Hold on to annual blooms as long as can

This happens every year... summer goes way too fast and I'm not ready for it to be over yet! I have a few pots of annuals that are still looking beautiful and blooming like crazy right now! Frost is coming any day and I know they will all be dead soon. Ugh, I dread this every year.

A few years back, I decided to bring a few of my annual pots into the house to extend the growing season, and save them from a frosty death. The idea was to keep them around until they started to look bad inside the house, and then discard them. Heck, I do it with cut flowers all the time, and potted plants always last longer than cut flowers. I have done this with several annuals including gerber daisies, geraniums, sweet potato vine, zinnias, marigolds, begonias, impatients and petunias.

Gerber Daisy

As I clean up my dead garden annuals and vegetables after the frost kills them, seeing these spots of color still blooming inside the house helps me cope with the difficult and somewhat depressing transition that fall brings to my gardens.

Geranium

Tropical Hibiscus

Some plants, such as coleus, impatients, jasmine, mandevilla, gardenia, and other tropical plants can survive and even bloom all winter long!

Before bringing the plants inside, I inspect them for any bugs that might come inside with the plant.

Knowing they won't be around for long, I keep them isolated from my houseplants so I don't have to worry about any pest infestations affecting my other plants; I simply discard the annuals if they become infested.

Another thing I like to do to hang on to annual blooms as long as possible is cut all of the blooms off of my garden annuals right before frost. This way I have blooming vases of flowers in every room of the house that I get to enjoy for several days as well. I usually have huge bouquets of sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, bachelor buttons, canna lillies, dahlias... whatever is blooming.

Give it a try, if nothing else at least you will get to enjoy the colorful blooms for a few more weeks!

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Rain barrels benefit the environment and your plants

It has been very rainy here in Minnesota for the past several days, and all of this rain makes me think about how much I love my rain barrels! I currently have two rain barrels and both are the 80 gallon size. I plan to buy at least one more next summer.

I'm sure by now most people know the environmental advantages of having a rain barrel. Not only is it good for the environment, it's great for your plants too! Rain water is much better for plants than municipal water, especially potted plants. Municipal water contains chemicals that can build up in the soil and harm sensitive potted plants.

I mainly use my rain water for watering my potted plants and filling up my ponds when they get low; but it could be used to water the gardens as well. Rain water could also be used to fill up wash buckets for tasks like washing the car, washing windows, or other household tasks (which saves on your water bill!).

The first thing to think about when you get a rain barrel is where to put it. You want to make sure it's easily accessible, on fairly level ground, and elevated.

The elevation will make it easier to fill watering cans and allow gravity to help out with water pressure. I use cinder blocks to elevate and level mine, and a cut off piece of old hose (recycle old junk!) to make it easier to fill my watering cans.

You will also want to make sure to put the barrel in a place where overflow won't matter. It's amazing how fast they fill up with very little rainfall. Most rain barrels have an overflow valve where the excess rain water will drain out when the barrel is full, but when there is a heavy rainfall, excess water can bubble out the top of the barrel rather than out the release valve.

If you have concerns about water leaking into your basement, you can buy an attachment that will allow the excess water to flow through your gutter like it normally would, once the rain barrel is full.

Another concern with rain barrels is bugs. Here in Minnesota we have to worry about mosquitoes, and standing water is their favorite breeding ground. But no matter where you live, you will want to protect the water in your rain barrel to keep the bugs and debris out.




















My rain barrels are the kind that fill up through the top, which is wide open. To protect the water, I found some old screen material in the garage and cut it to fit over the opening, then secured it under the lid. It's as easy as that.

To overwinter my rain barrels, I completely drain them and remove the spigots before freezing temperatures arrive. Since I don't have room in my garage, I store them in a protected spot behind my hedges; upside down with a brick on top (err, bottom) to hold them in place for the winter.

Rain barrels are very popular and easy to find where I live. They are widely available at farm and garden stores or on the internet these days too. Some cities will even sell them at a discount to encourage people to go green and preserve water. Some people even make their own rain barrel.

In my opinion, having a rain barrel is a no brainer. I only wish I could use mine year round.

Protecting tender garden plants from frost

Frost will start to threaten our gardens any day where I live in Minnesota. That means it's time to start thinking about protecting tender plants in the gardens from frost. The reason it's worth the effort to protect tender plants from frost is to extend the growing season by a few more weeks. This is especially important for vegetables.

Our average first frost date is around September 15th. We've been very lucky so far this fall because we haven't had any frost yet. Usually by this time in past years I have covered my gardens at least once. But frost is inevitable by the time October rolls around.

Protecting plant from frost with old bed sheets

Once the threat of frost is near, I usually only cover my vegetables. The first few frosts in my area aren't usually killing frosts and I can handle seeing small amounts of damage on my annuals and tropicals. But even a light frost can damage vegetables enough to make them mushy and stop their growth so they won't be edible.

