This is one of my favorite flowering plants. When we were at the nursery pointing out our landscaping preferences, this little beauty grabbed my attention. When it first begins to flower, a pale green balloon appears at the end of the stem. It eventually turns to purple and then bursts open into the star shape seen in the photograph below. To see the balloon and the other anomalies with one of my plants, stop by my photography blog – just click the “Picture This” tab at the top of the page.
Without further ado, I present the Balloon Flower
| Category | Perennial |
| Common Name |
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| Formal Name | Platycodon grandiflorus |
| Description | This heavy bloomer gets its name from the way each flower bud swells before its starry petals unfold. As one of the easiest perennials to grow, they bloom in profusion in mid to late summer, when many other perennials are beginning to fade. |
| Uses |
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| Light Requirements |
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| Soil Requirements | Well drained, slightly acidic |
| Water Requirements | Moderate drought conditions are ok, but deep watering is preferred. |
| Height | 12” – up to 36” Generally smaller than 36” |
| Spread | 12” |
| Growing Zone | 3 – 8 |
| Manicuring or Pruning | Remove dead branches in early spring. Balloon flowers are late bloomers, coming up long after most other perennials have begun growing. It is best to mark their position so you do not accidentally pull them out as weeds. Pick dead flowers as they begin to fade to encourage more blooms. Be careful about it as the next bloom is coming in right behind it. |
| Fertilization | Slow-release in the Spring |
| Growth Cycle | Late Spring through frost |
| Bloom Time | Early summer through the next two months after the first blooms appear |
| Bloom Color | Purple (most common), White, Pink |
| Propagation |
|
| Maintenance Level | Low |
| Special Features | Drought tolerant once established |
| Known Issues | Generally pest-free & easy to grow |
| Planting Instructions | From seed: Press lightly into soil, but do not cover. From cuttings: Immediately plant in a good potting medium. |
When I first came across this little beauty, I thought that I should dig up the lilac I have and plant this one instead. The nursery that put in our landscaping didn’t give me a real detailed layout. It said something like this:
There are a zillion varieties of lilac out there, even in the dwarf category. After this weekend, I’m starting to wonder if we actually do have a Josee Lilac. The
Josee Lilac was the first REBLOOMING lilac I had ever come across. That the thing about lilacs, when they bloom, they are gorgeous! After a week or two, the blooms fade and you are left with a pretty shrub, but no more flowers – until the next spring.
Anyway, so I was shocked this weekend when I saw blooms out on my lilac bush. It’s July!!!!
| Category | Deciduous Shrub |
| Common Name | Josee Reblooming Lilac |
| Formal Name | Syringa Josee |
| Description | This dwarf lilac is a gorgeous rebloomer. It will put out 4” – 5” shoots filled with trumpet shaped flowers intermittently summer through fall. A perfect hedge or stand alone shrub worth looking at. |
The first picture is a stock photo of a Josee Lilac. The second picture is of my lilac.
| Uses |
|
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Soil Requirements | Well drained |
| Water Requirements | Average watering needs |
| Height | 4’ – 6’ |
| Spread | 4’ – 5’ |
| Growing Zone | 2 - 9 |
| Manicuring or Pruning | For shape – I’d let it go natural by only pruning the wild branches. As with all lilacs, only prune right after flowering as the seeds form on old wood. If you prune them much later, you could cut off next year’s flowers. That said, lilacs have to be pruned occasionally in order to promote blooming at all. If the wood gets too old, it won’t bloom. It’s a delicate balance. It has been suggested that you prune about a third of the branches down to the ground each year for three years. In theory, you would be removing the oldest branches each year and thus at the end of three years, would have a completely regenerated plant. This will promote the best chance at flowering each year. |
| Fertilization | They don’t need much, but use something low in nitrogen. Nitrogen is good for foliage, but not as much for blooming. |
| Growth Cycle | Moderate to fast growth |
| Bloom Time | Summer through frost – intermittent |
| Bloom Color | Lavenderish-pink |
| Propagation |
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| Maintenance Level | Low |
| Special Features |
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| Known Issues | This is a hybrid so it is most likely bred to resist most diseases. It can be susceptible to a powdery mildew – generally if it gets too much water. |
| Planting Instructions | Plant in the spring or fall about 5’ apart. Dig a hole as deep as and twice as wide as the root ball. After placing the plant, back-fill about halfway with soil. Water well to remove any air pockets. After water has drained, finish filling in, and water again. |
We have some of these growing in the garden.
