Category: Home & Garden

Most people don’t realize, however, that they can be lovely houseplants, too.

If you aren’t familiar with impatiens, first check out our growing guide to find out their history, environmental needs, and potential problems.

Then come back here, and we’ll talk about what it takes to grow them indoors. Here’s what we’ll discuss:

If your interior is just begging for some color, let’s jump in!

Propagation

Impatiens can be started the same way indoors that they can be outdoors. You can grow them from seed, take cuttings, or transplant purchased starts.

Here’s the process for each in a nutshell:

Impatiens seeds need light to germinate, so just press them into the soil. From there, it’s all about keeping the soil moist and providing bright, indirect light.

Seeds typically germinate in a few weeks, and once they grow a few true leaves, you can transplant them into individual containers.

Rooting cuttings involves taking a stem with a few leaves on it and planting it in a pot filled with seed-starting mix. Place this in a spot with bright, indirect light and keep the soil moist.

New growth should develop within a few weeks. That’s when you know your cutting is happy and developing roots.

Of course, you can always just buy live impatiens plants. There isn’t much to do other than maybe repotting them if you want to display them in a different container.

We’ll talk about that process under Maintenance below.

If you’re wondering if you can propagate your outdoor impatiens and bring them inside, the answer is: yes, absolutely!

How to Grow

Think about the kind of conditions that most impatiens thrive in.

They like moisture, low light, and moderate temperatures – just the kind of environment that you can provide for them indoors.

It can be tricky sometimes to strike the right light balance with houseplants. Too little light, and your impatiens will be leggy and stunted. Too much, and they’ll burn.

But impatiens aren’t too challenging. The exact exposure required will depend on the species that you’re growing, but common impatiens do best with a bit of direct morning sun and bright, indirect light for the rest of the day.

Just stick them in front of an east-facing window, or a west- or south-facing window with sheer curtains, and you’re probably good to go.

Impatiens will flower indoors, but if they don’t receive enough light, they will stop flowering. If your plants stop blooming and become leggy, move them to brighter light and pinch them back to encourage new, bushy growth.

Some varieties, like New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri), might do best if you grow them outdoors during the summer and indoors during the winter so they can have the sunlight they crave.

If you want to move the plants outside, you must harden them off for at least a week first.

Plants can be hardened off by taking them out to the place where you intend to keep them for one hour on the first day, then bringing them back in.

On the second day, take them outside for two hours and then bring them in. Add an hour each day for a full week.

Providing enough moisture, both in the soil and the air, is probably the biggest challenge in keeping impatiens happy indoors.

Our indoor air tends to be drier than the outdoor air because of things like air conditioning, forced air heating, and air filtration.

You want the plants to be exposed to air that is moderately humid, and the soil should stay moist but not wet.

Having said that, it seems like most new houseplant growers fall into one of two groups: those who overwater in an attempt to be good plant parents or because they stick to a schedule without checking the actual moisture level, and the neglect-prone people who forget to water for weeks on end.

I fell firmly into the first group when I started out. It took me a while – and a good moisture meter – to figure out how to water well.

Whether you’re a newbie or an old hand at houseplant growing, you must check your soil before adding water. Don’t make assumptions.

Feel the soil or stick a moisture meter probe in there. The soil should register as moderately moist, a five on a scale of one to 10, or it should feel like a well-wrung-out sponge. If it feels drier than that, it’s time to water.

Don’t worry, impatiens will tell you when they’re thirsty. They’ll start to droop.

Curious about why this happens? It’s because the plant contains tubes or vessels called phloem and xylem that are used to move the water throughout the plant.

Pinching them regularly helps, as can pruning back the stems after the flowers fade.

You can do this using your fingernails or a clean pair of scissors. Cut stems back to just above a leaf bud at the approximate height where you’d like to maintain the plant.

Secondly, you will also need to repot your plant periodically. You have two options here:

If you want to keep using the pot that you have the plant growing in already, there will come a point where your impatiens outgrows its container.

You’ll know this is happening when roots start to poke out of the drainage holes.

At this point, you can divide the plant and place part in another container, keeping the remaining portion in the original container.

Remove the impatiens plant from its pot and gently tease apart the roots and aboveground growth into sections of the size you prefer. Brush away the soil and remove any dead or damaged roots.

Replant the main part in its original pot, refreshing the soil as needed. You can plant the other portion in a new container, or just plant it outside or give it to a friend if you’re out of space.

The other option is to move into a larger pot. Choose a pot one or two sizes up from the existing container.

Remove the old plant and brush off the soil. Trim off any dead or damaged roots that you see. Fill the new pot with clean, fresh potting soil and firm the plant into the new container.

This is the same process you’ll follow for transplanting a newly-purchased plant into a different container.

Both options for repotting can be done at any time of year.

Be aware that some species are annuals and you’ll have to either replace them at the end of the season or propagate them to keep your impatiens display going.

Species and Cultivars to Select

Any varieties of impatiens that can grow outdoors can grow indoors as well, at least for a time.

Species or hybrids that need bright light, like those in the SunPatiens series, will need to be placed in a window or somewhere with direct sunlight or supplemental light.

Or they might do best if they can spend the summer outdoors.

The yellow melon aphid (Aphis gossypii) is the most common species that you may come across, but any aphid that hangs out on houseplants might give your plants a nibble, sucking out the sap.

When they do, you’ll see yellowing leaves and stunted growth.

Spider mites, particularly the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), can cause similar symptoms, but you’ll know aphids aren’t the problem because they leave behind a fine webbing as they colonize a plant.

The easiest and least chemical-intensive way to deal with either of these is to isolate your plant.

Spray the pests off in your shower or sink using a steady stream of water, and repeat this once a week until the pests are gone.

You can also spray your plant with neem oil after it dries off if you want to be extra sure you’re getting rid of the pests.

Unless your plants are already infected with the dreaded impatiens downy mildew (IDW) when you bring them home, you won’t have to worry about this incredibly common disease.

When a plant is infected with the oomycete Plasmopara obducens, the leaves become discolored and begin to curl at the edges. Eventually, the plant defoliates.

Again, be sure to isolate new plants to check for signs of disease before allowing them to share a space with your other plants!

EVERY GARDENER has their obsessions—or maybe a nicer way to say that might be to call it their “signature plants,” the ones that help define their garden. I confess to a serious issue with gold-leaved things. And last time I checked my friend Ken Druse had more than a few plants with variegated leaves of all kinds of daring patterns and hues that catch your eye in his New Jersey garden.

Today’s topic is how those colorful leaves actually do very important jobs in our landscapes beyond just looking pretty.

Regular listeners all know Ken Druse as an old friend of mine, and the author of 20 garden books, including “The Scentual Garden” and “The New Shade Garden,” and an earlier book called “The Collector’s Garden” that figures into our subject today. Ken is also my co-creator of the Virtual Garden Club online series of classes that’s marking its two-year anniversary this fall.

join us in the virtual garden club starting 9/14/2023

KEN DRUSE and I are hosting another semester of our popular Virtual Garden Club starting September 26, with four live sessions every other week through October 26, 2023. Learn more about the club, and what we’ll be covering this upcoming semester, from ecological fall cleanup, to unusual bulbs (including natives, and ones for forcing indoors), to getting ready for winter sowing of perennials and much, much more.

Read along as you listen to the Sept. 4, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

using gold and variegated plants, with ken druse

 

 

Margaret Roach: Hi Ken, are you ready to talk about a few of our obsessions?

Ken Druse: A few. Well, I knew we were going to talk about them. So I went around the garden just making a simple list…of 30 plants.

Margaret: Oops!

Ken: Thirty gold and variegated plants.

Margaret: Yeah.

Ken: O.K., I thought I wasn’t going to shop anymore. It’s over. But if I see anything weird, different, funny shapes, zigzag leaves, gold, or a variegation I’ve never seen before, or a puppy or a kitten…

Margaret: Well, and you don’t plant the puppies, you adopt them and love them.

Ken: That is correct. Well, yes. I love them all.

Margaret: Yes.

Ken: Terrible.

Margaret: Yeah. We recently did a webinar together, I don’t know, a month or so ago, I think it was called “Meet Your Next Favorite Plant…and How to Use It.” And one of the topics—we kind of went through a bunch of different sort of thematically grouped kinds of plants—and one of the topics was, I think we called it “Light the Way with Gold Foliage.” And we covered the gold-leaved plants and the jobs they serve for us.

And since then, you and I have kind of been talking about this subject back and forth when we chat all the time and, “Oh, what about this one, what about that one?” But in your book, “The Collector’s Garden,” [affiliate link] you really went around the country and you met lots of people who have… well, again, I keep using the word obsession, which sounds negative [laughter], and I don’t mean it to be negative, right?

Ken: Yeah. Well, I’m trying to think of a different word [laughter].

Margaret: So that was that empty spot, was that we couldn’t think of another word. No passion, true, right? But collecting, in a way, it’s partly that, right?

Ken: Well, it’s dangerous. And I remember 30 years ago, when people were telling you how to design your garden, they always said collector’s gardens are impossible, they fail. And what they mean is a hodgepodge of lots of disparate things with no sense of order or just blatant accumulation of odd things. But the collectors that I found doing that book, somebody had 20 kinds of lavender or something like that, so they specialized. Maybe “specialists” would’ve been a little better. But I guess I specialize in any plant that I see [laughter].

Margaret: Oh, that’s an interesting filter [laughter]. So the thing that’s in common about, and we both have… I have even more gold plants I think, than you do, but we both love gold-leaved things, and we’ll talk about those. You probably have even more variegated things than I do, and I have a few key ones.

But what do these two kinds of bright-colored leaves, whether it’s on a shrub or a tree or a perennial groundcover, whatever it is, have in common—and that’s, like I said, what we talked about, and we called it “Light the Way” when we did it in our webinar, is they catch the eye, right? They are “attention, attention” exclamation points. Not columnar like your physical exclamation points in your beautiful garden, but these are another form of exclamation, I think, aren’t they?

Ken: Yeah. And I was thinking about how sometimes I’ll plant something to misdirect the view, to grab attention away from something like traffic or the neighbor eyesore, something like that. And I have a lot of things that terminate a view at the end of a path. So it actually carries you down the path, so that attracts your attention. And there’s lots of things that I treat as if they were just plants [laughter].

Margaret: Absolutely. Yeah.

Ken: When we started the garden here, we made a nursery bed, and we made little nurseries around the garden so we could plant things that we hadn’t planned a space for, and just have them grow a bit. And one of those, we called the cloud bed. Actually, we had two. One had variegated plants and gold plants, so the variegation was yellow or gold on green, and the other one was white on green, which we called the cloud bed, this little nursery. And we just kept plopping stuff in that was variegated. And it became so beautiful that it became an area of the garden that we still have today.

So it was variegated plants, but it was also things with white flowers. It kind of all goes together. I wish I planned more, it’s chicken and egg in many cases. Sometimes I’ll get something variegated and like the cloud bed, the garden gets planted around it. It becomes the first thing, the impetus for a planting area.

