summer – Page 5 – Black Gold

Gravel Gardens

This gravel garden is creative and bright!

Succulent gardening can break beyond the traditional rock garden model. Take, for example, gravel gardens. These unique garden spaces support most plants that would thrive in a rock garden, but instead of rocks they are bedded in attractive gravel and fast-draining mix.

Establishing Gravel Gardens

A general statement regarding plants for gravel gardens is that as a group they tend to like sunnier and dryer conditions. Once established, they generally require no supplemental water, if they exist in areas with average rainfall. When establishing these gardens, the most crucial element is the soil. Soil preparation to provide quick drainage is the key to healthy and successful gravel gardens and preparation must be done prior to planting.

car with sedum — This whimsical sedum garden is a delight!

An excellent soil amendment is Black Gold Cactus Mix. It provides the fast-draining requirements. In addition, pumice and washed gravel are both stone-based amendments perfect for these gardens. Both increase aeration and drainage, which is critical to successful gravel gardening.

There is a presumption that gravel gardens look dry and sparse and that is certainly not the case. In a recent garden I visited, the pathways were gravel, the beds were lined with rock and there was a wide assortment of colorful low-water plants to give color during the summer. This garden also had a small pond and there was even a rose bed in the background. While this is probably not the typical gravel garden, it provides a good example of the diversity of plants a gardener can incorporate.

wagon with sedums — Sedums cascade from this fallen wheelbarrow garden.

Plants for Gravel Gardens

One of my favorite gravel gardens incorporates a diversity of drought tolerant plants and has a focal point of a beautiful blue ceramic pot to match the blue wall in the background. There is a fountain in front of the blue wall with a Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in the background. To the right and left of the pond are two small olive trees, (Olea europaea ‘Arbequina’), and throughout the area are drought tolerant plants with a blooming Kniphofia in the foreground. This is a wonderful example of how individual gardeners can create their own special space and plant palette.

Succulent plants are familiar to many gardeners. These plants have thick fleshy leaves or stems able to store extra water. Cacti and sedums are two good examples. In many gardens that I visit, sedums are often used in sharply drained, gravelly gardens. The very popular Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is widely planted in gardens throughout the Pacific Northwest and is also a favorite for perennial flower beds. It is a very reliable late summer bloomer, and the flowers are a favorite of honey bees. Hens and chicks, hardy cacti and beautiful sedums, like the unique ‘Touchdown Teak’, are also ideal for these gardens.

Sedum 'Touchdown Teak' is a pretty sedum just perfect for gravel gardens. — Sedum ‘Touchdown Teak’ is a pretty sedum just perfect for gravel gardens.

I love visiting other gardens to see some of the things that gardeners do with succulents and sedums. I have often seen them used in a whimsical sort of way. I think that a garden reflects the gardener, and when I see something whimsical I think this reflects the sense of humor of the gardener. Two recent garden visits bring this to my mind. The first garden contained a miniature car garden with sedums in it. What a perfect centerpiece for a garden party and a low maintenance one too! The second had a wagon filled with sedums that were placed to look as though a child might have just left it. When planting succulents in containers, regardless of whether it is a miniature car or a wagon, I would suggest using Black Gold Cactus Mix exclusively and not mixing it with garden soil.

As I mentioned earlier, with gravel garden plants, drainage is the critical factor. Many plants can even survive colder temperatures than normal if they have good drainage. Experiment and create some new gravel beds with succulent plants, you might be pleasantly surprised at the end result.

Summer Hydrangeas in the Garden and More

The brilliant white flowers of Snow Queen oakleaf hydrangea will brighten any summer garden, day or night. (Photo by Jessie Keith)

It has been a busy summer with many exciting activities! Aside from my normal radio, writing and garden work, there have been garden tours, talks and even contests to take part in. On June 29, my garden was one of five private gardens open for Garden Conservancy Open Garden Days in the Metro Portland Area. The Garden Conservancy is a national organization dedicated to preserving and helping to maintain both public and private gardens throughout the United States. (For example, one of their current ambitious goals is to restore the gardens on Alcatraz Island.) The admission fees collected for their Open Garden Days, $5 per garden entry, go to support their cause. Continue reading “Summer Hydrangeas in the Garden and More”

Bold Summer Bulbs for the Garden

DSC_0143 (2) — Colorful late summer drama provided by bananas, cannas and elephant ears in a private Indiana garden.

