If you haven’t converted your attic into a room, it’s usually an additional space for storage. Having an area of this type makes it easier to maintain order in the rest of the house, and can also increase the efficiency of ventilation.
When planning attic storage, don’t forget to install a staircase that allows you to overcome the difference in height. A functional yet safe solution is a specialised attic staircase.
What is the function of an attic?
An attic has a positive effect on thermal comfort in a building, and improves the efficiency of ventilation. In addition to this function, an attic can provide valuable storage space. You can keep items that are used infrequently out of the main living areas; this can help to free up space and keep your house tidy.
When organising an attic space for storage, you will need to think about the practicality of access. Stairs of some sort are essential. Since a non-utilitarian attic is not a frequently visited part of the house, these stairs don’t need to have a permanent structure; they can be unfolded directly in front of the entrance.
If you are looking for solutions that allow safe access to the attic floor, check out loft ladders by FAKRO. The wide range of professional ladders includes scissor and segmented variants, all characterised by high functionality and guaranteeing a sense of security.
What are the characteristics of a functional attic staircase?
Attic stairs should be safe. They should provide balance when using them. This issue applies to both ascending and descending the rungs. The ladder should be equipped with non-slip steps and handrails to help you maintain stability during use.
It is worth noting that the attic space is usually an unheated part of the house. Therefore, you need to make sure that the location of the attic stairs does not create a zone of increased heat escape in the form of a thermal bridge. The solution to such a problem is a system that includes increased thermal insulation parameters.
To ensure the highest level of safety in the use of the building, it is also good to focus on stair models that demonstrate fire resistance.
Attic stairs that allow you to fully adjust the flap covering the opening in the ceiling are a noteworthy solution. Some models are equipped with a white flap that matches the ceiling, while others can be finished by painting or using veneer to match your home decor.
To save time and keep costs down during the installation process, it is best to opt for a model completely designed for installation in the ceiling.
Have you used an attic staircase to maximise storage in your home?
Bullet journalling is a popular system for organising your life, but it’s also a fun way to express your creativity. Bullet journals allow you to get all of your thoughts, ideas and feelings onto paper, and you can even use them to manage stress.
Bullet journal spreads are pages that are designed to help you plan and track your goals, tasks, and habits. They are practical, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look great too. Here are some tips for creating beautiful bullet journal spreads.
Choose a theme
The first step in creating a beautiful bullet personalised journal spread is to choose a theme. The theme can be anything that you like such as nature, travel, or even your favourite TV show or film.
Once you have chosen your theme, you can use it to inspire your layout and design choices. If you need some help, have a look online and see how other people have created their bullet journal spreads.
Plan your layout
Before you start drawing, plan your layout. You can use paper and a ruler to sketch out your design, or a digital planner app to create a mock-up.
Taking time to plan your layout will help you to visualise how your spread will look and make sure that everything fits together nicely.
Use colour
Adding colour to your bullet journal spread can make it more visually appealing. You can use coloured pencils, markers, or even watercolours to add colour to your pages.
Choose colours that complement your theme, or use a colour scheme that speaks to you.
Add decorative elements
Adding decorative elements to your bullet journal spreads can make them more interesting and attractive. Try using stickers, washi tape, or stamps to decorate to your pages. Just make sure that the decorative elements you choose fit your theme.
Use hand lettering
Hand lettering is a fun way to add a personal touch to your bullet journal spreads. You can use different fonts and styles to create headings, subheadings, and captions. There are many tutorials online that can help you to improve your hand lettering skills.
Experiment with different styles
There are lots of different styles of bullet journal spreads, such as minimalist, floral, or vintage. Experiment with different styles to find something that suits you and works for you. You can also combine different styles to create a unique look.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
Remember that your bullet journal is your personal space; there are no rules. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or try new things. If you don’t like something, you can always cover it up with a sticker or a piece of paper.
By following these tips, you can create beautiful bullet journal spreads that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Remember to have fun and be creative when creating your bullet journal. If you are interested in buying a new bullet journal or a notebook to begin your bullet journalling journey, take a look at the Martha Brook website.
After a long winter, who doesn’t love happy yellow flowers that pop up and fill your garden?
The answer is you—if the flowers are lesser celandine (Ficaria verna, previously Ranunculus ficaria L.). (It’s also known as fig buttercup.)
Lesser celandine—native to Asia, northern Europe, and northern Africa—was probably imported to the States for ornamental use in the 1800s. Today, the invasive perennial can be found in most states east of Missouri, the Pacific Northwest, and Texas.
Why is this little flower such a big problem?
Above: A field of lesser celandine at Glen Thompson State Reserve in Xenia, Ohio. Photograph by Thomas Dwyer via Flickr.
Because they grow and bloom in mid-March, earlier than other spring ephemerals, and form thick mats that crowd out all other plants—including native ephemerals. Being spring ephemerals themselves, once done, they leave blank spots open for weeds to take root. The pretty little menaces also thrive in a variety of soil conditions, and in both sun and part shade. They can outcompete the grass on your lawn.
How to identify:
Above: Lesser celandine’s yellow flowers have eight or more petals. Photograph by Derek Parker via Flickr.Above: This is not lesser celandine. Pictured are marsh marigolds, which look similar but usually have fewer petals, and also grow in a low mounding mat. Photograph by xulescu_g via Flickr.
Lesser celandine forms a low mounding mat that can quickly take over a garden or field. Its leaves are kidney-shaped and held up on long stems in very dense basal rosettes. The flowers are mainly a bright yellow. A very similar native wildflower is the marsh marigold (Caltha palustris). While they look very similar, the main way to tell them apart is that the marsh marigold follows about a month after the lesser celandine in most areas. Also, lesser celandine has bulblets for roots, whereas the marsh marigold does not. Still not sure? Check the suspect plant out with a plant ID app.
How to remove:
Above: An upside of getting rid of lesser celandine by hand is saving the blooms for an indoor arrangement. Photograph by Marie Viljoen, from DIY: Flowers in the House, 9 Ways.
Smaller patches can be removed by hand. But remember to get all the bulblets. Do this before it flowers. The flowers can form aerial bulblets. Lesser celandine is a starfish of the plant world—the smallest bit left behind is enough to grow a new plant. Throw it away with the garbage; do not compost.
Larger infections can be controlled by using glyphosate, an herbicide, judiciously. Timing is everything. Lesser celandine comes in very early, before the natives. Treating the plants with herbicides ideally before they flower and before other desired plants wake up is very important.
Targeted applications are a must. Painting, not spraying, the herbicide ensures you are killing only the lesser celandine and not your other garden plants. Follow directions exactly, paying special attention to temperature, wind, and proximity to bodies of water. Most herbicides are highly toxic to fish and amphibians. This treatment could take several years to completely eradicate the plant. (Go here for a first-person account of using glyphosate herbicide to kill lesser celandine.)
What to replace it with:
Above: Trilliums are a great native spring ephemeral to grow once you’ve eradicated lesser celandine. If you want yellow blooms, consider marsh marigolds. Photograph by Justine Hand, from Gardening 101: Trilliums.
Now if you do like the cheery yellow flowers, you can still have them! Once you clear the area, fill it with marsh marigold. Other native ephemerals are American ginger (Asarum canadense), Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), cutleaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata), spring beauties Claytonia virginica, trilliums, and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).
See also:
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A few weeks ago, Hugh Locke shared some beautiful close-up views of flowers from his garden in Montrose, New York (Close-ups in Hugh’s Garden). Today we’re going to enjoy more of those images. By zooming way in, he makes you see flowers in a different way, which might just inspire you to take a closer look at the flowers in your own garden and notice things about them you never have before.
Detail of Stoke’s aster (Stokesia laevis, Zones 5–9). Asters are what is called a composite bloom—each bloom is actually a whole cluster of many tiny flowers massed together. Zoom in like this and you can see the open flowers on the outer ring, while those in the center are still in bud, ready to burst open.
Tips of tulip petals (Tulipahybrids, Zones 3–8) are showing the delicate mixture of different shades of pink.
Floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum, annual) is another composite bloom, opening to make a fluffy mass of flowers.
The tiny blooms of yarrow (Achillea milliflolium, Zones 4–8) mass together to make a big disk of flowers, which are very popular with many pollinators.
Cleome (Cleome hassleriana, annual), with the open flowers at the base and a row of buds ready to open and replace them as they fade.
Platycodon grandiflorus (Zones 3–8) has beautiful blue flowers on a very durable, easy-to-grow plant.
Celosia (Celosia argentea, annual) has very unusual flower heads. In this close-up photo you can see that they are a mass of these small red strings, brightly colored to attract pollinators.
The fuzzy beard on the lower petals of this bearded iris (Iris hybrid, Zones 3–8) guides pollinators into the flower so they can collect and deposit pollen on their back.
A crisp, perfect paperwhite (Narcissus hybrid, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb). These warm-climate daffodils bloom easily indoors for some winter color and cheer.
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 g[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.
If you are looking for a plant with large, show-stopping blooms, look no further than the bird of paradise.
With its orange, blue, and white flowers that look like a bird in flight, this plant just cannot be ignored.
And this South African native will grow happily year-round throughout warmer parts of the US.
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Ready to get started? I’ll explain everything you need to know to grow vigorous bird of paradise plants in your own garden in Zones 9-12.
Here’s what’s ahead:
What Is Bird of Paradise?
This herbaceous perennial is rare in northern climates, but prevalent in gardens and on roadsides in USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12 and sometimes in warmer areas of Zone 9 as well.
Named for its stunning flowers, the plant grows slowly in clumps as its underground stem divides, while the foliage grows in a fan-like pattern and resembles banana leaves.
Flowers are produced in groups of one to three on long stalks.
Bird of paradise plants are also known as crane flowers, a more precise description of the shape of their blooms.
Orange sepals and blue petals emerge from a modified leaf known as a bract. Two of the blue petals join together to form a nectary – an organ that secretes nectar.
The plants bloom off and on year round in suitable climates.
Mature, healthy plants can produce up to 36 flower spikes a year, which will last for weeks.
Native to southern Africa, there are five species in the Strelizia genus. The most common species grown in the US are S. reginae, S. nicolai, and S. alba.
If you live in the southwestern US, you may be familiar with other plants known by the same common name.
The birds of paradise that grow so well in this region are an entirely different species in the legume family, Caesalpinia.
Caesalpiniagilliesii
The three most commonly seen are the red C. pulcherrima, yellow C. gilliesii (reclassified as Poinciana gilliesii), and the Mexican bird of paradise, C. mexicana.
Cultivation and History
Once considered part of the banana family, these plants have escaped this lowly fate and now have their own family – the Strelitziaceae.
Bird of paradise flowers are so storied that they were a recipient of the Award of Garden Merit from the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society in 1993.
These plants are low maintenance which makes them valuable for urban landscaping. They are commonly seen growing in traffic islands and in gardens in apartment complexes in California.
Even better is their tendency to stay put. Unlike tree roots that will eventually lift sidewalks, bird of paradise roots do not thicken as the plants age.
Bird of paradise plants were introduced to Europe in 1773 when Francis Masson, plant collector, brought specimens from the eastern Cape region of South Africa to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.
The genus Strelitzia was named for Queen Charlotte Sophie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of the reigning monarch at the time, King George III.
Even the scientific name of the common bird of paradise, S. reginae, is regal, with the Latin word reginae translating to queen in English.
Bird of paradise plants were introduced into California in 1853 by Colonel Warren, editor of the California Farmer magazine, and were available for sale in Montecito, a wealthy enclave of Santa Barbara in the 1870s.
These plants became such emblems of southern California that in 1952 they were named the official flower of the city of Los Angeles by Mayor Fletcher Bowron.
In their native South Africa, the flower is so popular that it is featured on the coat of arms of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
It also adorns the emblem of a high South African honor – the Order of the Ikhamanga. The president of South Africa has the power to grant this honor to citizens for achievements in literature, culture, arts, journalism, music, and sports.
Bird of paradise plants grow wild among other shrubs along riverbanks in many parts of South Africa, and are important sources of nectar for birds.
Propagation
Growing bird of paradise plants from seed can take three to 10 years, but propagating them by division produces new plants much more quickly.
By Division
You can dig up mature clumps in late spring or early summer and divide those with four to five shoots or more into single- or multiple-stem divisions.
Depending on the size of the clump, you’ll need to mark a radius eight to 12 inches out from the base of the plant, and dig down to a depth of 10 to 24 inches. Pull up the plant and cut through the root ball cleanly with a gardening knife or shovel.
If the plant is growing in a container, lift it out of the pot, and cut through the root ball with a sharp knife. Make sure each section has at least one stem attached.
Plant each division in the ground at the same depth as the section of root ball or into a pot eight to 12 inches wide and deep – or larger – depending on the size of your division.
Keep the soil moist for at least three months until the roots are established. Then, if desired, you can start fertilizing them as described below.
You should have mature flowering plants in one to three years.
Another option is to remove young offshoots from mature plants.
If you are patient, you can grow these plants from seeds. Your plants should start blooming in three to five years.
However, some sources claim that it can take as long as 10 years for plants that were started from seed to bloom.
Saving your own seeds from mature plants is an option, but if the plants are hybrids the seeds will not produce true to the parent plant.
If you hand pollinate the flowers, you should see seed pods about five months later. Each pod will contain 60-80 seeds.
When the flower has withered and died back, you can collect the pods and cut them open to remove the seeds inside.
The seeds are black with orange tufts and are the size of sweet pea seeds.
Plant the seeds as soon after harvest as possible, before the seed coat becomes hard.
If you can’t sow them immediately, planting within six months of harvest is recommended to ensure viability.
If you need to store the seeds, place them in a cool, well ventilated room until the seeds have completely dried out – typically a week to ten days – then transfer to a paper envelope and store in a cool, dry place until you are ready to plant.
If the seed coat is hard, whether you’ve saved your own seeds or purchased them, you can decrease the germination time by soaking the seeds in lukewarm water for one to two days, and then nicking the seed coat with a small file or knife. This process is known as scarification.
Remove the bright orange tuft of hairs after you have soaked the seeds.
Sow the seeds 1/2 to one inch deep in a pot or planting tray in a moist seed starting medium that is loose and clean. Place a plastic bag or humidity dome over the top to maintain a humid environment.
Providing bottom heat of 75-90°F will help them to germinate, although it is not necessary.
Seeds that have been scarified should germinate in one to three months if kept moist.
According to Sydney Park Brown and Robert J. Black, professors at the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida IFAS Extension, you may be able to speed up the germination time by putting the seeds in a plastic bag and refrigerating them at 40-45°F for two weeks. Then scarify them.
The seedlings can be transplanted to six-inch pots when they have three to four true leaves.
Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged until seedlings are six to eight inches tall before transplanting them into the garden as described below.
How to Grow
While this plant originates in the subtropical coasts of South Africa, it will grow in the warmer climates of Zones 9-12.
Birds of paradise should be planted in a full sun location, although they can thrive in partial shade in subtropical climates such as Florida.
The characteristics of the plants will differ depending on the amount of light they receive.
Plants grown in full sun are smaller and have shorter flower stems, while those grown in partial shade are taller and may have somewhat larger flowers.
Since the plants produce more flowers around the outside of the plant, spacing them at least six feet apart will allow adequate room for the flowers to develop.
To transplant into the garden, dig a hole that is two to three times the diameter of the root ball and as deep as the height of the root ball. Thoroughly water the plant before gently removing it from the container.
Take care not to disturb the roots as those of young plants are easily damaged.
Place the plant in the hole, and make sure the top of the root ball is even with the surface of the soil. Backfill with soil and water in well.
If bird of paradise is planted too deeply, this may delay flowering.
You can create a basin like a saucer around the plant, so it will hold water until it drains to the roots.
Make sure to water the plant regularly during the first six months after planting. Water deeply when the surface of the soil feels dry to the touch.
Soil and Climate Needs
Bird of paradise plants are pretty forgiving and will grow in a range of soil types.
However, they grow best in organically-rich, loamy soil that drains well with a pH of 5.5-7.5.
The plants can briefly tolerate temperatures as low as 24°F, although freezing temperatures will damage developing flowers and buds.
If you live in an area prone to freezes, either cover your plants if a hard freeze is in the forecast, or bring pots inside when the weather gets cold.
If this type of plant receives too much or too little moisture, the leaves will turn yellow and eventually die.
Mature plants are generally drought tolerant and will need to be watered when the top three inches of the soil is dry. They will not tolerate wet feet and waterlogged soil can cause root rot.
During the winter months, if there is sufficient rain, you may not need to provide any additional irrigation.
Place a two to three-inch-deep layer of mulch around the base of the plant. This will help to conserve moisture, reduce weed infestations, and provide micronutrients.
Do not add mulch too close to the stem. Keeping a two to three-inch circular area around your plants free of mulch will protect against stem rot.
Organic mulches – such as wood chips, bark, pine needles, or leaves – are suitable, as are crushed stone or gravel in areas where lighter materials may blow away.
Fertilization
While these plants can live in the garden without supplemental fertilization, the addition of a balanced fertilizer will produce the best growth and flowering.
The best types of fertilizer to use include organic ones like well-rotted manure, worm castings, or blood meal, or a controlled release balanced product like Osmocote, available via Amazon, or granular landscape fertilizers.
Apply according to package instructions to a full grown clump every three months during the growing season.
If you are growing your plants in containers, you can fertilize them every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer or apply slow release pellets every two to three months.
Water mature plants deeply when the soil is dry to a depth of three inches.
Pruning and Maintenance
These plants are fairly low maintenance.
The most important thing that you will need to do in terms of upkeep is to remove the dead leaves and old flower stalks, so that fungi do not build up in them.
Spent flower stalks can be cut off at the base of the plant, as close to the soil line as possible. Dead or dying foliage should be cut at the point the leaf meets the stem.
If you do not prune them off, they will remain attached to the plant indefinitely.
In the case of large clumps, you can thin out the foliage from the center of the clump to allow for increased airflow.
The giant bird of paradise, S. nicolai, produces dense offshoots that you should thin occasionally.
Species and Cultivars to Select
You can usually find birds of paradise for sale at local garden centers and nurseries in areas where they thrive.
Common Bird of Paradise
Known and beloved by so many throughout the world, the orange and blue flowers of S. reginae are a dramatic addition to your landscape.
You can find one- to two-feet-tall plants in one gallon containers available via Amazon.
Giant
S. nicolai is common in south and central Florida. It is also known as giant white bird of paradise or African wild banana – thanks to its large leaves.
This species can grow up to 20 feet high and five to six feet wide, so do not mistake it for the common bird of paradise and plant it in front of a window!
As you can probably guess from the name, ‘Mandela’s Gold’ is a South African cultivar of S. reginae. It was produced by John Winter at the Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden in Cape Town and released in 1994.
Originally marketed as ‘Kirstenbosch Gold,’ the name was changed in 1996 to honor Nelson Mandela.
The flowers have bright yellow petals and a blue tongue. Plants grow to a mature height of four to five feet tall, with a similar spread.
Bird of paradise plants are usually free of pests and diseases, but alas, there are exceptions.
However, while pests and pathogens may attack individual flowers or leaves, they generally do not threaten the plant’s overall health.
Insects
Insects are rarely a problem, but aphids, scale, snails, grasshoppers, and caterpillars may occasionally graze on the plants. You can control them with systemic insecticides or snail bait.
Mealybugs and spider mites can infest the leaves. Just wipe them off with a soft cloth. You also have the option of using organic insecticides like neem oil to tackle an infestation.
A couple of additional species in particular may cause problems for your plants:
Opogona Crown Borers
The larvae of Opogona omoscopa moths bore into the crowns of plants, causing the foliage to turn yellow, wilt, and die. Experts believe these are secondary pests that are attracted to decaying tissue.
You can prevent this type of infestation by providing good cultural care. Remove dead or dying plant debris that attracts the moths and avoid excessive watering.
Whiteflies
While there are a number of whitefly species that attack plants, the giant whitefly (Aleurodicus dugesii) is a particular pest of bird of paradise.
Not only does this pest suck vital nutrients out of the plant, it also secretes a sugary substance called honeydew that can draw copious amounts of ants.
Early detection is important for the control of this pest. If you catch it early enough, you can spray the plants with water from the hose to remove the whiteflies.
If your plants have a severe infestation, remove any infected leaves.
Several types of fungi and a common bacterial pathogen can occasionally afflict bird of paradise plants.
Armillaria Root Rot
This devastating disease can affect all members of the Strelitzia genus.
Discolored leaves are a symptom of Armillaria. Eventually, telltale clusters of what are commonly referred to as “honey mushrooms” will grow at the base of the plant.
There is no cure, and fungal colonies can live for thousands of years. You will have to remove your plant if it contracts this disease.
Prevention includes proper drainage, good irrigation, and adequate care.
Bacterial Wilt
The common bacterium Pseudomonas solanacearum can live in the soil for more than six years, and it may infect bird of paradise plants through their roots.
It can also be transmitted by infected gardening tools, plant debris, soil, insects, and water.
Initial signs of infection include wilting and yellowing of the leaves. Then, the base of the plant will begin to turn black or brown at the soil line.
If your plant is infested, you should remove and destroy it to prevent the disease from spreading.
Fungal Leaf Spot
For a nice change of pace, this type of infection – caused by a variety of fungal pathogens – is not usually a serious problem for bird of paradise plants.
Leaves that are infected develop black, tan, brown, or yellow spots or patches. They may wither and drop off the plant.
Photo by Helga George.
Most bird of paradise plants can handle this disease. In fact, the picture of this infection that you see above depicts an otherwise healthy plant.
Providing good cultural care and sanitation will usually help to control a fungal leaf spot infection. If necessary, you can spray plants with neem oil every 10-14 days.
Gray Mold
Also known as botrytis blight, gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea can infect an array of plants and is well known as the cause of rot in strawberries.
Infected flowers and leaves will have a gray film over them, which gives disease its common name. Eventually, the leaves will wilt, decay, and drop from the plant.
Prevention includes removing fallen and decaying debris and dying plant tissue. Also, avoid overhead watering.
Fungicides are sometimes effective, but this fungus is notorious for developing resistance to them – sometimes during the first season of use.
You have probably seen these flowers in florist shops.
The plants make a beautiful focal point in a garden or a delightful houseplant in cooler regions, especially if you have a sunroom.
As if having a large perennial with stunning flowers in your yard was not enough, these types of plants have some unusual advantages.
Bird of paradise leaves are evergreen and remain on the plant. This makes them an excellent choice for adding ornamental interest near swimming pools, where shedding leaves can create a maintenance problem.
They pair well with other evergreen perennials, such as Agave vilmoriniana, Senecio mandraliscae, and Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ that have similar cultural requirements.
They also serve as beautiful cut flowers, and with a little care and some fresh flower food can last up to two weeks in a vase.
Perhaps you have bought a bird of paradise flower for a loved one, or even yourself.
You may not realize that this stunning plant was once an exciting novelty from a foreign land. Now it is a low-care fixture in places with warm climates, such as southern California and Florida.
The plants are popular both for landscaping and growing as houseplants. With proper care, they will thrive and produce up to three dozen flowers a year.
Who says that you can’t have a regal garden of your very own?
Are you growing bird of paradise plants? Tell us about your experience and share your tips in the comments section below.
And for more information on how to grow other unique flowering plants, check out these guides next:
Thank you to Park Seed for partnering with me on this post. As always, all words and thoughts are my own.
You might be asking yourself what begonias and peppers have in common that they’d end up in the same article. A lot actually, at least when it comes to starting them from seed, which makes them good seed-starting partners.
SEED-STARTING SIMILARITIES
Begonias and peppers are good seed starting partners for a few reasons.
They should be started from seed at about the same time. Peppers should be started about 8 to 12 weeks before your last frost, a bit earlier for bell peppers and a little later for hot peppers, but I start them all at the same time. Begonias should be started about 10 to 12 weeks before your last frost. By batching it all at the 10-week mark I simplify things a bit, and particularly in the case of begonias, it’s OK to be a little on the late side because they’ll start performing in the garden quickly. If you don’t know your last frost date you can look it up here, or you can use the From Seed to Spoon app to just see the dates for starting various crops based on your location.
Begonias and peppers are both heat lovers, so you can sow them in the same tray and give them the same conditions, about 70 to 80 degrees of bottom heat from a heat mat.
As you grow them on inside under lights they’ll both appreciate a good amount of light, although you can remove them from the heat mat after they germinate.
HOW TO SOW PEPPERS
If you’ve ever grown tomatoes from seed, you know most of what you need to know about peppers, and that’s not a surprise given that they are close relatives. Sow them about a quarter-inch deep in seed-starting mix or, if you’re using the Park’s Original Bio Dome like I did, you can just put them in the hole in the special sponges.
I sow two pepper seeds to a cell and will thin the weaker seedling out later.
Keep seed-starting mix evenly moist or leave about an inch of water in the bottom of the Bio Dome, then cover them with a humidity dome and set them on a heat mat until they germinate in about seven to 10 days.
HOW TO SOW BEGONIAS
Begonias are sown differently from peppers. Since the seeds need light to germinate, they should be sown right on the surface of the soil, or on top the Bio Sponge.
But don’t expect to see the seeds on top the soil, because begonia seeds are incredibly small, almost like large dust particles. Anytime I’m dealing with a very small seed, I put the seeds into a small container (I used the lid of the toothpick jar in this case) and use a toothpick to pick up an individual seed then lightly wipe it on the surface of the soil.
A toothpick makes picking up itty bitty seeds easier.
If you can find pelleted begonia seeds, it’s well worth the extra cost, although you’ll probably still need to do the toothpick trick.
Even pelleted begonia seeds are incredibly small.
AFTER SOWING
After sowing, set the seed tray on a heat mat under a grow light (the begonias need light, but if you are only starting peppers, the light isn’t necessary until after they germinate). Keep them evenly moist and remove the dome when most of the seeds have germinated.
Cover cells with a humidity dome (one is included with the Bio Dome) until seeds germinate.
If you’re growing in cells with seed mix, you’ll need to transplant the small plants to pots (3-inch or so) when the roots fill the cell. Use regular potting mix at this point. You can also start using a dilute fertilizer at this point.
If you’re growing in a Bio Dome, you’ll want to fertilize with the included fertilizer pack but you may not need to move the small plants up to pots. When it’s safe to plant them outside, just pop them straight into the garden.
WHAT I’M GROWING
After a few years of growing peppers I’ve figured out what types of peppers I’ll actually use and that determined my selections.
Mexican Sunrise is a hot Hungarian pepper, with a nice amount of heat (which for me is enough to know it’s there and not enough to make me afraid to eat it). It’s tolerant of cooler conditions, which is helpful in my not-too-hot garden. It’s an All-America Selections winner, which means it’s been tested in trial gardens all over North America and found to be the best performing variety of its kind. I’ve found it to be extremely productive.
Mexican Sunrise
Pot-a-peño is a small jalapeño pepper perfect for containers, but also great in gardens where you don’t want to dedicate a lot of space to peppers. It has great flavor and, although I’ve grown plenty of super hot peppers, this is at a level that I love to use to actually flavor dishes, rather than use as a party game. You can eat them green or red. This is also an All-America Selections winner.
Pot-a-peno
Candy Cane Red peppers were just too pretty to pass up. This sweet snacking pepper is a new variety for me and it has variegated foliage and fruit. The peppers ripen to a variety of colors, including green and red striped. You can’t buy that in the grocery store!
Candy Cane Red
Kitchen Minis Fresh Bites Yellow are the cutest little pepper plants. They were new last year and I grew a couple of them in a planter filled with quick-grab edibles by the back door. Sure, the peppers were delicious, but they were beautiful as well, and that is reason enough to grow these small plants.
Kitchen Minis Yellow
Both of the begonias I’m growing are new-to-me varieties that I’m eager to add to the garden.
Viking Explorer Rose on Green is another All-America Selections winner, and a sister to other Viking Explorer begonias I’ve grown and loved in the past. It grows into a sizable plant—20 inches high by 24 inches wide—that is absolutely covered in flowers all season. Although it will do best in dappled sunlight, it’s quite adaptable to different lighting situations. The seeds are pelleted.
Viking Explorer Rose on Green
Pizzazz White is exactly the kind of annual I like to have lots of on hand to scatter around the garden to fill holes and brighten up dark corners. It’s a bedding begonia that I’ll use for those empty, front-of-the-border spots in the shade.
Pizzaz White
In most areas, it’s not too late to start either of these, alone or together.
For limited time, use the promo code IMPATIENTGARDENER15 for 15% off your Park Seed order.
For gardeners who want an easy-to-grow flower that refines their capacity for patience, daffodils are perfect.
You plant them before the ground freezes in the fall or winter, and then you’re rewarded in the spring with the most cheerful, nodding faces.
Unless… you aren’t. Perennial daffodils (Narcissus spp.) are some of the first blooms of the spring season, opening their buds as early as January or February in warmer climes, and as late as April or May in frigid areas like Alaska, where I live.
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But what if just the long, pointed leaves grow, and no flowers bloom at all?
Or what if the first leaves never even poke out of the ground?
