Category: Home & Garden

Experts advise reading contracts carefully, including renewal and cancellation policies. Customers should also make sure their appliances and systems covered by warranties are being used appropriately; improper installation could void it despite having been performed by an accredited contractor.

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Note that home warranties are service contracts, not insurance policies. Some states do not regulate them as such.

1. Failing to Read the Fine Print

While home warranties can be beneficial even when dealing with remodelers, consumers must fully comprehend their pros and cons before entering into one. Consumers may make the mistake of thinking a home warranty covers everything – such as insurable incidents usually covered by homeowners insurance such as structural defects. It is essential to also understand any limitations or exclusions to their coverage such as service call fees, repair costs, or maintenance requirements that could lead to costly mistakes if these requirements are neglected.

A homeowner in this story could have saved money and avoided significant mold issues by calling in a plumber right away, rather than waiting until water damage caused significant mold growth and wall problems.

2. Failing to Maintain Your Appliances

Failing to maintain your appliances and systems properly is one of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make with their home warranty plan, as most require routine maintenance with detailed records kept of it to protect themselves from claims based on misuse or neglect of covered components. This is because many policies do not cover appliances, as you can see here: https://www.cinchhomeservices.com/faq-library/-/faq/home-warranty-virginia

Proper maintenance increases the odds of filing a successful claim in case of emergency or breakdown, and when filing one be sure to adhere to your contract conditions as much as possible – for instance providing details like age, serial, and model numbers of appliances/systems under contention as part of your claim filing.

If your claim is denied, it’s essential that you write a letter outlining why the company made an error. Be sure to communicate calmly and clearly while keeping a log of any customer service representatives who contacted you as well as their dates of interaction with you. Though this process may take time to resolve fully, it will save both stress and money over time.

3. Failing to Report Damage in a Timely Manner

Home warranties require timely reporting of damage; failure to do so could result in denial of your claim. Therefore, it’s crucial that damaged appliances be reported immediately and their repairs checked up on frequently. Keep track of customer service representatives you interact with – names and dates should always be recorded when speaking with customer representatives; remember “squeaky wheel gets the grease,” so don’t be shy if contacting your home warranty provider immediately!

If your home warranty provider denies your claim, it is wise to appeal their decision. Explain your reason clearly and calmly while providing any relevant documentation that supports it. Also try calling or writing to them daily until they respond; although this approach might seem tedious it could prompt them to review your appeal and consider its merits.

4. Failing to Maintain Your Roof

Your roof takes a beating from nature: temperature swings, blistering sunlight and debris-laden winds can take their toll. Unfortunately, homeowners often neglect or postpone maintenance or repairs for too long; doing so can lead to significant problems and increased repair bills; as well as nullifying any home warranty claims you might otherwise file against your warranty company and making their process more complicated and lengthy.

If your home warranty company denies your claim, it’s essential that you state your case clearly and calmly. Keep a log of any customer service representatives you meet with as well as when each conversation takes place; new information or perspectives might allow resubmittal of your claim.

In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know to grow bird of paradise successfully indoors.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Getting Started

There are five species of bird of paradise, in Strelizia genus, and not all of them are suitable for growing indoors.

Larger species like S. nicolai or S. alba grow up to 30 feet tall, which makes them difficult to grow in your home unless you live in a mansion with an enormous, well-lit foyer.

Since most of us don’t have this luxury, make sure you choose the common bird of paradise, S. reginae, which only grows up to six feet tall.

After transplanting, water the plant until you see drainage trickling into the drainage dish and set it next to the sunniest window possible.

If you’re bringing your outdoor plant indoors for the winter months, learn how to pot it up in our guide to winter care for bird of paradise.

Caring for Your Indoor Plant

Bird of paradise plants won’t tolerate oversaturated soil, so you’ll need to take care with your watering.

To avoid wet feet, allow the top two inches of soil to dry out between waterings. During the winter months, the plant will go semi-dormant, and less frequent watering is required.

And no matter what, avoid water with a high salt content, as this can burn the leaves. If you need to, use filtered water, or collect rainwater, or snow to melt.

When they are grown as houseplants, bird of paradise can be fertilized more frequently than plants grown in the garden.

You can fertilize every two weeks with a balanced 10-10-10 (NPK) liquid fertilizer in the spring and once a week in the summer. Do not fertilize them in the fall or winter, when growth slows down.

In the summer, you may choose to move your plants outside to a sunny or semi-shaded location when daytime temperatures are consistently above 70°F.

Be careful to introduce the plant to the sun gradually, or the foliage could get sunburned. Set it outside for an hour the first day, two hours the next, over the course of a week or ten days until it’s spending all day outside.

And one final note – do not use a leafshine product on these plants. This could damage the natural finish of the leaves. To keep the leaves looking neat, wipe off any dust with a moist towel every week or two.

Keep an eye out for pests such as spider mites or aphids. You can remove them by hand or use insecticidal soap or neem oil.

The plants prefer nighttime temperatures of 50-55°F and temperatures of 70-75°F during the day, so don’t set your thermostat too low during the colder months.

They also prefer about 60 percent humidity, so you should mist the plants daily – especially during the winter months.

Ready to learn more? Here’s what we’ll take a look at in this article:

Beet Background

In Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa where they originate – and long before they were first consumed as a root vegetable – beets’ ancient ancestors were harvested for use in herbal medicine.

Beets are used medicinally to this day to nourish and restore the body in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.

But for the most part, beets are grown nowadays for food – to be roasted, canned, or pickled – or to be processed into sugar, in the case of sugar beets.

This vibrant root veggie brings an earthy flavor to any dish that you add it to. It is simple to grow and thrives in full sunlight, and it can be harvested early or left to mature for a larger root.

While the purple or red bulbous root is probably the most familiar form of this vegetable, it also comes in gold, orange, white, pink, and multicolored varieties, and the leaves are also edible and quite nutritious.

Read more about harvesting and enjoying the greens in this article. Here, we will focus on the nutritional benefits of the roots.

Nutritional  Value

The roots are high in several nutrients, and also low in calories. A half-cup serving has 34 calories, 1.5 grams of fiber, and virtually no fat.

For the needs of a healthy adult, this serving will meet over 100 percent of the daily value for vitamin K and 32 percent of the recommended daily intake of folate (vitamin B9).

Vitamin K helps with blood clotting, but intake should be limited for those taking blood-clotting medications. Talk to your doctor if you have questions surrounding this.

The boost of folate helps your body to make DNA. Folate is also an important component of cell division, which is necessary for growth.

A full cup of roasted fresh beets also offers 9 percent of the daily value for vitamin C and 7 percent of the daily value of iron. While these amounts do not meet the 10 percent minimum requirement to be considered good sources of these nutrients, they do contribute to your total intake.

Vitamin C and iron pair well, as the vitamin C helps your body to better absorb the iron.

Note that just because granulated beet sugar comes from a vegetable, this doesn’t make it any healthier. In its refined form, sucrose from beets is still calorically and nutritionally identical to cane sugar.

Unrefined, or in the form of a sweet syrup or beet molasses, you will find some essential vitamins and minerals. But keep in mind that minimal processed sugar intake is recommended as part of a healthy diet.

Health Benefits

The vegetable is rich in nitrates, nutrients that have a bad reputation when they appear in processed meats like bacon.

In these meats, they act as a preservative, in the form of sodium nitrate. These nitrates are not harmful themselves, but can become so when cooked with high-heat methods like we typically do with bacon.

In vegetables, with lower heat cooking methods, nitrates can actually help to improve heart function and regulate blood pressure – particularly high blood pressure.

Research has also shown that nitrates may help to maintain brain health and support cognitive function in aging populations. Further study is required in this area.

Additionally, the betalains that give the root its red or golden color (and which also impart that earthy taste) are responsible for some of their most potent health benefits – including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

These may help to reduce the risk of chronic heart disease, and also work to combat cell-damaging free-radicals.

Now, you probably can’t cure heart disease, cancer, or inflammatory conditions by eating them. The scientific evidence thus far does not suggest this. But consuming beets regularly could help to prevent some of these health issues – along with providing you with healthful nutrients.

Keep in mind that most research is conducted on fresh cooked beets or sometimes juice, not those that were canned or pickled. Beets pickled with vinegar tend to lose some nutrients, while lacto-fermented beets actually gain beneficial probiotic bacteria that can support gut health.

The nutrition content and health benefits may vary slightly based on how you prepare your beets. Regardless, they will still retain some of their healthful goodness!

Turn Up the Beet

Whichever variety you choose to grow in the garden, or whatever you pick up from the farmers market, you will be able to find multiple uses for these little gems.

Get started with this quick oven-roasted recipe from our sister site Foodal, and then get creative on your own from there!

Friend of the GPOD Cherry Ong is taking us along today to visit Bellevue Botanical Garden in Bellevue, Washington.

The flowers and glaucus leaves of Rudbeckia maxima (Zones 5–9) stand tall against a terrific backdrop of smokebush (Cotinus coggygria, Zones 5–8).

A fantastic contrast between a hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata, Zones 3–8) and a yucca.

Cherry says that seeing this and other spectacular welcome containers at the entrance made one her friends say, “We all definitely have to up our coleus game next year!”

A cool garden sculpture rises up over the huge leaves of a gunnera (Gunnera manicata, Zones 8–10). Gunneras have some of the biggest, coolest leaves of any garden perennial but can be difficult to grow in most climates, as they require both mild winters and cool summers to thrive.

Stacked stone sculptures with the cool, dangling flowers of Datisca cannaniba (Zones 4–8)

Blues for the garden are always wonderful, and this willow gentian (Gentiana asclepiadea, Zones 6–8) is to die for!

More incredible blue from a hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, Zones 5–9)

Simple but effective: beautiful masses of Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, Zones 5–9)

A cut arrangement of branches and seed heads doesn’t need flowers to be perfect.

Huge masses of gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri, Zones 5–9) in the urban meadow garden surround a bench like hundreds of butterflies.

 

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.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

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This week, we are revisiting some of our favorite summer-centric Gardenista stories. Remember this one?

A few months ago, I planted a random vegetable garden, jamming $50 worth of plants into any empty spot I could find. Hoping for a harvest big enough to make a noticeable dent in the grocery bill and create an endless supply of tomatoes, I threatened my family with homemade ketchup. How did it turn out?

Truthfully, the results were mixed. Everything grew, enthusiastically, and my biggest success has been a steady supply of herbs–cilantro, basil, parsley, chives, and thyme, mostly–that has added up to big savings. Compared to the old days, when I used to regularly drop $1.99 per herb bunch at the grocery store, I probably saved $8 a week by growing my own. Over the course of five months, that added up to about $200 in savings and paid for the original investment many times over.

As for the lettuces, well, I got about a dozen dinner salads–delicious ones–out of my crop. However, when I was out of town for two weeks in late July, most of the lettuces bolted and I came home to towering, flowering red leaf bushes. Overall, I probably shaved $30 off my lettuce bills.

And what of the tomatoes, you ask?

My five bushy tomato plants–beefsteak, plum, and cherry (both red and orange) pretty much took over the yard. I was lazy about staking them, and so they behaved like passionflower vines, growing into adjacent plants for extra support. From August on, there were plenty of tomatoes to pick. And plenty more rotting on the vine.

“It’s a crime the way you are letting all those tomatoes go to waste,” Julie said the other night when she was visiting. The next day she sent her husband back to fill a backpack, with which she managed to make enough tomato soup to serve eight at a dinner party.

