Innehållsförteckning för May/Jun 2018 från Garden Gate

I think I have a hydrangea obsession. In the last 14 years I’ve planted 30—and my garden is only a single city lot! We’ve had our ups and downs: I had to divide some when they outgrew their spaces. And since deer love my oakleaf hydrangeas, I haven’t always been able to enjoy the gorgeous, huge panicle blooms. (I finally figured out how to fence and stake them to keep the deer from pruning them.) If you would love to grow hydrangeas in your garden or you’ve struggled with getting them to look their best, check out our story on page 14. There you’ll learn which ones are most likely to thrive in your garden and also the answer to one of the most asked questions about hydrangeas: How do…

FLOWER FORMS Single Three petals and three sepals Double More than one whorl of petals and sepals or peonylike outgrowth (A) Spider Petals much longer than they are wide Polymerous More than the normal number of segments in each floral whorl (B) Unusual form Distinctive petal or sepal shapes, affecting the form of the flower in a unique way COLOR MARKINGS Band A coloring that does not show on the sepals Bicolor Petals are a different and darker color than the sepals Bitone Petals are a darker shade than the sepals Blend Petals and sepals are two or more colors Diamond dusting The flower reflects light as if it is sparkling Dotted/dusted The surface color is unevenly distributed over the background color Edged/picoteed The edges of the flower segments are…

Few plants are as nostalgic and desired as hydrangeas. They are one of the most easily recognized flowering shrubs. Spanning heights of 1 to 10 feet, with bloom times from late spring through fall in shades of pink, purple, blue, red and white, hydrangeas can be the highlight of your garden all year long. You can choose from full, rounded mophead flowers or more open, delicate lacecap types. Let’s take a look at everything you’ll need to know when choosing one for your garden and answer some of the most commonly asked questions about growing hydrangeas. FOOLPROOF PLANTS One of the biggest challenges of growing hydrangeas is understanding when to prune them. Do it at the wrong time, and you risk cutting off next year’s flowers. To avoid this issue,…

There are some common symptoms you might find on your plant that signal it has a disease. Even if you can’t identify the exact disease, noticing any of the symptoms below means it’s best to sterilize any tools used to prune this plant. • Brown or black spots with a yellow halo on leaves, fruit, flowers, or stems • Cankers on trunks, branches, or stems • Crown gall, which is a cream-colored overgrowth at the base of the plant • Leaf or shoot blight • Wilting leaves or stems • Rotted fruit or stems • Crusted scabs on leaves, stems, or fruit…

There are some plants, such as those in the photos at right, that are cottage garden classics. But that doesn’t mean you have to grow each specific species to get this colorful laid-back style. In fact, if a plant isn’t well-suited to the soil, sun or weather in your area, it’s better to swap it out for something else. The plant will look better and take less work to maintain. Take a look at the list below to find the various roles plants play, then choose several from each category and you’ll have the cottage garden of your dreams. Spike From tall to small, these flowers turn heads, add excitement and keep the garden interesting. Delphinium Delphinium spp. and hybrids (in photo) Perennial; blue, purple, white, cream or pink…

Just when you want to enjoy a nice, pleasant evening in your garden, the mosquitoes do, too. Worldwide, these unwelcome visitors spread diseases, such as malaria and Zika in tropical regions and West Nile virus, dog heartworm and eastern equine encephalitis in temperate zones. Let’s take a look at how to keep mosquitoes out of your garden. The hundreds of species in North America differ some in habitat, season and egg-laying preferences. But all have a similar life cycle, pictured in the illustration below. A mosquito feeds on plant nectar. Only the females bite mammals, birds and other animals, seeking a “blood meal” after mating to enable them to lay eggs. Carbon dioxide from breath, sweat and warmth are all enticing to them, so they tend to be drawn to…

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE Johnsongrass is a 6- to 8-ft.-tall grass with 1-in.-wide leaf blades and distinctive white midribs. Large, pyramidal, airy flower panicles held well above the foliage emerge green in late spring and mature to burgundy in fall. Creamy white, fleshy rhizomes spread up to 6 ft. long underground to form colonies. WHERE TO FIND IT Johnsongrass has spread across the entire United States and is now moving into Canada, invading pastures, crop fields, thickets and roadside ditches. It prefers full sun and moist, rich soils, but will adapt to less favorable conditions. HOW TO GET RID OF IT In gardens, dig and dispose of small clumps immediately before they set seed. A single plant can produce 80,000 seeds and 275 ft. of rhizomes in a single growing…

