Category: Home & Garden

Jasmine is enchanting. The white flowers cloak the vines like a blanket of stars, but it’s the scent that holds us in its thrall.

Infusing perfumes, candles, and soaps, we can’t help but want to bring the magic into our homes.

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When the leaves start falling from this plant, it’s a sign that something is amiss. And it’s not just the foliage that’s at risk.

Leaf drop not only impacts the floral display, but it can be a sign of something bad enough that it might kill your jasmine altogether.

Sometimes dropping leaves are due to something as simple as the wrong amount of moisture. That’s an easy fix, and your plant will be back in good form again in no time.

Other times, it can be a serious disease that could spell disaster if you don’t deal with it right away.

Here are the seven common causes we’ll go over in this guide. We’ll explain how to identify them, and what to do when they strike:

Sooner or later, every single plant will drop at least a few of its leaves, even if it’s perfectly healthy.

That’s just a natural part of the cycle of life, similar to how we drop hair over time. As plants age, jasmine will drop its lower leaves in particular.

Lots of plants do this. The lower leaves tend to be less useful because they are blocked from receiving sunlight, so plants ditch them.

Plants might also shunt off leaves that are just too old, and they’ll replace them with fresh new growth.

But if this doesn’t seem to be what’s going on, let’s take a look at the following common culprits so you can troubleshoot at home:

1. Inappropriate Moisture Levels

Any time a jasmine plant has wetter or drier roots than it can handle for an extended period of time, it will start dropping foliage.

Roots that are drowning can’t support the plant. But too little moisture can also cause leaves to drop, as a result of stress.

It’s possible to tell the difference between these conditions by examining the foliage. If the leaves are crisp and yellow, it’s probably too much water causing the problem.

Soggy brown or yellow leaves are usually caused by overwatering.

Either way, the solution is to adjust the water situation. Don’t add water to the soil until the top inch has dried out.

If your plants are in soil that doesn’t drain well, you need to be extra careful not to overwater.

On the other hand, if you stick your finger in the soil and it regularly feels dry past your first knuckle, you need to be watering more often.

2. Leaf Blight

Leaf blight usually causes a whole host of other symptoms before it will cause leaves to drop.

So unless you’re seeing small, brown, necrotic spots, with or without a yellow halo, your problem probably isn’t leaf blight.

This disease is caused by fungi in the Alternaria, Cercospora, and Phyllosticta genera.

There are several treatments that work with leaf blight, and copper fungicide is a good option because it’s reliable and effective.

Saturate your jasmine, and make sure to get the top and bottom of the leaves, as well as the stems, every two weeks.

I always keep Bonide Copper Fungicide on hand in my gardening toolkit.

Bonide Copper Fungicide

It’s handy for treating so many problems. If you need to pick some up to add to your supply, visit Arbico Organics for a 32-ounce ready-to-use spray bottle, a 16- or 32-ounce hose end spray, or a 16-ounce concentrate.

3. Low Light

Many plants will drop their foliage in low light. When there isn’t enough light, plants will abandon some of their leaves because it’s too “expensive” to maintain them.

Leaves are energy-intensive to maintain and if they aren’t pulling their weight, they might as well go.

When this is the cause, it’s usually the lower leaves that will drop.

If upper leaves are dropping, consider causes other than low light first. The remaining foliage might also be lighter in color than normal.

While the ideal light exposure can vary between species, most need full to partial sun, with six to eight hours of exposure per day.

4. Phytophthora Rot

While we include this problem for the sake of being thorough, species in the Jasminum genus are rarely impacted by root rot caused by Phytophthora oomycetes. Jasmine seems to be somewhat resistant.

But rarely is not the same thing as never, and if you can’t pinpoint what’s causing the leaves to plop off your plant, it’s worth considering this disease.

When present, it causes part or all of the plant to wilt. You might also see dark sap oozing out of the hardwood. Under ground, the roots will start rotting away. If you were to dig up the jasmine, you’d see mushy, black roots.

This pathogen needs moisture to reproduce, which is why overwatering contributes to the spread of this disease. Good drainage and appropriate watering will go a long, long way to preventing rot.

This disease can be hard to eliminate with chemicals, which is why prevention is important.

However, if you find it attacking your plants, all is not lost. There are a few products on the market that can help.

Mycostop, for instance, is an effective biofungicide containing the beneficial bacteria Streptomyces griseoviridis strain K61. Apply it following the manufacturer’s directions for controlling phytophthora.

Mycostop Biofungicide

To purchase some, visit Arbico Organics. They carry it in five- and 25-gram packs.

5. Scale

Armored and soft scale insects (superfamily Coccoidea) like to feed on jasmine, and when they do, it can cause the leaves on the vine to drop.

Scale is often mistaken for a disease symptom because these pests move slowly, are somewhat flat, and tend to cluster, resembling little lumps on the stems and leaves.

These insects use their sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap, depriving plants of nutrients that they need to be healthy. So, off go those leaves, usually after turning yellow.

Sometimes, you’ll also see a sticky substance called honeydew, a black fungus called sooty mold, or ants on the stems and foliage.

Often, when you see scale in your garden, it’s a sign that the balance of the environment is out of whack.

When things are balanced, beneficial predators usually make a quick meal out of scale before too many can breed and grow.

Read our guide to learn more about scale and how to eliminate these pests when they’re troubling your jasmine.

6. Too Much Nitrogen

When a plant has too much nitrogen, it might drop its leaves. But don’t go assuming that just because you aren’t using a high-nitrogen fertilizer this couldn’t be your issue.

If your soil is already high or just moderate in nitrogen content and you add fertilizer, this could cause the foliage to drop.

That’s why your mantra should always be: test, test, test. Test your soil before you plant something, or do so at least once a year.

Without going into the whole topic of how problematic too much nitrogen is for the environment, it’s always smart for your wallet, your plants, and the environment as well to avoid adding anything your soil doesn’t need.

In addition to leaf drop, too much nitrogen can also cause leaves to be super dark in color.

Symptoms can also include yellowing at the tips of the leaves without any dryness, as well as superabundant growth that is abnormal for your jasmine.

Many established woody plants in the garden don’t need much in the way of nitrogen.

Sure, young specimens need some help, but if your vine is several years old, it probably doesn’t need any nitrogen added.

You’re probably thinking that the solution is to simply stop fertilizing, and you’re mostly right. You also want to focus on watering a little differently to flush out the soil.

The general rule is to water your plants deeply and less frequently rather than often and shallowly, but if you suspect a nitrogen overdose, go ahead and water often.

Just make sure you’ve tested the soil to ensure this is the problem before you start watering this way. Otherwise, you risk causing many other issues, including some mentioned above.

7. Wilt or Root Rot

Fusarium wilt is a fairly common problem for many garden plants, including jasmine.

The difficulty with this disease is that most of the damage happens underground. By the time you see symptoms above ground, your plant is in trouble.

Underground, roots infected with Fusarium fungi turn black and smooshy. Aboveground the plant will start wilting, followed by dropping leaves. Patches of the foliage may turn yellow or brown before taking the plunge.

That Mycostop we mentioned above? It works extremely well against this disease if you catch it early enough.

Sometimes, if your plant is wilting and you can’t figure out why, your best option is to dig down carefully and take a look at the roots.

Any black or mushy roots? It might be root rot from overwatering, but it doesn’t matter what the cause is since the treatment is the same.

Start treating right away and keep treating for three months after symptoms subside.

Bring Back the Beauty

Sweet-scented and smothered in white blossoms, a jasmine vine in bloom is incomparable. But the glossy green leaves are beautiful all on their own.

Dropping leaves not only makes your plant look less attractive, but it threatens that floral display.

What kind of symptoms are you seeing on your jasmine? When did they start? How do you plan to tackle the issue? Fill us in on all the details in the comments.

Once you’ve rescued those leaves, we have a few other guides you might want to check out to learn all about jasmine plants, including:

Canning rhubarb is a great way to enjoy it in your favorite desserts and more all year round.

Anyone who has it in their garden knows that you always end up with an overabundance in the spring.

The good news is that canning fresh rhubarb is a simple way to use it up and keep it for later so there’s no waste.

It’s excellent for making jelly, dessert fillings, jam, and so much more. In this article I’m going to show you how to can rhubarb in a few easy steps.

Preparing Rhubarb For Canning

Preparing rhubarb for canning is very simple. All you need to do is remove the leaves and ends, rinse it off, and then cut it into ½ to 1 inch pieces.

You could can it in plain water, or add sugar to pull out the natural juices and use that as your liquid brine.

Adding sugar helps to preserve the color and firm texture, and also compliments the flavor.

Use ¼ cup of sugar for every 2 cups of rhubarb. Toss them together in a bowl, then let it sit for 2 hours to allow the juices to excrete.

Methods For Canning Rhubarb

When it comes time to fill your jars, there are two methods you can choose from: hot or raw packing.

There’s no right or wrong answer here, both will work great. Below I describe these two techniques in detail, as well as the pros and cons of each.

Hot Packing

With this method you flash-cook the rhubarb in your brine liquid or plain water and boil it for 1 minute before filling the jars.

The benefits of taking this extra step are that it reduces excess air when you pack the jars, and it also helps to preserve the color and flavor of the rhubarb.

Raw Packing

Raw packing simply means that you fill the jars with uncooked rhubarb, and then pour the boiling brine liquid over it.

This method is helpful if you’re tight for time. The drawback is that you may have more air bubbles in your jars, and the color and flavor of the rhubarb tends to leach out into the brine more.

Processing Canned Rhubarb

There are two methods you could use to can your rhubarb, either with a pressure canner or using a hot water bath. I’ll go into details of both of these below.

Water Bath Canning Rhubarb

The easiest way to can rhubarb is to use a hot water bath canner. This method is safe because rhubarb is naturally acidic.

Once the water in the canner is boiling, process the jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude if necessary. Then turn off the stove, remove the lid, and allow it to settle and cool for 5 more minutes.

Canning Rhubarb With A Pressure Canner

If you prefer you could use a pressure canner instead. However, the rhubarb can begin to break down from the higher heat, which means it may be a bit mushier using this method.

Bring the canner to a boil and allow it to vent for about 10 minutes, or until the vent closes on its own (depending on the brand you have). Then, process the jars at 5 pounds of pressure for 8 minutes, adjusting for altitude.

Tools & Equipment Needed

Below is a list of items you’ll need. Gather everything before you start to make the process easier. You can see my full list of tools and supplies here.

How To Store Canned Rhubarb

Remove the bands and store your canned rhubarb in a cool, dry, and dark place, such as in a pantry or cupboard.

Check each lid first to make sure it has a tight seal. If any of them didn’t seal after processing, then put those into the fridge and eat them up within a week.

How Long Does Canned Rhubarb Last?

As long as it’s stored properly, home canned rhubarb can last for up to 2 years.

Always double check that the lid still has a tight seal before eating it, and discard any jars that have popped open.

FAQs

Below are my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about canning rhubarb.

Can I water bath can rhubarb?

Yes you can water bath can rhubarb. It’s safe to use this processing method because rhubarb is naturally acidic.

Is it safe to can rhubarb at home?

It is safe to can rhubarb at home as long as you follow the proper procedures outlined in this article.

How do I know if my canned rhubarb has gone bad?

You’ll know your canned rhubarb has gone bad if it’s mushy, has an off-smell, if there are dark spots in the jar, or the lids have lost their seal. In this case throw it away.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when canning rhubarb?

Some common mistakes to avoid when canning rhubarb include under or over processing it. It’s crucial to follow the proper procedure, temperature, and processing duration.

Can I can rhubarb with other fruits or vegetables?

Yes, you can can rhubarb with other fruits or vegetables. The most common combo is with strawberries. One thing to keep in mind is the duration of time required for canning other types of produce might differ from rhubarb. So if you run into that, process it for the longer duration.

