Harvey Cotten

Fall Dates for the Garden

2011-09-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Mark Your Calendars and Join Us!

Friday, September 2: Fall Scarecrow Trail

Thursday, September 8: Girl's Night Out: Tailgating Girl Style! - SOLD OUT!

Friday, September 16: A Hoot in the Night Owl Show

Friday, September 16: Campout in the Garden

Tuesday, September 20: Annual Membership Dinner & Meeting

Saturday, October 1: Muffins & Monarchs

Monday, October 3: Fall Fabulous Flower Arranging with Ron & Mark of InBloom

Friday, October 7: Safari Adventure Stage Show with Wildlife Wonders: A Zoo to You!

Saturday, October 15: Fall Plant Sale

Saturday, October 15: Fall Farm Animals Galore Petting Zoo

Saturday, October 20: Make a Garden Wreath

Saturday, October 22: Bootanica!

Spring Storms

2011-05-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

The garden is fortunate to have weathered the recent tornadoes with minimum damage. Our volunteers were out in force early taking care of the work that needed to be done. So many people have lost their homes and belongings, the Garden is a great way for families and individuals to find a piece of "normal" in such stressful times.
This week the New Member tour will be held on Thursday and Saturday at the Boeing Education Center. RSVP to Laura Snider at lsnider@hsvbg.org or 256 830-4447 ext 229.
Saturday the nation's largest butterfly house comes to life again! Enjoy a light breakfast with us as the Butterfly House opens for Breakfast with the Butterflies. This annual event is a fun time with breakfast, butterfly releases, and fun activities for all ages. The Breakfast is $10 from 9-9:30 or 10-10:30, Join us!
We're doing something new this year! The Garden Art Stroll from 9-2 pm is having its first annual Art Stroll around Constitution Walk. Robert Taylor will be one of our featured artists. The treehouses will be up and fun for the whole family!

Spring Sale Success

2011-04-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Once again I am so very appreciative of the volunteers and customers who supported our annual Spring Plant Sale. This week our volunteers had the after-the-sale Sale as a bonus opportunity for our clients who were unable to attend or who wanted a great opportunity to add a few more plants.

May begins this weekend and we begin to see more and more school groups, weddings, and events throughout the summer. The Garden offers so many opportunities for families, couples, and individuals to relax and enjoy the beauty of being in our garden environment. One of the best parts of the garden experience for me is that we offer so many different types of involvements in our space as visitors, volunteers, and educational opportunities. Whether you are young or young at heart, for pleasure of experience or for the opportunity to engage in learning, our garden offers so many rich opportunities!

April shower have definitely set the stage for May flowers and I invite you to see what's growing on in the garden!

Harvey

Easter Time

2011-04-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Spring brings many fun family moments to the Huntsville Botanical Garden. This weekend we will enjoy one of our favorites, the annual Member's Easter Bonanza!

Presented by Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children

Please note: This is a member event.

Over 9,000 eggs will be waiting to be found on the Garden grounds. There will be games, refreshments, and the Easter Bunny for little ones to enjoy. Steve Metz from Metropolitan DJ will also be here entertaining the crowds. Don’t miss the fun!

Bunny Bonanza is a members-only event, with a price of $5 per person. Due to the popularity of the event, we are offering tickets in advance which can be purchased in the Garden gift shop. If you wish to bring non-member guests, regular Garden admission applies in addition to the $5 Bunny Bonanza ticket.
Please see the egg hunt schedule below and plan to arrive well in advance of the scheduled times with your Garden membership card in hand.

Saturday's Egg hunt schedule:

* 2 years old and younger, 10:15 a.m. in the Children’s Garden (pink flags)
* 3 to 4 year-olds, 10:45 a.m., Special Events Meadow (blue flags)
* 5 to 6 year-olds, 11:15 a.m., Special Events Meadow (purple flags)
* 7 years old and up, 11:45 a.m., Special Events Meadow (yellow flags)

The Story Behind the Galaxy of LIghts

2010-12-17T06:37:00.000-08:00

I thought you might enjoy the story behind our Galaxy of Lights. It's a most remarkable thing completely manned by volunteers!

Merry Christmas!

Harvey

Fall Colors are Here!

2010-10-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last week we hosted the first Fall plant sale. This is a magnificient time to enjoy the colors of fall and to plan for the colors of spring and summer as you plant bulbs. I hope you've gotten outside to enjoy the wonderful weather and the beginnings of our North Alabama fall show. It's just about everywhere you look outside these days.

What are you doing in your garden this time of year?