Margaret: Right. A long time ago, oh gosh, 20 years ago, I imagine, friends from Seattle, and I’ve spoken about them before, Glenn Withey and Charles Price, who are garden designers, they came to visit. And we were talking about my making more long views, and setting up more structure in the garden, and helping move the eye around. And they gave me sort of this… and I’m not going to do justice to their wisdom, but they talked about, “O.K., so we know you want to enjoy this axial view from here,” from the patio or from a key spot inside your house even more important, because a lot of times of the year we’re not always out in the garden looking at the garden. A lot of times we’re in the house, a lot of times of day and times of year, looking out.

So these key axial views, and like you said, at the end of it, you might pick a big variegated thing, or for that matter, it could be at this time of year, it could be a very large white-flowering hydrangea, like a Hydrangea paniculata. I have some really big old ones, and they scream across the yard quite a distance away at this time of year. But the variegated foliage or the gold foliage at the end of that axis.

But what they said to me was, O.K., that’s good, but along the way, on the ground level and the intermediate level left and right of that path, that roadway to that view, let’s give it some help to pull the eye further, further, further.

And so not literally flanking the whole visual pathway out to the screaming plant, but here and there along the way, there were other hints of that coloration. And that really helped a lot. And that’s something that I think about a lot also when I place my seasonal pots. I have a lot of big pots. I have two big pots that have, and then when I say big, two and a half feet across, or more, like whiskey barrel-ish size, but not made of wood, that have variegated, red twig dogwoods in them. And when I’m thinking of where to place those, I could use that to help guide you to a bigger variegated view somewhere in the distance, I could place them along the way kind of thing. So yeah.

Ken: Yeah. I have Heuchera villosa ‘Citronelle,’ which is a Heuchera with lime-colored foliage that doesn’t die-

Margaret: That’s a great one [above, in foreground].

Ken: Because some Heuchera just sort of croak. But this one, and I’ve used it just like you’re saying. And as you’re saying that there’s an area that I made the path get narrower and narrower as it goes away. So it really looks long and deep when it hits that variegated plant that isn’t gigantic, and makes you think it’s bigger and further. And there’s a lot of what people call rooms here, and I don’t know if we plan that exactly, but we have areas that we over the years have sort of encased or closed. And when you walk through the garden, there’s all these series of surprises. And we’ve used variegated plants a lot for that. Sometimes to get your attention before you get to the next place, to make the next thing more exciting and surprising.

Margaret: Right. John Gwynne and Mikel Folcarelli, two great gardeners up in Rhode Island in Little Compton, you’re reminding me, they have a gardener of rooms, and actually kind of walls of greenery that enclose the rooms—more formal. And there’s one I think you come into and you don’t realize it’s going to be this screaming gold room, because you’ve come out of another area and there’s these walls of green, these hedges. And then suddenly you come to the entryway and it’s like, it’s just gleaming in this place because they’ve put all these gold and golden-green things in there. And it’s like you’ve come out of a darker spot into a lighter spot accentuated by all this goldness. So it can be super-high drama.

What are some of the ones that you rely on? I just mentioned that I really love the twig dogwoods, and I have both the variegated ones, like ‘Ivory Halo’ is a great one, a red twig dogwood. And that stays more compact and more rounded, sort of mounded in shape. It’s not quite as large as some of the others. And I have ‘Silver and Gold,’ Cornus sericea “Silver and Gold’ twig dogwood, with gold twigs, and green and white leaves. And that’s a little bigger. And I also have one that has red twigs and gold leaves, which is ‘Sunshine,’ Cornus sericea ‘Sunshine.’ So I’ve used those. Plus, then you get the bonus of winter red twigs to lead your eye to a place. But at any rate, I don’t know, what were some of the plants that you find are serving these purposes in your garden?

Ken: [Laughter.] Of the 30?

Margaret: Not the 30, some of the big payoff moments, I mean. The one’s that are… Like I know when we did the webinar recently, you were talking about that beautiful ‘Celestial Shadow’ Korean hybrid dogwood [detail in flower at Ken’s, above].

Ken: That is one. There are trees like Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia,’ which has gold leaves, and it keeps the gold through the season. That’s a tree. And the funny thing about… it’s not funny really, but when you look out, that grabs your eye, and it’s sort of like springtime, because that color is the color of when the leaves first come out there are a lot of chartreuse colored leaves on trees. But this one doesn’t lose that color. So it’s very refreshing.

Margaret: Right. I have that ‘Tiger Eyes’ sumac [below].

Ken: Oh my gosh, which I’ve killed three times.

Margaret: Cutleaf staghorn sumac ‘Tiger Eyes,’ which is gold, very, I don’t even know how to describe the foliage, but very-

Ken: Ferny, feathery.

Margaret: Yeah, it’s just beautiful, cutleaf as it says in its name. And that stays gold as well. So that’s a more intermediate height. It’s like a shrub and kind of eccentric in shape and suckers here and there, but you can control that.

Ken: We didn’t say that a lot of things that start out gold and even stay gold till the beginning of August, go green. So that’s something to try to be aware of.

Margaret: Right. And so the red twig dogwood ‘Sunshine,’ Cornus sericea ‘Sunshine’ [above] stays gold until it drops its leaves in the fall. You know what I mean? It’s gold, gold, gold. And this cutleaf staghorn sumac ‘Tiger Eyes’ stays gold. And I think what you just mentioned stays gold, yes. And that’s what-

Ken: Robinia, right?

Margaret: Yeah. And I think your Korean hybrid dogwood does, too. It’s variegated gold and green.

Ken: It changes, but it does keep a gold cast to it. In the spring, it’s a little brighter and more defined, but it’s still gold. And that’s funny because in the evening, just before sunset, the light around the whole garden is kind of yellow, or maybe it’s red, but everything looks yellow and this plant looks… you can’t take your eyes off it.

Margaret: Right. So that’s another point about these plants with these bright-colored leaves is where we place them in the light behind them, or at different times of day can really accentuate it.

Among shrub-sized, but not shrubby plants, because it’s a giant herbaceous perennial. I love that gold Japanese, the spikenard, the Aralia cordata ‘Sun King,’ which gets to be this massive… it dies to the ground, but it gets to be this massive perennial. Certainly five feet high and across or something, or four feet high and five feet across. It’s this big, big, big thing, ‘Sun King.’ And that could serve as a seasonal traffic director [laughter]. You’d want to walk toward that plant, right? You’d be attracted from a distance toward a plant of that substance and color. [Above, a young plant at Margaret’s.]

Ken: Sometimes the gold or variegated things are wimpy versions of the parent plant, the species. And sometimes they’re not. But as you’re saying that, I’m thinking of some of my favorites. You may know Symphytum x uplandicum ‘Axminster Gold.’ [Below at Ken’s.]

Margaret: Now translate that into English for us. I don’t know that.

Ken: Comfrey. It’s a comfrey and it’s really big, and I saw it at Wave Hill, oh, many years ago, and you couldn’t get it anywhere. Now you can, now you see it. Probably from tissue culture, because it’s a funny thing about propagating, which is true with several plants, like even snake plants, you can’t make root cuttings because it loses the variegation. And that plant loses its variegation, but now it’s on the market, which is great. And I’ve had the variegated horseradish for decades.

Margaret: And that’s a white and green variegation.

Ken: White and green and it’s different every year, I think by the temperature in the spring, actually.

Margaret: So the pattern is different, the mosaic on it, sort of the-

Ken: Well, it’s splashes of white.

Margaret: I see.

Ken: And sometimes a leaf is almost completely white, and it’s white, white. It’s really bleach white, beautiful.

Margaret: Plus you can get some horseradish [laughter].

Ken: No, you can’t because then you’re going to lose the plant.

Margaret: Well, I know, I’m teasing.

Ken: You’re probably right, you could get some.

Margaret: A little piece.

Ken: Right. And I have several redbuds, weeping redbuds, that’s Cercis canadensis. I have one, and I think there’s more than one on the market, but we’ve talked about it before, ‘Silver Cloud,’ and that’s what it’s like. It’s like a cloud. Because it’s not super blaring-in-your-eye variegation. It’s subtle. And those leaves are always moving. And that’s just a gentle thing. I actually cut some things between the porch and that tree to make that the end of the view. And it’s just like a cloud has landed in the garden.

You’re talking about Glenn and Charles, and we sometimes have guests when we have our Virtual Garden Club webinars, and I think design guests, that might be some people to bring in for the webinar.

Margaret: Yes. They sure know a lot. What about, as I talked about earlier, they encouraged me not just to put that big stoplight at the end of the view shed on axis in the distance, but to help dress it up along the way here and there to tease your eye in that direction. And so what about some sort of groundcover-y or smaller perennials or what other things? You mentioned the Heuchera, for instance. Let’s talk about a few other ones and whether it’s variegated or whether they’re gold, like some other things. I use a lot of Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold, ‘the Japanese forest grass.

Ken: Yeah, it’s beautiful.

Margaret: And kind of announcing the top of the path as you walk up to the house here, it’s like there’s clumps on either side as you get toward the top [top of page, in fall]. So it sort of says, “come here.”

Ken: I have a couple of, I guess they’re raspberries or blackberries, they don’t really have fruit, but Rubus cockburnianus ‘Golden Veil,’ that’s one that, it doesn’t change color. That is yellow-gold in the spring, yellow-gold in the fall. And there’s a short kind of ground cover when Rubus idaeus ‘Aureus,’ which is really groundcover-y, the stems are about 12 inches high. And it’s a groundcover. [A gold Rubus cockburnianus, above.]

Margaret: Yeah. And the one thing about the Rubus is that we should say, just as a disclaimer, is that if you’re in an area where they fruit and set seed, they’re more invasive, not just spreading sideways. So you have to look those up; there’s certain areas that they’re not good to grow. Yeah, here they don’t reproduce. Yeah. No, I have them, too, but they don’t reproduce here.

Ken: Oh, yeah?

Margaret: Yeah. Don’t you have Acorus maybe? Some Acorus?

Ken: Yes. Acorus and There’s lots of Carex, too. There’s lots of Carex. They’re grassy-looking plants that aren’t really grasses. But Acorus is a plant that likes a wet situation. And there’s a lot of variegated ones that are gold and green and little strappy leaves. And one that I love that if you can find, it’s Acorus ‘Licorice,’ and if you snap a leaf or tear it, a blade, it smells just like licorice. And it’s about, I don’t know, six or seven inches tall. So that’s another great groundcover.

Margaret: So we call it sweet flag, Acorus, is that what we call some of those [like Acorus gramineus, above]?

Ken: Yeah, I guess so, right. You know me, I just don’t know the common name.

Margaret: Yeah, no, I know, I try to think of them.

Ken: Such a snob.

Margaret: No, but I try to think of them.

Ken: We didn’t say hostas.

Margaret: Well, and true. So there we go. That’s another-

Ken: Lots of hosta.

Margaret: Right, lots of hostas can do this job, too. But the idea of helping move people through the garden, helping to create spaces, helping a pathway really catch your attention some more.

And sometimes just making a great big statement. Like, I have this one giant apple tree. I have a number of them, but one that’s really big. It’s like 150 years old, and it is just so massive, it’s I don’t know, 20 feet tall and 35 or so feet across. And sort of beneath it, I put this really big, we talked about it before, the Aralia, the gold Aralia, whatever that’s called. And this big herbaceous perennial because it’s just this enormous mound, and it’s big enough and bold enough to stent to fit with that big, beautiful mound of a tree. And do you know what I mean? Sometimes you don’t want something little, sometimes you want something big.

