Indholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2019 i Garden Gate

Remember the good times As another year comes to a close I like to remember some of my favorite times in the garden in the past 12 months. There’s one memory in particular that I won’t forget. I love to feed birds and watch their antics. (I probably get this from my parents.) While sitting on the porch one evening last summer I noticed a ruby-throated hummingbird dancing from flower to flower in the garden, then up to the feeder hanging from the eave and back to the red calibrachoas in the windowbox. Finally it darted to my car parked in the driveway and hovered for the longest time next to the bright shiny red taillight. I guess it’s true, they are drawn to red, whether it’s nutritious or not.…

Christmas clips Pauline Grinnan, MA For years Pauline was frustrated with getting the mini lights on her Christmas tree positioned in the right spot. Then she remembered the orchid clips she used to keep her blooms upright. So she grabbed a few and with just a pinch to open the clip, the contrary wire stays in place. Plus the clips are green so they blend right in with the needles. Harvest seeds and seedheads from your garden and let them dry in a cool place for a few days. Then package them in plastic bags that are labeled with the plant name and the date. Place the packaged seedheads in decorative bags to give personalized gifts to your gardening friends. Kathleen Faulkner, CT Putting raised beds to bed Shannon Nedelka,…

□ 6-in. terra-cotta orchid pot □ 8-in. terra-cotta saucer □ 10-in. terra-cotta saucer All hardware is stainless steel: □ 12-in. (¼-20) threaded rod □ ¼×2-in. eye bolt □ ¼-20 coupling nut □ ¼-in. lock nut □ ¼-20 wing nut □ 3 ¼×1½-in. fender washers □ 1 decorative steel lamp finial □ Adhesive epoxy (E6000) □ ¼-in. masonry drill bit □ /16 crescent wrench □ Drill Mark the center of the bottoms of the two saucers with masking tape to help prevent cracking. Drill a ¼-in. hole in each. Soaking the saucers first overnight in water also helps prevent chipping and cracking and keeps the drill bit cool.  Select a lamp finial that suits your sensibilities. We chose a simple ball finial but the decorative possibilities are endless. BONUS TIP: Invert…

Hummingbirds are always welcome guests in the garden. These remarkable little birds are a delight to watch as they hover and dart from blossom to blossom. Birdwatchers across the country welcome the return of hummingbirds each spring as they migrate northward. And while hummingbird feeders do provide nourishment to the energetic birds, let’s face it: A garden filled with the flowers they favor comes to life with color and fragrance. FLOWERS = FOOD Hummingbirds eat five to 14 “meals” an hour. Their diet consists of flower nectar (which is largely sucrose, or sugar water) and protein in the form of spiders, soft-bodied insects and larvae. Since they prefer openings in the forest and forest edge, they are drawn to suburban and rural gardens that offer a mix of tall trees,…

WHAT IS IT? It’s a waste-water byproduct that’s been treated to remove pathogens and heavy metals so it’s safe to use in the garden. It’s sold in the form of fertilizer pellets or soil amendments, which Kristin uses. WHERE DO I GET IT? Check with your local wastewater treatment authority to see if they produce type A biosolid fertilizer or soil amendments. Those are safe for home garden use. Type B is only rated for agricultural and forestry application methods. If you can’t find a local product, try Milorganite.® It’s a biosolid fertilizer sold nationally and can be found at local hardware or home improvement stores.…

People think succulents are easy to grow — just put them in the sun and rarely water them, right? Actually, many succulents are native to cool, arid locations, so too much sun and heat can cause problems. And they do need to be watered, just not as often as tropical houseplants. Every one to two weeks should be right, depending on the size of the pot, light and temperature. Take a look here for some common symptoms on succulents that are suffering from watering problems. Brown or burned leaves This ‘Letizia’ sedeveria’s brown foliage is caused by water standing in the rosette of the leaves in a hot greenhouse, which burned the inner leaves. Browning on the tips indicates sunburn in dry conditions. Move the plant out of hot, direct…