“It’s a crime the way you are letting Julie take all our tomatoes,” my husband complained on the way home from the dinner party.

And so one day last week, I decided to can my remaining tomatoes–ALL of them. I bought a dozen canning jars in preparation, then went into the garden with a bushel basket and picked every ripe or semi-ripe tomato I could find. There were about a million.

As a big pot of water came to a boil on the stove, I felt as virtuous as a pioneer and began fantasizing about all the compliments I would be getting at a winter’s worth of dinner parties where I’d be serving tomato soups, sauces, and chili. “Yes, they are delicious, aren’t they?” I’d say. “And there seems to be an endless supply.”

Little did I know…

My recipe is a simple one (in addition to tomatoes, I add lemon juice, salt, and basil to each jar; for step-by-step instructions, see below). But with so many tomatoes, it still took me the better part of a morning to sterilize, peel, crush, seed, cook down, fill jars, boil jars…and after all that, I ended up with five jars of canned tomatoes.

Five.

Yes, the jars are beautiful and jewel-colored when the light catches them just right. And I am sure that these will be the most delicious canned tomatoes ever. They will make a fantastic sauce, an ambrosia soup, a chili to make men weep. But: five jars?

I have just enough canned tomatoes for one batch of sauce, one pot of soup, and one night of chili. So much for a winter’s worth of tomatoes. I figure I saved myself $10 at the grocery store on canned tomatoes, but the canning jars cost me $11.

To recap:

• Net savings on herbs and lettuces: $180
• Net loss on tomatoes: $1
• Thrill of having a random vegetable garden: Priceless

Still want my canned tomato recipe? See below.

Canned Garden Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• Every tomato you can get your hands on (you can mix plum and beefsteak varieties, no problem; I didn’t use cherry tomatoes because after you skin them, what’s left?)
• Salt
• Lemon Juice
• Basil

Instructions:

While you sterilize pint jars and lids in a 225-degree oven (arranged in a single layer on a cooking sheet to heat for 20 minutes), fill your biggest stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil.

Cut an “x” in the bottom of every tomato and toss tomatoes a few at a time into the boiling water (you don’t want to overcrowd them). Fish them out with a slotted spoon when the skin starts to look loose and flabby.

Let the tomatoes cool in a colander for a few minutes before handling. Peel, core, and cut into quarters, removing tomato seeds and the mushy jelly.

Heat a saute pot and add tomatoes, smashing them with a potato masher to make them into a saucy consistency. Cook for 10 or so minutes on medium until some of the water boils off.

While tomatoes cook, prepare each jar by adding to it a pinch of salt, a sprig of basil, and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Then add tomatoes to fill the jars, leaving a 1/2-inch of breathing room at the top of jar (the tomatoes will expand). Wipe off the jars so there will be a tight seal. Screw the lids on  tight but not overly tight–air will need to escape.

Refill your biggest stockpot with fresh water and add the jars. The water level should be an inch above the top of the jars. Bring the water to a boil and simmer the jars for 45 minutes. You can cool the jars in the stockpot to avoid burning yourself.

For more of my adventures as an amateur farmer, see How to Stop Throwing Away Money (and Food).

Finally, get more ideas on how to successfully plant, grow, and care for tomatoes with our Tomatoes: A Field Guide.

Interested in other edible plants for your garden? Get more ideas on how to plant, grow, and care for various edible plants (including flowers, herbs and vegetables) with our Edible Plants: A Field Guide.

N.B.: This post was first published July 2019.

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Be prepared with something that’s durable enough to carry and transport the cutback perennial foliage, because it will add up quickly! A large bucket or a tarp are ideal, or you could try a large basket or wheelbarrow.

Find a list of our recommended gardening tools here.

Fall Cutbacks

When the autumnal equinox rolls around, it’s time to tend to the following plants:

Bearded Iris (Iris germanica)

If fungal growth had a haven, it would be the leaves of an iris.

Also known as German iris, cut these back in the fall to minimize fungal problems and garden pests.

Bee Balm (Monarda)

A contestant in the running for “Most Possible Mildew on a Perennial” (an award that no one wants to win) is bee balm, aka horsemint.

Wait until fall, and then cut these to the ground.

Find more tips on caring for bee balm here.

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)

One of my personal favorite perennials, blanket flowers are easy to prep for winter.

If you like a tidy garden, cut back the flower stalks in late fall. But if you don’t mind their presence in the garden, you can leave them until next year.

Blanket flowers are sensitive to soggy soils, so avoid mulching them over the winter.

Read more about these beautiful blooms in our complete growing and care guide.

Bronze Fennel (Foeniculm vulgare)

A favorite meal of swallowtail caterpillars, bronze fennel is becoming an increasingly popular addition to gardens. Just watch out for that prolific self-seeding!

Cut these guys back to the ground in the fall.

Read more about growing fennel now.

Catmint (Nepeta)

I’ve got a love-hate relationship with catmint. It’s a fantastic plant for adding cool hues to an area, so long as you have a LOT of area for it take over. Luckily, catmint can be pruned back heavily any time of the year.

In the fall, you can cut these back to as low as a few inches from the ground, but you’ll have a hole in your garden until they flush back in the spring.

More modest cuts of about half the height of the plant during the fall are recommended if catmint is a foundation of your perennial border, coupled with regular summertime pruning.

Read more about growing catmint here.

Columbine (Aquilegia)

The flowers of columbine remind me of futuristic spaceships, and that’s cool… But their ceaseless self-seeding is not so cool in contained areas.

Pruning columbine flowers and seedpods back in the fall helps to prevent self-seeding. Otherwise, it is recommended to leave the foliage of the plant to overwinter as is.

Learn more about columbine care here.

Daylily (Hemerocallis)

I’ve always been a fan of the native daylily, even with its not-so-affectionate name “ditch lily.”

If you leave the foliage on these plants to overwinter, they’ll offer you an unattractive but free mulch. If you want to plan ahead for an easier springtime, cut back the foliage of the daylily in the fall to save yourself a headache in the future.

Get more info on daylily care here.

Japanese Anemone (Anemone hupehensis)

You can leave the fall-blooming anemone standing over the winter, but if the foliage and stems turn black after frosts they should be cut to the ground.

Read more about growing Japanese anemones here.

Peony (Paeonia)

Another victim of “too much fungus!” the peony is a gorgeous bloomer that leaves an often unpleasant heap of fall foliage.

Most gardeners are chomping at the bit, ready to prune these guys back at the first moment. Wait until the first hard frost, then cut the leaves back to the ground.

Read more about growing peonies now.

Salvia

An ever-present feature in any perennial beds, salvia offers multiple encores of blooming and attracts desired wildlife like hummingbirds and honeybees.

Woody salvia should be cut back regularly throughout the season by removing spent flowers, and does best when it receives a heavy fall pruning, reducing the size of the plant by about half.

Veronica

A beautiful plant to have in any garden, veronica is an easygoing perennial that requires minimal care.

After the first hard frost, cut veronica (aka speedwell or gypsyweed) back to a few inches above the ground. It’ll bounce back happy as a clam in the spring.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

A favorite and necessary addition to any meadow-like border, yarrow offers a unique flower shape and some interesting foliage.

These respond very well to fall pruning, cutting the plant back to the basal leaves.

Questions? Read more about growing yarrow and find cultivar suggestions now.

Spring Cutbacks

With the arrival of spring, these are the plants that you want to add to your pruning list:

Amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii)

Amsonia, also known as blue star, prefers to be thrown into a high-sun environment where it can go wild growing.

Leave these standing over the winter to add some interest to the garden and encourage self-seeding.

Read more about amsonia flowers here.

Aster

Another icon of meadows and roadsides in the country, aster is a tough plant that wants to be left alone over the winter.

Allow it to enjoy the snow and the cold while adding some cold-season interest to the garden. For whatever reason, aster thrives on being left alone over the winter.

This lovely perennial comes in many varieties. Chinese Aster (Callistephus chinensis) and New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)  our two of our favorites.

Learn more about managing perennial asters here.

Astilbe

I would have voted for astilbe if it ran for president. Delicate and pleasantly-colored foliage pairs with spires of colorful flowers. Better yet, it’s a plant that requires minimal care and maintenance.

The old foliage helps protect the plant from winter damage and requires minimal cleanup in the spring.

Read more about Astilbe in our detailed growing guide.

Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)

Beautifully hued and delicate flowers adorn these beauties.

Balloon flowers grow well in clumps, and are eager to self-seed. This means that it’s best to leave balloon flowers standing throughout the winter. They also add some interesting winter form to your garden!

Find more care tips in our balloon flower growing guide.

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

If you have somebody close their eyes and imagine the first flower that comes to mind, chances are that it’s a black-eyed Susan. Wonderfully reliable and eager to take root in many places, black-eyed Susans are also vigorous self-seeders.

If you leave them standing in the winter they’ll offer a food source to birds. Clean up the debris in the springtime.

Read more about growing these easy-to-care for self seeding perennials now.

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja)

An icon in the garden, butterfly bushes offer a wild growth habit highlighted with brightly colored conical flowers.

Leave these standing over the winter, and watch for the first signs of new growth popping out before cutting this vigorous plant back to a height of about one foot in the spring.

The image here was taken on August 16th, and the plant itself was cut back on March 15th. That’s a lot of growth!

Find more information on growing butterfly bushes here.

Coneflower (Echinacea)

Although there are a tremendous variety of coneflowers out there, most of these hybrids seem to revert or reseed back to their true purple color. That’s no problem, because these long-lasting flowers are vital food sources for various types of of wildlife over the winter months.

Leave them standing and enjoy their snow-capped flower heads being pecked apart by eager birds in need of a meal.

Find more tips on caring for coneflowers here.

Coral Bells (Heuchera)

Coral bells are a great companion to many perennial plants and can even stand on their own in the interest department. However, they are prone to ground heaving, when the frost pushes a plant up and above the surface.

Leave the foliage intact on coral bells to guarantee an extra level of protection from the cold.

Coreopsis

A perennial tolerant of just about any harsh conditions you can throw at it, coreopsis is one tough plant.

Leave the flowers and foliage intact over the winter. Also commonly known as calliopsis and tickseed, coreopsis prefers being undisturbed until springtime.

Make sure to read our coreopsis growing guide to get complete care instructions.

Daisy

The icon of summertime, it’s important to recognize the difference between Montauk daisies and Shasta daisies.

Montauk daisies (Nipponanthemum nipponicum), which genreally open later in the year, should be treated more like a woody shrub than a perennial. Leave them alone over the winter and only cut back dead stems.

Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum × superbum), on the other hand, respond better to being left alone over the winter, and then having last year’s growth removed in early spring.

Dianthus

Dianthus barbatus or sweet william is a common variety.

You can usually leave this softly-hued perennial in place during the winter. These don’t produce much in the way of foliage or mess, and will only require a quick and light cleanup in the spring.

Read more about growing and caring for sweet william and other Dianthus flowers.

Foxglove (Digitalis)

Certainly one of the more dramatic entries in the garden, gardeners will often cut back the flower stalk of a foxglove after it finishes blooming.

The rest of the plant can be ignored until springtime, when a quick touch-up cleaning is all that’s required.

Read more about growing common foxglove plants here.

Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri)

Lovely flowers on spindly growth are an attractive element in the garden, but gaura is hardly a long-lived perennial.

Also known as Lindheimer’s clockweed, Lindheimer’s beeblossom, or Indian feather, the best chance to have these make a return appearance next year is to leave them undisturbed over the winter, so that they may self-seed.