Ken: How much shade is under the apple tree?

Margaret: A lot. Yeah.

Ken: So that’s a plant growing in some shade.

Margaret: Oh, I almost always grow that plant in part shade. Yeah, and it does fine, but here in the north, it can take… I have it in half sun. I don’t know about full sun. I don’t know what it would do in full sun. I’m not sure.

Ken: There’s that Hydrangea quercifolia, I think it’s called ‘Little Honey.’ I don’t know if you’ve seen that?

Margaret: Oh, yes.

Ken: Beautiful. But for me, it wimps along and it has some black spots on the leaf. I don’t know what to do about that. Because my other oak leaf hydrangeas are fantastic and the size of Volkswagens. And this thing I’ve had for years. Marsha Donahue in Berkeley, California, I gave her one and it’s just beautiful in that perfect climate. But mine is not happy. And I’ve tried it in two places. Not dead, but not happy.

Margaret: Not zaftig.

Ken: Have you ever grown that?

Margaret: No. I don’t have ‘Little Honey,’ I just have two plain green-leaved ones. Interesting. We didn’t mention Spiraea ‘Ogon,’ which is-

Ken: Oh, there’s so many. Yeah.

Margaret: That’s a gold-leaf Spiraea [above, used to flank a path; photo by Ken]. And for me, even here in zone 5, that has early white flowers, but once it leaves out, it stays gold. It kind of turns to a butterscotch color, the foliage in late October and November. And I have pictures that I’ve taken where the winterberry hollies are hanging on bare twigs. So we’re talking about November and beyond, and that thing hasn’t dropped its leaves yet. So that’s a really good one for a long-lasting bit of gold in the garden.

Ken: There’s a lot of popular Spiraea japonica. Well, they all have sort of pink flowers, and some of them don’t look so great, so you have to make sure you get a nice one. You know what I’m talking about, ‘Gold Mound’ and stuff? And some of them just, it’s too much, too bright, but-

Margaret: Yeah, some of them are too screaming. Yeah.

Ken: I think mine’s called ‘Gold Rug’ or something like that. And I don’t know why it’s a terrible name, but I think that’s what it is. It stays short and the pink isn’t screaming, and the flowers of course don’t last forever, but the foliage is nice. I prefer the the yellowish end for those plants because the green kind of goes, I don’t know, not as nice as the gold.

Margaret: Tell me any others that you want to shout out. Anything else that we haven’t… I have a couple of Aralia that are kind of like large shrub/small trees. They’re grafted Aralia elata, ‘Silver Umbrella’ [above] and ‘Aureovariegata’ that I love. And occasionally the rootstock will sucker, but it’s easy to dig out so they don’t go anywhere and they don’t self-sow

Ken: You remember Eleutherococcus that used to be called Aralia, I think?

Margaret: Yeah. Back in the day.

Ken: There’s a variegated version of that, that it has thorns and it’s variegated white and green, and it’s an okay plant to put on the edge of something that you don’t have to walk through because it’s all thorny [laughter]. But talk about lighting an area, it really does. It lights an area.

Margaret: I used to have a variegated flower, a variegated lilac flower, ‘Sensation.’ Remember that? With the white and purple flowers [laughter]?

Ken: Did you get that to bloom?

Margaret: Yeah, it did for years. And then finally, I don’t know what happened to it, but-

Ken: I don’t either.

Margaret: Speaking of variegation, but yeah, there’s lots of possibilities. But what we’re basically saying, just in sort of wrapping it up, is we can’t help but collect things [laughter], but we want them to serve a purpose, too. And so I think even though sometimes, like you said, Ken, we don’t know when we first bought them—and maybe they end up in the cloud bed—we don’t know when we first bought them what their purpose was. They show us, they show us the light. They really do, these golden and variegated plants. Yeah.

Ken: That’s true. And I think that listeners should forgive themselves.

Margaret: For the occasional obsession, I’ll say it again [laughter].

Ken: Right, obsession.

Margaret: Well, thank you, thank you, thank you for making time today. Now go out and pull some weeds. I’ve got to do the same.

Ken: Oh my gosh.

prefer the podcast version of the show?

MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 14th year in March 2023. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Sept. 4, 2023 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

By now, you’ve no doubt heard of the miracle product known as neem oil. This all-natural tree extract shows up in beauty products, healthcare, and a wide range of agricultural applications.

Yet you’re probably a bit confused by the mixed messages out there on how useful neem oil is for plants.

Neem oil comes from the pressed fruit of the neem tree, which is native to India and Africa. 

Derived from the neem tree, neem oil has been used for centuries to control pests, as well as in medicinal and beauty products.

Neem affects insects differently than chemical solutions. While it can take up to two weeks to see results, it’s far more successful at eliminating infestations in the long term.

Neem oil is labeled for use on soft-bodied pests such as aphids, beetle larvae, caterpillars, leafhoppers, bees, butterflies, Japanese beetles, mealybugs, thrips, spider mites, and whiteflies.

Another controversy is whether neem is safe for agricultural use.

While lauded in most of the world, neem oil is currently banned in Canada due to the potential side effects of misuse. 

The active ingredients in neem oil begin to decompose after being mixed with water. This makes the mixture most effective within 24 hours. 

Some neem oil products also control fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, leaf spot, and black spot. It combats fungi by preventing new spores from germinating.

Knowing how often to apply neem oil protects plants from potential damage. It will also help protect beneficial insects from coming into contact with this natural insecticide.

Related: Check out this article on What Bugs Neem Oil Kills.

How Often Can You Use Neem Oil On Plants?

As a general rule, neem oil is just for eliminating infestations.

Yet, you can use it as a preventative every 2 to 3 weeks. However, like any pesticide, it can have harmful effects if used incorrectly.

How Often To Use Neem Foliar Sprays

Neem foliar sprays use a processed form of organic neem oil insecticide known as clarified hydrophobic neem oil. 

Neem oil is safe to use on ornamental and edible plants. It can be sprayed on all kinds of fruits, shrubs, fruit trees, vegetables, and edible flowers.  

Some neem oil mixtures are labeled “ready to use” and often come in a spray bottle you can use to apply them. Make sure to spray the undersides of leaves where pests can hide and lay eggs. 

 Sprays containing neem oil extract are also used to treat fungal and bacterial diseases such as anthracnose, black spot, blight, botrytis, fire blight, powdery mildew, rust, and scab.

This oil has most of the active ingredients of Azadirachtin removed, resulting in concentrations of .5% to 3% percent.

As a topical solution, neem foliar sprays suffocate insects on contact and kill some external fungal diseases and infections.

Related: More on How Neem Oil Insecticide Works on Plant Pests

But, it requires application every other day for at least 14 days for it to work.

Apply at either dusk or dawn to prevent contact with beneficial insects such as ladybugs or honeybees. It won’t harm birds, but it’s toxic to fish and other aquatic creatures. 

Avoid harming beneficial insects and water habitats by applying the spray carefully and following all label directions for application. 

Once you end any current infestation, you can safely use the foliar spray once every two weeks for prevention.

Related: Read the Do’s and Don’ts When Applying Neem Oil Sprays.

How Often To Use Neem Soil Soaks

Soil soaks or a Neem drench is a very different story.

The soaks use 100% percent cold-pressed pure (AKA raw) neem oil.

Pour this version of neem oil for indoor plants on the soil so the plant’s roots can soak it up, turning it into a systemic insecticide.

The Azadirachtin will remain potent within the plant for up to 22 days. It will only affect piercing or chewing bugs.

It makes it far safer for use on houseplants near beehives.

Due to the longevity of the Azadirachtin, repeat soil soaks every 21 days to keep the potency.

Azadirachtin kills most infestations without harming pollinators and beneficial critters such as earthworms or predator species. But it will also help combat many bacterial and fungal infections, including some forms of root rot.

When NOT To Use Neem Oil

Something not discussed enough is when you shouldn’t use neem oil on a plant.

While non-toxic and often used in products such as toothpaste, it’s generally agreed that you should not apply neem to an edible plant on the day of harvest.

You can use a foliar spray the day before or soil soaks before harvest. You will ingest less if you avoid applying it on the actual day of harvest.

Don’t use neem oil in the middle of the day because the direct sunlight and neem oil together can burn the plants. 

Another essential rule is constantly testing a small part of a plant one day before using neem oil products.

Plants, like people, can have or develop allergies and sensitivity to even natural products.

By testing a small portion of the plant first, you can check for signs of chemical burns or allergic reactions.

When using Neem regularly, you may only need to test once. Yet you should always retest the plant if you haven’t used neem oil on it for an extended period.

If you see an adverse reaction from testing or regular use, you should stop using neem products on that plant immediately.

It’s time to grab that sweatshirt and dig out those heavier socks—fall has arrived! Although it’s sad to see summer go, we’re getting super excited for the new season around here. The native plants in New England (where our podcast is based) are starting to look especially lovely so we’ve dedicated this show to them. We’ve got an array of native woodies that bloom or color up in autumn (Danielle) and a few perennials that save their best for September (Carol). Don’t worry—we’re not just featuring plants native to the eastern seaboard either, we’ve got some Midwest wonders and even some Southern charmers in the mix as well. Looking for some native plants that please the local ecology and look beautiful doing it? We’ve got you covered on this latest episode.

Expert guest: Brent Horvath is the owner of and head plant breeder/developer at Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, a wholesale nursery in Hebron, Illinois.

Danielle’s Plants

 

Northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin, Zones 4-9)

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium, Zones 2-8)

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum, Zones 4-9)

Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia, Zones 3-9)

 

Carol’s Plants

Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum, Zones 4-9)

 

Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea, Zones 3-8)

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia, Zones 5-9)

‘Iron Butterfly’ ironweed (Vernonia lettermannii ‘Iron Butterfly’, Zones 4-9)

 

Expert’s Plants

 Eastern bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana  and cvs., Zones 3-9)

Threadleaf bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii and cvs., Zones 5-8)

Ozark bluestar (Amsonia illustris and cvs., Zones 5-9)

Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium and cvs., Zones 3-10)

Figuring out your wants and needs beforehand will help you to save a lot of time and effort.

This guide breaks down seven essential aspects of lighting that are worth contemplating before you purchase fixtures and bulbs.

After working your way through this list, you’ll have your requirements and preferences figured out, whether you opt to hire a professional or go the DIY route for installation.

1. Purpose and Budget

There are many reasons to light your landscape after the sun goes down.

Need to illuminate stairs and paths so that folks don’t trip or step into your garden beds? Trying to provide ambiance for late-night patio parties or nocturnal lawn games? Want to accentuate particularly glorious plants well into the evening?

If you want to increase security, you should opt for motion-activated fixtures that flood an area with bright light the second they’re triggered.

For entertaining guests, you’ll probably want lights that are as aesthetic as they are functional.

To emphasize particular garden specimens, you’ll want to keep your fixtures inconspicuous – your lit plants should be stealing the show, not the lights themselves.

Knowing the “whys” of your illumination endeavors will drive the rest of your decision-making. So they’re well worth figuring out first.

It also goes without saying that you probably shouldn’t buy what you can’t pay for, so it’s really important to ask yourself, “How much am I able and willing to spend?” And there are many costs to consider.

