Category: Home & Garden

Although surrounding your home with
a lush, beautiful lawn may be something you dream of each spring as the warm
weather arrives, you may find it takes a great deal of effort to maintain if
you don’t have the right type of seed, watering techniques, or nutrient
schedule. There are distinct differences in the requirements of cool grasses
and warm grasses, and some types of grasses love heat while others burn or die
back in higher temperature areas. The list below can assist you in choosing the
right type of regional grass seeds to help you grow the best lawn for the
longest time your season allows.

Northeast Area

The Northeast has high humidity,
cold winters, and cool summers which can challenge many types of plants,
including lawn grasses. For the best-looking lawns with the greenest blades,
choose a seed that thrives in cool temperatures.

The most popular choice of grass seed that can survive the harsh cold and fierce northern winters is the Kentucky bluegrass. The fine-textured blades are rooted in a system of shallow tendrils that spread aggressively but can survive the long cold winters of the northeast area. Ryegrass is also popular among northern growers because of its cold tolerance and ability to thrive in the heat.

Southeast Area

The Southeast is known for its high
humidity and hot summers because much of the area borders the Atlantic
seaboard. Look for warm-season grass seeds that can tolerate the high heat,
salty air, and summer droughts.

Bermuda grass seed is an aggressive spreading seed that provides a dark, thick green lawn. A perfect companion to the Bermuda seed is the ryegrass which can be used to overseed for lovely green grass during the winter when the Bermuda grasses go into hibernation and turn brown. When the weather turns warm again, the ryegrass dies back, and Bermuda suddenly springs back to life.

Midwest Area

The Midwest is the heartland of America with varying levels of humidity and a cool growing season. With the intense fluctuations throughout the region, Ohio grass needs more irrigation than other grasses in other regions do.

Bluegrass, fescues, and ryegrasses
are the stars of the region because of their ability to tolerate the Midwestern
bright sun while enduring the cool areas as well. Using disease and insect
resistant seeds are important in the Midwest and finding a variety of seed that
returns lush and green after a fierce winter can be difficult. However, if you
are willing to water your grass often, the ryegrass can give you a lovely lawn
year after year.

Deep South Area

The Deep South includes the Gulf
Coast region of the United States where the humidity is high, and the heat is
too. Ranging between areas of extreme drought, heavy summer storms, and blazing
hot sun, the grass seed for this area needs to be tolerant and durable.

Homeowners in the Deep South look
for low-maintenance grass seeds that can resist the pests and diseases often
rampant in the area. Since the Gulf Coast features heavy salt air, the grass
must be durable and tolerant. Bahia grass and centipede have proven themselves
with an ability to be drought resistant while still staying a lovely green year
around. Both varieties do require additional water for long life.

Pacific Northwest Area

Cool and arid, the Pacific Northwest
region allows cool grasses to thrive, but the often-wet climate can encourage
diseases and pests to flourish in area lawns. Much of the inland areas require
additional irrigation to keep the grasses luxuriant and green.

In the northern coastal areas, tall
fescues and bluegrasses are chosen for their ability to resist the salty air,
cool temperatures, and high humidity. Further inland, ryegrasses are selected
because of their resistance to lawn pests, mold, and diseases.

Southwest Area

Hot blasts of air within the
Southwest’s arid area present a challenge for almost every type of grass. With
high temperatures, alkaline soil, harsh sunlight, and varying elevations, the
only thing consistent about this region is the warmth.

With enough water, Bermuda grass can
thrive in the area, though it will require overseeding for winter-green lawns.
Fescue is sometimes considered a good match in the Southwest, but it requires
twice as much water and isn’t good in heat saturated areas.

Use the list of areas above to find the right grass seed for
your region. You can have a lush, beautiful lawn no matter where you live.

Lawn care is an essential part of responsible home maintenance. Not only is being attentive to your grass’s needs crucial to its long-term health, but it’s also highly conducive to accentuating the beauty of your home. When people walk by your residence, the condition of your lawn is among the first things they notice, so if you’re interested in making a favorable first impression, lawn care should not be regarded as an afterthought. Homeowners who strive to keep their lawns clean, healthy and looking their best should consider the following pointers.

Limit Lawn Clutter

Even if your lawn is
meticulously maintained, its healthy appearance can be adversely impacted by the presence of clutter. Lawn-based clutter is particularly common in
homes with small children. Kids tend to leave messes wherever they go, and
lawns are hardly an exception. In addition to encouraging your family members
to pick up after themselves, make a point of thoroughly scanning your lawn for
clutter before mowing. Certain objects can present safety hazards if they find
their way into a mower, so take care to be as eagle-eyed as possible when
carrying out these cleanups.  

Excessive foot traffic
can lead to patchiness, discoloration and uneven growth on certain types of
grass. If your lawn is vulnerable to the ravages of foot traffic, make a point
of limiting direct contact with the grass and encourage other members of your
household to heed your example. However, as any parent can attest, this can
sometimes prove challenging for households with small children. While there’s
no way to keep little kids off the grass entirely, you can help minimize the
amount of time they spend on it by creating a designated outdoor play area for
them. Not only will this provide your little ones with a clearly-defined play
space, it’s also likely to diminish the appeal of running around on the lawn in
their eyes.     

Mow as Needed

Consistent mowing is one of the tenets of good lawn care.
However, it’s important to note that most lawns are mowed far more often than
they need to be. Additionally, many people opt to keep their mowers on the
lowest possible setting. While wanting to keep your lawn nice and short is
certainly understandable, excessive shortness leaves the grass blades
vulnerable to the elements and ensures that they’re ill-equipped to retain
water and assorted nutrients. With this in mind, look up the ideal length for
your type of grass and adjust your mower settings accordingly.

