Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

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Growing and Using Fresh Stevia Leaf

You’ve probably heard rumblings of stevia before. Found in many soft drinks and juices, many people find the taste strange and not at all like sugar. I agree completely with you! When tasting stevia in its white powder or liquid form, I found it to be bitter yet super sweet at the same time, but fresh stevia is different.

Green stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is what I grow in the garden and it is completely different than what you will find in the store. Native to South America, it is a tender perennial herb with serrated leaves that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. The fast-growing plant is easily grown in northern climates as an annual.

How to Grow Stevia

Stevia tastes best when the leaves are young and plants are not allowed to flower.

Stevia can be purchased as plants or can be grown directly from seed in OMRI Listed Black Gold Seedling Mix. Nearly every year I plant stevia seeds, and they always grow into happy, bushy herbs. Keep in mind, they like full sun and require lots of warmth to get growing. Plants can be grown in well-drained pots filled with Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix.

You can plant your seeds in containers or in loose soil that drains well. Start your stevia indoors 8-10 weeks before planting outside or directly sow in the ground during late spring. They need warm soil to get growing.

Stevia plants can grow very large in a season, so space your plants 18 inches apart. Expect them to reach anywhere from 2-3 feet tall. Give them light to moderate water. Too much water will reduce leaf sweetness and can cause root rot. You should also pinch the plant back throughout the year to encourage bushier and stronger growth.

Harvesting Stevia

Fresh leaves can be easily dried in the sun or stems can be hung to dry.

Stevia can overwinter in Zone 8 or above, but I prefer to grow fresh stevia each year as the young plant’s leaves taste the best. During the summer, keep stevia cut back to stop flowering. Once the plant flowers, the leaf flavor is no longer tasty. The good news is, every time you prune it, you get to enjoy some fresh stevia!

You can also choose to dry the stevia by bundling stems together and hanging them to dry in a cool, dark place. At the end of the growing season, you will want to harvest the entire plant to dry. It is also best to harvest the stevia in the morning as that is when it is sweetest.

Using Stevia as a Sugar Replacement

I prefer using stevia to sweeten drinks and tea.

Speaking from experience, going sugar-free is not easy. Stevia is a natural way to get your sweet satisfaction without spiking insulin or causing inflammation. When grown organically in my garden, it feels so much healthier to me than synthetic sugar replacements. With that said, I don’t tend to use it as a complete sugar replacement.

Though many people do use stevia in place of sugar, it has its own unique herby taste that I find similar to sweet green tea, and since it is so much sweeter than sugar, a little goes a long way. I personally favor it for sweetening drinks, but it can also be used to sweeten other things.

How to Use Stevia

Stevia powder is easily used for cooking.

Sweetening up homemade baking, cooking, or drinks naturally is easy with stevia. And, the stevia does not need to be processed. Dried stevia leaf works just fine. Store stevia leaves in Mason jars until you’re ready to use them.

A single leaf in a hot cup of tea will bring a sweet, earthy flavor. You can also grind stevia leaves into a fine powder for baking or cooking. This can be done with a coffee grinder or a blender. I don’t recommend using the powder in drinks unless you want it floating at the top of your coffee–not nice.

The last way to enjoy stevia is by infusing it and using it as a liquid extract. To create the extract, stuff your dried herbs into high-proof drinking alcohol, such as vodka, and let sit for 24-36 hours. Any longer and it will get too bitter. Next strain out the leaves with a cheesecloth.  You can enjoy it like this or heat the liquid to evaporate the alcohol. Be careful, however, as boiling the mixture will affect the flavor. Keep the heat low and evaporate slow. The final infusion can be added to drinks or used for cooking.

The Best Disease-Resistant Roses

Knock Out roses of all colors are everblooming and resist common rose diseases.

Roses are among the most beautiful flowers on the planet, but they are also prone to some of the nastiest foliar diseases as well.  The three worst of these are rose black spot (Diplocarpon rosae), powdery mildew (order Erysiphales), and rose rust (Phragmidium spp.), but new roses are challenging their damage. Many of the largest rose growers and breeders have developed gorgeous disease-resistant roses that are absolutely outstanding.

Most of the finest disease-resistant roses are shrub roses, but there are a few other forms on the list. All these roses bloom from late spring until frost. Here are a few favorites to consider.

Best Disease-Resistant Roses

Shrub Roses

Crazy Love is a beautiful shrub rose bred by Kordes. (Image thanks to Kordes.)

