Innehållsförteckning för Nov/Dec 2017 från Garden Gate

This time of year some plants are starting to take a much-needed rest while others love the cool weather and really stand out in borders and containers. The days are getting shorter, but we can still enjoy time on the patio or around the firepit. It’s also time to prepare the garden for next year by cleaning up leaves and other debris. We have a great mix of stories and tips in this final issue of 2017, from how to force bulbs for color indoors to must-have, long-blooming plants for spring, summer and even fall. You can learn a lot by visiting public gardens, from great plant combinations to design ideas and hardscaping solutions. On page 32, check out four of our favorite destination gardens and see some helpful tips…

Cooling temperatures and shorter days don’t mean your garden has to be as dull as the weather. Brighten up winter in the South and early spring in the North with this sampling of cool-season-loving plants. These are quick fixes you can use to add some bright curb appeal to the front yard or to provide some cheery flowers along the path to the car each day. This group of plants can withstand frost, when temperatures get down around 32 degrees F or a bit lower for a few hours, with ease. The weather this time of year makes maintenance easy. Shorter days and lower temps slow plant growth so the flowers last longer and the colors don’t fade as quickly as they do in the hot summer sun. Soil doesn’t…

In the midst of winter, a few spring flowers can put a smile on your face. Now’s the time to start forcing spring bulbs so you can have their cheerful blooms indoors. I’ll show you how. CHOOSING A BULB First, select a bulb that is forcing-friendly: Early-flowering spring types, such as grape hyacinths, daffodils and hyacinths, are easier to force, or make to bloom indoors sooner than they would outdoors. Bulb sellers will often note in their catalogs which cultivars are best for forcing, along with number of weeks from planting to bloom. The ‘Blue Jacket’ hyacinth and ‘Valerie Finnis’ grape hyacinths in the photo above are reliable indoor bloomers. TO CHILL OR NOT TO CHILL Spring-blooming bulbs need a chilling period to form flower buds. In the fall, you…

Public gardens are treasure troves of inspiration, beauty and knowledge. Whether you’re looking for new design ideas to freshen up your garden’s style or wondering which plants will grow best your area, they’re worth a visit. Let’s take a look at a few beautiful public gardens to see what you’ll find there. Thuya Garden Northeast Harbor, Maine Thuya Garden sits next to Acadia National Park and is packed with color every summer. The original property, an orchard, was donated by Joseph Curtis to the nearby town in 1928. Charles Savage then became the trustee of the property and added the Gertrude Jekyll-inspired flower borders you see in the photos at right. The park opened to the public in 1962. The borders range from 30 to 130 feet long and peak…

A few tall containers near the grill can hold cooking herbs like rosemary, basil and lemongrass. They’ll add some impact to fill in an open area, and tall containers mean that the herbs are easy to pick as you’re cooking. An edging of stone between the deck and the bermed beds keeps weeds down and gives you a place to step nearer the beds for maintenance. Planting in drifts or big clumps is key to simple garden maintenance. That way, when it’s time to do a chore, whether it’s planting new annuals in the spring (by the way, switch out the pentas and cordyline for a brand-new look every year, if you wish!) or deadheading the peonies, all the plants are in the same place, making it easy to get…

When the kids are occupied outside, that gives you a chance to pull a few weeds or deadhead spent flowers while watching them. Their playset was a busy place when their children were young, but when the kids were too old to use it anymore, Helen and David Yoest took it out and built the 8×8-foot greenhouse in photo 1 in its place. When removing a playset, keep in mind that the soil underneath is likely compacted and may not be the best spot for a garden right away. If you’re concerned about the soil quality but don’t want to work it too much, consider building raised beds or adding a patio, shed or greenhouse. If you really want to grow grass or add a garden, amend the soil with…

