Spots are cute on a puppy. But on a Japanese maple? Not so much.
Not only do spots on the foliage make your Japanese maple look shabby, but it’s your tree’s way of telling you there’s trouble afoot.
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While Japanese maples aren’t particularly weak or susceptible to disease, they are often small in stature.
That matters because a fungal infection that causes some defoliation on a massive tree will likely have less of an impact overall than it will for a small specimen that doesn’t have as many leaves to lose.
So, let’s talk about the things that cause these spots and when they might become something to worry about. Here’s a quick preview of everything we’ll go over:
Make sure you’re familiar with theins and outs of raising Japanese maples before we start our journey here. A lot of diseases can be avoided with proper care.
Make looking over your Japanese maples a regular part of your routine – you will be much better off if you can catch things early on.
No matter the cause, your trees will be far less likely to experience disease problems if you rake up fallen leaves in the autumn and water at the soil level rather than on the leaves.
Let’s look at the ailments that may cause spotting on Japanese maple leaves.
1. Alternaria Leaf Spot
Fungi in the Alternaria genus cause dark brown to black spots on the foliage. These spots may or may not have yellow halos.
If the leaves are heavily infected, they will drop from the tree. In bad infections, a young or small Japanese maple can be completely defoliated.
Since the pathogens that cause this disease thrive in cool, wet weather, it’s no surprise they’re most active during the spring and taper off a bit during the summer.
When temperatures are right between 70 and 82°F, the fungi are most active, but they can grow outside of these temperatures as well.
Silver (Acer saccharinum) and sugar maples (A. saccharum)are more susceptible, but if you notice the symptoms on a nearby maple of another type, be aware that it could also be coming for your Japanese maples – especially those that are stressed.
Treating Alternaria leaf spot is identical to the process you would use to treat anthracnose, which we’ll talk about next.
2. Anthracnose
Anthracnose occurs in hundreds of species, including varieties of Acer. Symptoms can range from a few angular spots to complete defoliation.
The irregular spots are tan to black, and typically appear along the veins and margins of the leaf.
The spots might spread and merge, eventually resulting in leaf drop. When the problem is bad enough, it can completely defoliate a Japanese maple tree.
If this happens in the spring, the tree will typically develop new leaves and will recover. Trees that are infected during the fall won’t develop new leaves until the following spring.
There are many pathogens that cause anthracnose in Japanese maples, but the most common are Aureobasidium apocryptum (syn. Kabatiella apocrypta), Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Discula campestris.
These are all spread by water, so they’re typically most active in the spring and fall, and activity might stop altogether in the summer.
Do what you can to avoid splashing water on the leaves of your tree.
We can’t control the weather, but we can control irrigation, and sprinklers provide a quick way to spread this disease throughout the garden.
If your Japanese maples have anthracnose, treatment begins in the spring.
At leaf bud break, spray trees with a product that contains both mancozeb and copper, or one like Bonide’s Revitalize, which contains thebeneficial bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747.
It’s a bacterial infection that enters through wounds on the plant, whether caused by insects, pruning, or wind damage, and it causes small black spots to appear on the leaves.
Leaf veins also turn black, and in particularly bad cases, it can cause new shoots and branch tips to turn black and shrivel up.
This disease is caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and Japanese maples are unfortunately extremely susceptible.
Even more unfortunate, it’s difficult to control. While you can spray your plants with a copper fungicide, the bacteria can become resistant.
The best defense is a good offense. Avoid pruning during wet weather, keep the area around your Japanese maple clear to improve air circulation, and remove any symptomatic plant tissue. Also, be careful not to over-fertilize your plant.
If the pathogen attacks your tree, spray with copper once a month but not more often than that.
B. subtilis products can be hard to find, so head to Arbico Organics to grab a gallon or two-and-a-half gallons of Cease, which contains this powerful ingredient.
4. Phyllosticta
This disease appears as round yellow or tan spots on the leaves. On other Acer species, the spots might also have a purple border.
If you look closely, the centers might be so thin as to be transparent, and these might fall out, leaving small holes throughout the foliage.
Phyllosticta spot is caused by the fungus Phyllosticta minima. This pathogen requires water to reproduce, and it can travel on wind and water. It can also live on fallen leaves throughout the winter and reinfect your plant if you don’t clean up the debris.
This disease should be filed under NBD, for no big deal. The symptoms are kind of ugly, but it won’t kill or even really harm your tree. It just makes it look a bit shabby.
Of course, we want our Japanese maples to look as good as they can, so to eliminate this disease, your first task is to rake up all the leaves around your tree as soon as you spot signs of a problem, and do it again in the fall to prevent any fungi from overwintering.
Then, spray the tree with copper fungicide. You might also want to spray the tree in the spring after the leaves have emerged and matured.
You can purchase copper dust in one-pound or four-pound containers at Arbico Organics. Mix it with water according to package directions and spray your trees.
5. Powdery Mildew
The fungi that cause powdery mildew in maples, Phyllactinia marissallii, like the same conditions that Japanese maples do – so it’s no wonder they go hand in hand!
Photo via Alamy.
Because this disease is fairly common, you want to provide preventive care through proper cultivation.
Start by making sure your tree stays healthy enough that it can withstand the pathogen, or that it won’t become highly symptomatic if it is infected.
Do this by planting your tree with the proper light exposure,feeding it regularly as needed, and giving it the appropriate amount of water.
Keep the Japanese maple pruned, water at the soil level, and check on your tree regularly to see if any symptoms are developing. Treating powdery mildew early on is a lot easier than waiting until the problem is severe.
P. marissallii only attacks plants in the Acer genus, and other fungi that cause powdery mildew in other species won’t attack types of Acer.
So you don’t have to panic if your pumpkins have powdery mildew. It doesn’t mean your Japanese maples will also contract the disease, though it does indicate that the conditions are right.
Japanese maples rarely get seriously sick with this ailment, but if you start to see a powder-like coating on the leaves in spots or patches and maybe some foliage turning yellow, it’s time to act.
Neem oil, copper fungicide, or a product that contains the beneficial bacteria Bacillus subtilis, such as Cease, are all effective at treating powdery mildew.
Whichever you choose to use, follow the manufacturer’s directions for application.
6. Septoria
We still call this disease septoria leaf spot though it’s caused by the reclassified pathogen Sphaerulina aceris, formerly known as Septoria aceris.
This disease causes round, brown spots that can range anywhere from the size of the tip of a pencil to a half-inch in diameter. As the disease progresses, the center of the spots will turn lighter and will take on a tan or cream hue.
Look for black fungal bodies inside the spots on the upper side of the leaves.
Septoria leaf spot can be treated with a copper fungicide. Start treatment any time when symptoms are present and follow the manufacturer’s directions.
If you want to spray preventatively, which is only necessary if your trees have had the disease in the past or other nearby plants are infected, begin spraying when daytime temperatures reach 65°F.
7. Tar Spot
I love a disease that looks just like you think it would based on the name. It makes identification so much easier. Tar spot is one of those diseases.
Caused by fungi in the Rhystisma genus, it results in dark, raised, round spots that look like someone dipped a brush in tar and flicked the tar onto your Japanese maple.
These spots can be tiny or up to an inch and a half in diameter. If you touch a spot, it will often feel rough.
The samaras, those little winged seed pods on your maple, can also be covered in tar-like spots.
Photo via Alamy.
The disease often starts with small, pale yellow spots that are easy to miss. It’s not until summer arrives that the spots turn black and become more distinct.
This is another one of those diseases that sucks because the symptoms are ugly. But it doesn’t really harm the health of the tree.
Because the spores overwinter on fallen leaves, it’s imperative that you rake up all the fallen debris in the fall.
If you do, it’s unlikely that the disease will return the following year in any major way. There’s no need to treat with fungicides since this problem is mostly cosmetic and easy to control.
Out, Damned Spot!
We love Japanese maples for their leaves. This isn’t a plant that can hide behind showy flowers. Spots mar their elegance, and they’re also usually an indication that something is wrong.
What symptoms are you seeing on your Japanese maples? Did this guide help you to resolve the problem? If you have any other questions, feel free to hit us up in the comments.
She wandered into our yard two weeks ago. Sweet, well-behaved, doesn’t chase the chickens and can fetch a ball.
The kids adopted her. She’s keeping the deer out of the food forest at night, which means she can stay.
We named her Betsy. My guess is that she was dropped by the highway and found our place because she knew children were there. She showed up on a Sunday morning, early, and met the children. Then when they left for church, she waited patiently on the steps until they came back.
I prefer plants to animals, but this little girl is all right. She looked pretty thin when she showed up but she’s getting good food and clean water now and looks healthier every day. She’ll never win a beauty contest, but as they say, she “has a great personality!”
Maybe we can train her to help us dig garden beds.
Trees are among the most majestic plants in the landscape, and they are essential components of Earth’s ecology. We literally could not survive without these large, beautiful, and life-sustaining botanical wonders. However, unlike herbaceous plants, trees often require a considerable investment of time and money to reach their full potential in cultivated landscapes. Because there are a lot of trees to choose from, we want to get our tree choices right the first time.
To help you narrow down your options, we went to some horticultural experts and asked, “If you could only have one tree, which one would it be?” We recognize that asking them to choose just one favorite plant is a near-impossible request, but they obliged us with some fantastic trees that are right at the top of their lists of favorites. Next time you need a tree, consider adding one of these selections to your list.
‘Avondale’ Chinese redbud is a compact, reliable performer with stunning blooms
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; average, moist, well-drained soil
Native range: China
Cercis is a small genus of roughly 10 species with a worldwide distribution. These trees, commonly known as redbuds, are delightful for many reasons, both aesthetic and practical. They burst out in a gorgeous spring floral display that can range from pale pink to mauve. Like ornamental stone-fruit trees, such as cherry and peach (Prunus spp. and cvs., Zones 5–8), redbuds are smaller trees that bloom before leafing out. Additionally, when the blossom display is finished, they offer attractive foliage that lasts for much of the year. The heart-shaped leaves, similar to those of orchid tree (Bauhinia spp. and cvs., Zones 9–11), can range from a lively green to deep maroon, with many cultivar variations in between.
Western redbud (C. occidentalis, Zones 6–9) is our regional species in Southern California. Like many of our native plants, it has modest water requirements. At The Huntington Botanical Gardens, we also grow a variety of redbud cultivars, such as the beautiful ‘Avondale’ Chinese redbud, which is among my favorites. This smaller option performs reliably and produces stunning blooms that really stand out in the landscape. And like all redbuds, ‘Avondale’ is beautiful, beneficial to wildlife, and easy to manage. It grows well as a companion to woodland understory plants such as ferns and columbines (Aquilegia spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9), as well as with spring bulbs.
The Expert
Nicole Cavender has spent her career dedicated to plant science, conservation, and education. She is currently director of the Botanical Gardens at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California.
Nicole’s recommended companions
Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium and cvs., Zones 5–8)
For the ultimate beneficial shade tree, choose white oak
Photo: courtesy of Alan Branhagen
Name: Quercus alba
Zones: 3–9
Size: 50 to 80 feet tall and wide
Conditions: Full sun; moist to dry, well-drained soil
Native range: Eastern North America
Photo: courtesy of Alan Branhagen
An arch without a keystone is destined to collapse; likewise, a garden without a keystone species is ecologically vulnerable. From New England west to Minnesota and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida, white oak is the epitome of a keystone shade tree and is without hesitation my favorite. It’s long-lived, of prominent stature—often wider than tall—and lives to a great age. It grows quite fast when planted in undisturbed, upland conditions, often with two growth spurts a season.
Looking spiffy year-round, white oak’s light gray shaggy trunks stand out in winter, and the emerging foliage in spring shines from silvery to pink before maturing green (photo right). The foliage hosts many beneficial insects that support the web of life. Fall color can be outstanding shades from sienna to purplish red (photo above). Younger trees or the lower branches of older ones often hold their bleached to buff-colored marcescent leaves through winter. The acorn crop is occasionally robust, a feast for more species of wildlife than that provided by any other tree. There are no cultivars of white oak, but choose a tree of local to regional origin for best results.
The Expert
Alan Branhagen is a naturalist, plantsman, and author specializing in botany, butterflies, and birds. His career focus has been on the sustainable nurturing of public gardens and open spaces, and he is currently director of the Natural Land Institute in Rockford, Illinois.
Alan’s recommended companions
Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia and cvs., Zones 3–7)
False Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum and cvs., Zones 3–8)
Conditions: Full sun to light shade; moist, well-drained soil
Native range: China
Photo: William (Ned) Friedman, courtesy of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
I appreciate seven-son flower for its indispensable contributions to the late-season landscape. Blooming toward the end of summer, this tree is at its peak beauty and fragrance when other plants are fading into the background. Its common name was coined by Arnold Arboretum taxonomist Alfred Rehder to describe its inflorescence: six delightfully perfumed white blossoms borne in whorled 6-inch-long panicles, terminated by a seventh flower. The blooms, which are highly attractive to pollinators, give way to showy, vibrant-red sepals that persist through autumn and somehow exceed the splendor of the inflorescences (photo right).
Seven-son flower exhibits a handsome, open growth habit (photo above), with grayish-brown outer bark that exfoliates to reveal a lighter inner bark, adding winter interest. Grown as a small tree or large shrub, it fits well in small urban settings as well as expansive landscapes. The best flowering occurs when it is sited in full sun and well-drained soil.