The grandiflora shrub rose Crazy Love™ Sunbelt® (USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9, 5′ x 3′)  has unusual, orange and yellow, cup-shaped flowers that are fully double and very fragrant. It is generally resistant to common foliar diseases of roses and a vigorous nonstop bloomer.

Nicole® (Zones 6-10, 4′ x 3′) is a beautiful floribunda shrub rose that I am buying this year for my front border. It has 4-inch wide blooms that are snow-white with deep rose edges.  The stunning shrub rose is remarkably disease resistant.

Nicole is a remarkably beautiful shrub rose that I will be planting in my garden this year. (Image by Garitzko)

One favorite new yellow-flowered rose is the floribunda shrub rose Golden Fairy Tale® (Zones 5-9, 4′ x 4′). It’s another that I have added to my must-buy list this year. The award-winner has bright golden-yellow double blooms that are very fragrant and flower in abundance. Notable disease resistance makes it an effortless variety for the garden. Think seriously about this one.

The compact floribunda rose, ‘Brilliant Veranda’ (Zones 5-9, 2′ x 3′) is brilliant red and just the right size for a flower-filled veranda, as the name suggests. Its blooms almost glow, and the plants show very good disease resistance.  Plant it in front of beds with taller plants behind it to light up the garden.

Shrub roses in the Knock Out® Series are possibly too familiar, since everywhere I go in my hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, they are planted outside practically every landscaped business front.  But there is a reason for that. The classic Double Knock Out® rose has gorgeous, double, cherry red flowers on shrubby plants that are very tough and easy to maintain. There are many other colors in the series, including those in the shades of yellow, apricot, and pink.

The new flowers of ‘Princess Ann’ are deepest pink, fading to pure rich pink. It is named for Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal. (Image thanks to David Austin Roses)

English garden roses of all kinds are sold at David Austin Roses, the most famous rose-breeding company in the world. David Austin has produced the most beautiful English roses that bloom the whole season through. He also bred for disease resistance and fragrance. I have picked out two of my favorites that you will love forever.

The fragrant ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ (Zones 4-11, 4′ x 3′) is a classic English rose of pale pink that has cupped, double flowers with a dense rosette of petals in the center.  The flowers have a fruity fragrance. The darkest pink ‘Princess Anne’ (Zones 4-11, 4′ x 4′) has highly fragrant clusters of fluffy double flowers that lighten a bit as they get older.  These are held upright over disease-resistant leaves.

At Last® shrub roses are everbloomers with a light, sweet fragrance. (Image thanks to Proven Winners®)

Finally, Proven Winners® has a variety of tough, disease-resistant roses. Of these, At Last® (Zones 5-9, 3′ x 3′) is a fragrant beauty that will bloom nonstop through summer and into fall. The shrubs have glossy foliage and pale amber-orange flowers that are fully double and sweetly fragrant.

Other Roses

From miniatures to climbers, there are many other roses that defy diseases. The disease-resistant hybrid tea rose Gypsy Soul Eleganza® (Zones 5-9, 3.5′ x 2.5′) has deep violet-red flowers with long upright canes that are perfect for cutting long-stemmed roses. Petite Knock Out® (Zones 5-10, 18″) is a brand new miniature rose that has all of the traits of the classic double red Knockout® (mentioned above) but in truly miniature form. The climbing rose ‘Climbing Pinkie‘ (Zones 6-11, 8-12’) is one of the few disease-resistant climbers. The flowers are rose-pink and hang in clusters over the leaves.  It can be trained along a fence or wall, or if you want to be really English, around your front door.

Spring is the best time to plant roses. Feeding the soil and fertilizing your shrubs at planting time will give them a great start. For more details about how to grow and plant shrub roses organically, please watch the video below by my daughter, Jessie.

Can I Use Shredded Paper in the Garden?

“Any suggestions for using shredded paper in my raised beds for vegetables?  I have a home office that produces a lot of shredded paper that I would like to “recycle” if possible.” Question from Glenda of Sewell, New Jersey

Answer: Before putting any paper in the garden, make sure that the ink you use is acceptable for garden use. Almost all printer ink is non-toxic these days, but double-check your ink brand to make sure. Plant-based or soy inks are best.

A good use for shredded white paper in the vegetable garden is as a sub-layer below a straw or a compost layer. Spread the paper over your bed, wet it down, and cover it with straw or compost. It will serve as an extra protective layer to ward off weeds. I always try to find seed-free straw as vegetable-garden mulch.