Find more tips on caring for gaura flowers here.

Liatris

Cut liatris (aka blazing star or gayfeather) back to the ground in the winter.

Most of these have difficulty reflowering, or simply won’t, so leaving the seedheads attached during the early stages of the cold season allows the seeds to disperse and replenish the plant next year.

Read more about growing blazing star liatris here.

Hosta

Probably the most well-known plant to have in the garden, these are sometimes referred to as plantain lilies or giboshi. Hosta is a vigorous and incredibly hardy perennial. I’ve dug them up and divided them in July, then sipped a cool mojito and admired their blooms in August.

Still, hosta prefers to have its leaves left alone over the winter, to serve as a mulch for the roots. Remove the old, shriveled material in the spring to make room for new growth.

Learn more in our Hosta growing guide.

Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium)

Let’s be honest – if a plant has the word “weed” in its name, it probably doesn’t require much care.

Lucky for us, joe-pye weed is also an eager self-seeder, and offers lovely foliage that is beloved by local wildlife.

You can let joe-pye weed stand throughout the winter and cut it back in the spring… or you could leave it standing. Joe-pye don’t care!

Read more about growing joe-pye weed here.

Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)

Watch out for those spiky flower stalks on this silver-hued, low-growing perennial! Lamb’s ear is just as easygoing in the winter as it is the rest of the year.

You can completely ignore it over the winter, and give it a quick cleanup in the springtime.

Read more about caring for lamb’s ear here.

Lavender (Lavandula)

Like a handful of other perennials on this list, lavender is more sensitive to soggy soil than it is to the winter cold.

To ensure that this fragrant staple in that sunny corner of your yard makes it back next year, wait to prune it until after the last hard frost, to protect new growth that is particularly sensitive to the cold.

Read more about growing and propagating lavender now.

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

These guys remind me of dusty miller, and for that their soft-hued, blue-green foliage is welcome in my garden!

Leave it standing throughout the winter and cut it back in the springtime.

Plumbago

I have a lot of experience planting plumbago, but that’s because it has a difficult time making it through the winters, and because it seems to disappear in the spring! It sometimes goes by the common name leadwort.

The only trick I’ve found to knowing exactly where my plumbago will appear again is to leave the old foliage attached throughout the winter.

Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

After coming up with a plant list for this guide, I’ve realized how much I love the silvery-blue-hued perennials, and Russian sage is at the top of that list.

If you have room to let this guy grow, it will provide a beautiful and reliable wall of blue.

Like lavender, the new growth is sensitive and does not react well to winter cold. Wait to cut back until after the last hard frost, or when you see new growth starting in the spring.

Learn more about Russian sage care here.

Salvia

“Hey, you said to cut these back in the fall!” You are correct, attentive reader – but fall cutbacks are for the woody salvia.

The softer-stemmed salvias that thrive in warmer climates prefer to be cut back in the spring, because their new growth is sensitive to cold.

Want to know more? Get your questions answered with our detailed salvia growing guide.

Sedum

With a tough common name like “stonecrop,” it’s no wonder that these guys like to be left alone in the winter. Lucky for us, they offer some winter interest in the garden.

Sedum is one of the first plants to push out new growth in the spring, so when you see those new rosettes forming, you’ll know spring has sprung.

Find sedum growing and care tips in our guide.

Until Next Time…

And there you have it, a handy guide to perennial cutbacks that you can refer to whenever it’s needed.

Have something in your garden that’s not listed this guide? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll help you out!

And if you’ve enjoyed this autumn inspired guide, be sure to check out some of these:

I was really looking forward to having a supply of homegrown veggies for my son to enjoy – and to get him excited about gardening!

In this article, I’ll share what I’ve learned so you can get started with growing your own carrots inside.

Why Grow Indoors?

Aside from the delight of reaping a year-round harvest from your own indoor garden, why else should you grow these bright and sweet veggies indoors?

When they’re grown outdoors, these tasty roots often struggle to push down through dirt that isn’t loose, resulting in deformities.

Nonetheless, I was so proud of my deformed carrots, the first grown in my outdoor garden since moving to Alaska. But when I put one in my mouth, I was met with a bitter shock: they did not taste good.

When I look at the photo above, it seems like my carrots have way more going on in the way of tops than they do roots. Maybe there was too much nitrogen in the soil, which causes an overabundance of leaf growth.

Or perhaps there wasn’t enough potassium to support healthy root development.

Maybe the roots were straining to thrive simply because of Alaska’s great heatwave that year, when temperatures consistently hovered at 90°F for what felt like eternity.

For reference, temperatures in Alaska don’t typically rise above 80°F in the summer, and even that feels HOT. Very few of us have air conditioning in our homes up north. Maybe exposure to consistently hot temperatures caused the bitterness.

While the carrot, Daucus carota subsp. sativus, can grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10, too much heat can turn roots bitter.

When you consider that summertime in Zone 10 can average 90°F, this spells trouble for our brightly colored root veggies. They would much prefer it to stay under 80°F, thank you very much, and they’ll protest bitterly as their nutrients and moisture get sucked away by the sun.

So that’s another plus of growing them indoors: you can control the temperature and keep a close eye on their moisture levels, even in the summer.

Growing carrots indoors can benefit those in cold climes, too. Even if you live in Zone 2, you – and your kids! – can grow them indoors and enjoy healthy, garden-fresh snacks all year long.

Getting Started

The first thing you need to do is decide how much space you can devote to your indoor garden, because that will determine two things:

• The size of your container(s)
• The variety of carrot(s) you choose

If you only have a small amount of extra space, like a spare windowsill, you’ll want a planter that can fit comfortably on it, something rectangular and long.

It should be eight inches deep at the very least, or preferably 12 inches deep, with a base at least four inches wide.

Someone with more space can, of course, use a larger container and reap a bigger harvest.

For my own indoor carrot garden, I chose an eight-inch-deep, 24-inch-long window box.

This fit nicely on a spare chest, under a grow light, and alongside a few other plants.

If you have the space and enough grow lights (if you need them), by all means, select a 10-inch-wide or even 20-inch-wide container.

A round eight-by-eight-inch container would only fit about four mature “standard” carrots. A ten-by-ten could fit five. A 24-inch-long window box can fit 12.

Starting your indoor carrot seeds directly in pots can give them an extra jump because their tender roots don’t like being disturbed, and they don’t respond well to transplanting.

First, fill your container with potting mix and a 4-10-10 or 5-10-10 fertilizer – follow the instructions on the package to determine how much to use, as this will depend on the size of your container.

Make 1/8 to 1/4-inch-deep holes two inches apart – check your seed packet for the recommended planting depth of your chosen cultivar. Drop two to three seeds in each hole, cover lightly with soil, and spray with water. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate.

Set your container in a sunny location or under a grow light. The seeds should germinate in 14-17 days, though some can take up to 21 days.

When the seedlings are 1-2 inches tall, check to see which ones are the most robust and green. Thin out the weaker extras with sharp scissors so only the strong seedlings remain, spaced every two inches.

Before long, the first true leaves will emerge and your plants will look a little bit like praying mantises.

This root veggie needs moist soil that isn’t waterlogged. Water deeply, pouring slowly over the plants, and let it soak all the way into the soil.

It’s crucial to make sure the roots get the moisture they need.

Give your young plants at least six hours of sunlight (or its artificial equivalent) every day.

Seed Trays

Even though these roots don’t love being moved, I took the seed tray route because I still hadn’t purchased a container large enough for planting when I was getting started.

I do feel that a covered seed tray can help the seeds germinate more quickly – all the extra humidity helps a lot.

Fill each cell with potting mix and then make 1/8 to 1/4-inch divots in each cell. Drop two or three tiny carrot seeds into each divot, cover lightly with soil, and spray with water so as not to displace the seeds.

Germination can take up to three weeks, but I found that by keeping the seeds in their mini greenhouse and setting them under a grow light, they germinated in just six days.

If you don’t use a grow light or place them in a sunny window pre-germination, be sure to do so the instant you see green shoots emerging.

I had yet to learn my lesson about grow lights and legginess back when I planted my carrots indoors. So, like my container-grown rhubarb, my greens ended up being a bit “leggy.”

If you use a grow light, you must make sure it is positioned about two to three inches away from your newly sprouted seedlings. The recommended distance may vary depending on the specific type and strength of light you are using.

This is something I failed to do.

Also, ensure that your grow light provides full-spectrum white light, or a mix of red and blue light, to facilitate healthy growth.

Using an LED grow light is ideal because it doesn’t emit as much heat as most fluorescent lights would. If you put a heat-emitting light too close to your plants, this can overheat the leaves and cause them to wilt.

My seedlings grew tall, thin stalks because they were straining toward the enchanting glow of the grow light.

This caused problems later on. (Stay tuned for more details about “leggy” carrot tops below.)

In addition to ensuring they have enough light, you should also give your seed trays a slow, deep watering when you begin to see green tops.

Transplanting Seedlings

If you start your seedlings in trays or peat pots, transplant them when you see two or three lacy, carroty true leaves appear.

Get your container ready the same way I described above for planting directly in containers, by filling it with potting mix and that 5-10-10 or 4-10-10 fertilizer.

Follow the instructions on the fertilizer package to see how much to add to the soil. Again, this all depends on the size of your container. Make sure to mix the fertilizer into the soil well.

You want to space your seedlings two inches apart in your container. Dig each hole the same size as the root ball of the seedling you are transplanting.

Spray the seedlings with water and let it soak in for a few minutes to make the plants easier to handle. Then pop the seedlings out and set each one gently into a planting hole.

If you’re using peat pots, soak them in water first to get them nice and mushy. When you transfer them to the holes, work the peat until it breaks apart. This will help to keep the pots from inhibiting root growth.

Tuck the soil back in around the seedlings and water well, pouring slowly and allowing it all to soak deeply into the soil.

Set your container back under the grow light or in a sunny location, and watch your little shoots grow.

But grow lights aren’t like the sun. They need to be close to the plants that you are growing in order to work effectively.

The next time I sow carrots indoors, I’m going to keep the lights two to three inches away from my seedlings, instead of five to six inches away. Now, as my seedlings continue to grow, I adjust the lights so that they are always just a couple of inches away.

And I’ve learned a few tricks to strengthen leggy seedlings that you can try, too:

First, after adjusting your grow light to be close to the tops of your plants, be sure to keep it on for six to eight hours per day, every day.

Second, bring a fan into the room for a few hours a day. On the lowest, gentlest setting, position the fan a few feet away from the seedlings.

You’re trying to mimic wind here, which sends a signal to the plant that it needs to grow a thicker stalk.

Lightly running your fingers over the tops of the plants a couple times a day can help too, for similar reasons.

Finally, try mounding extra soil up around your stalks to help support them. Just be sure not to cover the cotyledons or any true leaves.

Here’s why all this matters: legginess makes for weaker plant stalks that are too thin to support themselves. Young, weak seedlings are more susceptible to damping off, a fungal infection common in seeds started indoors, which we’ll talk more about in a moment.

So it’s worth strengthening your leggy shoots in every way possible.

Succession Planting

It won’t be long before you’ll be pulling juicy carrots from your indoor garden!

But what if you’re craving an even bigger harvest? If you have the space for it, wait about a month after starting your first batch of seeds, and then plant another container. This way, just as your first harvest is dwindling in your refrigerator, you’ll be ready to harvest another.

Or, once your carrots are about 45-50 days into their growing journey, plant more seeds directly into the same container in between the carrots you’ll be harvesting. These new seeds should be planted about an inch away from the maturing plants around them.