1 | GARDENING WITH CHICKENS Are you interested in raising chickens in your garden? This is a good place to start. Learn how to care for your chickens, how to feed them with plants from your garden and even some basic gardening tips. It’s a good resource for topics like raised beds and composting, but the main focus is how to grow a garden that best benefits your chickens. Voyager press, local and online bookstores ($22.99; softcover; 176 pages) 2 | BACKYARD CHICKENS: BEYOND THE BASICS If you already have chickens and are looking to expand your knowledge, this book teaches about chicken health and behavior, and how to keep your flock safe and your eggs abundant. It will help you raise a more robust flock and your chickens will…

This trio of pots features a combination of sun-loving sweet potato vine and angelonia, and shade-tolerant begonias, mother-in-law’s tongue and euphorbia. They’ll thrive in an area that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, or all-day dappled light. Give this group consistent moisture to prevent the shade-lovers from scorching in light. Plant it up in late spring for color and texture until fall. Both Rieger begonias and mother-in-law’s tongue are house plants. Look for them in the house plant section or (in the case of the begonias) a florist’s shop. The begonias are short-lived, so when frost hits, toss them. But if you move the mother-in-law’s tongue inside before the first frost, it’ll live for years. Keep it in a warm room with indirect light. PLANT LIST (number to plant) A…

Transportable tomatoes Roberta Robinson, Ohio A deer problem in her neighborhood couldn’t keep Roberta from growing her most coveted garden crop: tomatoes. To avoid putting up a tall fence, Roberta decided to use the protection of her garage walls during the night and evening hours. How? She planted her tomatoes in 5-gallon buckets and placed them on a cart. She made the cart out of a hollow core door, six inexpensive casters, and an old clothesline rope as a handle. She pulls the tomatoes into the garage at night and out into the sun in the morning. CD cases for seed packets Janice Robertson, Virginia Janice plants a lot of seeds in spring and summer and she likes to keep the packets to store the leftover seed for next year…

Daylilies are easy to grow and they’re everywhere: the neighbor’s backyard, city hall and even in the ditch. But that doesn’t mean they’re just a boring flower that fills empty space! Nikki Schmith accidentally wandered into an American Hemerocallis Society (AHS) daylily show while at the mall one day and was floored by the gorgeous flowers poised for competition. They weren’t just the common yellow ‘Stella d’Oro’ everyone knows: Each flower was unique in its own way. Now she grows more than 500 different cultivars, 15 of which she bred herself, and has eagerly dedicated years of service to the AHS. She just finished her term as president and is currently a member of the Board of Directors, as well as serving in many other capacities. To learn more about…

If you don’t know where to begin, visit an AHS registered display garden near you. The growers will tell you what works best in your region, and you may even be able to purchase some daylilies. If not, they can point you in the direction of a local or mail-order source. Buying daylilies from a regional grower means you’ll have success growing them, too. Nikki’s six picks grow well almost anywhere, are full of color and stand up against the elements. And of course, they are absolutely stunning. Decoding a daylily catalog It can seem like the world of daylilies even has its own language. Below is an example of the information you might find in a catalog when ordering ‘Special Candy’ daylily, featured at bottom right. PLOIDY This information…

• 2/3 cup turbinado or organic cane sugar • 2 Tbsp. dried or fresh lavender • About 2 Tbsp. grapeseed or extra virgin olive oil Mix the ingredients together in a bowl, adding the oil 1 tablespoon at a time. Stop when it’s a consistency that will adhere to your skin without sliding off. Scoop it into an 8-oz. glass jar. Moisturize your hands and face by rubbing it on and letting it sit for about a minute. Then rinse off with water. This sugar scrub should last for about a year, especially if you store it in the refrigerator.…