What’s gone wrong? Can you save your daffodils? Or is there at least something you can do for next time?
In this guide, we’ll tell all.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
The Top 5 Reasons Why Your Daffodils Aren’t Flowering
Getting to Know Daffodils
Daffodils are members of the genus Narcissus, which is part of the subfamily Amaryllidoideae of the Amaryllidaceae family.
I dare you to say that sentence five times in a row, fast.
Other plants in this long-beloved subfamily include snowdrops and Belladonna lilies. And I’m sure you’re acquainted with other members of the overarching family, Amaryllidaceae: onions, garlic, and alliums (subfamily Allioideae), as well as agapanthus (subfamily Agapanthoideae).
In short, the daffodil – also called “narcissus” or “jonquil,” especially in old English literature – is in good company.
You can learn more about how to grow these yellow, white, orange, and even pink flowers in our growing guide.
We gardeners almost always grow them from bulbs, since in order to grow them from seed you must manually pollinate them and then wait five to seven years for the seeds to develop into flowers.
Besides, they propagate easily underground: the bulbs divide and grow new offshoots over the course of a few years, resulting in pleasing clumps of blooms clustering around the original flower.
If they remain happy and well-fed, daffodils can live for years and years. When I bought my first house in Oklahoma, I got a pleasant surprise in spring: a large clump of daffodils that had been growing and reproducing for who knows how long.
Daffodils truly are a gift that keeps on giving.
And even though sometimes your blooms might not open, there’s almost always something you can do to help your jonquils survive into the next year. But in the event that all hope is lost for this season’s bulbs, you’ll at least know how to prevent the problem from happening again next time.
Without further ado, here are the top five reasons why your daffodils aren’t flowering.
1. Bulbs Were Planted Too Late
So you’ve been staring expectantly at the ground for months, unease growing in your belly as your friends happily report that their first-year daffodil bulbs have bloomed.
Yours, on the other hand, have not. Could it have to do with chill time, or lack thereof?
Like many spring-flowering bulbs, daffodils need weeks upon weeks of chill time in order to bloom. When it comes to bulbs, “chill time” refers to any temperature between 35 and 45°F.
And in order to properly bloom, daffodils need 13 to 15 weeks of chill time. If they don’t get it, they might not grow at all, much less provide you with pretty flowers.
If you planted your bulbs too late and they didn’t get enough chill time, here’s what you can do:
First, carefully dig up a bulb or two. If you notice yellowish shoots at the tip of the bulb, leave it in its place and replace the soil – the daffodils are on their way and are just taking their time.
But if the bulbs don’t have shoots, dig them up. Fill containers that are six inches in diameter and that have drainage holes with fresh potting mix. Place three to five bulbs inside each pot, on the top of the potting soil, so that the bulb tips are just below the rim of the pot.
Add more potting soil around the bulbs, but don’t cover their tips. Water each container slowly until liquid drains out the bottom.
Find a spot in your home that stays between 35 and 45°F at all times. It could be a cellar, a basement, or even a refrigerator.
Things might get messy if you keep the containers in your main refrigerator, but if you have an extra one in your garage, that’ll do the trick. It’s also helpful if your containers have drainage dishes to collect excess water.
If you do keep the containers in a refrigerator, fold a dish towel and place it over each container, leaving gaps on each side for air. Daffodils require darkness in order to chill properly. Remember, you’re trying to mimic the conditions underground.
Once a week, water the soil around the bulbs in each container slowly and deeply until water runs out the bottom of the container.
Keep the containers in that cool place for 13 to 15 weeks, unless you believe they have had some chill time before.
Perhaps, for example, they got a nice cold snap for four weeks in the winter. You could then try chilling them for just nine to 10 weeks, or until you see yellow shoots begin to emerge from the tips of the bulbs.
That’s your cue that they’ve done enough chilling and are ready for higher temperatures and more light.
Bring the containers into an area with about four to six hours of indirect daylight and temperatures between 50 and 60°F until the shoots turn green.
At this point, you can transplant the bulbs into the ground or put the containers outside in an area that receives full sunlight and stays between 60 to 70°F.
Or, if it’s full-blown summer where you are, keep the flowers indoors in a bright windowsill and plant them into the garden in the fall!
2. Diseased or Damaged Bulbs
Were you so excited when you received your bulbs in the mail or brought them home from your grocery store’s gardening section that you planted them all without thinking about checking the health of each bulb first?
I totally understand. But if your daffodils just aren’t growing, it might have something to do with the health of the bulbs when you received them. Or maybe they are growing, but the shoots:
Grow but don’t produce blossoms, or produce weak blossoms that shrivel and die prematurely along with the rest of the plant
If this is the case, you might be looking at something more serious, like basal rot, a deadly disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum var. narcissi.
Dig up a few bulbs. If they’re soft, dark brown at the basal area where the roots emerge from, and white, pink, or reddish-purple when you peel back a few of the outer scales, you’re looking at a case of F. oxysporum var. narcissi.
When you purchase or receive bulbs in the mail, it pays to carefully squeeze each one to check for softness. You do not want softness. If the bulbs give between your fingers or turn to mush, sadly you’ll need to toss them and hope for better luck next time.
Most of the time, bulbs from reputable nurseries will be firm and healthy, whether you buy them in-store or online. Still, it’s a good idea to check them upon arrival. The nursery can do its utmost to package the bulbs well, but maladies like delayed shipping or postal snafus can cause the daffodils-to-be to suffer.
When you get bulbs from the grocery store or big-box stores, they’re more likely to have spent a lot of time packed together in crates in stuffy warehouses. These conditions often result in the spread of basal rot.
Unfortunately, basal rot can survive in the soil for years. Once infected bulbs have been planted in an area, it’s best to try again with healthy ones in a completely different part of your yard or garden that does not share the same soil.
Or, plant them in containers and put them wherever you want – I wouldn’t plop them on top of the soil where your sickly bulbs infected the dirt, though.
3. Daffodils Planted in an Inhospitable Area
I can’t stress enough how important it is that you plant your daffodils in an area that receives adequate drainage and appropriate sunlight.
Without these things, your bulbs can experience issues that prevent them from growing or blooming. Planting them in an area that consistently becomes soggy and waterlogged simply won’t work, as it greatly increases the likelihood that they’ll develop a fungal infection that leads to bulb rot.
Sunshine is also important for blooming. Daffodils can be planted in semi-shady areas, but it’s imperative that they receive at least six hours of sunshine a day in order to bloom.
Make no mistake: you can definitely plant your daffodils under trees – as long as the trees are deciduous. Most of the time, daffodils will bloom before the trees get all their leaves, allowing the plants to get adequate sunshine.
Just don’t go planting your bulbs in muddy bogs, under evergreens, or in areas that receive less than six hours of sun. And if you accidentally do one of these things or something similar, carefully transplant them to a sunnier, friendlier area.
4. You Removed Last Year’s Foliage Too Soon
If you eagerly removed the daffodil foliage last year right after the final blossom shriveled, I don’t blame you for this either!
A narcissus past its heyday doesn’t shout vim and vigor, but here’s a secret: for about six weeks after the last bloom fades, the foliage works hard, absorbing energy from the sun and channeling it into the bulb for next year’s flowers.
Cutting this foliage before it begins to turn yellow and die back on its own prevents that crucial work from happening, resulting in a no-show the next year.
It can also be tempting to tie or braid the leaves together to make them look a bit more appealing, but that can reduce the leaves’ efficiency at absorbing sunlight.
So keep watering your daffodil foliage regularly even after the final blossom fades. Deadhead spent blooms to prevent seeding, since you want the plant to focus all its energy on preparing next year’s bounty.
When it begins to turn yellow, you can stop watering and cut the leaves back or mow them if you desire.
If you don’t like staring at shriveled daffodil leaves, plan your garden so that you’ve got new flowers blooming right as your daffodils are dying back: daylilies, grape hyacinths, irises, peonies, and poppies are all excellent choices.
Sometimes, bulbs won’t bloom if they haven’t been given an adequate amount of fertilizer. Or, they won’t bloom if they’ve had too much fertilizer, especially too much fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen.
Here’s what you need to know about fertilizing daffodils:
First, know that you don’t need to fertilize your bulbs in the first year if you don’t want to. Bulbs from a nursery contain all the energy and nutrients needed to produce flowers in its first year.
But applying a fertilizer with more phosphorus than nitrogen can help the plant develop strong flowers.
You can add some to the planting site in the fall, or if you miss that particular deadline, you can top-dress with a 3-5-4 NPK fertilizer like this one from Jobe’s Organics, available from the Home Depot, as soon as the first leaves poke out of the soil.
When the flower buds begin to form, top dress again but with bone meal this time.
I love this one from Down to Earth, available at Arbico Organics, and use it on all my flowering bulbs just as they’re about to open those gorgeous blooms.
The phosphorus in the bone meal helps keep the flowers healthy.
Whatever you do, don’t use a high-nitrogen fertilizer at any point, and stick with low-nitrogen products that have a lower number in the N position on fertilizer labels.
Nitrogen is a necessary plant nutrient, but it promotes leafy growth. Lots and lots of leaves may be produced as a result of overfertilizing… and not very many flowers.
Now, you can breathe a little easier while you wait for your daffodils to show their warm, gentle faces, because even if something goes wrong, you know there’s a way to remedy it – whether that’s now or when you try again with new bulbs in the fall.
Have you ever had issues with daffodils not blooming? We’d love to hear your stories and questions in the comments section below.
And for more information about growing daffodils in your garden, check out these articles next:
Bachelor’s button, Centaurea cyanus, is an annual that grows in Zones 2 to 11.
The thistle-like blossoms are predominantly blue but these are also available in pink, purple, red, white, and bicolor combinations.
Note that this species reseeds aggressively and returns as a perennial would. Planting it is prohibited in North Carolina and it is considered invasive in Tennessee, Maryland, and Georgia.
Mature dimensions are 12 to 36 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide.
This summer-blooming companion is suited to wildflower meadows or other naturalized planting areas that don’t encroach on farmers’ fields or suburban lawns.
C. cyanus ‘Blue Boy’ is a cultivar with double layers of petals in a rich gentian blue. Mature dimensions are 30 inches tall with a spread of 10 to 12 inches.
‘Blue Boy’ cornflower seed is available in packets of 150 from Burpee.
M. didyma ‘Grape Gumball’ from the Sugar Buzz® series is a cultivated variety with purple blooms that grows 18 to 24 inches tall with a spread of 18 inches.
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia spp., is a US native wildflower. It’s a short-lived perennial in Zones 3 to 9 that blooms from summer to fall.
Petal-like rays surround a prominent black or brown center disk.
Cultivated varieties are available in various colors, including yellow, orange-yellow, orange, red, red and yellow, and yellow and white. The nectar and seed heads attract beneficial pollinators.
Plants have a mounding growth habit and naturalize readily. Mature dimensions are two to three feet tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. Plant en masse in cutting gardens, drifts, and meadows.
There are single-flowering anemone, collar, or orchid styles and double-flowering ball, cactus, semi-cactus, decorative, peony, and pom pom styles.
A broad selection of colors and multicolor patterns are available in all shades but blue.
Mature dimensions vary by cultivar. Heights are nine to 60 inches with a spread of 12 to 24 inches. Dahlias look lovely in mixed beds, with the tallest in anchor positions.
‘Bishop of Canterbury’ is a semi-double peony-style cultivar with fuchsia to magenta blossoms. It blooms from midsummer through fall. Mature dimensions are three feet tall and 30 inches wide.
Dianthus (Dianthus spp.) may be perennial, biennial, or annual, depending on the species, and is suited to cultivation in Zones 3 to 9.
Plants have a clumping growth habit and boast flattened five-petal single or fully double blossoms with deeply fringed edges in shades of lilac, pink, red, white, and bicolor combinations.
They have a rich, spicy fragrance like cinnamon and cloves.
Dwarf varieties make eye-catching container plants, edging, and front-of-bed ground covers. Large cultivars show well as specimens in mixed beds, and mass planted in cutting gardens and naturalistic drifts.
Bloom time is generally in the spring, however, in cooler regions, some cultivars may bloom continuously or periodically from late spring to early fall.
Dianthus ‘Raspberry Surprise’ is suited to Zones 4 to 8. Its fragrant pink blossoms have burgundy center eyes, fully double petals, and a generous two-inch diameter.
Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, is a biennial for Zones 4 to 9 that grows in year one and blooms from spring to summer in year two when planted from seed.
It has upright stalks with elongated floret clusters at the terminal ends. Please note that foxglove is toxic.
The varied color palette includes cream, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow. The tubular florets face downward and have deep throats that often display contrasting markings.
Mature heights are 18 to 60 inches with a spread of 12 to 18 inches. It’s an excellent back-of-bed anchor.
D. purpurea ‘Pam’s Choice’ is best suited to Zones 5 to 9. It has creamy white florets with throats splotched by rich, velvety burgundy. Plants top out at four feet with a spread of 18 to 30 inches.
Globe amaranth, Gomphrena globosa, is a short-lived perennial in Zones 9 to 11 and an annual elsewhere.
The rounded blossoms consist of stiff, papery, petal-like bracts that resemble a thistle. Colors include lilac, magenta, orange, pink, purple, red, and white.
Bloom time is from summer to frost. Globe amaranth has a mounding growth habit and mature dimensions of six to 48 inches tall and eight to 24 inches wide.
The bobbing heads add movement and whimsy to cottage gardens.
Rio Grande globe amaranth, Gomphrena haageana is a tender perennial species for Zones 9 to 11.
G. haageana QIS® Fiery Sunrise Blend offers a bold collection of oranges, yellows, and reds to complement brightly-hued cosmos for a mixed bed or border that sizzles in the summer sun.
Hollyhock, Alcea rosea, is suited to Zones 3 to 10, where it’s generally a biennial, growing in the first year and blooming in the second when propagated from seed.
It may also be a short-lived perennial. This species has blossoms like a rose of Sharon and brings to mind the fairytale Little Bo Peep’s sunbonnet.
Hollyhock blooms along upright stalks and is available in various colors, including black, burgundy, peach, pink, purple, red, rose, yellow, and white.
Bloom time is summer. Mature dimensions are three to nine feet tall with a spread of two to four feet.
Hollyhock is suited to anchor positions in beds that showcase mid-height and low-profile specimens.
Larkspur, Consolida spp., is an annual in Zones 2 to 11. It has upright spikes laden with terminal floret clusters in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white.
Annual larkspur resembles perennial delphinium, but larkspur has feathery foliage, and the delphinium has lobed, palmate, or hand-like leaves.
Consolida is a spring-to-summer bloomer that measures three to four feet tall and one foot wide. Enjoy it mass-planted in cutting gardens or scattered in drifts and meadows.
