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In This Issue:
- Introducing Bob Wambach, Landscape Manager
- Featured Plant: Baptisia
- Weed Eater: Saskatoon Serviceberry
- Gardening Green With Liza Lightfoot
- Garden quips, quotes and comments
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Introducing Bob Wambach, Landscape Manager
Certified Pond Contractor with the International Professional Pond Contractors Association
We are delighted to introduce you to our new Landscape Manager, Bob Wambach. Bob joined our team last fall, bringing 20 plus years of landscape experience to Avant. With a B.S. from U.W. Madison, an Ornamental Horticulture degree, a rare certification as a Certified Pond Contractor, and extensive knowledge gained as the owner of Madison Pond Supply, Bob is a tremendous asset.
Ponds, waterfalls and water features are highlighted as Bob’s specialties; however, he has a vast understanding of all aspects of landscaping including retaining walls, drainage correction, paths, patios and wooden garden structures as well.
Bob’s enthusiasm for nature began as a youngster frolicking with his sister through six acres of Birch forest they called Lightening Bug Run. They had a pond and creek to play in which planted the seeds for his passion for pond life. Today, Bob is a Koi enthusiast and currently maintains a 50,000 gallon pond with over 100 Koi.
Bob and his wife Meg have a son, Dylan and a dog, Summit. They are adventurous campers, choosing a different park each trip. Kayaking and most other sports are interests of the family. Bob loves spicy Indian curries.
As the coordinator of North American Water Garden Society (NAWGS) Madison, he sponsored and operated The Madison Pond Tour
Bob is a founding member of Constructed Wetlands international
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Featured Plant: Baptisia
If you’ve tried every new color of Echinacea and are ready for the next hot plant, Baptisia may be just the thing for you. Also called False Indigo this native perennial is experiencing a revival of interest thanks in part to the efforts of the Chicagoland Grows® program. This collaboration between Chicago Botanic Garden, Morton Arboretum, and the Ornamental Grower’s Association of Northern Illinois is a great source of new plants bred to be well adapted to our northern climate.
The Avant Gardeners are trying two new colors this year, Solar Flare Prairieblues™ False Indigo (Baptisia ‘Solar Flare’ PPAF). The unique yellow flowers emerge at the top of the 12 to 18” flower spike and fade to orange as they mature. Once established, it can produce up to 100 floral stems per plant. It has a vase shape, standing 3-4’ and 4½‘ wide and brings tremendous color to the garden during the late spring and early summer.
Another new Baptisia, also developed in Chicago, is Starlite Prairieblues™ False Indigo (Baptisia x bicolor ‘Starlite’ PPAF). This one has more traditional coloring, with periwinkle blue pea-shaped flowers, but the cream colored flower base makes the whole plant sparkle. Slightly smaller, at 3’ this beauty boasts 24” floral spikes earlier than most other Baptisia.
Even before the latest color breeding frenzy, Baptisia was a plant of great merit. It is easy growing in full or part sun and most well drained soils. While slow to get started, it turns into a sizeable plant after a few years and is a wonderful background plant in the border. One warning: it does not like to be transplanted, so select a location carefully. The dried seed pods turn brown to gray or black and are great for flower arrangements. It is not usually plagued by serious disease or insect problems. Another bonus, deer don’t seem to favor it.
The attractive blue green foliage looks good all season and provides a nice backdrop to smaller perennials. Try some this year, fronted by yarrow, asters, geraniums, phlox, or other small bushy perennials to camouflage it’s bare ankles.
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Weed Eater: Saskatoon Serviceberry
Caution: Clearly identify any wild plant before consuming!
There are many books readily available to assist you in identifying wild plant foods. Always harvest away from roads and areas where pesticides and herbicides have been used. Carefully wash all plant material you plan to eat.
Saskatoon Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea or alnifolia
Saskatoon Serviceberry is now grown mostly as an ornamental. The habit is a low spreading small tree or shrub with clusters of fragrant blooms (resembling apple blossoms) in the very early spring followed by red or black seedy berries. In the summer, the leaves are green, and in the fall, foliage is red to golden, depending on the variety.
Saskatoon berries were historically a main ingredient in the American Indian diet. They prepared a staple food called pemmican which included pounded, dried Saskatoon berries, dried buffalo meat from which they would make patties and loaves. It was noted by the Lewis and Clark expedition that some of these loaves would weigh upwards of 15 pounds.
Today, Saskatoon berries are used to make pie, jam, jelly, and wine. The berries are small, but very sweet and can be dried like raisins. But, be quick! As soon as the berries are perfect to pick, the birds and other wildlife are ready to eat Saskatoon, too!
What’s in a name?
Saskatoon
Is derived from the American Indian Cree name: misaakwatoomin.
The city of Saskatoon in Saskatchewan was named such due to the habit of berry sellers calling out the berry name
Serviceberry
Common name used on the colonial frontier. This plant blooms in the early spring, just around the time the circuit-riding preachers began for the year, and also, the ground would finally be thawed to permit burial for the deceased from winter
Sarvis
A very old name for the serviceberry
Shadblow or Shadbush
A name used because the blooms would apprear at the time of the shad (fish) running
Juneberry
Named because the berries come on in June
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Gardening Green With Liza Lightfoot
President and Landscape Architect
Avant Gardening and Landscaping
It seems like everywhere you turn, “Green” is the message. You may be a bit weary of hearing “green,” but we ALL need to act now.
‘In October 2007, an Australian scientist named Tim Flannery announced that “greenhouse gases driving climate change had reached levels not expected for another 10 years.” These gases could remain active in the atmosphere for two centuries or longer, so even the most urgent international efforts to reduce emissions cannot prevent the need for all of us to adapt and plan for changes that are now considered inevitable.’
—December 2007 issue of the Royal Horticultural Society magazine, “The Garden”.
How can we adapt our gardening practices to reduce our emissions?
Reduce the use of gas powered garden equipment to minimize use of fossil fuels
- Use hand tools such as the Diamond and colloidal hoes with long ergonomic handles (easier on your back, too)
- Abandon the power hedge trimmer, and sharpen your hand trimmers (also excellent exercise for the upper arms!)
- Decrease the amount of lawn and create a prairie or mass planting of native, easy care perennials and grasses. This creates a safe haven for beneficial insects, birds, butterflies and bees.
Did you know that one hour of pollution from a mower
is equivalent to about 340 miles driven by car?
Eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
- Smother garden weeds with rubber roofing
It’s heavy enough to stay inplace during high winds
No staking required
- Cultivate to only 3” depth or use no till method
- Mulch, mulch, mulch
- Plant cover crops on bare ground
- Aerate and overseed lawns, use all organic fertilizer
Conserve water
- Trap rainwater in barrels and use to water gardens
- Water plants below the leaves; use soaker hoses and drip irrigation
- Check that hose connections are not leaking
- Select plants that resist drought
- Accept that your lawn will go dormant during droughts. It will come back with the rain.
In closing, I urge you to also consider indirect use of fuel. What amount of fuel does it take to produce and transport the products you use. Ask where your products come from and choose businesses that support local products. Buy garden plants from local nurseries who grow their own stock and use organic methods. Carefully choose restaurants featuring area farm products.
Better yet, grow your own food! It’s healthy, nutritious delicious and fun! With careful planning, you can feed yourself year round with the fruits of your labor. If gardening isn’t your game, support a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or a food co-op that offers locally grown, organic produce. Don’t forget the farmer’s market!
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Garden quips, quotes and comments
"A gardener raises a few things, a farmer raises many things, and the middleman raises everything."
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