Mitch Eudy, GRI, SRE, SSFR, EPro

Best Investments for the Gardener

When money is tight, we often look carefully at each purchase to justify it as an investment. Choosing from the plethora of gardening tools available in the garden center is difficult for those of us who love collecting gadgets for our favorite past-time. Do I really need another tool to plant, prune, or pot? Here are my top 5 recommendations for the casual or serious gardener to make life easier in the yard this spring.

Felco pruners are the Cadillac of hand pruners and come in various sizes. There is even a pair for left-handed gardeners. Priced at about $50 a pair, these bypass pruners are heavy enough to cut a branch up to one half inch in diameter. They can be sharpened (and should be regularly) and last long past the lifespan of the two dozen cheap ones you have already broken or lost. The Felco price-point will motivate you to keep up with them.

Bypass lopping shears are those long-handled pruners that cut limbs up to 1 ½ inches in diameter. Of course, Felco makes excellent lopping shears priced at $80, but because I use hand pruners almost daily, and my lopping shears much less often, I have a lesser expensive brand. These are a must-have if you have large shrubs or trees on your property.

Gardening gloves provide important protection for the hands. My favorites for general tasks are the close-fitting gloves with latex grips. With these $6 gloves, you need not sacrifice mobility or comfort and they actually last more than one season. Although more bulky, I prefer leather gloves for added protection when working with plants with thorns.

Trowels come in every shape, size, color, and breakability. My favorite trowel is my ten year old Soil Scoop with a patented spoon shaped blade with serrated edges on each side and a pointed tip. Costing about $20, it is perfect for digging, weeding, scooping, and even cutting open bags of potting soil.

Watering wands are better than a regular water nozzle for gently soaking pots, hanging baskets, and bedding plants. Dramm makes a wand of unbreakable plastic (about $50) that will withstand the dropping that seems to plague all water hose attachments at my house, but I have not seen it locally. I always have to replace the cheap $15 versions every spring, but I have to have them!

There are certainly hundreds of items we need and desire to aid us in our pursuit of beautiful yards. I recommend spending more on those items you use regularly and maybe a bit less for those that tend to spend more time in the potting shed. Since spring is here, you'll find me outside in my jeans and with as many tools as I can carry in the pockets.

Of course, having space to garden means investing in a home with a yard. I have beautiful estate properties for sale with room enough for horses, playgrounds, and, yes, vegetable gardens and lush landscapes. Contact me for more details at www.mitcheudy.com. Happy gardening!

The Canada geese have returned. The same pair has nested on our pond for the last 17 years. They mate for life and rebuild the same nest year after year. Like clockwork, in early February, the pair flies in with their juvenile children, hang around as if they are considering the integrity of the neighborhood, and then insist to their year-old kids that it is time for them to launch. The adolescent offspring depart to greener shorelines, and the husband and wife settle in for the next six weeks of nesting, incubation, and hatching of new babies.

Unlike most folks living near ponds and lakes in Union County, our family actually looks forward to the coming of our geese. Their arrival marks the point in the year when we can expect the blooms of winter: winter jasmine, hyacinth, forsythia, daffodils, tulips, and saucer magnolias. Could spring be around the corner?

When it is too cold and too wet to work in the garden, we certainly can dream and plan it. Winter is the perfect season to get out the gardening books, catalogs, and magazines and start designing. Consider your spaces, the amount of sunshine, your favorite colors, and remember your region. Union County is considered by the USDA to be a Zone 7b, so keep this in mind for the summer heat, not just the winter freeze, for new plants you are contemplating for your garden. Get your lists together now as spring is on the horizon.

For the rest of the winter our family will keep an eye on the mother goose and watch for signs of the new hatchlings on our pond. Last year they made their debut on Easter, and it signaled to us that the birth of spring is more than symbolic. Let us anticipate it with the blooms that winter shares with us now.

The Quellin Neighborhood in Waxhaw, NC

Nestled in the rolling hills and farmland of western Union County, NC, Quellin sits on over 160 acres with over 20 acres of that area as common space. Located just minutes from the shopping and antiquing of downtown Waxhaw, NC, Quellin also boasts some of the best schools in the region, low Union County taxes, close proximity to equestrian facilities, and a community pool and playground. As well, Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city is just a short, 20 minute drive away for endless opportunities for entertainment, fine and casual dining, miles of shopping, culture, night life, and business. Call Quellin home, and you will know that sense of community we brag about here in North Carolina!

PRUNING INFORMATION FOR WINTER

Old habits die hard. As a gardener and former landscaper, I can't help but think about my landscape as winter begins its rule over my garden. May I talk a little about plants to help me get through the dreary doldrums of winter? Let's talk about pruning:

What should I prune?

• Trees and shrubs that are overgrown.
• Plants damaged by disease, insects, or weather
• Plants that are crowding others or are poorly shaped

What tools do I use?