Although many homeowners mow their lawns on a set schedule, this often leads to over-mowing. For example, just because you’ve gotten into the groove of mowing once a week doesn’t mean that your lawn actually needs you to do so. During its prime growing season, your lawn may need to be mowed once or twice a week, but outside of this period, you may only need to get out the mower once or twice a month. So even if it’s a designated mowing day, there’s no need to fire up the mower if the grass is already an acceptable length.    

Fertilize Regularly  

Fertilization is a great way to provide your lawn with essential nourishment all year long. Additionally, depending on the type of grass you have, you may only need to perform this task once a year. If this isn’t a chore you have much experience with, reach out to a professional lawn fertilization service. The right company will help you determine the best type of fertilizer for your grass and work with you to create the perfect fertilization schedule. If your grass is delicate or temperamental, look for a company that offers custom lawn fertilization plans.   

Lawn care should be among the foremost maintenance priorities for any responsible homeowner. A vibrant, well-kept lawn can add character to your home and help accentuate its aesthetic strong points. On the flip side, a lawn that’s patchy, discolored or overgrown can put a noticeable damper on an otherwise lovely residence. Fortunately, tending to your lawn doesn’t have to eat up a great deal of time or money. Putting the previously discussed tips to good use can prove invaluable in your efforts to preserve the health of your grass.  

Everyone likes a little privacy. We want to feel like at least some part of our garden is a private oasis, a place where we can go to relax and leave the cares of the world behind. That doesn’t necessarily mean building a fortress of walls around your yard. In fact, there are many creative options for privacy screening.

Editor’s Note: updated for 2022!

Here are some things to consider as you begin. First, what are your screening needs?

• Do you prefer a formal hedge or plantings that blend into the landscape?

• Do you need to cover the entire length of your property line or will you screen only one area?

• Do you want to block views from overhead, such as from a neighbor’s deck or windows?

When you have determined your basic screening needs, ask yourself a few more questions:

Don’t forget to consider multiple angles of coverage as well. View the site from different angles to be sure you are covered from all sides.

You may also want to think about a temporary solution while waiting for your plants to fill in, such as bamboo or brush fencing.

Formal Hedges

On a dense-foliage rhody (or any dense plant), if you shorten all the tallest leaders you will likely open up bare spots — open areas with bare branches and little foliage that were previously shaded out by what you have just removed. In time, these will resprout and fill in but it can take a year or several, depending on the type and vigor of the plant.

With any major reducing, restoring or rejuvenating, we recommend to avoid (if possible) doing this all at once. If you can spread the job over two or three years you might minimize the bare or chopped look and the overreactive regrowth.

For example, you could do releadering on maybe 1/3 or 1/2 the number of tallest leaders, so the top layer is thinned out but not totally removed. Then after a year or two with the lower layers growing in, you can cut back the rest of the top layer. But remember: it may still react to a major reduction over time. Unnatural pruning creates a high-maintenance plant.

Older rhodies can develop quite a leggy habit, especially after years of being crowded by neighboring plants, struggling under dense trees, or just having aged a long time without any pruning attention. Others may suffer low vigor from poor drainage, depleted soil, or other stresses.

Restorative pruning can make quite a difference, along with improving the watering, mulching, and fertilizing of a struggling plant. If the shrub is heavily shaded (unless it’s possible to thin out overhead trees), blooming might always be sparse. And although these methods can help revive most shrubs, some might have deeper health issues and not sprout as well.

A leggy habit is long, tangled, bare branches with few leaves or flowers out on the tips. Restoring a more balanced branching pattern and redirecting growth energy back into foliage and blooming often takes a combination of thinning, untangling/reweaving, and heading back some bare branches.

THE NUMBERS: N-P-K

The three numbers you see on most fertilizers are the analysis of essential elements, or “macronutrients” in the fertilizer and include:

• N – Nitrogen: The most basic element essential to plant life, evident in the growth of foliage.

• P – Phosphorus: Fosters flower and fruit production.

• K – Potassium: (Latin term: Kalium) Supports root development, overall vigor, and disease resistance.

The numbers are the percentage of these macronutrients within the total mix, so 6-3-4 indicates 6%-3%-4% respectively, of N-P-K. Most fertilizers include a balance of these three, but some are skewed toward one for a specific purpose. Examples are E.B. Stone® Organics Lawn Food, (10-1-4), or Espoma® Flower Tone Bloom Booster, (3-4-5).

For most (and especially newer) gardeners, we encourage using balanced fertilizers with all three macronutrients included. But there are some preferences among different plant types:

• Green, leafy plants such as lawns and salad greens are generally heavy feeders of nitrogen.

• Fruiting plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons like a balance of nutrients but need fairly frequent feeding.

• Perennials, trees and shrubs (incluing fruiting types) also prefer a balance of nutrients but at lower or less-frequent levels.

Higher numbers indicate higher concentrations of these elements. Is that better for your plants? Not necessarily. They are often found in synthetic fertilizers, such as lawn food with high nitrogen. High concentrations can bring quick, dramatic results, such as quick greening of your heavy-feeding lawn for that summer wedding. But the effect can be temporary and not so good for long-term health. If applied too heavily or not sufficiently watered in, high-number fertilizers can “burn” plants similar to salt toxicity. In most cases, it’s best to add nutrients slowly for the long term. For a healthy lawn, supplement it in fall and spring with a slower release lawn food.

So look for the proportion of the numbers, rather than their volume.

The package ingredients might also list several “micronutrients” such as calcium and magnesium. A deficiency of one or a combination of these can cause problems. When diagnosed, they can often be corrected by adding single ingredient fertilizers or supplements. If not in combination fertilizers, you can find them in specialized products such as magnesium sulfate or dolomite lime (calcium carbonate).