They are starting to get big enough that I need to go back and add a trellis for them to climb on. We really should have put one in when we planted the seeds because now we need to work it in amongst all the plants already growing up. And it’s gotten really hot here so we don’t want to spend a lot of time outside unless it’s next to a pool – working around all the leaves & branches of the other plants takes a little bit of time.
I remember growing these when I was a kid. I’m not sure any ever made it into the house. We’d be in the back yard playing and get hungry. Over to the garden we’d go to the garden an pull up a carrot, pick some peas, or swipe some other yummy goodness and wash it off in the sprinkler. A backyard garden is a win-win – parents get kids to eat health snacks & kids don’t have to take time out of playing to trudge inside for something to eat.
| Category | Vegetable |
| Common Name |
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| Formal Name | type formal name here |
| Description | This pea was developed by the University or Oregon to produce an abundant crop of 4” pea pods. |
| Uses |
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| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Soil Requirements | Rich, nicely composted |
| Water Requirements | Average |
| Height | 30” – 36” |
| Spread | Rows should be at least 12” – 18” apart although 24” apart is ideal. |
| Growing Zone | Will perform anywhere soil maintains a temperature of 50 degrees or more. |
| Harvesting | Harvest about 68 days after sowing when pods are just getting firm. As long as there are at least 68 days until frost, a second crop may be sown and harvested in the fall. |
| Fertilization | As long as seeds are planted in decent soil, supplementing fertilizer about one week after planting should be sufficient |
| Growth Cycle | Germination in 1 to 2 weeks; ready for harvest in 60 – 70 days. |
| Bloom Time | NA |
| Bloom Color | NA |
| Propagation | Seeds (dried peas) |
| Maintenance Level | Low |
| Special Features |
|
| Known Issues | Will likely stop producing one the temperatures consistently reach 80 degrees or higher. |
| Planting Instructions | Sow directly in garden about 2” below soil level and cover with garden soil. Plant six inches apart in rows. A trellis will help this vine-y plant grow to its fullest potential – only one is necessary for every two rows. |
I just found something pretty nifty, and I want to share with all of you.
I started this gardening blog at first just to get my personal plant research written down somewhere. Then, I started my garden at the Pleasantville farm (which is 100% organic) and have come to realize how important it is to preserve, and in many cases, get back to the natural order of things.
I'm not going to stop using deodorant or anything like that, and I believe there is a really strong case for many man created things (modern medicine like epidurals included), but there are some things even the least environmentally conscious of us can do.
Reduce Footprints issues a challenge each week. This week, the challenge is to avoid plastic shopping bags. Please click on the picture above to see the specifics on the challenge. I'll post a link every week and let you know whether or not I'll be participating. I at least want you to know whether I'm being a hypocrite or not before you elect to be part of the challenge :)
Since I just bought a re-usable shopping bag from Aldi yesterday, I am going to try meeting the challenge!
We had our first harvest!!!!!
We hadn’t been up to the Pleasantville farm for at least a week and a half because it’s been raining so much. I figured I didn’t need to check on everything because they were getting plenty of water.
I was right because the plants are getting huge. One in particular, our radishes. We actually lost some because they got too big and burst open. Apparently, you’re supposed to pull them when the red part of the plant starts to come out of the ground. Oops, that was happening last time we checked in.
Oh well, lesson learned.
In now present, the Cherry Belle Radish
| Category | Vegetable |
| Common Name | Radish |
| Formal Name | Raphanus sativus |
| Description | A salad garden standard, this tasty red radish is tolerant of poor soils. It is also resistant to pithiness, even in hot weather. Note: Pithiness is when the center gets all spongy – took me awhile to figure this out so I thought I’d share. |
| Uses |
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| Light Requirements |
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| Soil Requirements | Prefers moderately fertile soil enriched with compost. Will perform in poor soil. |
| Water Requirements | Regular watering |
| Height | 1-2” root |
| Spread | 1-2” |
| Growing Zone | Annual so it can planted anywhere the soil gets to at least 45 – 70 degrees. Prefers a slightly cooler climate. |
| Harvesting | Harvest when bulbs begin to form and show color. The longer they are in the ground, the hotter they will get. |
| Fertilization | Fertilize one week after planting. |
| Growth Cycle | Ready to harvest in 20 – 30 days. |
| Bloom Time | NA |
| Bloom Color | NA |
| Propagation | Seeds |
| Maintenance Level | Low |
| Special Features | Fast growing |
