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The Garden Post Independence County Master Gardeners
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
Editor, Nelson Barnett
Editor Emeritus, Marie Fowler
July, 2016 Volume XXI Issue 7
" O beautiful for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountains majesty
Above thy fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to From sea to shining sea!"
Now
Hear
This! Master Gardeners Meeting Thursday, July 14th
U of A Extension Office
10 am—Education
10:30—Business Meeting
Deer Busters!
Top Deer-Resistant Plants
Suggested by Toy Siler
Editor’s Note: Toy Siler has made her
move to Northwest Arkansas, but
because she had agreed to write an
article for the July Garden Post, she kindly suggested a
theme and sent a website that might be used. She said
she missed all of us!
This is from www.bhg.com and is an article entitled “Top
Deer Resistant Plants of the South” and is written by
Marty Ross.
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are few, if
any, plants that can be called truly deer proof. The list
of plants you'll see contains selections deer often avoid.
But, if deer are hungry enough, they'll eat just about any-
thing. So when you see the plant list, keep in mind it's a
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starting point.
Bear's Breeches An architectural plant that's worth its weight in gold, bear's breeches creates a ton of structure in
the garden thanks to its towering spikes of blooms and large, glossy leaves. Plant Name: Acanthus mollis Growing Con-
ditions: Part sun and moist, well-drained soil. Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Butterfly Weed Happily, this plant will bring a host of butterflies to your yard -- but not deer. A tough perennial native
to areas of North America, it bursts forth with clusters of orange flowers in summer. It's also heat and drought resistant,
so you can depend on it to look good, even with little care. Plant Name: Asclepias tuberosa Growing Conditions: Full
sun and well-drained soil. Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Zones: 4-9
Caryopteris This standout plant reminds us of Russian sage (the two are great plant partners); it has scented, silvery-
green foliage and clusters of violet-blue flowers in late summer and fall. We love the way this drought-resistant beauty
adds a touch of no-care color to shrub borders when most other shrubs have finished.
Plant Name: Caryopteris selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 4 feet tall and wide-
Zones: 5-9
Chrysanthemum Perhaps the best-known fall-blooming plant, chrysanthemum cultivars now offer an astonish-
ing range of colors, from purples and pinks to the more traditional fall tones of red, rust, orange, and yellow. Because of
the plant's scented foliage, you won't have to worry about deer munching away on yours as they get ready for winter.
Plant Name: Chrysanthemum selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 4 feet tall and wide,
depending on selection Zones: 4-10, depending on type
Crocosmia Crocosmia is almost startlingly dramatic in the garden. Its sword-shape leaves add great interest, but they
take a back seat to the clusters of bold red (or orange or yellow) flowers in midsummer. This clump-forming perennial
gets bigger and better every year. Plant Name: Crocosmia selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide Zones: 5-9, depending on type
Dianthus Decorate your garden with the charming blooms and wonderful scent of dianthus. This perennial is full of
flower power; many types produce blooms for weeks at a time in spring, summer, or fall.
Plant Name: Dianthus selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: From 2 to 36 inches tall and 4
to 24 inches wide Zones: 3-10, depending on type
Epimedium A favorite of just about every gardener who fights dry, shady conditions, epimedium is a knockout variety
with cute flowers (in shades of pink, red, orange, white, and yellow) and deer-resistant foliage. Many selections of this
wonderfully easy ground cover are evergreen -- giving it an extra level of interest. Plant Name: Epimedium selections
Growing Conditions: Shade and well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Zones: 4-9, depending on type
Goldenrod Sending out golden explosions of flowers in late summer and early autumn, goldenrod is as excellent for
the vase as it is for the flower bed. It's an ideal filler plant for fall arrangements and creates the same airy effect in late-
season borders. Plant Name: Solidago selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: From 1 to 6
feet tall and 1 to 3 feet tall Zones: 3-9, depending on type
Hens and Chicks As no-care as it gets, hens and chicks is a super-easy, drought-tolerant ground cover you can depend
on to look good all year long. Plant Name: Sempervivum selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 inches tall and 12 inches wide Zones 4-10, depending on type
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Joe Pye Weed Bearing giant puffs of reddish-purple flowers in late summer or early fall, this North American prairie
perennial is a perfect choice for the back of the bed or border. It reaches up to 7 feet in ideal conditions (though smaller
selections are available) and attracts butterflies. Plant Name: Eupatorium purpureum Growing Conditions: Full sun and
moist soil Size: To 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide Zones: 3-9
Red-Hot Poker Employ this low-care plant to add a touch of whimsy to your yard. It bears summertime spikes of yel-
low, orange, or red flowers above clumps of grassy foliage. It's a great cut flower, too. Plant Name: Kniphofia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide Zones: 5-9, depending on
type
Rosemary Use rosemary to fill your garden with the scent of the Mediterranean. This evergreen shrub offers leathery
leaves that deer don't touch. Harvest the leaves and add them as you cook to imbue your food with fresh, herbal flavor.