“What do you think of No Mow May?”

The question, asked by a garden friend, caught me by surprise because I’d only seen the phrase once before in a British gardening magazine. 

Turns out I’ve been missing the boat because my state of Wisconsin has been at the forefront of the No Mow May movement for a few years. Two years ago, Appleton became the first U.S. city to officially adopt the initiative started in England that asks people not to mow their lawns during May to provide flowers for pollinators.

I’m sorry to say that my answer to my garden friend’s question is not positive. I think No Mow May is a well-intentioned movement that has the potential to backfire in the U.S., making the short- and long-term benefits highly questionable.

The promotional material for No Mow May (yes, it’s big enough that there is official marketing) shows romantic flowing grasses with beautiful wildflowers buzzing with bees rising above. I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but those beautiful wildflowers don’t just pop up in a lawn from not mowing for a month, at least not in much of the country. 

What will pop up in my neck of the woods is mostly dandelions, which are not native to North America, and perhaps some clover and flowering creeping Charlie. And yes, these flowers will attract pollinators, although the benefit to them is questionable. 

Native bees do the lion’s share of pollinating important crops, not the non-native honey bee, according to a peer-reviewed report by Christy Stewart, of the University of Wisconsin’s Agricultural Research Unit. And dandelions are not a great food source for these bees, which benefit more from the pollen of native trees and shrubs that flower earlier than dandelions.

Where I think No Mow May will go wrong is the repercussions of all those flowering weeds, which will, of course, proliferate a neighborhood causing a carpet of dandelions that might be beautiful to some and an eyesore to others. Neighborly relations may not be up for that kind of stress these days.

Some homeowners who pride themselves on a perfect lawn will likely increase their herbicide applications to counteract a burgeoning dandelion population and even some No Mow May participants may, in time, tire of the look and resort to drastic measures to have a “good-looking” lawn again. And if there’s one thing that’s worse than hungry pollinators, it’s dead pollinators poisoned by herbicides.

The No Mow May movement has gotten some traction in its English home, but there are some cultural differences that I think make acceptance of the initiative on a wide scale a steeper hill to climb in the U.S. Lawns here are just bigger, and as a culture we have a far deeper appreciation of a wide expanse of perfect lawn (something I’ve never come close to achieving and don’t really care) that will be hard to get past.

A far better approach would be to encourage homeowners to turn a small patch of lawn into a proper native wildflower garden that will feed wild bees from spring through fall and be far more attractive than a shaggy lawn full of weeds. And, of course, to stop applying herbicides to their lawn. Or plant native trees that provide more food for pollinators than any lawn could. Or to incorporate native plants into their existing gardens.

The point is that there are a lot of ways to support pollinators, particularly important native species, that will have more impact than keeping the lawn mower under lock and key for a month.

They just need a catchy name and a marketing plan.

 

A version of this article originally appeared in Ozaukee Press.

 

What more can we ask from a gardening book than to be inspirational and education? Two new books with more than a little in common manage to strike the right balance of both, complimenting each other, much as the personalities of these enthusiastic and generally delightful gardeners do.

Claus Dalby, the Danish gardener known for his stunning pot displays, and Linda Vater, a popular Oklahoma City gardener with a knack for garden style, dish up a pair of books from Cool Springs Press that are perfect for the start of the gardening season.

Dalby has several  books to his credit but Containers in the Garden is his first published in English, much to the delight of his English-speaking fans around the world. It gets to the heart of his signature abundant container design style, one oft repeated but rarely as successfully as he does.

All of the tips and tricks Dalby employs for his growing method are shared, including how to successfully overwinter bulbs in pots, something many gardeners struggle with. The trick, he says, is to put them in a protected spot where they won’t receive water during the winter (after they are watered in during planting). Once they start popping out of the soil they can come out into the light and watering can resume.

Dalby’s method is to plant most pots—his collection of beautiful terra cotta pots is impressive—with a single type of plant, then create mixed arrangements by mixing and matching pots. This allows him to swap out plants where the display is waning for something fresh or make new arrangements many times throughout the growing season. 

He’s an equal opportunity planter, filling pots with bulbs, annuals, perennials, vines and even trees or shrubs, and then blending them all together for a stunning show.

Dalby is particularly adept at focusing on monochromatic color schemes rich in texture, employing, for example, chartreuse Japanese maples with yellow daffodils and white tulips for a fresh spring display.

Mimicking Dalby’s methods throughout the season would be difficult for most gardeners to pull off. Amassing what must be thousands of terra cotta pots surely was accomplished over decades, and he has the benefit of greenhouses and a couple gardeners to help with the time-intensive job of planting all those pots, sowing seeds and moving them all around.

But there is plenty of information that will have gardeners reaching for the book often. Dalby is a master of using interesting plants in simple ways, and his color palettes spread throughout the book in glorious large photos are themselves a treasure trove of inspiration. Since Dalby’s method of clustering pots is akin to a deconstructed mixed container planting, the same plants can be mixed and matched in large containers to great effect.

In one such display, for instance, Dalby combines Amaranthus ‘Hopi Red Dye’, chocolate Cosmos, Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’, purple wild carrot and Japanese painted fern for a rich and dark color palette. 

It’s those creative combinations that truly make the difference in Dalby’s displays, and you don’t need a pair of gardeners to pull them off. 

While Dalby’s book is excellent for providing inspiration on a specific style, Vater’s book The Elegant and Edible Garden paints with a broader brush, focusing more on helping gardeners find and refine their garden style.

Vater, whose structured potager garden is instantly recognizable by her legion of followers on social media, helps readers pull a garden concept, particularly one that incorporates edible plants in with flowers and shrubs, into a cohesive space.