August happenings in the Garden

2010-08-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the 2nd Annual Green U: A Festival for the Environment! The event offers family friendly activities, classes, exhibitors, food vendors, LIVE music, a farmer's market and fun for the whole family!

We'll have yoga demonstrations, a rock climbing wall, Sci-Quest activities, a fashion show, a reptile show, worm composting, cleaning oil from bird feathers and more!

Classes will include: Sustainability 101, Sustainable Gardening, Greening Your Home, a Sustainable Cooking Demo by 801 Franklin, Starting a Backyard Garden & Edible Landscape and other demonstrations.

There will be FREE mini solar cars to the first 100 kids and Regions Bank will be giving away 5 brand new bicycles!

Admission is FREE with 5 recyclables (old cell phones, plastic bottles, aluminim cans, Capri Sun juice pouches, Dry cell household batteries, glass bottles) or only $5.

Green U is presented by Boeing and Regions Bank

The Spring Garden Sale!

2010-04-08T05:43:00.001-07:00

It’s an important time of year in the Garden. We’re gearing up for our annual Spring Plant Sale next week. April 15 leads us off with our Members Only day followed by a wonderful meal together from 5 to 7 p.m. ($12.50). This is one of the most popular weekends in the garden!

This coming Saturday, April 10th, we’re excited to have Pamela Crawford at the Garden with us! Pamela is featured in Southern Living this month with a wonderful article on water saving methods of keeping her own garden watered during “no water” orders in Canton, GA You’ll appreciate and enjoy the beautiful pictures Southern Living shares of her garden. Her newest book Easy Container Combo’s: Vegetables and Flowers will be the focus of her demonstrations during the 1:00 p.m. event Saturday. Pamela is a delight to work with and I know you’ll enjoy the program.

I look forward to seeing you at the Garden. It is a great place to be!

Harvey

Fun at the Garden

2010-02-22T16:15:00.001-08:00

Gardening 101 – In Alabama (part 2)
Sunday, February 28
2-4 pm
In this second class addressing those new to gardening in north Alabama, the emphasis will be on the best plant materials for our area – including trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials. Putting the ‘Right Plant in the Right Place’ will make many of your gardening tasks easier so come see which plants are great choices for growing in this region and make your garden a more “sustainable” place.
Members $20, Non-members $25.

Lawn Care Made Easy
Wednesday, March 3
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Tired of being a slave to your lawn? Come learn some simple tips to help you enjoy a nice, healthy lawn without all the back-breaking work. We all would like a beautiful green carpet but most of us do not have the time and effort it takes to make our homes look like a golf course. Come see how you can improve your existing situation without having to give up your weekends - Weed control, fertilization, grass selection and proper mowing will all be covered. Special emphasis will be on creating a “sustainable’ plan for your lawn.
Members – $20.00/ Non-Members - $25.00

20% off Your Child's Birthday Party at The Garden

During the months of February and March!
Book any birthday party during the months of February and March and receive 20% off! The Garden is a wonderful place to have a birthday party and EASY on parents! Call 256.830.4447, ext. 226 for more information!

Dog Days of Winter

2010-01-27T12:50:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,

Dog Days of Winter are happening in the Garden: January 15 – February 28 The Garden opens up its gates to dogs of all shapes and sizes. Dog admission fee is only $1 per visit or $10 for a season Paw Pass that includes admission for the entire six weeks!

Bow Wow Bone-anza takes place on Saturday, February 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in The Arbor with agility demonstrations, micro-chipping, a Canine Couture Parade, Training from How to Talk Dog and much more! And don’t miss the pet wedding of the year, as Sharky and Buddy bark “I do” in their “pup-tials” ceremony – just one of the many services performed by Auntie Jen’s Pet Services! So grab a leash and your favorite tail-wagging, wet-nosed friend and visit the Garden during Dog Days of Winter!

Looking forward to seeing YOU at the Garden!

Harvey

Sponsored by Auntie Jen's Pet Services, PETCO, Happy Tails Ranch, Pet Butler

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T08:27:00.001-08:00

Hello!

Do you need a fun family experience while they are all here? The Galaxy of Lights has begun! Don't miss this Holiday tradition - a favorite among our members! Galaxy of Lights is a magnificent mile and a half-long holiday light extravaganza featuring larger-than-life animated light displays in the garden. Special exhibits include nursery rhymes; a holiday village; dinosaurs; wild animals; a magical twinkling icicle forest; garden scenes; a patriotic display featuring red, white, and blue ‘fireworks’; animated snowmen and so much more!