Late spring is the perfect tome to add summer bulbs to landscape and container plantings. Why do we wait so late to plant the bulbs, tubers, and corms of various elephant ears, all sorts of lilies, gladiolus, oxalis, dahlias, and everything else deliciously summery from bananas to cannas? It is because in most parts of the United States (especially here in the Southeast) soil temperatures are finally warm enough for tender tropicals, indigenous to Southeast Asia, South America, Africa, Mexico, and Polynesia, to survive and thrive.

Many summer bulbs acclimate well where summers are hot. And where winters are mild they may return even bigger and better the next year, if they are correctly sited in the right spot. But, most are best treated like summertime annuals – enjoy them, then replant more next year. Or dig and store them through winter, if you have the inclination.

So, how do you choose which summer bulbs to plant? It depends on the style of your landscape. A cottage garden would not look the same without drifts of elegant lilies, whereas a tiki hut begs to be surrounded by enormous elephant ears. The colorful leaves and hot flowers of cannas easily crossover from traditional Victorian to modern eclectic gardens. A butterfly garden must have Liatris. And, crinum, spider lilies, four o’clocks, and tuberose belong outside any traditional Southern home.

DSC_0287 (2) — The chartreuse leaves of Xanthosoma ‘Lime Zinger’ brighten a shady corner at Chanticleer Botanical Gardens.

Ornamental Banana

Nothing adds a tropical feel to a poolside like enormous banana leaves swaying back and forth in the gentlest wind. Some bananas are better suited to being containerized, so that they can be protected in wintertime. The cold-hardiest perennial banana for Zone 5-11 landscapes is the hardy banana (Musa basjoo), and one of the most compact is Musa ‘Dwarf Cavendish.’

Plant banana rhizomes in late spring, so that they can get well-established while the soil is warm. Though the entire clump will die back in winter, it will re-emerge even larger in circumference in early May and quickly shoot upwards to top out around 8-10-feet tall. Bananas need as much sun as possible and love humidity. Though you may see a flower on your plant, you probably won’t get fruit unless you reside in the Deep South. A consolation is that you can use banana leaves to wrap and grill meat for your own backyard luau.

Elephant Ears

A dramatic summertime focal point is the tropical elephant ear. This common name has been associated with several species to include Alocasia, Colocasia, and Caladium, as well as many similarly-shaped houseplants, including the chartreuse-leafed Xanthosoma ‘Lime Zinger.’ The thick, bulbiferous stems or bulbs vary some in appearance as does the showy foliage of these plants. Generally, the leaf tips of Alocasia point upwards like they have been lifted by the wind. Those of Colocasia, also known as Taro, appear more heart-shaped, presenting a flatter face with the basal tips pointing towards the ground, with the exception of a few smaller varieties and the enormous, gravity-defying Colocasia gigantea ‘Thailand Giant’. Caladium are much smaller, with very colorful foliage in various patterns in red, white, and/or green.

DSC_0105 (2) — Large elephant ears and cannas happily reside in water-filled pots at Longwood Gardens.

Both Alocasia and Colocasia grow best sited in part shade to full sun and planted in compost-rich, moisture-retaining soil. They also perform especially well in pots. A perfect potting medium for growing elephant ears in containers is Black Gold® Waterhold Cocoblend Potting Soil, which naturally retains water through the power of coir (coconut pith) and sphagnum peat moss. This potting soil is further enriched with beneficial earthworm castings and porous perlite and pumice for optimal growth and aeration.

A tip for success growing Caladium is to plant the bare tubers anywhere you like, from a traditional shady spot in the landscape to sunlit container, allowing them to adapt to their summer location as their leaves develop. They can tolerate being a bit drier in deep shade, but Caladium planted in full sun need constant moisture. They have to be lifted and stored in the fall, if you garden above Zones 10-11. Also, do not plant your Caladium too early in the cool spring soil, or they may rot.

