Innehållsförteckning för March/April 2022 från Garden Gate

Spring’s almost here! Once that calendar turned over to 2022, did your excitement about gardening start building? Mine did. Big garden projects always seem so doable in late winter with the entire growing season stretched out in front of you. And have you noticed that vegetable beds seem much bigger when they’re empty? This may explain the tub of unplanted seeds in my cupboard. It’s hard to resist those enticing descriptions of things you’ve never grown before, whether or not you have room for them! Although it may be several weeks before you can do a lot of work outdoors, you don’t have to wait to start gardening. If you’ve never been much for seed starting (I confess, I haven’t), our project on page 16 may be just the help…

Hostas have no problem holding their own in the shade garden. But there are lots of other shade-tolerant plants that make excellent companions. By adding their own contrasting colors, shapes, heights and textures, these plants accentuate the simple elegance of hostas’ handsome foliage. They can also add months of seasonal interest to lower-light areas. Pairing hostas with other low-maintenance perennials—especially those that pack a floral punch—is an easy way to add variety and sophistication. LIGHT CONCERNS There are more than 2,500 named hosta cultivars available, with leaf colors and variegation ranging from blue to chartreuse; flowers range in color from white to lavender, and some are even fragrant. In general, yellow, chartreuse and gold hostas tolerate part sun without losing their vibrant color. While these hostas do need some sun,…

1 Prune dead, diseased or damaged branches and deadhead anytime. 2 When pruning to head back, thin or rejuvenate, the best time depends on the type of shrub: Prune summer-flowering shrubs in late winter or early spring. This is because they generally bloom on “new wood,” buds that form and set blooms in the same year. Prune them as soon as they come out of dormancy, before they start setting buds. Prune spring-flowering shrubs soon after they bloom. They bloom on “old wood,” buds that formed the previous summer. Prune them before these buds form to avoid missing out on flowers. 3 Don’t prune to head back, thin or rejuvenate in late summer or early fall because it triggers new growth that could be damaged in winter.…

Shrubs that bloom in spring on old wood are best pruned after they flower to ensure they have time to set buds for a big burst of color the following year. Rhododendron Rhododendron hybrids Deadhead by using your fingers to snap off the spent flowers. Rhododendrons don’t need much pruning, but if you need to cut errant stems or reduce the size by heading back, late spring, after they flower, is a good time to prune. Blooms: Pink, red, lavender, purple, yellow or white blooms open in spring Light: Full sun to part shade Soil: Acid, well-drained Size: 2 to 15 ft. tall, 3 to 15 ft. wide Cold hardy: USDA zones 4 to 9 Vanhoutte spirea Spiraea x vanhoutteii Thin larger, thicker stems…

You’ll find dozens of pea varieties in seed catalogs, but here are some standouts from my garden. Pea plants can be bush or vining. Bush varieties grow 18 to 30 inches tall, while vining plants can reach heights up to 6 feet. Select varieties based on the type of pea you want (shell, snap, snow) and your space constraints. The number of days listed with each indicates how long from sowing to harvest. Shell Peas ‘Green Arrow’ This is an early maturing shell pea that yields 9 to 11 plump peas per pod. The bush plants grow just 28 inches tall and are resistant to common pea diseases like downy mildew and fusarium wilt. (68 days) ‘Lincoln’ This heirloom variety is popular for its incredibly sweet peas, generous harvest and…

What soil should I use in raised beds for blueberries? Heather Triplett, MN A no-fail way to grow acid-loving blueberries (Vaccinium spp. and hybrids) in almost any soil is to incorporate peat moss into the planting medium. For raised beds, mix equal parts peat moss, bark (not cedar or redwood), compost and topsoil. For planting in the ground, dig an area about 2 ½ feet in diameter and 1 foot deep for each plant. Remove the soil and mix half with an equal amount of premoistened peat moss. Use this mixture to backfill the planting hole. Q Our peonies (Paeonia spp. and hybrids) become droopy with the weight of their blooms and we haven’t found the perfect device to remedy this. What do you suggest? Jim Wasden, WA A We’re…

