To a certain sector of the design world, Sea Ranch is a legend—but many people have never heard of it. A planned community two hours north of San Francisco, Sea Ranch is a prime example of 1960s West Coast modernism. Its minimalist cedar-clad buildings sit on a seemingly untouched stretch of the Sonoma Coast, thanks to the original master plan by landscape architect Lawrence Halprin.
Halprin and the developers imagined Sea Ranch “living lightly on the land” and wrote strict rules about the landscaping to enforce this vision. Over time, though, the property surrounding the shared public buildings, including the Sea Ranch Lodge, lost its definition and become a hodgepodge of plants with confusing pathways.
When the Sea Ranch changed hands in 2018, the new owners hired Seattle architecture firm Mithun and interior designer Charles de Lisle to update the communal buildings, and California landscape architecture firm Terremototo redesign the landscape surrounding them. While the building refresh received accolades in the design media, the landscape went mostly unmentioned. “People said, ‘It looks like it’s always been there,’” says David Godshall, a partner at Terremoto, “I say that’s hard!” In fact, the Terremoto team went to extraordinary lengths to make the new plantings meld seamlessly into the surrounding land. “The wildness is what makes Sea Ranch so wonderful,” says Story Wiggins, the lead designer on the project. “Our goal was to embed the buildings further into what is this existing epic landscape.”
Here’s how Terremoto achieved their subtle redesign.
Above: A photo of the nearby coast that the Terremoto team took as part of their research.
Before any sketches were drawn or plants chosen, the Terremoto team familiarized themselves with the Sea Ranch property and the surrounding area. “We would go on hikes to see what we really loved and what felt good,” says Wiggins. “We were trying to mimic what’s there in a very basic way, and not getting too fancy with it.” Terremoto didn’t just make a list of the plants they saw in nature, they noted the patterns in which they grew and even studied the way that rocks were scattered in the earth. Wiggins suggests that any home gardener could do the same by going to a piece of preserved wilderness near their own home and taking notes and photos.
I am Kris Northup, and I live in beautiful central Pennsylvania, Zone 6b. We are having an unusually long growing season here this year, presenting us with some really amazing fall foliage.
A ‘Limelight’ hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, Zones 3–8) provides the backdrop to Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii, Zones 5–8), golden lace juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Golden Lace’, Zones 4–9), and ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint (Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’, Zones 3–8).
From left to right: pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris, Zones 6–9), Tartarian aster (Aster tataricus, Zones 3–9), golden hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa, Zones 4–8), black and blue salvia (Salvia guaranitica, Zones 7–10 or as an annual) cosmos versailes (Cosmos bipinnatus, annual), and Verbena bonarensis (Zones 6–10 or as an annual).
The highlights here are the two ‘Autumn Brilliance’ serviceberries (Amelanchier × grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’, Zones 4–9) and the row of Hydrangea ‘Anne’ that provide winter interest to our garden.
The ‘Honorine Jobert’ anemone (Anemone hupehensis ‘Honorine Jobert’, Zones 4–8) and ‘Major Wheeler’ honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens ‘Major Wheeler’, Zones 4–8) are still going strong alongside the ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’, Zones 5–9).
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Indoor gardening has surged in popularity, and for good reason. It gives you the freedom to grow herbs, vegetables, and flowers regardless of the seasons. One of the key components of successful indoor gardening is a well-set-up grow tent. If you’re new to this, you might wonder where to start. Worry not, because this guide is crafted to help you establish your very own indoor oasis with ease.
Before you start assembling your grow tent, it’s important to select the right spot in your home. Look for an area with easy access to power outlets, water, and preferably one that’s not prone to drastic temperature changes. Basements, spare rooms, and garages can be ideal choices. Ensure that the floor is level to prevent water pooling and stabilize your tent.
Selecting the Right Size Grow Tent
Grow tents come in various sizes. To pick the right one, consider the type and number of plants you intend to grow, as well as the space available. A common size for beginners is a 4×4 grow tent, which offers ample space for several plants while still being manageable.
However, if you’d like to dig into more details, two factors are the most important to consider.
Number and Type of Plants
First and foremost, consider the number and type of plants you intend to cultivate. Different plants have varying space requirements and light needs. If you plan to grow a variety of herbs, vegetables, or flowering plants, you’ll need a tent that can accommodate them all comfortably. Conversely, if you’re focusing on a specific plant or a small selection, a smaller tent may suffice.
Available Space
Assess the space available in your chosen location for the grow tent. Measure the area where you intend to set up the tent and take into account any obstacles or obstructions. Ensure that the tent fits comfortably within the allocated space without overcrowding or blocking access to power outlets and water sources.
Assemble the Tent
Assembling your grow tent is the foundational step in creating your indoor garden. Most grow tents come with a metal frame and a fabric outer shell. Lay out all the parts and check them against the manual to ensure everything is accounted for. Connect the metal poles to form the frame as per the instructions, ensuring each joint is tightly secured to prevent any structural weaknesses.
Once the frame is assembled, drape the fabric over the frame, zipping it up carefully. The zipper should run smoothly without any snags—if it doesn’t, backtrack and check for any misalignment in the frame.
Install the Grow Lights
Choosing the right grow lights for indoor plants and installing them at the appropriate height is crucial for your plants’ photosynthesis process. LED lights are popular due to their energy efficiency and lower heat output. Hang your lights using the adjustable straps or hooks provided, ensuring they are securely attached to the support beams of your grow tent.
It’s important to maintain the recommended distance between the lights and your plants—this can vary based on the type of light and the plants you are growing, so consult your lights’ user manual for specifics. Remember, the lights will need to be raised as your plants grow, so having an adjustable system is key.
Set Up Ventilation
A well-thought-out ventilation system is essential for maintaining air quality and temperature control. Your inline fan should be mounted at the top of your tent where warm air naturally rises. Attach the ducting to the fan with clamps to ensure a tight seal and lead the other end of the ducting to an exhaust vent. Ensure that your setup provides a clear path for air to move in and out of the tent. Arrange the passive intake vents—usually located near the bottom of the tent—to remain open but not directly in line with the exhaust to avoid short-circuiting the airflow.
Install the Carbon Filter
If you’re concerned about odour control, particularly with more aromatic plants, installing a carbon filter is a wise move. The carbon filter should be attached to the inline fan you’ve already mounted, making sure the air flows through the filter before it exits the tent. Many carbon filters come with pre-filters, which catch larger particles before they reach the carbon layer; make sure these are fitted correctly.
Arrange Your Plants
With your tent set up, it’s time to bring in your plants. Space them out according to their specific needs—some plants require more space to spread their leaves or grow taller, while others might be more compact. This also allows for better air circulation around each plant. Make sure that each plant has an appropriate container with sufficient drainage to prevent waterlogging, which can lead to root rot.
Monitor and Adjust
The final step in the process is to monitor the conditions inside your grow tent and make adjustments as needed. Place your thermometer and hygrometer in an easily visible spot to keep track of the temperature and humidity at the canopy level, where it most affects your plants. If readings are outside the ideal range for your plants, use your ventilation system, humidifier, or dehumidifier to adjust the conditions. Set your timer to turn the grow lights on and off in a pattern that mimics natural daylight cycles. Regular monitoring will help you maintain a stable environment that promotes plant growth.
Conclusion
Setting up your first grow tent can be a rewarding experience, leading to a bountiful indoor garden. By following these steps, you can create an optimal growing environment that leads to healthy, thriving plants. Remember, the key to a successful indoor garden lies in maintaining a controlled environment where plants can flourish.
FAQs about Setting Up Your First Grow Tent
Q: What size grow tent do I need for indoor gardening?
A: The size of the grow tent you’ll need depends on the number of plants you want to grow and the type of plants. As a general rule, a 2’x2′ tent is suitable for about four small plants, a 4’x4′ for about eight medium plants, or a 6’x6′ for about sixteen large plants. Remember to consider the mature size of the plants and the space required for the ventilation system and grow lights.
Q: Can I use any type of light for my grow tent?
A: While plants can grow under almost any type of light, grow lights are recommended because they provide the light spectrum that plants need to photosynthesize properly. The main types of grow lights are LEDs, HPS, and CFLs, and each has its advantages depending on your situation.
Q: How often should I check the conditions inside my grow tent?
A: It is a good practice to check the temperature and humidity levels at least once a day. However, if you have automated systems with controllers, you might not need to check as frequently, but regular monitoring is still recommended.
Q: Do I need a ventilation system if I have a small tent?
A: Yes, regardless of tent size, proper ventilation is crucial. It helps to control temperature, humidity and prevents the buildup of mould and mildew. Even a small tent needs an exchange of air to keep plants healthy.
Q: How can I prevent my tent from smelling?
A: The best way to control odor in a grow tent is to use a carbon filter. It cleans the air that passes through it by trapping odor molecules. Ensure that the carbon filter is appropriately sized for your ventilation system for maximum efficiency.
Learning how to treat your Thanksgiving cactus after blooming is important so it will continue to display its colorful flowers every year.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to save your Schlumbergera truncata when it’s done flowering, and provide aftercare tips for keeping it healthy.
Although it’s a popular holiday plant, you’ll be glad to know there’s no need to discard it once the blooms fade.
Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about caring for your Thanksgiving cactus after it blooms, including tips for deadheading the flowers, watering, fertilizing, and more.
Can You Keep Thanksgiving Cactus After Flowering?
It might surprise you to learn that you can indeed keep your Thanksgiving (aka: November) cactus after it has bloomed.
People often mistakenly assume they must discard holiday gift plants after the blossoms fade.
But if you care for it properly, your plant will thrive and may provide an even better display of blooms the following year.
What To Do With Thanksgiving Cactus After It Blooms
After the flowers are completely gone, your plant will need a brief rest period. So reduce the amount of water you give it, and move it away from bright light.
In about a month or so, when you begin to notice new leaves, you can return to your regular care routine.
How To Care For Thanksgiving Cactus After Blooming
You’ll need to give your Thanksgiving cactus a little bit of TLC as the blooms begin to fade, as well as after it’s done blooming.
Simply pinch off the spent flowers as they die, give your plant a little less light, let the soil dry more between waterings, and hold off on fertilizing. Below are the exact details of what to do.
1. Pinch Off Dead Flowers
As the flowers begin to fade and shrivel, you can either deadhead them (by pinching or cutting them off) or allow them to drop off naturally.
Either way is fine and won’t affect future blooming, although I personally recommend deadheading them.
Not only does removing the spent blossoms keep the plant looking neat, but it may also help encourage more buds to open.
Spent flower on Thanksgiving cactus plant
2. Protect It From Bright Light
You don’t need to place your plant back in the dark after blooming, but you should give it less light than usual while it recovers.
Simply move it to a shady location outdoors, or place it further away from the bright window indoors for a few months.
Once you start to see new leaves, move your plant to an area with plenty of bright, indirect light, and leave it there throughout the summer.
Thanksgiving cactus indoors after blooming
3. Reduce Watering
You should also water your Thanksgiving cactus less often after it’s done flowering, so allow the soil to dry out a little more. However, it’s crucial not to let it dry out completely or to the point where the plant wilts and shrivels.
To get the balance right, test the soil with your finger, and only water again when the top 1” is dry. An easier method is to use a moisture gauge probe and ensure the reading stays between 3 and 4.
Return to your regular watering schedule after about a month or two, or once new leaves begin to form.
Healthy Thanksgiving cactus foliage after flowering
4. Wait To Fertilize
Stop fertilizing your Schlumbergera truncata after the blooms have faded, and wait until you can see new leaves emerging at the ends of the branches before feeding it again. This usually happens at some point in late winter or early spring.
Pruning isn’t necessary, but if you wish to trim back the foliage to maintain your plant’s appearance, I suggest waiting until 1 to 3 months after flowering.
I like to snip or pinch off the tips and segments to encourage my plant to branch out and become fuller, which means even more flowers next year.
FAQs
Here you’ll find my answers to the most commonly asked questions about caring for a Thanksgiving cactus after flowering. If you don’t see yours listed, please ask in the comments below.
Should I remove dead flowers from my Thanksgiving cactus?
