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The iris display gardens are vibrant with color in May.
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Plant of the Month
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Grow a variety of tomatoes for a colorful display at mealtime!
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Tomatoes!
It's May and that means it's vegetable gardening time for many people.
Why Grow Your Own?
In these days of skyrocketing food prices, more and more families are turning towards growing their own vegetables - and why not? It's fun, it's healthy, and it saves money on your food bills! The delicious, wholesome crops you produce will lead to healthier eating habits and tending a vegetable garden, whatever the size, is great exercise. Plus, home-grown vegetables tend be of high quality and have fantastic flavor when fresh picked.
Yummy Tomatoes
One of the most popular vegetables grown in the home garden is the tomato. Well, technically, I should correct myself because a tomato is really a fruit but, regardless of what you call it, I think everyone will agree that fresh, home-grown tomatoes are amazing!
Tomatoes are popular because, not only are they delicious, but they are relatively easy to grow and can be grown almost anyplace where there is a nice patch of full sun. You don't even have to have a big garden space to grow tomatoes; they can grow successfully anywhere you can fit a large container - a deck, terrace, patio ... Just provide them with good soil, full sun, water, a stake for support, and a little food every so often and you will be rewarded with lots of tasty tomatoes.
Heirlooms -
They're all the rage!
Heirloom varieties are, in the most simple terms, old fashioned varieties that have been handed down over many years. These are open-pollinated varieties not hybrids. Growing heirlooms has become very popular in recent years as gardeners have rediscovered the uniqueness and superior flavor of these old varieties. As their popularity has increased, they have become more readily available to the home gardener. In the past if you wanted to grow heirloom tomatoes, you had to order seed from a specialty catalog. Now many garden centers are carrying a pretty good selection of heirloom plants right on their shelves.
Some heirloom varieties can be more prone to some of the blights and other fungal diseases that plague tomato crops because they haven't been hybridized for disease resistance like some of the newer varieties. In spite of this, many gardeners have found that if they follow some simple steps to help prevent disease in their heirlooms, they can easily have these delicious tomatoes on the table!
See below for some tips for reducing the incidence of tomato diseases in the vegetable garden.
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Just A Reminder!
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Reducing
Tomato Disease
Plant resistant varieties
The best way to reduce disease in your tomato crop is to plant disease resistant tomatoes.
Choose varieties with V, F, FF, N, A, and/or AA after the name.
Heirloom tomatoes, while very flavorful, are sometimes not as disease resistant as the hybrid varieties and can be susceptible to diseases such as anthracnose, verticillium, fusarium, and alternaria (early blight).
Allow plenty of space for each tomato plant. Wide spacing allows more air circulation and reduces disease problems.
Mulching your tomato plants with 2"-3" of pine needles or pine mulch helps reduce the incidence of fungal disease by preventing soil (which is laden with fungal spores) from splashing up onto the foliage.
Staking or caging your tomato plants will keep them off the ground and also less exposed to these soil borne pathogens.
Healthy, robust plants resist disease better
Liquid feed your tomatoes with Sea Magic Organic Seaweed Growth Activator or Neptune's Harvest Organic Fish/Seaweed Blend Fertilizer according to the label directions.
Keep a careful watch on your tomato plants and remove lower leaves and branches that are yellowing or turning brown. To combat fungal diseases, you may need to spray an appropriate fungicide; alternate spraying every two weeks with Bonide Liquid Copper fungicide and either Mancozeb or Daconil. Always read and follow the label directions.
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If you enjoy our newsletter, please pass it along to your gardening friends!
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Wet & Forget
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Andre loves it!
At our home in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, we were plagued with mold and algae on the steps, flagstone, and concrete. Twice a year, we used to scrub everything with a bleach and water solution. This didn't help the painted surfaces and the mold seemed to come back even faster.
Then we learned about
"Wet & Forget". The "Wet & Forget" people shipped a sample for me to test in the Virgin Islands. I sprayed the mold and algae all over. It didn't seem to do anything at first, so I went about my work in my five acres of tropical gardens.
Two to three weeks later, I was stunned - no more mold or algae anywhere that I had sprayed!