If you’ve hiked woodland trails, you’ve likely stopped in awe and knelt to get a closer look at mounds of moss growing on the forest floor. Moss is one of nature’s most low-profile plants. But its small statute makes it the most magical. Moss is remarkable in its self-reliance: It requires neither fertilizers nor pesticides. It doesn’t have to be mowed or pruned. And it needs little water. It’s like a living green mulch. Mosses have been around at least 450 million years and are the oldest plants on land: They cushioned the feet of dinosaurs. And they are ubiquitous: Moss can be found on all seven continents. MEET THE MOSS MAN David Spain lives in a moss paradise. The yard surrounding his home is a verdant moss garden, complete…

If you don’t have a spot for moss in your yard or garden, try it in containers. Here are some tips: Choose an appropriate container Select pots made from moss-friendly mediums, such as plastic, ceramic, seasoned concrete, stone, or wood. Avoid galvanized, zinc or copper containers — mosses are sensitive to heavy metals and some chemicals. Facilitate drainage Use a container with ample drainage holes, add gravel to the base of the container and top with a well-draining potting medium. Combine different moss types — and other plants Mosses with varying textures and shades of greens make good partners. Other moss friendly plants include ferns, small hosta, mondo grass, and miniature Solomon’s seal. Top off with organic décor Add a piece of wood or stone to complement the moss planting.…

Do you have a garden shed that is functional but far from beautiful? When my family moved into our home, we were glad to have a place to store our outdoor equipment. Unfortunately, it was a real eyesore. Instead of getting rid of it and losing the storage or purchasing a new one to sit looking lonely in the yard, I decided that the resourceful and exciting option was to keep the shed and use those funds for new plants instead. Isn’t it satisfying to make something shabby into something beautiful? I can hear my fellow frugal gardeners chanting with me: Make it pretty! A PLACE TO BE Aside from wheeling the lawn mower back and forth, this part of the yard wasn’t being used. What a waste of precious…

Eggs are laid in water singly or multiples in a raft formation, or on the ground in places where they will be washed into a body of water by rain or splashing droplets. Larvae grow and molt four times before becoming a pupa. They feed on organic matter and bacteria in the water. Pupae are mobile but don’t feed. They float just under the surface of the water, flipping their tails to move. Adults emerge from the pupal cases and rest on the surface of the water until they are able to fly. Within 2 days, they will seek mates to start the life cycle again.…

Agastache ‘Peachie Keen’ Anise Common hyssop Name Perennial Blooms Latin Name Tubular peach flowers Common with magenta Name calyxes summer Latin to early Name fall Common Name Light Latin Name Full sun Soil Well-drained Pests None serious Size 20 to 24 in. tall, 26 to 32 in. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 6 to 9 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1 Botanical Names Coneflower Echinacea purpurea Pincushion flower Scabiosa columbaria Are your favorite plants the kind that take no effort at all? This plant is the whole package—and maybe even more. In addition to its beauty, ease of care and minty licorice fragrance, agastache deters pesky wildlife like deer and rabbits and attracts the lovable ones. Hummingbirds are already crazy for the tubular flowers, and the…

More is good! Too much chocolate cake can leave you with a stomachache; too much rain can cause a flood; too much running can lead to a bum knee. But when it comes to container gardening, there’s no such thing as too much! If you like having one container, then you’ll love having more. And if you’re already planning on having several containers spread around your yard, why not try grouping a few together? Two, three, five…several containers in one area can create a dramatic, striking look. And that grouping can be functional, too. On the following pages, you’ll find recipes for three excellent container groups, and the secrets to why they work so well. Follow our directions exactly, or use the information to create beautiful groups of your own.…

Containers with standards (a plant trained to grow as a single stem) aren’t common, but they’re great for making a statement. While you can train a plant into this form, it takes a long time and a lot of work. Why go to all the trouble when you can buy the lantana already in standard form? This grouping needs full to part sun. Because it’s filled with annuals (actually, tender perennials that should be treated as annuals), it’ll bloom from spring to frost. Keep it on a regular fertilizing schedule for the most colorful blooms. The euphorbia doesn’t do well with overly moist conditions, so make sure you plant it up using a high-quality potting mix to ensure great drainage. If you truly love this container, pull it indoors to…