Only the hot weather vegetables need to be protected from frost. Hot weather vegetables include plants like tomatoes, beans, peppers and herbs. Cold weather vegetables are frost tolerant and won't be harmed by frost. These are plants like broccoli, cauliflower, peas, cabbage and brussel sprouts.

To cover my tender plants and protect them from frost, I use old bed sheets. You can find them for pennies at garage sales or second hand stores. I have also used towels or light blankets when I haven't had enough sheets, but I prefer using sheets. They are light weight and easier to work with, and they won't weigh down the plant.

Protecting plant from frost with old bed sheets

The best way to cover the plants is to drape the sheets over them and allow the fabric to pool loosely on the ground around the base of the plant. The fabric will protect the plant from frost by holding in the warmth that raises from the soil. I use clothes pins to hold the sheet closed so they won't blow off if there's a wind.

Here are some other tips for protecting plants from frost:

• Do NOT wrap the plant like a Tootsie Pop Sucker; where the fabric only goes over the foliage and then you seal it around the stem or base of the plant. This won't protect the plant very well.
• Do NOT use plastic to cover the plants. Plastic traps more moisture than fabric and can cause more damage to the plant if there is a freeze. If you must use plastic, use a support to make a tent over the top of the plants and be sure the plastic isn't touching any part of the plant.
  
• Bring potted plants into a porch, shed or garage overnight. You can also cover them in the same manor as garden plants, but sometimes moving them is easier.
• Uncover the plants in the morning immediately after the threat of frost has passed. This is usually soon after the sun has hit the area in the morning. Leaving the plants covered too long in the sun can end up causing damage by overheating the plants.
• The chance of frost is highest early in the morning, just before sunrise. It's best to cover your plants just before it gets dark in the evening, but don't worry if you don't get your plants covered until after dark.
• Frost can occur anytime the temperature drops below 40 degrees on a clear, windless night. So if it seems the conditions are just right for frost, take the time to protect your plants; it's better to be safe than sorry.

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Peppers

As you may have noticed, I like to post picture of my favorite blooms during the summer. Well, my peppers are beautiful and at their peak right now, so I thought I would post pictures of some of my favorite peppers. I have about 15 different kinds of peppers growing in my vegetable garden this year (all from my winter sown seeds), here are some of my favorites...

Naga Jolokia Hot Pepper

Alma Hot Pepper

Anaheim Chile Pepper

Fresno Hot Pepper

Guagillo Hot Pepper

Casabella Hot Pepper

Sweet Bell Pepper

Lemon Drop Peppers

Sweet Banana Peppers

Jalapeno Hot Pepper

Poblano Chile Pepper

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Garden Visitors

Here are some pictures I thought I would share of some of my favorite garden visitors...

One of the most frequent visitors (pretty much constant) in my backyard are frogs. They love to hang out in the ponds I added to my property.

Frogs in backyard pond

There are at least 4 frogs hanging out in my backyard pond in the above picture. At one time I counted 6 frogs and I thought this was a picture of all of them, but I can only see 4 in this picture.

Frog in waterfall

The frog above was cooling off in the waterfall on a very hot summer afternoon. Ahhh the life! I wanted to crawl in there with him.

I also get to see occasional toads and treefrogs...

Fat Toad hiding under the ferns

Treefrog sunning itself on sedum blooms

Treefrog sunning on garden bench. (I just love this cute little guy!!)

Since I have lots of flowers in my gardens, I get lots of butterflies too.

Monarch butterfly feeding on zinnia flower

Monarch butterfly caterpillar.

Red Admiral Butterfly on purple coneflower

In the spring, we get visited by lots of ducks too. I've never seen one in my ponds though, I think the ponds would be too small for them.

Mallard ducks in front yard (running away from the crazy lady with a camera)

I wanted to include a picture of the hummingbirds that visit often, but haven't been lucky enough to have my camera in hand at the right time! Oh well, maybe I'll get a shot next year.

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This weeks harvest = salsa

Even though it's getting close to the end of September, I am still harvesting vegetables like crazy (no complaints about that!!). As usual, the late summer bounty includes tons of tomatoes and peppers.

I am still harvesting many other veggies too, but the tomatoes and peppers are definitely the stars of the show... and the perfect start to a delicious batch of salsa!

Mmmm... look at all these yummy tomatoes.
 
Fresh salsa is so easy to make and a great way to use up all of those tomatoes. It is one of my favorite summer treats.

Here is a picture of the ingredients I used in my latest batch of salsa. Although I do have to buy some ingredients from the store (like the lime and the large onion). I try to use mostly only ingredients from my garden, that way it tastes the best.

 




After I chopped and mixed up this salsa, I ended up adding a few other types of peppers to the batch; jalapenos and a pablano (not pictured here).


Here is a picture of the final result, I just love all of the colors...







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Plant Profile - Zinnia

This late in the summer when the perennial gardens start to look tired, the annuals are going strong. One of my favorite annuals that I grow in my garden every year are zinnias. In my opinion, zinnias are a must have for every garden!