Want a great-looking garden all year long, no matter what’s in bloom? Then you need strong garden bones. These are foundation plants—evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees that blend your home in with your garden and anchor your planting. While hardworking foundation plants add essential interest, shape, color and texture throughout the year, they’re not the only way to get great bones. Hardscaping elements, like a wall, arbor or fence, and ornaments work alongside plants in your garden to provide long-lasting structure in beds and borders. So on the pages ahead, you’ll also see a variety of inspiring hardscaping and learn how it helps create the framework of the garden, in addition to adding beauty. First, let’s take a look at all the ways plants add structure, shape, texture and…

Have you ever wondered if hummingbirds prefer sugar water from a feeder or nectar from an alluring blossom? Researchers at Tohono Chul Botanical Park in Arizona set up several feeders to find out. For one year volunteers counted the number of times they saw hummingbirds visit feeders versus the number of times they visited flowering plants at each site. Their observations showed that hummingbirds visit feeders less frequently when there are more flowers in the area. So if there is a lack of hummingbirds at your feeders, it may indicate the presence of a healthy ecosystem!…

Something about Shasta daisy makes it a must-have perennial. It might be the simple elegance of the flowers. It may be its inherent cheerfulness. (Doesn’t that sweep of ‘Cream Puff’ at left make you smile?) It may be the way it complements other plants and makes long-lasting additions to bouquets. But there are so many other benefits beyond its beauty: It’s a fabulous choice for pollinator gardens. Bees and a variety of other beneficial insects love visiting the landing-pad-shape blooms. Its propensity for attracting good bugs also makes Shasta daisy valuable in the vegetable garden. This hardy perennial is also easy to grow in a wide swath of the country. Once plants are established, you won’t need to worry about hauling the hose to give them a drink every day…

Use materials from around the yard. Philip uses branches from common trees and shrubs that are about the same size so they finish at the same time. Make sure the wood is dry before you burn it or the added moisture will slow the process, creating more ash. This won’t necessarily harm the soil but doesn’t have the revitalizing benef it of charcoal. Avoid using a pan kiln when the wind is 5 mph or higher. Increased wind reduces biochar yield and increases the fire risk. Start the fire with a small amount of wood at the bottom of the kiln, then add more gradually on the upwind side so you don’t smother the fire until you reach the top of the kiln. When the flames have died out, douse…

How accurate are expiration dates on seed packets? Barbara Armstrong, IA Seeds don’t technically go bad. An expiration date tells you the likelihood seeds will be viable. Storing them in a dark, dry, cool spot helps prolong seeds’ lifespan, but germination rates usually decline with every year in storage. Some seeds (cucumbers, beans) have high germination rates for five years or more, but others (corn, peppers, spinach) lose vigor after even one year. Q I’ve removed all the dead plants from my raised vegetable beds. Is there anything I should do with the beds in winter? Florence McNamara, CA A Once you’ve removed the spent plants and weeds from your raised beds all you need to do is spread a few inches of compost over the surface of the soil…

WHAT I’VE LEARNED... Variegated horseradish is worth the wait. It takes a few years for the variegation to fully develop, but it’s so beautiful when it does. Watch for cardinal courtship in your garden in midspring at the same time that the redbuds are in bloom. You’ll see the males feeding seeds to the females. They almost look like they’re kissing. Cast-iron plant thrives on neglect. This houseplant is so slow growing. You just have to stick with it. I’ve been growing some of mine for 25 years. There are some really cool ones with polka dots, stripes and chartreuse, creamy, or golden variegations. I’ve seen lots of people growing edibles in small spaces this year. In one Vermont garden, the gardeners grew strawberries on their driveway in long windowboxes…

Terra-cotta pots aren’t just for plants. They can be used to make all kinds of cool things, including bird feeders. It’s a cinch to make this garden-themed bird feeder out of a simple terra-cotta flower pot and a couple of saucers. Look for an orchid pot like this one with holes in the sides. You can size this up or down to suit your fancy. And this is a great project to personalize: Decorate it with mosaic seashells or pebbles or paint it with chalkboard paint so you can change it up as often as you like. WHAT’S FOR DINNER? During the winter months in northern states, natural food is becoming scarcer for birds, and days and nights are colder, so they are working harder than ever to find food…

