Innehållsförteckning för November/December 2024 från Garden Gate

I love a clever garden hack. In this issue, I was especially taken by Kristen McWilliams’ smart tip using hardware cloth squares to protect seedlings and bulbs from digging squirrels—read the details on page 8. I’m thinking about how it might help me protect plants from rabbits. Our readers consistently tell us that Reader Tips is one of their favorite stories in Garden Gate. Maybe you love a good garden hack too! This may be why my garage and basement are so full. You just never know when you might want to put in a stepping stone path, repair a rake or be inspired to make a new garden ornament. Have I rummaged around in my garage and found the supplies for all of these projects? Yes. Does my garage…

NORTHERN CARDINAL Northern cardinals hop on the ground and from branch to branch to find their food. DOWNY WOODPECKER Quickly hopping up and down tree trunks, this perky bird hunts for insects. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE Small acrobatic chickadees easily perch on slender stems to feed. AMERICAN GOLDFINCH This small bird balances on seedheads to feed. CEDAR WAXWING Cedar waxwings hop and flutter through trees, gobbling up fruit. WINTER GARDEN FOOD SOURCES Seeds: Ornamental grasses, sunflowers, sumac (shown) Fruit: Hackberry, dogwood, bayberry In the feeder: Black-oil sunflower, safflower, corn WINTER GARDEN FOOD SOURCES Seeds: Sunflowers, pinecones (shown) Nuts: Oak, beech Insects: Eggs or hibernating pupae In the feeder: Peanuts, sunflower seeds, suet WINTER GARDEN FOOD SOURCES Seeds: Sunflowers, pinecones Berries: Winterberry, elderberry, viburnum (shown), hawthorn, sumac, hemlock Insects: Eggs or hibernating pupae…

Would you like to have gorgeous container displays year-round? New Jersey gardener Heather Thomas recommends starting right now. She has a simple method for creating stunning containers that flow seamlessly from season to season, always filled with flowers and foliage. Let’s follow her steps! FROST-FREE BEGINNINGS Start by choosing a container that can withstand your zone’s coldest temperatures. Composite, plastic, wood and metal are good choices that won’t crack if the soil inside freezes and expands, as it might in USDA zones 5 and colder. Heather uses a composite self-watering container with an inner wall that forms a water reservoir during the summer. In her zone 7 garden, this drained reservoir becomes an extra layer of insulation in the winter for the contents of the pot. START IN FALL Step…

It’s no surprise that perennial geranium is on the short list of must-have plants for so many gardeners. This longtime favorite takes minimal maintenance, grows in full sun or part shade, has loads of flowers and the disease-free foliage looks great too. In addition, with the incredible supply of species and varieties (some are also called “cranesbills” because of the shape of their seedheads), there’s a perennial geranium for practically any spot in your garden. VERSATILE GROUND COVERS Many perennial geraniums grow around 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide which is a big help when you want to cover a lot of ground. Their habit is a bit loose, so plants can shade out some weeds, but they aren’t so dense that they keep all of them away. An…

It’s always difficult to choose a winner for our Reader Garden Awards! We know that you enjoy seeing how other gardeners express themselves as much as we do. Here are more hard-working and creative gardeners who deserve to have their efforts recognized. If you want the chance to have your garden photographed and published in a future issue, be sure to submit your garden for the next year’s Reader Garden Awards by January 1, 2025! FOR FULL ENTRY GUIDELINES, VISIT GardenGateMagazine.com/gardenaward Stone-Filled Backyard Slope Ted and Nadine Staunton, North Surrey, BC After retirement about 20 years ago, Ted began terracing their 1-acre property by hauling rocks and boulders that had been pushed into the ravine below by previous owners. He built steps and walls with more than 2,000…

Have you accumulated a few extra picture frames over the years? Maybe you redecorated your house in a new style or moved and don’t have as much wall space. Perhaps that inspirational message artwork isn’t doing it for you anymore. It’s time to give those frames a new life outside. Here are five smart ways to upcycle them! 1 LIVING ART Hang a vertical planter, complete with a decorative frame outdoors. To build a planter, fasten chicken wire or hardware cloth to the top of a shadowbox frame or use a regular frame and build a 2-inch-deep box behind it. Fill the box with potting mix. Place it on a flat surface and plant cuttings or starter plants, such as succulents like you see at left, in a pattern between…

Talk & TOUR We Love a Good Garden Tour Explore stunning spaces and listen to gardeners share their insights in our exclusive video series on YouTube! Youtube.com/gardengatemagazine SEE MORE ONLINE Scan the QR code to access these articles, additional information from each issue, how-to videos and more smart garden tips online. GGMagExtra.com Every Season is Garden Season! GardenGateMagazine.com Bird Feeder Wreath Project Decorate an evergreen wreath with tasty treats to welcome birds to your garden. 8 Common Houseplant Bugs Don’t let bugs take over! Here’s how to control insect pests on indoor plants. Designing with Conifers in the Garden Learn an expert’s secrets to designing a garden with conifers. DIY Porch Pots with Spruce Tips Find out to how to use spruce tips and evergreens to make gorgeous winter containers!…

There’s no need to give up on beds and borders just because the weather turns cold and blustery—seasonal changes are part of the fun of gardening. With the long days of summer in the rearview, there’s less to do in the garden and more time to fully appreciate it. To ensure you have an inspiring fall and winter view, look for plants with distinctive seedheads; green leaves that transform into a glowing palette of gold, red and orange before fading to brown; and evergreen plants that can step into the spotlight once the seasons change. Check out these combos for some ideas. Fall Foliage Extravaganza In summer, this part of the garden turns heads with the gold foliage of bluebeard, huge 8- to 10-inch orienpet lily flowers and the pink…

Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus Gardeners love snapdragons for their tall stature and long lasting blooms that come in a wide range of colors, from bold hues to soft pastels and even bicolored varieties. Cut a few stems for your vase and they can last 7 to 10 days. WHERE THEY WORK BEST Plants come in various sizes and habits, so check the tag or seed packet to select the right type for your needs, whether for mixed containers, bedding schemes or cut flower gardens. Use trailing varieties in containers or hanging baskets. Taller ones grown as cut flowers can be harder to find at garden centers, but seeds are easy to find online and start yourself. Even where they’re hardy, many people grow snapdragons as annuals. HOW TO GROW THEM Grow…

Sea holly’s prickly starburst blooms in shades of blue to gray always get a second look, but there’s more to love about this unique perennial than meets the eye. It’s drought- and salt-tolerant with plenty of flowers to cut for bouquets fresh or dried and insect pollinators love it! DISCOVER SEA HOLLY This big group of plants is native mostly in mountainous and coastal regions worldwide, but only a few species and hybrids are for sale in garden centers. Their tiny true flowers are tucked into thistlelike center cones surrounded by stiff bracts that can be long or short, deeply cut or broad. Most are blue or silver-blue, such as ‘Sapphire Blue’ in photo 1. Leaves can be maple-like, rounded or oval with a leathery texture that helps conserve water.…

Use these seasonal and regional tips to get your garden in shape for winter. There are lots of things that need to be done at the end of the season. To help you get the essentials done, use this checklist as a guide. The next two pages have more specific tips for certain areas of North America. The USDA cold-hardiness zones where the tip is most helpful are listed after each idea. early fall □ Pull out the camera and snap some shots of what you’ve accomplished this year. Don’t forget to take a few photos of areas that need improvement, too! □ Plant cold-tolerant annuals and refresh containers with autumn plants. □ Buy spring-blooming bulbs early for the best selection. Store them in a cool spot until you’re ready…

Protect your hands VIcky Youmans, PA Have you ever filled a 5-gallon bucket with water or compost only to lift it and realize you can’t walk more than a couple feet before your hand is in pain? Vickie found a solution. Loosen the hooked end of the wire handle from the bucket and slide a short piece of garden hose onto the handle for additional cushioning. Lines of defense Kristen McWilliams, MN It’s especially aggravating when squirrels dig up seeds and young plants. So after sowing, Kristen covers the rows with 12×12-inch squares of hardware cloth, securing them in place with landscape pins. After the seeds sprout, she bends the squares down the middle to create an arch that fits over the growing plants like you see above left. Eventually,…

WEEKEND GARDENING Enjoy blooms from your garden year-round when you create botanical prints with flower pounding. In addition to these charming gift bags, you can make towels, tablecloths, shirts and even socks. This simple process starts with fresh flowers, a hammer and fabric made of natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, bamboo or hemp. Here’s how. WHAT YOU WILL NEED Materials • Item made of 100% natural fibers (We used 5×7 and 8×10 100% cotton gift bags) • pH neutral detergent (We used Mrs. Meyer’s) • Washing soda, or sodium carbonate (We used Arm & Hammer™ All Natural Super Washing Soda) • Alum, or aluminum potassium sulfate for mordant • Fresh flowers and foliage Tools Small bucket, tweezers, hammer, cutting board or other flat surface for pounding, barrier cloth, cardboard,…

Winter can be hard on a garden. Frigid temperatures, unpredictable early or late frosts, lack of insulating snow, drying winds and a short growing season can damage plants or affect blooms. For folks living in northern North America, particularly in USDA zones 2 to 4, gardening can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are plenty of perennials that weather all of these difficult conditions beautifully. ADAPTED TO COLD What makes a plant extra winter hardy? It could be one or a combination of several characteristics. First, many cold-hardy perennials’ cell structures prevent ice from forming inside. This genetic trait causes plant roots to store sugars and move moisture out of the cells so they won’t freeze and burst. Second, these plants may be evergreen in zones 5 and warmer, but they…

Thinking about updating or adding a new patio or deck? Look beyond the space right outside the back door. Pushing the gathering area to the back of the property mixes things up a bit from the traditional approach. In a small yard like this one—it’s only 25 feet wide—the freestanding deck is still close enough that it’s convenient to run indoors for a refill on your drink. We wanted a clean, contemporary look in this shady backyard, so we went with straight lines in the bed, pond and path. A few red Abyssinian banana plants that are tender in most zones add visual punch and give the garden a tropical vibe, but it’s mostly filled with hardy perennials and shrubs. Contrasting texture and foliage colors keep it interesting in spring,…

Cinnamon fern adds charm to any shade garden and requires little maintenance. In early spring, its fiddleheads emerge and transform into beautiful specimens like those at right. The cinnamon-colored spore-bearing spikes last for several weeks before fading, while the arching fronds reach 2 to 3 feet and remain attractive until fall. Native to North and Central America, cinnamon fern will gradually spread over time, creating a lush, green backdrop that adds texture and depth to your garden beds and borders. WOODLAND ELEGANCE Grow cinnamon fern in part to full shade; plants also prefer rich, moist to wet soil. Naturally found growing along stream banks and in boggy sites, cinnamon fern works perfectly planted along the edges of ponds or around water features. For a striking effect, plant cinnamon fern in…