Innehållsförteckning för May/June 2024 från Garden Gate

Early on, my husband and I struck a deal. He would handle snow removal and I’d mow the lawn. This seemed like a good idea in November. In May I discovered that using a push mower on our lumpy lawn wasn’t as easy as zooming over the yard on the rider I used growing up. Now my goal is to have almost no lawn by the time I don’t have kids at home to mow it... we’re almost there on both counts! I prefer the variety of experiences in caring for a garden to the monotony of lawn care. Maybe this is why James Wolfin’s concept of a bee lawn is so appealing: Not only does this mix of flowers and turfgrass feed hungry pollinating insects throughout the growing season,…

Perched on a balcony or nestled in a cozy patio corner, container gardens transform outdoor living areas into lush getaways. Whether it’s a tropical-themed container with towering palms and vivid underplantings, a colorful mix of coleus and trailing fanflower, or the simplicity of a succulent display, these summer plantings are your ticket to months of vibrant blooms and foliage textures. Bold Textures This container combo is sure to draw attention. The large, cup-shaped leaves of the elephant ear tower above the rest of the plants and create a dramatic backdrop with their dark, coffee-colored foliage. Coleus leaves’ bright, intricate patterns in crimson, green and yellow hues complement the darker tones of the elephant ear. Cool blue blooms of ‘Whirlwind Blue’ fanflower form a delicate fringe around the pot. Plants grow…

Mary Ann Fordyce’s small Seattle garden had a big problem—a newly built three-story condo looming over the backyard. The spots where she used to relax with a book and gather with friends were now on full display, with nothing to block the view from upper-story windows. The before photos below show how challenging this situation was. So Mary Ann hired landscape designer Lisa Bauer to help her create a backyard retreat with more privacy, comfortable seating areas and room to garden. The solution included a face lift for one deck, the removal of the second deck and a revamp of the borders. The updated backyard at right has more screening and plenty of room for gathering (and gardening). Keep reading to see the transformation. Before This small urban backyard had…

When flowers are flopping and stems are leaning, stakes come to the rescue. These simple garden tools come in a range of styles and materials, from commercial products you can buy at the garden center to DIY projects made from leftovers in the garage. Whichever type you use, the way to get good-looking results is to install them early and match the stake to the plant’s habit. Let’s take a look at some effective staking solutions that keep annuals and perennials standing tall. A few plastic-coated metal stakes do the job of keeping Sherri’s Orienpet lilies standing tall every year. GROW-THROUGH HOOPS FOR FLOPPY FLOWERS Sometimes bushy, multistemmed plants tend to fall over or splay open. A grow-through hoop can help keep them upright. Most are commercially made in a…

Containers are a gardener’s best friend. They can bring a pop of color to the deck, add some foliage texture and height along a shady path or brighten the front entry. There are loads of possibilities! But all that potential can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. Whether you’re tired of the same old plant combinations or just not sure what to grow, these impressive reader-submitted containers will inspire you. Check out our Grand Prize winner, Runners Up and Honorable Mentions on the following pages. Thanks to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the winners. Containers are a big part of Sherri’s garden every year. These gorgeous designs have given her lots of ideas! Spring Magic Start your garden season off with this Grand Prizewinning spring container. Ordinary easy-care plants from…

Searching for plants to fill a few shady spots in your yard? Look no further. Here are 8 plants with a variety of flowers, size, shape and hardiness—there’s something for everyone! 1 Hosta Hosta ‘Blue Vision’ Perennial; white flowers in summer, cup-shaped, blue-green leaves; part to full shade; moist, well-drained soil; 16 to 20 in. tall (24 in. in bloom), 24 to 36 in. wide; USDA cold zones 3 to 9 2 Siberian squill Scilla siberica Bulb; blue flowers in early spring, naturalizes easily; full sun to part shade; well-drained soil; 3 to 6 in. tall, 2 to 3 in. wide; USDA cold zones 2 to 8 3 Red monkey flower Mimulus puniceus Tender shrub; red summer flowers that hummingbirds and butterflies love; part shade; dry, well-drained soil; 2 to 3…

