Category: Home & Garden

A few varieties sport more greenery, but most types of E. milii look like cacti or barbed wire with sparse green leaves at the stem tips.

Scratchy spines notwithstanding, this plant is not a cactus, but a hardy succulent – easy to propagate and undemanding in its growing requirements.

Sounds fun, right? But there are a few sticking points with this blooming indoor plant.

Literally! The spines can give you a sharp jab, so you’ll want to wear thick garden gloves when you repot, move, or prune these plants.

Unlike many pet- and kid-friendly succulents, crown of thorns is also toxic. The stems contain a milky latex that can cause vomiting – or worse – if ingested. The sap may cause contact dermatitis too.

But if you can cope with those less-delightful traits, E. milii could be the houseplant for you.

Let’s get to know this prickly-but-adorable plant a bit better. Here’s what’s in store:

What Is Crown of Thorns?

Part of the spurge, or Euphorbiaceae family, Euphorbia is a genus of about 2,000 known species, many of them with wildly disparate looks.

This diverse genus includes species of 20-foot trees, four-inch herbaceous plants, poinsettias, as well as the gopher plant.

The common name comes from a legend of the plant being used to make the crown of thorns for Jesus’ crucifixion.

While botanists and Biblical scholars have found evidence that this plant was likely present in the Middle East before the time of Christ, the general consensus is other plants were more likely to have been used, and not E. milii.

This succulent is known by the alternate names of Christ thorn and Christ plant, however.

This species shares traits with other types of euphorbia, including a need for full sun and the presence of the toxic milky sap mentioned above.

E. milii has distinct traits such as the sharp thorns on the stems and ability to flower prolifically over a long period.

The blooms are showy, consisting of insignificant greenish, yellow, or red flowers surrounded by colorful, sometimes variegated, floral bracts.

In USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, crown of thorns will grow as perennials and bloom year-round. Grown as a houseplant, the plants typically bloom from late winter fall.

It has a shrublike, multi-stemmed growth habit and reaches three to six feet tall outdoors, but generally tops out at two feet tall indoors.

The stems are thorny, with terminal green or variegated succulent leaves that fall off after a few months, with spines growing in their place.

It’s technically a succulent or semi-succulent, but needs more direct sun than most succulents and more water than cacti.

The species E. milii is native to Madagascar and has naturalized in areas of Asia and South America.

Its botanical name milii honors the governor of Bourbon island, now called Reunion, Baron Milius, who first cultivated this species in 1821.

Many crown of thorns hybrids and cultivars were introduced more recently, starting in the1970s. Some boasted improvements such as more compact forms, an ability to bloom in containers just a couple of inches wide, and resistance to drought and overwatering.

The original hybrids were generally crosses of E. milii and E. lophogano, a similar species with long, leathery green leaves.

The crosses include stout-stemmed “giant” crown of thorns hybrids with lavish blooms bred in California.

German horticulturalists crossed natural selections to breed hybrids with thicker leaves and more slender stems than the California giants, and dwarf cultivars followed.

In the early 1990s, horticulturists introduced large-flowered “Poysean” cultivars that had come to Thailand with Chinese immigrants.

The first new varieties were most likely the result of mutations, not hybridization. Their shared traits included large, bright green leaves, and an upright, rounded-top growing habit.

Further selective breeding in Thailand produced showy bloomers in an exhaustive range of colors and sizes.

The beautiful blooming succulents proved to be quite popular, and Thailand’s economic boom at the time financed the development and purchase of hundreds of unusual, rare, collectible varieties.

Sadly, when Southeast Asia’s economic prosperity was followed by a crash in the late 90s, the growers and buyers suffered financial losses.

The market dried up, and many Thai cultivars were lost as breeders went out of business.

Some growers still offer the Poysean varieties, but the rarer types aren’t usually available to collectors in US or European markets.

One example of a Thai variety still available is ‘Queen Millionaire,’ a hybrid which grows about two feet tall as a houseplant and produces pink bracts with cream-colored edges. The blooms can reach two inches across.

Another Thai giant, ‘Cherry Cobbler’ aka ‘Red Beauty,’ and has two-inch bright red bracts that resemble hydrangeas.

In a bit, I’ll share buying information for different types of crown of thorns, Meantime, let’s have a look at their growing requirements.

Crown of Thorns Propagation

It is possible to propagate crown of thorns from seed, but unless they are growing outdoors the plants need to be hand-pollinated to yield seeds – and the seeds must be sown just as soon as they ripen.

Even if you already have thriving plants, they may not bloom reliably or precisely when you’re ready to sow.

Additionally, seeds collected from hybrids may not grow true to the parent plant and in some cases may not be viable.

I would leave growing from seeds produced by hand-pollinated flowers to amateur plant breeders and horticulturists.

For the more casual grower, I recommend purchasing plants or rooting stem cuttings.

From Cuttings

To propagate crown of thorns from stem cuttings, first don protective gloves and wear long sleeves to protect your skin from the spines and sap.

Also, put newspaper or a machine-washable towel on the work surface, or work outside where no one will end up with sap on their hands or paws when you’re finished working.

Clip a terminal end of a healthy stem using a knife and dip it in cold water to keep the sap from spurting (or should I say spurging?) everywhere.

If you’re making the effort and have a large enough parent plant or plants, I’d recommend that you try to propagate five or six cuttings at once to increase your odds of success.

Set the cuttings in a warm, dry place away from direct sunlight. I usually rest mine on parchment paper on a bookshelf the cats can’t reach.

Let each cutting dry until a callous forms on the cut end, which usually takes a few days. Then, gently poke the calloused end into a tray or cell of well-draining potting or seed-starting mix.

After planting, keep the soil barely moist and place the container in a warm, well-lit area. Within about two months, you should be able to detect roots with a gentle tug, but be sure to wear gloves to protect your fingers.

You can find complete instructions on starting crown of thorns from seed or cuttings in our guide to growing euphorbia.

Transplanting

Whether you’re rehoming a rooted cutting or potting a purchased houseplant, you’ll need the right soil.

Crown of thorns prefers a mildly acidic to neutral pH, with 6.0 to 7.0 being the ideal. They can also cope with slightly alkaline soil, with a pH between 7.0 and 7.5.

Happily, houseplant potting mix pH is ordinarily 7.0 out of the package, so you won’t have to worry much about balancing pH like you would if growing these succulents in garden soil.

Do pay close attention to acquiring or creating a well-draining potting mix high in organic matter, however.

Gently ease the plant from its container, being careful not to break stems or hurt yourself in the process.

Fill the pot about two-thirds full with the mix, and then center the root ball on the soil so it rests at the same level it was in the previous container.

Backfill with potting mix, tamping it firmly around the roots, using gloves or perhaps a pot holder to protect your hands – or pressing down with the back of a metal or wooden spoon.

Water it in and give it ample opportunity to drain before placing the pot in the hospitable location you’ve already selected.

Then it’s time to tend your crown of thorns and enjoy its offbeat appearance and showy blooms.

Tips for the growing process are coming up.

How to Grow Crown of Thorns

Like that friend who is only prickly and oversensitive occasionally, a crown of thorns houseplant has a few non-negotiable growing requirements but is carefree the rest of the time.

Where you locate an indoor E. milii is especially important.

There aren’t many houseplants with this trait, but even indoors, the crown of thorns responds best to at least six hours of direct sunlight per day!

Be sure to place it on a sunny windowsill or a few feet away from a south-facing window. If your chosen location only receives morning sun, you’ll need to augment it with grow lights.

The plants also prefer low humidity of 40 percent or less, though they’re usually okay in moderate humidity, up to about 50 percent.

I consider the humidity preference a selling point since only the rare blooming houseplant flowers inside a home with dry air.

Temperature is also key. While some of the newer cultivars may be cold-tolerant, the typical crown of thorns does best when indoor temperatures are in the 65 to 75ºF range.

When daytime temperatures are cooler than about 60ºF, the plants will struggle to bloom or produce new leaves.

If you keep your home cooler at night, they’ll do fine with nighttime temps in the 50 to 60ºF range.

But once the air cools to below 50ºF, premature leaf loss can occur. And even a single freeze can kill a crown of thorns outright, so be sure to look out for them if you have a power outage in wintery weather.

You’ll also want to place your crown of thorns where it won’t encounter drafts.

Be sure to water the plants only when the soil is dry at least four inches down.

Then pour water into the container at the soil surface until you see it draining from the holes into the saucer below. Discard any excess promptly since oversaturated soil can kill crown of thorns.

Once your indoor plant stops flowering, usually between fall and late winter, you can water even less frequently. In those seasons, allow the soil to dry completely before thoroughly dousing your succulent and letting it drain out of the bottom of the pot.

The fall and winter watering schedule usually works out to just once a month or so, but let your soil moisture meter or your forefinger plunged into the potting mix be your guide.

My favorite method with euphorbia varieties is to bottom water, and you can learn more about that in our guide.

Growing Tips

• Expose the plants to six to eight hours of direct sun, a grow light, or bright, indirect light daily.
• Plant in a well-draining potting mix.
• Place containers away from drafty or windy spots.

Pruning and Maintenance

You won’t need much to keep a crown of thorns happy, but upkeep can be a literal pain if you’re not careful to avoid the thorns and sap.

You may also wish to prune your crown of thorns houseplant, either to keep it compact, to shape it, or to remove damaged or diseased tips or leaves.

Even E. milii grown year-round indoors do best if you wait until spring or summer to trim.That’s when the plant is putting on new growth and will be able to heal from its wounds and send out new shoots.

Don gloves before grappling with the crown of thorns, and use a knife or dishwasher-safe shears so you can wash the blades easily.

The first order of business is to get rid of any damaged branches, cutting them away at the soil level and gingerly disposing of them. The stems are not good candidates for the compost.

Use a spray bottle of icy water to spritz the cuts you make as this will halt the flow of the sap.

If you’re shaping the plant, decide where you’d like it to branch out. Ordinarily, a pruned stem or branch will send out two or three new growths from the spot where you cut.

You can clip the stems about a third down or lower. But avoid cutting so much of the stem that you lop off healthy buds since they’re the source of new growth.

To give the houseplant every chance to resprout and flower, remove no more than half of the leaves, preferably no more than a third at any given time.