First, you have the actual bulbs and fixtures themselves. Then, you’ve got tool or labor costs, whether you’re buying your own equipment for DIY installation or hiring outside help.

It also can’t hurt to set aside cash for potential repairs, either, taking warranties and average lifespan of your selected products into consideration.

Finally, you have utilities. Those will have a never-ending cost attached as well, unless you go with a renewable energy source such as solar, wind, or someone with strong quads pedaling a bicycle generator.

You could go the inexpensive route with small battery-operated or solar lights, whereas a vast network of underground electrical wiring can set you back a pretty penny.

It all depends on your goals and finances!

2. Bulb Type

In this arena, you have not one, not two, but five different bulb types to choose from: LED, CFL, halogen, HID, and incandescent. Today, LED lights are typically the most common.

LED

Also known as light-emitting diodes, LED bulbs are the most durable and energy-efficient bulbs on our list, meaning they’re the least likely to break and use the fewest amount of watts of energy.

They also last the longest, with the most enduring models able to last as long as 100,000 hours before needing replacement.

Available in many different brightness levels, colors, and bulb shapes, LED bulbs have steadily increased in popularity since they came onto the scene.

They’re usually expensive up front, but given their longevity, durability, and energy efficiency, buying them is economically savvy in the long run.

CFL

You know those bulbs with a coiled tube rather than the stereotypical “I have an idea!” bulb shape?

Those are compact fluorescent lamps, which function the same as their longer, more tubular fluorescent cousins, only in a smaller package.

CFL bulbs can produce the same amount of illumination as your standard incandescent bulbs, but require less energy to do so.

However, their distinctively coiled shape isn’t the most aesthetic choice for fixtures with visible bulbs.

They can also become hot with use, and the mercury within their tubes can make disposal difficult and pose a toxic risk if the bulbs break.

Halogen

Halogen bulbs have a similar aesthetic to your standard incandescent bulbs, but are basically an upgrade in every way: brighter, more efficient, and longer lasting, with a more compact size overall.

I suppose this does come with giving off a higher amount of heat, but whaddaya gonna do?

I’ll tell you one thing you should probably do: wear gloves during installation.

If the oils from your hand collect on the bulb, it could cause that bulb to explosively burst once its operating temperature becomes high enough.

HID

The brightest, most powerful bulbs on our list, high-intensity discharge bulbs certainly live up to their name.

Capable of illuminating large areas with a strong brightness, HID bulbs may be too powerful for your purposes.

But if you have a large swath of real estate that needs lighting, they’re just what the doctor ordered. Plus, HIDs are more energy efficient than CFLs and incandescents!

Make sure to use gloves during installation if you do opt to use them, since they burn hot enough to react with skin oils.

There will also be similar disposal hassles and health risks as with CFLs if they happen to break, since HIDs also contain mercury.

Incandescent

Incandescent bulbs are your typical light bulbs – cheap, common, and a breeze to replace. But that’s about all they’ve got going for them.

Incandescents use energy inefficiently, burn out quickly, and shouldn’t be exposed to outdoor elements such as rain or snow.

Not to mention that the glass of an incandescent bulb becomes dark and sooty as the tungsten within evaporates, which isn’t the best look.

3. Temperature and Color

Bulb type aside, the standard colors cast are mostly white, and can be described as having a warm, neutral, or cool “temperature.”

These temperatures are measured in degrees Kelvin – if a metal object is heated to a particular number of degrees Kelvin, the metal will actually take on that corresponding color!

Warm lights (up to 3000°K) have a golden-yellow glow to them, neutral ones (3000 to 4500°K) are entirely white, and cool lights (4500°K and beyond) have a bluish tint.

The higher the Kelvins, the cooler the light temperature.

But what if you want to go beyond variations of white and really let your eyes “taste the rainbow?”

For a late-night landscaper, color psychology provides valuable info on how different colors affect mood. It’s a bit subjective, but here’s a generalized summary of the main palettes:

• Reds signify strength, passion, and danger. They amp us up by raising blood pressure, speeding up metabolism, and increasing breathing rate.
• Yellows are happy, warm, and cheerful. Pure yellow really grabs your attention, but too much can be off-putting.
• Blues represent peace, stability, and tranquility. They have a calming effect that’s the inverse of how reds make us feel.
• Oranges are energetic, joyful, and enthusiastic. They have a tropical association that makes them a great pairing with beach plants such as palms.
• Greens symbolize nature, fertility, and freshness. Like blues, greens are also mellowing, with the associated physiological effects.
• Purples represent power, nobility, and dignity. They can create a mysterious and magical vibe.
• Pinks represent gentleness, romance, and vulnerability. Worthy hues for illuminating heart-shaped leaves, methinks?
• Browns signify resilience, security, and seriousness. They’re also very earthy hues, obviously.

If you want to cast a particular color that’s not just a warm, cool, or neutral white, then you’ll have to utilize colored bulbs, lenses, or filters.

In the case of LEDs, look for RGB options – these can produce practically any color!

4. Beam Effect

For the purposes of this guide, considering “beam effect” is basically asking yourself, “Where do I want the beam to go and how bright do I want it?”

Beam intensity is dependent on power, beam width and direction are usually adjusted with the choice of fixture or housing, and different combinations of these factors yield various effects.

Let’s examine some of these effects:

Uplighting entails placing your light source in front of and below the subject, which casts light all the way up its face. If you want to accentuate something tall in your landscape like a tree, pillar, wall, or statue, then uplighting will create that aesthetic of significance you’re after.

The opposite of uplighting is downlighting, which involves illuminating a subject from above instead of below. This puts emphasis on features lower to the ground, such as benches, planters, or stones.

When you put a light source behind a subject, that’s called silhouetting, which is really nice for emphasizing an impressive outline like an unusual tree habit or a well-pruned topiary.

Shadowing does something kinda similar, but projects light onto a subject to cast shadows on a backdrop such as a wall or sidewalk.

These shadows are large and have more warped proportions than the actual object, which creates powerful moods and interesting shapes.

If you illuminate an object from two directions, that’s cross lighting. Double the illumination, double the visual emphasis.

For even more of that emphasis, try wash lighting, which is where you effectively bathe something in brightness. The light still comes from the front of a subject, but hits it more head-on rather than running up its surface.

Moon lighting essentially pulls off what the moon does and casts a broad beam down on a large area from above, which provides a soft, soothing ambiance. To pull this off, you should place the fixture on a roof or high branch.

Step or path lighting is mostly about safety – its aim is solely to point out walkways, and is usually done with small, weak fixtures so that the gleam doesn’t “leak” and take emphasis away from the walkway. When done right, it can definitely look pretty.

Any of these effects can be doubled in aesthetic awesomeness if there’s a body of water nearby to reflect them. If the winds cause a slight ripple, then those reflections become pleasantly distorted.

And of course, certain fixtures can be a point of visual interest themselves, such as string lights and lampposts.

5. Fixture Type

Chances are, you probably don’t want to leave out naked bulbs by themselves, but rather, house them in something that’s both functional and aesthetic!

Besides your standard lamps, lanterns, pendant lights, and other fixtures that you’d adorn a patio or gazebo with, here are some more landscape-specific fixtures:

Spotlights and floodlights are used for those effects which require focused, narrow beams – think shrunken-down versions of the Bat-Signal (sans bat-symbol, of course). Usually, these have a particular lens that may or may not be bordered by a thin paneling.

Since they’re mostly submerged in the ground, well lights are very much an out-of-the-way option. Along with being near-impossible to stumble over, this helps to keep the focus on the beam and its effect, rather than the fixture itself.

Pathway and area lights are relatively tall, in-ground fixtures that can illuminate a walkway or garden zone while being quite aesthetic themselves – especially when they’re placed sporadically or arranged in a gentle curve rather than a straight line like an airport runway.

Small, thin, and very handy for eliminating tripping hazards, step lights are especially helpful when placed either towards each step’s edge, or a couple inches above every step on an adjacent wall.

Submerged lights are pretty self-explanatory. When placed underwater, they can transform an otherwise dark pond or stream into a well-lit watery decoration. Use them to emphasize moving water, rather than flooding the whole waterway with photons.

Fixtures can come in various materials, colors, and architectural styles, so be sure to browse with your goal “look” or “theme” in mind. But above all else, make sure your choice of fixture is rated to weather the elements that they’ll be coming up against!

And here’s a guiding principle that’ll help you with your fixture placement: less is more, in both fixture amount and visibility. There needs to be a touch of subtlety with your installation.

It’s important to keep up your garden’s natural aesthetic, and nothing says “artificial” like too many conspicuous fixtures. Plus, a bit of darkness in certain locations has a beauty all its own.

6. Power Source

To loosely paraphrase the German Eurodance group Snap!, “you’ve got the power!” Or you’ll have to, if you wanna keep the illumination going until dawn.

For our purposes, there are three main ways to provide power – and there’s no rule that says you have to use just one!

Running Electricity

This can be as simple as plugging a fixture into an extension cord rated for outdoors use, or as involved as running long electrical wires underground.

Extension cords are quick to set up and easily modifiable, but above-ground cords are conspicuous, especially if they’re brightly colored.

Plus, extension cords usually aren’t rated for long-term exposure to the elements – they’re mostly meant for short-term use.

Running wires underground takes a lot more time and digging, whether you do it yourself or hire someone else.

Plus, it’s a pain if you ever have to make changes. But hidden power lines are certainly more aesthetic than a large rubber cord snaking through your flower beds.

Batteries

Whether they’re in a nearby battery box or held in the fixtures themselves, batteries are handy for when you need electricity that’s independent from a central power source.

Have a single subject to illuminate in the back corner of your yard? Then battery power will save you from having to run wiring across or beneath your landscape.

The downside of batteries is that they’ll eventually need replacing or recharging. They’ll also need to be rated for and protected from the elements.

Solar

If you’re looking for power, why not set up solar panels to utilize that brightly burning ball of gas in the sky?

Although they can have high up-front costs, solar units are environmentally friendly, free to power, easy to install, and a breeze to move.

They’re also a smart solution if you don’t have a wired electricity source for your garden or if you have a very large garden that cables may not span.

However, since they need the sun’s rays to work, the panels will have to be placed somewhere unobstructed from the sun, and their surfaces will have to be kept clear of dirt, leaves, snow, and other bits of garden detritus.

Since solar lights often come with their own built-in panels, this can definitely affect where you place them.

In addition, clear skies aren’t always consistently available, which means inconsistent power.

And even if the sun is shining brightly, electric sources of energy are better for fueling especially bright lighting.

So in short, solar can work wonderfully if you have an open space that consistently receives the sun’s rays.

But for cloudy regions or landscape spaces that are more shaded, you may want to go purely electric instead.

7. Activation Type

So you’ve got lights, but how are you gonna activate ’em?

To start, you’ve got your basic switches, levers, buttons, knobs, and so on. Add dimming capabilities on top and you’re golden.

If you want your fixtures to turn on and off like clockwork, opt for a timer.

Whether it’s a manual unit that you place in an accessible location or an electronic system with an app for your smartphone, it’s very easy to make adjustments.

Don’t want to make adjustments according to your own schedule? Go with photocell sensors, which turn lights off and on when it’s daytime or nighttime.