Cannas

Cannas must be applauded, while we are covering big-leaved plants. These bold perennials grow in blazing heat with theatrical upright leaves ranging from two to ten feet tall and ever-blooming flowers from pastel pink, white, and bright yellow, to rich apricot, hot orange, and blood-red. Again, rich soil, consistent moisture, and sunlight are preferred by Cannas, with the exception of the white variegated-leaved ‘Stuttgart’, which grows best in part shade.

Calla Lilies

A favorite flower of summer brides, the calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.) is not a true lily but a member of the Araceae. Grow solid green-leaved callas in moist sites in the garden, in containers filled with water-retaining potting mix, or sunk directly into a water garden. Variegated-leaved varieties prefer somewhat drier locations.

Rain Lilies

Rain lilies (Zephyranthes) are late-summer delights. Native to the arid Southwest, from Texas to Colombia, these low starry flowers burst into bloom almost overnight after a good soaking rain. Rain lilies will easily colonize an area when planted in full sun and well-drained soils.

IMG_0505 (2) — Calla lilies remain lovely for an extended period in both the garden and floral arrangements.

Spider Lily

A similar event occurs with the red spider lily (Lycoris radiata), aka the surprise lily or more aptly named hurricane lily. A globe-shaped cluster of shiny red blooms emerges on a bare stalk after a hard rain around the first of September, which coincides with the peak of hurricane season. After flowering, its broad, deep green leaves emerge to grace your garden through the entire winter. This bulb wants well-drained soil and lots of sunlight.

Lilies

Depicted in ancient art, stylized in woven tapestries, and still gracing our homes and altars, lilies (Lilium spp.) are beloved for their recognizable, open, six-petaled flowers and intensely sweet fragrance. True cultivated lilies are grouped by type, Asiatics, orientals, martagons and trumpets among others, which can be extremely confusing to distinguish. (A good reference can be found at The North American Lily Society website.) Lilies are long-lived perennials that prefer to grow in full sun to part shade, again in extremely well-drained soils with adequate moisture.

A lily planting secret that was shared with me by Becky Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, is to plant lily bulbs on their sides. Due to their open, layered bulbs (reminiscent of a blooming onion at your favorite steak house), lilies may trap water in-between their layers in the wintertime, which can cause rot. This unusual side-planting method does not harm the way lilies grow and works well in both garden beds and containers.

This article offers just a quick sampling of the many marvelous summer bulbs available. To learn more about the wide variety of summer bulbs that may be perfect for your garden, check out the Brent and Becky’s Bulbs website. Tony Avent’s Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina is another good source. Or just go local, and visit your favorite local garden center.

Mexican Truffles or Huitlacoche

In polite company it’s called the Mexican truffle, but in the American corn belt it’s nothing but common smut (Ustilago maydis). In fact, the USDA has been trying to eradicate it for a century. If you have ever seen a smut infested ear of corn, you’d know why this bizarre sooty looking fungus freaks people out. No doubt backyard gardeners in the Midwest will see it often during rainy summers because the fungus thrives in warm, wet weather.

Huitlacoche

But, in other cultures the fungus is cherished like a select and delicious mushroom truffle. First appreciated by the Aztecs, the Mexican truffle was incorporated into many of their ancient dishes and named huitlacoche (wee-tlah-KOH-cheh). The translation from the Nahuatl language is “crow excrement”, which describes its unsavory appearance. Despite odd looks, this flavorful food is still a big part of Mexican cuisine today. It’s integrated into tamales and soups, or fresh puffed up kernels, called “galls”, are boiled for ten minutes then sautéed until crispy in butter. Cans of the fungus are commonly sold in indigenous marketplaces. Fresh ears can be found in summertime and are easily preserved by freezing.

Harvesting Huitlacoche

The traditional time to harvest Mexican truffles is when the infected kernels are puffy and white in their early state. At this time they are like mushrooms before their gills open. Some say they should be as soft as a freshly ripened pear. At peak the flavor is described as sweet corn and smoke. Waiting too long results in a truly smutty flavor because the kernal insides turn from delicious white flesh to masses of black spores. When sporulating kernels split open the spores are released traveling on the wind to nearby corn plants or soil. In the soil they can remain viable for up to three years.