The paper can also be composted. Mix in organic ingredients, such as grass clippings, vegetable waste from the kitchen, chopped leaves, and granular nitrogen to help the paper break down properly. Compost piles need to be tended, wetted, and turned to facilitate the composting process. (Please click here to learn more about how to compost at home.) Then you can add the compost to your beds to fortify all of your plantings.

I hope that these tips help!

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What Is the Ideal Flower Bed Size?

“Is there a recommended size of a flower bed, specifically the depth, and how much Black Gold soil should be used for a solid grow?” Question from Rob of Colorado Springs Colorado

Answer: The size of your flower bed depends entirely on the space you have, the flowers that you want to plant, and the time you have to care for them.

  1. Space: If you have a front porch that you want to decorate with a front floral border, then it needs to enhance the porch while being wide enough to enable a good mix of flowers of various sizes to be grown. If you have a very small yard, start with a small bed placed in a showy spot, maybe surrounding a mailbox or along a short walkway.
  2. Flowers: Often, gardeners plant flowers at least three rows deep for high impact. If you want roses, you will need to provide enough space for them. If purple coneflowers, flowering sage, and ornamental grasses interest you, then you need to measure and plan for the beds to determine how many plants you will need.
  3. Time: Don’t over-commit. Flower beds need to be weeded, watered, fertilized, and the plants themselves need to be trimmed and deadheaded through the season. Start small if you have never grown flowers before and be sure to research plants before you grow them to make sure you know and can supply their needs.
  4. Planting Bed Height and Depth: When creating flower beds, many gardeners berm the beds a few inches high with added soil and garden amendments, such as Black Gold Garden Soil, and cover with a layer of mulch. (To determine how much amendment or soil to add, please click on our Black Gold Amendment Guide. There is a formula to calculate how much to add to a given bed size.) Berming provides flower beds with a little height and adds distinction. A nicely shaped and planned bed is like creating a beautiful stage for your flowers. It also looks good to edge your beds for a clean look (see the video below).

There are also some excellent free garden-design tools out there for new flower-bed designers. Proven Winners Perfect Pairings is a great one that allows you to choose suites of garden flowers sure to bloom at the same time and look great together.  Their Premium Continuous-Release Fertilizer is also specially designed for flowering plants.

I hope that these tips help.

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Can Wild Mushrooms Poison Vegetable Gardens?

“Are wild mushrooms in my vegetable garden a risk if they just disintegrate? Any risk of poisoning the veggies for eating?” Question from Margaret from Chandler, Arizona

Answer: Some wild mushrooms are certainly poisonous, so I recommend removing the fruits from your lawn and garden if you have pets or small children that might consume them. If you have them in your vegetable garden, then your soil may be too moist. Either way, remove the mushrooms as you see them if you have any concerns. It would be wise to wear gloves while handling them. Expert sources say that the spore loads of toxic mushrooms are typically too low to cause any problems. Still, better safe than sorry.

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What is the Best Soil for Herbs?

 

“What is the best soil to use when planting a container herb garden?” Question from Joanne of Ocala, Florida

Answer: You are in luck! Herbs are some of the easiest plants you can grow, if given the right growing conditions–soil included. Almost all herbs require full sun, fertile soil with good drainage, and average water. Some are perennials (meaning they will survive the winter and grow each year) and others are annuals (meaning they will survive just one growing season and die). All are very easy to harvest. Just clip the leaves as you need them, while being sure to leave enough to keep the plant full and healthy.

Soil for Herbs

At planting time, be sure to give them good soil that holds water well, is porous and fertile and drains well. If planting them in pots, they grow best in Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix, which is approved for organic gardening. Sometimes it helps to add extra Black Gold Perlite for added drainage. If eventually want to grow them in the ground, plant them in a prepared, weed-free garden, and work some Black Gold Garden Compost Blend into the soil to ensure that they perform really well. After your herbs have been initially planted, water them every other day to help them become established. After a couple of weeks, you can water garden-grown plants less unless the ground becomes very dry. Potted herbs will need to be watered every other day or even daily if the weather is very hot and windy. Add a slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of the season to ensure that they grow their best. (Click here for more information about essential culinary herbs.)

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Beautiful, Blooming, Cascading Begonias for Hanging

The Belgian ‘Double Apricot’ pendulous begonia is a showstopper.