By the time they germinate and begin to grow roots, you’ll be harvesting the mature carrots and can plant more seeds in their place.

Just be sure to fertilize the soil before each new planting to ensure it doesn’t get depleted. Every two plantings, remove about half of the old potting mix and add new soil so that you continue to provide a healthy, nutrient-rich environment for your container garden.

You’ll also need to harvest very carefully, so as not to disturb the already developing roots from your first crop.

Keep this succession going indoors all year long if you want to – because you can!

Managing Pests and Disease

Since you’re growing your carrots indoors, the only malady you really need to worry about is a potential fungal infection, or damping off.

If your seedlings all suddenly wilt for no apparent reason, you can probably blame damping off. Stems often have a water-stained base and slump sadly onto the soil.

Harvesting

These roots have one clear, easy way of saying they’re ready for pulling: they show off their pretty orange shoulders.

If the tops aren’t pushing out of the soil after the number of days when your seed packets indicate they should be ready, scrape your finger around the base of the leaf stem. If you see a plump-looking carrot just below the surface, that means they’re ready.

Shoulders will be about a half inch to an inch and a half in circumference, depending on the cultivar.

Firmly grip the carrot top at its base, just above the root, with your thumb pointing down, and gently tug the carrot out of the soil.

Of course, if you want tender, tiny roots, you can harvest earlier than the specified number of days to maturity listed on your seed packet.

Spring carrots (or “baby” carrots, which are different from the baby carrots at the store that are actually mature carrots cut down to remove damaged portions) will be about the length and width of your finger for most cultivars.

You can also plant crops that you plan to harvest as babies about an inch apart for a larger harvest, since they don’t need to grow as big around.

If you’re growing a smaller variety, it’s not really worth it to harvest early since the finished product is already going to be so small when it’s mature. I recommend waiting for those to reach their full size before harvesting.

If you’re like me, you think of the slick, sweet flesh as you bite down and are hit with something that tastes like a honeyed mango met a mild apricot, mixed with a bit of cinnamon and nuttiness.

Persimmons offer these qualities and more, and they come in a range of sizes, shapes, colors, flavors, and textures.

Astringent varieties don’t become sweet until they’re fully ripe, while non-astringent types are sweet even while still firm and not quite ripe.

There is a second classification that relates to pollination. These classifications are known as pollination-constant and pollination-variant.

Pollination-constant varieties produce fruits with the same color and consistency regardless of whether they are pollinated or not.

Pollination-variant types typically produce fruit with light colored flesh when they are not pollinated (and seedless), and brown colored flesh as a result of pollination.

Collectively, the fruits are grouped as pollination-constant astringent (PCA), pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA), pollination-variant astringent (PVA), pollination-variant non-astringent (PVCA).

There are two different types of persimmons commonly found in the US: Diospyros kaki, the Asian species, and D. virginiana, the “common” or American persimmon.

You can read more about D. virginiana and discover a few favorite varieties in our guide to growing American persimmons.

In this roundup, we will focus on our favorite cultivars of D. kaki that are perfect for growing at home.

Note that all D. kaki cultivars can handle temperatures down to 10°F and all require about 100 hours of temperatures below 45°F to blossom and fruit. However, some can handle colder temps, and a few don’t need any chill hours. Those are noted below.

Also be aware that unlike many fruit trees, most Asian persimmons you’ll find at nurseries don’t need a companion to grow fruit.

Thousands of cultivars have been developed to date in China and Japan, some of which were brought into the US in the early 1900s.

In the US, far fewer named cultivars are available to home growers. Here, we’ll share 15 of our top picks that we think you will enjoy.

2. Eureka

Eureka! We’ve struck gold with this persimmon! At least, that’s what I imagine the breeder shouted after tasting the fruit of this particular variety.

‘Eureka’ is  a pollination-constant astringent cultivar that is popular across the US and Asia.

The fruits are medium in size and are ready to pluck from late October through early November. The skin is a pleasing red color.

But the top reason why this type is one of the more common varieties is because of the texture that holds well even as it sits on the shelf.

Many Asian persimmons are seedless, but this particular variety has seeds.

4. Giombo

Another pollination-variant astringent variety, ‘Giombo’ produces massive fruits with a slightly conical shape.

Unlike some others, this type bears fruit every other year when it’s young. After it matures, it bears fruit annually.

When it’s ripe, the skin is a pretty, almost translucent orange, wrapped around jelly-like flesh.

What sets it apart, though, is its flavor. It has a spicy-yet-sweet taste that only improves the more ripe it gets.

‘Giombo’ is ready for harvest from mid-September to mid-October.

Watch out, though. It can leaf out early, making it susceptible to late frosts. If you do have a late frost, cover the tree with a tarp or blanket to protect it. Remove the covering when temperatures are above 34°F.

5. Great Wall

This pollination-constant cultivar got its name when plant geographer J. Russell Smith spotted one growing near the Great Wall of China in the 1920s and brought it back to the US.

Since then, some growers have grafted it on to American persimmon rootstock to make it more tolerant of colder temps.

An astringent type that stays within a compact 20 feet tall, the flesh of ‘Great Wall’ turns a cinnamon-orange shade when the fruit is ripe. The skin is medium orange.

This one ripens in late September through late October.

7. Izu

This is another popular type, perhaps because it’s one of the earliest to ripen.

Once it’s mature, you can expect to be plucking fruits off the tree by mid-September, and harvests may last through mid-November.

The fruits are medium to large in size.

A pollination-constant non-astringent variety, ‘Izu’ has a compact growth habit and the fruit is very sweet.

Young trees are a bit slow to start growing, but once established, they are reliable performers.

9. Maekawa Jiro

You might have guessed from the name, but ‘Maekawa Jiro’ is a bud sport of ‘Jiro.’ While the tree isn’t very vigorous, the fruit is large.

However, these fruits are prone to tip cracking, as well.

Harvesting time is from late October through late November.

Non-astringent and pollination-constant, ‘Maekawa Jiro’ lacks the spicy notes of other persimmons, with a flavor like sugar cane.

The trees stay compact at under 15 feet tall, which makes harvesting a breeze.

Like it’s parent ‘Jiro,’ the tree can grow in temperatures down to 0°F.

10. Midia

While ‘Midia’ fruit are extremely large for a non-astringent pollination-constant variety, up to 12 ounces each at maturity (0.75 pounds), the trees aren’t particularly vigorous.

On top of that, you may need to thin the fruits to achieve a good harvest, a practice that isn’t required for most Asian types besides ‘Fuyu.’

Don’t let that scare you off. The incredibly flavorful fruits have beautiful orange skin and an indented ring that makes them stand out.

You can expect to harvest fruits from late October to late November.

11. Saijo

If you love the taste of honey, ‘Saijo’ is the persimmon for you. The flesh is intensely sweet and juicy, and seedless or nearly so.

The flesh of this astringent pollination-constant variety is medium orange and the fruit has a conical shape.

Like ‘Tanenashi,’ below, this is a good choice if you want to dry your persimmon. Otherwise, wait until it gets soft, like a ripe tomato, before digging in.

You should be able to start gorging yourself (am I the only one who does this during persimmon season?) in mid-September through mid-October.

12. Sheng

This cultivar has distinctly gelatinous, medium to large fruit that’s ready to pluck from mid-September to mid-October.

I think the fruits are particularly cute because they’re quite squat, sort of like tomatoes that someone (gently) sat on.

When ripe, this pollination-constant astringent type is incredibly sweet, with a nutty flavor that sets it apart.

13. Suruga

‘Suruga’ produces incredibly sweet medium-to-large fruits. The pollination-constant non-astringent fruits are incredibly sweet and spicy, and they hold their flavor off the tree for a long time.

This type is typically ready to harvest from October through November.

14. Tanenashi

‘Tanenashi’ is a pollination-constant astringent cultivar with light orange to red skin and yellow-orange flesh. This cone-shaped fruit is a popular variety for drying in Japan.

Fresh and fully ripe, it has a sweet and rich flavor, and the fruit typically ripens from September to October.

15. Triumph

You can hardly blame plant growers for choosing a name like ‘Triumph’ when they create a cultivar that really stands out.

This cultivar is notable because it doesn’t need a period of chill hours below 45°F to bloom, unlike some persimmons.

A pollination-constant astringent variety, ‘Triumph’ produces small, squarish fruit, which is extremely juicy with few or no seeds. It also has a lengthy harvest time, from September through November.

It has firm skin, unlike some other varieties, even when it is ripe. That makes storing and handling easier.

This variety is commonly grown in Israel, where it is often called “Sharon fruit.”

Pruning hydrangeas improves their shape, encourages new flowers, and increases the size of the blooms.

But if you’re doing it for the first time, you may be unsure about what time of the year to trim them and the techniques to use.

Luckily, it’s an easy skill to learn, and in this post I’m going to explain the process step by step and show you all you need to know.

By following my tips, you’ll learn how to prune hydrangeas the right way and keep your plants looking healthy and beautiful for years to come.

Do Hydrangeas Need To Be Cut Back?

If you want to keep your hydrangeas healthy and maintain a stunning display, I recommend pruning them regularly.

Removing damaged, dead, or diseased branches keeps them healthy, prevents them from getting tangled, and encourages new blooms to form.

Regular trimming also gives your shrubs a pleasing, balanced shape so they don’t become unwieldy and overgrown.

Why Prune Hydrangeas?

There are lots of good reasons to prune your hydrangeas on a regular basis. Here is a complete list of all the benefits of keeping them well-maintained.

• Encourages new growth – Trimming away dead or damaged branches invigorates your shrubs and promotes the development of fresh, new blooms.

• Controls the size – Hydrangeas can become quite tall and leggy without pruning, or they could end up outgrowing their space and crowding out nearby plants.

• Provides a balanced shape – Pruning can help create denser foliage and give your shrubs a more pleasing appearance.

• Prevents congestion – Branches that cross each other may become damaged from rubbing together, and flowers in these areas may be crushed or stunted.

• Keeps them healthy – Removing dead or unhealthy stems and foliage helps to prevent issues with diseases, fungus, and pests.

Related Post: How To Grow Hydrangeas: Complete Care Guide

When To Prune Hydrangeas

To determine exact when to prune your hydrangeas, you first need to establish whether your bush flowers on old or new wood.

Shrubs that flower on old wood will generally bloom in the spring, then fade sometime in mid summer. You should trim these varieties after they have flowered.

Hydrangeas that flower on new growth tend to bloom from late summer to fall. Prune these varieties after the shrub goes dormant in late fall, or before it comes out of dormancy in early spring.

You can use regular pruning shears to trim hydrangeas or heavy-duty pruners for particularly woody stems.

If your shrub is large, hedge shears, an electric hedge trimmer, or a hand saw can make the job easier. You may also find a lopper useful for reaching down inside the plant or removing thick branches.

Before you start pruning, make sure your tools are clean and sharpened. This will give you precise cuts that heal quickly without damaging the plant.

Techniques For Pruning Hydrangeas

There are three techniques you can use to prune hydrangeas. You can trim back stems and branches, remove the dead or fading blooms, or cut the shrub all the way down to the ground.

Trimming Back Stems & Branches

You might need to remove stems or branches from your hydrangea if they’re dead or dying, growing at irregular angles, or because the shrub is congested.

Remove shriveled, brown tips by cutting back to the next healthy set of leaves or buds. Trim dead branches all the way to the base of the plant.