You can remove dead flowers from your Thanksgiving cactus, but it’s not necessary. They will eventually drop off they themselves. However, deadheading the spent ones keeps the plant looking tidy, and may stimulate more buds to open.
Do you cut back a Thanksgiving cactus after it blooms?
You don’t need to cut back your Thanksgiving cactus after it blooms. But pruning does encourage the plant to branch out, for even more flowers next year. Wait until 1 to 3 months after blooming before trimming it back.
Where do you put Thanksgiving cactus after blooming?
After it’s done blooming, put your Thanksgiving cactus in a shaded spot if it’s outside, or move it farther away from the window indoors where it won’t get any direct sunlight. After a month or so, or once new leaves begin to appear, move it back to its normal location.
If you want to learn all there is to know about maintaining healthy indoor plants, then you need my Houseplant Care eBook. It will show you everything you need to know about how to keep every plant in your home thriving. Download your copy now!
More About Houseplant Care
Share your tips for what you do with your Thanksgiving cactus after it blooms in the comments section below.
If you were to do a quick search for low-maintenance houseplants, peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.) would be right at the top of the list because they require very little maintenance to thrive.
But now and then, leaves might die or look less-than-ideal. And what to do about those spent flowers or those brown leaf tips?
Peace lilies will sometimes lose their older leaves as they age or the smaller, new leaves at the base might die off. These need to be removed because they’re a drain on the plant.
Apart from trimming off foliage that is past its best, a light pruning can also help shape your plant.
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In this guide, we’ll help you figure out how and when to prune your peace lily to deal with any brown tips, dead flowers, and ugly leaves. Here’s what we’re going to discuss:
When to Prune
You can remove dead, damaged, discolored, or diseased leaves at any time.
If you want to provide a little shape, do that in the spring. Try to avoid pruning when the plant is flowering because all its energy is focused on blooming.
Deadheading should, obviously, be done after the flowers have faded.
First things first, you’ll need to gather your tools.
To make your cuts, you’ll need a clean pair of clippers and a pair of scissors.
Both should be rinsed in soapy water and then wiped with isopropyl alcohol to remove any dirt and harmful pathogens hanging out on the metal that could spread nasty diseases.
By doing some trimming, we’re trying to make our plant healthier, not sick.
Removing Dead Leaves
When a leaf dies, it needs to be removed, otherwise It will just be a drain on the plant’s energy.
You want to remove the leaf as close to the soil as possible, otherwise you’ll leave an unsightly stump behind.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Every now and then, lift up the lower leaves and examine the base of the plant.
To do this, take your clippers or scissors and make a cut as close as you can to the nearest main stem or to the soil, if the leaf doesn’t attach to a stem.
Sometimes, completely brown and shriveled leaves can simply be pulled away from the plant.
Trimming Brown Leaf Tips
Peace lily leaves turn brown at the tips with the drop of a hat. Too much or too little water, too little humidity, too much sunlight, overfeeding, or extremes in temperature can all cause browning leaf tips.
Once they turn brown, they won’t regain their green color, so it’s best to just cut them off to improve the appearance of the plant.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
To cut the leaf tip, take your clean scissors and trim off the brown section at an angle on each side so that you recreate the pointed tip. That way, the leaf will blend in with its neighbors.
You can cut the brown part off with one flat cut, but it will be noticeable among the other leaves, which is why you want to aim to keep the tips pointed.
When you prune the leaves themselves rather than the stems, it’s important that you’re careful to use extremely sharp tools. Dull tools will crush the leaves and you’ll be left with edges that turn brown.
After the flowers fade, they won’t come back. You’ll want to remove that ugly brown spathe and spadix.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
To remove this, follow the flower stem down to the base and carefully cut it away.
The stem might still be green even though the spent flower is brown. It doesn’t matter, the stem will eventually turn brown as well, so go ahead and cut it off.
Shaping Your Plant
A healthy peace lily will usually maintain a fairly attractive shape all on its own, but a period of insufficient sun might cause sparse growth, or simply forgetting to rotate your plant might make the foliage lush on one side and thin on the other.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Whatever the cause, if you want to provide your plant with some shape, use your clippers or scissors to take away any bent leaves or unattractive growth.
Feel free to snip away a few leaves from the center of the plant to thin it out a bit.
If one side is more dense than the other, take out some of the leaves here and there to thin it out, creating a more even shape.
Pretty Up Your Peace Lily
Even the most easygoing plants need some maintenance now and then.
Your peace lily will look as pretty as ever with just a little pruning, deadheading, and snipping off any brown leaf tips.
What type of peace lily are you growing? Have you pruned it recently? Share with us in the comments section below. And if your plant is losing leaves and you don’t know why, let us know. Maybe we can help!
When it comes to replacing the windows in your listed building, you face an important decision: whether to opt for preservation or full restoration.
This choice impacts everything from cost to historical accuracy. Listed building window replacement requires a balance between upgrading efficiency and respecting heritage.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of preserving and replacing windows, with tips and advice from window specialists Scott James.
Understanding listed buildings
Listed buildings are structures recognised as having special architectural or historical significance. Listed buildings are graded based on their rarity and intactness. Grade I buildings are the most architecturally and historically important structures.
Any modifications to a listed building require approval to protect its unique heritage.
As specialists in listed building replacement windows, Scott James always recommend starting with an assessment of your property’s unique needs. There are typically two approaches: sensitive preservation or faithful restoration.
The case for window preservation
Preservation focuses on retaining and protecting as many original window components as possible through repair.
Preservation is often the most cost-effective and historically sympathetic route for listed buildings. Key benefits include:
Lower cost: Preserving existing windows avoids the high cost of commissioning bespoke modern window replacements. Simple repairs also don’t require planning permission.
Environmental sustainability: Repairing quality wood windows prevents waste and preserves embodied carbon in the original materials.
Aesthetic continuity: Original windows are integral to the look and feel of period buildings. Preserving this appearance maintains architectural historic features.
Retained heritage: Window repair allows you to conserve the craftsmanship and materials that make your building special.
A specialist window company can evaluate your windows to determine which components can be retained through preservation techniques like sash window restoration or draught proofing.
When restoration is the best route
In some cases, the level of damage or alteration means restoration through reproduction is the better choice. Reasons full restoration may be recommended include:
Severe structural damage: If critical structural elements like sash boxes are beyond repair, restoration may be required.
Single-glazed replacement windows: Non-original windows that detract from heritage value are candidates for reproduction.
Severely compromised thermal performance: Draughty single glazing that can’t be improved through secondary glazing may need replacement.
Significant visible deterioration: Severely rotted windows may be beyond the point of salvage and need reproduction.
The craftspeople at Scott James have the traditional woodworking expertise to create accurate, bespoke replacements replicating original details.
Planning permission for replacement windows
If restoration is needed, listed building consent for window replacements will likely be required through the local authority.
Factors determining if consent is granted include:
Design: Replacements must match the original style and detailing.
Materials: These should replicate the original as closely as possible.
Method: The installation technique should not damage the structure.
Performance: Upgrades like double glazing may be allowed if not visible externally.
Even with building consent, wholesale replacement should be avoided if selective restoration of the worst glazed windows is feasible.
What’s the cost to replace, restore and reglaze windows in Grade 2 listed buildings?
Replacing, restoring or reglazing the windows in your Grade II listed building is a major investment that requires careful planning. So how much does it cost?
A completelisted building sash window replacement cost is in the region of £1800 to £3600 per window, depending on the building’s specifics. Sash window restoration is more affordable in the region of £700 per window, while reglazing and restoration of original windows costs around £1750 per window.
Window replacement costs depend on factors like window size, design intricacy, materials and your building’s conservation requirements.
The Scott James difference
With decades of experience preserving period windows, the team at Scott James can provide a range of window services, including:
Bespoke solutions tailored to your building’s unique needs.
Consultation on optimal repair vs replacement balance.
Traditional techniques like draught sealing and sash window restoration.
A holistic approach considering efficiency, aesthetics, and heritage.
Sympathetic solutions that retain original features and fabric.
Craftsmanship to replicate original details when restoration is advised.
Support through the listed building planning consent process.
Listed building window replacement strikes at the heart of sustainability. Well-maintained windows can have incredibly long lifespans. Investing in preservation keeps embodied carbon locked up in existing materials and features. When restoration is needed, the aim is to recreate windows that last generations using heritage-specific skills.
Kevin C. writes that he’s “been busy converting front yard into grocery rows.”
That’s going to be a conversation starter!
The Grocery Row Gardens look quite beautiful once they start to fill in. Ours got hit by the freeze the other night, but there is still a lot of food out there.
I’m tempted to add them to the front yard as well.
In addition to fall being a great time to get new plants in the ground, it can also be an ideal season to fertilize your lawn, trees, shrubs, and perennials. But you have to do it correctly: During these cooler months, plants are slipping into dormancy and not actively growing. Depending on how severe or mild your winter is, they can be anywhere between completely dormant to growing very, very slowly. If you fertilize right, you’ll be giving them the best send-off to their winter sleep.
Before you start, you may want to get in touch with your local cooperative extension. They can help you get a soil test (you can’t help your plants if you don’t know what they need). And they can tell you the first frost date for your area (for practical purposes, fertilizing should be done before the first frost). They know your climate best and can give you advice specific to your location.
Note: We don’t recommend using synthetic fertilizers because of the large environmental impacts associated with them, including water contamination from run off and decimation of soil microbes. Restoring soil health naturally should always be the first option.
Here’s what you need to know about fertilizing (naturally) in the fall.
The best and easiest way to fertilize is to do one last mow with a mulching mower and leave the clippings on the lawn. Mulching the clippings back into the lawn can provide up to 50% of the needed nutrients for the grass. To make up the rest of what your lawn needs, there are two low-cost and environmentally sustainable ways to fertilize. First, you can aerate the lawn and top dress with compost. Second, if you have fallen leaves, mulch them into the lawn as well. Just remember to rake them around so they aren’t too thick. It is a smart idea to keep the nutrients created on your property, on your property. (See Ask the Expert: Doug Tallamy Explains Why (and How to) Leave the Leaves.)
A more expensive, less eco-conscious option is to use organic lawn fertilizer. While organic fertilizers are certainly better than chemical fertilizers, there are still manufacturing and transportation costs to the environment. If you go this route, follow the directions exactly. More is not better.
A closed loop is the best type of fertilizer. Keep the leaves from the trees under them. They have everything the trees need—for free. They help on so many levels. They act as mulch and keep the moisture in the soil, which in turn helps the microbes that break down the leaves, making their nutrients available to the trees. The leaves also become winter homes for good bugs. Just be sure to keep the root flare exposed; piling the leaves up the trunk can cause can cause the bark to rot. No trees on your property? Organic compost is your next best choice.
For shrubs that were healthy over the growing season, a leaf well around the base will be enough. If they didn’t do well over the summer, they may need a bit of help. Aerate the soil and add some compost and water well.
If you want to add store-bought organic fertilizer to your tree or shrub, you may want to consider consulting with an arborist first. It’s easy to over-fertilize and cause damage. Leave it to the professionals.
Yes, leaves again. Really. And compost. Both the leaves and the compost break down slowly. Nobody is in a rush here, it’s winter and nothing is growing. The idea is that the nutrients will be ready and in a form the plant can use once it wakes up in the spring. If you’re concerned about burying your plants too deep in leaves, lightly cover what remains of your almost dormant plants, but pack the leaves thickly around them.
There are no other real options. If you use synthetic fertilizer while they are going into dormancy, they could come out of dormancy early during an extended warm spell—and then when a cold snap follows, the new growth may be killed. This can weaken the plant, causing it to fail to thrive in the spring or even die.
Our gardens are part of a larger ecosystem, so it’s important to prioritize soil health and natural methods over synthetic fertilizers. Aeration of compacted soil and addition of organic matter will have a better and a longer-lasting effect on plant health.
We’re back with Carla Z. Mudry in Malvern, Pennsylvania, today, enjoying the beauty that was late October in her garden. It is a magical moment before the first frost when there are still some flowers and beautiful displays of autumn foliage.
Japanese maples (Acerpalmatum, Zones 5–9) are beautiful every time of the year but are at their peak in the fall.
