P H O T O S : (G R A S S ) P E T E K R U M H A R D T; (G L A S S E S ) B L A IN E M O A T S
AUGUST
GARpENER
outdoors
HOME PRAIRIE
COMPANION
‘Prairie Fire’ red sw itchgrass
(Panicum virgatum
) lives up to its
nam e by igniting m eadow -style
gardens with hot-hue foliage that
flickers in the breeze. After
em erging a cool blue-green in
spring, foliage turns deep red by
m idsum m er, then golden in
autum n. W ith roots that run 10
feet deep, this native is a natural
for d ry slopes. C lu m p s grow
3 -6 feet tall. H ard y in Zo nes 4 -9 .
W hy are m y tom atoes cracking
and splitting open?
A prolonged dry
spell followed
by rain can cause ripening tom atoes
to grow so rapidly that the skin splits. To prevent
this malady, maintain constant soil m oisture. W ater
deeply (at least i
inch per week) and mulch around plants to
reduce evaporation. Crack-resistant varieties include ‘Big Boy’,
‘C eleb rity, ‘Jet Star’, and ‘Park’s W hopper Im proved’. For m ore
tips on growing healthy tom atoes, go to
BHG.com/tomatoes.
YARD GOODS
sun readers
Take the w o rry out o f w earing yo u r
good reading glasses in the yard o r at
the beach. G els Sunreaders are m ade
o f lightweight, bendable plastic that's
tough to break. A vailable in + 1 .0 0 -
+ 3 .0 0 pow ers, in A qua,
right,
T o rto ise ,
C rystal, M idnight, an d Em erald . $16 ;
scojo.com Cob
F o r bn yitig in fo rm atio n see p age 213 .
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BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS AUGUST 2010
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