In the wet central highlands of Mexico and Guatemala, small farmers search their crops during the rainy season for signs of the developing fungus. Infected ears are relished in home cooking and add to the sparse early season diet. Early collection of infected ears probably protects later crops from smut infestations as well. It’s profitable too. Farmers sell excess ears at fifty times what a standard ear of corn costs. In the markets of Mexico City over 100 tons of Mexican truffle are sold each season.

Huitlacoche Gains Popularity

An infected ear just beginning to produce smutty kernals.

Interest in pre-Hispanic ingredients has risen among those in the organic gourmet world. One famous dinner held in 1989 by the James Beard Foundation featured huitlacoche in many dishes in an effort to bring this new-yet-old food to light. As a result, the USDA began allowing select farms to intentionally infect corn with the fungus. The irony here is that scientists at the USDA working to eradicate smut discovered new, effective ways to infect corn with the fungus in order to test various cures.

In America, those most interested in huitlacoche cultivation are mushroom farmers who best understand the life cycle of fungi. But this is a unique form that only reproduces on corn ears, so it really falls into the purview of market gardeners. The Aztecs simply scraped the plants on the ground or with dried fungus to infect the kernels. Home gardeners could do the same if they were able to access dry infected ears. Kernel galls appear 10 to 14 days after point of infection.

It’s Just a Mushroom!

Despite the fact that it’s a delicacy in Mexico, this edible fungus has a hard time catching on in the U.S. and Europe. Perhaps it’s the black juice exuded as they are cooked, or maybe it’s just the idea of eating diseased corn that’s a turn off. Either way, those willing to try it should go fresh. The consensus is that the imported canned Mexican truffles are not nearly as good.

And it may not be difficult to find fresh ears in some parts of the country. For Midwestern gardeners in frequent flood zones, there is little doubt that what sweet corn is not destroyed by flooding will invite the sooty face of smut. Gardeners can always give their corn plants a fighting chance by planting them high in raised beds with well-drained soil amended with Black Gold Earthworm Castings, but under warm, moist conditions little can help against fungal disease. So why not welcome Mexican truffles as a new culinary adventure? Explore recipes on the Internet for preparation of the fungus in traditional Mexican dishes. Heirloom corn is even more prone to infection, for gardeners that are game.

In these years of climatic upheaval and instability, it’s always a comfort to discover interesting and nutritious new food in the wake of disaster. And for home gardeners with the spirit of adventure, corn-turned-mushroom will bring a strange but savory taste to late summer fare.

A Guide to Edible Flowers

A bumblebee pollinates the edible flowers of borage.

Well-placed culinary blooms are surprisingly delicious and bring unique and elegant beauty to the table. Many edible flowers are common garden plants, which provides even more encouragement for everyday gardeners to add them to everyday recipes. They are not just for chefs and connoisseurs.

Edible flowers fall under two categories: herbal flowers and edible garden flowers. Most garden herbs have edible flowers—though you always want to double check before chowing down on any bloom. Some garden ornamentals also have edible flowers, but only a handful of these are really tasty.

Beware Florist’s Blooms

There are a few caveats to eating edible flowers. First, never eat flowers from a florist because they have often been sprayed with chemicals. In turn, never spray garden flowers you intend to eat. Even pesticides and herbicides approved for organic gardening are a no-no. Flowers are too delicate to wash, so if you want to eat them, let nature tend to them.

Cultivating Edible Flowers

For the cultivation of all the herbs and flowers highlighted in the tables below, provide full sun, average moisture, and quality garden soil with good drainage. The addition of OMRI Listed Black Gold® Garden Compost Blend will improve performance. A granular fertilizer formulated for flowering is also recommended.

Pretty chive flowers and a sweet onion flavor to fresh cucumber salad. — Pretty chive flowers add a sweet onion flavor to fresh cucumber salad.

A favorite springtime edible flower recipe is chive flower cucumber salad. It’s very easy to make and will compliment lots of spring meal plans. To make the salad, thinly slice 2 cucumbers (peel them if they are thick-skinned), then make a dressing that combines 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/3 cup heavy cream, 1 shallot finely minced, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill. and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the dressing and cucumbers then toss with 2 to 3 chive flowers that have been trimmed and gently broken apart. The chive flowers lend a delicate oniony flavor to the salad that makes it extra delicious!

