producing states.

Raspberry Ribbon PieMakes 1 9-inch pie or tart

Ingredients:

Method: 1. Pre-bake pie/tart crust and set aside to cool.2. Combine the Jell-O and ¼-cup sugar in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until

the Jell-O and sugar are completely dissolved.3. Stir in the frozen raspberries and lemon juice. Continue to stir gently until the raspberries

are almost completely thawed. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon – about 15-20 minutes. Do not let it thicken completely.

4. Combine the room temperature cream cheese with the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a separate bowl and whisk until completely blended.

5. Whip 2 cups of heavy cream in a third bowl until soft peaks form. Save the remaining ½-cup of cream for garnish.

6. Lighten the cream cheese mixture by folding in ¼ of the whipped cream until completely blended. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.

7. Spread slightly more than half of the whipped-cream and cream cheese mixture over the bottom of the piecrust. Smooth the top.

8. Top with a little more than half of the partially thickened raspberry mixture. Smooth the top. 9. Repeat with the remaining cream cheese. If you have enough raspberry mixture to completely

cover the top of the pie, do so. If not, you can mound the topping in the center of the pie or around the edge – whichever you prefer.

10. Whip the remaining cream with the 2-tablespoons sugar. Pipe it (or mound it) around the edge of the pie. Garnish with reserved raspberries. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Raspberry Ice Cream SodasMakes 4 Sodas

Ingredients:

Method:1. If using frozen berries, defrost them. Place the berries in a fine mesh strainer and push the

berries through, using a rubber spatula. 2. If using fresh berries, mash them first, then put them through the strainer. Discard the seeds.

Note that you can reserve a few whole berries for garnish if you wish.3. Stir the sugar into the berries and set them aside for 4-5 minutes so the sugar can melt into

the berries. Taste for tartness and add more sugar if needed.4. Pour the seltzer in a pitcher and add the berry mixture. Whisk gently to combine.5. Place a generous scoop of ice cream in a tall glass. Holding the glass at an angle, pour the

berry-seltzer mixture down the inside of the glass. Add a straw and serve.

Preparing Your HarvestBy Cherry Huntoon

Kings Cooking Studio

Editor’s Note: Cherry Huntoon is director of the Kings Cooking Studio. For more information or to receive a brochure about the cooking classes at Kings call: (973) 258-4009

Fruits & Berries Early Most Active LateApples July 15 Sept. 1 - Oct. 25 Oct. 31Blackberries July 10 July 15 - July 30 Aug. 10Blueberries June 20 July 5 - Aug. 10 Aug. 15Cherries June 10 June 10 - June 25 June 25Grapes Aug. 25 Sept. 10 - Sept. 20 Sept. 30Peaches, Nectarines July 5 July 20 - Sept. 1 Sept. 15Pears Aug. 1 Aug. 10 - Aug. 31 Sept. 10Plums July 1 July 15 - Aug. 15 Sept. 1Red Raspberries

Traditional July 1 July 5 - July 21 Aug. 1Fall Bearing** Aug. 15 Sept. 1 - Sept. 20 Oct. 15

Strawberries May 20 June 1 - June 10 June 25Vegetables Early Most Active LateAsparagus Apr. 23 May 1 - May 30 June 25Beets June 1 July 1 - Oct. 31 Nov. 30Broccoli June 20 July 1 - Oct. 31 Nov. 1Cabbage June 1 June 10 - Oct. 31 Nov. 15Cauliflower Sept. 1 Oct. 5 - Nov. 20 Dec. 5Collards May 15 Aug. 20 - Oct. 31 Nov. 20Cucumbers June 25 July 5 -Aug. 15 Sept. 15Eggplants** July 10 July 20 - Sept. 30 Oct. 15Lettuce

Late Spring May 15 May 20 - July 15 Aug. 31Early Fall Sept. 1 Sept. 15. - Nov. 15 Nov. 30

Lima Beans July 10 July 15 - Aug. 31 Oct. 31Okra** July 15 Aug. 15 - Sept. 15 Oct. 15Onions June 25 June 25 - July 31 Sept. 30Peas May 20 June 15 - June 25 July 5Peppers July 5 July 15 - Oct. 31 Nov. 5Potatoes July 10 July 20 - Sept. 30 Oct. 15Pumpkins Sept. 15 Oct. 1 - Oct. 15 Oct. 31Snap Beans June 10 June 20 - July 20 Aug. 31Squash June 15 June 25 - Sept. 1 Sept. 30Spinach April 15 May 5 - June 25 June 30Sweet Corn July 1 July 5 - Aug. 31 Sept. 25Tomatoes** July 5 July 10 - Sept. 15 Oct. 15Other Early Most Active LateEverlastings, Flowers, Herbs

July 1 July 15 - Sept. 15 Oct. 1

Harvest DatesAvailability

Chart

Harvest dates listed may vary depending upon weather conditions and

geographic location of the farm.

