Innehållsförteckning för January/February 2019 från Garden Gate

Rose-breasted grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus APPEARANCE The rose-breasted grosbeak is a medium-sized songbird with a strong, triangular beak. The colorful male, shown in the photo above, is black, white and red. The females are brown with white streaks above their eyes and white blotches on their wings and back. Their song is as lovely as their appearance. Some describe it as a very happy version of a robin’s song. They also make a recognizable, sharp “chink” sound. HABITAT Rose-breasted grosbeaks breed in the summer in Southern Canada and the Midwestern and Eastern United States. Thinly constructed nests made of twigs hold their pale green-blue speckled eggs high up in tall trees. Both males and females share incubation and feeding duties. In spring and fall you can find them in Southern parts…

It’s time to start dreaming about what to plant this year, and there’s no better way to kick start plans than with this year’s roster of new plants. WHAT’S NEW? There’s lots of drama this year, from head-turning flowers to foliage with “wow!” power. Don’t ‘Bloody Mary’ nasturtium and ‘Safari Adventure’ pineapple lily sound like they could really spice up your borders? They won’t disappoint. Give Nautilus ™ Lilac begonia a try in pots for some moody color or grab attention with variegated Dream Dazzler sedum. We were really happy with the container from the test garden at right—it looked spectacular all season. Tattoo Black Cherry annual vinca and Whirlwind Pink fanflower were a couple of staff favorites. It grew in full sun for most of the day but had…

1 ‘Safari Adventure’ pineapple lily Eucomis hybrid Spiky two-tone flowers are sure to draw attention in the border. Where it’s not cold-hardy, grow it in pots and overwinter plants indoors. Be patient — pineapple lily is slow to emerge in spring. Bulb Blooms: Cream flowers age to rosy purple in late summer Light: Full sun to part shade Size: 2 to 3 ft. tall, 3 to 4 ft. wide Cold-hardy: USDA zones 6 to 9 Heat-tolerant: AHS zones 9 to 1 Introducer: Walters Gardens, Inc. Source: Garden Crossings, www.gardencrossings.com, 616-875-6355 2 ‘Wu La La’ hosta Hosta hybrid Make a statement in your shade garden with big blue-green leaves edged in apple green. Give it time, though: Plants can take up to five years to reach their mature size. Perennial Blooms:…

Japanese beetles will eat zonal geraniums, but within 30 minutes of consuming petals this pest becomes paralyzed. You may find them lying on the foliage or ground nearby, making it easier for them to fall prey to predators, such as birds, or for you to catch and dispose of them. Japanese beetles usually recover within 24 hours so as you’re making your daily beetle sweep, pay special attention to the zonal geraniums. You can even use geraniums as a trap crop near other vulnerable plants. Researchers are looking into how they can capitalize on this unique situation to control Japanese beetles.…

Barberry Berberis thunbergii What it looks like Dense, low-growing, multistemmed deciduous shrub from 3 to 6 ft. tall with a single thorn at the base of each clustered leaf (in green, blue-green, chartreuse or red-purple) with small yellow flowers suspended beneath the foliage in late spring, followed by small, bright red, egg-shaped berries from summer through winter. Why it’s a problem Although not all cultivars are invasive, this popular ornamental shrub spreads into woodlands, crowding out native species and providing prime habitat for the black-legged ticks, which transmit Lyme disease. How to control it Pull seedlings and dig out mature plants when the soil is moist. Repeated mowing or cutting will control but not completely eradicate it. Cut stems near ground level and apply an herbicide containing glyphosate to the…

A Rose Rosa Meidiland® Red The single red flowers with a cream center aren’t the only perk of growing this rose — it’s an absolute favorite of the birds for nesting, cover and for the rose hips. In Georgia it grows a little taller than the average 18 to 24 in. tall and 48 to 60 in. wide size, so it works best in the back of the border. It’s cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1. B Rose Rosa Caramella Fairy Tale™ Caramella Fairytale is Jules’ favorite bloom. She adores the red-tinged buds that open to creamy apricot double blooms, even if they don’t have fragrance. This showy rose grows 3 to 5…

Dull, dirty or rusty hand pruners that don’t open and close easily can ruin your day. Keeping your pruners dirt-free and sharp helps you cut smoothly, preventing stress on your hands. And a clean cut heals better on the plant and minimizes the risk of infection or disease. Wondering how you can avoid the frustrations of poorly working hand pruners? Let me answer a few of your questions. Should I invest in an expensive pair of hand pruners? It all depends on how you use them. If you have a lot of shrubs or roses that need regular pruning, you might want a really good pair. But if you tend to leave your tools out in the garden accidentally or don’t use them a lot, a cheap pair of pruners…

DIOECIOUS A dioecious plant is one where the male and female reproductive systems occur on separate plants. While both plants produce flowers, one plant has the male reproductive parts and the other plant has the female parts. Holly (Ilex spp.), bittersweet (Celastrus spp.) , blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), and asparagus (Asparagus spp.), are dioecious. You must purchase both male and female plants if they are going to produce any fruit (although it doesn’t matter with the asparagus since we only eat the edible shoots that appear in spring).…