If you’d like to learn how to make the most of your space and get as much homegrown food as possible, then my Vertical Vegetables book is perfect! It will teach you all you need to know, has tons of gorgeous photos, and includes 23 DIY projects you can build for your own garden. Order your copy today!

Learn more about my Vertical Vegetables book here.

More Food Canning Posts

Share your tips for canning rhubarb in the comments section below.

Recipe & Instructions

Have you ever peeked inside a magnolia flower? At the center, there’s this funky-looking protrusion. It kind of looks like a colorful pine cone.

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That’s actually the fruit that will continue to mature and produce the ripe seeds of the plant. And you can harvest those ripe seeds to grow more magnolia trees.

Some species have fruits that are downright ornamental. It’s like a second show in the fall. Others are a bit less prominent, but they’re all equally useful in the process of reproduction.

While you never know exactly what you’ll get when propagating seed, it’s usually something pretty exciting, especially when you get to oversee the process from start to finish, taking those seeds from a growth on a branch that squirrels love to munch on to an entire tree in its own right.

That’s what this guide aims to do, helping you to germinate and care for your own young magnolias at home.

Coming right up, here’s everything we’ll cover to help you achieve your magnolia propagation dreams:

Before you jump in, be aware that only trees 10 years or older will produce viable seeds.

The best trees to harvest from are about 25 years old, since that’s when they’re the most productive. You should also know that those collected from hybrids won’t breed true.

That doesn’t mean a tree won’t grow, it just means that whatever does grow won’t necessarily look like the parent.

In my area, saucer magnolias (Magnolia × soulangeana) are all the rage, but these trees are hybrids, so you can’t reproduce them from seed.

A Bit About Magnolia Seeds

At the center of each flower is a cone that is made up of follicles. It kind of looks like a soft pine cone. We call this entire thing the follicetum, or just the fruit, for short.

Each follicetum is held on a receptacle and contains fuzzy follicles that hold the typically red or orange seeds covered in fleshy arils. These look somewhat like young female pine cones.

Why the weird pod? Well, magnolias first evolved when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Back then, there were lots of insects that we know today as beetles, but there weren’t any bees.

That meant in order to be pollinated, magnolias had to rely on those beetles, and they weren’t as delicate and petite as bees, as you can probably imagine.

The beetles would climb into the flowers and use their mandibles to feed in there. To protect themselves from the beetles, magnolias developed tough carpels to encase the seeds.

Since these carpels look a lot like the male stamens – a part of the flower they like to feed on – it tricks the beetles into hanging out inside the fruits longer.

The fruit stays on the tree long after the petals drop. As it matures, the red or orange seeds develop and emerge from a split in the follicle.

Herbivores like squirrels, opossums, and birds eat the fruits and spread the seeds all over the place, eventually making new trees.

Harvesting

Magnolia seeds ripen in the fall. Once they emerge from the follicle and you can see the (usually) reddish-orange flesh, it’s harvest time. The trick is to beat the animals to the ripe fruits.

If you harvest too early, the fruits won’t be ripe yet. If you harvest too late, they might be squirrel poop already. You need to check the tree frequently to find that sweet spot.

You can also wait until the fruits have ejected themselves from the tree – you’ll find them on the ground under the canopy.

If you have multiple trees to choose from, look for a tree that had a bountiful floral display of healthy flowers this year. The blossoms shouldn’t be brown or spotted.

Of course, by the time you’re looking for the fruits, the petals are long gone, but just keep a mental note when you see potential trees for harvesting from.

Once you have the goods, rub the flesh under running water to remove it. You want to expose the fresh seed.

Lay the seeds out on a cookie sheet covered with a paper towel to let them dry out. Once they’re dry, you can store them for years in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to plant.

Preparation

Now that you have your seeds, soak them in water for 48 to 72 hours.

The purpose of this is to loosen the hard outer coating. After soaking, gently squeeze the end of the fruit to pop the seed out.

Next, it’s time to stratify the seed to prepare it for planting. You can artificially cold stratify them indoors.

Place the prepped seeds in moist (not wet) sand in a resealable bag and press all the air out of the bag. Seal it up and place the bag in the refrigerator.

They need to stay in a cool spot for up to 120 days. Check the sand to ensure it stays moist.

Start this process about 120 days before you expect temperatures to be around 70°F during the daytime and no lower than 50°F at night in the spring.

Planting and Care

Once the seeds have been stratified for 120 days and it’s around 50°F at night and around 70°F during the day in your area, it’s time to plant them outside.

Sow in prepared soil half an inch deep. The soil needs to be water retentive without draining poorly.

Eventually, the tree will grow beyond any of your attempts to amend the soil within a certain area, but you want to give your seedlings a fighting chance to become established.

To do this, amend the soil with lots of well-rotted compost at least a foot down and a foot wide.

Compost does double duty in that it makes soil water retentive and it improves drainage. It’s garden magic.

I always put two or three seeds in each spot where I want a tree to grow in case one or two don’t germinate.

Once the seed is in place, water the soil carefully so as not to disturb the soil. Keep watering until the soil is saturated but not soggy.

As the seedlings emerge, your job is to keep the soil moist but not wet. When the surface of the soil dries out, add a bit more moisture.

That’s all there is to it! Continue caring for your plants as described in our general guide to growing magnolias.

Make More Marvelous Magnolias

Part of what makes magnolias so interesting is their unique biology. It’s a blast to work with plant parts that are a little bit different from the usual flowers we know and love.

Propagating magnolias from seed is also a good skill to have in your back pocket if you want to save or reproduce a tree that you adore.

Remember that you need permission to take plant parts off of trees on private property. It’s perfectly legal to take a small number of seeds and flowers on Bureau of Land Management property. You can also obtain permits to take plant parts from national forest land.

Where are you getting your fruits from? A neighbor’s tree? Are you reproducing a tree that you own? Share with us in the comments.

And for more information about magnolias and how to grow them, check out these guides next:

You are among the few lucky homeowners if you haven’t struggled with termite infestation before. Termites are common backyard pests that can damage your property. Unfortunately, getting rid of these stubborn insects is difficult and overly expensive. The other common challenge is identifying them in their initial outbreak. If you haven’t faced a termite problem before, you should learn how to do a termite inspection.

Source

Essentially, termites are social pests and live in colonies. They scavenge for wooden materials, including patio decks, wooden fence materials, and other backyard structures. If you’ve started noticing termite infestation in your backyard, the following tips can help:

1. Keep moisture in your backyard under control

Moist and humid places are hot spots that favor termites. These insects collect anywhere there’s moisture. Ensuring your backyard isn’t damp is an easier way to eliminate termites. You should start by removing damp wood and wooden structures from your yard. Branches, logs, and kid’s toys are other favorite termite attractions. If you must build wooden structures in your backyard, use termite-resistant wood.

2. Use a termiticide barrier

If maintaining a dry backyard is impossible, probably because of your region’s climate, installing a termiticide barrier is a good solution. Granule and liquid termiticide barriers contain chemicals that paralyze and kill termites. However, you should consider several things before using a termiticide barrier.

For instance, if you choose granular termiticide, ensure that you spread it across your backyard structures like decaying trees, wood piles, and other wooden structures. If you prefer liquid termiticide, spray and allow it to soak into the ground. 

3. Use boric acids

You can also get rid of termites using boric acid. Like most insecticides, boric acid complicates the termite’s digestive and metabolic system, affecting its ability to absorb nutrients. Boric acid also dehydrates and stops the termite’s nervous system, causing them to die.

4. Use nematodes

If you are among the many homeowners who prefer eco-friendly practices, nematodes are a more sustainable option than chemical treatments. Roundworms are specifically beneficial in termite control. They are natural pests to termites and other insects. However, once it enters the termite’s body, it releases poison that kills termites. You should consider this option because it doesn’t harm plants, pets, and animals in your backyard. This method is also long-lasting, as roundworms or your preferred nematodes breed and multiply.

What You Shouldn’t Do

While the above methods are effective, you should ignore these common misconceptions:

• Relocating termites – Some people believe that relocating termites can solve their termite problem. However, the few termites you see in your backyard are a fraction of the colony. Relocating will encourage them to spread to other areas of your backyard.
• Pine sleepers – Raising your garden beds won’t keep termites away from your backyard. In contrast, the moist pine wood makes a perfect habitat for termites. If you must raise your garden, use pressure-treated wood.
•  Using insect spray – While insect spray works for other pests, it may not control your termite problem. Insect spray may kill a few termites, but won’t take out the entire colony.

 

Endnote

Termites are stubborn pests and difficult to eliminate. Consider calling a professional termite exterminator if your backyard is heavily infested. You should also adopt various preventive practices.

Are you ready for some sunshine, laughter and family fun?  This collection of funny summer jokes for kids and summer puns are perfect for sunny days. 🌞

As the sun shines brightly and the days grow longer, there’s no better time to brighten your spirits with a good old giggle. From beachside chuckles to popsicle puns, these summer jokes are bound to make your summer shine even brighter.

The best summer jokes

We’ve got silly summer jokes for kids, summer dad jokes, beach jokes, hot weather jokes, and summer puns to keep you smiling.

As well as providing lots of laughs, you can use these summertime jokes and summer puns with your instagram and TikTok posts, or pop them in greetings cards for added sunshine.  Our nature hashtags might come in handy too.

Silly summer jokes for kids

Ready to dive into a sea of summer laughter?  Let’s start with some silly summer jokes for kids.

What’s a frog’s favourite summer treat? Hopsicles.

How do you prevent a summer cold? Catch it in the winter.

What does Cinderella wear at the beach? Glass flippers.

What do you call a dog that likes to sunbathe? A hot dog.

What’s the most common insect found at the beach in summer? A beach buggy.

What do you get when you combine an elephant with a fish? Swimming trunks.

How is summer like Christmas? ’Tis the sea-sun to be jolly.

Funny jokes about summer

These funny jokes about summer will definitely get the kids giggling.

Have you heard of the martial artists who fought on the beach? They faced off in sand-to-sand combat.

How do you catch a squirrel in the summer? Climb a tree and act like a nut.

What do you call a beach that’s not beside the ocean? A sandy place.

Why don’t skeletons like summer? They have no body to go to the beach with.

Which letter of the alphabet is the coolest? Iced T.

What’s the best Shakespeare play to see in summer? A midsummer’s ice cream.

What do frogs drink in summer? Croak-a-cola.

Funny sun jokes

There’s a whole host of great jokes about the sun – here are a few of our favourites.

How does the sun drink water? Out of sunglasses.

Why did the sun go to school? To get brighter.

How does the sun cut its hair? Eclipse it.

How does the sun like its eggs? Sunny-side up.

Why did the sun get into a fight with the clouds? It didn’t like being overshadowed.

How does the sun organise a party? It planet.

Why didn’t the sun go to university? Because it already had a million degrees.

More sunshine jokes

Add some rays to your day with these sunshine jokes.

What’s the sun’s favourite type of music? Ray-ggae.

How does the sun feel after a workout? Solar-powered.

What do you call a sun that tells funny stories? A pun-shine.

What’s the sun’s favourite accessory? Ray-bans.

How does the sun feel in the morning? Dawn-tastic.

What’s the sun’s favourite day of the week? Sun-day.

Summer dad jokes

We couldn’t have a list of summer funnies without a few dad jokes about summer to make kids roll their eyes!

What is a cow’s favourite summertime activity? Going to the mooo-vies.

What do you get if you cross a dog and a summer flower? A collie flower. Find more flower puns in our roundup.

What’s a pirate’s favourite place to swim in the summer? The aarrrrr-ctic ocean.

Why don’t oysters donate to charity? Because they’re shellfish.

Why did the tomato turn red at the beach? Because it saw the salad dressing.

Why did the man put his money in the freezer during summer? He wanted cold hard cash.

What do you get when you throw a lot of books into the ocean? A title wave.

