Summer Gardening Stories
Help Your Garden Cope with Dry Spell
Dry summers are not unusual in Indiana. In fact, I addressed dry conditions in this column just two years ago. Gardeners struggle hard enough to maintain healthy plants when extreme high temperatures are accompanied by lack of rain. What compounds the stress of this year’s dry weather is that it follows the wild weather extremes experienced earlier this year. March brought unseasonably warm temperatures to lure plants out of dormancy, and then April put the […]
Pomanders Make Fragrant Gifts
Pomanders are easy and fun and make great gifts that bring the scent of the garden indoors to brighten cold winter days. Today, most pomanders are ornaments made of glass, ceramic or fabric filled with a mixture of fragrant herbs and spices. But, originally, pomanders were made from pieces of ambergris, a fragrant, waxy substance passed from the intestine of the sperm whale. The word pomander comes from the French “pommed ‘ ambre, “meaning “apple […]
All-American Selections New Flowers and Vegetables for 2007
Only four new garden plants were chosen for All-America Selections (AAS) 2007, based on superior performance in test gardens all over the country. Celosia ‘Fresh Look Gold’ is so named for the lasting fresh look of the compact, 4-inch golden plumes on 12-inch tall plants. Fresh Look Gold has excellent heat tolerance and requires minimal maintenance to look its best all season. Vinca ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ is the first bicolor vinca to combine a burgundy […]
Stressed Plants May Look Like Early Fall
Many of our landscape plants are under stress from one or more factors this summer, including excessive heat and humidity, insect feeding and disease infection. Some trees are losing leaves already and may be turning color before they drop. This early defoliation is common when plants are under stress, and this season has been quite challenging for many trees, both old and young. The recent intense heat and humidity make it difficult for plants to […]
Bitter Cucumbers A Temporary Problem
If you’ve noticed that your cucumbers are a little (or a lot) bitter lately, don’t give up hope. A little water, mulch and patience will provide relief. Most cucumber plants contain a bitter compound called cucurbitacin, which can be present in the fruit as well as the foliage. Bitterness in cucumbers tends to be more prominent when plants are under stress from low moisture, high temperatures or poor nutrition. For some cucumber eaters, […]
Gladiolus for Summer Flowers
If you’re looking for a versatile cut flower that can be easily grown at home, gladiolus is just the ticket. Gladiolus gets its name from the Latin word “gladius,” meaning sword. Indeed, “glads,” as they are named for short, do produce their large showy blossoms along a long pointed stalk. It’s hard to beat the wide choice of colors that glads offer, including red, pink, yellow, white, purple and lavender. Each flower spike is made […]
Spring Weather Unkind to Tomatoes
If your tomatoes dropped their blossoms instead of setting eagerly awaited fruits, you’re not alone. The weather for the last month or so has been quite inhospitable for tomato fruit set. Most plants have experienced colder temperatures than what is needed for pollination to be successful. In stark contrast, we had a brief period of unseasonably warm weather. Warm-season crops, which include tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers and melons, require temperatures above 55 […]
Foliage That Can Steal The Show
Want to add a little drama to your garden? Need to perk up a shady bed? Big, bold foliage can make a long-season statement! Foliage often provides the bones of the garden, but it can also take center stage with dramatic size, color variegation, texture and shape. Many of the following plants have beautiful flowers, in addition to big, bold foliage. Acanthus spinosus (spiny bears-breeches) features spiny foliage accented by purple or white […]
Summer’s End Signals Bulb Planting Time
If thinking about the end of summer is getting you down, start planning your spring flowering bulb show. Autumn is the time to plant crocus, daffodils, tulips and many other spring bloomers. Spring flowering bulbs are planted in fall to allow them to establish roots before top growth begins in spring. Planting too early may cause the bulbs to sprout this fall, only to be killed back by winter weather. Planting too late may not […]
Dividing Iris
Whether you’re looking to expand your planting of iris or just need to rejuvenate an older planting, late summer through early fall is a good time to lift and divide iris. Dividing every 3-5 years will help rejuvenate the planting and encourage more blossoms for the subsequent years. Most iris plants spread by means of underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes become too crowded over time, resulting in reduced flowering. By lifting and dividing the […]