Summer Gardening Stories

pecies can get too much of a good thing. When foliage or fruit is exposed to excessive sunlight, plant tissue can get a bit of sunburn, generally referred to as sunscald. Sunscald is often exacerbated by high temperature and drought. Sunscald symptoms will appear as yellow or white lesions on foliage and/or fruits. The lesions eventually may turn brown and/or shrivel. Foliage that is commonly affected includes impatiens, hosta, rhododendron, garden beans, peas, peppers and […]

The early arrival of summer’s steamy weather is tough on garden plants and their gardeners. It is really difficult to stay motivated to keep up with garden chores when you’re already dripping with perspiration by 9 a.m.! Although the weeds, insects, diseases and critters don’t seem to have any trouble thriving in this weather, some vegetable crops have trouble producing when under stress. Tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and beans often drop their blossoms […]

Many gardeners, myself included, have had their lovely flowers flattened by hail in recent weeks. Trees and shrubs have had many leaves ripped from the stem, leaving a carpet of drying foliage on the yard and in the house gutters. And it seems that we’re not out of the woods yet, as more storms are predicted in coming days. So what can you do to help plants recover from such damage? The answer depends on […]

Three exciting new vegetables and one cool-season bedding plant were chosen as All America Selections (AAS) 2009, based on superior performance in test gardens throughout the country. Eggplant ‘Gretel’ is a follow up to the 2008 award-winning ‘Hansel.’ ‘Gretel’ is the earliest of the white eggplant, bearing clusters of glossy mini-fruit. The pure white fruit are sweet with tender skin, even if they are allowed to mature beyond the ideal fruit size of 3 to […]

Recent torrential rains have brought about flooded conditions in many gardens and landscapes. As floodwaters recede and folks get about the business of putting homes and lives back together, questions arise as to the safety of produce from flooded gardens, as well as potential damage to landscape plants. The issue of food safety from the garden should not be taken lightly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), if the floodwater contained waste […]

Only three new garden plants were chosen for All America Selections (AAS) 2008, based on superior performance in test gardens all over the country. Osteospermum (a.k.a. cape daisy) ‘Asti White’ is this year’s bedding plant winner, selected for its outstanding bright white 2 – 2.5 inch daisy flowers with blue centers that continue blooming all summer.  The compact plants, reaching up to 20 inches tall and wide, are ideal for container gardens and will tolerate […]

You don’t have to live in the tropics to have a stunning foliage display in your shade garden. Midwest gardeners have a wonderful foliage palette that can fill in areas among other perennials, or even star as the focal point. Of course, everyone thinks of hosta for showy shade-loving foliage, and there are an awesome number of cultivars to choose from. They come in various shades of green and blue and accented with white, cream […]