One of the best things about zinnias is that they are extremely easy to grow from seed, the seeds will usually sprout within days of being sown. The seedlings are tough and they transplant easily into the garden, I always have close to a 100% survival rate of transplanted seedlings.


The seedlings grow quickly to maturity, allowing the plant to bloom most of the summer. It's always one of the first plants in my annual garden to bloom... and one of the last to be killed by frost in the fall.

Zinnias require little or no care. They are heat and drought-tolerant, and tolerate cooler temperatures later in the fall too.


They are not picky and will grow in almost any type of soil. They are great in containers as well as in the garden.




Another great thing about zinnias is that they make excellent cut flowers. They stay fresh looking in a vase longer than most other flowers I cut!


Zinnias come in several beautiful varieties and a wide variety of colors, which adds a ton of color to the gardens and cut flower arrangements. Butterflies especially love them, as well as other beneficial pollinators.


Here are some other tips to get the most from your zinnias:

• Collect your own seeds to keep them going in your gardens from year to year!!
  
• They can reseed themselves, but are not aggressive reseeders.
• Deadhead to encourage new blooms (but make sure to leave a few heads on to collect seeds for next year!)
• The more you cut the flowers (to put in vases), the bushier the plant will grow and the more flowers you will get. It's a win/win!
• Great for a rock garden or an area that hardly gets watered. If you have an area in your yard that only gets watered when it rains, try planting zinnias there.
• Zinnias are ideal for the first time gardener. If you have never grown from seed before and are nervous about what to start with, make sure to try zinnias!
  

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What's Bloomin' - late August

Moss Rose

Water Lily

Canna Lily

Dahlia

Orchid Peacock

Hollyhock

Petunia

Canna Lily

Sunflower

Ice Plant

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Cheap and easy plant markers (that won't fade in the sun!)

For years I have been very bad at marking the plants I have in my gardens. I would see something start to grow in the spring and wonder “is that a plant or a weed?”. Last year I finally had enough of the surprises. I vowed to myself that I would mark every plant in my garden.

Now for the dilemma, what material could I use to mark the plants, that won't crumble or fade in the sun? I've tried so many things before that did not work (including those lovely pre-printed tags that come with plants). Most of them were completely faded by spring or became so brittle they didn't last more than a year or two. Perhaps that is why I never bothered taking the time to mark everything before. It just seemed like it would be way too much work to put into something that won't be legible in the spring when I need them anyway.














So I set off on a Google mission, to find durable plant markers that won't fade or crumble – without breaking the bank! Well, the search wasn't easy because I didn't find many suggestions. What I found were mostly posts from people asking for a solution to the problem as I was looking for. But I didn't give up and after looooots of searching, I finally came across an idea that is cheap, easy, holds up to the elements, and recycles old junk! Vinyl mini blinds and a plain old pencil. I know what you're thinking...yah right. Well don't stop reading, you need to try this for yourself.


The vinyl mini blinds are super easy to cut with a scissors and you can cut them to any length that you want. The pencil won't smudge or wash off and most importantly, it won't fade in the sun!

The vinyl won't become brittle and crumble only after a few months, and you can reuse them (you can just erase the pencil). Plus, if you don't have any old vinyl mini blinds sitting around at home, they are very easy to get for FREE! People are throwing them away all the time.

I use them for everything, I cut them longer to mark my plants in the garden. That way I can stick them way down in the dirt and they won't blow or wash away (or otherwise get lost over winter).
























I cut them really small for marking my winter sowing and seed containers in the spring. I use them to mark all of my houseplants too, I can cut them the perfect size for every pot!

Here are a few other tips:

• Don't use ink, it will fade away in the sun. Even permanent marker will fade to nothing very quickly in the sun. Pencil works the best.
• Use light colored or white vinyl mini blinds. The pencil won't show up on the dark colored ones.
• Don't use metal mini blinds, the metal will just rust.
• Check websites like Craigslist and Freecycle to find free mini blinds. You can also find them for free at garage sales and on garbage days. Check with friends and family too.
• If you can't find them for free, check your local second hand store for very inexpensive ones.

Now, if you still don't believe me, try out a test. Get yourself some old vinyl mini blinds and cut it up into plant markers. Now write on one with pencil and one with permanent marker. Put them in a place in your garden where you'll remember and leave them for the winter. See what happens.


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Are the trees confused, or is fall coming early?

This year, we had a very early start to spring. March and April were unseasonably warm and it felt as though summer would start a month early.

Now, it's barely September and there are already a few trees around the neighborhood have started to change to their fall colors. In fact, this first one started to change way back in July!


If one of my trees started to change colors in July, I would be worried about disease or something.

I remember times in the past where it would get really warm spell in December and the trees would start to put on buds. When this happens, the news talks about how the trees are confused by the unseasonably warm weather. Our weather has been very hot in August so the temperature can't be the issue. Maybe they know something that we don't.... are these trees confused because we had an early spring, or could this be a sign of an early fall?

I'm not a tree expert so I don't know the answer to this question. But if you ask me, I hope they are just confused!

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