The arrival of fall means the end of the flowering season for many plants, but not for camellias (Camellia species and hybrids, Zones 7–10). Different forms of camellias can be blooming from fall to spring in Zone 7 and warmer climates.
This incredible mass of berries is from a viburnum; I think it’s Viburnumdilatatum (Zones 5–8). This shrub has masses of white flowers in the spring, but these berries are the real highlight.
Monkshood (Aconitum, Zones 4–8) blooms in the fall and offers a chance to break out from the dominate yellow, orange, and red tones of the season and add blooms in shades of blue and purple. It is also impressively resistant to deer and rabbits.
It’s hard to imagine a more perfect rose bloom. The cooler weather of fall often helps some rose varieties put out their most incredible flowers of the whole year.
Seven-son flower (Heptacodiummiconioides, Zones 5–8) is a large shrub or small tree. In midsummer it has big clusters of white flowers, which are followed up by these beautiful red bracts that hang on through fall.
Orange mums (Chrysanthemum hybrid, hardiness varies by cultivar) are a classic flower of fall and are beloved for good reason. They are also among the flowers with the longest history of being cultivated for their beauty.
Azaleas (Rhododendron hybrids, Zones 7–10) used to be just a spring garden feature, but the new reblooming hybrids (most famously the Encore series) bloom again in fall for an extra dose of flower power.
October is a great time to look up and enjoy the beauty of branches and changing leaves against the sky.
A brilliant red Japanese maple glows against the backdrop of trees that still are mostly green.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Berries are produced in late summer, remaining on the branches of the plant through fall and winter.
The winter berries on this deciduous shrub are an important food source for birds such as black-throated blue warblers (Setophaga caerulescens), mockingbirds (Mimidae spp.), and Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), as well as many other types of wildlife.
American beautyberry grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 10, in full sun or part shade. It’s not picky about soil type as long as there’s good drainage, and it can thrive in moist to occasionally dry soils.
Ready to add the purple berries of this shrub to your wild birds’ winter menu?
There are other trees and shrubs in the Callicarpa genus native to Asia, Australia, South America, and Madagascar, such as Bodinier’s beautyberry (C. bodinieri), Japanese beautyberry (C. japonica), and purple beautyberry (C. dichotoma).
Native to the central and eastern United States, American Holly(Ilex opaca)grows to be 10 to 20 feet wide and 15 to 25 feet tall in drier areas, but can reach up to 100 feet tall in areas with more rainfall.
Also known as “Christmas holly,” this broadleaf evergreen tree has an upright, conical or pyramidal shape, and berries that are usually bright red, but sometimes yellow or orange.
Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) in American holly (I. opaca) tree.
The berries are produced in late summer, and remain on the plant throughout fall and early winter.
When it comes to feeding the birds, American holly can fill the bellies of American robins (Turdus migratorius), Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis), eastern bluebirds (Siala sialis), northern bobwhites, northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos), and wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), among others!
In addition to providing food, these evergreens also provide nesting sites and cover for birds and small mammals.
A great choice for wildlife gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, American holly grows best in full sun to part shade, in clay, loam, or rocky soils, and requires good drainage.
This type of holly tolerates occasional dry spells as well as moist conditions.
Keep in mind, with these you’ll need a male plant as well as a female specimen to produce berries.
With its red winter berries, is this evergreen holly perfect for your bird and wildlife garden plans?
You’ll find live American holly trees available for purchase in two-quart, two-gallon, and three-gallon pots at Fast Growing Trees.
And this is only the first of several Ilex species you’ll read about in this article – so if this one isn’t quite right for your location or growing conditions, keep reading to discover other wildlife-friendly hollies – both evergreen and deciduous.
American mountain ash (Sorbus americana) is a large shrub or understory tree that hails from Newfoundland in eastern Canada down to the northern central and eastern United States as far south as Georgia.
This tree has a rounded to oval shape and deciduous leaves that turn yellow in fall.
American robin in a mountain ash tree.
Also known as “American rowan,” this tree reaches up to 20 feet wide and 35 feet tall, offering high perching options for birds. It bears orangish red berries in fall that remain on trees for winter wildlife foraging.
Among the birds who enjoy dining on the winter berries of the American mountain ash are American robins, grosbeaks (Fringillidae and Cardinalidae), grouse (Tetraonini), and waxwings (Bombycilla spp.).
Not related to ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), American mountain ashes are classified botanically in the rose family.
Best for USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 6, American mountain ash grows well in full sun to part shade, and prefers acidic, well-draining, moist soil. This species is especially well-suited to mountain areas that have soils with high granite content.
Want to try propagating your own American mountain ash for a supply of bird-friendly winter berries?
Purchase American mountain ash seeds in packs of 10 via Amazon.
Curious what other mountain ash options are out there?
Trees and shrubs in the Sorbus genus are widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including such species as showy mountain ash (S. decora), which is native to northeastern North America.
Live in Europe, Russia, or northern Asia? Choose European rowan (S. aucuparia) – more commonly referred to simply as “rowan” or “mountain ash” – for your wildlife garden.
4. Blackhaw Viburnum
Native to the Central and Eastern US, blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium) is a small tree or large shrub that can grow up to 20 feet tall and wide.
This deciduous species has a rounded shape and leaves that turn beautiful shades of red and purple in autumn.
Blackhaw viburnum (V. prunifolium) berries. Photo by Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, via CC BY-SA.
Purplish-black berries ripen in fall and can remain on the branches throughout winter, providing food for migratory and resident birds as well as squirrels and chipmunks.
The berries of blackhaw viburnum are enjoyed by birds like American robins, blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata), northern cardinals, northern mockingbirds, ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), sparrows (Passerellidae), and wild turkeys.
Hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9, blackhaw viburnum can be grown in full sun or part shade, and in a variety of soil types as long as drainage is good.
‘Forest Rouge’ is a cultivar of V. prunifoliumthat has a more oval shape than the straight species and is known for its excellent fall color, with leaves turning maroon in autumn.
Black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) is native to the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and other northern states of the US, as well as parts of Canada.
This deciduous tree grows up to 35 feet tall and wide, and has an upright, multi-stemmed growth habit, with brilliant, orangish-red fall color.
An American robin perches in a black hawthorn (C. douglasii).
Its pome-style fruits, called “haws,” ripen to purplish black in late summer and remain on the tree throughout winter – or until they are eaten by the birds.
American robins, cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), fox sparrows (Passerella iliaca), and ruffed grouse are among the birds likely to put the haws to good nutritional use.
These trees produce thorns, but don’t be put off by this prickly feature. These thorns help protect certain birds from predators, and allow others, such as shrikes (Laniidae) to kill their prey – rodents.
You’ll find black hawthorn seeds available for purchase in packs of ten via Amazon.
There are many different types of wildlife-friendly hawthorn trees, and species in the Crataegus genus can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) can grow to be 40 to 60 feet tall and wide, providing high branches for birds to perch in. This tree is native to central and eastern Canada, and the west central and eastern US.
Mature trees have a rounded or pyramidal shape, with deciduous leaves that turn yellow in fall.
Common hackberry (C. occidentalis). Photo by Agnieszka Kwiecien Nova, Wikimedia Commons, via CC BY-SA.
These trees produce berry-like drupes that turn a deep purple hue when ripe and are extremely attractive to birds and other wildlife.
Common hackberries provide winter food for small mammals, and birds such as American robins, cedar waxwings, grouse, pheasants (Phasianidae), quail (Phasianoidea), and titmice (Baeolophusspp).
An excellent choice for wildlife gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9, common hackberry grows in full sun, part shade, or full shade, isn’t fussy about soil type, and requires good drainage. As for water, this tree thrives in moist conditions but tolerates occasional dryness.
If you want to add this tree’s winter berries to your winter wildlife menu, you’ll find four- to five-foot tall, bare root common hackberry trees available for purchase at Nature Hills Nursery.
If common hackberry isn’t the right plant for your bird and wildlife garden, consider another species from the Celtis genus, whose members are widespread across the globe.
Common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) is native to eastern Canada and the north central and eastern US, ranging as far west as Colorado.
Also known as “eastern ninebark” and “Atlantic ninebark,” this medium sized shrub reaches five to eight feet tall and six to 10 feet wide. Its blooms are similar to those of spirea.
With an upright, arching growth habit, common ninebark has deciduous leaves that change to copper and gold in fall and its peeling, reddish brown bark is extremely attractive in winter.
Common ninebark (P. opulifolius).
Common ninebark’s fruits are inflated capsules that start out dark red in color, fading to pinkish tan. These remain on the shrub during winter if not eaten by birds earlier.
These shrubs attract birds such as doves (Columbidae), finches (Fringillidae.), geese (Anatidae), and wild turkeys, and their branches are dense, so they provide good cover for birds and small mammals as well.
Common ninebark is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 8, grows in full sun to part shade, and requires good drainage. It tolerates soils that are intermittently wet or prone to flooding, but can also grow in dry to medium moisture conditions.
Want to grow common ninebark in your wildlife garden?
You’ll find live, one- to two-foot tall, bare root common ninebark plants available for purchase via Nature Hills.
Most species of ninebark are native to North America, though at least one (P. amurensis) is native to Asia. And there are also several cultivars of P. opulifoliusof interest.
‘Sweet Cherry Tea’ is a P. opulifolius cultivar that has orange-red to dark purple foliage, blooms in both spring and summer, and remains compact at three to four feet tall and wide.
A deciduous, woody shrub, common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) grows to be six feet tall and wide.
Shrubs have an arching, rounded growth habit, with deciduous leaves that turn yellow in autumn.
Common snowberry (S. albus).
Native to a large range of North America, this multi-stemmed shrub is graced with bright white, round berries during the cold months.
Many different types of birds enjoy these white berries in the cold of winter, including American robins, chickadees (Poecilespp.), grosbeaks, pine siskins (Spinus pinus), thrushes (Turdidae), towhees (Melozone and Pipilo spp.), and waxwings.
An all-round excellent choice for wildlife gardens, this member of the honeysuckle family has flowers that are highly attractive to pollinators, and its branches provide good habitat for birds and other wildlife as well.
Hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7, grow snowberry in full sun, in well-draining, moist to occasionally dry, non-granitic soils.
Want to add common snowberry and its white winter berries to your bird and wildlife-friendly garden?
Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is an evergreen coniferous tree that generally grows 30 to 60 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide, with some specimens growing up to 90 feet tall.
Not a true cedar, this juniper tree has an upright, pyramidal shape, and is native to Mexico, southeastern Canada, and the central and eastern US.
Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) in Eastern red cedar (J. virginiana) tree.
In fall, eastern red cedars produce blueish black seed cones that look like small berries. These remain on the trees throughout winter until foraged by birds or other wildlife.
Cedar waxwings and juncos (Junco spp.) are among the birds that love to eat these fruits, while small mammals will dine on them as well. The dense foliage also provides good cover for both birds and small mammals.
Hardy in Zones 2 to 9, eastern red cedars can be grown in full sun to part shade and are adaptable to a variety of soil types as long as drainage is good.
Eastern red cedars are usually dioecious, meaning some specimens will produce female cones and others will produce male cones. For fruiting, you’ll need a male as well as a female.
Is this conifer and its winter berries what you need for your wild bird garden?
You can purchase live Rocky Mountain juniper trees from Nature Hills as well!
Eastern red cedars and Rocky Mountain junipers are excellent wildlife-friendly options for North America, with many different cultivars in different shapes, sizes, and colors, growing as both trees and shrubs.
However, there are also many other juniper species native to other regions in the Northern Hemisphere and beyond.
Growing up to 20 feet tall and 25 feet wide, eastern wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus) is a deciduous shrub that’s native to eastern Canada, as well as the eastern and central US.
The crown of this species has a flat-topped, irregular shape, and deciduous leaves that put on a fall show in shades of gold and burgundy.
This species makes an excellent bird- and wildlife-friendly North American native alternative to the invasive burning bush (E. alatus).
Eastern wahoo (E. atropurpureus). Photo by Mason Brock, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.
Eastern wahoo produces unique looking fruits that ripen to a dark red hue in fall and remain on trees in winter – unless the birds find them first.
Bird fans of these winter berries include brown thrashers (Toxostoma rufum), catbirds (Mimidae), eastern bluebirds, eastern towhees (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), northern cardinals, and northern flickers (Colaptes auratus).