Although she gardens in a relatively small yard in a historic neighborhood, Vater manages to pack vegetables and herbs alongside all other types of plants in her garden a way that any gardener can take inspiration from. She relies heavily on symmetry and yearlong structure, such as the boxwood hedge that forms the backbone of her potager. 

Vater’s lessons in the book are valuable for any type of garden, and the quest to find the right garden style is examined thoroughly. She also shares her best practices for everything from organic growing to topiary creation, another of her plant passions.

Like Containers in the Garden, Vater’s book has gorgeous photos and plenty to read. It also incorporates plenty of sidebars and bullet point lists to help gardeners focus on takeaway lessons.

The books share similar cover designs, with a gorgeous photo to draw you in and an elegant linen cover, and in a way they compliment each other on the bookshelf both in look and content, which is a flood of inspiration perfect for the season.

 

On a cold, damp, and dreary day in March, just when most of us were really, really looking forward warmer, drier weather, a customer and I were problem-solving some issues with her houseplants, when she said “my plants are SO excited that Spring is almost here.”

In the moment, I thought that was a lovely and whimsical expression, but as I thought about it further, I realized that, botanically speaking, she was spot on. Our houseplants ARE excited by the transition into Spring.

Healthy Roots & Spring Growth Spurts

The longer days bring higher temperatures. This stimulates root growth, which in turn supports new leaf production. Carbohydrates that are stored in the stems, roots, and rhizomes during the winter are used by the plant to provide the energy it needs to kick-start this growth spurt. This is one of the reasons it is so important that your plants have a healthy root system all year ‘round.

I know I get some funny looks when I tip a plant out of its pot to check its roots. Sometimes it takes a couple of forceful slaps to disengage it and soil goes spilling to the floor. But the roots really are what determine the short and long-term vitality of your plant, so it’s important to see how healthy they are. Leaves and flowers tell only part of the story. So, it’s for the sake of the roots that we care to understand each plant’s individual preferences for soil, drainage, pot size, watering frequency, fertilizer, and light.

Spring Houseplant Care

Now you may ask: “What can I do to support all this magical plant activity in spring? Here are a few suggestions.

The Right Amount of Light

When a customer asks for help in choosing plants for their home or office, the first question I always ask is about the available sunlight because plants are like Goldilocks’ Bears: they like it not-too-shady and not-too bright, but “Just Right.”

Too little light and the plant will grow slowly, spindly and even fail altogether. Too much light and the plant will wilt, show heat stress, drop its leaves and also fail. Gauging the amount of available light can be tricky so using the compass directions is a handy way to assess this:

• Light from the North= Extremely Low Indirect

• Light from the East = Low Indirect

• Light from the South & West that does not directly shine on the plant = Medium-to-Bright Indirect

• Light from the South & West that hits directly = Bright Direct

Knowing this much is all we need to help you narrow your selection and give your plant the best possible environment to thrive. And if you are wondering which of our more popular plants do well in which type of light, we have a handy indoor plant light needs tip sheet that matches plants to their light preferences. 

Spring Repotting

Spring is the best time to repot your houseplants and, if your plant has been in the same container for more than 2 years, there is a good chance the soil has lost much of its organic matter and the roots are cramped. This results in depletion of available nutrients and the loss of moisture retention and proper aeration.

Repotting to a pot “the next size up” is the perfect solution but, if your space cannot accommodate a larger-sized pot, or you wish to restrict the further growth of the plant, there are ways to “refresh” your plant with new soil and the selective pruning of roots and stems. Learn how to repot your plant.

Also, some plants can be “divided.” If there are mature sections of the plant that have their own root system, a little careful tugging and snipping can make multiple plants from the single “mother” plant. This allows you to return the divided plant into its original pot and create a second or third plant to be repotted separately.

While repotting, it’s an excellent time to check for pests that might be hiding in the soil and at the base of the stems or trunk. A magnifying glass is handy to determine if the little specs you see are bugs, eggs or just parts of the soil.

Our post on houseplant pests can help you identify them and, for detailed advice on any of these repotting steps, just ask our Indoor Living team the next time you visit. We are happy to talk you through the process. Trust us, it is easier than it looks!

Spring Pruning

Indoor plants are not as fussy about “when to prune” as outdoor plants are. You can really do it anytime, but the most opportune time is Spring, when the plant is focused on growth. This way the plant won’t spend precious energy on growing stems and leaves, only to be cut off in later months. So, thinking ahead about the overall shape and mass of the plant can be helpful.

For trailing plants (pothos, tradescantia, philodendron, ivy), giving their tendrils “a haircut” will keep the overall plant full and lush by encouraging new growth along its stems and crown. For extra fun, try rooting those cuttings in water and then transplant several of them together into the same pot. It’s a quick way to have a new plant that is fuller from the get-go.

If your houseplants are woody and branching (ficus, citrus, fiddle leaf figs), annual pruning is very helpful to maintain trunk stability, an attractive and balanced shape and a canopy that can be sustained by the size its root ball. Learn more about Pruning 101 for both indoor and outdoor woody plants.

Low and mid-sized herbaceous plants (ferns, calathea, aglaonema, alocasia, succulents, ZZ, sansevieria, monstera) don’t require “pruning” in the classic sense of the word, but removing anything dying, diseased and failing to thrive is definitely beneficial.

For small, mounding plants (peperomia, callisia, pilea, polka dot, fittonia), if stems are getting thin and “leggy” then snipping off some length also encourages branching and fuller growth along the stem.

Watering & Fertilizing

In spring, actively growing houseplants need more water to sustain them. Remember: hotter and longer days require more frequent watering. You may find that a plant you watered once every 12-14 days now needs watering weekly. Or, a succulent or cactus that you watered monthly at most in winter would appreciate a deep watering every 2-3 weeks.