Call Ahead To Avoid Disappointment

1 – 9-inch Baked Pie or Tart Crust1 – 3 Ounce Package Raspberry Jell-O¼ - Cup Sugar1¼ - Cups Boiling Water1 – 10-Ounce Package Frozen

Raspberries1 – Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice1 – 3-Ounce Package Cream Cheese at Room Temperature⅓ - Cup Powdered Sugar⅛ - Teaspoon Salt

2½ – Cups Heavy Cream - Divided2 – Tablespoons SugarFresh Raspberries for Garnish (Or Save a Bit of the Raspberry Topping)

24 – Ounces Frozen Raspberries - DefrostedOR

3 – Six Ounce Containers Fresh Raspberries 1 – Cup Super Fine Sugar

4 – Cups Seltzer or Club SodaVanilla Ice Cream


Raspberry DreamsAs I sit down in mid-June to write my column for August, it seems odd that I’m thinking of the

end of summer, when that season has just begun. I’m still obsessed with the grill and have been experimenting with new recipes for grilled meats and vegetables. But that is hardly the correct topic for an end-of-summer article. So what would be an appropriate transition? As usual, I peruse the Internet for inspiration and find that August celebrates National Raspberry Tart Day on August 11.

My late father-in-law loved raspberries and frequently requested that I make his favorite raspberry cream pie. What a perfect subject for this column! Its creamy filling between layers of jellied raspberries makes a delicious, cool dessert that provides an appropriate ending for a meal on the patio. And while technically a pie, it can easily be made as a tart, thus making an appropriate dessert on August 11. The raspberry ice cream soda is easy to assemble and kids will enjoy preparing them for friends and family. But before I share these favorite recipes I would like to share a few raspberry facts with you.

The raspberry season runs from May to November. While raspberries can be black, golden or red, we are most familiar with the red variety. Never, never wash or rinse fresh raspberries. Gently brush off any clinging dirt or leafs. Raspberries have a very short shelf life. If you must keep them for more than 1 day, it is best to line a moisture-proof container with a paper towel and place the berries on the towel in a single layer. Do not choose berries that still have the stem attached as this means the berries were picked before they were ripe and the berries will most likely be tart instead of sweet. And besides being delicious and full of antioxidants, the raspberry contains iron, potassium, and Vitamins A and C. New Jersey is in the top twelve of the raspberry producing states.

Raspberry Ribbon PieMakes 1 9-inch pie or tart

Ingredients:

Method: 1. Pre-bake pie/tart crust and set aside to cool.2. Combine the Jell-O and ¼-cup sugar in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until

the Jell-O and sugar are completely dissolved.3. Stir in the frozen raspberries and lemon juice. Continue to stir gently until the raspberries

are almost completely thawed. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon – about 15-20 minutes. Do not let it thicken completely.

4. Combine the room temperature cream cheese with the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a separate bowl and whisk until completely blended.

5. Whip 2 cups of heavy cream in a third bowl until soft peaks form. Save the remaining ½-cup of cream for garnish.

6. Lighten the cream cheese mixture by folding in ¼ of the whipped cream until completely blended. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.

7. Spread slightly more than half of the whipped-cream and cream cheese mixture over the bottom of the piecrust. Smooth the top.

8. Top with a little more than half of the partially thickened raspberry mixture. Smooth the top. 9. Repeat with the remaining cream cheese. If you have enough raspberry mixture to completely

cover the top of the pie, do so. If not, you can mound the topping in the center of the pie or around the edge – whichever you prefer.

10. Whip the remaining cream with the 2-tablespoons sugar. Pipe it (or mound it) around the edge of the pie. Garnish with reserved raspberries. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Raspberry Ice Cream SodasMakes 4 Sodas

Ingredients:

Method:1. If using frozen berries, defrost them. Place the berries in a fine mesh strainer and push the

berries through, using a rubber spatula. 2. If using fresh berries, mash them first, then put them through the strainer. Discard the seeds.

Note that you can reserve a few whole berries for garnish if you wish.3. Stir the sugar into the berries and set them aside for 4-5 minutes so the sugar can melt into

the berries. Taste for tartness and add more sugar if needed.4. Pour the seltzer in a pitcher and add the berry mixture. Whisk gently to combine.5. Place a generous scoop of ice cream in a tall glass. Holding the glass at an angle, pour the

berry-seltzer mixture down the inside of the glass. Add a straw and serve.

