Here’s the answer to this week’s Whatzit #3.Â
The two teak structures in the photo are actually outdoor shower supports. You supply the plumbing,
Great for pool or post-gardening rinsing-off, these and other fun teak and garden products, imported directly from Indonesia, can be found at Teak Closeouts, 573 Angliana Ave. Web-site: Click HERE.
There is a lot happening along Angliana Avenue, in the old tobacco warehouse district. Replacing the Loose Leaf Warehouse where the monthly antique dealers’ shows were held, are new apartment buildings, aimed at the student housing market; just this week, plans for another Angliana Ave. adaptive re-use project were revealed, which include a grocery, theatres, and apartments. For a link to the full story, click HERE.
           Hydrangeas  Â
 Every once in a while, you’ll catch a glimpse of what looks like a heap of big baseballs in a bush. On second glance, you’ll discover … AHA! … it’s really hydrangea. White blooming mopheads, classics that grandma planted around the foudation of her house, sometimes turn  blue or pink as the pH of the soil changes, create a striking display. New and popular cultivars include Oak Leaf hydrangeas, with a more conical-shaped flower head, and the delicate lace-fringed varieties, with larger flowers creating a halo around a tighter central cluster. To study the range of flowers available, you can find heaps of hydrangeas at Wilkerson Mill Farm,  www.hydrangea.com.  They include ’Hunker Down’, the photo of which was shot at former Georgia football coach Vince Dooley’s home. Dooley has taken up cultivating hydrangeas lately, and was in Lexington last fall, giving a lecture on just that topic. If you’re going to buy one, though, be sure that the cultivar you choose is hardy in USDA hardiness zone 6.
LavenderToday’s flower is the herb lavender.
Stalks capped by rows of tiny purple blooms reach for the sun in June and July. Bees and butterfiles love it.  I love to make dried bouquets by weaving narrow ribbons between the sweet smelling stalks, tying them together as sachets.Â
Want to know more about growing herbs?  There’s a hands-on workshop at The Arboretum on Alumni Dr. this Wednesday evening, June 23rd, at 6:30 p.m.  Master Gardener Linda Corridoni writes “We will lead a tour of the herb garden, talking about the plants, their uses, growing herbs in pots, and harvesting. You will learn a lot! The participants will each receive an herb plant.”  The program fee is $10; to pre-register call 859.257.9339, or send an e-mail to rburnes@uky.edu.Â
Today there are only 460 days until the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games begin in the Bluegrass. This Whatzit is on the way there. As Bob Perry commented, the rocks ascending this wall are 
actually stair steps, which allow people to climb over the fence easily; they lead to a small, enclosed cemetery dating from the mid-1800s created by the Gorham family, which once owned the land here on Newtown Pike. The stone walls along this section of the road were recently rebuilt, but this section was left untouched. So much for history. Let’s look to the present and future. Despite the spacious, bucolic beauty of wide rolling green fields, there’s a lot happening over that rock wall. On the way to the Kentucky Horse Park, this area is part of a UK College of Agriculture research farm, close to a water quality riparian buffer zone project on Cane Run creek, as well as the new Legacy Trail, a multi-use pathway that will connect the Kentucky Horse Park and downtown Lexington. With the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games around the corner, this section of the highway represents the beauty of the Bluegrass well, and is a sign of some positive positive progress. Click on the underlined links to find out more about each organization. *************************The Whatzit #2 question: This one’s more of a Wherezit, because if you know that, you probably know the Whatzit of it, too. How closely do you pay attention to detal as you cruise around the Bluegrass, enjoying the classic look of dry stone walls? This sections, however, is mortared. For Whatzit used?
Water … cheap?
Water … clean?
Water … destructive?
Water … wasted?
Water … accessible?
We take it for granted every day, yet good, clean water is a commodity around which control and access issues continue to develop.Â
Want to learn more? Check out FLOW, a collaborative film by Louisville producer Gill Holland and company. You can find more information and a preview trailer by clicking the poster. There will be a special showing of the film at 7:30 this Sunday, June 21,  at Natasha’s Bistro & Bar, 112 Esplanade, Lexington; Holland will be on hand for some Q & A.Â
Peas . . .
A couple months ago, I planted peas along the chain link fence by the side of my yard, because peas need support for climbing. I put them in a sunny spot, and they began growing in the cool spring weather. Now the vines cover the fence, and today I ate peas for lunch. It was amazing to go to the yard, pick the pea pods, open them and shell the peas into a pan and cook them. Only five minutes from vine to dine. In case you’ve never seen what peas look like before they arrive at the grocery in frozen food bags, I’ve included some photos of the white flowers, green pods on the vine, pods cracked open showing the peas, and what they look like just before cooking. I composted the discarded pods. Sometimes, if you catch them early and tender enough, these pea pods can also be stir-fried as snow peas. Sweet, tender, and with a flavor you just can’t get from store-bought.Â
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 Bergamot    Even in the rain, Bergamot challenges cardinals for flashe
s of red color in the garden. Also known as Monarda, Bee Balm and Oswego tea, this mint-family herb can grow up to about four feet in height, commanding a striking presence in perennial borders. Its tast is reminiscent of Earl Grey tea, which derives its flavor from the bergamot orange. Cultivars can be found with blooms in white, pink, and a range of purples.
When monarda finds a spot it likes, it will spread like crazy.  Usually, that’s slightly moist for the roots, but well drained and in a sunny spot for the leaves and flowers. Dig and divide clumps and you’ll have some to share with firends and donate to plant sales. Later in the season, mildew is sometimes a problem.Â
Whatzit #1 Solution        
Rather than creating a sidewalk or driveway which blocks water from flowing through to the ground below, you can install permeable pavers which allow stormwater to soak in instead of run off. The open structure of this particular paver also lets grass grow up, creating greener spaces around your home. This photo was taken at Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, which is holding its annual Lawn & Garden Party fundraiser on June 20th.  Click Ashland for details.Â
To find out more about these pavers from a local source, see Meade Concrete Products , and check out their Eco Friendly Permeable Pavers, especially Turfstone.
Coreopsis
Bees love a drift of coreopsis. Gardeners also appreciate the burst of sunny perennial color they keep throughout the summer and into fall.  Set against their ferny foliage, they’re a sea of yellow. Coreopsis is also called tickseed, because its seeds, called achenes, look a bit like little ticks.  In recent years, many different varieties of this native plant have become more widely available at local garden shops.  Low fuss, lots of flair. Want to check out some different types of coreopsis? Click on the following catalog names: Wayside Gardens Shooting Star Nursery
Roses …Â Â Â 
oops! Make that Roses …
My rose-growing friend Hattie Slone just brought me a bouquet of some miniature roses from her garden. Even in the worst of growing times, her garden overflows with roses. She cuts bouquets and then delivers them to people all over town to brighten their day.  I can never remember all of the names Hattie recites to identify all the different roses, but she just told me about a helpful Web-site called HelpMeFind.com, which provides a searchable database and photos of many roses. Try it out, and search for Abby’s Angel under the search/lookup feature on the site.  Then you’ll know which Mini-Flora rose in this photo bears that name.
The two teak structures in the photo are actually outdoor shower supports. You supply the plumbing,