Astilbe Astilbe hybrids Apple Malus hybrid Dahlia Dahlia hybrids Foxglove Digitalis purpurea Garden phlox Phlox paniculata Lily Lilium hybrids Agave Agave americana Australian tree fern Cyathea australis Blood lily Scadoxus multiflorus katherinea Blue Atlas cedar Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ Blue chalksticks Senecio serpens Blue fescue Festuca glauca Angel trumpet Brugmansia hybrids Calla lily Zantedeschia aethiopica Clivia Clivia spp. and hybrids Cycad Cycas spp. Hardy begonia Begonia hybrids Live oak Quercus agrifolia Lotus Nelumbo spp. Perennial geranium Geranium spp. Rose Rosa hybrid Crabapple Malus spp. and hybrids Japanese iris Iris ensata Japanese maple Acer spp. and hybrids Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia spp. Boxwood Buxus spp. and hybrids Indian paintbrush Castilleja indivisa Texas bluebonnet Lupinus texensis Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria Keep hummers happy Autumn sage Salvia greggii Perennial; red in late summer to…

Did you know the label on a pesticide is actually a legal contract for manufacturers to tell you how to use a product correctly? Maybe that’s why it can look confusing! It contains very important information, so reading the label is your first move to keep yourself and the environment safe. And don’t just skim over to the good parts—what may look to you like blah-blah-blah details may be critical for medical professionals to know in the event of an accidental exposure. For instance, if you splash weed killer in your eyes, you may not be able to read the first aid instructions. If you’ve done your homework first, you’ll know the label says to flush your eyes out with water for 15 minutes. Or if you ingested a chemical,…

Have you noticed that every tree, shrub and perennial in your garden has a geometric form? Whether it grows that way naturally or is pruned, each plant has a shape that adds something special to your design. Let’s take a look at some basic plant shapes and how you can use them to create that gorgeous garden you’ve always wanted. Round This is the most common shape in any landscape. It’s a soft, unobtrusive form that’s easy to look over quickly. New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica and hybrids) and dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) all have round habits. They’re good choices for setting off a focal point because they don’t attract a lot of attention. Pyramidal Wherever you see a pyramidal plant, it draws attention. The…

Have you ever looked around your garden and thought, “I know something could be better here, but I just don’t know how to change it.”? Lots of us have. Entries and side yards are two common problem areas. Let’s take a look at some solutions for each here and on the next pages. Design a showier winter entry Every time you come home, your entry should make you smile. For most of us, that smile comes easier in spring, summer and fall than in winter. After the brilliant foliage displays of autumn, many gardens suffer from the winter “blahs”. If your entry garden could use help in the winter months, you’ve come to the right place. From the design of the walkway and front porch to the selection and placement…

LIVING LARGE On a large deck like this one, there’s plenty of room for two separate seating areas. A dining table and chairs are close and handy for the grill, while comfortable lounging chairs let you move over to enjoy the fire after dinner. TWO-SIDED PLANNING Even though the fireplace blocks this area from view from the deck, a generous curve in the border here helps the size of the beds stay in scale with the size of the large deck. WALL DECORATIONS Wrought-iron trellises mounted against the back of the garage add architectural interest and break up the large, blank wall. They look beautiful as they are, but you could add summer-blooming vines for even more color. Just be prepared to water frequently as any plants near a sunny…

There’s not a lot of maintenance for this low-growing combo. Water the evolvulus regularly the first few weeks to help it establish a good root system; after that, it’s quite drought-tolerant. ‘Angelina’ sedum will spread out and drape over the edge of this wall. You can get more plants by breaking off a stem and sticking it in the ground. A Evolvulus Evolvulus Blue My Mind® Tender perennial; blue flowers in spring to fall; full sun; 6 to 12 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 12 to 1 B Sedum Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ Perennial; yellow flowers in midsummer; full sun; 4 to 6 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide, cold-hardy in USDA zones 5 to…

Notched planting pockets around the patio’s edge. About 3½ ft. on all sides of a table is a comfortable amount of space for navigating and moving chairs in and out. Make it easy to get around your yard by including plenty of access points from the patio. If you don’t plan them, pets, kids and other visitors will create their own paths — sometimes in places you’d rather they didn’t! This colorful planting blurs the line that often separates a patio or deck from the rest of the yard. Notched pockets around the concrete’s edge allow plants to spill into the living area and help people on the patio relax in the garden. Although a surrounding garden makes a patio feel more comfortable, you’ll still want to be able to…