Updating the look of your patio doesn’t have to mean a complete remodeling job. Take the patio in the small before photo. It has good bones—the bricks are still in good shape, there are some wooden screens for privacy and the outdoor furniture is solid with a timeless style. All it needed was a little help to liven things up and make it more inviting. You might not even recognize it in the large after photo at left. And while it may look like a huge undertaking of time and money, it’s easier and less expensive than you might think. See the “new” dining table? It’s actually just a wooden cover that makes it possible to seat two additional people for dinner. Find out how to make it on page…

A can’t-miss caddy Joy Chanin, Georgia Oh, the busy gardener: always trying to find where you left your hand trowel. Joy used to mark her tools with bright-colored tape, but she still had a hard time locating them after she set them down. Looking for something that would be a bit easier to spot, she came across an empty bright-colored jug of laundry detergent. She rinsed the jug and got to work transforming it into a tool caddy, cutting an opening using a box cutter. You can see in the photo above that the handle was left intact. It’s hard to miss the yellow caddy, and the handle makes it much easier to carry around multiple tools. Cardboard tray for seedlings Julie Humiston, Minnesota If you start a lot of…

1 ‘Double Click Bicolor Pink’ cosmos Cosmos hybrid Now there’s a bicolor bloom available in this great line of double flowering cosmos. Sturdy stems keep flowers upright where you can enjoy them. Annual Blooms: Pink and white double flowers from spring to fall Light: Full sun Size: 24 to 36 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide Heat-tolerant: AHS zones 12 to 1 Introducer and source: Select Seeds, www.selectseeds.com, 800-684-0395 2 ‘Maui Sunrise’ elephant ear Colocasia hybrid Variable cream variegation gives this elephant ear some serious mojo in your tropical oasis. Its compact size makes it easy to grow in containers, small gardens or even a small balcony. Bulb Blooms: Glossy green leaves with a creamy white center Light: Full sun Size: 2 to 3 ft. tall and wide Cold-hardy:…

1 Velvet Viking™ Japanese maple Acer palmatum dissectum Cold-hardy Velvet Viking has beautiful dissected foliage. Provide consistent water through the growing season to keep plants growing strong. Tree Blooms: Inconspicuous flowers in spring, red dissected foliage Light: Full sun to part shade Size: 2 to 3 ft. tall, 4 to 5 ft. wide Cold-hardy: USDA zones 4 to 9 Heat-tolerant: AHS zones 9 to 1 Introducer and source: Monrovia®, www.monrovia.com 2 Southern Bluebelle™ blueberry Vaccinium hybrid Grow this petite blueberry in the ground or in a pot, where it’s easy to grab a berry on the run. Southern Bluebelle doesn’t need as long a period of cold to produce berries so it’s also great for warmer winter areas. Shrub Blooms: White flowers in spring produce blue berries in late summer…

Herbs look good, smell good and are good for you. So why wouldn’t you want to keep them close at hand to enjoy at your convenience? You don’t need a large garden to have access to fresh herbs; simply plant them in containers for a fragrant—and functional—addition to your home and garden. Imagine a summer morning: You walk right outside your kitchen door to a sunny patio full of containers, snip a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley and return to the kitchen to flavor your scrambled eggs. GROW SOME FLAVOR Growing herbs in containers really is a no-brainer. Most herbs can flourish on your deck, patio, balcony or windowsill. All they require is a sunny spot and containers large enough for the plants to grow. (If you only have partial…

Step one — Disassemble the pruners. As you take the tool apart, lay each piece in order on the sticky side of a strip of duct tape, or take photos with your cell phone so you remember how to put it all back together. If the nut is rusted tight, you may need to soak it in vinegar for a few hours to loosen it up. Step two — Sharpen the blades. Start by finding the angle of the blade's bevel. It is important to sharpen the pruners at that same angle. Apply pressure along the bevel of the blade with a tool sharpener or diamond file dampened with water. Slide the file or sharpener from the heel of the blade to the tip, following the bevel. Do this five…

Asian dayflower Commelina communis WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE This creeping annual has distinctive small flowers composed of two prominent sky-blue petals that stick out like mouse ears. You’ll notice, as the name implies, that the flowers only last one day. The petals absorb moisture from the atmosphere and disintegrate into a jellylike mass in a phenomenon known as “deliquescence.” It blooms from summer to fall on 1 to 3 ft. stems that sprawl along the ground (often rooting at the nodes) with narrow leaves that clasp the stems. WHERE TO FIND IT Asian dayflower has its origins in east Asia, but has invaded almost all of North America except Nevada and the Pacific Northwest. Habitats include edges of woods, flood plains, vacant lots and along roadsides, but you can find…

