It is time to update our mailing list! Please reply by January 31, 2004 if you would like to continue to receive this free bi-monthly newsletter, full of great gardening tips for our area.

You may elect to receive either the paper version or an e-mail reminder with a link so that you can find our newsletter on the Internet.

If you wish to receive e-mail reminders, please write to me at basmith2@uiuc.edu with the topic "BG 2004".

If you wish to receive the paper version of this newsletter, please send in the postcard below or call our office at 877-6872 and leave a message, clearly stating and spelling your name, mailing address and phone number (so that we can contact you in case of questions).

If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, please return the postcard or call 877-6872.

You will receive one more issue in January 2004 before the new mailing list takes effect! This mailing list is kept confidential and you will not receive any additional mailings.

GARDEN - Flowers, Herbs,Vegetables, and Small Fruits

NOVEMBER

• If the ground is not frozen, you can still plant spring-flowering bulbs.
• After the ground has frozen apply about 12 inches of mulch or compost around your hybrid roses to protect them from being damaged by repeated freezing and thawing.
• Winterize your garden pond. Bring plants that are not winter-hardy indoors to spend the winter in tanks or tubs.
• Spread manure or compost on your garden with a bit extra on the rhubarb and asparagus beds.
• Take steps to prevent garden pools from freezing solid in winter. Floating a stock tank water heater in the pond will lessen the chance of ice damage.
• After several frosts, but before the temperature drops below 20ºF, put mulch on strawberry beds.
• Fall tilling the vegetable garden exposes many insect pests to winter cold, reducing their numbers in next year's garden.

DECEMBER

• Keep bird feeders filled during the most severe weather and add a heater to your birdbath; birds need water throughout the winter months.
• Winter is a good time to read the gardening books you didn't have time for earlier.
• Reduce or eliminate fertilizer to houseplants until spring.
  

YARD - Lawn, Shrubs, Trees and Tree Fruits

NOVEMBER

• Mulch-mow your leaves instead of raking and bagging. The leaf fragments will provide mulch for the grass plants and will decompose providing organic matter for the soil.
• Before the ground freezes water your trees and shrubs, especially new ones, one last time.
• After they have become dormant and insects are gone for the season, it should be safe to prune oak trees. Pruning them earlier leaves them vulnerable to oak wilt disease.
• Set up burlap screens to protect azaleas, rhododendrons and star magnolias to prevent damage from cold, dry winter winds.

DECEMBER

• Plan major tree pruning for winter. The trees are dormant, the ground is frozen and the arborist is not busy.
• Wrap the trunks of small trees with protective paper to prevent drying over winter. They are vulnerable until a protective layer of bark has formed.
• Avoid burying trees and shrubs when removing snow from walks and driveways. Be careful if you use a melting agent-many salts can damage plants, lawns and concrete.
• Hollies may be trimmed now and the prunings used in holiday decorations.
• All power equipment should be winterized before storage. Change the oil and lubricate moving parts. Either drain fuel systems or mix a gas-stabilizing additive into the tank.
• Hollies may be trimmed now and the prunings used in holiday decorations.
• All power equipment should be winterized before storage. Change the oil and lubricate moving parts. Either drain fuel systems or mix a gas-stabilizing additive into the tank.

Everyone loves a present chosen or made ,especially for him or her. With a little ingenuity and a few recycled materials, you should be able to satisfy several people on your gift list while avoiding the time and expense of conventional gift shopping. You'll also be reducing the landfill load with no packaging to discard.

Check over the list of ideas below. You'll find ideas for gardeners and gourmets, for people who like to entertain and those who prefer a quiet evening at home, decorating ideas for the holidays and crafts for the children.