More jokes for summer giggles

What did one snow cone say to the other at the beach? “You’re looking cool!”

What do you call a snowman on a hot summer day? A puddle.

How does the ocean floor stay well-informed on the news? By following current events.

What crashes onto the shore on tiny beaches?  Micro-waves.

What do ghosts love to eat in summer?  I-scream.

What do you call a witch who lives at the beach? A sand-witch.

What’s brown, hairy and wears sunglasses? A coconut on vacation.

Why are mountains the funniest place for a summer holiday? Because they’re hill-arious.

Hot weather jokes

If hot weather is getting too much, these heat jokes and it’s so hot jokes will raise everyone’s spirits.

How does a dog stay cool in the summer? Pant-tastically.

What did the sunscreen say to the beachgoer? “I’ve got you covered!”

How do you keep cool at a football game? Sit next to the fans.

Why do bees stay in their hives during the summer? It’s too hot to bee outside. Head this way for more bee puns.

What did the pig say on a hot summer day? I’m bacon.

What did the sun say to the sand? “I’m hotter than you!”

What’s the hottest day of the summer? Sunday.

Why did the teddy bear say it was too hot? Because it couldn’t bear the heat.

Beach jokes

Summer and the beach go hand-in-hand, so here are some great beach jokes for you to enjoy.

Why did the banana go to the beach? Because it couldn’t find a peel.

What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Nothing, they just waved.

What do you call a seagull that flies over the bay? A bagel.

Why don’t crabs share their food? Because they’re a little shellfish.

Which part of a fish weighs the most? The scales.

What kind of tree can you carry in your hand? A palm tree. There’s a whole list of tree puns to explore.

What did one tide pool say to the other tide pool? Show me your mussels.

How do you organise a beach picnic? You sandwich it between two waves.

What did one beach say to the other beach? Long tide, no sea.

What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

Why did the computer go to the beach? To surf the internet.

How do you know the ocean is friendly? It waves.

How do mermaids call each other? They use a shell phone.

Why did the detectives turn up at the beach? Something fishy was going on.

Vacation jokes

Whether you’re counting down to a vacation, or just dreaming about being on one, these summer holiday jokes will help you create the right vibe.

Why did the scarecrow go on vacation? Because he needed a break from all the corny jokes.

Why was the maths book sad during summer vacation? Because it had too many problems.

How do you communicate with a fish on holiday? Drop it a line.

Why did the sun go on summer vacation? It needed a well-deserved ray off.

What did one sandcastle say to the other during their summer holiday? “You’re a shore winner!”

Why did the crab never go on summer vacation? It didn’t want to shell out for the trip.

Why did the ice cream take a vacation? It wanted to chill out.

What’s grey, has four legs and a trunk?  A mouse on holiday.

Where do sharks go on holiday? Finland.

Why did the robot go on vacation? To recharge his batteries.

Do fish go on holiday? No, because they’re always in school.

Where do sheep go on vacation? The baa-hamas.

Jokes about sunburn

Sunburn is no joke – but you can persuade the kids to stay still while you apply sunscreen with these jokes about sunburn.

What do you call a snowman with a sunburn? A puddle.

What do you call a bear that’s been out in the sun for too long? Grizzled.

What did the man say when he saw his sunburn?  “I feel red-iculous”.

How do you treat a sunburned pirate? With some arrrrr-gan oil.

What do you call a sunburned dog? A hot dog.

Why do bananas use sunscreen?  Because they peel.

What’s black and white and red all over? A zebra with sunburn.

Summer camp jokes

Send the kids off in style with some summer camp jokes.

What do you call a musician’s summer camp? Band campfire.

Why did the scarecrow go to summer camp? Because it wanted to learn some outstanding outdoor skills.

What did the fish say to its friend at summer camp? “I’m hooked on this place!”

What did the tree say to the summer campers? “I’m rooting for you!”

Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants to summer camp? In case he got a hole in one.

Why did the math book go to summer camp? It needed some natural log-arithms.

What do you call a bear in the rain at summer camp? A drizzly bear.

Summer puns

Still hungry for more summer themed fun? Here are some clever summer puns to make everyone smile.

Summer down

No mean heat

Sunny you should ask

Like father, like sun

Anything is popsicle

When all is said and sun

Catch a heatwave

That’s not sunny

Beyond the pool

Beach puns

How do you make a seaside day even better?  Add in some beach puns, of course!

Beachy keen

Seas the day

Making waves

Shell yeah

Just keep swimming

Getting my vitamin sea

Don’t worry, beach happy

Shell we go?

Sea you at the beach

Happiness comes in waves

Don’t get tide down

Long time no sea

Get to the other tide

Feelin’ beachy

We mermaid for each other

Having a beach ball

Don’t get tide down

Even more puns about summer

A few more summer puns to finish our summer celebration.

Pool your heels

In summery

Tropic like it’s hot

Girls just wanna have sun

Keep palm and carry on

Sun-day fun day

I can sea clearly now

Shell-abrate good times

Sun’s out, puns out!

Have these summer jokes and summer puns brought some sunshine to your day?

We hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of hilarious summer jokes for kids and summer puns.  You can find more seasonal silliness in these roundups:

For even more jokes, check out the lists of bird puns, cat puns, gnome puns, sunflower puns, plant puns, vegetable puns, potato puns, fruit puns, pumpkin jokes, halloween jokes and easter jokes.

And if you like your family fun with a nature theme, make sure you take a look at *A Year of Nature Craft and Play and *A Year of Nature Walks and Games.  They’re both full of nature activities, games and crafts for kids to enjoy all year round.

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We regularly get asked how to cure tobacco.

We’ve grown tobacco off and on for years, and have experimented with various low-tech ways to cure it, or at least to make it taste better.

If you dry green tobacco leaves quickly, the chlorophyll remains in them and the flavor is harsh and grassy, with undertones of burning oak leaves. It’s not a nice sweet smoke.

However, there are some simple ways to make it taste better, and get it to a quality level that is worthy of some homemade cigars.

You can dry and ferment them, like this fellow does:

And I may try that, as I have an old freezer in the backyard that has been looking for a new life. It would be perfect for a curing chamber.

We usually just cure them by hanging them up somewhere to slowly dry. In our highly humid summer, it’s not hard. We’ve hung them in our barn and are currently hanging them up on our porch, as you can see in this quick clip.

Down in Grenada, I hung them along the window in the living room on our second-story apartment. I wish I had a photo. There was a beautiful view out of the window of a coconut palm, and we had lots of “hands” of tobacco hanging on the grillwork.

After a month or so of hanging, the color has slowly faded from green, to yellow, to brown. Then we’d simply wet the leaves a little and roll them into cigars.

The longer we waited, the better the cigars tasted.

But, even with a short period of letting them turn brown, they tasted much better than when I dried green leaves on the dashboard and then smoked them in my homemade bamboo pipe during the pandemic. We were on lockdown and living in the jungle, so there was little to do. I would put leaves on the dashboard of our minivan in the morning, then sit on the side of the mountain and smoke them in the evening while I checked email and read the news of our impending Corona-virus-induced doom.

In North Florida, I left them hanging in the rafters of our uninsulated barn for a year or so, and then would make them into cigars.

We even made chewing tobacco from them as an experiment.

When I travelled to Indonesia in 2019, I tried the local tobacco and found it to be quite decent. I got about a pound of it for maybe 50 cents American, and smoked it in my pipe. I also tried the local cigarettes, which were very cheap, fat, and flavored with cloves. Which reminds me, before that trip I once added some powdered cloves to our tobacco and found it made quite decent clove cigarettes.

While in Indonesia, I came across a tobacco farmer who was sun-drying his leaf in order to later sell it to a cigarette manufacturer. This was his method:

There are many ways to cure tobacco, but thus far we have kept it very low-tech. It’s a decent, homegrown, organic smoke, so I haven’t innovated much.

On Grenada, I heard that the English would dry their tobacco, then pack it into a jar with molasses for some indeterminate period, pressing it down hard, and then, after some time, remove it and use it as pipe tobacco. That was all the info I got from the locals, however, and we did some small experiments without making anything particularly excellent.

It would also be interesting to try making rope tobacco:

This year I’ll have lots of leaves, so we have extra for experimentation.

For now, I know just hanging them out of the sun to slowly dry does a decent job of it.

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When you think of shrubs, you likely think of gardening chores—pruning, mulching, and fertilizing. Then there are the pests—scale on euonymus, blight on boxwoods, and ever-present hungry deer. And you may also think back, with a shudder, to the time there was a sudden cold snap that froze the flower buds.

No way around it: Shrubs require maintenance and cannot be completely ignored. If you want proof, drive around any first-ring suburb with homes over a century old. You will see yews, hemlocks, and hollies that block ground-floor windows and a few that tower over the house.

However, there are some low-maintenance shrubs that are very forgiving of neglect. They will allow you to have time on your weekends to grill, go to the beach, hike in the woods (and see native shrubs!), read a book, go away for the weekend. All that they need from you is a little attention here and there in the spring and fall.

There are, of course, no pest- and disease-free plants. And you’ll still have to water these shrubs during droughts and heat waves; prune out dead, damaged, and diseased branches; and make an effort to protect them from deer (remember, there are no deer-proof shrubs, just varying degrees of resistance). What sets these apart from other shrubs is their ability to thrive with minimal human intervention.

Holly (Ilex)

Holly, all kinds, are pretty easy to grow. They can do well in all sorts of soils, from sand to clay. They grow in sun and part shade. It’s evergreen. Once established, they are drought-tolerant. Their berries are food for birds. Their leaves make them very deer-resistant. All they ask of you is some fertilizer and a light pruning in the spring. Fun fact: If hollies are not browsed by deer for a significant amount of time, their signature leaves lose their spikiness and revert to ovate and smooth.

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

Rose of Sharon is a right-plant-in-the-right-place kind of shrub. It can be opportunistic, which can be great if you’re searching for a good privacy hedge. It’s even easier than holly. It tolerates heavy clay, loam, and sandy soils. It likes sun and part shade. It can tolerate full shade but will have limited flowering. You don’t have to prune it unless you want to. It is in the hibiscus family and has beautiful flowers in pinks, purples and whites. Deer don’t like it. It has few pests or diseases. It needs some fertilizer in the spring. Maybe. Or you can skip it entirely.

Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster dammeri)

Cotoneaster tolerates the same conditions as holly and rose of Sharon. It is even more drought-tolerant, though, needing very little water. It is as much at home in your front yard as it is on the side of a cliff. It’s evergreen, comes in various leaf colors, and has bright red berries. It is low-growing, up to one foot tall, and makes a good ground cover for rocky, dry areas. (See Gardening 101: Ground Covers for Every Landscape for more on cotoneaster as a ground cover.)

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

Yes, lilac belongs on this list. Their scent alone is worth any effort on your part, but lucky for you, the effort required is minimal. Like the shrubs above, it is tolerant of various soil conditions and can grow in full sun to part shade. It is mostly disease-resistant. It can get mildew later in the summer, but it doesn’t hurt the plant. It isn’t preferred by deer. It grows fast. It comes in a variety of heights, flower types, and flower colors. And the only pruning it needs is rejuvenation pruning when it gets leggy. (For more on lilacs, see Gardening 101: Lilacs.)

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Ninebark is an interesting native shrub with a weird name. It gets its moniker from its peeling bark, a feature that imparts winter interest. On older plants, the bark peels off in layers. I haven’t counted the layers, but it looks like it matches its name. Ninebark is in the rose family and a relative of spirea (its flowers are a reminder of that connection). It’s tolerant of various soil and light needs. The straight native is pest- and disease-resistant. They need little pruning but can benefit from a hard prune if it gets too big. (For more on ninebark, see 6 Favorites: Must-Have Flowering Shrubs.)