Choosing the right fertilizer and navigating the rules of fertilizing can be confusing, so here are some basic tips that I hope will help:

• Fertilize during the growing seasons: start in May and stop in September.

• Use a liquid fertilizer. It is easier to measure the correct dilution than a pelletized formula.

• Look for those 3 important numbers that indicate the ratio of N-P-K (Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium) and choose one that is “balanced.” Often those numbers are 1:1:1, 3:3:3 & 10:10:10.

  • Nitrogen is for tissue & leaf growth.

  • Phosphorous is for root, stem, bud & flower growth.

  • Potassium increases the overall vigor and aids in metabolism.

And a note: organic fertilizers also contain micronutrients that contribute to a healthy biome in the soil!

Yes, there are always exceptions. Plants that you purchase for their flowers rather than their leaves, can benefit from a light dilution of fertilizer all year long (this also applies to our ever-popular Fiddle Leaf Fig). Citrus plants march to their own tune entirely and need a fertilizer specially formulated just for them.

Orchids are also an exception. If you have questions about fertilizing orchids, come in and talk with us. But don’t worry… All questions do have answers and we are here to help. Further details about caring for your orchids can be found on the Missouri Botanical Garden website.

Happy Spring! We hope you’re as excited about it as your plants are!

What Are Your Flavor Preferences?

Do you have a sweet tooth? Or maybe you prefer a milder, less acidic tomato. Or, perhaps, a complex flavor profile suits your discriminating palette. Here’s what we suggest:

A: I love sweet tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are a good bet. In fact, we call ‘Sweet 100’ vine candy! ‘Sungold’ tomatoes are also sweet with a hint of tropical flavor. ‘Striped German’ is a larger fruit that has a nice rich sweetness.

If you want a small-space tomato that’s sweet, try ‘Taxi’ or ‘Oregon Cherry’.

B: I prefer a mild flavor

‘Yellow Pear’ tomatoes often have a milder flavor, as do ‘Dona’ and ‘Seattle’s Best’.

C: I’m all about complexity

Look for darker-skinned, heirloom tomatoes. ‘Cherokee Purple’ has a good balance of sweet, acid, savory, and a hint of smokiness; ‘Brandywine’ complicates sweetness with a bit of spiciness; ‘Black Krim’ has a flavor profile that is smoky, salty, and sweet, all at once. Finally, ‘Black Zebra’ (sorry! Sold out for 2022) is all about complexity with its green-striped mahogany skin and exceptionally rich, complex flavors that have hints of smoke and sweetness.

For small spaces, ‘Black Sea Man’ and ‘Ruby Crush’ have rich, complex flavors.

D: I like it tart

Not all tomatoes are sweet. Some of the best surprise us with their crisp, tart flavor. Try ‘Yellow Perfection’ or the outstanding tart, lemon-lime flavor of ‘Green Zebra’.

PRUNING

We will be publishing a detailed post on pruning rhododendrons soon, but here are a few basics to keep in mind:

1)   It’s nearly always better to thin and open up a rhody shrub rather than cut it back and make it more dense. An exception would be an older, leggy plant in need of restoration.

2)   If you do any major cutting back, such as to reduce size, do so within a month or two after it blooms. This will give the plant time to regenerate bloom buds for next year. Unlike many woody plants, you can cut a healthy rhody branch back to where there is no foliage, and it will sprout again from latent buds. But we don’t recommend this on a regular basis, because there will be less blooming and an unnatural shape.

3)   Deadheading (snapping off spent bloom trusses) redirects energy into next year’s blooms rather than seed production. Also, it visually cleans up the plant. But on a large, mature plant, deadheading takes a lot of time and might not make a big difference in future blooming.

 

TRANSPLANTING

Because rhododendrons have such dense, compact root balls, they tend to tolerate being dug and moved better than many other woody plants. The outer perimeter of an established rhody root ball is often well-defined; digging is typically easy (depending on soil) outside of it, very hard within it.

 But keep in mind, the root balls of large rhodies can be quite heavy, requiring strong tools and strong backs. Even small ones can be surprisingly heavy. Recruit some strong friends, and/or take heavy-lifting precautions.

 

Rhododendrons and azaleas can thrive and look beautiful for a long, long time with the right care. Please contact us if you have any questions!

Thank you to Park Seed for partnering with me on this post. As always, all words, thoughts and seed choices are my own.

The hardest part of growing plants from seed is keeping the amount I grow in check. I can’t be alone in this. It can be so tempting to plant just a few more, or the whole pack of seeds. But that kind of volume can take the fun out of growing from seed when it becomes overwhelming. 

And plenty of people, including maybe even future me, want to grow a few plants from seed without piles of gear. 

And it’s not hard, as long as you have a plan, a system and a little restraint.

WHERE TO GROW

A nice, self-contained seed-starting kit is a joy to have when you’ll be making the most of a small amount of growing space. Park Seed’s Bio-Dome is a mini greenhouse growing system that is well suited to growing a variety of plants from seed.

I’m using Park’s Original Bio Dome with 40 cells, which is suitable for all but the biggest and fastest growing seeds. It has a footprint of about 15 inches long by 9.25 inches wide, which makes it small enough to sit on a table in a window. Made of sturdy, hard plastic, the bottom tray and humidity dome should last for years.

A styrofoam insert holds bio sponges, a growing medium that springs to life after a quick soaking to fill each cell. Everything other than the bio sponges is reusable and refills are available.

WHAT TO GROW

If you’re planning to mix and match a variety of seeds—and you should because how many of us need 40 of one plant–you have to look for some similar characteristics among plants.

