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Posted on May 14, 2013
at 4:17 PM
Spring Lawn Care
As the weather warms and the grass greens up many are wondering what needs to be done to our lawns. Spring and fall are busy times for the lawn, and mowing is just the start. Be sure to keep ahead of the fast growing turf. Cool temperatures and abundant moisture promote rapid growth of the cool-season grasses planted in most Iowa lawns like Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and fescue. Try to remove no more than a third of the leaf blade with each mowing and only remove clippings that may shade the grass beneath it. Mow at 2 or 3 inches (or even higher!) and use sharp blades.
Weed control is best done in the fall, but the use of a preemergence herbicide to control crabgrass should be applied in the spring. These crabgrass control pereemergence herbicides should be applied when the soil temperatures are at 55°F. Any warmer and they will not be effective. You can check the soil temperature in your area by visiting this website: http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/npknowledge/soiltemphistory.html
Fertilizer can be applied at the rate of one to two pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet using a complete balance fertilizer like 10-10-10. Be sure to split applications so you never apply more than one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in any one application. Seeding can also be done in the spring, but the fall is better time to do it. Often lawns sown in the spring have abundant weed growth. With proper weed control and frequent light irrigation, however, lawns can be successfully seeded in the spring.
Finally, resist the urge to water your lawn in the spring. In Iowa, it rains enough in a typical spring to support good growth. Abundant watering will promote a shallow root system that will not be prepared to deal with the stressful dry, hot conditions coming in July and August.
Reiman Gardens’ turf is mostly cool-season turfgrasses featuring Kentucky bluegrass as the predominant species. You can, however, see new turf established last fall around Lake Helen. This turf is the more durable turf-type tall fescue. Come to the Gardens and take a peek. It may be just what you’re looking for in your own lawn!
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Manager of Public Programs
Posted on Apr 11, 2013
at 11:21 AM
Creating Spring Containers
Every year the horticulture staff at the Gardens create beautiful mixed containers full of plants well-suited for early spring weather.
Creating these spring containers starts with the plants. They need to be hardy and able to withstand the occasional cold dips in temperature so common in spring. Pansies (Viola) are at the top of the list. These hardy cold-tolerant colorful annuals in dozens of colors from are the perfect addition to spring containers. Other annuals to consider for early spring planting include:
- Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritime) Clusters of tiny fragrant white, pink or lavender blooms. A great “spiller” for your container.
- Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) – These upright flower spikes are deer resistant.
- Nemesia (Nemesia) – Available in oranges, reds, yellows, white and many bicolors these low growing plants melt in the heat and thrive in the cooler temperatures of spring.
- Stock (Matthiola incana) – Plant these blooms where you can enjoy their amazing fragrance. Much like Nemesia, they are short lived in high heat making spring the perfect time to enjoy their flowers for longer.
- Larkspur (Consolida ambigua) – Related to delphinium but smaller, this old-fashioned flower can be found in blues, pinks, whites and purples.
- Lobelia (Lobelia erinus) – Small bright blue flowers on low growing plants are perfect for containers.
- Cape daisy (Osteospermum) – Daisy flowers in yellows, oranges and whites with eye-popping dark centers. These colorful flowers melt in the summers and thrive in cooler spring weather.
- China pinks (Dianthus chinensis) – These cold tolerant annuals come in reds, whites and pink, but they are named for their frilled petals not there most common color.
Combine these plants in containers as soon as frost has left the ground or temperatures at night are consistently around the freezing point, usually around the first part of April in Iowa. Once planted, water them in well. Combine plants with various heights, colors and textures to create interest. Add cut branches of willow, forsythia or red-twigged dogwood for height. Consider painting the container or branches a bright spring color. All of these plants will tolerate an occasional light frost not below 28°F, but pull containers inside if night temperatures get any lower. The spring containers at Reiman Gardens are planted. Visit the Gardens soon and enjoy the colors of spring!