The Expert
Tiffany Enzenbacher is a grower and plant scientist. Most recently she worked as the head of plant production at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; average, moist, well-drained soil
Native range: Japan
There’s a reason I always look forward to seeing the flower buds on the ‘Ivory Silk’ Japanese tree lilac at Powell Gardens. It means that spring has truly arrived in the Midwest and there will be no more cold snaps or random ice storms. The huge panicles of creamy white blooms can be seen from quite a distance, and the flowers’ sweet fragrance drifts across the gardens.
‘Ivory Silk’ is so loaded with blossoms that a few won’t be missed if you take them for cut-flower arrangements. This small tree is the perfect size for most home gardens, and it also has attractive reddish-brown bark on younger stems. ‘Ivory Silk’ is easy to grow and rarely bothered by pests and diseases. I particularly love the dark centers of heucherella (× Heucherella and cvs., Zones 4–11) leaves combined with the tree’s bark. Snowdance™ Japanese tree lilac (S. reticulata ‘BAILNCE’, Zones 3–7), a notable variety with larger leaves that are a darker shade of green, is another excellent choice to consider.
The Expert
Susan Mertz is the director of horticulture at Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri. She has a passion for plants, putting the right specimen in the right place, and botanical photography.
Susan’s recommended companions
‘Serendipity’ allium (Allium ‘Serendipity’, Zones 4–8)
Summer Wine® Black ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘SMNPMS’, Zones 3–7)
Double Play® Candy Corn® spirea (Spiraea japonica* ‘NCSX1’, Zones 4–8)
‘Serendipity’ allium.Photo: Proven Winners
Summer Wine® Black ninebark.Photo: Proven Winners Color Choice
Double Play® Candy Corn® spirea.Photo: Proven Winners Color Choice
Riveting Rosie™ magnolia won’t get zapped by surprise early-spring freezes
Photo: courtesy of Michael Dirr
Name: Magnolia sieboldii × M. insignis ‘Riveting Rosie’
Zones: 6–9
Size: 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide
Conditions: Full sun; well-drained, acidic soil
Native range: Hybrid
In 2012, I received a seedling magnolia from Kevin Parris at Spartanburg Community College in South Carolina. Unfortunately, the label was lost and the seedling’s identity in limbo until it flowered in 2013. And what a show it was—with exquisite, goblet-shaped, satiny, iridescent pink, fragrant flowers emerging from upright to arching, egg-shaped buds. The flowers, 4 to 5 inches in diameter when fully open, are composed of six to nine tepals, with the gynoecium (pistils) and stamens pink to deep rose. Each tepal is saturated pink on the outer and inner surfaces, and white at the base. Flowers, scattered throughout the lustrous dark green foliage matrix, open in midspring and continue for several weeks. This late-flowering sequence avoids the traditional early spring freezes that obliterate flowers of saucer magnolia (M. × soulangeana, Zones 4–9) and star magnolia (M. stellata, Zones 4–8) in Zone 8 and lower.
Riveting Rosie™ is an absolute standout. Remarkably, it inherited the evergreen foliage of M. insignis (Zones 7–9) rather than the medium-green deciduous foliage of M. sieboldii (Zones 4–8). In Athens, Georgia, the foliage is evergreen to semi-evergreen, while in Hamden, Connecticut, a sister seedling, ‘Oyama Rose’ (Zones 6–9), is deciduous and flowers reliably. The latter is similar, but the tepals are whiter on the interior and pink on the exterior.
The 10-year-old Riveting Rosie™ tree in my garden is 12 feet high and 8 feet wide. Extrapolating from its parentage, I estimate that the mature landscape size will be 15 to 20 feet tall by 10 to 12 feet wide. This magnolia is heat and drought adaptable once established, making it an excellent tree for small and large gardens alike. Although I have noticed flowers sporadically developing on the current season’s growth, the flower buds predominantly form on the previous season’s growth, so prune it after flowering. This tree is a rarity at nurseries, but it’s worth the effort to find.
The Expert
Michael Dirr, Ph.D., is an award-winning horticulturist, breeder, and author with more than 40 years experience as an educator in the green industry. He spent much of his career as a horticulture professor at the University of Georgia in Athens.
Michael’s recommended companions
‘O’Kagami’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘O’Kagami’, Zones 5–8)
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil
Native range: Eastern North America
Flowering dogwood has often been hailed as the most beautiful native flowering tree in the eastern United States. I heartily agree—it’s a stunner. The flowers themselves are tiny, but each cluster is surrounded by four immense white bracts that array like giant saucers amid the expanding leaves in spring. Each bract is curiously cleft at the tip, which gives the bloom an endearing, slightly disheveled quality. Clusters of raisin-sized, scarlet red berries ripen in fall just as the paired oval leaves turn shades of maroon and silver. The fat-rich fruits are relished by dozens of songbirds, though robins and waxwings claim most of the berries on my trees.
Flowering dogwood is a small tree of the forest understory and edge, with a graceful, layered canopy designed to intercept the maximum sunlight available to it. In the mid-1970s a disease called dogwood anthracnose began affecting the trees, causing branch dieback and even death. Trees toward the northern limit of their range and those in stressed locations such as deep shade and droughty soil are particularly susceptible. ‘Appalachian Spring’ (C. florida ‘Appalachian Spring’, Zones 5–9), a selection found growing wild in Maryland, has proven to be highly resistant and is widely available.
The Expert
Contributing editor William Cullina is the executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum and Gardens in Philadelphia and the author of several books, including the definitive guide Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines.
William’s recommended companions
Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis and cvs., Zones 4–9)
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica, Zones 3–8)
Pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides, Zones 4–9)
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Native range: Western North America
In the Pacific Northwest, vine maples are commonly used native trees. If you’re looking for something similar to the straight species but with a little more pizzazz and multiseason interest, however, consider ‘Pacific Fire’ vine maple. This selection has the same circular leaf shape and multistemmed branching structure as the straight species, but it’s slower growing and more compact, making it a great choice for urban landscapes. Where it really stands out, though, is its coral-red stems that glow against our gray winter skies. I’ll never forget a client telling me once how a grouping of three that I planted on the front edge of her woodland was her favorite thing to see from her bedroom window.
‘Pacific Fire’ grows best in partial shade. The more sun it gets, the more the leaves take on a bronze hue. In fall, their colors range from golden yellow to burnt orange. ‘Pacific Fire’ is also remarkably adaptive to multiple soil conditions. From a design perspective, it can be used in numerous ways—as a single specimen at a front entry, as a grouping for privacy and screening, or, as I did for my client, as a transition from a more formal garden to the woodland beyond.
The Expert
Courtney Olander, a professional landscape designer, is the owner of Olander Garden Design in Seattle. She has a passion for creating spaces that blend lifestyle and horticulture.
Courtney’s recommended companions
‘Jack Frost’ brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, Zones 3–8)
Sunset fern (Dryopteris lepidopoda, Zones 5–9)
Scarlet Ovation™ California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum ‘VacSid1’, Zones 7–9)
‘Jack Frost’ brunnera.Photo: courtesy of Courtney Olander
Sunset fern.Photo: courtesy of Courtney Olander
Scarlet Ovation™ California huckleberry.Photo: courtesy of Courtney Olander
Chinese ironwood serves up striking fall color in locales where it’s hard to come by
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained, acidic soil
Native range: China
Chinese ironwood should be a rage anywhere in the Gulf South, where fall color is difficult to find. Introduced into culture in North America in 2004 by plantsman Ozzie Johnson, it’s still rarely encountered. What’s unique about this species is that it was found in eastern China, about 3,500 miles away from the natural range of Persian ironwood (P. persica, Zones 4–8), which has been in culture for over 100 years in North America. What sets Chinese ironwood apart from its Persian relative is fall color, which starts off maroon and transitions into fire engine red. It’s marcescent, holding the foliage well into the winter.
Chinese ironwood grows fast and is very easy to propagate from cuttings taken in late spring. It’s been bone hardy in East Texas. In fact, in February 2021 it survived an East Texas all-time record low temperature (below zero) with no damage. It appreciates well-drained, slightly acidic soil, and with age it produces attractive exfoliating bark. I suspect that at full maturity it will top out at a manageable 30 feet tall and half as wide.
The Expert
David Creech, Ph.D., is a retired professor of horticulture and the current director of Stephen F. Austin State University Gardens in Nacogdoches, Texas. He received the Outstanding International Horticulturist Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science in 2022.
David’s recommended companions
Clethra (Clethra alnifolia and cvs., Zones 3–9)
‘Florida Sunshine’ anise (Illicium parviflorum ‘Florida Sunshine’, Zones 6–9)
Fluffy® western arborvitae (Thuja plicata ‘SMNTPGF’, Zones 5–8)
Clethra.Photo: Steve Aitken
‘Florida Sunshine’ anise.Photo: courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery
Fluffy® western arborvitae.Photo: courtesy of Proven Winners Color Choice
How to plant and care for a tree
Planting a tree is a big investment. Besides choosing the right one for your site conditions and space (trees need a lot of room to grow), how you plant and care for it also matters. Before sinking your shovel into the ground, make sure you are planting your tree at the right time of year and following these basic planting and care strategies.
Illustration: Jessica Daigle
1. Choose the right time
While summer is a beautiful time of year to be outdoors, it’s the absolute worst time to plant trees. The heat and reduced moisture are big stressors for plants, especially new trees with sizable root and structural systems that need to become established. The best time to plant a tree is in spring. Fall is acceptable too, but absolutely avoid planting in summer.
2. Dig a proper hole
The size and depth of your tree-planting hole matters greatly. Roots benefit from large holes where they can spread easily and become established. However, don’t go too deep or you’ll bury the tree’s root collar, which will reduce the plant’s vigor and might lead to death. The rule of thumb is to dig your hole two to three times wider than the tree’s root ball. The depth should be no more than the height of the root ball.
3. Wet well and often
Trees generally need 1 to 3 inches of water per week throughout the year, but regular moisture is especially important during establishment, hot spells, and dry periods (even in winter). The best way to water a tree is slowly and deeply. Building a temporary soil berm at the perimeter of the backfilled hole helps to prevent runoff and allows water to soak in slowly during establishment. A 3-inch-deep layer of organic mulch also helps to retain soil moisture.
According to a survey, more than 81% of travelers consider a comfortable bed as the most important factor for an enjoyable stay. Bedding should be smooth, soft, durable, and coherent with the overall theme of your business.
Since budding can make or break a visitor experience, you should select your bedding suppliers with great care. There are many so-called wholesale bedding suppliers available in the market, but only a few can offer the right quality at an economical price.
These are the top 6 most trusted wholesale bedding suppliers available in the UK.
BritishWholesale Bedding Suppliers UK has been leading the wholesale market for 30 years. It offers a complete range of bed linens, duvets, pillows, blankets, pillow covers, and sheets. All products are manufactured in a British wholesale production unit.
It offers bed linens in cotton, linen, bamboo, and microfiber materials. For luxurious hotels, the option of 100% Egyptian Cotton is also available. You can order single, double, king, master king, and any customized size as per requirement. The warehouse spans across 1.5 acres of space, which contains ready stock of all sizes of bed linen.
All British wholesale products are ISO-9001, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, and British Standards certified. The fabric quality, thread count, and finish are world-class. Check out the premium-quality bedding range of British wholesales and get free delivery across the UK for any order above £ 40.
Cuddledown’s manufacturing integrates simplicity with proven product quality. The brand puts special emphasis on making your sleep easier and more accessible. The bedding range includes sheets, duvets, pillows, and blankets.
The bedding consists of 3 types of materials: linen, sateen, and percale.
Linen is made from flax plants; it is known for its temperature regulation characteristics during summer and winter. Sateen is softer and more luxurious with a silky touch. And lastly, the percale is 100% cotton, known for its softness and durability. Cuddledown offers 5% off on the first order with a free delivery option.
Established in 1999 as a market stall,The Towel Shop has become one of the UK’s largest home textile suppliers. It provides bed sheets, pillow covers, blankets, mattresses, and duvets to homes, hotels, healthcare, educational institutes, and commercial retailers.
The Towel Shop is known for its economical prices. The brand claims to cut down marketing, promotion, and fancy photo shoot budgets. The benefit is then passed on to its end users.
If you are looking for high-quality bedding at the cheapest price, The Towel Shop is the place to go. Find their bedding range here and place your order right now.
Out of Eden’s primary focus is the hotel industry. The supplier offers luxurious pillows, duvets, mattresses, blankets, protectors, and other accessories. The most famous types include Egyptian cotton bed linen, seersucker bedding, Percale bed linen, and satin stripe Hotel bedding.
To maintain hygiene standards, the brand offers waterproof mattress protectors, duvet protectors, and pillow protectors. You can also order hypoallergenic ultra-soft pillows and luxurious goose-down duvets to maximize comfort.
The bedlinen range is available in numerous colours ranging from dark grey to classic white colour. For any order of above £ 50, the delivery is completely free. In case you don’t like the product, you can return it within 30 days with a 100% refund option.
Dusk offers a diverse range of sheets, bed linens, duvet covers, pillows, toppers, and covers in its bedding range. The product materials are 100% cotton and linen. You can order single, double, king, and super king sizes for your residential and commercial usage.
