Innehållsförteckning för Jul/Aug 2018 från Garden Gate

I love creating container gardens. Through trial and error I’ve found certain combinations and colors that I use every year. For example, the go-to combo for my entry is a large deep-burgundy New Zealand flax, airy pennisetum, bright orange zinnia, purple calibrachoa and black sweet potato vine. Then there are those containers I like to experiment with. If these containers don’t turn out as I imagine, I may keep swapping things out all summer. Sometimes I like the new look even better. On page 12 we’ll share two containers that, for whatever reason, didn’t shine in our test garden last year. But we kept working at it and with a few additions and tweaks, they were stunning by the end of summer. Speaking of challenges, do you struggle with clay…

Materials list Commercial trash can 1¾-in. hose bibb, male threads 1 female hose connector 1 male hose mender 1 female pipe connector 1 1-in. fender washer 1 plastic downspout adapter 1-sq.-ft. 16x18 fiberglass window screen 1 4-in. hose clamp 2 1-in. conduit straps 4 #8 1/2 -in. sheet metal screws 1 4-ft. length of garden hose (or longer) Downspout elbows or flexible adapter 5-minute epoxy Silicone sealant Concrete blocks for base Nothing beats rainwater for keeping plants healthy. It contains more oxygen than tap water and helps release micronutrients in the soil. So saving what comes off your roof not only saves you a bit of cash, it makes the garden healthier. This simple do-it-yourself rain barrel at left only takes a couple of hours to make. All you need…

In containers, snip out 1/4 of the lankiest gaura blooms every 3 weeks to keep the plant shorter and tidier while encouraging fresh flower spikes all season. Weave a few branches of neighboring plants together with a new plant so it looks like they’ve been growing together all season, not just stuck in at the last minute.…

Bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE While some gardeners see bracken fern as a helpful ground cover, others find it far too aggressive to have in the garden. Growing 3 to 4 ft. tall and 4 to 5 ft. wide, bracken fern has big, leathery compound leaves that are triangular in shape. It spreads vigorously by spores or underground runners that can get up to 20 ft. long 2 to 4 in. below the surface of the soil. In spring you’ll find bracken fern’s fiddleheads look different than other ferns’. There are three curled stems that look a bit like an eagle’s talon. But don’t eat them. Studies have found carcinogenic compounds in this plant. WHERE TO FIND IT Bracken fern is found all over North America in…

The flag marks the spot Carly Hancock, Iowa When she’s doing other yard chores, such as pruning or dead-heading, Carly sometimes spies a volunteer tree seedling or weed growing in her green ground cover. She usually stops what she’s doing to go get her soil knife or other weeding tool. But when she returns, she can’t always find the invader she spotted earlier. Instead of trying to lug around multiple tools, she’s found a lighter, simpler option: a few small American flags on sticks. She carries them in her back pocket, and when a trouble spot appears, she pops a flag in the ground. The red, white and blue can’t be missed when she returns with tool in hand. When all the hard work of tending to the yard is…

Flowers are what attract people to a plant—their color, their shape, their scent. Poets have waxed on about flowers, lovers have wooed and been wooed with flowers, and Victorians created a complicated code of meaning ascribed to flowers. But the shape of flowers is even more artful than one might think. The architecture of the bloom reveals a secret: Flowers evolved their shapes to accommodate their specific pollinators. BEAUTY BEGETS FUNCTION Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, has long been fascinated with flower forms. But while flower forms are beautiful, they are also functional. Tony says that flowers have garnered a lot of interest because of their function in nature. “Flower forms correspond to pollinator type,” he says. In the act of pollination, both partners benefit:…

Are you the kind of gardener who likes to see how many plants you can pack in your garden? Do your quick trips to the grocery store include eggs, milk and—oh, why not—another 4-pack of petunias (Petunia spp. and hybrids)? I bet you’re a fan of annuals and tender perennials (plants that are perennials in warm climates but usually just grown for one season and replaced the next year). They’re dependable, long-blooming, easy-to-grow and can make a home in any size or shape of garden. Let’s face it: There’s a lot to love. And even though there’s always a place in the garden for old standbys, such as petunias and impatiens (Impatiens spp. and hybrids), let me make a case for some annual plants that just don’t get the glory…