Plant Name: Rosmarinus officinalis Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and wide-
Zones: 8-10
Russian Sage A king of the late-summer garden, Russian sage bursts forth with feathery wands of violet-purple flowers
over masses of silvery foliage. Like many other plants disliked by deer, it bears scented foliage -- so it's nice to grow
JULY Gardening Calendar
Prune hydrangeas (depending on variety) and gardenias now, be-fore they start setting next
years’ blooms! Give annuals and perennials a haircut if needed.
Keep fertilizing annuals with BR- 61 (water soluble) or Ferti- Lome Premium Bedding Plant Food (slow release granules).
Water lawns early in the day be fore plants get stressed.
Monitor vegetables for insect and
disease and treat as needed.
The Good Earth Garden Center
www.goodearthgarden.com5601
Cantrell Road Little Rock, AR 72223Direc-
Editors note: Sandy made this for guests
recently and it is very good!
Martha Stewart’s Chilled Spicy Tomato Soup
Ripe, juicy tomatoes are spiked with coriander, cumin, and dried chiles for a flavor that's reminiscent of harissa, the North African chili sauce. Swirls of yogurt add creaminess.
3 pounds quartered plum tomatoes (about 15)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
¼ teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 cup diced onion
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 mild to medium crumbled dried chiles (such as New Mexican)
or 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon plain yogurt, for garnish
Cherry tomoatoes, thinly sliced (if desired)
Recipe continued on page 6
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Bananas
in the Garden By Nelson Barnett with help
We were in Memphis visiting
friends week before last and
talked gardening a lot. Our
friends are dedicated gardeners, and I’m always a
little envious because their yard and garden always
look ready for viewing. I can’t say the same for
mine! Sandy gets a little tired of the amount of gar-
dening talk we do, but my friend’s husband, who
was my college roommate, tolerates it pretty well.
He is a good garden helper and heavy lifter, but she
is the one who has the consuming interest.
We have exchanged plants before over the years,
and I have been on the receiving end of some very
attractive ones that remind me of the enduring
friendship. I mentioned in an earlier newsletter our
trip to the plant sales in Memphis and the inter-
esting results. On this last visit our friend mentioned
a rose tip that was intriguing to me. She said that
one of the members of her quilting group fed her
roses banana milkshakes. Yes, banana milkshakes!
Of course, my first vision was heading straight to
Sonic, buying a banana milkshake and pouring on
the rose bushes. As it turned out it is not really a ba-
nana milkshake, but the bananas that do the trick. I
doubt if the ice cream would be of much help!
The story was that after our friend’s parents died in
Little Rock she wanted to take one special rose bush
out of their garden to have in her garden. She chose
a beautiful red rose that her father had been very
proud of, carefully dug it up, and moved it to Mem-
phis. She chose a place in her garden that would get
plenty of sun, prepared the soil, and placed the rose
with care. It did not flourish as she had hoped, but
became very unhappy and was on the verge of
expiring, even with loving care. She mentioned this
to her quilting group, and that was when the friend
said ‘give it a banana milkshake!’ Having arrived at
the place where she was ready to try anything, she
bought bananas with the idea of cutting them up for
the rose. Her husband, being a banana lover, said he
did not want to waste the bananas, so our friend
ended up with only the peelings. She cut these into
pieces, put them around the base of the bush, dug
them in, and gave the patient a good watering. She
repeated this weekly, and soon the bush began to
perk up. Not only perk up, but flourish, as you can
see from this picture taken even after the spring
growing season was over. She began treating her
other roses with this prescription with good results.