If you are pruning in spring, you can root those cuttings readily, so give it a try!

You may opt to move the plants outdoors in the warmer spring and summer months.

This approach may cause a growth spurt, and it will usually cut down on your watering chores, not to mention the need for supplemental light.

When temperatures are reliably above 60°F, shift the containers outdoors to a spot that receives plenty of direct sun but is protected from drafts, wind, and harsh afternoon rays.

To keep the leaves from getting sunburned, give the plants a chance to adjust to increased light and different temperatures outdoors. Expose them to increasing hours in the outdoors over the course of a few days or a week.

If your summers are scalding hot, place the pots where they’ll receive only part sun, or use shade cloth to protect them from the strong afternoon rays.

Also consider bringing them inside when temperatures exceed 80°F, which can cause the plant to become too dry or drop all of its foliage.

Consistently clear any debris that settles on the surface of the potting mix, ideally before rain makes it soggy.

When the containers are outside, consider the rainfall, which usually provides all the hydration the plants need but may also overwhelm them.

Provide each outdoor container with a drainage saucer and always tip out any excess after a downpour. And only offer supplemental water if the soil is dry four inches down.

You may also want to fertilize the plants while they’re in prime growing mode outdoors, using the same water-soluble all-purpose fertilizer mentioned above. Dilute it to about half the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Keep an eye on the temperature as summer starts winding down. Mark a date on your gardening calendar about two months ahead of your area’s average first frost date, and start watching the weather then.

While certain modern hybrids of E. milii may survive temperatures as low as 35°F, it’s best not to take chances. Move your crown of thorns indoors when temperatures are predicted to be below 60ºF – or 55ºF at the lowest.

Inspect plants for infestations of mealybugs or other pests before bringing them indoors. It’s far simpler to treat those maladies outdoors before they infest your entire houseplant collection.

Crown of thorns will eventually need a new pot, too. A snug fit increases the number of blooms, so don’t rush to give them a new home.

Usually, once every two years is fine, or even less often if you’re trying to limit the size of your houseplant. If the roots are escaping from the drainage holes or the soil is so compacted the plant can’t take up water, go ahead and repot immediately.

Upgrade to a container just one inch wider than the current vessel. Be sure to replace the growing medium with a fresh batch of potting mix that’s well-draining and contains plenty of aged organic matter.

Once the houseplants are full-size, usually about two feet tall unless you’re growing a bigger hybrid, adding a bit of fresh potting mix to the surface once a year can replace repotting.

After three years of adding soil at the top, change the whole mix out for some fresh, while retaining the same size container.

Isn’t it nice that these prickly plants need so little maintenance? That gives you less chance of a thorn in your finger and plenty of opportunities to admire their quirky growth habit and pretty blooms.

To be on the safe side, it’s still a good idea to familiarize yourself with these pests and diseases that could strike:

Pests

Grown inside, E. milii usually avoid infestation. The plants might experience the occasional mealybug or scale attack, especially if you set them outdoors in the summer and then move them indoors for the cold months.

Spider mites and thrips may also make a move.

But don’t worry too much. You can typically take care of any pest problems with a sharp spray of water from the hose or perhaps an application of neem oil.

Disease

Crown of thorns is stubbornly sturdy and almost impervious to disease as long as you grow it in a well-draining potting mix and ample light, and don’t overwater.

If your plant isn’t receiving enough light or is being overwatered, it may suffer from powdery mildew, which is caused by Podosphaera euphorbiae and manifests as a floury coating on the leaves.

Powdery mildew is more likely if you take your houseplants outdoors for the summer where they can catch all those wonderful rays, but you can’t control the rainfall.

Reduce the risk by tipping excess water out of the drainage saucers after a drenching.

If you do spot the white dust that indicates powdery mildew, you can usually treat it with a spray of milk or one of the other natural remedies in our guide.

Also, be wary of root rot. Caused by waterborne fungi and water molds such as Pythium spp., root rot will make it impossible for a crown of thorns to take up water.

The first clear indication of this disease is wilting or yellowing leaves, but by the time you notice them the roots are already rotted and foul-smelling.

At that point, your only option is to dispose of the infected plant and all the debris and potting mix and start over with a new pot and plant – and fresh potting mix.

It’s far easier to prevent root rot than to endure the loss of a plant.

Provide drainage holes, well-draining potting soil formulated for succulents and cacti, and a porous pot that will dry readily, such as one made of unglazed terra cotta.

Never use a pot more than an inch or two wider than the plant. Extra soil mix on the sides can trap water and create a bog. Err on the dry side when watering.

The plants need saturating, but only when the soil is nearly dry. It’s just as important to let excess water drain out and discard it.

You can learn more about root rot in our guide.

Best Uses for Crown of Thorns

If you’ve been looking for a houseplant to brighten a sunny window without suffering damage from too much exposure, the crown of thorns euphorbia is a brilliant choice.

Not only will it thrive in direct indoor sun, but it will bloom there from late winter to early fall.

These easy-to-grow houseplants complement other potted succulents, especially those with lighter or fuzzy leaves, though they may need more sun than their fellows.

And they’ll thrive in low humidity, which is a boon for home gardeners who live in homes with dry heat in winter.

A mini organic garden can give you wonderful vegetables which are pesticide-free and delicious. It is not really necessary to have a large garden area to grow plants or vegetables. All you will ever need in veggies will grow in a reasonably small plot.

The no-dig garden method has been proven successful all over the world. What you need to do is identify the area where you would like to start. Choose an area where there is sunlight, with access to water, mark it out and you are ready to start planning.

What you will need to start:

• Pieces of wood or something to use to box in the area chosen.
• A bale of alfalfa hay
• A bale of straw
• Some old newspapers
• A load of compost
• Manure or a complete organic fertilizer
• A bit of energy, motivation and enthusiasm

Be thorough with the preparation. Don’t make it big to start, say 10 feet (300 cm) by 5 feet (150 cm) and choose which vegetables you would like to grow. Good choices are lettuce, beans, tomatoes, Swiss chard, and radish.

The site to choose?

Choose an open area, preferably facing north/south. Plenty of sunshine and not much wind are important factors to consider. If you are working on concrete, your windbreak could be shrubs in pots. This is an ideal way to do it as you can move pots around and place them where they will be more effective.

Getting started

Mark out your site and box it in. If it is on concrete, join the boards to make it strong. If it is on ground, do a bit of leveling first. Don’t worry about grass as we are going to cover this over. Even if the ground is rock-hard, this method works. You can build a no-dig garden on any base.

Now that you have the base down, cover the bottom of the box with newspapers. Use complete papers, opened up and overlapped. Tuck the paper under the framework if you are building on an old garden bed. After the paper, cover the bed now with the Lucerne hay and use each layer piece as bedding. This needs to be about 2 inches (50 cm) in thickness. Water this area very thoroughly at this stage.

Sprinkle some of your fertilizer, blood and bone, or even a liquid organic fertilizer over the whole area. Next, we need to add the compost and this needs to be only about 1 inch (25 cm) in thickness over the area. At this stage, rake it over so that the compost is even and flat across this area.

Now, put a layer of straw fairly loosely over the area. Add some more fertilizer. Put another layer of compost on top of this and add some more fertilizer on top again. It’s time now to put the final layer of Lucerne hay, making sure that it is all fairly level.

Buy your seeds or seedlings as its time to plant. This is the most rewarding part of this job, other than the harvesting later on. Make small holes in the hay and plant into the compost, firming the hay around the plants. This hay will act as an insulator and stop any drying out. Alternatively, you could place another layer of compost on top and plant into this.

It’s just a matter of maintenance, watering and waiting for those vegies to come up. You will love the crops of herbicide-free foods.

You’ll wonder why you didn’t start earlier!

by Bill Richardson

Bill Richardson lives in Gippsland in Victoria, Australia and specializes in growing South African bulbs and other species. He is involved in horticultural training and development of programs included organic gardening, worm farming, and bee keeping. He is a member of the International Bulb Society and have photos and some articles on the International Bulb Society page. His specialty area is growing the South African species Ixia.

Since both our Dexter cows are back in production, it makes sense to experiment with some cheesemaking.

My friend JD has a good setup for making cheese and has done more research than I, so we got together to make a wheel of cheese.

Part one of the process is on my YouTube channel:

And Part II is on his channel:

Worthwhile books on cheesemaking:

Recommended by JD:

American Farmstead Cheese: https://amzn.to/426tnWa

Home Cheese Making: https://amzn.to/3vSRV8P

An additional recommendation I like: 

The Art of Natural Cheesemaking: https://amzn.to/48UimcQ

Thanks for watching. We’ll go back and see how the cheese has fared in a few months.

Also, if you want to get exclusive content, including my hour-long presentation Redneck Backyard Chicken Butchering, sign up at our newly re-vamped Patreon page here.

Today we’re working on the nursery and putting off dealing with taxes.

Have a great Monday.

Many attractive plants are suitable for cultivation in suspended baskets. For this purpose plants of a drooping habit of growth are preferable, as their pendulous stems, falling over the sides of the baskets, display the flowers or foliage to the best advantage. Hanging baskets are made of various materials; those of galvanized wire are the most popular, as they are light and last for many years. Teakwood or cypress wood baskets are used for orchids of drooping growth.

Filling the Baskets

The baskets are lined with a thick layer of moss or pieces of fibrous turf, and are then filled with soil. Finally, the plants are inserted, some at the sides, others at the top of the basket, so that the latter will be well furnished. The soil is thoroughly moistened and the basket is then hung in position. It is most necessary to keep the soil moist. If this detail is neglected the plants will not flourish. The most convenient way of watering is by lowering the baskets to the ground and immersing them in a vessel of water.

For the Greenhouse

These baskets require a minimum winter temperature of 50 degrees F. Soil is used similar to that required for the same plants when they are grown in pots. These are the most popular kinds grown for their ornamental leaves alone: Smilax; Asparagus Sprengeri; the Ferns named Nephrolepis exaltata, Davallia dissecta elegans, and Adiantum cuneatum; trailing Coleus; Chlorophytum elatum, Tradescantia fluminensis, and Zebrina pendula. The best flowering plants are Campanula isophylla; Jasminum primulinum; Clianthus Dampieri and C. puniceus; Fuchsias; Begonias of drooping growth; B. semperflorens; Impatiens Sultanii; Saxifraga sarmentosa; Abutilon megapotamicum; Achimenes; Lachenalia; Zygocactus truncatus; Ceropegia Woodii; and Aeschynanthus Lobbianus.

