Last fall my crew and I planted a river of grape hyacinths and tulips for a customer. It was about a total of 8,000 bulbs. We roto-tilled the area first to loosen the soil to a depth of about 6 inches, then used a bulb planting auger where we wanted extra depth. We treated the bed with cayenne pepper before covering the bulbs, then after covering the bulbs, we gave it a dressing of milorganite to keep the deer away. The clients took a winter vacation in March and neglected to retreat with milorganite, and unfortunately, the deer ate quite a few of the tulips while they were away. The Muscari however bloomed well even though they obviously had been munched also. We retreated with milorganite just before the Muscari opened.
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Papyrus plants are an overlooked gem for containers or urns, but they are great for providing height in the center of a container. There are different varieties of papyrus sold at the better garden centers. This one grows a full two feet tall, but some are not as tall, so be sure to read the plant labels when you shop. Papyrus can be taken indoors during the winter and then potted outdoors again in late spring. In this very large urn, I used two papyrus plants, three large leaf coleus, three lime sweet potato vine and several white impatiens. Sweet potato vine tends to grow so well it can dwarf or hide everything else in the container. The solution to keeping a balanced design where all of the elements are visible is to occasionally prune the vines back.
This plant has delicate cream-colored flowers that bloom in July. This cultivar grows no more than four feet tall and spreads about three feet wide. There is another variety of Meadowseet that grows a little taller than this and flowers with deep pink plumes. The pink variety is invasive, but this plant keeps to itself. One of the features of this plant that I enjoy is that the flowers dry into delicate golden sprays that are very attractive in flower arrangements.
I love a variety of different mint species in my garden for making teas, yet many can become quite a nuisance as they can be very invasive crowding out everything nearby. A great solution that does not require the frequent watering of a large pot is to make a "bottomless" container from a plastic garbage can or a plastic tote. After removing the bottom of the tote or cutting the garbage can in half, I sink the container into the soil to a depth of about 6-8 inches which is deep enough to prevent the shallow roots systems of mints from traveling. The top of the container only needs to be about 3 inches above the soil line. This Mountain Mint thrives in this large bottomless pot and requires watering only during episodes of the very dry weather.
Cutting the bottom out of a plastic tote can be done easily with a jigsaw. Just drill a hole large enough to insert your jigsaw blade to start the cutting. Plastic garbage cans can be cut with a jigsaw or a pair of metal snips. This is a hands-on class where you will take home 18-20 small pots of vegetable seeds planted and ready to go to start indoors. Class instructor is Barbara Eaton, M. Ed. and Master Gardener, will share secrets and tips for foolproof starting of vegetables and flowers from seed indoors. The vegetables you plant in this class are cool weather varieties that will be ready to go into your garden in mid to late April. Another class is scheduled for March 29 to start a variety of heirloom tomatoes, different peppers, squash and melons. You will get : Free seeds for lettuces, kale, cabbage and broccoli Organic potting medium Plastic containers for your starts Organic anti-fungal treatment When: Tuesday March 1, 2016 7 to 8:30 p.m. Where: Kent Social Services , 1066 S. water St. Cost: $18.00 or Crooked River TimeBank members $12.00 Plus 1 time credit. Plan to bring gardening gloves or latex gloves and a box or tray to ryour pots home! Call or e-mail to reserve your space: 330-283-0279 or [email protected] It is November 8 here in Portage County, Ohio, and we still have color from many summer annuals a full three weeks past the date of our average first frost. What a rare treat to have geraniums this late in the season!
If you are looking for a plant to add some interest to your fall garden this stunning vine may be just the thing. It boasts a profusion of small, slightly fragrant white flowers that are in full bloom here in Northeast Ohio in late September. The cultivar is clematis terniflora also known as Sweet Autumn Clematis. When not in bloom it can be used as a great privacy screen or hedge. This plant is a full six feet tall.
I am always searching for landscape and garden plants that keep good-looking foliage and blossoms through the entire growing season. This beautiful dark green clump of hellebore has stayed dark green, and the stems have stayed stiff and erect all though our month-long drought. I have watered it only twice and not very deeply during the month. Hellebore is considered a "shade plant," yet this plant is placed on the south facing side of a brick house, and it receives sun from noon until dusk everyday. Perhaps its' large size is helping it hold up in the dry soil. I do not know which hellebore cultivar this is, but will try to figure it out. if anyone has a similar drought resistant hellebore, I would welcome hearing from you.
This cheery pale yellow delight that resembles a Marguerite blooms from mid-May all the way through June. It has been very easy to grow for me and spreads fairly well spilling over the edge of the garden. I recently transplanted a bit of this plant into a container and it is thriving also, but I covered it for a day after transplant to help it and we have had a few cloudy wet days too. It is not in the daisy or Marguerite family but is Anthemis Susanna Mitchell. I will have a few small pots of this perennial plant at the Kent Farmer's market for purchase.
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AuthorBarbara Eaton, M.Ed. is a Master Gardener, a garden designer and an artist. She works as a professional gardener caring for the gardens of several regular clients. She is a published author, retired educator and a fool for flowers. Archives
January 2019
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