Eastern wahoo thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8, and prefers full sun or part shade, moist clay, loam, or sandy soils, and good drainage.
Also of note – these are tolerant of juglone and can be planted near black walnuts.
Do I hear you bird lovers shouting “woohoo!” for the winter berries of eastern wahoo?
Fragrant sumac (Rhus trilobata) is native to the western and central US, central Canada, and Mexico. This woody shrub grows to be six to 12 feet tall and four to six feet wide.
With deciduous leaves turning bright shades of orange, red, and purple in fall, fragrant sumac has an upright, ascending or spreading growth habit.
It produces clusters of small red berries in summer that remain on trees throughout winter – or until wildlife and birds feast on them.
Fragrant sumac (R. trilobata). Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin.
Over 95 different species of birds eat the winter berries of sumac shrubs – including chickadees, tanagers (Thraupidae spp.), and woodpeckers (Picidae spp).
And while sumac berries don’t tend to be most birds’ first choice, they readily dine on them when other winter forage is sparse.
Hardy in Zones 4 to 6, fragrant sumac grows beautifully in full sun or dappled sunlight. It adapts to a wide range of well-draining soil types, and can handle moist to very dry conditions once established.
Fragrant sumac is dioecious, with plants producing either male or female flowers, so make sure to include both a male and a female specimen in your planting.
‘Autumn Amber’ is a cultivar of R. trilobatathat is low growing, reaching just 10 to 14 inches tall, making up for its lack of height with a prodigious spread of six to eight feet.
Searching for your own sumac for winter berries for the birds?
You’ll find one and a half to two and a half year old ‘Autumn Amber’ R. trilobata sumac shrubs available for purchase at Nature Hills.
While R. trilobata is an ideal choice for wildlife gardens in central or western regions of the US, if you live in the eastern part of North America, look for R. aromatica – which, by the way, some botanists consider to be the same species as its western counterpart anyway!
Rhus is another genus that is widespread throughout the world, with over 50 different species of sumacs.
12. Nannyberry Viburnum
Also known as “cowberry,” “sweet viburnum” and “sheepberry,” nannyberry viburnum (Viburnum lentago) is native to the northeastern and midwestern US and southern Canada.
These small trees usually have a spread of eight to 15 feet, and reach 14 to 16 feet tall – but sometimes grow to be 20 to 30 feet tall.
Nannyberry viburnum (V. lentago).
Nannyberry viburnum has an arching growth habit and deciduous leaves that turn purple and gold in fall, with small fruits that ripen to a bluish black hue.
They provide an important source of winter berries for small mammals, as well as birds like blue jays and crows (Corvus spp.).
These small trees are hardy in Zones 3 to 7, and grow best in full sun to part shade and in moist, clay or loam soils with good drainage.
Need one of these nannyberry viburnums for winter berries for the birds?
You’ll find two- to four-year-old nannyberry viburnum shrubs available for purchase at Nature Hills.
Wildlife-friendly viburnums have a widespread native range throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but these trees and shrubs also hail from South America and tropical Asia.
13. Northern Bayberry
Northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub that reaches between five and 10 feet tall and wide.
With a rounded shape and fragrant leaves, this shrub is native to eastern Canada, the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern US, as well as Alabama, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Also known as “candleberry” and “swamp candleberry,” the dense foliage of this shrub can develop a bronze or purple tinge during cold weather.
Northern bayberry (M. pensylvanica). Photo by Forest and Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons, via CC BY-SA.
Its fruits mature in fall and can remain on shrubs until spring if not eaten first. These blueish-white berries have a high fat content and are a valuable source of nutrition for birds and other wildlife during the winter.
The fruits of northern bayberries attract avian visitors such as bluebirds (Sialia spp.), catbirds, chickadees, red-bellied woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus), tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), and yellow-rumped warblers (Setophaga coronata).
These dense shrubs also offer good habitat for birds and other wildlife.
Hardy in Zones 3 to 7, northern bayberry requires full sun to part shade, and is adaptable to different soil types as long as drainage is good.
Northern bayberries are usually dioecious, so make sure to grow both male and female plants.
Can’t wait to smell these fragrant shrubs and to watch your local birds devour their winter berries?
You’ll find live northern bayberry shrubs available for purchase in a choice of plant sizes at Nature Hills.
While this species is a perfect fit for wildlife gardens in the northeastern US, its southern counterpart is included in this list as well. Keep reading – you’ll learn about it later in the article!
14. Northern Spicebush
A favorite of many types of birds, northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is native to the central and eastern United States, as well as southeast Canada.
Also known as “common spicebush,” it has a rounded shape, and fragrant, deciduous leaves that turn yellow in fall.
Northern spicebush (L. benzoin). Photo by R. A. Nonenmacher, Wikimedia Commons, via CC BY-SA.
This shrub grows to be six to 15 feet tall and wide, and produces bright red fruits that mature in fall and remain on plants throughout the winter.
Blue jays, tanagers, and wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina)are among the birds that love northern spicebush’s winter berries – and raccoons, possums, and squirrels will eat these fruits as well.
In addition to providing winter food for birds, northern spicebush also offers cover and nesting sites.
Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, spicebush should be grown in part shade and is adaptable to soils that are dry to moist.
For northern spicebush to produce berries, make sure to grow a male plant as well as a female in your wildlife garden.
Ready to spice up your yard with some winter berries for the birds?
You’ll find live northern spicebush plants available for purchase at Nature Hills.
In addition to North American natives, there are also Lindera species native to Asia and Oceania, with at least 80 different members in the genus.
15. Possumhaw Holly
Native to the southeastern US as well as northern Mexico, possumhaw holly (Ilex decidua) is a small tree or large shrub that reaches seven to 15 feet tall and wide.
Possumhaw hollies have a rounded, horizontal, or vase shaped growth habit.
Unlike many types of holly you may be more familiar with, such as English holly, this species is not evergreen – it loses its leaves in fall. But before they drop, they turn lovely shades of yellow and purple.
Possumhaw holly (I. decidua).
This deciduous holly produces orange, red, or burgundy berries that cling to branches throughout winter, providing visual interest as well as bird and wildlife forage.
These holly trees feed a variety of birds with their winter berries including American robins, cedar waxwings, mockingbirds, and northern bobwhites.
Possumhaw holly can be grown in wildlife gardens in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. They thrive in a variety of soil types as long as the soil is well draining and somewhat acidic. Provide them with full sun to part shade, where they will tolerate dry spells as well as moist soils.
These plants are either male or female, so grow one of each for fruit production.
Are you pondering the purchase of a possumhaw as a source of winter berries for birds?
Keep reading for more wildlife-friendly holly options!
16. Red Osier Dogwood
Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) is a deciduous woody shrub that is a widespread native in North America, growing throughout Canada and the US, except for the southeastern states.
Also known as “red twig dogwood,” and “red stem dogwood,” this shrub reaches six to nine feet tall and has a spread of seven to 10 feet.
Red osier dogwoods have an upright, spreading growth habit and deciduous leaves that turn red, orange, and burgundy in autumn.
Red osier dogwood (C. sericea).
With striking red or yellow stems that become more apparent in winter, this species bears white berries, held on branches through the cold months until eaten by birds and other wildlife.
Among the birds attracted to these winter berries are American robins, bluebirds, cardinals (Cardinalis spp), cedar waxwings, dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), nuthatches (Sittidae), tufted titmice, warblers (Parulidae), and woodpeckers.
These shrubs tend to form thickets which provide excellent habitat for birds.
Red osier dogwood grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9, in full sun to part shade, and in a variety of soil types. Though it tolerates occasional dry spells, it prefers wet areas such as riparian zones, and can be put to beautiful use in a rain garden.
With a perfect name to attract birds and bird lovers, ‘Cardinal’ is a fast-growing cultivar of C. sericeathat reaches six to nine feet tall, and has excellent fall color.
Ready to add this source of winter berries to your own wildlife garden?
Tall Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium) is a shrub that reaches five to eight feet tall and has a spread of three to six feet.
This species is native to the Pacific Northwest region of the US, as well as Montana, and British Columbia in Canada. It has a columnar or oval growth habit and evergreen leaves that turn gorgeous shades of purple and burgundy in fall.
Formerly classified as Mahonia aquifolium, tall Oregon grape produces blueish-black berries in late summer to fall, which are retained on plants through the colder months until enjoyed by birds and other wildlife.
Tall Oregon grape(B. aquifolium).
Oregon grapes attract a variety of wild birds, including American robins, grouse, juncos, pheasants, sparrows, towhees, and waxwings. Foxes and raccoons also enjoy feasting on these winter berries, and its dense foliage provides good cover for birds as well.
Also known as “holly-leaved barberry” and “holly-leaved Oregon grape,” this woody plant is not closely related to hollies, even though its spiny leaves are quite similar in shape.
Grow tall Oregon grape in full sun to part shade in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. These shrubs thrive in soils rich in organic matter, require good drainage, and are tolerant of different water conditions once established.
Want to grow your own tall Oregon grapes as a source of winter berries for birds?
You’ll find live tall Oregon grape shrubs available for purchase at Fast Growing Trees.
In addition to Oregon grapes, previously classified as Mahonia, there are other Berberis species you may want to include in your landscape when gardening for wildlife.
The plant that gave Hollywood its name, California holly, also known as “toyon” (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is native toCalifornia in the US and Baja California in Mexico.
This small broadleaf evergreen tree or large shrub grows to be six to 30 feet tall, and 10 to 15 feet wide.
Previously classified as Photinia arbutifolia, toyon has a mounding growth habit and as an evergreen, keeps its green leaves throughout the cold months.
A bluebird approaches a Toyon (H. arbutifolia) bush.
Toyon produces small, bright red berries that ripen in autumn and remain on trees throughout winter until birds devour them.
Its berries are enjoyed by birds that include American robins, bluebirds, cedar waxwings, and mockingbirds, but also coyotes and bears.
The thick foliage of these shrubs also offers good cover and nesting sites for birds.
Hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10, toyon grows in full sun to part shade, and is considered a xeric plant, with very low water needs once established. It tolerates a wide variety of soil types.
Tempted to try toyon in your bird-friendly wildlife garden?
Though called California holly, this plant is not a true holly. For botanical purposes, it is classified in the rose family and is more closely related to pyracanthas and cotoneasters, but it is the sole species in its genus, Heteromeles.
Also known as “southern bayberry,” “tallow shrub,” and “candleberry,” wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) is a shrub that’s native to the southern and eastern US from Texas to New Jersey, as well as Mexico and the Caribbean.
With dense, semi-evergreen to evergreen foliage, wax myrtle has an upright, rounded and spreading growth habit and produces masses of whitish-blue fruits.
Wax myrtle (M. cerifera).
Wax myrtles attract many types of birds, including American robins, Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus), chickadees, gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis), northern cardinals, tree swallows, and yellow-rumped warblers.
These plants also provide excellent nesting sites and cover for birds.
Great for wildlife gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 11, wax myrtles prosper in full sun to part shade, require good drainage and sandy soils, and thrive in occasionally dry to moist conditions.
Wax myrtles can be either dioecious or monoecious, so grow multiples to ensure fruit production.
Need some wax myrtles for a winter berry producing screen or hedge that will also provide cover for birds?
You’ll find wax myrtle plants in three-gallon containers available for purchase at Fast Growing Trees.
Myrica species grow throughout the world and the genus includes 30 to 50 species, many of which are known by the common name “bayberry” or “wax myrtle.”
Although they share the common name “myrtle” they aren’t closely related to members of the myrtle family like crape myrtle.
In fact, bayberries are more closely related to oaks (Quercus spp.), a genus of trees and shrubs which make excellent additions to wildlife gardens!
20. Winterberry Holly
Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is native to the eastern US and Canada west to Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, and Ontario.
With an oval to rounded growth habit, this species is a deciduous holly whose leaves turn yellow in autumn before they drop.
This woody shrub reaches up to 15 feet tall and wide, and produces loads of bright red berries that birds adore.
A northern cardinal visits a winterberry holly (I. verticillata) shrub.