Make your cuts at an angle, just above and away from the node. Be careful never to prune more than one-third of a healthy stem at a time.

Deadheading Hydrangeas

You can deadhead your hydrangeas as the blooms begin to fade. Removing the spent blossoms makes the plant look tidier, and also encourages new flowers to open.

Using sharp, clean pruning shears, simply snip off the flower and its stem to a point immediately above the next set of leaves.

Some gardeners, however, choose not to deadhead their shrubs. This won’t harm them, and it means they will still look attractive in the garden during the winter months.

The dead flowers can also help protect the plant from being damaged by extreme temperatures during a harsh winter.

Cutting Hydrangea Down To The Ground

Most hydrangeas are deciduous and can be cut all the way to the ground without any harmful effects. This can be a convenient alternative to pruning if you have lots of plants and little time.

It’s also a good way to gain back control of an extremely overgrown shrub or rejuvenate one that’s been neglected for many years.

They won’t be as large or full next season, however, so I don’t recommend doing it if you want to preserve the size of your plant.

If you choose to prune them all the way back, the best time to do it is in late winter or early spring before new leaf buds form.

Hydrangea Pruning Tips

Pruning is the best way to keep your shrub healthy, and improve the appearance of a leggy or overgrown hydrangea. Here are the techniques to use for the best results.

Pruning A Leggy Hydrangea

Over time hydrangeas can become tall and leggy, giving them an unhealthy look, and exposing bare wooden stems that spoil their appearance.

Cutting back the long, spindly stems will give them a fuller, more balanced look, and encourage branching.

Hydrangeas are very forgiving when it comes to pruning, but it’s a good idea to decide ahead of time which parts to cut.

Step 1: Remove any dead or damaged stems – Trim away any brown or shriveled branches down to the next set of healthy leaves, or all the way to the base if they’re dead.

Step 2: Trim back the longest branches – Trim the longest branches back by one-third of their length, making clean cuts at 45-degree angles just above a pair of healthy buds or leaves on each stem.

Step 3: Look for droopy or curved stems – Some stems get so long that they begin to droop or curve, so trim those back next.

Pruning An Overgrown Hydrangea

If your hydrangea bush has become huge and overgrown, pruning will restore its balanced appearance, and ensure that it thrives.

You can remove any dead or dying leaves and branches, too, which will divert the plant’s energy to new growth.

Step 1: Remove all dead leaves and branches – This will tidy things up and give you a clearer picture of your shrub’s overall shape.

Step 2: Locate dying or damaged stems – Trim dead or damaged branches back to the points at which they’re healthy.

Step 3: Step back and assess your progress – Consider the shape you’re aiming for and use string to mark the parts you want to prune.

Step 4: Trim to a balanced shape – Continue to prune carefully, standing back between cuts to see how you’re doing. This will prevent you from trimming off too much in one area and giving your bush a lopsided look.

FAQs

Here I’ll answer the most common questions I receive about pruning hydrangeas. If you don’t see yours listed, please ask in the comments section below.

Do hydrangeas need to be cut back for winter?

Hydrangeas don’t need to be cut back for winter. In fact, many gardeners like to leave the dried flowers on the plant for winter interest in their garden.

Do you cut back hydrangeas in the fall or spring?

You should cut back hydrangeas that flower on new wood in either the late fall or early spring. Prune the varieties that flower on old wood immediately after their blooms have faded, sometime in mid to late summer.

What happens if you don’t prune hydrangeas?

If you don’t prune hydrangeas they may get tall and leggy over time, or the branches could become tangled and unhealthy. They may also produce smaller, less impressive blooms.

When is it too late to cut back hydrangeas?

It is too late to cut back hydrangeas that bloom on new wood once they start leafing out in late spring, as you risk removing flower buds. Hydrangeas that flower on old wood need to be cut back immediately after they have stopped blooming.

Do you cut off hydrangea blooms when they turn brown?

It is safe to cut off hydrangea blooms when they turn brown, and many people do this to keep the shrubs looking attractive. But it isn’t necessary, and leaving dead flowers on will not affect the health of the plant.

When should hydrangeas be pruned?

Hydrangeas should be pruned immediately after they have stopped blooming if they flower on old wood. Otherwise, prune them in late fall or early spring.

More About Pruning Plants

Share your tips for how to prune hydrangeas in the comments section below.

Step By Step Instructions

If you need a quick refresher on general camellia care, see our guide. Here are the diseases that we’re going to discuss in this article:

There are a few physiological disorders that mimic diseases, and these are worth a quick note as well before we begin.

Scab isn’t technically a disease, it’s a physiological condition. But it looks like a disease has set in, with corky, irregular brown spots that appear on the undersides of leaves.

Typically, the problem starts as water-soaked lesions on the underside of the leaves, but we rarely notice scab at this stage. It’s not until the corky growths develop that most of us realize something is going on.

It’s pretty common and appears in areas with poor drainage and poor air circulation.

Sunscald or sunburn is also common. Leaves that are facing south or southwest will take on a papery tan or brown appearance.

This often happens after you’ve had a cloudy period followed by heat and sun. Or it might occur after you trim back a nearby tree or shrub that was providing shade.

New leaves will be better adapted to the change and will come in healthy.

A lack of nitrogen or iron can also cause the leaves to turn yellow. Once the plants are fed, they’ll recover and grow new, healthy leaves.

Now, let’s examine our first potential disease:

1. Algal Leaf Spot

The algal plant pathogen Cephaleuros virescens can sometimes be found on camellias, but typically only on those that are already stressed by some other pest or disease.

In order for this disease to really take hold, it needs two things: direct sunlight and lots of moisture.

When both are present, raised silvery-green, grayish-green, or tan spots and splotches develop on the leaves. It can also cause spots on stems.

If a damaged branch or twig has a wound that the algae can enter through, it can cause cankers that result in swelling. This swelling cuts off water to the rest of the area, and the twig or stem might die.

This pathogen may infect hundreds of plant species, so it’s entirely possible that other specimens in your garden might be infected as well. It doesn’t appear west of Texas or in the northern part of the US, so if you’re living in California, consider something else.

A small area of infection can be treated with pruning, but for a larger area or if the camellia shows symptoms throughout, use a copper fungicide every two weeks until no new symptoms develop.

The fungus that causes this disease goes by two names: it’s Colletotrichum gloeosporioides when it’s in its asexual state, and Glomerella cingulata when it’s reproductive. I’m sure growers dealing with this problem have some other choice names for this disease as well…

When present, the stems of the camellia will form cankers that might strangle the tips, or might cut off food and water to small stems, causing their death.

Unless you’re in the habit of checking your plants closely every few days, which isn’t a bad idea, you probably won’t realize anything is happening until you notice that some of this year’s new growth is suddenly wilting.

A short while later, the leaves turn dull green, then dull yellow, before they turn reddish-brown and drop off.

The disease can attack older branches, too. In this case, the leaves will turn brown, but they’ll stay on the branch rather than dropping. If you bend the branch, it will be brittle and will break rather than bending.

If you scrape away the bark, you’ll notice that the wood underneath is discolored.

Most of the time, the canker isn’t visible, but it’s possible that you might see a sunken canker just below the dying areas.

If a canker forms on the main trunk, your camellia will die. Fortunately that’s rare, and you’ll likely just have to deal with some dead twigs or small branches on an otherwise healthy plant.

Still, you don’t want to give the disease a chance to become a serious problem, so address it the moment you see it.

First, prune off every symptomatic twig and branch back to the next largest branch. Then, spray the entire plant, top to bottom, with copper fungicide.

You won’t need to reapply unless you have a period of high humidity or rain within the next few weeks. If you do, reapply the copper fungicide on a dry day.

To avoid spreading the disease, always clean your tools with hot soapy water between plants.

The pathogen needs a damaged area on the plant through which to enter, so do your best to keep pests away and avoid damaging your camellia.

3. Flower or Petal Blight

If your camellia looks healthy otherwise but the flowers are rapidly turning brown and falling off after developing brown spots, it’s likely you’re looking at the effects of flower blight, also known as petal blight.

Caused by the fungus Ciborinia camelliae, it usually starts as small brown spots before the edges of the petal turn brown.

That browning spreads to the center of the petal, and the flower will fall from the plant. All of this can happen in as little as 48 hours.

Beyond depriving you of all those lovely flowers, this disease is particularly unwelcome because the fungus lives in the soil for years and can spread on the wind or water.

That means once you have one infected camellia, it’s not too long before you will likely have multiple infected plants.

You most often see this on C. japonica plants and cultivars, not because they’re more susceptible, but because the flowers open during the same time of year when the pathogen is most active.

4. Leaf Gall

Leaf gall is a disease that truly stands out. It causes the foliage on the camellia to develop yellow, cream, pink, light green, or red galls.

The leaves become thick as the infection spreads. If you didn’t know better, you might mistake them for succulent leaves. They eventually start to peel, revealing a white interior. This is the fungus Exobasidium camelliae, which causes the disease.

The leaves will eventually fall from the plant and land on the ground, where the fungus lives during the winter.

Leaf gall is usually seen on C. sasanqua and its cultivars, especially those grown in humid conditions.

Typically, pruning off the infected leaves before they start peeling and releasing the spores is enough to control the problem.

To learn more about this disease and how to address it, read our comprehensive guide to camellia leaf gall.

5. Phyllosticta Spot

Also known as purple-bordered spot or eye spot, Phyllosticta spot is a fungal disease caused by Phyllosticta camelliae in camellias.

As the alternate names suggest, this disease starts out as purple, semi-circular blotches on the margin of the leaves. As the spots expand, the margin remains purple while the center turns papery tan or gray. You might also see black fungal spots on the dead area.

This disease can be confused with sun scorch, which causes gray or tan papery lesions. Look for the purple border and the presence of the black fungal bodies to confirm eye spot.

This disease is especially common in areas with a humid, temperate climate like the Pacific Northwest.

Unless you have a young camellia that is otherwise stressed, it won’t kill your shrub and might not require any treatment.

The easiest way to treat purple-bordered spot is to pull off infected leaves, but you can also treat it in the same way you’d treat flower or petal blight.

6. Root Rot

Camellias infected with the fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi will begin to rot underground.

The roots will turn black and mushy, and are no longer able to take in nutrients and water for the rest of the plant to use.

When this happens, the upper parts of the camellia start to wilt. If the roots continue to rot, the leaves might turn soft and yellow, and the plant might not grow well.

The older foliage is usually the first to go, followed by the younger growth.

This can happen over one growing season, or it might happen slowly over several years. If you were to dig down into the soil, you’d see that not only were some of the roots rotting, but the infected plant doesn’t have any smaller feeder roots either.

C. sasanqua and its cultivars are resistant, so either choose one of these or one with C. sasanqua rootstock if you have challenging soil that doesn’t drain well, or if rot has been a problem in your garden in the past.

7. Viruses

So, here’s the thing. You never want a disease to turn up in your garden. Diseases are, by definition, bad. But I kind of don’t hate this one.

Camellia ring-spot virus 1, 2, 3, and 4 (formerly referred to as camellia variegation virus, camellia infectious variegation virus, and camellia yellow mottle virus) causes the leaves or flowers (but not both) of plants in this genus to turn yellow, pale green, or white, to varying degrees.

Some of the patterns that appear, which are totally random, can be quite striking. Leaves might have white and yellow mottled margins, or the entire leaf might show symptoms.

Sometimes signs of the virus disappear altogether and plants are asymptomatic, and sometimes one leaf will have yellow splotches while another nearby will have white lines.