C. ajacis Rocket Larkspur Tall Mix offers a sampler of blue, pink, purple, and white flowers that mature to four feet tall and two feet wide. These colors complement cool cosmos shades.
Liatris, Liatris spicata, aka gayfeather and blazing star, is a perennial in Zones 3 to 9.
It has upright stalks and a clumping growth habit. Dense, feathery florets cluster tightly at the terminal ends. Typically purple, it may also be lavender, pink, or white.
Petunia,Petunia×hybrida,is a perennial in Zones 9 to 11 and an annual elsewhere. It has open-faced, tubular blossoms with velvety petals and blooms from spring to fall.
Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, is a native perennial for Zones 3 to 8 with daisy-like flowers. With a long history of use in herbal medicine, it blooms from spring to fall.
The blossoms consist of pinkish-purple rays surrounding a firm, cone-like center disk that is brown to black.
Mature dimensions are two to five feet tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. It is suited to specimen planting in beds and borders, and mass-planting in drifts and meadows.
E. purpurea attracts a host of pollinating insects, such as butterflies. And expect feasting songbirds when the center disks run to seed at season’s end.
Roman chamomile, Chamaemelumnobile, is a perennial with a history of use as an herbal remedy. It grows as a perennial in Zones 4 to 9 and an annual in other regions.
Chamomile resembles a daisy, but the white, petal-like rays are shorter, and the center disk is proportionately larger.
It’s a low-profile, ground-covering plant that blooms from summer to fall. Mature dimensions are three to six inches tall and six to 12 inches wide.
This single-stem columnar mix supplies a rainbow of double-petal blossoms on 24- to 30-inch stems.
18. Sunflower
Sunflower, Helianthus annuus, is an annual for Zones 2 to 11 that blooms from spring to early fall. It is generally yellow but flowers may also be red.
The blooms may be as large as saucers. They are daisy-like and consist of rays surrounding a large, flat central disk of tiny blossoms. Heights range from one to 12 feet tall and staking is often required.
It’s helpful to note that the flower heads face east at maturity to take advantage of the sun’s warming rays.
Plant the tallest as back-of-bed anchors or stand-alone specimens. Smaller varieties are suited to mixed bed groupings.
H. annuus ‘Teddy Bear’ is a sunflower with fluffy yellow blooms that resemble pom poms. Mature plants measure two to three feet tall with a 14- to 16-inch spread.
Zinnia, Zinnia spp., is an annual for Zones 3 to 10.
It comes in an array of colors and multicolor combinations ranging from hot pink and lime green to red and purple, with double, semi-double, or single ruffled or smooth petals and a visible or obscured center disk.
Dwarf types are six to 12 inches tall, and standard varieties measure up to four feet tall, with a spread of one to two feet.
Plants have a mounding growth habit. Zinnias show well in beds, borders, drifts, and meadows.
‘Amethyst Treasure’ is a hybrid zinnia cultivar with magenta-purple fully-double blooms. The stems are 12 to 18 inches tall, and the plants are 14 to 18 inches wide at maturity.
Cosmos is an amiable garden companion that brings a host of beneficial pollinators to the garden and supports biodiversity.
It is not a heavy feeder, so it doesn’t deprive fellow plants of nutrients, nor is it invasive, so it doesn’t crowd its neighbors.
With 19 exciting flowering options, it’s time to take out your garden planner and sketch a scheme for cosmos and its friends.
Think about color, shape, and texture.
Consider height and plan to place the tallest at the back of beds. Alternate short and tall specimens for undulating borders.
And space generously to accommodate mature dimensions without overcrowding.
Review bloom times and envision the garden from spring to frost with flowering plants to delight you and visitors to your home, including beneficial pollinators.
Do you grow cosmos? What other plants share the garden with it? Please post your answers in the comments section below.
Creating a lush garden brings an outdoor living space to life, and the best plants for the job are native varieties that teem with beneficial pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths.
Sadly, these native varieties are dwindling, as meadows and woodlands succumb to suburban sprawl.
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In my area, flipping houses is all the rage, and creating curb appeal is the icing on the home-reno cake.
Instant gardens appear just in time for open house, usually consisting of what I call “builder grade” non-natives.
They may look pretty, but they don’t make the grade when it comes to the environment.
Short of inhibiting erosion and supporting the occasional bird nest, they earn a big zero when it comes to attracting pollinators.
Ready to make your garden a haven for pollinating insects? Attracting them to your yard can result in higher yields from your fruit trees and the vegetable garden, too.
Here’s what’s to come in this article:
Making Pollinators a Priority
According to the Xerces Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of invertebrate populations, “The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year in the US.”
Home gardeners can make a difference, one backyard at a time.
I’ve had good luck with the following nectar-rich species. They grow with gusto in most of the US.
Add just one to your yard, and you’ll be on the radar of pollinators buzzing around looking for familiar food and shelter.
Here are some of my favorites:
Anise Hyssop
My go-to border choice is anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), because it grows densely and attracts a wide variety of bees.
L. spicata ‘Spiked Gayfeather’ seeds are available from True Leaf Market, in one-ounce, four-ounce, and 500-milligram packages. Expect excellent results in Zones 3 to 9.
In addition to providing food, native species provide shelter.
The monarch butterfly spends a lifetime on or near milkweed (Asclepias spp.), a marvel in Zones 3 to 9. It lays eggs and grows a family, before setting off on its epic migration.
A flower I absolutely adore is the gentle giant, joe-pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum). I introduced it to my yard when I needed a tall native for a property border dominated by a black walnut tree.
Did you know that black walnut produces a natural zone of toxicity that inhibits the growth of many vegetative species?
You can read more about juglone toxicity in this article. But for now, I want to tell you black walnut plays well with joe-pye, a showy specimen that can top out at a towering six or seven feet.
Its frizzled pink blossoms attract butterflies galore in Zones 4 to 9.
Three more natives that like room to roam are English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) for Zones 5 to 9, borage (Borago officinalis) for Zones 2 to 11, and New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) for Zones 4 to 8 .
Their shades of blue and purple are stunning in mass plantings, and they are beneficial insect magnets.
Choose a Location
First, look around the yard and choose an existing area of the garden to modify, or a new location.
Establishing new gardens is challenging, as weeds love to seed themselves in vulnerable, bare earth. Cover-cropping is a great technique for inhibiting weeds, preventing erosion, and enriching the soil of works in progress. I like to use clover (Trifolium) to cover fallow veggie gardens, because its blossoms appeal to bees, butterflies, moths, and wasps.
Define Your Garden Style
Next, define the style of the plot. Depending on its size and location, you have a number of options. Here are some ideas:
Island
This location may be an “island” that stands alone. In this case, sow the tallest varieties in the center.
Allow space for all vegetation to achieve mature dimensions, and work your way out toward the edges of the plot.
Use shorter and shorter plants to create a cascade of heights. In this way, all varieties receive light and water, and the appearance is balanced and attractive.
Building Border
Alternatively, you might want to establish a border around the house.
Its area must be generous to accommodate all plants at their mature dimensions. Place your tallest varieties at the back and work your way forward with shorter and shorter species.
Freestyle Border
For freestanding borders, such as those along a driveway, determine the dimensions required to accommodate your plants at maturity and space accordingly.
Place the tallest ones along an imaginary center line that runs the length of the plot. Work your way outward with shorter and shorter types on both sides of the high center line.
Cottage
If these traditional styles don’t suit your tastes, consider English cottage gardening, in which short and tall varieties mingle at random.
The trick is to build layers by densely sowing your shortest varieties, followed by sporadic placements of several taller varieties.
Meadow
In addition, you may have an expanse of land that is currently a lawn. Why not churn it up and seed it with native wildflowers?
Next, you’ll need to get creative with your color scheme. Pick out your favorites and choose a style that’s uniquely yours.
Some ideas are:
An analogous style that uses colors in a rainbow sequence, like pink, purple, and blue
A complementary arrangement that is composed of opposites, like yellow and purple, or orange and blue.
An eclectic mix of colors that appeal to you
Once you’ve found a location, defined a garden style, and established a color scheme, you’re ready to select nectar-rich plants with similar soil, light, and moisture requirements to suit your needs.
In addition to vegetation, there are other ways to attract beneficial insects and birds to your yard, like providing comfy places to build homes and access to water.
Beetles enjoy finding rocks and rotting wood for burrowing. Spiders love to weave webs in wispy ornamental grasses and ground covers.
I invite you to add a nectar-rich species, dedicate a garden, or commit your whole landscape to the rejuvenation of the pollinator population.
I’m transforming my property, one section at a time. The house came with a yard chock-full of vegetation of questionable value from a wildlife habitat standpoint.
While my gardens are becoming established, I am installing bird feeders and bird baths to encourage additional wildlife visitors.
They have a long bill and tongue similar to an butterfly’s proboscis, for sipping nectar from elongated blossoms, like those of the trumpet vine. This bird and plant coevolved, and they are a perfect match.
I’m eager for my own trumpets to bloom. I’m reminded of that movie about the baseball diamond, “Field of Dreams” – if you plant it, they will come.
I know you’re psyched, so I’ll leave you to get started!
Are you planning beds and borders with pollinators in mind? Let us know who comes to visit your nectar-rich gardens in the comments section below.
And if you are looking for more design ideas to transform your garden, check out these guides next:
I felt well enough yesterday afternoon to do a spring garden tour for YouTube – it’ll go live at 3PM CST.
Feels like I aged five years in the last week. Still achy this morning, but not as bad. I’m up, and well enough to work on my taxes. Thank goodness I’ve recovered enough to do that… I would hate for Uncle Sam to be unable to backstop all the poor starving banks. I’m sure my accountant is getting nervous.
Yesterday some friends picked up three new cattle panels on their trailer for us to use as garden trellises. They work so well in the Grocery Row Gardens when made into arches across the beds. I should probably shoot a video on setting them up.
Modern playground equipment is a great way to get children out in the fresh air, moving and socialising, having fun, and making memories every single playtime. What is also incredible about modern outdoor play equipment is the fact that it also provides lots of cognitive, mental health benefits for the pupils using it. In fact, every piece has something different to contribute.
Here’s a look at different types of playground equipment, and how they benefit the minds of little learners.
Mud kitchens & sensory equipment
Mud kitchens are incredibly popular pieces of playground equipment, particularly in nurseries and playgrounds for younger children. They look like a small version of a full, adult kitchen, and usually have play versions of pots, pans, food and other accessories.
Mud kitchens can be placed inside, but most are used outside to allow children to enjoy full sensory messy play using mud, water and other materials.
Mud kitchens and similar playground equipment offer many benefits to children’s learning. Socially, they encourage children to engage with caregivers and friends to create games and engage in role play. Children can also develop empathy and explore emotions safely by ‘being in another’s shoes’ as they play.
Swings are always popular in a playground, because they are fun and relaxing, and are often, with the use of DDA swingsets and basket swings, accessible for all pupils. They can be part of a climbing frame or tower set, double or individual swing sets with support seats for younger children, or flat seats for older children able to support themselves.
Swing sets benefit the minds of children because they stimulate multiple parts of the brain at the same time. Muscle control, balance, rhythm, spatial awareness and development of the whole vestibular system occur in a way that other types of playground equipment don’t offer.
Climbing frames, towers & other multi-centre pieces of equipment
Climbing frames and towers are pieces of equipment that usually have steps, ropes or climbing walls, and often incorporate other features like bridges, swings, slides, tyres and platforms. They come in different designs, with a range of features, size and overall design. Often, they are split into suitability for different age groups to ensure they are safe when it comes to the fall risk for the children using them.
Climbing frames and other similar types of equipment are incredibly beneficial to a child’s mind. They help them to develop confidence, critical thinking skills, risk awareness and overall co-ordination. Cognitive development is supported as they work out the best routes up the frame, play imaginative games based on the piece of equipment, socialise with other children, and learn how to move their bodies through the space and in relation to the equipment.
Brain-boosting extras
In addition to the equipment listed above, there are brain-boosting extras you can add to a playground that may not count as ‘equipment’ as such, but that still have a really positive impact. These include:
Markings
Thermoplastic playground markings are a great addition to a playground space. You can have colourful characters, alphabets, sports markings, games – anything you can think of, and in a huge range of colours. The markings can last years, are non-toxic, naturally reflective and highly durable.
Markings encourage the use of language during socialising, and expose children to academic topics whilst they are spending time outside. They also stimulate imaginative play and the invention of games, and they encourage children to exercise, which in itself boosts blood flow in the brain and provides natural feel-good hormones, furthering their ability to do well in the classroom.
Colour schemes
You can have brightly coloured equipment in a playground, as well as bright flooring like wetpour and vivid grass. These bright colours appeal to children because they are one of the earliest ways babies begin to learn and differentiate between objects.
Colour schemes are also useful when it comes to creating different playground ‘zones’, and may help children navigate the playground space with more ease.
Sustainable and eco
You can have playground equipment installed that helps encourage more nature into the playground. We know nature play benefits the minds of children, and adding equipment that encourages even more nature into the space only enhances those benefits.
Planters, for example, can be used in science projects where children learn about the way plants grow, photosynthesis, the role of plants in the ecosystem, and why plants are important for animals, insects and people.
Equipment like insect hotels can help children learn about ecological concepts, wildlife, and protecting the environment. This can be incredibly powerful for children who may be impacted by eco-anxiety, something two thirds of 7-12 year olds suffer from. Equipment like insect hotels help them to feel empowered to do little actions that have an impact, rather than feeling weighed down by the global crisis they hear about from a young age.
“Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning.” – Diane Ackerman
If you would love more help with the design of a playground that helps stimulate the minds of little learners, speak to a professional playground equipment company today. They can give you lots of information about the modern equipment on offer, explore different design options, and help you create an outdoor play space with a large selection of benefits for the little ones in your care.
With the perfect modern playground, young pupils can learn and develop, all whilst having lots of fun every single break time.
When making plans for the garden, it can be difficult to determine how many vegetable plants you should be growing per person. Whether you’re on your own or have a family to feed, here are my tips for determining how many veggies per person you’ll need.
Knowing how many people you’d like to feed can help you plan your garden to be functional.
In this post, we will cover…
Deciding How Many Vegetables to Plant Per Person
Here’s the step-by-step journey to take when you first decide how many veggies to plant for a harvest that will feed everyone gathered at your table.
Set Your Goals
Before you can start with numbers, you need to know your goals. How many vegetables you need per person will vary greatly depending on how you intend to use them! If you’re just getting started, you may just be looking to include some more vegetables into your daily diet.
A more experienced gardener may want to grow heirloom varieties you can’t get at the store. Others will want to feed the whole family or have lots for canning. The number of vegetables to plant per person will change from one person/family to the next.