For the Porch, Window and Balcony

These baskets are principally used on porches and on balconies to provide a display during the summer. The plants are selected from those which are used for summer flower beds. Each basket may be planted with one variety or the plants can be mixed to suit individual tastes. When dwarf plants of upright growth are used, they are placed on top of the basket, and those of drooping growth are planted around the sides. The following all do well in baskets: Ivy Geranium, Zonal Geranium, Fuchsia, Marguerite, Ageratum, Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia), Vinca major variegata, Nepeta hederacea variegata, Lobelia, Petunia, Heliotrope, Nasturtium, Phlox Drummondii, Verbena, and Gazania splendens.

The plants are set in the baskets in spring; the baskets are suspended in a greenhouse for a few weeks, and are then gradually hardened off and placed out of doors after the weather is warm and settled. If no greenhouse is available the plants are set in the baskets when it is warm enough for them to be outdoors, the baskets being hung in a shady spot for a week or two. A compost of rich garden soil or equal parts of loam, leaf mold and decayed manure are suitable for these plants. During the summer the soil must be kept constantly moist.

Flowering fiesta Bright Color

Helpful Hints

• Subsitute Penstemon ‘Scarlet Queen’ for Physostegia ‘Vivid’ and this could be a Zone 4 collection.
• Plant this garden in the sunniest location of your yard for best performance.
• Add in crimson, fall-color shrubs like Burning Bush or spring blooming border Fosythia to add to the excitement.
• Planting with posthole digger make it a quick and easy task.

1. Achillea ‘Moonshine’
2. Achillea ‘Terra Cotta’
3. Anthemis ‘Kelwayl’
4. Aster ‘Winston S. Churchill’
5. Corepsis ‘Nana’
6. Corepsis ‘Sunray’
7. Dianthus ‘Frosty Fire’
8. Heliopsis ‘Summer Sun’
9. Heuchera ‘Firefly’
10. Moarda ‘Gardenview Scarlet’
11. Oenothera fructicosa
12. Oenothera missouriness
13. Penstemon ‘Scarlet Queen’
14. Phlox ‘Starfire’
15. Rudbeckia ‘Goldstrum’
16. Tanacetum ‘Robin’s Crimson’

33 Garden Designs for your home:

Shady Oasis
Gaining Ground
Front Door Enterance Design
Coastal Perennial Garden Design
White Flower Garden Design
Grass Garden Design
Pastel Flower Garden Design
Rose & Perennial Garden Design
Bright Colorful Garden Design
Perennial Corner Garden Design
Butterfly Hummingbird Design
Silver & Blue Garden Design
Bog Garden Design
Pink Flowers Garden Design
All Year Flower Garden Design
Privacy Matter
Woodland Border
Hosta Shade Garden Design
Rock Garden Design
Cold Hardy Perennial Garden Design
English Garden Border Garden Design
Driveway Sidewalk Garden Design
Prairie Garden Design
Flower Garden Design
Entry Shade Garden Design
Hot & Humid Garden Design
Flowering Fiesta
Red White Blue Garden Design
Late Season Garden Design
Southwest Dry Garden Design
Garden for Children
Butterfly Garden Design
Hummingbird Garden Design
Shady Solutions

I have given up indoor seed starting completely on several occasions. The first time it happened I was a novice gardener. I had ordered seeds of just about every plant that I saw in the garden catalogs without thinking about such practical things as gallons of potting soil, hours of daily watering, and square feet of windowsill space. It also did not occur to me to determine whether or not I had room in my garden for even a fraction of my seedlings. My chaotic efforts eventually produced some wonderful plants, but the process was so exhausting that I said: “Never again.”

After that, I made some half-hearted attempts at seed starting, but it always seemed as if I got my seeds in too late, or forgot that I wanted to take a long weekend at a crucial time in the life of my young green charges. My seed starting still resulted in a measure of success, but not enough, it seemed to me, to make the heartburn worthwhile.

But life and gardening ideas evolve. For the past two years, I have been very selective about the seeds that I start indoors. When I open the catalogs I steel myself and try to remember how it feels too thin hundreds of seedlings with a pair of nail scissors. With that in mind, I select just a few varieties that I am sure I will not be able to get in the garden centers. I buy in quantities that I know I can accommodate the top of the microwave, which is the optimum seed starting area in my house

This strategy has proven very successful. Last year it worked so well that I had enough white cosmos seedlings to give to a neighbor. My ‘Moonlight’ nasturtiums were an absolute triumph, and my ‘White Linen’ California poppies grew like wildfire.

Now I am finally ready to take on pansies.

I have always loved pansies, and that is the problem. My unbridled affection makes me want to have masses of them in the garden. The kind of masses that require hundreds of plants. The kind of masses that also require hundreds of dollars of expenditure at the garden center. Even in my pansy-besotted state, I know that it is no good to have masses of pansies if you are also going to lose your house because you bought pansies instead of making mortgage payments. Therefore, in the interest of mental and financial well-being, it behooves me to tame my expectations and start some pansies from seed.

The Thompson & Morgan seed catalog (call 800/274-7333 for a catalog, or access the T&M website at www.thompson-morgan.com) is at once a great and a terrible place to start the process of seed selection. There are 35 separate cultivars and seed mixes listed in the pansy category, and lots more under “Violas”. Most of the pansies are cultivars of one hybrid, Pansy x wittrockiana. Within that category are traditional types like ‘Universal Mixed’, with the distinctly blotched petals that pansy fanciers call “faces”. There are also pansies in single colors, like the screaming orange ‘Padparadja’, the velvety ‘Bingo Deep Purple’, or the sunny ‘Clear Sky Primrose’. For those into the fashionable black flower craze, T&M has a new hybrid this year, ‘Blackmoon’, that is as close to black as you are ever going to find. If you saved some seed until summer, you could raise a bed full of “Padparadja’ and ‘Blackmoon’ for a lovely Halloween garden display.

Of course, hybridizers can never resist taking a good flower and doubling it, and the people who work with pansies are no exception. ‘Can Can Mixed’ is an assortment that the catalog copywriter describes as producing “dazzling frilly blooms”. Dizzying frilly blooms” seems more appropriate, as the multi-colored blossoms look a bit like overblown rhododendron flowers. For my money, a mass planting of ‘Can Can Mixed’ looks rather like a really colorful hallucination, but to each his own.

With such an array of choices, it seems wise to choose some guiding principals. I chose color. I really like ‘Springtime Lemon Splash’, which sounds as if it should be a cologne, but is actually a pale yellow cultivar with a dark purple face. I may combine them in containers with ‘Maxim Marina’, which come in shades of purple, with very pronounced purple and white markings.

For novelty’s sake, I am also ordering ‘Bronze Tones’, a cultivar that I spotted in the wonderful Select Seeds catalog (call 860/684-9310 or access the Select Seeds website at www.selectseeds.com). These are arrayed in shades of antique gold, bronzes and browns, and would look equally lovely in the spring, or, with appropriate pruning and summer care, in the fall. In fact, I am so enamored of ‘Bronze Tones’, that I just might forgo my orange and black Halloween pansy bed, and install them instead.
– E. Ginsburg

Yellow Rose
SWORD LILIES
CHANGE IN THE GARDEN
UNFORGETTABLE
FRESH VEGGIES

Planting a tree takes a lot of thought. We may have to consider if we want a tree that is:

• Trees decorative throughout the year
• Trees with outstanding inflorescences
• Trees with exceptionally handsome foliage
• Trees with decorative fruits
• Trees with yellow or golden leaves
• Trees with white, silver or yellow variegated leaves
• Trees with blue (glaucous) and silver foliage
• Trees with early flowers
• Fastigiate trees

Lets read more about to assist in understanding these factors.

Decorative bark and good foliage color

Broad-leaved

ACER CAPILLIPES Young bark striated with white; young growths coral red, leaves turning crimson in autumn. A. davidii, young bark shiny green, striated with white; leaves usually turn yellow and purple in autumn. Long chains of keys striking. A. griseum, paper bark maple, the outer bark peeling in papery flakes to show the copper-coloured inner bark; opening leaves bronze coloured, turning red or orange in autumn. A. grosseri, A. g. hersii, young bark green or yellowish striated with white, leaves orange and crimson in autumn. A. pennsylvanicum, moosewood, young bark green striped and patterned with white, the large leaves pinkish on opening turning clear in autumn. A. rufinerve, bark green, with an elaborate pattern of greyish markings, persisting on old trunks; leaves red when young and usually crimson in autumn, when the long chains of keys are attractive.

BETULA PAPYRIFERA Paper-bark birch, shining white bark, the large leaves turning pale gold early autumn, making it more effective than other birches with coloured stems.

LIQUIDAMBAR STYRACIFLUA The American sweet gum has interesting corky bark in winter, the leaves usually turning purple and crimson in autumn.
PARROTIA PERSICA Particularly good if trained to standard form, the grey bark flaking away in a pattern resembling the London plane, while the leaves turn brilliant golds and crimsons (see also Early flowering trees).

PHELLODENDRON AMURENSE The grey, corky trunk is of picturesque form, and the handsome yellow leaves turn yellow in autumn.

SORBUS AUCUPARIA BEISSNERI This handsome cultivar of the mountain ash has red branchlets and a copper-coloured trunk, the large leaves with deeply cut leaflets turning old gold in autumn.

Conifers Many conifers with yellow, silver or variegated foliage (listed under those headings) give interest of form and foliage colour at all seasons. Some pines, when their lower branches are removed, also have interesting bark, P. bungeana, the lacebark pine, has bark which peels off to show white patches; P. nigra maritima, the Corsican pine, develops a striking erect trunk with pale scales between fissures in the dark bark. The Scots pine, P. sylvestris, with its smooth pink or red bark in the upper part of the tree, is singularly picturesque. The bark of the well-named redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, never loses its astonishing colour. Except P. bungeana, which is rare and slow-growing, these trees are only suitable for large gardens or parks.