• For the avid gardener, convert a 5-gallon bucket into a dual-purpose tool holder/harvest bucket by attaching a tool pouch to the outside. A painter's apron works well, or you can make a custom tool pouch from old blue jeans or upholstery fabric. Use the pockets for seed packets and small tools and the bucket for collecting the harvest.
• Save on gift wrap, packaging, and time during the holiday season by giving IOU's for garden work, indoor plant starts, seeds from heirloom plants, or perennial plant divisions as gifts.
• During the gardening season, photograph your best flowers in the garden. Enlarge the photo, frame it with a twig frame (handmade, of course), and present it as a gift.
• For friends with fireplaces or those who like to barbecue, tie together a few logs of aromatic woods such as cherry, apple or hickory. Add a bow for a seasonal touch.
• Dry your own mix of fragrant flowers and herbs for potpourri. Pack in attractive, recycled, wide-mouth glass jars such as those from mustard or jelly.
• Bouquets garnish for flavoring soups can be mixed up in a jiffy from homegrown or store-bought dried herbs.
• Cookbooks carry a variety of recipes, most of which include parsley, thyme, bay, and celery leaves. Place 1 tablespoon of dried herbs in a 4-inch square scrap of muslin. Tie closed with colorful string or yarn. Use as stocking stuffers or pack several in a dark glass jar or baking powder tin covered with holiday paper and use as a hostess gift.
• Prepare gift baskets containing your canned, home-grown produce. Combine apple pie filling with a pastry mix in a special pie plate, or make an Italian dinner basket with a jar of your favorite homemade sauce, spaghetti noodles, and a loaf of bread.
• For shiny tree ornaments, punch canning jar lids with a hammer and nail. Add wire or string for hangers and decorate with ribbon.
• Cornhusks can be braided together for a wreath base, or tied in a bow for a wreath or gift decorations. Nut shells add interest to a pine cone wreath.
• Prune your grapevines a little earlier this year to make a classic wreath. If you can't shape the wreath as you prune, before bending the vines, soak them in water overnight for increased flexibility.
• Make a sphagnum moss pole for vining plants. Use half-inch mesh hardware cloth, and cut a piece 8 to 10 inches wide (depending on the diameter you want for the pole) and as long as desired. Roll the mesh into a cylinder; fasten together with wire; and stuff with moist, long-fiber sphagnum moss. Place it in the soil and train the vine up the pole. To water the vine, moisten the sphagnum. This also helps anchor the plant to the pole. Decorate the potted plant and pole with a festive ribbon and present this great gift to a friend or relative!
• Prepare herbal and fruited vinegars from your garden's bounty. Present them in recycled wine or syrup bottles (check with your local Extension office for canning and preserving guidelines). To complete the gift, tie a sprig of dried flowers to the neck of the bottle, add a bright bow, and attach your favorite marinade or salad dressing recipe.
• Prepare your special seasoning rubs, herb mixes, and other spice blends. Package in air-tight containers and present with recipes for using.

Source: The Virginia Gardener

Is your garden a certain style? Or is it eclectic, which in gardening terms means a little of this, a little of that? If you find it hard to resist a new plant, your garden is probably eclectic. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you try for some semblance of order, even the simple technique of planting at least three of one kind of plant and repeating the grouping more than once in a border or elsewhere in the yard will provide the appearance of a planned, organized design.

Before you dig, remember your garden should enhance your home. Consider the size of your property and the location of existing trees. Note what's growing well in your town and your neighborhood. Visit local nurseries, libraries, bookstores or garden websites to learn the requirements of the plants you like. No matter what garden design and plants you select, your garden should reflect your personal preferences.

If you want to plan traditional garden designs, follow these basic guidelines. For beginning gardeners, following others' leads at the outset often results in the most success and the best designs. Remember that a garden consists of more than plants; ornaments, rocks, fences, trellises, and paths contribute to the overall style of the design.

Cottage Garden

Whether you call it a country garden or an English cottage garden, this style says old-fashioned with its plants and layout. At first glance, it looks disorganized as it overflows with a mix of perennials, vines, even vegetables and herbs. Edging plants spill over onto straight stone or brick paths, softening the front of the border. Tall, background plants intertwine without support. Many of the perennials and hardy annuals seed themselves around the border.

The disorder is an illusion. You need to train vining plants, at least in the beginning, up and over trellises and arbors. Plant three to five of each perennial you choose and repeat the planting three or more times. Keep the jungle-look under control by weeding out overly rambunctious seedlings. For this style, select plants with an eye to their foliage texture, shape and their growth habit as much as to the colors of the blooms. Consider growing these plants for a cottage garden; beebalm, columbine, coneflower, daisy, delphiniums, dianthus, English daisy, foxglove, hardy geranium, hollyhock, iris, lamb's ears, larkspur, lavender, phlox, peony, Russian sage, clematis, climbing rose, morning glory, and trumpet vine.