Popular Edible Herb Flowers

Herb	Look & Flavor
Basil (Ocimum spp.)	If your basil plants flower in summer, eat the zesty purplish or white basil blooms and green buds. They taste lovely on salads and veggies.
Borage (Borago officinalis)	Pure violet blue and flavored like cucumber, these early summer flowers look and taste lovely on any fresh savory dish.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)	Beautiful tufts of mauve blooms with pure chive flavor bedeck these plants in spring. Break them apart and use in place of chives.
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)	Umbels of lacy white flowers are the precursor to coriander seeds. Use the fresh tasting spring or fall blooms in place of fresh cilantro.
Dill (Anethum graveolens)	Yellow or chartreuse green dill flowers appear in spring or fall and taste as dilly as the leaves but add good looks to dishes.
Lavender (Lavandula spp.)	Lavender is a common culinary herb in the South of France. The flavorful summer flowers add charm and flavor to grilled lamb or herbed goat cheese spread.
Mints (Mentha spp.)	All mints have wonderfully minty summer flowers that may be white or purplish. Add them to any dish calling for fresh mint, from tabouli to desserts.
Oregano (Origanum officinalis)	The purple or white summer flowers of oregano lend potent oregano flavor to savory dishes.
Thyme (Thymus spp.)	The early summer flowers of thyme may be pink, white or purple and taste delicately of thyme. Sprinkle them on spring cream soups or salads.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)	Blooming intermittently in fall, winter or spring, rosemary flowers are white or purplish and pair well with grilled meats and savory salads.

Popular Edible Garden Flowers

Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis)	These cheerful cool weather annuals have flowers in warm colors. Their petals have a spicy flavor and lend interest to salads.
Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)	Daylily buds and petals taste almost like lettuce. The summer blooming plants have colorful flowers in almost every shade but true blue.
Marigold (Tagetes spp.)	True marigold flowers have a sharp, somewhat citrusy flavor that lend good flavor to heirloom tomato salads.
Monarda (Monarda spp.)	The zesty, somewhat minty flavor of summer blooming Monarda flowers can be used to decorate salads or desserts.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)	Summer blooming nasturtiums have flowers that are peppery tasting, like watercress. They are beautiful and add appeal to fresh savory dishes.
Pansy (Viola hybrids)	Violas are cool season flowers with a mild, sweet flavor and bright color. They can be candied and used to decorate desserts.
Rose (Rosa spp.)	Rose petals can be used alone in fresh confections or used to make rose water. Be sure to only use garden flowers that have not been sprayed or treated in any way. Candied rose petals taste lovely with almond desserts.
Violet (Viola spp.)	Spring blooming wild violets have a stronger sweet violet flavor than hybrid pansies, but they can be used in the same way.

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of the most heat-loving of all garden vegetables! (Photo by Llez)

Since North Carolina leads the nation in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) production, and I have lived in the Old North State for 33 years, you would think that I would know a thing or two about growing edible sweet potatoes – this essential staple of Southern cuisine.

Honestly, the only edible sweet potatoes I have planted have been in our window box – partly as a science experiment for my children, and to a certain extent for my own amusement. The rusty-orange tapered tubers were impaled midway round with three wooden toothpicks. This arrangement was perfect for suspending the sweet potatoes so that they were only partially submerged in a glass of water. In a short time, tiny roots would begin emerging underwater, followed later by curvaceous stems sprouting from the top and sides above the toothpicks. Within a month, these soggy-bottomed sweet potatoes would rival any Pothos, but we usually composted them when they began climbing the curtains.

Sweet potatoes are related to morning glories, which can be seen by their similar flowers and vining habit. (Photo from The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission)

So, to learn how to plant edible sweet potatoes in my home garden, I went to the experts at The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. (Check their website for a complete list of this culinary treasure’s nutritional benefits and a bevy of mouth-watering recipes.) The NCSPC suggests that to fully understand sweet potato culture, it helps to first learn what a sweet ‘tater is, and is not.