Decorative bark in winter

In addition to the foregoing, the principal decorative distinction of the following is their bark, the coloring of their foliage not being exceptional.

ARBUTUS x ARACHNOIDES Hybrid strawberry tree. Trunk and branches cinnamon red.

BETULA Several birches have singularly beautiful colored bark, though this does not always show on young trees. Among the best are B. albosinensis septentrionalis, orange-brown with a grey bloom; B. ermanii, trunk cream-colored, the bark peeling off, the branches orange-brown; B. jacquemontiana, the whitest bark of all—the white can be rubbed off like chalk; B. lutea, the peeling, paper-like bark being yellowish; B. mandschurica, vars. japonica and szechuanica, have very white stems and branches; B. maximowicziana, the largest-leaved birch, the trunk at first orange-brown becoming white; B. pendula, the native British birch, varies greatly in the color of its stem and good white-barked seedlings must be selected.

CORNUS MAS Old trees of cornelian cherry have interesting trunks with attractive shaggy bark.

CORYLUS COLURNA The pale, corky, scaling bark on the Turkish hazel is attractive.

EUCALYPTUS Several species have interesting grey, peeling bark.

JUGLANS NIGRA The grey bark of this black walnut, deeply furrowed into a network pattern, is most striking. PLATANUS x HYBRIDA The peeling of patches of bark showing the greenish grey inner bark of the London plane is well known.

POPULUS ALBA The bark of the white poplar is smooth and grey, with black markings, except at the base of the trunk; P. canescens, the grey poplar, has bark of a distinctive yellowish-grey colour.

PRUNUS MAACKII The Manchurian bird cherry has smooth bark, brownish-yellow in colour, and peeling like that of a birch; P. serrula, the bark is shiny, mahogany coloured, from which the thin outer skin peels, the trunk of a mature tree having white circular scars around it.

QUERCUS SUBER The thick, ridged bark of the cork oak, not hardy in cold situations, makes it a distinctive tree. SALIX DAPHNOIDES The violet willow owes its name to the purple shoots covered with a bloom giving them in places a violet colour; S. purpurea, the purple osier, has reddish-purple slender branches.

ZELKOVA SINICA This remarkable tree has smooth grey bark which peels away in scales to reveal a rusty-coloured under bark.

Trees with outstanding inflorescences

AESCULUS CARNEA The red hybrid horse chestnut is very variable, the cultivar briotii should always be chosen. A. hipPocastanum, the common horse-chestnut, growing into a very large tree, is well known. The double-flowered baumannii is smaller and does not produce conkers. A. indica, the Indian horse chestnut, has the largest flower spikes of all, pink-flushed, in June and July; A. octandra, the sweet buckeye, a smaller tree, has flowers that are pale yellow; A. Pavia var. atrosanguinea is a small tree with crimson flowers in June. CATALPA BIGNONIOIDES The Indian

bean has many foxglove-like flowers in a pyramidal, erect spike in July and August. The individual flowers are white marked with yellow and purple. Does well in the heart of London.

CLADRASTIS TINCTORIA The yellow wood has pendent clusters of scented pea-like white flowers with a yellow blotch on the standard in June. Does not always flower but has handsome foliage.

CRATAEGUS The many-flowered inflorescences of the numerous thorns, mostly with white but sometimes red or pink flowers, are well known and very similar. A choice should be made from those that also bear showy fruits.

DAVIDIA INVOLUCRATA The pocket-handkerchief, or dove tree has its small flowers surrounded by two large white bracts, making it a remarkable sight in May.

FRAXINUS ORNUS In May the manna or flowering ash is usually densely covered with clusters of small, white flowers.

KOELREUTERIA PANICULATA The golden-rain tree or pride of India carries in August erect pyramidal spikes of many small yellow flowers each with a red spot at the centre. The foliage also is attractive.

LABURNUM By far the best, with the longest chains of flowers and the sweetest scent, is the hybrid L. x watereri.

MAGNOLIA Ofthe large tree magnolias, the following have large and magnificent flowers: M. campbellii (pink), M. delavayi (creamy-white), M. denudata (pure white), M. grandiflora (white), M.mollicomata (rose-purple), M. obovata (creamy-white), M. sargentiana (rose-pink), M. tripetala, umbrella tree (cream-coloured).

MALUS There are very many floriferous crab-apples, both with white, pink and rose-coloured flowers. It is best to choose those which also produce interesting fruit or have coloured foliage.

PAULOWNIA P. fargesii and P. tomentosa (syn. P. imperialis) have broad spikes of heliotrope foxglove-shaped flowers up to 30cm (lft) long which are not produced every year, because of winter frost damage to the flower buds. PRUNUS A selection from this very floriferous genus is best made when a second attribute, such as early flowering, decorative fruit, autumnal leaf colour or decorative bark is present. The Japanese cherries, with flowers ranging from white to shades of pink and even yellow, must be chosen on beauty of flower alone.

PYRUS The ornamental pears are with few exceptions not commonly planted other than for their foliage, as neither their flowers nor fruits are significant. SORBUS The rowans and service trees have decorative clusters, in some kinds large, of white or rarely pink flowers, but they are best selected by giving attention to the merits of their foliage and berries.

STYRAX S. japonica flowers freely in June, the bell-shaped flowers hanging from short shoots; S. obassa has similar flowers, fragrant, on spikes at the same season and in addition has large, almost round leaves that turn yellow in autumn.

TILIA The very many small clusters of pale yellow flowers that are carried by all species of limes in June and early July must be mentioned if only on account of their scent. T. cordata is the best for a small space, as it is slow growing.

Some deciduous trees with exceptionally handsome foliage

AILANTHUS ALTISSIMA The tree of heaven has pinnate leaves sometimes 60cm (2ft) long.

CATALPA The Indian bean-trees have heart-shaped leaves up to 25cm (10in).

GYMNOCLADUS DIOICUS The Kentucky coffee-tree has compound pinnate leaves which may reach lm (3ft) long and 60cm (2ft) wide.

JUGLANS SIEBOLDIANA The walnuts all have handsome pinnate foliage, but in this species the leaves may reach 1m (3ft) long.

MAGNOLIA DELAVAYI This evergreen tree has exceptionally handsome leaves about 30cm (lft) long. M. tripetala, the umbrella tree (so called because of the arrangement of its foliage) has very large leaves up to 50cm (20in) long. PHELLODENDRON All cultivated species of the cork tree have pinnate leaves 30cm (lft) or more long.

POPULUS LASIOCARPA This has typical poplar-shaped leaves up to 30cm (lft) PTEROCARYA The species of wing nut in cultivation all have pinnate leaves from 30-60cm (1-2ft) long, those on P. fraxinifolia being the largest.

RHUS TYPHINA The pinnate leaves on the stag’s horn sumach may reach 1m (3ft) long.

SORBUS HARROWIANA This tender species has the largest leaves ofay n mountain ash, 30cm (lft) or more long. S. sargentiana, is a mountain ash which has leaves up to 30cm (1 ft) long.

Some trees with good autumn color

It should be noted that autumn color may vary from year to year in every respect, and even from tree to tree of the same species. This list is by no means complete.

ACER CAMPESTRE The native field maple turns a good yellow; A. capillipes, deep crimson; A cappadocicum, yellow; A. circinatum, orange and crimson; A. davidii, variable, yellow and purple; A. ginnala, brilliant flaming scarlet; A. griseum, orange, bronze and fiery red; A. grosseri, also A. g. hersii, red and gold; A. japonicum, crimson and pink; A. negundo, clear yellow, early; A. nikoense, orange and red; A. pennsylvanicum, clear yellow; A. platanoides, clear yellow; A. rubrum, scarlet and yellow; A. rufinerve, crimson. AMELANCHIER All cultivated species turn shades of red or russet.

BETULA Most birches turn shades of greenish yellow, but B. papyrifera is a good bright yellow.

CARYA Species usually cultivated turn a good yellow.

CERCIDIPHYLLUM JAPONICUM Variable, but can be brilliant in yellow and reds.

CYDONIA OBLONGA The leaves of the common quince turn a good yellow. EUONYMUS SACHALINENSIS Yellow and red, early, with crimson fruits. FAGUS The copper colour of the British native beechwoods is glorious in autumn. FRAXINUS Most ashes turn shades of yellow before their leaves fall early in the season. F. oxycarpa `Raywood’, however, turns a distinctive purple. GINKGO BILOBA The maidenhair tree
turns a rich yellow.

GYMNOCLADUS DIOICUS The large leaves turn clear yellow.

LIQUIDAMBAR STYRACIFLUA Variable, but in good specimens can be brilliant, purple to scarlet.

LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA Leaves turn a good yellow.

MALUS Apples give little autumn leaf colour, an exception being M. tschonoskii, on which the leaves turn yellow and scarlet.

MESPILUS GERMANICA The large leaves of the medlar turn russet colour. NYSSA SYLVATICA The tupelo turns vivid scarlet.

PARROTIA PERSICA Colouring reliable, yellow through gold to crimson. PHELLODENDRON Species usually cultivated turn clear yellow.

PRUNUS This genus provides a few only species that colour well, though the Japanese cultivars mostly turn good shades of yellow; P. avium, the gean, most years turns a flaming red; P. sargentii, infallibly turns a brilliant red early in autumn.

QUERCUS BOREALIS The red oak is rather a misnomer as the colour is nearer to brown, but it can be effective. Q. coccinea, the well-named scarlet oak, retains its brilliant leaves far into the winter, the best form being the cultivar splendens. Q. palustris, leaves may turn scarlet, but not reliable; Q. phellos, yellow and orange; Q. velutina, var. rubrifolia is a good red.

RHUS TYPHINA Turns orange, red and purple.

SORBUS CASHMERIANA Pale gold, falling early. S. discolor, brilliant red; S. ‘Joseph Rock’, leaves turn a rich variety of colours; S. sargentiana, striking reds and golds; S. torminalis, the native wild service, colours in well in yellows and golds and sometimes scarlets.

STYRAX OBASSIA The large leaves turn a rich yellow.