Preparing Your HarvestBy Cherry Huntoon

Kings Cooking Studio

Editor’s Note: Cherry Huntoon is director of the Kings Cooking Studio. For more information or to receive a brochure about the cooking classes at Kings call: (973) 258-4009

Fruits & Berries Early Most Active LateApples July 15 Sept. 1 - Oct. 25 Oct. 31Blackberries July 10 July 15 - July 30 Aug. 10Blueberries June 20 July 5 - Aug. 10 Aug. 15Cherries June 10 June 10 - June 25 June 25Grapes Aug. 25 Sept. 10 - Sept. 20 Sept. 30Peaches, Nectarines July 5 July 20 - Sept. 1 Sept. 15Pears Aug. 1 Aug. 10 - Aug. 31 Sept. 10Plums July 1 July 15 - Aug. 15 Sept. 1Red Raspberries

Traditional July 1 July 5 - July 21 Aug. 1Fall Bearing** Aug. 15 Sept. 1 - Sept. 20 Oct. 15

Strawberries May 20 June 1 - June 10 June 25Vegetables Early Most Active LateAsparagus Apr. 23 May 1 - May 30 June 25Beets June 1 July 1 - Oct. 31 Nov. 30Broccoli June 20 July 1 - Oct. 31 Nov. 1Cabbage June 1 June 10 - Oct. 31 Nov. 15Cauliflower Sept. 1 Oct. 5 - Nov. 20 Dec. 5Collards May 15 Aug. 20 - Oct. 31 Nov. 20Cucumbers June 25 July 5 -Aug. 15 Sept. 15Eggplants** July 10 July 20 - Sept. 30 Oct. 15Lettuce

Late Spring May 15 May 20 - July 15 Aug. 31Early Fall Sept. 1 Sept. 15. - Nov. 15 Nov. 30

Lima Beans July 10 July 15 - Aug. 31 Oct. 31Okra** July 15 Aug. 15 - Sept. 15 Oct. 15Onions June 25 June 25 - July 31 Sept. 30Peas May 20 June 15 - June 25 July 5Peppers July 5 July 15 - Oct. 31 Nov. 5Potatoes July 10 July 20 - Sept. 30 Oct. 15Pumpkins Sept. 15 Oct. 1 - Oct. 15 Oct. 31Snap Beans June 10 June 20 - July 20 Aug. 31Squash June 15 June 25 - Sept. 1 Sept. 30Spinach April 15 May 5 - June 25 June 30Sweet Corn July 1 July 5 - Aug. 31 Sept. 25Tomatoes** July 5 July 10 - Sept. 15 Oct. 15Other Early Most Active LateEverlastings, Flowers, Herbs

July 1 July 15 - Sept. 15 Oct. 1

Harvest DatesAvailability

Chart

Harvest dates listed may vary depending upon weather conditions and

geographic location of the farm.

Call Ahead To Avoid Disappointment

1 – 9-inch Baked Pie or Tart Crust1 – 3 Ounce Package Raspberry Jell-O¼ - Cup Sugar1¼ - Cups Boiling Water1 – 10-Ounce Package Frozen

Raspberries1 – Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice1 – 3-Ounce Package Cream Cheese at Room Temperature⅓ - Cup Powdered Sugar⅛ - Teaspoon Salt

2½ – Cups Heavy Cream - Divided2 – Tablespoons SugarFresh Raspberries for Garnish (Or Save a Bit of the Raspberry Topping)

24 – Ounces Frozen Raspberries - DefrostedOR

3 – Six Ounce Containers Fresh Raspberries 1 – Cup Super Fine Sugar

4 – Cups Seltzer or Club SodaVanilla Ice Cream

Gardener News August, 2010 19On June 29, 2010, New

Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher announced the new “Made with Jersey Fresh” logo that can be placed on food items processed with Jersey Fresh ingredients. Bakery items, processed fruits and vegetables, cheeses, dairy products and frozen products will be part of the program. This program extends the Jersey Fresh season to beyond its usual end in November, and makes it a year-round venture.

Now, consumers can easily identify finished goods that are produced with Jersey Fresh products. Consumers can enjoy the taste of Jersey Fresh during the months when fields lie dormant, the days are short, and eating patterns shift. How good is that?

In addition, Made with Jersey Fresh will enhance offerings in farmers markets and your local supermarket. The allure for local supermarkets to carry more Jersey Fresh products – especially shelf stable and frozen – is huge. Markets that concentrate on taste profiles – win. Markets that concentrate on supporting local products – win. Markets that are looking to enhance marketing to locally grown – win. Local farmers markets will expand their offerings

in processed form, which should help increase sales at the markets. All in all, a big win for growers, processors, retailers, and consumers.