Ideally they will all need to be started around the same amount of time before the last frost. Most seed packets offer a range of a couple weeks in which to start seeds, so aim to have all the varieties fall within that range. 

Seeds need different temperatures for germination. Look for varieties that all germinate at about the same temperature.

It’s a bonus, but not strictly necessary, if you can also find seeds that germinate in about the same amount of time.

I grew a variety of seeds, including ‘Daisy Wheel Lemon’ marigold, ‘Big Blue’ Salvia, two types of Ageratum, Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’ and even a lone Tithonia seed I found in a packet. I could have grown several other varieties, but I wanted quite a few marigolds to tuck in around the vegetable garden as well as to help fill holes in the rest of the garden.

DEVELOP A SYSTEM

When you’re planting several varieties of seeds in the same tray good labeling is key. I start from the back of the tray (which could be the long or short side depending on your approach) and label from there, so the label sits at the back of a run of cells. When I start a new variety, a label goes in the cell that is farthest back.

PLANT AWAY

Bio sponges have a small hole for larger seed but small seeds that are meant to be sown on the surface can just be pressed into the top. There’s no need to add anything else.

Watering seedlings from the bottom is always a good idea but it’s the only way to water with the Bio Dome. Just keep a quarter-inch or a bit more water in the bottom of the tray and allow the bio sponges to absorb it.

HEAT AND LIGHT

If you’re growing seeds that need bottom heat, set the Bio Dome on a heat mat or another warm surface. Keep the humidity dome vents closed until seeds start germinating and then you can open them as needed.

Once seeds germinate, they will need light. A very bright window might work if you have very clean windows and very strong light. A grow light is a much better option, and with a small system like this an inexpensive clip-on grown light can do the job of supplementing natural light if you don’t have a large grow-light system.

GROWING ON

Different varieties will grow at different rates so you’ll have to offer some individual attention as they grow. With some dilute fertilizer applications, seedlings should be happy in the Bio Dome for some time as the roots will reach down in the system, not circle around.

When they outgrow their cells, pop them out (there’s a finger-sized hole at the bottom of each cell) and pot them up in larger pots to grow on before you harden them off and plant them outside. Fortunately you can do this without disturbing other cells so you can pick and choose which need to move on, an important factor when you’re planting multiple varieties.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Odds are that you’ll want to grow several varieties of plants with different needs. If you can divide them into two groups by starting time, you can get away with just two systems for all your seedlings.

You may even be able to replant the first Bio Dome with another set of seeds, perhaps those that should be started four weeks before your last frost, assuming some of the plants you started in the first round have moved on to larger pots. The system comes with an extra dozen or so bio sponges but more are available separately.

Every year I wonder why I started so many plants from seed, far more than I could ever use in my own garden, and I think it’s because I feel the need to fill a tray. Starting only what I really need in a simple setup is very appealing. Maybe this old dog can learn a new trick. 

 

If there is a support group for planter addicts, let me know, because I need it. I love a good container, but finding one is a different matter. 

I have two non-negotiable requirements for most planters: they need to be big and they need to look good. Weight, style and even cost are all things I’m willing to be flexible on, but they have to be big. Over the years I’ve accumulated a handful of “investment” planters, and I’ve never regretted spending the money on one I really loved. 

Obviously it’s best to buy planters in person if possible and beyond garden centers, it’s worth checking out big box stores (which have upped their container game in the last few years) and places like Sam’s Club and Costco. The classifieds (yes, I still like classified ads), Facebook marketplace, Craigslist and other secondhand sites are great too, although I’ll admit to having no luck as far as those are concerned. I feel like that must be a personal problem because I see plenty of gardeners scoring great finds.

But let’s say you can’t find something locally, or maybe you just want to shop from your couch. Here’s a round up of a bunch of containers I found, all over 18 inches wide, which is really the minimum size I consider unless it’s a specialty or tabletop application. Happy container hunting.

1. Geometric goodness. 18″ wide, $179, on sale for $143
2. Fiber jar, 21″ wide, $268
3. Great legs, 18″ wide, $149
4. Lightweight + double-walled, 20″ wide, $119
5. Tall and sleek, 22″ wide, $77
6. All good looks, 28″ wide, on sale for $307
7. Pinstripe perfection, 17″ wide, on sale for $66
8. Terrazzo bronze, 21″ wide, $150
9. Textured radius, 22″ wide, $279
10. Concentric circles, 21″ wide, $869

 

 

 

1. Wood stripes, 38″ wide, $589
2. Corten steel warmth, 38″ wide, $379
3. Modern teak, 22″ wide, $818
4. Industrial planter, 21″ wide, $599
5. Aged wood trough, 30″ wide, $279
6. Simple and sleek, 23″ wide, $260
7. Modern trough, 39″ wide, $259
8. Stone lookalike, 16″ wide, $83
9. Wood with style, set of two, 15″ and 18″ wide, $266.
10. Seaside cottage, set of two, 13″ wide, $160 (on sale)

 

 

1. Chinoiserie goodness, 20″ wide, $367
2. Urn with a twist, 18″ wide, $175 on sale
3. Oil jar, 25″ wide, $275
4. Square corten bowl, 34″ wide, $275
5. Zinc planter, 17″ wide, $99
6. Old world charm, 24″ wide, 36″ tall, $699
7. Tabletop perfection, 26″ wide, $75 on sale
8. Round corten bowl, 24″ wide, $200
9. Ruffle urn, 23″ wide, $459
10. Modern cast stone, 28″ wide, $263

A few important notes & a glossary of terms

When you bring a new plant home, inspect it for any signs of insects and keep it isolated from your other plants if you suspect pests. And remember, Swansons will always be happy to replace your plant for any reason.