Ipomoea batatas is a tropical plant indigenous to Polynesia as well as Central and South America, so it needs about 150 frost-free days to develop, then a couple more weeks of exposure to temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit paired with high humidity to cure (we will get to that process later). This is exactly why they grow so well in the South.

The sweet tapered tuber we so enjoy baked, fried, grated, and mashed comes in various shades of orange, white, and purple. And, even though it is related to poisonous Morning Glories, the young shoots and leaves of sweet potatoes are edible.

It is not a Yam. Though sweet potatoes are often traditionally labeled “yams”, a true yam is a white-fleshed and fibrous tuber from Africa. Check the next can of yams you see in your grocery store for the words “Sweet Potatoes” on the ingredients list.

Let’s get growing!

Purple and blue sweet potatoes are delicious to eat and fun to grow. (Photo by Jessie Keith)

The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission’s step-by-step guide for home gardeners, “Sweet Potatoes 101”, explained that the beginning of the grow-your-own process is exactly what I had already been doing in my window box!

I could have simply harvested those sprouts with leaves by cutting or twisting them off the tuberous root when the shoots were only about 8-10 inches long, then planted them directly into my garden.

The directions state that transplanted sweet potato sprouts need “well-drained, sandy, loamy soil”, but I have red clay. So, it would be to my advantage to either plant the shoots into large black plastic pots filled with Black Gold Natural and Organic Potting Soil, or directly in the garden in rows amended with Black Gold Earthworm Castings after the last chance of frost. The organic fertilizer amendments already present in the Black Gold potting medium and soil conditioner would certainly help feed developing underground tuberous roots.

Add BG Earthworm Castings Blend to Sweet Potato beds to increase fertility.

“Plant sprouts 9 to 10 inches apart in the center of the ridge row and at a depth of 3 inches with at least 2 plant nodes underground and 2 or more leaves above ground,” continues the NCSP’s recommendations. Then, “Water well immediately after transplanting.” Since they are hardier than many vegetables, only regular watering, and simple weed and pest maintenance is required.

Then comes the reward. “Sweet potato roots are harvested 90-120 days after transplanting or immediately after a frost has blackened the tops of the plants,” advises the NCSPC.

“With gloves and a shovel, carefully remove sweet potatoes from the soil. Handle them carefully as their skin is thin and will bruise easily. Do not leave the sweet potatoes exposed to direct sunlight for more than 30 minutes or they will sunscald and be more susceptible to rotting during storage.”

Now, to make it even sweeter…

Sweet potato flowers are pretty, though summer vines don’t often get a chance to flower.

One Saturday morning while shopping at our local farmer’s market, I overheard a young lady peddling her sweet potatoes to a potential customer. She was singing the praises of her crop, adding that her sweet potatoes had been properly cured. Her alarmed customer asked anxiously, “Cured of what?”

“Curing” is an old farming term for the final step in processing. A sweet potato’s skin heals through curing while its natural starches convert to sugars, greatly improving its final taste. Even George Washington cured his sweet potatoes.

The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission instructs that after harvesting, “Away from direct sunlight, spread the sweet potatoes out to dry for several hours. Once dry, put them in a newspaper-lined box and leave them in a dry, ventilated area for 2 weeks.”

“Once cured, store in a cool, dry place until ready to cook. Sweet potatoes can be stored for up to 10 months with little reduction in quality.”

My children are now grown and have moved away, but the window box will soon host a variety of edible sweet potatoes poised in glasses of water. And, if I grow a successful crop in my garden this summer, I will proudly serve my own homemade and homegrown sweet potato casserole when the kids come to visit at Thanksgiving.

Container Gardening for Versatility and Variety

Container Garden with Pots Not Visible - Photo by Rich Baer — Container Garden with Pots Not Visible. (Photo by Rich Baer)

Of all the many gardens I have visited with plants in containers, the most unique one that stands out in my mind is a garden in NE Portland. In this garden, the front of the house overlooks the roof of a garage. However, this did not stop the owner from creating a space completely filled with plants in containers. There are all sizes and colors of containers and by mid-summer the foliage and flowers have almost completely covered the pots they are planted in. Without prior knowledge, a visitor would never believe this is the roof top of a garage and that every single plant is in a container.