The Duvets are available in 3 options: Feel Like Down Duvets, Duck Down Duvets, and Goose Down Duvets. Dusk doesn’t have a physical presence. You can visit its official website and place the order there. The delivery is free for any above £ 50 order.
The Duvet Store takes luxurious bedding to the next level. It offers 100% pure Egyptian cotton bedding hand-stitched from Portugal. You can order the bedding in snow white, delicate Ivory, Pewter grey, oyster pearl, and white stan stripe colors. The thread count ranges from 300-1000. The products are available in standard, king, queen, and emperor sizes. The pillow covers, duvets, and protectors are available in sateen, percale, and pure silk as well.
The Duvet is considerably higher than its peer. As a wholesale supplier, the warehouse contains a large supply of all sizes available in ready stock. You can order any size in bulk. The delivery is free for any order above £150. The brand also offers a return policy for a limited period.
Ending Note
Bedding is a critical element for the success of a hotel, resort, or healthcare business. The bed should be comfortable, soft, durable, and breathable. The fabric quality, thread count, finish, and thickness should be up to the mark. To meet these standards, you must find quality wholesale bedding suppliers.
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FAQS
These are the most frequently asked questions about “Meet Your Trusted Bedding Suppliers: Quality Linens Await.”
1.What bedding quality is best for sleep?
Any fabric that is soft and provides breathing characteristics is best for sleep. The most used ones are cotton and linen.
2.Where should hotels buy their bedding?
The hotels should buy from wholesale bedding suppliers to get the best quality at an economical price. If your business is in the UK, you should try British Wholesales for high-quality bedding.
3.Does bedding go on hot or cold?
You should always wash the bedding at the hottest temperature. It kills more bacteria and eliminates the dust stuck in threads.
Above: Cyanella alba subsp. flavascens only grows in and around the Beidouw valley. The peach flowers Moraea miniata are called “tulp’”in Afrikaans, which means tulip in Dutch. The purple flower is Gladiolus venustus.
My goals were to learn more about South African species in the cut flower trade, understand more about the farming of indigenous perennials, and to see plants introduced to global horticulture in their native habitats. What I didn’t factor in was how I’d be seized by the thrill of the hunt, immersed in beauty so staggering it broke my heart to turn away, and how I’d spend every free moment poring over field guides, boggled by diversity. How many pelargoniums are in the country? More than 200. How many Ericas? Maybe 770.
Above: Hantam Botanic gardens is on a plateau outside Nieuwoudtville and functions as conservation area for a diverse range of geophytes; it is often referred to as “the bulb capital of the world.” Pictured: Bulbinella spp.
Many popular garden flowers, particularly geophytes, or plants that grow from an underground storage organ such as corm, tuber, or bulb (an adaptation to drought and high temperatures) are South African. These include: Gladiolus, Freesia, Bulbine, Clivia, Crocosmia, Kniphofia, Agapanthus, Eucomis, Nerine, Crinum, and Amaryllis. Other plants, such as Calla lilies, Proteas, Gerbera daisies, Ice plants, Pelargoniums, Gloriosa lilies, Bird of Paradise, Asparagus ferns, aloes, Leucospermums, and Leucadendrons are among countless others whose origins trace to South Africa. Many have been hybridized by horticultural companies and patented, with little money returning to the country despite centuries of bioprospecting.
Arianne gardens in a small city lot in chilly Minneapolis (Zone 4B) and fills her space with an abundance of beautiful flowers. Even more impressively, she grows many of her plants herself from seed.
Notes of dark red and burgundy combined with gold foliage are repeated many times in this image, making this garden feel unified and well designed. The flowers in the foreground are a beautiful Astilbe (Zones 4–9).
It isn’t just beautiful flowers in Arianne’s garden! This small apple tree is loaded with developing fruit. While many apple trees grow very large, there are also dwarf varieties that can fit easily into a small urban garden.
Each of these masses of plants is multiple containers planted and grouped together, which is a great way to create a whole garden in pots. The bright red door adds a lot to the scene, as does the delicate foliage of a tiger eyes sumac (Rhustyphina ‘Bailtiger’, Zones 4–8) to the left.
The same view, but in the evening. It’s amazing how different plants look in the different light. It’s like a whole new garden!
I love this container—how the warm pink tones of the vinca (Catharanthusroseus, Zones 10–11 or as an annual) echo the pink tones in the variegation of the canna (Canna hybrid, Zones 8–11 or as a tender bulb).
Moss roses (Portulacagrandiflora, Zones 10–11 or as an annual) are usually grown as an annual. They combine beautiful flowers with succulent, drought-tolerant foliage.
Balloon flower (Platycodongrandiflorus, Zones 4–9) is an easy-to-grow perennial with wonderful purple-blue flowers that last over a long period in summer.
Among the beautiful plants behind the great masses of balloon flower, I particularly love the variegated geranium (Pelargonium hybrid, Zones 10–11 or as an annual).
Huge, red hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus hybrid, Zones 5–9) shows off in the summer garden.
A little path lined with beautiful plants leads to the wonderful garden beyond!
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.
When most people hear the word “container,” they don’t usually think of freedom. But when it comes to growing yuccas, a container represents almost limitless potential.
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With the right container, you’re free to put species of Yucca in places where their in-ground brethren could never be, such as on a patio, a porch, or even somewhere indoors.
And with the proper light exposure, ambient climate, and cultivation practices, you can help them live long and happy lives.
But it takes some specialized know-how to successfully grow yuccas in pots, planters, and the like… and that’s where we come in.
From choosing a container to proper placement and caring for the plant within, this guide has all the info necessary for growing these succulents in pots and planters.
A very close relative of Agave, yuccas are heat-tolerant and drought-resistant succulents, hailing from the arid regions of North America, Central America, and Bermuda.
The genus as a whole is hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 11, with different species having varying tolerances for frost and cold temperatures.
Resembling a tree or shrub in form, a yucca plant is recognizable by its tough, fleshy, sword-shaped leaves.
Arranged in a beautiful rosette, they come in shades of yellow to green to bluish-green, with some varieties flaunting stripes of yellow, white, or even red variegation.
Emerging from the center of the foliage are tall stems bearing clusters of bell-shaped flowers, which are typically white to cream-colored, some with tinges of purple.
Flowering typically occurs in spring or summer, although this can vary between species and locations.
Overall, different species come in a wide variety of heights and spreads – the smallest grows just two feet tall and wide, while the largest can reach 40 feet in height!
So why put these succulents in containers? Let’s go over some reasons.
Accessibility
With tons of garden tasks that require stooping and bending on your to-do list, working with a plant that’s elevated in a pot can really help a hurting lower back.
Also, I personally find it harder to ignore a plant in a container, making it more likely that I’ll check up on my yucca frequently, like a responsible green thumb should.
Flexibility
A container is essentially a portable planting site, so you have way more placement options for potted yuccas than in-ground specimens.
Not to mention that they’re way less of a hassle to move or transplant.
If you want to move an in-ground plant, you gotta dig it up, dig a new hole, gently maneuver the plant into its new hole, and then baby it for a while until it reestablishes itself.
I’d rather just haul a pot around for a bit, thank you very much!
Style
First and foremost, a container should be functional. But once function is taken care of, you’re able to go nuts on aesthetics, which can’t be said for plain ol’ garden soil.
Shape, material type, color, design… a pot can be “jazzed up” in many different ways. Plus, a pretty container can be reused long after the plant within is gone.
Choosing a Variety
First things first, you should decide what kind of yucca you want to grow.
Consider size, form, color, and hardiness based on your needs, preferences, and your garden’s hardiness zone – if you’re putting the plant outside.
Y. filamentosa, aka Adam’s needle, is suitable for cultivation in Zones 4 to 10. It grows to a mature height and spread of two to four feet in ideal conditions.
But since a yucca is far from a thirsty planting, using porous and quick-to-dry materials like concrete, terra cotta, and unglazed ceramic may prevent overwatering better than non-porous, moisture-retaining options such as fiberglass, metal, or plastic.
Choice of material aside, the best way of preventing too much moisture would by far be to utilize drainage holes at the bottom of containers.
That way, any excess water can trickle right out! If you’re planning to grow your specimen as a houseplant, make sure you select a saucer to place underneath the pot so it doesn’t make a mess.
Size-wise, try to select a container that’s a few inches wider than the root ball.
The pot size will need to be proportional to the current height and spread of your chosen specimen, typically in the one- to three-gallon range to start.
If you’re dealing with a tree-like, top-heavy specimen, it’ll need a sturdy pot to keep it from tipping over, along with a wheeled trolley if you want to move it around.
But if you choose the wrong size, don’t fret – these plants can handle growing in pots that are a bit roomy or a bit cramped. They’re tough that way.
Potting Medium
Most yuccas prefer to grow in coarse, nutritionally poor, and acidic soil conditions – think the desert, the beach, or perhaps a litter box that you’ve spilled some Sprite in. Okay, maybe not that last one.
So to recreate such a barren medium, go with a potting mix fit for succulents or cacti, or you can make your own using a 3:1 ratio of landscape sand and peat moss.
If you’re looking for the former, Espoma offers a suitable organic mixture for succulents and cacti in four-quart bags on Amazon.
Once you’ve selected your media, take your container and fill it with your chosen media to about an inch below its brim. Now you’re ready to plant!
Planting and Placement
Before actually planting your yuccas, you should decide on where you’re going to put them. And whether your site is indoors or outdoors, you must provide the right climate and sunlight exposure.
A yucca that’s grown as a houseplant can actually tolerate a large temperature range of 45 to 90°F. Although a range of 60 to 75°F would be ideal, especially if you have other houseplants with similarly moderate temperature preferences.
Put your specimen in a spot where it can receive as much light as possible. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, a placement next to a south-facing window is perfect.
For outdoor specimens, make sure that your garden is in a hardiness zone that matches the climate requirements of your chosen species.
If your region is too cold for your yucca to survive outdoors year-round, then you’ll want to move the specimen indoors once temperatures drop below the tolerance of your chosen species.
In general, full sun exposure is best, unless your chosen variety requires more shade.
Make sure you also consider the safety of small children and pets when choosing a location, as the spiky tips of the leaves on some species have the potential to cause injury.
Once you have your spot picked out, dig a hole that’s about as deep as and a bit wider than your transplant’s root system, removing some of the potting mix in the process.
Lower the transplant in, backfill the hole with the dug-out mix, and then deeply water it all in to help with settling.
After your yucca is in place and potted-up, it’s all downhill from here – these plants are undemanding.
Container Care
Irrigation-wise, you’ll want to provide water whenever the majority of the surrounding soil is dry. If you stick a soil knife down to its hilt into the mix and it comes away dry, then it’s time to deeply water again.
Alternatively, you can use a moisture meter to take the guesswork out of it. In a sufficiently hot environment during the growing season, this could be as often as once a week.
Tip out any excess water from the saucer under the pot so that the roots don’t become oversaturated.
During the dormant season, a plant’s water needs are greatly reduced.
When it’s dormant, a yucca should be watered about once or twice a month, or enough to prevent its leaves from drooping, desiccating, or otherwise becoming negatively affected by a lack of moisture.
These plants don’t need much fertilizer, but a single, annual springtime application of a balanced fertilizer can help them grow without subjecting them to excess nutrients and fertilizer salt buildup.
Something like this 20-20-20 water-soluble plant food from Jack’s Classic would do the trick – it’s available in one-and-a-half-pound quantities at Amazon.
If you don’t want your plant to flower, then you should prune the flower stems before they bloom so that energy is redirected into more leaf growth. If you enjoy the blooms, you’ll need to prune the flower stems at the base once the blooms are spent.
Speaking of pruning, you’ll also want to remove any dead, damaged, or diseased tissues as soon as you happen to see them. If you don’t like the “skirt” look of the drooping lower leaves of some species, then those can be removed in one go at the beginning of every spring.
Unless a specimen becomes severely root bound within its container, you don’t have to worry much about repotting, since most yuccas can grow in the same container for many years without needing to change homes.
When you do decide to repot your plant, choose a container one or two sizes larger than the existing pot.
A Yucca in a Container: It’s a No-Brainer!
If you’re wrestling with whether you should put this succulent in a pot or not, let me make that call for you – yes, you absolutely should!
Photo via Alamy.
A greater ease of movement, more placement opportunities, and extremely aesthetic possibilities for containers. What more could you want?
Any of your burning questions left unanswered? Have some wisdom of your own to share? The comments section below awaits your thoughts.
We harvested a small patch of sweet potatoes about a month ago so we had space to plant some fall crops. That gave us about 60lbs of mostly purple and orange tubers.
On Saturday, however, we started pulling some of the sweet potatoes we planted in the Grocery Row Gardens. Apparently, they really like that system. The pure white variety did especially well:
Here’s the largest one we pulled, clocking in at a terrifying SIX pounds!
We only pulled about five plants so far, but that gave us enough sweet potatoes to last a couple of weeks.
Here’s a shot of our harvest basket sitting in the pathway:
A garden… or a jungle?
You can see how burned the galangal ginger looks from the heat and drought of summer, yet we still are getting good yields. I wonder what it would have been like if we got our normal rainfall?
Apparently, this area has received about 15 inches less rain than usual. August is a great month for growing tropical vegetables here. Normally, the heat and the rains lead to explosive growth in our yams, cassava, sugarcane, sweet potatoes and okra, which fill in the gap left by all the less heat-tolerant spring vegetables that give up when temps soar into the 90’s.