This blog post is meant to help identify pests and offer treatment options. Always follow the instructions on the label of the remedy you choose to be sure you are using it correctly and safely. When using sprays or oils, we recommend testing the product for 24 hours on one leaf to be sure the plant reacts well to the treatment.

Pesticides are chemicals that may be used to kill fungus, bacteria, insects, plant diseases, slugs, weeds, and other “pests.” Insecticides are a type of pesticide that is used to specifically target and kill insects.

Insecticidal Soap is a natural insecticide, generally made of potassium salts of fatty acids. Fatty acids are extracted from palm, coconut, olive, castor, and cottonseed plants. When soft-bodied insects are sprayed with insecticidal soap their cell membranes are disrupted and cell contents leak, causing the insects to perish. Insecticidal soap is not considered toxic to humans or animals. They are not recommended for plants with fuzzy, hairy leaves.

Neem Oil is a naturally occurring pesticide found in the seeds of the neem tree. It works by interrupting the life cycle of chewing and sucking insects, turning off the hormones that tell an insect feed and mate. It can also repel insects. Neem oil can be irritating to the skin and stomach, so do not ingest. It is considered non-toxic to humans and animals. Do not use neem oil on cacti and succulents.

Horticultural Oil is a lightweight oil made from petroleum, mineral oil, or vegetable oils. It works by suffocating the insects it coats and must be sprayed directly on pests to be effective. It is considered safe to use around humans and animals.

Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis is a naturally occurring bacterium found in soil. It contains spores that produce toxins that specifically target and only affect the larvae of the mosquito, blackfly, and fungus gnat. It is considered non-toxic to humans and animals.

Systemic Insecticides are chemicals that are soluble in water and can be absorbed by a plant and move through all its tissues. Since these insecticides are made of chemicals, they are hazardous to humans and animals if ingested or absorbed through the skin. Bonide Systemic Insect Control is a powder that is applied to the soil and watered in.

With a sweet-tart flavor that works well in desserts, salads, main dishes, and more (they make the best salsa you’ve ever had, we promise), the ground cherry deserves more attention. The plants bear large yields of husked fruit that, curiously, fall to the ground before they are ripe. Simply gather them up and store them at room temperature until they deepen to a rich orange and are ready to eat.

Is there any task that has so many rules and yet so many people tackling it in different methods more than growing plants from seeds? It can make the whole process even more confusing. Each way to start seeds has its pros and cons, and although some are better than others for starting particular seeds, most of the time it comes down to what works best for you.

SOW INTO CELLS

In this method, small cells are filled with seed-starting mix, and seeds —usually one or two—are sown into each cell.

Pros: Relatively quick both up front and down the line. If more than one seed germinates per cell you will have to thin down to one seedling per cell later (just use a small scissors and chop off the weaker seedling at the soil level). 

Cons: Prying the seedlings out of their cells when it’s time to pot them on (and you will have to do that with this method) can be a little challenging. It is also challenging to plant just  few seeds of several varieties in this method because, for a time at least, they all share space in the same tray, under a humidity dome. With inexpensive (i.e. flimsy plastic) six-cell packs you can remove just the pack you need, but you’re still left with a minimum of six of a variety if you want to fill every hole.

The other con is that those flimsy plastic cell trays don’t last long so you may find yourself replacing them more frequently.

SOWING INTO SEED TRAYS

In this method you simply fill a seed tray (I really like these small seed trays that are durable, thick plastic) with seed-starting mix and sow seeds in the tray. After they have at least one set of true leaves, you carefully pull them out and put them into a cell tray or small pot.

Pros: Save on both seed-starting mix and space during the germination phase. This is also the quickest method, at least for the initial sowing. When you do put seedlings into individual cells, every cell will be filled, unlike starting directly in cells where spotty germination can leave you with wasted space.

Cons: It is very easy to sow too many seeds using this method, so try to limit yourself. And although it is speedier initially, you’ll spend extra time later pricking out seedlings. Some plants are less tolerant of root disturbance, so they wouldn’t be good candidates for this treatment.

My thoughts: I find myself using this method more often these days because the pros usually outweigh the cons for me.

STARTING IN SOIL BLOCKS

Using a soil blend (check mine out here, but there are other recipes and some pre-made mixes), and a soil blocker (a handy gadget that compresses soil into little blocks), you create pot-less pots. The soil blocker leaves a small divot in the top of each block (which I make in rows that are touching, like a cake that has been cut but no pieces removed) into which seeds are sowed. The smallest blocks will need to be transplanted quickly into larger blocks (an insert creates holes that are the perfect size). Larger blocks (1.75 to 2 inches square) will allow seedlings to grow on for quite some time.

Pros: There are a lot of pros to growing in soil blocks. The first is that it leads to really healthy seedlings. Roots are air pruned, meaning they just stop at the edge, rather than circling around the bottom of a cell, a condition that can have a negative impact on long-term success. It also uses less plastic (but not no plastic as the blocks need to be put in a large solid-bottom tray). 

The blocks are easy to pot on and for some seedlings will be able to be planted directly out in the garden with no root disturbance. They can be moved around in a tray to save room if some seeds don’t germinate.

Cons: Soil block soil either requires several ingredients or a purchasing a special premade mix. Either way it’s either time-consuming and messy or expensive. Blocks can dry out quickly as seedlings get large, requiring up to daily watering (bottom watering is required).

It can also take a little practice to get the soil-blocking method down. If the mix isn’t right the blocks will fall apart. Too dense and there isn’t a lot of room for roots to run free.

My thoughts: I used to grow exclusively from soil blocks and it worked really well. In the end, it was just so much time. I will probably use soil blocks in the future for anything that can be transplanted directly from the block to the garden. Things like kale and some flowers work will for this.