This time of the year brings families and friends together. I hope that you will have a Happy Thanksgiving and come enjoy the garden!

Harvey

P.S. The Galaxy of Lights Night Drive is $15 per Carload of 10 or less!

Family Activities at the Garden!

2009-10-23T10:09:00.001-07:00

This weekend at the Garden is going to full of activities.

The New Bootanica at Night!

This Saturday, October 24 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 pm.
Kick-off is at the Boeing-Toyota Amphitheatre
Just when you thought Bootanica couldn't get any better! It has! We're still kicking off with a Costume Contest at 6 p.m. in the Boeing-Toyota Amphitheatre. Adults, children and dogs are invited to compete in their Halloween best. Prizes (1st place will be tickets from Monaco Pictures and 2nd place will be a deluxe apple from Chocolate Crocodile!) will be awarded in adult, children and pet categories (dogs get special dog prizes!).
Afterwards, enjoy face painting, the Witches Toss, children’s games and spooky activities in the Children’s Garden. And don't miss a surprise visit from The Ghost Train!! PLEASE NOTE: The Ghost Train is an additional $3 fee.
Then, catch the hayride to the back of the Garden to attempt the Sorghum Maze, enjoy s'mores, hot chocolate and roast marshmallows by the camp fire, and for those who dare, try to survive the scariest enchanted forest walk ever! We even have a second hayride this year just for dogs and thier owners!

Halloween Horse Parade and Trick-or-Treat in the Children's Garden

Saturday, October 31, 11 a.m., Children’s Garden

Don’t miss this chance to see horses and riders in costume for this one-of-a-kind parade brought to you by the Toney Saddle Club. Young and old alike will delight in the sites of this crazy equine event! Come in costume and trick or treat in the Children’s Garden, while seeing the 2009 Scarecrows for one last time!

We hope you’ll all come out and support the family activities at the Garden!

Harvey

The Scarecrows are here!

2009-09-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

As the summer days begin to fade away to fall the garden is celebrating the harvest with our annual scarecrow decorating event!

Join us to see all the creative wonders that were entered in our event!
The summer heat is giving way to the fresh fall air and I hope you are enjoying the brisk mornings and taking the time to step outside and enjoy your yards and the area's beauty!

Congratulations to our winners of the scarecrow contest!

2009 Scarecrow Contest Winners:

Green Winner: Jack and the Jolly Green Jr. Executive, Stone house Farm-Mooresville, AL

Most Original: Crowtational, Media Fusion

Scariest: Toil and Trouble, Dot’s Greenhouse

Funniest: The Flying Nun, St. John’s Junior High Youth Group

Most Kid Friendly: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Montessori School of Huntsville

People's Choice: TBA

See the winners of the 2009 contest.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the contest and a special thank you to our participants, you just did great!

Harvey

2009-08-28T14:16:00.001-07:00

2009-08-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

As summer winds down we are still inumdated with spactacular floral displays of Hydrangeas. The last hydrangea to bloom each year is the one we call the Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) with its conical shaped flowers of pure white that stand upright on the ends of each stem. This hydrangea hails from China and Japan came to our country in the late 1800's. I love to use this hydrangea in the landscape especially where I have more sun than shade since this one will stand up to the harsh light of summer. For years our only choice was the cultivar called 'PeeGee' with its large double-petaled blooms that almost made the stems weep with their weight. Fortunately with the widespread popularity of hydrangeas, plant breeders began to release superior selections of the paniculata types just as the did with H. macrophylla and H. quercifolia. I rellay like 'Unique', 'Tardiva', 'Limelight' and 'Pink Diamond'. For smaller spaces, the cultivars 'Chantilly Lace' and 'Little Lamb' grow only about four feet tall. As the season changes from summer to fall, many of these flowers will fade from white to cream or rose-pink that is very attractive as well. Extend your hydrangea season by planting a few of the H. paniculata selections in your garden.

2009-08-28T14:15:00.002-07:00

2009-08-28T14:15:00.001-07:00

2009-08-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

2009-08-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

Update

2009-07-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

J. Harvey Cotten, Jr

Chief Operating Officer

256.430.3572 ext 240

www.hsvbg.org

Update

2009-07-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hello All - I just returned from a fantastic trip to Washington, DC. While we have get very frustrated with what goes on in Washington (maybe they could adopt the slogan - 'What goes on in Washington - stays in Washington') I am not sure we realize what a beautiful city our nation's capital truly is. To spend a day walking The Mall and taking in the incredible monuments that have been erected to honor those so important to our nation's history. What many may not realize is that the design of The Mall was laid out in a similar fashion to the grand palace of Louis XIV at Versailles. The long central axis beginning with the Capital building and running through the Washington Monument continuing past the World War II Memorial, over the Reflecting Pool and terminating at the Lincoln Memorial follows classical landscape design principles.