These five shrubs ask little of you—and give so much in return: watering them until established, giving them a trim now and then, maybe a rejuvenation prune every four or five years, fertilizer (when you remember). They don’t mind the neglect. In fact, they reward it with with privacy, flowers, and winter interest.

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Joseph here, sharing some things in bloom in my northern Indiana garden from the first half of May.

I’m not sure what species this wallflower (Erysimum sp.) is—it came from a mixed packet of seed—but whatever it is, it has been covered with flowers for a month, and all kinds of bees and other pollinators LOVE it.

The first of my annual poppies (Papaver sp.) is blooming! This self-sowed from a planting of the the variety ‘Orange Chiffon’ last year, but I think the bees made a hybrid, because it looks a little different than the mother. Whatever it is, I like it!

This was a pleasant success. I’d heard it was easy to overwinter zonal geraniums (Pelargonium hybrids, Zones 9–11 or as an annual), so I tried it. Before the first frost last fall, I pulled them out of the ground and containers, shook the soil off, and just put them in a box in the basement. They sat there all winter, and a few weeks ago I potted them up. Now they’re alive, growing, and blooming! I’m happy to get a second year without having to buy more.

Anticipation—there are buds on my hollyhocks (Alcea rosea, Zones 3–8). I love hollyhocks. Yes, the leaves will get rust on them later, but I don’t care.

Siberian wallflower (Cheiranthus allionii, Zones 3–8) is a biennial. I didn’t even notice it growing last year after I sowed the seeds, but now it is blooming away. I love the bright color, but the fragrance is even more amazing.

Speaking of fragrance, one of my favorite shrubs is blooming, Abelia mosanensis (Zones 4–8). It is so pretty, and the flowers smell like jasmine. Since my garden is too cold for real jasmine, I’m happy to grow this. I usually see a lot of butterflies on it as well, but none yet this year for some reason.

A pretty little auricula primrose (Primula × pubescens, Zones 5–9). I grew this from seed last year, and it is so nice! It is doing quite well in the bright, dry shade under my big sugar maple in the front yard.

For this year’s window boxes, I went with nonstop tuberous begonias (Begonia hybrid, Zones 10–12 or as an annual or tender bulb). They’re pretty right now! I hope they keep up well through the summer.

 

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Pruning your roses will help keep them bushy and full of blooms. We won’t get too in-depth in this post (watch for a detailed rose pruning post, coming soon!), but here are a few basics.

To encourage continual blooms, deadhead faded flowers by cutting down to just above an outward-facing leaf with five individual leaves. New budding stems will push out from this spot. You can also thin out any crowded branches during the growing season.

In the late fall, many gardeners prune off rose hips (the fruit of the rose plant) to encourage energy to go into preparing for the next growing season rather than ripening the hips. You can experiment with pruning them off or leaving them for ornamental purposes or for wildlife and then decide which method is best for you.

Major pruning is usually done each year, from the end of February through early March, depending on the weather. Ideally, the roses are still dormant but there is little risk of hard freezes in the near future. There are many methods, from light pruning that removes dead or diseased canes and takes the remaining canes down slightly to hard pruning, which leaves only 5 thick canes per bush, all shorter than 1 foot. Look for our upcoming blog post about pruning roses for more in-depth information.

Pruning and pinching out flower buds produces branching with an abundance of leaves, and also delays the final, or reproductive, phase.

Plus, nonflowering O. basilicum plants have the brightest flavors and tenderest leaves – and with the onset of flower buds, flavors are compromised.

But for seed collection, flowering is mandatory. And to attract important pollinators like bees and butterflies, flowers need to be present. 

So if you’re wondering whether or not your basil should be allowed to flower, read on now to make your choice!

Here’s what you’ll find up ahead:

Annual Life Cycle

Flowering is part of a plant’s natural life cycle, and with basil, flowering is typically triggered in mid- to late summer.

Each flower develops a fan-shaped seed pod and a single stem can produce hundreds of small, dark brown to black seeds.

Once flowering begins, physiological changes happen as energy is directed into reproduction.

When the herb is flowering, leaf production stops. The remaining leaves can lose flavor and take on bitter tones with a more fibrous texture. And after seed set, plants decline in vigor then die out a month or so before frosty weather arrives.

For propagation, it’s much more difficult to successfully start cuttings in the flowering stage than it is earlier in the growth cycle.

Early Flowering Triggers

If you find flowers forming in early summer, a couple of factors may be responsible.

High temperatures with hot afternoon sun can cause plants to bolt and bring about the onset of early flowering. 

If this is happening to your plants, try providing them with light shade through the hottest part of the day.

Pinching out the buds keeps the plant’s energy focused on foliage production and maintains higher levels of essential oils in the leaves.

Essential oils are what give this herb its intense flavor and fragrance, with oil production peaking just before or during flowering before dropping off.

Note that it’s important to remove the entire bud because even a small, missed remnant will continue to flower. Make sure to pinch or snip the stem below the flower bud to remove it cleanly.

But don’t toss them!

Scented and tasty, the edible buds and flowers have a mild basil flavor that makes a lovely garnish or salad ingredient, or a refreshing tea.

Bushy, Full Plants 

Pinching back basil, including the flower buds, is also the best way to encourage leaf growth and produce bushy, full plants with lush foliage – exactly what you want for kitchen use.

When stems are pinched or snipped just above a set of leaves, new branches emerge below the cut and quickly produce large, tasty leaves.

But when flowers are allowed to develop, the plants take on a taller, lankier profile with less foliage.

From midsummer on, watch your plants carefully and nip out buds to keep them lush and shapely.

Flowers for Seeds

Harvesting and saving basil seed for your private garden stock is fun and easy. For seed collection, some plants must be allowed to flower.

Plus, the purple or white flowers are a favorite for honeybees and other pollinators, providing an important source of nectar and pollen.

The downside of seed collection is that a plant’s health and vigor declines after seed set. They can no longer be used for culinary purposes as the leaves fade, turn yellow, and die off.

But you can harvest plenty of leaves for the kitchen and collect seeds as well, with just a little bit of management.

Before flowering begins, choose a couple of plants for seed collection – only a couple are needed to produce hundreds of seeds.

When buds appear, stop pinching and allow flowers and seeds to develop for collection from these specimens. Harvest when the pods are ripe and store seeds for next year’s crop.

Continue pinching out the flower buds on the remainder of your crop for culinary use.

1. Agapanthus

Whether you call them lilies of the nile, African lilies, or agapanthus, the flowering plants in the Agapanthus genus are easy to love.

Their clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers steal the show all summer and fall. And even when the flowers aren’t around, the strappy, grass-like foliage is appealing all on its own.

If you live in Zones 6 to 11, you can fill your leach field with these deer-resistant beauties.

‘Indigo Frost’

‘Indigo Frost’ has particularly interesting blossoms, with blue throats and white on the upper half of the petals.

Nature Hills Nursery can hook you up with live plants in #1 containers.

For the more classic blue-purple options, grab three, six, or nine bare roots at Eden Brothers.

Learn how to grow your own agapanthus in our guide.

2. Blue Fescue

If you need a little evergreen (or semi-evergreen, depending on your location) color in your septic field, check out blue fescue (Festuca glauca).

This quick-growing grass grows in foot-tall clumps in Zones 4 to 8.

Use it in clusters for a carpet-like appearance, as an accent, or as a border for taller plants.

‘Cool as Ice’ Blue Fescue Grass

‘Cool as Ice’ is an icy blue hybrid. Grab a few at Nature Hills Nursery in #1 containers.

3. Butterfly Weed

If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, you can’t go wrong with butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa).

Hardy in Zones 3 to 9, the orange-yellow flowers that pop up in the summer attract pollinators and add vibrant color to your septic field.

Butterfly Weed

To introduce pleurisy root to your garden, purchase a packet of 30 seeds at Earthbeat Seeds or live plants in a three-pack of three-inch containers at Nature Hills Nursery.

Learn more about growing butterfly weed and other types of milkweeds in our guide.

4. Cast-Iron Plant

Aspidistra elatior is a fantastically tough plant for those who live in Zones 8 to 10.

Many people know cast-iron plant as a houseplant, but this fantastic foliage plant makes an excellent outdoor specimen, hedge, or grouping plant for warmer climates.

The leaves come in an exciting range of colors and patterns, with some featuring stars, stripes, and splotches of light green, yellow, or white.

They also produce small, strange flowers that only outdoor gardeners will be able to grow easily.

Cast-Iron Plant

And don’t worry one bit about flooding. If your field runneth over, these plants will be just fine. Same thing with drought and general neglect – they can handle it.

Find live plants in one- or three-gallon containers at Fast Growing Trees.

5. Columbine

A self-seeding, short-lived perennial, columbine (Aquilegia spp.) is just perfect if your septic field receives a bit of shade.

The red, orange, yellow, purple, blue, violet, white, or pink flowers will bloom nicely in a partial shade exposure, and this hummingbird favorite will bloom for up to a month.

Columbine Mix

Can’t commit to just one color? True Leaf Market has packs of 10 seeds available in a mix of multiple pastel colors.

‘McKana Giants’

Or, grab about 130 seeds of ‘McKana Giants’ in a blend of colors from Botanical Interests.

Find cultivation tips in our guide to growing columbine.

5. Crocus

Crocuses (Crocus spp.) are famous for their early spring color, but some types bloom in fall and winter.

Grow a mixture for some long-lasting interest, or mix spring bloomers with something different that will offer up summer color, like daylilies.

With over 80 species and tons of hybrids available there are lots of crocuses to choose from, and you’ll find options suitable for Zones 3 to 8.

Crocus Jumbo Mix

Bring home a mix of yellow, white, and violet spring-blooming jumbo crocuses (C. vernus) from Dutch Grown in 25, 100, 500, 1,000 counts from Dutch Grown.

Read our guide to learn more about growing crocuses at home.

7. Daffodil

Daffodils (Narcissus spp.) are always a welcome sight in the spring. The bright yellow – or white, pink, or orange – blossoms rise up like little bits of sunshine, and you can use them to shine up blah spots like a septic field.

You can find cultivars that will grow in Zones 4 to 8, and they’ll return reliably year after year with hardly any work from you.

Daffodils have come a long way if you haven’t tried them in a while.

‘Easter Party’ Daffodils

‘Easter Party’ is a newbie that’s peach at its ruffled center, surrounded by pale lemon outer petals. It’s drought-tolerant, tall, and attention-grabbing.

You can make 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, or 1,000 ‘Easter Party’ bulbs yours by visiting Dutch Grown.

‘Tahiti’ is a unique double daffodil with pale yellow petals surrounded by smaller, ruffled petals in vibrant red-orange.

‘Tahiti’ Daffodils

Grab 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, or 1,000 bulbs of this vigorous, tough daffodil at Dutch Grown.

Learn more about growing daffodils now in our guide.

8. Dahlia

It’s pretty obvious why dahlias (Dahlia spp.) have garnered such a loyal following of ardent fans. They’re stunning. A massive dinnerplate dahlia is truly impossible to compete with.

Thanks to their shallow root systems, they’re perfect for septic areas, so long as you live in Zones 8 to 10 or you’re willing to dig up and protect the tubers during the winter.

‘Cranberry Classic’ is a stunner, with cupped petals that have a pink hue on the inside and a cranberry color on the outside.

‘Cranberry Classic’ Dahlia

Pick up two, four, or eight of these decorative type tubers at Dutch Grown.

A stand of these alone would be incredible enough, but they’d be even prettier mixed with something like the cactus-type ‘Hollyhill Spiderwoman,’ which has thin white and maroon petals that burst out from a pale yellow center like an exploding firework.

‘Hollyhill Spiderwoman’ Dahlia

It’s also available at Dutch Grown in two-, four-, or eight-packs.

Read our guide to learn all about growing dahlias.

9. Foxglove

Fabulous foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) are instantly eye-catching. The tall spires of tubular blossoms are painted in vibrant colors with playful speckles in their throats.