SOWING INTO INDIVIDUAL POTS

This method is only applicable to a small number of seeds that germinate and grow quickly. For anything else you’ll run into trouble with soil types and moisture management.

Pros: This is the right call for something like hyacinth beans, quick growing annual vines and possibly cucumbers or squash. You’ll want to use potting mix instead of seed-starting mix because those fast-growers will need more nutrients than seed-starting mix will give and since you won’t be potting these up, you only get one shot. 

It’s a time saver because it’s a one-and-done operation.

Cons: Not appropriate for anything small or slow-growing. It also takes up a good amount of room if you’re planting more than a few seeds.

My thoughts: It’s the right call for a handful of things and I use it for those but that’s it.

USING A SEED STARTING SYSTEM

Seed-starting systems are all-in-one solutions for starting seeds, essentially including the tray, the cells (or pots), soil and humidity dome. These come in a variety of configurations, from the simple Jiffy set-ups to this very snazzy Bio Dome with a self-watering capillary mat.

Pros: These are the ultimate in convenience and perfect for people who don’t start hundreds of seeds. 

Cons: Some can be expensive and may need parts of the kit to be repurchased every year.

My thoughts: I haven’t tried a lot of these since I first used a Jiffy peat-pellet one decades ago. I think they seem like a great easy way to go for those new to seed starting or people who aren’t starting a lot of seeds.

DIRECT SOWING

This is simple a matter of sowing seeds directly where they will ultimate grow in the garden.

Pros: There’s no plastic, no tending to seedlings, no extra equipment. Some seeds do better planted this way.

Cons: Direct sowing doesn’t mean no work. Soil needs to be prepared to a fine tilth. Timing is more important, and consistent moisture is required for germination, which may mean using a light covering over seeds or watering multiple times a day. Some seeds just won’t work this way, and others will have a tough time withstanding weather, wind and critters. And you’ll have to go back and thin seedlings later. 

My thoughts: Although I try to direct sow as many things as I can because of the convenience of not having to babysit them inside, I also appreciate the ability to place seedlings myself. And in my packed borders, starting from seed there is typically not an option.

WINTER SOWING

Seeds are sown in mini greenhouses fashioned out of milk jugs, rotisserie chicken containers from the grocery store, even large zip-top bags. Anything that allows light through will work. These are put outside in winter where they just do their thing, naturally germinating and growing as temperatures rise. There’s an excellent article on it here but many other online resources.

Pros: Other than direct sowing, this is the most economical way of starting seeds. Containers are reused, and no lights, racks, fans or other equipment is necessary. It is wonderful for seeds that require a cold period as winter takes care of that for you, no need for refrigeration or other methods. 

Cons: This method only works for some types of seeds, particularly cold-hardy annuals, perennials and some edibles. Although some people swear it works for warm-loving plants like tomatoes, it will certainly be a challenge.

My thoughts: I think this is a great way of starting seeds and if you don’t want to invest in seed-starting equipment I think it’s probably the best (better than relying a windowsill probably). But I do very little of it because I have terrible luck with it. I will try it with seeds that I want to grow, not things I need to grow, because I find it to be a bit iffy. Some people have wild success with it, so it’s definitely something that’s worth a try.

The method that’s best will vary from gardener to gardener, but odds are that some combination of a few different methods will be needed. None are better than another and a lot of it comes down to personal preference. So give a few a try and find what works for you.

A quick note on seed starting gear: If there was ever a place in gardening where you can get creative, seed starting is is. Think about what you can recycle. Plastic takeout or salad green boxes work great as mini seed trays with a humidity dome built in. If you have a whole bunch of plastic yogurt cups, red plastic cups or something similar sitting around, poke some holes in the bottom and use those for drainage. 

If you think you’ll be growing plants from seeds for a the foreseeable future or you just crave organization, investing in some good supplies makes sense. These days I aim for higher quality trays with the aim to use them longer. The really cheap plastic trays are frustratingly flimsy and often only last one year. 

Unless you’re planning to start all seeds by direct sowing or winter sowing, I highly recommend buying a grow light, even if it’s a cheap clip-on one meant for a single tray. It’s just too hard to grow seeds properly in a window, unless you have something close to conservatory-type light.

You can find all my gear setup here, but here’s a quick synopsis of some of my favorites:

• 4-foot grow light: This is my favorite light of all the ones I have. It’s an investment and, in my opinion, totally worth it. 
• Humidity domes: These are just one step about the super flimsy ones, which are incredibly frustrating. 
• Heavy duty solid trays: Buy these and buy them once. These are super heavy duty and should last forever. 
• Giant garden tray: How did I live without these until this year? Well, by having a giant mess. I put all my trays in these and everything is so much cleaner. 

 

***Spoiler Alert*** If you haven’t already seen The Matchmaker, go watch it before you keep reading!

This is our fourth “behind-the-scenes” blog post, where we share what it was like to bring each episode of our new Gooder Gardener video series to life. We’ll give you a glimpse of our experiences, inspirations, favorite moments, featured plants, and more.

Episode #4: The Matchmaker

If there’s a Gooder Gardener video that has resonated the strongest amongst Swansons employees, it’s probably this episode. It’s the most closely tied to what we try to do every single day. Here, we’ve all had a chance to play matchmaker. Matching someone with plants they love is always a pleasure!

A privacy screen is one of our favorite garden hacks. Fixed or portable, partitions with slats, grids, lattices, and translucent fabrics will block prying eyes—while welcoming sunlight and shadows into a garden.

We’ve rounded up 10 ideas for privacy screens, including five to buy:

Sliding Screens

4-Panel Screens

Portable screens are versatile choice because you can move them around the garden) and when in not in use they are easy to store, folded flat.

Hornbeam Screens

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