POSTED BY KIM FOR TINA — Our own Tina Paletta gave a holiday decorating talk this weekend, and when I came in this morning I found one of the handouts, which I thought would be fun to share with ya’ll.  I love when Tina works, because the next day I come in, the gift shop is always a little sparklier. 

Tina says:

1.  Garland for front doors, mantels, and staircases may all be started with the same simple steps.  Artificial garland forms the base, and fresh or more artificial greens and berries may be added to the  mix.  But don’t stop there!  Fruit, pine cones, flowers, and beads may also be added.  The sky is the limit!

Fresh greens from the neighborhood — Spruce, Yew, Arborvitae, Boxwood, Holly, Hemlock, Cedar, Pine, and Evergreen Magnolia.  Fresh greens froom the Christmas tree lot — Frasier Fir, Balsam, and Noble Fir.  From the florist — Eucalyptus leaves of several varieties.  Fresh greens should be added to the design the day of the party or at the earliest, the day before.  They dry quickly.

2.  Tablescapes ad mantle tops may feature special collections: teapots, Santa Claus collectibles, silver pieces, etc.  Scale down the amount of greens because the items should be the focal point.

3.  Christmas tree — A popular look in decorated trees this year is a tree of all the same color, or monochromatic.

4.  Bows — Ribbon wire is essential for easy tying.

5.  Decoration for outdoor containers — Containers may be left outdoors and loaded with greens, berries, and ornaments (gazing balls and large plastic ornaments).  If available, mini-evergreen shrubs may also be arranged in containers and window boxes.  The containers must be frost-proof.  These designs will turn a dull patio or deck into a festive holiday landscape.

Another Tina Original...

POSTED BY KIM — It’s amaryllis season!  I asked my neighbors Peter and Renate yesterday about the status of their beautiful red amaryllis, which they had in their front window last year (and I enjoyed for several weeks from the view at my kitchen window).  They weren’t familiar with the forced dormancy period required to stimulate new blooms, so let me pass along what I’ve learned:

1.  When you get a new amaryllis bulb, as many people are doing right now, plant it according to the illustration below.  Instead of compost, regular potting soil will work fine.

2.  Place the pot in bright, indirect light. Water sparingly. After the bulb blooms and the flower withers, cut it off just in back of the bloom, removing the green lump in back of the blossom.  You don’t want the flower to waste energy forming seeds.  

When all blooms on the top of the main stem are spent and removed, cut the main stem off 2 inches above the bulb. Keep the pot in the same light situation and allow leaves to grow — this will send nutrients to the bulb.

3.  In the summer, the bulb can be moved outdoors.  Either pop it in the ground, or let it remain in the container.  Amaryllis like to be root-bound, so don’t worry about repotting.  Water and fertilize as you would any flowering plant.

4.  Lift the bulb or bring back indoors *before* the first frost of season.  Remove any dead leaves.  For the bulb to flower again, you must force the plant into dormancy.  Put the potted amaryllis in a cool (55 degrees F), dimly-lit place such as a cellar or heated garage for 6-8 weeks. Don’t water.

5.  End the dormancy period 6-8 weeks before you want the flowers to bloom.  Bring it out, water thoroughly the first time, then sparingly after that.  You start the bulb “life cycle” here, treating it as you would a newly purchased fall amaryllis bulb.

6.  Enjoy!

For more detailed amaryllis growing instructions, you might want to check out this article.

POSTED BY KIM — In the past I have told customers about this “great trick” to use when container gardening.  Rather then fill your entire pot with expensive potting soil, fill the bottom 1/4 (or whatever) with styrofoam peanuts — it’s brilliant!  Makes the pot lighter, in case you have to move it around, it recycles the peanuts, and saves you money on potting soil.  It’s a win-win for everyone.

Right?

Until the end of the season when you pull the plant up.  Then you have styrofoam peanuts blowing all over your yard, plus stuck in the root system of the plant you’re discarding — so if you’re composting or throwing the plant out in yard waste, you have to *dig out* all the little styrofoam pieces.  Imagine you have 20 pots on your deck — some of them rather large — and this tedious, ridiculous exercise has to be repeated each time…

I’m reformed!  Earlier this season I used sweet gum balls in the bottom of my containers, and I *love* it.  It was an interesting exercise this weekend when I cleaned out many of the pots on my deck.  If I was going to compost the plant, I just yanked it out of the pot and voilá!  Done.  I ran across a few pots that I hadn’t cleaned all the way out last year.  I yanked out the plants and AAACK! peanuts everywhere.