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Are you looking for gardening classes for yourself?

Trying to figure out how to start a garden can be overwhelming. You ask yourself questions like “What do I do first?”, “How will I know what to plant?” and “If I put time and money into a garden, will it be worth it?” Let me help you get started and remove some of the uncertainty about how to start gardening.

On the other hand, you may have been gardening for a while and found that you have a basic understanding of gardening principles, but you’re looking for more in-depth information. You may be looking for ways to make your garden more productive. The gardening classes I teach may be what you need to take your garden to the next level.

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I offer monthly online gardening classes in “Growing in the Garden Academy” through Patreon

“Growing in the Garden Academy” includes a monthly live online gardening class where we cover seasonal topics. I also share what I’m planting, fertilizing, harvesting, and starting indoors (the “Low Desert To-Do List” for my garden) twice a month.

When you join “Growing in the Garden Academy,” you gain access to recordings of all past classes.

Past topics include Fall Gardening, Fall Crop Specifics, Garden Troubleshooting, Spring Garden Timeline, Companion Planting & Crop Rotation, Composting & In-Bed Vermicomposting, Soil Health & Fertilizing, Summer Gardening, Perennial Vegetables for Hot Climates, Seed Starting Basics (Indoors & Out), Monsoon Gardening, and Pest & Beneficial Insect Identification.

Each month, there is a new class with topics chosen by current members of GITG Academy.

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I teach in-person classes frequently throughout the Phoenix Area

I offer in-person classes regularly throughout the Phoenix Valley. If you sign up for my monthly newsletter, I first announce my upcoming classes there. In-person gardening classes are always a lot of fun. I love answering questions and want to ensure everyone learns something. We often learn from one another during class.

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Upcoming 2023 Gardening Classes

(click on the class name to register or get more information)

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Are you looking for gardening classes for your organization?

I’m passionate about helping others learn how to garden. Teaching gardening classes is one of my favorite ways to do just that. Whether taught in-person or virtually through “LIVE” online classes, everyone learns together in a fun, relaxed setting.

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“I reached out to Angela Judd about teaching gardening classes for the Mesa Public Library after hearing a glowing review of her expertise from another staff member. We set up two classes – Fall Gardening in Arizona and Composting and In-Bed Vermicomposting Basics – to present to the community on two separate nights within a two-week timeframe. The night for Fall Gardening in Arizona was amazing! The library saw a full house of eager gardeners of all levels; wanting tips, tricks, and overall information on how to plant a successful garden in the fall. Angela’s presentation was abundant in advice, covering anything and everything a gardener of any caliber would need. The following week, when she presented her Composting and In-Bed Vermicomposting Basics class, the library again saw a large community of gardeners who were either currently composting and/or vermicomposting or wanting to begin and did not know how to start. Once more, the wealth of knowledge that shined through in Angela’s presentation was seen. With such high praises and a wonderful reception, I can’t wait to have her back at Mesa Public Library for even more classes!”

Brianna
Mesa Public Library

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In-person gardening classes in the Phoenix valley

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Online group gardening classes are available

Online group classes are an excellent option if you don’t live in the Phoenix metropolitan area but would still like gardening classes. The classes are easy to arrange on your platform, or I can set up a class for you using CrowdCast. Live, virtual classes allow everyone to ask questions and participate in real time.

“I reached out to Angela to teach our employees a live, virtual class on composting. Angela was responsive and willing to work with me on how I wanted the class to be done. She did a fantastic job teaching our employees about composting. She had a great deck that she put together, and was happy to answer any questions our employees had.

We recently had Angela back for another live, virtual class teaching us about container gardening and again, she was fantastic! The class was extremely informative, well thought out, and again she was happy to answer all the various questions from our employees. It’s amazing how much she knows about all things gardening! I truly cannot recommend Angela enough; she is a wonderful teacher, great to work with, and we can’t wait to partner with her again in the future!“

Allston
Program Manager, Employee Engagement & Community
T-Mobile

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Is there a topic you would like your audience to learn more about? I’m happy to answer questions and discuss seasonal topics and current gardening trends.

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Collaborative post

Most families go through tough times at some point. Whether the difficulties are employment loss, mental health issues, health crises, or something else, the way you handle hard times, individually and as a family unit, can make all the difference in turning things around.

The well-being of each family member cannot be overemphasised. It’s crucial that everyone gets support and assistance during trying periods. Thankfully, there are a number of resources and services available to help families facing problems.

Here’s a look at some of the best ways that you can get help.

Getting help for financial struggles

Often, financial issues can cause problems for families. Even if the tough times you are going through are due to something else, financial stress tends to rise during such periods.

Luckily, there are professional services ready to help.

In the UK, you can contact services like StepChange Debt Charity for free debt advice tailored to your circumstances, including managing mortgages and credit cards. These professionals help by providing realistic plans suited to your income level.

In the USA, non-profit organisations like Money Management International offer similar assistance.

These services work towards reducing financial strains that may be causing discord within your family.

Getting help for mental health issues

Mental health issues might arise when a family is going through hard times. Accessing mental health care can be a lifesaver in these cases.

The Mental Health Foundation charity offers various resources in the UK for individuals or families dealing with mental health concerns, from depression and anxiety to more complex situations.

For instance, you could access therapy sessions, which create safe spaces for family members to express complicated emotions so they feel understood and supported.

Getting help for health crises

Health crises, such as a family member falling ill, can put an emotional strain on the entire family. In countries where patients have to pay health insurance, families can sometimes also face serious financial outgoings.

In the USA, the Patient Advocate Foundation offers patient services and financial aid to Americans facing debilitating health setbacks.

In the UK, The National Health Service does not just provide medical services. It also connects struggling individuals to social care services. You can get advice by calling 111.

By recruiting professional help during times of health crises, your family can heed advice from experts and be better prepared to handle such challenges.

Getting help for legal problems

Parents entangled in legal issues, such as losing custody as a mother, are sure to be going through distressing times, in which case they may need mental health support. Of course, they also need legal advice and resources.

In the UK, Citizens Advice provides free advice on legal matters, and can refer you to specialists if necessary.

The American Bar Association in the USA provides legal assistance for low-income families. They guide families through complicated legal processes whilst keeping their best interests at heart.

Getting help for grief and loss

Experiencing grief or loss can understandably lead to immense family distress. The significance of seeking professional assistance during such a time cannot be understated.

In the UK, organisations like Cruse Bereavement Care provide support for adults and children facing grief, ensuring that they do not feel alone during this challenging time. The charity helps families to address feelings of anger, guilt, or despair associated with the loss.

Reaching out to such an organisation can ease the burden of dealing with loss, and allow space for healthy healing within the family.

Getting help for substance abuse issues

Another strain on families can be substance misuse or addiction by a family member.

It is essential not to overlook this matter, as it could pose severe emotional and physical threats to both the individual who is dependent, and the whole family.

In the UK, FRANK offers non-judgmental advice about drug and alcohol misuse while supporting individuals affected by addiction.

In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides treatment programs across the country for substance abuse and mental health issues.

Help and support from friends

Beyond professional resources, remember that reaching out for help from your network of friends is integral.

Communicating about ongoing problems can help you to confront your feelings and alleviate the sense of isolation.

Friends offer empathetic ears. They can lighten emotional loads and provide practical suggestions based on their experiences. So, make sure you get the support of your friends whenever you are going through family troubles.

Final thoughts

Going through tough times as a family is a daunting experience, but remember you are not alone. Resources and services are available both locally and internationally, specifically designed to lend a hand in times of need.

By identifying the type of problem your family is facing, you can seek out customised professional aid.

Furthermore, the importance of leaning on your friends for support should not be underestimated.

Through access to professional resources and support from personal networks, families can build resilience and learn to navigate adversities more efficiently.

Read more about basic nemesia cultivation in our guide. Here, we’ll focus on extending your enjoyment of these beautiful blooms.

Are you ready to get another growing season (and more!) from this frost-tender perennial? Then let’s uncover what’s needed for nemesia winter care.

Here’s what you’ll find ahead:

Nemesia Basics

Nemesia is a genus of tender perennials native to sandy coastal regions and grasslands of South Africa.

Popular species such as N. strumosa and N. caerulea form low-growing mounds of small, orchid-like flowers that bloom until frost in beautiful variations of blue, maroon, mauve, orange, pink, purple, scarlet, white, and yellow, plus bicolors.

They grow 12 to 24 inches tall with a spread of 12 to 18 inches and are most vigorous in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall – their ideal daytime temperature is 70°F with cooler overnight temperatures.

In areas with hot summers, growth can lag in hot spells.

Hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 10, nemesia can stay in the ground all year in frost-free regions or they can be planted out as winter annuals.

But they can’t handle cold weather – growth stops when temperatures drop to 50°F as plants go dormant.

Outside of their hardiness range, they need to be lifted, potted, then brought into a frost-free environment. But first, it’s helpful to prep them for dormancy.

Prep for Dormancy

After nemesia plants have finished flowering, cut back all foliage.

Use clean, sharp garden snips and shear the foliage back to one or two inches above the soil line.

At the same time, withhold water and stop feeding if you haven’t done so already.

Once the soil has dried out – moisture levels should be dry to lightly moist but not wet – lift the plants and pot up for frost-free storage.

Pot Them Up

To safely store your nemesia plants, they need to be lifted from their beds after flowering but before the first frost, and transplanted into containers so they can be brought indoors.

Use a sharp spade fully inserted to lift the root ball and taproot in one piece.

Choose any type of container with drainage holes that’s large enough to hold the rootball plus another two to four inches in diameter for ease.

These plants go dormant so watering is held to a minimum, but it resumes in spring, often before they can be planted out. It’s best to prepare now by providing well-draining soil.

I like to add a layer of drainage material like broken pottery over the hole to ensure excellent drainage.

Fill with a light, humusy potting soil.

Knock away excess soil from the root ball then settle in place at the same depth as in the garden, or with the crown just below the soil line.

Backfill with soil and firm gently.

If the soil is very dry, water sparingly.

Cold Weather Care

Because these plants go dormant, nemesia doesn’t make an attractive wintertime houseplant.

It will do best in a protected spot, like a cool room with indirect light where temperatures don’t drop below 45°F. The recommended comfort zone for storage is in the range of 50 to 65°F.

Good locations include a windowsill in a basement, garage, or shed, a heated greenhouse or conservatory, or a covered porch or mudroom.

Feeling kind of washed out from summer’s heat and humidity? You’re not alone. The plants in your landscape can be affected, too, and may be suffering from heat stress, which affects a number of processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, membrane thermostability, and osmotic regulation. High temperatures and extended periods of time of extreme heat cause roots to struggle to draw enough water from the soil to keep up with the rate of water vapor coming from their leaves through transpiration.