Continue reading “Container Gardening for Versatility and Variety”

Feeding the Late Summer Garden

Hydrangea Snow Queen Now that the spring season is over and we are already into August, I wonder “where did the summer go”? With so many things going on in the spring and early summer garden, now is certainly the time to relax a bit and enjoy the fruits of your labors. I am not suggesting you do nothing in your garden, as there is always some maintenance to do, but at this time of year the labor is not so intense. And if you follow a few late summer gardening tips you will be sure to enjoy those fruits well into the fall season. Feeding the late summer garden is a good start.

If you have rose bushes, between now and mid-September, it is a good time to give them a final application of rose fertilizer for the year. I particularly like to use an organic fertilizer that is slow release. A quality flower fertilizer is ideal and applying now will encourage flowering throughout the fall season. I like to cultivate the fertilizer lightly into the soil and then give the plants a thorough watering.

As I visit other gardens this season, I see more and more vegetable gardens being planted. Home vegetable gardens are cropping up in landscapes with limited space and not necessarily in what we think of as a traditional vegetable garden. Just within my immediate neighborhood there are two rather unique vegetable gardens. One is in the space that was previously a lawn and another is in a space that is directly along the road. We would probably not have seen either of these locations used for vegetables a few years ago.

Raised Bed and Street Garden 2up - Mike Darcy — LEFT: A raised bed created at a local garden center. RIGHT: An example of vegetable garden along a roadside.

Another example of a unique vegetable is one that appeared recently at a local garden center. A raised bed vegetable garden was created in a space that had formerly been part of the garden center walkway. It was made by using pavers for the sides and then filled with top soil and then amended with organic soil conditioner and organic fertilizers. This proved to be an ideal demonstration garden to show home gardeners how easy it is to make a raised bed and that one can be built over almost any type of surface, even a driveway.

Joe Harvesting - Mike Darcy — ‘Joe’ harvesting cucumbers in his community garden.

For those with limited space, or perhaps limited sunlight, consider a community garden. I am amazed at the prolific community vegetable gardens that are scattered throughout the city. These community gardens have become so popular in Portland that there is almost always a waiting list for those wanting their own plot. I have a friend, ‘Joe’, that was able to get two plots at his local community garden and he has diverse plantings and reaps a prolific harvest. The other huge benefit of a community garden is that it becomes an opportunity to meet other gardeners from your neighborhood and helps as a community building tool. Most gardeners love sharing ideas and it is hard to think of anything better than growing vegetables side by side with someone of like interests. Not only can you share the harvest, but sharing ideas on what you grow and how can be a great way to pick up new ideas for your own plot and to meet a new gardener.

For vegetables that continue to produce into the fall, consider giving them a final application of an organic fertilizer formulated for vegetables. I always like to lightly work the soil, apply the fertilizer and then water.

Janet's Vegetable Garden - Mike Darcy — Janet’s vegetable garden is example of vegetable garden cut into lawn area.

Late summer can be a stressful time for many container plants and hanging baskets. With the container being a limiting factor with regard to a plants source for fertilizer plus the constant watering required, nutrients in a container garden can easily be depleted. This is a good time to add some all-purpose organic fertilizer as this can give plants a much needed boost.

While this is just August, it is time to be thinking about a fall vegetable garden. As summer crops fade, consider the space as potential for an entirely new crop to grow and harvest in the fall and winter. If the soil has been used for a summer vegetable garden, it would be wise to amend it by adding organic matter with a product such as Black Gold Garden Compost Blend. This same time would also be an ideal opportunity to add in some fertilizer. Then as you remove your summer vegetable plants, and the soil is prepped, you are ready to plant. As a general rule, it is best not to plant the same crop in the same location year after year. Mix things up and perhaps, where you had tomatoes, plant peas.

Always remember that gardens are meant to be enjoyed. In my own garden, while there are always many tasks that need to be done, I do like to take some time, especially in the morning, and casually walk through it. What a delight it is to see plants in the coolness of the morning, hear the birds chirping and letting my mind relax.

Community Garden - Mike Darcy — Overview of plot at a community garden.