Made with Jersey Fresh also gives growers an outlet for their products that are not retail friendly. Smaller-sized or misshaped products that may not be visually acceptable to retailers or consumers can be processed and taste just as good as the picture-perfect fresh product that is on display at your local market. In the past, this was waste, now it can be sold. Perfect scenario - growers get to sell their entire crop.

Processors must be licensed by the NJDA in order to use the logo. They then must use product that has gone through the Jersey Fresh Quality Grading Program. Milk products have to go through the same grading

standards in order to put Made with Jersey Fresh Milk on the package and must come from New Jersey dairy farms.

Imagine Jersey Fresh peaches available in February and Jersey Fresh tomatoes in March. Now you don’t have to. They could be available in your freezer or in a can or jar. Wonderful, great news from NJDA and a great job done by Secretary Fisher and Assistant Secretary Al Murray, who continue to make Jersey Fresh branding the standard bearer for the country!

In other very exciting news, in early June, the Somerset Medical Center announced a partnership with the NJDA that will bring Jersey Fresh products into the hospital food service. Food distributed to patients’ rooms and in the cafeteria will have Jersey Fresh products as ingredients. It is the first partnership of

its kind in New Jersey and probably the United States. This is a role-model project for the hospital, NJDA and Jersey Fresh.

The hospital has hung Jersey Fresh banners in its cafeteria and placed Jersey Fresh stickers on containers of food that are made with Jersey Fresh. Also, the executive chef Peter Pascale has included Jersey Fresh produce in his weekly nutrition class that is also recorded and replayed in the cafeteria and available in patients’ rooms. They are also available for view online www.somersetmedicalcenter.com

Congratulations to Somerset Medical Center Senior Vice President of Operations Glenn McCreesh, President of the Somerset Medical Center Foundation Paul Huegel, and Director of Special Events Donna

Castronovo, who spearheaded the program after Tom Castronovo, executive editor and publisher of this paper came up with the idea and presented it to his Aunt Donna Castronovo. The hospital deserves a ton of credit for their forward thinking and innovative approach to providing fresh local products to their patients and visitors. The Somerset Medical Center also hosts a farmers market in their parking lot every Monday afternoon for visitors, neighbors and staff. That is over the top!

The impact of these projects will have lasting affects on the importance of locally grown products and Jersey Fresh. The USDA and other agricultural departments have taken notice to these programs and we can look for expansion throughout our country. Go Jersey Fresh!

Passionate About ProduceBy Paul Kneeland

The King of Produce

Editor’s Note: Paul Kneeland is the Vice President of Produce and Floral for Kings Super Markets. He has been in the food business for 26 years, has a degree in Business Management from Boston College and is certified in food safety with ServSafe. He can be reached [email protected]

Taking Jersey Fresh to New Levels


It’s summertime and the living is easy – as the saying goes – or is it? I guess it all depends on your perspective. For students in our program, the summer means work – and lots of it.

Contrary to the plight of many college students in this down economy who had trouble finding work, our students found their skills to be much in demand. This summer I had to give up teaching a class because I have been recuperating from ankle tendon surgery – and those who know me know that my current forced slower pace has been torture – for me and those around me. On the plus side, I did return to my roots and took on the responsibility for supervising our students in the Cooperative Work Experience Program. I used to be the co-op supervisor years ago and had forgotten how enjoyable it is to visit

with the students and meet their employers.

This summer we placed students in garden centers, as well as with design/build firms, and all have had a great time working hard and learning. I met with one young man who works as a crew leader for a landscape management crew. We met at a country club they maintain and I was very impressed with their attention to detail and the quality of the work. He also explained that their company policy is for him to take digital photos of each site during each visit and to keep accurate records of any and all on-site activities. They do not wait for a client to ask them to weed – if beds need weeding, that is done as part of the visit - and their landscapes show it. He explained that he is directly responsible for making sure that the clients are satisfied and also explained how he had to learn that if a customer is unhappy it is probably

because of something he did or didn’t do. His professional approach to his work would make anyone proud.

For those students in garden center jobs, customer service is also their primary responsibility, but additionally they must make sure that displays look fresh and plants are watered. At some garden centers, it can take up to three hours or more to water everything. And, because displays and plants are sold or moved around often, it is virtually impossible for garden centers to have an automated system for all their container plants and flats.

It was also interesting to see how the garden center industry has responded to client needs – many switch their stock of herbaceous plants from flats to pots by July 4th so that homeowners can have the opportunity to purchase larger plants already in full bloom for instant results. In fact, I

probably saw the biggest changes at the garden centers compared to how many operated 10 years ago. The variety of plants is by far greater, natives are easy to find at most garden centers, and the employees are encouraged to provide knowledgeable customer service. It reinforced for me the efforts we are making to increase our teaching of the principles of retail horticulture businesses.

