Strawberry foliage with leafspot disease . . .

On the 15th of every month, Garden Bloggers everywhere post pictures of the plants that are blooming in their garden. Here are a few from mine.

The above picture shows purple coneflower, Echinacea ‘Magnus’, with white-flowering Echinacea ‘Avalanche’ in front. ‘Avalanche’ is a new cultivar that is shorter – to about 18 inches – and very floriferous. I started with a few tiny plugs planted last fall, and they are doing well!

Next is an image of blazing star, Liatris spicata. It has grown taller than ever before, at 4 feet, and looks great next to the dark foliage of the purple smoke tree, Cotinus coggrygia. You know what they say about perennials. “The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year the leap!” That sure happens in my garden!

Another favorite perennial is Helenium autumnale ‘Mardi Gras’. This great plant usually blooms mid-summer for me – not in autumn as the name implies. If you deadhead, the plant will continue to bloom for a long time. The unfortunate common name for the genus is Sneezeweed. Many of the Heleniums grow quite tall and work at the back of the border – but ‘Mardi Gras’ grows only to about three feet in height.

Another daisy, this is the Blanket Flower, Gaillardia ‘Mesa Yellow’. It is a short-lived perennial. It blooms the first year from seed, and is a 2010 All America Selections winner.

This is a hardy Hibiscus, the cultivar ‘Fireball’. The flower is eight inches across! The semi-woody plant behaves like a perennial, dying back in winter but growing up to six feet by mid-summer. It is quite gangly looking, and the huge flowers that open each day are then shed to the ground, creating quite a mess. But they are so strange and interesting that they are worth growing!

Some better-behaved members of the genus include the Rose-of-Sharon shrubs, like Hibiscus ‘Lil’ Kim’, above. ‘Lil’ Kim’ is little because the shrub grows to only about four feet tall, while other Rose-of-Sharon shrubs can grow to twelve feet or more.

Another member of the same family, but this time a short lived perennial, is Malva sylvestris ‘Zebrina’. I grow this little plant for its edible flowers. The purple-striped white or lavender flowers look great peeking up from the salad bowl! By the way, the larger hibiscus flowers are edible, too . . .

A few interesting annuals in the garden this year include this Dahlia ‘Jessy’. Another favorite, for its blue color, is the common Mealycup sage, or Salvia farinaceae ‘Victoria’, below.

Finally, I’ll show you a vine – Black-eyed Susan vine, Thungergia alata. It is an annual that grows easily from seed.

These are just a few of the many things blooming in the garden on this gardener’s bloom day, July 15th. Happy Gardening!

Sue

Here in Cincinnati, it’s been a very hot ten days since the last rain. Most vegetable and annual flowering plants, and some perennials, need at least an inch of water a week. There’s no rain in the forecast for the next few days, so it’s time to water!

I’ve been hand watering my containers and newly planted specimens, every day or two, using rain water from our rain barrels. We have two forty-gallon rain barrels and one that is about 25 gallons. Below is a picture of the smaller one from last spring. The barrels catch rainwater runoff from the roof of the house that would otherwise just flow into the sewer.

Since I planted a lot of new stuff recently, I’ve been making many a trip across the yard toting a couple of two-gallon watering cans. No need to work out in the gym this week!

But I’ve reached the bottom of the barrels. And some stuff that hasn’t been getting the extra attention now needs a drink. So I’ve pulled out a couple of 50-foot soaker hoses, and I wind them amongst the plants that need water, and drip-irrigate one long bed at a time.

In the vegetable garden, which consists of three four by twenty-foot raised beds, I have cobbled together a way to drip irrigate all three at once without wasting water. A twenty-foot soaker hose is laid down the middle of each bed, and I’ve used Y-connectors and short hoses to hook the three together, as seen in the photo.

When the weather is in the 90’s and sunny, certain plants are sure to wilt. They recover in the evening after the sun begins to set. I’m thinking of hydrangeas and squash vines, for example. The wilting does not necessarily mean you should run out and water – but do water if the plants don’t recover. I hate to see my plants in this condition, so I try to do my summer gardening early in the morning, before 10:00 or so, and after dinner.