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Manager of Public Programs
Posted on Mar 14, 2013
at 10:35 AM
The Conservatory has always held interesting palms, some specimens growing since the Conservatory opened ten years ago. Growing palms in a glass house has its own set of challenges; the biggest being space. Palms have one growing point, and it is located at the top of the trunk. Because of this, it is not possible to prune a palm back to reduce its height. Removing the top of the plant means removing the growing point and essentially killing the plant. Consequently, when a palm gets too tall for the Conservatory it has to be removed and replaced. After ten years, several palms have outgrown their space and horticulture staff have replaced those plants with some new exciting species.
Several of the new palm additions are native to the Caribbean. One such palm is the wine palm (Pseudophoenix vinifera). This native to the Haiti and the Dominican Republic has long feather shaped leaves and broad, thick trunks. The sweet sap from the species is sometimes fermented into wine giving it its common name. Another Caribbean native is the Borhidis guano palm (Coccothrinax borhidiana), a rare and endangered palm. It has fan shaped leaves on very short petioles (stems) arranged along a thin trunk. Native to beaches of northern Cuba, habitat loss is one reason this palm is endangered. Also native to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, the zombie palm (Zombia antillarum) is a distinctive and fun addition the Conservatory. This short fan palm is noted for its spiny leaf sheaths that cover the trunk giving the appearance of the trunk being covered in thorns. This small, low maintenance, clump forming palm should be a long-lived and a discussion-worthy addition to the Conservatory.
Another addition to the Conservatory is the bottle palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis). It is characterized by its stout bulbous, bottle-shaped trunk. Bottle palms are native to Round Island, a tiny island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. They may be fewer than 15 specimens left in its native habitat, but the bottle palm is ubiquitous around the world as a landscape plant because of its unique trunk silhouette.
Finally, a new palm has been introduced to the Conservatory where the beloved Bismarck palm once stood. Positioned in the Conservatory at the end of the Events Hall, the Bismarck palm (Bismarckia nobilis) outgrew its space and had to be removed. It has been replaced with the blue lantan palm (Latania loddigesii). In many ways this palm is a miniature version of the Bismarck. It has large, blue fan shaped leaves but grows slowly to a mature height of about 25 feet. Like the bottle palm, this palm is also native to Round Island and Mauritius located east of Madagascar, and it is threatened in its native habitat because of habitat destruction.
With all these new palms added to the Conservatory, a visit on Palm Sunday might be the perfect idea and excuse to visit the Gardens this spring!
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Manager of Public Programs
Posted on Feb 12, 2013
at 4:12 PM
Seed Starting
With the end of winter in sight, many gardeners turn to one of the most exciting times of the year – seed starting! The catalogs have been coming in full force, and they all promise hundreds of beautiful and interesting plants. As you prepare to purchase and grow your own seed for the upcoming year, here are some things to keep in mind.
Timing is everything. Do a little research and set up a schedule for starting all your plants. Most folks will want all their young plants to be ready to go outside by the frost free date, which for us in Central Iowa is typically just before Mother’s Day. As with most things in nature, there are some exceptions to that rule. The cool season crops like lettuce, pansies, or beets can be put outdoors earlier in the year. At Reiman Gardens we will put out our cool season annuals, weather dependent, in early April. Use a spreadsheet or calendar to count back the weeks from the day you want your plants outside using the information on the seed packet. Many annuals will take six to eight weeks to germinate and get large enough to put outside, but some are as little as four and some are as long as twelve or sixteen. This is why a calendar is so helpful.
Once you have your schedule you can start planting. Use a well-drained seed starting mix and be sure it is moist, but not wet. Wet conditions can lead to a fatal problem with damping off which kills newly sprouted seedlings. Temperatures should be on the warm side and the addition of a heat mat to warm the soil can greatly increase success with germinating and growing new seedlings. These water proof seedling heat mats are readily available from most places that sell garden supplies and are placed under the flat or container to keep the soil warm.
Light is an important factor. Starting seedlings on the window sill can be difficult because you will often have seedlings stretching and bending towards the light even with diligent rotation of the container. An ideal situation includes artificial light supplied by a simple two or four foot, fluorescent, plug-in shop light on a timer. Be sure to hang it on an adjustable chain so the light is always no more than six inches from the top of the seedlings. Move the light as the plants grow. The goal is to have short stocky plants which will transplant outside with much greater success. Keeping the light source close reduces the seedlings stretching and helps achieve that goal.