By February, I am longing for some beauty when I look out of the window.  It’s the worst month of the year here in the Midwest, with its dead and bleak outdoors. So,  now’s the time I start dreaming of the flower beds and containers for the coming year. This year I plan to focus on cascading Begonias for my shade pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets, and there are several excellent choices.

Cascading begonias are derived from several different species and begonia groups, but all of them have one thing in common, cascading habits and beautiful flowers. The tender plants have succulent foliage and thrive if given regular water, well-drained soil, and season-long fertilization. Here are those that I plan to grow at my own home this year.

Angel-Wing Begonias

‘My Special Angel’ is a new angel wing begonia offered by White Flower Farm. (Image thanks to White Flower Farm)

Angel-wing begonias have both beautiful leaves and flowers. The leaf size depends on the variety, but all of them have a telltale wing shape. They are hybrids of the Brazilian begonia (Begonia aconitifolia) and the Lucerna scarlet begonia (B. coccinea ‘Lucerna’), which were first bred by Eva Kenworthy Gray in 1926. The progeny and descendants have since been called angel wing begonias. Many hundreds of varieties exist today. (Click here for a full account of angel wing begonia history.)

Angel wings are cane-type begonias, which means that they develop tough, almost bamboo-like stems called canes (click here to learn more about cane begonias). Their pretty wing-shaped leaves may be green, bronze, silver, or deep rose, and some are marked with lighted dots or stripes. The flowers appear in clusters over the leaves and come in shades of white, pink, orange, or red. Standard angel wing begonias can become quite tall (4 feet or more), without pruning, and are best reserved for large containers. To prune, cut back any tall or leggy stems at a leaf node.

The new variety called ‘My Special Angel‘ looks especially promising with its pink flower clusters and bold, beautifully speckled leaves. ‘Whimsy‘ is similar but has darker speckled leaves. Expect both to reach between 1 to 3 feet without pruning. Another exceptional variety is the bold, large-leaved, salmon-flowered ‘Snow Cap‘, whose leaves are olive-green and speckled heavily with silver.

Dragon Wing Begonias

Dragon Wing Pink begonias bloom all summer long. (Image by Proven Winners®)

Dragon wing begonias are also cane-types, but they are shorter, more compact, and better for hanging baskets. Most will cascade to 30 inches or less. Their leaves and flowers are equally as showy and diverse but often smaller. I have been wondering what to put in my large shaded baskets, and a dragon wing, such as Proven Winners® Dragon Wing® Red or Dragon Wing® Pink, would be perfect. Each has glossy green leaves and colorful, drooping flower clusters. They will look gorgeous. The plants are self-cleaning and should not require pruning.

Pendulous Tuberous Begonias

Illumination Orange Begonia is very pretty and can be grown from seed.

My favorite cascading begonias are pendulous begonias (Begonia pendula hybrids). They are best known for large, spectacular, single or double flowers, in many shades of red, rose, pink, yellow, ivory, and apricot, which cascade to 15 inches or more. Most reach 8 to 12 inches high. The double flowers look like roses! The plants are so impressive that I have ordered three this year, so my shade containers are going to be all begonias this year. One of the prettiest is the outstanding Belgian hybrid, ‘Double Apricot’. You can also try the beautiful varieties in the Illumination® Series, which can be grown from seed. (Always start begonia seeds as early as January to get them to planting size by May.) Illumination® White and Orange are especially resplendent.

Pendulous begonias are tuberous, so you can most commonly buy them as easy-to-plant tubers or as plants. Often the plants sold at garden centers are small, so you can put three of them in one large basket or pot.

Bolivian Begonias

Santa Cruz® is an exceptional Bolivian begonia variety with orange-red flowers. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)

Hummingbird-pollinated Bolivian begonias (Begonia boliviensis hybrids) have entirely different flowers than most other begonias. Each has five long petals, which form a single elongated flower. The green leaves are narrow and pointed. The stems hang at least 20 inches over the side of the container and can stand 1-3 feet high, depending on the variety. These are most commonly sold as plants, but they may also be purchased as tubers.  Santa Cruz® is an exceptional form with orange-red flowers. Several pretty hybrid mixes with many-colored flowers are also available. This is a small taste of the numerous varieties out there.

Planting Cascading Begonias

Begonias do best in shade but will tolerate partial sun–between 2-4 hours per day. As stated above, these begonias may be tuberous or have fibrous roots. Tubers need to be planted root-side down (often with the hollow-side up) and only 1.5 inches deep.  If small, pink buds are already emerging from the tubers, take care not to damage them, and plant with them facing upwards. Apply a continuous-release fertilizer at planting time. Begonias like organic-rich soil that is well-drained, such as Black Gold Ultra Coir Potting Soil.  Be cautious not to overwater pots because this can lead to tuber or root rot.  You can start growing them indoors to give them a head start for planting outside in late spring.