By the way, my favorite watering can is called the U-Can, and it has all kinds of helpful attachments. The well-balanced can has a compartment with a tight lid for storing dry or liquid fertilizer. There is a measuring cup and tablespoon, too. This makes it very handy to remember to feed those containers, which need extra fertilizer when they are getting watered so often.

I should disclose that the company sent me a sample can. Actually, I won it in a raffle at the Garden Writers conference last fall. Before I knew I had won, though, I asked my husband to get me one as a Christmas gift. The two cans arrived during the same week in November, causing a bit of confusion when I opened the box addressed to me, but my husband thought it must surely have been addressed to him!

The surprise was spoiled, but I love and use both watering cans all the time.

Happy Gardening,

Sue

In my daughter Kara’s garden, we are growing mostly fruits that are her favorites, like strawberries and blackberries. Since the blackberries haven’t grown much yet, we are using some of that garden space for other useful plants. We put our potato bags in that area. We planted pumpkin and watermelon vines. And we filled in with flowers that we can pick for flower arrangements – especially those that can be dried for dried flower arrangements and craft projects. These flowers are called “everlastings”.

Here are some of our favorite flowers for drying:
Astilbe
Baby’s breath
Bachelor’s buttons
Bells of Ireland
Calendula
Cockscomb
Feverfew
Globe amaranth
Hydrangea
Larkspur
Lavender

Miniature roses – pick while in bud
Scarlet and blue sages
Sea Holly
Statice
Strawflower
Yarrow – yellow varieties dry best

Flowers continue to open as they dry, so the flowers should not be fully open at picking. Use only plants and flowers free of insect and disease damage, since the damage becomes more obvious after drying. As soon as possible after picking, strip off the leaves. Divide the flowers into small bunches and tie the stems together with rubber bands, stretched enough to hold them securely without breaking them.

Hang the flowers upside down in a warm, dry, place, out of direct sunlight until dry. An attic, closet, or pantry is often an ideal place. Avoid basements or porches where dampness may cause the bundles to mold.

Since stems shrink as they dry, using twist-ties may result in your flowers falling to the floor!

A few larger flowers, such as hydrangea, are sometimes dried in this way. Since they are quite large, they should be hung individually rather than in bunches. Make sure that the hydrangea blooms are fully open, or the bracts may wilt and not hold their shape as they dry.

In addition to garden flowers, many seed heads of grasses and other plants can be hung to dry. I especially like the seed pods of Baptisia, Penstemon and Vitex, and the seed heads of Northern Sea Oats, Chasmanthium latifolium.

If you pick the Sea Oats when they are green, they will remain green when dry.

Let them mature to a tan color, and that’s the color they will be.

Don’t pick them at all, and you will have hundreds of Northern Sea Oat seedlings to deal with next spring!

Happy Gardening,

Sue

When the tops of the alliums (garlic, onions and shallots) turn brown and fall over, it is time to harvest. Today I dug up the garlic and shallot bulbs. Tomorrow, I’ll dig up the onions.

The harvesting is especially easy to do with the moist soil from the plentiful rains we’ve been having this month! I dig up the bulbs with my long-handled trowel and wipe off most of the clinging soil. Then I place them in a flat or tray in a single layer to air dry in a warm place outdoors with good air circulation. Farmers often let their garlic “cure” in the field, but I put mine on the screened porch, where I know they are safe and sound.

After a week or two, when the tops and roots are crispy dry, I’ll be able to brush off any remaining soil, trim the roots and tops, and store the garlic for future use.

I grew so many garlic bulbs this year, I’ve decided to make garlic braids to give as gifts from the garden. I won’t trim the dried leaves off of those bulbs, but rather braid them together  - just like I used to braid my daughter’s hair.

It is not traditional, but I often braid my onion bulbs, too. I hang the braids in the garage until I’m ready to cut the individual onions off for cooking. In late winter, some of the bulbs fall from the braid and I have to scramble to find them on the garage floor! Still, this is the most convenient storage method I have found. I finally ran out of last year’s onions about six weeks ago!