We have already begun starting seeds for the early spring here at Reiman Gardens. Staff and volunteers will spend the next 10 to 12 weeks sowing, transplanting, and growing from seed over 200 different types of annuals for 2013. Spring has literally already sprouted in the greenhouses here!
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Manager of Public Programs
Posted on Jan 14, 2013
at 3:46 PM
When it is cold outside one of the best places to be is in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing. It’s warm, humid, colorful and enchanting! While the butterflies are the main “act” in the Wing, there are some very interesting plants that cannot be found anywhere else at Reiman Gardens.
The starburst plant (Clerodendrum quadriloculare) is in full bloom right now. This tropical plant has long tube-shaped white flowers that resemble Q-tips, which is why many people just simply call it the Q-tip plant! The flowers are arranged in clusters that give this plant a dramatic fireworks-looking display.
The pitch-apple (Clusia rosea) is also unique to the Butterfly Wing. This plant has medium green thick, large, leathery, stiff leaves shaped like a small paddle. This small tree often flowers and fruits throughout the year, and the leaves sometimes hide the flowers and fruit so look closely for them. The fruit is notable in that while not edible, looks similar to a small apple. When mature, it splits open into four wings revealing bright red seeds.
Also noteworthy and dramatic is the traveler’s palm (Ravenala madagascariensis). This plant is actually not related to palms at all, but is instead a cousin to bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia). The stem sheaths hold water which supposedly could be used as an emergency source of water for a traveler, but it is often dirty and murky, so you would have to be pretty thirsty before resorting to this source of water. Outdoors the wind typically rips the leaves into narrow strips giving it a much more palm-like appearance. With no wind in the Butterfly Wing, however, we can enjoy the large (3’ long) leaves in a paddle shape.
Plant selection in the Butterfly Wing is very purposeful. USDA regulations prohibit any butterfly host plants from being permanently planted in the Wing. This prevents butterflies from laying eggs. A small caterpillar would have a much easier time escaping than an adult butterfly.
Next time you stop by the Butterfly Wing have a seat and enjoy the butterflies and look at all the beautiful plants they are flying around!
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Education Coordinator
Posted on Dec 11, 2012
at 2:36 PM
This time of year you don’t have to look very hard to find a poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). One of the most popular potted flowers in the United States, this holiday favorite is native to Mexico. This plant is named after the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel R. Poinsett who introduced it to the U.S. market in 1825. It is popular around the holidays because it naturally blooms this time of year and because of its red color.
Care of these plants starts with selecting good specimens. Choose plants with brightly colored bracts (the colorful, leaf-like structures that surround the true flowers which are shaped like yellow buttons). Be sure plants are not wilted, broken, or damaged and are free of insects and disease. White flies and aphids are especially common. Aphids produce a sticky honeydew and white flies are easy to identify as small insects whirling around when you disturb the plants.
Carefully wrap plants in a sleeve or bag to protect them from cold drafts. These warm climate plants will not tolerate even brief exposures to cold temperatures.
Once home, unwrap plants and place in cool (65°F) temperatures out of direct sunlight. This will allow plants to look good the longest. Check daily for moisture and water when soil is dry but before plants begin to wilt. Be careful to not let plants sit in water as they are often wrapped in a plastic or foil pot cover that will not allow excess water to drain away.