The museums that are part of the Smithsonian are truly one of our national treasures - this time I had the pleasure of seeing the American History Museum since it was closed for renovation the last time I was a visitor. While one can stay absorbed for hour upon hour indoors, do not miss the opportunity to explore the gardens outside of the museums, especially around The Castle. The landscape plantings outside of the new National Museum of the American Indian is a wonderful collection of native plants doing remarkably well in an urban setting. The Phlox and Black-eyed Susan’s there jump out at you and grab your attention. Lastly you would not want to miss a visit to the US Botanic Garden just on the left-hand side of the Capital - what an impressive conservatory and outdoor garden right in the heart of the city.

I encourage you all to visit Washington if you haven't in a while and soak up the rich history (and plants) that make our country great - Harvey

July 21st The Garden Give-Back Day!

2009-07-19T13:12:00.001-07:00

Hello All!
Our Huntsville Botanical Garden is holding a Community Give-back Day at the Garden this Tuesday, July 21, 2009. We ask that visitors simply bring any school supply – paper, pencils, pens, rulers or notebooks – to gain free admission to the Garden for the day. Our schools are important and we'd like to show our teachers and students how much we care about education!

All give-back gifts will be donated to the county and city schools through the Schools Foundation.

Enjoy the butterfly house, the nature trail, and all the great sights and sounds of the Garden – and help our kids and schools at the same time. I know you'll have a great time, something is always growing at the Garden!

Harvey

Ferns: The Dog Days of Summer have Arrived.

2009-07-06T08:28:00.001-07:00

Hello All -
Well the 'Dog Days of Summer' have arrived and hopefully have not kept all of you inside hugging your air conditioners - you can find some cool spots out in the Garden, especially in the Fern Glade. Located at the north end of the Nature Trail, the Fern Glade is home to over 150 different species and cultivars of hardy ferns that carpet the forest floor in wonderful shades of green. These ferns are not like our tropical ferns that we must protect each winter form the cold weather - all of these ferns can stay outside all year long. Most of them will go dormant like other herbaceous perennials but a few of the selections like Holly fern, Christmas fern and Autumn fern will stay evergreen through the winter.
The Fern Glade is a wonderful spot to cool off as you walk the Garden - it is perfectly sited under a mature grove of native trees that are typical of a bottomland forest of the southeastern United States. Come rest under the spreading canopies of Sycamore, Red maple, Sweet gum, Willow oak and Black gum and enjoy the cooling effects of these wonderful ferns as you try and survive the 'Dog Days of Summer'.

Father's Day Weekend Opportunities

2009-06-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all -
I hope the arrival of summertime (that is hot, humid weather) has not got you shunning the great outdoors. This weekend you have two fabulous opportunities to get outside and see beautiful private gardens and a spectacular collection of daylilies. The Garden's annual private garden tour has a fabulous lineup of stunning gardens in the historic district of downtown and in the unique mountaintop development of the Ledges. See roses, hydrangeas, flowering perennials and amazing drifts of annuals all framed by hollies, boxwood and magnolias.
Top off your tour of gardens with a trip to the Botanical Garden to see the incredible collection of daylilies in full bloom. Over 800 cultivars in a myriad of size, shape and color will dazzle you as they flourish in the hot sun with very little care - daylilies are a great low maintenance plant for all of us in the Tennessee Valley. Here's to a fabulous weekend of seeing beautiful gardens where you can find wonderful ideas for adding to your own landscape.
Harvey

The Garden welcomes Dr. Catherine Sabota

2009-05-11T07:14:00.001-07:00

This weekend we had our Herb Herb Society offering tours and gifts right in time for Mother's day. We always appreciate this groups efforts to educate the public on herbs.
This week I'll look forward to joining Dr. Catherine Sabota, Professor of Horticulture and Horticulture Specialist at Alabama A&M University for the latest in our green workshops. This workshop will be Thursday, May 14th from 1-3 p.m. We will demonstrate how you can save water, cut costs, save your landscape and water your garden during the driest times of the year, while using native drought tolerant plants. We will provide step-by-step instructions on how to collect water, construct a rainwater catchment system, and use it in and around your home or garden.
David Rogers "Big Bugs" exhibit is in place in the garden. Children and adults alike are enjoying these whimsical creatures! Come spend some time with us and see what is growing in the garden!