Kitchen Garden

Traditionally a garden by the back door, handy for everyday use, a kitchen garden contains vegetables, herbs, and flowers for cutting. In colonial times, it would have held medicinal as well as culinary herbs, fruit trees and berried shrubs. Nowadays, site it anywhere in the yard, front or back, that gets full sun for most of the day. Surround the garden with a wire or picket fence or a living evergreen hedge. Keep paths to a minimum by making wide rows, three to four feet wide; historically, rows were narrow, but space was not at a premium then. Construct raised beds, using lumber or brick, in rectangular or other shapes, if you want, and devote one vegetable to each; plant herbs along the edges.

Make paths with packed soil, gravel, or brick. Group vegetables for decorative qualities, as well as for ease of care. Grow vining plants on tepees(great focal points) and on an arbor at the entrance to the garden. Plant the perimeter, inside and out, with flowers. Plants for a kitchen garden include: annual and perennial herbs, such as basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme; root, leafy, and vining vegetables; flowers for cutting, such as bachelor's buttons, marigolds, snapdragons, and zinnias, and flowers foreating such as calendulas, dianthus, pansies, marigolds, nasturtiums, and violas. A rainbow of unusual colored and ornamental vegetables can add interest to your garden and to your dinner table. Seed catalogs and seed racks in retail stores offer numerous new and exciting flowers and vegetables to your garden.

Natural Garden

Think of a tall-grass prairie or a field of flowers and grasses swaying in the breeze. Today's field may be a sunny side yard, an area in the backyard surrounded with a split rail fence, a double border on either side of the front walk, or the entire front yard. To start a natural garden, remove sod and weeds to give native plants and seeds an opportunity to grow without competition from plant intruders. Remember that not only herbaceous plants but also trees and shrubs belong in a natural, wild garden. Plants for a natural garden include perennial and annual wildflowers indigenous to your area, ornamental grasses, and native trees and shrubs. In a 21st century suburb, neatness with such a design often counts for pleasing neighbors and local zoning codes. Mow broad grass paths through and around your "field" to give it the appearance of a standard garden. Accent it with accessories, such as birdhouses, a birdbath, and a bench at the end of one path as a destination.

Oriental Garden

A sense of peace pervades an oriental-style garden, where careful placement of rocks and paths takes equal importance with plants. Function and ornamentation combine in stone benches, wooden bridges and fences. Interest comes more from foliage texture and plant shapes (pruning is involved here) than from colorful flower displays. Water plays a major role, whether in a small pond, a cascading waterfall, or a simple trickle from a fountain made with bamboo. For gardeners with shady yards, oriental designs deliver beauty without the necessity of flowers from spring to frost. The primary color in an oriental garden is green. Plants for an oriental garden include: agastache, Asparagus densiflorus, fall flowering chrysanthemum, flowering cabbage or kale, nicotiana lemon-lime flowers, Zinnia ‘Envy' green flowers, basil, chives, dill, thyme, moss, ferns, and bamboo.

Rock Garden

To imitate nature, a rock garden should be on a hillside or at least an incline. To create one on a level surface, mound soil slightly and bury rocks from half to three-quarters deep to make them look as if they have forced their way above ground or been worn down by wind and water over centuries. Use rocks and stones that occur naturally in your area; sit them in a freeform, informal pattern.

Traditional plants for a rock garden consist of alpines and miniatures that survive on a minimum of soil and water in their natural habitat. In practice, you can use any delicate-looking plants, those that grow from tufts of foliage or spread slowly, plants with small stature, and even a few dwarf evergreens. Rocks and large stones are terrific accents in any garden, except a formal one, but placing a few among plants in your border does not make it a rock garden.Plants for a rock garden: armeria, baby-blue-eyes, perennial candytuft, evening primrose, lupine, maiden pinks, phlox, rockcress, sanvitalia, snow-in-summer, sweet alyssum, sweet william pinks, creeping thyme, viola, pansy, iceland poppy, zinnia, and succulents such assedums and sempervivuim.

The plant recommendations for each design are general. Each gardener needs to conduct research into the best plants for his or her garden based on climate and soil type. Always select a plant that is adaptable to your location and check to ensure it does not become invasive in your area. It is very difficult to make general plant recommendations for all zones in North America. The National Garden Bureau makes these recommendations with the strong advice that gardeners conduct additional research.