Garden Mulch To Reduce Summer Watering

July in my garden means lots of color, and flowers that attract hummingbirds are an added bonus. I always like to have some large planters and several years ago purchased some wrought iron plant stands that were specially made for a large nursery pot to sit in the top. I planted the pots in late April with 4” pot size plants and am now reaping the rewards.

My plants of choice for the past few summers, and I always have at least one pot with this combination, is Begonia ‘Bonfire’ and white bacopa (Sutera cordata). I place the begonia plants in the center of the pot and the bacopa around the rim. The begonias tend to grow upward and then flop while the bacopa trails over the sides and by mid July has covered the outside of the pot with a mass of white flowers. The begonias have been in bloom since the time they were planted and are hummingbird magnets.

Black Gold Waterhold Cocoblend Potting Soil is ideal to use in pots like these that are exposed to the elements, as the coconut fibers have great water holding capabilities and this makes the pots less likely to dry out on a hot day. It also reduces the amount of water needed in each pot and I have found that what once was a daily water requirement, I can often go two or three days between watering.

In earlier articles, I have mentioned the importance of a garden mulch and that I used Black Gold Soil Conditioner when planting new plants. The positive effect of using this product earlier in the season is paying benefits now. As summer has arrived and we are having warmer weather and few rainy days, the soil is beginning to become dry and many plants need supplemental water. The use of Black Gold Garden Compost Blend has helped retain moisture in the soil and less water is required than if it had not been used.

Even though it is July, it is not too late to apply Black Gold Soil Conditioner to the soil around established plants. I like to mix it in with the existing soil and I will gently cultivate it into the first 2-3 inches of soil and then water. Some plants tend to need more water than others and here is where Black Gold Just Coir can be used. This product is actually coconut coir pith and its’ water holding capacities are amazing. Working Black Gold Just Coir into the top few inches around plants that like some extra moisture can be a huge benefit.

Three plants I have found that will greatly benefit from the use of Black Gold Just Coir mulch are Gunnera, Hosta, and Hydrangea. My experience has been that all three of these plants tend to like a moist soil environment. Gardeners grow hosta primarily for their foliage and having sun burned crisp foliage tends to ruin the appearance of the plant. While there are some hostas that will tolerate more sun than others, I have found that regardless of their exposure, they tend to benefit from a moist, well drained soil.

Gunnera, some garden centers will label this as “Dinosaur Food” since it is a plant left over from pre-historic times, can be a wonderful focal feature in a garden. Gunnera is known for its huge leaves that often measure over three feet across appearing on long stalks that can be eight feet in height and with features like this it is definitely a conversation plant. Gunnera likes moisture and fertilizer and plants are often seen growing near ponds and on banks of streams. The plants do not like to be in standing water but like their roots to be moist. Using Black Gold Just Coir can help to hold moisture and Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix is a good natural fertilizer which I apply three times a year on my Gunnera.

Hydrangeas are such magnificent summer blooming shrubs that I cannot imagine my garden without some. One of my favorites is “Limelight” and now in mid-July my plants are just coming into flower. While I have seen Hydrangeas planted in full sun, I have found they do much better with some protection from the hot afternoon sun. They also like moisture around the base and Black Gold Just Coir is ideal.

Summer is here and we should enjoy it and our garden and the less maintenance we have, the better. Watering plants on hot days can be time consuming and with the addition of some soil mulch amendments around plants, we can spend less time in maintaining and more time enjoying.

Gather Free Hollyhock Seed

Hollyhock - Maureen Gilmer — Just below these hollyhock flowers the round seed capsules already forming while above the flowers buds have yet to open.

Hollyhocks have long been America’s favorite flower for country gardens because the Hollyhock seed can be gathered and sown for free. Althea rosea is a biennial, growing from seed the first year with modest blooms, then the plants come back from the roots the second year for a far more magnificent showing. Therefore sow hollyhock every year. The first flowers will be going to seed by the time the last ones open at the top the stalk. Down low you’ll find capsules of small disk-like seeds. As each capsule matures the outer covering becomes fragile and papery when the seed is ready to be gathered to store. They’ll be ready for spring sowing in Black Gold Seedling Mix for an even bigger display next year.

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