And what about the student who is employed full-time by a design/build firm but also maintains his own landscapes on weekends and after work? Talk about a hard worker! Why is he doing it? Because he recognized that only working for someone would give him the chance to learn advanced techniques - to learn by doing. Since he had started a landscape business while still in high school, he didn’t want to give up those customers and instead is working extraordinary hours to keep his own

customers as well as expand his knowledge base.

All of these young people are motivated and responsible, eager to learn and a pleasure to spend time with. I know their employers are happy to have them and we are proud to claim them as ours!

Summertime

Editor’s Note: Jan-Marie Traynor is coordinator of the Landscape and Horticultural Technology Program at the County College of Morris. Learn more at http://www.ccm.eduor phone (973) 328-5363

By Jan-Marie TraynorContributing Writer

Wow, are we in the dog days of summer or what? As I write this article, there has not been significant rainfall for the last three to four weeks. This is the exact opposite weather pattern from June and July of 2009, when it rained way more than expected. Remember when your lawn actually looked good last June and July? How does it look this year? I spoke with some Midwest customers today and they have had an enormous amount of rainfall in the last few weeks, Go figure. Usually they send their weather east, but not this year.

Obviously, rainfall or the lack thereof has a lot to do with how well our lawns hold up during summer months. Usually we predict some heat and drought stress, weed pressure and an abundance of insects. I have had a number of homeowners say, “I was not sure if it is drought or I have fungus or grub damage, so I put down some grub control.” I would caution taking

this kind of approach, it is more important to properly identify what is causing your lawn to brown than just waste money on chemical treatments if they are not needed. Your lawn will like you better and so will the environment.

When your lawn is stressed so much that it is basically all brown, it may not be dead, it has gone dormant, like a bear hibernating. Lawns have an uncanny ability and desire to survive, like many plants and animals and people when times are tough. If you are not able to bring your lawn back with some watering, it would be better to ride out the “brown” and see how your lawn looks in late-August. You would know by then if it will

come back, since you have been through the summer stresses and mostly likely it will have received some rainfall by then. If you have not re-seeded your lawn within the last five years, introducing some new, improved varieties of grass seed will help you beat the heat next summer.

Why not take a stay-cation, a vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that your home and one’s environment has to offer? This is a new concept for hard economic times when a family chooses to stay home and enjoy their vacation time. It became a popular idea during the financial crisis of 2007 when high gas prices kept many vacationers home. Sometimes all that

we have to enjoy is our immediate surroundings. Be sure you rediscover how nice staying at home can be. The most popular aspect is to enjoy your yard, have some barbecues and relax on the lawn. Invite some friends over that haven’t visited for a long time, catch up on old times, read a book on the hammock, drink a glass of lemonade, play some cards, relax.

The calm, peaceful effect of green grass is nice, similar to staring at a fish bowl for hours; it helps to lower your stress level. Even Rover can enjoy the dog days of summer because you did not have to drop him off at the dog kennel to be watched. Consider investing in some

bird feeders, or a new two-seat bistro table to sit at after work enjoying a drink and some hors d’horves. Get the dog a new toy to play catch with. I like ladder golf, that’s what my kids got me for Father’s Day. We also decided to put a small pergola on our deck for shade. This space in the back yard has become our own little slice of heaven.

Investing in your home increases property value. A healthy-growing lawn provides peace and tranquility. It also cools down your surrounding environment, ultimately saving some air conditioning costs. Lawns also reduce noise and glare, purify water and remove carbon dioxide from the air.

Beat the heat, plant a new lawn!

Editor’s Note: Todd Pretz is Vice President of Jonathan Green, a leading supplier of lawn and garden products in the northeast. For more information, please visit: www.jonathangreen.com

The Dog days of Summer…, how about a stay-cation?

Turf ‘s UpBy Todd Pretz

Professional Turf Consultant

No one covers“Gardening”

in New Jerseylike the Gardener News!

For more informationvisit us online at

GardenerNews.com


Serving-up qualityThe New Jersey Department

of Agriculture (NJDA) on July 22 partnered with The Crab’s Claw Inn in Lavallette to incorporate local, fresh produce and Jersey-landed seafood into their menu. The restaurant will promote their support for the Jersey Fresh and Jersey Seafood brands through signage and logos on the menu. New Jersey’s food and agriculture industry, which includes restaurants, produces around $100 billion a year in revenues, making it the third-largest economic sector in the state. The state is among the top producers in the nation for blueberries, cranberries, peaches and bell peppers. The Jersey Seafood brand is modeled after the state’s successful Jersey Fresh branding program for produce. Use of the logos helps to increase visibility and consumer awareness of the quality and wholesomeness of products grown and harvested in New Jersey. From left to right in front of the Jersey Fresh banner are: The Crab’s Claw Inn’s owners Louise and Sam Hammer; Craig Korb, a featured columnist for this paper and Executive Chef of The Crab’s Claw Inn; Joe Atchison III, an Agricultural Marketing Specialist for the NJDA; and New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Al Murray.Tom Castronovo/Photo

As I sit down to write this column, we have just endured our first (and hopefully last) 100-degree day of the summer. Unfortunately, this heat wave has been accompanied by extremely dry weather as well. This weather can have some serious ramifications for both the commercial grower and the home gardener alike. While very hot and dry weather can be devastating, there are a few steps that can be taken to help combat this hot and dry weather pattern.