Now there is no
more scrubbing!
No work - just spray it and forget it!
"Wet & Forget"
Seeing is believing!
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Before treating concrete pad with Wet & Forget
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After treating with
Wet & Forget
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Learn more about this great product or find a dealer near you ...
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Peonies are the "Aristocrat" of the perennial world according to Andre.
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It's May!
At Viette's that means beautiful
display beds full of peonies and iris AND
the beginning of our spring lecture series!
The peonies are full of buds in the gardens and the blooms won't be far behind. Don't miss the incredible show!
Come for a visit and stroll through our 6 acres of beautiful gardens where there's always something in bloom.
Our garden center is packed with wonderful NEW varieties of trees and shrubs including graceful Japanese maples, crape myrtles, hollies, and sweetly scented lilacs and viburnums. You'll find loads of potted perennials including many varieties of peonies and iris.
Check out our great line-up of gardening seminars in May!
Come visit! We'd love to see you!
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Tip of the Month
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Tips for Growing Perfect Tomatoes!
This month's gardening tip courtesy of Burpee Gardening.
 Want to have loads of beautiful, delicious tomatoes this year?
Follow Burpee's easy tomato tips and tricks and you'll have plenty of perfect summer tomatoes!
Garden Spacing Tomatoes should be set 30 to 48 inches apart in a row with the rows spaced 48 inches apart. It's very tempting to put tomatoes closer at planting time, but if you get them too close you'll only increase the chance of disease. Early Pest Prevention Wrap the tomato stems with a piece of cardboard or wax paper that extends an inch above and below the soil to protect them from cutworms. A regular office stapler can be used to secure the material in a circle. After the stems toughen up in 3 to 4 weeks cutworm damage will no longer be a concern and the paper will have rotted away. Burpee's Automator protects and waters Feeding Use slow release fertilizer pellets at planting time to nourish young tomatoes. Tomatoes demand lots of fertility once the fruit sets, but too much early in the season will grow a large plant but with fewer tomatoes. Warmth To reduce transplant shock and retain warmth, use Wall O' Water plant protectors at planting time. These devices will protect the plants from early cold spells and the drying effects of wind. Support For maximum tomato yields always stake or cage your plants. Emerging fruits will benefit from improved air circulation and less ground pest problems. Burpee Tomato Supports  | |
Blossom end rot can ruin
your tomatoes
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Watering Tomatoes need even watering to prevent blossom end rot. Water thoroughly but not too often (twice per week should suffice at first) and try to water early in the day so that plants will dry off before evening. This helps to reduce disease problems. Using drip or soaker hose irrigation is the best idea. Water is used more efficiently this way and the leaves don't get wet.  | |
Mulching and providing support for tomatoes reduces disease.
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Mulching Mulching can help to insure an even supply of moisture is available to the tomato plant. It also helps reduce fungal blights by preventing fungal spores in the soil from splashing up onto the tomato foliage and infecting your plants.Try putting down a layer of newspaper 5 to 10 sheets thick between the rows (soak the papers in water first, so they won't blow away) and then cover the newspapers with dry grass clippings, bark mulch, etc. Something new in mulches is Burpee's Red Mulch. It's a reflective material that works like black plastic to warm the soil early in the season, and it increases production of top quality early tomatoes. Growing Get the biggest yields by helping your plants grow to their full potential. Healthy, vibrant plants produce bumper crops of tastier tomatoes. Sea magic organic seaweed growth activator is a spray-on wonder elixir for super growth. It contains natural growth enhancers that promote better growth, more blooms and better tasting crops- up to 24% more tomatoes! Tomato & vegetable blossom set spray speeds harvest and increases yields. All-natural, ready to use spray-on has Biological Grow Power to promote blossom set and fruit development. Nearly every blossom will produce faster, larger, meatier fruit - ripening up to 3 weeks earlier! So there you have it - no excuses for not having a great tomato crop this year! Visit Burpee.com for quality vegetable seeds, garden-ready plants including tomatoes and peppers, and other great garden products! |
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 May Lecture Series and Events at Viette's!
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Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' makes a wonderful
ground cover for the shade or part shade garden.