Winterberry holly makes excellent food for over 48 species of birds, such as American robins, cedar waxwings, eastern bluebirds, gray catbirds, grouse, quail, red-bellied woodpeckers, and wood thrushes.
Birds also use winterberry hollies as habitat and for perching.
This holly has a wide “comfort zone” and can be grown in wildlife-friendly gardens in Zones 3 to 9. It can be planted in full sun, part sun, or full shade and as long as drainage is good, it thrives in a variety of soil types provided the pH is on the acidic side.
Winterberry holly is dioecious, so grow at least one male for every three to six female plants.
‘Red Sprite’ is a compact cultivar of I. verticillata that reaches just three to five feet tall and wide, making it a great choice for a foundation planting in front of a house.
Does ‘Red Sprite’ seem like the magical choice for adding winter berries to your wildlife garden?
Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) is a woody, broadleaf evergreen shrub or tree that can reach 45 feet tall and 35 feet wide.
These hollies are multi-trunked and have an upright, rounded to oval shape.
Native to the southeast US from Virginia to Texas, as well as Cuba and Mexico, yaupon hollies produce bright red berries that remain on plants throughout winter – until the birds find them.
Yaupon holly (I. vomitoria).
American robins, cedar waxwings, mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), and a type of woodpecker known as the yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) are among the birds that yaupon hollies attract.
And with their evergreen leaves, yaupon hollies provide good cover for birds.
If you have been avoiding hollies because of their prickly leaves, you might want to consider this one, as its leaves are not spiny.
Hardy in Zones 7 to 9, yaupon holly can be grown in full sun, part shade, or full shade, in a variety of soil types, and thrives in moist soils as well as those that are occasionally dry.
These hollies are dioecious, so make sure you have a male as well as female plants to grow your own bird food.
Ready to grow your own bird-friendly, winter berry producing yaupon holly?
Hollies (Ilex spp.) have a wide distribution throughout the world, with over 500 different species, presenting many options for wildlife-friendly gardens that attract birds!
With this assortment of trees and shrubs, there are enough options to blanket your backyard with cold season fodder for your feathered friends.
Which wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs will you grow for the birds? Do you have any other favorite producers of winter berries that I didn’t include here? Let us know in the comments section below! And be sure to tell us which wonderful birds are dining in your garden!
Put down the bows and the gift wrap because there’s a new, prettier and more eco-friendly way to wrap your presents. Fresh greenery is the perfect gift accessory, and I’d like to see more of it! Here are some of the best greenery for gift wrapping and how you can use it to top off your presents.
As much as I love the holidays, I hate the wastefulness that can come from it. From faux Christmas trees and presents galore, Christmas has taken on a reputation for overconsumption and the idea that we always need more.
This is a major reason why I make almost all of my own gifts.Homemade gifts don’t have to look like they were made in your kitchen and be an impractical item that will just sit on display. No, they can look artisan-made and become a household essential!
When I make my homemade gifts, I also keep up with the theme by adding eco-friendly gift wrapping. Of course, being the crazy plant lady that I am, I often turn to my own garden for natural gift wrap. It’s one of the easiest, cheapest, and prettiest ways to dress up a present.
Let me tell you all my secrets about using greenery for gift wrapping.
One small clipping is all you need for big impact.
What Can I Use Instead of a Bow on a Present?
Clippings of greenery make for the ideal (and plastic-free) bow replacement. You can take clippings from the plants in your yard and tuck them into your gifts to instantly make them look good.
Yes, it really is that simple. It can save you a ton of time, especially for those last-minute wrappers or those who don’t have any gift wrapping supplies.
It can be as easy as clipping on a leaf to the present to tucking it in, or more complicated as creating mini wreaths, garlands, and posies to place on top.
Greenery is also a great way to wrap oddly shaped items. You can forgo the paper and tape and just add some greenery secured with jute twine to “wrap” your present.
High contrast against neutral backdrops creates the wow factor.
How to Use Greenery for Gift Wrapping
Wrap your gift in paper or a bag. Plain kraft paper and paper bags are great natural options and create a blank canvas for your greenery.
Select a neutral background.
Choose your stems or make posies. If you’re making small posie bouquets, choose a sturdy and large stem as the back and work your way up to the most delicate and small stems on top.
Play around with your clippings. Don’t be scared to trim and layer as needed.
Use string, jute twine, or ribbon to wrap around your gift at least once.
Tuck in the greenery in the center. The leaves should hold themselves around the ribbon just fine without the need for glue or tape.
No tape necessary!
Best Greenery for Gift Wrapping
While you may think of pine and spruce and all things evergreen for Christmas greenery, it can include a lot of other plants. Think beyond evergreens to also include broadleaf evergreens, herbs, flowers (dried and fresh), and other branches for your gift decorations.
When it comes to plant gift wrapping ideas, these are some of my go-to foliage for decorating:
Eucalyptus (silver dollar, seeded, and spiral eucalyptus are all good)
Ruscus
Olive branches
Cedar (an absolute favourite of mine for its longevity)
Holly (burford holly is less prickly than English holly)
Mistletoe
Euonymus
I have a complete list of all the greenery I use for decorating over on this post. This greenery can be used for wreaths, garlands, candle wreaths, and more décor beyond greenery for gift wrapping.
A single cedar leaf and a single bay leaf.
Using Berries as Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping
Berries are also some of the best natural gift wrap. Their vibrance alone is all you need to decorate a present, and you don’t need to combine it with anything else to get a pop of colour.
The contrast of white with these red wintergreen berries is stunning.
Here are some of my favourite berries to use as eco-friendly gift wrapping:
For your gift decorations, you want to avoid using anything that wilts instantly, so it’s best to stick to any of the greenery I list in this article. Avoid any fern, yew, and juniper for this reason.
I also avoid short-needled evergreenslike spruce or hemlock as greenery for gift wrapping since they lose needles quickly. Avoiding sharp needles, like blue spruce, is also a good idea since people will touch it when they unwrap the gift.
Boxwood is a popular decorative greenery, but I avoid it since it can have a stinky smell similar to cat urine, which is the opposite effect I’m going for with my gift wrapping. The variegated varieties tend to be less potent in smell.
Speaking of cats, also be considerate of your pets. If yours are anything like mine, they like to investigate the tree and the presents beneath it. It’s best to keep any greenery away from pets, especially those considered poisonous to them.
You can always try taking a few test clippings from your yard and seeing how they fare outside of water.
How to Make Your Greenery Last Longer
When you’re using greenery for gift wrapping, it’s best to do it last minute or a day or two beforehand to look fresh.
However, if you’re too busy and want it all done now, you can try to keep your greenery as fresh as possible.
Keep your plants in water until you’re ready to add them to your gift wrap.
After pruning or buying your greenery, you will want to condition the greenery before you use it. This means you’ll cut off ½-1 inch off the bottom with sharp clean pruners and place it in a bucket of water for 24 hours. This allows the whole stem to rehydrate and be in the best condition possible before you start taking smaller clippings to use as natural gift wrap.
You can also spray your clippings with anti-descant, like Crowning Glory. This spray will seal the pores in the needles and the bark, helping them to retain the moisture inside the boughs for longer.
Some greenery, like cedar, will last for weeks before it begins to dry out.
A recent comment highlights one of my favorite themes:
That’s from this video:
Though gardening indoors isn’t my favorite, and neither is gardening in pots, we have had good success using non-conventional “potting mixes” when we’ve been forced to container garden.
As I stated in my reply, chunks of wood and sticks and non-synthetic clothing can be placed in the bottom of containers or even in raised beds to fill in space. Old clothing – and eventually rotting wood – will act as a reservoir for moisture.
There are quite a few unmatched socks in the bottom of the half-barrels where I potted my dwarf coconut palms. There are also chunks of rotten magnolia wood along with sticks and leaves.
If you’re buying potting soil, it gets quite expensive to fill larger containers. On a smaller scale, we often stuff fall leaves in the bottom of pots first, filling them about 1/3 full, then covering that with potting mix. Though you would think this might “rob nitrogen,” it doesn’t seem to be a problem.
If a plant starts to look a bit yellow, we foliar feed it by misting the leaves with a fertilizer solution, whether that be a commercially produced dilute liquid fertilizer, or compost tea, or Dave’s Fetid Swamp Water.
My current potting mix for the nursery consists of rotten pine shreds from a sawmill, decomposed peanut waste from a shelling facility, pine bark with a little soil mixed in, dried cow manure, compost if we have it, and a generous sprinkling of pulverized limestone. We’re always trying to figure out how we can source materials locally and avoid having to buy mixes. Besides, buying peat moss from Canada and perlite from who-knows-where and having them shipped to Lower Alabama just does make sense to me.
Other alternate materials we’ve added include biochar, leaf mold, grit from a steam bed, worm castings, rotten hardwood bark, rabbit manure, ashes, coffee grounds, crushed termite nests, and rotten wood from old trees found in the forest.
Just wanted to tell you the final total for this year’s garden is 2,072 # of produce from our vegetable garden. Now, there would have been more, if I had brought it ALL in, but we ate and shared and preserved as fast as we could and now after picking some green tomatoes today I’m calling it quits for this year.
Well, that’s not true. We’ll still get the Jerusalem artichokes one day soon. It’s been an amazing year. Here is a list of I think everything we grew:
potatoes sweet potatoes sweet corn flour corn tomatoes basil Swiss chard kale and collards (which we’ll still be eating for a while) dry beans (landrace and great northern) cucumbers green beans okra butternut squash cantaloupe watermelons pole beans onions garlic broccoli cabbages eggplant (which did NOT do well) summer squash (finally beat the vine borers with injections of BT into the stems) radishes green, banana and jalapeno peppers some other herbs and a few flowers Jerusalem artichokes
I think that’s it. As soon as I send this, I’ll think of something else. We ate it. I canned and froze and dehydrated, gave to the neighbors and nearby family, took a bunch to Church for people to take what they wanted.
I had gotten 3 kinds of seeds from Gone to Seed and grew those. The kale was wildly successful. The cucumbers and dry beans were okay.
I hope all is well with all of you!
Your friend and fan,
Yolanda B
Yolanda writes further:
“… that picture of me in front of the little patch of Bloody Butcher flour corn? Jim shelled that out and we got 45#. That was amazing.”
Excellent work, my gardening sister.
We also enjoy taking lots of pictures of the garden and harvests during the growing season. It’s amazing to look back during winter at how lush and incredible everything was, and it gets you psyched up to do it all again. Yolanda keeps getting better, too.
“I was blown away by our harvest. 2 old people. I’m 74 and he’s 77. I wonder how long we can keep this up. We raised 6 kids. Oldest is 51. Where did the time go?”
I’m only in my forties and I feel that way. I hope for many more years of good harvests for you and Jim, and if we don’t get to meet in this life, I hope we end up with gardening allotments next to each other alongside the streets of gold in eternity!
Your fuse box is the control centre of your household’s power supply, which consists of various circuit breakers and fuses. Your fuse box can be used to control how and when electricity is distributed throughout your home, and plays a vital role in the safety of your property.
As such an important piece of technology in your home, it’s crucial that you know when and how to replace your fuse box.
When to replace your fuse box
If you have an old fuse box, it may or may not be time to have it replaced. While an old fuse box may be outdated when compared with the latest standards, this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have it fully replaced.
A qualified electrician must perform the tests needed (in relation to British Safety Standards) to verify whether it’s time to replace your fuse box.
With all that said, here are some scenarios in which it may be time to have your fuse box replaced by a professional:
It’s time to have your fuse box replaced if it is too outdated to meet modern safety standards.
You need to have your fuse box replaced if it is unsafe (for example, it has been worn down, a component is broken, or your fuse box and earthing to gas and water are not sufficiently safe).
A qualified electrician recommends you get a new fuse box (perhaps because they are concerned it will become unsafe in the near-to-medium future).
You simply want to opt for a safer, modern fuse box. Among the upsides of modern fuse boxes is the inclusion of an RCD or RCBOs. These can serve the purpose of protecting you and other members of your household from electric shocks, as well as other fault issues that can arise. While older units will only trip when they experience an overload, an RCD or RCBOs can offer further protection in a way that isn’t available with older units. Ultimately, RCDs and RCBOs can trip in cases of non-overload fault scenarios, offering extra safety.