If I could reproduce some of these patterns without spreading the disease, I would. In fact, some growers intentionally introduce the virus to young camellias to see what they can get.

The viruses that cause this discoloration are spread through cuttings and by grafting infected material onto non-infected plants.

Once a plant is infected, there is nothing you can do. But since it doesn’t spread readily, you might as well leave it and enjoy what you see. Rarely, a plant might be slightly less vigorous than it would otherwise, but that’s the worst that might happen.

Don’t confuse the symptoms of this disease with signs of low nitrogen or low iron, which causes leaves to turn entirely yellow.

This disease stands out from those physiological problems because it causes patches of color to appear, not solid yellow leaves.

Having a practical kitchen is a fantasy for some property holders, taking into account how costly kitchen redesign is. One method for adding usefulness and further developing your kitchen space’s general use is by introducing kitchen worktops.

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Any kitchen worktops are the room’s principal fascination and may totally change the air of the space. One of its essential objectives is to offer a safe and inviting region where you might prepare food. Also, you can put the entirety of your cookware, cutlery, and different merchandise in it. Pick kitchen ledges in light of your requirements, inclinations, and character. Indeed, even with ordinary utilization, a viable and all-around kitchen worktop will last you for quite a long time. For more information Kitchen Design Center 

Since you invest most of your energy in the kitchen, it’s basic you select the ideal worktop for capability and feel. Additionally, while arranging your kitchen worktop, a few factors should be considered, from picking the best material to choosing the best shade. Rock, marble, and wood are only a portion of the materials for worktops. Every one of these materials has unmistakable characteristics and a particular appearance.

Alternate ways that kitchen worktops can further develop your kitchen might incorporate the following:

Further develops Food Planning

On the off chance that you have a major family or sometimes have gatherings, utilizing excellent kitchen worktops will make it less challenging for you to get ready food. You’ll invest less energy endeavoring to fit all that on your work surface the more space there is. Because of the bigger kitchen worktops, you’ll have the option to rapidly get ready and serve feasts more.

Further, develop Extra room

Because of the absence of accessible ledge space, many individuals’ kitchens need more extra room. Assume you have an enormous family and require extra capacity. All things considered, it is desirable over eliminate a few drawers or cupboards and introduce kitchen worktops so you can put extra machines on the excess counter space. You can work on the presence of your kitchen while as yet setting aside cash.

Added Kitchen Space

You can utilize them to make your feasting table longer. Utilizing kitchen worktops could be the best response in the event that you want all the more counter space in your feasting region yet at the same time are keen on spending time with companions while having supper together. It could act as an extra spot for guests to use in the kitchen region.

Added Kitchen Tasteful

Kitchen worktops are a fabulous technique to refresh your kitchen without essentially modifying the overall format or stylistic layout. For your kitchen worktop, you have a wide assortment of stones and different materials to pick from. These materials can be stone, marble, or even glass.

Simple To Clean

Having an additional space where you might plan food and keep the fixings you want to use while cooking is one more capability of kitchen worktops. Notwithstanding, it very well may be trying to finish these obligations successfully assuming that your work surface could be of better quality. Fortunately, there are different materials to pick from while purchasing another kitchen worktop which is not difficult to clean and keep up with. This implies that they will not become grimy effectively and are, thus, ideal for use in kitchens where there is steady action.

 

Keeping a spotless and clean yard can be a demanding task, particularly when confronted with a wealth of fallen leaves and trash. In the quest for the best leaf blowers available, “This Old House,” an eminent expert on home improvement and planting, has handpicked the main five leaf blowers accessible on Amazon in 2023. Among these tip-top determinations stands the SnapFresh Leaf Blower, a strong and flexible device intended to reform your yard upkeep schedule.

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Strong Execution: The SnapFresh Leaf Blower has procured its put on “This Old House’s” rundown for a few convincing reasons, with its noteworthy presentation being the principal. This leaf blower offers vigorous velocities of up to 130 MPH, guaranteeing that no leaf or trash is left unattended. Its excellent blowing force efficiently gathers up leaves, grass clippings, and other nursery waste, leaving your yard perfect in record time.

Lightweight and Compact: One of the champion highlights of the SnapFresh Leaf Blower is its lightweight and ergonomic plan. Weighing a little more than six pounds, this leaf blower is inconceivably simple to deal with and move, making it ideal for clients of any age and actual capacities. Its conservative size and smooth development guarantee that you can easily explore sharp corners, limited pathways, and difficult-to-arrive-at regions effortlessly. Express farewell to burdensome and tiring yard work, as the SnapFresh Leaf Blower’s easy-to-use configuration gives remarkable solace and accommodation.

Flexibility at its Ideal: Gone are the days when a leaf blower was exclusively utilized for clearing leaves. The SnapFresh Leaf Blower carries adaptability to the front, offering various capabilities to take special care of your particular necessities. With a straightforward change, it quickly changes over into a vacuum and mulcher, permitting you to gather and mulch the fallen leaves for simpler removal or treatment of the soil. This multi-practical ability disposes of the requirement for various apparatuses, saving you time, space, and cash.

Battery-Fueled Effectiveness: The SnapFresh Leaf Blower’s cordless plan is controlled by a durable lithium-particle battery, offering expanded runtimes without the problem of ropes or the requirement for steady re-energizing. The included 2.0Ah battery gives more than adequate ability to handle even the most requested yard cleanup assignments. Moreover, the blower includes a quick charging innovation that empowers the battery to arrive at its full limit in only an hour, guaranteeing negligible personal time and the most extreme effectiveness.

Calm Activity and Eco-Accommodating: Notwithstanding its excellent execution, the SnapFresh Leaf Blower highly esteems its low-commotion activity, creating a simple 60dB of sound. Express farewell to troublesome commotion contamination and hi to a more serene open-air insight. Moreover, the battery-fueled nature of the blower makes it an eco-accommodating choice to internal combustion partners, diminishing fossil fuel byproducts and adding to a greener climate.

End: As perceived by “This Old House,” the SnapFresh Leaf Blower addresses the encapsulation of greatness with regard to yard upkeep devices. Its outstanding presentation, lightweight plan, flexibility, and eco-accommodating activity make it an unquestionable requirement for mortgage holders and cultivating lovers the same. Embrace the comfort and effectiveness of the SnapFresh Leaf Blower to change your yard upkeep routine into a breeze.

A food forest is a long-term proposition, generally taking a few years to really get kicking.

We posted this video on “How to Start a Food Forest the Easy Way” at the end of July and since then it’s gotten a lot of response.

This morning I saw a comment which read:

“Hi David I understand your principles. But can you elaborate on how long it will take before the food forest will provide enough supply of vegetables for one person. Thanks.”

This sounds simple, but is in reality a very complicated question.

First of all, what climate are you growing in? A cold temperate climate food forest has a much shorter growing season than a tropical or subtropical food forest, and the selection of vegetables available will vary.

Secondly, how much time are you willing to invest? If you were to pour yourself into gardening, you could make beds all over a new food forest and simply grow vegetables like you would in any garden. If you planted even a tenth acre of vegetables at the beginning and tended them well, your kitchen would be overflowing in a few months. Unless you mean to provide all the calories for a single person, in which case you would need more space to grow an abundance of storable root, grains and winter squash along with your green vegetables. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, long-keeping pumpkins and squash, grain corn, dry beans, rutabagas and other crops would be key. And I would highly recommend adding a pig pen plus ducks, chickens or both so you have animal foods as well.

Thirdly, what type of soil do you have? If you have rich soil, growing an abundance is easy without spending much time improving the soil. If your soil is poor, you might have to spend a year or more improving the land so it will grow you lots of food. Cover cropping, bringing in mulch and manure, double-digging, making compost piles, gathering fall leaves and sheet-mulching – there are multiple things you may do to improve the ground, but all of them take time and effort.

Fourthly, what type of ecosystem are you starting with? If you’re eliminating grass, you’ll need to till or sheet mulch or meticulously fork and pull weeds.  If you’re starting with a patch of brush or woods, you’ll need to eliminate lots of woody material and chop roots to get planting. If you have high rainfall, you may be able to grow with the rain. If you’re in a low rainfall area, you’ll have to find a way to irrigate.

In a tropical climate, we planted pigeon peas and corn, taro and tannia, cassava, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, papaya, melons, bananas, plantains and other fast-producing crops all over our food forest projects. Within a year, we had abundant food. In a temperate climate, our projects usually took a few years to give us abundant food.

Yet if we had gardened in beds through the food forest, we would have plenty more. At the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, we threw ourselves into gardening – often working most of the day on it – and were rewarded quickly with lots of produce. In normal years, however, we lived our lives with gardening as something we mostly did on weekends and in a few minutes here and there, and we reaped accordingly.

The integration of annuals into our food forest systems has generally been secondary to the primary goal of getting the fruits and nuts and shrubs and other perennials rolling.

Which is one reason we developed the Grocery Row Gardening system as outlined in the little book we published in 2021.

The idea was to link the fast production of annuals with the long-term production of tree crops. Thus far, it has been quite successful. It’s not the wild apparently anarchy and flowing lines and vignettes you find in our food forest projects, but it’s quite productive right from the beginning.

But back to the food forest question.

If you wish to quickly produce lots of vegetables in your food forest, simply create lots of annual garden beds around your long-term perennials in the early years so you have plenty of early yields. When your trees are young, they cast very little shade – so take advantage of that window of time to grow all the sun-loving high-yield annuals you can.

Assuming you have some decent soil and a moderately long growing season, along with available water, the main limiting factors will just be your time and will. Put both of them on the task and you’ll have an abundance of food in months, not years.

If a Grocery Row Garden is more your style, we build one from start-to-finish and show results in this video:

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The South Garden at Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessen, Delaware, has been nicknamed the “pizza oven” by those who tend it. It sits in full sun, and its antique brick walls and pathways radiate a lot of heat. Yet this garden looks fresh and appealing throughout the seasons, thanks to a colorful palette of North American natives that are perfectly adapted to flourish in this hot, bright spot. Visitors who are inspired to plant these beautiful, border-worthy selections will also be helping to feed the local wildlife that depends on their gardens for forage and shelter. Here are some of the spring and summer stars that brighten the South Garden.

1. ‘Pica Bella’ purple coneflower

Name: Echinacea purpurea ‘Pica Bella’

Zones: 3-8

Size: 18 to 36 inches tall, and 1 to 2 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; dry to medium, well-drained soil

Native range: Central and southeastern United States (straight species)

‘Pica Bella’ purple coneflower was a standout in Mt. Cuba Center’s trial garden. It is disease and pest resistant, and its vibrant blooms attract bees and butterflies from June through September. With a long season of interest and a tidy form that requires no staking, this plant can do a lot of heavy lifting in a design. Individual plants last for many years, especially when divided every 3 years to keep them in prime health.

 

2. ‘Valerie Finnis’ artemisia

Name: Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’

Zones: 5-10

Size: 18 to 24 inches tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun; dry to medium, well-drained soil

Native range: Throughout North America

When given its preferred conditions—sandy soil, full sun, and moderate humidity—‘Valerie Finnis’ artemisia will produce an abundance of cool white foliage that gives any garden a Mediterranean feel. Use it to add a soft glow at the front of a bed. Be forewarned, though: This plant can be an aggressive spreader; tame it by pinching or shearing the  flowers. Plant it in the sunniest, best-drained spot in your garden because shade will shrivel it.