| Known Issues | I don’t know of any |
| Planting Instructions | Direct sow at 1/2” soil depth. For a steady harvest, plant desired amount every 2-3 weeks. |
Here are some other pictures:
| Category | Perennial |
| Common Name |
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| Formal Name | Lewisia cotyledon-hybrid 'Regenbogen' (Rainbow) |
| Description | This little evergreen is a compact, heavy bloomer. Star shaped flowers bloom for several weeks upon succulent foliage that has a rosette appearance. |
| Uses |
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| Light Requirements |
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| Soil Requirements | Well drained is a must. Gritty and sandy is good. |
| Water Requirements | This is a succulent so it is drought tolerant. Do not let it sit in water or it will get root rot. |
| Height | 8” – 10” |
| Spread | 10” – 12” |
| Growing Zone | 5 - 8 |
| Manicuring or Pruning | No pruning, but dead-heading will promote continuous blooming. |
| Fertilization | Once a year with slow release fertilizer. |
| Growth Cycle | Slow to moderate growth rate. |
| Bloom Time | Early to late spring |
| Bloom Color | Pink, Purple, White, Orange & Yellow |
| Propagation | Seeds |
| Maintenance Level | Low |
| Special Features |
|
| Known Issues | Sharp drainage a must. Susceptible to root rot is it is watered too much. |
| Planting Instructions | Plant in sandy, gritty soil with the crowns high to help prevent root rot. If planting from seed, the seeds do need to be frozen at some point in order for them to grow. It is suggested that an entire seed packet be planted in one hole 3/8” below surface in a pot (let it winterize). Leave in the pot for an entire season. The next year, the sprouts can be separated and planted individually 8” – 12” apart. |
I didn’t plant any petunias this spring. I can’t stand the amount of maintenance they require!
When you deadhead petunias, they leave behind a sticky substance on your fingers. I inevitably wipe it on my pants. Did I mention I do most of my quick plant maintenance right before I leave for work in the morning?
Along the lines of deadheading, petunias require so much pinching – DAILY – in order to get a bushy flowering plant. If you don’t pinch, you end up with stringy vines with sparse flowers – very unattractive.
It was a little bit of a bummer having to wait a bit longer to plant my annuals, but it was worth it to avoid the summer long aggravation.
In order to remedy this problem for next year I’ve decided to plant Stardust Ice Plant. It blooms early and requires almost no maintenance. I don’t even have to plant it each year – it’s a perennial!
I now present, Delosperma ‘Stardust’
| Category | Perennial |
| Common Name |
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| Formal Name | Delosperma floribunda ‘Stardust’ |
| Description | A really cute plant with 2” purple blooms with white centers growing on dark green, succulent foliage. This drought tolerant ground cover is great for those dry areas of your landscaping. A hardy plant with blooms from spring to frost make this a beautiful addition. |
| Uses |
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| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Soil Requirements | Tolerates almost all types of soil. Sandy, clay, loamy – it doesn’t care! |
| Water Requirements | From dry to moist & well-drained. |
| Height | About 6” |
| Spread | About 12” |
| Growing Zone | 5 – 8 |
| Manicuring or Pruning | Cut back the dead stuff from the prior year in the spring. Otherwise, leave it alone. |
| Fertilization | Early spring, then again in mid summer |
| Growth Cycle | Spring to frost. Semi-evergreen in very mild climates. Perennial that remains healthy with occasional division. |
| Bloom Time | Early spring thru frost |
| Bloom Color | Purple with white centers |
| Propagation |
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| Maintenance Level | Low maintenance. Baby it in the first year by making sure it has a good amount of water and fertilizer in order to get it well established. Subsequent years require almost no maintenance. That’s my kind of plant! |
| Special Features |
|
| Known Issues | Unknown |
| Planting Instructions | Surface sow seeds in moist soil. Germination will occur after about two weeks as long as the temperature remains above 65 degrees. Can be transplanted to 3” pots until they are ready to be planted directly in the ground. Plant 12” to 15” apart. |
I recently planted Zinnias in my garden to attract some beneficial insects to our garden plot at the Pleasantville farm. And, as promised, I’ve put together a table listing the pests and the flowers that attract insects to combat them.
If you see any of the five insects below, let them live.
These are the good guys!
Let the Garden Wars begin!
Now, there are plenty of other pests that flowers just aren’t going to attract the right insects to kill them off.
In a lot of cases, there are these nifty, microscopic worms that can take care of them. They are called Beneficial Nematodes. They occur naturally and are not harmful to humans, pets or plants, but sometimes you need an infusion of them so you can place an order with www.planetnatural.com (it is sold by the pint so I’m thinking it’s a liquid spray).
