Ideas From Garden Gate Magazine

Today is sunny and in the high 40s. No sign of snow yet. YEAH! Ken commented this morning that some of the flowers are still blooming.

I took out four issues of Garden Gate magazine from the library on Tuesday. During the last few days, I spent some time making notes about ideas that I gleaned from them.

• The author of an article about mums suggests that they be divided every year. I rarely divide my mums unless I am going to move them but next spring I think I will try it. The article also discussed how to "hide" mums when they aren't blooming and then how to use them to hide plants that have finished blooming. Last year, I planted mums among the daylilies but the daylilies blocked their sun light and they didn't grow very well. I want to try this again next spring but after the daylilies have finished blooming, I will cut their foliage back to the ground. The author also said not to uncover the mulch around mums too soon in the spring or else the emerging leaves could be killed back by frost.
• I am planning on using the grill that Ken is replacing for a pot. I still haven't decided whether or not to cut down the legs but I do know that I will put it somewhere in the daylily garden. I will dig a yellow marguerite daisy and place it in the center of the pot. Its height and continuous bloom should be a great center accent. I'm going to wait and see what extra plants I have in the garden before I decide what else to put in it. The magazine had a beautiful picture of a pot filled with purple flowers. The pot was the top of a grill! It looked like the top had been spray painted.
• Another article discussed zinnias. I bought several packages of Cut and Come Again zinnias last year but I never used them. There's an orange Profusion zinnia that I was thinking of growing and then transplanting in the front of the house. The Profusion series is short and mildew resistant.
• I would like to plant annuals in the front of the daylily bed where I now have coral bells. (I plan on taking out the black plastic edging around the butterfly bush bed and planting the coral bells around the perimeter of the bed.) Perhaps, I will sow zinnia and cosmos seeds in that area.
• The bleeding heart that I planted last spring kept it's leaves all summer. However, the magazine had a great idea how to hide plants that have gone dormant. They laid bricks around the plant and then placed a pot on them. There was enough room to allow air to circulate and for water to get to the roots.
• There was an article about berms that interested Ken. He started to make his berm last year but never finished it. Now he's thinking of making the berm even bigger. He'll use the hostas that are planted in the bed surrounding the tree stump to fill in most of the bed. I wonder if any of the astilbes are still growing in the back by the fence. (I had "discarded" them but they have grown in this area for the last several years.
• Another great idea came from a reader. She uses pipe insulation to cover the metal wires of tomato cages. That way the wire doesn't cut into the tomato branches.

October and November: Where Did The Time Go?

It's the end of November and the weather has been great! The daytime temperatures have been averaging in the 50s and 60s. Amazing.

We cleaned up the vegetable beds in October. Ken dug a lot of mulched leaves in to the tomato bed so that it should be ready to plant in May or June. Next year, I want to put in less tomato plants so that there is more room between them. I would like to plant three 4th of Julys, two Sungolds, two Celebrities and four Golden Tangerines. Also, we definitely need to construct sturdy wire cages to put around the tomatoes.

Ken didn't put any mulched leaves into the other vegetable garden beds but he plans to add them in the spring. He has also decided to plant less hot pepper plants. The Cherry Bomb peppers did not work out this year but that may have been due to the fact that the weather was cooler than normal. Even so, he has decided that he won't plant them again. He did get a great crop of Serrano peppers though.

I ended up planting 80 Darwin hybrid Golden Oxford tulips in the front brick bed. I didn't have a chance to purchase the bulbs until the end of October so the selection wasn't the best. However, they are a beautiful bright yellow color with a tinge of red around the edges. They grow to a height of 20 to 24 inches and flower in midspring. I bought them at Home Depot and they were 25% off of the list price of $9.98 for a pack of 40. I did look at some other nurserys before I purchased these but there were few packs of tulips left and they were not the colors that I was interested in.

We had a arborist come out in October and evaluate the trees in our back yard. He hired the arborist to trim one of the maple trees and to insert a metal bar in the pine tree to prevent further splitting of the trunk. However, Ken decided to cut down one of the maple trees that was in very poor health. With the help a neighbor, he was able to cut it down to a stump. I have plans to use the stump as the base of a bird bath.

It's September!