Gardening brings its share of joys, but also challenges. My most vexing has been dealing with clay—the soil that, when even slightly wet, leaves a slick coating on my boots (tracking everywhere), and when dry, forms a hard, cracked crust my plants hate. If you think of soil like chocolate cake, it should be fluffy with a balance of cakey bits and air pockets. Clay soil is like a dense torte: Its particles fit tightly together, leaving few air pockets. Hold clay in your hand and squeeze a little, and it balls up like modelling clay (except it’s decidedly not fun). Clay is a pain to dig as it’s inclined to come out of the ground in clods, rather than as loose earth. Clay isn’t just a challenge for you…

If there’s one thing you should splurge on, it’s the garden that makes a first impression—your front yard. Head-turning curb appeal can add as much as 10 to 12 percent to your home’s value! Sound good? Keep reading and you’ll find out how to rev up a boring driveway, dress up your entry and create a garden that’s in scale with the house. DRIVEWAY DILEMMA Just about every front yard has a driveway to contend with—they’re useful but not too attractive. Take the focus off the drive by adding generous borders filled with color and texture. Avoid trimming your drive with a little ribbon of garden—it looks out of proportion and just adds emphasis to that big slab of pavement. Garden designer Lily Maxwell’s garden at right has borders that…

With the right pumps and filters in action, it doesn’t have to be a full-time job to maintain the pond. But here are some things to do throughout the year to keep algae at bay. Spring Use a pond vacuum to suck up excess debris and organic matter in the bottom of the pond before it becomes food for algae. Stringy algae can form in cool weather, so keep water moving to prevent that. In cold-weather regions where you might remove the pump in the winter, reinstall the pump and filters as soon as temperatures are warm enough that the pond won’t freeze hard in the spring. Summer In the heat of summer, algae may form even with adequate filtering and circulation. Algaecides and barley balls or extract mixed into…

It’s not often a perennial comes along that can be described (just like Mary Poppins) as practically perfect in every way. But that is a practically perfect description for ‘Millenium’ allium. Close to foolproof, ‘Millenium’ forms a compact, upright clump of grassy leaves and a profusion of large 2-inch, lavender-pink drumstick flower heads that bloom for up to a month or more in mid- to late summer. Mature plants produce dozens of colorful pompoms, creating clustered bouquets. ‘Millenium’ has no serious pest or disease problems and is virtually deer-, rabbit- and squirrel-resistant. What’s more, it is highly attractive to bees and butterflies. And unlike many ornamental onions, self-seeding is not a problem. ‘Millenium’ is well-behaved in the garden and belongs in the front of the border where it will attract…

The garden in spring is a place of constant change. It seems that each day, a new plant emerges, fresh scents fill the air and insects wake up and find their way to flowers. Dormant lawns begin to green up, and one by one, perennials add more color. These photos offer a few of those situations. It’s truly a marvel to watch if you really take notice. discover Each spring offers you an opportunity to start fresh. The biggest question on every gardener’s mind is, “What will I grow this year?” Whether that means this is your very first attempt at gardening or you’re a seasoned pro, it’s a new beginning for everyone. This is the time to slip on a new pair of gloves (or those comfortable old favorites),…

Change is inevitable, and that’s most noticeable in autumn. Leaves turn color, flowers wither, fade and fall away to reveal seed pods. It can be a time to just sit back and relax and let nature take its course. But it’s also a time to enjoy the comfort of cooler sweater weather and get chores done, such as digging and moving or dividing plants, before the snow flies. replenish Even though plants make their own food through photosynthesis, you can have an even better garden when you provide extra nutrients to help them thrive. Fall is a great time to add compost, horse manure or chopped leaves to your beds, borders and vegetable garden. These materials settle and slowly decompose over the winter and will provide nutrients that plants need…

Spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum Spotted salamanders are nocturnal and live under rocks, fallen logs and in tunnels in moist, forested areas in Eastern Canada, west through the midwestern United States and eastern Texas and south to Georgia. Two rows of bright orange or yellow spots make their stout 6- to 9-in. dark brown, gray or black bodies easier to see. The adult in the photo above has dark gray skin and yellow spots. LIFE CYCLE They become most active in early spring when rains fall and vernal pools (temporary pools of water) form. These seasonal water sources are a safe place to breed, lay eggs and for the larvae to grow. Salamanders can live 20 years or more! And they are homebodies: They live near and breed in the same…