This year, though, we had a terribly dry August that had temperatures pinging 100 and higher without any rain. That burned the leaves of bananas and malanga and ginger and kept many of the other heat lovers from reaching their potential.
And it’s still dry out, meaning that we probably won’t get a chance for good growth before chilly temperatures end the gardening season.
Yet even with all that, the sweet potatoes did well. I’m not sure where we originally got this white type but it’s definitely a keeper. We hope to offer slips from our nursery in the spring, as well as from the deep purple variety, which has also been a winner through rain and drought.
I do love the way the Grocery Row Gardens have given us good yields within a year, even before the trees and berries have started producing!
I wrote it back before we even had good soil or enough mulch – and it worked well then! Thus far, it’s been tested on three different plots of ground, and we’re also getting people who are trying it in various climates, ranging from Delaware to South Africa.
Later today we hope to post a video showing some of the sweet potato harvest.
The pigs really like it when we pull potatoes, too, since they love to eat the vines:
This is another “permaculture principle,” as you probably remember: stacking functions!
Sweet Potato Uses
Growing sweet potatoes gives us:
A weed-suppressing ground cover
Edible greens
Edible roots
Vines which feed the pigs
Habitat for useful creatures
A living mulch
Plus, we get bragging rights when we pull out gigantic roots.
Harvesting root crops is one of our very favorite garden tasks. It’s fun for the whole family – like digging treasure!
We’ll let you know how the final yields turn out. There are still many more sweet potatoes to harvest.
From the wet winters of the Pacific Northwest to the extreme heat of the Southwest, there’s no doubt that growing conditions vary incredibly in the USA and Canada. Luckily, we have gardening zones to give us gardeners a quick reference as to whether or not we can grow a plant in our garden and expect it to survive. Here’s how to use garden zones and end your disappointment over yet another dead plant.
Gardening zones are mentioned all the time in gardening guides. You’ve probably read them on your seed packets and when I babble on about the plants I’m currently obsessed with.
They’ve become a huge indicator in modern gardening to help us determine what plants will grow best based on where we live.
But with changing gardening zones, they’re not as modern and helpful as they used to be.
Today, I want to explain to you how you can use gardening zones to plan the plants in your garden and when to take zones with a grain of salt.
This post will cover…
What Are Gardening Zones?
Gardening zones, also known as plant hardiness zones, typically refer to either the Canadian or American system for determining what plants can grow in certain temperatures. It is represented as a number from 0-13, with subzones labelled “a” or “b.” For example, Vancouver is considered zones 7-8.
Different parts of the world will use different indicators, but hardiness zones are what I commonly refer to on Garden Therapy since they’re quite commonplace in North America.
In the American system, they base the garden zones on minimum annual temperatures. The higher the zone number, the warmer the winters are and the higher the minimum temperature is during the year.
Zones for gardening in Canada are comparable but also take into consideration other variables like rainfall and frost dates. It’s a little more detailed than the American system, but still asks the question, will the plant survive the lowest temperature of the year?
Gardening zones are a basic indicator for whether or not a plant will grow in your region, but it doesn’t take into other environmental considerations like the type of soil or the amount of sunshine.
For instance, Vancouver and parts of Texas share similar zones. One is a temperate rainforest, while the other is sub-tropical and humid. Definitely not the same!
How to Use Your Garden Zone
So, how do you use a zone number and apply it to your own garden? You’ll find the zone range on seed packets, plant tags, and referenced online, and it helps determine whether or not your plant is considered a perennial in your area.
The garden zone number will tell you whether or not the plant is hardy enough to make it through the winter and come back the following year.
A daylily, for example, grows in zones 3-10. This is quite a good range! If your garden is in this zone range, your daylily will grow well and even be a perennial. If you live outside this zone range, it may be harder to take care of the daylily, and it will only grow as an annual.
A plant will have better survival odds if planted in an appropriate zone. Native species are especially great to buy as they’ve already determined to grow well in your environment.
It’s also important to note that many plants in Canada will have the USDA hardiness zones on the labels rather than the Canadian ones. While they’re similar, they’re not identical. For example, a USDA zone 4 is equivalent to a zone 5 in Canada. So keep an eye out!
What Zone Am I In?
Before buying flowers, shrubs, and, let’s face it, more plants at the garden centre than you came there for, it’s important to know your garden’s growing zone.
In Canada, the zone numbers range from 0-9. Zero is the coldest climate, with winters below -45°C, while nine is the warmest, with winters ranging from 7 to -1°C. To pinpoint exactly what your zone and subzone are, reference the Canadian government’s plant hardiness map here.
In the USA, their gardening zones range from 1-13. One is the coldest climate, with winters ranging from -60 to -55°F, and thirteen is the warmest, with winters ranging from 65 to 70°F. To find your region’s zone, reference the USDA plant hardiness zone map here.
I also highly recommend you connect with local gardeners in your area. Talk to your local nursery for plant suggestions based on what will thrive in your growing conditions.
A local gardening chapter will also have horticulturalists who can tell you more about your specific zones for gardening and microclimates.
Microclimates and Changing Gardening Zones
As I mentioned above, there is much more at play for figuring out what plants will thrive in your garden besides your zone. Garden zones take minimal consideration into conditions like rainfall, highest heat in the summer, frost periods, maturity timelines, and more.
Each garden will have its own microclimates. So, while I live in Vancouver, I can drive twenty minutes and experience much different weather. The coast is cooler compared to the valley, where temperatures can be 5°C hotter.
Your own backyard may have different microclimates. One side of the house may get more sun while the other may experience heavier winds. With time and note-taking, you can follow your garden’s conditions and better understand your plants’ needs.
Zones for gardening are also changing. We used to rely on thirty-year averages to determine minimum temperatures, frost dates, rainfall, and more, but climate change is drastically changing these averages. The conditions in the 90s are not the same as today.
In BC, increasing wildfires mean my plants are under more stress and produce more at different times. Or drought conditions mean our plants aren’t getting as much rain during the summer as they once did.
All of this to say, you need to keep in mind that gardening zones aren’t perfect indicators and are actively changing themselves. When in doubt, consult with horticulturists and Master gardeners in your area to better grasp your local conditions.
Are you keen to get the kids outside and off the screens on a more regular basis? Nature activities for kids are a fantastic – and very low-cost – way to do just that.
Family life is hectic, and we’re often juggling work, school, and other commitments. Carving out time to get everyone outside in the fresh air can feel a little daunting, especially when kids aren’t excited by the idea. And that’s where some brilliant nature activities come in very handy.
Why nature walks and games are so good for kids (and adults)
You’re probably familiar with some of the benefits of outdoor play, but a few might just surprise you!
Spending time in nature can boost happiness levels and combat anxiety and stress.
Active play is a great opportunity to keep kids fit and healthy.
Studies show that children who connect with nature are more likely to look after nature when they grow up. By encouraging nature play when they’re young, we’re helping them to develop a love of nature and care for our natural world all their life.
Nature activities are a very inexpensive way to have so much fun as a family. Many of them are totally free.
Nature is always there; every season, every day of the year. It’s literally on your doorstep whenever you need it.
Nature games and outdoor nature activities don’t need lots of planning and prep, and you can adapt them to suit kids of all ages and group sizes.
And of course, all of these benefits apply to the grown-ups too!
Inspiration for nature walks and games
So we know that nature games and activities are great for children – but how do we convince them to give it a try?
With some exciting, engaging nature activities for kids!
Our new book *A Year of Nature Walks and Games (co-written with Becky Goddard-Hill) is packed with tried and tested nature games and nature walk activities, so you don’t have to spend time searching for a great idea.
This bright, engaging book follows the seasons, with a whole year’s worth of nature activities for kids to try. Each fun activity is perfect for family walks, trips to the local park, or days out in nature.
52 best outdoor nature activities for kids
From spring park games to summer nature walks, autumn scavenger hunts and winter nature challenges, there are 52 fab nature activities to banish boredom and get kids active. You can easily adapt each nature activity to younger kids or older kids to keep everyone happy.
As well as lots of brilliant outdoor games and walking games, you’ll also find a nature scavenger hunt, a nature journal activity, a nature art project using natural materials, a sensory walk, nature science, wildlife tracking, survival skills, a nature bracelet activity, and much more.
If you need some outdoor play inspiration, or are buying a gift for a young nature fan, this is absolutely perfect. It really is a great way to access tons of fun activities for kids.
Find out more about ‘A Year of Nature Walks and Games’
You can see some of the lovely activities from the book and find out more in this video:
A Year of Nature Walks and Games blog tour
To celebrate the launch of *A Year of Nature Walks and Games, we’ve organised a virtual book tour. Head this way for lots of extracts from the book and fun outdoor activities for kids:
*A Year of Nature Craft & Play is the sister book to *A Year of Nature Walks and Games. It follows the same format, but with a focus on crafting with nature. There are also lots of lovely kids gardening projects, art activities, science experiments, indoor nature activities for rainy days and outdoor games to enjoy – all using nature finds and natural items.
Did you just sneeze? You did? Bless you. Late summer and fall allergies kick in when wind-pollinated plants shed their fine powder. While ragweed is well known as a main cause of seasonal allergies in North America, some identification issues persist. Especially this one: What is yellow and showy, often in bloom against a backdrop of early fall grasses and reddening foliage? That would be goldenrod. Because it blazes so brightly it still tends to be blamed for the seized-up sinuses caused by inconspicuous, allergy-inducing ragweed. Goldenrod is not to blame. Nor is ragweed is the only culprit.
Here’s a quick review of ragweed versus goldenrod, with a side of mugwort.
Above: Goldenrod in bloom in September, with poison ivy’s foliage turning in the background.
Goldenrod is the common name for species of Solidago, which number over 100. Most are native to North America. They are valued for the beauty of their vivid flowers and for supporting the pollinators that visit them in droves when they begin to bloom in late summer and into autumn.
Above: Goldenrod lures pollinators.
Goldenrod does not cause allergies because its pollen grains are too bulky to be tossed around by a breeze and inhaled by us. Its vivid little flowers evolved to be seen and are designed to lure pollinators. Bees, wasps, hornets and hover flies, beetles and butterflies all find pollen-rich goldenrod flowers irresistible, and that is the point. The pollen is heavy and sticky and clings to the insects’ legs and bodies and is carried by them to the next flower, and, poof: Pollination happens.
(And this is true of all conspicuous—bright, beautiful, obvious—flowers. They are pollinated by creatures. Not by wind.)
Above: Goldenrod, not ragweed.
Above: Many goldenrods favor meadows and sunny spaces.
Above: Seaside goldenrods (like Solidago sempervirens) are exceptionally tough and able to withstand wind, salt, and occasional drought.
Ragweed
Above: The distinctly un-showy flowers of common ragweed (Ambrosia artimisiifolia).
Unlike goldenrod, ragweed (Ambrosia spp.) is a wind-pollinated plant. It produces clouds of fine pollen that irritates humans as the season shifts to autumn. But because goldenrod amplifies its presence at the time that ragweed blooms, its fireworks of yellow flowers often get the blame.
Above: A dense stand of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)—note its three-lobed leaves
Arianne is letting us into her beautiful garden today.
I want to share my Zone 4B garden with you. This is a mixture of both perennials and annuals, mostly planted from seeds.
The low evening light brings out the magical colors of this garden. In the foreground, bright red impatiens (Impatienshawkeri, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) grow with purple vinca (Catharanthusroseus, Zones 10–11 or as an annual). People often choose light flower colors for an evening garden, but these darker rich colors look fantastic.
In another view of the evening garden, the purples of stock (Matthiolaincana, annual) and gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) in the foreground look moody and magnificent.
In the daytime, the red of a coleus (Plectranthusscutellarioides, Zones 10–11 or as as annual) in the foreground picks up notes of red from flowers and the door in the background. You can see that this is a small garden, but there is so much beauty and interest in this space.
There is so much diversity in this garden, from conifers to perennials to the bold leaves of a canna (Canna hybrid, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb).
I love the patio area and the walkway back to the garage. What a wonderful space to share a meal.
At night, a well-placed garden light highlights the incredible flowers of a coneflower (Echinacea hybrid, Zones 4–9).
This corner is mostly about foliage, but the wide range of colors and textures ensures a lot of interest and contrast. Hanging baskets and taller shrubs make use of the vertical space.
The gold-leaved coleus in the two containers seem to glow almost as bright and welcoming as the windows of the house.
Arianne shared a lot of beautiful photos of her garden, so we’ll be back tomorrow with more!
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.
I’m getting hungry just thinking about all the deliciousness ahead. Ready to jump in?
1. Catskill
‘Catskill’ is an heirloom developed in 1941 by Arthur White in upstate New York.
Though it’s a newish variety compared to some, it has earned a dedicated following thanks to its extra-large two-inch heads on a compact 24-inch stalk.
Speaking of stalks, you don’t have to worry about your sprouts overwhelming this one. This plant’s robust stem could practically double as a baseball bat.
I like to picture old Arthur playing a pickup game of baseball with his grandkids, using sprouts as the ball and the stalks as the bat, but I have been accused of being overly imaginative with my crops.
Regardless of whether you need to go on a little narrative journey like the one I’ve provided to be convinced that this cultivar is worth your while, the little heads will win you over with their rich flavor, and texture that holds up well to freezing.