Harvey

(Seating is limited and pre-registration is required for all workshops. Reserve your place today by calling 430-3572 ext. 249. The workshop is $25 for members, $30 for non member))

May begins with a softly raining day at the Garden

2009-05-01T08:55:00.001-07:00

We finished the last of the plant sale this week in the greenhouse. Many thanks to all of you who came out and purchased, worked, or volunteered at our annual plant sale. It's a great event each year for young and old and we appreciated your involvement!

Today it’s a rainy day, but oh how beautiful the Garden looks freshly washed by the rain! The Azaleas are in bloom and the colors coming out are beautiful!

The Annual Plant Sale

2009-04-16T19:13:00.001-07:00

Today was one of our Huntsville Botanical Garden's busiest days, the Annual Plant Sale day for Members Only. We had perfect weather, a great group of customers and our faithful volunteers who made sure everything ran smoothly throughout the day. We enjoy sharing the Plant Sale Days with our friends, it truly is an amazing collection of Master Gardeners, specialist and a wealth of information for the public. We will test soils for you, answer any questions about the specific type of plants and plantings you plan to do, and generally share our love of gardening with you! It is a great family activity, young and old will find delightful things together as you enjoy the plants, pots, furniture, and crafts for sale at the Garden!

Please join us this weekend as the annual Plant Sale Days continues for the general public....it is proof once again that there's always something going on at the Garden!

See you there!

Harvey

Sharing good things together!

2009-04-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today I had the pleasure of working again with Pamela Crawford. We shared our new book Easy Gardens for the South with guests at the Garden today. We had a great group of folks with us and we both enjoyed talking with those of you who came to hear about our new book. The book is not a garden encyclopedia but truly functions as a gardeners first primer for learning about plants of the South. Pamela always makes our time together entertaining and I simply appreciate her talents. Today she showed our audience how to use her side garden container stands to create a beautiful display in about 3 minutes! Her roommate from college, who is our volunteer at the Garden Candace, was her assistant and we're glad Candace introduced Pamela to our Garden! This was Pamela's third time to present for our friends locally!

This weekend's weather should be just about perfect for our annual Easter Egg Hunt and breakfast at the Garden. Each day there is something new blooming, won't you join me in enjoying our Garden this week?

Harvey

Welcome

2009-03-16T04:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my home on the web! I'm so pleased you've dropped in! It's spring in the South and that means you can most likely find me outside in the garden. This time of year there's much to be done to spruce up our gardens, enjoy what is coming up and prepare our soils for spring planting! I'm excited to announce that my new book is published, along with co-authors Pamela Crawford and Barbara Pleasant. The book was great fun to put together, we think you'll find it an easy to use reference for all your gardening questions!

It's available in retail stores, gardens, and online. (See the Where to Buy link above!)

I hope you'll come back to harveycotten.com often and check around the site. You'll find questions answered, Huntsville Botanical Garden happenings, and many more garden hints shared here!

Thank you for coming by!

Harvey

The Huntsville Times

2009-03-16T03:15:00.000-07:00

Harvey Cotten writes for The Huntsville Times

Home & Garden News

To Subscribe to The Huntsville Times here

Questions & Answers from the Garden by Harvey Cotten

The following articles were printed in The Huntsville Times.
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al.com: Search: harvey cotten
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Replace pine straw under rose beds

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Show all items

Home & Garden News from The Huntsville Times Column

2009-03-16T02:56:00.000-07:00

Each week Harvey writes for The Huntsville Times in the Home & Garden section a column answering questions from readers regarding their gardens.

Using Soil Tests Will Help Gardens Grow
Time for Pre Emergent Herbicides

To see/subscribe to Harvey Cotten's fed from The Huntsville News go here

For more garden questions and answers from Harvey subscribe to the Home & Garden News at The Huntsville Times

Time for Pre-Emergent Herbicide March 7, 2009

2009-03-16T02:50:00.000-07:00

Time for pre-emergent herbicide
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Huntsville Times
Q: When is the correct time to put out pre-emergent herbicide for controlling summer weeds? Will this help with the purple flowering weeds all over my yard? Thank you. - Terry S.

A: Spring is almost here. It was very close to beginning last week and then a bit of winter weather slammed on the brakes for most plants. While I did not enjoy the low 20 degree F temperatures, it did serve a great purpose in slowing things down and not letting our plants get ahead of schedule; this is true of weeds as well.