Plus when the roots start circulating in the very bottom of the pot, I’d prefer to have them living in organically rich sweet gum balls (because by then, decomposition has started) rather than the eternally plastic styrofoam.

So I’m converted.  JUST SAY NO to styfrofoam peanuts.  I am…

POSTED BY KIM — Even though the season is winding down, I was out on my deck this morning and saw my passion flower vine blooming.  Yay!  It was a bittersweet moment because it was the first bloom of the season, and here we are in late September.  I overwintered this plant last year in my garage and let it go dormant, but first I cut it back.  *Big mistake.*  (Note to self — passion flower blooms on old wood.)  But my patience was rewarded this morning.

This monarch caterpillar was munching away on some annual asclepias.  I have a dozen or so caterpillars and coccoons living in my kitchen at the moment, but I’ll save those details for a future post. 

This crazy succulent is one I overwintered in the garage under growlights.  Very cool and very easy, and the bloom is *fantastic.*  The picture doesn’t do it justice.

Happy heliotrope — very simple.  I had hopes of pruning this one into a standard form, but it’s really horizontal and floppy, so that project may have to wait another season.

Oooh, my baby fig!  This little guy is about the size of a quarter.  I’ve eaten a few figs off my plant this summer and they were wonderful.  I had the kids try a bite, too, but they gagged.  I think they were expecting it to taste like a Fig Newton Cookie — wrong!

More on my autumn garden later!

POSTED BY PEGGY:  Hydrangea ‘Twist and Shout’ is the latest in the everblooming Endless Summer Series of Big Leaf Hydrangeas.  Endless Summer Hydrangeas bloom on old wood (last year’s growth) and new wood (this year’s growth).  This means if you accidently prune your Big Leaf Hydrangea or a cold winter kills last year’s growth, it will still bloom.

Endless summer Hydrangeas also repeat bloom.  Old fashioned Hydrangeas like Nikko Blue, produce just one set of blooms.  Endless Summer Hydrangeas continue to produce new flowers all summer.

What is so special aboout ‘Twist and Shout’?  It is the first Lacecap re-bloomer.  The Original Endless Summer and it’s sister ‘Blushing Bride’ have the big mophead flowers. Twist-n-Shout flowers have a lacy center of small flowers surrounded by larger blossoms of pink or periwinkle blue, depending on soil types.  Twist and shout is a cross between H. ‘Penny Mac’ and H. ‘Lady in Red.  The stems are sturdy and red (like it’s mother Lady in Red). Another bonus….the leaves turn red-burgundy in fall. It is easy to care for and hardy to zone 4.  Twist and Shout grows 3-5′ tall and wide.

Twist and shout Hydrangea Lacecap Flower

Twist and Shout Lacecap Hydrangea

Just like the Original Endless Summer Hydrangea, Twist and Shout blossoms will be pink or blue depending on the acidity of your soil.

How to get Pink blooms on your Endless Summer Hydrangeas:

To have pink blooms you need to have an alkaline soil.

• To help raise your pH you can apply lime several times a year (Espoma makes a great organic lime) .  Aim for a pH of about 6.0 to 6.2, if it goes above 6.4, your hydrangea may experience an iron deficiency.
• Use fertilizers with high levels of phosphorus such as 10-40-10. Phosphorus helps to prevent aluminum from being taken up in the plant’s system.
• Consider growing your hydrangea in a large pot where it would be easier to control the pH.

Endless Summer Original Pink

How to get Blue Blooms:

Lowering the pH of your soil to a pH level of about 5.2-5.5 will produce blue flowers. Using a soil acidifier ( Espoma also makes one) will lower your soil’s pH for blue blooms.

• Thoroughly water the plant before adding any acidifier. Follow the instructions on the bag.
• Adding large amounts of organic matter, such as peat moss and composted leaves, will acidify the soil as it breaks down.

Endless Summer Original Blue

Remember to check the pH of your water as well as your soil. If you are trying to turn your flowers blue and you have hard water, it will be difficult to achieve. Also remember that concrete foundations and walkways tend to leach lime, raising the pH in that area.

Notice how ferny-frilly these leaves are. Can't believe it's still cilantro - until I smell it. Then I know for sure!

