The ever-expanding world of easy-care roses has a new apricot-colored bloomer from Anthony Tesselaar Plants.

Called Flower Carpet Amber, this new no-fuss rose offers clusters of blooms in a soft amber-apricot shade that fades to pink with a hint of peach.

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Ask the master gardeners

Q: I would like to grow a perennial asparagus plant as a filler in my garden bed. Will this be feasible?

A: Growing asparagus in the back of a perennial bed can work very well. The site must be sunny, however. Asparagus comes up in late April or early May and within a few weeks forms ferny foliage. Female plants will make red berries late in the season.

Asparagus is very forgiving of pruning. It can be cut to any height at any time. If you want to eat it, you may either cut the spring growth or cut back mature fronds to the ground in late August and expect new spears about two to three weeks later, depending on rainfall.

Nancy Ross, Mount Kisco, master gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester

Interesting press release; I had no idea hydrangea and azalea were considered poisonous:

“Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. Reveals Top Ten Plant Poisoning Claims of 2008
Raisins, Mushrooms and Marijuana Top List of Toxic Plants Most Often Ingested

“The wrath of grapes was, unfortunately, all too familiar for many dogs and cats in 2008. Veterinary Pet Insurance Company (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet  health insurance, recently analyzed the more than 400 claims it received last year for toxic plant ingestions to find which plants and plant products proved most likely to poison pets. Raisins and grapes topped the list, followed by mushrooms and marijuana.  In 2008, the average amount claimed for plant poisoning was $427.

Top Plant Poisoning Claims of 2008
1. Raisins/Grapes
2. Mushrooms
3. Marijuana
4. Lily
5. Walnuts
6. Onion
7. Sago Palm
8. Macadamia Nuts
9. Azalea
10. Hydrangea

March 21
Bronx: The Orchid Show: Brazilian Modern. Through April 12. In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. $20, $18 seniors and students, $7 children. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. New York Botanical Garden, 200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard. 718-817-8700.

March 25
Yonkers: Butterfly Garden. Sponsor: Hudson River Audubon Society. Free. 7:30 p.m. Lenoir Nature Preserve, 19 Dudley St. 914-237-9331. Read more of this entry »

Are you planting peas today? By tradition, the springtime vegetable garden kicks off with pea planting on St. Patrick’s Day.

I don’t know about you, but my ground/soil is nowhere near dried out enough for planting. I don’t even like walking on it when it’s this soggy.

Anne Raver had a nice piece in the NYTimes last week about planting peas in her Maryland garden. It has good info on how to tell if your spring soil is dried out enough to be working in it.

Amy Pelletier, Horticulture and Education Coordinator at Stonecrop Gardens in Cold Spring, says she wants to focus on outreach this year so that more people know about events at the 12-acre botanical garden.

This Spring Under Glass show looks great. Here is the press release from Amy:

“STONECROP GARDENS ANNOUNCES A CURE FOR THE WINTER BLUES
Spring under Glass from March 23-28, 2009

“Come to Stonecrop and leave winter behind for good! Starting Monday, March 23rd, one of the first days of spring, Stonecrop Gardens will open a week early for a special celebration of Spring under Glass.

“The garden’s five greenhouses—including an alpine house, a tropical house, and a large, elegant English-style conservatory—will be opened to visitors for this special week, Monday, March 23rd to 28th. Containing rare plants from all over the world, many in bloom in late March, these greenhouses provide a wonderful, warm, dry place to stroll “under glass” among an astonishing array of  flowering bulbs, alpine plants, and tropical specimens.  Admission for a self-guided stroll is $5 and offered Monday through Saturday from 10-5pm. No registration is necessary.  Stonecrop will open for its regular season starting April 1, 2009. Read more of this entry »

from Mary T. Prenon at Thompson-Bender; note the Nyack Springfest toward the bottom of the releases:

Spring Into the Hudson Valley with Flower Shows, Crafts, Historic Sites and Outdoor Fairs

“It’s not too soon to start thinking about warm breezes and the first colorful blooms of the season that will usher in outdoor events throughout the Hudson Valley. It’s time to bid winter goodbye and get outdoors to have some fun in the Hudson Valley.

“Start your spring fever at the Capital District Flower and Garden Show in Troy from March 27th to the 29th. Seventeen garden and landscape exhibits and over 100 flower exhibits are like a breath of fresh air after the long winter, and the marketplace offers more ideas to get you started on your own garden. Read more of this entry »

If you’re thinking of starting a garden this year — and let’s face it, this free-falling economy has lots of us contemplating growing our own food for the first time — you should start composting, too.

You can use this “gardener’s gold” from your new compost pile to feed your new plants and as a repository for leaves, dead plant matter and leftover food scraps.

In this era of hyper-awareness of environmental sustainability, fuel costs and the ecological implications of how we eat, it’s hard to imagine an easier way to change your carbon footprint than composting your yard waste and food scraps instead of adding them to the ever-growing garbage stream.

Because of the high cost of real estate and a lack of open space, Westchester County exports more than 178,000 tons of leaves, grass clippings and other organic yard waste to states as far away as New Hampshire for composting, at a cost of $40 a ton.

Just imagine if we put all those bags of leaves and clippings to work in backyard compost piles or bins.

The science of composting is fairly simple. Basically, you’re allowing bacteria, fungi and bugs to break down organic matter and turn it into super-rich soil. Read more of this entry »

From Ellen Heidelberger at Saw Mill River Audubon:

“March 2009 Events

“Saw Mill River Audubon
Upcoming Field Trips and Events

Saturday, March 21, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, Chappaqua
Monthly Saturday Bird Seed Sale: Pruyn Sanctuary

Come stock up on seed at Saw Mill River Audubon’s 3rd Saturday sale dates. Volunteers will be available to help load your car. Come to the main entrance of Pruyn Sanctuary at 275 Millwood Road (Rte 133), Chappaqua. Seed details and directions on http://www.sawmillriveraudubon.org/ Read more of this entry »

From Brad Gurr, a certified arborist with SavATree in Ossining. Here’s a link to the Part 1 post. And note the following correction from Brad:

“Please note an important correction to last months article,
not all hydrangeas should be pruned before the growing season.
As stated refer to a certified arborist for specific recommendations.
BG

“Pruning Shrubs Part 2

“In the first part of this article we discussed the correct timing of pruning on most trees, shrubs and dwarf conifers. To recap that article, generally the best times to prune trees and shrubs are when they are dormant or just after flowering. The best time to prune dwarf pines like mugos, is while they are still candling. In this article we will discuss selecting and using the correct tools for pruning.

“The old adage “ the right time to prune is when the saw is sharp” probably doesn’t tell the whole story but pruning with dull tools is always a disaster. Read more of this entry »