We credit Eleanore Lewis as author of this article.

The National Garden Bureau
For more information check out their website at www.ngb.org

During this time of year when the weather is cooler, the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, congregates on the south side of buildings and enters homes. The beetle does this because in their native China they inhabit tall cliffs to over winter. Because Illinois does not have an abundance of tall cliffs, the next best thing is a building.

The multicolored Asian lady beetle is a native of Asia (hence the common name) and was introduced into the southeastern and southwestern portions of the United States to deal with aphids on pecan trees. It spread rapidly to other portions of the country. It is an arboreal (tree-dwelling) lady beetle, more so than the native species, and a very efficient predator of aphids and scales. In fact, this beetle has been responsible for regulating populations of the soybean aphid, which was introduced into Illinois about two years ago. Adults may also feed on ripening peaches, apples, grapes, and other fruit, creating shallow holes. This damage may be easily controlled with the use of common insecticides registered for fruit. Large numbers of beetles feeding on fruit may cause enough injury that the fruit is less appealing for consumption.

This lady beetle can be easily distinguished from other species of lady beetles by a pair of white, oval markings directly behind the head, which forms a black, M-shaped pattern. Adults are 1/4 inch long, 3/16 inch wide, and vary in color from yellow to deep orange (almost red). In addition, their bodies are usually (not always) covered with 19 black spots. The adults can live up to 3 years. Female beetles lay yellow, oval-shaped eggs in clusters on the underside of leaves.

The eggs hatch into larvae that are red-orange and black, shaped like an alligator. The larvae primarily feed on soft-bodied, plant-feeding insects, such as aphids, psyllids, and scales. They eventually undergo a pupal stage. The pupae can be seen attached to plant leaves. Adults emerge from pupae and start feeding on prey. The adults can be found on a wide variety of trees, including apple, maple, oak, pine, and poplar. There may be multiple generations per year.

The multicolored Asian lady beetle is a nuisance pest because the adults tend to congregate and over winter inside buildings in large numbers (literally giving meaning to the phrase "ladybug, ladybug fly away home"). They release a pheromone that attracts more beetles to the same area. Although they may bite (and they do), the beetle does not injure humans. Additionally, the beetle does not carry or transmit diseases.

The beetle does not breed or reproduce indoors because it is looking for a place to spend the winter. They are attracted to lights and light-colored buildings, especially the south side where it is warm. The beetles work their way into building through cracks and crevices. Dark-colored buildings are generally less attractive to the beetles.

Beetles can be prevented from entering homes by caulking or sealing cracks and crevices. Beetles that are already in the home can be removed by sweeping or vacuuming. Be sure to empty the vacuum bags afterward. Avoid killing the beetles. Simply release them outdoors beneath a shrub or tree away from the house. If the beetles are crushed, they emit a foul odor and leave a stain that can be difficult to remove. The dust produced from an accumulation of dead multi-colored Asian lady beetles behind wall voids may trigger allergies or asthma in people. Insecticides are not recommended for use indoors.

Homeowners who want to avoid dealing with over wintering beetles entering their homes can hire a professional pest-control company to treat points of entry on the building exterior with a pyrethroid-based insecticide. The treatments should be made in late September or early October, before the beetles enter the building to over winter.

The beetle has been able to spread rapidly throughout portions of the United States, because it was introduced into the country without its native natural enemies. However, beetle populations may decline as cosmopolitan natural enemies start attacking them.

Source: Raymond A. Cloyd

Weather extremes and wildlife damage are two main concerns facing landscape plantings during winter. Bruce Spangenberg tells us that there are some things that can be done to help prevent serious damage to perennial plants, trees, shrubs, and lawns.

Winter Mulching
Winter mulches should be applied to protect perennial plantings from winter weather. These are suggested to help protect perennial flower plantings and strawberry beds from alternating freezing and thawing cycles over the winter, not from freezing. It's best to wait awhile before mulching perennials and strawberries until about Thanksgiving or later so plants have gone dormant and the soil freezes to apply the mulches. Straw or evergreen boughs make good winter mulches.

For most perennial flowers, allowing the dead plant material to remain until spring may help protect the crown of the plant, although if the bed is mulched later this fall it doesn't really matter. Most ornamental grasses provide interesting winter foliage effects when left standing.