This border peaks in spring with warm-colored flowers; tidy foliage is low maintenance the rest of the summer. Cut back the Siberian iris at the crown and shear off chamomile to an inch or two tall in fall for a fresh start when warm weather comes again. Trim dead foliage on coral bells as needed and prune azalea after blooms fade if it needs shaping. A Azalea Rhododendron ‘Mandarin Lights’ Shrub; vivid orange flowers open just as leaves emerge in early to midspring; full sun to part shade; 4 to 5 ft. tall, 3 to 4 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7 B Siberian iris Irishybrid ‘Drink Your Tea’ See information above left. C Persian lily Fritillaria persica‘Twin Towers Tribute’ Perennial; spires of eggplant purple to…

Everywhere you look around the garden, you find the results of the couple’s do-it-yourself lifestyle: rustic trellises and birdhouses decorate the garden, and driftwood chimes twirl in the wind from the eaves of the barn. Here’s how they do it: 1 Driftwood wind chimes Tom collected pieces of driftwood and beach glass bottlenecks and crafted them into natural-looking wind “chimes” using twine and a drill fitted with a small bit. Fold the twine in half, thread the folded end through a bobby pin and use the pin to go through each hole. This will create a loop at the top with two strands at the bottom. Tie the loose ends up and around the last piece of wood and make a double knot. Trim the dangling ends of twine. 2…

It might seem a bit scary to get out a pair of pruners and start cutting on a shrub you’ve spent time growing into a beautiful hedge, specimen or border companion. But regular pruning keeps shrubs healthier, at a manageable size and, best of all, it can help them flower more. The trick is knowing when and where to cut to get the most floriferous results. I’ll go over some of the basics here then show you more specific tips for 15 popular shrubs on the following pages. If you make a few mistakes along the way, don’t worry: Shrubs are pretty forgiving. Here’s how to grow your pruning skills and get more flowers from those beautiful shrubs in the border. Sherri prunes the double lilac next to her front…

Deadhead WHY DO IT? Get rid of spent blooms as needed, tidy up the plant, encourage rebloom and prevent unwanted reseeding. HOW TO DO IT Pinch or snip off spent blooms with your fingers or hand pruners. Head Back WHY DO IT? To control size but still maintain a natural shape. HOW TO DO IT Snip stem tips off at different lengths all over the shrub with hand pruners. Some shrubs may need this annually. Thin WHY DO IT? To encourage thicker foliage growth and more flowers without reducing the height. HOW TO DO IT You’ll need loppers or a pruning saw to remove a few of the oldest stems at the base and take out a few branches from the center of the shrub. This will increase light in…

Spring bulbs are among the most anticipated flowers—their appearance signals a fresh garden season and the return of color to the bleak winter landscape. They can be displayed in many ways—a formal garden lined with sculptural shrubs and filled with tulips, a lawn sprinkled with hundreds of crocus or an often-traveled pathway dotted with pockets of fragrant hyacinths. In the northern two thirds of the United States you’ll plant most of these spring-blooming bulbs in the fall. Some of the bigger tulips are often grown as annuals, but most bulbs are perennial and will multiply over the years. Among spring-flowering bulbs, the earliest bloomers are snowdrop, crocus, hyacinth and grape hyacinth. These are followed by daffodils, most tulips and fritillaria in midspring. The latest flowers to appear are some of…

LED grow lights provide specific light spectrums plants respond to. Many can be found at garden centers or online for less than $75. Here are a few types to consider: LED Grow Light Fixture Traditional-styled fixtures with an attractive housing appear less industrial and are often sized for under-cabinet installation. Look for one with multiple settings: Blue light for vegetative growth, red for flowering, and white for everyday lighting in case the other spectrums are unappealing in the kitchen. LED Grow Light Strips Thin grow light strips like the one used in this project can be inconspicuously mounted under a cabinet. Get a set that plugs in end to end with multiple spectrum settings and an integrated timer so you can have it on for as many hours a day…