These begonias have gotten me excited about my potted flower garden plans.  Now I’m really looking forward to spring!

Are Grow Bags Good for Low Desert Gardening?

“I live in the low desert of southern Arizona. The sun and heat are brutal in the summer, which is 6 months long. What are the pros and cons of using grow bag containers in this environment? Doesn’t the black fabric increase the heat in the root zone?” Jacqueline of Casa Grande, Arizona

Answer: I agree that black fabric grow bags would be a poor choice for low-desert gardening. The bags would heat up and lose water in a snap, even if filled with good soil that holds water. If you’re interested in gardening in containers, opt for very thick, light-colored ceramic pots. Light, reflective pottery, or stone, containers will help keep roots cool and hold water in. You might also consider creating raised beds or gardens made with hefty natural stone. Stone holds water very well and stays cool underneath–helping to protect plant roots. Using top-quality water-holding potting soil is also recommending. Both Black Gold Waterhold Cocoblend and Black Gold Natural & Organic Ultra Coir potting soils get top marks for water-holding ability.

If you are interested in vegetable gardening, I suggest that you read our blog about high desert vegetable gardening by Maureen Gilmer. She uses straw bales to protect her vegetables from the high desert heat and drying winds. The method works wonders for her.

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Here some more of our blogs for western gardeners.

What Are the Best Hanging Basket Flowers For the High Desert?

5 Big, Beautiful Wildflowers for Dry Western Gardens

I Need Vegetable Garden Crop Rotation Tips

“I have 4 raised beds, each 16′ x 3.75′ (60 SF ea.) I live in Georgetown, TX Zone 8.  I have attempted to set up the planting plans for each bed for a 4-year rotation.  This spring garden, going in now:

  • Bed 1: Garlic (planted last 11/1), and Kale.  The Kale is still producing, and the garlic will be harvested in June.  The Kale will be replaced with 4 cucumbers (on trellis) and 2 Zucchinis near the end of March.
  • Bed 2: This will have 18 hills of potatoes (planting tomorrow), and 30 stalks of sweet corn (mid-March).
  • Bed 3: Red & White Onions on one side, Lettuces & Arugula in the middlemost section, Shallots on the other side.
  • Bed 4: (had clover growing all winter, which I turned over a few weeks ago), Tomatoes over 2/3rds of Bed, with Sweet Basil going in mid to late March, and one end having carrots (just planted)

I am interested in knowing what to plant in the fall for each bed, and then the following seasons…  I have a document with what I think should work from a rotation and companion standpoint, but I am not sure.  I would really like to dialog with you to understand better the best approach so the beds can be productive throughout the growing seasons.  I hope I have not put too much into this field.” Question from Russ of Georgetown, Texas

Answer: You have a very detailed plan, and it seems like you have everything under control.  Still, as requested, I will try to answer your questions.

Heavy-Feeding Versus Ligh-Feeding Crops

In general, you want to follow up heavy-feeding crops that are disease-prone, like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and corn, with low feeding crops, like greens and small root crops, as well as nitrogen-fortifying legumes, like peas and beans. Heavy feeders should be placed on at least a three-year cycle. Four years is even better! Your clover winter cover crop is an outstanding choice that naturally adds nitrogen to the soil, like its close relatives, beans and peas.

Cool-Season Crops

The growing season can be started and ended with cool-season crops of all kinds. Good fall root crops that like cooler weather include beets, winter carrots, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, and turnips (click here to learn more about growing winter root crops.) Cole crops are also big cool-season vegetables. The best for fall are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, and kale. Finally, cool-season greens and herbs are outstanding for fall, winter, and spring. Try arugula, lettuce, mache, and radicchio as well as parsley, winter savory, thyme, sage, and chives. Peas are an outstanding cool-season crop for late winter or spring down in Texas.

Sometimes it is also nice to clean up and cover vegetable beds with compost for the season and give them a rest.

For more rotation tips, I recommend that you read SPRING TO FALL VEGETABLE ROTATION PLANTING FOR NON-STOP GARDEN PRODUCE.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

 

Winter-Fruiting Trees for Lasting Beauty

‘Winter King’ green hawthorn has persistent fruits that are loved by cedar waxwings.