 

3. ‘Short and Sweet’ catchfly

Name: Silene caroliniana ssp. wherryi ‘Short and Sweet’

Zones: 4-8

Size: 4 to 8 inches tall, and 8  to 12 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; dry to moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Central, southern, and southeastern United States

‘Short and Sweet’ catchfly lives up to its name, making it the perfect choice for taming a border’s edge. In May, it will be covered in dianthus-like flowers, and the foliage remains attractive long after the blooms pass. Try raising it to eye level in a container, where it will appreciate the extra heat and drainage.

 

4. ‘Arizona Apricot’ blanket flower

Name: Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’

Zones: 4-9

Size: 8 to 10 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun; average to poor, well-drained soil

Native range: Western and northern United States into Canada

‘Arizona Apricot’ blanket flower is another low grower, with nonstop flowers that glow like a sunrise. The key to maintaining this plant is grooming—it responds well to rejuvenation pruning, and, if the flowers are deadheaded when they start to fade, it may bloom well into winter. ‘Arizona Apricot’ will be happiest in a spot with low humidity and well-drained soil. Be prepared to replace this short-lived perennial when it starts to decline, around 2 years after it is planted.

 

5. ‘Dark Towers’ beardtongue

Name: Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’

Zones: 3-8

Size: 1-1/2 to 3 feet tall, and 1 to 2 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; dry to medium, well-drained soil

Native range: A hybrid of species from south-central and eastern United States and Canada

‘Dark Towers’ beardtongue offers 3 seasons of worry-free interest. Rosettes of deep purple basal foliage persist almost all winter. Then in late spring, 3-foot-tall, ruby red flower spikes emerge, studded with pale pink, gem-like flowers that attract bumblebees and hummingbirds. Once the blooms are spent, its shiny red seedheads and thick, dark foliage look beautiful in the garden or in a bouquet.

 

6. ‘Carolina Moonlight’ baptisia

Name: Baptisia ‘Carolina Moonlight’

Zones: 4-9

Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; average to dry, well-drained soil

Native range: A hybrid of species from southern United States

Baptisias (Baptisia spp. and cvs., Zones 3-9) are close-to-perfect garden plants. They are long lived, disease free, and deer resistant, and they thrive in poor soils due to their nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Once established, they require little, if any, watering. ‘Carolina Moonlight’ is a compact cultivar with a vase-shaped habit that sends up spikes of buttery yellow, pea-like flowers for about 3 weeks in late spring. Its nectar is a valuable early-season food source for bumblebees, perfectly timed to provide nourishing meals for emerging queens.

 

7. Coast azalea

Name: Rhododendron atlanticum

Zones: 6-8

Size: 2 to 6 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; light, acidic, well-drained soil

Native range: Coastal eastern United States

You will want to plant coast azalea close to a window or a sitting area, where its sweet spring fragrance can be enjoyed. This coastal plain native blooms and sheds its spent flowers before the foliage fully emerges, giving it a neat and tidy appearance when bloom time is done. Due to its compact size, it will not require frequent pruning. Flower color varies within the species and by cultivar and includes a range of whites, pinks, and yellows. For healthy plants, not to mention a stronger floral scent, give coast azaleas what they want: full sun.

 

8. Turk’s cap lily

Name: Lilium superbum

Zones: 5-8

Size: 4 to 7 feet tall and 6  to 12 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; average to moist,  well-drained soil

Native range: Eastern United States

Turk’s cap lily towers over the rest of the garden, which is fortunate because its graceful, nodding blooms are best viewed from below. Its height makes it well suited to the back of a border, where in spring its foliage will telescope upward, branching outward at the inflorescence. This long-lived lily is easily propagated by dividing bulbs, but it must be protected from deer, rabbits, and rodents.

 

9. Giant coneflower

Name: Rudbeckia maxima

Zones: 4-9

Size: 5 to 7 feet tall, and 3 to  4 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; moist to dry, well-drained soil

Native range: Central and southern United States

Nothing delights quite like a goldfinch bobbing up and down on the stem of a giant coneflower, working to pry seeds from its cone. You can invite charming avian guests into your garden by planting this prairie native, which produces flowers that arrive with the heat of summer and persist through July. This is a plant that needs full sun, high heat, and lean soils, and it may require staking in more fertile conditions. If the stalks are cut back when flowers fade, you might get a second, shorter-stemmed batch of blooms. These plants are exclamation points in the garden, sure to catch the attention of any garden visitor, be it human, bird, or insect.

 

10. Tiny Wine® Atlantic ninebark

Name: Physocarpus opulifolius ‘SMPOTW’

Zones: 3-8

Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; dry to medium,  well-drained soil

Native range: Central and eastern North America (straight species)

The deep bronze foliage of Tiny Wine® Atlantic ninebark and its contrasting warm red bark add a transfixing sense of depth to a garden design. This shrub grows wide and dense as it fills out and requires pruning maintenance to keep foliar disease at bay. No need to shear it; just prune out the 3 to 5 oldest canes in the shrub after it finishes blooming. This will open up air circulation between the leaves, and the shrub will still look full and healthy.

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Choose border-worthy native plants for your garden

Three members of Mt. Cuba Center’s horticulture staff planned the South Garden’s plant list and bed layouts over the course of more than 20 meetings. Here are some of their tips for choosing the right native plants for any bed or border:

“Start with a list of native species that will survive and thrive in your garden’s particular conditions. Narrow the list down by imposing a color scheme, then think about bloom times: What will be blooming together? Will you have color in each season?”

—Donna Wiley, formal gardens horticulturist

“Remember that foliage colors will carry a design through the seasons. Let flowers be the icing on the cake.”

—Vic Piatt, horticulturist and gardens manager

“For a formal border, consider a blocked planting design in which groups of each plant are massed together to create bold swaths of color that shift throughout the seasons. It looks great and also helps pollinators and other wildlife forage from their favorite plants more efficiently.”

—Travis Beck, director of horticulture

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Katie Bohri is the marketing and communications coordinator at the Mt. Cuba Center.

Photos, except where noted: courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center

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In Issue 181, we got to know some of the plants that grace Mt. Cuba Center’s hot, sunny South Garden during the spring and summer months (10 Great Natives for a Sunny Border). The garden had been recently redesigned to showcase a collection of borderworthy natives that can take the heat of the Zone 7 summers in Hockessin, Delaware.

At season’s end, the carefully planned color palette transitions from the warm pinks and oranges of summer to an explosion of blue, gold, and burgundy. The plant list includes well-known fall favorites as well as a few up-and-coming autumn attractions, such as ‘Summer Sunshine’ coreopsis and ‘October Skies’ aromatic aster. Both top performers in Mt. Cuba Center’s plant trials, they definitely deserve to be grown in more gardens.

By massing several plants of each variety together and repeating these blocks of color throughout the garden, the horticulturists who designed the garden struck a delicate balance. The double borders feel formal but not forced, and each plant has enough space to really show what it can do.

When planning your garden’s fall finale, don’t overlook your region’s native plants. There are many excellent species and cultivars that look perfect in a more formal setting, and your local pollinators and wildlife will appreciate the autumn bounty.

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Try these at home

Donna Wiley, horticulturist at Mt. Cuba Center, was on the South Garden’s design team and has tended this collection of heat-tolerant natives since it was planted in 2015. Here are her tips for enjoying these autumn beauties in your own garden.

1. ‘Shenandoah’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, Zones 5–9) ‘Shenandoah’ has a long season of interest, with attractive foliage that remains upright. It starts to flower in late summer; the airy pink flower spikes turn beige in the fall and persist through winter.	2. Giant coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima, Zones 4–9) To encourage more silver-green basal foliage late in the season, cut stems to the ground after the flowers fade, and clean any bad foliage from the base. The new leaves that emerge will look good through fall. Stalks left in place may flop over, but if you have room for them to do their thing, goldfinches will visit often to feast on the seeds.
3. Tiny Wine® Atlantic ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘SMPOTW’, Zones 3–8) The foliage of this shrub provides rich, dark color throughout the season and takes on a reddish tint in fall. Prune it in late spring after it flowers to keep it in scale with the rest of your garden. Its flowers attract plenty of pollinators.	4. Willow-leaved blue star (Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia, Zones 3–9) After spring flowers fade, blue star can be cut back by about half to keep the plant’s habit more full and compact. The foliage stays attractive all season, turning golden yellow in late fall.
5. ‘Summer Sunshine’ coreopsis (Coreopsis palustris ‘Summer Sunshine’, Zones 6–9) From late September into October, this low-maintenance plant provides bountiful blooms. It has a sturdy, upright habit and light-green foliage that is disease free. It tolerates full sun, hot weather, and well-drained soil.	6. ‘Dark Towers’ penstemon (Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’, Zones 3–8) This dark-leaved plant produces a bounty of attractive burgundy seed pods after its early summer flowers fade. It looks equally nice either cut back to expose the rosette of burgundy foliage or with seed spikes left on for a taller show. Cutting the seed stalks off in late autumn helps the basal foliage toughen up for the winter; it also prevents unwanted seedlings.
7. ‘Concord Grape’ spiderwort (Tradescantia ‘Concord Grape’, Zones 3–9) Unless the weather is wet, ‘Concord Grape’ needs supplemental water to get through the heat of summer. Cut stems to the ground in midsummer after flowering starts to slack off, leaving any new foliage emerging at ground level. Fresh foliage will start to grow soon after.	8. ‘Arizona Apricot’ blanket flower (Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’, Zones 4–9) This little powerhouse blooms all season long, provided it has excellent drainage and loose soil, not clay. If it is deadheaded as the flowers fade, it can bloom from early summer through late autumn.
9. ‘Bluebird’ smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve ‘Bluebird’, Zones 4–8) This pollinator-pleaser is a Mt. Cuba Center introduction. It shouldn’t be pruned or shaped, because its habit is different from many asters; it produces flower spikes that emerge from basal foliage. Give it plenty of room, and enjoy the show!	10. ‘October Skies’ aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’, Zones 3–8) The shorter of the two asters grown in the South Garden, ‘October Skies’ (photo p. 65) only grows about 2 feet tall. It may be cut back by about half in June to make it fuller. In fact, most North American asters (Symphyotrichum spp. and cvs., Zones 3–8) may be pruned or shaped before July 4 without reducing their bloom.

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Carol Collins is the assistant editor.

Photos: Carol Collins

Collaborative post

In today’s world, finding a house with adequate space for the family can be a challenge. Homes in the UK have always been fairly small, but with the housing crisis affecting people all over the country, space has become more expensive than ever.

However, small spaces don’t have to be cramped and uncomfortable. It’s possible to design a lovely home by making the most of what you have.

When decorating and designing your home – whether it’s a flat, house or bungalow – you need to take space into consideration. To ensure everyone has enough room to be comfortable, you need to get creative. Read on for four easy ways to save space in your home.

Use storage solutions

One of the simplest ways to save space in your home is to increase the number of storage solutions you’re using.

Think about whether you have the most space-efficient storage for all your belongings. If not, you can add more shelves, drawers and other units to keep everything tidy and organised.

Some storage solutions take up more space than others, so consider how you can utilise space that isn’t currently being filled.

For example, you can use screw hooks to easily hang coats, jackets and other clothes from the backs of doors. They’re very easy to apply on wood or other surfaces and are a great way to save space while keeping things within easy reach.

Most storage units look better when they’re completely closed off, such as drawers and wardrobes. However, this doesn’t mean that other storage solutions should be overlooked. Shelves are particularly useful because they can be stacked up to the ceiling, and floating shelves can be fixed to the wall above other pieces of furniture.

