Delosperma ‘Stardust’

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	Ice Plant Delosperma
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	Landscaping Groundcover Containers (it’s a spiller) Rock Gardens
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	Seeds Cuttings Division (early spring every 2 - 3 years)
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	Pest Resistant Disease Resistant Drought & Heat Tolerant Attracts Butterflies
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.

You Like Me!

Thanks so much to Squirrel Queen for the Most Wonderful Favorite award!

It gives me a lot of pleasure to know I'm helping people with my posts. It also gives me hope because I'm not the only lost gardening soul out there :)


The rules:


Deliver this award to eight bloggers who then must choose and deliver the award to eight more and include the following text into the award:


"These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."



Without further ado, please take a minute or two or three to visit:


1. Three Bedroom Bungalow


2. From the North Fork Long Island


3. I Need a Martini Mom


4. Newlyweds Next Door


5. Red Rain Rants


6. The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks


7. The Little Web


8. The Crazy Suburban Mom

Attracting Beneficial Insects

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!

Zinnia

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.

Sorry, I only have pictures of the seeds right now.

I’ll replace with a picture of the real thing once they start popping up.

Uses	Cut Flowers Mid to Rear Flower Garden
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	Attracts Birds Attracts Butterflies Attracts Beneficial Insects (hoverflies & mini parasitic wasps)
Known Issues	Unknown

Albion Strawberries

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	Raised planter beds Container gardens (they don't do as well as in planter beds)
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	Seeds Cuttings (Runners)
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	Attracts Birds Produces Berries Produces Fruit
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.

Crape Myrtle - Razzle Dazzle

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	Dwarf Crape Myrtle Razzle Dazzle Crape Myrtle
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	Mass Planting Border Foundation
Light Requirements	Full Sun Partial Sun
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	Mildew resistant Fall color Drought tolerant once established

I'm The Goofy Gardener

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	Monkey Grass Lily Turf
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	Full Sun Partial Sun (preferred) Partial Shade (preferred)
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

Privacy Policy

What information do we collect?

We collect information from you when you register on our site, place an order, subscribe to our newsletter, respond to a survey, fill out a form or subscribe to our feed.

When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your: e-mail address. You may, however, visit our site anonymously.

Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on your site.
Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to your users based on their visit to your sites and other sites on the Internet.
Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy..

What do we use your information for?

Any of the information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways:


• To administer a contest, promotion, survey or other site feature


• To send periodic emails

The email address you provide for order processing, will only be used to send you information and updates pertaining to your order.

If you decide to opt-in to our mailing list, you will receive emails that may include company news, updates, related product or service information, etc.

Note: If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, we include detailed unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email.



How do we protect your information?

We offer the use of a secure server. All supplied sensitive/credit information is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and then encrypted into our Payment gateway providers database only to be accessible by those authorized with special access rights to such systems, and are required to�keep the information confidential.

After a transaction, your private information (credit cards, social security numbers, financials, etc.) will not be stored on our servers.

Do we use cookies?

Yes (Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computers hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the sites or service providers systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information

We use cookies to compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future.

Do we disclose any information to outside parties?

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others rights, property, or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

Third party links

Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services on our website. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.

California Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance

Because we value your privacy we have taken the necessary precautions to be in compliance with the California Online Privacy Protection Act. We therefore will not distribute your personal information to outside parties without your consent.

Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance

We are in compliance with the requirements of COPPA (Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act), we do not collect any information from anyone under 13 years of age. Our website, products and services are all directed to people who are at least 13 years old or older.

Online Privacy Policy Only

This online privacy policy applies only to information collected through our website and not to information collected offline.

Terms and Conditions

Please also visit our Terms and Conditions section establishing the use, disclaimers, and limitations of liability governing the use of our website at http://www.goofygardener.blogspot.com

Your Consent

By using our site, you consent to our web site privacy policy.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will update the Privacy Policy modification date below.

This policy was last modified on 6/25/2009

http://goofygardener.blogspot.com/2000/05/contact.html

Privacy Policy Created by Free Privacy Policy

Copyright

Just a reminder that everything you read and see on this site is either original content or content used with the express permission of the content owner.

Copying content from this site without express permission from the author is an infringement of copyright laws.

Click the link below to see an article that explains the basics of copyright law: http://www.dailyblogtips.com/copyright-law-12-dos-and-donts/

If you're not sure what is covered under copyright and what is not, it is better to error on the side of caution and get permission regardless.

Subscribe

Subscribe to get the most recent updates and posts (who would want to miss?)


In a Reader:
Subscribe in a reader


Or Via E-Mail:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Contact