While you may not get a massive harvest with this variety – since each stalk only holds about 10 buds – the well-spaced sprouts make the plant less likely to contract Alternaria, thanks to the good airflow.
This hybrid grows fast and develops early, and here’s why that matters:
Brussels sprouts sometimes don’t produce good yields if they develop too late in the spring growing season, because that’s when the weather can become unexpectedly hot.
And nothing makes a brussels sprout more miserable than heat.
Typically, springtime planting is only recommended in cooler growing zones, and planting for a fall harvest is preferred in other regions.
With ‘Churchill,’ you can expect high yields with heads that develop early, and mature in just 90 days. And when I say high yields, I mean it – you can bring in over 14 ounces of veggies per plant, which is impressive.
‘Dagan’ grows straight and tall, which is perfect if you’re looking for a bouquet of sprouts for your dinner table or farmers market stand.
On top of that, the little buds are bright green and firm, so they hold up well after harvest.
This hybrid variety takes 100 days to mature and the sprouts hold well in the garden too, so you won’t ruin your harvest if you don’t get to them right away.
One of the nice things about this one is that the buds attach to the stalk with just a tiny little nub. That means they snap off of the plant easily, and don’t have a big base that you’ll need to trim away when you’re ready to eat them.
Get ready to give the devil its due. This pretty hybrid plant grows two feet tall and produces smooth, solid, medium-sized heads.
It’s extremely reliable and consistent, with a uniform growth habit.
Expect large yields of sprouts that are devilishly delicious. When the plant is hit by a frost, the buds turn incredibly nutty and sweet – perhaps like Beelzebub himself will, once hell freezes over?
The plant is slow to mature, taking around 110 days, so it may lend itself better to growing in the fall rather than the spring, particularly in warmer zones. That way, you can avoid the early heat that may destroy spring crops that stick around in the garden for too long.
I love the name of this sprout because it so perfectly describes this variety.
These little one-and-a-half-inch buds practically glow from within like emeralds in the sunlight. When you slice them open, you’re greeted by a cheerful yellow interior.
Let’s face it, all brussels sprouts are delicious, but these are particularly good. They have a buttery, earthy flavor that needs nothing more than a drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper.
Ready to harvest in just 85 days, the hybrid plants reach up to 36 inches tall, and you get plenty of veggies on one stalk.
You may want to stake them to keep them upright, particularly if you live in an area with high winds.
Grab a handful of these little ‘Green Gems’ (in seed form) from Burpee.
6. Gustus
‘Gustus’ is newer on the scene, but it’s quickly making a name for itself as a hybrid cultivar that deserves a spot in your garden.
Medium-sized sprouts grow on a 24-inch stalk. The one-and-a-half-inch buds are evenly spaced, with a lovely dark green color. The little veggies are dense and sweet.
You need to plan ahead with this one, because it takes 100 days to mature. Once you harvest them, however, they’ll last a good long while in the fridge.
I don’t want to admit how long I let mine linger in the refrigerator one year, but let’s just say the pages of my calendar definitely flipped more than once.
There’s a general rule with brussels sprouts: the early maturing varieties tend to not hold well in the garden. But that’s not the case with ‘Hestia.’
Another plus? The short stalks won’t tip over.
As if that’s not enough to recommend it, this is only the second brussels sprout variety to win the All-America Selections (AAS) award in the vegetables category, in 2015.
The bright green buds have a buttery yellow interior and they grow uniformly on the stalk.
While all sprouts taste better after they experience a frost, this hybrid type doesn’t need to get as cold as some others to develop that sweet flavor. Just a light frost will make them perfect.
‘Hestia’ takes 95 days to mature.
8. Jade Cross
Sometimes you want a bunch of giant veggies for your dinner table, and sometimes you want them to be a bit more bite-sized.
‘Jade Cross’ has deep green, tiny little sprouts that grow anywhere from half an inch to an inch wide.
If you want to freeze your veggies, this is the type to choose, both because the buttons keep their flavor and can even improve after hanging out in the freezer, and because their size is ideal for freezing solid quickly.
It was the first brussels sprout variety to nab the All-America Selections award in 1959.
The hybrid plant is disease resistant and, because it grows with a compact habit, it doesn’t tip over as easily as some of the taller varieties. It matures relatively quickly, in about 85 days.
All brussels sprouts do well in cold weather, but ‘Long Island Improved’ is highly tolerant of frost, which only serves to improve the flavor of your harvest.
Perhaps that’s why this is the most common variety on the market today.
And for good reason – the medium-sized heads of this heirloom variety have a nutty, earthy, buttery flavor that’s pretty hard to beat.
These picture-perfect little veggies have a lovely deep green color and a robust, nutty flavor packed into a small, one-inch package.
If you’re looking for a sprout you can display on your holiday table for a feast, this is it. In addition to the uniform round heads, they also grow evenly-spaced. Lop the stalk off at the base and use it as a centerpiece on your table.
If you want to harvest a ton of veggies from just one plant, ‘Nautic’ is the way to go. This hybrid cultivar provides consistently high yields of around 12 ounces per plant.
The buds are ready to harvest in 120 days, at which point you’ll be greeted by tender, sweet treats.
But the thing that really makes this variety stand out is that the heads are well-spaced on the stalk, so they get plenty of air circulation to help avoid disease problems.
I think this hybrid variety deserves a more exciting name. Something like Pocket Explosion, or Pint-Sized Surprise.
That’s because it rewards your growing efforts with tons of dark green buds that are filled with a surprisingly intense, sweet, nutty flavor.
A cream-colored interior is tightly packed inside the smooth leaves.
‘Nelson’ resists lodging, though it is susceptible to Alternaria. The buds are evenly spaced and they mature early, in a mere 90 days.
13. Octia
This is one of the earliest-maturing varieties, coming in at a mere 78 days – tied with ‘Tasty Nuggets,’ described below. It has small one-inch heads that are extremely uniform.
You get lots of veggies on one plant, and topping is said to increase the ultimate size of harvests even more.
Topping is the process of cutting off the topmost tip of the plant to discourage it from growing taller. In theory, at least, this produces increased yields and larger sprouts.
‘Octia’ is a hybrid and produces well-spaced buds on a stalk that grows up to 36 inches tall, which discourages Alternaria thanks to good airflow, and makes the harvest super easy.
14. Redarling
Want a brussels sprout that will really stand out on the kitchen table? ‘Redarling’ has purple-red heads that grow one and a half inches across.
They hold their color whether you steam or roast them, and they look so pretty that you might just convince the kids that sprouts are something to love, after all.
This hybrid cultivar takes a long time to mature, however, so be sure to plan ahead! The purple heads are ready to pick in 140 to 145 days, and this cultivar is best suited to cooler growing zones.
Do you favor sweet sprouts? The name of this hybrid says it all.
These tasty little nuggets pack a ton of flavor into a one-inch button. Plus, you get a large harvest on the compact 24-inch plants.
Oh, and did I mention that you get all that in just 78 days? With such a short number of days to maturity, you should be able to grow these even in warmer zones without fear of bolting.
There Are So Many Ways to Love This Flavorful Powerhouse of Nutrition
When we talk about brussels sprouts, most people can’t resist mentioning how maligned this cabbage-like veggie is among kids.
I think that’s often due to poor preparation and poor presentation. Okay, and their flavor can be a bit complex for sensitive young palates.
But I know that if my mom had presented me with a stalk of brussels sprouts that we got to play with before we roasted the heads with some butter, I might have had an entirely different take on them when I was young.
That’s one of the reasons I love growing sprouts. They taste incredible, sure, but they’re also undeniably interesting in the garden.
If you have room, I think you should plant multiple varieties so you can have all kinds of sizes suited to different culinary uses, and different maturation dates for a continuous supply.
Then, come back here and tell me which ones you or your loved ones enjoyed the most in the comments below!
And for more information about growing brussels sprouts in your garden, check out these guides next:
So many beautiful flowers grow well during the cooler temperatures of mild winters, but buying several transplants for flowers can be expensive. Luckily, many flowers grow well from seeds planted directly in the garden. In this post, I’ll share my favorite cool-season flowers to plant from seed.
10 Easiest Cool-Season Flowers to Plant From Seed #1: Calendula
10 Easiest Cool-Season Flowers to Plant From Seed #4: Hollyhock
Cottage garden favorite.
Many hollyhocks are biennials that grow strong root systems and foliage the first year. In the second year, they send up flowering shoots that produce seeds and then die.
Flowers to Plant Outside & Seeds to Start Indoors Each Month in the Low Desert of Arizona. • PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists annual flowers and bulbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors. • BLOOMING GUIDE: Photos show what may be in bloom that month.
If this post about which cool season flowers grow best from seed was helpful, please share it.
Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon ‘Polish Hardneck’
‘Polish Hardneck’ – which doesn’t hail from Poland, but rather, from Ontario, Canada – is the ultimate garlic-lover’s garlic.
It has a pungent, spicy flavor that mellows out with cooking, but it’s not so hot that you’ll be breathing sulfuric fumes onto all your friends for the next few days.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
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Each clove is rich and deep, with a musky, intense, searing kick, all wrapped up in a loose skin that makes peeling a breeze.
And as you probably guessed, ‘Polish Hardneck’ is a hardneck type, which means it stores well for a long time.
In this article, we’ll talk all about where this garlic cultivar came from and how to grow it in your garden. Here’s what you can expect:
Before we dive in, let’s clarify a few things. There are two varieties of garlic: hardneck (var. ophioscorodon) and softneck (var. sativum).
Hardnecks have a hard central stalk that forms a flower head, though we usually remove these to encourage larger bulb production.
Hardneck types are planted in the fall so they can have a period of cold, known as vernalization.
Within the hardneck subspecies, there are three groups: porcelain, purple striped, and rocambole. By the way, if you want to know more about the different groups, we have a guide that explains the 10 groups of garlic in detail.
Porcelain cultivars have only recently gained attention in the US, but in the past 15 years, they have exploded on the market.
These are typically large cultivars with white skin and bold flavors, though there is some variation among them. ‘Polish Hardneck’ is a porcelain group cultivar.
Cultivation and History
‘Polish Hardneck’ was first cultivated in Ontario, Canada by allium grower John Yovanov and imported to the US by Rick Bangert.
Bangert gave some of the bulbs to Filaree Farm, and Filaree has helped to distribute this variety in the United States.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
The skin is pure white, hiding large, teardrop-shaped cloves with mottled purple skin. The bulbs are large and contain four to six large cloves each.
If you like your garlic raw but not too hot, ‘Polish Hardneck’ will please. It has a pungent, full flavor without being too spicy when eaten raw.
Cooked, it maintains its pungency with a deep, rich flavor. Many people rate it as one of their favorite types of garlic. It’s easily one of my favorites for roasting whole.
‘Polish Hardneck’ is a late-harvest type that grows well in cold climates. It thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 1 to 7. You might be able to coax it to produce in Zone 8, but gardeners in Zone 9 or 10 should go for a different one.
Most porcelains are high in allicin, a sulfuric compound with antibacterial properties that lends most of that classic garlic flavor to the bulbs. ‘Polish Hardneck’ is particularly high in allicin.
Polish Hardneck Garlic Propagation
When it comes to sourcing seed bulbs, go with a reputable seller rather than using something you found at the grocery store to ensure you’re getting healthy bulbs that are ready to grow.
Some growers treat harvested bulbs to prevent sprouting before bringing them to market.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
As with most hardnecks, ‘Polish Hardneck’ should be put in the ground about eight weeks before your first predicted frost date.
The plants will go about setting down sturdy roots before they go dormant for the coldest months. They’ll probably also send up a few green shoots. Once the warmer spring weather arrives and the days begin to get longer, they’ll get straight to growing.
Seed cloves should be placed about three inches deep and six inches apart. Don’t remove the wrapper when you place each clove in the ground. Cover with soil and water well.
If you live in Zone 7 or lower, add a few inches of sawdust, straw, or shredded bark to protect the bulbs.
Once the plants start to show new growth in the spring, which typically happens a month or so after the shortest day of the year and once the temperatures regularly climb above 45°F, remove any mulch you put in place.
Be careful not to disturb the plants. Any damage at this point can introduce pests or disease.
If you’d like to suppress weeds and help retain moisture, you can put down another layer of fresh mulch. Make this one about an inch thick.
Speaking of moisture…
More so than many other types of garlic, ‘Polish Hardneck’ needs regular moisture. If the roots dry out as they’re developing in the spring, they won’t bulb, or growth might be stunted.
With some types, you want to let the soil become a little bit drier during the month prior to harvest time. But don’t let the soil dry out around ‘Polish Hardneck.’
Keep the soil moist but not wet at all times. It should feel like a well-wrung-out sponge.
Once the plants are growing in earnest and the ground has thawed, it’s time to start feeding. These bulbs aren’t a hungry crop, but they will do best if you give them some extra nutrients.
Any all-purpose food is fine. I personally prefer Down to Earth’s All-Purpose Mix because it comes in a compostable box, is made using natural ingredients, and has never let my plants down.
Purchase a one-pound, five-pound, or 15-pound box at Arbico Organics.
Cut off the lower stalk as it forms to encourage the plant to put all its energy into growing the bulb. Keep weeds away from your plants, but do your weeding gently and carefully.
You don’t want to go attacking the soil with a rake and end up damaging a bulb or two. It’s best to hand-pull weeds.
Growing Tips
Plant in full sun and loose, well-draining soil.