As a biennial, foxglove only flowers in its second year. But let it self-seed away and you’ll have a steady supply of blooms – provided you live in Zones 4 to 10.

Purple and White Foxgloves

Purchase a 500-miligram, one-ounce, or four-ounce pack of a purple and white mix of seeds at True Leaf Market.

‘Camelot Lavender’

Alternatively, you can find a live ‘Camelot Lavender’ plant in a #1 container at Nature Hills Nursery.

Need foxglove growing tips? Our guide will show you how!

10. Gladiolus

Gorgeous gladioli (Gladiolus spp.) are forgiving plants that will tolerate less-than-ideal conditions, all while still putting on their colorful show.

You don’t have to worry about intrusive roots with these plants either. If you’ve ever planted a corm, you know they don’t go too deep.

These plants will return year after year in Zones 8 to 10, and you can grow them in colder areas as annuals or you can lift and overwinter the corms. Hardy glads are perennial in Zones 5 to 8.

Gladiolus ‘Dolce Vita’

Imagine the rosy pink spires of ‘Dolce Vita,’ available at Dutch Grown in 10, 50, and 100-bulb packages, or the dark wine red pillars of ‘Black Star,’ also available at Dutch Grown, standing tall at the back of your field.

Gladiolus ‘Black Star’

It would be a pretty incredible addition to a space that is usually a bit of a bore.

Find our guide to growing gladiolus here.

11. Grape Hyacinth

Grape hyacinth (Muscari spp.) is a reliable, sweet-smelling little cutie that looks like a cluster of grapes. 

It has a bad reputation for invading lawns, but I say these plants can make a welcome addition to an area that is usually totally homogenous.

If you have grass covering your leach field, add some grape hyacinths for color and fragrance. Otherwise, grow them in big clusters with other spring-blooming bulbs.

These tough little plants grow well in Zones 3 to 9.

Purple Muscari

I love the traditional purple, and you can grab packages of 16 bulbs from Burpee if you’re craving a classic. But there are some pretty beautiful alternatives out there.

‘Pink Sunrise’ Grape Hyacinth

‘Pink Sunrise’ has pale pink spires, for instance. Want to try it out? Visit Nature Hills Nursery.

Read our guide for grape hyacinth growing advice.

12. Hellebore

Hellebore (Helleborus spp.) is such a welcome relief to the winter blahs in shady corners. And in Zones 3 to 9, you can enjoy Christmas roses in all their glory.

These plants can use a little assistance during the summer, since they stop blooming and fade by the fall. Plant something else as well that provides late-season interest, like coleus or hydrangea.

Lenten roses don’t need to offer anything more than their beautiful flowers and attractive foliage to be worth having around, but some will even give you changing colors.

Gold Collection®

For example, the Gold Collection® hybrid starts out ballet pink, but as the blooms age, they take on a dark cranberry hue.

Sound like just the thing? Find plants at Nature Hills Nursery.

Read our guide to learn more about growing hellebores.

13. Iris

Irises (Iris spp.) are perennial favorites because you can rely on them to give you intense garden color year after year. They’re also extremely tolerant of wet, poorly drained soils.

Depending on the species, irises will grow in Zones 3 to 9. Consider planting them with other species, like dahlias or daylilies, that will bloom later in the summer for a continual show.

I’m a particular fan of ‘Purplelicious,’ a Siberian iris with deep, dark violet petals with speckled white throats.

‘Purplelicious’ Iris

Dutch Grown carries sets of two, four, or eight bulbs if you’d like to grow this pretty plant.

‘Immortality,’ a reblooming bearded iris, sits at the other end of the color spectrum. It has massive white petals with a yellow throat.

‘Immortality’ Bearded Iris

Pick up a live plant in a #1 container at Nature Hills Nursery.

Find tips for growing irises here.

14. Lady’s Mantle

Fast-growing, viridescent, and tough as nails, lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) might not be your first thought when it comes to ornamentals, but it should be.

The plant forms clumps of scalloped leaves topped with chartreuse flowers in the spring, and while the flowers aren’t the draw, they’re awfully sweet.

Lady’s Mantle

Just beware that this plant is considered invasive in some areas, so determine whether it’s allowed in your neck of the woods before planting.

If it is, you’ll have a robust self-seeder that will happily fill your entire septic field if you want.

Find plants in #1 containers at Nature Hills Nursery.

Our guide explains best practices for growing lady’s mantle at home.

15. Lily

There are lots of plants in the Lilium genus, each prettier than the last, and each perfect for planting in a drain field.

Just imagine turning an ugly functional area into a beautiful garden filled with flowering lilies from summer into fall.

If you live in Zones 4 to 9, mix summer-flowering lilies with spring-blooming bulbs like tulips or grape hyacinth for multi-season interest.

‘Lovely Day’ Lilies

Want to make someone’s day (and this can include your own)? Visit Dutch Grown to grab five, 10, or 25 ‘Lovely Day’ bulbs.

The crisp white petals are speckled with burgundy, surrounding a pale pink stripe down the center.

Read our guide to growing lilies now for more cultivation info.

16. Oatgrass

Plants in the Danthonia genus play nicely with septic systems.

California oatgrass (D. californica) is a popular option in western North America, and it makes an excellent lawn-like option without all the negatives that come with planting non-native grass lawns.

It’s nearly evergreen, doesn’t mind foot traffic, and does just fine in drought or wet conditions.

You can find oatgrass species that will grow in Zones 3 to 8. Check local nurseries for recommended options.

17. Sedge

Most sedges (Carex spp.) will do well in septic fields. Look for those that tolerate wet soil.

In addition to being tolerant of wet earth, many are also happy growing in shady areas. So that’s two tough spots to fill that you can tackle with one plant.

Sedges grow best in Zones 5 to 9. Do you live within that range? Then you’re lucky enough to be able to grow C. morrowii ‘Ice Dance.’

‘Ice Dance’ Sedge

It has dark green leaves with a creamy edge, and Nature Hills Nursery carries plants in #1 containers.

Golden sedge (C. aurea) is another good choice. The golden-green, strappy leaves will add color and texture to the area.

Read our guide to growing sedges now.

18. Trillium

Spring ephemerals hold a special place in my heart, and trilliums (Trillium spp.) are one of my favorites.

With their three-petaled flowers and trio of large, oval or egg-shaped leaves, they’ll give you colorful interest in shady areas of your drainage field.

There are many beautiful native types that the local wildlife in Zones 4 to 9 will love.

Red Trillium

If you live in the eastern part of North America, T. erectum, commonly known as red trillium, is native to your region and available to purchase at Nature Hills.

Our growing guide sheds more light on trillium care.

19. Tulip

Nothing says “hello, spring” like tulips (Tulipa spp.).

Whether you grow them in patches combined with other species for a cottage garden look, or you intend to fill up your entire field with these popular bulbs, the result is going to be stunning.

Grow these reliable plants in Zones 3 to 7, or 8 and above with some special care, which involves lifting and storing the bulbs.

Don’t worry, it’s easy. The hardest part of growing tulips is picking just one or two types to plant.

If you like something showy and dramatic, ‘PepTalk’ is the way to go.

‘Peptalk’ Tulips

It has massive, double blossoms that range from nearly white to nearly red, with varying degrees of striping and speckling. For 10, 25, 100, 500, or 1,000 bulbs, head to Dutch Grown.

For a more classic option, the cherry red blossoms of ‘Cherry Delight’ are hard to beat.

‘Cherry Delight’ Tulips

Visit Burpee for packages of 10 bulbs.

We cover all things tulip care in this guide.

20. Violet

Vivacious violets (Viola spp.) will form a carpet of color when allowed to reseed naturally.

You can find ones that will bloom everywhere from Zone 2 to 10, and you can buy native species that will attract pollinators. Plus, they’re fabulous for filling in a shady area.

For something a little different, try Corsican violets (V. corsica). They have large, bright purple blossoms that will happily reseed around your drainage field.

Corsican Violet Seeds

Packages containing 100 milligrams of seed are available for purchase at Botanical Interests.

Read our guide to learn all about growing violets.

21. Yarrow

Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow, is a trouble-free herb with lacy green leaves and bright white, yellow, pink, purple, or red flowers.

It’s so able to care for itself that it can become pretty aggressive in certain conditions – that’s why you’ll see it naturalized in disturbed areas. But this is perfect if you want to fill in a septic field in full sun in Zones 3 to 9.

A cluster of one color would be striking, but a patch of red, rose, pink, yellow, and white blooms would be pretty lovely, too.

Colorado Blend Yarrow

Grab 50 milligrams of seeds from Botanical Interests and watch this ‘Colorado’ blend fill your space.

Our guide to growing yarrow is available here if you need any assistance!

Make It Pretty

Septic fields are a necessary part of life sometimes. But leaving the space they occupy as a bland patch of lawn isn’t.

Turn that eyesore into an attention-getter by adding a few of the plants mentioned above.

Which of these species is destined for your garden? Did we miss something that you love that works well for this purpose? Share the details with us in the comments.

Looking for other ways to add some interesting garden design to your space? We have a few more guides that might help you along your way:

I bet there is a big crossover between people who love coffee and those who love gardening. Could the two possibly intersect? Coffee grounds are often advertised as one of those miracle garden tricks you can do right at home, but what plants actually like coffee grounds? Let’s find out!

A daily cup of coffee (or, let’s be real, two cups) can lead to a lot of coffee grounds. Why not try to use them up and let our plant babies benefit from them?

There are a ton of misconceptions and debates surrounding coffee grounds. What I can tell you is my personal experience with plants that actually like coffee grounds as well as some studies to show you where I’m coming from.

This post will cover…

Coffee Ground Uses in the Garden

Coffee grounds have swept TikTok and Instagram feeds as a soil amendment, but how true is it?

Yes, coffee grounds have plant nutrients, though it’s not a super significant source. You will find phosphorus, magnesium, and some others in it.

People are also touting its use as mulch, layered on top of plants, to suppress weeds and retain moisture. While it can work as a mulch, it should always be mixed in with other mulch rather than used on its own. Left on top of the soil, it can become compacted and cakey.

All in all, coffee grounds are great for adding organic material to your soil. And when we add organic materials, we improve water retention, drainage, and circulation. Plus, it attracts microorganisms!

To get the most out of coffee grounds, you should use it after it’s been composted rather than fresh.

Nitrogen Rich

Nitrogen-rich proteins account for 10% of coffee grounds, making them a rich nitrogen source. As the soil decomposes, the nitrogen levels may spike and then lower themselves back down to 11 over the course of the year.

Being a high source of nitrogen, it’s also great for the compost pile. While it may be brown in colour, coffee grounds are considered a green for your compost recipe. Once it’s composted, it becomes a great soil amendment.

Worm Food

I also include coffee grounds as part of my worm’s diet for my vermicomposting bin. While some critters, such as slugs, are said not to like coffee grounds, worms seem to love it. In fact, a study showed that a vermicomposting bin with coffee grounds produces higher-quality worm castings than those without.

Coffee Grounds Are Acidic…Sometimes

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding coffee grounds is its acidity. A good cup of Joe tastes so strong partly due to its high acidity, which makes people believe that the coffee grounds will also be acidic.

The truth is that the acid in coffee is water soluble, and much of it goes into your coffee mug.

The pH of coffee grounds can be acidic after decomposing, but it can also be neutral and even alkaline at times. So overall, the acidity of coffee grounds is inconsistent, though it does tend to lean towards slightly acidic to neutral.

So…What Plants Like Coffee Grounds?

While it may not be consistently acidic or high in acidity, it’s still good to use for those acid-loving plants or those that like a balanced pH. This is especially true for compost that hasn’t decomposed yet. So go on and add it to your blueberries, azaleas, and heathers, who will cross their fingers for some more acidity.