How to get a new fuse box
An electrician will be needed to verify the safety status before replacing your fuse box, or moving its location.
Consulting with your electrician and electricity supplier
If you want to replace or move your fuse box location, you must let your electric supplier know in advance and time things in such a way that they can turn off the power (if your supplier and the electrician decides it’s necessary) to your home.
It’s likely this will be required before the work gets underway and until the fuse box has been replaced or moved.
In either case, the fuse box must be fully fitted and good to go per the electrician’s verification before the power is safe to be turned back on. Again, what the supplier and electrician will recommend and require for this work could vary depending on the nature of the job and the fuse box in question.
You must hire a professional
As we’ve already mentioned, you must hire a qualified electrician for replacing a fuse box. This is not a DIY-friendly task. Attempting such work by yourself could prove fatal.
Once you’ve found the right person for the job, they’ll need to perform various electrical tests before they can move on to actually replacing your fuse box.
If you’re not sure whether a new fuse box is required or even recommended, or if you have any other additional questions, be sure to consult with your electrician. They’ll be able to advise and help ensure you make the right calls to keep members of your household safe from electric hazards.
Finding the right person for the job
When it comes to hiring a qualified electrician, you may want to secure quotes from three or more electricians in your area. You can then compare their quotes and other aspects (such as online ratings or reviews) before deciding who to hire.
Final thoughts
To sum up, it’s essential that you have your fuse box replaced if it’s becoming worn and posing a safety risk.
Also, even just the fact that older units lack the same levels of safety as modern units is arguably reason enough to replace your old fuse box as soon as you can.
You must hire a qualified electrician to first perform various tests to check the status of your fuse box, and then carry out the work of replacing or moving it.
The wild and tame red fruits of fall are botanical holiday decorations, in miniature. Adorning trees and shrubs, they breathe optimism into the darkening season. They can bring DIY holiday decorations to life, or make a tasty treat. Some may be a berry, while others are drupes (or pomes).
Here are 10 common red fruits that light up branches even after autumn foliage has turned to a crisp.
Above: Winterberry is a deciduous holly, Ilex verticillata.
Native to the central and eastern United States, winterberry glows with color through winter. Red as well as yellow and orange varieties hold their fruits even in hard freezes, and look spectacular on the deciduous shrubs’ bare branches. They are often seen in late fall and winter, fresh-cut, at flower sellers. The vivid drupes (not berries) are good food for migrating or resident birds. Although tolerant of shade, female shrubs in full sun will produce the most fruit, in USDA hardiness 3-9. (See Gardening 101: Holly.)
Chokeberry
Above: Red chokeberry shines in late fall.
Aronia arbutifolia produces its red pomes (not berries) about a month or more later than its better-known dark cousin, A. melanocarpa (black chokeberry). Its smaller fruits make up for their size in intense color. And once a touch a frost blets them, red chokeberry becomes more palatable than its name suggests. (See Aronia: Grow Your Own Superfood.)
Above: Red chokeberries are usually very astringent until well into cold weather.
Use the pomes in syrups (you can substitute them in this fermented elderberry syrup method) or add them to cooked fruit butters or fermented ketchups. Their flavor, raw, is very mild and apple-like. Red chokeberry is native to the eastern US and is hardy from zones 4-9. It tolerates dry to boggy soils.
Mountain Ash
Above: A cluster of mountain ash fruits.
Sorbus americana is a small native tree that grows in acidic soils and cooler climates (zones 3-6) in the eastern part of the US. If there are mountains around, look for this pretty tree. Its clusters of fruits (pomes, again, not berries) take color in late summer but persist on the trees well after leaf-drop and into winter. Taste one, raw. Horrible! But they transform well into cooked jellies and syrups, and, like red chokeberry, are improved by a freeze. (See Gardening 101: Sorbus.)
Hawthorn
Above: Hawthorn fruits in winter
Hawthorns belong to the genus Crataegus, with dozens (possibly hundreds) of species native to North America, Europe, and Asia. In the US, C. viridis ‘Winter King’ is often deployed in cold-climate urban landscaping, where its scarlet fruits (pomes) ripen in fall. More palatable than astringent crabapples, the mild flavor of hawthorn fruit is improved by slow-cooking with spices, to make a hot mulled drink, or to preserve the fruit whole in the tradition of Mexican tejocotes (C. mexicana). ‘Winter King’ is hardy from zones 4-7. (See Gardening 101: Hawthorn.)
Crabapple
Above: Like maraschino cherries on trees, crabapples blaze in autumn.
Today’s home design trends often place an emphasis on the front entrance to elevate the overall house design. It’s a no-brainer that entry doors play a pivotal role here, being the first element that guests see when visiting your house.
Among the myriad of door designs available, the double door stands out, offering homeowners a blend of aesthetic appeal and practicality. Whether you’re considering double front doors for a new home, or upgrading your current entrance, understanding all the options is a vital part of this renovation project.
What are double entry doors?
As their name suggests, exterior double doors are a set of two doors that swing open from the centre, offering a spacious entryway compared to their single-door counterparts. Historically, these doors have adorned the entrances of grand estates, symbolising both luxury and a warm invitation.
In modern times, the appeal of double entry doors extends beyond just aesthetics. They present practical advantages that cater to contemporary living, offering a spacious entrance that often complements the overall house design in modern and traditional homes.
From an architectural standpoint, double doors offer a sense of balance and symmetry, often becoming the focal point of a home’s facade. Their design can range from sleek and modern to intricately detailed, reflecting the homeowner’s personal style and the architectural theme of the residence.
Double door styles explained: what works best for you?
When it comes to double-door designs, there are several styles homeowners can go with to match their property and personal preferences:
Glass Doors. These are a favourite for those seeking a modern touch. They invite a flood of natural light into the home, creating an airy and open ambience. While they offer a clear view of the outdoors, homeowners can opt for frosted or tinted glass for added privacy.
Panel Doors. Panel double entry doors exude a sense of tradition and elegance. Having no glass inserts, these doors ensure maximum energy efficiency and are especially suited for homes with a classic architectural style, adding a touch of sophistication to the entrance.
Sidelights and Transoms. While not a door style per se, sidelights (vertical glass inserts) and transoms (glass inverts placed above the door) can significantly enhance the appearance of front double doors. They introduce more light into the foyer and can be customised to match the design of the main doors. Whether paired with glass or panel doors, sidelights and transoms elevate the entrance’s grandeur, making it even more inviting.
Exterior double doors: what material to choose?
Choosing the right material for your double door is crucial. It not only determines the door’s appearance but also its durability, maintenance requirements, and energy efficiency. Here’s a closer look at the most popular materials for exterior double doors:
Steel double front doors
Steel double front doors are known for their durability and security. They resist warping and cracking and can withstand harsh weather conditions. While they might not offer the same aesthetic appeal as wood, they can be painted to match the home’s exterior.
Pros: High security, cost-effective, and durable.
Cons: Limited design options, less energy-efficient.
Fiberglass double exterior doors
Fiberglass double-entry doors have gained popularity due to their versatility. They can mimic the appearance of wood, offering the beauty of timber without the maintenance hassles.
Pros:Energy-efficient, resistant to wear and tear, and available in various designs.
Cons: Slightly more expensive than steel, can fade over time with exposure to direct sunlight.
Wood double entry doors
Nothing beats the classic charm of wooden front double doors. They can be stained or painted to enhance their natural grain, making them a favourite for traditional homes.
Pros: Aesthetically pleasing, can be customised with carvings or glass inserts, offers natural insulation.
Cons: Requires regular maintenance to prevent warping or rotting, most expensive door type, less energy efficiency than fibreglass.
It’s also important to remember that when selecting a material for your double door, homeowners must consider factors like the home’s architectural style, the local climate, and budget.
How different house designs incorporate double doors
Integrating double doors into modern interiors is a testament to their timeless appeal and versatility. Whether it’s a modern or traditionally designed house, these doors can complement any architectural vision when manufactured in a style perfect for your space.
Contemporary designs
The sleek lines and minimalist aesthetics of modern homes find a perfect match in glass double front doors. These doors, often devoid of ornate designs, emphasise clean lines and simplicity. They not only complement modern architecture, but also introduce a sense of openness and minimalism.
Traditional designs
While double entry doors are a staple in grand mansions and vintage homes, they’re also being reimagined for today’s traditional interiors. Panel doors with intricate carvings or stained glass inserts add a touch of old-world charm, making them the centrepiece of the entrance.
Rustic and farmhouse styles
The rustic allure of countryside homes is enhanced with wooden front double doors. Whether it’s reclaimed wood with visible grains, or barn-style doors with wrought iron hardware, they evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia.
Colonial and Victorian homes
The grandeur of colonial and Victorian architecture is amplified with majestic double doors. Often painted in bold colours or adorned with brass knockers, these doors are a nod to the past while serving modern functionalities.
Incorporating double doors into your home is more than just a design choice; it’s about creating a welcoming ambience, enhancing functionality, and making a statement. As homeowners and designers continue experimenting with styles and materials, these doors will undoubtedly remain a favourite in the ever-evolving world of interior design.
We’re visiting with regular GPOD contributor Carla Z. Mudry in Malvern, Pennsylvania, today.
These photos are from late October in my garden. My bulbs have been planted, and I even planted a new peony root as well. I dressed up the pots a little bit with some fall annuals and little pumpkins, as I always do. I love pumpkins. I don’t carve them most of the time, but I do display them. The leaves are turning, but a lot is still blooming because the weather really hasn’t settled in to late October yet. I hope you are all enjoying fall in your gardens!
Nippon daisy (Nipponanthemumnipponicum, Zones 5–9) is a chrysanthemum relative with thick, almost succulent leaves and beautiful, fresh, white daisy flowers in late summer and fall.
Pumpkins nestled among the plants bring more seasonal beauty to the garden.
These annuals are still going strong right up until the first frost. This salvia (Salviasplendens, Zones 10–11 or as an annual) is looking particularly great.
Reblooming clematis and roses bring the spirit of early summer to the fall.
The flowers of hardy begonia (Begoniagrandis, Zones 6–10) peak at the end of the growing season in delicate sprays of pink and white.
An absolutely perfect and beautiful spider web such as this is an incredible work of art.
A familiar sight for many gardens this time of year: bags of bulbs ready to be planted to ensure a big floral display in the spring!
Tea camellia (Camelliasinensis, Zones 7–10) is of course usually grown for the leaves that make one of the world’s favorite beverages, but it also has beautiful white flowers in the fall.
Come back tomorrow for more of October in Carla’s garden!
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Living in a mild-winter climate means that you may try to push the boundaries of what can be grown throughout winter. Frost and cold weather can come on quickly, and knowing what to cover in a freeze can mean the difference between life and death for some of your plants. Be prepared by gathering needed items like frost cloth and burlap before a freeze hits.
This article shares tips for protecting your warm-climate garden from freezing temperatures, such as knowing the most common times for frost, utilizing effective plant placement in your garden, and knowing what to have on hand to protect plants. These tips will give your garden the best chance of surviving freezing temperatures.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.
6 Tips for Protecting Your Warm-Climate Garden from Freezing Temperatures
1. Learn when to expect freezing temperatures
An essential tool in knowing when freezing temperatures are most likely is knowing your first and last frost dates. You can look them up here using your zip code if you live in the United States.
Frost is most likely on clear, calm nights with few clouds and low humidity. Cold winds will also decrease the temperature.
During the day, the soil is warmed by the sun, and that heat is radiated throughout the night. So, the coldest temperatures of the night will occur just before dawn.
Use a minimum/maximum thermometer to measure your local temperature accurately. The reading on the weather app on your phone may not be accurate for your yard.
Light freeze: 29°F to 32°F (-1.6°C to 0°C). Tender plants are often killed.
Moderate freeze: 25°F to 28°F (-3.88°C to -2.22°C) causes damage to many plants.
Severe freeze: 24°F (-4.44°C) and colder – causes heavy damage to many plants.
2. Choose the best location in your yard for frost-tender plants
Cold air moves downslope and settles in the lowest spots. The cold spots in your yard are good for planting fruit trees that need chill hours and other cold-loving plants.
