All trimmed and ready for winter

Trimmed this rose of Sharon back so trunk gets thicker...

Cut back all perennials for winter!

Grass is bad!  Grubs this yr  treated with nematodes in Sept! Should do the trick!

Mans best friends  Mower, blower and a chair to enjoy work performed!

Trimmed Clematis back this fall  was a wee bit too big...will renew  for next spring!

Hosta - A gardener’s best friend

                                                              

http://gardensinspired.blogspot.ca/ 

One of the best-selling perennials in America is treasured not for its flowers but for its foliage.  Hosta has won the hearts of gardeners across the Country

A Variety of Hosta

A remarkable tolerance for shade and cold, resistance to insects and incomparable beauty and variety make these perennials simply irresistible.  Rippled, smooth, ruffled or ribbed, leaves range in size from petite (three-quarters-inch long) to giant (22 inches long).  Foliage colors include bright yellows, cool blues, and just about every shade of green imaginable.  Foliage edged in white, streaked with gold, or striped in contrasting tones of emerald and cream provide ample opportunity for designing one-of-a-kind beds and borders.  According to the American Hosta Society, there are more than 30 hosta hybridizers at work in the United States alone.  Cultivars with showier, fragrant blossoms have been cropping up in nurseries, expanding the palette still further.  Old as well as new cultivars bloom with white or lavender flowers in late summer, just when a splash of color is needed most.

Site selection:  While hostas tolerate a range of soils in USDA Zones 3 to 10, slightly acidic soil, amended with organic matter, produces the most vigorous growth.  At least two and a half hours of morning sun are needed for the richest coloration; yellows need more sun, blues less.

Planting:  Plant rhizomes anytime, with large-leaved specimens no closer than two feet apart.  If possible, mulch the first winter with pine needles or boughs to prevent heaving.

Care:  Young hostas need two seasons or more to mature, and require regular watering during dry spells.  Before spring growth appears, put down a ring of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer around the crown of the plant (never allow fertilizers to touch plant ‘eyes’).  While some gardeners divide their hostas every five years or so, it is not essential.

Great guy! Ask the Exterminator!

 http://www.asktheexterminator.com/index.shtml

Ask the Exterminator is produced and written by Rick Steinau, President of Ace Exterminating Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.  www.aceext.com

Rick has been involved in the pest control industry since 1963 in one capacity or another. Beginning as a replacement technician for vacationing full-time technicians, Rick was exposed to many different situations including residential, commercial and institutional accounts. He also worked on many termite crews using products ranging from chlordane to chloropicrin.

His pest control experiences include general pest control, termite control, fumigation, animal trapping, bird exclusion, ISO, Siliker, Yumm Brands and AIB audit account setups.

"Ask the Exterminator", says Mr. Steinau, "is written for the non-professional looking for clear, honest answers. I often include a humorous look at problems, but always try to make the problem resolution as simple and inexpensive as possible."

Mr. Steinau operates his company with the mission of giving his customers only what they need to fix their pest issues. "I don't believe in overselling and I strongly believe that most pest issues can be corrected using little or no pesticides."