POSTED BY CALEB – Look, look, everybody – we have ‘Delfino’ cilantro!  This great little plant is a ferny-leaved version of cilantro.  It tastes and smells just the same as regular cilantro, but it’s easier to use in the kitchen and resists bolting for longer than the standard variety.  This great little plant performed so well in test gardens throughout the nation that it was chosen as one of the All-America Selections for 2006.  Local growers have testified to its success, too – you can read about it here in one of my recent articles for Sauce magazine.  We’re already noticing ‘Delfino’s bolt-resistance here at Sugar Creek.  The normal cilantro is shooting up to flower, but ‘Delfino’ is still beautifully moundy.  Run in and grab one before they’re gone!

'Delfino' even looks nice as a container plant. Put in on your patio - make a Mexican salsa garden with tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and cilantro.

I asked some of the Sugar Creek girls about what they do with cilantro.  Here’s what they told me:

 Peggy – Use it as a seasoning for fish tacos or sesame noodles

 Wendy – Add it to summer salads.  Sprinkle it on chicken.  Or, try it with summer veg like carrots, cucumbers, red bell peppers, and sugar snap peas.

 Tina – Use it in guacamole.

 Nancy – Add it to salsa, guacamole, and stewed meats.  She said, “My husband added cilantro to our salad last night.  He claimed it would ‘wake up’ the lettuce.  And it did!”

POSTED BY PEGGY: I’ve always wondered if you can re-plant tulip bulbs that are grow in pots and given as gifts this time of the year.  They make such a festive centerpiece this time of the year.  I found the following information on the Horticulture Magazine web site, so I thought I would share.  Happy planting. 

Q&A: Replanting Tulips
April 14, 2009

I received a pot of blooming tulips for Easter. Can I plant the bulbs in my garden and expect them to bloom next year?

Answer: Potted tulips can be very difficult to get to rebloom. They have usually been raised in a greenhouse and treated with fertilizers and hormones to get them to bloom on time for specific holidays and spring sales.

As the tulips continue to bloom, keep the pot in a cool area. Put the pot outside as soon as they’re done blooming (provided the temperature is above freezing). Remove the spent flowers first. Put the pot in a sunny spot and keep the bulbs watered. Keep in mind squirrels and chipmunks like to munch tulip leaves and bulbs, so you may want to choose a site with some protection.

Your goal is to keep the leaves healthy for as long as possible so they have plenty of time to restore the energy reserves to the bulbs and give them the strength to survive next winter and bloom in spring. Once the weather heats up, the leaves will die off. Then you can plant the bulbs in the ground, or wait and plant them in the fall. Plant only bulbs that are firm and odorless.

The tulips might not bloom next year, but they may the second or third year.

If you try this, make it for the sake of experimenting. Don’t base next year’s spring display around it.

Other types of bulbs have a better track record when transplanted from pots to the garden. These include daffodils, crocus and grape hyacinths. The treatment is the same as for tulips, but with a better chance of success.

This is fire.

POSTED BY KIM — We all deserve to be recognized for our gardening prowess.  Here’s a chance to see that you are.  Fine Gardening magazine is hosting the “2009 Container Design Challenge” with two themes: fire and ice.

The deadline is August 15, 2009, so you have no excuses.

The entry guidelines say: “Use fiery reds, oranges, and yellows to invoke flame and heat, or frosty silvers, blues, and purples to cool things off.  We’ll pick a winner that, in our opinion, is the most beautiful and creative embodiment of its theme.”

The winner will be featured in the 2010 issue of Fine Gardening <eeeeee!> and receive a self-watering container from Lechuza valued at $140 and $250 to spend on whatever you want (more plants?).

For more information on entering or to read tips on how to best photograph and submit your images, click here.

And this is earth and wind. Nooo. It's ice, silly!

POSTED BY KIM — Sugar Creek’s own Tina Paletta gave a one-hour presentation on container gardening this morning to more than 140 people at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  Go Tina!

Tina with one of her creations.

Following is a copy of her handout, which has great advice for assembling a container with year-round interest.

Choose Your Plant Materials
Exposure – Will the container be in the sun or the shade?  How much are you willing to water?  During hot and dry summer months, daily watering may increase to twice daily.

Design – “Thriller, Filler, and Spiller.” The Thriller is the largest plant positioned in the center or back of the container.  The Filler is a smaller and rounder plant that fills in the space nearest the Thriller.  Lastly, the Spiller cascades over the edge of the container in the front and on both sides. This is the technique used by the Missouri Botanical Gardens and also by P. Allen Smith in his container design book. 