Now that fall has passed, it is a dismal thing to look out the window and see no color. But, this does not have to be the case if you plant beautiful trees that still offer bright colorful fruits to the garden in winter. The first one everybody thinks of is holly, but there are several more that fit the bill.

American Holly

American holly has a classic holly look and the trees can become very large.

American holly (Ilex opaca, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9) is an eastern native tree that can survive in some shade but grows and looks best in an open area with full sun. The pyramidal tree can reach up to 50-60 feet tall, so find a big place in your yard or garden to plant it.  It has leathery evergreen leaves and bright red berries that turn from green to red in fall that stay on through the winter. A caveat is that it is a dioecious tree, which means that plants have either female or male flowers, never both. That means that both male and female plants are needed to produce fruit. One of the oldest and best varieties is the heavy-fruiting,  ‘Jersey Princess‘, which was bred at Rutgers University. It fruits heavily and has a neat, narrow habit. A good pollinating partner is ‘Jersey Knight‘. Be aware that the leaves are very prickly, so wear thick garden gloves with gauntlet sleeves when handling them.

Yaupon Holly

Smooth-edged leaves and pretty winter berries make this a fine holly tree for southern gardeners.

The more southern sun-loving yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria, Zones 7-9) has smooth-edged leaves and female trees develop copious red berries that remain on the stems through much of winter. It is a native species that naturally exists in open coastal woods from Virginia down to Florida and across to Texas. Wild specimens can reach up to 45 feet high, on rare occasion, but generally do not exceed 25 feet. The golden-berried ‘Anna’s Choice‘ is a lovely female variety reaching 15 feet that bears lots of sunny fruits against its fine, scalloped leaves. ‘Will Flemming‘ is an unusually upright narrow male yaupon holly tree that reaches 12-15 feet. Its spring flowers will pollinate female trees, like ‘Anna’s Choice’.

American Wahoo

American wahoo is a spectacular tree that deserves more attention in landscapes and gardens.

American wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus, Zones 3-10) is a relative of the invasive non-native burning bush (Euonymus alatus), but in fall this non-invasive eastern native shows off exceptional pinkish-red fruits with orange inner seeds as well as purplish-red leaf color. In spring it bears purplish flowers. The multi-stemmed tree can reach up to 20 feet and looks best when planted as specimen trees in a sunny, open lawn. Well-drained, fertile soil is needed. Some stem pruning must be done to encourage an open trunk. Birds love the fruits.

Green Hawthorne

‘Winter King’ offers one of the most spectacular displays of red fruits is any tree.

The green hawthorn (Crataegus viridis, Zones 4-7) is a small native tree that exists across much of the eastern United States. Wild specimens have large thorns up and down stems, so approach this tree with caution.  ‘Winter King’ is an improved variety with spectacular red fruits in winter, profuse white flowers in spring, very few thorns, and silvery bark. The scarlet fruits (called “haws”) resemble very little apples, and technically they are edible, but most gardeners leave them to the birds. (European hawthorns (C. monogyna) are a bit larger and often used to make jams and jellies.) In fall, the leaves turn purple and scarlet, and the brilliant red fruits last well into winter.  ‘Winter King’grows 15 to 20 feet tall, adapts to any kind of well-drained soil and is drought tolerant and disease resistant.

Crabapples

Birds love the jewel-like fruits of crabapples.

There are literally thousands of flowering crabapple varieties. The best flower and fruit beautifully and are very disease-resistant. One that comes highly recommended by my daughter is ‘Prairifire’ (Malus ‘Prairifire’, Zones 4-8), a highly disease-resistant variety first introduced in 1982 and developed by Dr. Daniel Dayton of the University of Illinois. It displays some of the most stunning hot-pink spring blooms against purplish-red spring leaves that turn dark green in summer and bronze-red in fall.  Its fall crabapples turn bright red and are held into winter until birds pick them off. The tree reaches about 20 feet tall, needs full sun, and resistants many foliar diseases that attack crabapples. Plant it in full sun for best growth and flowering.

Click here for a full overview of how to properly plant a tree. Its steps will ensure that any tree you plant will grow beautifully in your landscape. Rich amendments, such as Black Gold Peat Moss and Garden Compost Blend, will ensure their roots will grow deeply in the first year.

Any one of these trees, or all of them, will brighten your winter landscape. I hope this has given you some plants to buy when planning for any garden additions for next season.