GROW. Espalier. May Magic

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1 May 2017 GROW Tulsa Garden Center News Espalier 2435 S. Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK Magic And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don t believe in magic will never find it. Ronald Dahl Like Tulsa Garden Center on Facebook My first serious journey outside my home state of Louisiana was a bumpy, three-day bus ride to New Bern, North Carolina to work as a college intern in the grand gardens of Tryon s Palace, a historic Colonial mansion built in 1770 for William Tryon, the British Royal Governor. I was homesick when I boarded the bus. And, by the time it pulled into the dimly lighted New Bern bus station, I was utterly depressed. As I stepped off the bus in the wee hours of the morning, I was sorely tempted to board the next bus back to Louisiana. However, the thought of spending three more days and nights on a crowded bus that stopped at every train track across the entire South was even more depressing. Reluctantly, I swung my duffle bag over my shoulder and made the early morning walk across New Bern to Tryon s Palace, arriving well before the garden s ornate iron gates officially opened. With time to kill, I slowly walked along the estate s perimeter wall, stopping often to peer into the gardens where I was to toil for the next three months. Standing on tiptoes at one stop, I looked over a wall at a garden so beautiful it lifted my spirits and temporarily took my mind off the bacon and eggs Mom was surely preparing in her Cajun kitchen 1,200 miles away. I learned later that it was the kitchen garden, intricately laid out with red brick walks in precise geometric patterns, creating lots of charming beds to grow herbs and veggies. Most intriguing, however, were the perfectly trained apple and pear trees that grew flat against the garden s perimeter walls. Espalier, I discovered, was the correct term for the fruit -bearing tapestries perfectly trained against the walls. I was surprised to learn that there was nothing new about espalier. French and English gardeners were the first to master the practice of sculpting fruit trees into beautiful flat patterns. For instance, the king s kitchen garden (le Potagen du Roi) at Versailles, the Renaissance garden at Villandry and lots of grand English Victorian gardens all had large collections of espaliered fruit trees. Beauty wasn t the only reason for growing fruit trees in the espalier form. Espaliers required less space, the fruit produced was easier to reach and harvest, and brick and stone walls absorbed the sun s heat, speeding the fruitripening process. Lots of memories remain from my summer spent toiling in the gardens of Tryon s Palace. The horticulturist in charge was a tough old bird. While we sweated under the blazing North Carolina sun, he would stand nearby (in the shade, of course) and share his encyclopedic knowledge of art, history and horticulture, pausing only to point out our pruning and planting errors. The summer under his steady gaze made my senior year of college seem like a cakewalk. Almost any plant can be espaliered by continually directing growth along a flat plane and removing growth in undesired directions. Plants that produce many flexible lateral branches and attractive flowers, fruit, and foliage are excellent choices for espaliers. I m most fond of using edible fruit bearing plants, particularly apple and pear. The Asian pear is my absolute favorite choice for espalier. It has everything going for it: glossy foliage, beautiful white spring flowers, flexible branching and highly disease and insect resistant fruit (no spraying required). Asian pears are mostly self-fruitful, but selecting two different varieties improves pollination and fruit set. Selecting a desirable espalier pattern is mostly a matter of taste. It can be very architecturally formal or informal. A formal patter such as the classically beautiful candelabra shape is especially handsome. Garden centers often stock some plants that are already trained and fixed to a trellis. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Barry Fugatt is Director of Horticulture at the Tulsa Garden Center and Linnaeus Teaching Garden Program. He can be reached at

2 From the Executive Director The Little Pigeon Who Could Grrrrrr!!! Negative energy is insidious. It is poisonous and transferrable, with a life all its own working tirelessly to tear down people, relationships, teams, and organizations. Regardless of whether you recognize negative energy as someone s bad karma, a muddy red aura, or even a person known to be an energy vampire, this type of negativity all tends to lead to a central repository in our lives; stress. I had my morning planned, as usual, with my to-do and errands checklist. The first stop on my way to Woodward Park was the post office to drop off a bulk mailing, and then on to Lowe s to find some needed hardware. I m zipping along, mentally making a check mark on my task list as I pull into the post office parking lot; feeling good. This is good. The day is going to be good. But as I hoist the awkward mailing flat off my passenger seat and balance it on my hip I notice the lights inside the building are not on. Deflated, when I get to the front door I can see the sign with their business hours. They didn t open until 9am? What? What fresh insanity is this?! How is the flippin post office not open at 8am?!! I don t often get to the point where I retain negative thoughts for long, but this interruption was just too much on that particular morning as I had a boat load of things to get done and very much resented the prospect of having to retrace my steps just because the stupid U.S. postal service couldn t learn to be more responsive to their customers! With a furrowed brow, I drove for a few minutes down the side streets, stewing in my negative thoughts. Just when I was really starting to get irritated with myself for being such a self-absorbed jerk, though, I happened to glance down at the curb and there was a little pigeon, speckled with white, with little pigeon-toed feet, looking right at me with his cute little pigeon face. I just couldn t help but smile, in spite of myself, and all at once my negative thoughts dissipated. For me it has always been the little things in life that serve as reminders to slow down and not take yourself too seriously. All I really needed at that moment in time was a fine-feathered friend to instantaneously turn my sour mood back to good and thus get my day back on track. God is good. Sometimes it can take every ounce of energy to pull yourself out of a dark mood, to stop ruminating over some past transgression, or to fight against the negative energy emanating from someone around you. It s always worth it, though, to stop, be mindful, and take notice of all the things which make the world beautiful and inspiring, even if it is just a simple speckled pigeon who helps you turn that corner. Laura Chalus 2 Tulsa Garden Center News