Squash bug Anasa tristis These pests meddle with the squash, pumpkins, cucumbers or other melons you love to grow. They suck out sap in leaves and stems, making them wilt, turn brown and die. If an adult eats a seedling, it will kill the whole plant, and if it feeds on a flowering stem, it will ruin the fruit. APPEARANCE AND LIFE CYCLE Flat brown adults are ½ in. long and lay tiny, oval-shaped brown-orange eggs on the undersides of leaves in groupings about ½ in. wide, as shown in the photo above. Nymphs have gray bodies and black legs. Adults live about 100 days and overwinter in brush or leaf piles to appear in spring to feast on young plants. TREATMENT The key is to prevent these pests. Remove…

The AHS was founded in 1946 and is dedicated to educating, promoting and enjoying daylilies. Membership with the AHS includes: • Quarterly publications and regional newsletters • A yearly conference • A chance to exhibit at regional daylily shows • And more! Each region has registered display gardens. Addresses of display gardens are published on the Web site, www.daylilies.org, and you are welcome to visit the gardens during blooming seasons. Nikki’s home is a display garden in Illinois!…

Lavender is one of the most versatile plants you can grow. It blooms for weeks in summer, is easy to care for, brings in bees and butterflies but deters deer, makes a great addition to recipes and, of course, smells fantastic! The flowers, stems and foliage are loaded with oils that may occasionally waft through the garden on a warm breeze. But you’ll get the most intense experience by running your hands through the stems to release the aromatic oils. One of the best things about growing your own lavender is the many ways you can use it. Turn to page 27 for a few projects and a recipe for an easy-to-make sugar scrub. TAKE A LOOK AT LAVENDER There are about 30 species of lavender and hundreds of cultivars.…

There are two kinds of garden moss: acrocarpous and pleurocarpous. Acrocarpous mosses have a short upright growth habit. This type of moss produces foliage that is erect, unbranched, and forms a mounded colony. Weeds don’t have a chance of popping up in acrocarpous moss because it grows so thick and has tightly packed stems. Pleurocarpous mosses have a branching growth habit. This type of moss grows faster than acrocarpous moss, attaches to rocks, and does a better job of growing in rough ground. Pleurocarpous mosses also regenerate quickly from broken pieces, which makes them ideal for poking here and there amid rocks.…

Do you have a garden question? We have answers! Submit your questions and even upload images at www.GardenGateMagazine.com/share Or, mail to Garden Gate Q & A, 2143 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. Please include your name, address and daytime phone number in case we have any questions. Moss on maple trees Jan Henry, Oregon Q My maple (Acer spp.) tree has lots of moss growing on it. Will it harm the tree? How should I treat it? A It’s normal for moss, algae and lichens to grow on tree trunks and branches. They don’t hurt the tree or its bark. In fact, they can give a mature, natural look to a garden. These organisms tend to grow in shady, damp areas where there is limited air circulation. If you…

If you love fall color, this container’s for you! While most of the plants are available in summer, autumn is when the purple fountain grass really shines. This beauty will hold strong from late summer to frost, as long as it has full sun and even moisture. Overall, this planting is very low maintenance. Purple fountain grass, cockscomb and dichondra are perennials in zones 9 to 11, but they should be treated as annuals everywhere else. Keep the coreopsis and gloriosa daisies deadheaded to encourage more blooms. If all the coreopsis you find at the garden center look lanky and only have a few buds, you can buy the plants and shear them back by half in late summer to get a compact form and encourage fall blooms. For the…

COLOR GALORE It’s hard to resist the lure of a garden filled with bright, cheerful blooms, no matter what the season. So how do you get that lush, flower-filled look in fall? Create a flower-filled fall container! Our inspiration garden is a summer beauty filled with shell-pink verbena (Verbena hybrid), orange cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) and marigolds (Tagetes hybrid), scarlet zinnias (Zinnia elegans) and buttery yellow Marguerite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens). A bit of ferny dusty miller foliage soothes the color explosion. To turn that into a fall container, we first needed to find a pot that would stand up to all that color. We took our inspiration from the woven chair in the big garden’s background, and found this woven twig basket. Perfect! From there, it was just a matter of…