Dainty delights Madeline Spurck, Illinois Make miniature bouquets for your tiniest cut flowers. Madeline repurposes bright orange prescription bottles into vases. She dresses up the bottles with decorative duct tape for an attractive look. Just a small handful of cosmos ( Cosmos spp. and hybrids), zinnias ( Zinnias spp. and hybrids) and roses ( Rosa spp. and hybrids) are needed to make the bouquets above. Try arranging with flowers so small that they are often overlooked, such as grape hyacinth ( Muscari spp. and hybrids).…

Conifers are like living sculptures for the garden. Weeping, spreading, mounding, they come in multiple silhouettes and offer sure-fire year-round appeal. Many popular varieties are cold hardy to USDA zone 4, providing color and structure to the garden long after seasonal flowers fade and deciduous plants lose their leaves. “Conifers can fill every niche in a garden,” insists orthopaedic surgeon Harrison Tuttle. “There’s a conifer for every role.” Harrison should know. He has more than 500 conifers (from 16 genuses)—including cypress, larch, hemlock and redwood—that he started collecting 14 years ago on a half-acre property in Raleigh, North Carolina. Here are some of the lessons he’s learned over the years. KNOW YOUR CONES As the name suggests, conifers are plants with seed-bearing cones. Most are evergreen trees and shrubs with…

1 ‘Lemon Drop’ coneflower Echinacea hybrid Here’s a reliably double coneflower that won’t start sending up single blooms later in the season as some varieties do. That sunshine yellow color is super easy to work in to any color palette. Perennial Blooms: Soft yellow blooms in summer Light: Full sun Size: 15 to 18 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide Cold-hardy: USDA zones 5 to 9 Heat-tolerant: AHS zones 9 to 1 Introducer: Plants Nouveau Source: Local garden centers 2 Euphoria™ Ruby Joe-Pye weed Eutrochium purpurea Now you can grow this native butterfly magnet even if you don’t have much room. This cultivar flowers earlier than its larger cousins, so you’ll have those pollinator-friendly blooms filling your garden even longer. Perennial Blooms: Dusty pink flowers in summer to fall…

Some very familiar garden plants are showing up on some not very nice lists these days. That’s because these are non-native plants that escape cultivation and wreak havoc on natural habitats across North America. Non-native invasive plants are those that have been introduced into an environment in which they did not evolve so they don’t have natural enemies to limit their reproduction. Many of these plants—like barberry, English ivy and wisteria—have spread from gardens where they are grown as ornamentals. Travel and international trade has rapidly introduced even more non-native species. With few predators and decreasing competition for resources, these plants take over a landscape until it’s no longer able to support native plant, animal and insect communities. There are now more than 300 species of introduced plants invading natural…

Peony Paeonia spp. and hybrids Rose Rosa spp. and hybrids Kale Brassica oleracea Parsley Petroselinum crispum Swiss chard Beta vulgaris Coral bells Heuchera hybrids Hellebore Helleborus spp. and hybrids Iris Iris hybrids Lilyturf Liriope muscari Pansy Viola hybrids Peony Paeonia hybrids Edgeworthia Edgeworthia chrysantha Grape holly Mahonia spp. and hybrids Japanese pieris Pieris japonica Spirea Spiraea spp. and hybrids Winter honeysuckle Lonicera ragrantissima Daffodil Narcissus spp. and hybrids…

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. Landscape fabric? Lacey Travis, Iowa Q I’m confused about whether or not I should use landscape fabric in my new foundation plantings. I keep reading conflicting information. Is it a bad thing? A Landscape fabric certainly has its places and uses: It works well under rock or gravel or under decks, patios and other hardscaping, but not so much in garden beds, where its use can compact soil. Sold under many names and made from an assortment of materials (plastic, linen, polyester), woven landscape…

Who wouldn’t want a plant that glows in the dark? Well, it doesn’t actually emit bioluminescent light, but ‘Gold Heart’ bleeding heart does illuminate the shadiest of woodlands with its shockingly radiant foliage. Ever since it was first made available in 1997, this bleeding heart with brilliant gold foliage has been popping up in the less-than-light landscapes of gardeners in the know. If you thought chartreuse hostas and hakonechloa were the only bright choices for your shady areas, perhaps you should consider this unusual twist on a beloved perennial. OLD-FASHIONED FAVORITE The common bleeding heart (formerly Dicentra spectabilis) has long been a favorite of cottage and shade gardens with its long arching stems of dangling heart-shaped rose-pink blossoms that appear in late spring before the leaves emerge. Although it thrives…

www.GardenGateStore.com Check out our online store for more great garden products. 1 | BIORBAIR TERRARIUM The biOrbAir terrarium takes a lot of the guesswork out of indoor gardening: A special felt mat wicks moisture up from a water reservoir to keep the coir compost hydrated. An automatic mister fills the terrarium to keep the humidity levels consistent (and makes you feel like you’re in the rainforest). LED lighting simulates daytime, so you can grow this garden anywhere an outlet is close by. biOrb, www.biorb.com ($379.00) 2 | HOUSE PLANTS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHOOSING, GROWING AND CARING FOR INDOOR PLANTS With pretty photos and clear information, House Plants covers everything you need to know to care for your indoor plants (or, “plant babies”). It includes more than 100 plant profiles…