 

 

A few facts about heat stress in plants:

 

• Most plants grow best in temperatures ranging from 59o-86oF
• When temperatures above 90oF are sustained for extended periods of time, plants can begin to show signs of heat stress
• Heat stress is likely to occur when daytime temperatures are above 90oF and nighttime temperatures remain above 70oF
• Heat stress is compounded when other plant stressors like drought, wind or intense sun are also present
• Hot air and soil temperatures slow down chemical activity and growth in plants
• At temperatures above 104oF while plants may still survive, they will often show different types of heat stress based on plant type, maturity and other environmental conditions such as drought or wind
• Ideal humidity for most full-grown plants is between 60-70%

 

 

Signs of Heat Stress in Plants

 

Leaf Rolling/Cupping – Many plants roll their leaves or cup them in response to excessive heat. In this way, the leaf surface is minimized and stomata (microscopic openings in leaves, like pores, that allow moisture and gas to move) close, to help reduce moisture loss in the plant. Leaf rolling and cupping, and wilting can also be signs of pest/disease or overwatering on some plants.

 

Wilt – Low moisture in a plant diminishes water pressure within its structure, causing stems and leaves to wilt. Many plants recover from this once the temperature cools, but the potential for permanent damage increases with the length of time a plant remains wilted. Heat stress can often cause a plant to wilt during the hottest part of the day, then recover in the cool of the evening or early morning.

 

Dried Edges on Leaves – Dry leaf edges can often be mistaken for disease or insect infestation, but for some plants, it’s a defense, sacrificing the outer margins of the leaf while the larger portion remains viable. This is most often seen in large-leafed plants like squash that can afford to give up some leaf surface area for survival.

 

Ozone Damage – The poor air quality we experienced due to the wildfire smoke earlier this season when combined with high heat can cause ozone damage to plants. This can look very much like diseases – for example – dry brown spots between leaf veins can look like leaf spot, but bacterial leaf spot will also have yellow “halos” which ozone damage will not. For other plants like cucumbers, ozone-damaged leaves become dry-looking and bleached.

 

Blossom/Fruit Drop – Plants will drop flowers or buds after prolonged exposure to high temperatures in order to conserve resources for survival. In food crops, most will return to normal production once a heat wave is over.

 

Bolting – Bolting is the premature flowering of plants before they would typically be harvested, and most often occurs when cool-season crops like lettuces, cauliflower and broccoli are exposed to high temperatures.

 

Sunscald – Many fruits will scald in high temperatures, primarily on the side where the fruit is most exposed to the sun. Sunscald looks different depending on the type of fruit, and can appear as a watery area, discoloration, or blisters on the fruit skin, sunken or hardened areas of the fruit surface or completely dried-out fruit.

 

Blossom End Rot – Most common with tomatoes, the problem is associated with calcium deficiency and is exacerbated by sunscald. Aim to keep watering consistent and avoid letting plants dry out completely in between waterings.

 

 

How to Reduce Heat Stress in Plants

 

Things to Do

 

Water – Dry, crusty soil is a good indicator that plants will develop heat stress. While deep watering in the morning or early evening are preferred methods of watering, wilted plants should be watered as soon as possible to minimize the time they are in a wilted state. Try to water daily or every other day when temperatures are high. Be aware that shallow-rooted and young plants will need to be watered more frequently than plants with deep tap roots or established root systems. Even mature trees can be affected by heat stress, so don’t forget to water them, too.

 

Mulch – Mulch helps conserve moisture in the soil by slowing evaporation and minimizing fluctuation in soil temperature.

 

Provide Shade/Relocate Containers – Move container plants indoors or to a shady area if possible. If you can’t move the containers, consider placing a shade cloth over them to help block the sun’s rays. Check containers at least twice a day, especially if it’s windy as well as hot. You may have to water container plants one or more times a day during hot, dry conditions. Be sure the water is soaking into the soil. If the soil has dried out completely and you see it pulled away from the sides of the container, you may need to water several times before the soil will absorb water again.

 

Weed – Weeds can often adapt better to weather extremes than ornamental plants, so keeping your garden free of weeds that compete for water and nutrients will help your plants.

 

 

Things to Avoid

 

Planting or Transplanting – Hot soil temperatures can kill tender young plants or cause cankers where the stem meets the soil line. Transplanting is always stressful for plants even under ideal conditions, so don’t include the additional layer of heat stress.

 

Pruning – Pruning can expose branches and leaves previously shaded to damage from intense sun and heat, as well as stimulate growth, both of which add stress to the plant. Stressed plants are more likely to attract harmful pests, putting them further at risk.

 

Fertilizing – Inducing new growth is an additional stress your plants don’t need during a heat wave. Wait until cooler temperatures arrive to fertilize.

 

Chemicals – Even treatments like soap or neem oil can damage plants when temperatures remain consistently above 80oF.

 

 

Heat Stress Recovery

Recovery time for heat stressed plants can take from a few days to several months depending on the level of damage done to a plant. Non-native and sensitive plants or plants that were stressed and completely neglected throughout a prolonged heat wave may take several months to come back or may not survive if conditions were extreme. Healthy plants with strong root systems, weed-free, nutrient-rich soil and employing the recommendations above will help ensure your plants have the resiliency to weather almost any heat wave.

Bachelor buttons (Centaurea cyanus, also called cornflowers) are an easy-to-grow cool-season annual flower that blooms early in the spring. Learn how to grow bachelor buttons, and the bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects that love these colorful flowers will thank you. 

In my low desert Arizona garden, bachelor button blooms bridge the gap between when the ranunculus blooms finish, and the heat-loving blooms of zinnias and dahlias arrive. Bachelor buttons grow well until temperatures get too hot in May or June. In more mild climates, the flowers last all through summer.

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

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5 Tips for How to Grow Bachelor Buttons

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1. Choose the best location for growing bachelor buttons

Bachelor buttons grow best with at least 6 hours of sun. In hot summer climates like the low desert of Arizona, planting in an area with afternoon shade will prolong the blooms.

Because bachelor buttons reseed easily and often “naturalize” (self-sows for another crop of flowers the following season), they are considered invasive in some areas. Check with your local extension office to see if planting is permitted. 

Bachelor buttons grow well in most soil as long as it is well-draining. Add compost to the planting area before planting. Additional fertilizer during the growing season is not necessary. 

Give bachelor buttons enough room to grow well and allow for airflow. Depending on the variety, they grow between 2 and 3 feet (61-91 cm) tall and are about 18 inches (45 cm) wide. Although bachelor button branches can be brittle, they don’t usually need support.

Bachelor buttons grow well in containers. Choose a container that is at least 12 inches deep. 

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2. Plant bachelor buttons correctly

Bachelor buttons grow well from seeds started directly in the garden. I love planting a couple of seeds in each garden bed and enjoying the blooms all spring. I use bachelor button seeds from Botanical Interests.

In cold climate areas, plant seeds after the danger of frost has passed in the spring, when soil temperatures are about 60°F-70°F. Plant seeds directly in the garden about ¼” deep. Germination usually takes between 7-10 days. Thin plants to 12” apart. I carefully transplant the extra seedlings to other areas of the garden. 

In the low desert of Arizona or other mild winter areas, plant seeds from late September through November. 

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3. Encourage more bachelor button blooms

Bachelor button plants grow quickly; they seem to grow and bloom suddenly. One day they are tiny seedlings, and then suddenly, large plants appear. To encourage branching and tall, strong stems, cut back the central stem almost at ground level above 3-4 side shoots when the plants are several inches high. 

The blooms encourage beneficial insects, which in turn help keep the aphids and other pests (that like to show up in early spring) in check. Suppose you notice aphids on bachelor button plants and flowers. In that case, you can spray them off with a stream of water or do nothing, and the beneficial predators that love bachelor buttons like lacewings, ladybugs, and parasitic wasps will come and take care of them for you. 

Keep blooms harvested or deadheaded throughout the season to encourage more blooms.

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4. Use bachelor buttons as a cut flower or a salad garnish

The harvested blooms brighten up spring bouquets. Harvest stems first thing in the morning when the flower is just beginning to open. Flowers continue to open once harvested. Remove all leaves below the top set of leaves. Blooms can last 1-2 weeks in a vase. 

The blooms of bachelor buttons are edible and are often used as a garnish in salads or herbal teas. Pick flowers just after opening and use as desired.

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5. Save seeds from bachelor buttons to plant next season

Once you’ve learned how to grow bachelor buttons, you can have seeds to plant for years to come. To save bachelor button seeds, leave the largest blooms on the plant at the end of the season. The colors will dry and fade. Snip off the faded blooms and store them in a paper sack until dry. Rub the seeds off from the base of each flower once dry and keep them in a cool dark place for the most extended storage life. 

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We’re going to bring some of our surprise pumpkins to sell at tomorrow’s plant sale, along with some yam bulbils and a few other rare bits and pieces.

The homestead is just starting to come together.

As plants grow and multiply, we’ll have more abundance to trade, sell and give away. When you first start, it feels like you’ll never get there.

Then, after a few years if you’ve really been pushing it and all goes well, you have wheelbarrows full of extra.

God provides abundantly.

Think about how one tiny seed in an orange is capable of growing into a 25-foot tall tree, covered with oranges, all of which contain seeds capable of the same incredible feat!

This year we would like to make cane syrup; however, I’m not sure we’ll have enough canes to make syrup, and to expand our plantings, and to use in the plant nursery for growing potted plants we can offer for sale in the spring.

Yet if we plant half of our harvest this fall, next fall we should have more than enough for everything we wish to do!

August was exceptionally hot and dry, which has slowed everything down. We don’t irrigate via anything other than occasionally carrying around a hose, so when we don’t get rain, harvests decrease. One day we hope to install a well, but until then, the sky is our source of water.

We are working on the purchase of a good greenhouse right now. Once that is installed, it will make the rapid duplication of plants much easier. Currently, we have to wait until later in the year to do much propagation of certain species, such as cassava, Tithonia diversifolia, African blue basil, sugarcane, chaya, etc., since the freezes of winter take them down to the ground. We’re also limited on the time we have to propagate nitrogen-fixing species. Getting some year-round growing will greatly help, plus it will allow us to have a lot of plants ready to sell in the spring.

We had a cheap greenhouse which lasted for two seasons before a windstorm destroyed it.

It’s just expensive to get a good greenhouse, which has held us back. My friend Carolyn keeps sending us a few dollars here and there for the “greenhouse fund,” and she’s pretty much guilted me into pulling the trigger at this point.

We really don’t like spending money. The price of everything keeps rising while our income has not.

It’s probably going to pay for itself, though, provided we can build our nursery up for 2024 and have some solid spring sales.

And speaking of that – are you coming to the plant sale tomorrow?

We’ll try to have some interesting things there that make it worth attending.

See you Saturday.

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Take a gander at this gorgeously green and traditional garden design by Hadley Peterson and you’d be forgiven if you didn’t notice the native plants. When people think of a native plant-filled garden, they often imagine the naturalistic look of a meadow or a wild-leaning natural woodland, but native plants can also be put to use in more formal landscaping schemes and paired with the most traditional of plants, as Peterson proves in her own backyard.

Native plant purists might bristle at Peterson’s pachysandra and manicured boxwood, but for the many homeowners who have (and like!) a traditional-looking backyard and want to incorporate more natives, Peterson’s Summit, New Jersey, yard is a unique source of inspiration.

Peterson spent years as a commuter with limited time to garden before turning to landscape design, so she understands what her clients crave. “Not many of my clients want a high-maintenance garden,” she says. “I like native plants for the texture they add to the garden,” she says. “But when selecting plants for a project, I look first at the personalities of my clients and their homes,” she says. “I take all my cues from the interiors and architecture: If someone has a really funky taste that marries with a naturalist design, I would take that and do a more native garden.”