Here’s a list of plants that tolerate roadside salt. Austrian pine Pinus nigra Tree; dark green, pyramidal and dense; full sun; 40 to 60 ft. tall, 20 to 40 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7 Colorado blue spruce Piceapungens ‘Montgomery’ Tree; slow-growing dwarf conifer with gray-blue needles; part to full sun; 3 to 4 ft. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 2 to 8 Feather reed grass Calamagrostisx acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ Perennial; vertical feathery stalks emerge red-brown in spring, turn golden in fall; full sun; 2 to 3 ft. tall and wide, bloom stalks up to 5 ft. tall; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 Blue fescue Festucaglauca‘Elijah Blue’ Perennial; short, icy-blue foliage, tan flower stalks; full sun to part shade;…

Some gardens are starting to look tired by midsummer. Not this one—it’s just hitting its stride! This high-energy mix of perennials and shrubs will motivate you to get out and enjoy the variety of colors and flower shapes, just when weeding and watering might otherwise start to seem like a chore. GET THE LOOK There are two tips for a successful design like this: First, be sure to grow plants that bloom at different times of year, not just ones that are blooming at the garden center in spring when most people shop. Second, include plants that bloom for long periods of time, rebloom or have several seasons of interest. For example, ‘Polish Spirit’ clematis blooms off and on for months, and this panicle hydrangea’s blooms start white but go…

Blanketflower Gaillardia x grandiflora ‘Mesa Yellow’ Top-notch pick for attracting bees and butterflies and resisting munching deer and rabbits. Catmint Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ Both Shasta daisy and catmint are easy-care, drought-tolerant plants that practically take care of themselves once they become established. Shasta daisy complements catmint’s silvery green foliage. Lavender Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ Bring elegance into your yard with Shasta daisy’s rounded flowers. They create visual contrast against lavender’s spiky blooms. Penstemon ‘Red Riding Hood’ Penstemon hybrid Add excitement to your pots and plantings with this combination of heat-loving, low-water perennials. Yarrow Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’ This pairing is perfect for bouquets, as well as all-white borders and moon gardens, where the flowers shimmer as the sun goes down.…

YELLOWED LEAVES Older leaves will turn yellow first when a plant is overwatered. They may be accompanied by blistered lesions, or oedema, where cells burst from having absorbed too much water. Yellowed leaves can also be caused by damaged roots that can’t absorb nutrients, leading to a deficiency. A rubber plant’s thick lower leaves turn yellow and fall off quickly when overwatered. STEM ELONGATION A plant without enough light will grow long and spindly, with more space between smaller-than-normal leaves and weak, floppy stems. It can be easily overwatered, since the plant uses less water with less vigorous growth. This ZZ plant’s stems would have dark green leaves spaced closer together on thick, upright stems if it had not been overwatered. BROWN LEAF TIPS Too much water means an excess…

Yellow salsify Tragopogon pratensis What it looks like The 2-inch-wide yellow, dandelionlike flowers of this distinctive biennial are surrounded by longer green bracts and open in the morning but close by afternoon. The flowers emerge throughout the summer and are supported on 1- to 3-foot-tall stems that arise from a rosette of strappy, blue-green leaves. The blossoms then develop into fluffy white seedheads about twice the size of a dandelion’s. Both the stems and the leaves contain a white latex. Where to find it Salsify was introduced at the beginning of the 1900s by early settlers as an edible plant (the fleshy taproots are said to taste like oysters). It has escaped cultivation and naturalized throughout most of the United States in meadows, fields, vacant lots, open woodlands and roadsides.…

Though this color-filled container does best with plenty of sun, a little shelter in the hottest part of the day helps cut down on watering and prevents the dark coleus foliage from burning. Deadhead spent angelonia and marigold blooms to encourage more to form. A Angelonia AngeloniaangustifoliaCarita ™ Raspberry Tender perennial; raspberry spikes from spring to fall; full sun to part shade; 14 to 18 in. tall, 12 to 16 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11 B Coleus Plectranthusscutellarioides‘Shiny Shoes’ Tender perennial; glossy deep purple leaves with lavender flowers so late you rarely see them; full sun to part shade; 14 to 18 in. tall, 12 to 16 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11 C French marigold Tagetespatula ‘Alumia Vanilla Cream’ Annual;…