Trees with decorative fruits

The following list is of trees whose brightly-coloured fruits are usually decorative for some time after the leaves have fallen. Birds soon attack and strip the berries on a number of kinds almost as soon as they are ripe, but the following are less severely attacked. With some trees, berries are only borne on female trees; in many instances nurserymen can select these.

CERCIS SILIQUASTRUM The Judas tree carries red and purple pods from late summer far into the winter.

COTONEASTER FRIGIDUS Heavy crops of clusters of rich bright red are borne in autumn and early winter.

CRATAEGUS All the thorns carry crops of haws, the more striking including C. durobrivensis with large red fruit lasting well into winter; C. lavallei has large orange-red berries that hang into the new year; C. mollis, the red haw, has very large red fruits which drop rather early to make a spectacular carpet under the tree; C. orientalis has large oval or yellowish-red fruits; C. prunifolia has large, red fruits, combined with crimson autumn foliage; C. punctata has large, slightly pear shaped dull crimson fruits; C. wattiana, the Altai Mountain thorn, has large, translucent, yellow fruit.

CYDONIA OBLONGA The common quince, has golden fruit which combine effectively with the yellow autumnal leaves.

EVODIA HUPEHENSIS Female trees bear clusters of scarlet berries.

IDESIA POLYCARPA Female trees carry bunches of bright red berries in autumn.

ILEX x ALTACLARENSIS I. aquifolium the hollies, are among Britain’s most beautiful berrying trees, though fruiting only on female trees. I. a. bacciflava (fructu-luteo) has yellow berries.

MALUS The crab-apples, mostly carry fruit. The best include the following:

M. x alden—hamensis, fruit numerous small, deep purple; M. eleyi, bright crimson; M. `Gibb’s Golden Gage’, waxy yellow fruit; M. ‘Golden Hornet’, bright yellow fruit hanging late; M. `John Downie’, large, narrow fruits, yellow with red flush, flavor good; M. prunifolia and its cultivars, Theal’s Crimson’, fastigiata, pendula and `Rinki’ have red fruits hanging long on the tree; M. purpurea has light crimson fruit; M. robusta, the cherry apple or Siberian crab, has heavy crops of long-lasting small fruits, the two cultivars being ‘Red Siberian’ and ‘Yellow Siberian’ ; M. Wisley Crab’ has large, deep-red fruit.

PRUNUS though some of this genus, eg, cherries, carry attractive fruit, they are eaten by birds even before ripening. SORBUS The mountain ashes and white-beams often have decorative berries, but on most species they are eaten at an early stage by birds. The following are usually exceptions: S. cashmeriana, large, glistening white, hanging late; S. esserteauiana, very large clusters of small scarlet, or in flava, yellow fruit, hanging late; S. hupehensis, large clusters of small white fruit, turning pink, and hanging late; S. ‘Joseph Rock’ has amber-coloured, long-lasting berries; S. sargentiana has great clusters of small, orange-red berries ; S. scalaris has bright red, small fruits.

Trees with yellow or golden leaves

Included here are some trees which do not retain their exceptional colour throughout the entire season, but are attractive during the early part of the summer. All are cultivars that must be propagated vegetatively since they rarely come true from seed. When suckers arise from ground level they should be watched, and, if they are not true, removed.

Broad-leaved trees

ACER CAPPADOCICUM AUREA Deep yellow leaves on opening and again in autumn. A. negundo auratum, golden-yellow foliage; A. pseudoplatanus corstorphinense, the golden sycamore, has leaves changing from pale through rich yellow to green in late summer, makes a large tree, worlei has soft yellow leaves until late summer.

ALNUS GLUTINOSA AUREA A golden-leaved form of the common alder. A. incana aurea, yellow leaves and young shoots with red catkins; it is a beautiful form of the grey alder.

CATALPA BIGNONIOIDES AUREA A small growing cultivar of the Indian bean tree with large golden leaves. FAGUS SYLVATICA ZLATIA A yellow-leaved beech.

FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR AUREA A large tree with yellow shoots and yellow leaves in autumn.

GLEDITSCHIA TRIACANTHOS ‘Sunburst’. This has bright yellow unfolding leaves.

LABURNUM ANAGYROIDES AUREUM The yellow-leaved laburnum. PTELEA TRIFOLIATA AUREA A yellow-leaved form of the hop-tree.

ROBINIA PSEUDOACACIA FRISIAThis has golden-yellow leaves throughout.

ULMUS CARPINIFOLIA SARNIENSIS A slow-growing form of the Wheatley elm with pure golden coloured leaves. U. glabra lutescens, a wych elm with pale yellow leaves; U. procera vanhouttei, a golden-leaved form of hedgerow elm.

Conifers

CEDRUS DEODARA AUREA The golden deodar, smaller than the type, is the best golden cedar.

CHAMAECYPARIS LAWSONIANA LUTEA Has golden-yellow foliage; stewartii is a free-growing yellow form; C. obtusa crippsii is good deep yellow, slowly reaching tree size.

CUPRESSUS MACROCARPA `Donard Gold’. A deep yellow and lutea, paler yellow, both being of compact growth. JUNIPERUS CHINENSIS AUREA Young’s golden juniper is a small tree of rather narrow form.

TAXUS BACCATA ELEGANTISSIMA The golden yew; fastigiata aurea is the golden Irish yew.

Trees with blue (glaucous) and silver foliage

Broad-leaved

ALNUS INCANA Leaves grey underneath.

CRATAEGUS ORIENTALIS Leaves grey on both sides, deeply cut.

EUCALYPTUS The tree has numerous species, but their hardiness over a long period is doubtful; E. gunnii is the best known.

POPULUS ALBA The white poplar has white twigs and undersides of the leaves, the best form for the garden being the erect-growing pyramidalis. P. canescens has grey leaves and makes a large, vigorously suckering tree.

SALIX ALBA The white willow is a large tree unsuitable for most gardens but its variety sericea is a smaller, round-headed tree with whiter leaves. SORBUS ARIA The whitebeam and all its cultivars have a persistent vivid, white underside to the leaves; in lutescens the upper surface also is creamy-white.

TILIA PETIOLARIS This has silvery undersides to the large, drooping leaves; in T. tomentosa the underneath is quite white.

Conifers

CEDRUS ATLANTICA GLAUCA A large tree with glaucous-blue, and in some specimens, almost silvery leaves. CHAMAECYPARIS LAWSONIANA Includes a number of glaucous-blue foliaged cultivars, including allumii, columnaris, elegantissima, erecta alba, fraseri, glauca (better known as ‘Milford Blue Jacket’), robusta glauca, `Silver Queen’ (the foliage turning green in late summer) and ‘Triomphe de Boskoop’ (tending towards blue).

CUPRESSUS ARIZONICA ‘Bonita’ has very grey-blue foliage; in pyramidalis it is somewhat bluer.

JUNIPERUS CHINENSIS PYRAMIDALIS Has markedly blue foliage; J. recurva coxii has blue-green leaves; J. virginiana glauca is silvery-blue.

PICEA GLAUCA A large spruce with bluish green leaves; P. pungens has grey-green leaves, the cultivar glaUca is smaller with grey-blue leaves and glauca moerheimii is an even more intensely coloured form.

Trees with white, silver or yellow variegated leaves

These are all sports, perhaps occurring originally on one branch only, of normal trees that have been propagated vegetatively as cultivars. Normally, seedlings revert to the usual form. Suckers arising may not be true.

The deciduous broad-leaved kinds are cheerful in urban areas where smoke pollution is not too bad, but the evergreen conifers on which the foliage persists for several years become drab. Most of these trees fit well into the normal colour scheme of a garden.

Broad-leaved

ACER NEGUNDO The box elder, provides excellent variegated foliage in elegantissimum, bright yellow and variegatum, conspicuously white. A. platanoides drummondii, leaves distinctively margined with white; A.pseudoplatanus leopoldii, leaves marked with cream and white.

BUXUS SEMPERVIRENS The following free-growing cultivars have variegated leaves : aurea maculata, leaves marked with gold and aurea-marginata, leaves edged with yellow.

ILEX AQUIFOLIUM A number of variegated leaved forms include argenteo-marginata, silver-variegated, berrying; flavescens, moonlight holly, yellow and gold, berrying; ‘Golden King’, wide yellow margins, berrying; ‘Golden Milkmaid’, gold with narrow green margins, not berrying; Handsworth New Silver’, dark green with white margin, berrying; laurifolia variegata, golden margins, not berrying; ‘Madame Briot’, leaves margined and blotched with gold, berrying; scotica aurea, spineless with lustrous, spineless leaves blotched with yellow, berrying; ‘Silver Queen’, bold creamy white margins, not berrying. LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA AUREA—MARGINATUM A tulip tree with yellow-margined leaves making a large tree.

ULMUS PROCERA ARGENTEOVARIEGATA A hedgerow elm having leaves mottled with white. U. procera argenteo-maculata, this species has leaves attractively mottled with white.

Conifers

CHAMAECYPARIS LAWSONIANA ALBOSPICA The tips of branches creamy-white; ‘Silver Queen’, young foliage silver-white; versicolor foliage marked with creamy-white and yellow; C. nootkatensis argenteo-variegata has foliage variegated with creamy-white. SEQUOIA SEMPERVIRENS ADPRESSA The young shoots are greenish-white. TAXUS BACCATA DOVASTONIANA AUREO-VARIEGATA A golden variegated form of the weeping yew.

THUJA PLICATA ZEBRINA A fine tree, smaller than the type, variegated with bright yellow.

TSUGA CANADENSIS ALBO-SPICATA The tree has white tips to the shoots.

Red and purple foliage trees

Placing trees of these colours needs great care, but their colours mingled with the multitude of others in autumn are effective and of great beauty, they do not blend well with the normal greens, particularly if used in quantity. They should therefore be used sparingly in isolation at points where they will inevitably catch the eye.

A number have clear colours when the leaves unfold but gradually lose this quality and become sombre as the season progresses. Others, not included here, become normal green when the leaves are open.

ACER PLATANOIDES ‘Crimson King’ (`Goldsworth Purple’), a Norway maple with crimson-pui-ple leaves larger than the type.

BETULA PENDULA PURPUREA The purple-leaved birch is not a vigorous tree.

CORYLUS MAXIMA PURPUREA The purple-leaved filbert is a good colour though not often of tree size.