Plant frost-tender trees and plants in the warmest areas of your yard. An area with a western or southern exposure with reflected heat from a block wall will be warmer than other areas in your landscape. The heat absorbed by a block wall throughout the day will radiate during the night.
3. Understand what makes a plant have frost damage
Frost on a plant disrupts the movement of fluids within the plant and dries it out, leaving behind brown and crispy damage.
Some factors that make plants more or less susceptible to damage from freezing temperatures include:
Dormancy — A plant that is dormant will have less damage than a tree or plant that is actively growing. This is why a sudden frost early in the season will often do more damage than a frost later in the season after plants have adjusted to colder temperatures.
Watering — Well-watered plants withstand freezing temperatures better than dehydrated plants. The water in the soil also helps to insulate the soil.
Pruning — Newly-pruned areas of the plant are more susceptible to frost damage.
Newly planted — Less-established root systems of new plants are more likely to be damaged by frost.
Plants in containers — Container-grown plants are subject to higher fluctuations in temperature than in-ground plants. They are more likely to suffer damage in a freeze.
Lower temperatures, longer exposure to freezing temperatures, and rapid drops in temperature cause more damage.
Frost-damaged pepper plant
4. What to cover in a freeze and what not to cover during a freeze
Cold weather signals the end of the life cycle for many annual plants. In warm-climate areas like the low desert of Arizona, providing protection from freezing temperatures may prolong the growing season.
Peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, and basil are a few plants that, if protected from a freeze, may continue to produce and grow. Other tender plants will need to be replanted in the spring.
What to cover in a freeze: Tender — injured by a light frost (cover during a freeze or harvest before cold temperatures).
What to cover in a freeze: Protecting citrus during a freeze
Frost-damaged citrus
Freezing weather can cause severe damage to citrus trees.
Young trees are more susceptible to frost damage. Cover citrus during a freeze for the first 3-5 years after planting.
Fruit damage may occur after several hours of temperatures below 27°F (-2.7°C). Frost-damaged fruit will have a dry interior.
Wait until after the danger of frost has passed in the spring to prune frost-damaged limbs and branches.
Some citrus trees are more cold-hardy than others.
Kumquat and mandarin trees are most cold-hardy (18°F – 20℉) or (-7.7°C to -6.6°C).
Grapefruit and orange trees (tolerate to Mid 20’s℉ ) (-3.88°C)
Lemon, and especially lime trees, are the most frost-sensitive, often suffering damage at 32℉ (0°C). They are extremely frost-sensitive; choose the warmest areas of your yard for planting. Lemon and lime trees often do not go into dormancy, so frost affects them more than other citrus.
What to cover in a freeze: Frost-tender landscape plants
Frost-damaged coral vine
Many tender landscape plants will recover from light frosts but have unsightly damage if you don’t cover them. Covering tender landscape plants during a freeze may prevent damage. Don’t prune frost-damaged plants until after the danger of frost has passed in the spring.
Cover these plants during a freeze to prevent damage:
Frost-tender landscape plants include (but are not limited to): bougainvillea, some cacti, cape honeysuckle, coral vine, fairy dusters, ficus, hibiscus, lantana, natal plum, myoporum, pygmy date palms, succulents, tropical plants (avocado, banana, guava, etc.), yellow bells.
Cover the plant completely, allowing the cover to drape down to the soil all around the plant. This traps the warmth inside. Don’t gather the cover around the trunk; it won’t trap radiated heat from around the plant.
Wrap trunks of frost-sensitive trees and young trees loosely with multiple layers of cloth. This can be left in place all winter.
Use styrofoam cups to protect the growing tips of cactus.
Add heat by wrapping heat-generating light bulbs(not LED) below the foliage of the covered plants. Take care not to have bulbs burn the bark or branches.
Remove sheets or blankets in the morning after the frost thaws. Dormant plants can be brought out of dormancy by keeping the plant covers on and trapping the heat during the day. Actively-growing plants are more likely to suffer frost damage than dormant plants.
Frost cloth can be left in place for several days without harming the plant.
Cover newly planted citrus during a freeze
I put burlap on my newly planted citrus
6. What to do after a frost
Did your perennial plants suffer frost damage? Don’t prune them right away. The damaged limbs and branches protect the plant from further frost damage.
Before pruning, wait until the danger of frost is past in the spring and you begin to see new growth. Prune back to just before where the new growth begins.
Severely damaged tomatoes, peppers, and other annual plants may need removal.
True to its name, miracle fruit performs a seemingly miraculous trick every time you eat it.
Consuming just one berry transforms the flavor of sour, bitter, and metallic tastes into sweet ones, as well as boosting the flavor of food in general. What is behind this magic trick?
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The pulp in the miracle fruit berry contains a glycoprotein called miraculin which changes the taste receptors on your tongue – effectively blocking the sour and bitter receptors so only the sweet ones remain active.
Though the fruit’s pulp is not especially sweet, everything you taste for about 30 minutes to an hour afterwards will be – even water!
Read on to learn everything you need to know to grow this amazing plant yourself.
What Is Miracle Fruit?
Originally found in several West African countries extending from Ghana to the Congo, miracle fruit can grow outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11. And you can easily grow it indoors or in a greenhouse in cooler regions.
Miracle fruit also goes by the common names of miracle berry, sweet berry, and miraculous berry. And confusingly, it shares its common name with another, unrelated plant also called the sweet prayer plant (Thaumatococcus daniellii).
Miracle fruit belongs to the Sapotaceae family whose members include other pan-tropical trees like sapodilla, star apple, and those used to produce shea butter and argan oil.
This neat plant has aesthetic qualities too. Its evergreen foliage is made up of beautiful curved or flat leaves, each shaped like a pear.
Add to this the petite self-fertile white flowers it produces from spring to fall, sometimes alongside the brilliant red berries, and you have a dazzling sight!
The miracle fruits are egg-shaped berries just shy of an inch long and half an inch wide.
A large seed takes up most of this space and the rest is a white pulp which contains the protein known as miraculin.
Grown outdoors, the miracle fruit plant can grow up to 15 feet tall with an eight-foot spread, but indoors, in a container, you can expect it to top out at just four feet tall and three feet wide, with many specimens staying more compact.
Cultivation and History
From “flavor tripping” parties to conspiracy theories and a rock star endorsement, these days miracle fruit has quite the reputation!
Despite its popularity in some spheres, it remains an under-researched and underutilized fruit with potential in many spheres of contemporary life.
Before we look at its value today, let’s explore miracle fruit’s past.
Although West Africans have used miracle fruit to enhance the flavor of food and drink for many years, Europeans first learned about the plant in 1725 from French explorer Reynaud Des Marchais.
In 1852, the chemist William Freeman Daniell studied the fruit, and reporting on its unique ability in scientific literature, he called it the “miraculous berry.”
In 1968, Japanese scientist Kenzo Kurihara finally discovered the mechanism responsible for miracle fruit’s seemingly magical powers when he isolated the glycoprotein miraculin, the substance responsible for altering taste.
Not long after, Robert Harvey, then completing his biomedical postgraduate studies, wanted to capitalize on this finding by selling extracts from the berry as a low-calorie sweetener to diabetics.
But in 1974, on the evening before the product was to be put on the market, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suddenly banned the product citing that more testing was needed.
This action by the FDA plus a number of events leading up to it propelled conspiracy theories asserting the involvement of the Sugar Association in miracle fruit’s demise.
We’ve come full circle and today, researchers are studying the berries as a sugar alternative for those suffering with diabetes.
Additionally, the fruit’s ability to eliminate metallic flavors experienced by chemotherapy and COVID-19 patients is being examined.
Miracle Fruit Propagation
You can propagate miracle fruit plants from seed, which is a reliable method, but requires patience as the seedlings are slow growing.
Starting from cuttings is also possible, but it also takes time.
The easiest way to get started is to purchase a potted plant for your home.
From Seed
If you have an existing plant, you can collect the seeds from the berries and propagate them.
However, you’ll need to work fast as the germination rate quickly decreases after separating the seed from the pulp. Do not try drying the seeds, as they will not be viable.
After harvesting the berries, simply clean the seed by removing all the pulp.
Using a pre-moistened and well-mixed blend of equal quantities of peat moss and perlite, sow the seeds a quarter of an inch deep in containers or a propagating tray.
Cover your containers with a plastic bag or a dome to increase humidity.
Maintain a temperature between 73 and 86°F (23 to 30°C) and place your seeds in indirect light. Keep the potting medium evenly moist but not waterlogged.
In these conditions, they should germinate in a few weeks.
From Cuttings
If you want to experiment, you can attempt to propagate miracle fruit through cuttings.
But this method takes longer than propagating by seed and has a lower chance of success because this species doesn’t grow adventitious roots easily.
Take a four-inch (10-centimeter) softwood cutting with a few nodes and two to five leaves. Defoliate the bottom two inches.
Dip one inch of the defoliated end into a powdered rooting hormone such as Bonide Bontone II, available from Arbico Organics.
For the propagation media, use coconut fiber on its own or a mixture of perlite and peat moss. Put the medium inside a four-inch pot with drainage holes.
Using a pencil, make a hole in the potting medium and plant the cutting one to two inches deep.
Place the pot in a location with bright, indirect light. Keep the potting medium moist but not waterlogged. You can maintain humidity by securing a plastic bag over the pot or setting it under a humidity dome.
You can check for rooting by removing the plastic bag and giving the cutting a gentle tug. If you feel resistance, you’ll know that roots have formed.
When your cuttings root, transplant them into larger pots, approximately two inches bigger than the rooting pot.
How to Grow Miracle Fruit
Now that you’ve learned a bit about miracle fruit, let’s dive into how to take care of this special plant.
When you first bring your miracle plant home, you may wish to transplant it into a different pot.
Choose a container that has holes at the bottom for drainage, and that’s about two inches wider and taller than the existing pot. You’ll likely need to increase the size of the pot every two years or so.
You’ll also want a saucer to place underneath the pot to catch water as it drains out.
Miracle fruit needs acidic soil with a pH of 4.8 to 5.5, so a half-and-half mix of peat moss and perlite – or peat moss and silica sand – is ideal. If you opt for the latter, make sure the silica has a neutral pH – those made from limestone will be more alkaline.
S. dulcificum grows outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11, so it doesn’t appreciate temperatures lower than 35 to 40°F. Indoors, keep it between 60 and 90°F in a location with bright, indirect light.
And when the temperature outside is agreeable, you can move your plant outdoors for the summer months if you wish.
These plants are finicky when it comes to watering. They react badly to tap water – whether that is because tap water is treated or because it has a high pH value – the jury is still out. It’s best to use rainwater or filtered water instead.
Miracle fruit needs consistent moisture but the potting mix shouldn’t be allowed to become waterlogged.
When the top two inches of soil are dry, it’s time to water. Water deeply until liquid runs out of the bottom of the pot, and remember to empty the saucer afterwards!
And because its natural habitat offers a lot of humidity, you can recreate this environment by misting your plant once a week.
Pollination
Miracle fruit plants are self-fertile, so you only need one plant for successful pollination and fruit set. That being said, if you have two, you may get a larger harvest.
Similarly, putting your plant outside during flowering (if the temperature allows!) will enable insects and the wind to increase pollination.
Indoors, you can hand-pollinate your plant by manually transferring pollen between flowers with a cotton swab or paintbrush. If you’re short on time, you can gently jiggle your plant or caress its leaves and branches to encourage pollination.
If successfully pollinated, you can expect fruits three to six weeks after flowering.
Indoors, miracle fruit will generally flower twice between May and October. Planted outside in suitable regions, it can flower all year round for a continual harvest.
Indoors it will not typically produce fruit from November to April, but will retain its leaves and may continue to grow.
Growing Tips
Provide acidic, well-draining potting mix.
Grow in bright direct or filtered sunlight indoors and partial shade to full sun outdoors.
Keep soil consistently moist, but not oversaturated.
Pruning and Maintenance
Miracle fruit plants don’t necessarily need to be pruned unless you want to create a particular shape or size, or there is evidence of damage or dying branches.
The best time to prune is after fruiting is done for the year. Even then, keep your pruning light.
Container-grown plants will only reach two to four feet tall and one to three feet wide. If you want to keep your plant compact, prune off the top branches. This will encourage the side branches to fill in and stimulate flowering.