Actually, it's almost the end of September! I have been so busy during the last four weeks that I haven't had the opportunity to write in this blog. However, a lot of things have been going on in the garden.

The perennial and annual flowering plants are going through their transitions. Some are going strong and others are dying back. Many of the mums are in bloom but even the ones that have not flowered are covered with buds. The two daylillies that I cut back after they bloomed in the summer now have beautiful new healthy foliage. One of them actually rebloomed. Next year, I think that I will do this with all of the daylillies after they flower. That way I won't have to look at their yellowing leaves which really takes away from the vista. Also, the Marguerite daisies have rebloomed after being cut back to the ground. Furthermore, they are now compact and bushy instead of being tall and lanky. Next spring, I will definitely pinch them back before they get too big. There are violas and Purple Wave petunias growing in some of the green pots that contain the Salmon Flambe petunias. That was a surprise! The Autumn Joy sedums are in full bloom and even though they have such heavy flower heads, they are still standing upright instead of sprawling all over the ground.

The hummingbirds have been going crazy feeding in the garden especially at the hanging pots. However, this week most of the hanging pots are looking dismal. Some of it is my fault. I haven't been watering them as much as I should and there hasn't been a lot of rain during the last two weeks. On the other hand, it has been chilly (and on some evenings down right cold) at night. I would like to replace the current flowers in the pots with violas if I have a chance.

Last Saturday, Ken and I pulled out the zucchini plants and most of the tomato plants. Several weeks ago I planted more radishes, carrots and red leaf lettuce. When I was thinning these crops on Saturday, I used the red leaf lettuce as microgreens in a dish. I want to plant more radishes and lettuce this week. I'm being optimistic that the weather won't turn too cold in the next four weeks.

Sun Gold Tomatoes on September 2

Suggestions for the 2010 Vegetable Garden

Our 2009 vegetable garden has been the best one that we have had so far. However, there are definitely some changes that I would like to make for next year's garden.

We definitely need a more dependable method of staking the tomatoes. This year some of the plants are in cages and some of them are attached to wooden stakes. Even though the cages are wide they are only three feet tall so the tops of the plants do not have support. On the other hand, the stakes are only providing support for some of the main branches but the stems of the plants that have large fruit still fall to the ground. Next year, we need to make our own cages out of heavy duty wire and use stakes inside the cages to give additional support to the plants.

Using newspapers covered with cedar mulch in the tomato patch worked out well. There have been very few weeds in the tomato garden and the fruits that are on the ground are not rotting. Also, the plants are disease and pest free.

This year we planted 13 tomatoes (3 Sun Golds, 3 4th of Julys, 2 Celebrities, 2 Lemon Boys, 2 Jubilees and 1 Golden Tangerine). The Sun Golds and 4th of Julys produced early fruits and are still loaded with tomatoes. I would plant the same amount of each of these next year. They really have been great staples for snacking, salads and salsas. The Lemon Boys started to ripen in the middle of August. They fruits are medium sized and healthy but I haven't been bowled over by their flavor this year. They seem to be bland. I'm still debating whether or not I should plant them next year. I'm just beginning to harvest some of the other three types of tomatoes so I'll have to report back on them later.

We had the first batch of green beans last Sunday and they were delicious. I steamed them and added a small amount of butter with salt and pepper. The beans were a perfect size. I'll pick another bunch of them this weekend but this time I'll add sauteed mushrooms. So far the amount of green beans that were planted is working out just fine. Next year, I'll plant a second sowing three weeks after the first so that the harvesting season will be extended.

All five of the zucchini plants are doing well. I noticed that I have two or three more zucchinis that I need to harvest today. I still haven't picked the flowers to stuff because the weather has been either to hot to bake them or raining. However, this weekend the weather is supposed to be sunny and in the low 70s so it would be a good time to prepare this recipe. So far, five plants have been just the right amount.

Next year, I will only plant one large pot of basil (instead of three) and one large pot of parsley. I'll use the long pot that I'm currently growing the parsley in for a second sowing of carrots. The carrots were great this year but I could have used more. I would eat them as fast as I could pull them out of the ground. One thing that I learned is that they need to be thinned well at the beginning of the season and that they become "limp" if they are left in the ground too long past their maturation date.