I’ve tried not to plant too many shallots, because they do not keep in storage as well as the onions and garlic do.

Happy gardening,



Sue

There is often a spot in the mixed flower and shrub border that looks a little drab or dreary – because the flowers aren’t blooming yet; because you just cut back something that was going to seed; because you planted a colorful shrub that hasn’t yet reached its full size, so there is empty space around it.

There are several solutions to this dilemma. You could fill in any bare spots with colorful annual plants that bloom for most of the summer.

You could plant plants with colorful foliage – chartreuse, gray or reddish leaves, or variegated cream and green, for example – at regular intervals throughout the border. This helps to keep things interesting.

Or you could just move a colorful pot in to break up the solid green space. When things start to bloom in one area, the pot can be relocated to another area that needs help. I have a few “rotating pots” that I use to grab attention in my borders.

Pots with a natural finish like terracotta or concrete blend into the garden scenery, while shiny glazed ceramic pots act like a piece of statuary to accent the vignette.

Your pots don’t have to spend their lives on the deck or patio. Let them join the party in the garden!

Happy Gardening,

Sue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.  The tomatoes are coming along . . .

This year, I decided to use a more aggressive training technique for my tomato plants. Instead of just letting them scramble up willy-nilly through a tall tomato cage, I’ve been carefully pinching off all suckers and tying the single remaining stem to a pole – or, in some cases, to the side of the cage. I did this to proactively head off possible tomato disease. Last year, most of the foliage on my heirloom tomato vines died back early because of late blight disease. The newer hybrids fared better, but not great. This pruning technique allows better air circulation around the plants and fruit, so it is harder for the disease to get established. It’s also easier to see what you’re picking!

2.  The edamame is producing . . .

O.K., I planted a token small row of this vegetable because it is very hot right now. I’m referring to the vegetable, not the temperature, although both statements are true! Edamame is just a fancy name for soybeans. According to my web search on the subject, it should be harvested right before it reaches the “hardening” time – I’ll have to figure that one out. Edamame can be eaten as a snack, a vegetable dish, or used in soups. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth. I tried this as an appetizer at a restaurant, and wasn’t at all impressed. But I’m willing to try some other preparation.

3.  The lettuce is hanging in there, despite the heat . . .

Lettuce can get bitter and bolt – or produce seed heads – in the heat of summer. You can alleviate this a bit by choosing heat-tolerant varieties, planting it in partial shade and providing plenty of water. Mother Nature has been watering my garden, and my ‘Roxy’ lettuce has continued to produce for weeks. It is still sweet and tender, in addition to looking good!

4.  It’s about time to dig the garlic and onions!

The foliage is starting to turn yellow and flop over. In the next week or two, I’ll need to dig up the bulbs and spread them out to dry on my screened porch, in an area that gets good air circulation. When the tops are crispy-dry, I’ll work them into braids or cut the dried tops off and save the bulbs in baskets in a cool, dry place.

5.  Asparagus bushes are going to town!

Those who have not grown asparagus before may not realize that when you stop harvesting the spears – which are the growing stems – the plants continue to send up new spears that grow and spread out into this wonderful, fluffy fern. You must allow the fern to collect sun and make sugars by photosynthesis to send down to the roots so the plant will have lots of energy to make lots more delicious spears for next year. I do tie mine up a little bit, to facilitate mowing the lawn and growing other vegetables on one side . . .

So that’s what’s happening in the trusty garden. I’ve harvested about all of the broccoli, peas and the first few crops of radishes and lettuce. I’m pulling out the pea vines. Bush beans are starting to produce. Peppers, tomatoes, squashes and melons are not ready yet. Lots of herb are. Life is good!

Happy gardening,

Sue

On the 15th of each month, garden bloggers from around the globe post pictures of the things that are blooming in their gardens on that day. I’ve decided to join the crowd and add my own photo montage.

There are a lot of things blooming right now, so I’ll limit mine to the most interesting or different plants. They all happen to be perennial flowers this time.