FAGUS SYLVATICA ATROPUNICEA The dark purple beech, cuprea copper beech; and purpurea, purple beech, are all well-known, reliable trees reaching a considerable size and quite unsuitable for other than the largest garden. Weeping forms of these coloured variants are also available.

MALUS The flowering crabs provide several kinds with red or purple foliage combined with gay flowers and decorative fruits. All are very hardy and adaptable, well suited to a small garden; M. x aldenhamensis, purplish leaves, rich red flowers and crimson fruit. M. eleyi is rather more vigorous than the last, the leaves bronze-green flushed with purple, the fruit hanging longer on the tree. M. purpurea has dark purplish-green leaves, crimson flowers and fruits, both tinged with purple. M. Wisley Crab’, larger than the foregoing in all its parts, the leaves bronzy-red, the flowers large, wine coloured, scented and large deep-red fruits.

PRUNUS Several plums have coloured leaves, the best including P. blireana (often a large shrub) deep copper with pink flowers. P. cerasifera atropurpurea, better known as P. pissardii, with crimson-purple leaves, suitable also for hedging; nigra has darker leaves.

QUERCUS PETRAEA PURPUREA Has reddish-purple leaves which becomegreen flushed with red. Q. robur fastigiata purpurea has young leaves the same colour.

Trees with early flowers

ACER OPALUS The Italian maple has yellow flowers in early April.

CORNUS MAS This has many small yellow flowers in February.

PARROTIA PERSICA This bears very numerous small scarlet tassel-like flowers in February.

PRUNUS ‘Accolade’ is a semi-double pink cherry flowering in March; P. conradinae is a cherry with scented white or pinkish flowers in late February; P. davidiana is a peach flowering in January, alba is a white form, rubra pink. P. Tundanzakura’ (semperflorens) with pink buds and white flowers from November to April. P. `Kursar’ a bright pink cherry flowering in March; P. `Okami’ a cherry with carmine-pink flowers in March; P. ‘Pandora’ is a single pink, very floriferous March-flowering cherry, giving good autumnal leaf colour; P. subhirtella autumnalis carries semi-double white flowers (pink in rosea) from November to March. SALIX CAPREA The goat willow has decorative catkins in March; S. daphnoides, the violet-willow, carries them even earlier.

Evergreen trees

Broad-leaved

It is as well to remember that these often drop their leaves untidily in summer. ARBUTUS All species and hybrids. BUXUS All species and cultivars. EUCALYPTUS All species.

ILEX I. x altaclarensis, I. aquifolium and their cultivars are evergreen hollies. LIGUSTRUM LUCIDUM A species of privet often reaching tree size, has handsome dark green, glossy leaves, and white flowers in late summer. MAGNOLIA DELAVAYI This and M. grandiflora are evergreens reaching tree size.

PHILLYREA LATIFOLIA A neglected, small evergreen tree with dense, dark-green, glossy foliage.

QUERCUS ILEX The holm oak and Q. suber, the cork oak, are handsome trees capable of reaching large sizes, the latter needing mild conditions. UMBELLULARIA CALIFORNICA The Californian laurel is usually a small tree with aromatic leaves.

Conifers

All conifers are evergreen with the exception of Ginkgo, Larix (larch), Metasequoia and Taxodium (swamp cypress).

Fastigiate trees

To the botanist, the word fastigiate means ‘with parallel, erect, clustered branches’. It has !row become more widely used in a more generalized sense for trees with narrow crowns. All those mentioned are derived from natural sports and do not come true from seed (if that is produced). They are propagated as cultivars. They generally need careful pruning when young to ensure the necessary erect growth.

Their placing needs great care, as they inevitably have an unnatural look. Fastigiate conifers accord well when planted in the regular pattern of formal gardens—the use of the true cypress in the great Italian gardens of the Renaissance. Fastigiate trees can be skilfully used, too, for adding a steadying vertical element to a steeply sloping site. The planting of a pair one on either side of the introduction to a vista can be very effective. Some of the less erect-growing are excellent for planting in narrow roads, or, for example, at the centre of a lawn where space is limited.

Broad-leaved

ACER SACCHARINUM PYRAMIDALE An upright form of the silver maple, useful for street planting.

BETULA PENDULA FASTIGIATA This is an erect, slow-growing form of the common birch, resembling an erect besom.

CARPINUS BETULUS FASTIGIATA This is a valuable pyramidal rather than truly fastigiate cultivar of the hornbeam. CRATAEGUS MONOGYNA STRICTA This has a narrow, erect-growing crown. FAGUS SYLVATICA FASTIGIATA The Dawyck beech is a good erect tree. LABURNUM ANAGYROIDES PYRAMIDALIS This is an upright laburnum. LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA FASTIGIATUM A narrow-growing form of the tulip tree.

MALUS HUPEHENSIS ROBUSTA This has large white flowers and fairly erect growth. M. prunifolia fastigiata, the fastigiate Siberian crab.

POPULUS ALBA PYRAMIDALIS An erect-growing, very effective form of the white poplar; P. nigra italica is the common large-growing Lombardy poplar.

PRUNUS `Amanogawa’ A very fastigiate, small-growing cherry with double pink flowers; P. hillieri ‘Spire’ reaches 8m (25ft) with pink flowers and good autumn foliage; P. `Umeniko’ has single white flowers with leaves colouring in autumn.

PTELEA TRIFOLIATA FASTIGIATA An erect growing form of the hop tree. QUERCUS ROBUR FASTIGIATA The cypress oak, makes a broadly columnar tree of interesting form.

ROBINIA PSEUDOACACIA ERECTA A narrow form of the false acacia with few leaflets; pyramidalis has erect, spineless branches.

SORBUS AUCUPARIA FASTIGIATA A particularly narrow form of the rowan. ULMUS CARPINIFOLIA SARNIENSIS The Wheatley elm is a large tree of 1 flame-like form excellent for street planting; U. glabra exoniensis is a slow-growing erect form of the wych elm,the leaves often being distorted.

Conifers

CEDRUS ATLANTICA ARGENTEA FASTIGIATA A narrowly pyramidal form of the Atlas cedar.

CHAMAECYPARIS LAWSONIANA This provides a number of narrowly erect forms, including the popular allumii with bluish foliage; columnaris very narrow, glaucous blue; erecta bright green; fraseri slender, grey-green; `Kilmacurragh’ , bright green; pyramidalis alba with white tips to the branches in spring; and wisselli a fine tree reaching considerable size.

CUPRESSOCYPARIS LEYLANDII This is a densely-leaved, quick-growing tree of large size and fairly narrow shape. CUPRESSUS ARIZONICA PYRAMIDALIS This is very narrow, of moderate size and with almost grey foliage. GINKGO BILOBA FASTIGIATA This is an upright-growing form of the maidenhair tree useful for street planting.

JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS HIBERNICA

The Irish juniper is columnar, but needs supporting.

LIBOCEDRUS DECURRENS The incense cedar makes a distinctive, large columnar tree.

TAXUS BACCATA FASTIGIATA. The well-known Irish yew of churchyards, the golden-leaved form being fastigiata aurea.

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS FASTIGIATA A slow-growing, very narrow tree. THUJA PLICATA FASTIGIATA A narrow form of the western red cedar making a tall tree.

Weeping trees

Weeping trees are mostly natural sports that must be propagated as cultiv ars. They are difficult to place on account of their arresting form, and must stand in isolation since much of their beauty lies in the manner in which their branches sweep down to the ground. Nothing should be grown under them.

Few trees are more frequently planted in an unsuitable place than the weeping willow, attractive when it is a small, slender tree, but becoming mighty in
age, when its form often has to he damaged by savage pruning.

BETULA PENDULA TRISTIS A graceful form of the silver birch with steeply drooping branches; youngii is smaller, more compact and slow-growing. BUXUS SEMPERVIRENS PENDULA A good weeping form of the common box. CARAGANA ARBORESCEN PENDULA An attractive small weeping tree with yellow pea-shaped flowers and fernlike leaves.

CRATAEGUS MONOGYNA PENDULA A weeping hawthorn; pendula rosea has pink flowers.

FAGUS SYLVATICA PENDULA The weeping beech, making a big tree; purpureopendula is a weeping form of the purple beech.

FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR PENDULA The well-known weeping ash.

GLEDITSCHIA TRIACANTHOS

BUJOTI A honey-locust with pendulous branches,

ILEX AQUIFOLIUM ARGENTEOMARGINATA PENDULA Perry’s silver weeping holly, berrying freely.

LABURNUM ANAGYROIDES PENDULUM A gracefully weeping laburnum.

MALUS The following crab-apples have pendulous branches: M. floribunda’ ‘Excellens Thiel’, a small tree with crimson buds and pink flowers, floriferous but no fruit; M. prunifolia pendula, the weeping Siberian crab, with numerous small, scarlet, persistent fruit; M. pumila pendula ‘Elise Rathke’, a weeping form of the native crab.

MORUS ALBA PENDULA The weeping white mulberry is a small tree with perpendicular branches, the fruit is insignificant.

PRUNUS PERSICA Windle Weeping’ A weeping peach with double pink flowers; P. subhirtella pendula, the weeping spring cherry, has very numerous pale pink flowers; in pendula rubra they are deeper coloured. P. yedoensis perpendens is a very pendulous form of the early Yoshino cherry.

PYRUS SALICIFOLIA PENDULA A very pendulous form of the silver willow-leaved pear.

SALIX ALBA TRISTIS The now common weeping willow, making a large tree; S. babylonica is rare and not satisfactory.

SOPHORA JAPONICA PENDULA A small arbour-like tree with slender branchlets falling perpendicularly. SORBUS ARIA A weeping form of the whitebeam. S. aucuparia pendula, a weeping form of the rowan. Both are small trees.

TILIA PETIOLARIS The weeping silver lime is a magnificent tree with a silvery sheen on the underside of the large leaves.

ULMUS GLABRA CAMPERDOWNII The smaller of the two weeping wych elms with very pendulous branches, pendula being larger and more spreading in form.

Conifers

CHAMAECYPARIS LAWSONIANA INTERTEXTA A tall cypress of great beauty with drooping branches. C. nootkatensis pendula a handsome, rather large tree with long drooping branches. JUNIPERUS RECURVA COXII A moderate-sized, narrow tree with long, glaucous shoots drooping steeply.