Most of the summer weeds, especially crabgrass, germinate in early spring as soil temperatures begin to warm. One of our best methods of controlling these weeds is to keep them from sprouting and that is why we use pre-emergent herbicides. These products inhibit the germination of the crabgrass seeds that have lain dormant since last fall. The key to great control is timing - we have to get the product out before the crabgrass has begun to sprout to be the most effective

In our area (zone 7a) you will read in gardening books or publications that pre-emergent herbicide should be applied between March 1-15. Another guide you often see here is to put out pre-emergent when the forsythia is in bloom (generally this will be between March 1-15).

However, at the end of last week I saw several forsythia in bloom in southeast Huntsville. The ones at the Huntsville Botanical Garden had not opened yet, so they did not get zapped by the low temperatures of the weekend.

The only true guide is soil temperature - crabgrass seeds germinate when the soil temperature (one-half inch below ground) is between 50-55 degrees F. On Feb. 27, the soil temperature was 48 degrees F, creeping up to that magic number. The wind and snow came over the weekend, bringing cold air that definitely lowered the soil temp at the surface.

On March 3, it had dropped to 41 degrees F just below the surface. To contrast, the soil temperature at 6 inches deep has stayed between 40-42 degrees throughout the last two weeks - it will take longer for the soil to warm up at this depth.

With the temperatures predicted to be in the 70s F this weekend, I would say your window is now open for applying pre-emergents to control summer weeds.

You have numerous products at your disposal to try - names like Crabgrass Preventer, Halts, Crab-Ex and Dimension are sold at local garden centers. The main active ingredients include pendimethalin, trifluralin and benefin - all have shown good results if applied properly.

Personally, I like Dimension for several reasons. It can be applied to turf areas as well as landscape beds, and it will even work on young crabgrass sprouts. This takes a bit of the guesswork out knowing that if you were a week or so late in your application you will still get good results.

This year I am excited about trying a new product on my lawn. The product is corn gluten meal, a byproduct of the wet-milling process of corn. Researchers at Iowa State University discovered this byproduct exhibited pre-emergent herbicidal qualities back in the 1990s - extensive studies have been conducted, patents issued, and, abracadabra, we have our first organic pre-emergent herbicide that will work on many annual grasses like crabgrass plus dandelions and pigweed.

Research has shown that it may take several years to totally eliminate the weed infestations, but I am thrilled to see an organic product available for use that has potential.

Another important aspect of this formulation is that it is also an organic fertilizer, containing 10 percent nitrogen. This nitrogen is in an organic state so it must be changed to a form of nitrogen that plants can utilize (either NO3, which is nitrate, or NH4, which is ammonia). That is why organic fertilizers are considered slow release; they must be transformed by biological activities so that the plants can utilize the nutrients

Whichever product you choose, follow the application rates listed on the bag. Consider using a drop-type spreader to control the pattern of distribution. If you are using the rotary type, please make sure that you clean up any spills on driveways and sidewalks so that it does not become part of the storm water run-off. This is true of fertilizer as well - both of these products are harmful if they get in our storm water.

Your window for applying is now open, so take advantage of the nice temperatures and get it out for summer weed control.

This will not help the henbit problem you have now - apply a pre-emergent around Labor Day for control of these winter weeds.

Things to do

Rejuvenation pruning (severe cutting back) of holly and crape myrtle needs to be done before new growth begins.

Cut back ornamental grasses to 12 inches tall; new grass blades will come out from the older shoots. You can also divide the grasses at this time.

E-mail Harvey Cotten at harvey.cotten@htimes.com, or write to Harvey Cotten c/o The Huntsville Times, P.O. Box 1487 West Station, Huntsville 35807.

Using Soil Tests Will Help Garden Grow

2009-03-16T02:45:00.000-07:00

Using soil tests will help garden grow
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Huntsville Times
Q: I am hoping that you can help me with my gardening problems. I have a small 15 x 20 vegetable garden, which I started two years ago with limited success. I would like to have my soil tested. Is there a place I can have my soil tested? In addition, the soil is very high in clay content. Should I add some compost and wood chips into the soil and continue adding horse manure (depending on the results of the soil test)? Thank you. - David M.

A: For me, all discussions about success in a vegetable garden begin and end with your soil. Having a rich, fertile, well-drained soil is critical and our predominant red clay soils leave much to be desired when it comes to growing a productive garden.

I would strongly encourage you to get a soil test - while it will not be necessary to do this every year, you need to have a starting point from which to work. There are several tests that need to be done, and one could say they are similar to getting your cholesterol levels or your blood pressure checked. You need to know where you are before you start making changes

Now, having this test done accomplishes several things. The first is giving you a pH value, also known as the potential of the hydrogen ion. There's lots of chemistry involved, and for gardeners it is important in that plants have certain ranges they like to grow in and many essential nutrients are only available at certain numbers.