Choosing a Vegetable Bed Size
I want to start by saying there is no one size fits all for determining the number of veggies per person. Instead, I can provide a baseline, and you can determine if you think you need more or little!
The general rule of thumb is that you want 200 sq. ft. (19 m²) of vegetables per person. This can be broken up into many smaller beds or one larger one. If you have limited space, use vertical space, containers on porches, and indoor gardening.
You want to start off small. If it’s your first time growing vegetables, you might want to begin with some smaller raised beds or container gardens first to get the hang of what vegetables you can grow and will actually eat from your garden.
Size of Plants
What you decide to plant will also have a great effect. For instance, you will require one sq. ft. for a single pepper plant but can also grow 16 carrots in the same space. Some plants just take more room!
You can consider interplanting to utilize space efficiently. Interplanting is when you plant smaller crops for very compact growing between other rows of plants. Interplanting can also be a great form of natural pest control by mixing pest-repelling herbs amongst your veggies.
See my square-foot planting guide to get more examples of how many vegetables you can fit in one space. Seed packets will also tell you the total yield and space requirements to help you determine how much you want to grow.
My guide on creating a garden map will also have some tips to help you figure out the layout of your vegetable garden.
Extending the Season
If you want to rely greatly on vegetables to feed your family, or you also want plenty of things to can and preserve, you’ll want to extend the season. Things like cold frames and mini greenhouses are great for starting the season early or ending it late (more ideas for season extenders here).
Also, don’t discount your indoor space. Herbs are one of the best things to grow indoors, thanks to their compact size and the fact that they’ll be easy to access for cooking and herbal recipes. Another one of my favourites for indoors is sprouts.
You can also grow some fast-growing vegetables, like radishes or lettuce, when another crop has finished for bonus veggies close to the end of the season.
Creating mini greenhouses around your plants will help extend the season and produce more yield.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sizing Vegetable Beds
How big of a garden do I need to feed a family of 4?
Following the rule of 200 sq. ft. per person, you would need 800 sq. ft. of gardening space to feed a family of four. Remember to reduce that number if you want to supplement it with produce bought from the store and increase that number if you want extras to preserve.
Is growing your own food cheaper?
As an urban gardener with limited space, I’m picky about what I grow in my garden. I only grow vegetables that I frequently use (like lettuce), that taste better fresh (tomatoes), are hard to find (cucamelons), and are worth the effort. With food costs rising, I’ve wanted to shop at the grocery store less and grow my own vegetables more. You can see which ones I think are better to grow at home, and which ones I wouldn’t grow at home.
Lettuce is one of my favorite crops to grow as you can cut a harvest, and allow the leaves to keep growing, producing even more vegies.
So how many vegetable plants do you need per person? First, you need to ask yourself how many vegetables you realistically will consume, and then see how big of a bed you need to grow them all based on their maturity size.
Online furniture shopping can be a great way to find all kinds of furniture options that you may never have seen before. However, it also requires some careful searching, which can be difficult for people who aren’t exactly sure how to search effectively.
Whether you are brand new to online furniture shopping or just feel like you are missing something with your searchers, there are thankfully a few ways to speed things up. The important part is understanding how to find what you want and avoid the things that you don’t.
Use The Right Terms
It is important to have a good idea about the different terms that are associated with the furniture that you want. These can include styles, materials, and other items or features that may be relevant to your search. Sometimes it’s useful to go into more granular detail or use a specific term that might exclude options that you don’t want.
For example, let’s say you are looking for a wooden dresser for your bedroom. While “wood dresser” will bring up a lot of options, simplifying your search to something like “white painted mahogany bedroom dresser” will give you more specific options, allowing you to get closer to whatever you actually want from your furniture search.
This does not just have to apply to the furniture’s aesthetics, either. Including measurements, room types, additional features (like being waterproof or fire-resistant), and almost anything else that can change the list of search results that you get.
While you are still going to get results that won’t fit your needs, it becomes much easier to find furniture that suits your preferences by using specific searches like this. The more specific you can be, the more likely you are to stumble into something that suits your requirements properly.
Use A Specific Type Of Furniture
Another helpful tip is to be more specific with furniture names if you can. You will often find that generic furniture names bring back a lot of mixed results, many of which can be completely different but still fall under the same basic categories and overall names.
Couches can be a good example. There can be at least twenty different individual furniture options that fall under the word “couch,” from ottomans and armchairs to loveseats and L-shaped seats. Looking up “couch” might bring you any one of these options or even some that you were not expecting to see at all.
By using a more specific term that points towards a particular kind of seat, you can guarantee that the majority of your search results will be furniture that you have an actual interest in. The more you can direct your searches toward the furniture that you want, the easier it becomes to find something that fits.
Use Interior Design Common Sense
Sometimes, you just need to remember the basics of the furniture that you are looking for and the kind of niches that said furniture can fulfill. Common sense can help a lot when you are trying to look around for furniture that will fit your home.
For example, if you are searching for a small desk that is meant to sit comfortably in a more compact home office space, include that in your search. You likely already have the measurements available, so don’t hesitate to look for desks that fall within your measurement range rather than simply looking up “small desks.”
Similarly, furniture that is meant to be used in larger rooms may not be suitable for a space that is too small. For example, a dining room table can be too big for a small space because it is going to take up a lot of room. Instead, opt for furniture options that are supposed to be used in the space you are trying to decorate or the focus of your home improvement project.
This also applies to interior design in terms of aesthetics. Using a term like “rustic” or “gothic” can be a quick way to find furniture that falls into a specific style and aesthetic, even if that is not the exact aesthetic that you are trying to go for with your own interior design project. Using terms like this can be a great shortcut or even provide an easy first taste of a particular style that you might end up liking.
Know Your Measurements
Knowing the measurements of your chosen space can be the easiest way to help find furniture that is going to fit properly. You might be surprised by how many people completely forget to take measurements or record them properly for future reference. Even in large rooms, measurements can be vital for understanding how much space a particular furniture piece will take up.
While you can’t always search by measurements directly, it can still be a good way of knowing when to narrow down your furniture options. There is no point in considering something that is too big for the room you wanted to put it in, and that means that you can move on to something else almost immediately.
Having the measurements in mind can also help a lot when looking at furniture that has multiple sizing options, extensions, or even just alternative furniture pieces from the same brand. This can help you choose the one that fits best.
Keep Your Search Simple
If you are at a loss for what to look for, then it can help to avoid complicated searches. Sometimes being straightforward and using the simplest option can actuallymake a big difference.
There are a few ways of doing this. One of the best is to choose an online seller that you like and look through their site’s search options, rather than using a search engine for the entire internet. For example, with sites like HomesDirect365, you can visit this page to get a pre-done category of furniture to look through.
The other is to simplify your search queries until you can pick up on a more specific idea. There is nothing wrong with using a term like “dark wood cabinet” to get a general idea of what is out there, then simplifying your search based on the options that catch your eye.
For me, gardening (before I actually had a garden) was all about the outfit. I gave much thought to the accessories I’d wear—a wide-brimmed sun hat, a bandana around my neck, a pair of galoshes, perhaps—but not much to the actual process of digging and planting, which I figured would come naturally and easily. The first afternoon I spent on my knees in the dirt proved the folly of my assumptions.
Gardening is much more physically demanding than I had anticipated—and, in hindsight, many of the errors I committed in my first garden had to do with looking for shortcuts to avoid the back-breaking work. The shortcuts, unsurprisingly, weren’t worth it. Instead of a lush garden, I had many flowers that wilted and died. The ones that survived didn’t thrive.
Here, all the lazy planting mistakes I made in my first year of gardening.
I thought digging a hole would be child’s play, literally. Needless to say, it was nothing like that. Our soil was hard, rocky in places, and sometimes shot through with the unbudging roots of a nearby tree. Digging turned out to be back-breaking work, and because it was so physically demanding, I did the bare minimum.
Here’s what I should have done instead: Dig holes twice as wide as the pot the plant came in and twice as deep. Add enough compost, mixed with some of the dug-up soil, to the bottom of the hole so the plant ends up being flush to the ground. Then fill in the sides with more of the compost and soil mixture. This creates looser soil surrounding the plant, which aids air and water movement, and ensures roots can grow unhindered.
Mistake 2: Planting Too Far Apart
Above: Pink astilbe lights up a corner of the New York Botanical Garden. This is the full, lush look I was hoping for in my garden. Photograph by Kristine Paulus via Flickr.
Today we’re in Ilion, New York, visiting with Lee. We’ve been to Lee’s garden before (Lee’s Backyard Escape), and it is great to be back to see more of it.
Here in the Mohawk Valley in central New York, we are over the winter hump and a month away from those early plants pushing up and flowering. I have plenty of planting to do, as always—an exercise that pays off handsomely. I am providing some additional pictures for submission, hoping to catch a few eyes and maybe bring some enjoyable anticipation for others for this coming season.
I wish your team and all of your viewers a great growing and flowering season. I have found one thing in common among growers—we all possess positive energy that has the ability to “travel” from one person to another. I’ve never seen a grumpy gardener. I am sure that others find great joy in their own world and for all of those who visit and experience our escape and our Heaven on Earth.
We all need a respite when we can totally let go, and after four decades of gardening, this is that respite for me. I find great enjoyment in viewing others’ gardens and creations just as much as mine. It has a way of bringing us together without ever actually meeting.
My sun-rain room will be finished this season, bringing another dimension to the overall landscape. It’s a see-through room, with all glass front and rear, so one can be anywhere outside and see the trout stream behind the room. It’s basically made from old hemlock fencing and barn board that I planed. I added great character and function with six panes of 4×6 hockey glass from the Adirondack Bank Center, home of the Utica Comets.
One piece of glass had a different plan after having been installed for over a year. Ever see shattered hockey glass? Ha. I added a picture of that for a “wow” effect with a lily still showing from the outside.
Dahlia (Dahlia × variabilis, Zones 9–11 or as a tender bulb) flowers blooming by the pool
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia, Zones 3–9) and other perennials surround the pool area with flowery beauty
Bumblebees love purple coneflowers (Echinaceapurpurea, Zones 3–8) even more than humans do!
A stunning oriental lily (Lilium hybrid, oriental group, Zones 5–9)— I wish the incredible fragrance could be photographed!
Honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.) covered in beautiful orange flowers
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.
There are so many common expressions that don’t really hold up to scrutiny.
Pretty as a picture? Not some I’ve seen. Sleep like a baby? If you mean fitfully… Work like a dog? Sometimes, but my sweet Huggy is asleep on the porch more often than not.
But cool as a cucumber? That’s always true.
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For example, the flesh inside the fruits can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the air surrounding them, according to a document published by the University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program.
A slice will soothe puffy eyes, and a cup or two chopped makes a refreshing chilled soup for summer meals.
And if you plant one of these members of the Cucurbit family, Cucumis sativus, in your garden, they’ll grow quickly and produce bumper crops, enough for fresh eating, pickles, and lots of tasty recipes.
In other words, cool, cool, and even more cool.
Maybe you’ve tried growing this prolific vegetable before, and are looking for ways to simplify and improve. Or perhaps you’re a beginning gardener considering cucumbers for the first time. Either way, I’d like to share a bunch of tips and techniques I’ve mastered.
It’s not that it’s that tough to grow cucumbers in your garden. But there are a few often-overlooked methods for keeping your plants at their healthiest, and maximizing both the yield and the quality of the fruits.
I’m here to point the way. This is what I’ll cover:
Cultivation and History
A subtropical species, cucumbers originated in India. They thrive in warm temperatures and want lots of moisture.
According to curators from the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri, cave excavations have indicated these crunchy vegetables have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years.
”Early cucumbers were probably very bitter because of compounds they contained called cucurbitacins,” experts at the University of Missouri explained. “Bitterness still is a problem with some cucumbers today, although great progress has been made by plant breeders to eliminate the bitter compounds.”
They’re mentioned in the Bible, in Numbers 11:5, and were also cultivated by ancient Greeks and Romans.
In the eighth and ninth centuries, Charlemagne was reputed to have grown these cucurbits in the royal gardens of Italy.
Columbus brought the vines with him in his conquest of the New World, and Colonial gardens boasted numerous varieties a couple of centuries later.
Another milestone for this crispy fruit came in 1876, when Heinz began manufacturing pickles for sale on a wide scale.
Nowadays, the pickled version is popular in sandwiches and tartar sauce, on burgers, and on many a restaurant menu as a featured ingredient or standalone nibbler.
And let’s not forget the breaded and deep-fried version said to be introduced first in Arkansas in 1963 at the Duchess Drive In, just across the highway from Atkins Pickle Plant. That delicacy is going strong as a bar food and party snack today, particularly in the southern United States.
The 21st-century craze for fermentation and home canning has also brought cucumbers into the culinary limelight.
I think everyone with a container, garden plot, or community garden liaison should get in on the act of growing the coolest vegetable. Here’s all the basic information you’ll need to do that very thing.
Propagation
Before you plant, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the variety you’ve selected.
While they all need full sun and well-draining soil amended with plenty of composted organic matter, different types need different seed spacing.
Timing is also crucial. To germinate, all C. sativus varieties need warm soil that’s at least 60°F, and preferably in the 70 to 90°F range.
The air temperature should also be settled and reliably warm, with a minimum of 50°F, even at night.
Plant any type about half an inch deep, covered with vermiculite, seed starting medium, or sifted garden soil. Tamp it down lightly with your hand or the back of a trowel, and water thoroughly.
Keep the soil moist but not soggy until the seeds sprout, usually within five to 10 days.
If you intend for the vines to grow up a trellis, place four or five seeds per foot in rows three feet apart. When the sprouts reach about five inches tall, thin them to stand about a foot apart.
I find the best way to do this is just to use scissors and snip them at the soil line. And I always compost the remains!
If you’re working with a large garden plot and want to try the old-school method of planting in hills, make a mound of soil about six inches tall and a couple of feet in diameter.
Space the hills about four feet apart. Then plant four or five seeds per hill, placing them in the center and an inch or so away from each other.
When they’re a couple of inches tall, clip or pull all but the three strongest seedlings in each hill.
While most seed distributors don’t recommend it, it’s also possible to start the seeds indoors and transplant them out after any chance of a hard frost has passed.
I do this pretty often, which may sound odd since I live in the American South, where the growing season is quite long.
But I want to get mine growing and fruiting before the weather becomes humid and the cucumber beetles make an appearance. Planting my seeds indoors first helps me gain a couple of weeks.
If you live somewhere with a season shortened by cooler temps in spring or early fall, you may also want to start with transplants, either your own or ones you buy from a store. But do it cautiously!