3 Mark your calendar to help celebrate the 10 th anniversary of the Linnaeus T Gardening by the Book Composting People have been composting since ancient times. Today people compost for practical, environmental, and philosophical reasons. It is good for the soil, can suppress plant diseases and removes organic refuse from the waste stream. Composting is a way to speed up the natural process of decomposition and return organic materials to the soil. Composting has never been easier. More than ever, people are making a return to a self-sufficient lifestyle. Compost City: Practical Composting Know-How for Small- Space Living (Roost Books, 2015) teaches you how to easily choose and care for a compost system fitting your space, schedule and lifestyle. Simple and effective indoor and outdoor composting options are provided. Composting food scraps and yard waste with ease are detailed. This is an informative, hands-on, and entertaining book. The variety of methods and suggestions range from Bokashi to community composting. For teen interest, try Composting: Turn Food Waste into Rich Soil (Rosen Pub., 2014), part of the Urban Gardening and Farming for Teens Series. Full of content, the sidebars on many pages give additional details on related subjects. Color photographs of teens involved in these projects provide credibility for the reader. It explains how to start composting, adding the right mix of ingredients, aerating the pile and more. Successful school and municipal programs across the country are highlighted as well. The Mini FARMING Guide to Composting (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013) reminds us that developing one s own composting practices can be fun and also saves money. This book has practical and economical ideas for both the novice and experienced composter. Author Brett Markham is an engineer and his book is more chemical in nature than many composting books. The various types of anaerobic composting, aerobic composting, indoor mesophilic composting and vermicomposting are discussed. The Pet Poo Pocket Guide (New Society Publishers, 2015) is a concise, engaging and often humorous book. There is enough technical detail and scientific background to satisfy the composting geek but explained in down-to-earth language. It offers suggestions based on location, situation, weather, needs, or available time. The recycling tactics are indicated as easy, moderate, or demanding. The Bokashi method, which can be containerized, is also explained. Worms Eat My Garbage (Worm Woman Inc., 2016) remains the definitive guide to vermicomposting. This completely revised edition offers complete illustrated instructions to help the gardener set up and maintain small-scale worm composting systems. The topics include worm species, care and feeding of worms, harvesting, and how to make the finished product of potting soil. Mary Moore Tulsa City-County Library Tulsa Garden Center News 3