Feed with all-purpose fertilizer in early spring.
Keep soil moisture even as the bulbs mature.
Where to Buy
As I mentioned, this cultivar is popular with garlic aficionados. Many specialty retailers sell ‘Polish Hardneck.’ Look for it online, particularly in the fall when sellers start shipping their stock.
You can sometimes find it locally, as well. I recently stumbled across some bulbs at a local gardening club, courtesy of a fellow member who had been growing this variety and brought some in to hand out at a meeting.
You never know where you’ll find this flavorful fellow!
Managing Pests and Disease
Remember how we talked about allicin and how it creates that fantastic flavor? The plant didn’t develop allicin to appeal to our taste buds, much as we might like to assume that’s the case.
Bulb mites, leaf miners, nematodes, onion maggots, and thrips are the main baddies you might see.
The main diseases to watch for with ‘Polish Hardneck,’ which is resistant to most fungal issues, are white rot and basal rot. Both of these are difficult to deal with because fungicides don’t work well against them.
Prevention is best in both cases, and involves crop rotation, buying from reliable sellers, and taking care not to damage the bulbs, leaving them exposed to pathogens.
Basal rot is caused by the fungus Fusarium culmorum and exists across the world, so no one is safe. The disease attacks the basal plate of the plant, as the name indicates.
The basal plate is that hard bit at the bottom of the bulb that separates the cloves from the roots.
The extra annoying part here is that you won’t know anything is wrong until the disease is quite advanced, since the damage is mostly happening underground.
You might eventually see yellowing and dying leaves, but by that point, it’s usually too late. You’ll have to pull the plants.
Rotate your crops regularly, only placing alliums in the same place once every four years. You should also source from seed sellers that guarantee their supply is disease-free.
White rot is another fungal issue, this one caused by Sclerotium cepivorum, the reproductive form of Stromatinia cepivora. It’s prevalent in temperate, moist climates and it lives in the ground, even if an allium host isn’t present.
When the fungus attacks a plant, the leaves turn soft and yellow before collapsing. You might also see white, cottony growth or black spotting.
You might have purchased onions or garlic before that gradually developed symptoms like this in storage. That’s because the disease can live on the plant even after it’s harvested.
If you discover symptoms of this disease, pull the plants and dispose of them. You can safely eat the undamaged portions of infected bulbs if you remove and discard the diseased parts.
After about 240 days, a few weeks after the scapes emerge, watch the leaves of your ‘Polish Hardneck’ plants closely.
Once about a third of them have turned yellow or brown and have fallen over, it’s time to harvest your garlic.
If you’re ever in doubt, dig up a test bulb. Peel a few cloves and give them a taste. Is the texture and flavor as it should be? Great, gently dig up all the rest of the bulbs. If not, wait a week and test again.
Don’t pull the plants by the tops, or you run the risk of tearing the greens out of the bulb. Instead, gently dig underneath the bulb with a shovel or fork and gently pry the plant up.
Curing and Storing
If this is your first time curing garlic, read our guide to see how the process works. Cured hardneck garlic can generally store for anywhere from three to six months.
‘Polish Hardneck’ is somewhere right in the middle, lasting for up to about four months.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
If you like pickled or fermented garlic, this is a good cultivar for that. The large cloves retain all their moisture and taste just as good a year down the road.
You can also freeze the peeled cloves by mincing them up and placing them in resealable bags. Press out all of the air and toss them in the freezer for up to a year.
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
The skin comes away easily from ‘Polish Hardneck’ cloves, so if you’re like me and hate peeling garlic, you’re going to love using this variety. And as I said, it’s a favorite of mine for roasting whole.
I can make an entire dinner out of roasting some fresh garlic and smearing it on sourdough bread dressed in olive oil.
I smash the cloves on top of the bread, and top it with a little chopped tomato tossed with chopped parsley, oil, and salt, and a drizzle of excellent balsamic vinegar.
If you like a good, strong bit of garlic flavor and you aren’t planning on making out with anyone that night, use the finely chopped cloves in your favorite guacamole recipe.
In an age where environmental consciousness is paramount, making sustainable choices in home renovations, especially in your outdoor spaces, has never been more crucial. The shift towards eco-conscious living extends to our gardens and backyards, where homeowners are embracing sustainable practices with enthusiasm. This article explores the growing trend of eco-conscious consumers in the realm of home and garden renovations and sheds light on the importance of making sustainable choices when transforming your outdoor haven. Join us as we embark on a journey to discover how sustainable alternatives, like gas fire pits, can not only enhance the aesthetics of your backyard but also contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.
The Rise of Eco-Conscious Consumers in Home and Garden Spaces
Homeowners today are increasingly recognizing the impact of their choices on the environment. This awareness ex
When it comes to your backyard makeover, every suspends to their outdoor living spaces, where sustainable practices not only contribute to a greener planet but can also result in long-term financial savings.enable choices you make can have a profound impact on the environment. Here’s how:
Conserving Water: Opting for drought-tolerant plants and a drip irrigation system can significantly reduce your water usage. This not only conserves a precious resource but also minimizes the strain on local water supplies during dry spells.
Reducing Chemicals Usage: Embracing organic gardening practices means less reliance on harmful pesticides and fertilizers. This not only keeps harmful chemicals out of your garden but also contributes to a healthier ecosystem.
Enhancing Biodiversity: Creating a diverse landscape with native plants and wildlife-friendly features like bird feeders and butterfly gardens can help support local biodiversity. By providing food and shelter, you’re contributing to the conservation of local species.
Mitigating Pollution: Sustainable landscaping techniques such as using permeable materials for walkways and patios can reduce water runoff and the transport of pollutants into nearby water bodies.
Long-Term Savings through Sustainable Choices
Sustainability isn’t just about environmental benefits; it can also translate into significant long-term savings. Here’s how sustainable choices can impact your wallet:
Energy Efficiency: Incorporating energy-efficient lighting and appliances in your outdoor space can lead to substantial savings on your electricity bills. LED lighting, for example, consumes far less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.
Reduced Water Bills: As mentioned earlier, sustainable landscaping practices like drip irrigation and drought-resistant plants can significantly lower your water consumption, resulting in lower water bills.
Low Maintenance: Many sustainable features, such as xeriscaping (using drought-tolerant plants), require less maintenance compared to traditional gardens. This means less money is spent on landscaping services and gardening supplies.
Increased Home Value: A sustainable backyard design can contribute to a healthier planet but also create a more cost-effective and enjoyable outdoor living space for yourself and future generations.
The Charm and Functionality of Eco-Friendly Fire Pits
A fire pit is a multifaceted addition to your outdoor space. Beyond providing warmth and a cozy ambiance, it can be an eco-friendly choice for several reasons:
Sustainable Gatherings and Socializing: Fire pits naturally draw people together, fostering connections and creating memorable moments. When you opt for eco-friendly fuel sources, such as sustainably sourced firewood or clean-burning propane, you reduce the environmental impact of your gatherings.
Year-Round Eco Enjoyment: An eco-friendly fire pit can be enjoyed year-round without guilt. By choosing clean-burning options and practicing responsible fire management, you can use your fire pit in a sustainable way, even during environmental sensitivity periods like droughts.
Aesthetic Appeal with a Green Touch: Fire pits come in various styles, allowing you to choose one that not only complements your backyard’s aesthetics but also aligns with eco-conscious values. Some fire pits are crafted from recycled materials or designed for energy efficiency, blending beauty with sustainability.
By incorporating these eco-friendly considerations into your fire pit setup, you can enjoy the charm and functionality of this beloved backyard addition while minimizing its environmental impact. It’s a win-win for both your outdoor space and the place of your property’s value. Potential buyers often appreciate the environmental and cost-saving benefits of a well-designed, eco-friendly outdoor space.
By prioritizing sustainability in your backyard makeover not only t.
Wood-Burning vs. Gas Fire Pits: Which is More Sustain, you’re able?
When choosing a fire pit, you’ll encounter two primary types: wood-burning and gas. Here’s a closer look at their sustainability aspects:
Wood-Burning Fire Pits: These provide a classic and rustic experience. However, they do have some sustainability considerations. Burning wood can release carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the air. To make it more sustainable, opt for seasoned, locally sourced firewood to minimize transportation impacts. Also, consider the availability of wood from sustainable sources.
Gas Fire Pits: Gas fire pits are often considered more environmentally friendly. They produce fewer emissions and are easier to control. Propane, a common gas source, is a clean-burning fuel. However, it’s essential to ensure that your gas source comes from a reliable and responsible supplier.
Conclusion
By choosing eco-friendly fire pits and embracing sustainable gardening practices, you can create a backyard that’s not only warm and inviting but also environmentally responsible. Opting for clean-burning fuel options, like sustainably sourced firewood or propane, minimizes the environmental impact of your gatherings around the fire. Meanwhile, sustainable gardening techniques, such as using native plants and reducing chemical usage, support local biodiversity and reduce your carbon footprint. These choices not only benefit the planet but also offer long-term cost savings and a sense of fulfillment in knowing you’re making a positive impact on the environment, one backyard at a time.
THE WORDS joy and delight figure prominently in writer Ross Gay‘s work, and so do moments he spends in his garden and descriptions of his relationship to plants. Now is that a coincidence that the garden is a main character in his books, books with the titles “Inciting Joy” and “The Book of Delights” and the latest, “The Book of (More) Delights”?
As a longtime gardener who finds both joy and delight in my life outdoors, I don’t think so. It’s no surprise to me at all that from garlic-and-sweet-potato harvest times or devouring fresh figs from a friend’s tree, Ross Gay finds himself positively delighted.
I wanted you to meet him and hear about his work and learn what he’s up to in his Indiana garden.
Ross Gay’s four books of poetry and three of essays have won him much praise. He teaches writing at Indiana University in Bloomington, where he also gardens. (Above, self-sown sunflowers and castor bean in his garden.)
Plus: Enter to win a copy of “The Book of (More) Delights” (affiliate link) by commenting in the box near the bottom of the page.
Margaret Roach: It’s that time of the season, Ross, I don’t know.
Ross Gay: Yeah, yeah.
Margaret: The harvest time; the cleanup still lies ahead and oh, boy. Got to keep going, yeah.
Ross: Yeah, yeah.
Margaret: And we recently did a “New York Times” column together, which was really fun. So I was so glad to get to meet you. And so since I started reading your books and got to talk to you for that story, I keep thinking of the expression, “the garden of earthly delights,” [laughter] that triptych, that painting by Hieronymous Bosch, from like 1500 or something, and I keep thinking of so much delight. And I don’t know what got you started thinking and writing about delight. So tell us, just to set the scene a little bit.
Ross: It’s funny, it’s sort of like a longer answer, but I’ll try to do it short. One is that I have a book called “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” and that’s probably the first book that I wrote after I had started gardening in a serious way. And I write about the garden, I write about this orchard project that I’ve been a part of for years, and stuff like that. And then after that book came out, I wasn’t necessarily thinking about it like this, as I recall. But after that book came out, people started talking to me about it as sort of a book of joy, or a book about joy.
And so it made me think and sort of think about maybe I haven’t quite thought of it like this, but like what are the definitions of joy that these people maybe are showing me?
So I started thinking about what is joy, and this and that. And kind of connected to that is this question of delight. And really “The Book of Delights,” it just came about because I was walking, I was kind of having a delightful day [laughter]. And I was writing and thinking, “Oh, I should write a little essay about this delightful day,” this delightful moment actually. And very quickly, and I like to say a bird flew in my head and said it to me or something, but it occurred that I ought to do it: to write about something that delights me every day for a year. And that’s how “The Book of Delights” came to be.
Delight was not a word that I’d used often, but something probably about that it holds the word light inside of it. Anyway, that’s sort of how it-
Margaret: Yeah, O.K Because I think in the preface of “The Book of Delights” and what was that, 2022, is that one? Or-
Ross: The first one came out in 2019.
Margaret: 2019, and then “Inciting Joy”[affiliate link] is 2022, O.K.
Ross: That’s right, that’s right.
Margaret: I’m sorry, I had it backwards. But I think in the preface of “The Book of Delights” [affiliate link] you write about how the process of writing those essays, those sort of daily essays that make up the book, “occasioned a kind of delight radar,” you say. And then you say it was like “the development of a delight muscle,” which I love [laughter]. I love that.
Ross: Yes, yes. And again, it’s funny. It’s nice to be talking to you about it, because it’s like I don’t think that radar, that muscle, develops independent actually of—I mean, It very well could, of course—but independent for me of being in the garden, actually. Because I was just out in the garden shortly before we were having this conversation, and I was just like [laughter], “Oh my, oh my God.” It’s an overwhelming place right now; it’s such an overwhelming place right now. And the castor beans, which just showed up, are like, I don’t know, they might be 12 feet tall. It’s like, where am I? This couldn’t be Indiana where I am right now.
Margaret:[Laughter.] Oh my, yeah. So set the scene for us of the garden. What’s it like? Is it a backyard? What part of town is it in? You and your partner, Stephanie, I believe you create this garden together, and how long have you been there? Things like that.
Ross: Yeah, we’ve been here at this place for about six, seven years. And we just live in Bloomington, like a little regular city lot. So our lot, I think is 0.1 acre, so it’s a tight garden. But we plant it densely. We have about five, 4-by-8-foot raised beds on what used to be a parking pad, like a gravel parking pad.