These vegetables don’t like to have their roots disturbed, so peat pots are an absolute necessity if you go this route.
You want to be able to put the seedling and the pot you started it in right into the ground, not tinker around with taking the young plant out of a container that’s not biodegradable. That process may end with broken roots or snapped stems.
Also make sure you start seeds you intend to transplant just four weeks before the last frost date in your area. Otherwise, you’ll have gangly, overgrown seedlings that won’t thrive after transplanting.
Sow the seeds in a pre-moistened (not wet) seed starting medium, one per peat pot.
Place them in a water-tight tray and cover the top with plastic wrap, or use a domed seed starter.
Once the seeds sprout, immediately place them in a sunny window or beneath a grow light. Position the latter to shine about four inches above the tops of the seedlings and move it higher as they get taller.
If they don’t have enough light, they’ll become leggy and weak very quickly.
After the last frost date in your area and when the nights are reliably above 50°F, transplant the peat pots. Use the same final spacing you would if you planted seeds outdoors.
Make sure you plant the entire pot beneath the soil, or it can dry out and the seedling will likely die off.
How to Grow
Like the superstars they are, cucumbers are high performers, but also quite demanding.
They’ll grow quickly and produce lots of fruits, but only if you keep up with their needs.
If you’ve planted an heirloom variety, or another type that needs insects for pollination, make sure you do all you can to attract pollinators.
In some cases, you can resort to hand pollination, but it’s simpler and better for the environment to have a healthy population of mason bees, honey bees, and other pollinators to do that work.
Any time you grow vegetables,you’ll also want to forgo all herbicides and pesticides on your lawn or in other areas of your garden.
Also make sure your seedlings get enough moisture, from sprouting all the way up to harvest. They have a substantial tap root and also numerous shallow roots, and all of them will benefit if the plants receive between one and two inches of water per week.
When rain doesn’t supply that amount, do it yourself, ideally with drip irrigation.
If you use a hose or watering can, water at the base of the plant, leaving the leaves dry. Wet cucumber leaves are at a higher risk of developing powdery mildew and other fungal diseases.
Because the roots nearest the soil are so shallow, you should keep the soil weed-free. You don’t want your cukes to have to compete for water or nutrients.
When the plants are younger, you can carefully hoe the weeds, but once they’ve grown closer together, you’ll have to resort to hand-pulling weeds to avoid damaging your precious cukes’ roots.
To prevent weeds from sprouting and encourage moisture retention, apply a thin layer of mulch around the vines at least a couple of times during the season. Limit yourself to three inches max, though, or you risk establishing a haven for many undesirable insects.
Also, wait for the temperatures to warm to 75°F before spreading mulch. Otherwise it will make the soil too cool, and may damage or kill seedlings.
To keep growing at those impressive speeds, the plants appreciate a bit of food, too. Apply a side dressing of fertilizer after the vines send out runners.
According to Senior Public Service Associate Bob Westerfield at the University of Georgia Extension, it’s a good idea to “side dress cucumbers with an additional application of nitrogen fertilizer one week after blooming begins, then again three weeks later.”
Westerfield recommended using a pound of 33-0-0 (NPK) fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed. Apply it about six inches from the base of each plant, along one side of the row, and cover it with a bit of screened or cultivated soil.
If you have to choose, err on the side of applying too little fertilizer rather than too much. Excess nitrogen will encourage more leaves to grow while reducing the fruit output of the plants.
Growing Tips
When it doesn’t rain enough, irrigate with an inch or two of water per week.
Prevent weeds with mulch, but only after temperatures reach 75°F.
Put trellises in place as you sow seeds to avoid disturbing the roots after the seedlings sprout.
Harvest regularly so the plants will keep producing.
Cultivars to Select
Between hybrids and heirlooms, pickling cucumbers and those for fresh eating, there are dozens of varieties you might want to grow in your garden.
To narrow your choices, determine whether you’d do better with a bush variety that’s compact, or a vining type that would require trellising but conserve space on the ground.
You might have plenty of room and opt to let vining varieties sprawl across the ground, too, though honestly they’re a lot tougher to see when it’s time to pick, and a lack of airflow paired with moist conditions can lead to disease issues.
There are also cultivars that mature early. Opt for one of these if you live in an area with a short growing season or are planting later in the allowable window.
You can also grow a quick-producing variety as a second crop later in the summer. Just know that even the speediest cucumbers will grow a bit slower as the weather starts to cool off in very early autumn, so you may not get a crop.
Other types are popular for any number of reasons. They may produce well in containers, for example, or have small leaves that let you pick easily. Some set fruits with smooth skin or few seeds, others yield fruits continuously over an extended harvest period.
I really shouldn’t be the one to say this, because I’m the first to be fascinated and want to grow any variety I come across. But it’s critical to pick a type that will grow well in your area.
You need one that resists diseases and pests that are common where you live, and that will have time to produce a harvest within your available growing season.
You should follow my example and purchase only the most suitable, resisting the urge to buy the ones with the coolest names or neatest seed catalog descriptions. (I’ll admit, I complain the whole time I am depriving myself in this way… but the results are well worth it when a crop comes in!)
To give you an idea of some that might suit your specific situation, I’ve selected six cultivars that might intrigue you. Give these a look-see:
Beit Alpha
These thin-skinned, nearly seedless Persian cucumbers produce vigorous and high-yielding vines.
People grow them in greenhouses or cold frames, because the plants don’t need pollination to set fruit. But ‘Beit Alpha’ thrives in containers or raised beds, too, maturing 55 days from sowing.
Pick them at a medium length, say five to six inches, or allow them to mature to the appearance, texture, and taste of the 10-inch English cucumbers you see in the store.
Here’s one of the bush varieties I mentioned earlier. This open-pollinated hybrid is compact. It can grow in a 14-inch container without issues, as long as you keep it fed and watered throughout the season.
A little support, like a tomato cage, will make the plant even more productive.
The fruits have smooth, dark green skin, and grow to be 10 inches long by one and a half inches wide.
Expect the harvest to begin 55 to 60 days from sowing, with more in stages over a long season.
Seeds for ‘Burpless Bush Slicer’ are available from True Leaf Market in various sizes, from three-gram packets to five-pound sacks.
Homemade Pickles
You’ll need trellises for these, but not very tall ones.
‘Homemade Pickles’ produces high yields of medium-green cucumbers on four- to five-foot vines. They’ve got the bumpy skins with a scattering of spines, a dense-but-crispy texture, and are ready to harvest when they are between one and a half and six inches long.
This variety takes away some worries about disease, too. It’s resistant to anthracnose, angular leaf spot, cucumber mosaic virus, downy mildew, and powdery mildew.
It’s also quick to mature, taking an average of 55 days.
There’s no law that says you can’t jump right to growing a unique type. It’s fun to be the only one in the neighborhood harvesting something like ‘Lemon’ cucumbers.
This high-yield vine’s fruit ripens at lower temperatures than some, so it’s a good option if you live in a cooler, short-season climate.
The fruits grow to about tennis ball-size, with unusual yellow skin that’s thin and tender.
They’re tastiest picked at two inches in diameter, with the harvest window being 60 to 70 days from sowing.
The mild, sweet flavor and white or pale lemon-colored flesh make them a conversation piece. They’re also just the right size to use to make jars of hamburger or sandwich pickle slices.
The easiest pests to spot are the mammals. Rabbits like cucumber foliage and blossoms so much they’re recommended as treats for pet rabbits. Mice and voles also enjoy munching both the young, tender shoots and the fruits.
The best way to keep them at bay is to remove any debris or brush piles they can use as cover. You may need to resort to netting or even underground wire mesh fencing. Consult our guide for more ways to prohibit rabbits.
Happily, this is one crop that deer won’t eat, due to the spiny fruits and fuzzy leaves.
Bugs, though, also adore these cucurbits.
Making an effort to control the insects serves a dual purpose. The larvae cause problems when they defoliate the growing plants, and the parent insects also carry plant diseases like bacterial wilt.
Insects
Here are a few of the main offenders and how to cope with them:
Aphids
Tiny, pear-shaped insects with long antennae, aphids like cucumbers almost as much as they do roses. They damage plant leaves and leave behind a honeydew that may cause sooty mold.
And they multiply wildly. Worse yet, they can overwinter in the garden or weed piles, and hatch new aphids in exponential numbers in the spring.
If you notice the yellow, curled, or dried leaves that may indicate aphids, get out the hose and try to blast them off with water.
And should you have ample space for such an endeavor, try to encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs or lacewings in your garden. Either will take out your aphids naturally.
The two types of cucumber beetle exhibit different patterns, but they’re both the enemy to a bumper crop of cucurbits.
Spotted, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi, and striped, Acalymma vittatumis, both produce larvae that feed on the foliage.
The beetles can also infect plants with bacterial wilt, starting from the time the little sprouts push through the soil.
To prevent these pests, take away their “home away from home.” They live in high weeds, so keep the garden bed well weeded, along with nearby growing areas.
Cutworms
When the larvae from this insect chew the stalk of a young seedling and it breaks, that’s the end of that particular plant.
These caterpillars grow to about two inches long. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, brown or dark yellow for example, with stripes or dots.
The first line of defense if you’ve noticed their handiwork in earlier growing seasons is to make a homemade collar for the young seedlings, one that will keep the slithery bugs from getting to the stems.
When you do all you can to prevent insect pests from encroaching on your crops, you’re a couple of steps ahead on preventing disease in your plants as well.
That’s energy well spent, because cucumbers are quite susceptible to a number of diseases. These are the main ones to watch for:
Alternaria Leaf Spot
This fungal disease caused by Alternaria spp. first creates yellow lesions on the leaves, which become larger, brown, dead blotches. Eventually it will kill the leaves altogether.
You can fend off leaf spot by rotating your crops and never planting cucumbers or other cucurbits in the same place two years in a row. In fact, it’s best to give that spot in the garden a break from cucurbits for two entire years.
It also helps to water only at the base of the plants. If you douse your plants from overhead, fungal spores can splash onto the leaves and stalks.
Bacterial Wilt
This one is especially bad news. It is caused by the bacterium Erwinia tracheiphila and spread by cucumber beetles. Look out for bacterial wilt between June and August, since that’s typically when the host bugs are active.
This scourge can take a plant from looking wilted and having discolored stems to completely dead before you realize it’s not just looking limp due to lack of water.
If any of your plants become infected, rip them out of the garden and throw them away in the trash, right away. Do not place them on your compost pile!
It sounds heartless, but that’s the only way to keep them from infecting the rest of the planting, or equally susceptible squash if it’s planted anywhere nearby.
Cucumber Mosaic Virus
This virus, popularly known as CMV, stunts plants, and leaves behind a pattern that resembles a mosaic.
Once it gains a stronghold, it will also make the fruits tiny and rough-skinned, and usually oddly-shaped.
And I wish I had cheerier news, but CMV is spread via aphids, and they’re active the whole time your plants are growing.
Cucumber beetles and residue on garden tools can also spread this deadly disease.
If you notice this development, brace yourself. You can’t treat it, so those infected plants will have to go.
Looking forward to the next planting season, there is a hopeful bit of information.
Because CMV is so destructive, breeders have gone to a lot of trouble to come up with resistant varieties. You should seek those out if insect pests are prevalent in your growing area.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is aptly named, causing white spots that look like a fine dusting of powder, or flour on the foliage.
Most common in the spring, it is caused by hundreds of species of fungi, all of them part of the order Erysiphales.
Happily, powdery mildew is usually a mild infection and if your plants are vigorous, it probably won’t harm them much.
And when temperatures surge over 80°F, it may just disappear on its own.
If it develops into a blight that covers the whole plant, or the whole garden has a bad case, seek out solutions that don’t involve conventional fungicides.
Along with taking steps to prevent or treat any of these diseases, it’s a good idea to check with your local extension service before you choose cultivars to plant.
Ask them which diseases are most prominent in your area, and then select varieties that are most resistant.
While you’re seed shopping, it’s a good idea to know which varieties are especially prone to the diseases that are common in your area, too, and avoid them.
You can learn more about cucumber diseases in our guide. (coming soon!)
Harvesting
Ah, it’s time to pick! That’s a wonderful feeling. But don’t let that joy lead you to relax prematurely during the window when your cucumbers are ready to harvest.
To get maximum enjoyment from all your hard gardening work, you must stay on top of picking.
The plants will continue to produce new fruits longer, instead of putting their energy into forming seeds within the mature fruits, if you pluck the ripe ones every day or two.
An important first step is consulting the specifics about your cultivar’s harvest window, so keep that information handy after you plant the seeds.
Each cultivar has its own timeline between sowing and harvest, and its own ideal size at maturity. Consult the seed packet or online description to learn how big the fruit should be for optimum taste and flesh quality.
Some of the picklers literally need harvesting at just an inch in diameter and a few inches long, while “burpless” varieties are usually at their peak at 10 to 12 inches.
A few of the hybrid slicers, like ‘Diva,’ are at their most tender at just four to six inches long.
It prevents waste when you know the best length for picking the variety you’re growing. Overgrown fruits tend to get seedy and soft. Sometimes their skins get so tough you can’t eat them without peeling.
A word to the wise: When in doubt, pick early. You can always let the next batch get a little bigger if you don’t like the texture or taste of the smaller cukes. But more often, you’ll enjoy the younger fruits more, because they’re crisper and sweeter.
You may even be able to eat some varieties that aren’t listed as “English” or “burpless” without peeling if you pick them while they’re on the small side.
I’d also strongly recommend clipping the fruits from the vine using scissors, or a sharp paring knife with a “bird’s beak” blade.
It’s tempting to try to pull them off by hand as you browse your veggie patch looking for edibles. But that increases the risk that the whole vine will pull away from the trellis, or that the shallow-rooted plants will come right out of the ground.
My first tip for storing cucumbers is don’t do it, not unless and until you have to. The best taste will always come from the just-picked fruits you wash and (maybe) peel before eating raw or cooked.
Next, keep in mind that freshly harvested cukes will do just fine for a few days on the kitchen counter, assuming your house isn’t super humid.
You’ll also need to keep them far from bananas, which produce ethylene gas that will make them go bad faster.
They will need to move to the refrigerator within a couple of days if you don’t use them. But please, use them! Even if you have to splurge on some delicious sour cream dip to get the kids to eat them up while they’re still fresh.
Before you pop any of them in the refrigerator, wash the skins and dry them thoroughly with a soft, clean kitchen towel.
Next, wrap them in a dry cotton dish cloth to keep them from accumulating too much moisture in the cool air. Pop cloth and cukes into a plastic bag, and leave the end open.
Then – and this might surprise you – plunk the bag down on the middle shelf of the fridge, towards the door. Don’t store them in the crisper, because that can be too cold.