I want to plant red lettuce next year. I haven't been happy with the salad mixes that I have grown for the past three years. They seem to be heavy on light green lettuces that are very bland.

Yesterday and today have been in the 80s and sunny with a cooling breeze.


Ken is pulling out the weeds in the berm by the street. He has been so frustrated with this area. The grass on one side of the tree looks fine but weeds have invaded the other side. He just finished pulling out the small weeds by hand and digging out the larger ones with a shovel. He is patching these areas with compost and seed.






He will be emptying the second container of potatoes this afternoon. I'm excited to see how many we get from this barrel. We are going to use a few of them to make french fries to go with the hamburgers (with tomatoes and onions from the garden) that we're having for dinner. Tomorrow, I'll pick the first green beans and steam them to go with the grilled vegetable sandwiches that we'll have for dinner. YUM!

The zucchini plants are really beginning to produce. If it's not too hot in the house this evening, I will bake two loaves of zucchini bread. I bought some dried cherries when we were in Traverse City in June to use in the bread instead of raisins. I have several new recipes but I haven't decided which one I'll try first.



The Pinks are still blooming. I've never had this happen before. Also, the coreopsis is putting out new flowers. I think that the mild weather that we are experiencing is definitely having an effect on the perennials. I even saw a flower on the bleeding heart a few days ago. Even though the storm that we had last Sunday broke off several of its branches, it has not died back yet.


Close up of a Pink flower

We've seen the hummingbird feeding at the Million Bells and Blue Victoria salvias the last several days. Also, the butterfly bush has been attracting bees and butterflies including monarchs and swallowtails.

The weather has been very unpredictable lately. Last Saturday it steadily rained until about four o'clock in the afternoon and then cleared up. We really needed the rain so I didn't mind being cooped up inside. On Sunday, it was hot and humid until eight o'clock in the evening. Then we had a terrible storm with extremely high winds and torrential rains. Our power went out and that rarely happens since we have underground cables. Fortunately, it came back on after a few hours. Yesterday and today are pleasant--sunny and in the low 80s.

Most of the perennials are in transition. Either they have finished blooming or they have not yet begun to do so. There are a few Happy Returns daylillies that are beginning to rebloom but the rest of the daylillies are done. On the otherhand, some of the mums are beginning to show color and the two Autumn Joy sedums have huge unopened flowers. In addition, the perennial salvias that I cut back are reflowering and the two that I cut to the ground are beginning to add new foliage.

Rejuvenation of Perennial Salvia

The annuals that looked so puny a few months ago are now in their glory. The Blue Victoria salvias are doing great this year. They have grown tall and thick with beautiful blue flower spikes. The pink begonias are also covered with flowers.

Blue Victoria Salvias

Pink Begonias

The vegetable garden is now producing a ton of tomatoes and zucchinis. Ken made a large batch of salsa Tuesday evening. He used 4th of July tomatoes, Serrano peppers, cherry bomb peppers, onions and parsley. I'm making taco salad with zucchini, parsley, basil and a variety of tomatoes tonight. There are only a few onions left and all of the carrots are gone. I plan on planting more radishes and lettuce when the weather cools off. On the other hand, I should be able to pick green beans this weekend and Ken is planning on harvesting the other container of potatoes.

4th of July Tomatoes

It's August!

Today is the warmest day that we have had in a long time. It's in the high 80s and humid. Not only have the temperatures been cool but it has also been very windy. The leaves on the zucchini plants that are on the south side of the house were facing the same direction after being buffeted by the high winds.

I haven't had any time to work on my flower beds lately so I'm planning on getting out tomorrow so that I can weed, deadhead and fertilize the potted flowers. I have been using the water in the rain barrel to keep the pots wet--it takes about 20 to 30 minutes to water all of them. A few weeks ago, I cut back the salmon Wave petunias and it really made a difference. They are full and lush again.

We have been reaping the harvest from the vegetable garden daily. Last Saturday, Ken emptied out one of the bins containing the Yukon Gold potatoes. There were about a dozen large potatoes and a handful of very small ones. He found a recipe for Swedish potato salad in a current issue of Cook's Illustrated and used some of the large ones to make it. It was really good! However, next time he will add bacon to it.