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19 Affiliate News The Tulsa Garden Club The Tulsa Garden Club will meet on May 1st, Morning Coffee will be served at 10am and the meeting will begin at 10:30am. Contact: Marillyn Lay Oklahoma Native Plant Society The Northeast Chapter of the Oklahoma Plant Society will meet on Monday, May 1, 2017 in the ballroom of the Tulsa Garden Center. Desserts and snacks will be served at 6:30pm to be followed by a brief business meeting at 7:00pm. The evening s program, Environmental Friendly Gardening, will be presented by Erma Roquemore of the OSU Exentsion Master Gardener program. The meeting is open to the public, and guests are cordially invited to share food, fellowship and friendly gardening advice. For additional information. Northeast Chapter Chairman Lynn Michael can be reached at zebraweeds@sbcglobal.net. Contact: Sue Amstutz D-s-amstutz@cox.net The Cacti and Succulent Society The society will hold a show and sale on May 20th and 21st. Show hours are 9am-3pm on Saturday and 10am-3pm on Sunday. There is no charge to attend the show. Contact: Bill Keeth jwkeeth@gmail.com Tulsa Area Iris Society The Tulsa Area Iris Society will meet on May 11th, 2017, at 7:00pm. Refreshments are available at 6:30pm. The program will be presented by Paul W. Gossett. Contact: Joshua Winzer at winzerjoshua@gmail.com Tulsa Area Daylily Society The Tulsa Area Society will meet on May 4, 2017, at 7:00pm. Refreshments are available at 6:30pm. The program will be Preparing your Daylilies for Show Exhibition-Reviewing new changes made in judging. Contact: Regina Jones at regina.jones@ncdcok.org The Tulsa Perennial Club On May 18th, 2017, the Tulsa Perennial Club will hear David Redhage speak about native plants for native pollinators. David received his M.S. degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri- Columbia and is currently the President of the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Poteau, Oklahoma. Contact: J. Diane Diane.Beckert@jmwsettlements.com The Hosta Connection The Hosta Connection will meet on Tuesday, May 25th, at 6:00pm at Colebrook s Nursery, 5915 W. 31st. St. S.Tulsa, Ok Meet at 5:00pm to shop. Members receive a 10% discount. Gordon Colebrook will show the new plants for 2017 and some good shade plants that aren t being heavily used in gardens. There is still time to sign up for the May 15th-16th trip to Topeka and Manhattan, Kansas trip. We will be visiting the beautiful Ted Ensley Gardens, Ward Meade Park Botanical Garden, Gage Park and Kansas State Botanical Garden. There is a special non-garden visit to see the beautiful Tiffany stained-glass windows at the First Presbyterian Church, one of only eleven Tiffany stained glass installations in the country. We will be staying at the Clubhouse Inn in Topeka. We will also make our nursery visit to Skinner Garden Store. Contact Carol Puckett at if you have not signed up yet. Last date to sign up is May 12th. Contact: Carol Puckett at osu295@cox.net Tulsa Garden Center Joyce Balenti State Farm Companies Foundation Fellowship Lutheran Church John Kahre Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden Planting Tulsa Garden Club In memory of Geraldine Thompson Teresa Hughes Donations March 8, 2017 April 7, 2017 Linnaeus Teaching Garden Robert and Dena Hudson Butterfly Garden Bill and Debbie Yeakey Richard and Patricia Johnson Tulsa Herb Society Internship Program Tulsa Herb Society In Memory of Dick Robinson Janice Nicklas Matching Grant State Farm Companies Foundation with Phyllis Thienhardt Tulsa Garden Center News 19

20 May 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 7 11:00am 4:00pm Green Country Bonsai Society Spring Show 1:30pm Tulsa Orchid Society Regular Meeting 2:00pm Tulsa Rose Society Regular Meeting 1 10:00am Tulsa Garden Club Meeting 6:30pm Native Plant Society Regular Meeting 4:45pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 7:00pm TGC Class Tai Chi 7:00pm Green Country Bonsai Society Meeting 8 4:45pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 7:00pm TGC Class Tai Chi 2 9:00am Tulsa Herb Society Member Activities 12:00pm Let s Talk Gardening 9 12:00pm Let s Talk Gardening 6:30pm Green Country Water Garden Society 3 4 6:00 8:00pm Oklahoma Sustainable Garden Plant Pick-up 6:30pm Cacti & Succulent Society Regular Meeting 7:00pm Tulsa Area Daylily Society Meeting :30 8:00pm Story Time Under the Stars 6:00 8:00pm Okla. Sustainable Garden Plant Pick-up 6:30pm Tulsa Area Iris Society Regular Meeting 5 10:00am Tulsa Council of Federated Garden Clubs Regular Meeting 6 10:00am 4:00pm Green Country Bonsai Society Spring Show 9:00am 2:00pm Tulsa Perennial Club Plant Sale 9:00am 2:00pm Okla. Sustainable Garden Plant Sale :00pm 4:00pm Tulsa Garden Club Flower show 9:30 11:00am TGC Class Tour of Woodward Park Arboretum 10:00am 2:00pm Tulsa Public Gardens Day 14 11:00am 3:00pm Tulsa Garden Club Flower Show 15 4:45pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 7:00pm TGC Class Tai Chi 16 9:00am Tulsa Herb Society Member Activities :00 8:00pm Okla. Sustainable Garden Plant Pick-up 19 1:30pm Parliamentary Study Group Meeting 20 7:00am - 10:00am Rose Garden Volunteer Day 7:00pm African Violet Society Regular Meeting 10:00am Anne Hathaway Herb Soc. Meeting 12:00pm Book Discussion Colors for the Garden 7:00pm Audubon Society Regular Meeting 7:00pm Perennial Club Regular Meeting 9:00am 3:00pm Cacti Society Show & Sale 1:00am 3:00pm Tulsa Rose Society Show & Sale 21 10:00am 3:00pm Cacti Society Show & Sale 22 6:00pm Calligraphy Guild Regular Meeting 4:45pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 7:00pm TGC Class Tai Chi 23 9:00am Tulsa Herb Society Member Activities 12:00pm Let s Talk Gardening 6:30pm 8:00pm TGC Class Creating a Beginner Bonsai 24 9:30am Linnaeus Gardener s Monthly Meeting 25 5:30 7:30pm TGC Class Hasty Bake Grilling 7:00pm Sierra Club Regular Meeting 6:00 8:00pm Oklahoma Sustainable Garden Plant pick-up Memorial Day Holiday 30 9:00am Tulsa Herb Society Member Activities 31 12:00pm Let s Talk Gardening