And don’t push them to the back of the shelf, because the air doesn’t circulate as well back there, so the cukes might get too moist and start rotting.
Stored this way, how long will cucumbers last in the fridge? That coddling should give you an extra week, even two, before they get too mushy or spotty to eat.
But – and I know I’ve already said this, but it’s important – try to eat them as soon as possible. What’s the point of having high-quality homegrown veggies if you won’t eat them while they’re still superior to anything you could ever buy in a store?
If they’re approaching that final deterioration date, consider using them to flavor water or give yourself a facial. And hey, if they do slip into decay, there’s always the compost pile.
That’s one of the reasons it’s so gratifying to grow your own food. If you mess up and let it get too big or too ripe, you can always return it to the earth and start again next season.
The nursery rhyme may be about pickled peppers, but cucumbers are the ultimate ingredient for a batch of dill, sweet, or bread and butter pickles.
They also figure prominently in chow chow and any number of other relish recipes. Most of those are intended for veteran water bath canners, however.
If this is the first crop you’re trying to preserve, I’d recommend following the recipe for homemade lacto-fermented dill pickles featured on our sister site, Foodal.
Photo by Fanny Slater.
But maybe you were hoping this crop would help you stock up on something a bit more substantial? If that’s the case, consider making a big batch of the cold, spicy soup known as gazpacho using the recipe from Foodal.
Then freeze it in freezer-safe containers in two- or three-cup portions. This will give you a good supply to defrost overnight in the fridge and serve as part of a light meal, or in shot glasses as an appetizer.
Don’t count on these veggies for the dehydrator, however – they’re simply too watery.
And if you’re not already one of the fortunate ones who makes pickles for fun and a full pantry, until you get the hang of home canning, you might want to grow only enough cukes to eat before they start going bad.
But no worries there. Look at the following recipes, and you may find using up that harvest as soon as it hits the kitchen counter is a breeze.
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
Whether you’re an old hand at making sushi, someone who “puts up” gallons of dills using farmers market produce, or just the average diner who enjoys a crunchy salad, you’re bound to enjoy having a bounty of homegrown cucumbers for cooking projects!
If you’re not yet equipped for home canning or fermentation, I recommend a quick pickle like the recipe shared by Georgia-based cook extraordinaire Dora Charles in her cookbook “A Real Southern Cook in Her Savannah Kitchen,” available on Amazon.
Cucumbers make a delicious addition, of course, to a variety of salads, in combination with other fresh vegetables and fruits.
And believe it or not, No less than Pierre Franey, long-time food columnist for the New York Times, considers lightly cooked cucumbers to be an “excellent foil” for fish and seafood dishes.
I consider a recipe from his cookbook “60-Minute Gourmet,” available on Amazon, to be an essential part of my collection. Franey serves them with creamed crab and prosciutto on toast. But I find they’re just as delicious with grilled salmon, or even tuna casserole.
I know some gardeners get carried away with growing cukes, and soon the whole neighborhood is awash in the extras.
For me, that’s never a problem. Between my pickling hobby, friends clamoring for more to use in their sushi, and the petting zoo near me that happily accepts any overgrown extras, I’m happy to harvest an abundance.
I hope you’re able to follow these guidelines and grow a bumper crop of your own.
Whether this is your first or your fiftieth crop, should you have any good tips and techniques you’ve learned in your own garden, the comments section is right below. Please share!
And if you’ve got a question about growing these crunchy cucurbits, feel free to post that, too. We’ll help you find answers!
For more info on controlling pests and maximizing yields, along with some fun suggestions for the best varieties to consider, check out these cucumber guides next:
Canning blueberries is a great way to keep these delicious fruits all year round whether you grow them in your garden or get them from the grocery store or farmer’s market.
That way you can easily enjoy them on your favorite dessert, pour them over your waffles or pancakes, or stir them into your oatmeal or baked goods.
Below I’m going to show you all you need to know about how to can blueberries, including tons of tips so that you will have the best success.
Can You Can Blueberries Safely?
Yes, since they are acidic, you can safely can blueberries, raw or hot packed, using either a pressure canner or a boiling water bath.
You can use plain water to can them, make a sugar-water brine, or use white grape juice as your liquid.
My beautiful canned blueberries
Best Types Of Blueberries For Canning
The best types of blueberries to use for canning are ones that are ripe and as freshly picked as possible.
You can tell they’re in perfect condition when they are a nice bluish-purple color and firm yet supple to the touch.
If they have any green on them it means they are not ripe, and using them would result in a poor-tasting end product.
To prepare your blueberries for canning, all you need to do is remove any stems, then rinse them and use a kitchen colander to drain them.
Discard any unripe ones that are fully or partially green, as those do not can well.
Methods For Canning Blueberries
There are a few ways to can blueberries – by either raw or hot packing them. Each will give you slightly different results.
The method you choose depends on how you’ll use them later on, how much time you want to spend canning, and your personal preference. Try them both to see which one works best for you.
Hot Packing
Hot packing simply means that you flash-cook the blueberries in boiling water for 30 seconds before canning them.
This generally preserves their color better, and gives them the perfect texture for fruit compote.
So they would be good to use poured over desserts, on top of pancakes and waffles, or mixed in yogurt or oatmeal.
Cooking blueberries before canning
Raw Packing
With raw packing all you need to do is add the whole, raw blueberries to the jars and pour hot water or a brine liquid over them.
This method is a bit faster, since you skip the extra step of cooking them. It also results in firmer blueberries that are good to use in recipes for baking or in smoothies.
You may notice your blueberries float more with this method, or discolor sooner, but they will still taste great.
Brine Options
I prefer to use plain water as my “brine” because I think blueberries are sweet enough on their own, and I can always add sugar later on if a recipe calls for it.
However, if you would like yours to be sweeter, you can use white grape juice or apple juice as your brine. Or make a homemade syrup by adding 1 cup of plain sugar to 4 cups of water.
Processing Canned Blueberries
The good news is that you can either process your jars of blueberries in a boiling water bath or use a pressure canner. So you have options.
Can Blueberries Be Water Bath Canned? (w/o Pressure Canner)
Since blueberries are naturally acidic, you can safely use a water bath canner to process your jars.
The standard processing time is 15 minutes after the water in the canner comes to a full boil, and below 1,000 feet in elevation.
How To Can Blueberries In A Pressure Canner
Though you don’t need a pressure canner for processing blueberries, you certainly can use one if that’s what you have on hand.
If you prefer to use this method, then process your jars at 6 pounds of pressure for 8 minutes.
Here 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 canning tools and equipment here.
Preparing to can fresh blueberries
How To Store Canned Blueberries
Once they’ve cooled, you can store your jars of canned blueberries in a cool and dark location, such as a cabinet, pantry, or basement shelf.
Before you store them, test each lid to make sure it’s sealed. Simply press gently on the center of the lid, if it’s properly sealed it won’t move.
If any of the lids didn’t seal, that’s ok. Just put those into your refrigerator and use them up first.
How Long Do Canned Blueberries Last?
When stored and sealed properly, canned blueberries will last up to a year. Once opened, keep them in the fridge and use them up within a week.
Sealed canned blueberries ready for storage
FAQs
Below are my answers to your most common questions about canning blueberries.
Do you have to blanch blueberries before canning?
No, you don’t have to blanch blueberries before canning them. But it is a good way to preserve their flavor, texture, and color.
Can I use canned blueberries instead of fresh?
Yes, you can use canned blueberries instead of fresh. They are especially good for baking, as dessert toppings, or mixed into your oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast.
Can frozen blueberries be canned?
Yes, frozen blueberries can be canned, however they’re not usually as firm and flavorful as using fresh fruit. You will need to rinse them and let them defrost first. Also be sure to raw pack them, as cooking them will cause them to become mushy.
Can You Raw Pack Blueberries?
Yes, you can raw pack blueberries for canning. Just keep in mind that they tend to float as you add brine to the jars, and they may not hold their color as well as they do with the hot packing method.
If you want to learn all there is to know about growing up rather than out, my book Vertical Vegetables is exactly what you need. Plus you’ll get 23 projects that you can build in your own garden. Order your copy today!
Share your tips for canning blueberries in the comments section below.
Recipe & Instructions
Yield: 4 pint jars
How To Can Blueberries
Blueberries are simple to can, and it’s so rewarding to have them on hand all year round. You could use them instead of fresh in any of your recipes, pour them over your favorite desserts, or drizzle them on waffles, pancakes, and oatmeal for breakfast. The options are endless.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
3 pounds of blueberries
4 cups of water
Instructions
These instructions are for using the water bath canning method. Process your jars at 6 pounds of pressure for 8 minutes if you want to use a pressure canner.
Prepare the canner – Make sure your water bath canner is clean, then fill it up and place it on the stove on high and bring it to a full boil.
Prepare the blueberries – Remove all of the stems from the blueberries, then give them a quick rinse and pat them dry. Discard any that are fully or partially green, as unripe blueberries don’t can well.
Prepare the water or brine – Add 4 cups of water to a cooking pot and bring it to a boil. If you want sweeter canned blueberries, then alternatively you could use 4 cups of white grape juice OR add 1 cup of regular sugar to the 4 cups of water before bringing it to a boil, making sure the sugar is fully dissolved before using the brine.
Cook the blueberries (optional) – If you’d like to hot pack your jars, carefully drop the blueberries into the boiling water or your sugar/juice brine, and let them cook for only 30 seconds. Then use a handled strainer to remove them and keep the hot liquid as your brine.
Pack the jars – Fill the pint-sized canning jars with the hot or raw blueberries, leaving a ½ inch of headspace on top.
Add boiling water/brine – Use your wide canning funnel and a kitchen ladle to carefully fill the jars with the hot water or brine, leaving a ½ inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles – Use a bubble remover tool or a wood skewer to remove any large pockets of air from the jars.
Place the lids and rings on – Place brand new lids on top of each jar, and fasten the rings so they are finger-tight.
Put the jars into the canner – Use your jar lifting tool to place each of the jars into your water bath canner as you fill them so they don’t have time to cool down. The water should be 1 inch above the tops of the jars.
Process the jars – Bring the water in the canner back to a rolling boil, then place the lid on top. Cook your jars of blueberries for 15 minutes in the boiling water bath. Then turn off the heat and allow the jars to rest in the canner for 5 more minutes.
Remove the jars – Use your jar lifting tool to carefully remove the jars from the hot water, and place them on a towel on your counter or table.
If you’d like sweeter canned blueberries you can use 4 cups of white grape juice instead of plain water OR add 1 cup of white sugar to your 4 cups of brine water before bringing it to a boil.
It’s important to keep the jars hot at all times. So plan ahead and boil the processing water before filling them, then place them in there as soon as they are packed.
Also, be sure to work fairly quickly to pack your jars so they do not cool down before processing them.
Don’t be alarmed if you hear the random pinging sounds as the jars cool, it just means the lids are sealing.
Yesterday evening I was feeling a little better so I headed out to the garden to take some pictures.
Spring is here, and the plants are responding.
Here’s the kitchen garden, right off the back patio area.
Some of the beds aren’t finished yet, and many things are still sleeping, but others are awake and growing.
This strawberry plant is ahead of the rest.
And some of the chives are in bloom. Out in the food forest, a crabapple is blooming for the first time.
And the dandelions have been blooming for over a month now.
Meanwhile, the area we planted after moving the pigs looks great. And it’s time to move the pigs again.
Back to the main gardens: my daughter planted wheat, and it’s looking pretty amazing.
And beyond the wheat are the new Grocery Row Gardens. First, the left side:
And the middle:
And to the right:
You can see the one path I covered with a cover crop. The rest of the area is mulched.
The other day we planted a few dozen flower bulbs through the Grocery Rows: irises, lilies, day lilies, dahlias and more. They’ll be a lovely addition to the edibles.
These Grocery Row Gardens are a little anarchistic compared to my previous ones, as we had to transplant in a mad dash at the end of the year as we moved from our rental house to our purchased homestead. I’m still wondering what’s going to come up. There are gingers, malanga, cassavas, sugarcane, cannas, Jerusalem artichokes, yacon and a half-dozen other roots still sleeping beneath the mulch. And I haven’t a clue what some of the trees are. Our original plan was shattered and re-created here in multiple crazy van loads.
Meanwhile, Jenny watches all this anarchy with a baleful eye.
In the row gardens, we’ve harvested most of the radishes and some of the cabbages and are now filling in the gaps with other plants.
We’ve planted some tomatoes and peppers already, though you can’t see them in this picture.
And a double row of carrots where we took out some cabbages.
The potatoes are coming along nicely.
From left to right, these are rows of Yukon Gold, White Kennebec, Red Pontiac, and Red La Soda.
The Red Pontiac is doing the very best so far.
This is what that area looked like before:
Beneath the yam trellis just to the left of the main potato rows, I planted a double row of Adirondack Blue potatoes.
It better live because it cost me a small fortune to have one shipped over from California!
So far, so good.
In another month, the gardens will be truly astounding. They’re only half awake now – I can’t wait to see what happens next. The soil here is so much better than it was at the cursed sand pit of death.
Some of the best things in life are layered: ogres and onions, cakes and parfaits, complex and well-written characters… I could go on and on.
But one plant buries all those other things under its own layers of aesthetic awesomeness: the pagoda dogwood tree.
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Alongside lush foliage and beautiful blooms, Cornusalternifolia has tiered, starkly horizontal branching that contrasts beautifully with vertical lines in the landscape, such as adjacent tree trunks and nearby buildings.
They’re not too tough to grow, thankfully. By following a few simple guidelines, anyone can kickstart the growing process in their own gardens.
And if you’re here reading this guide, that “anyone” could be you!
Ready to add an incredible dogwood to your collection? Then let’s get to it.
Check out what we’ll cover:
What Are Pagoda Dogwoods?
The pagoda dogwood – aka Cornusalternifolia – is a small deciduous tree from the dogwood or Cornaceae family.
Hardy in Zones 3 to 7, this species hails from the eastern half of North America, growing in forests, along stream banks, and in fields as far north as Newfoundland, as far west as Minnesota and Arkansas, and as far south as Alabama and Georgia.
Flaunting a flat-topped crown, this tree grows 15 to 25 feet tall and 20 to 32 feet wide at maturity, and has very distinct horizontal branching.
The branches – practically parallel to the ground, with plenty of vertical space in between – give the tree a layered, multi-tiered look. These layers look much like a pagoda, hence the name.
The species name alternifolia refers to the alternate arrangement of the pagoda dogwood’s leaves.
The only other Cornus with alternating leaves is C. controversa, aka the giant dogwood, table dogwood, or wedding cake tree.