LARIX LEPTOLEPIS PENDULA A weeping form of the Japanese larch. PICEA BRACHYTYLA This has slender, pendulous branchlets, the leaves blue and white underneath; P. breweriana, Brewer’s weeping spruce, is a sombre tree with very long branchlets that hang vertically; P. smithiana, the Himalayan spruce, is a large tree with steeply drooping branchlets and exceptionally long leaves.

TAXUS BACCATA DOVASTONIANA A yew with spreading branches from which the branchlets droop; aureovariegata is a golden-leaved form.

Why we plant trees

Tender climbing perennial plants which are free flowering and suitable for growing in pots in the greenhouse, or for planting out of doors. They are closely related to the Snapdragon (Antirrhinum), to whose family, Scrophulariaceae, they belong.

These plants, which are from Mexico, have slender stems up to 1 ft. in length and climb by means of their leafstalks, which twist around available supports. They have halberd shaped leaves, 2-3 in. wide, and tubular flowers 3 in. in length, which are violet, purple, or rose in color. The name Maurandia commemorates Cartagena Pancratia Maurandy, a student of botany at Cartagena, Spain.

Climbing Plants for a Greenhouse

These plants require a minimum winter temperature of 45 degrees, and the most suitable potting compost consists of equal parts of loam and either peat moss or leaf mold, with sand added freely. The plants are grown in pots, the shoots being trained to stakes, or allowed to trail; or they may be trained to wires or a trellis fixed inside the greenhouse. They also are very effective when growing in hanging baskets.

Sowing Seeds

Plants are obtained by sowing seeds or taking cuttings. Seeds arc sown in well drained pots of sandy soil in March. The compost is moistened by immersing the seed pot in water, and, after the surplus water has drained away, the seeds are scattered thinly on the surface and covered very lightly with fine soil, which is damped with a fine spray. A pane of glass is laid on the pot, which is placed in a temperature of 45-55 degrees. When the seedlings appear above the soil, the glass is removed and they are set in a light position. As soon as they are 2 in. in height, they arc potted separately in 3-in. pots, and subsequently are repotted in larger pots; finally, they are transferred to pots 10 or 12 in. in diameter.

Suitable for Hanging Baskets

For growing in hanging baskets, young plants well rooted in 3-in, pots are removed from them and planted in baskets lined with moss and filled with a compost of loam and leaf mold in equal parts. They are well watered, shaded, and syringed until established, and are then placed in a light, well ventilated position. Well-rooted plants require an abundance of water and occasional applications of liquid fertilzer. Plants in large pots may be kept growing vigorously for several years by top-dressing with fresh compost in spring, a little of the topsoil being first removed.

Quick-growing Plants

Maurandias are such quick-growing plants, flowering freely in the first year, that it is usual to raise fresh plants annually. If the old plants are retained, however, they are carefully watered in the winter, sufficient water only being given to prevent the leaves from shriveling. From plants which have been kept through the winter, cuttings are obtained to provide new plants.

Taking Cuttings

Young shoots, 2 in. in length, are inserted in a propagating case which is kept close until roots have formed. The cuttings are then potted separately in 3-in. pots and afterward treated as advised for the seedlings.

Planting Out of Doors

Small seedlings or cuttings well rooted in 3-in. pots may be transplanted out of doors in the North early in June, and set in a sunny position, where the shoots can be trained to wires or trellis. During the summer the soil is kept moist by frequent waterings in dry weather. In autumn the plants may be lifted and placed in large pots so that they can be wintered in the greenhouse and planted out in the garden in the following summer. In mild climates, such as that of California, they may be grown outdoors as permanent perennials.

The chief kinds are M. Barclaiana, violetpurple; M. scandens (Lophospermum scandens), purple and violet; and M. erubescens, rose and white.

I think that one of the best things about gardening is that when I am weeding or planting or pruning, I worry a great deal less about losing my mind.  The seeds of insanity, or at least confusion seem to lurk indoors-—in the stuffed-full file drawers, the paper-strewn desk, and the Everest-like laundry pile.  If I do not get out into the garden for at least a few minutes every day, those seeds tend to take root and the green shoots of chaos quickly establish themselves in my mind.

I was restoring my sanity in the garden a couple of weeks ago, when I noticed the green santolina (Santolina virens) that I planted last summer in one of my sunny back beds.  It was flourishing at a time when more timid plants were just beginning to poke tentative shoots out of the ground.

Santolina, sometimes known as lavender cotton, is an old-fashioned herb, native to the Mediterranean.  It has been used in American gardens since colonial days, and was appreciated in Europe long before that.  Many of the old herbals tout its properties as a “vermifuge”.  Fascinated by the word, I turned to the dictionary and found that a vermifuge is a concoction taken internally to expel parasitic worms.  It is reasonable to suppose that it is not used much anymore for this purpose.

Fortunately for the continued popularity of santolina, the plant has numerous other sterling qualities.  For one thing, the finely dissected gray leaves of Santolina chamaecyparissus (the most common variety that is commercially available), and the green leaves of Santolina virens are pleasantly aromatic.  You can put them in your linen closet or sweater drawer and rest secure in the knowledge that moths find the odor unappealing.  One of the santolina species, Santolina ericoides, has been hybridized to produce a cultivar called ‘Lemon Queen”, that has citrus-scented foliage.

As we all know, smelling good is a definite plus in social situations, but looking good is usually what it’s all about.  Santolina has attractive yellow button-shaped flowers that add nicely to arrangements and can be cooked into a brilliant yellow dye.  In my garden last summer, the green santolina grew as if it had been treated with steroids, bloomed magnificently, and responded to a mid-summer shearing by doubling in size.  I might add, that even at the height of the drought, it received no supplemental water.  I know now that santolina treats those conditions as a challenge.

There seem to be santolinas for a host of different situations.  All of them need a sunny site with reasonably good drainage.  Gray santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus) frequently finds its way into knot gardens as an edging plant.  Growing to a height of about 2’, it is easily sheared to whatever size fits your requirements.

If you are not ambitious enough to start a knot garden, gray santolina also is a good low hedge.  For edging, there are dwarf cultivars such as the gray leafed Santolina chamaecyparissus ‘Nana’, or the green leafed Santolina ericoides.

If topiary is one of your passions, you can obtain rosemary leafed santolina  (Santolina rosmarinifolia).  The needle-like leaves of this plant make a tight configuration when potted, trained and clipped.

The santolina in my garden is already showing signs that it intends to take over the small bed where it currently resides.  To keep myself and the plant happy, I will transplant it to a new sunny bed, where it will undoubtedly go about its vigorous ways with no attention from me.

You can get santolina in small pots from many local nurseries and garden centers.  For a larger selection of cultivars, try Companion Plants, 7247 N. Coolville Ridge Road, Athens, OH 45701; tel. 740/592-4643; or access the website at companionplants.com.

It isn’t lavender and it isn’t cotton, but lavender cotton is a plant that smells good, looks good and takes stress off the gardener.  It beats therapy.

Identifying Plant Symptoms Problems

Soil tests done in a lab are one way to check the health of your soil. However, the ultimate test is how well your plants are doing. By carefully observing your plants, you can tell which nutrient your plants are lacking. With this information, you can choose which amendments should be added to the soil to maximize the soil health.

When adding amendments to your soil, always start with very small amounts. Too much of a nutrient is can be worse than too little. If there is a serious nutrient imbalance, your plants may be unable to absorb the nutrients they need. Therefore, your plant may exhibit signs of a nutrient deficiency, but the problem is an excess of other nutrient. Therefore, observe your plants closely and if they don’t improve, go ahead and have a lab check your soil. Excess nutrients can also pollute our water and soil and waste energy during manufacturing and distribution. So use soil amendments carefully.

The chart below contains symptoms of major nutrient deficiencies, how these nutrients function in the plant, and what organic amendments contain the nutrient.

Major nutrients

Plant Symptoms	Deficiency	Plant Uses	Sources
Slow growth Leaves are uniformly yellow-green Cucumbers are pointed at the tips	Nitrogen	Chlorophyll, proteins, genetic material, hormones, and other chemicals	Fish, alfalfa, or blood meal; green manures
Purplish leaves Yellow or streaked leaf margins Leaf tips die off Fruits late, poor or absent	Phosphorus	Genetic material, root growth, storage and use of energy	Manure, bonemeal, rock phosphates
Brown leaf margins on lower leaves Shriveled fruit Plants not as healthy Weak stems	Potassium	Aids in nutrient movement, protein synthesis, and carbohydrate metabolism	Greensand, granite dust, Kelp, compost, manure
Leaves curled upward Leaves are scalloped Buds dried out or absent Buds drop off early while the stem is still stiff and erect Tomato blossom end rot Weak stems	Calcium	Cell wall manufacture and regulation, activates several enzymes	Limestone, ground clam and oyster lime shell, gypsum, wood ashes
Leaves at branch tips turn down Stems are hard and brittle	Sulfur	Found in amino acids, vitamins and co-enzymes	Manure, Sul-Po-Mag, gypsum, elemental sulfur
Leaves are thin and brittle; purplish red or brown to bronze; striped or yellow to brown between veins; curl upward; or don’t grow long Plants mature late and don’t thrive	Magnesium	Chlorophyll; aids in carbohydrate metabolism, energy use, and genetic material manufacture	Kelp or fish extract, mulch dolomitic limestone, compost
Pale yellow color between leaf veins	Iron	Part of enzymes, aids in chlorophyll manufacture	Iron sulfate, chelated iron

In the trace element chart below, I’ve only included what the symptoms of the deficiencies. I haven’t included what nutrients you can use to fix the problem. Because trace elements are needed at such low levels, it is very easy to add too much and seriously harm your plants. If you suspect a trace element problem, use compost, rock powders, and kelp to improve the health of your soil. Your compost should contain ingredients from outside your immediate vicinity. Clearly, if your entire property is lacking in zinc, compost made from your grass and leaves will also be lacking in zinc. Import manure or compost from a safe source to supplement your regular compost.