Yesterday, I made linguine with roasted vegetables and a pesto to spread on french bread. I roasted 4th of July tomatoes, Sun Gold tomatoes, the baby potatoes, zucchini and carrots in the oven at 425 F for 30 minutes. Then I carmelized three small onions. After all of the vegetables were cooked, I mixed them together in a bowl and added two chopped uncooked 4th of July tomatoes. Their juices and the extra virgin olive oil used to roast them created a nice sauce. I then added the vegetables to the cooked linguine and sprinkled each dish with parmesian cheese.

I used a recipe from this month's Organic Gardening to make the pesto. The recipe called for both walnuts and pine nuts. I did make one change to the recipe though. It said to use nine gloves of garlic but I only added five. I love garlic but five cloves were even too much. Next time, I'll use one or two.

Yesterday, was the first time that I picked any zucchini but the plants are loaded with flowers. I thought that I would use some of the zucchinis in recipes such as zucchini bread but I still plan on stuffing the blossoms.

The weather is still in the 70s to mid-80s during the day. However, it has been raining off and on for several days. The plants are responding well to these conditions.

I only have a few onions and carrots left so I need to plant more of each. I figure that the temperatures have been cool enough for the carrot seeds to germinate. The green beans are getting ready to flower and still do not have any insect damage. All of Ken's pepper plants have chiles on them. And best of all, both the 4th of July and Sun Gold tomatoes are ripening. The Sun Gold tomatoes are so delicious that I've been eating them right off the vine. However, I can see that I'm going to get tons of them so soon there will be plenty for other recipes. Last weekend, I picked six of the 4th of July tomatoes and we had tomatoes and grilled onions on our grilled hamburgers. This morning, I picked another load of them so that we can have fresh tomato sandwiches this evening.

It's been raining for several days and that's a good thing! The plants needed a deep soaking and the rain barrel was empty. However, the day time temperatures are still in the low-to-mid 70s and the night time temperatures have been in the 60s. The perennials have been thriving and many seem to be keeping their blooms longer than usual.

The Victoria Blue Salvia and the pink begonias are in full bloom in the large bed. The Salmon Wave petunia is filling in the large pot and is loaded with flowers.

The two Autumn Joy sedums in the large bed are starting to form flowers. Next year, I'll have to pinch them back in late spring and early summer so that they won't form buds so early.

The Sun Gold tomatoes are starting to ripen. In addition, the 4th of July tomatoes are turning red. You can see a tinge of color on them in this photo that was taken yesterday. I'm hoping that I'll be able to pick some of the 4th of July tomatoes this weekend. (Ken says that we should call them "24th of July" tomatoes.) The green beans (foreground) are still healthy with no trace of disease or insect damage.

Both of the butterfly bushes have flowers and are attracting the swallowtails and monarchs. I think that I saw the hummingbird yesterday.

The daylilies are still going strong. I need to make a map of their locations so that when I dig them up and divide them later this fall I'll know which plant is which.

Surprises in the garden include

• coral bells that are still in bloom.


• a toad that I spotted yesterday between our house and our neighbor's house.


• tomato plants that are sprouting up all over. I pulled one out of the basil pot and I just found another in the tomato garden. There is a tall one growing in the compost area. Ken says that he will let it grow to see what happens.
  

The weather was dry and cool this weekend. The forecast calls for rain for the rest of this week. I hope it does rain because we really need the moisture. The grass is turning brown but Livonia is asking the residents to curtail watering.

Saturday, Ken and I spent 3 hours in the garden. I added a water-soluble fertilizer to all of the flower pots. I read an article recently that suggested that Wave petunias should have every other branch pruned back each week in order to keep them from getting leggy. I have been doing this the last few weeks.

The cool weather has not adversely affected the vegetable plants. I picked the first tomato yesterday--a Sun Gold. It tasted divine! There are several other Sun Gold tomatoes beginning to ripen. Even though the other type of tomato plants are loaded with fruit, all of them are still green. When the evening temperatures begin to rise, I should have a ton of tomatoes. I have been collecting lots of recipes lately so that I'll be ready to use them when they do ripen.