At Sugar Creek Gardens, we go crazy with our containers! We carry hundreds of varieties of Fillers, Spillers, and Thrillers. The size of the container will dictate the number of plants that you need – three or thirty!  Ask yourself:  Will containers be arranged in a group and complement each other?  There may be a specific plan for each container so that colors, textures, shapes, and sizes of plants and flowers — and even the color of the containers — all relate to each other and are part of an intricate design.

Color – Contrasting colors — red and yellow, purple and orange, yellow and blue, and pink and white, create interest. Monochromatic arrangements, all one color on several different varieties of plants, will also have an impact.  Foliage plants with colorful leaves, the purple of ‘African Queen’ Tradescantia, or the pink, white, and green of Tricolor Sage, add color and interest. The color of the pot can also be part of the design, complementing the plants, or creating a clever contrast.

Texture – Consider a variety of leaf shapes. The large, round shape of Hosta is a good contrast with the light, airy shape of Ferns. The tall straight leaves of ornamental grasses, paired with round and cut leaves of Heuchera, create an interesting fall container.

Soil and Amendments – Start off each spring with clean pots filled with fresh potting compound. Fertilizers and water retention additives come in ready-mixed bags of potting soil. Compost may also be added to the soil mixture: one part compost to four parts potting soil.  After adding the soil to the container, leave a space of about 5,” then fill in the plants.  When you are finished, there should be a 1”–2” space between the soil and the top of the container.
Spanish moss may be added to cover any exposed soil.  This will add another texture to your pot, while helping with water and soil overflow.  If fertilizer (Bloom Booster Miracle Gro) is used, be careful not to over-fertilize.  The first application should be full strength, and then apply at half strength every two weeks after that. Another choice for fertilizer would be Osmocote.  It requires only one application at the time the pot design is put together.

Using These Principles, Create Containers for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter!
Spring – Pansies, Linaria, Dianthus, forced bulbs, Ferns, and Ivy fill our spring pots. Spring is a wonderful time to add colorful herbs and leafy lettuce, a practice Allen Smith noticed in England.

Summer – Delicate spring blooms roast in the summer heat. Summer annuals are joined by tropicals and house plants to create interesting containers. The varieties are endless: Pentas, Cleome, Angelonia, Sweet Potato Vine, Melampodium, Wave Petunias, Million Bells, Scaevola, and Cannas!  Herbs and vegetables may be planted in large “salad bowl” shaped pots to sit outside the kitchen door — easy access for the gourmet cook! Always remember your “Thriller, Filler, and Spiller” technique when combining your plants in their containers.

Fall – Remove tired and fried summer annuals. Add a new mixture of potting soil to the container. Happy fall annuals include Pansies, Dianthus, Ornamental Kale, Variegated Ivy, and Snapdragons. These are complemented by perennials, Asters, Mums, Dianthus, Heucheras, Ornamental Grasses, and Solidago ‘Golden Rod.’

Winter – Remove plant materials and replace with an interesting arrangement of evergreens, branches of red berries, pinecones, and red bows. Fresh fruit (pineapple, oranges, lemons, and pomegranates) will create a Williamsburg look.  Some of the evergreens, like Boxwood, Spruce, Balsam, Holly, Pine, Southern Magnolia, and Cedar, may be left in containers and window boxes until spring. Then the process starts all over again!

Fairy Gardens – Large pots and bird baths that have sprung a leak may be used to create unusual miniature fairy gardens. Plant material may include tiny miniature shrubs, creeping Thymes, Mazus repens, Steppables, and Moss. There are delightful little garden features – fairy houses, bird baths, garden benches and chairs – that are just the right size for fairies!

POSTED BY KIM — It’s mail order time, people, and that means styrofoam peanuts.  SAVE THEM.  I know they sort of multiply and it seems like you always have them when you don’t need them and vice versa, but

The container gardener's little secret

they’re great to use in the spring in the bottom of containers, so plan ahead.  They prevent potting soil from falling out the drainage hole, and if you have a really big pot, you can use several inches of styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot to fill up some space.  It also makes pots lighter if you have to move them around.

I always end up with a trashbag full of them, and space is so limited in my garage/potting area that I end up hanging the bag from a nail in the wall.  It’s not fancy, but it works.

Look for them in the fall when you empty out pots, though, or they’ll end up blowing all over your yard.    I learned that the hard way!