First of all, while this type of weather is very stressful on plants, it is also very tough on those who are tending the plants as well. There are several common-sense steps that can be taken, such as working in the coolest part of the day, drinking plenty of fluids, and wearing protective yet cool and lightweight clothing. But just as human production declines in super-hot weather, so can the production of many common fruits and vegetables.

Certain crops are just not suited for the hottest months of summer and will

grow much better in the cooler and usually wetter seasons of spring and fall. These include, but are not limited to, most types of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, peas, and beets. These crops will thrive in the cooler seasons, while warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers will thrive in the warmer months. If you do try to grow these crops in the heat of summer, try to protect them as much as possible from the heat by frequent watering. Also try to harvest them as soon as they are mature so that they do not start to bolt or prematurely flower.

Another important thing to remember is that as plants grow throughout the season, they all have specific needs

as far as their critical times for growth and development. If these plants do not receive adequate moisture at these times, their development and overall yield will be greatly hindered. Tomatoes, for example need plenty of water during blossom formation and fruit set and then again as the fruit are sizing in order to obtain maximum yields. Certain varieties of tomatoes can sense potential trouble and, in order to protect themselves, will not set very many fruit during times of extreme heat, thus lessening the overall crop load.

Summer squash and cucumbers, on the other hand, do not need very much water at all during the period between germination and blossom formation. At this time, there is just not that

high of a water requirement where these plants will really suffer. But if these plants are left to dry out after they start to form blossoms and set fruit, they will quickly shut down and production will rapidly vanish.

One way to keep plants from drying out is by reducing the amount of tillage that is done to the soil, both before and after planting. Every time that the soil is turned over, a certain amount of moisture escapes. Another way to keep soil from drying out is to put down some plastic mulch after planting. This will keep moisture from evaporating.

If the weather does start to get hot and dry, it is important to ensure that plants do not dry out too much before you realize that

there is a problem. Peppers for example, will not develop enough foliage and the fruit will become susceptible to sunburn. And tomatoes, if allowed to dry out too much before they are watered, will start to grow too fast and will actually start to crack. These cracks are then a perfect avenue for disease to enter the fruit, which will further reduce yields. It is also important to water in a regular and uniform manner. The over-watering of some plants and the under-watering of others in the same field will not lead to high yields of either. Don’t worry…it will rain sooner or later!

The Town FarmerBy Peter Melick

Agricultural Producer

Editor’s Note: Peter is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick. He currently serves on the Tewksbury Township Committee, is a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer, a director of the New Jersey Farm Bureau, and is a past president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. He also has been featured on NJN, News 12 New Jersey and on the Fox Business Network. Peter can be reached at (908) 310-1703.

Be in the know of H2O


Have You Washed Your Reusable Shopping Bags Lately?

EXHIBIT & CELL PHONE TOURMEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE CIVIL WAR

Date: Daily, through October 30 Time: 9 am - DuskThe Frelinghuysen Arboretum

53 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown, NJCost: FREE

Bring your cell phone to the garden to learn about medicinal plants of the Civil WarWhat role did plants play in the Civil War?

Many plants were used as medicines by physicians on both sides. See these plants and listen to recordings about their use on your cell phone.

Plants such as the poppy, Papaver orientale, yielded powerful pain killers. Tansy, a tiny daisy-like flower was brewed as a tea to reduce fever. The native dogwood tree, Cornus florida, was an effective substitute for quinine in the battle against malaria.

In depth information about 24 plants on display is given in 1 minute recordings accessed by dialing a toll free number on your cell phone. The exhibit will continue through October. An accompanying brochure is available at the Haggerty Education Center and can be downloaded at www.arboretumfriends.org.

Funding was provided by the Provident Bank Foundation and the North Jersey Civil War Roundtable.