And then more or less, not entirely garden, but we’re pretty damn close, is garden. And we grow all the greens that we’ll eat for pretty much from about April or May until November, December maybe. The okra’s coming in, the potatoes are doing pretty good, big garlic harvest, beans growing. We’re growing a lot of beans for drying. It’s magical.
And then the flowers are doing good. This year, I just decided to throw a bunch of zinnia seeds out, and they’re growing up out of a sweet potato bed. Oh, it’s so beautiful.
Margaret: My sister has, in recent years, made a raised-bed garden adjacent to her house, she and her husband have. And she sends me these pictures, and here I am, the supposedly expert, ha-ha, and I’m supposed to give all this wise advice or whatever. And I look, and she’s got like 500 zinnias in the bed with the sweet potatoes, that kind thing. It’s just so much effusion and so much delight, right?
Ross: Yes.
Margaret: And she’s so excited, they’re both so excited. And that’s really what we need to do, is just go ahead and let it take us there, right?
Ross: Yeah.
Margaret: It’s O.K.
Ross: Yes, yeah, yeah. It feels so lucky to get to have that feeling.
Margaret: Yeah. So when we spoke for the Times article, you explained to me that you and Stephanie practice polyculture. You combine different things, and I think you at least roughly follow the biodynamic calendar, the Stella Natura calendar. So tell us a little bit about those practices or whatever, how they relate to your garden.
Ross: Yeah, it’s funny, because I need to dig up some potatoes and I was just looking today, and the root day I think just passed on that-
Margaret: The root day.
Ross: Yeah, I think it just passed, yeah. Stephanie introduced me to that whole biodynamic thing. And so we go by that calendar pretty much, not 100 percent, but pretty close. And to the extent that it’s possible, we always grow in a sort of thick polyculture.
One of these sweet potato beds is sweet potatoes, zinnias, peppers coming out of it, and what else? Oh, a bunch of Thai basil is coming out of it. So the bed is probably—we just put this bed together actually—it’s probably about an 8-by-8-foot bed, but it’s densely packed. It’s packed with stuff.
And I think that, I don’t know, one of the things that maybe you get to learn by having less space in a certain kind of way in a garden is how to put more stuff together. And then for me, what I learn, is that you learn what likes to grow together. And then you learn what grows well and keeps the weeds away. And you learn what grows well and brings the birds nearby and this and that.
Margaret: Yeah, yeah. If you watch, you learn. Yes, yes, yes.
Ross: If you watch, you learn.
Margaret: Yeah. And so with the biodynamic calendar, you said like a root day, and I think they divide the plants up into what, four groups? Like root plants, flower plants, leaf plants, and I forget what other plants [laughter].
Ross: Fruit plants.
Margaret: Fruit plants, sorry. And so you work with a particular one of those plants on the day of, whether it’s planting it or harvesting it or whatever. If it’s a root crop, you work with it on a root day and so forth, having to do with the phases of the moon, I believe, correct?
Ross: Yeah, yeah, that’s right.
Margaret: Yeah. So the planetary forces that would impact the growing of the plants.
Ross: That’s right, that’s right.
Margaret: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s a beautiful thing. So garlic, you mentioned garlic, and the photographs you shared with me for the Times story [laughter], I was like, “Wait a minute, is he a garlic farm? Is he operating a garlic farm there?” Because he’s got a lot of garlic.
Ross: We do a lot of garlic. I know, I know. And you actually, I don’t know if you remember, but you kind of… Because gardening, one of the lovely things about gardening to me also is that you never… You kind of made a joke about your sister thinking you’re the expert, but you’re never done learning, and you’re always sort of in need.
And we grow a lot of garlic, but we’re always trying to get better at storing it. And I don’t know if you remember, but you were giving me tips on how you store your garlic. But yeah, we grow a lot of garlic. I love garlic. I love planting it. I love that you put it in and then you come back to it in seven months or whatever. It’s lovely to me.
Margaret: Yes, it is. It is. And you end up with your own strain, sort of, so that you’re in a way, creating a locally adapted… Because these are living organisms of course, that adapt to the place they’re growing over many generations. So if all goes well, you have the locally adapted selection of that growing. Especially for me, I just love all that, the fact that it’s alive and responding to our time together.
Ross: Totally, totally. Yeah, one of the things that excites me so much, I feel like the longer I garden, the more I try to make things easier. And one of the things that gets easier is certain things volunteer. Certain things like to volunteer [laughter], they like to plant themselves. And I’m like, oh, those are the seeds that they’re not the only seeds I’m going to plant, but those are the seeds that are telling me something about wanting to come back.
Margaret: Yes. I used to tease about, in my writing years ago, I could see the path from where this particular plant called perilla—it’s shiso, and used to pickle ginger, to make the ginger pickled pink, you use a purple shiso leaf. And so I had that growing, and it’s a prodigious self-sower. And I would always tease that you could see my path that I took when I pulled up the perilla or cut back the perilla, the path to the compost heap [laughter], because it was like littered with baby perilla seedlings every year. It was like the way you see where a dog, the path that a dog takes when… You could tell Margaret’s path by the perilla seedlings.
Ross: I love it, that’s great.
Margaret: I was sowing them all the way along the path accidentally.
Ross: Yeah.
Margaret: Yeah, yeah. So your books are not about gardening, but they’re loaded with the garden and the garden and its plants and other living organisms infuse the books. And then all kinds of other things that delight you and delighted me, reading about lyrics of your favorite songs, some of which I share, and riding your bicycle and all kinds of other parts of your life.
And I hear a lot in the books about gratitude, too, besides delight and joy. I hear a lot of thank yous. And I think the new book, “The Book of (More) Delights,” and I’ve said this to you before, it’s a little bit like it feels like a gratitude practice in some ways that some thread of it does. Not to get all Buddhist on you or anything [laughter], but you’re often thanking things. The neighbor who has the figs for the delicious fig and the magnolia for its branches that kept you shaded on a hot day. There’s a lot of thanking. So what about that? Is that something that you find yourself conscious of? Because I know in the garden, I definitely do.
Ross: Absolutely, absolutely. I feel like one of the gifts—and it’s a lesson and it’s a gift that the garden gives us, if we allow it—is that we get to submit. We get to submit to the garden, we get to ask questions, we get to wonder about it and with the garden. And we also get to be in profound need, just like sort of bottomless, unfathomable need actually. And that feels like a really important state of being, to understand that we do not exist without, say the sun [laughter]. That’s one of those things that-
Margaret: Yeah, there you go.
Ross: … it’s a big deal. And your plants let you know that. And they let you know like, oh, yeah, water’s a big deal, everyone. Water’s a big deal, and on and on and on. It’s just like being in a garden, for me, lets me practice this thing of witnessing everything that’s provided is provided.
Margaret: Yeah, yeah. In one of the books, there’s a essay about mulberries, picking mulberries and eating mulberries. And what you just said sort of reminded me of it in a sense that the act of doing that reminded you of your connection, almost your animalness, our animalness. So tell us about that, a mulberry tree full of fruit, what that brings up in you.
Ross: Yeah. There’s two things in that little essay. One is that it was a sweet realization that my father, his birthday was June 13th, and that where I’ve lived, which is either outside of Philadelphia or here in Indiana, that’s the same time that mulberries are ripe, which is kind of a nice thing to get some mulberries and be reminded that, oh, yeah, it’s your dad’s birthday. My dad died 18 years ago or so.
But the other thing is that when I recently was picking mulberries, I was sort of thinking, oh, yeah, so many things love mulberries. It’s just like I’ve heard mulberries call it a trap crop. A trap crop, because birds will prefer the mulberries to the blueberries. And like other creatures, so many other creatures, as I was thinking about it in this essay, also love mulberries. So it’s sort of a way of not only noticing that other creatures love these things, but also that, oh, we’re connected by our love for these things.
Margaret: Yes, and everybody’s got to eat.
Ross: Everyone’s got to eat. Everyone’s got to eat, yeah.
Margaret: Yeah. Now that of course, exasperates me sometimes, I will confess because certain creatures decide they want to eat what I don’t want them to eat [laughter].
Ross: I know, I know.
Margaret: Talk about my arrogance, right? Right.
Ross: Yeah.
Margaret: I’m in charge, this is my place. That comes up, and that’s not a very delightful thought. So what do you do about, do you have pests? Do you have animal visitors? What about that?
Ross: Yeah, we have a guy named Greg, Greg, the Groundhog [laughter]. And I think he lives under the shed, under the garage. And he might live under there with a cat, actually.
Margaret: Oh!
Ross: Yeah. This might be a kid’s book, but I’m pretty sure that’s actually true. And Greg, he’ll show up. He can start to show up in the spring, I think. And then I’ve noticed like for instance, sweet potatoes—I’m going hard on sweet potatoes this year—I’ve noticed that the leaves periodically would be nibbled, and sometimes nibbled hard. And I start thinking, is that Greg or is that the deer who kind of walk around the neighborhood, popping over the fence? So I don’t know. I don’t know.
I try to make it inconvenient for the deer to come in here, meaning I just leave a bunch of brooms and stuff where they might be able to get anywhere. And then for Greg, I’m sort of like, well, I’ve heard that if you eat some of the sweet potato vines, that might actually drive more energy into the roots and make bigger roots. So there’s a lot of sweet potatoes. If there was only one sweet potato plant, I’d probably be a little bit more thinking harder about it. But for now, at this moment, I’m just kind of like, “O.K., Greg, just don’t eat them all.” [Laughter.]
Margaret: Greg, huh? I was going to ask you, do you guys, do you and Stephanie ever harvest any of the sweet potato leaves teed yourselves, like almost like a spinach? Because they’re tasty.
Ross: Oh, they’re delicious, they’re delicious. Just the other day, yeah, I made a little stir-fry with long beans and okra and the Thai basil and some of the sweet potato leaves. It was beautiful. Yeah, really good.
Margaret: Yeah. I had, the other day, I looked out the window and there was a great blue heron standing in my backyard, maybe 8 feet from the porch at the edge, or 10 feet at the edge of my little water garden, eating my friends, the frogs. Just a buffet. And see, and this is where it… Because I’m O.K. with Greg, I get about what you just said about Greg.
But then I go completely crazy. And of course, again: Everybody’s got to eat. So it’s tricky. So the garden brings up for me, the joy and delight that you write so beautifully about. But it also brings up for me, this desire to exert control that’s not in my control. Do you know what I mean?
Ross: Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, totally, totally. Yeah, I feel like that’s useful, too, to get to witness that whatever, that impulse or that need. I don’t make a living off of my garden, so I can have a certain kind of relationship to it that if I was making a living off of it, I probably wouldn’t.
Margaret: Right, yeah. I become very attached to certain of the creatures, even more than certain of the plants. And it’s like I love the frogboys, as I call them. And to see one of them in his mouth and this heron’s mouth. I get it, but it made me crazy [laughter].
Ross: Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.
Margaret: Yeah. So I mentioned figs before, and in one of the essays of the book, figs come up a lot. And I think you confessed having sort of fig envy, and not to get all Adam and Eve about it all, but you love them. I’m not sure that you are growing them yourself, but you really love figs, right?
Ross: Yeah.
Margaret: Are you growing any? How’s that going?
Ross: Yeah, I’m growing some. I love them because a friend of mine, one of my best friend’s dad sort of introduced them to me when I was probably 19 years old. And I had not had a fresh fig, and it blew my mind. And so ever since then, I’ve taken cuttings from his trees, and they’re around here, they’re here in Bloomington. And it’s hard in this region to get, you have to have pretty perfect setup for them to grow and make fruit. And my setup isn’t quite perfect for that. And that’s where my fig envy comes from. I do know a handful of people around town who are generous enough to sometimes share their figs with me, who do have a kind of perfect setup.
Their figs are on a south-facing wall and they get light all day and this and that. So anyway, a sweet story is that years ago I was at a reading in New Jersey, and a woman came up to me and she asked me if I thought she could grow figs in a pot. And I said, “Yeah, of course. They’ll make fruit.” And I guess she was under the impression that I was like a fig wizard or something [laughter]. And anyway, she came to a reading about 10 years later, just this last fall, and she showed me a picture of her fig tree in the pot with 100, 200 figs or whatever in it.
Margaret: No!
Ross: I was like, oh my God. So anyway, after I saw her fig trees, we put a bunch of figs in a pot, so now we’re going with the pot.
Margaret: Yeah, that’s the way we do it here. People I know up here, including myself, that’s how we do it. I might get 25 figs if I’m lucky, on a pretty decent-sized, and they’re huge, the pot’s so big, I have to have a hand cart and another person to move it around. It’s really big, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it goes in the garage all winter. But yeah, and it’s interesting to see us all experimenting because figs, there’s just something so irresistible about them.
Ross: Totally.
Margaret: And they’re so perishable, you really can’t buy them as produce too well. You can, but they just-
Ross: Yeah, they’re meant to be right there. It’s pretty magic.
Margaret: Yeah. I think it’s in earlier book, in “Inciting Joy.” Well, there’s that word inciting, which I always thought was a negative word, like incite a riot, incite something. And then you also, I think it’s in that book, but it may be elsewhere, you use the word entanglement. And entanglements are something else I think of it as like, ooh, claustrophobia, I’m all tied up. I’m in a place I can’t get out of, whatever.