Toward the end of summer, containers you planted up in spring may need a refreshing makeover like the two containers from our test garden in this story did. I used house plants and late-summer-blooming perennials to perk them up. Let me show you how to get your money’s worth on these late additions—after a short stay in the container, they don’t need to be thrown out! OVERWATERING WOES One weekend when this container got too dry, I overcompensated and watered too much for several days. While the gaura and New Zealand sedge didn’t mind, other plants suffered from the attention. I gave up and pulled out the angelonia, phlox, celosia and licorice plant that struggled, along with some of the potting mix that was too soggy. The sedge and gaura…

The classic summer scene at left is a living bouquet grounded by a mass of tall garden phlox in full bloom. But did you know that you don’t have to wait until midsummer to enjoy phlox? There are many different species available so by choosing to grow a variety of them, you can have phlox blooming in your garden from spring into fall. We’ll help you plan out three seasons of phlox in the next few pages. This popular perennial had its biggest heyday in the 1940s when everyone wanted to grow phlox. At one time, more than 800 named varieties existed; only a quarter of those are still in cultivation today. You’ll find phlox in shades of light blue, purple, pink and white, or if vivid shades of magenta,…

NORTH Clay soil is slow to warm in spring, shrinking already short seasons. False indigo Baptisia australis Perennial; North American native has blue flowers in late spring; full sun to part shade; 3 to 4 ft. tall and wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1 Lily of the valley Convallaria majalis Perennial; fragrant, white flower spikes in spring; part to full shade; 6 to 8 in. tall, spreading; cold-hardy in USDA zones 2 to 7, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 7 to 1 Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea Perennial; bees and butterflies love the pink or white summer flowers; 24 to 48 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide; full sun to part shade; cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9,…

Which mulch is best? Carl Henry, Wisconsin Q I heard that red plastic mulch can increase tomato yields. Red bark mulch would look better. Can I use that instead? A It’s true, a study by the USDA and Clemson University found that red plastic mulch can increase tomato yields up to 20 percent. It also helps enhance nutrients and flavor. Red mulch works for strawberries and eggplant, too. However, to be effective, the mulch needs to reflect far-red wavelengths (light at the farthest end of the visible spectrum). Since bark mulch that’s been stained won’t do that, it won’t help increase yields. Other plastic mulch colors have been found to be effective for different edibles: Carrots produce more nutrients with yellow, peppers grow larger with metallic silver and summer squash…

1| VEGGIE GARDEN REMIX Do you love the earthy flavor of asparagus? Then you will probably enjoy asparagus peas or — believe it or not — hosta shoots! Niki Jabbour makes growing new and unusual garden produce exciting and easy to do. Full of interesting facts and helpful growing information, the book organizes quirky vegetables according to the familiar garden crops that they taste like. Online and local bookstores ($19.99; softcover; 240 pages) 2| MOD HOD It’s easy to gather, wash and dry your harvest outdoors and keep your kitchen clean. The smooth interior of this hod won’t bruise produce, the extendable legs allow the contents to dry completely and you can stack multiple baskets on top of each other for pantry storage. In multiple sizes and colors, this is…

Summer is the season with the most action in the garden. With longer days, there’s plenty of time to get outside to weed and water or kick back and relax with a good book in a hammock. You’ll have a hard time spending any time in the house when there’s so much fun to be had outside. grow Every growing season offers different successes and challenges. It’s a great opportunity for you to grow personally alongside your plants. As you can see in these photos, summer is peak season, often with lush, flower-filled settings. Expand your knowledge by trying out a new product or technique to help you battle a pest that you struggle with. Gardening is a fun hobby to have in common with friends. Develop a stronger bond…

Use certain objects and ornaments to support the goals of the five elements of Vastu design. Let’s take a look at how you can enhance your space with these. “As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease.”–Eckhart Tolle 1 AIR Include elements in the air area that show movement. These windchimes allow you to hear when the wind blows, but a mobile, a fan or streamers would show you this element in visual form, as well. 2 WATER As you listen to the gurgle of water, you can feel your mind slipping into a restful space. But the water doesn’t have to be moving, as this bubbler is. Other water options include reflecting pools, birdbaths or…