If you want to improve your soil’s water retention, use decomposed coffee grounds. Then, the opposite is true. Don’t use coffee grounds if you want drier soil for drier plants.

How to Use Coffee Grounds

Unless you happen to own a coffee shop, the daily amount of coffee grounds you produce from a cup of coffee can be added to your compost or mixed directly into your gardening bed. Sprinkle it on the surface and then mix it in.

Remember, too much of a good thing is bad. The coffee grounds can build up specific nutrients and overload the plants. Or, it might compact and actually make your soil hydrophobic. No more than 20% of your compost should consist of coffee grounds.

Frequently Asked Questions About Using Coffee Grounds

More Posts to Read

I have been asked multiple times about using cotton “gin trash” as a garden amendment. This recent question from Bonnie here on the blog reminded me that I should share my thoughts on it publicly.

David, I’ve been hearing about free compost (Gin Trash) from the West FL Cotton Gin in Walnut Hill, FL. You can get as much as you want and they load it for you. I know they defoliate cotton plants with herbicides before harvesting the cotton (or at least they used to years ago) so would this compost be safe to use in our home gardens? I understand farmers get it by the trailer loads to amend their fields and call it BLACK GOLD. I’ve known some local home gardeners that get utility trailer loads and have had no problems with their crops.

In todays times where it is imperative to GROW YOUR OWN FOOD TO SURVIVE, I don’t want to risk contaminating my soil (as with Grazon) so would like your opinion.

I do have my own compost that I make but since I have to garden in containers due to my poor clay soil full of iron rock so I use a LOT of compost filling those big black cattle mineral tubs.
I would appreciate your opinion/advice on this Gin Trash Compost. (I’m your neighbor in [Lower Alabama] AKA Deep South Bama GRITS on YT & Freesteading).

Thank you for the question. Let’s jump in.

Gin Trash Grows Beautiful Tomatoes

Before we moved to Lower Alabama, we had never lived in a cotton producing area, and therefore had not been acquainted with the use of gin trash as a garden amendment.

Our former landlord, who is a sometime gardener and regular planter of deer food plots, mentioned the value of gin trash as an amendment.

At first, I was quite interested. Then, we came across a beautiful garden while driving through the pretty old town of Atmore. Rachel and I were in our van, and we saw the garden – and the gardener in it – and I said, “Whoa – look at that fellow’s amazing tomato plants! I need to talk to him!”

So I got out and said “hi,” leaving my rather embarrassed wife in the car, and he was gracious enough to give me a garden tour. He was growing tomatoes, peppers and other produce which he sold to a local Mexican restaurant, among other outlets.

“How did you grow these amazing tomatoes?” I asked. Tomatoes are not the easiest plant to grow here in the Deep South.

“I till in some gin trash and old peanut hull waste in late winter, and then plant them in the spring. I get it for free, and load it up on my trailer.”

He showed me his piles of rotten peanut hulls and a pile of rich, black, composted gin trash.

Now I was really interested. It worked like magic, obviously. And in our acid, sandy grit, organic matter was always lacking.

As Farm Progress notes:

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure is not only the adage upon which yard and garage sales are based, it’s also an apt description of the heightened demand for what used to be called cotton gin waste.

In the past few years cotton acreage has dropped across the Southeast, prices have fluctuated dramatically and King Cotton’s crown seems to be crumbling. Not so for cotton gin trash — it has earned its new name Cotton Gin By-Product.

While a high percentage of the cotton grown in the U.S. finds a home overseas, the cotton seed and other by-products, formerly known as gin trash, stay right here. The market is good, prices are good and demand is up for these products.

Okay, easy enough. It’s the leftover waste from processing cotton. And it falls under the “compost everything!” category.

But is Cotton Gin SAFE to Use?

But there’s a catch.

Like many of her neighbors in coastal North Carolina, Amy Midyette comes down with “cotton flu” in the autumn. Her symptoms—asthma attacks, headaches, tremors and fatigue—last from two days to a week. And they reoccur every time farmers send up crop dusters to spray the fields near her home.

The chemicals that bother Midyette and other residents of cotton-growing areas from the Carolinas to California are defoliants, used to kill the leaves on cotton plants before the mechanical pickers go in to harvest. It isn’t uncommon for the mist of these powerful neurotoxins to drift into neighborhoods. “They even spray the fields right across the street from the elementary school,” says Midyette.

Most people think of cotton as a “natural” product. The reality: Cotton is one of the most chemically intensive crops in the world. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 84 million pounds of pesticides were applied to the nation’s 14.4 million acres of cotton in the year 2000, and more than two billion pounds of fertilizers were spread on those same fields. Seven of the 15 pesticides commonly used on cotton in the United States are listed as “possible,” “likely,” “probable” or “known” human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. And cotton defoliants are “the most toxic farm chemicals currently on the market,” says Fawn Pattison, executive director of the Agricultural Resources Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the use of harmful pesticides.

Cotton fields around here are sprayed heavily and repeatedly, and at the end of the season, they are blasted again with defoliants before being harvested for the cotton.

And Cotton Gin Trash is GMO…

Though it is reported that pesticide use on cotton has declined in recent years, it is because much of the cotton has now also been genetically modified:

Countless improvements have been identified for pesticide use around the world. Between 1992 and 2019, Australian cotton growers have for example reduced their use of insecticides as measured in grams/bale by 97%. Australian use of all types of pesticides went down by 18.2% in just five years between 2014 and 2019. In the United States, cotton yield has steadily increased while overall pesticide use has remained consistent.

One of the reasons for the significant reduction in the use of insecticides is the global introduction of Bt cotton. Bt, a bacterium known as Bacillus thuringiensis, kills a variety of insects (chiefly worm pests) that harm the cotton plant. In the 1990s, scientists were able to move the gene that encodes Bt directly into a plant. After rigorous scientific evaluation, Bt cotton was placed on the market in 1996, allowing the plants to protect themselves with a significantly lower need for insecticides. Together with integrated pest management practices and other improvements, Bt cotton helped drive down insecticide applications in the U.S. by 66% in terms of pounds/acre between 1994 and 2019. Overall, while worldwide cotton production has risen, the total volume of insecticides used has declined.

Though GMO plants will compost just fine, it’s worth thinking about if you want to avoid that practice.

Final Thoughts on Using Gin Trash

The Rodale Institute notes:

• Cotton is considered the world’s dirtiest crop due to its heavy use of pesticides. Aldicarb, cotton’s second best-selling insecticide and most acutely poisonous to humans and wildlife, was phased out of use in the U.S. from 2014-2018 after 16 states reported it in their groundwater. However, Aldicarb is still used in 25 countries.
• Worldwide, cotton covers 2.5% of the cultivated land and cotton growers use 16% of the world’s pesticides. Eight of the top 10 pesticides most commonly used on U.S. conventionally produced cotton were classified as moderately to highly hazardous by the World Health Organization.
• Cotton is one of the top four GMO crops produced in the world which includes soy, canola, and corn. GMO cotton production ranks ninth in global crop production.
• On average, 90% of U.S. cotton in 2010 was genetically engineered, according to a USDA survey. However 95 to 98% of all cotton is now genetically engineered in nine of the eleven cotton-producing states surveyed. (Source USDA Economic Research Service, July 1, 2011.)

With all that in mind, I cannot in good faith use cotton gin trash, as much as I would love to have a free source of compost. We don’t know how much these toxins will break down in composting. I’ve been very tempted to get a load of it, along with a load of peanut hulls, and then mix the two to make a potting soil mix for my nursery; however, I just can’t get past the list of toxic pesticides and herbicides used in the production of cotton.

Yes, it will grow great-looking tomatoes. But at what cost?

Yet again, we are being poisoned by Big Ag. Much as the manure and hay supply has been rendered toxic, cotton gin trash has also been subjected to the evils of science run amok.

What is your risk tolerance?

We can’t reach perfection, but we can sure avoid some of the riskier amendments in our gardens – and the risk/reward on cotton gin trash just doesn’t add up for us.

Share this post!

Today’s photos are from Shiloh in Williston, North Dakota, a chilly spot at the edge of Zones 3 and 4, but that doesn’t stop Shiloh from having a beautiful, productive garden!

Here’s the garden bed. A lack of space is not a problem out here. Add a little irrigation and you get great productive gardens.

Plants are beginning to grow in. You can see the healthy potatoes mulched with straw on the right side of the image. The line of conifers provides a little windbreak from the wide open prairie landscape.

Corn, squash, potatoes—everything looks immaculate, and there’s not a weed in sight! You can see that Shiloh uses strings down the length of the bed to make sure each row is perfectly straight and orderly. Planting the corn four rows deep like this ensures that it can effectively pollinate itself and give a good harvest.

And look at this beautiful crop of potatoes! They are picture perfect. Some four-legged helpers look on, overseeing the digging.

 

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.

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Sometimes, it’s the garden that people quietly admire at the Chelsea Flower Show that wins Best in Show—and the prognosticators have to go back and have a rethink. That happened this year with a garden designed by young-yet-seasoned landscape studio Harris Bugg for the spinal injury garden charity, Horatio’s. The charity’s raison d’être is to provide quality outdoor space to patients in wheelchairs or on beds at the 11 hospitals in the UK that have spinal injury units, giving them a place of calm and a degree of privacy in a hospital setting. They have all been designed to a very high spec by the country’s leading garden designers, and Harris Bugg’s Best in Show winner at Chelsea is the beginning of what will be the eighth, in Sheffield.

Interestingly, the most talked-about gardens at this year’s Chelsea were probably Cleve West’s Centrepoint garden highlighting the plight facing young homeless people and Sarah Price’s garden based on the horticultural legacy of artist (and plant breeder) Cedric Morris. On press day, people were coming away from the Price garden saying that it was the most beautiful garden they’d ever seen at Chelsea. And yet—when all the judges’ points were tallied, Harris Bugg’s garden had done everything right and more.

Photography by Jim Powell.

Increasingly, judges have been putting value on a garden’s afterlife when the show finishes. This garden is not representational; the outbuilding is real, and it needed to be big enough for rotating a wheeled bed. “The garden is designed to be fit for purpose, to take apart and put back together again,” explains Charlotte Harris of Harris Bugg Studio. This will happen on what is currently a parking lot at the Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre in Sheffield. The show garden is 72-feet by 33; the future garden will be eight times that size. Everything here will be moved lock, stock, and barrel, excluding the lower story of plants, which will be sold off (for the charity).

It’s a difficult brief for a show garden, to bring theater to practicalities. Paving had to be completely smooth, without joints and on a flat gradient. Harris Bugg also wanted it to be environmentally friendly so they produced permeable paving made from crushed and smoothed aggregate to create a terrazzo effect.

The garden was one of 14 gardens sponsored this year by Project Giving Back, a small but very targeted collective who provide sponsorships for charities that would not otherwise be able to justify the cost. They focus on “gardens for good causes” and a PGB-sponsored garden last year also took the top prize, the “beaver garden” more properly known as the Rewilding Britain Landscape.

The expectation for a garden for people with spinal injuries would be that it’s all a certain height. Charlotte Harris contests this: “It’s not necessarily low because people coming into it have a different field of vision. We just wanted people to be able to see through the garden.” It is densely planted, beneath trees that were chosen for their light canopies. Dappled shade creates a cooling atmosphere, as spinal injury patients can easily overheat.

If you’re in a climate with intense summer sun, you may want to provide shade during the hottest months. This is similar to applying “sunscreen” on your plants. If you’re wondering how to create shade in your garden, this blog post gives ideas for some practical ways to create shade in your garden.

Adding shade to a hot summer garden can help your garden survive and thrive. This article also covers which vegetables need shade and which can grow in full sun. Finally, we will cover what type of shade cloth is best. So let’s get to it – all about adding shade to the garden.

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

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Why is it important to add shade in hot summer climates?