But you turn words into beautiful ideas, and I just wanted to ask about that [laughter]. You’re able to sort of give them a positive spin somehow, like inciting joy. I wouldn’t have put those two words together. How did that happen?
Ross: Well, that word inciting, I choose that obviously intentionally, and partly because when I’m thinking about joy, I’m thinking about our kind of… Well, this is the way I’ve started to think of a definition for joy, is something like the practice of our entanglement with one another, or the practice of our entanglement. Which might mean something like the ways that we attend to a garden, and we witness it, and we acknowledge that we’re beholden to the garden. The garden’s not beholden to us, but we’re beholden, and we’re connected with the garden. Something like that. And I feel like that as an idea, it feels like the equivalent of the way you were talking about incitement.
It feels, in a way, dangerous to maybe a mode of thinking that would suggest that we’re not connected, or a mode of thinking that would suggest that we ought to imagine that we could not depend on one another. Or a mode of thinking that suggests that we could be “independent” or that kind of stuff. The incitement feels like really in a way, I sort of feel like, yeah, if we start to share with one another, or we do share with one another, if we attend to the ways that we share to one another and witness them and sing about them and grow them in our care and our belonging to one another, that’s a danger in a certain kind of way. That feels like an incitement, yeah.
Margaret: O.K. I have to ask you, because you have confessed in at least one of these books to a little issue with seeds, like you like to buy a lot of seeds [laughter]. How have you done this year? Have you used up all the seeds that you’ve bought, or what’s the situation over there?
Ross: Yeah, I’m a little in surplus [laughter].
Margaret: Never happened to me.
Ross: I’m sure, I’m sure. Yeah, someone got me, I don’t know if it was Baker Creek or someone got me. And was like, oh yeah, I got to get a bunch of stuff for the fall. And I got very excited about growing way more stuff than I was going to be able to—more stuff than we have room for. That’s one, I’ve written in an essay before that I seem to get seeds for a garden that’s like 3 acres big [laughter]. But the nice thing about that is that if you garden, you have friends who garden most likely. And if you have friends who garden, they’re going to take your seeds.
Margaret: Yes, yes. Well, Ross Gay, I am always really happy to speak to you. And I’ve been so enjoying the new book, “The Book of (More) Delights” as I did the previous ones. And thanks for making the time today really to talk. I can’t wait to share this with my audience, so thank you.
Ross: Thank you. Your work means so much to me. I just want to-
Margaret: Oh, good.
Ross: … yeah, I just want to thank you so much.
Margaret: Good, thank you. And I’ll talk to you again soon, I hope.
Is there some aspect of your garden that for you is the great delight? Tell us more.
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MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 14th year in March 2023. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Sept. 25, 2023 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
You gotta love how birchleaf spirea, Spiraea betulifolia, grows as a perennial in the USDA Hardiness Zones that may experience -40°F temperatures in the winter.
And the way that it produces copious clusters of blooms all spring, attractive green or yellow leaves in summer, and a kaleidoscope of colorful foliage in autumn is also sure to be admired.
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Speaking of positive reactions, bees love birchleaf spirea’s nectar-rich blooms, and you may spy hummingbirds sipping from the flowers too if you decide to grow this beneficial ornamental shrub in a border, bed, or container.
I present this growing guide to help you decide if this variety of spirea is a good fit for your landscape design and the limitations of your garden or the area where you grow ornamental plants.
With affection and good humor, I’ll cover these topics:
What Is Birchleaf Spirea?
This mounding shrub is one of the 100 unique species within the Spiraea genus.
Listen up, gardeners in northern climates: This exceptionally hardy ornamental shrub offers three-season interest in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9, depending on the cultivar.
Considered a dwarf spirea, it grows from about two to four feet tall, depending on the variety, and spreads about that wide with a mounding habit.
Clusters of white or pink flowers bloom throughout the spring, with beautiful leaves exhibited throughout the summer.
While other spirea species have oval-shaped leaves, S. betulifolia produces two-inch round or egg-shaped leaves that resemble birch foliage, hence the name.
These leaves are typically deep green, lime green, or yellow in spring and summer, depending on which birchleaf variety you’ve selected.
In fall, they take on a whole new look, sporting foliage in a kaleidoscope of colors ranging from red to chartreuse, burgundy to bronze, orange to lime green, and many in between combinations.
This species is native to Japan and other parts of East Asia. If you’ve seen it tagged as a native plant in the US, that’s only true of two varieties.
S. betulifolia var. corymbosa, also called shinyleaf meadowsweet, is native to the eastern US ranging from Alabama and Georgia north to Pennsylvania, while S. betulifolia var. lucida, or shinyleaf spirea, is native to western North America from Oregon, Wyoming, and Minnesota north to Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
But don’t fret if you aren’t growing one of those types in one of those areas. This is still a beneficial species for wildlife and the local environment.
It provides erosion control and nectar for pollinators, and is drought tolerant once plants are established. Birchleaf spirea also grows in poor soil and is easily propagated from cuttings, so it’s economical, too.
Whether you’re sold on the benefits or still deciding, let’s look at what’s required for the growth and care of this versatile, beautiful flowering shrub.
Birchleaf Spirea Propagation
Like the other Spiraea species popular with gardeners and landscapers, S. betulifolia can be propagated from softwood or hardwood cuttings.
Or, you could start a new shrub via layering. To layer, you bend a long stem to the ground and weigh it down until it roots, then sever the new plant from the parent shrub.
If you purchase a shrub online or from a local nursery, you can transplant it into a container with double the diameter and depth of the root ball. Ensure it has drainage holes and that provide a well-draining potting mix.
To transplant into the ground, dig a hole in well-draining soil one and a half times as wide as the current container and twice as deep.
Ease the shrub into the hole so the root ball is even with the soil surface, and then backfill with more well-draining soil.
Water well. Apply a two-inch layer of mulch around the base to deter weeds and conserve water.
Once the plants are in the ground, your work is mostly done. Coming up, I’ll go over growing strategies and maintenance chores, but they’re not extensive.
How to Grow Birchleaf Spirea
Getting birchleaf spirea off to a good start is fairly straightforward. It’s not at all picky.
While it prefers rich loam, It will grow in chalk, sand, or average loam as long as it’s well-draining. Add fine grit or landscaping sand as needed to promote drainage.
Ideally, you’ll also be able to provide a full sun spot for these sun-lovers, at least six hours per day. They’ll do okay in part sun, but they won’t bloom as much and the branches probably won’t get as full.
They appreciate supplemental water but gauge the need by checking how dry the soil is instead of watering on a schedule.
These shrubs prefer a deep drenching only once the soil is nearly dry, which you can determine with asoil moisture meter or by plunging your pinky finger a few inches down in the dirt.
Overwatering or allowing the shrubs to stand in pooled water can promote root rot.
It’s a good idea to fertilize birchleaf spirea in early spring, but only fertilize once a year. Use an all-purpose, slow-release shrub food to see spirea through the blooming and colorful foliage seasons.
To maximize blooming and promote plant health, grow in full sun if possible.
Plant in well-draining soil.
Apply all-purpose slow-release fertilizer just once a year, in early spring.
Water thoroughly but only when the soil is dry to avoid the risk of deadly root rot.
Pruning and Maintenance
When you’ve planted S. betulifolia in a prominent spot where patio diners or front-door visitors will be looking right at it, you may want todeadhead the flowers.
It can be a little time-consuming, but besides making these spring-blooming shrubs look more attractive, deadheading will promote a second round of blooms that could continue into early summer.
Pruning is also a good idea. It may seem counterintuitive, but you’ll want to prune in late winter or early spring, just as the stems are really getting going.
Clip the budding branches to within about four inches of the base. Yes, I do mean for you to clip all the stems. The buds at the bottom will leaf out and the shrub will come back stronger and fuller than ever.
Plants growing in containers will require another maintenance chore. Even though these shrubs will survive the winter months in Zones 3 to 9 or 4 to 8, depending on the cultivar, it’s not good for the potted plants to constantly freeze and thaw.
Once freezing weather sets in, prune the top half of the branches and move the pots to a protected location with strong light. A garage or shed with substantial light from a window is ideal.
As the weather begins to warm in spring, move the containers back outdoors, but only after spending a week getting them acclimated to increasing amounts of sunlight and different temperatures.
Between the new cultivars with fresh autumn foliage colors and the old favorites with the more traditional bronze, red, or orange fall leaves, there are fun choices among the available S. betulifoliavarieties. Check these out:
Gold Tor
You glow, girl! Glow Girl® ‘Gold Tor’ is a Proven Winners selection from the Glow Girl series.
Even its flower buds look freshly made up in a pleasing palette, reddish before opening to reveal bright white blooms in spring.
‘Gold Tor’ is hardy in Zones 3 to 8. Its golden spring and summer foliage makes an attractive hedge that can grow three to four feet tall with a mature spread of three to five feet.
This birchleaf spirea cultivar has been bred to grow well in part shade with afternoon sun protection in warmer climates, or in full sun in northern locales.
Long after the summer fireworks are finished, Pink Sparkler™ enlivens the fall landscape when its summertime green leaves change to a striking pink-burgundy for fall.
Of course, this shrub is sparkly in the spring, too, with large, round, pink flower heads that appear up and down the stems at the leaf axis. When it reblooms later in the season, expect tinier blossoms.
This cultivar grows three to four feet tall and spreads three or four feet wide. Bred in France, it is hardy in Zones 3 to 8.
If you’ve been looking for a flowering shrub to complement white or pink dogwood, here you go.
S. betulifolia has few issues with pests or diseases, which is part of its easy-care appeal.
I’m not saying rabbits or deer would never sneak a nibble of the leaves, especially at peak tenderness in early spring, but birchleaf spirea is not one of their preferred foods.
Despite the minimal threat, you should inspect your plants for pest infestation regularly, especially before moving container shrubs for the winter.
Find more info on preventing, detecting, and controlling the most common culprits in our aphid, scale, and spider mite guides.
Since S. betulifolia is a member of the Rosaceae or rose family, it’s not surprising that it may contract a few of the same diseases, though they’re fairly rare.
Fireblight, leaf spot, and powdery mildew could cause problems, so be on the lookout for those.
Root rot presents a more substantial threat.
I recommend paying close attention to preventive measures including judicious watering, spacing that allows air circulation, and providing well-draining soil.
Root rot is the most likely foe to kill your spirea outright, and that would be a shame when it’s so easily prevented.
Best Uses of Birchleaf Spirea
With birchleaf spirea delivering three-season interest with minimal care, it can beautify dozens of spots in the landscape.
Just a few of the places it stands out include garden beds, borders, walkways, and patio containers.
And it’s such a practical beauty, with the mounding shrubs offering erosion control, a short privacy hedge or windbreak, or an important nectar and pollen source for hummingbirds and pollinator gardens.
I caution you not to plant this lovely shrub in a high-profile front bed or walkway, though, unless you’re prepared to see a sizable dormant plant with no leaves throughout the winter.
Even the cultivars that are hardy in Zone 3, where temperatures may dip to -40°F, do not provide visual interest in the cold months.
If you want to plant it in a prominent spot, consider using a container so you can roll it out of the public eye throughout the months of dormancy.
Three seasons of appeal is a lot for any plant, so don’t push it by expecting good looks for a fourth season!
I can’t help but enthusiastically recommend this easy-care shrub with three-season interest.
And I know gardeners in Zones 3 to 9 will welcome the suggestion, especially anyone who wants to attract springtime pollinators.
Are you already growing birchleaf spirea, or might you have a question about its growth and care that hasn’t been covered in this guide? Whether you need growing advice or want to share an experience, we welcome your input in the comments section below.
A few of our favorite images from this week’s Brooklyn-themed posts over on Remodelista… Plus: Checks All Over: Where to Source Checkerboard Rugs, Towels, Napkins, and More Required Reading: Rose Uniacke at Work 10 Easy Pieces: Front-Loading Washing Machines Steal This Look: A Georgian-Style Kitchen in a Brooklyn Townhouse Well-Designed Dinnerware for Everyday Use: 5 […]
a garden of delights, with ross gay
Ross: It’s funny, it’s sort of like a longer answer, but I’ll try to do it short. One is that I have a book called “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” and that’s probably the first book that I wrote after I had started gardening in a serious way. And I write about the garden, I write about this orchard project that I’ve been a part of for years, and stuff like that. And then after that book came out, I wasn’t necessarily thinking about it like this, as I recall. But after that book came out, people started talking to me about it as sort of a book of joy, or a book about joy.
Ross: Yeah, we’ve been here at this place for about six, seven years. And we just live in Bloomington, like a little regular city lot. So our lot, I think is 0.1 acre, so it’s a tight garden. But we plant it densely. We have about five, 4-by-8-foot raised beds on what used to be a parking pad, like a gravel parking pad.
Margaret: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s a beautiful thing. So garlic, you mentioned garlic, and the photographs you shared with me for the Times story [laughter], I was like, “Wait a minute, is he a garlic farm? Is he operating a garlic farm there?” Because he’s got a lot of garlic.
Margaret: Yeah. I think it’s in earlier book, in “Inciting Joy.” Well, there’s that word inciting, which I always thought was a negative word, like incite a riot, incite something. And then you also, I think it’s in that book, but it may be elsewhere, you use the word entanglement. And entanglements are something else I think of it as like, ooh, claustrophobia, I’m all tied up. I’m in a place I can’t get out of, whatever.