Trace elements

Symptoms	Nutrient
Leaves are smaller and have mottled, stripped, or dead areas Buds have dead tips and margins Buds drop off the plant early while the stems are stiff and erect	Zinc
Symptoms appear first on new growth Leaves are misshapen or curled downward Buds are pale green Flowers drop off at higher than normal rate Decreased stem growth Beets and turnips have “corklike” areas Broccoli and cauliflower have a hollow stem	Boron
Pale yellow color between leaf veins Brown or gray spots on leaves Leaves drop off	Manganese
Leaves are blanched Fruit is sour	Copper
Imitates nitrogen deficiency Cauliflower has reduced or irregular leaves Citrus fruit has ‘yellow spot’	Molybdenum

Adapted from

Bradley, F.M. (Ed). 1991. Rodale’s Chemical-Free Yard and Garden. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, Inc.

Mikkelson, R. and J. Camberto. 1995. Potassium, Sulfur, Lime and Micronutrient Fertilizers. in Soil Amendments and Environmental Quality. J. E. Richcigel (ed) Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Inc.

Miller, C. and M.L. Facciola. 1995. Let’s get Growing: a Dirt-under-the-nails Primer on Raising Vegetables, Fruits, and Flowers Organically. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, Inc.

Schultz, W. 1989. The Chemical-Free Lawn. Rodale Press, Inc., Emmaus, PA.

Deborah Turton is an organic gardener and writer who’s worked with a variety of environmental groups.

Fusilli with Wilted Greens, Goat Cheese and Raisins

Since the garden is starting to produce lovely spring greens, we though this recipe from CooksRecipes.com would be ideal:

• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch red or green Swiss chard, stems trimmed, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch beet greens, stems trimmed, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound fusilli pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 5 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)Combine raisins and lemon juice in small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic and sauté about 30 seconds. Add Swiss chard, beet greens and raisin mixture. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens wilt, about 5 minutes.

One of the nutrients that we can get from these plants is protein. To know more about it, get the right information on this page.

Stir in ginger and lemon peel. Season greens to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss hot, fresh cooked pasta with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add greens mixture and goat cheese. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

Powdery mildew is a common disease on many types of plants. In fact, it is one of the oldest plant diseases on record – Theophrastis wrote of powdery mildew on roses in 300 B.C. Although different species of fungi cause the disease on different plants (Erysiphe infects vegetable crops and flowers; Podosphaera species infects apples and stone fruits; Sphaerotheca species infects berries, roses, some vegetable crops, and stone fruits; and Uncinula necator infects grapes), the infections are all characterized by a powdery white to gray fungal growth on leaves, stems and heads.

Contrary to popular belief, powdery mildew generally does not require free water to establish and grow. Infection can actually occur on dry leaves. Warm temperatures and shady conditions encourage the fungus to grow and spread. However, the spores and mycelium are sensitive to extreme heat and direct sunlight.

Symptoms

Powdery mildew usually shows up on leaf and stem surfaces and does not directly affect most vegetable fruits. However, it can affect the flavor of melons and squash and reduce their yield. Woody species such as grapes, fruit trees, roses, crape myrtle, and sycamore are more seriously affected; new growth is often distorted. The young fruit of apples and grapes can also develop rough skin due to powdery mildew.

Life Cycle

All species of powdery mildew fungi require living plant tissue to grow. On perennials, they survive on buds and stem tissue. Certain weeds will also act as hosts through the winter. The optimum temperature for infection is between 68 to 77 degrees F and relative humidity between 40 to 100% is sufficient for the spores to germinate. Low, diffuse light also seems to favor powdery mildew development.

The mildew can spread rapidly since the disease cycle can be completed in as little as 72 hours. However, it commonly takes 7-10 days from the time of infection to the development of symptoms and secondary spore production.

Management

In most cases, good cultural practices will adequately control powdery mildew:

• Select powdery mildew resistant varieties. This is particularly true of roses. For lawns, shade tolerant grasses such as creeping red fescue can be planted.
• Plant in full sunlight in a well-drained area.
• Do not crowd plants. Airflow and ventilation will discourage mildew growth.
• Powdery mildew thrives where high rates of nitrogen have been used. High nitrogen promotes tender leaf formation, causing dense stands that are more susceptible to infections. Adequately fertilize but avoid stimulating succulent growth. Organic fertilizers or slow-release formulations of lawn fertilizers are good choices
• Prune infected plants to get rid of infected parts and increase airflow. If the infestations are severe, remove and destroy the plants that are infected.
• Disinfect your pruning tool in a bleach solution of one part household bleach to four parts water after each cut.
• Watering plants in the morning gives the plants the rest of the day to dry off, discouraging establishment of diseases, including powdery mildew.

Organic Sprays

Sulfur is highly effective against powdery mildew if used in a protectant program with a minimum of 7 to 14 days between applications. Garlic naturally contains high levels of sulphur and a few cloves crushed in water can be used to make a homemade spray. Apply a sulfur-based fungicide at first evidence of mildew and repeat applications as necessary. Proper timing of fungicide applications is critical to successful control so make sure to begin at the first sign of the disease.

However, sulfur can be damaging to some squash and melon varieties. Another option is to spray once a week with a solution of baking soda. Baking soda increases the surface pH of the leaf making it unsuitable for the growth of powdery mildew spores. Be sure to spray the undersides of leaves as well as the upper surfaces when using any of these sprays.

Here’s a recipe to make your own spray:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 quart water
• a few drops of liquid soap

Before treating your plants, test the spray on a few leaves to make sure they are not too sensitive.

For more information on powdery mildew, you can refer to the following websites:

Arzeena Hamir is an agronomist and President of Terra Viva Organics. When she’s not planting peas or picking zucchini, she answers questions about organic gardening at: advice@tvorganics.com

We were fortunate to win at Half Moon Bay, California this year. The competition was intense with 80 entries, 10 of which were over 1,000 pounds. The weigh-off is always on Columbus Day. The winner stays until the following weekend to participate in the HMB Pumpkin Festival.

Over 250,000 people descend on the small coastal community for the parade, music, food and fun. A float for the parade was designed with a California beach theme, complete with dune buggy, surfboards and a large sand dune.

Our 1,229-pound pumpkin was atop the hill of white sand and I rode through the streets of HMB in a beach chair sitting right next to the pumpkin. Also, the winner and his family are treated to a 2-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in HMB. The hotel is surrounded by an outstanding golf course and has spectacular ocean views. It is an experience in itself!! Also in the video are visits to many top Northwest growers pumpkin patches.

It was actually my 5th or 6th best pumpkin during early and mid-season. Everything grew like gangbusters this year and at one point I had 8 pumpkins on track to reach 1,000 pounds or more. 5 days of intense rain in mid-August put many of the prospects on growth curves that were not sustainable if the pumpkin had any kind of structural flaw. Sag lines, blossom splits, and stem splits took their toll.

After the 1st month from fruit set, my best prospect was on the 846 Calai, and was over 100 pounds larger than my best ever at 30 days, unfortunately, it blossom end split. My pumpkin on the 1,260 Weir then became the leading contender and reached an estimated 911 pounds at 45 days.

The 1,260 was on such a growth curve that if I added just the average total inches my pumpkins usually grow after 45 days, it was headed to over 1,500 pounds. Alas, after some big rains it stem split into the cavity on August 12th.

On August 28th, I had one on the Bobier 723 that estimated at 1,184 pounds and was still going over 21-pounds per day when it blossom end split. I weighed it on a certified scale on September 2nd at 1,194 pounds. I had another one at 1,127 pounds that developed a pinhole at a sag-line/rib interface that was weighed as “un-official only” at the Puyallup Fair on September 10th. Without the big August rains that we hardly ever get, I think several more of these prospects would have made it through the season.

After preparing the soil in the spring with a light application of commercial fertilizer, I used our Soluble Seaweed, Soluble fish and the Biomin Calcium exclusively through the season. I also used the Bio-Endo Plus (endomycorrizal fungi) in the potting soil, in the planting hole and at each leaf axil on at least the main vine of each plant.

SPECIAL SEED DISTRIBUTION

This year, while the supply lasts, we will include free with each 2004 video a seed from my personal best 1,229#, plus two more packets of 3 seeds each from our other giant pumpkins. This offer includes at least 7 world-class
seeds free, a value that probably exceeds the cost of the video.

Listing of the seeds:

HOLLAND’S LAND O’GIANTS 2004 SEED STOCK

The pumpkins weighed over the charts. I think using foliar sprays of soluble seaweed powder and liquid calcium help “make ‘em heavy”.

1,229#: 380” (805 Pukos X 919 Holland) A new personal best and new record for Half Moon Bay. The light orange fruit went 9.6% heavy.

1,194 #: 387” (723Bobier X 1,260 Weir) this fruit was orange and 42” tall. Blossom-split on 8/28, weighed on a certified scale on 9/2, was still growing over 21# a day. 10# over the chart.

1,127#: 364.5” (1,097 Beachy X 805 Pukos) it was yellow-orange. Developed a tiny pinhole at a sag line/rib interface on 9/10. It was weighed on a certified scale at the Puyallup Fair on the day of harvest. 13.8% heavy.

995#: 361” (1,134 Holland X 1,260 Weir) this was a very long, wide fruit with a nice deep orange color. Won 2 nd place at Central Market. 3.4% heavy.

954#-Est.: 360” (919 Holland X 1,134 Holland) This pumpkin was a long and wide orange pumpkin that split on a sag line on 8/21.

915#-Est.: 355” (966 Holland X 1,134 Holland) High, blocky, yellow-orange fruit that developed a small split on 8/25 after 5 days of heavy rain.

791#: 333.5” (844 Wycoff X 919 Holland) It was harvested early for the Puyallup Fair. It was a long, and light-colored pumpkin. It was 4% heavy on the chart.

750 #: 321.5” (1,134 Holland X 805 Pukos) A nice, trouble-free pumpkin that grew on the same plant as the 995. It was long and orange and weighed 10% heavy.

717#-Est.: 327” (919 Holland X 805 Pukos) this was a high wheel shaped orange pumpkin that split on 8/27 after the heavy rains.

We visit our additional links to support your pumpkin growing adventure. Provided are

Land O’ Giants Home

Holland’s Land O’Giants
P.O. Box 969
Sumner, WA 98390