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Garden Center Spring Open House
Saturday, May 7th and Sunday, May 8th
- Coffee in the Garden Tour - Saturday 10:30am
- Enjoy the beautiful spring gardens while sipping on a piping hot cup of coffee
- Mother's Day Garden Tour - Sunday 1:30pm
- Treat Mom to a delightful Mother's Day afternoon garden tour at Viette's. The spring gardens will be bursting with colorful blooming trees and shrubs - savor the sights and smells of a beautiful spring day!
- 10% Off all plant purchases
- Enjoy refreshments all weekend long
Wednesday, May 11th at 1:30 pm
Saturday, May 14th at 1:30 pm
Vegetable Gardening "Outside the Box"
With the increased interest in "going green", eating healthier, and saving money, backyard vegetable gardens have become very popular.
But perhaps you don't have a lot of space for a garden or maybe you are looking for some innovative new ideas for growing vegetables?
Join us for this great workshop where you will discover some very different and unique ways to grow vegetables and herbs. From "upside down" gardens to gardening in tires; raised bed gardens to planting vegetables in containers right on your patio or deck; vegetables in your flower gardens to planting a kitchen garden; you'll learn all kinds of fun, productive, and space saving ways to grow vegetables this year. Find out how to create great soil for your vegetables by adding the good organic fertilizers and your own nutrient rich compost. Free lecture
Wednesday, May 18 at 1:30 pm Saturday, May 21 at 1:30 pm  Backbone Perennials of Spring: Peonies & Iris
Discover the beautiful flowers that symbolize spring in the perennial world! You will learn how to select, plant, and maintain these wonderful plants plus other early bloomers for a stunning spring display. A tour of Andr�'s perennial beds and the peony and iris display gardens will follow the lecture. Free lecture
Wednesday, May 25 at 1:30 pm  Designing Beautiful Container Gardens
Sam Harris will create one of his extraordinary containers - right before your eyes! During this informative demonstration, Sam Harris of Sam Harris Designs will transform the large urn in the middle of the Viette garden center into a beautiful showpiece that is sure to become the focal point of garden center! Watch and learn as he presents an in-depth demonstration of the art of gardening in containers. Sam will talk about using annuals, tropicals, vines, even ferns and shrubs to provide your containers and hanging baskets with beautiful foliage, colorful flowers, and fragrance. He will include many that will bring butterflies and hummingbirds right to your door! Discover the secrets of creating spectacular accents for your patio and landscape. Come away with the knowledge to design your own beautiful container gardens. You won't want to miss this great seminar!
Please pre-register by calling 800-575-5538 $10 fee, two for $15 Saturday, May 28; 1:30 pm - 3:30pm  Techniques of Plant Propagation
A Hands-on Workshop Our annual spring event! Plant propagation is an exciting, self-satisfying, and money saving activity! Learn how to landscape your property using your own plants. Mark will teach you the best methods for many different plants including techniques of dividing, taking cuttings, layering, and seeding. Take home loads of plant divisions! A propagating demonstration tour is included. Please pre-register by calling 800-575-5538; $30 fee, two for $40 |
| Gardening Questions? |
 Listen to Andre on the radio
every Saturday morning
from 8-11 on
"In the Garden with Andre Viette". Click for a station in your area!
Streamed live from our
flagship station WSVA.
Listen to podcasts.
 Now you can listen to Mark
every Sunday morning
from 8-10 on "Easy Gardening" with Mark Viette.
Visit the "Easy Gardening"
website for live streaming and podcasts of Mark's NEW radio
show as well as tips and other gardening information.
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Having trouble getting through on the radio? Visit our Discussion Board!
Use the convenient search key to see if we have already addressed your problem!
Don't see the answer? Post your question!
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Andre's Next AAA Trip
| New England &
Canada Fall Foliage Cruise
October 6 - 15, 2011
Still a few spaces left!
Join Andre and Claire Viette on this fabulous trip and discover that lighthouses aren't the only reason to go up north. New England and Canada have an unmistakable charm, history, and natural beauty all their own!
Don't miss this wonderful 9-day cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean's Enchantment Seas!
Click here for more information.
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