For all its delicate beauty, columbine is one tough customer. It’s cold-tolerant, drought-tolerant, deer-tolerant and reseeds easily so you can have a big grouping like those you see in photo 1 without a lot of effort or expense. Columbine’s out-of-the-ordinary blooms are made up of petals and sepals with spurs that sweep gracefully out behind them. They can be long or short but always contain nectar that hummingbirds are perfectly adapted to imbibe with their long tongues. Many columbine species are native to North America and a few are from Europe and Asia. They grow in a wide variety of conditions, from the rocky slopes of mountains to the dappled shade of woodlands and can be small enough to edge the front of your border or mingle midrange with other…

Matching the tool to the size branch that you need to prune will make the job a lot easier — and safer! The right tool makes a cleaner cut that doesn’t crack the branch or tear bark and it’s easier on your hands, too. PRUNING SAW Branches 1 ½ to 10 inches in diameter LOPPERS Branches ½ to 1 ½ inches in diameter HAND PRUNERS Woody branches ½ inch n diameter or less HEDGE SHEARS Fine twiggy stems smaller than ½ inch in diameter…

THE BEST CUT A 45 degree angle, ¼ inch above a leaf bud. AVOID LEAVING LONG STUBS OR STEEP ANGLES These cuts heal slowly and create an opening for vascular pathogens that cause disease. And a steep angle can weaken the bud. DON’T CUT TOO CLOSE TO THE BUD This weakens the bud’s attachment to the stem. WHEN LEAF BUDS ARE OPPOSITE, a flat cut ¼ inch above the buds is OK.…

Allium Allium spp. and hybrids Crocus Crocus spp. and hybrids Daffodil Narcissus spp. and hybrids Dutch iris Iris hybrids Fritillaria Fritillaria spp. and hybrids Grape hyacinth Muscari spp. and hybrids Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis Snowdrops Galanthus spp. and hybrids Tulip Tulipa spp. and hybrids Amsonia Amsonia spp. and hybrids Artemisia Artemisia ludoviciana Daffodils Narcissus spp. and hybrids Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis Tulip Tulipa spp. and hybrids Coral bells Heuchera spp. and hybrids Hellebore Helleborus spp. and hybrids Lamb’s ear Stachys byzantina Moss phlox Phlox subulata Penstemon Penstemon spp. and hybrids Solomon’s seal Polygonatum spp. and hybrids Allium Allium spp. and hybrids Crocus Crocus spp. and hybrids Daffodil Narcissus spp. and hybrids Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis Primrose Primula vulgaris Tulip Tulipa spp. and hybrids…

Astilbe Astilbe spp. and hybrids Black mondo grass Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ Candelabra primrose Primula bulleyana Gunnera Gunnera manicata Hosta Hosta spp. and hybrids Wax begonia Begonia semperflorens Allium Allium spp. and hybrids Apple Malus spp. and hybrids Brunnera Brunnera macrophylla Camassia Camassia quamash Daffodil Narcissus spp. and hybrids Doublefile viburnum Viburnum plicatum f. plicatum Grape hyacinth Muscari spp. and hybrids Hakonechloa Hakonechloa macra Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis Japanese painted fern Athyrium niponicum Ostrich fern Matteuccia struthiopteris Tulip Tulipa hybrids Yellow wax bells Kirengeshoma palmata Hakonechloa Hakonechloa macra Hosta Hosta spp. and hybrids Impatiens Impatiens walleriana River birch Betula nigra Hosta  Hosta spp. and hybrids Oak Quercus spp. Pine Pinus spp.…

Who says spring flowers have to be soft lavender pastels, cheerful yellows and eye-popping hot pinks? I found an iris that is beautifully subtle and muted, so not-what-I-expected in its coloring that I was drawn in for a closer look. ‘Drink Your Tea’ Siberian iris leans toward a warm brown palette with its creamy white, almost pale apricot standards atop apricot-touched fawn-colored falls streaked with a bit of gold veining. This color is the perfect companion in a nontraditional spring color combination, such as the near-black purple, rich mocha brown, bright orange and chartreuse highlighted in “Warm Colors for Cool Spring Days,” below. Its soft apricot hues blend in just like creamer in tea. OUTSTANDING BLOOMS Typical of Siberian irises, loosely spaced flowers are borne high above neat clumps of…