I’ve started with a vignette of the garden bench under the arbor. You can see the daylilies from this viewpoint, but there are more treasures tucked in that you must approach the bench to see. By the way, these first two plants are great in flower arrangements:

In another area of the landscape, in front of my gardening shed, are these bright bloomers:

Closer to the patio, there are a few plants blooming in my favorite yellow/white and blue/purple flower colors. First, in the herb garden:

And in the perennial border, a plant that blooms in waves all summer and fall, with 3/4-inch white daisies, a Japanese aster. I think more people should use this tidy plant!

This Veronica has beautiful spikes of blue-purple flowers that last a long time. Unfortunately, the plants usually get powdery mildew part way through the summer, so the lower foliage looks really bad. I hide this by planting a shorter plant in front. Next to it is a goldenrod that always surprises me by blooming so early (I think of goldenrod as a late summer into fall bloomer). This is the dwarf goldenrod ‘Fireworks’, that only reaches two feet tall.

I haven’t shown you annuals, shrubs (Hydrangea!) roses, daylilies, coneflowers, salvia and a host of other plants . . . they are long blooming and will probably still be lookin’ good for the July Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

Happy Gardening, and may you always have a host of blooms in your garden, too!

Sue

If you live in the Midwest, you know that we’ve had storm after storm in the past few weeks. When it’s not raining, it’s hot and muggy.

I’ve emptied one to four inches of water from my rain gauge every day or two. The rain is not falling slowly over time, so that it can soak into the ground; it is falling fast and furious. See some pictures below of my yard after one of these gully-washers!

The fast-flowing water keeps re-arranging my carefully-laid much. Slugs love moist soil, and I’ve seen a lot of slug damage. I’m on the lookout for plant diseases that are worse when the weather is wet.

The good news is that I haven’t had to worry about watering my container plants or my newly planted annuals and other treasures. I’ve managed to get in a few hours of gardening here and there between showers. It’s easy to weed and edge the garden when the soil is moist, so I’ve been doing a bit of that each day.

I’ve also been picking – strawberries, peas and lettuce, radishes, spinach, chard, kale and broccoli. I’m ready to pull out the pea plants and re-plant that area with pole beans.

Happy Gardening, and hoping for some drier weather – but not too dry . . .

Sue

During a recent visit to my brother’s house, he confessed that he might have killed some new Salvia ‘May Night’ plants that he had transplanted to the garden a few weeks before. Despite carefully burying the roots and watering the plants in, the plants had slowly turned brown.

I took a look, and the plants weren’t dead at all. The flower stalks had matured and were setting seed. They did look brown, but the foliage beneath was perfectly healthy. I told him he just needed to practice deadheading.

I’m not talking about acting like someone who’s a fan of the Grateful Dead. (Am I showing my age here?)

To a gardener, this term refers to removing the spent flowers, or “dead heads”, from a plant. Deadheading can make plants look neat and tidy, and often results in new growth and more flowers from the plant.

Different plants respond to different methods of deadheading.

Some annual flowers, including zinnias, marigolds and cosmos will flower all summer if you continually remove spent flowers by cutting the stem back to the next bud or set of leaves. Perennials like tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora) and black-eyed Susan, will also re-flower if cut back this way.

Other plants, such as impatiens and the newer petunias, like the “wave” series, naturally drop their flowers and don’t need deadheading.

Plants with a spike of flowers, like snapdragons or my brother’s salvia, will usually produce flowering side shoots if you prune off the main flower stalk once it has flowered.

Finally, plants such as sweet William or the thread-leaf tickseeds like ‘Moonbeam’ (Coreopsis verticillata hybrids), can be cut back after blooming and will produce a second flush of blooms. Simply shear the entire plant back to about half its height after most of the blooms begin to fade. The plant will be more compact and floriferous.

I remember being assigned the chore of deadheading in my mom’s garden as a child. The sticky petunia blossoms and stinky marigolds really annoyed me. Clipping around the trees, buildings and fence posts with the manual grass clippers was another loathsome task. Amazingly, I became a horticulturist anyway!

Happy Gardening,

Sue