Most soils around here are between 5.0 and 7.0. Soils with values below 7.0 are considered acidic, while those above 7.0 are basic or alkaline.

Most garden vegetables like a pH of 6.2 to 6.8. If your pH is below that, you may need to add lime and your test will recommend how much to apply. If your soil happens to be above 7.0 then you will need to apply sulphur to lower the pH.

With time our soils tend to become more acidic since the calcium ions are either used up by plants or leached out of the soil by rainfall. As calcium leaves, it is replaced by hydrogen thus lowering the pH.

The second test that is very important entails the amount of phosphorus in the soil. Phosphorus is a primary nutrient that plants need to grow. However, unlike nitrogen, phosphorus tends to stay put so over time our soils have built up high levels of this nutrient and it is not necessary to apply. While excess phosphorus will not harm plants, it may limit the uptake of iron and zinc, both nutrients needed for plant growth.

They will also tell you what type of soil you have (I am going to tell you it is red clay) and the percent of organic matter. This will be less than 5 percent, and I know that you will need to add more to really make your garden grow.

Things to do:

Add snapdragons, calendulas, kale or nasturtiums for early spring color in the garden.

Apply pre-emergent herbicide for crabgrass control this summer. Crabgrass germinates at 50 degree F soil temperature. Pre-emergent products with fertilizer should not be used on Bermuda or Zoysia grass at this time.

E-mail Harvey Cotten at harvey.cotten@htimes.com, or write to Harvey Cotten c/o The Huntsville Times, P.O. Box 1487 West Station, Huntsville 35807.

About Harvey Cotten

2009-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Harvey Cotten has lived and gardened in the South for his entire life. After completing his horticulture degree from Mississippi State University, he worked in both the landscaping and nursery business prior to his current position at Huntsville Botanical Garden in Alabama. He has been Chief Operating Officer for the HSVBG for the past sixteen years.
Harvey has tested all of the plants in this book at the Garden, where he has extensive experience with all the latest cultivars. He serves as Director Emeritus of the Alabama Nurserymen s Association, and is on the board of the Horticulture Research Institute and the Alabama Invasive Plant Council. Harvey writes a weekly column for the Huntsville Times, and is a weekly guest on the Noonday News television show on the local ABC affiliate.

Color Garden Publishing

2009-03-15T04:04:00.000-07:00

Who We Are:

Color Garden Publishing publishes books and designs garden products to both simplify and beautify the gardening process.Contact info:
Color Garden Publishing
1353 Riverstone Parkway, Suite 120-372
Canton, Georgia, 30114
Email: info@easygardencolor.com
Phone: 561-371-2719Fax: 770-720-9719

Pamela Crawford

2009-03-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

Pamela Crawford, Author of eight gardening books, has lived and gardened in the southeast for most of her life (in Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia, her current location). In addition to designing gardens for over 1500 residences, her work has been featured on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens publications as well as in Southern Living, HGTV Magazine, Fine Gardening, Country Gardens, Country Almanac, Small Gardens, and in over fifty newspapers. As an expert in her field, she has appeared on the Fine Living Network, Fox News affiliates and numerous local tv shows. Pamela has an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and a masters degree in landscape architecture from Florida International University, where she received the prestigious “Torch Award’ as an outstanding alumnus from the school of architecture. Pamela has been heavily involved in trial gardens, both on a university and private level. Her goal is to find plants that give the most color for the least amount of care. Learn more about Pamela from her Web site, www.easygardencolor.com. Contact her at info@easygardencolor.com.

Garden Organizations

2009-03-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

African Violet SocietyContact: Anita Bynum200 Park Stone Dr., Madison, AL 35758 (256)772-0009OR Dot Massey, Vice President819 Loukell Av. SE, Huntsville, AL 35802, (256)881-5622

Living Art Bonsai SocietyPresident: Phil Terry, President(256)350-4973email: pnterry2@mmm.comContact: Joyce White, Representative, (256)881-5177email: jmaam6226@yahoo.com

Botanical Garden Iris SocietyContact: Margaret Saxton, President1011 Cole Drive, Huntsville, AL 35802 (256)881-3308

Camellia SocietyContact: Julia Sutton701 Adams St., Huntsville, AL 35801 (256)539-8861email: juliaonadams@aol.com

Daylily Garden Volunteer GroupContact: Rosa Belle VanValkenburgh210 Longwood Drive, Huntsville, AL 35801 (256)534-8583OR Virginia Hurst (256)883-8928