G a r d e n e r N e w sThe Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper

Volume 8 Number 88 Published Monthly

Contact InformationPhone: 908.604.4444Fax: 908.647.5459 Website: www.GardenerNews.comE-Mail: [email protected]

StaffExecutive Editor/ Publisher . . . . Tom CastronovoArt Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin KukucAdvertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Zombory

August Columnists Tom Castronovo Craig Korb Todd Pretz Tim Hionis Evan Dickerson Bob LaHoff Cherry Huntoon Richard Perkins Paul Kneeland Peter Melick Robert Andreucci Leslie Barlow

Contributing Writers Bruce Crawford Jan Marie Traynor Jeannie Geremia Milo L. Shammas

Gardener News is published monthly by

Gardener News, Inc.16 Mount Bethel Road #123

Warren, NJ 07059Subscription Information

Subscription: One year by mail $24.99

The Gardener News invites correspondences on gardening subjects of interest. Gardener News, Inc, and its Publisher reserve the right to accept, refuse, or discontinue any editorial or copy, and shall not be liable to anyone for printing errors, misinformation or omissions in editorial or copy. The information contained in articles herein represents the opinions of the authors and, although believed to be accurate and complete, is not represented or warranted by Gardener News, Inc. to be accurate or complete.All advertising is subject to the Gardener News advertisement rates, and must be PAID IN FULL at time of submission. Publisher reserves the right at its absolute discretion, and at any time, to cancel any advertising order or reject any advertising copy whether or not the same has already been acknowledged and/or previously published. In the event of errors or omissions of any advertisement(s), the newspapers liability shall not exceed a refund of amounts paid for the advertisement.NOTE: All editorial, advertising layouts and designs and portions of the same that are produced and published by Gardener News, Inc., are the sole property of Gardener News, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any form unless written authorization is obtained from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to: Gardener News, 16 Mount Bethel Rd - #123, Warren, NJ 07059.(c) 2010 Gardener News, Inc.

Krauszer's61 Mountain Blvd.Warren, NJ 07059

Lottery Tickets& Newspapers

Mountain News & Food, Inc.T/A

Read This Paper Online www.GardenerNews.com

Atlantic CountyPhone: 609-625-0056

Bergen CountyPhone: 201-336-6780Burlington County

Phone: 609-265-5050Camden County

Phone: 856-566-2900Cape May County

Phone: 609-465-5115 Cumberland CountyPhone: 856-451-2800

Essex CountyPhone: 973-353-5959Gloucester County

Phone: 856-307-6450Hudson County

Phone: 201-915-1399Hunterdon County

Phone: 908-788-1339Mercer County

Phone: 609-989-6830

Middlesex CountyPhone: 732-398-5260Monmouth CountyPhone: 732-431-7261

Morris CountyPhone: 973-285-8300

Ocean CountyPhone:732-349-1246

Passaic CountyPhone: 973-305-5740

Salem CountyPhone: 856-769-0090

Somerset CountyPhone: 908-526-6293

Sussex CountyPhone: 973-948-3040

Union CountyPhone: 908-654-9854

Warren CountyPhone: 908-475-6505

RutgeRs CoopeRativeextension

phone DiReCtoRy

TIP OF THE MONTH• Water the garden early in the day so plants can absorb the moisture before the hot sun dries the soil. Early watering also insures that the foliage dries before night. Wet foliage at night increases susceptibility to fungus diseases. Water the soil, not the foliage. Check hanging baskets often to avoid water stress. When harvesting flowers from your garden, do so early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Cool them quickly by placing them in a bucket of water left in a cool place for an hour or so. This is especially important in hot summer weather.

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Full Moon, August 24, 2010

TO RESERVE AD SPACE IN GARDENER NEWSCALL: 908.604.4444

STANLEY OSUR

“Let Us Help You Grow”973-423-4949

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

New Jersey is the fourth largest peach producer in the country, with more than 70 varieties of white- and yellow-fleshed peaches and nectarines grown in 80 orchards throughout the state. The fruit begins to appear in markets from mid-July and is generally available through September. The height of the season, August, is proclaimed “Jersey Fresh Peach Month” by the governor.


Have You Washed Your Reusable Shopping Bags Lately?

EXHIBIT & CELL PHONE TOURMEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE CIVIL WAR

Date: Daily, through October 30 Time: 9 am - DuskThe Frelinghuysen Arboretum

53 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown, NJCost: FREE

Bring your cell phone to the garden to learn about medicinal plants of the Civil WarWhat role did plants play in the Civil War?

Many plants were used as medicines by physicians on both sides. See these plants and listen to recordings about their use on your cell phone.

Plants such as the poppy, Papaver orientale, yielded powerful pain killers. Tansy, a tiny daisy-like flower was brewed as a tea to reduce fever. The native dogwood tree, Cornus florida, was an effective substitute for quinine in the battle against malaria.

In depth information about 24 plants on display is given in 1 minute recordings accessed by dialing a toll free number on your cell phone. The exhibit will continue through October. An accompanying brochure is available at the Haggerty Education Center and can be downloaded at www.arboretumfriends.org.