• Hand pruners are used for cuts on stems that are less than one half inch in diameter.
• Lopping shears are used for stems and branches that are larger than ½ inch yet smaller than 1 ½ inches in diameter.
• Pruning saws are best for branches that are larger than 1 ½ inches in diameter.
• Pole saws are cutting blades or saws on along pole and are used for pruning tree branches that are too high to reach from the ground.
• Hedge shears are manual, gas powered or electric tools that are used to shear hedges for a neatly trimmed appearance.

When do I prune?

• Avoid pruning during the fall or early winter as new growth is encouraged and may be damaged by cold weather.
• The following shrubs should be pruned before spring growth begins as they bloom on "new wood." This is typically in February or March.

Beautyberry (Callicarpa species) Butterfly-bush (Buddleia davidii)

Camellia (Camellia species) Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus)

Viburnum (Viburnum trilobum) Anthony Waterer Spirea (Spiraea x bumalda)

Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia species) Floribunda roses

Fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans) Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)

Grandiflora roses Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora)

Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria species) Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Japanese Spirea (Spiraea japonica) Nandina (Nandina domestica)

Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)

How should I prune?

• First, remove branches that are rubbing, crossed over each other, dead, diseased, or dying.
• Next, determine if you need to prune to reduce height and spread, to thin, or to shape. You may want to consult the NCSU or Clemson University websites for detailed information regarding these issues.
• Making the proper pruning cut is very important for the appearance and the health of the plant. Remember to always cut back to a bud, a lateral branch, or to the main trunk.
• When cutting back to a bud, the cut should be at a slight angle just above the bud.

Proper pruning will improve the health and appearance of your plants. And healthy plants improve the appearance and value of your home. Happy gardening!

Illustration courtesy Clemson University HGIC.

ATTRACTING BIRDS TO YOUR GARDEN

It seems that in discussing the process of attracting nature to your yard, the first thing to consider is not how but why?

Although it appears trite, Henry Mitchell put it correctly when he wrote: "Your garden will reveal yourself." He was not referring to an onlooker's response to your garden like: "Oh what an orderly yard - must be an accountant." Mitchell was speaking to the response of your spirit to the natural sanctuary you can create around your home.

In order to make the most of our natural surroundings, we should recognize the greater power that nature possesses.

Patricia Barrett gets it right in The Sacred Garden: "Connection with gardens, even small ones, even potted plants, can become windows to the inner life. The simple act of stopping and looking at the beauty around us can be prayer." Gardening provides something greater than simple beauty for our real estate. Gardening provides beauty for our souls.

So now, question number two is: How do we do this?

Whether you garden in Union County, NC or in Atlanta or in Charleston, there are two very specific ways to attract and provide for creatures in your yard:

The first is, of course, by providing food and water for them.

The second is to provide refuge and protection for birds where they can make their nests and raise their young.

Food and Water are the most important elements in attracting a variety of birds to your garden. The list of food sources for birds and butterflies is endless. The NC State University website has extensive lists of plants for naturally attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard. Try to keep the water clear and fresh at your bird bath. Different types of commercial bird foods attract different species of birds and where you feed is also important.

Hopper feeders are those that may look like a little house that you fill with food and part of the food spills out onto a protected ledge. These ledges are perfect for cardinals and robins to perch - where these birds have a hard time on smaller perches.

Tube feeders with large holes are great for titmice, chickadees, finches, jays, and sparrows.

Tube feeders with small holes attract finches, especially if you use thistle seed. If you feed sunflower chips you will get plenty of chickadees and nuthatches.

Platform feeders attract the same species as the hopper feeders: cardinals, songbirds, jays, titmice, finches, sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches, and robins. A lot will depend on the type of feed you choose.

There are some birds that prefer to feed on the ground. I often see the cardinals and jays at the dog's bowl, eating his food.

Suet feeders attract birds that prefer high fat intake like woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, and jays.

Splurge for the better quality bird food as inexpensive bird food will create more waste. These contain large amounts of corn, millet, and milo that most birds seem to kick out of the feeder. If you feed on a porch, patio, or deck, use a food like shelled sunflower seeds. If you feed just the meats from the sunflowers, there is less waste to clean up, and you will have lots of winged friends requesting reservations at the best restaurant in the neighborhood!

Cover and shelter for birds is very important as they appreciate shelter from their enemies and from the elements. Diversity of shelter is also important if you want to attract the maximum number of species. Different levels of plant growth provide shelter for different varieties of birds. For example:

Juncos, robins, and sparrows are ground-based for feeding but seek shelter and nesting sites in taller shrubs and trees.

House finches enjoy thick shrubby areas for shelter and prefer to feed off the ground.

Woodpeckers and flickers spend most of their time in the upper levels of trees for both feeding and for nesting.

Bluebird boxes are a sure way to attract that wonderful species for nesting and raising young, but make sure you follow the directions provided by the manufacturer to maximize your chances of having a new neighbor move in.

Brush piles create a wonderful haven for many birds. These and dense shrubs that are 8-10 feet away from feeders and bird baths will help provide cover for birds from the family cat.

Think of the benefits to the birds for you to provide a sanctuary for them in your yard. Think also of the benefits to you, your spirit, and your own well-being as you bring more wild creatures into your yard this winter!