Our friend is digging in more banana peel in the pic-
ture.
After hearing this story, and of the great success, I
came home and looked on the internet for uses of
bananas in the garden. This is one article I found:
10 Ways To Use Banana Peels In Your
Garden As Fertilizer
If you have kids, you likely have a lot of banana peels floating around. Trashing them seems like kind of a waste so why not recycle them instead – in your garden.
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1. Banana Peel Tea
Like compost tea, this fertilizer uses nutrients leeched from
banana peels to give your plants a mineral boost. To make it,
fill a mason jar with water, and add a banana peel. Let it sit for
48 hours. After 2 days, discard the peel (using one of the other
methods in this article, hopefully!), leaving the water in your
mason jar. Water your plants as usual with your banana tea.
2. Chop the peels, then add to your gar-den’s soil directly
If you made the banana peel tea above, you’ll have leftovers to
use up. Consider adding them to your garden directly. Here’s
one way to do it: Chop your banana peels into 1/4 inch pieces –
by chopping them, you kick start the composting process, and
release some of the beneficial vitamins and minerals in the
peels.
Bury them anywhere from 4 inches down to just beneath the
surface of the soil. If you choose to bury them inches below the
soil, do so before you plant your vegetables or flowers at that
location, or where you aren’t in danger of hitting your plants’
roots. As the peels decompose, all the valuable vitamins in the
peels will reach the roots, giving you plants a nutrient bump that
will make them happy.
3. Toss leftover banana peels into a com-post pile
If you want to feed your red wigglers and indirectly use banana
peels in the garden, toss your leftover peels in your compost
pile.
It’s not the most inventive way to use the peels, but it’s a valu-
able method, nonetheless. Over time the peels will decompose
and turn into rich compost. When preparing your beds for plant-
ing, or when your plants begin to flower, side dress with the
compost to aid in fruit and vegetable development – your plants
will love the extra nutrients.
4. Dry the peels, then grind them into a
fertilizer
Similar to the spray version, you can dry your banana peels and
grind them into a fertilizer. If you only have a few peels to use
up, but want to use them effectively on many plants, this is a
great option. Here’s the deal: Dry your banana peels using the
method I go into at the end of this article. Once dry, grind the
peels in a coffee or spice grinder. Add to your garden soil di-
rectly, either by sprinkling as a side dressing or gently
incorporating into the dirt, making sure to avoid your plants’
roots.
5. Add the whole peel to your garden
A very straight forward way to use banana peels in the garden is
to add the whole peel to the soil when planting. The seeds will
get a nutrient kick at the start of their lives, which will translate
into healthier plants and a better harvest. Here’s how to do it:
When you plant your seeds, dig a trench a couple inches deep.
Lay the peels flat in the trench, and add your seeds on top. Fill
the trench in when you’re done laying the peels and the seeds.
As the seeds germinate, form roots, and continue to grow, the
peels will decompose, creating a rich fertilizer.
6. Create a banana peel spray A step-up from banana peel tea, this spray is a fertilizer that
also uses eggshells for a calcium boost and Epsom salt for mag-
nesium. If your plants are established, and you just want to give
them a nutrient boost, try making a fertilizer spray. Why? Be-
cause you can hit many plants at once without needing a ton of
banana peels (and without having to chop them all up). Here’s
how to make it: To create the fertilizer spray, you’ll need bana-
na peels, egg shells, Epsom salt, and water. Dry the banana peels (see tutorial at the end of this article for how) and egg shells, then once they’re dry, grind them together. Add the
peels and shells to a spray bottle, along with the Epsom salt, and
fill the sprayer to the top. Spray on your plants as needed.