Funding was provided by the Provident Bank Foundation and the North Jersey Civil War Roundtable.

G a r d e n e r N e w sThe Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper

Volume 8 Number 88 Published Monthly

Contact InformationPhone: 908.604.4444Fax: 908.647.5459 Website: www.GardenerNews.comE-Mail: [email protected]

StaffExecutive Editor/ Publisher . . . . Tom CastronovoArt Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin KukucAdvertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Zombory

August Columnists Tom Castronovo Craig Korb Todd Pretz Tim Hionis Evan Dickerson Bob LaHoff Cherry Huntoon Richard Perkins Paul Kneeland Peter Melick Robert Andreucci Leslie Barlow

Contributing Writers Bruce Crawford Jan Marie Traynor Jeannie Geremia Milo L. Shammas

Gardener News is published monthly by

Gardener News, Inc.16 Mount Bethel Road #123

Warren, NJ 07059Subscription Information

Subscription: One year by mail $24.99

The Gardener News invites correspondences on gardening subjects of interest. Gardener News, Inc, and its Publisher reserve the right to accept, refuse, or discontinue any editorial or copy, and shall not be liable to anyone for printing errors, misinformation or omissions in editorial or copy. The information contained in articles herein represents the opinions of the authors and, although believed to be accurate and complete, is not represented or warranted by Gardener News, Inc. to be accurate or complete.All advertising is subject to the Gardener News advertisement rates, and must be PAID IN FULL at time of submission. Publisher reserves the right at its absolute discretion, and at any time, to cancel any advertising order or reject any advertising copy whether or not the same has already been acknowledged and/or previously published. In the event of errors or omissions of any advertisement(s), the newspapers liability shall not exceed a refund of amounts paid for the advertisement.NOTE: All editorial, advertising layouts and designs and portions of the same that are produced and published by Gardener News, Inc., are the sole property of Gardener News, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any form unless written authorization is obtained from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to: Gardener News, 16 Mount Bethel Rd - #123, Warren, NJ 07059.(c) 2010 Gardener News, Inc.

Krauszer's61 Mountain Blvd.Warren, NJ 07059

Lottery Tickets& Newspapers

Mountain News & Food, Inc.T/A

Read This Paper Online www.GardenerNews.com

Atlantic CountyPhone: 609-625-0056

Bergen CountyPhone: 201-336-6780Burlington County

Phone: 609-265-5050Camden County

Phone: 856-566-2900Cape May County

Phone: 609-465-5115 Cumberland CountyPhone: 856-451-2800

Essex CountyPhone: 973-353-5959Gloucester County

Phone: 856-307-6450Hudson County

Phone: 201-915-1399Hunterdon County

Phone: 908-788-1339Mercer County

Phone: 609-989-6830

Middlesex CountyPhone: 732-398-5260Monmouth CountyPhone: 732-431-7261

Morris CountyPhone: 973-285-8300

Ocean CountyPhone:732-349-1246

Passaic CountyPhone: 973-305-5740

Salem CountyPhone: 856-769-0090

Somerset CountyPhone: 908-526-6293

Sussex CountyPhone: 973-948-3040

Union CountyPhone: 908-654-9854

Warren CountyPhone: 908-475-6505

RutgeRs CoopeRativeextension

phone DiReCtoRy

TIP OF THE MONTH• Water the garden early in the day so plants can absorb the moisture before the hot sun dries the soil. Early watering also insures that the foliage dries before night. Wet foliage at night increases susceptibility to fungus diseases. Water the soil, not the foliage. Check hanging baskets often to avoid water stress. When harvesting flowers from your garden, do so early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Cool them quickly by placing them in a bucket of water left in a cool place for an hour or so. This is especially important in hot summer weather.

Computer Consulting ServicesCustom Solutionsfor Small Business Complete Care IT PackagesHelpdesk SolutionsRemote Desktop SupportOffice to Internet SetupNetwork Design & InstallationRemote Site & Home to Office SetupHIPAA Privacy Implementation

[email protected]

Computer Consulting Services of NJ, Inc.Serving New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania

Full Moon, August 24, 2010

TO RESERVE AD SPACE IN GARDENER NEWSCALL: 908.604.4444

STANLEY OSUR

“Let Us Help You Grow”973-423-4949

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

New Jersey is the fourth largest peach producer in the country, with more than 70 varieties of white- and yellow-fleshed peaches and nectarines grown in 80 orchards throughout the state. The fruit begins to appear in markets from mid-July and is generally available through September. The height of the season, August, is proclaimed “Jersey Fresh Peach Month” by the governor.


liberty corner nj gardener news permit no. 40– decorate your pots or line the garden with these...

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