Federated Garden Clubs of Huntsville and Madison CountyPresident: Betty Coleman104 Ambergate, Madison, Al 35756 (256)233-1163email: mailto:%20jandbcoleman@knology.net

Fern SocietyPresident: Sara LittleP. O. Box 10033 Huntsville, AL 35801 (256)533-9548email: sadie59@comcast.net

Garden GuildPresident: Alice Tanner(256)536-4847email: alicetanner@comcast.net
Gourd Patch SocietyContact: Jean Mann170 Jenkins Rd. New Hope, AL 35760 (256)725-4411email: mannen@nehp.net

Heart of Dixie Orchid SocietyPresident: Edna Bryan(256)722-8174Email: embryan116@aol.com

Hosta Society of Northern AlabamaContact: Dan Watt, dbwatt@charter.net

Huntsville Herb SocietyPresident: Dawn Miranda-Fraseremail: sandybabbst@yahoo.com

Huntsville Chapter of the Alabama Wildflower SocietyPresident: Brian Finzel2353 Ells Road, Huntsville, AL 35803 (256) 489-4184email: finzelflowers@knology.netContact: Carol Miller(256)539-2384email: carolbmiller@mac.com

Horticultural Therapy Team(deals with accessibility issues, education and community outreach in the area of using horticulture therapeutically)Contact: Janet Szofran, Coordinator7605 Teal Drive, Huntsville, AL 35802 (256)883-6563

Huntsville-Twickenham Rose SocietyPresident: William (Bill ) Chappell14320 South Shawdee Road, Huntsville, AL 35803 (256) 880-3773email: greenmtnroses@comcast.net

Madison County Beekeepers AssociationContact: Bob Fanning1332 Four Mile Post Road, Huntsville, AL 35802 (256)883-9601email: k4vb@knology.net

Master Gardeners of North AlabamaPresident: Mrs. Jayne Walters(256)885-3536email: djayne1@knology.net

Mushroom SocietyContact: David Hayes11214 Memorial Pkwy., Huntsville, AL 35803, (256)883-5620

North Alabama Daylily SocietyContact: David Flanigan, President14937 Capstone Lane, Athens AL 35613, (256)233-4354email: daflan@charter.net

Tennessee Valley Audubon SocietyContact: Ruby Norman411 Rock St., Hartselle, AL 35640 (256)773-4369

Barbara Pleasant

2009-03-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Barbara Pleasant: Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Barbara Pleasant is "one of America's most trusted garden writers" (Cheryl Long, editor-in-chief of Mother Earth News magazine). She has both a B.S. and a Masters degree from University of Alabama, and has lived in Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina, and Virginia. Her awards include Honorary Alabama Master Gardener; First runner-up to the Herald Award, given by the American Nursery and Landscape Association; Two-time winner of the Quill and Trowel Award, given by the Garden Writers Association; 2002 winner of the Garden Globe Award in book writing, given by the Garden Writers Association; and 2005 Distinguished Alumni of the Year, New College, University of Alabama. Barbara has written numerous books on a wide range of subjects from vegetables to weeds. She is a contributing editor for Mother Earth News and The Herb Companion magazines, and she also covers the southeast region for Gardening How-To magazine. She lives in Floyd, Virginia, where she grows vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. Learn more about Barbara at her Web site at http://www.barbarapleasant.com/.

Contact Information

2009-03-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

Harvey Cotten

Huntsville Botanical Gardens

4747 Bob Wallace Ave SW

Huntsville, AL 35805

(256) 830-4447

hcotten@hsvbg.org

To Contact Harvey's Publisher:

Easy Garden Color Publishing

1353 Riverstone Parkway, Suite 120-372

Canton, Georgia 30114

info@easygardencolor.com

My Co-Author Friends

2009-03-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click on each of my gardner friend's picture to learn more about them

Pamela Crawford

Barbara Pleasant

Where to buy Harvey Cotten Products

2009-03-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Easy Gardens for the South, written by Harvey Cotten, co-written by Pamela Crawford and Barbara Pleasant

Where to buy Retail:

Barnes & Noble stores
Home Depot stores
Many garden centers also stock the books
Amazon.com sells all books online.
Kinsmangarden.com

Where to buy books Wholesale:

Directly from the publisher (Color Garden Publishing) or from these distributors:

Ingram Books (as of 5/01/09),

Baker & Taylor, Southern Books

American Wholesale Books

Partners Books, Kinsman Company (http://www.kinsmanwholesale.com/).