Here are 8 lessons for using native plants in a more formal landscape from Hadley Peterson:

Photography by Rachel McGinn, courtesy of Hadley Peterson.

1. Think masses, not mixes.

“I plant native plants in bold masses,” says Peterson. “Natives plants as on-offs can look like they could be weeds, when you put them in a mass, it feels so much more intentional.” In this section of the garden, Peterson planted three raised planting beds, each with one plant type: Pycnanthemum muticum (mountain mint), Amsonia hubrichtii (bluestar), and Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ (switchgrass).

2. And plant them densely.

Today’s photos are from Bill Ziebarth.

I live in Duluth, Minnesota, and have been gardening in this location for 26 years. This is the third time I have submitted photos from my gardens. (See the previous posts: A Garden Full of Art and Flowers and Revisiting Bill’s Garden.)

This time I am submitting photos taken by Sarah Jane Hale, a guest at my Sixth Annual Garden Party.

Gloriosa daisies (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 3–7 but often grown as an annual) and poppy (Papaver somniferum, annual) seed heads

Sarah and her friend Angie are reflected in a mirror in a vintage window that I built into a garden structure.

View from inside my greenhouse looking out

Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata, Zones 3–8), with a picture frame I built

The view from the other side, with the hydrangeas now beautifully framed

Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 4–8) and rudbeckia

Ramblin’ Red rose (Rosa ‘RADramblin’, Zones 4–7) and bee balm (Monarda didyma, Zones 4–9)

My Zen bell was built by a metal artist from recycled metal.

A snake branch spruce (Picea abies ‘Virgata’, Zones 2–7) is just behind my Zen bell.

Daylilies (Hemerocallis, Zones 3–9), rudbeckia, and miscellaneous flowers

A guitarist/singer played beautiful music under the gazebo.

 

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!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

If you’re looking for a bit of light-hearted Halloween fun, these family-friendly pumpkin jokes and great pumpkin puns are wickedly funny!

Whether you’re after pumpkin patch puns, pumpkin pie jokes, pumpkin spice puns, funny pumpkin puns, or pumpkin dad jokes, you’ll find plenty to make you smile in this roundup. There are 63 of the best pumpkin puns and pumpkin jokes to get your teeth into 🎃

As well as providing a good laugh, cute pumpkin puns and pumpkin jokes are perfect caption inspiration for when you’re sharing your Halloween and jack o’ lantern pictures on social media, or sending a Halloween card. You can use them in texts and emails too.

Make sure you take a look at my lists of 150 Halloween jokes for kids, skull puns and 100 Halloween quotes too.

Fun facts about pumpkins

Here’s a few fun facts about pumpkins to get us started.

• The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word ‘pepon’, meaning ‘large melon’.
• The original jack o’ lanterns were carved from turnips and potatoes.
• A pumpkin contains around 500 seeds.
• Pumpkins are grown on every continent except Antarctica.
• The US produces over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin each year.
• Pumpkins are 80-90% water.
• The world record weight for the heaviest pumpkin is 2,624 pounds!

Funny pumpkin jokes for kids

Jokes about pumpkins are certainly in plentiful supply. Here’s a selection of my favourite family-friendly pumpkin jokes for kids to add a touch of silliness to your Halloween celebrations.

Who helps little pumpkins cross the road safely? The crossing gourd.

What’s a pumpkin’s favourite sport? Squash.

Where do pumpkins hold their meetings? The gourd room.

What happens if you eat too much pumpkin? You get autumn’y ache.

What do you get if you divide the diameter of a pumpkin by its circumference? Pumpkin pi.

Why does Cinderella always lose at tennis? Because her coach is a pumpkin.

What do you call a barking pumpkin? A gourd dog.

What do you call a chubby Jack o ‘lantern? A plumpkin.

Why was the jack o’ lantern afraid to cross the road? It had no guts.

Pumpkin dad jokes

This batch of jack o’ lantern jokes are worthy of the title ‘pumpkin dad jokes’ – they’re all very corny 😉

What did the queasy pumpkin say? I don’t feel so gourd.

How do you fix a broken jack o’ lantern? Use pumpkin patches.

What do you call a pumpkin that works at the beach? A life gourd.

Why are jack o’ lanterns so forgetful? Because they’re empty-headed.

What did the pumpkin say after thanksgiving? Good-pie everyone.

What type of books do pumpkins like? Pulp fiction.

Why do pumpkins sit outside people’s houses? They have no hands to knock on the door.

What are gourds afraid of? Things that go pumpkin the night.

Knock Knock. Who’s there? Ice cream. Ice cream who? Ice scream every time I see a scary pumpkin!

More silly pumpkin jokes and clever pumpkin puns

What did the pumpkin say to the pumpkin carver? Cut it out.

How does a pumpkin listen to music? On vine-yl.

What did the squash say to the cucumber when he saw the pumpkin carver? Oh my Gourd!

Why do pumpkins never quarrel? Because they have no stomach for fighting.

What do you get when you drop a broken pumpkin? Squash.

What’s the best thing to put into a pumpkin pie? Your teeth.

Why did the man slip on the pumpkin? It caught him off gourd.

What do you call an athletic pumpkin? A jock o’ lantern.

Why don’t pumpkins like scary movies? Because they have no guts.

How do pumpkins talk to ghosts? They use a ouija gourd.

How do pumpkins greet each other? Happy Hollowing!

Pumpkin puns for instagram – or just a giggle

Looking for funny pumpkin puns for an instagram caption? Here are some of my faves.

Life is gourd

Give them pumpkin to talk about

Gourd big or go home

Carving out Halloween fun

Let’s get the party pumpkin

Oh my gourd-ness

I don’t feel so gourd

Orange you pumped for Halloween?

You’re gourd-geous

Pumpkin iron at the gym

You’re the pick of the patch

Have a gourd time

More jack o’ lantern puns

You don’t know jack o’ lantern

Gourd vibes only

Ahead of the carve

For the love of gourd

Nothing but gourd intentions

Don’t be a jerk o’ lantern

Let the gourd times roll

The pumpkin pie of the beholder

Hollow, anyone there?

That really struck a gourd with me

Gourd out of my mind

Hey gourd-geous!

Happy Holloween

Happy hollowing

Pumpkin spice puns

How about a silly pumpkin pun to go with your pumpkin spice latte?

Pumpkin spice and everything nice

Let’s pumpkin spice things up

It’s pumpkin spice season – better latte than never

This is a gourd-geous pumpkin spice latte

I love pumpkin spice a latte

Pumpkin spice up your life

Sorry I’m latte – I had to get my pumpkin spice

Pumpkin spice, spice, baby

Have you found your favourite Halloween pumpkin puns?

I hope these pumpkin jokes and pumpkin puns have made you smile. Make sure you share your favourite pumpkin joke or the perfect pumpkin pun alongside your funniest pumpkin pictures this Halloween!

More funny jokes and puns

If you’d like some more giggles, now’s the perfect time to check out my other jokes and crafty puns roundups:

vegetable jokes and vegetable puns

garden jokes and garden puns

flower jokes and flower puns

tree jokes & tree puns

nature puns and nature jokes

garden gnome puns and gnome jokes

puns about birds and bird jokes

bee jokes and bee puns

Cat puns and cat jokes

plant puns and plant jokes

sunflower puns and sunflower jokes

fruit jokes and fruit puns

potato puns and potato jokes

spring puns and spring jokes and Easter jokes for kids

summer jokes for kids

fall puns and fall jokes

Christmas jokes for kids

I’ve also written posts on garden quotes, tree quotes, flower quotes, nature captions and nature quotes, quotes about sunflowers, waterfall quotes and autumn quotes which have lots of inspiring sayings about plants, flowers, gardening and nature.

More Halloween fun

For more pumpkin season fun with a Halloween theme, you could take the kids Pumpkin picking, or make spooky spider plants – a great green-fingered activity to do with the kids.

If you’d like to add some crafting into the Halloween fun, there are some lovely simple ideas here. I’ve also got a lovely pumpkin fairy house craft that’s perfect for Halloween and fall season in general, and a roundup of autumn nature crafts and nature play ideas.

My pumpkin bird feeder and homemade bird feeders posts have fun ideas for using your pumpkins after Halloween too!

If you’re holding an epic Halloween party you want to remember for years, take as many pictures as you can. Use these photos to make a Halloween slideshow and capture the spooky season atmosphere: marvellous costumes, creepy decorations, and autumn season vibes. Such a video will always be fun to rewatch – why not make it a cool family tradition?

Don’t forget the big list of Halloween puns too 👻

And finally, for more nature-inspired fun with the kids, check out my books *A Year of Nature Craft and Play and *A Year of Nature Walks and Games.  They’re both filled with fun crafts, walking games, and outdoor play activities that inspire kids to stay active and explore the amazing natural world.  There are 52 budget-friendly nature play activities, one for every week of the year, all with easy-to-follow instructions and colourful photos.

Pin for later: funny pumpkin jokes for kids

Whether you’re designing a porch display, planting a flowerbed, or redesigning an entire yard, you can create that cozy autumn feel.

What makes a landscape feel like autumn? The warm, earthy tones, the changing textures as trees shed their leaves, or the gentle light as the sun makes its way south.

When planning your garden design, choosing plant combinations in terms of color, shape, texture, and light will help contribute to a cozy and inviting vibe.

Color

What colors do you associate with the harvest season? Bright pumpkin orange? Deep scarlet red? Cheery yellow? Wheat glinting golden in the late afternoon light?

Bronze and copper foliage, making its way down to the earth from the upper branches of trees?

The world is awash with warm hues and vibrant tones at this time of year. You’ll find these colors in all sorts of plants, ranging from single-season annuals to long-lived trees.

If you want warm-toned flowers, turn to chrysanthemum, blanket flower, or coreopsis.

If you need more colorful autumn foliage, consider Virginia creeper for a vine, blueberry for a shrub, or Japanese maple for a small tree.

Want brightly colored berries? American bittersweet or winterberry will be sure to delight.

You may want to hint at this transition by including a palette of soft colors including tan, mauve, and lavender. You can find these colors in chrysanthemums, heathers, stonecrops, purple coneflowers, and asters.

And don’t forget to include some green for contrast. Ornamental kale is a good annual for this purpose.

If you want longer-lasting plants, use conifers such as the low-growing mugo pine. Or choose arborvitaes as a backdrop for your more colorful plant choices.

Shape and Texture

In autumn, we see deciduous trees suddenly jump out of a solid green mass as they transition to their very own fall colors.

The particular shapes and textures of trees and shrubs make themselves very apparent in these new colors.

Think about the shapes and textures of the plants you want to use in your garden. Do your plants form round mounds, or are they wispy and misty?

What about the leaves? Are they wide and flat, smooth, or spiky?

Place your low, mounding plantings – like mums or sedums – with some taller, wispier plants behind them – such as annual heather or ornamental grass.

The contrasting textures and shapes will create interest. Pots, containers, and garden ornaments can help set the mood.

Low, mounding plants for this season include chrysanthemums, stonecrops, and ornamental kale.

Good wispy choices for this season include heathers and ornamental grasses.