Beneficial Nematodes are known for going to war against:
Ants, Beetles, Japanese Beetles, Black Fly Larvae, Billbugs, Cabbage Worms, Cinch Bugs, Cranberry Girdler, Fleas, Flies, Fungus Gnats, Gail Gnats, Grubs, Loopers, Mole Cricket, Mormon Cricket, Saw Flies, Sod Webworms, Soil Swelling Pests, Squash Bugs, Boll Weevil, Root Weevil, Vine Weevil, White Grubs, and hundreds of others.
I can’t guarantee planting flowers or spraying nematodes all over your yard will get rid of all the pests, but at least you’re trying!
Good luck!
We started our garden at the Pleasantville Farm! Thus far, we’ve selected lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, basil, oregano & strawberries. They didn’t have the Albion strawberries I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, but a strawberry plant of any kind is ok in our book.
“Beneficial” flowers are recommended in a vegetable garden. What the heck is a beneficial flower, you ask?
Beneficial flowers attract beneficial insects. Such insects are ladybugs, lacewings, mini wasps (not the paper wasps everyone is afraid of), etc. These bugs either pollinate or take care of other garden pests.
Diane’s Seeds has some great descriptions of what flowers attract what kind of beneficial insect. Where as, Garden Insects tells you what insect you need for a type of pest. I was going to suggest you use the two together to come up with a cross reference, but how about I put together a cross reference for my next post? I like you guys, so I’ll do that for you.
Not all flowers are allowed according to the agreement we signed when renting our plot. Anything invasive was out and typical bedding plants (petunias, geraniums, begonias) don’t necessarily attract the right insects.
To be quick about it, I choose a flower I knew I liked. I was buying a package of seeds and I didn’t need that many for the bed (only 10% beneficial flower plantings are allowed). So I wanted to pick something I would be willing to plant in the landscaping and/or containers at home too.
Without further ado, I present, Zinnias
| Category | Annual |
| Common Name | Zinnia |
| Formal Name | Zinnia elegans |
| Description | This easy-to-grow annual is an all-time garden favorite. Zinnias generally bloom profusely throughout the entire summer until fall. |
I’ll replace with a picture of the real thing once they start popping up.
| Uses |
|
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Soil Requirements | Thrives in a wide variety of soils |
| Water Requirements | Moderate watering until maturity (allow surface to dry between waterings) |
| Height | 3’ – 5’ |
| Spread | 9” – 12” |
| Growing Zone | 3 – 10 |
| Manicuring or Pruning | Excellent cut flowers – cut just before peak of bloom. Cut individual stems after flower fades. |
| Fertilization | Minimal fertilization required |
| Growth Cycle | Annual |
| Bloom Time | Late summer to early fall |
| Bloom Color | Orange, Yellow, Pink, White, Red |
| Propagation | Seeds |
| Maintenance Level | Low |
| Special Features |
|
| Known Issues | Unknown |
So, we went to the Pleasantville farm this past Saturday. It's pretty cool to live in a town with an organic farm less than a 1/2 mile from our home.
They are renting out planting beds for a pretty good price. Our yard consists of 4.5' X 108' on either side of our house. The 20X14 courtyard is completely patio'd over. We don't have room for a garden.
We're going to rent a 39" X 24' bed for $200 a year and it includes irrigation and a community shed with tools. Compared to other places in the area this is a really good deal and we can't beat the convenience. The closest place we'd be able to rent a bed otherwise is at least 25 minutes away.
Since we love strawberries, we've decided it's a plant we definitely want in our beds. More to come as we decide on other plants.
I now present, The Albion Strawberry
Category | Edible Fruit |
| Common Name | Albion Strawberry |
| Formal Name | Fragaria X ananassa cv. Albion |
| Description | This neutral bearing strawberry plant provides a continuous supply of strawberries throughout the growing season. It is resistant to root rot and Verticilbium wilt. This strawberry is distinguished by its long, conical & symmetrical shape. It is known for being a firm fruit with excellent flavor. |
| Uses |
|
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Soil Requirements | Loose & loamy; Slightly acidic (pH of 6 - 6.5) |
| Water Requirements | 1" of water per week (drip system preferable) |
| Height | 6.5 to 8.5 inches |
| Spread | 12 inches |
| Growing Zone | 3-ish year perennial through zone 5 |
| Manicuring or Pruning | Prune the runners in the first part of the growing season (These can be put in pots to root & re-plant later). Pinch the first flowers to encourage leaf growth which leads to more fruit. |
| Fertilization | Top quality compost encourages beneficial bacteria & earthworms. Fertilization beyond this is generally unnecessary. |
| Growth Cycle | Begins to fruit in June and should continue through Fall. |
| Bloom Time | Flowers shortly before first fruit |
| Bloom Color | White |
| Propagation |
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| Maintenance Level | Constant weeding is necessary as the shallow root system does nothing to compete with weeds. Weeds can be minimized by mulching and/or straw. |
| Special Features |
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| Known Issues | Birds love the berries and will pick them off faster than you can unless you take measures to scare the birds away. This can be done with flash tape or by simply putting bird netting over the top (recommended). Fruit will rot when it ripens in contact with the ground because of excess moisture. Straw will help prevent the fruit from touching the ground and act as a protection from the excess moisture. Slugs & snails are attracted to the plants. Keep them away with traps or copper strip barriers. |
I'm partial to plants that stay somewhat small. I'm also partial to lots of color. My front landscape is a sea of reddish-pink, purples, & yellows. If a plant's main feature is that it stays green, it's not in my landscape.