I also picked my first carrot on Sunday. I couldn't believe how sweet it was. It tasted like candy. I will definitely plant this variety again next year.


Zuchinni Plant

I think that the Yukon Gold potatoes will be ready to harvest soon. Ken was ready to dig them up on Saturday but I told him to wait another week or so. We did pull up onions to use in several dished though. This variety is very sweet but give off a pungent smell while they are cooking.

I dug up the other three Stella d'Oro daylilies that were in the large back bed. I also had Ken clip two of the Stella d'Oros down to the ground that are in one of the smaller back beds. The leaves were hanging over some of the other flowers. I rearranged the pots and ornaments to distract the eye from this section of the bed. This is the first time I have ever severely cut back a daylily in the middle of the season so I'll be interested in seeing what happens.

Several weeks ago, I cut back one of the white Veronicas that was growing in this same bed. After flowering, it became lanky and the leaves were no long attractive. However, the plant is beginning to grow back and from my past experience I expect it to rebloom latter this summer. I deadheaded another white Veronica but since it still had a pleasing shape, I didn't feel the need to cut it back to the ground.

I also cut back the Marguerite daisies. I love both the flowers and the foliage on this perennial but they were just too floppy! They were laying on top of all of the other flowers and blocking their sun. I'm trying to decide what I am going to do with them next year. I will be digging up and dividing the daylilies so I might put some of the Marguerite daisies between them. The leaves of the daylilies might give them support (especially if I pinch back the daisies in the spring) and add more color after the daylilies are done blooming.


Salmon Flambe Petunia

I have noticed some "surprises" in the garden during the last week. First, I noticed that the mystery plant (see Wednesday, July 1st post) have self-seeded and three or four more plants are beginning to come up. Also, the snapdragons that were planted in the pots in the hosta bed must have self-sown because they are coming up through the cedar mulch. I decided not to pull out the snapdragons. The variety that I planted last year was a very pretty pink and yellow.

It finally rained Wednesday (twice!) but both of the showers only lasted a few minutes so the rain barrel did not accumulate any rain. However, late Thursday night there was a heavy rain that soaked the ground and filled the rain barrel. It still has been cool though. In fact, the weather forecast says that today's low temperature may break records. I feel ambivalent about the chilly weather. On one hand, the low humidity and temperatures make working out in the garden more pleasant but the night-time lows are counterproductive for the tomatoes. Even thought my plants are loaded with green tomatoes, they will not ripen until the night-time temperatures are much warmer.







Transplanted Self-Sown Wave Petunia

The Wave petunias are doing great. One of purple Wave petunias has grown about a foot in less than a week. The self-sown ones that I transplanted from the front bed to pots must have developed a good set of roots because they are rapidly adding leaves and are blooming. The self-sown purple Wave petunias that I lifted from the front bed and then replanted in the same bed are also doing well. A few of them are flowering. I am impressed with the resiliency of these plants. However, I did purchase six more plants to add to the brick bed that is in the front yard.


Only one Wave petunia in this large pot! (See Wednesday, July 1 for previous photo.)

The Stella d'Oro daylilies have finished blooming and the Happy Returns daylilies are almost finished. Some years I get repeat blooms and some years I don't. I dug up and discarded some of the Stella d'Oros that were in the large bed in the back yard and plan on digging up the remaining ones today. I have so many of them in the different flower beds and they were overwhelming. Also, I'm not so fond of the leaves once the plant is done blooming. They become brown and look unappealing.


Burnt-Orange Daylily

Many of the other daylilies have begun to bloom. Some of them I got from my mother so I don't know their names. Others were purchased years ago and the tags are lost.


Deep Red Daylily


Peach Daylily


Pink and Yellow Daylily

Ken has been pulling the green onions to use in his cooking. I should be able to pull some carrots in the next few days. The basil and parsley plants are doing well. The potato leaves are beginning to turn brown which is a sign that they are almost ready to harvest. Yukon Golds take about 90 to 100 days and it has been over 80 days since the tubers were planted.



Greek Spicy Globe Basil


Genovese Basil

The weather has still been mild this week. However, I wish that it would rain. I have used up all of the water in the rain barrel and the flower beds are dry. The daylillies seem to like the weather. The Stella d'Oros and Happy Returns are still in bloom. Several other later types are just beginning to flower.