Plant these among your foundational bushes and trees for a lovely layered effect.

Light

The sun is lower in the sky at this time of year, highlighting your plants with the warm, golden glow of beautiful autumnal sunlight – if you put them in the right place!

When the golden hour arrives, think about how your plants are going to look when the sun is hitting them from the west – the direction where the sun sets – at a low angle.

Look at where you plan to plant and ask yourself, is the sun going to enhance the colors and textures of this plant when I want it to, or not?

However, there are ways to help this herb survive the cold, and come back healthy and vigorous in spring. Continue reading to find out how to prepare your plants for winter.

Plant Hardiness Zones

If you’re growing lemongrass in your garden, you might be wondering what to do with it over the winter months. Due to its tropical origins, lemongrass can only survive the winter outside in the warmest areas of the US.

If you live in USDA Hardiness Zone 10 or 11, it’s safe to leave it outside year-round. However, this only applies to growers in Florida, southern Texas, southern Arizona, and southern California.

If you live in Zone 8 or below, you’ll need to bring your plants inside during the colder months or they’ll end up dying. In Zone 9, it’s best to bring them indoors, but with additional protection you should be able to overwinter them outside.

Protecting Outdoor Plants

If you’re in Zone 9, your lemongrass can survive the winter outdoors as long as you provide adequate protection from the cold.

Floating row covers can act almost like a blanket, covering and keeping plants warm when temperatures plummet.

The first step in preparing for the cold months is to prune your lemongrass. Using gardening shears, remove the leaves and cut the stalks back until they are six to twelve inches tall.

Then drape the material over the plant.

Make sure to hold down the sides using rocks, bricks, or other weights to make a snug cover. Gather each end and weigh down to prevent cold air from blowing in.

Divide, Prune, and Pot

If you live in Zone 8 or below, you’ll need to bring your herbs inside during the winter where they will go dormant.

When they are dormant, they can survive the cold, dark days. Think of dormant plants like hibernating bears; they both take it easy in the winter so they can kick into action in the spring.

If you’re bringing them inside for the winter, you’ll want to start preparing your lemongrass when nighttime temperatures start to drop below 45ºF.

The first step to getting this grass for life indoors is to divide it.

First, use a shovel to dig up the whole plant. Make sure to dig at least two inches either side of the base of the stem in order to preserve the roots.

After you’ve dug it up, use your hands to carefully separate each lemongrass clump into sections of two to four stalks. Make sure each section contains roots.

If it contains less than four stalks, you don’t need to divide it.

After dividing, use scissors or pruning shears to cut the leaves and stalks back so they are 6-12 inches tall.

This haircut helps the maintain moisture in the upcoming months by decreasing the surface area it uses to respire. With fewer leaves, less water evaporates from the leaves.

For more information on dividing perennials see our full guide here.

The next step is to pot them up.

Choose a container that is at least six inches wide and six inches deep. Fill the container with a mix of soil and compost, and plant the stalks 1-2 inches deep.

If placing more than one section of stalks into the same container, space them at least one inch apart.

Keeping Plants Indoors

Once your herbs are in their pots, you need to find a proper location for them to spend the next few months.

Since  overwintering lemongrass is going to be dormant, don’t expect growth or harvests over the cooler months.

To maintain dormancy, place the pots in a cool, dimly lit area. These conditions will keep it alive, but not actually growing. A garage, basement, or cellar kept at 50-60ºF are good options.

Water your lemongrass about once a month over the winter while it’s dormant. Only water sparingly, when the soil is dry at the top; the goal is to provide just enough water for the dormant plant to survive.

Preparing for Spring

Once daytime temperatures are regularly in the 50s, move your pots to a sunny and warm location indoors. Start watering them with about a quarter of an inch two to three times a week.

After two weeks of acclimation to light and warmth, you can begin moving the containers outside during the day. Be sure to bring them inside if the temperature dips to 40ºF or below.

Once nighttime temperatures remain reliably above 40ºF, you can leave your them outside. At this point, you can also transplant them back into your garden if you wish.

While you can transplant your herbs back into their previous location, it’s best to place them somewhere new. By practicing crop rotation, you help prevent problems with disease, pests, and nutrient-deficiency in the soil.

Wherever you end up transplanting, make sure the soil is well-aerated. Plant clumps of one to four stalks, with one to two feet between each clump.

Not only will you have a ready list of companions by the end of this article, but you will also understand the ways in which these plants will help your kale thrive.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Kale’s Companions

There is a wide range of suitable companions for this cruciferous plant, and they offer their assistance in different ways.

I’m going to cover a few of the more common garden plants you can use, explain how they can help, and suggest some of my favorites.

Herbs

The primary purpose of planting herbs along with kale is to attract predatory insects that will keep pests in check.

Call them herbs if you like, but for companion planting purposes, you can also call them “insectary plants.”

Insectary plants provide nectar, pollen, and shelter for predatory and parasitoid beneficial insects – the kind we want around.

Many of these insects are pollinators as well, so try to think of them as beneficial buddies instead of tiny, heartless monsters.

Some herbs also help by repelling pests. And most herbs are light feeders, which means they don’t compete with your crop for nitrogen.

Vegetables

Many veggies make good companions for kale, and they all help out in their own unique ways.

However, you may want to avoid planting it with its brassica relatives. Brassicas tend to be prone to the same pests and diseases, so planting them together can easily lead to an outbreak.

Kale is considered a moderate to heavy nitrogen feeder.

This doesn’t mean you can’t plant it with other heavy feeders, but if you do, make sure you add an extra source of nitrogen – such as well-rotted manure – to your soil.

Alliums

Onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, and chives – I’ve never met an allium I didn’t like.

Their lovely purple blossoms nod in the warm breeze on a summer day, standing out amongst all the leafy garden plants.

Alliums aren’t just pretty – they earn their keep by deterring moths, mites, aphids, and flea beetles from your kale.

And you can add them to your list of insectary plants, as well.

Annual Flowers

There are many annual flowers that can provide benefits for your garden kale, but some have a more established track record than others, and are more commonly found.

All will act as insectary plants, while some have additional benefits.

Grains and Cover Crops

Many backyard gardeners overlook planting grains and cover crops in their garden, but these plants can serve important roles in protecting your kale – along with adding some visual interest to your garden.

These cover crops can also act as a “green manure” when you dig them into the soil at the end of the growing season, adding nutrients and organic matter.

Bad Companions

Along with kale’s friends, there are a few plants that are particularly unfriendly in the garden – these meanies are called “allelopaths.”

This refers to the effect of certain chemicals produced by one type of plant on another plant growing close to it.

As the seasons change and the desire to nurture your own fruitful haven grows stronger, investing in apple trees is a rewarding endeavor that brings both natural beauty and delectable bounty to your garden. The sight of apple-laden branches and the fragrance of blossoms drifting through the air evoke a sense of connection to nature’s rhythms. With a plethora of apple tree varieties available for sale, navigating the choices can be both exciting and overwhelming. This guide aims to simplify the process, helping you make informed decisions while investing in apple trees that align with your garden’s space, climate, and taste preferences. From classic cooking apples to dessert delights, let’s explore the world of apple trees and embark on a journey of growth, flavor, and horticultural wonder.

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Experts have provided insights into the apple tree varieties that thrive in British gardens, bearing testament to their popularity and suitability to the local climate. Here are two of the most commonly cherished apple trees.

1. Bramley’s Seedling:

Bramley’s Seedling is an iconic British cooking apple that has stood the test of time. Renowned for its sharp, tangy flavor and high acidity, this variety is a favorite for pies, tarts, and other culinary creations. The fruit’s distinct taste, coupled with its ability to hold its shape during cooking, makes it a staple in traditional British kitchens. Bramley’s Seedling apple trees are vigorous growers, producing large, greenish-yellow apples with a slightly flushed appearance. Their versatility in cooking and baking applications has solidified their place in the hearts of gardeners and gourmands alike.

2. Egremont Russet:

Egremont Russet is a dessert apple known for its distinctive appearance and sweet, nutty flavor. The fruit’s russeted skin gives it a rustic charm, and its flesh is tender and aromatic. Often enjoyed fresh, Egremont Russet apples offer a delightful balance of sweetness and subtle acidity. These apple trees are appreciated not only for their fruit but also for their ornamental value; the russeted apples and dark branches create an elegant visual contrast in gardens and orchards.

1. Climate Considerations:

Ensure that the apple tree varieties you select are well-suited to your local climate. Different varieties have varying chilling hour requirements and cold hardiness levels. Research the specific climate conditions of your region and opt for apple trees that thrive in those conditions.

2. Pollination Compatibility:

Some apple trees require cross-pollination for optimal fruit set. If you have limited space, opt for self-pollinating or partially self-pollinating varieties to ensure a successful harvest. Consider planting multiple compatible varieties to enhance pollination and fruit production.

3. Rootstock Selection:

The choice of rootstock influences the size and growth habit of the tree. Consider factors such as available space and desired tree height when selecting rootstock. Dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks are suitable for smaller gardens, while standard rootstocks are better for larger spaces.

4. Disease Resistance:

Prioritize disease-resistant varieties to minimize the need for chemical interventions and ensure the health of your apple trees. Disease-resistant apple trees are more likely to thrive in various environmental conditions, reducing the risk of common apple diseases.

5. Taste Preferences:

Consider your taste preferences and how you plan to use the apples. Different apple varieties offer a wide range of flavors and textures, from sweet and crisp to tart and juicy. If you intend to use the apples for cooking, baking, or fresh eating, choose varieties that align with your culinary desires.

1. Planting Depth and Location:

Ensure that the planting hole is large enough to accommodate the tree’s roots without bending or crowding. Plant the tree at the same depth it was in the nursery container to prevent burying the graft union. Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil to promote healthy growth.

2. Watering and Mulching:

Provide ample water to newly planted apple trees, especially during the establishment period. Apply a generous layer of organic mulch around the base of the tree to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature.

3. Pruning and Training:

Young apple trees benefit from proper pruning and training to establish a strong framework of branches. Remove any dead or damaged branches and shape the tree for optimal growth. Prune during the dormant season to encourage healthy growth and fruit production.

4. Fertilization:

Apply a balanced fertilizer during the tree’s active growing season to support healthy root and foliage development. Observe the application rates and timing recommendations provided by the manufacturer. Avoid excessive fertilization, as it can lead to imbalanced growth and poor fruit quality.

5. Pest and Disease Management:

Regularly inspect apple trees for signs of pests and diseases. Implement integrated pest management strategies and practice good garden hygiene to prevent issues. Monitor for common apple pests such as aphids, apple maggots, and codling moths, and take appropriate action if infestations occur.

Investing in apple trees is an investment in the future—a promise of abundant harvests and a connection to the natural world. As you embark on the journey of selecting and nurturing apple trees, remember that each tree is a living testament to the legacy of British gardening. The carefully chosen varieties, when planted with care and tended with dedication, will reward you with not only luscious fruit but also a sense of accomplishment and harmony with the land. So, take the step to bring the beauty and taste of apple orchards into your own space, and let the blossoms and fruits of your investment become a source of joy and fulfillment for years to come. With proper care, attention, and a touch of horticultural love, your apple trees will flourish, and the investment will yield bountiful returns both in the orchard and in the heart.