7. Create an insect trap
You can create a simple insect trap with banana peels and apple
cider vinegar. If flies are a problem, and you’re looking for a
non-toxic solution that’s pet friendly, creating this trap might
be for you. It’s also a great way to reuse a disposable plastic
container and keep it out of the landfills. Here’s how to do it:
To make an insect trap using banana peels, combine small piec-
es of the peels with the vinegar, and shake to mix and release
the scent of the banana. If you follow this blog at all, you’ll
know I’m in love with homemade vinegar, and of course that’s
what I will recommend you use in this banana peel, apple cider
vinegar project. Drill holes large enough to allow bugs to get
through into your plastic container, and pour your banana mix-
ture (peels and all) into the container. Place outside in your gar-
den to keep down the insect population (great for gnats).
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The bottom line: Will this solve all your insect problems? No.
But neither do fly traps that contain chemicals and pesticides
that you’re trying to keep away from your veggies. You’ll still
get bugs, but you will get less of them, and you’ll keep your
garden free of harmful chemicals.
8. Keep Aphids Away
One reported use for banana peels in the garden is as an aphid
deterrent. These little pests can decimate a garden before you
can say “tomato sauce,” so keeping them away is important. To
use banana peels to prevent aphids, place chopped peels just
under the soil line. I’m not sure why, but there’s something in
the peels that aphids hate. And here’s the kicker: You’ll also
be adding fertilizer to your garden, since as the peels decom-
pose, their nutrients will unlock and release into the dirt.
9. Ferment Peels For Bigger Blooms For bigger blooms and healthier plants, use fermented banana
peels in your garden. This is particularly good for healthy roses,
but any flowering plant will benefit. How do you ferment bana-
na peels? Put your peels in a mason jar, and cover with enough
water so they’re submerged. You’ll want to put some sort of
weight on the peels so they remain under the water. Cover with cloth and rubber band or a loosely fitting top (I personally use a loosely fitting top). Let the mixture sit for a week while the good bacteria does its job and unlocks the nutrients in the peel. If you see a cloudy must, that’s ok. If you start to see black mold, you’ll have to throw it away and start again. As long as the peels are below the surface of the water, you’re probably okay. Let your nose and your judgement be your guide. After a week, put the peels in a blender and puree (save the water for other plants). Side dress your blossoming plants with the puree, being sure to incorporate it into the soil gently so it doesn’t attract unwanted critters like squirrels and rac-coons. If they’re a particular concern, dilute the puree in water to help it distribute into the ground better.
10. Create banana peel vinegar (for acidic
soil-loving plants)
If you’re looking to give your blueberries a nutritional boost,
create some banana vinegar for them – it will give them the
acidic soil they crave while unlocking the nutrients in the bana-
nas for a healthier plant. To create banana vinegar, follow the
steps above to ferment the peels.
After a week, remove the peels, and allow the water to sit, cov-
ered, until the mixture ferments into a vinegar. This can take
anywhere from 4-6 weeks, depending on conditions such as
temperature. Let your nose tell you when it’s turned to vinegar
– it will have that unmistakable vinegar scent. If the mixture
seems especially potent (you’ll know by the scent), dilute it
with water right before using so you don’t accidentally burn
your plants.
Bonus: How to Dry Banana Peels You can either dry peels whole, or cut them into strips (1/8″ –
1/4″) and place them so they’re not touching on a cookie
sheet. For both methods, dry them at 140 degrees, leaving the
oven door open 1-2 inches, until they’re dried through.
Editor’s Note: This may be a whole lot more than
you ever wanted to know about bananas and plants,
but once I got started I had to include the entire
article!
http://thefrugalchicken.com/10-ways-to-use-
banana-peels-in-garden/
Posted on July 5, 2015 by Maat
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange plum tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until edg-es begin to wrinkle and juices release, about 35 minutes.
Transfer tomatoes and juices to a bowl. Heat olive oil in a medi-um saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion, ground corian-der, ground cumin, and caraway seeds, and cook, stirring occa-sionally, until onions are tender, about 4 minutes. Add chiles or red-pepper flakes to saucepan. Add tomatoes and juices, and toss to coat. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, about 10 minutes.
Filling a blender halfway and covering with a kitchen towel, puree
soup in batches. Strain through a coarse sieve into a large bowl;
discard solids. Season with salt and pepper. Chill soup for at least
3 hours or up to overnight. Garnish each serving with 1 teaspoon
plain yogurt. Top with thinly sliced cherry tomatoes if desired.
(Google search this recipe by name and you’ll have it online!)