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PAS Gardens: Maintenance Show

Broadcasting the Week of 02-01-10
This episode of P. Allen Smith Gardens is all about garden and landscape maintenance.  We'll discuss deadheading and what it takes to keep an orchard in shape. Plus the horticulturist at The Churchill Downs describes what they do to keep the gardens in tip top shape and horticulturist Tim Wood introduces some low maintenance hydrangea varieties.

Feature Highlights:
Protecting Containers for Winter
If you've priced terra-cotta lately, you know it can be expensive, particularly the large containers. But if you do a few things to protect them, they can last for years. You can really get a lot out of your investment.

First, if you leave your terra cotta containers out, take them out of the saucer so water does not collect around the base of the pot.  Terra cotta is porous.  As water in the pores freezes and thaws it damages the terra cotta. 

Now, the other thing you can do is, you can paint the inside and the top edge of the container with a water sealer. That prevents water from seeping into the pores. This really can help the container last quite a long time.

Another thing to think about is use liners rather than planting directly in containers.  Plastic liners will slip right into the container.  You can cover exposed edges of the liner with a little sheet moss and mulch. 

Proven Winners® Lo & Behold® Blue Chip Buddleia
If you love butterfly bush as much as I do, you are going to love the miniature variety called Lo & Behold® Blue Chip Buddleia. It's compact enough to use in a container because it only grows up to 2 feet tall and wide. Blue Chip concentrates all of its energy into flowering and there's no messy debris to pick up at the end of the season. Like all butterfly bushes, it thrives on a lot of sunshine, so make sure you put it in a sunny location. You will find that deer will stay clear of it, but the lightly fragrant blossoms attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Allen's Mailbox:  Deadheading
Tina in Missouri asks about deadheading. 

Chef Matthew McClure from Ashley's at the Capital Hotel shares his recipe for ratatouille seasoned with a watercress vinaigrette.  Click here for the recipe.

People and Places:
John Backert is the Director of Horticulture at Churchill Downs.  He took some time out of his day to tell us how the maintenance routine has changed since this historic race track was established in 1875.

Tim Wood with Proven Winners® Spring Meadow showcases some new hydrangea varieties that are especially easy to grow.

• Quick Fire® Hydrangea paniculata – First to bloom of all the species; 6 to 8 weeks before other H. paniculata.  It's cold hardy in Minnesota and heat tolerant in Texas.  It doesn't require a lot of water and can be pruned to the ground in late winter.
• Pinky Winky™ Hydrangea paniculata – Huge two toned pink and white blooms on sturdy stems that don't flop over.
• Limelight Hydrangea paniculata – Long lasting flowers open chartreuse and fade to creamy white. 
• Little Lamb Hydrangea – This petit shrub is half the size of other Hydrangea paniculatas so it doesn't require any pruning.  

Bobby Burke with John Deere walks through the apple orchard at the Garden Home Retreat to discuss how the right equipment makes maintaining this part of garden easier.