Regular fertilization is essential for fruit set and plant health, but you’ll have to be careful not to overfertilize as this can damage the roots.
Feed your miracle fruit plant with a water-soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer about once a month. Make sure to only apply fertilizer when the soil is wet, as this helps prevent any potential damage to the roots.
If your plant outgrows its current container you can repot into a larger vessel as needed and refresh the potting mix, normally every one or two years.
Where to Buy
You can sometimes find plants available at local nurseries, particularly in regions like Florida where they can grow outdoors. Otherwise, online nurseries can ship to your door.
There are a number of S. dulcificum cultivars, but they can be difficult for the home gardener to find.
Researchers Lynhe Demesyeux, Maria Brym, and Alan H. Chambers at the University of Florida studied the qualities of various cultivars in their research on S. dulcificum.
The top picks are the cultivar known as ‘Cherry’ which boasts the largest fruit with the most pulp, as well as ‘Cardinal’ and ‘Imperial’ which produce the most fruit per season.
Other solid choices are ‘Scarlet,’ and ‘Vermilion’ which exhibit high fruit pulp weight which equals more miraculin – and therefore more fun!
Managing Pests and Disease
Fortunately, miracle fruit has a natural resistance to many diseases – but it can’t evade the notorious root rot.
Grown as a houseplant, it will be susceptible to many of the same pests that affect other indoor plants including scale, mealybugs, and spider mites.
Pests
You might find the following pests like your miracle fruit plant just as much as you do! Here’s what to watch out for and what to do if you find them.
Mealybugs
The first sign of these little critters will usually be a cotton-like white wax in the leaf axils or other protected places.
Mealybugs cause damage by sucking sap from the plant, A large infestation may eventually result in the death of the plant. The honeydew they exude can lead to sooty mold.
In the case of a small infestation, a cotton swab doused in rubbing alcohol can be used directly on the mealybugs to kill them.
A substantial number of mealybugs can be dealt with by using an insecticidal soap suitable for indoor use.
Scale are sap-sucking insects that can wreak havoc on your plant and may be hard to detect until there is an army of them.
Signs of a heavy infestation include yellow leaves, distorted foliage, and branch dieback.
The simplest way to battle these little tough guys is to remove them manually from your plant. You can do this by spraying with water and using a soft brush to dislodge them. If some branches are heavily infested, it’s best to prune them off.
If your miracle fruit becomes infested with scale and the temperature is warm enough outside, you can try putting your plant outdoors and allow beneficial predators to eat the scale.
Lady beetles and parasitic wasps will be some key allies in this regard.
Unfortunately, a heavy infestation that has done significant damage is likely not worth the time and effort to treat, so you may be better off starting with a new plant.
Spider mites are tiny arachnids that come in various colors and can reproduce rapidly. Sadly, for miracle fruit living indoors, they can be a problem any time of the year.
What they’re after is the chlorophyll from leaves so you’ll see white spots or specks on the foliage. In the case of a heavy infestation you may see webbing and yellow, brown, or dead leaves.
You can get rid of spider mites by spraying the plant with water, especially the lower leaves. If necessary you can use an insecticidal soap.
When it comes to disease, the main one to keep an eye out for is root rot.
Root Rot
Various soilborne fungi and water molds (oomycetes) are responsible for root rot. Many plants are susceptible to this disease, and miracle fruit is no different.
You may see the leaves turn yellow and brown or die back and wilt. Or the bark may turn black and the plant’s growth may be impacted.
These pathogens favor moist conditions and overwatering is a common cause of infection. Once root rot takes hold, it is difficult to save the plant.
Avoid root rot by taking care to water when the top two inches of soil is dry and ensure that your plant is growing in a well-draining potting medium.
Harvesting
As long as you meet its needs, miracle fruit will reciprocate with a bountiful harvest twice a year. Depending on your climate, this may be in spring, summer, or fall.
When the berries turn red, wait another week or so before picking them and they’ll be at their juiciest. How you harvest the berries will depend on when you wish to eat them.
If you want to eat them right away, gently pull the berry from the stem. If you want to keep the berry fresh for a few days before eating it, cut off one inch of the branch with the berry on it.
Expect a small crop starting in the plant’s second to third year, with the biggest production being in the fifth year.
And if you don’t want to enjoy its taste-altering tricks immediately, you can preserve the berries either by freezing or freeze drying.
Unfortunately, the miraculin protein that gives the berries their power does not remain stable when heated.
Best Uses of Miracle Fruit
The best way to enjoy miracle berries is as they’ve been eaten for centuries – straight off the bush before a meal containing sour or bitter foods.
But why eat them alone when you can introduce them to your friends and family, too?
Miracle berries became quite the hit just over a decade ago when the idea of “flavor tripping” parties became popular.
In a nutshell, you eat the berries with your party guests and then taste an array of sour and bitter foods for a flavor-altering experience.
Here are some things to remember about eating miracle berries to get the best effect. First, try to coat your whole tongue with the pulp so that all your taste buds are coated with miraculin. Otherwise, you might still taste some of the original sour or bitter flavors.
Also, don’t drink too much liquid while trying various foods since this will wash the miraculin protein off.
Finally, don’t overdo it with the acidic foods! Although they will taste sweet, these are still naturally acidic foods and may bother your stomach if you eat too much.
Some especially fun foods to try include lemons and other citrus fruits, goat cheese, sour dill pickles, tabasco sauce, and salt and vinegar flavored chips.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Plant Type:
Woody shrub
Flower/Foliage Color:
White/green
Native to:
West Africa
Water Needs:
Moderate
Hardiness (USDA Zones):
10-11
Maintenance:
Moderate
Season:
Summer to fall indoors, year-round outdoors
Tolerance:
Some drought
Exposure:
Bright, indirect light (indoors); part shade to full sun (outdoors)
Soil Type:
Soilless mix of peat moss and perlite
Time to Maturity:
2-3 years to fruit
Soil pH:
4.8-5.5
Planting Depth:
Same depth as container
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Height:
2-4 feet (indoors), up to 15 feet (outdoors)
Uses:
Berries used to alter the flavor of food, ornamental houseplant
Spread:
1-3 feet (indoors), 6-8 feet (outdoors)
Family:
Sapotaceae
Growth Rate:
Slow
Genus:
Synsepalum
Common Pests and Diseases:
Mealybugs, scale, spider mites, root rot
Species:
Dulcificum
The Ultimate Dinner Party Guest
Miracle fruit is a very special houseplant. Not only does it provide you with a bountiful harvest and a unique taste perception experience, it’s also an ornamental evergreen that provides beauty to your home year-round.
I can’t think of a better dinner party opener than “Do you want to alter the flavor of your meal tonight?”
Growing your own miracle fruit gives you the opportunity to introduce this magical plant to your friends and family, and maybe even get them interested in gardening too!
If you’ve had the pleasure of growing this taste-altering fruit, let us know in the comments section below.
As a low desert gardener, it’s exciting to learn how to grow a crop that I already use, is good for you, and grows well in warm climates. Ginger definitely qualifies on all three accounts. Learning how to grow ginger is easy, and growing it is even simpler (especially if you live in a warm climate).
Ginger is a heat-loving, tropical perennial herb grown for its bamboo-like leaves and flavorful rhizomes. It is grown as a long-season annual in all but the warmest locations.
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.
8 Tips for How to Grow Ginger
1. Understand how ginger grows
Ginger is grown from rhizomes. Rhizomes are fleshy stems that spread horizontally underground and contain several buds or growing points. The ginger rhizomes are planted below ground and send up bamboo-like shoots that give energy to the developing ginger below ground.
Ginger shoots emerge from the ground when the weather is nice and warm in the spring. Throughout the long days and warm months of summer, ginger grows well. As the days get shorter and cooler, the leaves turn yellow as the ginger begins to go dormant.
You can buy ginger online from seed companies, but you can also purchase organic ginger from your local market. I get mine at Sprouts. When purchasing ginger rhizomes for planting, look for light-colored, thin-skinned organic ginger that is plump and firm with several bumpy nodules.
To prepare ginger for planting, cut rhizomes into 2″-3″ pieces (each piece containing at least 2 to 3 nodules). Allow cut ends to dry and heal over before planting.
3. Give ginger plenty of time to grow
Ginger needs a long, warm growing season of about 10 months to grow well.
Zones 8 and warmer generally have enough time to start and grow ginger outdoors. Plant outdoors after your last frost date and when the soil warms in the spring. In the low desert of Arizona, plant ginger in March.
Plant rhizomes with nodules pointing up 2″ deep and 6″–8″ apart.
Plant 4 ginger per square foot in square foot gardeningGinger sprouting in the garden
In cooler climates, you will need to pre-sprout rhizomes indoors before planting. Count back 10 months from your first fall frost date. This is the time to begin pre-sprouting your ginger.
To pre-sprout ginger, plant rhizomes 2″ deep in small pots on heat mats. Keep warm and slightly moist (but not soggy; it will rot). Once ginger sprouts, provide supplemental lightinguntil it is warm enough to plant outside. Gradually let plants become accustomed to outdoor conditions for a week and then carefully transplant sprouts to larger containers or garden beds outdoors.
4. Give ginger plenty of warmth
Ginger does not grow well in temperatures below 55°F. Temperatures below freezing cause damage to the leaves and also kills the rhizomes.
In cooler climates, choose your warmest location to plant ginger. Look for an area that gets reflected heat from a block wall. Consider planting ginger in a container. Containers often heat up more quickly in the spring. Move the container to a sheltered location when temperatures fall.
In hot summer locations, provide shade for growing ginger. Although it prefers warm soil, intense sun often damages the growing leaves. Look for an area to plant ginger that receives shade naturally, or provide shade for growing ginger.
5. Give ginger good soil and fertilize as needed
The best soil for ginger is rich in organic matter and well-draining. Rich, loose soil may provide enough nutrients for growing ginger. Mulching the soil with additional compost or straw helps provide nutrients, control weeds, and retain water.
While ginger is growing, you can add a few inches of compost to growing ginger sprouts, similar to “hilling” potatoes. This can encourage more growth in the rhizomes.
If your ginger is not growing well, consider feeding every few weeks with an organic fertilizer such as liquid seaweed or fish emulsion. Testing your soil will help you know exactly what the soil is lacking.
Ginger developing below ground
6. Water ginger correctly
Ginger grows best with regular water, especially when the plant is actively growing. Well-draining soil is important as the rhizomes do not like soggy conditions. Do not overwater. As temperatures cool, reduce watering.
7. Harvest ginger at the right time
In cool climates, harvest ginger all at once before freezing temperatures. In warmer climates, harvest ginger after the leaves begin to yellow and die back. Wait to harvest as long as possible for the largest rhizomes.
To harvest, gently dig up the entire plant.In warm areas, you can leave the ginger in the ground and harvest as needed. Plants will go dormant during the cooler months and shorter days of winter, but new shoots will emerge in the spring.
8. Preserve harvested ginger in a variety of ways
After harvesting ginger, rinse it well and then cut off shoots and large roots. Use the leaves in tea.
Store fresh ginger in the refrigerator or freezer in plastic resealable bags. Unpeeled ginger keeps for about a month in the refrigerator or up to a year frozen.
Dehydrate ginger by peeling (young, fresh ginger may not need to be peeled) and slicing. Dehydrate at 95°F for 8-12 hours or until ginger is crisp and breaks when bent. I use this dehydrator from Amazon.
Sliced ginger before dehydratingSliced ginger after dehydrating
Store dehydrated slices in a glass jar with an airtight lid. Process small amounts of the sliced ginger into powder. Once ground, the powder will begin to lose flavor so grind only a small amount at a time.
Process dehydrated ginger in blender to turn into powderStore dehydrated ginger in sealed glass jars
Process peeled ginger (young, fresh ginger may not need to be peeled) with a small amount of water in the blender.This is the blender I use.
Process young unpeeled ginger in a blenderPulse until smooth
Freeze in herb or ice cube trays. Use individual portions as needed. When processed this way, ginger lasts up to about a year in the freezer.
Freeze in ice cube or herb traysStore frozen cubes in freezer bags for up to 1 year