Most people discard their plants after the holiday season but these perennial shrubs can be grown and re-bloomed year after year. Continue to maintain plants in a bright, indirect light location indoors for the remainder of winter and early spring. Trim back stems to about 6 inches in May being careful to not get the sticky sap on you or the furniture. Repot in a larger pot with a well-drained potting soil. Fertilize and place in indirect light. Once the minimum temperature outside is above 60°F you can grow you poinsettia outside. Fertilize with an all-purpose, balanced fertilizer often. Pinch twice in the summer (early July and mid-August) to promote bushiness and control the overall size. They can get quite large. In September, bring plants back indoors to a location with bright, indirect light. To initiate new flowers, plants need to be exposed to 8 to 10 weeks of short days starting in early October to have plants in full flower by Christmas. To simulate short days, plants must be in complete darkness from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. daily for that 8 to 10 week period. This can be done by placing plants in a dark closet, unused room or light-tight box. Any light during this time, including those from your home (even a dim lamp), will delay flowering. Plants still need a sunny place during the day. Continue to water when needed and provide plants with weekly doses of fertilizer. Once the bracts begin to show color, short day treatments can stop.
With this information you can enjoy and experiment with your next holiday poinsettia!
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Education Coordinator
Posted on Nov 12, 2012
at 10:11 AM
Each autumn chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum sp.) dominate our landscapes and stores alike. Native to China and Japan, mums are revered as national symbols. Chrysanthemums come in dozens of flower forms in shades of yellow, pink, red, white, bronze, and lavender. Flower forms include cushion, decorative, pompon, quill, single (daisy), spider, anemone, and spoon just to name a few!
Each fall these beautiful flowers appear in stores and many wonder how they can grow them at home. Mums can be divided into two major categories: garden (or hardy) and florist (or exhibition) types. The latter are not winter hardy and should be enjoyed indoors or as an annual outdoors for the season and then composted. When inside keep the soil moist, but not wet, and in a cool location out of direct sun to keep the blooms vibrant the longest.
The garden or hardy type mums are sometimes successful in Iowa gardens, but many labeled as “hardy” are not. Most will survive to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. If you wish to grow your mum as a perennial, plant them in the spring. Fall-planted plants often do not have enough time to establish before winter. Their shallow root system allows them to easily heave out of the soil during the freeze-thaw cycles that happen during the winter which will kill the plant. To help prevent heaving, leave stems and leaves on the plant until spring and cover crowns with a layer of mulch. Mums like fertilizer and should be fertilized once a month until July. Plants do best in fall sun, although they will tolerate light shade and require well-drained, but not dry soil. To encourage bushiness and more abundant blooms, pinch plants two or three times before August 1 by removing the top inch or two of each stem. This reduces the height of the plant and encourages branching and more flowers. A good rule of thumb is to pinch on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. If you pinch any later than August 1 you run the risk of removing flower buds. Flowers tolerate light frost well and will be colorful from September until a killing frost.
Every fall Reiman Gardens features hundreds of beautiful fall mums in the outdoor containers and Conservatory.
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Education Coordinator
Posted on Oct 12, 2012
at 2:38 PM
This year has been a fantastic year for fall color. Fall color is often best when the nights are cool with no frost and the days are dry, warm and sunny with little rain or wind to knock off the leaves. This is particularly true if the dry, sunny fall is preceded by an ideal, moist summer, which we did not have this year. Freezing temperatures will halt the mechanisms that create fall color, and the first frost of the season often marks the beginning of the end for fall color.
The shorter days and longer nights of fall are the primary trigger for trees and shrubs to produce fall color. This happens when the cells near the base of the leaf where it attaches to the branch begin to divide but not expand. This forms a corky layer of cells called the abscission layer that blocks the transport of water and nutrients to the leaves.
The colors you see in the many deciduous trees and shrubs come from two sources. The yellow and orange pigments come from xanthophylls and carotenoids. These pigments are always present in the leaves but masked by green chlorophyll. When the connection between the leaf and branch is severed, the chlorophyll dies, revealing these colors. The red and purple pigments come from anthocyanins which are created from the sugars that are trapped in the leaf when the connection of the leaf to the branch is blocked by the corky cells that form there each fall.
At Reiman Gardens, we have many great plants with some spectacular fall color, especially in the Hardwood Forest and Town & Country Garden. Stop out and enjoy the colors of the season!
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Education Coordinator
Posted on Sep 11, 2012
at 4:34 PM
They creep and climb. Some people love, and some people hate them. I’m talking about vines! After teaching a class this summer on vines I’ve realized they are very misunderstood and Reiman Gardens has some great examples of some really wonderful vines.