1. Adding shade protects plants from the scorching sun.

The morning sun provides plenty of energy through photosynthesis without the excessive heat stress of prolonged all-day sun exposure.

In sweltering heat, direct sunlight can cause wilting, sunburn, and even death in some plants. Most vegetables are stressed when temperatures are above 90℉ (32.2°C). Shade keeps the direct sun off foliage; the shaded area can be about 10℉ cooler than areas without shade.

2. Adding shade conserves water.

A shaded garden helps retain moisture in the soil, reducing the need for frequent watering. Providing shade for plants can lower the amount of moisture loss through transpiration (evaporation of water from plant leaves).

3. Adding shade creates a comfortable outdoor space.

A well-shaded garden benefits plants and makes it more enjoyable for you to spend time in the garden. Spending time in your garden daily is essential, and the shade benefits the gardener and the garden.

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When should you add shade to your summer garden?

The best time to set up your shade cloth is when temperatures consistently climb above 90°F (32.2°C), and keep it on until temperatures get below that. At this point, most plants tend to enter a dormancy-like state to conserve water and protect themselves from heat stress.

For me, in the low desert of Arizona, this usually means using shade cloth from mid-May to early October.

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Which vegetables grow best with afternoon shade?

When planning your vegetable garden, it’s important to take into account each plant’s sunlight preferences to ensure a thriving and productive garden. While all vegetables can benefit from some afternoon shade in hot summer climates, certain plants are particularly sensitive to the sun’s intense rays and should be given extra shade if you live in a hot climate.

Light-sensitive crops include ginger, turmeric, strawberries, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, summer squash, garlic, blackberries, artichokes, and chard.

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Extend the season for some crops with shade

Many vegetables do not like the extreme heat of an Arizona (or other hot climate) summer. Provide shade for the listed crops as temperatures begin to heat up to extend the harvest. Adding shade can extend the growing season for certain crops allowing them to produce for a longer period, even when temperatures begin to climb.

Some crops that benefit from season-extending shade include kale, radishes, potatoes, cilantro, carrots, cucumbers, beets, peas, lettuce, spinach, and beans.

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Which vegetables do not need shade?

Fortunately, certain vegetables can withstand and flourish in the summer heat without the need for extra shade. These vegetables thrive in full sunlight. However, it is important to note that during the hottest times of the day, all plants can benefit from shade in extremely hot summer weather.

Here are some vegetables that do well in full sun roselle, luffa, corn, peanuts, yardlong beans, melons, black-eyed peas, sunflowers, grapes, okra, Armenian cucumbers, basil, amaranth, sesame, and sweet potatoes.

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How to create shade in the garden

Providing shade for your sun-sensitive veggies is essential, and there are many creative ways to do that. Here are a few of my favorite methods:

A tip to remember: Although summer gardens in hot climates need shade in the hottest months of the year, the sun is an advantage during cooler months. Because most fall and winter gardens need full sun, it’s best to add temporary (not permanent) shade to the garden for the hottest months of the year.

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1. Create shade in the garden with a thoughtful garden design

Gardening in a hot climate means learning to work with sunlight effectively. “Full-sun” directions for other locations may not apply in Arizona’s low desert or other hot climates. 

Notice which areas in your yard receive morning sun and afternoon shade naturally. These spots are prime real estate for any plants, but especially a summer garden. Use these areas in your garden for vegetables that need shade. South or west-facing parts of your yard will probably need added shade.

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2. Create shade in the garden with shade cloth

If your garden area is in full sun, consider adding shade cloth. Don’t think of completely encasing the garden, but providing some relief when the sun is at its highest. The area should receive some sun during the day. The variety of colors and percentages available in shade cloth allows you to customize the amount of light that reaches your garden.

Using a shade cloth is a game-changer for me. It’s an easy, adjustable solution to protect my delicate veggies from scorching sunrays while allowing enough sunlight to grow.

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Which color shade cloth should I use?

When choosing a shade cloth for your garden, consider the temperature differences between night and day as well as the average temperature in your area to determine which color is best suited for your needs.

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Which percentage shade cloth should I use?

Shade cloth percentages indicate how much light is blocked, typically ranging from 30-50%. Here’s a guideline for choosing the right percentage:

• North of the 40th parallel (Northern States): If your garden is located in this region, a 30% shade cloth is recommended. This provides enough protection while allowing ample sunlight for your plants’ growth.
• South of the 40th parallel (Southern States): Opt for a 50% shade cloth for gardens in hotter climates. This higher percentage helps keep plants cool and prevents sun damage during intense heat.
• Succulents & other light-sensitive plants: 60-70% shade cloth.

Source: Bootstrap Farmer’s Guide to Shadecloth

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How far away should the shade cloth be from plants?

Do not allow the shade cloth to touch the plants; 2-3 feet clearance is best to allow air to circulate around plants. 

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What is the best way to attach shade cloth?

Attach shade cloth to existing trellises with zip ties or carabiner clips. At the end of the season, removing the clips, rolling up the shade cloth, and storing it away is simple. When the summer heat comes again, re-attach the shade cloth.

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3. Create shade in the garden with sunflowers

Add sunflowers around your garden to provide shade. Sunflowers are one of the easiest plants to grow from seed. Sunflowers grow quickly and, depending on the variety, can offer shade to surrounding plants.

Plant sunflowers on the west or south side of the garden for shade. Once grown in a garden, they often reseed and pop up year after year. Unwanted volunteers are easy to pull out. 

At the end of the season, cut off the stem at the base of the dirt rather than pulling out the entire root system. The remaining root will decompose and add organic matter to the area. Sunflowers can be planted in the low desert of Arizona from February through July.

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4. Create shade in the garden with umbrellas

Outdoor umbrellas offer good temporary shade. They can be moved and angled to provide afternoon shade where it is needed most. However, umbrellas often block 100% of sunlight; be sure to tilt it so plants receive some morning sun. As with any shade structure, be aware of strong winds and take down the umbrella before it tips over and damages surrounding plants. 

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5. Create shade in the garden with plants

Consider purposely planting sun-loving vining vegetables (Armenian cucumbers, Malabar spinach, hyacinth beans, etc.) to provide shade for other plants that don’t tolerate full sun. Notice where in your garden you could utilize plants as shade. 

Heat-loving crops that may provide shade for other plants include roselle, luffa, amaranth, black-eyed peas, Armenian cucumbers, sunflowers, okra, hyacinth beans, and sesame.

Vining vegetables can be grown over artichoke crowns that go dormant during hot summers to protect them from the intense heat that might damage the crowns. Grow heat-loving plants on the south or west-facing trellises that shade other plants. 

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Other ideas for adding shade:

Here are some pictures I took from my previous gardens or other gardens that have added shade. You may get some ideas or inspiration to implement in your own garden.

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If this post about how to add shade to your garden was helpful, please share it:

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Also known as bolting, early flowering is a sign that the plant is ending its individual life cycle and sending out seeds to continue the circle of life.

While eventual flowering is inevitable, there are many steps you can take to prevent it from occurring too soon, and there are things you can do once it does happen.

That’s what we’re going to discuss in this guide! Here’s what you can expect:

Lettuce is supposed to go to seed. That’s how it reproduces. So when it’s forming flowers, it’s doing something totally normal.

But we don’t want it to go to seed prematurely, because the plant stops forming leaves, and any existing leaves become bitter.

We call this bolting, and we want to avoid it so that we can enjoy the harvest.

Why Do Lettuce Plants Form Flowers?

All lettuce plants will eventually form flowers, these will eventually form seeds, and those seeds will fall to the ground.

This takes a lot of energy, as you can probably imagine, and moving on to the reproductive phase of life means the plant has to conserve energy from elsewhere.

As a result, it stops putting energy into producing the parts we want to eat. The existing leaves also develop a bitter taste.

Particularly when it happens early in the season, we call this bolting, and we want to avoid it so we can enjoy our plants.

Lettuces aren’t the only plants that will bolt. Lots of cold-weather veggies like broccoli, turnips, beets, and spinach are prone to bolting under certain conditions.

How to Identify Bolting

It takes a keen eye, but you can actually tell when your lettuce is about to flower.

The first thing you’ll notice is that the central stalk starts to grow longer. That’s the stalk that will eventually hold the flowers and then seeds.

If you take a nibble of some leaves and you find that they’re uncharacteristically bitter, that’s another good sign that something is going on.

How to Prevent Bolting

Most of us grow lettuce in the spring or fall because these are plants that don’t like it hot.

And those hotter temperatures will give plants the idea that their lives are quickly approaching their end, encouraging them to hurry up and produce seeds!

It’s pretty challenging to try to grow this veggie in the summer, no matter where you live. If you’re worried about timing things right, just know that most types are better off experiencing a brief freeze than anything over 70°F.

Many people will advise you to grow your crop in full shade to help prevent bolting.

While it’s your garden and you should do what you want, this is not the best method. Some afternoon shade is fine, but lettuce grows best in full to partial sun.

The shadier it is, the less flavorful the leaves will be and the smaller your harvest will be.

But if your choices are to grow a plant in full sun when you know the temperature will regularly climb above 70°F or you could plant in some shade instead, it’s probably better to go the second route.

A better idea is to have a shade cloth on hand. That way, you can cover your garden bed during particularly hot times.

Whenever the mercury begins to climb above 60°F, depending on the cultivar, is the time to act. Be sure to remove the cloth when temps dip below 70°F again.

Water is also important for preventing plants from flowering too soon. Plants that experience drought might start to get the idea that it’s better to hurry and send out seeds than to keep growing and hope for better conditions.

Do your best to keep the soil consistently moist. An inch-thick layer of organic mulch like leaf litter or finely shredded hardwood can help keep that water where you want it.

Lettuce will also begin to flower when the days are long, especially when this is combined with one of the other factors described above.

You can’t do much to control the length of the day, which is another reason why it is best to plant in the spring or fall.

What to Do If Your Plants Bolt

Once your lettuce bolts, you can’t turn back time and undo it. That ship has unfortunately sailed.

At this point, you have three options:

If it’s early enough in the season that there is time for the plant to grow another set of leaves, cut the entire plant back to the ground. It might just pop back up again with fresh foliage.

Otherwise, go ahead and let the plant form seeds. You can harvest them and use them to grow new crops in the fall, or next year. It’s kind of fun to watch the plant move through the final stages of its life cycle, forming flowers that turn into seeds.

Finally, you can pull out the plant, try to salvage any leaves that still taste good, and try again another time. It’s perfectly safe to eat the leaves from a plant that has bolted.

Take a nibble before you commit to chowing down to determine if the flavor is to your liking. Some people love bitter flavors – just look at the legion of fans of radicchio.

Bolt-Resistant Cultivars

Some types are more prone to bolting than others, and some are known for their resistance to going to seed prematurely.

Butterheads or Batavians, for instance, are generally the most bolt-resistant types. If you’re out shopping for lettuce that resists bolting, look for these types. Loose leaf types tend to bolt the quickest.

You should also look for those cultivars labeled as heat tolerant or slow to bolt. Some are even named with monikers that make their resistance to premature flowering obvious, like ‘Slobolt.’

Oenothera macrocarpa

As a born and raised Missourian, any plant with my home state in the name immediately earns my endearment.

But even for folks raised outside of the Show Me State, the Missouri evening primrose is quite worthy of affection.

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And just like Missouri, this herbaceous flowering perennial is absolutely gorgeous.

Its striking yellow blooms are unique among flowers: they open late in the day before closing up for good the following morning. Basically, it’s the botanical equivalent of a movie showing on opening night!

But don’t think for a second that this dazzle comes with delicacy. Tolerant of drought and shoddy soils, Oenothera macrocarpa can thrive where other flowers fear to put down roots.

Such toughness comes with low maintenance requirements, as well – no need to coddle the plant and tend to its every need like you would with a more dainty flower.

