The tips contained below are from MBPOA friends and neighbors. If you have a suggestion, please send Joan Stikeman an e-mail containg the story and any pictures you would like us to post.
GROWING ORNAMENTAL GRASSES IN MONTAUK
Ornamental grasses are easy and fun to grow. They require little care, are deer resistant, very hardy, and provide privacy and beauty. I prefer three types: Zebra, Silver Spine and Japanese Grasses.
All of the grasses pictured here were photographed in the first week of June. They are far from full grown. In September all of them will sprout majestic tassels which release seeds for future plants.
Zebra Grass: is green and flecked with yellow. It grows to six feet in height and thickens as the years go by. The plant pictured here was the diameter of a silver dollar when I planted it ten years ago. A tiny plant will be quite sizable in three to four years.
Silver Spine Grass: is green with a thin silver spine down the center of the blade. It is quite beautiful and displays an airy light feeling to itself. It can be used as a corner piece or even a center piece in a garden. The plant pictured here was also the diameter of a silver dollar when I transplanted it four years ago. It will grow to four feet high before tasseling.
Japanese Grass: is yellow green and is very easy on the eyes. This plant is twelve years old and provides a backdrop for my front flower garden. It will grow to three feet before tasseling.
Care and Planting: all three grasses require full sun for best results. They will grow in partial shade, but not attain full height and growth. I’ve often said that these grasses “will grow in cement” and they almost do. They really like Montauk’s soil. All of these can be purchased locally or even at Home Depot. I use a natural organic fertilizer made by Espoma. I apply it only in spring. After initial planting water for the first week, then you are done. I have never watered these grasses again. Rainwater is all they need. They will turn brown with the fall frost and the tassels are often used for decorative purposes. On a warm winter afternoon, I wrap them with a bungee cord and with my electric hedge clippers I cut them to one foot high. This is not necessary, but I find that it provides a more uniform look the following year. As they mature, seedlings will pop up nearby. The Zebra Grass is the most prolific. I dig them up, place them in potting soil to set their roots and then transplant or give them to friends.
John Jurgensen
Help...Deer are gobbling up my garden!
Deer Resistant Gardening by Linda O’Shea
Gardening in Hither Hills has become quite the challenge due to the ever increasing deer population. Here are a few tips I thought you might find helpful.
I have used something called Liquid Fence and it worked well if applied weekly. One can purchase it at Montauk Garden Center. Its main components are garlic and rotten eggs. It smells terrible when applied but the smell disappears for humans quickly. It is safe for your pets too.
If the deer or rabbits have eaten your Hosta down to the stems, you might want to try this for those of use that love our beautifully Hosta. Plant them in pots with or without something else. They winter over beautifully in pots and give you fresh greenery early on your deck.
Good luck with deer and happy gardening.
Lind O’Shea, 15 Author Road, , Montauk
Protect Your Garden from Deer
A deer grazing in a field is a beautiful sight.
But if you like plants, a deer in your yard means trouble. To them,
your landscape plantings and gardens are a free, all-you-can-eat
restaurant with plenty of menu choices and convenient 24 hour access. Even when deer are able to find plenty of food in the wild, your
garden peas, hostas and tulips are delectable treats worth seeking out.
And if food supplies are scarce, hungry deer will eat just about
anything that's growing.
1. Plant what deer don't want. If you've had trouble with deer, you already know the plants they love: cedar, yew, fruit trees,
lilies, tulips and hostas to name a few. Fortunately, there are some
plants deer seem to dislike. These include most thorny plants and those
with fuzzy or leathery leaves. Bulbs that usually escape damage are
daffodils, alliums, crocuses, Star of Holland, chionodoxa, winter
aconite, grape hyacinths, crown imperials and snowdrops. Here is a listing of Deer-Resistant plants.
Deer-resistant shrubs include lilac, forsythia, spirea and potentilla.
Other landscape plants they will generally avoid are paper birch,
American holly, drooping leucothoe, Colorado blue spruce, and flowering dogwood. 2. Repel deer with smell and taste. Sometimes deer need a
little encouragement to stay away. Repellents discourage deer from
feeding either because they have a bad taste or a noxious smell.
Rotten eggs and garlic seem to be two of the most effective
deterrents around. Products that contain these ingredients can last for
months, and emit smells that deer avoid or have flavors that deer find
distasteful. Repellents work best when you don't have a lot of deer
around and when damage is relatively light. The longer deer have been
feeding in your garden, the less effective repellents will be.
3. Frighten deer away. A deer's only defense is to run, so
they are always on the alert for predators (coyotes, wolves, dogs,
people). Unexpected noises can be an effective way to send a deer
running for cover. For some gardeners, the family dog can be a very effective deer deterrent.
4. Create a physical barrier. Fencing is the most
permanent and reliable deer control solution. If you have a serious
problem with deer, you'll save lots of heartache by installing a sturdy
fence around your yard or garden. Particularly susceptible shrubs
can be wrapped with black nylon netting or nylon window screening. This
is a very useful technique to help reduce winter browsing.