The Razzle Dazzle series of crape myrtle is perfect for me. Not only does it stay fairly small at 3' to 5' tall and wide, it has a lot of color. In the spring, the leaves appear first as a reddish color, mature to green & finally turns back to a deep burgundy in fall. The flowers bloom just as I'm getting bored with the green and contrast very nicely. Even after the leaves drop, it is still pretty because the branches have a nice red color instead of muddy brown.
And yes, I know you could spell "Crape" as "Crepe". I've seen it both ways and I decided to stay consistant by just going with "Crape", so don't give me any "Crap".
I now present the Razzle Dazzle Crape Myrtle
| Category | Deciduous Shrub |
| Common Name |
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| Formal Name | Lagerstroemia |
| Description | This is a compact mounding shrub - typicially called a dwarf. It has showy summer flowers, leaves that turns deep orange to red in fall, and a bark that looks nice after the leaves drop for the winter. |
| Uses |
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| Light Requirements |
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| Soil Requirements | Well drained; Semi-moist |
| Water Requirements | type water requirements here |
| Height | 3' to 5' |
| Spread | 3' to 5' |
| Growing Zone | 6 - 9 |
| Manicuring or Pruning | Dead head spent flowers to encourage new blooms; prune away "wild" branches, but allow the shrub to take on a natural shape. Prune in late winter/early spring. |
| Fertilization | Fertilize in the spring when new growth appears. A general purpose fertilizer is all that is necessary. |
| Growth Cycle | New growth will appear mid-spring. Flowers show up mid summer and will bloom thru fall. |
| Bloom Time | Mid-spring thru fall (with dead heading) |
| Bloom Color | Red, Pink, or White |
| Propagation | Go to the nursery & buy a new one? |
| Maintenance Level | Fairly low, especially once established. Faithful dead heading throughout the summer, minimal pruning in late winter & once a year fertilizing in spring will keep your shrub beautiful. |
| Special Features |
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Welcome to my new blog!
I want to have a nice garden like those I see in the neighborhood. I'm petrified I'm going to plant something that is going to overtake the entire landscaping bed - either by being a "creeper" or it will just grow up huge and block all the other plants.
Also, I can't seem to find all the information I'm interested in on any one site. I figured I'd use this blog as a place to combine and present all my research and acquire tips from more experienced gardeners.
I also like to tell stories so it won't all be this is this and that is that. As it says over in my sidebar, I will also share my success stories and my adventures. If you've read my other blog (http://www.lifemakesmelaugh.blogspot.com/), you will get a good taste of my sense of humor. I'm sure I'll have just as many stories about my gardening adventures.
Here's my first "plant" entry:
| Category | Grass |
| Common Name |
|
| Formal Name | Liriope Muscari |
| Description | The muscari species appears as a grasslike clump, which can either be solid green or verigated (my preference). In late summer, stalks of showy flowers begin to appear with berries following. |
| Uses | Edging in planting beds & walk-ways |
| Light Requirements |
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| Soil Requirements | Well drained |
| Water Requirements | Regular watering is necessary |
| Height | 12 to 18 inches |
| Spread | about 12 inches |
| Growing Zone | 5+ |
| Manicuring or Pruning | Mow or clip plants close to the ground in early spring before the first new sprouts appear. |
| Fertilization | Does not need regular fertilization |
| Growth Cycle | Can be evergreen in the south. In mid US, shoots begin to appear in April and look pretty nice thru September. That first frost makes the leaves fall flat (like a really bad hair day). |
| Bloom Time | August & September |
| Bloom Color | Stalks of purple, lavender, blue, white or pink |
| Propagation | Divide in early spring |
| Maintenance Level | Low |
| Special Features | Produces Berries |
| Known Issues | Rabbits think it is candy |
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