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From the editors of Backyard Living, Birds & Blooms and your other favorite Reiman magazines, we’re happy to introduce our premiere Garden Club E-mail newsletter to you!

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READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Plant Doctor Q & A
• Budget Backyard Makeover Tips
• Tips for Tasty Tomatoes
• Submit Your Story

Plant of the Month

Rainbow Knock Out’™ Rose
All-America Rose Selections Winner for 2007

Botanical name: Rosa, ’Rainbow Knock Out.’™

Featuring: Blooms that are a rich coral color. More compact and longer blooming than the other popular ‘Knock Out’ roses. They have remarkable immunity to black spot, powdery mildew and rust.

Mature size: (h x w): 3’ x 3’

Hardiness: Zones 4 (with winter protection) to 9.

Growing tips: Full sun, fertile soil, and consistent water. Would make a nice low hedge.

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Yard Smarts

Out with the Cat
Here’s an easy way to keep garden tools clean and rust free. Just fill a pail with kitty litter. After using hand tools, plunge them into the pail. They’ll stay clean and dry until the next use.

Also, here’s a makeshift garden tool you won’t want to be without—a pizza cutter. It’s the perfect hand tool for small edging jobs. It helps keep my flower beds free of grass and weeds.

—Mary Gove, Cottonwood, Arizona

Sorry, Deer
I live in the north woods and grow lots of flowers that the deer love to eat...until I tried this recipe. Not one single plant has been damaged since, and the deer don’t even venture into our yard. Here’s the recipe:

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon dish detergent
1 gallon water

Beat egg and milk together, then add cooking oil and detergent. Add mixture to water and stir or shake well. Store in a covered 1-gallon container.

Apply liquid to plants (except for food plants) using a spray bottle. Reapply every 2 weeks or after heavy rains.

—Charlotte Schmidt, St. Germain, Wisconsin

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Plant Doctor Q & A

Q: For years, I’ve had problems with “rust“ in my lawn. Is there anything I can do to prevent it from happening again this summer?
—Paul Schwader, Mission Hill, South Dakota

Melinda: Rust and other diseases occur when the disease organism is present, the growing conditions are right for infection, and you are growing a susceptible plant.

Lawns of ryegrass, bluegrass and zoysia are especially susceptible to rust, as are newer lawns with a high percentage of ryegrass and limited root systems. Also, any lawn that is drought stressed, and under or overfertilized is at greater risk.

Since we can’t change the weather, and you probably don’t want to dig up your grass, start by improving fertilization. A slow-release nitrogen fertilizer in the fall will improve grass growth, making your lawn better able to fight off the disease.

Water your lawn thoroughly but less frequently during extended periods of drought. Proper care is usually sufficient for keeping this disease under control and your lawn looking green.

Q: Roots of our maple tree are exposed and growing along the top of the ground. Is there anything I can do about this?
—Josie Gurney, Glen Burnie, Maryland

Melinda: Unfortunately, there isn’t a neat and tidy solution to this wide-spread dilemma. It’s important to leave the roots intact. Covering them with soil or chopping them out of the way can cause the tree to decline or even die.

Instead, consider planting shade and drought-tolerant ground covers that will hide the roots and eliminate the need to mow. Hostas, wild ginger, pachysandra and deadnettle (ugly name, pretty plant) are just a few that will grow in the shade.

Another solution is to mulch with wood chips or shredded bark. This creates a good growing environment for the tree and reduces maintenance.

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Budget Backyard Makeover Tips

Gardening on a Budget? Here are a few tips to keep your wallet as full as your garden.

1. Recycle vintage items like watering cans and wicker baskets as accent pieces.

2. Want free rocks? Check with farmers in your area. Pat and Ron Gossman of Fairview, Pennsylvania collected more than 5,000 stones from farmers to build paths and ponds.

3. Instead of building a structure to hide an eyesore, install an inexpensive trellis and let vining plants cover it.

4. Make the most of a limited budget by buying plants that will multiply on their own, like creeping phlox and daffodils. Allow them some elbow room at planting time so they have space to spread out.

5. Natural materials placed around a water feature makes it look like it’s been there forever—and they’re free. “Items native to your area are easier to find, and blend in with your backyard,“ says Donna Evans of North Mankato, Minnesota. “We used limestone, which is common around here. We found all the free rocks we needed at road-construction projects.“

For more Budget Backyard Tips, check out our bookazine, Budget Backyard Makeovers.

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Tips for Tasty Tomatoes

Some gardeners believe planting tomatoes next to the right plants can boost your harvest and reduce the risk of insect damage.

“Tomatoes and carrots make great garden companions,“ says Lola Varner of Chino Valley, Arizona. “Set out one tomato plant, then a row of carrots, then another tomato plant, and so on. This produces larger tomato plants and bigger yields of both crops.“

Dee Hancock of Fremont, Nebraska plants tomatoes alongside asparagus to deter insects without chemicals.

“The insects and worms that like asparagus don’t like tomatoes, and those that feast on tomatoes can’t stand asparagus,“ Dee explains. “They’re a match made in heaven!“

“I water my tomato plants right at the roots,“ says Joseph Wantz of Union Bridge, Maryland. “To help save my back, I attached a long section (about 4 feet) of ¾ inch PVC pipe to the water hose, using connectors I bought at the hardware store. Watering wands also work well.“

“We discovered shepherd’s hooks make sturdy tomato stakes,“ says Michael Watkins of Seeley Lake, Michigan. “I use the taller ones to hold a basket of flowers above the tomatoes, adding more color to my vegetable garden as well.“

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Here’s a Sneak Peek into our June/July issue...

• Secrets to Beautiful Roses
• Outdoor Living Rooms: 7 Secrets From the Pros
• 1-2-3 Container Herb Project
• Top 10 Pullout: Shade Garden Plants
• Grate Grill-Off’s Prize-Winning Recipes

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