Protecting Plants from Gnawing Damage
Rabbits and voles (field mice) are the primary animals that may gnaw on tender bark of trees and shrubs in winter. Putting up a barrier, such as poultry wire or hardware cloth, is the best defense. Put a fence around shrubs, and secure with a few stakes. Put a loose cylinder of hardware cloth around the trunk base of younger trees susceptible to vole or rabbit gnawing. Removing excess vegetation and debris near plants will also help reduce cover, especially for voles.

Repellents are also available to help protect plants from gnawing animals. Research studies have concluded results vary depending on location and even the specific year when using repellents. However, there are some important points to consider. Keep in mind repellents will reduce but not eliminate animal damage to plants. A good chicken wire barrier may eliminate rabbit damage to shrubs, but a good repellent may simply reduce the damage. So if some damage occurs, don't blame the manufacturer, as damage may have been reduced but not eliminated. Remember results vary considerably in studies.

There are two types of repellents, contact and area. Contact repellents are applied directly to plants and repel by unpleasant taste for the animal. Some product examples include DeerAway, Ro-Pel, Miller Hot Sauce, and thiram (a fungicide). Area repellents are applied in the vicinity of plants and usually repel by smell. Examples include Hinder, dried blood, bar soap, and human hair.

Research studies show not every repellant works in every situation, but contact repellents are more effective than area repellents. Commercial products appear more effective than "home-made" remedies. If you're planning to use a repellent this winter to protect shrubs and trees, read the labels thoroughly. Most need to be reapplied for dependable protection—even though the initial costs are higher, remember they can be reused.

Preventing Winter Desiccation
Another problem facing evergreens during winter is desiccation, or drying out, from the wind and some cases sun. It's important that evergreens have adequate moisture in the soil right up until freezing. Monitor conditions throughout the fall to assure evergreens have adequate moisture available. Shrubs in very exposed sites may benefit from additional protection. Options include loosely wrapping with burlap, putting up a snow fence or other type of windbreak, or using commercially available anti-transpirants, which are wax-like materials sprayed on plants late in the fall to help prevent drying out. These work especially well on broadleaf evergreens.

Lawn Preparation
Last winter was a very tough one for lawns. Snow mold (a fungus) and vole damage were both very high. Voles will make runways under the snow in lawns as they feed on grass blades and roots and are protected from predators. Help prevent damage from occurring by continuing to mow lawns until grass is completely dormant in fall. Mow lawns at a final height of about 2 inches. Also clean up any excessive vegetation near lawn, as this provides cover for voles.

Both gray (Typhula blight) and pink snow mold (Fusarium patch) may occur in northern Illinois. During the wet, cold weather of early spring, snow mold may be highly visible as matted, crusty looking areas. As conditions dry out, snow mold will gradually fade but infected areas may remain as weak or even dead turf. Conditions favorable for snow mold include excessive use of fast-release (water soluble) nitrogen fertilizer in early to mid fall, excessive thatch, shade, poor drainage, and excessive debris (such as leaves or straw) on the lawn. Areas receiving drifting snow or piles of deposited snow are also prone to snow mold.

There are ways to avoid snow mold from becoming a severe problem. Follow sound fertilization programs, using fertilizers containing slow-release or controlled-release nitrogen. Adequate levels of phosphorous and potassium should be available in the soil. Manage thatch via aerification, or removal from vertical mowing (dethatching). Improve air circulation by pruning or removing dense vegetation bordering problem lawn areas. Mow lawns until completely dormant in fall. Fungicides are available but rarely suggested for home lawns.

This year you will have the opportunity to attend classes taught by horticulture specialists located throughout Illinois, and you don't even have to leave Macon County!

A series of Gardening Telenet classes will be offered this winter, spring, summer and fall. Winter programs include seed starting, native trees and pruning. Telenet classes are programs with color slides, the live voice of the instructor, and helpful handout materials.

Programs are offered at the Extension office in both afternoons and evenings. There is a $2 fee per class to cover the expense of handout materials. Register for all three winter classes for $5. Call us at 877-6042 to register.

Also, mark your calendars now for our annual events:
Potpourri of Gardening, the Plant Sale, and the Garden Walk!