Perennial Know-How GardenGateMagazine.com How to Grow Great Daylilies Add easy-to-grow daylilies to your garden for color all summer. Perennial Deadheading Guide Our comprehensive guide shows exactly how and when to deadhead 50+ perennials. Best Hosta Varieties for Your Garden Let us introduce you to several of our favorites! How to Plant Bare-Root Perennials Learn the right way to plant bare-root perennials, whether you’re starting them in a pot or planting them directly into the garden. 10 Long-Blooming Perennials These plant picks will keep your garden looking colorful from spring to fall. Save Your Peony Blooms for Later! Use this technique to enjoy peony bouquets all summer. GardenGateMagazine.com/articles/flowers-plants LEARN MORE ONLINE! Scan the QR code to access these articles as well as expanded information from each issue, how-to videos & more…

SHARED WISDOM It’s no secret that bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects need our help. Garden enthusiasts have been rolling up their sleeves planting pollinator gardens and weaving native plants into their landscapes to throw these crucial critters a lifeline. But have you ever thought about taking it up a notch and swapping your regular turfgrass lawn for a bee-friendly version? It’s like giving bees and pollinators their very own welcome mat! Minnesota conservation specialist James Wolfin is all too happy to enlighten others about the many benefits of bee lawns. And his knowledge isn’t just theoretical: He and the team at Twin City Seeds in Minneapolis have helped homeowners across the United States plan, install and maintain hundreds of them in the last several years. Keep reading to see…

Petunia Petunia spp. and hybrids Petunias have been growing in gardens for nearly 200 years. With generations of breeding, they now bloom in almost any color and on mounded, trailing or spreading forms. It’s easy to see why petunias dominate the bedding plant world. WHERE THEY WORK BEST Petunias’ minimal care and ability to bloom from spring until frost make them versatile in containers and borders. HOW TO GROW THEM Since petunias are cold hardy only in USDA zones 10 to 11, most gardeners grow petunias as annuals. Plants thrive in full sun with consistent moisture. To keep these heavy feeders blooming, incorporate a slow-release granular fertilizer in the soil at planting time. Then apply a liquid general-purpose fertilizer every 1 to 2 weeks. Flowering slows when temperatures rise above…

Multiflora rose Rosa multiflora What it looks like Imported to North America in the late 1800s, this woody shrub was originally intended as a rootstock for slow-rooting ornamental roses. But it quickly escaped cultivation. Plants produce clusters of small, fragrant pale pink to white flowers in early summer on thorny 10- to 15-foot-tall arching stems. As canes grow, they arch and take root. One plant can form a dense thicket in a few years. Where to find it Multiflora rose prefers full sun, but tolerates dense shade. Rich to poor soil in areas minimally cultivated or rarely mowed allow it to quickly establish. The only conditions it won’t tolerate are wet soil and winter temperatures below -28 degrees F. How to control it This shrub has been proven to be…

Advice to lean on Dianna Salsbury, WA When getting up and down in her garden became challenging, Dianna discovered a helpful hack: A sturdy metal garden fork stuck into the ground near her. If she begins to feel unsteady as she weeds or needs help standing up, she just grabs the handle of the fork. Garden herbs for bouquets Katie Meyer, IA Filler flowers can be the difference between a wimpy bouquet and an outstanding one. In homegrown arrangements, the more flowers, the merrier. When Katie was cutting a bouquet of zinnias last summer, she noticed that her lime basil and oregano plants had started to bloom. She tucked a few sprigs in with the zinnias and they made pretty, long-lasting filler flowers. And they smelled good too! When growing…

Butterflies are beautiful and fascinating creatures with scales on their wings and “taste buds” on their feet. But populations have been declining, partly due to habitat loss. The good news is that gardeners can help! If you grow the host plants that specific butterflies love, you can support them through the entire life cycle. Host plants are where butterflies choose to lay eggs, which hatch into caterpillars that feed there until they form chrysalises and undergo metamorphosis. PERFECT PLANTS How do female butterflies know which plant to lay eggs on? They have special taste organs on their forelegs and feet to help determine if a plant, such as the black-eyed Susan at right, is what they’re looking for. Some species lay single eggs; others lay in clusters, usually on the…

When you lose a tree, you’re often left with a stump or bulky logs that can be tough and expensive to remove. These tree remains can take several years to rot away, depending on the species and the weather. Sure, you could always hire someone to grind the stump and haul away the debris or have a chainsaw artist create a sculpture, but there are plenty of DIY ways to utilize stumps and logs. Here are five easy-to-achieve and inexpensive ideas to add unique charm to your garden. 1 STUMPERY If a storm toppled your tree and left the roots pulled up and exposed, you have the perfect start of a stumpery—a garden that creates a scene with tree trunks, logs, branches and roots. Stumperies were trendy in Victorian-era gardens,…