Declutter regularly

It’s easy to get attached to possessions, and you might find it hard to let go of things you’ve had for many years. However, if you’re not working with much space you should try to declutter and get rid of old things regularly.

Less is more when you’re trying to make the most of each room. It makes sense to get rid of items that you no longer use.

Try to have a clearout at least once a year. If you have a large family it may be necessary to do it more often. Remember you can donate things to charity shops if they’re in good condition. Alternatively, you can also sell clothes and other items online.

Use light and neutral tones

Dark colours can make a strong impression, but they also help to reduce the amount of natural light in your rooms. This can have the unintended effect of making the space look smaller than it is.

By using light and neutral colours when painting and choosing decorations, you can increase the natural light in your home.

Although lighter colours might typically look less interesting, you can boost the impact by introducing different textures and patterns. This helps to create a fun and aesthetically pleasing look without sacrificing the amount of light that enters the room.

Use mirrors

Another great way to increase natural light and make spaces look bigger than they are is by using mirrors.

This is an old trick, but not one that should be overlooked. You can place mirrors in most rooms to increase the light and give the illusion of a much larger space.

They don’t have to be standard-looking mirrors either. You can create a fun and vibrant space that looks great by mixing up the types of mirrors you use. There are so many different styles, and it’s a great chance to think outside the box.

More space saving ideas

Here are some more useful resources to help you save space in your home:

Space saving ideas for kids bedrooms

Family home storage tips

Small space gardening ideas

Collaborative post

If you’ve ever tackled a room renovation in your home, you’ll know that the finishing touches can make all the difference.

The right accessory, task lighting or wall art can take your project to the next level, and make a room feel coherent and welcoming.

Wall art is one of the easiest ways to achieve that ‘finished’ look. It’s so versatile, and you can use it in lots of different ways to complement your personal interior style.  It’s also super-easy to find the perfect piece with online wall art retailers like Desenio. 

The benefits of wall art in your home

As well as helping to make a room look fabulous, there are lots of other benefits to using wall art in your home.  Read on to find out more – some of them might surprise you!

Make sure you grab our exclusive 40% discount code for Desenio via the link at the end of the article too.

Create a focal point

Interior designers love to create a focal point in a room, and for good reason.

Drawing the eye to a particular feature in a room is a simple way to create impact and communicate the style of the whole space.  It’s also a clever way to distract from less-than-lovely features.

Wall art is ideal for use as a focal point. If you’ve ever walked into a room and been instantly drawn to a bold piece of wall art, this is what we’re talking about here.  It’s also a relatively simple and low-cost way to really make a statement in your home.

Create a sense of ‘home’

A room with bare walls always tends to feel ‘unfinished’.  Wall art can solve this problem, taking a space from impersonal to welcoming with just a few well-placed frames.

If you like the minimalist style of interior design, you can still use wall art to give a room a lived-in feel.  Clean lines, geometric shapes and a limited colour palette in your wall art will complement the rest of your decor, while still adding character and depth.

Make a statement

We’ve touched on this already with focal point.  Wall art is a fantastic option when it comes to really making a statement in your home.

Bold colours, supersized prints, textured canvases and impactful images all punch above their weight when it comes to impact.

Another easy way to make a statement is to create a gallery wall. If you’re a little daunted by this, Desenio has lots of inspiring designs and a gallery wall tool to help you.

Provide contrast and texture

A room that’s decorated in similar colours can lack depth and texture.  You can use wall art to plug these gaps without changing the whole space.

For example, a pop of colour in your wall art will contrast really well with a muted or monochrome colour scheme, and a textured canvas or high-gloss frame will provide depth against other materials in the room, making the space feel more dynamic.

Impact on mood

It’s no surprise that the things we can see within our home have a significant impact on our mood and our wellbeing.  Once again, wall art can play a key role here. 

By surrounding yourself with colours, images, furniture and accessories that you love, you can create a home that fills you with joy and cultivates positive emotions.

You may like those emotions to vary depending on the room.  For example, calming colours and wall art are ideal in a bedroom, while a study is perfect for stimulating colours and motivational quotes.

Reflect your personality

Last but not least, how about using your wall art as an extension of your personality?

The way we decorate our homes speaks volumes about who we are.  Using wall art that has a personal meaning allows you to tell your story, and live in a space that is a reflection of who you are.  This can also deliver those mood-boosting benefits we talked about earlier.

Have any of these benefits of using wall art in your home surprised you?

40% off Desenio prints – exclusive voucher

The lovely team at Desenio have given us an exclusive discount code to share with you.  Use the code growingfamily on desenio.co.uk before midnight on 13th September 2023 to get an amazing 40% off @desenio prints (excludes personalised and canvas).  Have fun shopping!

Today we’re visiting Wendy’s garden in Cleveland Township in northern Michigan.

In high summer, lush greenery is dotted with flowers, and there are lots of places to sit, look out, and enjoy it.

A beautiful sun casts its glow over peacock gladiolus (Gladiolus murielae, Zones 6–10 or as a tender bulb). This beautiful bulb used to be classified in its own genus but has been moved into gladiolus. Unlike typical gladiolus, the elegant flowers are strongly fragrant, especially in the evening. They tend to bloom at the end of summer, sending the season out on a beautiful note.

Every inch of this garden is planted, giving it a full, wild look, and minimizing the chances for weeds to establish.

A variety of different roses are in full summer bloom. Thick plantings around the roses help show them off. Some rose varieties tend to have awkward, bare bottoms to the plants, so this style makes them look their best.

Squash and cucumbers join the flowers to give food as well as beauty. And a Mandevilla (Zones 9–11 or as an annual) in a hanging basket has climbed up the rope supporting the basket to create a column of bloom.

 

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.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

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This week, we are revisiting some of our favorite summer-centric Gardenista stories. Remember this one?

According to Santa Monica-based landscape designer Art Luna, owner of Art Luna Garden, every kitchen garden is a true labor of love. Growing a source of food requires constant care and attention. Below, he walks us through several of the edible gardens he’s created for clients, sharing some of his tips for the raised garden bed, a feature universal to his projects. “Fruits and vegetables like a controlled temperature,” he says. “When you raise the kitchen garden, you can control the temperature of the soil,” thus making for a healthier and more thriving bounty. More of Art’s insights unfolds below.

Above: In essence, a “kitchen garden’” is a functional garden that grows edible herbs, flowers, vegetables, and fruits. According to Art, when produce is grown directly in the ground, the earth’s temperatures can fluctuate, often becoming very cold or hot; it can even become too hard, which can lead to inadequate water penetration.

Growing crops in a raised setting offers more control in maintaining the soil temperature; there is also a convenience factor: “It’s easier to harvest when they’re high,” says Art. For this garden located in the Bel Air community of Los Angeles, Art incorporated timber beds that are approximately 24 inches off the ground, which are “a bit higher than most,” he says. (For each kitchen garden he designs, Art turns to Pam Rownak of Culver City, CA, who is the talent behind physically installing, and often maintaining, the edible produce.)

Above: Art punctuated the space next to the raised timber beds with wine barrel planters (a kumquat tree thrives in the front right barrel). A popular choice for many kitchen garden growers, these can be sourced at most local nurseries. “These are great for kitchen gardens. It’s a nice alternative for anyone who doesn’t have the space.”

Above: For this Bel Air garden, Art covered the sides of the raised beds with Rhaphiolepis umbellata minor, which he describes as a “course, more textured boxwood.” On the left, an old Anduze pot holds a fig tree.

He also planted a mix of edible plants and cutting flowers, ultimately designing a space where his clients can enjoy the benefits of both. “It’s nice to have a garden that is both a cutting garden and a kitchen garden at the same time.” Three beds were dedicated to growing flowers meant for cutting and enjoying elsewhere. The result is a rich, full garden.

Above: This photo was taken early on in a garden’s life, a mere three weeks after the initial planting. Art employed a strategic element here: copper edging around the top and edges of the beds. “This is a nice deterrent for pesky little insects,” he says. “It helps prevents the snails from going into the garden.” The tuteurs are made out of teak, which will eventually be completely covered with growing vines.

Art and his team look to the most organic means possible when caring for their gardens. Two natural methods he employs are neem oil, a natural insecticide, and worm castings “tea”, a blend of worms’ end products that are highly nutritious for plants.

Above: Last, a kitchen garden in the Brentwood community of Los Angeles with raised beds made of stone. “That’s the ultimate snail border,” says Art. Because of their slime, they can’t make their way up the stone. As seen in this space and the previous three, adequate sunlight, at least six hours per day, is essential for growing a successful kitchen garden, says Art.

See also:

N.B.: This post was first published in October 2012.

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The easiest fall flowers to grow in Arizona (and other mild winter climates) are simple to plant, care for, and bloom through spring. When you are planning your fall garden, don’t forget to add some flowers, too!

If you’re wondering which fall flowers to plant in the Phoenix Valley and surrounding areas, this post shares my top ten picks for easy-growing cool-season annual flowers.

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Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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10 Easiest Flowers to Grow in Arizona in the Fall

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The oppressive heat of an Arizona summer is (almost!) gone. Heat-tolerating flowers have mostly survived, but they are definitely looking tired. It’s time to swap them out for new flowers that will grow and thrive during Arizona’s cooler months. The options seem overwhelming, and you may ask yourself: 

• What are the easiest flowers to grow in Arizona in the fall? 
• Which flowers can I plant from transplant in the fall that grow well through spring?
• Which flowers can I plant in the fall that will last through spring? 
• Which flowers are simple to care for? 
• Are there annual flowers that grow well in pots and containers? 
• Which flowers can I buy from a big box store that will grow well and not die in a couple of weeks? 

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Here are my ten choices for easy-to-grow fall flowers

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1. Snapdragons

Good to know: Attracts bees and butterflies. It is one of the easiest cool-season flowers to grow. Cutting the central stem early produces fuller branching stems. Keep deadheaded to encourage blooms. Excellent cut flower.

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2. Blue Salvia

Plant transplants outside:
September 15 – October
March-May 15

Months in bloom: April – early December

Good to know: Reseeds. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Several colors and varieties. Keep deadheaded to encourage blooms. Pairs well with lobelia.

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3. Geranium

Good to know: Remove flowers for the first few weeks to allow the plant to get established. Keep dead-headed for better blooms. Does best with regular water and 4-6 hours of sun. Pairs well with alyssum.

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4. Petunias

Good to know: Pinch off flowers when first planted to encourage root development. Keep deadheaded to encourage blooms. Easy to grow. Needs regular watering. 

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5. Gazania

Good to know: Considered a perennial flower, but often grown as an annual in the low desert of Arizona.

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10 Easy-to-grow Fall Flowers

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6. Alyssum

Good to know: Easy to grow. Grows well in the sun or part shade. Reseeds easily. Attracts many beneficial insects and pollinators. Pairs well with geraniums.

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7. Dianthus

Good to know: Easy to grow. Edible. Comes in many colors.

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8. Marigold

Good to know: Good companion plant in the garden. Reseeds easily. Easy to grow. Needs regular water. Cutting the central stem early produces fuller branching stems. Keep deadheaded to encourage blooms. 

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Visual planting guides for vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers & vines.

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9. Pansies and Violets

Good to know: Keep deadheaded to encourage blooms. Edible. Easy to grow. Needs part shade.

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10. Lobelia

Good to know: Prefers part sun. Needs regular water. Wait until hot temperatures subside to plant transplants. Keep deadheaded to encourage blooms. Pairs well with blue saliva.

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