Speaking of leaves, pagoda dogwood foliage is pretty textbook for a dogwood: oval-shaped and green, with a tapered apex and opposing leaf veins that run parallel to the leaf margins.
Come fall, the foliage turns a reddish-purple hue, often with yellow or green tints.
Instead, they produce small, pale yellow, fragrant blooms that emerge in May to June.
By late summer, the flowers give way to fruits: blue-black drupes atop red stalks. These fruits provide sustenance to birds and other wildlife.
Cultivation and History
To understand the history of the pagoda dogwood, we must explore its “roots” within the Cornus genus.
Cornus is composed of 58 various tree, shrub, and rhizomatous herb species, which are distributed across Eurasia, North America, northern South America, and sub-Saharan eastern Africa.
Within the genus are four clades of dogwoods: the blue- or white-fruited kinds, the big-bracted ones, dwarf varieties, and cornelian cherries.
With its blue-black drupes, the pagoda dogwood is a starring member of that first clade.
As a Cornus, the pagoda dogwood produces a fine-grained and dense lumber, which is useful in making tool handles, golf club heads, loom shuttles, and other small items which require strength and impact resistance.
Ecologically, the tree provides cover and food for a variety of birds and herbivorous mammals.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the pagoda dogwood has been used as an analgesic, diuretic, and tonic.
And of course, this species is commonly put into use in the landscape for its attractive, horizontally-branching form.
Propagation
To propagate a pagoda dogwood, it’s best to do so from seed, cuttings, or via transplanting… but due to its fibrous, spreading root system, you should only do the latter of these when the plant is very young.
From Seed
To propagate seed, you’ll obviously need said seeds. Thankfully, collecting them from local specimens is a pretty easy process.
When the fruits ripen to a blue-black hue in late August to mid-September, either hand-pick them or jostle them from the tree onto a sheet that you’ve laid out in advance.
Use your hands – or a blender, in the case of large batches – to remove the pulp from the seeds. The seeds are tough and hardened pits, so don’t worry about damaging them.
Place your pagoda puree in a large container of water to separate the pulp and skins from the seeds.
Any non-viable seeds will float along with the waste, while the viable ones will sink to the bottom. Keep the viable seeds and discard the rest.
In order to maintain viability, the seeds shouldn’t be allowed to dry out prior to planting. You can either plant them immediately that fall, or stratify them indoors until the following spring.
For the latter, put the seeds in a moist, 50:50 mix of sphagnum peat moss and perlite, and keep them refrigerated until spring.
Planting time? Sow the seeds a half-inch deep in fertile, well-draining, and partially-shaded soil outdoors.
Space the seeds as far apart as you expect them to spread at maturity, so about 20 to 32 feet apart, depending on the variety.
Upon sowing, water them in, and keep the seeds moist as they germinate and sprout.
For most seeds, this’ll take a few months, but some might take two years or more to germinate. Be diligent and stay patient!
From Cuttings
Cuttings more your speed?
Come summer, use a sterile blade to take four-inch lengths from the terminal ends of semi-hardwood shoots. Ensure that each cutting has a couple of nodes and a few leaves.
Defoliate the bottom half of each cutting before dipping them into a rooting hormone.
For such a product, Bontone II IBA rooting powder from Bonide is the perfect choice. It’s available at Arbico Organics.
Stick the hormone-dipped ends of your cuttings into a seed-starting tray filled with a 50:50 mix of sphagnum peat moss and perlite.
Keep the cuttings a couple inches apart, moisten the medium, and keep the tray near a sunny window.
Keep the medium moist while roots form. In six to eight weeks, check the cuttings for root development by giving them a tug.
If they have strong roots, repot each cutting into its own four-inch container, filled with a similar medium. In their new containers, continue to provide sun exposure indoors and keep the media moist.
Come spring, rooted cuttings are ready to start hardening off. Move them outside and expose them to full or partial sun for 30 to 60 minutes before bringing them back inside.
Each day to follow, add an additional 30 to 60 minutes until the cuttings can handle a full day’s exposure, and then they’ll be ready for transplanting into the garden!
Via Transplanting
As stated earlier, transplanting is only recommended for propagules or young plants, since the fibrous root system of a large pagoda dogwood can be a real pain to transplant.
Dig the transplant holes about the depth of and a bit wider than the root systems.
Transplants that come potted in soil should be gingerly removed from their containers, then gently placed into their holes.
If the roots are bound a bit, slice an “X” into the bottom of the compacted root mass with a sharp and sterile blade.
For bare root transplants, build up a mound of soil in the hole, lower the transplant into the hole, and then spread the roots out over the soil mound.
Backfill with soil, tamp all it down, and repeat as needed. Water in the transplants.
Add two to four inches of mulch to the root zone – while leaving the root flare exposed – and keep the root zone moist as the transplants grow and become established.
How to Grow
You can’t have an architectural pagoda without a plan, and the same goes for a pagoda dogwood.
Follow the recommendations below and your pagoda dogwood trees will grow and look their best.
Climate and Exposure Needs
First and foremost, you’ll want to plant these trees within USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7 to ensure their survival.
Since pagoda dogwoods are typically understory trees, placing them in wind-protected sites can help them avoid damage.
Windbreaks such as nearby structures or lines of coniferous evergreens would work perfectly for this purpose.
Light-wise, partial shade is best. Full sun works in cooler climates. Otherwise, you’ll really have to keep on top of your irrigation.
Soil Needs
Plant in well-draining soil to ensure that the plant’s root zone isn’t waterlogged. Oversaturated soils can easily lead to root rot.
An acidic soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is also advisable.
Irrigation and Fertilization Needs
A pagoda dogwood’s soil should be kept moist for optimal growth. This means watering whenever the top inch or two of the soil feels dry to the touch.
A naturally moist and well-draining area is an even better spot, and one that can spare you some extra irrigation efforts.
Fertile soil is also ideal, so be sure to work a couple inches of humus into the root zone each spring. Compost, well-rotted manure, or even green manures (i.e. cover crops) are all fantastic options.
Growing Tips
Partial shade is ideal, but full sun works as well.
Provide well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5.
Keep the soil moist by watering whenever the top one to two inches of soil feel dry.
Pruning and Maintenance
A dedicated session of pruning should be done in early spring, before the first flush of new growth.
Your goal with shaping a pagoda dogwood is to accentuate its layered and tiered aesthetic, so remove any branches that point sharply downward or upward to emphasize the parallel branching.
Any diseased, damaged, or dead branches can be pruned whenever you happen to notice them. Regardless of when and how you prune, use sterilized tools!
Additionally, you should maintain the layer of mulch you established earlier. A pagoda dogwood’s root system is shallow, and these trees can easily lose water in warm, sunny, and windy climates.
Along with moisture retention, mulch aids in weed suppression and maintaining cool soil temperatures, so mulch up!
A woodland planting looks good with some nearby fallen foliage, while a pagoda dogwood that sits in leafless turf looks pretty fly… and in either case, removing leaf detritus can help to prevent pest and disease issues.
In cold winters, ice damage can be a problem. If the weight of the ice partially breaks off a branch, the damage should be pruned away once the ice melts in spring. Fallen branches should be tossed onto the brush pile or disposed of.
Cultivars to Select
To buy a pagoda dogwood, you should definitely check out your local plant nurseries or online plant shops.
If you need ready-to-transplant specimens from a reputable vendor, lo and behold these bad boys from Nature Hills Nursery.
But I would be remiss if I failed to offer alternate varieties of the alternate-leaf dogwood, so here are four fantastic cultivars to choose from!
Argenta
For a shrubby version of the pagoda dogwood with white-variegated foliage, look no further than ‘Argenta.’
Photo via Alamy.
Measuring 10 to 15 feet tall and 12 to 20 feet wide, ‘Argenta’ fits where a standard C. alternifolia won’t, and does so in style.
Bachone
Not small enough for you? Behold ‘Bachone’ aka Gold Bullion. It’s eight to 10 feet tall and wide, with golden foliage that flaunts specks of green, and flashes of red alongside the yellow in fall.
As an added benefit, white-topped flower cymes break up what some may consider to be “too much” yellow. As if such a thing exists.
Black Stem
You might be curious to know what’s so special about ‘Black Stem.’
Well, it’s right there in the name! At a height of 25 feet, ‘Black Stem’ stands tall with dark stems, which can look menacing during the leafless winter months.
For the emo gardener, ‘Black Stem’ is the perfect planting.
W. Stackman
For those looking for top-tier branching and foliage, ‘W. Stackman’ (aka Golden Shadows) is stacked.
With a height and spread of 10 to 12 feet, ‘W. Stackman’ has leaves that emerge in red come spring, and go on to flaunt a light green to yellow variegation at the margins.
The branches are starkly horizontal, so its layered form is quite emphasized.
Managing Pests and Disease
Fortunately, this plant is deer-resistant. Unfortunately, that’s where a pagoda dogwood’s resistance pretty much ends. Here are a few pests and diseases that can cause problems.
Insects
Creepy-crawlies are annoying enough on their own, but when you also consider their capacity for vectoring pathogens? It’s all the more reason to have solid pest control strategies in place.
Dogwood Borer
After emerging from eggs laid by their wasp-like clearwing moth parents, Synanthedon scitula larvae are poised to strike.
And strike they do: the larvae start consuming the inner bark and cambium, which can lead to premature leaf drop, kill individual branches, and decrease overall plant vigor.
In time, the feeding damage can kill young trees.
Along with proper cultivation from the get-go, be careful to avoid unnecessary injury to the tree, since eggs are often laid in wound openings.
Applying permethrin in early May, with repeat applications every three weeks until autumn, will help to manage these pests.
Is your tree too far gone to save? Then removing and disposing of it is your only remaining option.
Leaf Miner
Leaf miners are the larval stage of a variety of sawflies, wasps, and beetles, known to live within and consume plant foliage as they mature.
As they feed, they leave behind whitish tunnels that can combine to form larger blotches, which reduces photosynthesis and aesthetics.
Any infested plant leaves should be removed ASAP. Since leaf miners can infest nearby weeds as well, controlling and removing them will leave your tree less vulnerable.
Nearby trap crops such as columbine can help lure leaf miners away from your pagoda dogwoods.
Diglyphus isaea is a wasp parasite of leaf miners that can be effective in management when released early in the season.
These small, round-bodied pests suck the phloem from infested plant tissues, which can lead to chlorosis, reduced vigor, and an unsightly appearance.
Additionally, they secrete honeydew in their wake, which can lead to the development of black sooty mold.
Branches with large infestations can be removed. Direct applications of insecticidal soap or horticultural oil are also effective for control.
Disease
Many diseases can be prevented with sanitary gardening practices. Sterilizing your tools, using clean soils and pathogen-free plants – every good habit helps.
Dogwood Anthracnose
Caused by Disculadestructiva, this fungal disease also goes by the name discula anthracnose. If this disease is new to you, just know that the species name is quite on point.
Initial symptoms manifest as small, tan leaf spots, which often develop into larger blotches with purple to brown margins as the disease progresses. Drooping and blighted leaves can also result.
Photo via Alamy.
The disease works its way up the stems, branches, and trunk, leaving cankers in its wake.
The girdling and death of infected tissues can result, and all of this can culminate in plant death over time.
Any cankered or dead branches should be pruned, and nearby leaf detritus should be raked up and disposed of.
Thankfully, the branching habit of this plant provides adequate airflow, so no additional pruning is required in that regard.
When sprayed with fungicides in early spring, new growth stands a greater chance of avoiding infection.
Remove and dispose of any infected trees that are beyond saving.
Fungal Leaf Spot
Typically occurring in wet summer conditions, fungal leaf spots in pagoda dogwoods are primarily caused by species of Septoria and Cercospora cornicola fungi.
Both types of pathogen cause small, irregularly-shaped spots, which are bordered by leaf veins. Septoria spots are dark brown, while Cercospora spots are more of a tannish-brown hue.
Fungal leaf spot isn’t fatal, but it won’t leave a tree looking its best.
Raking up and disposing of fallen leaves help to prevent the overwintering and subsequent spread of the fungi, while applications of fungicides are typically needed to control severe infections.
Golden Canker
Caused by the fungus Cryptodiaporthe corni, golden canker may infect pagoda dogwoods in a variety of conditions year-round.
It’s a disease that exclusively infects alternate leafed dogwoods – an honor that I’m sure the tree doesn’t appreciate.
There are a few unknowns about the disease. First, it’s not quite clear exactly how the pathogen infects the tree, though entry via wounds and natural openings is the leading theory.
Additionally, the fungus can actually live within the plant without doing damage, so the exact reasons why the pathogen makes the switch from benign to malignant are still unclear.
Infected bark turns a bright yellow to tan color, while small raised orange bumps develop on the bark’s surface.
Cankers first appear on the branch tips and progress downward as the infection spreads to larger stems and branches.
Infected branches may fail to leaf out come spring, while canker-girdled branches can wilt and die.
The only known effective way of managing golden canker is to prune diseased branches.
Be sure to make your cuts within a centimeter above a healthy node that’s at least two nodes below any infected bark.
To reduce the amount of spores produced within the canopy, the best time to prune infected branches is during dormancy in subfreezing temperatures. Once you have your pruned-away branches, burn or bury them.
Best Uses
When you consider the beautiful tiered branching of a pagoda dogwood, it definitely qualifies for use as a specimen in your home landscape.
Additionally, you can place these trees in groupings or use them as a border along the edge of your property.
As an understory forest tree, the pagoda dogwood looks gorgeous in woodland gardens. Since it attracts a plethora of fauna, you’ll certainly encourage species diversity in the ecosystem!
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Plant Type:
Deciduous tree
Flower/Foliage Color:
Yellowish-white/green
Native to:
Eastern North America
Maintenance:
Low
Hardiness (USDA Zones):
3-7
Tolerance:
Deer, lean soil, juglone
Bloom Time:
May to June
Soil Type:
Moist, fertile
Exposure:
Full sun to partial shade
Soil pH:
5.5-6.5
Time to Maturity:
2-6 years
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Spacing:
20-32 feet
Attracts:
Birds, butterflies, mammals
Planting Depth:
1/2 inch (seeds), depth of root system (transplants)
If you’re interested in “branching out” with layered branching, you should really give the pagoda dogwood a go.
It’ll certainly draw the eye of onlookers, and who knows? It may become your new go-to recommendation for folks looking to add some pizzazz to their landscape.
Now that you have the lowdown on the pagoda dogwood, go forth and grow! Spread your wings and fly! Other enthusiastic encouragements!
Have remarks, questions, and/or concerns to share? Put ’em in the comments section below!
Out in the food forest, a crabapple is blooming for the first time.
