Culling The Best Clippings

Fri., June 25, 1999

Phyllis Stephens The Spokesman-

I am back at it again - sorting through stacks and stacks of various gardening bulletins, articles, magazines and clippings. As I run across items that sound interesting, I’ll share them before heaving the rest into the recycling bin.

* If you’re trying to eliminate the use of pesticides in your garden, you may wish to try a bit of companion planting.

Following is a short list of plants that will deter insects:

Asters, calendula, chrysanthemum geranium, marigold, plants in the onion family, petunia, (most insects); basil (flies and mosquitoes), borage (tomato hornworm), catnip (flea beetle), flax (potato bug), garlic (most insects and blight), hyssop (cabbage moth), mint (white cabbage moth and ants), nasturtiums (aphids and squash bugs), pot marigold (asparagus beetles, tomato worms and most insects), peppermint (white cabbage butterfly), sage (cabbage moth and carrot fly), tomato (asparagus beetles) and thyme (cabbage worm).

* If you’re interested in growing true bamboo, the American Bamboo Society recommends a few hardy specimens that should do just fine in our area. I am sure there are many of you wondering why anyone would want to grow such an invasive plant. Most of us are trying to get rid of the bamboo in our gardens.

First, the bamboo growing in our gardens isn’t really a bamboo at all, it’s a difficult, noxious plant called Japanese knotweed.

Bamboo belongs to the grass family. It is the tallest and fastest-growing grass in the world. There are two main types of bamboo - running and clumping (referring to the root system). Though there is one running variety of bamboo hardy enough for our area (yellow groove bamboo), I would recommend the clumping varieties for obvious reasons. Fargesia Murielae (umbrella bamboo) grows 6 to 15 feet tall with small graceful leaves.

Fargesia nitida (blue fountain) will reach anywhere from 6 to 20 feet with similar habits as Murielae only its stems turn purplish when mature.

This variety needs shade to look its best. Both plants are hardy to minus-20 degrees.

If you would like to know more about bamboo, you can contact the American Bamboo Society at 2655 Ellentown Road, LaJolla, CA 92037.

* The Xerces Society wants you. What in the Land of Oz is a Xerces Society? It’s the only conservation organization that focuses on invertebrates - insects, spiders, mites, crabs, worms, snails, etc.

Founded in 1971 at Yale University, the organization was named after the Xerces Blue, the first butterfly known to become extinct in North America as a result of human interference.

Xerces conducts biodiversity conservation projects in endangered ecosystems throughout the world. If you think you may be interested in this organization, you can contact it by calling (503) 232-6639.

* Hey kids, how would you like to go to a summer gardening camp? Look no further than your computer. Go to the Web site at www.garden.com/s=2391 to see great gardening projects that will keep you busy all summer long.

There will be weekly features such as Up Close in the Garden to see what lives in our gardens, Fun with Flowers which details how to make flower creations, or Making Music in the Garden with homemade willow whistles and gourd drums.

* If you would like to turn your yard into a wildlife haven, this might interest you: The Audubon Society is looking for a reader who would like a free garden makeover. The winner receives a consultation with a National Audubon Society expert, $3,000 worth of native plants and a professional landscape design and installation, complete with birdhouse and birdbath.

To participate, send non-returnable photos of yourself and your yard, a brief description of your yard (no more than 400 words), the yard’s dimensions, a list of plants and animals that live there and why you want to make it a habitat for birds and butterflies. Deadline for entries is Aug. 15. For more information, contact John Bianchi at (212) 979-3026, or visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org.

Mark your calendar

* The Spokane Rose Society will host its annual rose show at the Spokane Valley Mall all day Saturday.

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