One of the first you will see is the cardinal creeper (Ipomoea quamoclit) in some of the containers near the parking lot. These very vigorous vines are annuals. They will not make it through the winter here, although occasionally you will find them come back perennially by seed. Annuals vines are a great addition to the garden because they are fast growing, love our hot Iowa summers and are temporary – giving you an opportunity to do something different the following year. Most are easy to start from seed and most prefer full sun. Other annual vines that are worth a try are purple hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus), black-eyed susan vine (Thunbergia alata), and morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea). There are also several vines that we grow here at the Gardens that are not annuals, but are not winter hardy and therefore are treated like annuals here in Iowa. Mandevilla (Mandevilla ×amabilis) is one beautiful example planted in the containers by the Dunlap Courtyard. Others to try at home include ornamental sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and most of the passionflowers (Passiflora).
Another exciting addition to Reiman Gardens this fall is an expanded perennial vine collection. Each of the nine vine poles that surround the South Patio just outside the Speer Room in the Mahlstede Building will feature a different perennial woody vine. You may be familiar with some of the perennial vines already featured at the Gardens including the Kentucky wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya) in the Jones Rose Garden, the Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) on the Pattern Garden walls and the climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) on the wall of the Walled Court near the Hunziker House. The new collection on the South Patio will feature the following:
- Hardy kiwi vine – Actinidia kolomikta ‘Artic Beauty’
- Chocolate vine – Akebia quinata
- Dutchman’s pipe – Aristolochia durior
- Trumpetcreeper – Campsis radicans
- Clematis – Clematis
- Hops vine – Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’
- Maypop – Passiflora incarnata
- Climbing rose – Rosa ‘Ramblin Red’
Stop by the Gardens this fall and take a peek at some of these new and established specimens. Hopefully it will give you some ideas of things you can do at home.
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Education Coordinator
Posted on Aug 15, 2012
at 2:40 PM
Summer is drawing to a close, and this is one of the best times to visit the Gardens. The annuals in the Campanile Garden, Trial Garden and various beds throughout the Town & Country Garden are big and colorful now. The Home Production Garden is in full production requiring regular harvest of the many tomatoes, peppers, beans, and other good-for-you veggies. These pounds of produce are donated every week to the Plant a Row for the Hungry program which collects excess produce from anyone who wishes to donate every Monday morning from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in the Maintenance Building through September 24th.
Along with all the wonderful annuals in full bloom, one of the best shows in late summer is Lake Helen. Right now the Lake is covered with dozens of hardy water lilies, lotus and the intriguing Victoriawater platter. Hardy water lilies (Nymphaea spp.) in creamy white, soft yellow and bright pink are in full bloom across Lake Helen. These showy plants have circular floating leaves with flowers in white, pink, yellow, peach or red. They are winter hardy to zone 4 and should be planted in containers set 8-24 inches below the water surface. They prefer calm water and full sun.
With the consistently high temperatures this summer, the Lotus (Nelumbo sp.) have become a real show-stopper in Lake Helen. These plants have large exotic pink flowers that rise up to five feet above the water. The flowers are six inches across, fragrant, and give way to interesting cup-shaped pods that dry well and look nice in dried arrangements. Hardy to zone 4, these large water plants should be grown in full sun and planted up to 12 inches below the water surface.
Another noteworthy plant looking very nice in the Lake right now is the Victoria water platter (Victoria sp.). The leaves of this Amazon native get 4 to 6 feet (yes, feet!) across. All parts of this plant except the top of the leaves and the petals of the flowers are covered in sharp spines. While not hardy in Iowa, plants grow quickly from seed, especially in hot summer temperatures. The flowers open late in the day and last a short 48 hours. On day one, the flower is white, and day two it is pink. While out admiring the Lake, you are sure not to miss the large LEGO® brick sculptures in the water. These large creations are meant to look like the grand Victoria water platters planted right next to them.
Prepared by Aaron Steil, Education Coordinator
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