I thought that I would have all of the major gardening chores done by now (except for the weeding) but I still have some things to do. On Tuesday, Ken and I did some work in the front yard. He weeded under the cherry tree and then layed down landscape fabric with cocoa mulch over it. I did some pruning on the bushes but I still need to go back and cut back a few more branches. Also, I dug up the rest of the purple Wave petunias that had self-sowed in the front bed, separated them and replanted them in the same bed. Even though they did not have much of a root system, I think that they are going to survive. I have been watering them twice a day and I noticed this morning that they are not as wilted as they were after I transplanted them.

The purple Wave petunias that I dug from this are and transplanted to pots are now growing and flowering. I was surprised at how they were to make the transition. I'm developing a great respect for the hardiness of Wave petunias. I decide that next spring I will not be so hesitant to plant them after the danger of frost has passed.

I weeded and finished mulching the bed that stretches the length of the south side of the house. The peppers are really starting to look great. The four zuchinnis that I planted are getting their second set of true leaves. Tuesday evening, I pulled a half dozen of the onions and Ken used them in a breakfast potato dish the next morning. They are sweeter than I thought they would be. I still have a few more sets that I want to plant today in the tomato garden.

Ancho Pepper (July 8, 2009)


Anaheim Pepper (July 8, 2009)


Cherry Bomb Pepper (July 8, 2009)

Serrano Pepper (July 8, 2009)

Tuesday, I finally got around to mulching the pink begonias that surround the mail box. Today, I weeded and mulched the pink begonia bed that is on the north side of the house. The begonias in all of the beds are doing great this year. They are bushy and full of flowers.

This pot is by the front door. Even though the purple Wave petunia is doing well, the pink begonias are starting to take ove the pot. And this is a very big pot!

It's July!

Even though this is the first day of July, you would never know it because the temperature is very cool. The sky has been overcast during the last three days but we have had only a few sprinkles. I was hoping that we would get a good soaking rain so that all of the plants would be thoroughly watered. Also, I have used all of the water in the rain barrel so it needs replenishing.

The cool weather has helped to expand the growing season for some of the early perennials such as the Bleeding Heart (see the picture). There are even a few flowers left on the plant and the foliage is still looking beautiful. The Victoria Blue salvias and the begonias are larger and have more blooms than they usually do at this time of year. The Shasta daisies are now in bloom.

All of the zucchini plants have sprouted. I thinned them to one plant per 3 foot area so there are now five in all. During the last few days, some of the green beans have begun to pop out of the ground. The carrots are also doing well and I look forward to eating them in a few weeks. Also, we will be pulling some of the green onions this weekend to enjoy with the barbequed baby back ribs and the pulled pork.

I bought three of the plants (shown above) last year at English Gardens. Even though all three of them came up this year, I had to dig up and discard one of them because the Obedient Plant had invaded it. However, the other two are beginning to bloom. Both the bronze leaves and spike flowers are very attractive. The only problem is I can't remember what the name of this plant is!That's why I decided to start this blog; it will help me to keep track of the names of the flowers that I buy.

The delphiniums are flowering. I have two different varieties and the second one has not yet begun to bloom but it has a lot of buds.

The blue and pink salvias, yellow Marguerite Daisies and Pink Wave Petunias look very attractive in the other small bed.

The pots of petunias are growing like crazy but they have not become "leggy". This photo shows one of the Purple Wave Petunias that I bought. I also have another one in the large pot by the front porch and it look beautiful. However, the ones that I planted in the large brick bed in the front yard are still small but they finally are starting to get new leaves. I think that they just had to take a while to establish their roots.

I found some Purple Wave Petunias that had self-sown from last year's plants in the bed by the front porch. Last week, I dug some of them up and replanted them in the four pots that I placed in the back of the tomato bed. I've been thoroughly watering each day. At first, they were experiencing transplant shock because they had such thin root systems but they are now beginning to look healthy.



Here's another picture of the Salmon Flambe petunias that I started from seed. I keep trying to capture the amazing color combination of the flowers but I am not having great luck doing so. The fringed flowers have a pink center that is surrounded by a pale yellowish cream edge.