That being said, the Missouri evening primrose will look its best if you care for it properly. And in this guide, we’ll go over how to do just that.

Need specifics? Take a gander:

What Is the Missouri Evening Primrose?

Hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 7, the Missouri evening primrose is a herbaceous flowering perennial of the Onagraceae, or the evening primrose family.

Native to the southern and central United States, the plant is often found growing naturally in dry forest clearings, along roadsides, in limey soils, and on well-lit and well-draining rocky bluffs.

Within the Onagraceae family, the Missouri evening primrose belongs to the Oenothera genus, comprising 140 or so species of sundrops and evening primroses.

While they look similar, they flower differently. In general, sundrops bloom during the day, while evening primrose flowers open later on, usually at dusk.

There are actually five subspecies of Missouri evening primrose, which have slightly different distributions within the southern and central United States: fremontii, incana, macrocarpa, mexicana, and oklahomensis.

Reaching a mature size of approximately nine to 12 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide, O. macrocarpa has a low and sprawling habit.

The plant flaunts two- to four-inch, lance-shaped green leaves alongside yellow, fragrant, and floppy flowers, which are about three to four inches wide.

Beginning in summer, the show-stopping flowers open in the evening, leaving them ready for pollination from night-flying insects such as sphinx moths.

The following morning, the flowers close up and expire. But don’t worry – new flowers will take their place throughout a beautiful blooming period of at least two whole months!

If fertilization occurs, large green fruit capsules will later form – hence the species name macrocarpa, meaning “large-fruited” – with a four-winged shape that reminds me of a dart’s tail fins.

The fruit eventually ripens to a papery brown texture, opening its tip to disperse brown to tan, oblong seeds with points at either end. If you’re a fan of breaded poultry, they may remind you of fried chicken wings.

The Missouri evening primrose primarily spreads via self-seeding, although it thankfully doesn’t spread as aggressively as its relative O. speciosa.

With a strong, fleshy taproot system, an individual specimen can persist in your garden for several years, if you so desire!

Cultivation and History

As a whole, plants in the Oenothera genus have a history of use across many domains, from food to medicine to even genetic research!

But the Missouri evening primrose in particular is a pretty humble bit of flora, relatively free from the historical fame and/or infamy of plants such as indigo and bamboo.

It did, however, manage to catch the attention of the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society, whose members gave the plant their coveted Award of Garden Merit back in 1993!

And it goes without saying that the plant is beloved by present-day gardeners for its toughness, beauty, and unique flowering time.

Propagation

Craving some Missouri evening primrose? I don’t blame you – they are aesthetically scrumptious.

The best ways to get your fix are by sowing seeds or transplanting.

From Seed

To obtain seeds, you can purchase some, acquire them from a friend, or harvest seed-bearing fruits from mature plants in late summer to fall.

To harvest the seeds during this time, wait to pluck the fruit until after they turn brown and papery, but before the fruit tips open up – this will require regular monitoring.

Time it just right, and you’ll have fruit capsules of ready-to-sow seeds. Wait too long, though, and the seeds will spill out on the ground.

Have your unopened fruit capsules? With a sharp and sterile blade, make a puncture hole at the tip of the fruit and work it open, either with the blade or your fingers. Gently shake out the seeds within, and presto!

Alternatively, you could tie gauzy organza bags over the fruits to catch the seeds as they fall naturally, while also allowing for light and airflow. It’ll definitely take the guesswork out of harvesting!

From here, you can either sow the seeds directly outdoors in fall, or cold-stratify them indoors prior to sowing them outdoors the following spring.

For fall sowing, sow the seeds in groups of four just below the soil line in well-draining garden soil of about average fertility, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Space the seeds about 18 to 24 inches apart, and ensure that the sites aren’t adjacent to tall perennials, as Missouri evening primrose doesn’t compete well with them.

Keep the soil moisture up until temperatures dip below freezing, at which point you’ll let nature do its thing until the final frost in spring.

For spring sowing, hold onto the seeds until at least two months before the intended post-frost planting date. At this point, stick the seeds in a plastic baggie of moist sand and place it in the refrigerator.

Continue to keep the sand moist throughout its stay in the fridge. After 60 days of cold stratification, the seeds will be ready to sow outdoors with the above-described fall-sowing protocol.

Come the warmth of spring, the seeds should germinate within a couple of weeks. In each group of four, thin the seedlings down to their strongest member as they become apparent.

Throughout their first growing season or two, keep the soil moist but avoid oversaturating it. Reduce watering as described below once established.

Via Transplanting

Not all about seed sowing? Well, thank goodness for transplants.

After you prepare your planting sites, dig holes deep enough to accommodate the transplants’ taproot systems, and make them just a bit wider.

Gingerly lower each transplant into its hole, backfill with adjacent soil, and water in.

Until the transplants establish themselves after their first year or two, add water as needed to maintain soil moisture, but without saturating the soil.

How to Grow

The Missouri evening primrose doesn’t need much in the way of help, but the right cultivation methods can take the plant’s health and aesthetics from good to great.

Climate and Exposure Needs

In order to survive outdoors year-round, O. macrocarpa needs to be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7.

And while it does require full sun for optimal growth, some light shade is tolerable.

Soil Needs

Just like with a colander, proper drainage is absolutely essential. For Missouri evening primrose, root rot can easily occur in soils that don’t drain well, especially in winter.

But don’t worry too much about fertility, as O. macrocarpa can tolerate lean soils.

When it comes to soil pH, a standard recommendation of 6.0 to 7.0, or slightly acidic to neutral, is appropriate. If the soil is a bit basic, though, don’t fret – moderate soil alkalinity is also tolerable.

Irrigation and Fertilizer Needs

The toughest characteristic of O. macrocarpa is definitely its drought tolerance.

Depending on the average rainfall and temperature in its local climate, a Missouri evening primrose may do just fine without supplemental irrigation.

But in general, you’re best off watering these guys whenever the soil dries out.

Fertility-wise, there’s no need for supplementation. Amending the soil with an inch or so of organic matter can make the soil more friable and workable, though.

Growing Tips

• Full sun is optimal, while light shade is tolerable.
• Be sure to provide ample drainage.
• Water whenever the soil dries out.

Pruning and Maintenance

To enjoy as many flowers as possible throughout the blooming period, you should pluck spent blooms as they become apparent on the plant. Learn more about deadheading in our guide.

Since this plant does spread by self-seeding, it may behoove you to pull any unwanted seedlings as they emerge, lest you have more Missouri evening primrose on your hands than you’d like.

Cultivars to Select

There’s actually more cultivars of O. macrocarpa available than you’d think. Let’s go over a few!

Greencourt Lemon

Hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 8, ‘Greencourt Lemon’ is notably different from the standard species.

Its flowers are a lighter yellow, its leaves are more wavy and colored a gray-green, and it produces intermittent blooms until fall.

A solid choice for when you want to ornamentally shake things up a bit!

Lemon Silver

Continuing with the lemony theme, ‘Lemon Silver’ is a compact, silver-leaved version of O. macrocarpa ssp. fremontii.

With a slightly reduced height of about six to eight inches, ‘Lemon Silver’ is perfect for keeping all that silvery splendor close to the ground.

Shimmer

Another variety of the fremontii subspecies, ‘Shimmer’ flaunts pale yellow petals alongside skinny silver foliage.

As a result of being modestly slender, the leaves offer up even more of the ornamental spotlight to the blooms, proving that sometimes, less is more.

Managing Pests and Disease

As if its resistance to drought and shoddy soils wasn’t enough, a Missouri evening primrose is deer- and rabbit-resistant! Plus, it isn’t typically one to suffer from significant pest or disease issues.

However, overwatering and/or inadequate drainage can lead to root rot, a condition where the roots become necrotic thanks to a lack of oxygen.

Understandably, this condition can lead to significant floral and foliar decline above the soil line.

Root rot can be prevented with a one-two punch of well-draining soil and moderate irrigation.

If a plant ends up afflicted, improving drainage, reducing your watering, and/or pruning away the necrotic sections of the roots could give the specimen a fighting chance.

If that fails to work, then the plant should be lifted and pitched.

Best Uses

O. macrocarpa ain’t a one-trick pony, folks.

It can provide a delightful edge at the front of borders and alongside walkways, it looks right at home in a rock, native, or cottage garden, and the sprawling form makes it a splendid selection for raised beds.

Heck, you can even clip the stems to use the seed capsules in flower arrangements.

But much like five-foot-five folks have a tough time guarding seven-foot-three NBA players in a game of basketball, Missouri evening primroses don’t compete well with taller perennials.

Therefore, it would behoove you to place these guys near plants of a similar or shorter height.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Herbaceous flowering perennial	Flower/Foliage Color:	Yellow/green
Native to:	Southern and central United States	Maintenance:	Low
Hardiness (USDA Zones):	3-7	Tolerance:	Alkaline soil, deer, drought, light shade, poor soils, rabbits, various soil types
Bloom Time:	May-August	Soil Type:	Average to lean
Exposure:	Full sun	Soil pH:	6.0-7.0
Spacing:	12-18 inches	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Planting Depth:	Slightly below soil surface (seeds), depth of root system (transplants)	Attracts:	Butterflies, hummingbirds, moths
Height:	9-12 inches	Uses:	Border fronts, cottage gardens, cut flowers, dried arrangements, native gardens, pathways, raised beds, rock gardens
Spread:	12-18 inches	Order:	Myrtales
Growth Rate:	Moderate	Family:	Onagraceae
Water Needs:	Low	Genus:	Oenothera
Common Diseases:	Root rot	Species:	Macrocarpa

A Good Evening Indeed

As you take a late-day walk in your summertime landscape and note the gorgeous flowers of the Missouri evening primrose, you’ll have a hard time denying how awesome evenings can be.

Add the low care requirements of these plants, and you’ll be on Easy Street. Add the typical lack of health issues on top of that, and you’ll be on Even Easier Street. It’s the good life, I say.

Questions, remarks, praise for Missouri? Put ’em all in the comments below.

Trying to grow other wildflowers? These guides will provide marvelous starting points:

Finished Reading

Born Again Dirt by Noah Sanders

An Agricultural Testament by Sir Albert Howard

Landrace Gardening by Joseph Lofthouse

The Contagion Myth by Thomas S. Cowan and Sally Fallon Morrell

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 1 of 8) by Edward Gibbon

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 2 of 8) by Edward Gibbon

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 3 of 8) by Edward Gibbon

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 4 of 8) by Edward Gibbon

A Soil Owner’s Manual by Jon Stika

Comeback Farms by Greg Judy

Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown

Keeping Bees with a Smile by Fedor Lazutin and Leo Sharashkin

Balanced Beekeeping I: Building a Top Bar Hive by Philip Chandler

Balanced Beekeeping II: Managing the Top Bar Hive by Philip Chandler

Handling Sin by Michael Malone

The Rooted Life by Justin Rhodes

The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil by Dale Strickler

Soil Science for Gardeners by Robert Pavlis

The Wheel of Health: The Sources of Long Life and Health Among the Hunza by Dr. G. T. Wrench

For the Love of the Soil by Nicole Masters

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 5 of 8) by Edward Gibbon

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome

Metabolical by Dr. Robert Lustig

Satyricon by Gaius Petronius

Skin in the Game by Nassim Taleb

The History of Early Rome by Livy

Dissolving Illustions by Suzanne Humphries and Roman Bystrianyk

Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki

Less: A Visual Guide to Minimalism by Rachel Aust

Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus

De Agricultura by Cato

Don’t Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk

The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

Coppice Agrofrestry by Mark Krawczyk

Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson

The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker

Aeneid by Virgil

Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines by Tim Staples

Becoming Orthodox by Peter Gilquist

The Holy Bible (NKJV) by God

Started then Ditched

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens


The Barefoot Beekeeper by Philip Chandler


Holistic Management, Third Edition: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment by Allan Savory